FIC: Unbroken - Cara/Kahlan, Chapter 2 Part 2
Title: Unbroken
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth series
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Chapter Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth series in any way, shape, or form. They belong to ABC Disney and Terry Goodkind. This is strickly for creative purposes and not for profit.
Warnings: Cara/Kahlan sexytimes, and cute times and all around fluff and some extra stuff for taste
Summary: Zedd performs the spell of undoing on Dahlia and finds himself in a situation very different than he expected.
Spoilers: Uhhhmm, nope, can't think of any
A/N: Sorry it took such a long time but here it is, chapter 2 of Unbroken. I also want to point out that if you haven't read the prequel aka Torn or the prologue yet, you definately, DEFINATELY should. Happy reading, ^_^
A/N2: I keep forgetting to do this but I want to thank my best friends Cab and Julia for their help and betaing this. ALSO, I forgot to say so in chap 1 but the heart hound 'Kara' was TOTALLY inspired by Synergyfox's mord'puppies. I just love them so much that I couldn't help it. I have to admit that Kara was mostly why I decided to started this fic. I have big plans for her and Cara but shhh, it's a secret ^_^
A/N3: I want to thank all of you for sticking with me and reviewing, it's really encouraging to get such positive feedback and I'll really try to make timely updates. And musicffyou? Your idea about making the third kid the Seeker is genius, definately something to think about. Btw, Dahlia and Kari's abilities are that way because I want them to rely on each other to rule their kingdoms. The type of sisters who need each other and greatly value's and respects the other's opinion. That's what I was trying for anyway if it makes any sense ^_^' Uhmm, I think that's it, so if you're still reading this, my ranting is over and you are free to enjoy the chap. Go on, frolic and play
Part 2
Zedd stood quietly as he watched Richard talk to Declan later that afternoon. He’d spent most of the day with Richard as he fulfilled his daily duties and now it was time to pick up the princesses from their lessons. They’d come across Declan on their way and Richard decided to ask him to pick up Dahlia. That was yet another thing in this world that perplexed Zedd so he waited patiently for Declan to leave before he asked his question.
“Richard, do you know how princess Dalia go her name?” He asked.
When he performed the spell of undoing on Dahlia, he had ensured that she’d never become a Mord’Sith. Therefore, any interaction she had with Cara should have been minimal at best and only limited to their childhood. Yet Cara’s first born child was named after the very woman who should have had little to no connection to her. It was a very curious development.
“Of course I do, don’t you remember?” Richard asked, looking at him hopefully. When he just smiled apologetically, he sighed, accepting that Zedd’s memory would come back in it’s own time.
“Do you remember how I said we found Declan after defeating the Keeper and sealing the rift?” He asked, Zedd nodded that he did.
“Well not long after that Cara got sick, really sick. So sick that she could’ve died but she never said anything. We didn’t even realize that something was wrong until we woke up one morning and Cara wasn’t moving. When we checked on her, her breathing was rapid and shallow and she was so hot that we could barely stand to touch her. You said you couldn’t tell exactly what was wrong with her and that you needed a more proper place to examine her than the middle of the woods. Luckily Stowcroft was a half day’s ride away.
“It took us the whole day and well into the night to rig a litter and get her there but when we did, no one wanted to open their door to a Mord’Sith, even if she had been pardoned by the Mother Confessor. Our only other hope was Cara’s sister who lived on the farthest edge of the village but before we could start that way, a young blonde woman beckoned us to follow her quickly to the cottage.
“When we got there, she instructed us to put Cara on the bed and then for me, you, and Declan to leave the room for a moment. We started to refuse until the woman asked for Kahlan’s help and began to undress Cara and then we left. Later, while you examined Cara, the woman explained that she knew Cara as a child. That they had been friends and that she helped because she didn’t blame Cara for being the victim of something she had no control over. Her name was-”
“Dahlia.” Zedd supplied, putting the pieces together.
“Yes, Dahlia.” Richard continued. “As you continued to examine Cara, Dahlia said that Cara had red puncture marks high on her left thigh, near her hip. When you moved the blanket that was covering her, the area Dahlia pointed out was angry red, puffy, and swollen and in the center were the two puncture marks oozing yellow pus. There was some shiny residue around the entire area and you explained that Cara had been struck by snake vine and that the residue was from Cara’s attempt to heal it.
“You explained that while whatever herb Cara used helped, it was only a temporary fix. That without removing the thorns, her life was still in danger. You said that Cara must’ve thought she could get back to the Confessor’s Palace before the poison could overtake her body and that it must have moved faster than she anticipated.
“It took you a full week to find all the ingredients you needed, purge the thorns from Cara’s body, and help her recover from the poison. That entire time we all did what we could to help, including Declan, who never left Cara’s side, and Dahlia who stayed home most of the time to watch Cara when we all needed rest, even though she was a teacher at the school. Even Cara’s sister visited a few times.
“When Cara finally awoke, she refused to stay in bed one second longer than it took for her to walk on her own. You suggested that she take a few more days to recover but she glared and said that Mistress was waiting for us. So we thanked Dahlia, well Cara just nodded to her, and we left.
“Cara refused to fully rest until we returned to Aydindril and when we finally did, she collapsed. When Mistress asked, we explained what had happened and she immediately summoned Dahlia and offered her a reward but Dahlia refused. She said it was reward enough that she was able to help save Cara’s life and to be personally thanked by the Mother Confessor for it. Mistress agreed to respect her wishes but when their first daughter was born, Mistress and Cara both agreed to name their first born for the woman who helped save Cara’s life when no one else would.” Richard concluded.
Zedd stayed quiet to ponder the uncanniness of Dahlia finding her way into Cara’s life once again despite his efforts. At least this time was in a more positive way. He nodded absently to Richard when Richard told him to wait for a moment. When he returned he was leading the young princess Kari out of her classroom. He studied her briefly while she talked with Richard as they walked around the building to the grassy fields that lay behind it. He could already tell from her height that she would be tall like her mothers and that thought startled him.
This child, with his help, was made of Cara and Kahlan and only them. He could clearly see traits from both women in her. Kahlan’s long wavy hair, that she left down and her bright blue eyes but she had Cara’s lips and high cheek bones. But it was more than that. The girl’s own mannerisms mirrored those of the women who sired her. Like the way her smile brightened her entire face like Cara or the way she walked with a gentle grace like Kahlan. And she carried herself with a subtle but unmistakable air of regality. One afforded her from being a Confessor and a Rahl. She was the most perfect being he had ever seen magic help create and her sister was no different.
“Zedd? Is everything alright?” Richard asked when he noticed that Zedd had stopped walking with them and was just staring at Kari.
“Hm? Oh yes, everything is just fine.” He said, breaking out of his trance to address Richard. He cleared his throat and was about to officially greet the princess but completely froze when his eyes met hers. Her eyes peered deeply into his, keeping him locked in place and focused on her until all he could see was bright blue. He knew he should look away but no matter how hard he tried to move, no matter how loud his mind screamed for him to turn away now, his entire body was frozen. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and only got louder as Kari began to frown in confusion. The pounding was so loud that he thought he might go deaf from it.
