Calloused part 7
Richard walked until his legs could carry him no farther. His muscles gave out with a spasm, and some 15 odd miles from his grandfather's home he collapsed to the ground unceremoniously. He lay on his back, breath coming into his lungs in deep gasping breaths, counting every pulse of his heart until he could no longer feel them in his chest. By then it was nightfall, and the forest was pitch black and empty. Richard felt the leaves under his head, heard them crunch and give way as he turned his head to the side. He listened to the sound of his breathing for awhile, pondering if he should even bother to get back up and head back towards home. Richard blinked a few times in the dark-- he couldn't go home if he wanted to--he had no idea where he was. His legs ached with pain; almost as much as his heart did. How could Kahlan have turned against him so easily? He felt completely blindsided, torn. He loved Cara as a sister, as a friend; yet she betrayed him without nearly a second thought. The truth niggled at the back of his brain--he knew there was much more to it than that. If he let himself admit it, he always knew there was some tiny spark between them, and if given the right kindling, a flame. It was only a matter of time. Richard took in a sharp inhalation of breath--he felt a pang in his gut. It was only a matter of time.
When Richard awoke the next morning, he was sore and aching all over from sleeping on the shoulder of a dirt road. He looked up--the sky was clear, spare one cloud lingering precariously in the sky--it was a tracer cloud. Richard smiled a little at the thought of Zedd watching over him. Then it was immediate: Kahlan and Cara. Richard winced, not just from the pain of thinking about them, but also from the pain of sitting upright. He stood slowly, dusting himself off, and grabbing the hilt of his sword, he limped toward home.
"Do you really think he's alright?" Kahlan said for the umpteenth time, pacing a hole in Zedd's rug. Cara sighed and put her head in her hands.
"Once again child, he walked no farther than a couple hours away on horse." Zedd reminded her patiently, his brow furrowing at the thought of what Kahlan was doing to his floor. Kahlan returned to pacing, chewing at her thumbnail and worrying like she always did.
"Kahlan," Cara groaned, "He's fine. He just needs to get things out of his system, and he'll be back, and it'll be okay." Cara's voice betrayed the confidence in her statement--she really had no idea what he'd do. She looked toward Zedd, who smiled slightly with a knowing look. Kahlan threw up her hands, and went to the window again.
"He's there! Up the road! Oh thank the Creator!" Kahlan said hurriedly, before running to the door. Cara stood quickly while Zedd sat in his chair expectantly. Kahlan ran up the road to Richard, who ignored her and her questions as he limped back toward the house.
"I'm fine, really." He grunted as he walked inside a minute later. Cara was relieved, but you couldn't tell it from her facial expression. It was guarded and weary, as if she expected something to happen but she didn't know what.
"I saw the tracer cloud, Zedd." Richard remarked before sitting down, "That really wasn't necessary." Zedd dismissed Richard with a flip of his hand, and patted Richard on the arm reassuringly.
"Precautions, dear boy. Only precautions." Richard laid his sword on the table, and looked up at Cara expectantly. Cara didn't dare return his gaze.
"Promise me you'll take care of her." He said without inflection. Cara looked into his eyes, and saw the threat as well as the trust. She nodded curtly without a word. Kahlan sat as if she was spring loaded, looking like she might run at any minute.
"We're leaving. For Aydindril. Tommorrow." Kahlan said quickly. Richard turned to her, his gaze intense. She stared right back. His face relaxed suddenly, as if giving up a thought.
"I understand." Cara looked from one to the other, her face clouded with unformed thoughts. Her arms were crossed, eyes wide, taking everything in.
Zedd took out a stone seemingly from nowhere, and handed it to Kahlan.
"This stone is enchanted. If you sense you are in trouble, think of us while it is in your hand and we will be able to find you." Kahlan took the glossy black stone and gripped it hard in her hand. Cara leaned forward, rubbing Kahlan's back with reassurance. Richard looked away.
