Where the Heart Is: Sequel to Returning Home 8/12, PG-13, R/K
Title: Where The Heart Is: Sequel to Returning Home
Author: phoenix_cry & virkatjol
Rating/s | Content: NC-17, mostly PG-13
Pairing/s | Character/s: Richard/Kahlan, George/Mary Cypher
Word Count: 20,800
Summary: Takes place right after Returning Home. Kahlan and Ricahrd head back to Aydindril.
Warnings: Sex, angst, Babbies.
Author's Notes:
virkatjol A/N: I <3 Writing with Phoenix_cry she’s the reason I write Smut! IDK if everyone should curse her or thank her! hahah I owe her for getting me to write. Being brave enough to begin this journey which has completely spiraled out of control for me hahaha. *GLOMPS*
phoenix-cry A/N: I must admit that there were some rough patches for me, while trying to write this (stupid, stupid writer's block *glares*), but despite those, I had a great time working with virkatjol again. I just love writing fic with her. I don't have to tell you that she's awesome, right? Anyways, I hope you enjoy the ride, just as much as K enjoys riding R...Eh, what?
Yeah, well, have fun, guys. ;-)
Chapter 8
They’d woken early. The sun was just peeking across the horizon when the group of five swung onto their horses and trotted off towards Aydindril. Zedd had opted to accompany them on the journey back to the Midlands. He said that he had to stay with his Confessor. She wasn’t allowed to travel without a wizard. Richard just smiled at him when he’d appeared before dawn on his horse, packed for traveling. He’d be happy to have him with them. The more protection for Kahlan, the better.
“You didn’t sleep well?” Richard rode beside his wife, their knees brushing with the steady pace of the horses.
“I’m fine.”
“You look awful.” He grabbed for one of her hands and pulled it to his mouth, kissing her palm. “And I was awakened every time you struggled to get comfortable.”
“I’m sor-”
“There’s no need. Just tell me what’s wrong, please.” He gave her back her hand and watched her face. He would give anything, at this moment, to be traveling alone with her.
“I just have a bad feeling.” She looked up at the sky, squinting as the sun broke through the trees and blinded her before disappearing behind the canopy again. “I don’t know why, but I’m afraid.”
“Is it about your father?”
“I think he’s part of it, but this is a different sensation. I can’t place it, but I know I’ve felt it before. A long time ago... It’s probably silly. I’m sure it’s just pregnancy jitters but it doesn’t feel that way. It feels dark.”
“How long ago?”
She smiled at him. No matter how ridiculous her feelings were he always took them seriously. Richard never judged her. He just loved her. Just being with him made the awful cloud that was surrounding her almost dissolve.
“From before my mother died. So I wasn’t very old...” She sighed and then growled in frustration. “I don’t know how much stock to put in this. It’s just like a residual sensation that’s been creeping up on me since my father arrived. I wish I could place it.”
“It’s okay, Kahlan. I’ll help you figure it out. We can look through the records when we get back to Aydindril. Maybe your mom’s cases will give you a clue, help you discover what’s upsetting you.”
She only nodded and frowned. The pregnancy was starting to make her nauseous and the strange feelings were just amplifying it all. She felt claustrophobic and exposed at the same time. The air around her tastes stale in her lungs. She didn’t know what to do to shake the feeling.
They rode in silence for awhile, sometimes Zedd would grumble about being hungry and Richard would hand him a bit of jerky or a piece of fruit from his saddle bags. He’d packed for Kahlan in case she was hungry, but as the afternoon wore on, she seemed to be paler and she refused all offers of food.
Mary passed out sandwiches for lunch and Kahlan took one after a look from her mother-in-law, but she only nibbled at it. Richard saw her innocently toss it into the trees when she thought that no one was looking.
“You need to eat.”
“I did.” She couldn’t look at him and lie, she just didn’t feel up to arguing and she knew that he was only saying it out of worry for her.
Richard just shook his head and asked his horse to canter up to his mother, leaving Kahlan in the back with his father.
“Mom.” She stopped her conversation with Zedd, who was leading them all to Aydindril, and looked at him. “The baby is making Kahlan sick. Do you know any tricks to make her feel better?”
“Oh, dear, I didn’t even think about that, it was all so sudden... what a horrible mother I’m being to her-”
“Mom! It’s okay, she doesn’t think that at all. Do you have any ideas?” Richard smiled as she dug through her bag. It didn’t look that large, but she always seemed to be able to pull anything that was required out of it. She handed him an odd looking square chunk. “What is it?”
“Filbrignan root.”
