Fic: Broken Chains 6/?
Title: Broken chains Part 6/?
Author: chickinwhite
Pairing: Kahlan/Cara
Rating: PG 17
Word account: ~5400
Summary: This adventure starts a good time after tears. It is about old scars and new bonds,
about friends and foes, about confidence and betraying,
Disclaimer: Nothing of LotS belongs to me (such a pity!) - no business, just fan-fun
AN: it´s never that easy to deal with betraying. and hurt. Some are retreating in their shells, some are thinking they do not deserve a better treatment... some can´t believe. And a few fight!
But life does not care for your personal moods, it´s just going on...well, that´s what I experienced... :)
Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Silence covered the small clearance like a heavy, raspy blank; even the first shy songs of early birds seemed reduced to little shriek protests against the cruelty of life…
Zedd sat at the fire, a long forgotten piece of bread in his lap, his fingers crumbling it absently into tiny nuggets. His features were those of an old, weak man. His shoulders were sacked, his wrinkled face as pale as ashes; aged by years. His eyes were boring senseless holes into the air. He did not move; heavy thoughts an almost palpable cloud around him.
He had listened, but for long he had not understood the meaning of what he heard.
Kahlan had been on the edge of leaving Richard?
For... CARA?
Richard ... a selfish bastard, a dastard traitor?
The happy-smiling son of his daughter... a reckless louse?
These had been the words that an exasperated Kahlan had yelled. Her franticness had seared him. She had spat the words as if she accused himself of manipulation, of treachery. And he still was not sure she did not. A storm of hurt and fury had raged in her face, had contorted it into a foreign mask.
Cara had leaned quietly and tensely against a tree nearby ever since they had settled around the fire, her narrowed gaze never leaving Kahlan. Nothing on her features betrayed her thoughts; but the Mord Sith noticed every blink, every breath Kahlan took, knowing that just a thin cover of a fragile control held the Confessor´s wrath at bay. She had a feeling as though it could break down in an instant and let her fury sweep along everything in her wake...
The Mord Sith and the wrath were old friends. It felt familiar; but she had long taught it submission. And now she didn´t allow it to prey on her mind. The shock that had lain in the truth, that Richard had tricked them, that he had ruthlessly sacrificed both their hearts and their lives for his selfish visions of his own happiness; it had briefly cut her to the quick, before she had put it aside.
Sure, if it had been anyone else, she would go and make him suffer, would tantalize him with all her might for the rest of his miserable life. But then... it was Richard.
Lord Rahl.
And it was an undeniable fact that she had betrayed him, that she had allowed her foolish heart basking in feelings for his bride. She knew she deserved all the hurt and the pain that came from deceiving the Lord Rahl. Endless years of repeated training had anchored this knowledge in her mind. It held her upright now, despite her burning insides and despite the knot in her stomach, which grew constantly while watching Kahlan going through the tremendous muddle of hurt and fury, hearing her yelling and her being on the edge to lose control eventually.
It felt surprisingly right and comfortable to fall back into her natural role of a silent watcher and protector, standing beside, almost pretending to be uninvolved.
- At last Kahlan had broken down, grief turning her features into pale stone. She had asked him with a broken voice, tears swaying in her words, how it had been possible; how Richard had been able to lie deliberately to her face. Zedd had closed his eyes sadly; he did not need any wizard’s power to see the truth.
“Wizard´s first rule…” he now whispered. Both women looked at him, frowning. Waiting for an explanation.
"Wizard's First Rule: people are stupid." He briefly startled from Cara, who almost jumped on him in an irate rush before he even had the time to inhale deeply, her eyes flashing with anger; but Kahlan furrowed her brows at her and shook her head once, stalling her steps with just this small gesture.
"People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it is true, or because they are afraid it might be true. " (Wizard´s first rule by Terry Goodkind)
Cara´s dangerous growl was coming from deep inside her throat.
