Main Events
Kahlan returns to Richard after leaving him. She explains that she realized she was letting Shota pick her path for her by wanting to die, and that Richard was right about everything. She asks for her job back as his guide. Before he can accept, she insists on telling him what she is—a Confessor. She explains the Confessor's power: it works by touch, taking away a person's free will and making them completely devoted to the Confessor forever. She explains how confessors are used to find truth, especially in cases where someone is to be executed, and how they are feared and hated. She reveals she is the Mother Confessor, the most powerful confessor, and that all other confessors are dead. She explains why confessors cannot have relationships—in passion, they would release their power and destroy the person they care for. She also reveals the terrible truth about male confessor children—they are killed at birth because male confessors brought about the "dark time" of terror. Richard is horrified but accepts her as his friend, though he realizes they can never be more than friends.