Freedom in Love
Title: Freedom in Love
Chapter: 1
Characters: Kahlan, Richard, Cara, Zedd, Others (Originals)
Rating: NC17/R
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Summary:In a short unplanned time of play, Richard and Kahlan lose themselves in a moment of passion that leads to horrific consequences that could destroy one or both of them.
Word Count: 3,469
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING.
Author's Note: So I wrote this while I was in the hospital. So it is a bit uhh.. Well, let's just say that it may have it's moments of craziness, but I hope that you all still enjoy! [All mistakes are mine.. Oops =P]
Comments are awesome folks!
The sun shined brightly down upon them, drying their river, soaked bodies as they lay against the bank, laughing. Lifting her arm, she pulled the arm of her dress out of the water, the weight of it bringing it to the ground hard. She turned her head and looked at him, his chest heaved with his laughter and rugged breaths. "It's going to take us all morning to dry ourselves."
"It was worth it," he told her as he rolled onto his side to face her. "I told you the water was warm."
She grinned, at last catching her breath. "I believed you before you pulled me in." Crawling over to her, he looked down and shook his head, the water falling off and hitting her in the face as she lifted her hands and tried to stop it. "Richard! Stop!" Rolling out from under him, Kahlan struggled against the wet fabric of her dress to stand and push him down into the dirt. He caught her as she fell back to the ground, her dress twisting tightly around her legs. "We should find a way to get dry. Cara and Zedd will wonder what happened."
"They don't need to know." He smiled widely as he remembered what had happened moments ago, before they returned to the safety of land.
It started innocently. Kahlan had reached out her arm, offering to help him out of the water, when he had pulled her in with him. After a few moments of shock, she had pushed his head under and then began their games. For the first time since beginning the quest, they let go. They allowed themselves to enjoy the others company without fear and questions. For a short amount of time, they forgot about everything else.
Before long, he had his arms wrapped around her, holding her to him as she splashed water at him. Their lips touched, for only a few seconds before they clung to each other in passion. She held him tightly, losing herself in their kiss until she remembered what she was. She ended the kiss before he liked, but continued to stay in his arms, surprising him. If Cara and Zedd knew, they would never be left alone together again.
"I won't tell them," Kahlan said softly, sitting up and wringing out a part of her dress. "I don't want one of them staying with us when they don't have to."
He smiled, knowing her meaning without her needing to say it. She liked being alone with him. "We don't have to meet them until it gets dark, we can always get back into the water."
She laughed, forgetting the cloth in her hands as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I think they will notice if we are soaking wet when they find us."
"We don't need clothes to swim," he said quietly, a part of him hoping that she didn't object. "We don't have to touch."
Shaking her head slowly, Kahlan sighed. "No, but I'll want to." He was surprised by her honesty. Most of the time she would have changed the subject, but she didn't. Her cheeks red so he knew what she wasn't saying. "We should move over there, out of the shade. It will help our clothes to dry."
Standing up, he stepped to her with a smile. "All right, I'll start a fire as well. We should eat something if we are going to be lying in the sun." Reaching out, he offered her his hand to help her up.
She took it without hesitation, "Thank you."
He grinned, "The first time I offered you my hand, you pushed a blade to my throat."
"No one had ever done that before."
He kissed her, unexpectedly, pulling her against him as he wrapped her in his arms. She returned his kiss in full, her own arms hooking around his back and shoulders as she leaned into him. The dampness of their clothes made their bodies shake with cold as the wind began to flow past them. His first instinct as he felt her shake in his arms was to remove her clothes and press his body against hers for warmth, but he knew that he couldn't do that. Pulling back, he took one of her hands and grinned widely. "Come on."
He reconnected their lips once they were in the sun, but not as before. This time, it was quick and her body was so far away from his, they strained to touch before he turned away. She watched him for a few moments, shocked and confused as he pulled his wet shirt over his head and flattened it on one of the surrounding rocks. She wasn't ready for their kiss to end. Her body burned for his and the sight of him, standing shirtless before her, made her body grow even hotter. Without thought, she took a step toward him and grabbed his arm, turning him around. Her hands ran over his chest, touching him the way she had imagined for a long time.
