The rain pounded on them as they ran through the trees, rushing quickly to the dryness of the cave. Her hair stuck to her face as she pushed through the wind, her white dress, muddied and sticking to her legs as she pushed forward, looking back every few seconds at the man following closely behind her. A small laugh escaped her throat as he stumbled in the mud. Reaching back, she grabbed his shoulders to steady him.
"Are you alright?" she asked holding back her laughter.
"I'm fine." he said quickly, looking around as though he was afraid someone had seen him.
Even in the dark rain, her blue eyes stood out and captivated him. His eyes moved over the lines of her face, the amazing beauty before him. He watched as the rain drops fell over her jaw and landed on her breasts. He swallowed hard as the desire for her rose within him. Looking up, he met her darkening eyes. Pulling her to him, he collided their lips, forgetting their surroundings as he slowly walked her backwards until her back was pressed lightly against a tall, thick tree. Her hands were quickly in his hair, holding his face to hers as she desperately began to pull him closer.
He reached for the strings of her dress, wanting to remove everything that kept them apart. After several attempts, he pulled back from her and looked down as he took a firm hold on the wet laces. She smiled widely as she with held a laugh at the sight of his hands sliding down the strings after each attempt to pull them from her dress. A low growl flowed freely from his throat as she took hold of his hands and used them to slowly lift her dress.
Lightning filled the sky as their bodies lowered to the ground. She sank into the mud as he lay over her, her heart pounding as his lips moved over the exposed flesh of her chest. The powerful rumble of her magic being released could not be matched by the thunder shaking the sky. He collapsed and rolled off of her, breathing heavily as she pulled him to her.
"I love the rain." he whispered as he pulled her over to him, allowing her to rest her head upon his shoulder.
Smiling, she nodded her head in agreement, "Me too."
They laid there for almost an hour, as the rain passed them. The wind pushed by them, sending chills through her body as she tried to wipe the mud from her arms.
"Leave it." he smiled up at her, his eyes moving over her, taking in the mud that covered her face, chest, arms and part of her thighs that were still visible as she attempted to fix her dress. "It will keep you warm until we get back." He found it difficult to speak as he watched her. He could stare at her forever and still never get enough of her beauty.
Suddenly noticing him, she smiled warmly. His mouth hung open, his hands dug into the mud and she could tell he wasn't breathing. "If you keep staring at me like that, I'm going to end back in the mud."
"It is warmer." he reached forward, trying to pull her back down to him.
Taking a single step back, she was out of his reach. "We should head back. We still have to catch Zedd a late snack." she smiled widely as she reached to her tangled hair, trying to remove some of the mud.
Giving her a childish frown, Richard stood, taking the hand she offered.
Moving around the fire, Richard pulled their bedrolls closer to its warmth as Kahlan attempted to warm herself while she cooked the small rabbit they caught for Zedd on the way back. They looked up at each other every few seconds, smiling widely.
Cara and Zedd exchanged looks as they noticed the mud stained dress The Mother Confessor was wearing. Amused, Cara crossed her arms as she leaned her back against the cave wall. "What took you so long?"
Kahlan's hands froze for a moment, not having expected the question. "It was hard to move in the mud." She answered softly.
Richard smiled at her, "Yes, it was really muddy."
"I'm sure that it was. It'll take Kahlan most of the morning to clean it off of her back." Their eyes went to Cara, who withheld a smile. "It must have been easier to leave the dress on."
He didn't have to look; he knew Kahlan's cheeks were burning with embarrassment. "It's my fault. I tripped and brought her down with me."
"And the mud held you hostage?" she said as her smile broke through.
Looking to Richard, Kahlan smiled, "Something like that." Looking down to the fire, her smile widened, "It's done, Zedd."
Clapping his hands together in excitement, he stood and walked quickly to her, gratefully taking the meat from her soft muddy hands. "Thank you, dear one."
With a yawn, Kahlan excused herself to her bedroll, laying down facing away from everyone. Moving quickly, Richard lay down beside her, and wrapped his arm around her waist trying to get as close as possible. Smiling, she held his arm to her, taking all the comfort his embrace brought her as she fell asleep.
