Stop The World
Title: Stop The World
Chapter: 7
Characters: Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, Cara, Others (Originals)
Rating: NC17/R
Timeline: During season 2
Summary: After waking up in an unfamiliar place, Richard must fight to save not only himself, but the life and honor of the Mother Confessor, facing a bigger challenge than he ever imagined.
Paring: Kahlan/Richard; Richard/Other; Kahlan/Other
Story Type: Drama/Romance
Word Count: 3,793
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. I simply play with them as toys. *Evil Laughter*
Author's Note: HUGE thanks to @StinaJane and @ConfessedByBR for being awesome BETAs!! *hugs*
Comments are awesome folks!
"Spirits, what happened?" Zedd nearly shouted in concern as he and Cara rushed through the door.
Richard was sitting in the chair on the right side of the table Kahlan laid on. He clutched her hand as their friends came closer, part of him wanting to protect her. He stared at them in disbelief, unsure that they were truly there. They had escaped their prison nine days before and he had grown accustomed to it being just he and Kahlan, finding her to be the only person he could trust. One look at the couple and the wizard knew his magic was needed. The way his grandson stared at them, holding onto the unconscious woman between them told him that something terrible had happened.
"She- Can you heal her?" the Seeker asked quietly.
"What happened?" She asked casually, as though it was as she expected the Mother Confessor to look. It was Cara's way.
Tears filled Richard's eyes as he looked down to the hand he held in his, her cry of pain as her fingers were removed echoing in his ears once again. "She- He nearly killed her."
Holding his hands out above her, Zedd closed his eyes to inspect the damage. Instantly, he pulled them back with a slight gasp. "She carries a child?" Richard could only nod, not wanting to speak and risk telling him that the child was his. The wizard didn't ask who the father was, making him relax a little as he watched.
Cara stared at the other woman, a frown on her face as she took in the sight of her beaten and swollen face. Her eyes fell to her hands as the older man picked up the right one into his. For a moment, Richard was sure he saw her get upset by the sight, but he remained quiet. The solemn look on the wizard's face made his heart pound in fear of what he knew. He knew Kahlan wasn't in perfect condition, but he refused to believe that she was as bad as it appeared. It would have broken him.
There were more warning signs that he ignored the soft moans of pain at every move she made and the way she had held him as they made love had made him think that she never believed she would have the chance again. At first, he had assumed that it was because she knew Zedd was coming and would have a way to remove the Rada'Han, but after dressing her, he began to wonder. Her index finger began to re-grow slowly and suddenly her body started to jerk as she cried out in pain. Her eyes never opened, even as Richard pushed his nose into her hair and whispered into her ear. It was the only way he could think to comfort her. He hated feeling useless when she needed him.
"I am not sure I can give them all back to her," he said sadly. Looking to his grandson, his frown deepened. "The elixir they used to close the wounds is affecting the re-growth. They would have known it wouldn't be possible to heal her."
"I don't think healing her was in his mind."
"What happened?"
With a heavy sigh, Richard looked back to her face and sat back in the chair. He spoke softly at first as though his words would wake Kahlan and bring back the painful memories. Cara's face changed from boredom to interest as he continued the story. He skipped most of the first failed escape, making sure they didn't get a chance to suspect that he was the father of her child. He went on quickly, wanting to get the rest of it out before he became sick.
After two, long, hours, he sighed. "And then I carried her here."
"Has she woken?"
"A few times, never longer than an hour."
"When was the last time?"
"A little while before you arrived. Zedd, you have to heal her."
Bringing his long, slender fingers to her head, the older man closed his eyes. "She's been bleeding on the inside. It's slow, but the damage may have already been done." Whispering something quietly, he ran his hands over her swollen eye and waited. "I'm sorry Richard, there may not-"
"No!" he shouted. Coming to his feet, he leaned over and grabbed his grandfather's hands and laid them back on the woman lying between them. "You can heal her! You can save her!" He sighed through tears. "Please, just keep trying."
"She doesn't have the strength."
Locking eyes with him, Richard grabbed Kahlan's hand and took in a deep breath. "Then take mine."
"Richard-"
"She's pregnant, Zedd. If she dies, they're gone. If she dies, I've lost her."
With a sigh, the wizard nodded. "I will do what I can."
"What you can, is not good enough unless you heal her. I can't lose her."