Richard called her name but it sounded far away even though he was standing right next to them. It distracted her long enough to flick her eyes to him but before Zedd even had a chance to even breathe, her eyes were pinning him again. This time her brows began to furrow, as if she were working out a complicated puzzle, quickly. Zedd was certain the child was on the verge of figuring him out when she looked away completely. He almost stumbled with how sudden he was released and wondered frantically what made her look away.
But before he could decide whether he could disappear faster than she could confess him, Kari was running across the field. That’s when he noticed Declan and Dahlia a few yards away. Dahlia was waving excitedly. Zedd couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him as he realized that her sister’s call must’ve been what completely grabbed Kari’s attention.
Richard began waving back and as he did, he asked,
“What was that all about?”
Zedd’s chuckle was unsteady as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
“That child has the Gift.” He said after a moment to regain his composure. “And it’s very powerful.”
“Who? Kari?” Richard asked, looking from Zedd to the child in question. Zedd only nodded. Richard laughed lightly. “No, she’s just very perceptive. She probably just noticed that you were acting a little different than usual.” He said with a confident smile.
Zedd wasn’t so sure though. There was something more to what just happened than simply noticing something different. It was as if she were drawing all his truths from him without ever even having to touch him. As a matter of fact, Zedd was certain that’s what she had been doing. Zedd studied the girl more closely as she ran into her sister’s arms.
If she did have the Gift and it was nurtured properly, the child could become a very powerful sorceress. Maybe even more powerful than Shota. With the Gift, the powers of a Confessor, and the blood of the House of Rahl running through her veins, she would most certainly be the most powerful being in all the world. And the most dangerous. But she was still just a child now and she hadn’t discovered Zedd’s secret. He still had time to fix things.
Zedd blinked as he noticed the two girls’ clothing. Dahlia wore a black confessor’s dress, like all confessors that weren’t the Mother Confessor wore. But her sister wore a dark red dress, not as elaborate as the one she wore for devotions, but like that dress, this one split into fourths at her waist to reveal black trousers.
“Why are they dressed differently? I thought all confessors wore the traditional black confessor dress.” He asked. He could understand the difference a few days ago for the princess’s first devotions but not on what seemed like an average day.
“Yes, but princess Kari isn’t a confessor.” Richard answered, serving only to confuse Zedd even more. At Zedd’s expression, Richard quickly amended his statement with an apologetic smile. “I mean she is a confessor but that’s not her chosen path.” When Zedd’s confused expression barely changed, he elaborated.
“When princess Dahlia was born, no one was certain what that meant. She was the first confessor to be born since Darken Rahl’s rein that nearly caused the extinction of the confessor race. But on the other hand, she was also the first legitimate heir of the new Rahl bloodline. Even though she was always told that she was a confessor first as she grew older, she was still free to choose what she wanted to do.
“Then princess Kari was born and the pressure for Dahlia to make a choice lessened and she was free to take her time and figure out what would make her happy. When Kari turned two, Dahlia announced that she wanted to be a confessor. She loved taking care of her sister and making her happy. She said that she wanted to do the same for the Midlands. Then by the time Kari turned three, she was inseparable from Cara and asked to start dressing the same as her, making her own decision rather obvious.” Richard finished.
Zedd nodded in understanding but before he could utter a single word, he caught swift movement out of the corner of his right eye. He turned just in time to see a large creature with yellow fur, stealthily running through the grass towards him and Richard. One glimpse of it’s ears and he knew what it was.
“A Heart Hound!” He gasped, even though he’d never seen one that color before. Richard looked up at Zedd’s gasp and just as Zedd was raising his arms to conjure wizard’s fire, Richard grabbed his arm.
“Zedd no!” He shouted before the heart hound was upon them. It pounced, it’s large front paws landing solidly on Richard’s chest, throwing him to the ground and effectively knocking the wind out of him with the power of the impact combined with it’s shear size. Richard grunted as the beast landed on top of him, but instead of tearing into his chest and ripping out his heart like Zedd expected as he watched in horror, the creature simply licked the side of Richard’s face in one long stroke.
Richard laughed despite the trouble he was having breathing, and Zedd’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“All right, you win, you win.” He wheezed, trying to dislodge the big animal from standing on top of his chest. “Kara, get off.”
“Kara??” Zedd said to himself, even more confused as to what was happening. The heart hound’s ear twitched in his direction at hearing him say it’s name and eased off of Richard to sit obediently before them, it’s bright green eyes moving from Richard to Zedd in a bored manner. It was very reminiscent of someone he knew but he was in too much shock to figure out who. He moved to crouch in front of the seemingly tame creature.
It sat tall and proud, watching with weary disinterest as Zedd hesitantly reached out to touch it. He marveled as his hand sifted through soft fur, his fingers snagging on a heavy chain hanging around it’s neck. He followed the links until he was lifting a pendant out of the fur. It was the same special pendant he, Richard, and the few others that protected the Rahl family wore.
“Bags.” He whispered in awe.
“Sorry about that Zedd, I didn’t realize that you’d even forgotten about Kara.” Richard said with a light chuckle as he sat up.
“Richard, this creature has been touched by some very Powerful Magic.” Zedd said matter-of-factly as he continued to study said creature.
Kara rolled her eyes in an annoyed manner, as if she’d heard that very statement a hundred times. Richard laughed and Zedd blinked in surprise as he instantly realized just who the hound reminded him of. Before he could comment on how very alike ‘Kara’ and her namesake were, Declan and the princesses walked up beside them, smiles on their faces.
“That’s the second time she’s gotten you this week.” Declan said as he offered his hand to Richard. “You’re loosing your edge old man.” He teased, causing Dahlia to giggle.
“I’ll show you an ‘old man’” Richard countered as he tried to get Declan into a headlock but Kari’s soft voice stopped their little tussle.
“He tried to attack Kara.” She said, looking at Zedd.
Zedd’s own smile at their antics faltered as all eyes turned to him. Declan’s smile became uncertain.
“Yeah, he did.” He said. “What was that all about?”
Before Richard could speak, Zedd said, “She just took me by surprise is all.” His smile was firmly back in place as he made sure not to look at either girl. He gave Richard a meaningful glance, willing him to play along. The other Zedd may have helped raise this boy but he had no illusions as to where his loyalties lie. One false step around him and Zedd was as good as confessed.
Declan’s smile faded at Zedd’s explanation and the look he gave Richard.
“I see. Well it’s time for Dahlia and Kari’s weapon’s lessons so we should go.” He said, looking at Richard.
“Uhh, why don’t you go on ahead and I’ll catch up.” Richard said after noticing Zedd’s expression.
“Sure.” Declan said and when Kari tugged on his hand twice, he automatically dropped to one knee. She climbed onto his back and he made sure she was comfortable before rising again. They turned to leave and Dahlia said,
“Come on Kara.”
Once the hound was walking peacefully at her side, Declan said, “Alright, it’s time for the question of the day.”
Both girls smiled.
“Is there any way for a person to be released from confession without taking the life of the confessor responsible?” He asked.
“Yes.” Dahlia said.
“And no.” Kari supplied.
“Oh?” Declan asked, intrigued by their duel answers. “Explain.”