“You are speaking to the Mother Confessor, Wizard! You will not dare to call her an imbecile!!?!” The blonde heard the snort beside her, puffed out from Kahlan, who shortly burrowed her face into her palms, exhausted, giving a short, mirthless laugh. “But he is right, Cara!” slowly her figure slacked, every last hint of strength eventually blown away.
The Mord Sith watched her cautiously with narrowed eyes, her hands clinging to her agiels, firm enough to make her knuckles go bloodless. For a second she wished fiercely, Richard would appear from under the trees. She would eagerly throw the bond overboard and bash him. Badly...
It was not right!
Even after these years had passed, the truth about Richard was hurting Kahlan too much. It seemed to burn a hole into her walls, searing deeper with every moment that passed, stirring through vicious emotions it found buried inside, boiling them up and letting them spill like a flow of lava, welling slowly over its barriers, covering the surface around the eruption with glowing crusts. Like lava leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Cara felt bitter helplessness sharply nagging at her guts. A feeling that was weird and threatening. That she did not like. Her jaw clenched as a low angry growl welled up in her chest and she bit her lower lip to suppress it.
It did not come to her mind that Kahlan might not feel all this hurt for Richard...
After a long silent moment Kahlan sighed deeply and shifted her eyes to Cara. She looked bleary-eyed, her cheeks glowed a pale shimmer, a few freckles beamed reproachfully in the early beams of an obtrusive morning light. She straightened her back, ready to face the truth. Resignation and shame were flowing slightly with the fresh morning breeze.
“He is saying, Cara, that it was my fault. I never questioned his words. I never looked into his eyes and searched the truth.
I trusted him more than I trusted you. Because... it seemed so clear, so true … so self-evident...” her voice rasped through the air, spreading flying slivers of shame and guilt. “I... I am sorry, Cara!” she whispered desperately without looking at her. Slowly she stood with her jaw set and approached Zedd, reluctantly laying an arm on his shoulder. Her pale face looked tired, but in the depths of her eyes a few hints of the flames of fury were still glowing. Yet her voice was honest, her self-reproaches swaying along with every word. “I am sorry, Zedd. I was mad to be angry at you. I had no right to yell at you...” she briefly closed her eyes and sighed a short breath of despair. “...or lay my hand on you. Zedd! I... would have harmed you by a hairbreadth...Please believe me, I am so sorry! Never in my life had I intended to harm you. I am terribly ashamed of what I´ve done! I do not expect your forgiveness. But..., I hope... ” her voice brimmed with deep bashfulness. He patted her hand soothingly and then pulled her into a firm hug. “Never mind, dear one. It is me who has to apologize. I have been an old fool, all the time...” His eyes searched hers. “If only I had had a clue of... you and Cara. I was blind! I just thought you had gotten friends...I would have never imagined...” His face crunched apologetically as he shifted his eyes sheepishly to Cara.
“I assume I owe you an apology too, Cara.” The blonde tilted her head towards him and frowned. She had not expected that Zedd would feel any sorrow for her. And on the spur of the moment she was not sure whether she liked the idea. Her dark stare was rather daring than appreciating his compassionate tone.
“I hope you understand that I am really ashamed of what Richard has done to you. He had no right...”
Cara kept a straight face as she merely shrugged. “He has every right, Wizard. He is the Lord Rahl.” The words were spoken keen and clear, but they were not offering any more of emotions.
The blonde did not miss the brief glare, filled with hurt, that went sailing along from the Mother Confessor, before her blue eyes dropped first to the ground and then closed while she inhaled deeply. Cara could literally see how she gathered control and then straightened; when she looked up again, her face was wearing her Confessor´s mask in its perfection.
“It is time to leave. We have a good way ahead.” With a swift glance to the morning sky she proved the time they had lost already. Her eyes found Zedd´s, calmly nodding.
“I think we may reach the frontier right after midday, Zedd. If you speed up from there on you will arrive at Woodside in early sunset light. There should be that quad waiting for you...”