"Go with Cara, eat, sleep and-"
"No," he replied quickly. "I'm not leaving her- I'm not going to leave them."
Four days passed and he had told the story so many times, he had, many times, believed they were back in their prison cell. He would wake up and jump from the chair, his eyes in search of the only thing he cared about. Kahlan. She hadn't awoken, but he still refused to leave her side. Every moment was an opportunity to him, she could open her eyes at any moment and he didn't want to miss it. Cara had grown agitated and began informing them every few moments that the Keeper was growing stronger and that they were losing time.
At first he had grown angry, shouting at her for not caring about Kahlan and then Zedd told him that she was right. The Keeper was growing stronger and his followers were taking over more towns and cities, destroying everything that they had all worked for. Neither would let a moment go by without reminding him of what was at stake.
"If she wakes up, what world will she see? We don't have the time to wait for her to wake up."
Looking up from her hand, Richard frowned. "I can't leave her, Zedd."
"You can come back."
"What if I can't? What if I don't survive this? I don't want her to wake up and learn that not only did I abandon her, but I died as well. I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have."
Shaking his head, the wizard sat down beside him. "What are you talking about? You haven't hurt her."
"If I had protected her, this never would have happened. Zedd, they attacked us on my watch and the things they- The things they did to her were... I can't let anything happen to her."
"You can't watch her for the rest of your life. She's going to have a child, she will be returned to Aydindril and have the best care."
"It's not enough," he whispered. "You didn't see what they did to her. You didn't have to sit across from her and watch as he did those things to her. I can still hear her crying out in pain, praying to the spirits to make it stop. I can't abandon her."
"You're not abandoning her," he told him. "You're doing what you have to keep her alive."
Thinking for a moment in silence, he leaned forward and laid his forehead against her arm. Zedd waited a minute for a reply, but nothing came. Standing, he squeezed his grandson's shoulder and sighed. There was nothing more he could say. Everything was up to him now and he wasn't sure that he would be able to do what was needed.
"I wish you would wake up, Kahlan. I need you." He was sitting on the edge of the chair now, staring at her in the hopes that she would just open her eyes. "I don't know what to do. If I leave you and you- And you don't survive, I won't survive. If I lose you, our child... It will be the end of me, but I know you. You wouldn't want me to stay, risk the lives of everyone else, but Kahlan, you are more important to me. You always have been." He sighed and tightened his hold on her hand. "If I go and you wake up, I don't want you to wake up without me."
Richard waited, heart pounding in anticipation with each passing moment. He needed her to open her eyes and look at him. One look and he would know what he had to do, what she wanted him to do and without a doubt. "I will never leave you, Kahlan. I won't allow you to be hurt ever again and if I leave, I can't protect you." Her voice played in his mind, sounding as though she was speaking before him.
If you don't go, people will die.
"I can't leave you."
You're not leaving me, you're protecting me.
Shaking his head, he pushed his fingers back through his hair. "How can I protect you if I am not here?"
You already know the answer, Richard.
The sound of his name in her voice, made his breath catch in his throat for a moment. He wanted to hear her voice again, needing it to remain sane. "I don't want you to wake up alone."
I'm won't be alone. Our daughter is here.
He wanted to cry at the imaginary response he heard in his mind, but he couldn't. Standing, he grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her. He took his time with it, wanting to be sure that she felt it. Everything he felt was pushed into his kiss, desperately needing her to know that he would return to her. Once the Keeper was defeated, he would return to her and their child and they would be together forever. It was decided.
It felt good to have his sword at his side again, though it didn't replace the only thing he trusted. He told Zedd to stay by with Kahlan as he and Cara went to find the Stone of Tears. His grandfather was the only one he could trust to watch over her. They had been gone eight days, following the compass south east in an attempt to find the stone and seal the rift to the Underworld. The forest began to look familiar and he started to become uneasy at the sights.
"I've been here before. We're close to where they were holding us." Before Cara could reply, he took off in a run.
He didn't know why he ran toward the building, but he couldn't stop himself. The compass was spinning in his hand as though it was where he was supposed to be and who was he to question it? Coming to a complete stop, Richard looked around at the dead bodies that covered the floor of their holding cell. They hadn't been moved, still circled around the dried blood that belonged to Kahlan. The chains that had held her in the center of the room were now on the ground, making him believe they were not alone. The moment she stepped beside him, he jumped and slammed her against the wall in defense.
