Legend of the Seeker: Precautions (Kahlan/Richard, T, ~1,530w.)
Kahlan/Richard, T, ~1,530w.
"But you agreed that the mission was too important to risk it," she said, sounding confused.
Precautions
"A technicality?" Richard repeated, his eyes narrowed and the muscles in his face straining to the point that a vein start pulsing in his forehead.
"Um, well." Kahlan's eyes slid away from his. "Yes."
"You and Zedd lied to me again?" he said, fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword, which he'd reflexively starting gripping halfway through their conversation.
"I wasn't -- we didn't mean -- we thought it would be best --" She sighed. "We exaggerated. A little bit."
Richard blinked. "If that's what you call exaggerating I'd hate to see what you call lying, Kahlan."
"Richard --"
He held up a forestalling hand. "Just tell me one thing."
She waited.
His expression was taut, as if the next words pained him. "All this time?"
Kahlan sighed, her posture deflating, and nodded.
"Wonderful!" he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Just wonderful."
He stormed off into the forest, all of his natural grace gone, stomping through the brush like its very existence offended him. Kahlan cringed at every branch that broke under his feet.
"I thought you'd be happy!" she yelled after him. She blinked at the rude gesture he made over his shoulder and then turned around, crossing her arms over her chest and stalking off in the other direction.
*
"He's behaving like a child," she said, throwing another branch into the fire, sparks rising into the air where it stirred up the flames.
"He's still hardly more than a boy," Zedd said, talking around a mouthful of oatmeal. "Just because he was able to kill Darken Rahl doesn't mean he knows the first thing about women."
"And it's not as if he had some sort of right," Kahlan continued, her voice getting more heated as she went on. "It is my choice whom I tell and whom I do not."
"You're right," Zedd said, his tone dry. "Better that Denna tell him."
Kahlan shifted her glare to Zedd. "That was different."
"Was it, now?" Zedd said, raising one of his ponderous eyebrows. "Because every library in the Midlands has a copy of a certain illustrated volume of which I know many a Confessor has availed herself. Sheer luck that he hasn't run into it before now."
"But you agreed that the mission was too important to risk it," she said, sounding confused.
"Of course I did," Zedd said. He pointed his spoon at her. "But I never said Richard was going to like it."
"Wonderful," she said, echoing Richard. She threw another branch into the fire with a sigh.
*
"Aaah, smell that air," Zedd said, inhaling deeply and patting his chest. The sun was high in the sky and the day was clear, only faint wisps of clouds clinging here and there, hardly touching the expansive blue. They were winding their way down a mountain, an entire valley stretched out before them in breathtaking proportions.
Kahlan, stalking four steps in front of them, didn't even turn back to acknowledge that he'd spoken. Richard, walking at his side, was very intent on frowning at the ground and kicking every stray rock and twig in his path.
Zedd rolled his eyes. "Children," he muttered, returning to admiring the view, which was a much more fruitful use of his time.
*
"But she lied to me," Richard said, ferociously whittling at a thick branch, the scraps flying off of it. "Twice, Chase. Not just once."
"Sounds like she had her reasons," Chase said, shrugging. He whittled much more gently, stroking along the wood and checking its grain after every few cuts.
"Oh, she and Zedd always have their reasons," Richard said, grinding in his knife. "My great destiny? To be lied to by the woman I love. Over and over."
"Hey," Chase said, stopping and looking at Richard, waiting until Richard took the cue and met his eyes. "You're damn lucky to even know a woman like Kahlan. What you two have -- what I have with Emma -- that doesn't come along every day. Whatever she did, she did because she thought it was best."
Richard just stared at Chase for a moment, his mouth hanging open a little. Then he shook his head, looking chastised. "You're absolutely right."
"Good," Chase said, setting his knife to wood again. "Because if I had to listen to one more minute of that, I was about to hit you up the backside of your head, Seeker or no."
Richard laughed, following Chase's example, this time moving along the supple lines of the branch instead of forcing the shape.
After a few moments of working in silence, he frowned. "I made a mess of things, didn't I?"
Chase nodded. "A real good one, too."
*
"He apologized," Kahlan said, pacing around the fire, wringing her hands.
"Don't sound so excited, child," Zedd said, watching her with a bewildered expression. "I might get the wrong impression."
"No, I am -- I mean, of course I am -- but --" She heaved a mighty sigh, plopping down on the log beside him. When she turned her face up towards his, she looked young. "I'm scared, too."
"Ah," Zedd said, nodding. "Yes, that's to be expected."
"My mother, she would have been able to tell me more about the, ah, nuances of all this. But now all I have is hearsay and rumor."
"And The Blindfolded Prince," Zedd said, looking off into the distance with a slightly lecherous smile. "Spirits bless the artist who illustrated that fine volume of literature."
She shot him a fondly exasperated look. "If Richard and I manage to get to that, it'll only be after a lot of precautions."
Zedd placed a hand on her shoulder, manner gone serious. "No precaution is completely safe."
She nodded heavily. "I know."
"Let me guess," Zedd said, "Richard doesn't care."
She smiled, shaking her head. "He says I'll never do anything to hurt him."