Zedd had informed her about Richard´s note, pronouncing an escort awaiting him at Woodside. “Would you want us to accompany you by there?”
The wizard stared at her, his eyes still filled with sorrow, not responding to her question.
“Kahlan, I am so sorry...” she cut him short, raising her palms in defense and turned around, starting to kick dust into the lasting glow. Zedd breathed a deep sigh, his eyes searching Cara, but the Mord Sith only shrugged and started packing her stuff. Kahlan obviously did not want to talk any more. And Kahlan´s wish was law to her.
Zedd inhaled one more deep breath and climbed clumsily to his feet. He would try again when they reached the frontier, before he would take leave of them. His heart ached with trepidation; he could not break away as long as he was not sure that she would not retrieve again in that damned cell of pain, she had been trapped in far too long already...
*********
Kahlan had extinct the small fire and now crouched to gather her pack. A small noise briefly caught her attention, but before she was able to give it a name, suddenly the storm broke out.
All at once the air was filled with the murderous howling of a pack of bandits, breaking through the bushes, the furious screaming of Cara´s agiels, unsheathed in a blink, the blonde´s warning hiss and Zedd´s surprised scream
“Kahlan!”
Her mind registered it all the same, but her body needed too long to go round. Just a split second too long; time enough for an arrow to reach her, sharply scratching through the leather that covered her upper thigh, angrily gashing into her flesh.
It was just a scratch, her shout of pain barely more than an irate hiss, but it was sufficient to stir up all recently felt wrath and frustration and let it boil up into tremendous rage. Kahlan´s world exploded into a heated wave of fury. Her eyes were flashing sparks of destruction as she grabbed her daggers. She whirled around and flew against their attackers.
A horde of brute looking outlaws was running to them; bruisers, armed to the teeth with axes and swords and coarse looking bludgeons, swinging their weapons in a skilled way, their faces exuding determination and sheer blood thirst.
Cara was already a few steps ahead, fiercely striking her weapons against barely protected flesh. Howls turning into screams and whines as agiels made their way. She came upon them like a hurricane, whirling forcefully, instinctively reaching for the right spots to fell them in a blink, emerald green fire burning in her eyes.
Kahlan met the first in her way with a furious blade, sliding easily through his throat, blood spreading in a short spring. She did not wait to see him fall; her right boot came up in a swift whirl to kick one into his chest and sent him backwards, right into the move of the one behind him. The Mother Confessor caught a swift motion from behind the blonde and hurried to back Cara as another one dared to strike at her sneakily. His last view was a silver blade, sticking in a bloody hole in his chest before his eyes welcomed eternity´s darkness.
Cara turned briefly, her lips almost pulled into a smirk. She shot her a burning glare that Kahlan recognized immediately. She had seen it many times, fighting side by side with the blonde, feeling the rush of adrenaline sending hot sparks through her veins. Feeling save and sure in the eye of the storm, knowing that Cara would rather die before allowing anyone to harm her and being resolved to do the same for the blonde.
It was the glare that promised “My life before yours!”
Kahlan returned her glare for the length of a heartbeat with matching fire, before she turned towards the toe again.
The two women were now encircled by a few more than ten men. Without words spoken the Confessor and the Mord Sith rearranged their positions in pliant moves, each back protected by the others force. Cara could sense the murderous fury radiating from Kahlan´s moves like a comforting hand stroking over her back, the familiar comfort she had always felt when fighting at the Confessor´s side. Their different fortitudes were melting into one combined harmony, leaving their attackers powerless against the deathly elegance of their strikes.
Kahlan saw wizard´s fire emerging to her right, saw three men going aflame, their dying bodies flying through the air. She swiftly turned to get a peek on Zedd´s situation, right in time to see four red leathered figures approaching him straightly. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Zedd! There are Mord Sith! You must move! NOW” she cried out, meeting his glance for an instant, seeing him nodding and then he was gone.