"I'm sorry, Cara." She remained calm, no hint of surprise at his reaction. "Someone is here."
"Not anymore. There are fresh tracks leading back into the trees."
"Toward the town?"
Shaking her head, she looked into the room he had been staring into. "No. Is this the room?"
"Yes. She was hanging right there, Cara. She was so close, but I- I couldn't save her."
She ignored his words and stepped back, finding the dead bodies uninteresting. She didn't like that he wanted to go inside, they needed to keep moving and find the Stone of Tears. Exploring the rest of the building, she came to a stop at Sam's room. It was more unearthing than the Seeker had described it. Picking one of the drawings of Kahlan off of the wall, she inspected it carefully.
"These were drawn recently."
"How do you know?" he asked as he came up beside her.
Pointing at the picture, she turned it toward him. "There, the scars... She didn't have them before. He drew these while she was here and unconscious. See?"
"No, he couldn't have- I would have seen him."
She raised her eyebrows, "How can you be sure? You said that you lost days." Grabbing another piece of paper off of the wall, Cara handed it to Richard. "You're in this one."
Bringing the paper closer, he studied the image. It was Kahlan, lying in his arms but his face had been scratched out and darkened completely. If it wasn't for the mark of the Keeper on his chest, he wouldn't be sure it was him. Folding the paper, he tucked it into his the waistband of his pants and sighed. "Let's get out of here." Cara didn't turn around as he expected, instead, she walked forward and pulled another few photos off of the wall. "What?"
"He must be the father."
Rushing to her, he grabbed the papers out of her hands. "What?"
"This man here with her."
The drawings were sickening, but the man was not Sam. Kahlan, lying on the man's bed, naked. The details of the moment were captured completely on the paper and as he looked over his shoulder to the bed, he could see it. From the drawing, it had been before he had awoken the first time. She had been tied to his bed; the rope was still tied to the headboard, lying against the pillow. He knew how she hated to have her hands bound together, but the rope showed no signs of her having struggled against it. She never woke up in this room and that brought him a moment of relief.
Looking back to the papers in his hands, he walked over to the bed for another, closer look. The Rada'Han had just been place around her neck; there were no red ligaments on her skin yet. The blood drops on the pillow had gone unnoticed before, but now with the new vision of the room, it screamed out to him. It was hers, he had no doubt on the matter and he vowed to find the man in the photos. It began to make sense as he thought about it all, the way the young man had reacted when he walked into their cell and saw all of her blood covering the floor.
He was the one in the photos and Richard had no idea who he was, but his face was burned into his memory. He had thought that maybe he wasn't as bad as the others, but now he knew better and wished that he hadn't allowed him to live when he saw him the first time. Looking through the other photos, he began to feel sick again at the visual of his hands and lips on her, he must have been the man who raped her. He could never let Kahlan see these drawings and know what he had done to her. The man would have had to stay in each position long enough for someone to draw it in such detail. The thought of it would in all likelihood, destroy her.
With a sudden burst of movement, he began pulling all of the drawings off of the walls, crushing each one in his fists before letting them fall to the ground. Turning around, he froze in thought.
"He was the one who came back."
"How do you know?"
"He came for one of his pictures."
Following his gaze, she saw the vacant space on the wall across from them, on the left side of the door. The entire wall was covered except for one single square of stone. Richard remembered the one that had been there. It was of her face, her eyes wide open in fear as she stared straight ahead. She never mentioned it and when he found her in the room, there was no realization on her face, no hint that she knew they were being drawn. It made him wonder how he had been drawing her without her knowledge. He must have used the same magic Sam used on Kahlan when she was forced to watch him with another woman.
Turning around, he walked the four steps toward Cara with a frown. "How many sets of tracks?"
"One."
"She's still here," he whispered, soft enough to be sure she didn't hear him. Grabbing his sword, he stared Cara in the eyes for a moment, making sure it was her. "Cara?"
Rolling her eyes, the blonde shook her head and pushed past him. "We don't have time for this. We're losing time here."
A small smile came to his lips at his friend's reaction. It was her. "There was a woman here with us; she- I don't know how, but she changed her appearance right in front of me. I didn't kill her and there's no tracks saying that she left. She's still here."
