Blood Red Confessor - Drabble
For amberleeac . Lilith is property of hers.
Inspiration:
Two Women - LotS OST
Blood Red Confessor
“Come on Dennee! We have to keep moving!”, the woman in white called out over the roar of the wind. She flexed her arms and flicked the heavy leather reins of her bay horse. She turned her head briefly to look at the other woman; her long chestnut hair blowing back with the force of the galloping horse beneath her.
The blonde woman looked to the first woman, she nodded her head and urged her own horse forward. The wind blew back the black velvet of her dress and cloak. “Kahlan! Have we lost them yet?!”
Kahlan turned her head back over her shoulder; ignoring the hair and blew back into her face as they rode forward. Far behind them there was nothing but forest rode surrounded by the mid autumnal trees. She watched for what seemed like forever, and just as her heart started to calm in the realization that they were in fact not being hunted, her fears were reignited.
Back down the forest road, maybe just less than a mile back, burst forth nine riders. Eight men in red and black leather armour with short cropped blonde hair and blue eyes. Each more than terrifying. Each looking as though they would rip apart any person that was caught in their trap and skin and eat them alive. And as women, Kahlan knew that she and her sister Dennee were in even more danger from these riders than if they were men. But the ninth rider is what caught the Mother Confessor off guard. A woman in blood red. She had not been with the quad that had been following the women in the days before, but than again their numbers had doubled. At first Kahlan mistook her for a Mord’Sith, a woman trained in the art of torture, due to the blood red clothing. But when she realized what this rider was wearing, her heart leapt into her throat.
This was worse than any mere Mord’Sith.
The woman was not a large woman; she was petite in size, but that did not matter. She was barrelling down the forest road towards the fleeing Confessors on her own mount. A large black Friesian war horse that seemed twice the size of the soldiers’ mounts behind her. Twice as tall and powerful. Kahlan could not believe her eyes. This woman wore the blood red leather collar, corset, and gloves of a Mord’Sith, but the over dress she wore was what struck the fear into Kahlan’s heart. This rider was wearing the gown of a Confessor; long and made of a fine lightweight velvet, in her case it was blood red. The colour of D’Hara. The sleeves came down to her elbows before they split and hung down to the hem of her gown in a long panel, lined in gold silk. Those sleeves were flying back in the wind just as Kahlan and Dennee’s were. Her under corset was black and blood red, once more signalling that this was a Confessor that had given herself over to the D’Haran cause. A Confessor that was incredibly dangerous.
“Kahlan?!”, Dennee turned to look at her sister. Her face a mask of worry and fear.
“Dennee! Don’t look behind you!”
Dennee’s eyes widened, but she nodded as she urged their horses forward. “KAHLAN!”
The Mother Confessor threw herself down against her horse, watching the arrow shoot just over her head. Just barely missing her. But not all the arrows would miss their marks.
The woman’s voice came from behind them. Down the forest road. “FIRE AGAIN! BRING THEM DOWN!”
The soldier barrelling up beside her drew his bow back, taking aim. For him the world started to slow. The Mother Confessor and her sister’s horses seemed to slow their paces, allowing him to aim properly. He released the bolt; it soared through the air and struck it’s target. Dennee, the Confessor in black, froze for a moment, before she slumped forward against her horse.
Kahlan looked to her sister, horrified, as she slowed her horse and pointed it off down another path. “Hold on Dennee, we’re almost there!”, but as she raced along, out of the forest and through the dusty plains, with her sister following, Dennee was growing weaker. Finally the woman pitched from her horse as her sister carried on for a short distance. Tumbling down the steep sandy slope into the river ravine.
“Dennee!”, Kahlan leapt from her horse, and ran to the edge of the slope. Gazing down and watching as her sister fell. The world was slowing her heart beat in fright. Behind her the Blood Red Confessor was bursting forth from the forest, the D’Haran quad following her. Kahlan didn’t care; she threw herself down the decline, forcing herself to stay on her feet. When she came to her sister, she turned her over gently. Her eyes filling with tears. “Dennee… Dennee!”