The Mord Sith stalled their steps immediately, changing silent glares, then turning to rush back into the forest, one of them sending a regretful glance to the small battle field before they vanished.
Kahlan hadn´t even the time to frown. One of the remaining bastards just jumped on her with an absurd scream. She killed her last attacker with a vicious stab of her dagger, her narrowed eyes following his slow fall into a silent death. Ripping her dagger out of him she looked around to see Cara finishing another one, elegantly going down on a knee before him and stabbing his now unprotected chest unerringly. A satisfied smirk graced her lips, while a last one was lunging at her from behind. The blonde ducked away in a swift motion; and found him falling lifeless to the ground at her side, a dagger protruding from his back. Looking up, her eyes caught the brilliant coruscation in Kahlan´s glare.
For a second, the Mord Sith felt strangely like coming home.
Panting heavily the two women stood and checked swiftly their surroundings. None of their attackers were seen upright. Lifeless bodies were spread on the ground, a single one squirming painfully in a small distance, a stream of blood welling from his belly, soaking the earth around him.
Cara was on him in a flash, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him roughly into an upright position.
“Kahlan!”
The Confessor rushed to her side, a surreal familiarity with the situation sneaking through her mind, as she reached out and grabbed the man´s throat. Her stare briefly reminded Cara to stay away. In this moment she was strongly aware of Cara´s closeness, felt the heat of the battle still emanating through her leathers, tasted the ghost scent of her sweat on her tongue and felt the touch of her beaming eyes in a wave of dark satisfaction. She knew her own eyes held the same heat and her heart wanted to jump at the simple clarity of her feelings...
But then she focused on her task; the man stared at her in increasing panic, he coughed blood with every breath he took. Kahlan caught him with her gaze, an almost gentle smile settled faintly on her lips.
Time slowed down to zero.
The world as it existed ceased. Nothing rested. She held his eyes trapped in her own and slowly lowered the barriers of her power, setting it free. A thunder with no sound, rippling the surface around them. In a tremendous but almost tender wave it washed through him, cut his soul lose and swept it away on its rolling wings until no trace of it was left inside him. Filling the now empty space with all consuming love and devotion. His eyes went black, for an instant mirroring the emptiness of his mind before he went limb, shuddering with the sheer need to please his new mistress.
The first thing Kahlan recognized when she recovered into reality was the supporting hand on her back and she briefly closed her eyes for a thankful heartbeat. Opening them again, she stared with a fierce glare at the confessed man.
“Command me, Confessor...” he coughed in a rush of blood.
“Who sent you?” Her voice cut coldly through the air like keen steel.
The sudden singing sound of an arrow interrupted her question. His body shuddered and his eyes broke, staring lifeless into nothing. Cara was on her feet before the dead man hit the ground. Her eyes searched the tree line, but their foes were gone. Huffing annoyed she reached her hand out to help Kahlan up. A dark growl came from her lips. Kahlan lifted her eyes, questioning.
Cara´s gaze was clued to her leg, mesmerized by the small streak of fresh blood. Without thinking her fingers stroke softly over her thigh, following the red trail until they found the gash. She pressed her palm on it, frowning deeply
“... You are hurt!”
Kahlan followed her eyes and smiled; the warmth of her touch melted with the light pain of the small wound. She laid her own hand on Cara´s, but the blonde instantly tugged hers away.
“It´s a scratch. I am fine...” Her eyes lingered on Cara for a few moments, before she looked around, searching for a sign of the wizard.
“Zedd! ... Zedd!!” It took a few anxious moments but she finally sighed relieved when she heard his hoarse voice answer.
“I´m here!” His bony figure appeared beneath the trees. He looked tousled, his thin white hair stretched into every possible direction, but he approached quickly, seemingly unharmed.
“Oh, thanks the Spirits. You are okay?”
Zedd grinned halfheartedly. “It takes more than a few bandits to bring me down, dear one!”
