Freedom in Love (Ch3)
Title: Freedom in Love
Chapter: 3
Raiting: 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: 2,623
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!
"If you are waiting for The Seeker to come for me, you will be waiting a very long time," Kahlan said coldly as one of the men lifted her dress, his hand sliding over part of her thigh, while another pulled the arrow from her shoulder. "He won't know anything has happened to me until he makes his way to Aydindril." She didn't want them to know that he would come after her; that he would be there sooner than they imagined. As she looked around, she realized that she didn't want him to come.
"He will come. We know how the Seeker feels about you. He will come, try and rescue you and when he does, we will kill you both." Pulling out his knife, he brought it to the side of her face and grinned. "But until then, we will find another use for you. You see, my men and I have been without a decent woman for so long and this metal will keep you from taking us as your slaves." His smile widened, bringing fear to rise up within her. "You are going to make us all very happy."
The man was tall and slender; his hair a light brown with a touch of silver on the sides, giving away his age. His voice made her sick, a rough and cold tone with every word. He wore no colors, giving her no idea to who he worked for or why he wanted to kill Richard. His dark eyes locked on hers as his smile widened.
Cutting the top of her dress, he stared at the tops of her breasts. "I will have you first. My men will enjoy learning how to take a woman."
Lifting her chin, she took in a deep breath. "You have to rape a woman to feel like a man, but know this, you will never be one."
He slapped her, hard; her head fell back against the tree she was tied to. "I will show you how much of a man I am."
She stared him in the eyes as he ripped apart her dress and pulled her boots from her feet. Cutting the corset from her, he called to his men, beckoning them to come and watch. Pulling her from the tree, he pulled apart her legs and moved between them, unlacing his pants quickly with one hand while the other moved over her body. The men gathered around, smiling widely as the Mother Confessor struggled beneath their master.
"When he does come for me, he will kill you."
"Not before I've had my fun." He moaned loudly as he pushed into her, grinning at her as tears filled her eyes. "You feel good." Pumping into her, he looked to a few of his men and laughed. "We have ourselves a good one boys!" He grabbed her breasts in both hands, squeezing as hard as he could and until she screamed in pain.
The men around them all began to unlace their pants as their leader pulled out of her, with a satisfied moan. "Not now boys. We want to make sure she doesn't go bad on us. But you will be mine again this evening." Standing up, he looked to his eager men. "Keep her here, naked. I want everyone to admire our new prisoner. But if any one of you touches her without my consent, I will cut you off. Hoyt, clean her up. Be thorough. Every inch should be cleaned."
The men cheered as he walked away, Kahlan vomited. Hoyt stepped in close to her, lifting her head and turning it so that she wouldn't vomit on herself. "Breathe deeply; it will keep you from spitting anything else out." She looked over at him, memorizing his face. He was young, as young as she and his hair fell to his shoulders as he leaned over her, wiping her chest roughly with a thick cloth. "Stop moving, you will only attract their attention again and if you do, they will rip you apart fighting over who enters you next."
"And what about you?" she questioned, looking around them and watching as most of the men left.
"I do as I am told. If Paul says that I am to have you, do not think that I won't. You are a prize for most of us here. The women we get are slaves, ones that have been had more times than they have eaten, but you... You are nearly pure and you have not been had many times." He grinned, making her even sicker to her stomach. "You should prepare yourself for the worst with each of us. It will help with the pain. Turn, I will clean your side."
"He will not come. It is pointless to hold me."
"If he doesn't. We will use you until we grow tired of you and then we will kill you. We will make sure he knows. The sooner he comes, the sooner this will be over for you."
Blinking free more tears, Kahlan shook her head. "It will not be over until he has finished with me."
"Spread your legs." She looked up at him and then pushed her knees tighter together, trying to move farther away. "Open your legs!" The remaining men turned and looked, watching in laughs as Hoyt pushed her legs apart. "Hold still or I will make you and you will not like it my way." She continued to fight him, not wanting him to touch her anywhere else. She screamed loudly as his fingers pushed into her and her legs were pulled apart by another man. "Hold still or I will hurt you in ways you couldn't imagine."