Dennee groaned a little, looking up into her sisters eyes as she moved, handing her the book wrapped in cloth. “Take it. Take the book. Find him. This is more important that me. You know that.”, she paused for a moment, gripping the book as she looked up at her nearly crying sister. “Please Kahlan.”
Kahlan looked down upon her sister, the tears evident in her eyes. She sniffled a little, “May the spirits protect you, little sister.”
But Dennee was looking away over her sister’s shoulder, “Kahlan!”
The Mother Confessor looked up quickly; there on the plateau above was the red Confessor and her two quads, glaring down at them. They would catch her yet. Kahlan looked back to her sister.
“Go!”
Kahlan didn’t have to be told twice. She leaned down, kissing her sister’s forehead sadly goodbye. The last goodbye. She looked up once more, before tightening her grip upon the book in her hands, and stood, running along the muddy shore. Following the river as it would lead her out of the ravine.
Above her, the Confessor and the Quads urged their horses on. The woman’s long dark hair flying out with her blood red sleeves. The gold silk lining glittered in the sunlight. They urged their beasts on, as they hunted the Mother Confessor with the Book of Counted Shadows over the dirty plain. Ahead of them the woman in white continued to race, trying hard to get as far away from her enemies as she could. She knew that if she were caught that it was the end of her life, and to a much greater extent, the end of the world. If she could only just escape.
But escape soon seemed impossible as she collided with an unseen wall. The magic of it, and the solidity, knocked Kahlan back. She stumbled as she looked up, seeing the green light illuminate the blue sky. How could the Boundary be so close? Behind her the quad and it’s Confessor were growing closer. Their horses slowed to a trot. An insult to her.
“You’ve reached the Boundary, Confessor. There is no where left to run.”, Fane’s voice came mockingly as the woman in red trotted her massive war horse up beside him.
But from the confines of her white velvet skirt the Mother Confessor drew the Nightwisp, holding it up for her pursuers to see.
“She’s got Magic!”, one of the eight men shouted out, stating the obvious. The blood red Confessor turned her eyes to him, glaring darkly. It was enough to quieten him. But it gave Kahlan her chance.
She turned Shar towards the Boundary, and the wall split it’s way for her. Opening up to grant her entry to the other side. To Westland. She forced her way in, running through the narrow path between both sides of the Boundary. Surrounded by the green glowing light of the Underworld.
Finally the Confessor spoke up once more, “Write to the garrison in Caldareth. Send news to Lord Rahl,” she paused for a moment, knowing the King would not be happy, “The Confessor has broken through the Boundary.”
One of the men nodded, turning his horse about, “Yes my Lady.” With him followed three men. The entire second quad.
She spoke again, “Fane, you and your three are going after her.”
Commander Fane nodded, as he dismounted his horse. Followed by the rest of his quad. “Yes Lady Rahl.” With the other men, he charged blindly into the open gateway. Following the small, white, retreating form of the Mother Confessor.
Lilith moved her horse about for a moment, looking on towards the Boundary. She thought to herself angrily, I’ll stop you yet, Kahlan Amnell. You will not bring the Prophecy to conclusion. When she stopped prancing her great war horse, stolen from her husband’s stables, she grabbed the reigns of the horses left by the other four men. She kicked the beast in the sides, taking off back across the Midlands.
Weeks later the Confessor reached the Peoples Palace. She knelt with her hand over her heart before the King. “My Lord,” she bowed her head briefly before she stood once more.
Rahl turned around quickly. His hand lashed out and he back handed her as hard as he could. He knocked her off of her feet. Lilith fell to the floor, and slowly pushed herself up with her arms. Till she sat with her legs stretched out to the side. She was panting. She should have known that would be his reaction. Rahl was breathing heavily. Whether from the force exerted, or from anger. “That was for stealing my horse! And this,” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. Inwardly, Lilith cringed a little. But she looked into his stormy blue eyes. “This is for trying to save me.”, he smirked and kissed her fiercely. Gripping her hard against himself.
Lilith smirked back against his lips and pressed closer. Glad that her husband wasn’t too upset.