Kahlan offered a smile, but her eyes narrowed in concern.
“They were not some common bandits, Zedd. It was no coincidence that the Mord Sith were with them. The attack of these bastards was a distraction. I could swear they came for only one purpose - they were behind you, Zedd!” Deep concern lay in her glare as she faced him.
Cara approached them after inspecting the corpses. Her features were downright self-pleased, a smug grin curling her lips, a brow cocked mischievously. Her entire expression a picture of complete satisfaction. Obviously at least the Mord Sith had totally enjoyed the skirmish.
“These were no simple bandits!” she called out. “I found a few of D´Haran uniforms beneath their rags. Former soldiers, I guess. Look at this one here” she pulled up a dead arm from a body she was just going to step around, “he wears even the mark of the elite troop of Darken Rahl.”
Kahlan saw a blurred black scar on the dirty skin.
“This was a horde of renegades, and whoever has ordered them, they were eager to give their lives...”
Cara smirked, as if she had made the joke of the week. She finally joined them and now stood beside Kahlan.
“This was not a simple raid. It was a red herring.” Pursing her lips, her gaze slowly slid from Kahlan to Zedd, arching an eyebrow at him, drawling lowly: “And you, Wizard, were the aim!”
The two women stood in silent harmony, both eying his lankily figure with questioning stares, but Zedd had no answers. His hands went into the air; helplessly shrugging he shook his head.
“Don´t look so reproachful ladies! I have no clue what this is about!”
“Do you think this might have been part of the reason why Richard sent for you?” As usual, Kahlan used her head for thinking further ahead. “We can´t leave you at the frontier, Zedd. We will bring you to Woodside...” her voice was filled with concern. She didn´t expect any arguing and turned to gather her things. Cara followed her wordlessly and the wizard did not really intend to object. His forehead was crinkled when he slowly mounted his steed...
*******
“Darken Rahl!”
Cara´s portentous voice echoed into the pondering silence they had kept while riding.
Kahlan frowned. “You mean...?”
“He is the one who may order a Mord Sith. He is the former master of these soldiers. He is back!”
The Mother Confessor sighed. The thought had already come to her mind, fleetingly, but she had not announced it out loud. It was not very likely for him to crawl out of whatever a hole he had kept hidden in during the last years. He had no more powers; so any risk he would take by showing up would bring him close to the Keeper´s revenge. And he was not the man who eagerly embraced this possibility.
Zedd seemed to share her opinion. His white hair flew from one side to the other when he shook his head thoughtfully.
“I don´t think so, Cara. To come back he would need his powers back, at least a good portion of it.”
“It is his hand we´ve seen here! He may be a coward, but he is a master of ploys. I did not know the Mord Sith from my time at the Peoples Palace. They were not pleased to leave the battle without fighting us. It needs a strong personality to prevent them from something against their will. They will do only for their Lord Rahl. And whom else would these Mord Sith follow.”
She eyed the wizard with her eyes thoughtfully narrowed.
“But as much as I think about it, I get no idea how they knew you were there. They certainly did not follow us, I would have noticed. They must have known we were going to come along this way; so they awaited us.”
Zedd stared at her. His eyes narrowed in disbelieve. He felt as though his head wanted to explode in a split second, when he realized... Kahlan watched him as his features suddenly froze. Her brows furrowed deeply, her eyes sending a questioning glance.
“Zedd??”
When his eyes shifted towards her, they were filled with painful doubt, as if he feared his own husky words.
“The only one who knows that our plans had changed and that I was going to Woodside... who was informed that you both are coming with me... who knows which route we are taking...” he paused and shook his head...
“Zedd?” Kahlan´s voice held strong concern.
“...is Richard!”
For a moment they all seemed to hold their breaths, the sudden silence weighing heavily on their shoulders.
Cara was the first to speak.
“That is ridiculous, wizard.” She shook her head decidedly. “Richard would never bring any harm to Kahlan.”