He didn't stop her as she traced her fingers over him, her eyes watching as his muscles flexed against her touch. She had touched his chest, but never like this. Before, she had only been trying to stop the bleeding of a wound or when she grew curious of the Keeper's Mark, but this time, she touched him for her own desires. She could feel his heart beat beneath her touch; it was as rapid as her own as she looked up to his face. He pulled her to him, kissing her as he worked at the laces of her dress. He thought that she would stop him, that she would pull away, but she didn't and he was glad.
Her dress fell to the ground and he pulled her against him, expecting to feel her flesh. Disappointed by the feel of her corset, he instantly began trying to remove it, his fingers fumbling with the lacing. She held his face to hers, unwilling to break their kiss. The damp laces stuck to his fingers, making it more difficult to remove the clothing as his body was unable to hide its desire for her. She reached down and pushed her hand against him, surprising him almost as much as the moan that came from deep within her. Breaking their kiss, Richard gasped her name as he ripped a small portion of her corset.
Lowering her, gently to the ground, he tossed her corset a few feet away from them and instantly brought his lips to her chest. Pulling at his hair, Kahlan pushed her chest up and into his lips as she panted. His right hand moved over her, moving lower and lower until he reached the core of her and she nearly screamed in passion. Moving his hand, he groaned at the feeling, her readiness. Bringing his mouth back to hers, he pushed his tongue past her lips as he quickly pulled at the strings of his pants. His body ached with desire as she held him against her, gasping for air between their heated kisses.
Her head fell back with a loud cry as he entered her. He paused instantly and pulled back, his heart pounding in fear that his action would destroy everything between them. Looking to her face, he waited for her reaction. Her face was peaceful until she opened her eyes and then he saw it, the same fear that he had within him. Pressing his lips to hers lightly, Richard lifted his chest from hers. Just as he was about to roll off of her, she grabbed him and held him to her as she shifted herself beneath him. Her movements, took her breath from her lungs, he nails digging into his side as she tried to hold still.
"Just once," she whispered softly.
"Kahlan, I don't want to do something that you don't-"
Meeting his eyes, she swallowed the fear within her. "Only once."
He nodded and shifted his weight above her, resting himself upon his forearms at her side. He waited a moment, making sure that she had the chance to change her mind. He never wanted to hurt her and he knew that if he did what she was requesting and she changed her mind, it would destroy her. Slowly, her nails began to slide down his skin, a light stream of blood following as she begged for him silently. Slowly, he lifted himself from her and then pushed down quickly, drawing a loud cry from her lips that matched his own as she pulled his face to hers. Their cries became muffled by their lips as they tangled together, her legs wrapping around him to keep him from moving.
After a few moments, she reached between them and touched him, bringing his eyes to widen as she struggled to touch more of him. She kept her eyes closed, unable to look at him while she stroked him. He spoke her name softly, his voice shaking as he tried to calm himself. He knew what she wanted, what they both wanted, but he wasn't sure if it was the right thing. Kahlan moaned as his head fell to her chest, his breath warming her as he came undone. With one hand, he cupped her breast tightly, wanting to give her something as he spilled within her.
She held him to her, her heart pounding with the knowledge of what they may have just done. Richard smiled, despite himself, a part of him thrilled to think they may have just created a child. He wanted nothing more than to have a child with her, to be a family, but he knew that she would never have risked his life for it. A soft moan of displeasure left both of their lips as he shifted his body, pulling himself from her warmth. She opened her eyes as he lifted his head from her chest, wondering what he was thinking. She would give anything to know what was going through his mind. It terrified her to be in the dark.
"We can't tell Zedd," she said quickly, wanting someone to say something.
"What if we just- Kahlan, if you could be carrying my child, I think that we should tell them. We could protect-"
Shaking her head, she touched the side of his face, her thumb stoking over his cheek. "No, please don't. If he was to find out what we have done- A Confessor who carries a child is ordered to return to the Confessor's Palace until she gives birth. It is the only way to ensure safety, but I can't leave you. Richard, you need me with you."
"I won't let him send you back, but you will need to be protected-"
"We don't even know if we- It is my job to protect you."
He smiled, laid his hand over hers and pulled it from his face so that he could hold it. "We protect each other. I will not tell Zedd until you agree to it, but Kahlan, promise me that you will think about it." The moment she nodded in agreement, he began to roll off of her for the second time and once again, she stopped him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said in a whisper. "It's warm like this."
"I may crush you."
She shook her head; a smile playing with her lips as he gently ran one of his hands down her arm, providing instant warmth. "I'll risk it."
