Powerless, Chapter 9
title: Powerless
author: cocky_toad Amber
disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth Books. the end.
word count: 2230
pairing: Richard/Kahlan
rating: PG-13
spoilers: up until Bloodline
summary: Darken Rahl sends his army after Kahlan
Author’s note: I’m so sorry for the long wait. I was on vacation without internet or my writings. I just recently got back and have already begun exams at my university. Not fun. Thank you to those of you who stuck around and waited for this chapter to come out. Once Legend of the Seeker returns to television November 7, I’m sure I won’t be able to stop myself from updating more often. As always, please enjoy and review.
CHAPTER 9
Heavy breathing echoed in his ears. Richard was surrounded by the enemy, but had yet to be noticed. It had been easier to sneak inside the fortress than he originally anticipated. He had hugged close to the wall, making sure to only pass by when the guard’s back was turned. The only time the guard looked away was to motion up to the lookout tower to close the gates.
Standing in the darkness of an alley, he surveyed the busy streets. Merchants and civilians were everywhere. He would fit right in here if it wasn’t for the Sword of Truth being displayed proudly on his hip. A man’s eyes shifted toward Richard suspiciously. He yelled to a lone soldier at his post about a thief hiding in the shadows. The Seeker sighed inwardly. Here we go again.
Richard backed up further, disappearing into the darkness. The D’Haran approached cautiously, searching for the intruder. He shrugged after a while, suspecting the merchant was just seeing things. Besides, who would be stupid enough to steal on the grounds of the People’s Palace? The man turned his back, instantly regretting that choice as a glistening hunk of metal was firmly pressed up against his throat. “Make one sound, and I’ll slice your throat. I have no use for you alive. Understand?” The man nodded slowly, eyes trained on the sword’s edge. “Good. Now give me your clothes.” The soldier tensed, kicking backward into Richard’s calf. The Seeker moaned before proceeding to behead his enemy. Blood trailed down his uniform. “And that’s why I didn’t want to have to kill you,” he groaned, clearly annoyed it had come to this.
He dragged the body to the very end of the alley. He quickly changed into the D’Haran uniform, making sure to conceal his sword behind the folds of his armor. Flipping the top of the chain mail over his head to hide his face from onlookers, he stepped out into the light of day. “It was nothing,” he yelled forcefully over to the merchant who had originally spotted Richard. “Just a rat. Don’t bother the army with such simple matters. We have better things to do.” With that, he walked off towards the Palace that loomed over the rest of the buildings.
*****
Lord Rahl entered Kahlan’s room the next morning to find her still laying in bed. Her small form was huddled up into a ball, the same position he had left her in the previous night. He smirked, enjoying the power he held over her. He now had control over the strongest woman in the Midlands. It was an exhilarating rush he intended to cherish. He pushed aside the curtains, letting the light wash over her body. She remained unmoving, her eyes transfixed on a spot on the wall. He slowly approached her, bending down so his face was mere inches from her own. “Boo,” he whispered, his hot breath flowing over her pale skin.
He watched as Kahlan’s eyes came into focus, honing in on his presence. Immediately they turned to immense fear. She jumped out of bed, her knees buckling under her own weight. She crawled into the corner of the room. Her arms hugged her knees to her chest as tightly as possible. This only made Rahl’s smile grow even wider. “What’s the matter Kahlan? Don’t you remember me? Don’t you remember all the good times we’ve had?” His voice had that innocent tone to it again, like he was talking to a small child.
Her eyes darkened at his words. “You sick bastard,” her hoarse voice came out softer than she wanted it to. He took another step towards her. “Just stay away from me!” she screamed at him. She tried to squish herself even more into the corner, anything just to get away from Darken Rahl.
He bent down to her level, causing her breaths to come out ragged. “Don’t you ever raise your voice to me whore!” He slapped her across the face. A yelp escaped past her lips. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks. He leaned forward, his tongue sliding across her flesh to collect the droplets. She tried her best to remain motionless as her body screamed at her to do something, anything. She had all the power in the world yet she still felt utterly helpless. “You know I don’t like to hurt you. Now be a good girl so it doesn’t happen again.” His hand reached down between her legs. All of the dresses he provided her with made for easy access. She gritted her teeth.
