Legend of the Mord'Sith: Deception - Chapter 3
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: M
Word Count: 6025
Author: Mistresserin
Beta: Fifi
Author’s Note: See chapter one for disclaimers.
Warning: Did I mention something before about twists and turns?
Chapter Three
The next day, Kahlan was careful to wake Cara before everyone else. The Mord’Sith had curled against her side and fallen asleep shortly after their brief conversation, sleeping the rest of the night without interruption. She didn’t want to shatter Cara’s still fragile trust in her, and allowing her to sleep a little longer and wake up together with everyone else, while still in her arms, would do exactly that.
“Cara…” she called out softly in her ear, gently rubbing her back to force her into awareness. She enjoyed the feel of the soft leather against her skin and the constant warmth radiating from the body hidden beneath it; and of course she would never admit how much she was growing fond of curling against her to sleep, though that didn’t happen as often now as it did when they were travelling alone.
The blonde exhaled deeply and snuggled impossibly closer, her eyes still closed and her breathing still even, her left hand curling against Kahlan’s waist possessively. Kahlan smiled, utterly charmed. No one would believe this, but then again, she didn’t intend to tell anyone else for that matter. She enjoyed these little glimpses of what was underneath all that hardcore armor Cara wore to protect herself, and the knowledge that she was the only one allowed to see it only made it more pleasurable. She would never betray that trust. To do so, would mean having that slightly open door slammed shut in her face, and rightfully so.
“Cara, its dawn already.” Kahlan kept her soothing motion. “If Zedd wakes before you do, you’re in for a round of mocking.”
That had the desired effect, and Cara opened her eyes wide, devoid of any traces of sleep. She looked up at Kahlan’s smiling face and swallowed, her heart fluttering inexplicably.
“Morning.” Kahlan greeted her gently, her arm still securely wrapped around her shoulders and back.
“Morning.” Cara winced at the roughness of her voice and forced the distance between them.
“Sleep well?”
Her jaw worked, as she bent her head, ashamed for showing her weakness; ashamed for even having such a weakness! Blonde hair fell forward, successfully covering her face from Kahlan’s intense gaze. “I’m going to find us some breakfast.”
“Cara…”
But the Mord’Sith moved faster than she expected and disappeared quickly through a trail just next to them. Kahlan sighed in frustration, briefly debating whether to follow her and deciding against it. The exasperating woman was clearly embarrassed by what she obviously considered a weakness, and it would do her no good to force the issue now. She would try later.
Taking a deep breath, she moved to her feet in a swift motion, ready to start a new day.
##
“If we keep up this pace, we’ll reach Aydindril in far less than a fortnight,” Zedd said, trying to force conversation on the sullen group. Kahlan and Richard were still not talking, only sharing hurtful and sad looks with each other, and even Cara - he dared look over his shoulder at the Mord’Sith bringing up the rear - even Cara was brooding more so than usual. He noticed also that the said scratch from the day before was still staining the bandage. Maybe he should take a look at it after all.
Kahlan gave him a hesitant smile and nodded her agreement. “We’ll make it faster if we get horses. There’s a small village to the west, about a day from here. It’s just a small detour and we can make it up once we have the horses.”
Zedd nodded his agreement a little too eagerly. He was looking forward to get off his tired, old feet. “That’s a very good idea, dear one. What do you say, Richard?”
“Maybe you should ask Cara, not me, since she seems to have appointed herself the leader,” he spat, clearly still not in a good mood.
“Richard…” Zedd warned in a low voice. He remembered their spat early that morning. Actually, Richard’s spat. Cara had merely raised an eyebrow and nodded at Richard’s dismissal of her suggestion to start off soon and cover as much ground as possible before the heat hit. Richard suggested instead that they should follow the woods trail, where it was fresher, and since they weren’t exactly in a hurry, they could afford to go at a slower pace. Kahlan, of course, was furious at him for not considering her urgency to get home and simply ordered everyone to take the main road and do as Cara suggested - they could handle the heat. The Mord’Sith kept quiet after that, probably realizing that Richard didn’t consider her suggestions as before, that she was displeasing him.
“We never had a leader before, Richard,” Kahlan said, her voice controlled and detached. She promptly ignored his offended eyes. “We have always based our decisions on discussion, everyone having a say in it. Cara suggested, as always, and you decided what was best.” She regarded him with warning in her blue eyes. “And I overrode you and will continue to do so whenever I find it necessary.”
“I will abide to your will only while we’re in the Midlands, Kahlan.”
“Mm… Good because we’re not going anywhere else together, Seeker.”
Richard just stared at her, anger spilling from his eyes as he held the hilt of his sword in a painful grip. “We will not stay in Aydindril after we marry, Kahlan!”
Kahlan blinked at him, her Mother Confessor’s mask firmly held in place. “Don’t be so sure of yourself, Seeker! Go to Westland and live happily ever after with your trees and your birds, and your flowers or whatever it is you woods people do. I do hope for your own good you are as dense as you seem to be, because when thousands of your people succumb to the Dream Walkers, the responsibility will fall squarely on your shoulders.”
“The Dream Walkers are not evil! Nothing will happen to the D’Harans!”
“They’re only human! Some of them are not good people at all! Have you forgotten that? And their planted dreams can be as misleading as Shota’s prophecies.”
“Kahlan, I’ve done what was asked of me: I’ve defeated Darken Rahl and I’ve sealed the rift.” He sighed heavily, trying to control his anger. He wasn’t sure why he was losing it so easily lately. “I just want to go home and live in peace.”
Kahlan nodded, her eyes softening a trifle. She realized Zedd was no longer by their side; that was all right, she didn’t want the old wizard to become upset with what they might still have to say to each other. “So do I, Richard, but I also want to help my people; it’s my duty. I can’t just run off to live a fairytale when my home is in ruins, while my people suffer.” I don’t want to live a fairytale in the woods.
Richard licked his lips and dared step closer. “You could delegate your duties to Dennee.”
Kahlan shook her head. “No, I can’t and I won’t; it’s my duty, my burden, not hers. She’s been through too much.” Her eyes landed inevitably on the blonde Mord’Sith, sulking next to Zedd and staring daggers at him. “I lost the right to ask her for any sort of sacrifice the moment I realized I could never avenge her death, her sacrifice.”
“Duty… What about your duty to me, to your future husband? What about your duty to us, Kahlan?”
Kahlan swallowed and looked back at him. “Will you stay in Aydindril if I say yes?”
Richard was a breath away from stomping his foot on the hard dirt ground like a petulant child. “I don’t want to live confined in a city, surrounded by tons of rock! I want to be out in the open and wake with the birds and the smell of fresh dew! I don’t want our kids to grow up in the midst of intrigue and…”
“You want. All I’ve been hearing lately is what you want, what you need. What about me, Richard? What about my wants and my needs?” her eyes hardened again, but she kept her voice soft. “I don’t want to wake up to the smell of fresh dew - I’m tired of it! I want to be surrounded by firm walls and have guards about; I want to feel safe and protected, and I want my children to feel the same way.” With a sigh, she lifted her chin a little higher, a clear sign that a decision had been made. “I won’t risk having a child with you, Richard.”
“Kahlan…” his voice sounded lost, suddenly.
“No, Richard; we just went through the Keeper’s flames to bring peace to the world once more. I will not allow a male Confessor to ruin all that, to cause the end of the world, especially if he's my flesh and blood.”
“But we…”
“We won’t be able to do what must be done. I won’t be able to do it, because if I do, I’ll die with him.” Her voice cracked and trembled, allowing a tiny glimpse into her desperation.