"But I won't." Rolling onto his side, he pulled her into his arms, her chest pressed firmly against his as he ignored the piercing rock that stabbed into his side.
After a few moments, she laughed and pulled back, taking him with her. "How long were you going to lie there with it poking you?"
"How did you-"
"I saw it when we walked over here. I thought that you missed it, but then I could feel..." She lifted her arm, his blood now staining a small portion below the elbow. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to let go of you," he answered honestly as she moved over and helped him lay onto his back.
"Here, I'll stop the bleeding."
"It's not necessary. It's not deep."
Smiling, she ripped the bottom of her dress and folded it before smoothing it over the small wound. "We can't allow it to get infected."
"Zedd will heal it when we meet them. You don't have to do..." His words trailed off as she laid one of her hands on his chest as she pushed against the fabric. Her actions had the desired effect; he didn't feel the pain of the cloth. "Care for a swim?" he teased softly as she pulled back. She suddenly realized that she sat before him completely naked. Pulling her dress up to her chest, she felt her cheeks grow red as he watched her. "You don't have to do that," he said quietly.
"What?"
"Cover yourself, embarrassed. You're beautiful."
Looking from her hands to his eyes, she gave him a small smile and sighed. "Our clothes are nearly dry."
Sitting up, he laid his hand gently on her arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"I know. It's just- No one has ever said that to me before."
He ginned playfully. "How many other men have you been naked with?"
"None, but that's not... If I had, they wouldn't have said it. They wouldn't dare."
"Why not?"
Looking away from his eyes, she tightened her hold on her dress. "The fear that I would take them."
"I don't have that fear, Kahlan," he told her quickly. He didn't want to give her a moment to believe that he did.
She nodded and looked back to him. "I know. That's what scares me."
"Why?"
Forgetting that she was holding her dress to her, she dropped her hands into her lap in defeat. "If you're not scared, you'll... You'll do what we just did and I'm going to confess you."
Smiling, he moved in close to her and took her hands in his. "We just did that and you didn't confess me."
"Richard, we didn't... That's why I didn't confess you."
He laughed, "Kahlan, what we just did, it may not have been like other people, but we did make love."
"Made love?"
"Yes. I know that some people don't understand the difference, but I know that you do. You felt it, before when we were together, it was amazing but not because we were... It was amazing because for a while, we were able to show each other how much we love each other."
"Our clothes are dry enough. We should dress and get moving. If we hurry, we can get to the meeting place before them."
Sighing, Richard released her hands and leaned back. "All right, but I'm going to catch us something to eat first."
"You did what?" Cara asked as she pushed him back into a thin tree. "You decided to risk everything so that you could deflower the Mother Confessor?"
"I didn't risk anything. She didn't release her-"
"But you did. You pushed into her and released everything. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I made love to the woman that I love. I did nothing wrong!" He was angry. How could she think that he shouldn't have been with Kahlan? That could never be a mistake.
"If she is carrying a child, you lose her. The wizard will send her back and you will go with her. You will go and the Keeper will win."
"He won't send her away. I won't let him."
The blonde laughed, "You think that she will be able keep up with us? And after she has the child, what then?"
"We don't even know if she conceived a child. There is no need to worry about what might happen."
Stepping closer to him, Cara lowered her voice. "You may want to think about it. Confessors are very fertile. If she carries your child, she leaves."
He watched her walk away, his mind spinning and his heart pounding as he began to worry that they would be separated. Turning around he pushed through a few low hanging limbs and headed off into the darkness to think. He wondered how Cara could have known what they had done and if she knew, did Zedd?
He heard her coming, her footsteps coming quickly as she moved expertly through the trees. "Are you all right?"
Looking over his shoulder, he met her eyes. "I'm fine."
"Richard-"
"You have barely spoken to me in the past two days. Cara noticed something was different. She knows what happened."
"You told her?"
"I had to. I needed to talk to someone about it."
Walking slowly to him, she sat down beside him and looked out. "I'm sorry. I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. Not after what you called it."
"Because I said we made love?"
Nodding she leaned forward, resting her forearms on her legs. "You said it and I couldn't stop thinking about how much you lost because of it."
"What do you mean?"
"You called it making love when you- It was nothing. You could have had so much more with- anyone else."
"No, I couldn't," he said simply. "Kahlan, we made love and it was- I could not have had anything more or better with anyone else. There is no better."