Inspiration:
Two Women - LotS OST
Blood Red Confessor
“Come on Dennee! We have to keep moving!”, the woman in white called out over the roar of the wind. She flexed her arms and flicked the heavy leather reins of her bay horse. She turned her head briefly to look at the other woman; her long chestnut hair blowing back with the force of the galloping horse beneath her.
The blonde woman looked to the first woman, she nodded her head and urged her own horse forward. The wind blew back the black velvet of her dress and cloak. “Kahlan! Have we lost them yet?!”
Kahlan turned her head back over her shoulder; ignoring the hair and blew back into her face as they rode forward. Far behind them there was nothing but forest rode surrounded by the mid autumnal trees. She watched for what seemed like forever, and just as her heart started to calm in the realization that they were in fact not being hunted, her fears were reignited.
Back down the forest road, maybe just less than a mile back, burst forth nine riders. Eight men in red and black leather armour with short cropped blonde hair and blue eyes. Each more than terrifying. Each looking as though they would rip apart any person that was caught in their trap and skin and eat them alive. And as women, Kahlan knew that she and her sister Dennee were in even more danger from these riders than if they were men. But the ninth rider is what caught the Mother Confessor off guard. A woman in blood red. She had not been with the quad that had been following the women in the days before, but than again their numbers had doubled. At first Kahlan mistook her for a Mord’Sith, a woman trained in the art of torture, due to the blood red clothing. But when she realized what this rider was wearing, her heart leapt into her throat.
This was worse than any mere Mord’Sith.
The woman was not a large woman; she was petite in size, but that did not matter. She was barrelling down the forest road towards the fleeing Confessors on her own mount. A large black Friesian war horse that seemed twice the size of the soldiers’ mounts behind her. Twice as tall and powerful. Kahlan could not believe her eyes. This woman wore the blood red leather collar, corset, and gloves of a Mord’Sith, but the over dress she wore was what struck the fear into Kahlan’s heart. This rider was wearing the gown of a Confessor; long and made of a fine lightweight velvet, in her case it was blood red. The colour of D’Hara. The sleeves came down to her elbows before they split and hung down to the hem of her gown in a long panel, lined in gold silk. Those sleeves were flying back in the wind just as Kahlan and Dennee’s were. Her under corset was black and blood red, once more signalling that this was a Confessor that had given herself over to the D’Haran cause. A Confessor that was incredibly dangerous.
“Kahlan?!”, Dennee turned to look at her sister. Her face a mask of worry and fear.
“Dennee! Don’t look behind you!”
Dennee’s eyes widened, but she nodded as she urged their horses forward. “KAHLAN!”
The Mother Confessor threw herself down against her horse, watching the arrow shoot just over her head. Just barely missing her. But not all the arrows would miss their marks.
The woman’s voice came from behind them. Down the forest road. “FIRE AGAIN! BRING THEM DOWN!”
The soldier barrelling up beside her drew his bow back, taking aim. For him the world started to slow. The Mother Confessor and her sister’s horses seemed to slow their paces, allowing him to aim properly. He released the bolt; it soared through the air and struck it’s target. Dennee, the Confessor in black, froze for a moment, before she slumped forward against her horse.
Kahlan looked to her sister, horrified, as she slowed her horse and pointed it off down another path. “Hold on Dennee, we’re almost there!”, but as she raced along, out of the forest and through the dusty plains, with her sister following, Dennee was growing weaker. Finally the woman pitched from her horse as her sister carried on for a short distance. Tumbling down the steep sandy slope into the river ravine.
“Dennee!”, Kahlan leapt from her horse, and ran to the edge of the slope. Gazing down and watching as her sister fell. The world was slowing her heart beat in fright. Behind her the Blood Red Confessor was bursting forth from the forest, the D’Haran quad following her. Kahlan didn’t care; she threw herself down the decline, forcing herself to stay on her feet. When she came to her sister, she turned her over gently. Her eyes filling with tears. “Dennee… Dennee!”