Zedd let an indignant bushy brow climb up his forehead.
“Oh, forgive me if I was presumptious enough to be shocked by the thought he would bring any harm to his grandfather” Zedd´s sarcasm was wasted at the Mord Sith. She only shot him a puzzled look.
Sudden assistance approached unexpectedly northbound. Cara saw them first, had noticed the move in the shadows of the tree line before the others had gotten a hint of them. She jumped from the back of her horse. Her agiels were in her hands in a blink, starting their ominous singing whine and Kahlan reacted out of instinct, grabbing her daggers and then turning swiftly in her saddle to see what the threat was.
Two Mord Sith stepped into their way. All the three of them stiffened, the Mother Confessor as well jumped from her horse to stay at Cara´s side, while Zedd stayed on his gelding´s back. He silently cursed the antique that was his body, which had lost a lot of his former litheness during the last thirty years. He intended to interfere from the saddle if needed. Just hoping his horse would play along...
But then Cara lowered her agiels. Her shoulders relaxed as her brows rose and her head was lightly tilted, waiting for the two approaching Mord Sith with pursed lips.
“Cara, you have slowed down! A few months ago, we would have needed much more effort to get so near before detected...”
A smug grin lay on Berdine´s face as she stepped closer.
“You would be dead right now if you were not long acknowledged, stumping through the woods like a drunken shadrin.”
Cara´s smirk was even deeper than Berdine´s as she snarled. Her eyes seemed to beam with something that Kahlan would have named...pleasure? Though, a rough and savage pleasure it was. Kahlan watched as Cara´s face seemed to brighten a little and found that she liked it.
Raina closed the gap on them and smirked as well.
“Mistress Cara! Always a pleasure to meet you! And in such a good mood...”
Cara shot them both a keen, expecting glare and Berdine huffed lightly, but turned to Kahlan.
“Mother Confessor!” they bowed slightly and nodded briefly to the wizard.
Kahlan tilted her head in grace; her eyes washed over the women. They wore their red leather uniforms and their agiels. No more.
“Why have you left your horses behind to sneak on us?” she asked, frowning suspiciously.
Berdine grinned, glaring at Cara with clear amusement.
“We apologize, Mother Confessor! Last time we met Mistress Cara, she was in the mood to first mow us down and then ask later. We did not want to risk being at the pointy end of an arrow if we approached openly.”She looked at Kahlan with an open grin. Kahlan lifted a brow and gave Cara a brief, questioning glance, but the blonde slightly shrugged at her sister, still smirking.
“You deserved it then.”
Kahlan hid her disport, dropping her eyes to the ground and shifting them towards Zedd, who had dismounted his horse and stood now at her side.
“So, why is it that you were ambuscading us here, Mord Sith?” His voice was not remotely amused. His pale blue stare seemed almost hostile as it pierced the Mord Sith.
“Hoh, keep your hair on, wizard! We are coming in peace!” Berdine raised her hands quizzically. Though she had furrowed her brows and her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Your grandson, Lord Rahl, sent us to guide you to him. He told us we should wait here for you, just in case...”
“Richard is in Woodside?” Kahlan´s shoulders stiffened, her voice was cold. Her face darkened as her brows furrowed.
“You will forgive our distrust, Mistress Berdine, but we had a not so pleasant encounter this morning. And haphazardly there were some Mord Sith involved...” Zedd explained shortly.
Berdine frowned deeply and changed a look with Raina, who nodded thoughtfully, her face darkened as well, as though a foreboding shadow was washing over them.
“This near already...”
“What are you speaking about?” Kahlan did not like the way the both of them seemed to communicate silently. “I would be very thankful if you would let us in...” Her eyes had narrowed impatiently, shooting ice blue sparks at the Mord Sith.
“I´m sorry, Mother Confessor. But we did not expect him approaching that fast.”
“Whom?” her voice trembled.
“Darken Rahl!” Kahlan sensed Cara straightening and knew she wore that look that said “I´ve told you...”