Looking over to him, she blinked out the tears that had begun to fill her eyes. "When you were with... Before we met and you were able to be with her completely. You made love to her in ways you could never with me."
He smiled, surprising himself as well as her as he laid one of his hands on her shoulder. "I have never made love before. When I was with Anna, I was a child. I didn't know what I was doing, what it should have been like, but I do know that what we did- What you and I did, that was how it's meant to be."
Turning to face him, Kahlan took in a deep breath. "When you were with her, the- the pleasures that you would have experienced, the release, the content-"
Pressing his lips to hers, he stopped her from talking, from thinking about him with another woman. She no longer existed in his mind, she hadn't for many years. He had thought of no one until he met Kahlan. She filled his mind at all times. He had feared that she would pull away, that she would become upset, but she didn't. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him to her as he pushed against her, moving her slowly to her back. The angle was strange, almost painful for them both as her back came closer to the fallen tree.
He couldn't imagine kissing anyone else, the feel of her lips against his was enough to get him through anything. She pushed up against him, a soft moan of wanting leaving her throat as she tried to keep her desire from growing. He touched her as he had done before, clutching her breasts as he kissed over her neck. Trying to get closer, he lifted her from the bark, sending them both to the ground with a heavy thump. She climbed over him, sitting above him as their lips danced together fiercely. Her fingers wrapped themselves around his hair, pulling him closer as he pushed into her chest.
Leaning forward, she pushed him onto his back and pulled her hands from his body, kissing him deeply one last time. "We should go back. Zedd will start to worry we do not return soon."
"Just a moment longer," he whispered, pulling her down into his arms for a hug. "He must be eating by now. He will never notice if we are late."
"If I am pregnant, I will not stay. There is too much at risk. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. If I am, it will change everything."
Tightening his hold on her, he closed his eyes. "It doesn't change anything. You don't have to leave; we can get through it together."
Shaking her head, she tried to pull out of his arms, their connection making it more difficult to keep her mind made up. "If I am pregnant, I won't be able to stay. I won't be able to travel like this. I will need to leave."
"I don't want you to leave. I can't do this without you; I don't want to do it without you. If you leave, I will go with you."
Chapter: 1
Characters: Kahlan, Richard, Cara, Zedd, Others (Originals)
Rating: NC17/R
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Summary:In a short unplanned time of play, Richard and Kahlan lose themselves in a moment of passion that leads to horrific consequences that could destroy one or both of them.
Word Count: 3,469
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING.
Author's Note: So I wrote this while I was in the hospital. So it is a bit uhh.. Well, let's just say that it may have it's moments of craziness, but I hope that you all still enjoy! [All mistakes are mine.. Oops =P]
Comments are awesome folks!
The sun shined brightly down upon them, drying their river, soaked bodies as they lay against the bank, laughing. Lifting her arm, she pulled the arm of her dress out of the water, the weight of it bringing it to the ground hard. She turned her head and looked at him, his chest heaved with his laughter and rugged breaths. "It's going to take us all morning to dry ourselves."
"It was worth it," he told her as he rolled onto his side to face her. "I told you the water was warm."
She grinned, at last catching her breath. "I believed you before you pulled me in." Crawling over to her, he looked down and shook his head, the water falling off and hitting her in the face as she lifted her hands and tried to stop it. "Richard! Stop!" Rolling out from under him, Kahlan struggled against the wet fabric of her dress to stand and push him down into the dirt. He caught her as she fell back to the ground, her dress twisting tightly around her legs. "We should find a way to get dry. Cara and Zedd will wonder what happened."
"They don't need to know." He smiled widely as he remembered what had happened moments ago, before they returned to the safety of land.
It started innocently. Kahlan had reached out her arm, offering to help him out of the water, when he had pulled her in with him. After a few moments of shock, she had pushed his head under and then began their games. For the first time since beginning the quest, they let go. They allowed themselves to enjoy the others company without fear and questions. For a short amount of time, they forgot about everything else.
Before long, he had his arms wrapped around her, holding her to him as she splashed water at him. Their lips touched, for only a few seconds before they clung to each other in passion. She held him tightly, losing herself in their kiss until she remembered what she was. She ended the kiss before he liked, but continued to stay in his arms, surprising him. If Cara and Zedd knew, they would never be left alone together again.