He left her the moment he finished. She had never felt so dirty before and if she allowed herself to think about what had just happened, it drove her mad. Breathing deeply, she tried to forget the feel of his hands upon her, touching her in a way only Richard and only once had done to her before. A part of her was terrified to think of what would happen when he came for her; the other prayed that he wouldn't. If he stayed away, he would survive and that was all that mattered to her. Anything that was done to her, she would accept if it meant that Richard was still alive and that he was safe.
The men, she hoped, would lose their interest in her once the child grew within her. It would be months before any of them took notice; she knew they would kill her before it went on that long. Looking out at the camp, she tried to fight the tears that collected in her eyes as the men stared at her. There were more now than before and their eyes were dark with lust. Shifting her body, Kahlan pulled her knees up to her chest, doing her best to cover herself and make it harder for them to see any part of her. She had never wanted any man, other than Richard, to look at her this way. She felt sick.
She lost count how many men had touched her. They were all becoming a blur that never seemed to stop or slow. Their voices merged together with the grunts, moans and laughter. They hadn't fed her in days, her stomach growled constantly in begging for food. It had only been half an hour since the last of them left her and she could still feel them upon her. Her body ached and screamed for freedom, but she ignored it all. Richard, her mind told her was coming for her, but she could barely remember what he looked like. She couldn't trust her own thoughts.
"I have good news Confessor," Paul said as he entered her room. She was sitting against the headboard of a small bed, her hands tied above her head, her wrists bleeding from her attempts to free herself. She was still naked, her legs crossed in front of her as a small way to hide herself. "Your Seeker is looking for you." She nearly screamed. She wanted to tell him that he could have her if he left Richard alone, but she couldn't make a sound. She had spent most of the past four days screaming and yelling, hoping that someone somewhere would hear her and come to her rescue. "You're more pleasant this way. Your screams will be missed though." He walked slowly in her direction, pulling open his pants as he came closer. "It won't be the same without you begging for me to stop, but I assure you, I will still enjoy myself."
He devoured her body with his lips, tongue and teeth, enjoying every moment as she wiggled beneath him. Looking up from her stomach, he watched her face cringe as he ran his tongue slowly over her skin. Her screams came out as soft gasps, barely making their way to his ears as he settled between her legs. It was his favorite part. He made sure to be rough, to hurt her with every move. He pushed at her legs, trying to open them wider as he laughed at her pain. His laugh echoed in her ears, unending until he was unable to continue moving and fell on top of her. The weight of him nearly crushed her as he continued to run his hands over her body. "Your Seeker will never know what he has missed." Biting her chest once more, he sat up with a grin. "You will be Hoyt's again today. Enjoy the animal."
As he walked from the room, Kahlan instantly began pulling at her chains again, desperately trying to get loose. She had been taken by Hoyt more times than some of the other men, he she was always able to remember. The things he did to her, the way he would bring her to scream out in a pain she didn't know she could feel as he whispered in her ear about how the Seeker would watch as he took her over and over again. Through the second night, she held her eyes closed and prayed silently to the spirits to keep Richard away. She didn't want him to see her this way, she never wanted him to know what they had done to her.
The thought of being with him again made her heart pound in horror. She wasn't strong enough to have that monster have her in a way she wanted Richard. Moving to her knees, she used all of her body weight against the chain. The pain she felt now would be nothing compared to what she would feel when the other man was done with her. Her blood dripped onto her face as she pulled, moving up instead to bite herself free. She bit through her skin, trying to get loose enough to pull herself free before he came into the room. Her cries were muffled as she continued to work, loosening her hands slowly.
The moment her hands were free, she jumped from the bed and rushed to the tiny window on the right side of the room. When they had brought her in three days ago, she had made note that it was the safest way to escape. Trees would give her some cover as she ran north; no one would be able to see her leave. She only had to run far enough to reach a town, any town and she would be safe. She would need to lead them as far away from Richard as possible, she would go to Aydindril. She was covered in blood as she landed on the other side of the window, her feet hitting the ground with a soft crunch. She froze in fear, praying silently to the spirits that she wasn't heard. The sound of the men's laughter filled the air, flowing in the wind, taunting her as she moved carefully into the trees.