"We will stay at an inn, Richard. It will make things easier for you." Richard banged his hand on the table, and everyone jumped at the sound.
"You will stay here. With us. I am not so weak that I cannot deal with what's in front of my face." Cara paused, and looked over to Zedd. He nodded slightly to Cara, who relented and announced that they would stay the night as Richard requested.
Later that night, Cara sat with Kahlan as she brushed her long hair in long strokes.
"He's dealing with this better than I thought he would." Cara said quietly. Kahlan nodded as she brushed, eyes beginning to droop from tiredness. Cara gently took the brush out of Kahlan's hand, and began to brush her hair for her.
"I never imagined I would have you like I do." Cara whispered, slowly brushing the locks of hair down her back. Kahlan hummed and closed her eyes in pleasure. With Cara's free hand, she ran her fingers up Kahlan's long pale neck. She leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
"You're so beautiful when you're relaxed." She purred, laying the brush on a night stand and placing both her hands on Kahlan's shoulders. She began to slowly caress Kahlan's soft flesh through her nightgown, and Kahlan leaned her head back onto Cara's shoulder.
"We can't do this with them around." Kahlan groaned, as if trying to convince herself.
"We'll just have to be very quiet then." Cara murmured as she gently cupped Kahlan's breasts. Kahlan took a sharp intake of breath as Cara began to stroke her nipples through the thin fabric of the shift. Kahlan's chest heaved as Cara's left hand began it's slow and careful descent down Kahlan's stomach. Kahlan gripped the bottom of her shift with both hands and began to pull it up. Cara's hand brushed over Kahlan's before her fingers found their way to the soft hair at Kahlan's sex. Kahlan almost made a noise, but Cara's right hand muffled the sound as she covered her mouth.
"Shhhh..." Came Cara's only reply. A soft tongue brushed against Cara's hand, and she hissed in reply before plunging two fingers into Kahlan. Cara pressed Kahlan's form against her's as Kahlan swiftly rode Cara's fingers up and down. The rhythm was haste because they had to be silent, and very quickly Kahlan came to the crest of pleasure and they gently rode out her orgasm. Cara quickly took her hand away from Kahlan's mouth, and kissed her passionately.
"Let me." Kahlan said softly while pushing Cara's nude form against the sheets. Cara always slept nude, not out of the desire to be controversial, but just so she could sleep without restraint. Kahlan took Cara's breast in her mouth, nipping and suckling at the nipple with unrestrained excitement. She kissed her way south, and soon had Cara's clit in her mouth as she tried valiantly to quickly bring Cara to a silent orgasm.
Cara felt the tongue inside her and could hardly hold back a scream. She whimpered and sighed her pleasure, but kept everything together until the last moment, where she shuddered with orgasm. Kahlan rested her head against Cara's stomach, and their eyes locked in silent communication.
The next morning they walked into the kitchen anticipating a fight. All they saw was Zedd sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast, and he barely looked up at them when they walked in.
"Where's Richard?" Kahlan asked as she sat down at the table.
"Oh that boy? He's out in the front yard chopping firewood." Zedd said between bites of egg. Cara walked over to the window, and saw Richard chopping large logs with fervor. She sighed, rolling her eyes.
"He's still mad isn't he?" Kahlan said worriedly. Zedd looked out the window at what Cara was seeing, before stuffing his face with a handful of bacon.
"Appears so." He said with a shrug. Cara walked over to Kahlan, and put her arm on Kahlan's lower back.
"Maybe we shouldn't say goodbye." Cara whispered to Kahlan, who shook her head and began to walk towards the door.
"It wouldn't be proper, Cara." Kahlan replied before walking out to where Richard was chopping.
Richard stood topless, covered in sweat from the exorbitant amount of effort he was putting into his work.
"Richard," Kahlan started. Richard swung down his axe with a large chop. "Richard!" Kahlan screamed. He turned around to see Kahlan tentatively standing a few feet away from him, while Cara stood frozen in the doorway. Kahlan hurriedly continued.