"I won't tell them," Kahlan said softly, sitting up and wringing out a part of her dress. "I don't want one of them staying with us when they don't have to."
He smiled, knowing her meaning without her needing to say it. She liked being alone with him. "We don't have to meet them until it gets dark, we can always get back into the water."
She laughed, forgetting the cloth in her hands as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I think they will notice if we are soaking wet when they find us."
"We don't need clothes to swim," he said quietly, a part of him hoping that she didn't object. "We don't have to touch."
Shaking her head slowly, Kahlan sighed. "No, but I'll want to." He was surprised by her honesty. Most of the time she would have changed the subject, but she didn't. Her cheeks red so he knew what she wasn't saying. "We should move over there, out of the shade. It will help our clothes to dry."
Standing up, he stepped to her with a smile. "All right, I'll start a fire as well. We should eat something if we are going to be lying in the sun." Reaching out, he offered her his hand to help her up.
She took it without hesitation, "Thank you."
He grinned, "The first time I offered you my hand, you pushed a blade to my throat."
"No one had ever done that before."
He kissed her, unexpectedly, pulling her against him as he wrapped her in his arms. She returned his kiss in full, her own arms hooking around his back and shoulders as she leaned into him. The dampness of their clothes made their bodies shake with cold as the wind began to flow past them. His first instinct as he felt her shake in his arms was to remove her clothes and press his body against hers for warmth, but he knew that he couldn't do that. Pulling back, he took one of her hands and grinned widely. "Come on."
He reconnected their lips once they were in the sun, but not as before. This time, it was quick and her body was so far away from his, they strained to touch before he turned away. She watched him for a few moments, shocked and confused as he pulled his wet shirt over his head and flattened it on one of the surrounding rocks. She wasn't ready for their kiss to end. Her body burned for his and the sight of him, standing shirtless before her, made her body grow even hotter. Without thought, she took a step toward him and grabbed his arm, turning him around. Her hands ran over his chest, touching him the way she had imagined for a long time.
He didn't stop her as she traced her fingers over him, her eyes watching as his muscles flexed against her touch. She had touched his chest, but never like this. Before, she had only been trying to stop the bleeding of a wound or when she grew curious of the Keeper's Mark, but this time, she touched him for her own desires. She could feel his heart beat beneath her touch; it was as rapid as her own as she looked up to his face. He pulled her to him, kissing her as he worked at the laces of her dress. He thought that she would stop him, that she would pull away, but she didn't and he was glad.
Her dress fell to the ground and he pulled her against him, expecting to feel her flesh. Disappointed by the feel of her corset, he instantly began trying to remove it, his fingers fumbling with the lacing. She held his face to hers, unwilling to break their kiss. The damp laces stuck to his fingers, making it more difficult to remove the clothing as his body was unable to hide its desire for her. She reached down and pushed her hand against him, surprising him almost as much as the moan that came from deep within her. Breaking their kiss, Richard gasped her name as he ripped a small portion of her corset.
Lowering her, gently to the ground, he tossed her corset a few feet away from them and instantly brought his lips to her chest. Pulling at his hair, Kahlan pushed her chest up and into his lips as she panted. His right hand moved over her, moving lower and lower until he reached the core of her and she nearly screamed in passion. Moving his hand, he groaned at the feeling, her readiness. Bringing his mouth back to hers, he pushed his tongue past her lips as he quickly pulled at the strings of his pants. His body ached with desire as she held him against her, gasping for air between their heated kisses.
Her head fell back with a loud cry as he entered her. He paused instantly and pulled back, his heart pounding in fear that his action would destroy everything between them. Looking to her face, he waited for her reaction. Her face was peaceful until she opened her eyes and then he saw it, the same fear that he had within him. Pressing his lips to hers lightly, Richard lifted his chest from hers. Just as he was about to roll off of her, she grabbed him and held him to her as she shifted herself beneath him. Her movements, took her breath from her lungs, he nails digging into his side as she tried to hold still.
"Just once," she whispered softly.
"Kahlan, I don't want to do something that you don't-"
Meeting his eyes, she swallowed the fear within her. "Only once."
