Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to leave comments! :)

Reborn (Chapter 2)

The sun was just beginning to emit its soft morning rays, the birds singing overhead in nearby branches as they ushered in a new day. Sitting on a log by the fire, he poked and prodded the dying embers awake with a stick as he watched his grandson who had finally fallen asleep. Zedd was more than ready for breakfast and hoped to have the fire stoked enough for a proper meal before they started their day on their journey to D'Hara.

Zedd smiled to himself at the site of Richard sleeping, clutching Kahlan's green blanket so protectively against him as if it were she that lay in his arms. He wondered what Kahlan would think when she discovered that her favorite blanket was gone. He had also noticed a certain pendant missing around his grandson's neck and knew that an exchange of some sort had been made with or without Kahlan's knowledge.

His heart ached to see his grandson struggling so. It was times like these that he questioned his decision of naming Richard the Seeker, knowing the terrible burden and deadly responsibility that he had thrust upon him with the title and sword. He always knew that Richard was a very special person, gifted beyond imagine, possessing power the likes of which had not been seen in over 3,000 years.

While the burden he bore was tremendous, he knew Richard above anyone else would find his way through it. It was just difficult to have to watch him battle the demons that came with the title and with the bloodline that flowed through his body.

Zedd was worried about how being separated from Kahlan was affecting him. He knew Richard had slept little since they had left Aydindril a little over a week ago, eating about as much. He could see fatigue lining his features as well as the conflict that continually clouded his eyes since leaving the Palace.

Richard's self-imposed punishment was no doubt affecting Kahlan as well. He feared that she was doing no better than the Seeker was. He knew these two were not meant to be apart from one another. They needed each other in order to survive.

He watched as Richard suddenly began to shift and stir, fighting a battle that had overtaken his mind even in his sleep. He sighed deeply, knowing that the conflict would not end for him any time soon. He had tried to talk him out of going to D'Hara right now especially after what had happened to Kahlan, but Richard would hear none of it, staring despondently out those balcony doors, lost in a sea of anguish and guilt that threatened to drown him. His grandson had been distraught by what had happened to his wife and refused to forgive himself despite the fact he had been under a powerful magic that held him against his will.

Zedd was still astonished by the incredible power his grandson possessed. Once the Dragon's Heart was found, Da'Tavius's spell would have been irreversible. Even without the Heart, the magic held within the covers of that damned journal was so strong that it would have taken Zedd days to have broken through it and yet Richard had been able to break free from it on his own in a matter of hours. His powerful Han and the love that joined him with Kahlan had protected his heart.

Wise wizards and men of old had always said that there was no magic in the world more powerful than love. Zedd had always scoffed at the saying, brushing it off as being nothing more than hopeful nonsense meant to make people feel better about the world they lived in. But after watching Richard and Kahlan, witnessing firsthand the love that they shared, the sheer intensity of it, Zedd was now a staunch believer in that theory and would viciously debate anyone who argued against it.

Zedd abruptly looked up at the sound of Richard mumbling something in his sleep. His hands were clutching the blanket tightly, his face creased with fear. The Seeker began shaking his head back and forth, obviously distressed by his dreams.

Richard softly moaned Kahlan's name, his voice steadily growing louder and more frantic every time her name left his lips. He suddenly lurched forward, breathing heavily as his eyes scanned the area surrounding him. Fistfuls of the blanket were clenched in his hands as he held it against his chest. He looked like a frightened little boy, waking in the middle of the night from a terrible dream, desperately looking for someone to comfort him - except that he had left that someone back in Aydindril.

"Nightmare?"

"It's nothing," Richard distractedly mumbled, releasing his hold on the blanket as well as a deep breath. He ran his hands over his face before raking them back through his disheveled hair.

"Didn't look like nothing," Zedd ventured a little further, attempting to draw his grandson out.

They'd spoken little since they had begun this journey and when they did speak, it was always about anything but Kahlan or the things he was wrestling with. The only other thing they had really discussed was the exercises he had taught Richard on learning how to control his Han as well as the rage.

