Main Events
Richard attempts to learn how to use the bird whistle from The Bird Man, but fails completely—he can only call all birds at once, not specific types. The Bird Man gives up, telling Richard he is the worst bird caller he has ever seen, but allows him to keep the whistle as a reminder that even a child is better than him at some things.
That night, the Council of Seers gathering is held. Richard and Kahlan must participate naked, with mud symbols painted on their bodies. They use red spirit frogs, whose slime allows them to see the ancestor spirits. The spirits ask Richard difficult questions about killing—why he killed, whether he enjoyed it, and whether intent is as bad as the deed. Richard answers honestly, struggling with the moral implications. The spirits reveal that Lord Darken Rahl is in the village killing people, but warn Richard he must not go out to fight—if he draws his sword, Rahl will see him and kill him. The symbols painted on him hide him from Rahl's sight. The spirits tell him that Shota, the Witch Woman, knows where the last box is located.
After the gathering ends, Richard and Kahlan discover that Lord Darken Rahl has killed many Mud People, including children. Siddin has been taken by Rahl as a "gift for a friend." The clouds are gone, and they must leave immediately to find Shota.