"And so you won't," Zedd said, patting her shoulder. "If there's one thing we've learned about him, it's that the boy knows where to put his trust."
She let out a big breath, her jittery nervousness settling into a deeper, calmer attitude of anticipation, one that was aware of the risks and willing to face them. "You'll make us what we need?"
"Why, Confessor," Zedd said, waving one hand in the air, and when he turned it over, there was a small black piece of fabric in the palm, held out in front of her. "You only had but ask."
*
"This is it?" Richard said, holding it up to the light. The light did not penetrate the fabric at all and it cast a solid shadow on his face.
"It's spelled," Kahlan explained. "Once it's on, you won't be able to get it off."
Richard raised an eyebrow, lowering his hand. "But you will?"
Kahlan nodded. She took it from him, showing him the back with the ties. "And it has a special series of catches so I can't remove it accidentally."
Richard slipped his hands over hers. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"Richard," she said, looking at him, her face showing equal parts uncertainty and apprehension. "There's still a risk. There's no protection that's one-hundred guaranteed against Confessors."
"I trust you," he said, dropping his forehead against hers. "And according to the book Zedd gave me, this method -- when used correctly -- hasn't gotten anyone accidentally Confessed yet."
Kahlan huffed a laugh, fingers interlacing with Richard's. "Of course he gave you the book."
"Interesting reading," he said, voice dropping down a register, nudging her ear with the tip of his nose.
"Let's just make sure this works, first," she said, raising the blindfold up to his face.
He took a step back, giving her room to fasten it. "I'm ready," he said, closing his eyes.
Kahlan looked at him, looked at the way he stood there completely defenseless, hands dropped at his sides, posture relaxed, face smooth, like this was the sort of thing he did every day. Like he didn't mind putting his life in her hands in the least.
She reached out, slipping it over his eyes. It morphed and shifted instantly, molding itself to his face seamlessly so that it was flush with his skin all along the edges.
"Oh," he said, eyebrows shooting up, taking a step backwards. He stretched one of his hands out in front of him, moving it aimlessly in the air. "I can't see anything."
She clasped her hands in front of her, tone lilting happily. "Nothing? Nothing at all?"
He grinned, shaking his head. "It may as well be night." He took a step forward, towards the sound of her voice. His smile melted and something else came over his demeanor, a sense of exposure, of supplication; he spread his arms in the air, a literal gesture of opening. "Do with me what you will, Kahlan."
She stepped forward, taking his hands in her own. "Richard," she said softly, an affirmation, pulling him towards her. He came, burying his face in the crook of her neck and laughing breathlessly, warm and pliant in her arms.
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"But you agreed that the mission was too important to risk it," she said, sounding confused.
Precautions
"A technicality?" Richard repeated, his eyes narrowed and the muscles in his face straining to the point that a vein start pulsing in his forehead.
"Um, well." Kahlan's eyes slid away from his. "Yes."
"You and Zedd lied to me again?" he said, fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword, which he'd reflexively starting gripping halfway through their conversation.
"I wasn't -- we didn't mean -- we thought it would be best --" She sighed. "We exaggerated. A little bit."
Richard blinked. "If that's what you call exaggerating I'd hate to see what you call lying, Kahlan."
"Richard --"
He held up a forestalling hand. "Just tell me one thing."
She waited.
His expression was taut, as if the next words pained him. "All this time?"
Kahlan sighed, her posture deflating, and nodded.
"Wonderful!" he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Just wonderful."
He stormed off into the forest, all of his natural grace gone, stomping through the brush like its very existence offended him. Kahlan cringed at every branch that broke under his feet.
"I thought you'd be happy!" she yelled after him. She blinked at the rude gesture he made over his shoulder and then turned around, crossing her arms over her chest and stalking off in the other direction.
*
"He's behaving like a child," she said, throwing another branch into the fire, sparks rising into the air where it stirred up the flames.
"He's still hardly more than a boy," Zedd said, talking around a mouthful of oatmeal. "Just because he was able to kill Darken Rahl doesn't mean he knows the first thing about women."
"And it's not as if he had some sort of right," Kahlan continued, her voice getting more heated as she went on. "It is my choice whom I tell and whom I do not."
"You're right," Zedd said, his tone dry. "Better that Denna tell him."
Kahlan shifted her glare to Zedd. "That was different."
"Was it, now?" Zedd said, raising one of his ponderous eyebrows. "Because every library in the Midlands has a copy of a certain illustrated volume of which I know many a Confessor has availed herself. Sheer luck that he hasn't run into it before now."
"But you agreed that the mission was too important to risk it," she said, sounding confused.
"Of course I did," Zedd said. He pointed his spoon at her. "But I never said Richard was going to like it."
"Wonderful," she said, echoing Richard. She threw another branch into the fire with a sigh.
*
"Aaah, smell that air," Zedd said, inhaling deeply and patting his chest. The sun was high in the sky and the day was clear, only faint wisps of clouds clinging here and there, hardly touching the expansive blue. They were winding their way down a mountain, an entire valley stretched out before them in breathtaking proportions.