His lower lip quivered just enough to change his own voice. “Are you breaking up with me? I know we’ve been… distant and at each other’s throats, but I love you! We can make this work, we…”
“We’re not breaking up, Richard, but we both need the time apart to search in ourselves and see what lies inside; see if this is what we really want to do with our lives.” She looked down at her clasped hands. “We need to understand why we don’t want the same things anymore and Richard; you need to figure out why you’ve been so angry lately. You’ve been lashing out at poor Cara like she’s done something wrong.”
His shoulders sagged, his eyes cast down, depressed. “It’s not like she cares.”
“You’re wrong; she does care. She cares about all of us, including Zedd and your actions hurt her because you’re her friend, and now you’re turning on her, just like everyone else did.”
He didn’t much care about the Mord’Sith’s supposed feelings right now. He cared about having this mess worked out, even if it meant he had to play along - he was the Seeker of Truth, Kahlan would not be able to tell he was lying. “All right, once we get to Aydindril, I can take some time to go to Kelton or something, introduce myself properly and…”
“No. Cara and I will detour to the village and take the horses. If you follow this road, you’ll have no trouble finding a village in two or three days. We’ll meet back in Aydindril.”
“But Kahlan…”
“This is not negotiable. We’ll talk when we meet again.” Without giving him much of a chance to reply, she turned on her heel and walked back to where Zedd was fussing over Cara’s wound, the Mord’Sith looking on the verge of committing murder.
##
“Are they arguing again?” Cara pursed her full lips. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what was happening to them. Not that she was complaining, the reprieve from the lovesick looks and touches was most welcome, but even her hardened soul could see something was not right. They were her friends; she felt uneasy for them.
Zedd looked over his shoulder, noticing that Richard had stepped closer to Kahlan, his stance subdued. “More like talking. Maybe they’ll finally work out whatever’s bothering them.”
“Do you think it’s an aftereffect of all the magic they had to deal with before closing the rift?” she crossed her arms over her chest, a frown on her face.
“We’ve all been exposed to magic Cara and the both of us are just fine.” Zedd eyed her bandage critically, never noticing how she tensed at the mention of being touched by magic. “Let me check that wound; no scratch is supposed to bleed like this.”
Her frown deepened and she looked down at her arm in annoyance, and indeed, her bandage was soaked, blood already trickling down her arm. She had completely forgotten about it - it didn’t even hurt. “It’s fine.”
“Cara…”
“Zedd…” she repeated in the same tone, her eyes narrowing meaningfully.
The old wizard pursed his lips in aggravation and then smirked. “Would you like me to tell Kahlan you’re still bleeding?”
Cara uncrossed her arms immediately and stood straight, her eyes serious. “Not a word to the Confessor, wizard; I will not have her fuss over me like I’m a wounded pet!”
“Only if you allow me to heal it.”
Cara scowled, not amused at all, but finally relented. “Fine. And hurry!” Sneaky old wizard!
Zedd forced a knowing smile off his rugged face and closed his eyes. Long fingers widely spread apart to release magic over the injury; he began to chant under his breath, reciting the spell of healing. Cara expected the small wound to be healed in no time; she did not expect, however, the sharp pain that shot up her arm, causing a painful grimace to contort her face.
“Stop!” she finally hissed, pulling her arm away from his magic. “You’re only making it worse!”
Zedd opened his eyes wide, a frown on his face. Without a word, he removed the bandage from her arm and noticed with trepidation that it was still bleeding. He looked up to see she was as surprised as he was. He spread his hands again, this time looking for hidden magic on her body, but found nothing. He pursed his thin lips. “We’ll have to close the wound, Cara; it cannot continue to bleed like this.”
“What’s wrong?”
Kahlan’s voice sounded just behind them as Cara was about to reply. She rubbed her eyes forcibly, her lips tightened in a thin line: just her luck!
“The ‘scratch’ on Cara’s arm is not healing.” Zedd gave the Confessor a meaningful look. “Not even with my magic.”
Kahlan immediately forgot her own worries and rested a comforting hand on the blonde woman’s uninjured arm. Cara gritted her teeth to prevent the sharp retort from leaving her lips, her green-blue eyes conveying her thoughts instead. She didn’t mind the fuss when they were alone not much anyway, but she could not take it when Richard and the wizard were around! If Kahlan noticed her discomfort, she blatantly ignored it.
“We can stitch it when we stop for lunch.” The stubborn Mord’Sith finally conceded the point, not looking particularly happy about it. Maybe the bleeding would have stopped then and they would just leave her alone.
Kahlan looked up at the sky, checking the sun’s position. “Now is as good time as any. We can take cover from the sun under those trees.”
Cara rolled her eyes and stomped to the said trees. Kahlan and Zedd exchanged amused looks.
##
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea, dear one.” Zedd wrinkled his brow at the young Confessor, while darting a confused look over to where Richard lay sprawled, eating his lunch in silence.
“Zedd…”
“You heard your own soldier, Kahlan, and we’ve been attacked already: the roads are not safe.”
“They were not safe all those months ago when banelings were roaming unchecked and we had to split up quite frequently.”
Zedd sighed. Sometimes Kahlan was more stubborn than Cara, and that was not an easy task to accomplish.
“Back then we didn’t have a choice. We do now. We need to reach Aydindril quickly and there’s no pressing reason to split.”
“I agree with the wizard.” Cara spoke quietly, still flexing her hands covertly to keep the pain from the stitching away. Her arm was still throbbing and she was beginning to wonder if maybe the wound was infected - it wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. “It’s not safe to go separate ways, especially when there’s no reason too.” Cara canted her head to one side, silently posing the question.
Kahlan gave her a hard stare, and the Mord’Sith returned it in kind, not fazed. Defeated, Kahlan turned her head to look at the reclining Seeker. “Guess we’ll be traveling together to Aydindril after all.”
Richard nodded, his eyes still focused on his fresh fruit. Kahlan’s jaw worked at this and Cara exchanged worried glances with the wizard. Something was definitely off.
##
The twilight brought the blessed coolness of the imminent nightfall, and all of them were relieved, without exception, to finally make camp for the night.
After setting up camp, Kahlan followed the Mord’Sith’s trail, finding her sitting on a large enough rock, contemplating the small clearing around her.
“Cara?” Kahlan called softly, so as not to scare her.
Cara sighed but didn’t make eye contact. “Is there something you need, Confessor? Does Lord Rahl wish me to hunt dinner after all?” she was not looking forward to mushroom stew again, but Lord Rahl had declared that they were all tired from walking all day in the sun, so today they would eat what they had: mushrooms. They always had plenty of those. Pesky little fungus!
“Are you upset because Richard won’t let you hunt?” Kahlan looked down at the blonde, an amused smile tainting her lips.
Cara worked her jaw before looking up, a defiant look firmly held in place. “Is there something you need, Confessor?”
Kahlan blinked at her and kneeled by her side. “Cara, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Why are you here?”
Kahlan stared at her for the longest time, but relented. “I thought maybe we could start on our arrangement before dinner.”
Cara’s eyebrows lifted almost to her hairline. “What arrangement?”
“Sparing?” Kahlan hazarded.
“Oh!” Cara nodded slowly. “Of course.” She lifted to her feet in a smooth motion and walked a few steps away from Kahlan. Turning around to face the Confessor, she removed both agiels and gave her the first real smile of the day. “The heat must be causing my mind to wither”
Kahlan grinned at her and unsheathed her long daggers from her boots. “I thought D’Hara was hotter than the Midlands?”
