The forest was quiet as the stars shined down on it. A fires soft crackle was the only noise escaping through the silence. Richard sat crossed legged as his eyes surveyed their surroundings slowly trying to get a glimpse of her return. "Get some sleep, my boy." Zedd's voice pulled him from his thoughts of her. "Can't. She'll be back soon." "You remaining awake will not speed her along." He laid down. "Richard, she's only been gone a few months." the next sound that came from his grandfather was a loud set of snores. Deciding to let sleep take him, Richard laid back and closed his eyes.
She moved quickly through the trees. Her dark hair flowing freely behind her as she pushed aside branches. Tired, she drove herself onward, trying to reach him. She slowed and walked quietly around the trees. Pulled towards the flicker of a fire. Her blue eyes following every shadow of her surroundings as she moved closer. Her heart pounding as she came closer. She stopped. Her heart have a leap seeing is face.
Stepping out of the trees, moving as silently as possible, kneeling down beside him, she slowly raised her hand to his face, tracing his jaw line along the new beard on his face. His eyes flew open as he threw her backwards, landing himself atop her, knife to her throat. She laughed "Kahlan?!" his voice soft as he pulled the knife from her throat. "You've gotten quicker, Richard Cypher." her words coming between laughs. Pulling herself forward into a hug, he found himself laughing along with her. "I missed you." he said when she pulled away.
She smiled widely when his face grew confused "Quicker? I've always been quick." he said smiling up at her as she repositioned herself to face the fire beside him. "I do recall that I got the best of you." Kahlan laughed "I let you." he turned to her "No you didn't." she moved quickly, throwing herself on him, holding his hands to the ground above his head. "I let you." she repeated softly. "I guess there's only one way to settle this." He said sitting forward as she allowed him to. Pushing her backwards, she fell to the ground without struggle. The smile never left her face as she pushed back on him and landing his back to the ground once more. He groaned and Kahlan placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him as she looked over to Zedd, who was staring at them.
Richard followed her eyes, tilting his head upward, seeing Zedd's eyes wide open. He started to remove her hand from his mouth to speak, when she leaned closer to him. He froze. He didn't want to risk making her pull away. "He's still sleeping." she said quietly, her eyes leaving his for a moment to look back at Zedd. When she returned her eyes back to Richard's her heart fluttered. Though their eye contact both could feel their passion for each other, their love, their desires. Neither moved, the feelings were warming them more than the fire could and they welcomed it. Breathing fastened as their hearts raced. Her arms wavered as she held herself above him, the urge to close the distance between them was overwhelming to both. Pulling back she sat cross legged in front of him. Slowly sitting up as well, Richard watched her. Her hair blown into her face by the wind, her hand slowly pushing her hair out of her eyes. She looked at him, eyes reflecting the fire in her heart. "I'm sorry." she said softly, breaking the silence. Richard's eyes searched her face "I'm not." he sighed, "Kahlan, I'm not sorry for the feelings I have for you. I'm not sorry at all." Kahlan blinked to destroy the tears forming in her eyes. "I am not sorry for that either." she took in a deep breath, trying to collect the strength to continue. "I am sorry for the thoughts I had." he waited a moment before speaking. "Kahlan," she lifted her hand to silence him. "Richard, please. Let's just get some sleep." he shook his head quickly. "No. Kahlan, you have no reason to be sorry. No reason at all." "The thoughts I had, Richard. They were thoughts I should never have." she looked up from the fire to him.
"Thoughts that could have destroyed you." she looked back to the fire quickly, tears falling to the dirt below. "I'm so sorry." She jumped when his arms encircled her, she hadn't heard him move. He held her tightly to him, slowly rocking, trying to give her a small bit of comfort. "How's your sister?" he asked, trying to get her mind off her current thoughts. She pulled back and stared at him. Her eyes were red, and a lot of color had left her face. He was smiling. "I just told you I almost destroyed you, and you ask about my sister?" she stared at him, as he smiled at her. "Kahlan, you'd never hurt me. I trust you." she shook her head. "Noone trusts a Confessor." "I do. I trust you more than anyone." she studied his face. "Why?" his smile didn't fade as he spoke. "Kahlan, since I moment I met you, I've felt I've known you my whole life. As I spent time with you I found out how amazing you are. You're so strong, intelligent and your heart is beautiful. You always do what you think is best, and you're not afraid of anything." she shook her head "I'm afraid of losing you." he could barely hear her.