Kahlan, stalking four steps in front of them, didn't even turn back to acknowledge that he'd spoken. Richard, walking at his side, was very intent on frowning at the ground and kicking every stray rock and twig in his path.
Zedd rolled his eyes. "Children," he muttered, returning to admiring the view, which was a much more fruitful use of his time.
*
"But she lied to me," Richard said, ferociously whittling at a thick branch, the scraps flying off of it. "Twice, Chase. Not just once."
"Sounds like she had her reasons," Chase said, shrugging. He whittled much more gently, stroking along the wood and checking its grain after every few cuts.
"Oh, she and Zedd always have their reasons," Richard said, grinding in his knife. "My great destiny? To be lied to by the woman I love. Over and over."
"Hey," Chase said, stopping and looking at Richard, waiting until Richard took the cue and met his eyes. "You're damn lucky to even know a woman like Kahlan. What you two have -- what I have with Emma -- that doesn't come along every day. Whatever she did, she did because she thought it was best."
Richard just stared at Chase for a moment, his mouth hanging open a little. Then he shook his head, looking chastised. "You're absolutely right."
"Good," Chase said, setting his knife to wood again. "Because if I had to listen to one more minute of that, I was about to hit you up the backside of your head, Seeker or no."
Richard laughed, following Chase's example, this time moving along the supple lines of the branch instead of forcing the shape.
After a few moments of working in silence, he frowned. "I made a mess of things, didn't I?"
Chase nodded. "A real good one, too."
*
"He apologized," Kahlan said, pacing around the fire, wringing her hands.
"Don't sound so excited, child," Zedd said, watching her with a bewildered expression. "I might get the wrong impression."
"No, I am -- I mean, of course I am -- but --" She heaved a mighty sigh, plopping down on the log beside him. When she turned her face up towards his, she looked young. "I'm scared, too."
"Ah," Zedd said, nodding. "Yes, that's to be expected."
"My mother, she would have been able to tell me more about the, ah, nuances of all this. But now all I have is hearsay and rumor."
"And The Blindfolded Prince," Zedd said, looking off into the distance with a slightly lecherous smile. "Spirits bless the artist who illustrated that fine volume of literature."
She shot him a fondly exasperated look. "If Richard and I manage to get to that, it'll only be after a lot of precautions."
Zedd placed a hand on her shoulder, manner gone serious. "No precaution is completely safe."
She nodded heavily. "I know."
"Let me guess," Zedd said, "Richard doesn't care."
She smiled, shaking her head. "He says I'll never do anything to hurt him."
"And so you won't," Zedd said, patting her shoulder. "If there's one thing we've learned about him, it's that the boy knows where to put his trust."
She let out a big breath, her jittery nervousness settling into a deeper, calmer attitude of anticipation, one that was aware of the risks and willing to face them. "You'll make us what we need?"
"Why, Confessor," Zedd said, waving one hand in the air, and when he turned it over, there was a small black piece of fabric in the palm, held out in front of her. "You only had but ask."
*
"This is it?" Richard said, holding it up to the light. The light did not penetrate the fabric at all and it cast a solid shadow on his face.
"It's spelled," Kahlan explained. "Once it's on, you won't be able to get it off."
Richard raised an eyebrow, lowering his hand. "But you will?"
Kahlan nodded. She took it from him, showing him the back with the ties. "And it has a special series of catches so I can't remove it accidentally."
Richard slipped his hands over hers. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"Richard," she said, looking at him, her face showing equal parts uncertainty and apprehension. "There's still a risk. There's no protection that's one-hundred guaranteed against Confessors."
"I trust you," he said, dropping his forehead against hers. "And according to the book Zedd gave me, this method -- when used correctly -- hasn't gotten anyone accidentally Confessed yet."
Kahlan huffed a laugh, fingers interlacing with Richard's. "Of course he gave you the book."
"Interesting reading," he said, voice dropping down a register, nudging her ear with the tip of his nose.
"Let's just make sure this works, first," she said, raising the blindfold up to his face.
He took a step back, giving her room to fasten it. "I'm ready," he said, closing his eyes.
Kahlan looked at him, looked at the way he stood there completely defenseless, hands dropped at his sides, posture relaxed, face smooth, like this was the sort of thing he did every day. Like he didn't mind putting his life in her hands in the least.
She reached out, slipping it over his eyes. It morphed and shifted instantly, molding itself to his face seamlessly so that it was flush with his skin all along the edges.
"Oh," he said, eyebrows shooting up, taking a step backwards. He stretched one of his hands out in front of him, moving it aimlessly in the air. "I can't see anything."
She clasped her hands in front of her, tone lilting happily. "Nothing? Nothing at all?"
He grinned, shaking his head. "It may as well be night." He took a step forward, towards the sound of her voice. His smile melted and something else came over his demeanor, a sense of exposure, of supplication; he spread his arms in the air, a literal gesture of opening. "Do with me what you will, Kahlan."
She stepped forward, taking his hands in her own. "Richard," she said softly, an affirmation, pulling him towards her. He came, burying his face in the crook of her neck and laughing breathlessly, warm and pliant in her arms.
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