The door flew open as a male servant came running into the room. Lord Rahl angrily spun around, glaring him down. “Do not interrupt me!” his voice echoed across the walls.
The man cowered back. Kahlan’s defeated eyes landed on him. She recognized him as the same servant who had brought her breakfast the morning before. She gave him a sad smile of gratitude for coming in when he did. He glanced over towards her, giving her a slight nod in understanding. The servant had known what Lord Rahl was about to do and had been glad to have an excuse to interrupt. He would happily take any punishment thrown his way if it took the focus off of the Mother Confessor. It was the least he could do. “I…” he stuttered, “I’m so sorry my Lord.” He bowed deeply. “But soldiers have just sent word that the Seeker is inside the palace grounds. He’s headed this way my Lord.”
When the man mentioned the Seeker’s name, he looked at Kahlan once again. This message was meant more for her than for Lord Rahl. Richard was coming to save her from this nightmare. Her eyes lit up. She suddenly had renewed hope. What she wasn’t expecting was Lord Rahl’s reaction; he was completely calm about the whole situation. His words shocked her even more, “Good. It’s about time he showed up. Where was he spotted?”
The servant hesitated, pulling at a loose thread on his uniform. “He was last seen near the Mord-Sith. He was passing through a devotional square my Lord.” He obviously did not want to release this information, but he knew the consequences if he disobeyed. He was more useful to the Seeker and Mother Confessor alive than dead.
Rahl eyed him suspiciously, “Do I detect a hint of happiness that the Seeker is coming?”
The man visibly flinched,” N…n...no sir. Any happiness that you may have heard is only for your imminent victory against the Seeker when he arrives at your palace doors my Lord.” He bowed again, staying in this position for longer than necessary. Lord Rahl took another step closer.
“Don’t!” Kahlan yelled. Rahl turned around to find her on her feet, propping herself up with a hand on each wall in the corner. “Don’t touch him.” Her voice came out much stronger than she felt.
Rahl looked over his shoulder; the servant was staring wide-eyed at the Mother Confessor in shock that she had stood up for him. In his heart he was grateful, but he also ached for the pain he knew her outburst would cause. “Get out of my sight slave, now!” His command sent the man running down the halls. He rounded the corner, his head sinking into his hands. What had he done? Had he just made things worse for her?
The ruler of D’Hara took three long strides until he was standing nose-to-nose with his captured confessor. “Obviously you don’t learn very quickly. It’s a shame for you, but in all honesty, I’m happy to deliver your punishment.” He grabbed her by the wrists, shoving her back to the floor. She shrieked in protest, before being pummeled with a fist. She kicked him swiftly in the crotch, causing Rahl to bend down on one knee. “You’re only making it worse for yourself!” he growled. “But by all means, fight back. Learn how truly powerless you are against me. And learn what happens when you disobey me.”
As she was being dragged back over to the bed, her mind wandered to Richard. She had been hopeful only moments ago, but now she was filled with despair once again. ‘Please Richard, don’t come,’ she prayed silently. ‘I’m not worth it; I’m not worth dying over…’
*****
Richard took a deep breath. Sweat easily rolled down his body. He had climbed many stairs just to reach this point, but he was still a good distance away. A figure clad in red leather walked through a devotional square about 30 feet in front of him. He felt like his heart stopped. These were the ruthless beings that had tortured so many innocent souls, all in the name of Rahl. His blood boiled, remembering the touch of the agiel on his arm, his torso, his lips. He had never felt so broken in his life, yet now he had never felt stronger due to the experience. The past was behind him, only the future is important.