"We're leaving now." She said simply. Richard shrugged, before picking up his axe.
"Have a happy life." He said, before bringing the axe down again, sticking it upright in the chopping block. He briskly walked by both of them, going into the house. Cara walked out holding their bags and a couple spare parcels of food she could manage to sneak by Zedd. Kahlan sighed and grabbed her sack.
"That went well." Cara said with a raised eyebrow. Kahlan gave Cara a stern look, to which Cara raised her hands in defeat.
When Richard awoke the next morning, he was sore and aching all over from sleeping on the shoulder of a dirt road. He looked up--the sky was clear, spare one cloud lingering precariously in the sky--it was a tracer cloud. Richard smiled a little at the thought of Zedd watching over him. Then it was immediate: Kahlan and Cara. Richard winced, not just from the pain of thinking about them, but also from the pain of sitting upright. He stood slowly, dusting himself off, and grabbing the hilt of his sword, he limped toward home.
"Do you really think he's alright?" Kahlan said for the umpteenth time, pacing a hole in Zedd's rug. Cara sighed and put her head in her hands.
"Once again child, he walked no farther than a couple hours away on horse." Zedd reminded her patiently, his brow furrowing at the thought of what Kahlan was doing to his floor. Kahlan returned to pacing, chewing at her thumbnail and worrying like she always did.
"Kahlan," Cara groaned, "He's fine. He just needs to get things out of his system, and he'll be back, and it'll be okay." Cara's voice betrayed the confidence in her statement--she really had no idea what he'd do. She looked toward Zedd, who smiled slightly with a knowing look. Kahlan threw up her hands, and went to the window again.
"He's there! Up the road! Oh thank the Creator!" Kahlan said hurriedly, before running to the door. Cara stood quickly while Zedd sat in his chair expectantly. Kahlan ran up the road to Richard, who ignored her and her questions as he limped back toward the house.
"I'm fine, really." He grunted as he walked inside a minute later. Cara was relieved, but you couldn't tell it from her facial expression. It was guarded and weary, as if she expected something to happen but she didn't know what.
"I saw the tracer cloud, Zedd." Richard remarked before sitting down, "That really wasn't necessary." Zedd dismissed Richard with a flip of his hand, and patted Richard on the arm reassuringly.
"Precautions, dear boy. Only precautions." Richard laid his sword on the table, and looked up at Cara expectantly. Cara didn't dare return his gaze.
"Promise me you'll take care of her." He said without inflection. Cara looked into his eyes, and saw the threat as well as the trust. She nodded curtly without a word. Kahlan sat as if she was spring loaded, looking like she might run at any minute.
"We're leaving. For Aydindril. Tommorrow." Kahlan said quickly. Richard turned to her, his gaze intense. She stared right back. His face relaxed suddenly, as if giving up a thought.
"I understand." Cara looked from one to the other, her face clouded with unformed thoughts. Her arms were crossed, eyes wide, taking everything in.
Zedd took out a stone seemingly from nowhere, and handed it to Kahlan.
"This stone is enchanted. If you sense you are in trouble, think of us while it is in your hand and we will be able to find you." Kahlan took the glossy black stone and gripped it hard in her hand. Cara leaned forward, rubbing Kahlan's back with reassurance. Richard looked away.
"We will stay at an inn, Richard. It will make things easier for you." Richard banged his hand on the table, and everyone jumped at the sound.
"You will stay here. With us. I am not so weak that I cannot deal with what's in front of my face." Cara paused, and looked over to Zedd. He nodded slightly to Cara, who relented and announced that they would stay the night as Richard requested.
Later that night, Cara sat with Kahlan as she brushed her long hair in long strokes.
"He's dealing with this better than I thought he would." Cara said quietly. Kahlan nodded as she brushed, eyes beginning to droop from tiredness. Cara gently took the brush out of Kahlan's hand, and began to brush her hair for her.