Standing to his feet, Richard turned his back to his grandfather, carefully folding up the blanket as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Bringing it to his face, he breathed in his Kahlan one more time, drawing strength from her scent before gently placing it back into his pack.

Dropping his backpack back down onto the ground, Richard's heart ached so deeply that it was difficult to draw a breath but he knew that had no one to blame but himself. The dead void that existed within him as well was still there, pulsing with a lifeblood all its own, sapping his strength and his will to fight it.

"Richard…"

"Zedd, I don't want to talk about it…please…not right now…" he softly said, his voice holding no anger, only despair and loneliness as he kneeled down and began packing his bedroll as he attempted to avoid eye contact with his grandfather.

Saddened by his grandson's growing isolation, Zedd lightly replied, "I was wondering what you were planning on doing about breakfast. You know I can't travel on an empty stomach."

Looking up into the concerned eyes of the old Wizard, Richard couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips. "I'll see what I can find for you. Can't have you starving to death on me out here."

They shared a brief smile despite the pain that had taken up a permanent place in the Seeker's eyes. Grabbing his bow and arrow, Richard began to walk past his grandfather only to be brought to a stop by a boney hand on his leg.

"You can't keep going like this, Richard. You're going to have to face what happened to Kahlan. You can either accept it, knowing that it wasn't your fault or you can continue to shut Kahlan and everyone else out by hiding behind that wall of guilt that you're building. Just know that I'm here when you're ready to talk."

Richard stood stiffly, staring vacantly at the forest that spread out before him. Tears rose to the surface, but he would not let them fall. His throat felt thick, his tongue numb. He could not answer him. Deep down, he knew that Zedd was right, but he was not prepared to forgive himself. Not yet, not until he had paid some unknown, unseen debt that would at last purge him from his sins. Kahlan's life was too precious, meant too much to him to allow forgiveness any room inside of his heart right now. What he was going through now did not even come close to what he'd put his wife through.

"I just can't right now, Zedd…I'm sorry…"

"Just remember that Kahlan loves you very much, Richard…we all do. The only one blaming you for any of this is you," he reminded him as he released his hold on the Seeker's leg.

He could feel his grandson still standing beside him, not making any attempt to move. He held his breath as hope began to flicker that he might have actually reached him, that Richard might open up and allow him to help him through this. However, that hope was quickly extinguished when he heard his heavy footfall as Richard made his way towards the sanctuary of the forest.

Although disheartened by his lack of response, Zedd was more than willingly to follow his grandson to the ends of the earth and even to D'Hara if that was what was necessary to help him. And Richard needed more help right now than he knew.

XXX

Escaping to the refuge of the woods, Richard released a strained breath as he attempted to quiet his heart. His chest felt as if a tight band had been wrapped around him, relentlessly squeezing tighter and tighter. Being surrounded by the woods, he still felt like a man who had lost his way despite being as close to home as he could be walking amongst the trees that he loved so much.

Richard had never felt so lost in his entire life as he did right then. It felt as if he were being torn apart, his emotions threatening to pull him in a thousand different directions. He didn't know what to think, what to believe, or what to feel any more. There was such a fierce war being fought inside of him that he didn't know what was going to win out in the end. Would his fury finally take over, erasing his control and logic once and for all? Would his Han begin to kill him like it had in the beginning when the headaches had first started months ago? Or would his heart finally heal, allowing himself the forgiveness he could not accept, the love from Kahlan that he could not allow himself to receive?

His heart told him to race back to Kahlan as fast as his horse could carry him. His fury that forever churned deep within that hidden abyss inside of him told him he needed to stay as far away from her as possible, igniting a fear in him that he could not ignore. His sense of justice and what was right was pushing him on to D'Hara as soon as possible, gaining the throne before his wicked brother could.

He could feel his Han breathing a new life inside of him ever since it had been awakened that night out on the ledge. Why it had been dormant since its return to him when Cara brought him back with the breath of life was beyond his comprehension, but it was back and he had never been more thankful for it than he had that dreadful night. If it hadn't been for his Han reaching out and touching Kahlan's dying body, he most likely would have lost his wife out on that ledge.