"Maybe these are pictures of her and not-"
"No, these are Kahlan," Richard said quickly. "Look at the eyes." He was walking around the room, moving slowly to be sure he didn't miss anything. Pulling his sword, he pointed it at the corner. "Show yourself!"
A woman suddenly appeared in the corner, bringing Cara to Richard's side, agiels in hand. He stretched out his arm and stopped her from getting closer to the woman.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Sarah and you won't hurt me," she grinned, shifting into the shape of the only person she knew would keep her safe. "Not as long as I look like this."
"Change back."
She smiled widely and shook her head. "Why would I do that? This is what you like and if you want, I can make you very happy." She opened the robe she was wearing and stepped forward, relieving Kahlan's naked body. "I made you feel better before, remember?"
Cara glanced over to him for a moment, waiting for his orders, but he ignored her. "Cover yourself and change back."
"Why? This is what you like," she repeated.
Growing frustrated, he tightened his hold on the sword, his rage growing. "It's not your body! Change back!"
The woman jumped in fear, stumbling backward until her back hit the wall. "You wouldn't hurt an innocent woman."
"You're not innocent," he growled. "You sat by and let your master hurt the Mother Confessor. You let her watch as we... You are not innocent."
She returned to herself and pulled the robe closed. "I never touched her."
"You didn't try to help her that makes you as guilty as the men who raped and beat her." Sarah looked terrified as she looked to Cara for help. The anger in his eyes was undeniable. "The man, the one in these pictures, who is he?"
She answered quickly; not wanting to make him more upset and further endanger her life. "Timothy. He is Sam's son."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. He told me to wait here."
Stepping closer to the woman, Richard gave a low growl. "Who were you supposed to look like?"
"Your Confessor. He's rather fond of her, as you are."
"He raped her!"
Shaking her head, the woman looked over their shoulder. "No, not him. Sam wouldn't allow him to play with his-"
"She was not his!"
"She was, many times." Richard and Cara turned around to the young man's voice. Timothy was standing behind them, a long sword in one hand and a short knife in the other. "He lay above her while she was beside you. She would cry, scream for you to wake up and save her, but you didn't."
The sword glowed red with rage, seeming to be burning the air around it as the Seeker gritted his teeth. "You're lying."
"I think a man as smart as you knows otherwise. You remember the way you found her when you awoke." He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth as he motioned for the other woman to come to him. "The things my father did broke her, you saw it for yourself under the waterfall. She had gotten a taste of man and she wanted more. She wanted you to make her feel better and you had no objections."
"She's not broken."
Laughing Timothy pushed Sarah through the door. "The damage has been done. The body you carried out of here will not live long enough to give birth to your child."
Without warning or hesitation, Richard leapt forward in a hot rage. Timothy stumbled back a few steps as he raised his sword in defense. The clash of steel echoed around them, mixing with the battle cry of the Seeker in rage. The other man stood no chance. Within minutes, he was lying on the floor and covered in his own blood. Staring up, he stretched out his arm for mercy, but it was too late.
Timothy's body gave a quick jerk and a whimper and then nothing. Sarah dropped to her knees in tears, appearing to have truly cared for the lifeless man she was pulling into her arms. Looking up to Richard, she cried harder.
"Please, kill me," she sobbed.
Shaking his head, he took a step toward her, his sword inches from her face. "You're going to live with this in your mind forever."
Cara rushed after him, finding a smile coming to her lips. She was proud of him. "The child is yours?" He remained quiet, pushing through the trees as he pulled the compass out for a guide. "He said-"
"It doesn't matter what he said."
"What happened under the waterfall?"
Turning around, he sheathed his sword and sighed. "It doesn't matter what happened. We have to keep moving before it's too late."
"He wasn't lying, was he?"
"Not about everything," Richard said quickly and sighed. "Kahlan doesn't want anyone to know." Nodding, the blonde began walking beside him, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep it to himself any longer. "She asked me not to tell anyone. It's my child and she doesn't want anyone to know." He looked over at her as though he expected her to agree with him.
He stopped and turned to face his friend. "When I found her behind the waterfall, I- I'd never seen her that way before. She needed me and I- Cara, I love her." Turning back to the trail, he sighed. "I thought we had escaped and I would finally be able to- We should keep moving."
