The moonlight covered the ground with a soft glow as the dying fire crackled softly. The wind blew through the trees making the sound of a soft rain. The sway of the branches caused a small calm feeling to wash over her. The tears slowly rolling down her cheeks felt cool as the wind brushed by her face. She found it difficult to sleep when the woman who killed her sister slept a few feet away and the man she loved had been confessed by another woman. "Kahlan?" his voice softly broke the dead silence. She didn't respond. "I know you're awake, I can hear you crying." Once again, she said nothing.
Richard rolled onto his side, facing her. She didn't move, no open her eyes. "Kahlan, please. You haven't spoken much in days." She opened her eyes and turned her head towards him. "I know you're upset, and I wish I could do something." "I'm the last Confessor. My sister is dead. There is nothing you can do." Kahlan turned her head back to the sky. "I know it must be hard to lose your sister." Kahlan closed her eyes and sighed "I am alone." Her words were not for him to hear, but he did. He reached over, turned her towards him and pulled her into his arms. "You're not alone. We're here. I'm here." He held her for a few moments before looking down at her. For the first time in days, she appeared to be sleeping soundly.
Her eyes opened slowly as she ran her hand across his chest before he reached for her hand. Quickly she pulled her hand back and sat upward, facing the fire. Cara, wide awake, sat looking over at them. Moving away from Richard, Kahlan picked up her daggers and placed them in her boots. "Kahlan, I'm sorry." Cara's voice was soft enough for Kahlan to hear and not wake the others. Kahlan looked over at her and gave a small nod. "Kahlan, really." Kahlan stood slowly, trying not to wake Richard and walked past Cara. "I just need …time." She turned towards the trees and walked away. "I'll get us some food." And she was gone.
The sun had started to rise when Richard and Zedd woke to find Cara tending to the fire. "What?" she asked at their faces. "Where's Kahlan?" Richard asked looking around. "She went that way a few hours ago." She nodded in the direction Kahlan had left. Zedd stood "Hours?" Cara sat beside the fire "Yes, she said she was getting food." Richard looked down where they had slept "Her pack is still here." He called over to Zedd. "Wait, you think she'd just leave?" Cara said half smiling. "I'm going after her." Richard said picking up his sword. "Tell her to hurry, I'm starved." Zedd said quickly.
Richard followed Kahlan's tracks for over half an hour before she was in his sight. She sat before a lakeside tree. She appeared to have been sitting there a while. The bottom of her boots had begun to sink into the mud as she rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. The sound of sticks breaking beneath Richards boots caused Kahlan to jump. She pulled a dagger from her boots and stood quickly. "It's just me." Without a word, she returned the dagger and sat back down. "I thought it was…" she didn't finish her thought. She didn't have to. "You thought it was Cara. Kahlan, you were ready to attack." Kahlan turned her head towards him "Maybe she'd come to finish what she started and kill me. Finish off the line of Confessors for good." She didn't blink as she spoke, she wanted him to see her anger. "Cara wouldn't hurt you." Kahlan stood, "Why not? Because it would displease you. The lord Rahl, master and commander of D'Hara. The man she serves!" her words started to crack as she forced out the last few words. The tears that had formed in her eyes, held hostage as she refused to let them fall. Entrapped in their blue prison. "Kahlan, you're the one who asked her to continue with us."
Taking a step forward, closer to Richard, she took a deep breath "I am the last of my kind Richard, and no matter how I felt. How I feel now, you need her. I won't be with you much longer. You need her." He looked at her, his eyes looking for anything in her blank expression. He'd seen this face before. She was hiding something. "I need her, yes, but you're the one I want with me." She stepped closer "But you no longer need me. I have to preserve my kind." Swiftly, she walked past him and over to a small bush and picked up several rabbits. "We should head back. Zedd'll be hungry." "This isn't just about your sister is it?" Kahlan stopped mid step. "It has nothing to do with me not needing you." Kahlan didn't move. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You were confessed, Richard. How could you even want me here after that?" she opened her eyes as he remained silent. "I'm going to Aydindril and I will continue my line." He walked quickly behind her, turning her to face him. "You can't just leave." He held her firmly on her forearms. "I can. I must." Richard shook his head at her answer. "I can't lose you." His hand ran up her arm, over her shoulder and came to a rest on her cheek. "You're not losing me. I'll always be…" she took a deep breath and took a single step backwards. "When she confessed you, all I kept thinking was how I'd lost you. Then I realized all the times I had wanted to take you." She studied his face , his eyes held nothing from her. "If I don't leave, I'm afraid I'll lose you and it would be my fault." Richard said nothing as stared right back into her eyes. "Say something, please." He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him, making it impossible for her to push away.