He nodded and shifted his weight above her, resting himself upon his forearms at her side. He waited a moment, making sure that she had the chance to change her mind. He never wanted to hurt her and he knew that if he did what she was requesting and she changed her mind, it would destroy her. Slowly, her nails began to slide down his skin, a light stream of blood following as she begged for him silently. Slowly, he lifted himself from her and then pushed down quickly, drawing a loud cry from her lips that matched his own as she pulled his face to hers. Their cries became muffled by their lips as they tangled together, her legs wrapping around him to keep him from moving.
After a few moments, she reached between them and touched him, bringing his eyes to widen as she struggled to touch more of him. She kept her eyes closed, unable to look at him while she stroked him. He spoke her name softly, his voice shaking as he tried to calm himself. He knew what she wanted, what they both wanted, but he wasn't sure if it was the right thing. Kahlan moaned as his head fell to her chest, his breath warming her as he came undone. With one hand, he cupped her breast tightly, wanting to give her something as he spilled within her.
She held him to her, her heart pounding with the knowledge of what they may have just done. Richard smiled, despite himself, a part of him thrilled to think they may have just created a child. He wanted nothing more than to have a child with her, to be a family, but he knew that she would never have risked his life for it. A soft moan of displeasure left both of their lips as he shifted his body, pulling himself from her warmth. She opened her eyes as he lifted his head from her chest, wondering what he was thinking. She would give anything to know what was going through his mind. It terrified her to be in the dark.
"We can't tell Zedd," she said quickly, wanting someone to say something.
"What if we just- Kahlan, if you could be carrying my child, I think that we should tell them. We could protect-"
Shaking her head, she touched the side of his face, her thumb stoking over his cheek. "No, please don't. If he was to find out what we have done- A Confessor who carries a child is ordered to return to the Confessor's Palace until she gives birth. It is the only way to ensure safety, but I can't leave you. Richard, you need me with you."
"I won't let him send you back, but you will need to be protected-"
"We don't even know if we- It is my job to protect you."
He smiled, laid his hand over hers and pulled it from his face so that he could hold it. "We protect each other. I will not tell Zedd until you agree to it, but Kahlan, promise me that you will think about it." The moment she nodded in agreement, he began to roll off of her for the second time and once again, she stopped him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said in a whisper. "It's warm like this."
"I may crush you."
She shook her head; a smile playing with her lips as he gently ran one of his hands down her arm, providing instant warmth. "I'll risk it."
"But I won't." Rolling onto his side, he pulled her into his arms, her chest pressed firmly against his as he ignored the piercing rock that stabbed into his side.
After a few moments, she laughed and pulled back, taking him with her. "How long were you going to lie there with it poking you?"
"How did you-"
"I saw it when we walked over here. I thought that you missed it, but then I could feel..." She lifted her arm, his blood now staining a small portion below the elbow. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to let go of you," he answered honestly as she moved over and helped him lay onto his back.
"Here, I'll stop the bleeding."
"It's not necessary. It's not deep."
Smiling, she ripped the bottom of her dress and folded it before smoothing it over the small wound. "We can't allow it to get infected."
"Zedd will heal it when we meet them. You don't have to do..." His words trailed off as she laid one of her hands on his chest as she pushed against the fabric. Her actions had the desired effect; he didn't feel the pain of the cloth. "Care for a swim?" he teased softly as she pulled back. She suddenly realized that she sat before him completely naked. Pulling her dress up to her chest, she felt her cheeks grow red as he watched her. "You don't have to do that," he said quietly.
"What?"
"Cover yourself, embarrassed. You're beautiful."
Looking from her hands to his eyes, she gave him a small smile and sighed. "Our clothes are nearly dry."
Sitting up, he laid his hand gently on her arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"I know. It's just- No one has ever said that to me before."
He ginned playfully. "How many other men have you been naked with?"
"None, but that's not... If I had, they wouldn't have said it. They wouldn't dare."
"Why not?"
Looking away from his eyes, she tightened her hold on her dress. "The fear that I would take them."
"I don't have that fear, Kahlan," he told her quickly. He didn't want to give her a moment to believe that he did.
She nodded and looked back to him. "I know. That's what scares me."
"Why?"
Forgetting that she was holding her dress to her, she dropped her hands into her lap in defeat. "If you're not scared, you'll... You'll do what we just did and I'm going to confess you."
Smiling, he moved in close to her and took her hands in his. "We just did that and you didn't confess me."
"Richard, we didn't... That's why I didn't confess you."
He laughed, "Kahlan, what we just did, it may not have been like other people, but we did make love."
"Made love?"