She answered as if that’s all he needed to know. “And?”
“Some woods guide you are, son.” Her laughter filled the air before she explained. “Have her chew on it, don’t swallow though, for a few minutes and then spit the pieces out onto the ground. The juices will calm her stomach and the scent will ease her worries. It’s really quite miraculous, why I always used to-”
“Thanks mom, I’m going back to give this to her, before I’m sucked into listening to your tales of amazing things that this root can do while she’s back there sick.”
“You’re a wonderful husband, dear, go back to your wife.” She smiled, forgave him for interrupting and shooed him back to his wife.
Richard halted his horse and waited for Kahlan to catch up with him. He held out the small piece of root for her and she took it and examined it. When she opened her mouth to ask he explained what his mother had told him. She surprised him when she leaned over to his horse and kissed him on the cheek before popping the brownish square into her mouth and slowly chewing on it.
He watched her while she ground it up and swallowed the juices. The color of her skin was already improving. After she spit out the leftovers, she looked remarkably healthier.
*****
Over the next week the root helped Kahlan’s nausea from the life growing inside her, but the crushing feeling of darkness continued to get worse. She was constantly looking around as if she was being watched. At night she’d bury her face into Richard’s shoulder, his arms wrapped about her holding her tightly to him, even that didn’t chase the awful feeling that constantly surrounded her.
Richard was at a loss about what to do. Everything he tried seemed to make it worse for her. She was snapping at the smallest things. His mother, father and Zedd had stopped attempting to comfort her for fear of getting their heads bitten off. He was the only one that took her punishment, knowing that his love for her was greater than any of the biting words that sprung from her mouth. He could see on her face that every horrible thing she said to him shocked her as well. Her nights were spent crying about her days until she was forced into a restless, exhausted sleep.
He couldn’t wait until they got her to Aydindril. He had to find out what was wrong with his wife. Richard pushed them along, faster than he usually would considering his parents and Zedd were older now and Kahlan was pregnant but he didn’t think he could hold back his rage at what was happening to her much longer. On the road, he wasn’t able to do anything to fix it, but he could in Aydindril.
As he held Kahlan that night, he started to feel eyes upon him as well. He’d listened to her describe the feeling before, but had never experienced it until right then. It was as if something was boring into the back of his skull. He turned quickly to look and saw a brisk movement in the woods.
Richard leapt up, startling Kahlan, and took off after whom ever was spying on them. He hoped that he wasn’t chasing a ghost.
Kahlan was left alone so suddenly that she took a few moments to realize that Richard was off running after something or someone. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, pondering going after Richard, but thought better of it and decided to wait. For once, the feeling that the world was closing in on her was gone. She felt a huge relief and tried to soak up the sensation of normalcy again. She almost fell into an exhausted sleep when she felt it again, right before her father was tossed to the ground in the middle of camp, an enraged Richard right behind him.
“He’s been following us.”
“I just wanted to make sure that my daughter made it back to Aydindril safely...”
“You don’t think I can keep her safe?” Richard sneered at the man and Kahlan thought that he was going to kill him. People could threaten Richard and make disparaging remarks about him, but when they started speaking of how he treated her, that’s when he took the greatest offense. She didn’t know if she would have the strength or the will to stop him.
“Of...of course,” her father stuttered from the ground. “But the more people to keep her safe, the better, is it not?”
“Yes.” Richard admitted, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Although, not when you are one of these people. I cannot trust you to watch over her. You have forsaken that right a long time ago.”
“I am still her father!” the older man exclaimed angrily.
“Only in name, you are,” Richard growled and advanced on Frederick, intent on giving him a piece of his mind, with his fists if necessary, only to feel a gentle hand on his arm. He turned his head and looked into Kahlan's gentle blue eyes. He blinked, as if awakening from a dream.
“Kahlan?” he asked, unsure of what had just happened.
“It's the darkness, Richard,” her own words causing her to shiver. “It's radiating off of him and you just got swept up in it.” Squeezing his arm in reassurance, she turned her attention to Zedd, all the while trying her best to ignore the person who was wearing her father's face and still being attentive to his every movement.
“Zedd, can you feel it, too?”
He nodded gravely. “Indeed, I can. I should have listened to your warnings earlier, dear, I'm sorry. It is very clear now, the feeling of danger and encroaching darkness.” The wizard thoughtfully tapped his chin with his long fingers. “Let me see if I can find out what it is that's taken a hold of our friend here.”