Chapter: 7
Characters: Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, Cara, Others (Originals)
Rating: NC17/R
Timeline: During season 2
Summary: After waking up in an unfamiliar place, Richard must fight to save not only himself, but the life and honor of the Mother Confessor, facing a bigger challenge than he ever imagined.
Paring: Kahlan/Richard; Richard/Other; Kahlan/Other
Story Type: Drama/Romance
Word Count: 3,793
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. I simply play with them as toys. *Evil Laughter*
Author's Note: HUGE thanks to @StinaJane and @ConfessedByBR for being awesome BETAs!! *hugs*
Comments are awesome folks!
"Spirits, what happened?" Zedd nearly shouted in concern as he and Cara rushed through the door.
Richard was sitting in the chair on the right side of the table Kahlan laid on. He clutched her hand as their friends came closer, part of him wanting to protect her. He stared at them in disbelief, unsure that they were truly there. They had escaped their prison nine days before and he had grown accustomed to it being just he and Kahlan, finding her to be the only person he could trust. One look at the couple and the wizard knew his magic was needed. The way his grandson stared at them, holding onto the unconscious woman between them told him that something terrible had happened.
"She- Can you heal her?" the Seeker asked quietly.
"What happened?" She asked casually, as though it was as she expected the Mother Confessor to look. It was Cara's way.
Tears filled Richard's eyes as he looked down to the hand he held in his, her cry of pain as her fingers were removed echoing in his ears once again. "She- He nearly killed her."
Holding his hands out above her, Zedd closed his eyes to inspect the damage. Instantly, he pulled them back with a slight gasp. "She carries a child?" Richard could only nod, not wanting to speak and risk telling him that the child was his. The wizard didn't ask who the father was, making him relax a little as he watched.
Cara stared at the other woman, a frown on her face as she took in the sight of her beaten and swollen face. Her eyes fell to her hands as the older man picked up the right one into his. For a moment, Richard was sure he saw her get upset by the sight, but he remained quiet. The solemn look on the wizard's face made his heart pound in fear of what he knew. He knew Kahlan wasn't in perfect condition, but he refused to believe that she was as bad as it appeared. It would have broken him.
There were more warning signs that he ignored the soft moans of pain at every move she made and the way she had held him as they made love had made him think that she never believed she would have the chance again. At first, he had assumed that it was because she knew Zedd was coming and would have a way to remove the Rada'Han, but after dressing her, he began to wonder. Her index finger began to re-grow slowly and suddenly her body started to jerk as she cried out in pain. Her eyes never opened, even as Richard pushed his nose into her hair and whispered into her ear. It was the only way he could think to comfort her. He hated feeling useless when she needed him.
"I am not sure I can give them all back to her," he said sadly. Looking to his grandson, his frown deepened. "The elixir they used to close the wounds is affecting the re-growth. They would have known it wouldn't be possible to heal her."
"I don't think healing her was in his mind."
"What happened?"
With a heavy sigh, Richard looked back to her face and sat back in the chair. He spoke softly at first as though his words would wake Kahlan and bring back the painful memories. Cara's face changed from boredom to interest as he continued the story. He skipped most of the first failed escape, making sure they didn't get a chance to suspect that he was the father of her child. He went on quickly, wanting to get the rest of it out before he became sick.
After two, long, hours, he sighed. "And then I carried her here."
"Has she woken?"
"A few times, never longer than an hour."
"When was the last time?"
"A little while before you arrived. Zedd, you have to heal her."
Bringing his long, slender fingers to her head, the older man closed his eyes. "She's been bleeding on the inside. It's slow, but the damage may have already been done." Whispering something quietly, he ran his hands over her swollen eye and waited. "I'm sorry Richard, there may not-"
"No!" he shouted. Coming to his feet, he leaned over and grabbed his grandfather's hands and laid them back on the woman lying between them. "You can heal her! You can save her!" He sighed through tears. "Please, just keep trying."
"She doesn't have the strength."
Locking eyes with him, Richard grabbed Kahlan's hand and took in a deep breath. "Then take mine."
"Richard-"
"She's pregnant, Zedd. If she dies, they're gone. If she dies, I've lost her."
With a sigh, the wizard nodded. "I will do what I can."
"What you can, is not good enough unless you heal her. I can't lose her."