“It’s a trick question.” Dahlia said. “With the aide of a quillion, one could extract all of a confessor’s powers which would release all those confessed by her. But once you’ve taken away her powers, she will no longer be a confessor, so in a way, you would have killed the confessor.” She finished and Kari nodded in agreement.
Declan smiled and nodded once, accepting their answer.
“That one was too easy, give us a real question.” Dahlia said and Kari giggled.
“Alright alright, next question…” He said before his voice faded in the distance.
“So why didn’t you want to tell Declan about your memory loss?” Richard asked after a moment.
Zedd turned to him.
“Since I’ve more or less gotten my memories back, I didn’t think it was necessary to needlessly worry them.” He said. He absolutely hated lying to Richard, but with him being confessed, Zedd had no choice.
Richard nodded that he understood before he began speaking again.
“Well I should get going. I’ll see you little later on, ok” He said as he began walking in the direction the others had disappeared in.
“Richard?” Zedd called before he got too far.
“Yeah Zedd?”
“How does the solstice work?”
Richard smiled.
“I’ll give you one guess.” He said and Zedd shared his smile before they said together,
“Powerful Magic.”
Richard nodded.
“Yep. You said it had something to do with the full moon.”
“The full moon? There’s a full moon every month, what makes this one so special?”
“This one’s different, bigger.”
“Bigger?” Zedd muttered to himself in confusion.
“Listen Zedd, I have to go but I’ll see you later. Bye.” Richard said, jogging away before Zedd could respond. When he finally caught up with the others, they were almost to the training yard.
“Sorry about that.” He said by way of greeting as he fell into step on Declan’s left.
“What took you?” The younger of the two asked, Kari still riding comfortably on his back.
“I needed to talk to Zedd about a few things.” Richard answered easily.
“That’s not uncle Zedd.” Kari replied softly, resting her chin on Declan’s right shoulder. Everyone looked at her, Declan doing the best he could with her leaning against him.
“Of course it is Kari, he’s just not feeling well, that’s all.” Richard responded, giving her a gentle reassuring smile but Kari just stayed quiet, causing Declan to frown while Dahlia continued to stare at her silent sister.
***
Zedd made his way to the stables and quickly saddled a horse. He couldn’t stay in Aydindril any longer and risk being found out. He knew now what he had to do. He had to find Dahlia and reverse what he’d done. He only hoped that when he got back to the reality before this one, he would have the chance to perform the spell again, on Cara instead of Dahlia, like he’d originally planned.
Or perhaps he would get back in time to prevent the sisters of the dark from getting the Boxes of Orden and maybe even Jennsen. That way, all would be well and everyone could have the lives they deserved to have. Richard and Kahlan could truly be together and Cara would never have been broken and could even find love with Leo again. Either way, he couldn’t stay in this world.
Just as he was about to climb into his saddle, someone stepped out of the shadows near the stable doors. Her eyes glowed white briefly with the power of her Han before Nicci asked,
“Where are you going?” Her gaze was level and her tone calm. Zedd couldn’t detect any suspicion or threat from her, just genuine curiosity.
“I had a nightmare about my brother last night and thought that it was as good a sign as any to go see him.” He said easily.
Nicci arched an elegant eyebrow, studying him for a moment before stating simply,
“No.”
“No?” Zedd asked, shocked by her casual yet firm response.
“There’s no time. Send your brother a letter to make sure all is well but other than that, you’ll have to wait until after the solstice to go and visit.” She said, turning to leave.
“I wouldn’t be gone long, perhaps a day or two. Surely you could start without me?” He asked. She stopped and turned her head to glance at him over her shoulder.
“The solstice is in two weeks. If we do not begin preparing immediately, we may miss our chance.” She stated calmly.
Zedd noticed that she was studying him intently and alarm bells started going off in his mind. She was testing him, telling him things he should already know. He bristled. Whether in this world or his own, he was certain the other Zedd didn’t like his intelligence insulted any more than he did.
“I am highly aware of that Nicci, I was simply inquiring if you could handle things on you own for a couple of days. We’ve done this twice before already and I’d thought perhaps you might be able to manage a few things by yourself but obviously I was mistaken.” He said smoothly, looking down his nose at her. One thing he didn’t have to fake was his distaste for her.
Nicci’s jaw clenched briefly and her eyes narrowed but she was no longer studying him to see what he might say or do.
“There are things you know that I do not. It’s best if you’re here until after the solstice has passed.”
“Well then, there’s no time to waste.” He said, handing the reins of his horse to the stable boy. He walked to the doors and held out his arm, inviting her to precede him.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
***
Cara breathed deeply, taking in the fresh air around her before releasing it slowly. The sun would be setting soon so they were getting ready to leave the lake when she paused in getting dressed, simply to admire the beauty around her. The area reminded her a lot of the Grottos of the Northern Foothills, the only place where the night wisps were born. Unbidden, a smile came to her face as her memories of the phenomenon surfaced.
The previous year, she and Kahlan had taken Dahlia and Kari to the grottos to see the night wisps being born. A new generation of confessors to meet a new generation of wisps. It had been the most magical and the most beautiful experience of her life. She would never forget the looks on her family’s faces as the night sky filled with hundreds of tiny blue lights, the very air alive with life.
And she would never forget how ecstatic they had been when they realized that she could understand the tiny creatures. The girls couldn’t contain their squeals of joy and Kahlan had given her this kiss that literally took her breath away before giving her a bright loving smile. Cara closed her eyes as she remembered that smile. It had held nothing back and melted Cara’s heart right where she stood. She would do anything for that smile.
As if Cara’s thoughts had summoned her, Kahlan’s arms wrapped around her waist and she pressed herself tightly against Cara’s back.
“What are you smiling about?” She asked with a soft smile. She pressed a light kiss to Cara’s ear.
“I was just remembering when we took Dahlia and Kari to see the birth of the night wisps.” Cara replied, still smiling with her eyes closed.
Kahlan’s hands paused from their task of tucking Cara’s tunic into her trousers and she pulled Cara into a tight hug.
“That was one of the best memories of my life.” She whispered, leaning her head against Cara’s.
“Mine too.” Cara said, her voice barely a whisper. “And I think it’s the same for the girls. I want to take her, our next daughter, to see it. I…I want to take all of our daughters to see it. The ones we have now, and the ones we will have.”
Kahlan pressed another kiss to her temple and Cara leaned into the touch.
“We will.” She whispered. “I promise.”
***
Zedd dragged himself into his bed in the Keep, having finally escaped Nicci late that night. He didn’t know how but he’d managed to stumble through the night without Nicci catching on to the fact that he had no idea what he was doing. Most of that had to do with the detailed tomes they kept on the solstice but since he only got glimpses of it, whenever he did trip up, he blamed it on being distracted with worry for his brother’s health. He knew that excuse wouldn’t last much longer since Nicci expected him to send a letter inquiring about his brother the next day. His only chance of getting through this was to get his hands on those tomes and study every single detail they had to offer without Nicci getting suspicious.