He struggled to control his movements, making sure not to move suspiciously quickly through the group. He heard synchronized footsteps coming behind; someone was following him. He pivoted on his feet, removing a knife from it’s D’Haran sheath. A woman backed up, obviously surprised she had been detected. As quickly as it had come, the shock left her features. “So it is you…” she whispered. Her long braid swung behind her. She creaked in leather uniform. “I knew you’d come back one day Seeker,” she glanced him up and down before shaking her head, “But I had no idea it would be of your own accord.”
author: cocky_toad Amber
disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth Books. the end.
word count: 2230
pairing: Richard/Kahlan
rating: PG-13
spoilers: up until Bloodline
summary: Darken Rahl sends his army after Kahlan
Author’s note: I’m so sorry for the long wait. I was on vacation without internet or my writings. I just recently got back and have already begun exams at my university. Not fun. Thank you to those of you who stuck around and waited for this chapter to come out. Once Legend of the Seeker returns to television November 7, I’m sure I won’t be able to stop myself from updating more often. As always, please enjoy and review.
CHAPTER 9
Heavy breathing echoed in his ears. Richard was surrounded by the enemy, but had yet to be noticed. It had been easier to sneak inside the fortress than he originally anticipated. He had hugged close to the wall, making sure to only pass by when the guard’s back was turned. The only time the guard looked away was to motion up to the lookout tower to close the gates.
Standing in the darkness of an alley, he surveyed the busy streets. Merchants and civilians were everywhere. He would fit right in here if it wasn’t for the Sword of Truth being displayed proudly on his hip. A man’s eyes shifted toward Richard suspiciously. He yelled to a lone soldier at his post about a thief hiding in the shadows. The Seeker sighed inwardly. Here we go again.
Richard backed up further, disappearing into the darkness. The D’Haran approached cautiously, searching for the intruder. He shrugged after a while, suspecting the merchant was just seeing things. Besides, who would be stupid enough to steal on the grounds of the People’s Palace? The man turned his back, instantly regretting that choice as a glistening hunk of metal was firmly pressed up against his throat. “Make one sound, and I’ll slice your throat. I have no use for you alive. Understand?” The man nodded slowly, eyes trained on the sword’s edge. “Good. Now give me your clothes.” The soldier tensed, kicking backward into Richard’s calf. The Seeker moaned before proceeding to behead his enemy. Blood trailed down his uniform. “And that’s why I didn’t want to have to kill you,” he groaned, clearly annoyed it had come to this.
He dragged the body to the very end of the alley. He quickly changed into the D’Haran uniform, making sure to conceal his sword behind the folds of his armor. Flipping the top of the chain mail over his head to hide his face from onlookers, he stepped out into the light of day. “It was nothing,” he yelled forcefully over to the merchant who had originally spotted Richard. “Just a rat. Don’t bother the army with such simple matters. We have better things to do.” With that, he walked off towards the Palace that loomed over the rest of the buildings.
*****
Lord Rahl entered Kahlan’s room the next morning to find her still laying in bed. Her small form was huddled up into a ball, the same position he had left her in the previous night. He smirked, enjoying the power he held over her. He now had control over the strongest woman in the Midlands. It was an exhilarating rush he intended to cherish. He pushed aside the curtains, letting the light wash over her body. She remained unmoving, her eyes transfixed on a spot on the wall. He slowly approached her, bending down so his face was mere inches from her own. “Boo,” he whispered, his hot breath flowing over her pale skin.
He watched as Kahlan’s eyes came into focus, honing in on his presence. Immediately they turned to immense fear. She jumped out of bed, her knees buckling under her own weight. She crawled into the corner of the room. Her arms hugged her knees to her chest as tightly as possible. This only made Rahl’s smile grow even wider. “What’s the matter Kahlan? Don’t you remember me? Don’t you remember all the good times we’ve had?” His voice had that innocent tone to it again, like he was talking to a small child.
Her eyes darkened at his words. “You sick bastard,” her hoarse voice came out softer than she wanted it to. He took another step towards her. “Just stay away from me!” she screamed at him. She tried to squish herself even more into the corner, anything just to get away from Darken Rahl.
He bent down to her level, causing her breaths to come out ragged. “Don’t you ever raise your voice to me whore!” He slapped her across the face. A yelp escaped past her lips. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks. He leaned forward, his tongue sliding across her flesh to collect the droplets. She tried her best to remain motionless as her body screamed at her to do something, anything. She had all the power in the world yet she still felt utterly helpless. “You know I don’t like to hurt you. Now be a good girl so it doesn’t happen again.” His hand reached down between her legs. All of the dresses he provided her with made for easy access. She gritted her teeth.