“Hotter and drier; the Midlands have too much humidity to allow summer heat to be taken comfortably.”
They circled, seizing each other up as they would any other opponent. When it came to fighting, they were pretty much even matched. The few times they had taken the time to spar with each other had always ended in a tie. While Kahlan was all deadly grace and speed, Cara had an edge in strength and field experience, not to mention speed as well.
“It’s cooler in Aydindril; we’re closer to the mountains and we’re up north.”
“I should hope so, Confessor, or you’ll have to stay at least ten paces away from me all summer.”
Kahlan’s grin widened. “The Mord’Sith jests.” She was actually delighted. Cara would mock all of them constantly, but never herself. It made her heart swell with pride at the Mord’Sith. “Is that why you’re keeping your distance? Afraid you’ll defeat me with your stench before you have a chance to strike me?”
Cara glared at her, insulted, but the slight quirk of her lips gave away her mirth just before she launched her attack on the Mother Confessor.
They were grinning like maniacs, indulging completely in the thrill of their very private training session, neither willing to yield, neither wanting to stop. They’d been at it for probably a full candle mark now, the last rays of light already admitting defeat and relenting to the stars; their panting no longer concealed and their bodies covered in sweat.
They would have to stop soon, they knew, but neither was willing to relinquish this moment that was theirs alone.
Kahlan awkwardly blocked what would have been a very painful jab to her midriff while spinning around to strike Cara with a roundhouse kick - she was having so much fun.
Cara bit her lip as she spotted the crack in the Confessor’s defenses, just as she twirled around herself to gain momentum, and gleefully went for it.
“Cara, stop!!”
Immediately Cara stopped and looked over her shoulder, toward the sound of the harsh commanded. It proved to be a big mistake: she took her eyes of the still moving Confessor and didn’t realize the woman hadn’t stopped, not until she felt the excruciating pain of the Confessor’s boot connecting with her ribs with unbelievable force. All breath left her lungs; her mind darkened from the white searing pain exploding from her side and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
“Cara!” Kahlan dropped her daggers and rushed to the fallen Mord’Sith’s side. “Cara?” Kahlan touched her chest, relieved to see it still moving, even if a little unsteady, then looked up at the sound of footsteps, a deep frown on her face. “Why in the Creator’s name did you do that?” she gently raised the blonde’s head and put it on her lap, for comfort, though she wasn’t really sure if it was for herself or the fallen woman.
Richard kneeled beside them and gave her an unrepentant look. “She was going to strike you with the agiel, Kahlan!”
“We were practicing!” Kahlan nearly shouted in his face, one word away from striking him down. “And I’ve been hit with an agiel before!”
“You should practice with me Kahlan, not her. Cara has no regard for the damage she causes with those things!”
Kahlan’s face was red with fury. “I hate practicing with you, Richard! You never go full out; it’s like I’m ten again and everyone is going soft because it’s my first lesson!” she took a deep, calming breath, but it did nothing of the sort. “And Cara never strikes hard when we’re sparing! She’s a seasoned warrior; she knows how to control her blows.”
His brown eyes widened in barely held anger. “Do not insult me, Kahlan! All I’ve ever done was for your own good; to protect you and spare you from…”
“…from facing D’Harans or banelings, or even Mord’Sith in the heat of battle?” unable to contain herself, Kahlan pushed him away from Cara, hard. “I’ve been fighting far longer than you, Richard - don’t patronize me!”
He stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his balance.
“What’s going on here?” Zedd demanded, having been alerted by the loud voices. “Cara?”
“Zedd, hurry!” Kahlan pleaded with him, her hand still on the Mord’Sith’s chest, feeling the ragged breathing.
“What happened?” the old wizard kneeled beside the fallen Mord’Sith and spread his hands, his eyes closing in concentration as his lips starting moving under his breath.
Kahlan kept quiet, not wanting to interrupt him, her eyes fixed on the still face, waiting. It took longer than expected, but the full lips finally parted to allow a small groan of pain to escape before she regained full conscious and control of her reactions.
“Cara!” Kahlan breathed in relief, tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry…”
Cara slowly focused on Kahlan, a barely there smile coming unbidden to her lips before she could stop herself. Of course, once she realized where her head was resting and her very recent memories came floating back, together with the unbelievable pain on her side, her stony mask fell back in place. “That’s quite a mean kick you’ve got there, Confessor.” She tried to joke, but her voice cracked and she winced in reflex.
“I’m sorry,” Kahlan mumbled again and helped her to a sitting position when the blonde started struggling to sit.
“Not your fault, Kahlan, I was the one distracted.” Cara forced her eyes to travel from the distraught woman to her Lord Rahl, standing in front of them, his hand wrapped tightly against the hilt of his sword, again, his face unreadable. She wanted nothing more than to reassure Kahlan, but she wanted even more to punch her Lord Rahl in the face and break his front teeth for causing Kahlan’s distress. That would surely gain him the sympathy of the damsels in distress he was always so fond of!
“What happened?” Zedd repeated forcibly.
“Cara was going to hit Kahlan with an agiel and I ordered her to stop.” Richard explained in an even voice, no trace of remorse. “Kahlan kicked her in the ribs instead.”
Cara gave her Lord Rahl a seething look, fighting down the urge to thrust her agiel in his groin, where she knew it would cause pain akin to her own. Her cracked ribs were healed, but the piercing pain was still there, making it hard to breathe, and it would take a few days to disappear. “I would never hurt her!” There was anger and indignation in her voice, and something resembling hurt.
“And what do you think the agiel would do to her, Mistress Cara? Caress her skin?” his face once again hardened into the full semblance of a very infuriated Rahl.
“Mord’Sith can control the amount of pain that passes onto the receiver, Master Rahl, as you should know,” Cara answered, her face becoming impassive as if she was merely reporting the predictability of weather. “I would never deliver a hurtful blow to K… to the Mother Confessor.”
“Even the slightest prickling of an agiel hurts like you’re being stung by hundreds of bees. I know what that feels like, Cara, and you will not spar with the Mother Confessor again.” His angry eyes bore into hers. “That’s an order.”
“Richard!” Zedd rose to his full height before Kahlan or Cara could respond, looming over all of them. “That’s enough!”
“Stay out of this, Zedd!” Richard gave him a withering look, quickly returning his attention to Cara, while pointedly avoiding Kahlan.
“Seeker,” Richard’s head whipped in the direction of his grandfather’s voice, “you cannot, and will not order a Wizard of the First Order. The Seeker is above most laws, but not above everyone, and while in the Midlands, you will abide to the Mother Confessor, everywhere else you must abide to the Wizard of the First Order who named you Seeker. I am your keeper and your judge, and you are crossing the line of my infinite patience!”
Everyone stared at Zedd, not expecting the outburst, and certainly not expecting the unmistakabe reprimand directed at Richard Cypher, the Seeker of Truth - his beloved grandson.
“Zedd…” Richard blinked at him, bewildered and hurt, not expecting the sense of betrayal caused by Zedd’s lack of support.
“Enough is enough, Richard! You’re behaving like a spoiled child who’s being denied its favorite toy!” Zedd dismissed him with a glowering look and looked at Kahlan. “I must apologize, Mother Confessor, for not foreseeing the reason for your earlier suggestion.” Zedd nodded a little at her. “We will take a different route to Aydindril in the morning.” He returned is attention to his grandson, his disapproval clear. “We have much to talk about, boy.”
Zedd started walking away from the clearing, clearly expecting Richard to follow.
“The Seeker has to listen to you, First Wizard, but the Lord Rahl does not.”