That, he was certain he could accomplish since Nicci didn’t live in the Keep but there was an even bigger problem he now found himself in. He’d managed to glean from Nicci that once the solstice had passed, he wouldn’t be able to leave immediately as he’d first thought. He would still have to stay in Aydindril at least another week to make sure that Kahlan had properly conceived and that she and the baby were healthy and doing fine. That meant a whole week of being up close and personal with Kahlan, at least. He’d gotten lucky that day with Cara distracting Kahlan. He knew he would not get so lucky again. He wouldn’t last a day.
That meant there was only one thing he could do. He had no idea how it would affect the universe but he had no choice. He would have to perform the spell of undoing on Cara again and pray to the Creator that it didn’t rip the fabric of time and space apart.
***
Cara was already out of their bed and halfway across the room before Kahlan realized that what had woken her out of her sleep was the sound of their daughters screaming. By the time she ran out of their room and down the hall to their daughters’ room, Cara was shoving one of the guards against the wall. Kahlan hadn’t even noticed Cara had grabbed one of her agiels until it was mere inches from the man’s face. By then the screaming had stopped and been replaced by crying.
“What happened?!” Cara growled dangerously, her jaw tight.
“We- we d..don’t know Lord Rahl. They just started screaming all of a sudden.” The man stammered in a frightened voice. Cara’s eyes narrowed to slits before she barely grazed her agiel across his neck. The blood vessels in his neck instantly bulged and strained before bursting just under his skin and he released a high pitched pained squeal, trying his hardest not to scream. His mouth filled with blood as he bit through his own tongue.
“So my children start screaming ‘all of a sudden’, and you’re out here why?” She asked calmly, preparing to use her agiel again when the man she was holding didn’t answer, his eyes instead rolling into the back of his head as his body began to convulse, blood frothing in his mouth.
“The hound my lord.” The other guard spoke up, not wanting to watch his comrade’s torture any longer. He wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision when Cara’s deadly gaze swiftly turned on him. He dropped his eyes to the floor before speaking again. “The hound wouldn’t let us past, Lord Rahl.”
Before Cara could begin to make both guards regret ever choosing to face her instead of the heart hound inside of the room, Kahlan put her hand on Cara’s shoulder, reminding her that they had more important things to tend to. Cara let the first guard drop to the floor and entered the room without a second glance backwards. Before Kahlan followed her, she turned to the man left standing, her eyes cold as ice.
“Do not be here when we return. Either of you.” She said, her tone leaving no doubt as to what would happen to both men if either one disobeyed. She walked through the door and into the dark sitting room, quickly making her way to the bedroom on the other side. She pushed into the room, leaving both Caras on the steps. She made it to the center of the room before both girls were running into her arms, crying and sobbing loudly.
Cara stood rigid at the top of the stairs, anger and most of all fear, preventing her from going any further into the room. Her entire body was tight with tension, the arm holding her agiel trembling slightly. Kara stood beside her, her muscles coiled so tightly they were hard as rock, her fur flaring up in every direction, making her look twice as big as she was. Her teeth were bared and a low constant menacing growl was emitting from deep within her throat.
Kahlan soothed their daughters, rubbing their backs and whispering that everything was alright until they started to calm down, causing Kara to growl louder.
“Kara!” Cara snapped and the heart hound’s resulting whimper melted into a soft whine. Kahlan looked over her shoulder at her family’s two bravest and fiercest protectors. She knew that Cara didn’t mean to snap any more that the hound was hurt by it. They were both just worried about Dahlia and Kari and didn’t know what to do about it. She turned back to the girls, coaxing them to look at her.
“What’s happened?” She asked softly, caressing both girls’ cheeks. Dahlia was the first to speak.
“We had a bad dream.” She whispered, sniffling as she did.
“Both of you? The same one?” Kahlan asked curiously.
“Uh huh.” Kari hiccupped, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists.
“What was it, can you remember?” Kahlan asked gently, her hands moving to smooth their hair.
“A scary man was hurting Papa and he wouldn’t stop.” Kari said, her voice quivering dangerously, threatening to dissolve her into more tears. Dahlia whimpered and then Cara was instantly kneeling beside them, wrapping her arms around all three confessors.
“Shh, it’s ok, I’m right here, there’s nothing to worry about.” She whispered urgently, squeezing her eyes tight against her own fears. When Dahlia and Kari had settled down again, she pulled back to look at them. “See? Everything’s fine.”
“But the scary man.” Kari whimpered, her eyes still watery with fresh tears just waiting to spill over.
“Look at me, both of you.” Cara said gently but firmly, waiting for both girls to meet her eyes. “As long as all of you are safe,” She started, quickly flicking her eyes to Kahlan so that she knew Cara was talking about her as well. “As long as all of you are safe, nothing could ever hurt me. Okay?”
Both girls just sniffled for a moment before Kari asked, “Even Kara?”
Cara could help her soft laugh of relief or the sting of her own tears just behind her eyes. The heart hound crawled to them on her stomach and crowded in on Cara’s right. She reached her hand down to ruffle blonde fur and nodded.
“Yes, even Kara. As long as I have all of you safe and sound, everything will be fine.”
“Papa?” Dahlia called softly and Cara blinked at her in surprise. Ever since Dahlia had announced that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the confessors before her, she’d stopped calling Kahlan and Cara ‘Mama and Papa’ in exchange for ‘Mother and Father’. And while Cara was proud of and respected her daughter’s decision, she still missed when Dahlia was just her little girl instead of the next confessor of the Midlands.
“Yes Dahlia?” She answered.
“Can Kari and I sleep with you and Mama tonight?” She asked hesitantly.
Cara moved swiftly to press a loving kiss to Dahlia’s forehead.
“Of course you can.” She whispered. “Always.”
She let them go briefly to pick up her agiel that she’d put safely to the side. She held the chain before Kara and the heart hound took the chain tenderly between it’s large, sharp teeth. Then she wordlessly lifted Kari her arms and offered her free hand to Dahlia. Dahlia stood and quickly took her hand while Kari wrapped her arms around her papa’s neck and buried her face in her neck. Kahlan also rose to her feet, her and Cara’s eyes meeting briefly before they all left the room.
In the hallway, there were two new guards flanking the door. They silently thumped their right fists to their hearts in salute to their Lord Rahl but Cara only ignored them as she led her family to her and Kahlan’s own rooms. When they were at the foot of the bed, Cara let go of Dahlia’s hand so that she could go with Kahlan to climb in on one side while she carried Kari to the opposite side. Kara placed the agiel on one of the overstuffed chairs in the room before climbing back up the stairs and lying down to the right of the closed bedroom door, just like she did in the girls’ room.
Once everyone was comfortable, it didn’t take long for Kari and Dahlia to drift off to sleep, holding each other’s hand as their parent’s curled around them protectively. Cara’s eyes met Kahlan’s worried ones and she smiled reassuringly. She waited for Kahlan to drift off as well before letting her smile fade away. She hadn’t told Kahlan why she was already awake when Dahlia and Kari started screaming. She hadn’t told her that she’d also had a nightmare. She hadn’t told her that it was almost the same one their daughters had had.
At first it had started that way, a hooded man torturing her. But Cara was Mord’Sith, down to her very core and there was no one, dead or alive, who could truly hurt her. But then the man had found her weakness. He had found her only fear and exploited it. He’d taken her family away from her.