"Yes. I know that some people don't understand the difference, but I know that you do. You felt it, before when we were together, it was amazing but not because we were... It was amazing because for a while, we were able to show each other how much we love each other."
"Our clothes are dry enough. We should dress and get moving. If we hurry, we can get to the meeting place before them."
Sighing, Richard released her hands and leaned back. "All right, but I'm going to catch us something to eat first."
"You did what?" Cara asked as she pushed him back into a thin tree. "You decided to risk everything so that you could deflower the Mother Confessor?"
"I didn't risk anything. She didn't release her-"
"But you did. You pushed into her and released everything. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I made love to the woman that I love. I did nothing wrong!" He was angry. How could she think that he shouldn't have been with Kahlan? That could never be a mistake.
"If she is carrying a child, you lose her. The wizard will send her back and you will go with her. You will go and the Keeper will win."
"He won't send her away. I won't let him."
The blonde laughed, "You think that she will be able keep up with us? And after she has the child, what then?"
"We don't even know if she conceived a child. There is no need to worry about what might happen."
Stepping closer to him, Cara lowered her voice. "You may want to think about it. Confessors are very fertile. If she carries your child, she leaves."
He watched her walk away, his mind spinning and his heart pounding as he began to worry that they would be separated. Turning around he pushed through a few low hanging limbs and headed off into the darkness to think. He wondered how Cara could have known what they had done and if she knew, did Zedd?
He heard her coming, her footsteps coming quickly as she moved expertly through the trees. "Are you all right?"
Looking over his shoulder, he met her eyes. "I'm fine."
"Richard-"
"You have barely spoken to me in the past two days. Cara noticed something was different. She knows what happened."
"You told her?"
"I had to. I needed to talk to someone about it."
Walking slowly to him, she sat down beside him and looked out. "I'm sorry. I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. Not after what you called it."
"Because I said we made love?"
Nodding she leaned forward, resting her forearms on her legs. "You said it and I couldn't stop thinking about how much you lost because of it."
"What do you mean?"
"You called it making love when you- It was nothing. You could have had so much more with- anyone else."
"No, I couldn't," he said simply. "Kahlan, we made love and it was- I could not have had anything more or better with anyone else. There is no better."
Looking over to him, she blinked out the tears that had begun to fill her eyes. "When you were with... Before we met and you were able to be with her completely. You made love to her in ways you could never with me."
He smiled, surprising himself as well as her as he laid one of his hands on her shoulder. "I have never made love before. When I was with Anna, I was a child. I didn't know what I was doing, what it should have been like, but I do know that what we did- What you and I did, that was how it's meant to be."
Turning to face him, Kahlan took in a deep breath. "When you were with her, the- the pleasures that you would have experienced, the release, the content-"
Pressing his lips to hers, he stopped her from talking, from thinking about him with another woman. She no longer existed in his mind, she hadn't for many years. He had thought of no one until he met Kahlan. She filled his mind at all times. He had feared that she would pull away, that she would become upset, but she didn't. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him to her as he pushed against her, moving her slowly to her back. The angle was strange, almost painful for them both as her back came closer to the fallen tree.
He couldn't imagine kissing anyone else, the feel of her lips against his was enough to get him through anything. She pushed up against him, a soft moan of wanting leaving her throat as she tried to keep her desire from growing. He touched her as he had done before, clutching her breasts as he kissed over her neck. Trying to get closer, he lifted her from the bark, sending them both to the ground with a heavy thump. She climbed over him, sitting above him as their lips danced together fiercely. Her fingers wrapped themselves around his hair, pulling him closer as he pushed into her chest.
Leaning forward, she pushed him onto his back and pulled her hands from his body, kissing him deeply one last time. "We should go back. Zedd will start to worry we do not return soon."
"Just a moment longer," he whispered, pulling her down into his arms for a hug. "He must be eating by now. He will never notice if we are late."
"If I am pregnant, I will not stay. There is too much at risk. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. If I am, it will change everything."
Tightening his hold on her, he closed his eyes. "It doesn't change anything. You don't have to leave; we can get through it together."
Shaking her head, she tried to pull out of his arms, their connection making it more difficult to keep her mind made up. "If I am pregnant, I won't be able to stay. I won't be able to travel like this. I will need to leave."
"I don't want you to leave. I can't do this without you; I don't want to do it without you. If you leave, I will go with you."