Her body ached as she awoke. Panic and fear swelled up within her as she realized she was hanging by her wrists. Opening her eyes, she tried to focus on the blurry objects moving around her as she swung back and forth. The metal was cold around her neck; it felt as though she was being strangled. She didn't understand. She had just fallen to sleep in Richard's arms.
Kahlan squeezed her eyes shut at the loud scream that seemed to echo in her ears. Her heart pounded as she tried to get free. The room suddenly filled with laughter as she jerked her body against the thick, heavy chains. The rawness of her flesh made her cry out in pain as she tried to stop her swaying.
"That will do you no good." The voice was familiar, but she couldn't think, she strained her eyes, trying to see who was talking, but all she saw was a blur of light and dark.
"What do you want?" she could barely speak, it felt as though she hadn't had a drink in months and she screamed until she was no longer able.
"We've already gone through this." He said as he stepped closer.
"What?"
"Yes. Several times. You are very impressive. Most people would have given in by now, but not you. You still hold onto those secrets in that pretty little head of yours." He stood inches from her, she was sure he was looking at her, but she looked away. "The child you carried," he said as he touched his face, roughly wiping the tears that escaped their prison. "Do you miss it?"
"Miss?" she asked confused, "I wasn't-I'm not-"
"You were." He said with a smile, she could see it as she struggled to look at him. "It's unfortunate. It could have been avoided, but you wouldn't speak."
Her heart stopped at his words, she took in a deep breath, "When?"
"Almost a month ago. Shame, I'm sure she would have been fun to play with."
She swallowed hard, tears flowing freely as the images before her cleared. The sight of his face made her sick. It was clear she hadn't eaten in some time as she vomited onto herself.
He smiled, pleased by her reaction, "Happy to see me?" he said loudly, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back. She jerked back, attempting to lose contact, but it only made his smile widen as he grabbed her hips, pulled her towards him, and then pushed her back. She gasped at the sudden breeze that felt like ice breathing over her hot and bloody skin. Grabbing her face, he pulled her to a stop, straining her wrists as he pulled down on her.
The loud pop echoed throughout the room as his hand connected with her cheek, sending her head flying to the left. To muffle her cry, he quickly grabbed her jaw, pushing it upwards, closing her mouth. "Do not make another sound." A soft moan escaped her lips as he removed his hand. "Bring him in!" he shouted as he turned away from her with a sigh.
The door in front of her swung open at his command. Looking down the hall, she saw four men dragging what appeared to be a body. They tossed him to the floor under her feet, making him groan from the sudden pain. Looking up, their eyes met briefly before he was kicked, rolling onto his side for some protection. "We're going to try this one more time. If you do not cooperate, he will die here."
Horrified, Kahlan tore her eyes away from Richard and stared at Darken Rahl, "What do you want?"
His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear a word. Panic flooded through her as she opened her mouth and found she was unable to make a sound. He was angry with her silence. Turning away from her, he pointed to Richard and immediately, the guards picked him up, setting him on his knees before them. He looked back to Kahlan, silently begging her to answer the question. Shaking her head, she tried to explain, but he turned away and accepted the beating.
She tried to cry out, to beg them to stop, but nothing would come out. Darken Rahl turned back to her, she felt as though she was on fire. Again his mouth moved, but no sound followed. His eyes hardened as he stepped closer to her, telling her he wouldn't tolerate anything less than an answer. She strained to focus on his lips, hoping to catch onto a word. Nothing.
"I don't know what you want!" she tried to scream, but it didn't brake though the silence. Disappointed, Darken Rahl shook his head before nodding to the man who held Richard's head in his arms.
The snap shatter the deafening silence. Her heart felt as though it would explode through her chest as she jerked forward, desperately trying to get to him. To hold him. Kiss him. Touch him. Suddenly she was on the floor. The moment her feet touched the cold stone floor, she rushed to him, her hands still chained as she pulled him into her arms and cried.
When she looked up, the room was pitch black and empty. Richard's body was the only thing she could see.
"Kahlan?" he whispered her name softly into her ear, trying to keep from waking the others. "Kahlan, wake up." he started to grow more concern as she mumbled in her sleep. "Kahlan." he shook her gently, trying to wake her.