And then, and only then did Cara break.
TBC
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth series
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Chapter Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth series in any way, shape, or form. They belong to ABC Disney and Terry Goodkind. This is strickly for creative purposes and not for profit.
Warnings: Cara/Kahlan sexytimes, and cute times and all around fluff and some extra stuff for taste
Summary: Zedd performs the spell of undoing on Dahlia and finds himself in a situation very different than he expected.
Spoilers: Uhhhmm, nope, can't think of any
A/N: Sorry it took such a long time but here it is, chapter 2 of Unbroken. I also want to point out that if you haven't read the prequel aka Torn or the prologue yet, you definately, DEFINATELY should. Happy reading, ^_^
A/N2: I keep forgetting to do this but I want to thank my best friends Cab and Julia for their help and betaing this. ALSO, I forgot to say so in chap 1 but the heart hound 'Kara' was TOTALLY inspired by Synergyfox's mord'puppies. I just love them so much that I couldn't help it. I have to admit that Kara was mostly why I decided to started this fic. I have big plans for her and Cara but shhh, it's a secret ^_^
A/N3: I want to thank all of you for sticking with me and reviewing, it's really encouraging to get such positive feedback and I'll really try to make timely updates. And musicffyou? Your idea about making the third kid the Seeker is genius, definately something to think about. Btw, Dahlia and Kari's abilities are that way because I want them to rely on each other to rule their kingdoms. The type of sisters who need each other and greatly value's and respects the other's opinion. That's what I was trying for anyway if it makes any sense ^_^' Uhmm, I think that's it, so if you're still reading this, my ranting is over and you are free to enjoy the chap. Go on, frolic and play
Part 2
Zedd stood quietly as he watched Richard talk to Declan later that afternoon. He’d spent most of the day with Richard as he fulfilled his daily duties and now it was time to pick up the princesses from their lessons. They’d come across Declan on their way and Richard decided to ask him to pick up Dahlia. That was yet another thing in this world that perplexed Zedd so he waited patiently for Declan to leave before he asked his question.
“Richard, do you know how princess Dalia go her name?” He asked.
When he performed the spell of undoing on Dahlia, he had ensured that she’d never become a Mord’Sith. Therefore, any interaction she had with Cara should have been minimal at best and only limited to their childhood. Yet Cara’s first born child was named after the very woman who should have had little to no connection to her. It was a very curious development.
“Of course I do, don’t you remember?” Richard asked, looking at him hopefully. When he just smiled apologetically, he sighed, accepting that Zedd’s memory would come back in it’s own time.
“Do you remember how I said we found Declan after defeating the Keeper and sealing the rift?” He asked, Zedd nodded that he did.
“Well not long after that Cara got sick, really sick. So sick that she could’ve died but she never said anything. We didn’t even realize that something was wrong until we woke up one morning and Cara wasn’t moving. When we checked on her, her breathing was rapid and shallow and she was so hot that we could barely stand to touch her. You said you couldn’t tell exactly what was wrong with her and that you needed a more proper place to examine her than the middle of the woods. Luckily Stowcroft was a half day’s ride away.
“It took us the whole day and well into the night to rig a litter and get her there but when we did, no one wanted to open their door to a Mord’Sith, even if she had been pardoned by the Mother Confessor. Our only other hope was Cara’s sister who lived on the farthest edge of the village but before we could start that way, a young blonde woman beckoned us to follow her quickly to the cottage.
“When we got there, she instructed us to put Cara on the bed and then for me, you, and Declan to leave the room for a moment. We started to refuse until the woman asked for Kahlan’s help and began to undress Cara and then we left. Later, while you examined Cara, the woman explained that she knew Cara as a child. That they had been friends and that she helped because she didn’t blame Cara for being the victim of something she had no control over. Her name was-”
“Dahlia.” Zedd supplied, putting the pieces together.
“Yes, Dahlia.” Richard continued. “As you continued to examine Cara, Dahlia said that Cara had red puncture marks high on her left thigh, near her hip. When you moved the blanket that was covering her, the area Dahlia pointed out was angry red, puffy, and swollen and in the center were the two puncture marks oozing yellow pus. There was some shiny residue around the entire area and you explained that Cara had been struck by snake vine and that the residue was from Cara’s attempt to heal it.
“You explained that while whatever herb Cara used helped, it was only a temporary fix. That without removing the thorns, her life was still in danger. You said that Cara must’ve thought she could get back to the Confessor’s Palace before the poison could overtake her body and that it must have moved faster than she anticipated.
“It took you a full week to find all the ingredients you needed, purge the thorns from Cara’s body, and help her recover from the poison. That entire time we all did what we could to help, including Declan, who never left Cara’s side, and Dahlia who stayed home most of the time to watch Cara when we all needed rest, even though she was a teacher at the school. Even Cara’s sister visited a few times.
“When Cara finally awoke, she refused to stay in bed one second longer than it took for her to walk on her own. You suggested that she take a few more days to recover but she glared and said that Mistress was waiting for us. So we thanked Dahlia, well Cara just nodded to her, and we left.
“Cara refused to fully rest until we returned to Aydindril and when we finally did, she collapsed. When Mistress asked, we explained what had happened and she immediately summoned Dahlia and offered her a reward but Dahlia refused. She said it was reward enough that she was able to help save Cara’s life and to be personally thanked by the Mother Confessor for it. Mistress agreed to respect her wishes but when their first daughter was born, Mistress and Cara both agreed to name their first born for the woman who helped save Cara’s life when no one else would.” Richard concluded.
Zedd stayed quiet to ponder the uncanniness of Dahlia finding her way into Cara’s life once again despite his efforts. At least this time was in a more positive way. He nodded absently to Richard when Richard told him to wait for a moment. When he returned he was leading the young princess Kari out of her classroom. He studied her briefly while she talked with Richard as they walked around the building to the grassy fields that lay behind it. He could already tell from her height that she would be tall like her mothers and that thought startled him.
This child, with his help, was made of Cara and Kahlan and only them. He could clearly see traits from both women in her. Kahlan’s long wavy hair, that she left down and her bright blue eyes but she had Cara’s lips and high cheek bones. But it was more than that. The girl’s own mannerisms mirrored those of the women who sired her. Like the way her smile brightened her entire face like Cara or the way she walked with a gentle grace like Kahlan. And she carried herself with a subtle but unmistakable air of regality. One afforded her from being a Confessor and a Rahl. She was the most perfect being he had ever seen magic help create and her sister was no different.
“Zedd? Is everything alright?” Richard asked when he noticed that Zedd had stopped walking with them and was just staring at Kari.
“Hm? Oh yes, everything is just fine.” He said, breaking out of his trance to address Richard. He cleared his throat and was about to officially greet the princess but completely froze when his eyes met hers. Her eyes peered deeply into his, keeping him locked in place and focused on her until all he could see was bright blue. He knew he should look away but no matter how hard he tried to move, no matter how loud his mind screamed for him to turn away now, his entire body was frozen. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and only got louder as Kari began to frown in confusion. The pounding was so loud that he thought he might go deaf from it.
