Stone 11

**Chapter 11**

Richard and Kahlan decide to go practice archery. Richard, of course, is awesome. Kahlan shoots for a while, and then Richard gives her advice. Richard, who shoots through magic and instinct, and who Zedd once said couldn't even hit the ground. Is giving advice. \~/

Kahlan follows Richard's advice and her shooting improves: she *“thought she might have even hit the bundled grass [target] once.”* Kahlan, who we're told *“used to shoot a bow”,* thinks she *may* have hit the target *once.* Because of Savant Richard's advice, of course. \~/

I really hate Sues.

More Richard-is-awesome archery, and then Richard ponders whether he really does have the gift. He suspects it could all be a case of Wizard's First Rule: people believe things because they either want them to be true, or fear that they are true. Kahlan wants to know how he was able to recite the Book of Counted Shadows, so Richard explains how his father George had him memorize it. Kahlan blathers on for a page explaining that the Magic Book was kept in a super-guarded place in Aydindril, and once Zedd vanished even the lesser wizards couldn't get in. Furthermore, only someone with the gift could have read the Book. Kahlan doesn't even remember the words Richard recited.

We get an infodump on Kahlan's tragic history, in which we learn that her father was King Wyborn Amnell of Galea. Richard asks if this makes her a princess, but Kahlan says that *“The daughter of a Confessor is a Confessor, not the daughter of her father.”* And yet, she has her father's last name. How oddly inconsistent.

Kahlan's mother, it turns out, basically kidnapped Wyborn, who was married at the time. *“The marriage between him and the queen was arranged. He was a warrior, a great commander. The marriage wedded his realm to the lands ruled by Queen Bernadine, creating the land of Galea.”* And this makes it okay, because arranged marriages are always wrong and evil, and the spouses never grow to care for one another. \~/

Blah blah. Queen Bernadine cheated on her husband, he found out, and Kahlan's mother mindraped him before he could kill the other man. Lovely people. There's more infodumping on Kahlan's childhood, and how her father didn't care about her except that teaching her made her mother happy. Well, that's what happens when you give someone a magic lobotomy. Wyborn taught Kahlan to be ruthless (that I can believe).

Richard and Kahlan decide to travel to Aydindril, and then they shoot some more arrows. Kahlan gets a shaft shot and squeals like a little girl. They decide not to leave before getting married, despite the magical headaches which are rapidly killing Richard, and which Zedd *might* be able to help with.

Actually, I'm fine with that. They should take their time.

Randomly, Richard wants to know how Kahlan killed Demmin Nass and his Nameless Thugs when Zedd couldn't hurt them. He deduces that Darken Rahl had protected them with Subtractive Magic, which Zedd's magic could not penetrate. Therefore, Kahlan's Mindrapist magic must have elements of Subtractive Magic in it. I'm not sure that makes sense, but sure. We'll go with it.

Richard and Kahlan shoot some more arrows, with Kahlan trying to distract Richard and make him miss. She fails. The distractions get more...creative. We get a glowing description of Richard's muscles and so forth. \~/

Then, suddenly, Richard jumps to his feet and draws the sword. Something approaches!

Drinks: 4

<Previous Chapter  -  Next Chapter>