She took off in a dead run, pushing through the trees as fast as she could, jumping over fallen logs and low bushes. Rolling down a small hill, she screamed, suddenly grateful that she had no voice to be heard. Her feet began to bleed from the rocks and sticks, her body aching in pain as she pushed herself onward. She scanned the area quickly, making sure that if she was being followed, she would have a place to hide or to catch her breath. Sliding on her side, she buried herself beneath a large set of fallen trees that were covered by overgrown grass, weeds and moss. She breathed in gasps, waiting a few moments to see if she had been followed.
She could hear footsteps, what sounded to be many sets of them as she pushed her back against the wood. If she didn't act soon, she would be found and they would take her back. Looking around the ground, she grabbed stick and broke it, making the end into a slight point as she inched toward the entrance. Her breaths came in pants, her heart pounding as she came closer; it was all about to end. She jumped out, grabbing the man who stood before her, the stick pressed to the side of his neck. Her chest heaved against his back as she looked around for the others. She saw no one.
"I'm not going to hurt you." His voice scared her, it couldn't be him. He couldn't know where she was. "Kahlan, it's all right."
She pushed him away and threw herself back into the safety of the fallen trees, moving back as far as she could. Her mind had to be playing tricks again; he could not have found her. Staring at the opening, she waited in fear that it had not been him and that it was them again. She wouldn't survive another day with those men. He pushed his head in, frowning at the sight of her. She was sitting on the ground, her knees pressed to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as she shook in fear. His first instinct was to run to her, but he didn't. She was too fragile; one wrong move could send her away from him. He spoke softly, telling her that it was all right, that she was safe and that nothing would ever happen to her again. His eyes roamed over her, taking in as many wounds visible. His heart ached at the vision.
Kneeling down a foot away from her, he leaned forward, looking her in the eyes so that she would know he spoke the truth. "I'm going to get you out of here. Zedd will heal you and then I will keep you safe. No one will hurt you, I promise."
She stared at him in silence, still unsure if he was really there. She opened her mouth to ask, but nothing came out. Her eyes were filled with tears, her body bleeding from more places than he had seen from anyone. He reached out slowly, making sure that she didn't feel threatened by his movement as he grabbed her hand. She remained still for a moment, afraid to leave the place she had found safety, but the look in his eyes pulled her from her fear. Following him from the darkness, she remained close behind him, using his body as a shield.
Once they were outside, he pulled her into his arms, hiding her naked body the best that he could as they moved through the trees. He hated making her move so fast, but he was afraid that whoever had taken her would find them before they reached their friends. Zedd rushed toward them with a blanket as they stumbled into view, stopping in place as Richard held out his hand to keep him away. Sitting Kahlan on the ground, he reached out for the blanket, bringing it around her as she looked at the others. He continued to whisper to her, trying to comfort her as he lifted her wrists for his grandfather to see.
She stared at the others, almost as though she didn't recognize them. Following Richard's lead, she let them move in close, but didn't take her eyes off of them.
"He's going to heal these." She tried to pull her hands back, shaking her head as she inched closer to Richard. "It's all right; you won't feel any more pain. Trust me."
Closing her eyes, she allowed him to lift her wrists back to the wizard. "Spirits, what happened?" he asked as he took her small wrists in his thin hands.
Richard shook his head, "I don't know, but they look like bite marks."
"I..." her voice pushed out past her lips. "I had to... get free..." Her eyes were filled with tears as she pushed her forehead into his shoulder.
He felt sick at the thought. She had chewed through her own wrists in order to get free. Whatever they had done to her, he would make sure they would pay. It took longer than expected for her wrists to heal, but she no longer fought them. After the wrists, Richard was able to help her lie back so that all of her wounds could be healed, the amount of them of almost unbelievable. Bruises, scratches and bite marks covered her chest, stomach, sides and back. Richard began to wonder how she had survived. Her legs were stained, leaving no doubt as to where the blood came from. The moment they touched her legs, she kicked, hard, and crawled out of reach.