She jumped forward, sending the blanket forward, caught quickly by him before it landed in the fire. Laying her hand over her mouth, she attempted to muffle her cry. Turning towards him, she threw her arms around him, grateful to see him alive. She clung tightly to him, burying her face in his neck as she cried softly. Pulling her against him, he laid onto his back, letting her lay on top of him.
"Are you alright?" she nodded slowly against his chest, his voice sending waves of comfort through her shaking body. "What can I do?"
She lifted herself from him, allowing her to look down upon his face. Her blue eyes, now red and puffy as tears spilled out. "Hold me?" she asked softly, needing his embrace to feel safe.
"Always." She smiled a small smile before returning her head to his chest. Her hold on him tightened every few seconds as the thought of losing him resurfaced in her mind. She didn't know what she would do without him. "You should sleep." he whispered after a few minutes.
She looked up, meeting his sleepy, concerned eyes. "I'm afraid to fall asleep." she whispered honestly as she looked down to the ground beneath them.
He sat forward, carefully taking her with him. "Why?" he asked hoping she would tell him what was wrong.
"I don't want to dream." she looked to the dying fire, taking a moment to breathe.
"What happened?" his voice comforted her in ways she didn't think possible.
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "I watched you die." Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, as she straightened her back. "I couldn't stop it-I couldn't hear what he asked me. I couldn't save you."
"What who asked?" he asked as he leaned forward, taking her hands in his.
Her eyes opened, staring off into the darkness of the cave. "Darken Rahl." Anger surged through him at the sound of his name, at the thought of him being the reason for her fear. "The sound of your death broke the silence and I- I couldn't get free. I couldn't get to you." her voice cracked as she pushed them from her lips.
He could see the fear and pain reflecting in her eye as she stared at him, telling him every detail of her dream. His heart broke as she described the deafening silence, the sound of his death and the pounding of her heart as she tried to get to him. The moment she had finished, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. She held onto him so tightly, her fingers dug, almost painfully, into his back. He never wanted to let her go. He would do everything he could to keep anything like it from happening.
"It was only a dream." He whispered trying to comfort her.
"What if it wasn't?" she asked as she pulled back from him, "I watched you die!" she cried as she covered her face with her hands. "I can't lose you Richard."
"I'm not going to die. Kahlan, look at me." He whispered at he lifted her chin. "It was a dream. Darken Rahl isn't going to get close enough to-"
Shaking her head, she pulled her hands from her face, looking up at him. "He's not going to sit back and lose everything again. He's going to find us."
He smiled, "Kahlan, I'm not going to let it happen." He could see the fear still swelling within her mind as she stared at him, "Besides, I'm not ready to leave you." He paused for a moment as he thought. "Do you remember last year, before I was captured by Denna?"
The sound of her name made Kahlan cringe, but she nodded her head. "Yes."
"The night before you left, you had a dream that you killed me. Do you remember?"
The tears were falling quickly as she recalled the dream. "I stabbed you."
"You left because you thought you were going to betray me. I'm still here. You haven't betrayed me."
She smiled a small smile as she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment, she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked as she moved backwards to look at him.
"For being you."
He smiled warmly, making forget everything except for him. "You don't have to thank me for that."
"I love you." She whispered almost breathlessly as her gaze fell to his lips.
"And, I love you." He barely had time to reply; she quickly grabbed his face, pulled him to her and kissed him passionately, pushing him back to the bedrolls underneath them.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" Zedd asked as he studied her tired face.
"Some." She answered honestly, hoping that he wouldn't say anything when Richard returned with breakfast. She pretended to be asleep until he had allowed himself to sleep. She had spent most of the night staring into the fire, praying to the spirits to keep him safe.
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking down to her hands as she gripped her dress tightly.
Following his gaze, she pulled her hands from her dress as she stood. "Yes, I-" she sighed looked over to the wizard, "I'm just worried about Richard."
"Worried? Why would you be worried? He's with Cara. They'll be back-"
"No. Zedd, last night I dreamt of his death." She had to push the words from her lips.
Standing, he walked quickly to her, pulling her away from the cave entrance. "What have you seen?"
It wasn't easier to tell the second time. She closed her eyes as she spoke, trying to keep herself from crying once again. Zedd stared at her, his heart breaking from the pain she was in.