Dennee groaned a little, looking up into her sisters eyes as she moved, handing her the book wrapped in cloth. “Take it. Take the book. Find him. This is more important that me. You know that.”, she paused for a moment, gripping the book as she looked up at her nearly crying sister. “Please Kahlan.”
Kahlan looked down upon her sister, the tears evident in her eyes. She sniffled a little, “May the spirits protect you, little sister.”
But Dennee was looking away over her sister’s shoulder, “Kahlan!”
The Mother Confessor looked up quickly; there on the plateau above was the red Confessor and her two quads, glaring down at them. They would catch her yet. Kahlan looked back to her sister.
“Go!”
Kahlan didn’t have to be told twice. She leaned down, kissing her sister’s forehead sadly goodbye. The last goodbye. She looked up once more, before tightening her grip upon the book in her hands, and stood, running along the muddy shore. Following the river as it would lead her out of the ravine.
Above her, the Confessor and the Quads urged their horses on. The woman’s long dark hair flying out with her blood red sleeves. The gold silk lining glittered in the sunlight. They urged their beasts on, as they hunted the Mother Confessor with the Book of Counted Shadows over the dirty plain. Ahead of them the woman in white continued to race, trying hard to get as far away from her enemies as she could. She knew that if she were caught that it was the end of her life, and to a much greater extent, the end of the world. If she could only just escape.
But escape soon seemed impossible as she collided with an unseen wall. The magic of it, and the solidity, knocked Kahlan back. She stumbled as she looked up, seeing the green light illuminate the blue sky. How could the Boundary be so close? Behind her the quad and it’s Confessor were growing closer. Their horses slowed to a trot. An insult to her.
“You’ve reached the Boundary, Confessor. There is no where left to run.”, Fane’s voice came mockingly as the woman in red trotted her massive war horse up beside him.
But from the confines of her white velvet skirt the Mother Confessor drew the Nightwisp, holding it up for her pursuers to see.
“She’s got Magic!”, one of the eight men shouted out, stating the obvious. The blood red Confessor turned her eyes to him, glaring darkly. It was enough to quieten him. But it gave Kahlan her chance.
She turned Shar towards the Boundary, and the wall split it’s way for her. Opening up to grant her entry to the other side. To Westland. She forced her way in, running through the narrow path between both sides of the Boundary. Surrounded by the green glowing light of the Underworld.
Finally the Confessor spoke up once more, “Write to the garrison in Caldareth. Send news to Lord Rahl,” she paused for a moment, knowing the King would not be happy, “The Confessor has broken through the Boundary.”
One of the men nodded, turning his horse about, “Yes my Lady.” With him followed three men. The entire second quad.
She spoke again, “Fane, you and your three are going after her.”
Commander Fane nodded, as he dismounted his horse. Followed by the rest of his quad. “Yes Lady Rahl.” With the other men, he charged blindly into the open gateway. Following the small, white, retreating form of the Mother Confessor.
Lilith moved her horse about for a moment, looking on towards the Boundary. She thought to herself angrily, I’ll stop you yet, Kahlan Amnell. You will not bring the Prophecy to conclusion. When she stopped prancing her great war horse, stolen from her husband’s stables, she grabbed the reigns of the horses left by the other four men. She kicked the beast in the sides, taking off back across the Midlands.
Weeks later the Confessor reached the Peoples Palace. She knelt with her hand over her heart before the King. “My Lord,” she bowed her head briefly before she stood once more.
Rahl turned around quickly. His hand lashed out and he back handed her as hard as he could. He knocked her off of her feet. Lilith fell to the floor, and slowly pushed herself up with her arms. Till she sat with her legs stretched out to the side. She was panting. She should have known that would be his reaction. Rahl was breathing heavily. Whether from the force exerted, or from anger. “That was for stealing my horse! And this,” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. Inwardly, Lilith cringed a little. But she looked into his stormy blue eyes. “This is for trying to save me.”, he smirked and kissed her fiercely. Gripping her hard against himself.
Lilith smirked back against his lips and pressed closer. Glad that her husband wasn’t too upset.