"We're not going to hurt you, Kahlan. We just want to make sure that you are all right."
"She won't let you touch her," Cara said as she walked over to her. It surprised Richard and Zedd to see her kneel down beside the Confessor and lay her hand on her shoulder. "She's been raped. No man will touch her will touch her like that."
Standing, Richard stepped over to them and looked into Kahlan's eyes. "Will you let us...? Kahlan, we need to make sure that you're okay, that our child is all right."
"Please, no..."
"I know that this is hard Kahlan, but I need you to trust me. We will not hurt you."
"Fine," she whispered, her body continuing to shake in fear and cold. Squeezing her eyes shut, she relaxed her muscles and waited.
Richard knelt down beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder as a small way to provide a little bit of comfort. He kept his eyes on her face, seeing the tears that leaked free. The sound of Zedd's horrified gasp drew his attention, pulling his eyes from her in time to see his grandfather tear up as he began to heal her. Kahlan whimpered against him, bringing his eyes back to her as Cara gently wiped some of the blood from her mouth.
The moment it was finished, the wizard moved away quickly to deal with the pain he had just seen. He couldn't understand how someone could hurt anyone like that. It filled with an anger he had barely known before and he knew that whoever hurt her would come back. They would not want their toy to be taken away from them. He wondered if they had broken her mind, but looking over his shoulder, he knew they didn't. The way she was comforted by Richard's presence, told him everything.
Pulling her into his arms, Richard watched Zedd, waiting for him to say something. "Is she all right?"
He nodded slowly and turned around, looking at her as she cried silently. "I'm so sorry, child."
Looking her in the eyes, Richard took in a deep breath. "I'm going to make them pay for this."
Quickly, she jumped up and grabbed his shirt, shaking her head as she cried. "No!" She gasped for air, "They... Want you! You... Can't go..."
He was enraged, his heart pounded in fury as he looked into her fearful eyes. Everything they had done to her was to get him. Taking her face in his hands he swore to her. "I will kill them all."
Chapter: 3
Raiting: 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: 2,623
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!
"If you are waiting for The Seeker to come for me, you will be waiting a very long time," Kahlan said coldly as one of the men lifted her dress, his hand sliding over part of her thigh, while another pulled the arrow from her shoulder. "He won't know anything has happened to me until he makes his way to Aydindril." She didn't want them to know that he would come after her; that he would be there sooner than they imagined. As she looked around, she realized that she didn't want him to come.
"He will come. We know how the Seeker feels about you. He will come, try and rescue you and when he does, we will kill you both." Pulling out his knife, he brought it to the side of her face and grinned. "But until then, we will find another use for you. You see, my men and I have been without a decent woman for so long and this metal will keep you from taking us as your slaves." His smile widened, bringing fear to rise up within her. "You are going to make us all very happy."
The man was tall and slender; his hair a light brown with a touch of silver on the sides, giving away his age. His voice made her sick, a rough and cold tone with every word. He wore no colors, giving her no idea to who he worked for or why he wanted to kill Richard. His dark eyes locked on hers as his smile widened.
Cutting the top of her dress, he stared at the tops of her breasts. "I will have you first. My men will enjoy learning how to take a woman."
Lifting her chin, she took in a deep breath. "You have to rape a woman to feel like a man, but know this, you will never be one."
He slapped her, hard; her head fell back against the tree she was tied to. "I will show you how much of a man I am."
She stared him in the eyes as he ripped apart her dress and pulled her boots from her feet. Cutting the corset from her, he called to his men, beckoning them to come and watch. Pulling her from the tree, he pulled apart her legs and moved between them, unlacing his pants quickly with one hand while the other moved over her body. The men gathered around, smiling widely as the Mother Confessor struggled beneath their master.
"When he does come for me, he will kill you."
"Not before I've had my fun." He moaned loudly as he pushed into her, grinning at her as tears filled her eyes. "You feel good." Pumping into her, he looked to a few of his men and laughed. "We have ourselves a good one boys!" He grabbed her breasts in both hands, squeezing as hard as he could and until she screamed in pain.