"Richard may be right. It could be just a dream." He said hoping to erase her worries.
"It felt real."
Nodding, Zedd laid his hand on her shoulder, "It felt real because you lost the man that you love. That will do more damage than anything."
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she looked up into his eyes, "I can't lose him."
Zedd smiled widely, "I do not believe you will ever lose him. He will always find a way to stay with you."
She looked to the ground, "I know, but I can't stop thinking about it."
"Thinking about what?"
They turned towards her voice, startled by the sudden noise. "Nothing." Kahlan replied as she walked past Zedd, "I'm going to clean my dress." She moved past the Mord-Sith, being sure not to look at her.
Kahlan, kneeling beside the edge of the river, stared down at the white cloth in her hands. A small smile crossed her lips as she ran her fingers over the dried mud, thinking about how it had gotten there.
"Hi." she jumped at the sound of his voice, dropping her dress in the water. "I'm sorry." he said softly, picking her dress out of the water. "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you heard me coming."
"I was thinking."
He smiled, looking down to the muddy cloth in his hands. "About the rain?" Nodding, Kahlan took it from his hands, slowly returning it to the water. "I'll clean it, if you wanted to get some sleep."
She looked up at in surprise. "It's alright. I'm not tired."
He frowned, "Kahlan, I know you didn't sleep last night."
She looked to the dress, she now abandoned in the water, slightly ashamed at having lied to him. "I was afraid to dream."
He stares at her, wishing there was something he could do to help her, to make her understand that he would do anything to keep her dream from happening. "I'm not going to let anything happen."
"I know." she replied softly, placing her hand to her heart. "I know that, but I can't keep myself from the fear of losing you." she turned around, completely facing him. "I laid there in your arms all night and all I could think about was how horrible life would be without you holding me." she hated herself for being so weak about this. Her heart pounded as she spoke, hoping he would understand. "I just-Richard, I-" she couldn't finish her sentence, so she looked down, trying to keep herself from crying.
He waited a moment before speaking, trying to find the right words. "I love you." she looked up at him, tears spilling over onto her cheeks as he reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands. ""I will do anything to keep your dream from coming to pass. I will do anything to keep you at peace. Tell me what I can do." he wiped the tears from her face as he stepped closer to her. "I'll do anything."
Her heart pounded at the love she saw in his eyes, the truth of his words and the longing he had to protect her. Everything within her wished she hadn't had the dream, to pull him in her arms and kiss him. To thank him for being the one thing she had to count on. "I don't-" she couldn't hold herself back, she pulled him to her, she pressed her lips against his.
His arms were quickly around her, forgetting everything but his love for her. She stumbled forward, colliding their bodies in a desperate urge. She pulled at his shirt, the need for his flesh driving her forward. He broke their kiss, allowing for his shirt to be pulled from his body as he grabbed onto her corset. He couldn't remove it fast enough, his heart pounding as he watched it fall to the ground. She smiled seductively at him, slowly pulling the laces on his pants as his hands fell to her skirt.
He lowered to her to the ground, quickly laying his body over hers as she grabbed his shoulders, pulling him impossibly closer to her. The sound of the river's water rushing past them was downed out by the soft gasps and moans escaping their lips as they became one.
**********************
"What is it?" Cara asked as she dropped a small log into the fire.
Zedd looked over to her, suddenly realizing that he was pacing. "Kahlan's had a disturbing dream."
Cara looked up from the flames, curious. "About what?"
"Richard's death." he said plainly, knowing that he didn't need to say anymore to have her attention.
"What makes you think it is more than a dream?"
Shaking his head, Zedd sighed, "I'm not sure." he said as he continued to think. "There was something about the room she described to me. I believe I have seen it before"
"The room?" she asked confused.
"Yes. That's the problem."
"How is it a problem?" Cara asked as she stood.
Zedd nodded, walking towards her, "Have you noticed anything strange when you were on watch or out hunting?"
She thought for a few seconds, trying to think if she had. "No."
"She must have been close enough to her to have made her spell take effect. She must have known. The effect it would have on Kahlan."
"She?"
"Shota." Cara could hear the anger as he spoke her name.
"How do you know-You can't know for sure."