Zedd stopped in his tracks and turned around, noticing Kahlan had slowly risen, ready to intervene, while keeping a warning hand on Cara’s shoulder. The Mord’Sith had a slightly vacant look in her eyes.
“You don’t want the throne of D’Hara, Richard, therefore you are not Lord Rahl,” Zedd said, keeping a careful eye on his reaction.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Richard straightened and his chin lifted just a trifle. His voice, however, was surprisingly calm and detached. “As of now, I’m actively letting every single D’Haran know through our bond that their Lord Rahl is alive and well, and ready to take over.”
Zedd and Kahlan looked instinctively at the still seated Mord’Sith for confirmation; her eyes were wide and staring unseeingly at some point ahead of her, her breathing slightly rapid. “It’s true…”
Richard smiled smugly at her, knowing she was experiencing the strongest connection ever; not even Darken was ever this powerful.
“You may advise and even command me in matters that require the Seeker’s attention, but I will not allow meddling in the affairs of D’Hara, and Mistress Cara is D’Hara’s affair.” The last of the firmly spoken words were directed at Kahlan. “I’m sure even the Mother Confessor will refrain from intervening, for as long as I follow the law of the Midlands. As their guest, I am allowed to tend to my affairs as I see fit.”
“Richard, have you gone mad?” Kahlan stared at him in shock.
“Mad? No, I’m just tired of not being able to do what I want, how I want it. It ends tonight,” he replied softly yet fiercely. “Mistress Cara, you’re on watch tonight. Both the Mother Confessor and the First Wizard deserve their rest.”
With that simple order, he clearly conveyed his thoughts about her: she was a tool, a weapon, shaped to be wielded at the Lord’s will and nothing more. Any other thought was a lie.
“Yes, Lord Rahl.” Cara bowed her head and slowly made her way to her feet, locking her jaw tightly against the searing pain on her side. He would not see her pain.
“Cara can’t stay up all night! She’ll…”
“Of course she can.” Richard quickly cut her off. “She’s Mord’Sith; she can handle it like no other.”
And he turned around without a glance back, confidence in his stride. They looked at each other, an uneasy silence between them.
“Zedd…” Kahlan quickly moved to Cara’s side and wrapped an arm around her waist for support, pretending not to see the withering look she was receiving; pretending not to notice how the blonde was betrayed by her own body and leaned in heavily against her; pretending not to notice the warmth emanating from the Mord’Sith. “Something’s definitely wrong. It’s like…”
“He’s becoming a Rahl,” Cara said, her voice clipped. “And it’s not a recent development either.”
Kahlan blinked at her. “What do you mean it’s not recent? You knew what was happening and didn’t tell us?”
Cara sighed, expecting Kahlan to withdraw from her, but the Confessor only tightened her hold. “Despite his best efforts to hide it, I’ve been feeling a change in the bond, a growing strength; it’s nothing like I’ve ever felt before.” Cara frowned, breathing deeply, but soon regretted it. Her face, however, betrayed nothing. “I thought he was just growing accustomed to being Lord Rahl, and since he’s the Seeker as well, it’s only natural that the bond is much stronger than Darken’s.” Cara shrugged, her eyes drifting to Kahlan. “I didn’t think much of it, though I always found it weird that he kept denying his heritage.”
“I agree with Cara, Zedd. I believe Richard is finally opening up to his Rahl heritage and its starting to consume him.” Kahlan sighed and said nothing when Cara quietly put an arm over her shoulders for better support.
Zedd exhaled heavily, suddenly looking older than his actual age. “I was hoping it would never come to this. One of the reasons I left him with George Cypher, was that I believed that if he was raised with love and a sense of justice, no matter the pull of his bloodline, he would always be a kind and just man.” Zedd straightened to his considerable full height and eyed them gravely. “If Richard does succumb to his bloodline’s tyrannical lure, there is no telling what he’ll do.”
“With so much power bubbling to come out, he might become far more dangerous than Darken.” Cara locked knowing eyes with the old wizard. “Therefore, he’s a threat to all of the New World.”
“And the New World has nothing to fear from the Seeker of Truth, their savior and hero.” Zedd mumbled hauntingly. His shoulders sagged with the heavy weight of that knowledge.
Kahlan frowned. “No! I refuse to believe Richard will become anything remotely close to Darken Rahl or any other Rahl! This must be some spell he’s under, some…”
“It’s happened before, my dear.” Zedd gave her a sad look. “Alric’s great grandson was raised a Midlander, the son of a judge and a midwife. He knew of love and justice, and everyone loved him very much. Until one day, the last Rahl past on, and D’Harans sensed a new bond and searched for it. He was brought to D’Hara, and being the optimistic young man that he was, he thought he could rule D’Hara with justice and fairness. The bond, however, preyed on his young innocent soul, and with no one to guide his way, and he became the most sadistic ruler of D’Hara.”
“Drefan Rahl.”
Zedd nodded at Cara. “The bond of Alric Rahl has the same effect on tender souls as a Mord’Sith’s breaking.”
Cara nodded and looked at Kahlan, her eyes unflinching. “Drefan Rahl was the one to create Mord’Sith; he knew what came out of a loving soul when properly twisted.”
“But…”
“When did you first notice the change, Cara?”
“A few weeks after Richard’s return from being away with Nicci, when she placed the Maternity Spell on Kahlan.” Unconsciously, Cara pulled the Confessor closer, as if to protect her from the pain of hearing that cursed name again. “I began to feel the bond stronger, clearer.”
Kahlan forced her eyes away from the blonde woman so close to her to look at the old wizard, pointedly ignoring the warmth creeping up on her from the blonde’s comforting gesture, and its possible meaning. “Maybe Nicci did something to Richard. She was the most powerful sorcerer in the New World. We should look at this from all the angles before we rush to conclusions. Richard deserves nothing less from us.”
Zedd grunted in agreement.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if Richard was spelled by Nicci, shouldn’t it disappear when she died?” Cara asked, her green-blue eyes darkened by the fading light.
“Not all spells become undone upon the death of the one casting the spell. The Boundary was conceived so that, even after I died, it would still stand, as strong as ever.” Zedd sighed. “But only very powerful wizards are able to do so.”
“Or sorcerers,” Cara said quietly.
Zedd nodded. “Or sorcerers.” He turned around and started the short walk back to camp. “We should get going; we don’t want to keep Lord Rahl waiting. It’s best if we just go along with this until we have it figured out.”
“C’mon.” Kahlan tightened her hold on Cara and started to move.
“I can walk by myself, you know,” Cara complained, her voice a little rough and cold, but not as much as it should have been, and it caused her to frown.
“I know you can, but there’s no need for you to overtire yourself when I’m here to help.” Kahlan gave her a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, if anyone asks, you can say you were just humoring me.”
Cara raised a blonde eyebrow, momentarily forgetting about the prickles of pain shooting up from her side that made walking almost an impossible task, were she not a Mord’Sith. “And I’m not? Just humoring you I mean?”
Kahlan stopped their progress and looked at her, her eyes never wavering from those unreadable ones. “No, and we both know it.” Kahlan half expected Cara to pull away and stomp back to camp, just to prove she was indeed just humoring her, but when that didn’t happen, she found the courage to go on. “You can stop pretending around me, Cara. I won’t betray your trust, I promise you.”
Cara stared at her, swallowing hard, cold green-blue eyes searching the Confessor’s azure ones. After what seemed like forever, she darted her eyes to the tree line that hid their makeshift camp, and started walking again, forcing Kahlan to move with her.
Kahlan sighed, but didn’t insist. She had time to prey on her friend later.