His arms outstretched in front of him, he spoke an incantation in a language that those present weren't able to understand. Spidery webs raced outward of his fingertips, wrapping themselves around Kahlan's writhing father, glowing in a soft blue light as soon as they touched his body.
Everyone was holding their breath, anxious to know about the outcome.
Suddenly, both Zedd and Frederick began screaming, the soft blue glow turning as black as the surrounding night, racing the web Zedd had cast back in his direction. Before the wizard could do anything to prevent it from reaching him, it was already there. Like lightening cast from the heavens, it slammed into his body. Black lines appeared on his skin - his arms and face looked as if the blood in his veins had turned the darkest black.
With a last desperate scream, Zedd managed to sever the connection, both men crumbling to the ground.
“Zedd!” Richard and Kahlan shouted in horror, racing towards their friend. George and Mary were rooted to the spot, looking on with wide eyes and bated breath.
Zedd groaned, weakly rubbing his forehead. “I'm all right, dear ones.”
“What happened?” Kahlan inquired worriedly, holding him up by his shoulders.
“I'm not sure,” he admitted. “But I can tell you that he is under a powerful spell.”
“Why would a wizard cast a spell over him?”
“Not a wizard, Richard. It was a sorceress. A very powerful one at that.”
Kahlan's brows furrowed. “The question remains. What would a sorceress want with my father?”
Zedd finally looked up, directly into her eyes. “If I had to guess, I'd say it was to get to his daughter. The most powerful woman in all of the Midlands.”
A deep breath escaped her lungs. “What else is new?”
“I could be wrong though, dear one. I had to separate the connection, before I could find out more. The reason might be a different one all together.”
“Well, I'm not taking any chances.” Richard said and stalked over to Frederick who was still cowering on the ground, trying to shake off the last remnants of the web.
Grabbing his collar, he dragged the older man to his feet. “Let's get you into a safer spot, shall we?”
He asked rhetorically and dropped him again, none too gently, in front of an ancient, sturdy tree. He then proceeded to secure him to just that tree with a rope from his backpack.
“There. You'll still be there in the morning and I can keep an eye on you. Much better.” Richard nodded to himself, satisfied with his handiwork.
“Let's get some more sleep, folks.”
Settling himself in his old spot beside Kahlan, his body between hers and the bound figure of her father, he dropped a kiss to her hair and murmured words of love into her ear. Then, he waited until she had fallen into a restful sleep, before he allowed himself to relax.
Author: phoenix_cry & virkatjol
Rating/s | Content: NC-17, mostly PG-13
Pairing/s | Character/s: Richard/Kahlan, George/Mary Cypher
Word Count: 20,800
Summary: Takes place right after Returning Home. Kahlan and Ricahrd head back to Aydindril.
Warnings: Sex, angst, Babbies.
Author's Notes:
virkatjol A/N: I <3 Writing with Phoenix_cry she’s the reason I write Smut! IDK if everyone should curse her or thank her! hahah I owe her for getting me to write. Being brave enough to begin this journey which has completely spiraled out of control for me hahaha. *GLOMPS*
phoenix-cry A/N: I must admit that there were some rough patches for me, while trying to write this (stupid, stupid writer's block *glares*), but despite those, I had a great time working with virkatjol again. I just love writing fic with her. I don't have to tell you that she's awesome, right? Anyways, I hope you enjoy the ride, just as much as K enjoys riding R...Eh, what?
Yeah, well, have fun, guys. ;-)
Chapter 8
They’d woken early. The sun was just peeking across the horizon when the group of five swung onto their horses and trotted off towards Aydindril. Zedd had opted to accompany them on the journey back to the Midlands. He said that he had to stay with his Confessor. She wasn’t allowed to travel without a wizard. Richard just smiled at him when he’d appeared before dawn on his horse, packed for traveling. He’d be happy to have him with them. The more protection for Kahlan, the better.
“You didn’t sleep well?” Richard rode beside his wife, their knees brushing with the steady pace of the horses.
“I’m fine.”
“You look awful.” He grabbed for one of her hands and pulled it to his mouth, kissing her palm. “And I was awakened every time you struggled to get comfortable.”
“I’m sor-”
“There’s no need. Just tell me what’s wrong, please.” He gave her back her hand and watched her face. He would give anything, at this moment, to be traveling alone with her.
“I just have a bad feeling.” She looked up at the sky, squinting as the sun broke through the trees and blinded her before disappearing behind the canopy again. “I don’t know why, but I’m afraid.”
“Is it about your father?”
“I think he’s part of it, but this is a different sensation. I can’t place it, but I know I’ve felt it before. A long time ago... It’s probably silly. I’m sure it’s just pregnancy jitters but it doesn’t feel that way. It feels dark.”