"I can think of no other who would do this."
************************
He sat, leaning against the tree, watching as she swam out to retrieve her dress that had floated away while they had made love.
"You could always join me." she called out to him as she leaned back in the water, letting it carry her with the soft current. She loved being with him, the comfort in his kiss, his embrace as he held her against him helped her forget that she had dreamed of his death. She didn't want it to end.
He smiled widely as her body floated towards him without restraint as though the river was bringing her to him for this purpose. "Maybe I will." he said softly as he moved her clothes out of his lap, lying them on the ground beside him as he stood up and walked to the edge of the river.
She brought her head out of the water, smiling up at him as she tossed her dress into the mud by his feet, freeing her hands to help her swim as she waited for him to enter the warm water. He paused as he took a step into the water, his eyes connected with hers. The smile left her lips as she saw the sudden fear in his eyes.
She swam quickly to him, taking her clothes from him as he turned around. "Show yourself!" he shouted as he grabbed his sword.
Kahlan dressed quickly, keeping her eyes on the bushes and trees surrounding them. He back up, almost pushing her back into the water as he made sure he was close enough to protect her. She grabbed his waist, holding herself steady as she bent down and grabbed her daggers out of her boots.
"There is no need for weapons unless you intend to use them on each other."
Kahlan's heart pounded at the realization of everything. "Shota." She said softly, tightening her hold on the blade.
"Lower your weapons." She said as she stepped through the brush, showing herself to them. "I am not here to do you any harm."
"That is all you are capable of doing." Kahlan said as the anger filled up within her.
Smiling, Shota came to a stop a few feet before them, her long hair flowing behind her in the wind. "You have seen what will happen and you still can't bring yourself you let him go."
"You were the one who gave her the dream?" Richard shouted as he started to move closer to her. Kahlan grabbed his arm, keeping him by her.
"Yes." She said simply, looking past him to Kahlan. "You should take the dream as a warning. You can make sure it will never happen."
"How?" she asked, hoping she would have an answer.
"Never carry Richard's child."
"What?"
"You lost your child in your dream did you not?"
She nodded, confused. "Yes, but that was because I didn't tell them what they wanted."
"You would be wise to-"
"You're lying." Kahlan said as she moved past Richard, looking the witch in the eye. "This is all your doing. Why do you not want me to-?"
"If you carry his child, it will destroy you both. I only sent you what I thought would make you leave him."
"What didn't you allow me to see?"
She shook her head, "Your death soon followed his. You allowed them to kill you. You did not even fight them as they tortured you. Raped you. You welcomed the death. Hoping it would bring you to him." She smiled, noticing the horrified look on Kahlan's face, hoping she had said the right thing. "With the death of you came the death of everything."
"Because of our child?" she half whispered, unable to speak any louder.
"The child would have been too powerful. So powerful, there will be a reward for its death. For Richard's death, to be sure another could not be born."
Richard stared her, watching her try, desperately, to find a way around Shota's words. She gripped his hand. "You're lying." She said after a few moments. "You're afraid." She added as she took a step closer to the witch.
"I am only afraid that in your selfishness, you will destroy us all. I am willing to help you. I can put a stop to it."
She looked to Richard, hoping he would say something that would make everything alright. The same fear stared back her. Taking a deep breath, Kahlan released his hand and turned back to Shota. "Zedd will know what to do." She walked away, leaving her Confessor's dress lying in the mud where she had left it. Her mind only on the hopes of Zedd telling her it was all a lie.
"How is it you can help?" Zedd asked as Shota stood before him between Cara and Richard.
"I can spell the Seeker. I can make sure the child will not receive the wizard blood from him."
"Impossible," Zedd said, knowing that there is no way to keep their child from having wizard blood. It was a part of Richard. "You don't know if their child will have any wizard powers. It does not always pass to each child."
Kahlan looked from Zedd to Shota, wondering where their conversation would lead. When she looked to Richard, he smiled a small smile. "Richard?" she asked wondering why he could be smiling.
"We cannot risk it." Shota said as she continued to argue with Zedd.
"You are afraid of our child." Richard said, his smile growing as he spoke. "You're afraid that she will be more powerful than you." All eyes fell onto the witch standing in the middle. "How can I pass my han to our children when I no longer have it?"