Richard called her name but it sounded far away even though he was standing right next to them. It distracted her long enough to flick her eyes to him but before Zedd even had a chance to even breathe, her eyes were pinning him again. This time her brows began to furrow, as if she were working out a complicated puzzle, quickly. Zedd was certain the child was on the verge of figuring him out when she looked away completely. He almost stumbled with how sudden he was released and wondered frantically what made her look away.
But before he could decide whether he could disappear faster than she could confess him, Kari was running across the field. That’s when he noticed Declan and Dahlia a few yards away. Dahlia was waving excitedly. Zedd couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him as he realized that her sister’s call must’ve been what completely grabbed Kari’s attention.
Richard began waving back and as he did, he asked,
“What was that all about?”
Zedd’s chuckle was unsteady as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
“That child has the Gift.” He said after a moment to regain his composure. “And it’s very powerful.”
“Who? Kari?” Richard asked, looking from Zedd to the child in question. Zedd only nodded. Richard laughed lightly. “No, she’s just very perceptive. She probably just noticed that you were acting a little different than usual.” He said with a confident smile.
Zedd wasn’t so sure though. There was something more to what just happened than simply noticing something different. It was as if she were drawing all his truths from him without ever even having to touch him. As a matter of fact, Zedd was certain that’s what she had been doing. Zedd studied the girl more closely as she ran into her sister’s arms.
If she did have the Gift and it was nurtured properly, the child could become a very powerful sorceress. Maybe even more powerful than Shota. With the Gift, the powers of a Confessor, and the blood of the House of Rahl running through her veins, she would most certainly be the most powerful being in all the world. And the most dangerous. But she was still just a child now and she hadn’t discovered Zedd’s secret. He still had time to fix things.
Zedd blinked as he noticed the two girls’ clothing. Dahlia wore a black confessor’s dress, like all confessors that weren’t the Mother Confessor wore. But her sister wore a dark red dress, not as elaborate as the one she wore for devotions, but like that dress, this one split into fourths at her waist to reveal black trousers.
“Why are they dressed differently? I thought all confessors wore the traditional black confessor dress.” He asked. He could understand the difference a few days ago for the princess’s first devotions but not on what seemed like an average day.
“Yes, but princess Kari isn’t a confessor.” Richard answered, serving only to confuse Zedd even more. At Zedd’s expression, Richard quickly amended his statement with an apologetic smile. “I mean she is a confessor but that’s not her chosen path.” When Zedd’s confused expression barely changed, he elaborated.
“When princess Dahlia was born, no one was certain what that meant. She was the first confessor to be born since Darken Rahl’s rein that nearly caused the extinction of the confessor race. But on the other hand, she was also the first legitimate heir of the new Rahl bloodline. Even though she was always told that she was a confessor first as she grew older, she was still free to choose what she wanted to do.
“Then princess Kari was born and the pressure for Dahlia to make a choice lessened and she was free to take her time and figure out what would make her happy. When Kari turned two, Dahlia announced that she wanted to be a confessor. She loved taking care of her sister and making her happy. She said that she wanted to do the same for the Midlands. Then by the time Kari turned three, she was inseparable from Cara and asked to start dressing the same as her, making her own decision rather obvious.” Richard finished.
Zedd nodded in understanding but before he could utter a single word, he caught swift movement out of the corner of his right eye. He turned just in time to see a large creature with yellow fur, stealthily running through the grass towards him and Richard. One glimpse of it’s ears and he knew what it was.
“A Heart Hound!” He gasped, even though he’d never seen one that color before. Richard looked up at Zedd’s gasp and just as Zedd was raising his arms to conjure wizard’s fire, Richard grabbed his arm.
“Zedd no!” He shouted before the heart hound was upon them. It pounced, it’s large front paws landing solidly on Richard’s chest, throwing him to the ground and effectively knocking the wind out of him with the power of the impact combined with it’s shear size. Richard grunted as the beast landed on top of him, but instead of tearing into his chest and ripping out his heart like Zedd expected as he watched in horror, the creature simply licked the side of Richard’s face in one long stroke.
Richard laughed despite the trouble he was having breathing, and Zedd’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“All right, you win, you win.” He wheezed, trying to dislodge the big animal from standing on top of his chest. “Kara, get off.”
“Kara??” Zedd said to himself, even more confused as to what was happening. The heart hound’s ear twitched in his direction at hearing him say it’s name and eased off of Richard to sit obediently before them, it’s bright green eyes moving from Richard to Zedd in a bored manner. It was very reminiscent of someone he knew but he was in too much shock to figure out who. He moved to crouch in front of the seemingly tame creature.
It sat tall and proud, watching with weary disinterest as Zedd hesitantly reached out to touch it. He marveled as his hand sifted through soft fur, his fingers snagging on a heavy chain hanging around it’s neck. He followed the links until he was lifting a pendant out of the fur. It was the same special pendant he, Richard, and the few others that protected the Rahl family wore.
“Bags.” He whispered in awe.
“Sorry about that Zedd, I didn’t realize that you’d even forgotten about Kara.” Richard said with a light chuckle as he sat up.
“Richard, this creature has been touched by some very Powerful Magic.” Zedd said matter-of-factly as he continued to study said creature.
Kara rolled her eyes in an annoyed manner, as if she’d heard that very statement a hundred times. Richard laughed and Zedd blinked in surprise as he instantly realized just who the hound reminded him of. Before he could comment on how very alike ‘Kara’ and her namesake were, Declan and the princesses walked up beside them, smiles on their faces.
“That’s the second time she’s gotten you this week.” Declan said as he offered his hand to Richard. “You’re loosing your edge old man.” He teased, causing Dahlia to giggle.
“I’ll show you an ‘old man’” Richard countered as he tried to get Declan into a headlock but Kari’s soft voice stopped their little tussle.
“He tried to attack Kara.” She said, looking at Zedd.
Zedd’s own smile at their antics faltered as all eyes turned to him. Declan’s smile became uncertain.
“Yeah, he did.” He said. “What was that all about?”
Before Richard could speak, Zedd said, “She just took me by surprise is all.” His smile was firmly back in place as he made sure not to look at either girl. He gave Richard a meaningful glance, willing him to play along. The other Zedd may have helped raise this boy but he had no illusions as to where his loyalties lie. One false step around him and Zedd was as good as confessed.
Declan’s smile faded at Zedd’s explanation and the look he gave Richard.
“I see. Well it’s time for Dahlia and Kari’s weapon’s lessons so we should go.” He said, looking at Richard.
“Uhh, why don’t you go on ahead and I’ll catch up.” Richard said after noticing Zedd’s expression.
“Sure.” Declan said and when Kari tugged on his hand twice, he automatically dropped to one knee. She climbed onto his back and he made sure she was comfortable before rising again. They turned to leave and Dahlia said,
“Come on Kara.”
Once the hound was walking peacefully at her side, Declan said, “Alright, it’s time for the question of the day.”
Both girls smiled.
“Is there any way for a person to be released from confession without taking the life of the confessor responsible?” He asked.
“Yes.” Dahlia said.
“And no.” Kari supplied.
“Oh?” Declan asked, intrigued by their duel answers. “Explain.”