"Go with Cara, eat, sleep and-"
"No," he replied quickly. "I'm not leaving her- I'm not going to leave them."
Four days passed and he had told the story so many times, he had, many times, believed they were back in their prison cell. He would wake up and jump from the chair, his eyes in search of the only thing he cared about. Kahlan. She hadn't awoken, but he still refused to leave her side. Every moment was an opportunity to him, she could open her eyes at any moment and he didn't want to miss it. Cara had grown agitated and began informing them every few moments that the Keeper was growing stronger and that they were losing time.
At first he had grown angry, shouting at her for not caring about Kahlan and then Zedd told him that she was right. The Keeper was growing stronger and his followers were taking over more towns and cities, destroying everything that they had all worked for. Neither would let a moment go by without reminding him of what was at stake.
"If she wakes up, what world will she see? We don't have the time to wait for her to wake up."
Looking up from her hand, Richard frowned. "I can't leave her, Zedd."
"You can come back."
"What if I can't? What if I don't survive this? I don't want her to wake up and learn that not only did I abandon her, but I died as well. I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have."
Shaking his head, the wizard sat down beside him. "What are you talking about? You haven't hurt her."
"If I had protected her, this never would have happened. Zedd, they attacked us on my watch and the things they- The things they did to her were... I can't let anything happen to her."
"You can't watch her for the rest of your life. She's going to have a child, she will be returned to Aydindril and have the best care."
"It's not enough," he whispered. "You didn't see what they did to her. You didn't have to sit across from her and watch as he did those things to her. I can still hear her crying out in pain, praying to the spirits to make it stop. I can't abandon her."
"You're not abandoning her," he told him. "You're doing what you have to keep her alive."
Thinking for a moment in silence, he leaned forward and laid his forehead against her arm. Zedd waited a minute for a reply, but nothing came. Standing, he squeezed his grandson's shoulder and sighed. There was nothing more he could say. Everything was up to him now and he wasn't sure that he would be able to do what was needed.
"I wish you would wake up, Kahlan. I need you." He was sitting on the edge of the chair now, staring at her in the hopes that she would just open her eyes. "I don't know what to do. If I leave you and you- And you don't survive, I won't survive. If I lose you, our child... It will be the end of me, but I know you. You wouldn't want me to stay, risk the lives of everyone else, but Kahlan, you are more important to me. You always have been." He sighed and tightened his hold on her hand. "If I go and you wake up, I don't want you to wake up without me."
Richard waited, heart pounding in anticipation with each passing moment. He needed her to open her eyes and look at him. One look and he would know what he had to do, what she wanted him to do and without a doubt. "I will never leave you, Kahlan. I won't allow you to be hurt ever again and if I leave, I can't protect you." Her voice played in his mind, sounding as though she was speaking before him.
If you don't go, people will die.
"I can't leave you."
You're not leaving me, you're protecting me.
Shaking his head, he pushed his fingers back through his hair. "How can I protect you if I am not here?"
You already know the answer, Richard.
The sound of his name in her voice, made his breath catch in his throat for a moment. He wanted to hear her voice again, needing it to remain sane. "I don't want you to wake up alone."
I'm won't be alone. Our daughter is here.
He wanted to cry at the imaginary response he heard in his mind, but he couldn't. Standing, he grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her. He took his time with it, wanting to be sure that she felt it. Everything he felt was pushed into his kiss, desperately needing her to know that he would return to her. Once the Keeper was defeated, he would return to her and their child and they would be together forever. It was decided.
It felt good to have his sword at his side again, though it didn't replace the only thing he trusted. He told Zedd to stay by with Kahlan as he and Cara went to find the Stone of Tears. His grandfather was the only one he could trust to watch over her. They had been gone eight days, following the compass south east in an attempt to find the stone and seal the rift to the Underworld. The forest began to look familiar and he started to become uneasy at the sights.
"I've been here before. We're close to where they were holding us." Before Cara could reply, he took off in a run.
He didn't know why he ran toward the building, but he couldn't stop himself. The compass was spinning in his hand as though it was where he was supposed to be and who was he to question it? Coming to a complete stop, Richard looked around at the dead bodies that covered the floor of their holding cell. They hadn't been moved, still circled around the dried blood that belonged to Kahlan. The chains that had held her in the center of the room were now on the ground, making him believe they were not alone. The moment she stepped beside him, he jumped and slammed her against the wall in defense.