"It is a part of you. Just because you are not able to use it, doesn't mean it cannot be passed to the child."
"Then use your spell." Richard said as he stepped towards her, "Do what you want."
"Richard," Kahlan spoke softly, pulling him backwards to her. "What are you doing?"
"I don't care if our children have wizard powers." He said as he stared into her deep blue eyes. "They will be our children. That's all I want." She stared at him, trying to see the truth in his eyes. He meant it.
"Richard, it's a part of who you are." She said after a moment, trying to get him to understand that she didn't want him to have to do this. He never asked her to give up a part of herself and she would never ask him to do it.
"If doing this will prevent your dream from happening, then I will do it. I told you that I would do anything. This is what I have to do."
She could feel their eyes on her, waiting to see if she would go along with his plan. Her heart pounded at the thought of having his children. She knew that Richard was going to do this. It was pointless for her to argue, because she would do the same thing if she were able. She stared at him, silently asking him if this was truly what he wanted.
He smiled warmly as he took her hands in his, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fine." He whispered before looking over to Shota. "Do what you must."
Kahlan stood outside the cave as Shota did whatever it was to Richard. Her heart pounded in anger at the thought of him having to change for their children. Staring down into the grass, she thought about what their children would be like and how beautiful they would be.
"It is finished." Shota said as she walked past her, pulling her from her thoughts. "You will wish to thank me." She added as she disappeared through the trees.
She stood, unmoving; staring at the last spot she had seen her, hoping it would be the last.
"Kahlan," Zedd's voice was soft. She looked up, meeting his eyes. "You haven't told him?"
Confused, Kahlan turned, completely facing him. "Tell him what?"
He smiled, "You are already with child."
"I-Zedd how do you know? I wasn't sure until this morning." She whispered, pulling him from the cave opening, trying to keep Richard and Cara from hearing.
"I knew when you didn't argue with Richard about letting Shota use her spell."
"I can feel it. This child has more magic than that of a Confessor." She said as he nodded understandingly. "I could see there was nothing I could say to change his mind. I didn't need to."
"Didn't need to what?" Richard asked as he stepped beside his grandfather and looked to Kahlan.
"I'm hungry." Zedd said as he turned around, "Cara, let's get lunch!" he shouted in a way that told her not to argue.
The moment they were out of site, Kahlan looked up to Richard, who stared at her, waiting for her to speak. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She said quickly. "Nothing is wrong. I- I'm…" she looked down, taking his hand; she laid it on her stomach, and took a deep breath, hoping he would understand.
"You're?" he asked, a wide smile spreading across his face "You're with child?" he could barely breathe with his excitement.
She smiled, nodding her head, unable to keep his joy from spreading to her. "Yes."
He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as he lifted her from the ground. "We're going to have a child!" she shouted before pressing his lips to hers. He had never been this happy before. His body shook as he tightened his hold around her waist, keeping her pressed against him. "We're going to have a baby." He whispered as he placed her feet back onto the ground.
She smiled widely up at him, "We're going to have a baby." She repeated his words as she silently tanked the spirits. "What?" she asked as he looked off to the trees.
"Shota. She didn't even know." he looked back to her, meeting her concerned eyes. "Everything she told us was a lie. If she had known you were already with child, she would not have simply left after she- She wouldn't have allowed you to carry it." His smile returned. "She made it up. I allowed her to spell me and she wasn't-"
"Richard, it doesn't matter." Kahlan said softly, "This child-Richard, she was conceived before she spelled you. I can feel the strength of her magic. It's more than what a Confessor would have."
"She's- She has the magic within her?"
She nodded, a smile returning to her face as he took in the information. "Shota didn't win. She couldn't beat you."
"When did you find out?"
"I suspected for a week or so, but I was sure this morning."
"That's why the dream upset you." He said as he pulled her into his arms, "I'm so sorry Kahlan. If I had known, I would have-"
"It's alright." She said into his chest, tightening her arms around his waist.
"I love you."
She looked up, meeting his eyes, seeing the happiness within them. "I love you too."
With one last look to the trees, he took her hand and pulled her into the cave. He was going to use this time alone to show her just how much he loved her.