After a moment she gave a small laugh and he pulled back "I just told you, I was afraid of hurting you and you hug me?" Richard smiled warmly "You'd never hurt me." Kahlan backed up once again "I have to leave" "Kahlan, I need you." He stepped closer to her "You don't need me, Richard." She turned and started to leave. "You want to tell yourself that so you can quit, you can. But you're wrong." He waited for her to stop, but she didn't. "I don't know if I want to do this alone. I don't even know if I can. And if I quit now, the Keeper wins." She turned back to him "Richard, you will stop the Keeper. Even if I left. You would not let innocent people die." Richard's shoulders sank as he realized the truth of her words. "It's not the people I do it for. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you and I meant it." She looked down to the ground "I know you did. It's not enough." Turning her back, she started to leave once more. "Please. Don't send me on alone." She stopped and without looking back "I'll stay until you find the stone." And she left him standing there, this time; he didn't try to stop her.
As she came upon their camp she heard a voice she hadn't heard in months. Picking up her pace she pushed through the last bush and appeared before them. "Good, you're back. Tell them, they can trust me. And she can put that down." He waved his hand at Cara who had her agiel pointed at him. Kahlan stared at the tall dark haired man for a moment before she dropped the rabbits and made her way over, hugging him. Cara still held out her agiel when Kahlan pulled back "It's okay. This is Jacob. He's an old friend. He's also a wizard." Kahlan turned around to face Zedd and Cara "This is Cara, and Wizard of the First Order, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander." Cara lowered her agiel and walked to stand beside Zedd. Kahlan turned back to Jacob "What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile. They both sat as Zedd walked over to the food she had returned with and started to prepare it. "I was looking for you. I heard what happened. Are you truly the last?" Kahlan only nodded. "Ah, my boy, come help me with these." Kahlan turned to see Richard coming through the bushes. He held her eyes for a moment, before he walked over to help Zedd and Cara. "When did he arrive?" "Not long before she returned. Why?" Cara watched him as he glanced over to the two of them without answering. "Are you going to return to Aydindril?" Kahlan looked over at Richard and then back again "I will once we are done." Zedd quickly looked over to Richard who nodded at his grandfather knowing the question.
"Then you will take a mate then?" Jacob asked "I will." Kahlan answered softly. "Then, I request to be taken." All eyes flew upon him "What?" Kahlan asked half breathed. "You need a mate. I know how hard it will be for you, after what happened, and you can not confess me." Kahlan searched his eyes. "How can that be?" she asked cautiously. "The wizard Giller. I was summoned to work beside him to capture the power of a Confessor. I have taken his elixir." Kahlan jumped to her feet "You helped Giller?" He looked up at her, seeming surprised that she was upset. "You of all people should know what it's like to do something you don't want to do." Kahlan watched him, as he crossed his arms. "I was sent to find Confessors. They trusted me, so it made it easy. That was the plan." Kahlan shook her head "When we were held by Giller, where were you?" She backed away further. "I knew nothing of it. I had been sent to secure more prisoners." He looked up at the others, who stared at him "I had no choice." Again, Kahlan shook her head "You are lying." Richard looked at her, she would try to back away more, but she was already too close to the fire. "Why did you come searching for Kahlan now?" Richard asked moving to Kahlans side. Jacob didn't take his eyes off Kahlan "She's the only person I have left." He stood "I only wish to help." "Who?" Kahlan asked sternly. "You… You must bare a child. I would be an excellent father." He looked around at them all "So can I stay?" "No." Kahlan answered quickly and coldly. Everyone looked at her "Why not?" She didn't take her eyes off of him "Because I no longer trust you." He stepped towards her, Kahlan, it's me. You've known me most of your life." "You're hiding something." He stepped closer, almost flush against her. "As are you… from everyone else here. I know things that I am sure you have not told them." His eyes went to Richard "None of them." He looked back to Kahlan. "Choose me as your mate and I will speak of this no further." Kahlan lifted her head "That's what you're after." She shook her head in disbelief "You always wanted a powerful child. Ours would be half Confessor and half wizard." He smiled "Unstoppable."