"I'm sorry, Cara." She remained calm, no hint of surprise at his reaction. "Someone is here."
"Not anymore. There are fresh tracks leading back into the trees."
"Toward the town?"
Shaking her head, she looked into the room he had been staring into. "No. Is this the room?"
"Yes. She was hanging right there, Cara. She was so close, but I- I couldn't save her."
She ignored his words and stepped back, finding the dead bodies uninteresting. She didn't like that he wanted to go inside, they needed to keep moving and find the Stone of Tears. Exploring the rest of the building, she came to a stop at Sam's room. It was more unearthing than the Seeker had described it. Picking one of the drawings of Kahlan off of the wall, she inspected it carefully.
"These were drawn recently."
"How do you know?" he asked as he came up beside her.
Pointing at the picture, she turned it toward him. "There, the scars... She didn't have them before. He drew these while she was here and unconscious. See?"
"No, he couldn't have- I would have seen him."
She raised her eyebrows, "How can you be sure? You said that you lost days." Grabbing another piece of paper off of the wall, Cara handed it to Richard. "You're in this one."
Bringing the paper closer, he studied the image. It was Kahlan, lying in his arms but his face had been scratched out and darkened completely. If it wasn't for the mark of the Keeper on his chest, he wouldn't be sure it was him. Folding the paper, he tucked it into his the waistband of his pants and sighed. "Let's get out of here." Cara didn't turn around as he expected, instead, she walked forward and pulled another few photos off of the wall. "What?"
"He must be the father."
Rushing to her, he grabbed the papers out of her hands. "What?"
"This man here with her."
The drawings were sickening, but the man was not Sam. Kahlan, lying on the man's bed, naked. The details of the moment were captured completely on the paper and as he looked over his shoulder to the bed, he could see it. From the drawing, it had been before he had awoken the first time. She had been tied to his bed; the rope was still tied to the headboard, lying against the pillow. He knew how she hated to have her hands bound together, but the rope showed no signs of her having struggled against it. She never woke up in this room and that brought him a moment of relief.
Looking back to the papers in his hands, he walked over to the bed for another, closer look. The Rada'Han had just been place around her neck; there were no red ligaments on her skin yet. The blood drops on the pillow had gone unnoticed before, but now with the new vision of the room, it screamed out to him. It was hers, he had no doubt on the matter and he vowed to find the man in the photos. It began to make sense as he thought about it all, the way the young man had reacted when he walked into their cell and saw all of her blood covering the floor.
He was the one in the photos and Richard had no idea who he was, but his face was burned into his memory. He had thought that maybe he wasn't as bad as the others, but now he knew better and wished that he hadn't allowed him to live when he saw him the first time. Looking through the other photos, he began to feel sick again at the visual of his hands and lips on her, he must have been the man who raped her. He could never let Kahlan see these drawings and know what he had done to her. The man would have had to stay in each position long enough for someone to draw it in such detail. The thought of it would in all likelihood, destroy her.
With a sudden burst of movement, he began pulling all of the drawings off of the walls, crushing each one in his fists before letting them fall to the ground. Turning around, he froze in thought.
"He was the one who came back."
"How do you know?"
"He came for one of his pictures."
Following his gaze, she saw the vacant space on the wall across from them, on the left side of the door. The entire wall was covered except for one single square of stone. Richard remembered the one that had been there. It was of her face, her eyes wide open in fear as she stared straight ahead. She never mentioned it and when he found her in the room, there was no realization on her face, no hint that she knew they were being drawn. It made him wonder how he had been drawing her without her knowledge. He must have used the same magic Sam used on Kahlan when she was forced to watch him with another woman.
Turning around, he walked the four steps toward Cara with a frown. "How many sets of tracks?"
"One."
"She's still here," he whispered, soft enough to be sure she didn't hear him. Grabbing his sword, he stared Cara in the eyes for a moment, making sure it was her. "Cara?"
Rolling her eyes, the blonde shook her head and pushed past him. "We don't have time for this. We're losing time here."
A small smile came to his lips at his friend's reaction. It was her. "There was a woman here with us; she- I don't know how, but she changed her appearance right in front of me. I didn't kill her and there's no tracks saying that she left. She's still here."