The men around them all began to unlace their pants as their leader pulled out of her, with a satisfied moan. "Not now boys. We want to make sure she doesn't go bad on us. But you will be mine again this evening." Standing up, he looked to his eager men. "Keep her here, naked. I want everyone to admire our new prisoner. But if any one of you touches her without my consent, I will cut you off. Hoyt, clean her up. Be thorough. Every inch should be cleaned."
The men cheered as he walked away, Kahlan vomited. Hoyt stepped in close to her, lifting her head and turning it so that she wouldn't vomit on herself. "Breathe deeply; it will keep you from spitting anything else out." She looked over at him, memorizing his face. He was young, as young as she and his hair fell to his shoulders as he leaned over her, wiping her chest roughly with a thick cloth. "Stop moving, you will only attract their attention again and if you do, they will rip you apart fighting over who enters you next."
"And what about you?" she questioned, looking around them and watching as most of the men left.
"I do as I am told. If Paul says that I am to have you, do not think that I won't. You are a prize for most of us here. The women we get are slaves, ones that have been had more times than they have eaten, but you... You are nearly pure and you have not been had many times." He grinned, making her even sicker to her stomach. "You should prepare yourself for the worst with each of us. It will help with the pain. Turn, I will clean your side."
"He will not come. It is pointless to hold me."
"If he doesn't. We will use you until we grow tired of you and then we will kill you. We will make sure he knows. The sooner he comes, the sooner this will be over for you."
Blinking free more tears, Kahlan shook her head. "It will not be over until he has finished with me."
"Spread your legs." She looked up at him and then pushed her knees tighter together, trying to move farther away. "Open your legs!" The remaining men turned and looked, watching in laughs as Hoyt pushed her legs apart. "Hold still or I will make you and you will not like it my way." She continued to fight him, not wanting him to touch her anywhere else. She screamed loudly as his fingers pushed into her and her legs were pulled apart by another man. "Hold still or I will hurt you in ways you couldn't imagine."
He left her the moment he finished. She had never felt so dirty before and if she allowed herself to think about what had just happened, it drove her mad. Breathing deeply, she tried to forget the feel of his hands upon her, touching her in a way only Richard and only once had done to her before. A part of her was terrified to think of what would happen when he came for her; the other prayed that he wouldn't. If he stayed away, he would survive and that was all that mattered to her. Anything that was done to her, she would accept if it meant that Richard was still alive and that he was safe.
The men, she hoped, would lose their interest in her once the child grew within her. It would be months before any of them took notice; she knew they would kill her before it went on that long. Looking out at the camp, she tried to fight the tears that collected in her eyes as the men stared at her. There were more now than before and their eyes were dark with lust. Shifting her body, Kahlan pulled her knees up to her chest, doing her best to cover herself and make it harder for them to see any part of her. She had never wanted any man, other than Richard, to look at her this way. She felt sick.
She lost count how many men had touched her. They were all becoming a blur that never seemed to stop or slow. Their voices merged together with the grunts, moans and laughter. They hadn't fed her in days, her stomach growled constantly in begging for food. It had only been half an hour since the last of them left her and she could still feel them upon her. Her body ached and screamed for freedom, but she ignored it all. Richard, her mind told her was coming for her, but she could barely remember what he looked like. She couldn't trust her own thoughts.
"I have good news Confessor," Paul said as he entered her room. She was sitting against the headboard of a small bed, her hands tied above her head, her wrists bleeding from her attempts to free herself. She was still naked, her legs crossed in front of her as a small way to hide herself. "Your Seeker is looking for you." She nearly screamed. She wanted to tell him that he could have her if he left Richard alone, but she couldn't make a sound. She had spent most of the past four days screaming and yelling, hoping that someone somewhere would hear her and come to her rescue. "You're more pleasant this way. Your screams will be missed though." He walked slowly in her direction, pulling open his pants as he came closer. "It won't be the same without you begging for me to stop, but I assure you, I will still enjoy myself."