“It’s a trick question.” Dahlia said. “With the aide of a quillion, one could extract all of a confessor’s powers which would release all those confessed by her. But once you’ve taken away her powers, she will no longer be a confessor, so in a way, you would have killed the confessor.” She finished and Kari nodded in agreement.
Declan smiled and nodded once, accepting their answer.
“That one was too easy, give us a real question.” Dahlia said and Kari giggled.
“Alright alright, next question…” He said before his voice faded in the distance.
“So why didn’t you want to tell Declan about your memory loss?” Richard asked after a moment.
Zedd turned to him.
“Since I’ve more or less gotten my memories back, I didn’t think it was necessary to needlessly worry them.” He said. He absolutely hated lying to Richard, but with him being confessed, Zedd had no choice.
Richard nodded that he understood before he began speaking again.
“Well I should get going. I’ll see you little later on, ok” He said as he began walking in the direction the others had disappeared in.
“Richard?” Zedd called before he got too far.
“Yeah Zedd?”
“How does the solstice work?”
Richard smiled.
“I’ll give you one guess.” He said and Zedd shared his smile before they said together,
“Powerful Magic.”
Richard nodded.
“Yep. You said it had something to do with the full moon.”
“The full moon? There’s a full moon every month, what makes this one so special?”
“This one’s different, bigger.”
“Bigger?” Zedd muttered to himself in confusion.
“Listen Zedd, I have to go but I’ll see you later. Bye.” Richard said, jogging away before Zedd could respond. When he finally caught up with the others, they were almost to the training yard.
“Sorry about that.” He said by way of greeting as he fell into step on Declan’s left.
“What took you?” The younger of the two asked, Kari still riding comfortably on his back.
“I needed to talk to Zedd about a few things.” Richard answered easily.
“That’s not uncle Zedd.” Kari replied softly, resting her chin on Declan’s right shoulder. Everyone looked at her, Declan doing the best he could with her leaning against him.
“Of course it is Kari, he’s just not feeling well, that’s all.” Richard responded, giving her a gentle reassuring smile but Kari just stayed quiet, causing Declan to frown while Dahlia continued to stare at her silent sister.
***
Zedd made his way to the stables and quickly saddled a horse. He couldn’t stay in Aydindril any longer and risk being found out. He knew now what he had to do. He had to find Dahlia and reverse what he’d done. He only hoped that when he got back to the reality before this one, he would have the chance to perform the spell again, on Cara instead of Dahlia, like he’d originally planned.
Or perhaps he would get back in time to prevent the sisters of the dark from getting the Boxes of Orden and maybe even Jennsen. That way, all would be well and everyone could have the lives they deserved to have. Richard and Kahlan could truly be together and Cara would never have been broken and could even find love with Leo again. Either way, he couldn’t stay in this world.
Just as he was about to climb into his saddle, someone stepped out of the shadows near the stable doors. Her eyes glowed white briefly with the power of her Han before Nicci asked,
“Where are you going?” Her gaze was level and her tone calm. Zedd couldn’t detect any suspicion or threat from her, just genuine curiosity.
“I had a nightmare about my brother last night and thought that it was as good a sign as any to go see him.” He said easily.
Nicci arched an elegant eyebrow, studying him for a moment before stating simply,
“No.”
“No?” Zedd asked, shocked by her casual yet firm response.
“There’s no time. Send your brother a letter to make sure all is well but other than that, you’ll have to wait until after the solstice to go and visit.” She said, turning to leave.
“I wouldn’t be gone long, perhaps a day or two. Surely you could start without me?” He asked. She stopped and turned her head to glance at him over her shoulder.
“The solstice is in two weeks. If we do not begin preparing immediately, we may miss our chance.” She stated calmly.
Zedd noticed that she was studying him intently and alarm bells started going off in his mind. She was testing him, telling him things he should already know. He bristled. Whether in this world or his own, he was certain the other Zedd didn’t like his intelligence insulted any more than he did.
“I am highly aware of that Nicci, I was simply inquiring if you could handle things on you own for a couple of days. We’ve done this twice before already and I’d thought perhaps you might be able to manage a few things by yourself but obviously I was mistaken.” He said smoothly, looking down his nose at her. One thing he didn’t have to fake was his distaste for her.
Nicci’s jaw clenched briefly and her eyes narrowed but she was no longer studying him to see what he might say or do.
“There are things you know that I do not. It’s best if you’re here until after the solstice has passed.”
“Well then, there’s no time to waste.” He said, handing the reins of his horse to the stable boy. He walked to the doors and held out his arm, inviting her to precede him.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
***
Cara breathed deeply, taking in the fresh air around her before releasing it slowly. The sun would be setting soon so they were getting ready to leave the lake when she paused in getting dressed, simply to admire the beauty around her. The area reminded her a lot of the Grottos of the Northern Foothills, the only place where the night wisps were born. Unbidden, a smile came to her face as her memories of the phenomenon surfaced.
The previous year, she and Kahlan had taken Dahlia and Kari to the grottos to see the night wisps being born. A new generation of confessors to meet a new generation of wisps. It had been the most magical and the most beautiful experience of her life. She would never forget the looks on her family’s faces as the night sky filled with hundreds of tiny blue lights, the very air alive with life.
And she would never forget how ecstatic they had been when they realized that she could understand the tiny creatures. The girls couldn’t contain their squeals of joy and Kahlan had given her this kiss that literally took her breath away before giving her a bright loving smile. Cara closed her eyes as she remembered that smile. It had held nothing back and melted Cara’s heart right where she stood. She would do anything for that smile.
As if Cara’s thoughts had summoned her, Kahlan’s arms wrapped around her waist and she pressed herself tightly against Cara’s back.
“What are you smiling about?” She asked with a soft smile. She pressed a light kiss to Cara’s ear.
“I was just remembering when we took Dahlia and Kari to see the birth of the night wisps.” Cara replied, still smiling with her eyes closed.
Kahlan’s hands paused from their task of tucking Cara’s tunic into her trousers and she pulled Cara into a tight hug.
“That was one of the best memories of my life.” She whispered, leaning her head against Cara’s.
“Mine too.” Cara said, her voice barely a whisper. “And I think it’s the same for the girls. I want to take her, our next daughter, to see it. I…I want to take all of our daughters to see it. The ones we have now, and the ones we will have.”
Kahlan pressed another kiss to her temple and Cara leaned into the touch.
“We will.” She whispered. “I promise.”
***
Zedd dragged himself into his bed in the Keep, having finally escaped Nicci late that night. He didn’t know how but he’d managed to stumble through the night without Nicci catching on to the fact that he had no idea what he was doing. Most of that had to do with the detailed tomes they kept on the solstice but since he only got glimpses of it, whenever he did trip up, he blamed it on being distracted with worry for his brother’s health. He knew that excuse wouldn’t last much longer since Nicci expected him to send a letter inquiring about his brother the next day. His only chance of getting through this was to get his hands on those tomes and study every single detail they had to offer without Nicci getting suspicious.