##
Rating: M
Word Count: 6025
Author: Mistresserin
Beta: Fifi
Author’s Note: See chapter one for disclaimers.
Warning: Did I mention something before about twists and turns?
Chapter Three
The next day, Kahlan was careful to wake Cara before everyone else. The Mord’Sith had curled against her side and fallen asleep shortly after their brief conversation, sleeping the rest of the night without interruption. She didn’t want to shatter Cara’s still fragile trust in her, and allowing her to sleep a little longer and wake up together with everyone else, while still in her arms, would do exactly that.
“Cara…” she called out softly in her ear, gently rubbing her back to force her into awareness. She enjoyed the feel of the soft leather against her skin and the constant warmth radiating from the body hidden beneath it; and of course she would never admit how much she was growing fond of curling against her to sleep, though that didn’t happen as often now as it did when they were travelling alone.
The blonde exhaled deeply and snuggled impossibly closer, her eyes still closed and her breathing still even, her left hand curling against Kahlan’s waist possessively. Kahlan smiled, utterly charmed. No one would believe this, but then again, she didn’t intend to tell anyone else for that matter. She enjoyed these little glimpses of what was underneath all that hardcore armor Cara wore to protect herself, and the knowledge that she was the only one allowed to see it only made it more pleasurable. She would never betray that trust. To do so, would mean having that slightly open door slammed shut in her face, and rightfully so.
“Cara, its dawn already.” Kahlan kept her soothing motion. “If Zedd wakes before you do, you’re in for a round of mocking.”
That had the desired effect, and Cara opened her eyes wide, devoid of any traces of sleep. She looked up at Kahlan’s smiling face and swallowed, her heart fluttering inexplicably.
“Morning.” Kahlan greeted her gently, her arm still securely wrapped around her shoulders and back.
“Morning.” Cara winced at the roughness of her voice and forced the distance between them.
“Sleep well?”
Her jaw worked, as she bent her head, ashamed for showing her weakness; ashamed for even having such a weakness! Blonde hair fell forward, successfully covering her face from Kahlan’s intense gaze. “I’m going to find us some breakfast.”
“Cara…”
But the Mord’Sith moved faster than she expected and disappeared quickly through a trail just next to them. Kahlan sighed in frustration, briefly debating whether to follow her and deciding against it. The exasperating woman was clearly embarrassed by what she obviously considered a weakness, and it would do her no good to force the issue now. She would try later.
Taking a deep breath, she moved to her feet in a swift motion, ready to start a new day.
##
“If we keep up this pace, we’ll reach Aydindril in far less than a fortnight,” Zedd said, trying to force conversation on the sullen group. Kahlan and Richard were still not talking, only sharing hurtful and sad looks with each other, and even Cara - he dared look over his shoulder at the Mord’Sith bringing up the rear - even Cara was brooding more so than usual. He noticed also that the said scratch from the day before was still staining the bandage. Maybe he should take a look at it after all.
Kahlan gave him a hesitant smile and nodded her agreement. “We’ll make it faster if we get horses. There’s a small village to the west, about a day from here. It’s just a small detour and we can make it up once we have the horses.”
Zedd nodded his agreement a little too eagerly. He was looking forward to get off his tired, old feet. “That’s a very good idea, dear one. What do you say, Richard?”
“Maybe you should ask Cara, not me, since she seems to have appointed herself the leader,” he spat, clearly still not in a good mood.
“Richard…” Zedd warned in a low voice. He remembered their spat early that morning. Actually, Richard’s spat. Cara had merely raised an eyebrow and nodded at Richard’s dismissal of her suggestion to start off soon and cover as much ground as possible before the heat hit. Richard suggested instead that they should follow the woods trail, where it was fresher, and since they weren’t exactly in a hurry, they could afford to go at a slower pace. Kahlan, of course, was furious at him for not considering her urgency to get home and simply ordered everyone to take the main road and do as Cara suggested - they could handle the heat. The Mord’Sith kept quiet after that, probably realizing that Richard didn’t consider her suggestions as before, that she was displeasing him.
“We never had a leader before, Richard,” Kahlan said, her voice controlled and detached. She promptly ignored his offended eyes. “We have always based our decisions on discussion, everyone having a say in it. Cara suggested, as always, and you decided what was best.” She regarded him with warning in her blue eyes. “And I overrode you and will continue to do so whenever I find it necessary.”
“I will abide to your will only while we’re in the Midlands, Kahlan.”
“Mm… Good because we’re not going anywhere else together, Seeker.”
Richard just stared at her, anger spilling from his eyes as he held the hilt of his sword in a painful grip. “We will not stay in Aydindril after we marry, Kahlan!”
Kahlan blinked at him, her Mother Confessor’s mask firmly held in place. “Don’t be so sure of yourself, Seeker! Go to Westland and live happily ever after with your trees and your birds, and your flowers or whatever it is you woods people do. I do hope for your own good you are as dense as you seem to be, because when thousands of your people succumb to the Dream Walkers, the responsibility will fall squarely on your shoulders.”
“The Dream Walkers are not evil! Nothing will happen to the D’Harans!”
“They’re only human! Some of them are not good people at all! Have you forgotten that? And their planted dreams can be as misleading as Shota’s prophecies.”
“Kahlan, I’ve done what was asked of me: I’ve defeated Darken Rahl and I’ve sealed the rift.” He sighed heavily, trying to control his anger. He wasn’t sure why he was losing it so easily lately. “I just want to go home and live in peace.”
Kahlan nodded, her eyes softening a trifle. She realized Zedd was no longer by their side; that was all right, she didn’t want the old wizard to become upset with what they might still have to say to each other. “So do I, Richard, but I also want to help my people; it’s my duty. I can’t just run off to live a fairytale when my home is in ruins, while my people suffer.” I don’t want to live a fairytale in the woods.
Richard licked his lips and dared step closer. “You could delegate your duties to Dennee.”
Kahlan shook her head. “No, I can’t and I won’t; it’s my duty, my burden, not hers. She’s been through too much.” Her eyes landed inevitably on the blonde Mord’Sith, sulking next to Zedd and staring daggers at him. “I lost the right to ask her for any sort of sacrifice the moment I realized I could never avenge her death, her sacrifice.”
“Duty… What about your duty to me, to your future husband? What about your duty to us, Kahlan?”
Kahlan swallowed and looked back at him. “Will you stay in Aydindril if I say yes?”
Richard was a breath away from stomping his foot on the hard dirt ground like a petulant child. “I don’t want to live confined in a city, surrounded by tons of rock! I want to be out in the open and wake with the birds and the smell of fresh dew! I don’t want our kids to grow up in the midst of intrigue and…”
“You want. All I’ve been hearing lately is what you want, what you need. What about me, Richard? What about my wants and my needs?” her eyes hardened again, but she kept her voice soft. “I don’t want to wake up to the smell of fresh dew - I’m tired of it! I want to be surrounded by firm walls and have guards about; I want to feel safe and protected, and I want my children to feel the same way.” With a sigh, she lifted her chin a little higher, a clear sign that a decision had been made. “I won’t risk having a child with you, Richard.”
“Kahlan…” his voice sounded lost, suddenly.
“No, Richard; we just went through the Keeper’s flames to bring peace to the world once more. I will not allow a male Confessor to ruin all that, to cause the end of the world, especially if he's my flesh and blood.”
“But we…”
“We won’t be able to do what must be done. I won’t be able to do it, because if I do, I’ll die with him.” Her voice cracked and trembled, allowing a tiny glimpse into her desperation.