“He is on his way through the Midlands. We do not know what he is planning, but he is gathering his allegiances, which includes all the Mord Sith who were not willing to follow Richard. And again a good amount of bastards who deserted the troops after Richard took them over. Not to speak of those who are paid to follow him.
As far as we know, he again lusts after D´Hara.”
“How do you know?”
“Sister Verna has arrived from the South. She has brought a lot of news, particularly about some apprentices who are learning in the Wizard´s Keep. At least one of them seems to betray you, a spy of the mighty wizard who apparently is at Rahl´s side...and there are rumors about vanishing girls, probably recruited for Mord Sith trainings...
But we should hurry. Lord Rahl awaits you in Woodside. He will tell you all the details there. “
The Mord Sith turned around, heading to the place where they had left their horses.
“No!” the word, calmly spoken by Kahlan, hovered over them like rolling thunder from afar.
Three pairs of astonished eyes settled on Kahlan. Only Cara seemed untouched by her veto.
Kahlan stood straight and decisively, her hands entangled. It was the Mother Confessor, the Midlands Majesty who spoke.
“I will not go to Woodside. I have no intention to meet with Richard.
Zedd, you´ll be in good hands with Mistress Raina and her sister. See that you learn everything Richard and Verna know. And then hurry back to Aydindril. You must warn Dennee and take care of this apprentice. Support my sister in every way needed. She should call the council to inform all lands of the Midlands.
Cara and I will go to Comorra. There is still a civil war to avoid. We have our troop waiting there for us. We will be back to Aydindril as soon as possible. Then we will take care of this problem.”
Berdine and Raina changed one more meaningful glare.
“I beg to differ, Mother Confessor.” Berdine almost squirmed. “Lord Rahl awaits all of you in Woodside. You have to come with us..”
The Mother Confessor shot her an icy glance.
“Or what?” Kahlan´s brow lifted arrogantly; her eyes had the warning shimmer of dark steel, her voice was a dangerous growl. She leaned forward, pinning Berdine to the spot with her burning stare.
“You may tell your Lord Rahl, that I do not care any longer what he awaits from me! And that he may thank his stars that I am not going to meet him.”
The Mord Sith stood a little dumbfounded. Berdine frowned at Cara, who smirked again. Berdine tilted her head as though asking wordlessly what the blonde had done...
Cara shrugged and stepped a little closer, eying her sisters intensely.
“You´re staying with your life for his wellbeing! Is that understood?”
Raina smirked. “So much concern for an old wizard, Mistress?”
The blonde eyed her coldly.
“The Mother Confessor would never forgive you... And you do not want to learn what that means...”Before she turned to mount her horse she had a look of smug satisfaction on her face as she nodded at the Confessor. If anyone was trustable, these two were.
Kahlan turned towards Zedd.
“I am convinced we can trust them. Do you agree? If not...”
“No, dear one. Cara knows them. She would not allow me to go with them alone if we had the slightest reason to mistrust them. And they are the personal guards of Richard...
I will hurry to be back in Aydindril. I promise. But you too should be careful, Kahlan!”
She smiled and patted his arm. “You´ve seen this morning: they are behind you, Zedd! Rahl seems to plan something against Richard, and you are a rock in his way. He is not interested in us. Comorra is far from being an aim if you are heading for D´Hara. I do not think we have an acute problem.”
Zedd sighed, chewing on his next words reluctantly, his pale eyes pleading intensely.
“Kahlan, before you leave; ... please, promise me you will not retreat again into your shell!” The Confessor frowned. He shortly hesitated, his gaze swept over Cara, who had already mounted her steed, and then added lowly:
“She is worth the fight, Kahlan! Do not give up on her now...” He searched in her eyes for an answer, seeing them clouding faintly as her cheeks blushed.
“I know, Zedd.” She whispered, then pulled him into a brief hug before she hasted away.
t.b.c.
on to part 7...