"Kahlan, you could never lose me." "I almost did this night." he shook his head "I don't think so." Kahlan started to stand "What you think does not matter. I know the truth." Richard grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the ground. "Fine. You're right. There." she looked at him blankly. "How's Dennee?" "She is...They are doing well." a small smile crossed her face. "She carries another child." her smile grew when Richard smiled widely. "That's wonderful! Will they visit before she..." "I'm not sure. I wouldn't want her to risk the child's life." The rest of the night went on as they spoke late into the darkness. Once the fire had been tended to, Richard laid down and stared up at the sky. Kahlan watched him for a few moments before laying down beside him. She laid facing him, her eyes closed as she allowed her heart to dream of a life with him. "Kahlan?" he spoke softly incase she had fallen to sleep. "Mmm?" "Earlier, when you said you had thoughts you shouldn't have..." her eyes opened to see him looking at her. "...I was having them too." The look in his eyes somehow comforted her, at that moment she felt nothing else existed but them and their love for each other. She lifted herself off the ground slowly and pulled herself into his arms. He placed a kiss atop her head just before falling asleep.
Morning came to quickly. Both Richard and Kahlan awoke at the same time. Zedd, who was staring up at the tree tops, snored loudly. Kahlan, who still laid in Richard's arms, was the first to move. Richard, who was quite content with her against his chest, wrapped his arms around her tighter, holding her in place. "Stay, please." "Alright." she laid her head back down on his chest. After a few minutes, Kahlan spoke "Richard, promise me something?" "If I can." he said strongly "Promise me that you will continue with your life...Find a wife, start a family." "I will not make that promise. Kahlan, I only wish to build a home with you." she sat up, still remaining close to him, as his arm held her against him, preventing her from moving away. "That can never happen." "Everyone keeps telling me that." her eyes starred straight into his, filled with every emotion she has kept hidden. "I should have told you sooner. I should have warned you, when we first set off." He smiled. "It would have made no difference. I've loved you from the moment I met you." "Don't say that." she pushed away. Zedd yawned loudly, trying to let them know he had awaken. Neither noticed.
"You can't say that Richard." she was sitting beside him, her face, was clearly covered in fear. "Kahlan, I lo-" "No!" she was standing facing away from him. He moved quickly, not wanting the conversation to end this way. His arms encircled her, laying his forehead on her shoulder "Kahlan, you must know." "Please don't." she cried. "I don't want to hurt any longer." Her cry flew at him, He could feel the emotions coming from her, fear, pain, love. He turned her to face him, holding her in place by her hips. "I love you, and I know that you love me." She didn't deny it. How could she? He knew she wouldn't say anything so he continued. "As long as you are with me, I will be happy." She frantically searched his eyes for some doubt, but found none. Shaking her head slowly, she closed her eyes, trying not to see the look in his eyes. A look that was filled with undying love. "Richard, you don't know what you are saying." her eyes opened slowly and let them focus on the ground "I've never cared for anyone the way I care for you. And I never will, but I need you to let me go." He grabbed her hands "There is one thing that will make me let you go." Her eyes met with his "What is it?" A small thread of hope was all he could spot in her eyes. "If you had told me that you didn't love me, didn't care for me. I would have let you go." he sighed "But you didn't." She closed her eyes for one second before opening them fo him to see the horror in her eyes. "That is the very reason that I ask you to let me go! If I didn't care for you, I would have taken you already!" With no further thought, he pulled her to him and kissed her. His kiss was full of all the things he wanted so badly to give her, show her. She held him close to her, running her fingers through his hair. Both jumped at the sound of Zedd clearing his throat.