His lower lip quivered just enough to change his own voice. “Are you breaking up with me? I know we’ve been… distant and at each other’s throats, but I love you! We can make this work, we…”
“We’re not breaking up, Richard, but we both need the time apart to search in ourselves and see what lies inside; see if this is what we really want to do with our lives.” She looked down at her clasped hands. “We need to understand why we don’t want the same things anymore and Richard; you need to figure out why you’ve been so angry lately. You’ve been lashing out at poor Cara like she’s done something wrong.”
His shoulders sagged, his eyes cast down, depressed. “It’s not like she cares.”
“You’re wrong; she does care. She cares about all of us, including Zedd and your actions hurt her because you’re her friend, and now you’re turning on her, just like everyone else did.”
He didn’t much care about the Mord’Sith’s supposed feelings right now. He cared about having this mess worked out, even if it meant he had to play along - he was the Seeker of Truth, Kahlan would not be able to tell he was lying. “All right, once we get to Aydindril, I can take some time to go to Kelton or something, introduce myself properly and…”
“No. Cara and I will detour to the village and take the horses. If you follow this road, you’ll have no trouble finding a village in two or three days. We’ll meet back in Aydindril.”
“But Kahlan…”
“This is not negotiable. We’ll talk when we meet again.” Without giving him much of a chance to reply, she turned on her heel and walked back to where Zedd was fussing over Cara’s wound, the Mord’Sith looking on the verge of committing murder.
##
“Are they arguing again?” Cara pursed her full lips. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what was happening to them. Not that she was complaining, the reprieve from the lovesick looks and touches was most welcome, but even her hardened soul could see something was not right. They were her friends; she felt uneasy for them.
Zedd looked over his shoulder, noticing that Richard had stepped closer to Kahlan, his stance subdued. “More like talking. Maybe they’ll finally work out whatever’s bothering them.”
“Do you think it’s an aftereffect of all the magic they had to deal with before closing the rift?” she crossed her arms over her chest, a frown on her face.
“We’ve all been exposed to magic Cara and the both of us are just fine.” Zedd eyed her bandage critically, never noticing how she tensed at the mention of being touched by magic. “Let me check that wound; no scratch is supposed to bleed like this.”
Her frown deepened and she looked down at her arm in annoyance, and indeed, her bandage was soaked, blood already trickling down her arm. She had completely forgotten about it - it didn’t even hurt. “It’s fine.”
“Cara…”
“Zedd…” she repeated in the same tone, her eyes narrowing meaningfully.
The old wizard pursed his lips in aggravation and then smirked. “Would you like me to tell Kahlan you’re still bleeding?”
Cara uncrossed her arms immediately and stood straight, her eyes serious. “Not a word to the Confessor, wizard; I will not have her fuss over me like I’m a wounded pet!”
“Only if you allow me to heal it.”
Cara scowled, not amused at all, but finally relented. “Fine. And hurry!” Sneaky old wizard!
Zedd forced a knowing smile off his rugged face and closed his eyes. Long fingers widely spread apart to release magic over the injury; he began to chant under his breath, reciting the spell of healing. Cara expected the small wound to be healed in no time; she did not expect, however, the sharp pain that shot up her arm, causing a painful grimace to contort her face.
“Stop!” she finally hissed, pulling her arm away from his magic. “You’re only making it worse!”
Zedd opened his eyes wide, a frown on his face. Without a word, he removed the bandage from her arm and noticed with trepidation that it was still bleeding. He looked up to see she was as surprised as he was. He spread his hands again, this time looking for hidden magic on her body, but found nothing. He pursed his thin lips. “We’ll have to close the wound, Cara; it cannot continue to bleed like this.”
“What’s wrong?”
Kahlan’s voice sounded just behind them as Cara was about to reply. She rubbed her eyes forcibly, her lips tightened in a thin line: just her luck!
“The ‘scratch’ on Cara’s arm is not healing.” Zedd gave the Confessor a meaningful look. “Not even with my magic.”
Kahlan immediately forgot her own worries and rested a comforting hand on the blonde woman’s uninjured arm. Cara gritted her teeth to prevent the sharp retort from leaving her lips, her green-blue eyes conveying her thoughts instead. She didn’t mind the fuss when they were alone not much anyway, but she could not take it when Richard and the wizard were around! If Kahlan noticed her discomfort, she blatantly ignored it.
“We can stitch it when we stop for lunch.” The stubborn Mord’Sith finally conceded the point, not looking particularly happy about it. Maybe the bleeding would have stopped then and they would just leave her alone.
Kahlan looked up at the sky, checking the sun’s position. “Now is as good time as any. We can take cover from the sun under those trees.”
Cara rolled her eyes and stomped to the said trees. Kahlan and Zedd exchanged amused looks.
##
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea, dear one.” Zedd wrinkled his brow at the young Confessor, while darting a confused look over to where Richard lay sprawled, eating his lunch in silence.
“Zedd…”
“You heard your own soldier, Kahlan, and we’ve been attacked already: the roads are not safe.”
“They were not safe all those months ago when banelings were roaming unchecked and we had to split up quite frequently.”
Zedd sighed. Sometimes Kahlan was more stubborn than Cara, and that was not an easy task to accomplish.
“Back then we didn’t have a choice. We do now. We need to reach Aydindril quickly and there’s no pressing reason to split.”
“I agree with the wizard.” Cara spoke quietly, still flexing her hands covertly to keep the pain from the stitching away. Her arm was still throbbing and she was beginning to wonder if maybe the wound was infected - it wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. “It’s not safe to go separate ways, especially when there’s no reason too.” Cara canted her head to one side, silently posing the question.
Kahlan gave her a hard stare, and the Mord’Sith returned it in kind, not fazed. Defeated, Kahlan turned her head to look at the reclining Seeker. “Guess we’ll be traveling together to Aydindril after all.”
Richard nodded, his eyes still focused on his fresh fruit. Kahlan’s jaw worked at this and Cara exchanged worried glances with the wizard. Something was definitely off.
##
The twilight brought the blessed coolness of the imminent nightfall, and all of them were relieved, without exception, to finally make camp for the night.
After setting up camp, Kahlan followed the Mord’Sith’s trail, finding her sitting on a large enough rock, contemplating the small clearing around her.
“Cara?” Kahlan called softly, so as not to scare her.
Cara sighed but didn’t make eye contact. “Is there something you need, Confessor? Does Lord Rahl wish me to hunt dinner after all?” she was not looking forward to mushroom stew again, but Lord Rahl had declared that they were all tired from walking all day in the sun, so today they would eat what they had: mushrooms. They always had plenty of those. Pesky little fungus!
“Are you upset because Richard won’t let you hunt?” Kahlan looked down at the blonde, an amused smile tainting her lips.
Cara worked her jaw before looking up, a defiant look firmly held in place. “Is there something you need, Confessor?”
Kahlan blinked at her and kneeled by her side. “Cara, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Why are you here?”
Kahlan stared at her for the longest time, but relented. “I thought maybe we could start on our arrangement before dinner.”
Cara’s eyebrows lifted almost to her hairline. “What arrangement?”
“Sparing?” Kahlan hazarded.
“Oh!” Cara nodded slowly. “Of course.” She lifted to her feet in a smooth motion and walked a few steps away from Kahlan. Turning around to face the Confessor, she removed both agiels and gave her the first real smile of the day. “The heat must be causing my mind to wither”
Kahlan grinned at her and unsheathed her long daggers from her boots. “I thought D’Hara was hotter than the Midlands?”