"I never imagined I would have you like I do." Cara whispered, slowly brushing the locks of hair down her back. Kahlan hummed and closed her eyes in pleasure. With Cara's free hand, she ran her fingers up Kahlan's long pale neck. She leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
"You're so beautiful when you're relaxed." She purred, laying the brush on a night stand and placing both her hands on Kahlan's shoulders. She began to slowly caress Kahlan's soft flesh through her nightgown, and Kahlan leaned her head back onto Cara's shoulder.
"We can't do this with them around." Kahlan groaned, as if trying to convince herself.
"We'll just have to be very quiet then." Cara murmured as she gently cupped Kahlan's breasts. Kahlan took a sharp intake of breath as Cara began to stroke her nipples through the thin fabric of the shift. Kahlan's chest heaved as Cara's left hand began it's slow and careful descent down Kahlan's stomach. Kahlan gripped the bottom of her shift with both hands and began to pull it up. Cara's hand brushed over Kahlan's before her fingers found their way to the soft hair at Kahlan's sex. Kahlan almost made a noise, but Cara's right hand muffled the sound as she covered her mouth.
"Shhhh..." Came Cara's only reply. A soft tongue brushed against Cara's hand, and she hissed in reply before plunging two fingers into Kahlan. Cara pressed Kahlan's form against her's as Kahlan swiftly rode Cara's fingers up and down. The rhythm was haste because they had to be silent, and very quickly Kahlan came to the crest of pleasure and they gently rode out her orgasm. Cara quickly took her hand away from Kahlan's mouth, and kissed her passionately.
"Let me." Kahlan said softly while pushing Cara's nude form against the sheets. Cara always slept nude, not out of the desire to be controversial, but just so she could sleep without restraint. Kahlan took Cara's breast in her mouth, nipping and suckling at the nipple with unrestrained excitement. She kissed her way south, and soon had Cara's clit in her mouth as she tried valiantly to quickly bring Cara to a silent orgasm.
Cara felt the tongue inside her and could hardly hold back a scream. She whimpered and sighed her pleasure, but kept everything together until the last moment, where she shuddered with orgasm. Kahlan rested her head against Cara's stomach, and their eyes locked in silent communication.
The next morning they walked into the kitchen anticipating a fight. All they saw was Zedd sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast, and he barely looked up at them when they walked in.
"Where's Richard?" Kahlan asked as she sat down at the table.
"Oh that boy? He's out in the front yard chopping firewood." Zedd said between bites of egg. Cara walked over to the window, and saw Richard chopping large logs with fervor. She sighed, rolling her eyes.
"He's still mad isn't he?" Kahlan said worriedly. Zedd looked out the window at what Cara was seeing, before stuffing his face with a handful of bacon.
"Appears so." He said with a shrug. Cara walked over to Kahlan, and put her arm on Kahlan's lower back.
"Maybe we shouldn't say goodbye." Cara whispered to Kahlan, who shook her head and began to walk towards the door.
"It wouldn't be proper, Cara." Kahlan replied before walking out to where Richard was chopping.
Richard stood topless, covered in sweat from the exorbitant amount of effort he was putting into his work.
"Richard," Kahlan started. Richard swung down his axe with a large chop. "Richard!" Kahlan screamed. He turned around to see Kahlan tentatively standing a few feet away from him, while Cara stood frozen in the doorway. Kahlan hurriedly continued.
"We're leaving now." She said simply. Richard shrugged, before picking up his axe.
"Have a happy life." He said, before bringing the axe down again, sticking it upright in the chopping block. He briskly walked by both of them, going into the house. Cara walked out holding their bags and a couple spare parcels of food she could manage to sneak by Zedd. Kahlan sighed and grabbed her sack.
"That went well." Cara said with a raised eyebrow. Kahlan gave Cara a stern look, to which Cara raised her hands in defeat.