He devoured her body with his lips, tongue and teeth, enjoying every moment as she wiggled beneath him. Looking up from her stomach, he watched her face cringe as he ran his tongue slowly over her skin. Her screams came out as soft gasps, barely making their way to his ears as he settled between her legs. It was his favorite part. He made sure to be rough, to hurt her with every move. He pushed at her legs, trying to open them wider as he laughed at her pain. His laugh echoed in her ears, unending until he was unable to continue moving and fell on top of her. The weight of him nearly crushed her as he continued to run his hands over her body. "Your Seeker will never know what he has missed." Biting her chest once more, he sat up with a grin. "You will be Hoyt's again today. Enjoy the animal."
As he walked from the room, Kahlan instantly began pulling at her chains again, desperately trying to get loose. She had been taken by Hoyt more times than some of the other men, he she was always able to remember. The things he did to her, the way he would bring her to scream out in a pain she didn't know she could feel as he whispered in her ear about how the Seeker would watch as he took her over and over again. Through the second night, she held her eyes closed and prayed silently to the spirits to keep Richard away. She didn't want him to see her this way, she never wanted him to know what they had done to her.
The thought of being with him again made her heart pound in horror. She wasn't strong enough to have that monster have her in a way she wanted Richard. Moving to her knees, she used all of her body weight against the chain. The pain she felt now would be nothing compared to what she would feel when the other man was done with her. Her blood dripped onto her face as she pulled, moving up instead to bite herself free. She bit through her skin, trying to get loose enough to pull herself free before he came into the room. Her cries were muffled as she continued to work, loosening her hands slowly.
The moment her hands were free, she jumped from the bed and rushed to the tiny window on the right side of the room. When they had brought her in three days ago, she had made note that it was the safest way to escape. Trees would give her some cover as she ran north; no one would be able to see her leave. She only had to run far enough to reach a town, any town and she would be safe. She would need to lead them as far away from Richard as possible, she would go to Aydindril. She was covered in blood as she landed on the other side of the window, her feet hitting the ground with a soft crunch. She froze in fear, praying silently to the spirits that she wasn't heard. The sound of the men's laughter filled the air, flowing in the wind, taunting her as she moved carefully into the trees.
She took off in a dead run, pushing through the trees as fast as she could, jumping over fallen logs and low bushes. Rolling down a small hill, she screamed, suddenly grateful that she had no voice to be heard. Her feet began to bleed from the rocks and sticks, her body aching in pain as she pushed herself onward. She scanned the area quickly, making sure that if she was being followed, she would have a place to hide or to catch her breath. Sliding on her side, she buried herself beneath a large set of fallen trees that were covered by overgrown grass, weeds and moss. She breathed in gasps, waiting a few moments to see if she had been followed.
She could hear footsteps, what sounded to be many sets of them as she pushed her back against the wood. If she didn't act soon, she would be found and they would take her back. Looking around the ground, she grabbed stick and broke it, making the end into a slight point as she inched toward the entrance. Her breaths came in pants, her heart pounding as she came closer; it was all about to end. She jumped out, grabbing the man who stood before her, the stick pressed to the side of his neck. Her chest heaved against his back as she looked around for the others. She saw no one.
"I'm not going to hurt you." His voice scared her, it couldn't be him. He couldn't know where she was. "Kahlan, it's all right."
She pushed him away and threw herself back into the safety of the fallen trees, moving back as far as she could. Her mind had to be playing tricks again; he could not have found her. Staring at the opening, she waited in fear that it had not been him and that it was them again. She wouldn't survive another day with those men. He pushed his head in, frowning at the sight of her. She was sitting on the ground, her knees pressed to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as she shook in fear. His first instinct was to run to her, but he didn't. She was too fragile; one wrong move could send her away from him. He spoke softly, telling her that it was all right, that she was safe and that nothing would ever happen to her again. His eyes roamed over her, taking in as many wounds visible. His heart ached at the vision.
Kneeling down a foot away from her, he leaned forward, looking her in the eyes so that she would know he spoke the truth. "I'm going to get you out of here. Zedd will heal you and then I will keep you safe. No one will hurt you, I promise."