That, he was certain he could accomplish since Nicci didn’t live in the Keep but there was an even bigger problem he now found himself in. He’d managed to glean from Nicci that once the solstice had passed, he wouldn’t be able to leave immediately as he’d first thought. He would still have to stay in Aydindril at least another week to make sure that Kahlan had properly conceived and that she and the baby were healthy and doing fine. That meant a whole week of being up close and personal with Kahlan, at least. He’d gotten lucky that day with Cara distracting Kahlan. He knew he would not get so lucky again. He wouldn’t last a day.
That meant there was only one thing he could do. He had no idea how it would affect the universe but he had no choice. He would have to perform the spell of undoing on Cara again and pray to the Creator that it didn’t rip the fabric of time and space apart.
***
Cara was already out of their bed and halfway across the room before Kahlan realized that what had woken her out of her sleep was the sound of their daughters screaming. By the time she ran out of their room and down the hall to their daughters’ room, Cara was shoving one of the guards against the wall. Kahlan hadn’t even noticed Cara had grabbed one of her agiels until it was mere inches from the man’s face. By then the screaming had stopped and been replaced by crying.
“What happened?!” Cara growled dangerously, her jaw tight.
“We- we d..don’t know Lord Rahl. They just started screaming all of a sudden.” The man stammered in a frightened voice. Cara’s eyes narrowed to slits before she barely grazed her agiel across his neck. The blood vessels in his neck instantly bulged and strained before bursting just under his skin and he released a high pitched pained squeal, trying his hardest not to scream. His mouth filled with blood as he bit through his own tongue.
“So my children start screaming ‘all of a sudden’, and you’re out here why?” She asked calmly, preparing to use her agiel again when the man she was holding didn’t answer, his eyes instead rolling into the back of his head as his body began to convulse, blood frothing in his mouth.
“The hound my lord.” The other guard spoke up, not wanting to watch his comrade’s torture any longer. He wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision when Cara’s deadly gaze swiftly turned on him. He dropped his eyes to the floor before speaking again. “The hound wouldn’t let us past, Lord Rahl.”
Before Cara could begin to make both guards regret ever choosing to face her instead of the heart hound inside of the room, Kahlan put her hand on Cara’s shoulder, reminding her that they had more important things to tend to. Cara let the first guard drop to the floor and entered the room without a second glance backwards. Before Kahlan followed her, she turned to the man left standing, her eyes cold as ice.
“Do not be here when we return. Either of you.” She said, her tone leaving no doubt as to what would happen to both men if either one disobeyed. She walked through the door and into the dark sitting room, quickly making her way to the bedroom on the other side. She pushed into the room, leaving both Caras on the steps. She made it to the center of the room before both girls were running into her arms, crying and sobbing loudly.
Cara stood rigid at the top of the stairs, anger and most of all fear, preventing her from going any further into the room. Her entire body was tight with tension, the arm holding her agiel trembling slightly. Kara stood beside her, her muscles coiled so tightly they were hard as rock, her fur flaring up in every direction, making her look twice as big as she was. Her teeth were bared and a low constant menacing growl was emitting from deep within her throat.
Kahlan soothed their daughters, rubbing their backs and whispering that everything was alright until they started to calm down, causing Kara to growl louder.
“Kara!” Cara snapped and the heart hound’s resulting whimper melted into a soft whine. Kahlan looked over her shoulder at her family’s two bravest and fiercest protectors. She knew that Cara didn’t mean to snap any more that the hound was hurt by it. They were both just worried about Dahlia and Kari and didn’t know what to do about it. She turned back to the girls, coaxing them to look at her.
“What’s happened?” She asked softly, caressing both girls’ cheeks. Dahlia was the first to speak.
“We had a bad dream.” She whispered, sniffling as she did.
“Both of you? The same one?” Kahlan asked curiously.
“Uh huh.” Kari hiccupped, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists.
“What was it, can you remember?” Kahlan asked gently, her hands moving to smooth their hair.
“A scary man was hurting Papa and he wouldn’t stop.” Kari said, her voice quivering dangerously, threatening to dissolve her into more tears. Dahlia whimpered and then Cara was instantly kneeling beside them, wrapping her arms around all three confessors.
“Shh, it’s ok, I’m right here, there’s nothing to worry about.” She whispered urgently, squeezing her eyes tight against her own fears. When Dahlia and Kari had settled down again, she pulled back to look at them. “See? Everything’s fine.”
“But the scary man.” Kari whimpered, her eyes still watery with fresh tears just waiting to spill over.
“Look at me, both of you.” Cara said gently but firmly, waiting for both girls to meet her eyes. “As long as all of you are safe,” She started, quickly flicking her eyes to Kahlan so that she knew Cara was talking about her as well. “As long as all of you are safe, nothing could ever hurt me. Okay?”
Both girls just sniffled for a moment before Kari asked, “Even Kara?”
Cara could help her soft laugh of relief or the sting of her own tears just behind her eyes. The heart hound crawled to them on her stomach and crowded in on Cara’s right. She reached her hand down to ruffle blonde fur and nodded.
“Yes, even Kara. As long as I have all of you safe and sound, everything will be fine.”
“Papa?” Dahlia called softly and Cara blinked at her in surprise. Ever since Dahlia had announced that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the confessors before her, she’d stopped calling Kahlan and Cara ‘Mama and Papa’ in exchange for ‘Mother and Father’. And while Cara was proud of and respected her daughter’s decision, she still missed when Dahlia was just her little girl instead of the next confessor of the Midlands.
“Yes Dahlia?” She answered.
“Can Kari and I sleep with you and Mama tonight?” She asked hesitantly.
Cara moved swiftly to press a loving kiss to Dahlia’s forehead.
“Of course you can.” She whispered. “Always.”
She let them go briefly to pick up her agiel that she’d put safely to the side. She held the chain before Kara and the heart hound took the chain tenderly between it’s large, sharp teeth. Then she wordlessly lifted Kari her arms and offered her free hand to Dahlia. Dahlia stood and quickly took her hand while Kari wrapped her arms around her papa’s neck and buried her face in her neck. Kahlan also rose to her feet, her and Cara’s eyes meeting briefly before they all left the room.
In the hallway, there were two new guards flanking the door. They silently thumped their right fists to their hearts in salute to their Lord Rahl but Cara only ignored them as she led her family to her and Kahlan’s own rooms. When they were at the foot of the bed, Cara let go of Dahlia’s hand so that she could go with Kahlan to climb in on one side while she carried Kari to the opposite side. Kara placed the agiel on one of the overstuffed chairs in the room before climbing back up the stairs and lying down to the right of the closed bedroom door, just like she did in the girls’ room.
Once everyone was comfortable, it didn’t take long for Kari and Dahlia to drift off to sleep, holding each other’s hand as their parent’s curled around them protectively. Cara’s eyes met Kahlan’s worried ones and she smiled reassuringly. She waited for Kahlan to drift off as well before letting her smile fade away. She hadn’t told Kahlan why she was already awake when Dahlia and Kari started screaming. She hadn’t told her that she’d also had a nightmare. She hadn’t told her that it was almost the same one their daughters had had.
At first it had started that way, a hooded man torturing her. But Cara was Mord’Sith, down to her very core and there was no one, dead or alive, who could truly hurt her. But then the man had found her weakness. He had found her only fear and exploited it. He’d taken her family away from her.
And then, and only then did Cara break.
TBC