“Hotter and drier; the Midlands have too much humidity to allow summer heat to be taken comfortably.”
They circled, seizing each other up as they would any other opponent. When it came to fighting, they were pretty much even matched. The few times they had taken the time to spar with each other had always ended in a tie. While Kahlan was all deadly grace and speed, Cara had an edge in strength and field experience, not to mention speed as well.
“It’s cooler in Aydindril; we’re closer to the mountains and we’re up north.”
“I should hope so, Confessor, or you’ll have to stay at least ten paces away from me all summer.”
Kahlan’s grin widened. “The Mord’Sith jests.” She was actually delighted. Cara would mock all of them constantly, but never herself. It made her heart swell with pride at the Mord’Sith. “Is that why you’re keeping your distance? Afraid you’ll defeat me with your stench before you have a chance to strike me?”
Cara glared at her, insulted, but the slight quirk of her lips gave away her mirth just before she launched her attack on the Mother Confessor.
They were grinning like maniacs, indulging completely in the thrill of their very private training session, neither willing to yield, neither wanting to stop. They’d been at it for probably a full candle mark now, the last rays of light already admitting defeat and relenting to the stars; their panting no longer concealed and their bodies covered in sweat.
They would have to stop soon, they knew, but neither was willing to relinquish this moment that was theirs alone.
Kahlan awkwardly blocked what would have been a very painful jab to her midriff while spinning around to strike Cara with a roundhouse kick - she was having so much fun.
Cara bit her lip as she spotted the crack in the Confessor’s defenses, just as she twirled around herself to gain momentum, and gleefully went for it.
“Cara, stop!!”
Immediately Cara stopped and looked over her shoulder, toward the sound of the harsh commanded. It proved to be a big mistake: she took her eyes of the still moving Confessor and didn’t realize the woman hadn’t stopped, not until she felt the excruciating pain of the Confessor’s boot connecting with her ribs with unbelievable force. All breath left her lungs; her mind darkened from the white searing pain exploding from her side and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
“Cara!” Kahlan dropped her daggers and rushed to the fallen Mord’Sith’s side. “Cara?” Kahlan touched her chest, relieved to see it still moving, even if a little unsteady, then looked up at the sound of footsteps, a deep frown on her face. “Why in the Creator’s name did you do that?” she gently raised the blonde’s head and put it on her lap, for comfort, though she wasn’t really sure if it was for herself or the fallen woman.
Richard kneeled beside them and gave her an unrepentant look. “She was going to strike you with the agiel, Kahlan!”
“We were practicing!” Kahlan nearly shouted in his face, one word away from striking him down. “And I’ve been hit with an agiel before!”
“You should practice with me Kahlan, not her. Cara has no regard for the damage she causes with those things!”
Kahlan’s face was red with fury. “I hate practicing with you, Richard! You never go full out; it’s like I’m ten again and everyone is going soft because it’s my first lesson!” she took a deep, calming breath, but it did nothing of the sort. “And Cara never strikes hard when we’re sparing! She’s a seasoned warrior; she knows how to control her blows.”
His brown eyes widened in barely held anger. “Do not insult me, Kahlan! All I’ve ever done was for your own good; to protect you and spare you from…”
“…from facing D’Harans or banelings, or even Mord’Sith in the heat of battle?” unable to contain herself, Kahlan pushed him away from Cara, hard. “I’ve been fighting far longer than you, Richard - don’t patronize me!”
He stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his balance.
“What’s going on here?” Zedd demanded, having been alerted by the loud voices. “Cara?”
“Zedd, hurry!” Kahlan pleaded with him, her hand still on the Mord’Sith’s chest, feeling the ragged breathing.
“What happened?” the old wizard kneeled beside the fallen Mord’Sith and spread his hands, his eyes closing in concentration as his lips starting moving under his breath.
Kahlan kept quiet, not wanting to interrupt him, her eyes fixed on the still face, waiting. It took longer than expected, but the full lips finally parted to allow a small groan of pain to escape before she regained full conscious and control of her reactions.
“Cara!” Kahlan breathed in relief, tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry…”
Cara slowly focused on Kahlan, a barely there smile coming unbidden to her lips before she could stop herself. Of course, once she realized where her head was resting and her very recent memories came floating back, together with the unbelievable pain on her side, her stony mask fell back in place. “That’s quite a mean kick you’ve got there, Confessor.” She tried to joke, but her voice cracked and she winced in reflex.
“I’m sorry,” Kahlan mumbled again and helped her to a sitting position when the blonde started struggling to sit.
“Not your fault, Kahlan, I was the one distracted.” Cara forced her eyes to travel from the distraught woman to her Lord Rahl, standing in front of them, his hand wrapped tightly against the hilt of his sword, again, his face unreadable. She wanted nothing more than to reassure Kahlan, but she wanted even more to punch her Lord Rahl in the face and break his front teeth for causing Kahlan’s distress. That would surely gain him the sympathy of the damsels in distress he was always so fond of!
“What happened?” Zedd repeated forcibly.
“Cara was going to hit Kahlan with an agiel and I ordered her to stop.” Richard explained in an even voice, no trace of remorse. “Kahlan kicked her in the ribs instead.”
Cara gave her Lord Rahl a seething look, fighting down the urge to thrust her agiel in his groin, where she knew it would cause pain akin to her own. Her cracked ribs were healed, but the piercing pain was still there, making it hard to breathe, and it would take a few days to disappear. “I would never hurt her!” There was anger and indignation in her voice, and something resembling hurt.
“And what do you think the agiel would do to her, Mistress Cara? Caress her skin?” his face once again hardened into the full semblance of a very infuriated Rahl.
“Mord’Sith can control the amount of pain that passes onto the receiver, Master Rahl, as you should know,” Cara answered, her face becoming impassive as if she was merely reporting the predictability of weather. “I would never deliver a hurtful blow to K… to the Mother Confessor.”
“Even the slightest prickling of an agiel hurts like you’re being stung by hundreds of bees. I know what that feels like, Cara, and you will not spar with the Mother Confessor again.” His angry eyes bore into hers. “That’s an order.”
“Richard!” Zedd rose to his full height before Kahlan or Cara could respond, looming over all of them. “That’s enough!”
“Stay out of this, Zedd!” Richard gave him a withering look, quickly returning his attention to Cara, while pointedly avoiding Kahlan.
“Seeker,” Richard’s head whipped in the direction of his grandfather’s voice, “you cannot, and will not order a Wizard of the First Order. The Seeker is above most laws, but not above everyone, and while in the Midlands, you will abide to the Mother Confessor, everywhere else you must abide to the Wizard of the First Order who named you Seeker. I am your keeper and your judge, and you are crossing the line of my infinite patience!”
Everyone stared at Zedd, not expecting the outburst, and certainly not expecting the unmistakabe reprimand directed at Richard Cypher, the Seeker of Truth - his beloved grandson.
“Zedd…” Richard blinked at him, bewildered and hurt, not expecting the sense of betrayal caused by Zedd’s lack of support.
“Enough is enough, Richard! You’re behaving like a spoiled child who’s being denied its favorite toy!” Zedd dismissed him with a glowering look and looked at Kahlan. “I must apologize, Mother Confessor, for not foreseeing the reason for your earlier suggestion.” Zedd nodded a little at her. “We will take a different route to Aydindril in the morning.” He returned is attention to his grandson, his disapproval clear. “We have much to talk about, boy.”
Zedd started walking away from the clearing, clearly expecting Richard to follow.
“The Seeker has to listen to you, First Wizard, but the Lord Rahl does not.”