She stared at him in silence, still unsure if he was really there. She opened her mouth to ask, but nothing came out. Her eyes were filled with tears, her body bleeding from more places than he had seen from anyone. He reached out slowly, making sure that she didn't feel threatened by his movement as he grabbed her hand. She remained still for a moment, afraid to leave the place she had found safety, but the look in his eyes pulled her from her fear. Following him from the darkness, she remained close behind him, using his body as a shield.
Once they were outside, he pulled her into his arms, hiding her naked body the best that he could as they moved through the trees. He hated making her move so fast, but he was afraid that whoever had taken her would find them before they reached their friends. Zedd rushed toward them with a blanket as they stumbled into view, stopping in place as Richard held out his hand to keep him away. Sitting Kahlan on the ground, he reached out for the blanket, bringing it around her as she looked at the others. He continued to whisper to her, trying to comfort her as he lifted her wrists for his grandfather to see.
She stared at the others, almost as though she didn't recognize them. Following Richard's lead, she let them move in close, but didn't take her eyes off of them.
"He's going to heal these." She tried to pull her hands back, shaking her head as she inched closer to Richard. "It's all right; you won't feel any more pain. Trust me."
Closing her eyes, she allowed him to lift her wrists back to the wizard. "Spirits, what happened?" he asked as he took her small wrists in his thin hands.
Richard shook his head, "I don't know, but they look like bite marks."
"I..." her voice pushed out past her lips. "I had to... get free..." Her eyes were filled with tears as she pushed her forehead into his shoulder.
He felt sick at the thought. She had chewed through her own wrists in order to get free. Whatever they had done to her, he would make sure they would pay. It took longer than expected for her wrists to heal, but she no longer fought them. After the wrists, Richard was able to help her lie back so that all of her wounds could be healed, the amount of them of almost unbelievable. Bruises, scratches and bite marks covered her chest, stomach, sides and back. Richard began to wonder how she had survived. Her legs were stained, leaving no doubt as to where the blood came from. The moment they touched her legs, she kicked, hard, and crawled out of reach.
"We're not going to hurt you, Kahlan. We just want to make sure that you are all right."
"She won't let you touch her," Cara said as she walked over to her. It surprised Richard and Zedd to see her kneel down beside the Confessor and lay her hand on her shoulder. "She's been raped. No man will touch her will touch her like that."
Standing, Richard stepped over to them and looked into Kahlan's eyes. "Will you let us...? Kahlan, we need to make sure that you're okay, that our child is all right."
"Please, no..."
"I know that this is hard Kahlan, but I need you to trust me. We will not hurt you."
"Fine," she whispered, her body continuing to shake in fear and cold. Squeezing her eyes shut, she relaxed her muscles and waited.
Richard knelt down beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder as a small way to provide a little bit of comfort. He kept his eyes on her face, seeing the tears that leaked free. The sound of Zedd's horrified gasp drew his attention, pulling his eyes from her in time to see his grandfather tear up as he began to heal her. Kahlan whimpered against him, bringing his eyes back to her as Cara gently wiped some of the blood from her mouth.
The moment it was finished, the wizard moved away quickly to deal with the pain he had just seen. He couldn't understand how someone could hurt anyone like that. It filled with an anger he had barely known before and he knew that whoever hurt her would come back. They would not want their toy to be taken away from them. He wondered if they had broken her mind, but looking over his shoulder, he knew they didn't. The way she was comforted by Richard's presence, told him everything.
Pulling her into his arms, Richard watched Zedd, waiting for him to say something. "Is she all right?"
He nodded slowly and turned around, looking at her as she cried silently. "I'm so sorry, child."
Looking her in the eyes, Richard took in a deep breath. "I'm going to make them pay for this."
Quickly, she jumped up and grabbed his shirt, shaking her head as she cried. "No!" She gasped for air, "They... Want you! You... Can't go..."
He was enraged, his heart pounded in fury as he looked into her fearful eyes. Everything they had done to her was to get him. Taking her face in his hands he swore to her. "I will kill them all."