Their lips separated, but their bodies remained close, as they looked in the old wizards direction. His face unreadable. Richard couldn't tell if he wanted to laugh or scream. Kahlan didn't attempt to read his face, she let her eyes stare right past the old man as she recalled something he had said about it never being able to happen between them. "One of you going to explain...this?" his voice was calm. "Nothing you tell us, will change anything." Richard said "When it comes to your feelings for her, I have known that my opinion does not matter. You will never stop loving her." Zedd sighed. Kahlan couldn't get her mind to focus on a single thought. Her mind raced around Richard. Loving him, being with him, and then destroying him. Her face lost all color as she pushed herself away and walked quickly into the trees. Richard didn't move. He watched her until he could strain his eyes no longer in her direction. "You're not going after her?" Zedd was a foot or so in front of him. "No. I can understand how hard this is for her." Richard turned back to Zedd "How much did you see?" Zedd gave a small chuckle.
Kahlan sat beneath a large tree, completely surrounding the area with shade. Her face was in her hands as she cried. Her heart was crying to be near him as her mind tried to tell her to run while she could. She knew how hard it would be to stay away from him. The pain would be unbearable. Though the idea of staying with him and not being able to be with him was also unbearable. She loved him. He loved her. Maybe it didn't matter. "You know how I feel about her, how she feels for me, Zedd!" Richard walked past him "I know we can be together. A love this strong, Zedd. A love this strong can get through anything. You've said it before. Love is the most powerful thing." He stop mid pace. "The most powerful magic." He turned back to Zedd "Kahlan's power is love. Love. I already love her more than anything! What could her power possible take from me?" It couldn't destroy me because of the-" he ran off after Kahlan.
He had been gone not two minutes when he returned. "Richard?" Zedd asked shocked that he had returned with out Kahlan. Richard sat down next to Zedd in front of the fire. "What's wrong?" Richard looked up at his grandfather "Why didn't you try to stop me? Just now when I went after Kahlan?" He stared Zedd in the eye and waited. When no answer cam he turned back to the fire, closed his eyes and sighed. "How can I have been so stupid?" "My boy, you are not stupid. You are simply in love." He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Some might say loving a Confessor is stupid." "Some might." Zedd agreed. "Some would know no better." Richard said to himself.
The tree dug into her back as she laid against it's large trunk. Her crying had come to an end, but the tears continued to fall down her cheeks. There was no point to try and stop them. Her heart had reached a conclusion, but her mind was screaming at her, for even considering the possibility that it could happen. No one could truly love a Confessor. It's a curse she thought she could handle. If and that being a big if, one did love a Confessor, her power would destroy him, no matter their feeling. She shook her head as the images of a Confessed Richard flooded her mind. The images caused her heart to race, tears to fall faster and her breathing was coming in gasps. Trying to calm herself, she allowed herself to think of Richard. His smile, laugh, and the way his eyes sparkled when her talked to or about someone that he loved. They way he looked at them. At her.
Looking up she noticed the sun high in the sky. How long had she sat there crying? Must have been hours. She always lost herself when she thought of Richard. Standing slowly, she wiped her eyes as dry as she could and smoothed out her dress. She walked slowly, making her way back to Richard and Zedd. As she approached their camp, she could hear Zedd "We can't just sit here. We'll starve!" Richard was quiet for a moment "You've already eaten everything we had! If you're still hungry go catch something. I'm staying here." Another moment of silence came "I should have gone after her." "There was no need." she said walking into their view. Richard stood quickly, but remained by the fire. Kahlan passed Zedd, walking straight to Richard. "There were several rabbits right through there, Zedd." She said, pointing back in the direction she came from, half smiling. Without a word Zedd went to catch himself one. Or two.
"Kahlan-" "Please, let's just sit here." They sat as their eyes connected with each others. "Richard, do you think there is even a small chance?" "I think there is." a small smile crossed her lips "Me too." Neither said anything as they laid down on the ground, Kahlan laying in his arms. "Kahlan, I think I- I know I've found the way" "Me too." he looked at her, as she lifted herself onto her elbows to look at him. "I'm terrified that I'm wrong." "I'm not." She looked up at the forest. "Kahlan, please..." Pulling his face to hers she kissed him and released every inch of her power into him.
She held onto him for a long moment. Her heart pounding against his chest, her eyes squeezed shut, She pulled up from his lips slowly. He watched her, eyes scanning her face as her eyes finally opened. His warm smile, sparkling eyes melted her heart. He was still Richard. Her Richard. She couldn't look away from his eyes. "Are you going to kiss me again or am I going to have to kiss yo-" her lips hit his before he could finish his thought.