Zedd stopped in his tracks and turned around, noticing Kahlan had slowly risen, ready to intervene, while keeping a warning hand on Cara’s shoulder. The Mord’Sith had a slightly vacant look in her eyes.
“You don’t want the throne of D’Hara, Richard, therefore you are not Lord Rahl,” Zedd said, keeping a careful eye on his reaction.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Richard straightened and his chin lifted just a trifle. His voice, however, was surprisingly calm and detached. “As of now, I’m actively letting every single D’Haran know through our bond that their Lord Rahl is alive and well, and ready to take over.”
Zedd and Kahlan looked instinctively at the still seated Mord’Sith for confirmation; her eyes were wide and staring unseeingly at some point ahead of her, her breathing slightly rapid. “It’s true…”
Richard smiled smugly at her, knowing she was experiencing the strongest connection ever; not even Darken was ever this powerful.
“You may advise and even command me in matters that require the Seeker’s attention, but I will not allow meddling in the affairs of D’Hara, and Mistress Cara is D’Hara’s affair.” The last of the firmly spoken words were directed at Kahlan. “I’m sure even the Mother Confessor will refrain from intervening, for as long as I follow the law of the Midlands. As their guest, I am allowed to tend to my affairs as I see fit.”
“Richard, have you gone mad?” Kahlan stared at him in shock.
“Mad? No, I’m just tired of not being able to do what I want, how I want it. It ends tonight,” he replied softly yet fiercely. “Mistress Cara, you’re on watch tonight. Both the Mother Confessor and the First Wizard deserve their rest.”
With that simple order, he clearly conveyed his thoughts about her: she was a tool, a weapon, shaped to be wielded at the Lord’s will and nothing more. Any other thought was a lie.
“Yes, Lord Rahl.” Cara bowed her head and slowly made her way to her feet, locking her jaw tightly against the searing pain on her side. He would not see her pain.
“Cara can’t stay up all night! She’ll…”
“Of course she can.” Richard quickly cut her off. “She’s Mord’Sith; she can handle it like no other.”
And he turned around without a glance back, confidence in his stride. They looked at each other, an uneasy silence between them.
“Zedd…” Kahlan quickly moved to Cara’s side and wrapped an arm around her waist for support, pretending not to see the withering look she was receiving; pretending not to notice how the blonde was betrayed by her own body and leaned in heavily against her; pretending not to notice the warmth emanating from the Mord’Sith. “Something’s definitely wrong. It’s like…”
“He’s becoming a Rahl,” Cara said, her voice clipped. “And it’s not a recent development either.”
Kahlan blinked at her. “What do you mean it’s not recent? You knew what was happening and didn’t tell us?”
Cara sighed, expecting Kahlan to withdraw from her, but the Confessor only tightened her hold. “Despite his best efforts to hide it, I’ve been feeling a change in the bond, a growing strength; it’s nothing like I’ve ever felt before.” Cara frowned, breathing deeply, but soon regretted it. Her face, however, betrayed nothing. “I thought he was just growing accustomed to being Lord Rahl, and since he’s the Seeker as well, it’s only natural that the bond is much stronger than Darken’s.” Cara shrugged, her eyes drifting to Kahlan. “I didn’t think much of it, though I always found it weird that he kept denying his heritage.”
“I agree with Cara, Zedd. I believe Richard is finally opening up to his Rahl heritage and its starting to consume him.” Kahlan sighed and said nothing when Cara quietly put an arm over her shoulders for better support.
Zedd exhaled heavily, suddenly looking older than his actual age. “I was hoping it would never come to this. One of the reasons I left him with George Cypher, was that I believed that if he was raised with love and a sense of justice, no matter the pull of his bloodline, he would always be a kind and just man.” Zedd straightened to his considerable full height and eyed them gravely. “If Richard does succumb to his bloodline’s tyrannical lure, there is no telling what he’ll do.”
“With so much power bubbling to come out, he might become far more dangerous than Darken.” Cara locked knowing eyes with the old wizard. “Therefore, he’s a threat to all of the New World.”
“And the New World has nothing to fear from the Seeker of Truth, their savior and hero.” Zedd mumbled hauntingly. His shoulders sagged with the heavy weight of that knowledge.
Kahlan frowned. “No! I refuse to believe Richard will become anything remotely close to Darken Rahl or any other Rahl! This must be some spell he’s under, some…”
“It’s happened before, my dear.” Zedd gave her a sad look. “Alric’s great grandson was raised a Midlander, the son of a judge and a midwife. He knew of love and justice, and everyone loved him very much. Until one day, the last Rahl past on, and D’Harans sensed a new bond and searched for it. He was brought to D’Hara, and being the optimistic young man that he was, he thought he could rule D’Hara with justice and fairness. The bond, however, preyed on his young innocent soul, and with no one to guide his way, and he became the most sadistic ruler of D’Hara.”
“Drefan Rahl.”
Zedd nodded at Cara. “The bond of Alric Rahl has the same effect on tender souls as a Mord’Sith’s breaking.”
Cara nodded and looked at Kahlan, her eyes unflinching. “Drefan Rahl was the one to create Mord’Sith; he knew what came out of a loving soul when properly twisted.”
“But…”
“When did you first notice the change, Cara?”
“A few weeks after Richard’s return from being away with Nicci, when she placed the Maternity Spell on Kahlan.” Unconsciously, Cara pulled the Confessor closer, as if to protect her from the pain of hearing that cursed name again. “I began to feel the bond stronger, clearer.”
Kahlan forced her eyes away from the blonde woman so close to her to look at the old wizard, pointedly ignoring the warmth creeping up on her from the blonde’s comforting gesture, and its possible meaning. “Maybe Nicci did something to Richard. She was the most powerful sorcerer in the New World. We should look at this from all the angles before we rush to conclusions. Richard deserves nothing less from us.”
Zedd grunted in agreement.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if Richard was spelled by Nicci, shouldn’t it disappear when she died?” Cara asked, her green-blue eyes darkened by the fading light.
“Not all spells become undone upon the death of the one casting the spell. The Boundary was conceived so that, even after I died, it would still stand, as strong as ever.” Zedd sighed. “But only very powerful wizards are able to do so.”
“Or sorcerers,” Cara said quietly.
Zedd nodded. “Or sorcerers.” He turned around and started the short walk back to camp. “We should get going; we don’t want to keep Lord Rahl waiting. It’s best if we just go along with this until we have it figured out.”
“C’mon.” Kahlan tightened her hold on Cara and started to move.
“I can walk by myself, you know,” Cara complained, her voice a little rough and cold, but not as much as it should have been, and it caused her to frown.
“I know you can, but there’s no need for you to overtire yourself when I’m here to help.” Kahlan gave her a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, if anyone asks, you can say you were just humoring me.”
Cara raised a blonde eyebrow, momentarily forgetting about the prickles of pain shooting up from her side that made walking almost an impossible task, were she not a Mord’Sith. “And I’m not? Just humoring you I mean?”
Kahlan stopped their progress and looked at her, her eyes never wavering from those unreadable ones. “No, and we both know it.” Kahlan half expected Cara to pull away and stomp back to camp, just to prove she was indeed just humoring her, but when that didn’t happen, she found the courage to go on. “You can stop pretending around me, Cara. I won’t betray your trust, I promise you.”
Cara stared at her, swallowing hard, cold green-blue eyes searching the Confessor’s azure ones. After what seemed like forever, she darted her eyes to the tree line that hid their makeshift camp, and started walking again, forcing Kahlan to move with her.
Kahlan sighed, but didn’t insist. She had time to prey on her friend later.
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