“How long ago?”
She smiled at him. No matter how ridiculous her feelings were he always took them seriously. Richard never judged her. He just loved her. Just being with him made the awful cloud that was surrounding her almost dissolve.
“From before my mother died. So I wasn’t very old...” She sighed and then growled in frustration. “I don’t know how much stock to put in this. It’s just like a residual sensation that’s been creeping up on me since my father arrived. I wish I could place it.”
“It’s okay, Kahlan. I’ll help you figure it out. We can look through the records when we get back to Aydindril. Maybe your mom’s cases will give you a clue, help you discover what’s upsetting you.”
She only nodded and frowned. The pregnancy was starting to make her nauseous and the strange feelings were just amplifying it all. She felt claustrophobic and exposed at the same time. The air around her tastes stale in her lungs. She didn’t know what to do to shake the feeling.
They rode in silence for awhile, sometimes Zedd would grumble about being hungry and Richard would hand him a bit of jerky or a piece of fruit from his saddle bags. He’d packed for Kahlan in case she was hungry, but as the afternoon wore on, she seemed to be paler and she refused all offers of food.
Mary passed out sandwiches for lunch and Kahlan took one after a look from her mother-in-law, but she only nibbled at it. Richard saw her innocently toss it into the trees when she thought that no one was looking.
“You need to eat.”
“I did.” She couldn’t look at him and lie, she just didn’t feel up to arguing and she knew that he was only saying it out of worry for her.
Richard just shook his head and asked his horse to canter up to his mother, leaving Kahlan in the back with his father.
“Mom.” She stopped her conversation with Zedd, who was leading them all to Aydindril, and looked at him. “The baby is making Kahlan sick. Do you know any tricks to make her feel better?”
“Oh, dear, I didn’t even think about that, it was all so sudden... what a horrible mother I’m being to her-”
“Mom! It’s okay, she doesn’t think that at all. Do you have any ideas?” Richard smiled as she dug through her bag. It didn’t look that large, but she always seemed to be able to pull anything that was required out of it. She handed him an odd looking square chunk. “What is it?”
“Filbrignan root.”
She answered as if that’s all he needed to know. “And?”
“Some woods guide you are, son.” Her laughter filled the air before she explained. “Have her chew on it, don’t swallow though, for a few minutes and then spit the pieces out onto the ground. The juices will calm her stomach and the scent will ease her worries. It’s really quite miraculous, why I always used to-”
“Thanks mom, I’m going back to give this to her, before I’m sucked into listening to your tales of amazing things that this root can do while she’s back there sick.”
“You’re a wonderful husband, dear, go back to your wife.” She smiled, forgave him for interrupting and shooed him back to his wife.
Richard halted his horse and waited for Kahlan to catch up with him. He held out the small piece of root for her and she took it and examined it. When she opened her mouth to ask he explained what his mother had told him. She surprised him when she leaned over to his horse and kissed him on the cheek before popping the brownish square into her mouth and slowly chewing on it.
He watched her while she ground it up and swallowed the juices. The color of her skin was already improving. After she spit out the leftovers, she looked remarkably healthier.
*****
Over the next week the root helped Kahlan’s nausea from the life growing inside her, but the crushing feeling of darkness continued to get worse. She was constantly looking around as if she was being watched. At night she’d bury her face into Richard’s shoulder, his arms wrapped about her holding her tightly to him, even that didn’t chase the awful feeling that constantly surrounded her.
Richard was at a loss about what to do. Everything he tried seemed to make it worse for her. She was snapping at the smallest things. His mother, father and Zedd had stopped attempting to comfort her for fear of getting their heads bitten off. He was the only one that took her punishment, knowing that his love for her was greater than any of the biting words that sprung from her mouth. He could see on her face that every horrible thing she said to him shocked her as well. Her nights were spent crying about her days until she was forced into a restless, exhausted sleep.
He couldn’t wait until they got her to Aydindril. He had to find out what was wrong with his wife. Richard pushed them along, faster than he usually would considering his parents and Zedd were older now and Kahlan was pregnant but he didn’t think he could hold back his rage at what was happening to her much longer. On the road, he wasn’t able to do anything to fix it, but he could in Aydindril.
As he held Kahlan that night, he started to feel eyes upon him as well. He’d listened to her describe the feeling before, but had never experienced it until right then. It was as if something was boring into the back of his skull. He turned quickly to look and saw a brisk movement in the woods.