"You need to leave." Kahlan said as she turned her back to him. "Did Kahlan ever tell you what her father did to her? Why she has never taken a mate? She didn't did she?" Kahlan froze. Richard and Cara watched her as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Jacob stop." Richard's eyes moved back to Jacob as he smiled widely at her request "Her father would sell her to the highest paying man. She couldn't confess them all. Tell them! Tell them how many men have touched you, had their way with you, or how you would cry yourself to sleep every night. It's a great story, I'm sure they'd love to hear! Go on, tell them how you'd pretend everything was fine!" Kahlan moved quickly, no one saw her move. Her fist slammed against his chin sending him flying to the ground. "I had to! If I didn't he would have made Dennee do it! I would not let her endure that!" Jacob held a hand over his jaw as he laughed "But you let her die!" Richard, Cara and Zedd watched as Kahlan fell to the ground gasping for air. "What's wrong, Mother Confessor? Are the memories too much to bare?" Cara walked over to him and kicked his face as Kahlan covered her mouth, trying to withhold her screams. "That's why she never chose a mate. Couldn't stand to have another man touch her… But she has no choice now." He said through laughs. Cara pulled her agile and slammed it against his chest and held it until he stopped screaming and passed out. Richard managed to pull Kahlan into his arms, her back resting against his chest. She held her hands to her face, trying to compose herself, but the tears wouldn't stop falling.
After a few minutes she lowered her hands and took a deep breath, which came along with her "Confessors Face" pulling away from Richard enough to stand, she slowly stood, never removing her eyes from Jacob. It appeared as though she thought he would attack her at any moment. "When did you realize he was up to something?" Cara asked softly "When he asked if I was going to take a mate." Her voice was quiet, fragile. "How?" Richard asked looking down at Jacob and back to Kahlan. "When we were young, he would always talk about wanting a powerful child. He often suggested mating with a Confessor." Kahlan turned and walked around the fire to where Zedd had been preparing the food. "After one of the other wizards sent for him he never spoke of it again." Kneeling to the ground she pushed a blanket into her pack and looked up at Richard. "I'm sorry…" He walked quickly before her "You're not leaving. You can't." He looked at her face, her eyes were red and splotchy but that didn't hide the emotion pouring out of them. "It was true, wasn't it? What he said." Kahlan's eyes closed the moment the question ended. She opened her mouth, but no words came. All she could do was nod. Richard's heart fell to the pit of his stomach as he saw the tears fall from the corners of her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked to the ground. "My father would have done anything for money. It didn't matter who he hurt." She tried to push past him, but she only got as far as one step before he held her against him. She didn't return the hug, but starred at the ground. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." His words whispered into her ear as a hand ran through her hair.
She pulled away and looked up at him. She started to speak when a cough came from the ground. She turned to look quickly, his eyes were starting to open slowly. "I could poke him again." Cara said looking down at him. "I have a better idea." Richard said walking over to Cara, and whispered something making her smile. Turning, Cara gave Jacob one swift kick before Richard bent down and picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder. "Richard!" Kahlan called as he and Cara started off through the trees. He turned back to her. "We'll be right back." He gave her a reassuring smile "We're not going to kill him." Kahlan didn't look convinced. He couldn't tell if she wished he would or was against the idea. "Trust me." She nodded and he walked into the trees.