Father Confessor

A/N: Please review, this is my first fanfic.

Synopsis: When Darken Rahl learned that a male Confessor lived on Valeria, he sent the Mord-Sith to retrieve him. But the Confessors there refused to relinquish the child. In their anger, the Mord-Sith slew every Confessor on the island. Years pass, a new Lord Rahl reigns over D'Hara, and rumors of a male Confessor begin anew…

CHAPTER ONE: DEATH BY FIRE

The cottage was engulfed in flames. Dennee could barely breathe as she ran, trying to find an exit that was not ringed with fire; she couldn't see through the thick haze of smoke. The baby in her arms cried louder, shaking his tiny, balled fists; he was scared. After another second or so of desperate twists and turns through the fiery maze, she made it outside. She cradled the crying child.

"Hush now, little one," Dennee cooed to him. "Hush."

"My lady!" Tom came running towards Dennee and the baby, the day's catch slung across his back. He had been fishing in a river not too far from the cottage.

"My lady, are you hurt? Why are you crying?"

"I'm fine Tom," Dennee told him. "Tom, they've come for him. We cannot let them take him." She hands the child to Tom. "Take him into the woods, and kill him."

Tom stared at Dennee for a moment, but finally answered, "Yes, Confessor."He turned and ran in the direction he'd come from; he did not look back. Dennee watched Tom go until he disappeared from her sight.

"Where is the child?" Dennee turned. Out of the burning cottage emerged two stunningly beautiful women. Each was clad in dark red leather: they were Mord-Sith, the elite within the elite of the Lord Rahl's servants. One of the Mord-Sith, the blond one, stepped forward and struck Dennee so hard she drew blood.

"I asked you a question," the Mord-Sith said calmly, casually, as though this were all routine to her. Dennee said nothing. She stared at the Mord-Sith, daring her to strike again, which she did. Dennee crumpled to the ground.

"You won't get anything out of her that way, Cara," the other Mord-Sith said, leaning casually on a tree.

"Where is he?" Cara asked again, ignoring her companion.

Dennee smiled. "He is dead! Killed by the fire you set! Tell that to your Lord Rahl!"

The last thing Dennee felt was the pain of Cara's agiel.

"Mother!" Vincent screamed as he woke. He sighed. Just a dream, he thought. But it was so vivid…he groaned in pain, his head throbbed.

"Is something wrong, child?" Vincent relaxed at the sound of the voice.

"The little baby is crying for his mommy!" another voice said.

"Be quiet, Samuel!" Samuel cringed at the simultaneous reprimand.

"I am fine, Shota," Vincent told her. "Just a bad dream."

"Very well, if you need anything, you know where to find me." With that, Shota left Vincent's room, with Samuel trailing after her.

Vincent got up and stretched. He'd been having the dream more often of late. When he told Shota about it(as he tells her everything), she had said that it was a repressed memory, trying to resurface.

"Embrace your memories, child," she had told him. "Never forget who you are."

But how can I forget? Vincent thought bitterly. How can I, when the curse of my ancestry is burned into my very soul? I am Vincent Amnell. I am a Confessor.