Richard leapt up, startling Kahlan, and took off after whom ever was spying on them. He hoped that he wasn’t chasing a ghost.
Kahlan was left alone so suddenly that she took a few moments to realize that Richard was off running after something or someone. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, pondering going after Richard, but thought better of it and decided to wait. For once, the feeling that the world was closing in on her was gone. She felt a huge relief and tried to soak up the sensation of normalcy again. She almost fell into an exhausted sleep when she felt it again, right before her father was tossed to the ground in the middle of camp, an enraged Richard right behind him.
“He’s been following us.”
“I just wanted to make sure that my daughter made it back to Aydindril safely...”
“You don’t think I can keep her safe?” Richard sneered at the man and Kahlan thought that he was going to kill him. People could threaten Richard and make disparaging remarks about him, but when they started speaking of how he treated her, that’s when he took the greatest offense. She didn’t know if she would have the strength or the will to stop him.
“Of...of course,” her father stuttered from the ground. “But the more people to keep her safe, the better, is it not?”
“Yes.” Richard admitted, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Although, not when you are one of these people. I cannot trust you to watch over her. You have forsaken that right a long time ago.”
“I am still her father!” the older man exclaimed angrily.
“Only in name, you are,” Richard growled and advanced on Frederick, intent on giving him a piece of his mind, with his fists if necessary, only to feel a gentle hand on his arm. He turned his head and looked into Kahlan's gentle blue eyes. He blinked, as if awakening from a dream.
“Kahlan?” he asked, unsure of what had just happened.
“It's the darkness, Richard,” her own words causing her to shiver. “It's radiating off of him and you just got swept up in it.” Squeezing his arm in reassurance, she turned her attention to Zedd, all the while trying her best to ignore the person who was wearing her father's face and still being attentive to his every movement.
“Zedd, can you feel it, too?”
He nodded gravely. “Indeed, I can. I should have listened to your warnings earlier, dear, I'm sorry. It is very clear now, the feeling of danger and encroaching darkness.” The wizard thoughtfully tapped his chin with his long fingers. “Let me see if I can find out what it is that's taken a hold of our friend here.”
His arms outstretched in front of him, he spoke an incantation in a language that those present weren't able to understand. Spidery webs raced outward of his fingertips, wrapping themselves around Kahlan's writhing father, glowing in a soft blue light as soon as they touched his body.
Everyone was holding their breath, anxious to know about the outcome.
Suddenly, both Zedd and Frederick began screaming, the soft blue glow turning as black as the surrounding night, racing the web Zedd had cast back in his direction. Before the wizard could do anything to prevent it from reaching him, it was already there. Like lightening cast from the heavens, it slammed into his body. Black lines appeared on his skin - his arms and face looked as if the blood in his veins had turned the darkest black.
With a last desperate scream, Zedd managed to sever the connection, both men crumbling to the ground.
“Zedd!” Richard and Kahlan shouted in horror, racing towards their friend. George and Mary were rooted to the spot, looking on with wide eyes and bated breath.
Zedd groaned, weakly rubbing his forehead. “I'm all right, dear ones.”
“What happened?” Kahlan inquired worriedly, holding him up by his shoulders.
“I'm not sure,” he admitted. “But I can tell you that he is under a powerful spell.”
“Why would a wizard cast a spell over him?”
“Not a wizard, Richard. It was a sorceress. A very powerful one at that.”
Kahlan's brows furrowed. “The question remains. What would a sorceress want with my father?”
Zedd finally looked up, directly into her eyes. “If I had to guess, I'd say it was to get to his daughter. The most powerful woman in all of the Midlands.”
A deep breath escaped her lungs. “What else is new?”
“I could be wrong though, dear one. I had to separate the connection, before I could find out more. The reason might be a different one all together.”
“Well, I'm not taking any chances.” Richard said and stalked over to Frederick who was still cowering on the ground, trying to shake off the last remnants of the web.
Grabbing his collar, he dragged the older man to his feet. “Let's get you into a safer spot, shall we?”
He asked rhetorically and dropped him again, none too gently, in front of an ancient, sturdy tree. He then proceeded to secure him to just that tree with a rope from his backpack.
“There. You'll still be there in the morning and I can keep an eye on you. Much better.” Richard nodded to himself, satisfied with his handiwork.
“Let's get some more sleep, folks.”
Settling himself in his old spot beside Kahlan, his body between hers and the bound figure of her father, he dropped a kiss to her hair and murmured words of love into her ear. Then, he waited until she had fallen into a restful sleep, before he allowed himself to relax.