"Maybe these are pictures of her and not-"
"No, these are Kahlan," Richard said quickly. "Look at the eyes." He was walking around the room, moving slowly to be sure he didn't miss anything. Pulling his sword, he pointed it at the corner. "Show yourself!"
A woman suddenly appeared in the corner, bringing Cara to Richard's side, agiels in hand. He stretched out his arm and stopped her from getting closer to the woman.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Sarah and you won't hurt me," she grinned, shifting into the shape of the only person she knew would keep her safe. "Not as long as I look like this."
"Change back."
She smiled widely and shook her head. "Why would I do that? This is what you like and if you want, I can make you very happy." She opened the robe she was wearing and stepped forward, relieving Kahlan's naked body. "I made you feel better before, remember?"
Cara glanced over to him for a moment, waiting for his orders, but he ignored her. "Cover yourself and change back."
"Why? This is what you like," she repeated.
Growing frustrated, he tightened his hold on the sword, his rage growing. "It's not your body! Change back!"
The woman jumped in fear, stumbling backward until her back hit the wall. "You wouldn't hurt an innocent woman."
"You're not innocent," he growled. "You sat by and let your master hurt the Mother Confessor. You let her watch as we... You are not innocent."
She returned to herself and pulled the robe closed. "I never touched her."
"You didn't try to help her that makes you as guilty as the men who raped and beat her." Sarah looked terrified as she looked to Cara for help. The anger in his eyes was undeniable. "The man, the one in these pictures, who is he?"
She answered quickly; not wanting to make him more upset and further endanger her life. "Timothy. He is Sam's son."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. He told me to wait here."
Stepping closer to the woman, Richard gave a low growl. "Who were you supposed to look like?"
"Your Confessor. He's rather fond of her, as you are."
"He raped her!"
Shaking her head, the woman looked over their shoulder. "No, not him. Sam wouldn't allow him to play with his-"
"She was not his!"
"She was, many times." Richard and Cara turned around to the young man's voice. Timothy was standing behind them, a long sword in one hand and a short knife in the other. "He lay above her while she was beside you. She would cry, scream for you to wake up and save her, but you didn't."
The sword glowed red with rage, seeming to be burning the air around it as the Seeker gritted his teeth. "You're lying."
"I think a man as smart as you knows otherwise. You remember the way you found her when you awoke." He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth as he motioned for the other woman to come to him. "The things my father did broke her, you saw it for yourself under the waterfall. She had gotten a taste of man and she wanted more. She wanted you to make her feel better and you had no objections."
"She's not broken."
Laughing Timothy pushed Sarah through the door. "The damage has been done. The body you carried out of here will not live long enough to give birth to your child."
Without warning or hesitation, Richard leapt forward in a hot rage. Timothy stumbled back a few steps as he raised his sword in defense. The clash of steel echoed around them, mixing with the battle cry of the Seeker in rage. The other man stood no chance. Within minutes, he was lying on the floor and covered in his own blood. Staring up, he stretched out his arm for mercy, but it was too late.
Timothy's body gave a quick jerk and a whimper and then nothing. Sarah dropped to her knees in tears, appearing to have truly cared for the lifeless man she was pulling into her arms. Looking up to Richard, she cried harder.
"Please, kill me," she sobbed.
Shaking his head, he took a step toward her, his sword inches from her face. "You're going to live with this in your mind forever."
Cara rushed after him, finding a smile coming to her lips. She was proud of him. "The child is yours?" He remained quiet, pushing through the trees as he pulled the compass out for a guide. "He said-"
"It doesn't matter what he said."
"What happened under the waterfall?"
Turning around, he sheathed his sword and sighed. "It doesn't matter what happened. We have to keep moving before it's too late."
"He wasn't lying, was he?"
"Not about everything," Richard said quickly and sighed. "Kahlan doesn't want anyone to know." Nodding, the blonde began walking beside him, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep it to himself any longer. "She asked me not to tell anyone. It's my child and she doesn't want anyone to know." He looked over at her as though he expected her to agree with him.
He stopped and turned to face his friend. "When I found her behind the waterfall, I- I'd never seen her that way before. She needed me and I- Cara, I love her." Turning back to the trail, he sighed. "I thought we had escaped and I would finally be able to- We should keep moving."