The door flew open as a male servant came running into the room. Lord Rahl angrily spun around, glaring him down. “Do not interrupt me!” his voice echoed across the walls.
The man cowered back. Kahlan’s defeated eyes landed on him. She recognized him as the same servant who had brought her breakfast the morning before. She gave him a sad smile of gratitude for coming in when he did. He glanced over towards her, giving her a slight nod in understanding. The servant had known what Lord Rahl was about to do and had been glad to have an excuse to interrupt. He would happily take any punishment thrown his way if it took the focus off of the Mother Confessor. It was the least he could do. “I…” he stuttered, “I’m so sorry my Lord.” He bowed deeply. “But soldiers have just sent word that the Seeker is inside the palace grounds. He’s headed this way my Lord.”
When the man mentioned the Seeker’s name, he looked at Kahlan once again. This message was meant more for her than for Lord Rahl. Richard was coming to save her from this nightmare. Her eyes lit up. She suddenly had renewed hope. What she wasn’t expecting was Lord Rahl’s reaction; he was completely calm about the whole situation. His words shocked her even more, “Good. It’s about time he showed up. Where was he spotted?”
The servant hesitated, pulling at a loose thread on his uniform. “He was last seen near the Mord-Sith. He was passing through a devotional square my Lord.” He obviously did not want to release this information, but he knew the consequences if he disobeyed. He was more useful to the Seeker and Mother Confessor alive than dead.
Rahl eyed him suspiciously, “Do I detect a hint of happiness that the Seeker is coming?”
The man visibly flinched,” N…n...no sir. Any happiness that you may have heard is only for your imminent victory against the Seeker when he arrives at your palace doors my Lord.” He bowed again, staying in this position for longer than necessary. Lord Rahl took another step closer.
“Don’t!” Kahlan yelled. Rahl turned around to find her on her feet, propping herself up with a hand on each wall in the corner. “Don’t touch him.” Her voice came out much stronger than she felt.
Rahl looked over his shoulder; the servant was staring wide-eyed at the Mother Confessor in shock that she had stood up for him. In his heart he was grateful, but he also ached for the pain he knew her outburst would cause. “Get out of my sight slave, now!” His command sent the man running down the halls. He rounded the corner, his head sinking into his hands. What had he done? Had he just made things worse for her?
The ruler of D’Hara took three long strides until he was standing nose-to-nose with his captured confessor. “Obviously you don’t learn very quickly. It’s a shame for you, but in all honesty, I’m happy to deliver your punishment.” He grabbed her by the wrists, shoving her back to the floor. She shrieked in protest, before being pummeled with a fist. She kicked him swiftly in the crotch, causing Rahl to bend down on one knee. “You’re only making it worse for yourself!” he growled. “But by all means, fight back. Learn how truly powerless you are against me. And learn what happens when you disobey me.”
As she was being dragged back over to the bed, her mind wandered to Richard. She had been hopeful only moments ago, but now she was filled with despair once again. ‘Please Richard, don’t come,’ she prayed silently. ‘I’m not worth it; I’m not worth dying over…’
*****
Richard took a deep breath. Sweat easily rolled down his body. He had climbed many stairs just to reach this point, but he was still a good distance away. A figure clad in red leather walked through a devotional square about 30 feet in front of him. He felt like his heart stopped. These were the ruthless beings that had tortured so many innocent souls, all in the name of Rahl. His blood boiled, remembering the touch of the agiel on his arm, his torso, his lips. He had never felt so broken in his life, yet now he had never felt stronger due to the experience. The past was behind him, only the future is important.
He struggled to control his movements, making sure not to move suspiciously quickly through the group. He heard synchronized footsteps coming behind; someone was following him. He pivoted on his feet, removing a knife from it’s D’Haran sheath. A woman backed up, obviously surprised she had been detected. As quickly as it had come, the shock left her features. “So it is you…” she whispered. Her long braid swung behind her. She creaked in leather uniform. “I knew you’d come back one day Seeker,” she glanced him up and down before shaking her head, “But I had no idea it would be of your own accord.”