A strangled cry of anguish escaped his lips at the memory, a single tear trailing down his cheek. Richard knew that he had hurt Kahlan by leaving her like he did. He had truly thought that he had been doing what was best for her. He couldn't allow her to suffer or to die because of him. Until he could find that inner peace, that balance between fury and magic, it was not safe for her to be near him.

Tilting his head back as he attempted to draw in his emotions, he peered up into the brightening sky overhead, the dappled morning sunlight burning its way through the thick cover of leaves. He wondered what Kahlan was doing right at that moment. Was she sleeping? Was she even thinking about him? Did she miss him as fiercely as he missed her?

Darker thoughts began seeping into his mind as well, attempting to drag him into the bitter darkness that was desperate to hold him prisoner. What if Kahlan hated him for leaving her? What if she never wanted to see him again? He wouldn't be able to survive it if she sent him away, refusing him as her husband. His life would come to an abrupt end right then if that happened. He would be better off dead than a man living without his heart.

Richard knew that he had to press on. He had to keep going. He had made it this far, had already risked Kahlan's love. He couldn't stop now. He had to see this through despite the agonizing pain that burned inside of him. He just prayed to the spirits that Kahlan would be able to find it in her heart to forgive him someday.

XXX

Lying on her side on the cool floor, Kahlan gripped the blanket tighter around her as she shivered. The embers had cooled hours ago, but she had been unable to find the desire to get up and add more wood to the fire. Staring into the cold ashes, she felt as lifeless as the cinders staring back at her.

She found herself spending more and more of her time here on the floor before the fireplace, a dark blue blanket replacing the one that Richard had taken with him. It had brought a small smile to her face knowing that he had taken her green blanket with him. He had wanted to take a piece of her with him and that had brought her a bit of reassurance, breaking the monotony of despair that held her tight.

Nausea began its relentless morning assault on her just as it had for the last two weeks. Two weeks… It had been two weeks since she felt that spark of life that was developing within her; the life that she and Richard had created together, life that had formed because of their deep-seated love for one another.

And Richard wasn't even here to experience this with her, to share with her the joy of the life they had made. He didn't even know that he was going to be a father and there was no way of letting him know. Kahlan's hand flew to cover her mouth as a sob fought for release. She should be overjoyed right now, ecstatic about Richard's child growing within her, but how could she be when her husband had shut her out of his life, was on his way to D'Hara and would not be back for months.

How was she going to endure the next nine months without Richard here with her? She was thankful for Cara, Aggie, and Edmond, but she needed her husband, wanted to share this experience with him. This was something that she had thought she'd never have the privilege of experiencing. Carrying the child of the man she loved had just been a dream at one time. Now it was a reality, living and breathing inside of her womb.

Clutching the tooth pendant that hung around her neck, Kahlan's eyes slid closed with exhaustion, a stray tear trickling over the bridge of her nose and down her other cheek. Richard had been gone for almost three weeks now and it was all she could do to get by. She slept for short periods of time, but never the whole night through. She had eaten little since his absence and the nausea was not helping her appetite any either.

She knew she needed to keep her strength up, to take better care of herself for their baby. Richard would be furious with her for endangering her life or the life of their baby because of him, but her broken heart wouldn't allow her. She could scarcely bring herself to sleep in their bed since he had left. She had tried on multiple occasions only to wake after a couple of hours and move to the floor before the fireplace.

Sleeping on the hard floor made her feel better, brought her somehow closer to Richard. She wasn't sure if it was because of all the months traveling with him and having to sleep on the cold hard ground, but whatever it was she would take what little solace it provided her until his return.

Releasing her hold on the blanket, she gently ran her fingers across her abdomen in an attempt to soothe the sickness from her belly, but she knew it was no use. Not even the herbal remedies that Aggie swore by did much to calm her morning sickness or boost her appetite.

Cara would just stare helplessly at her sometimes, her eyes narrowed in concern. She could tell that the Mord'Sith was worried about her and wanted to help, but that this was definitely beyond her realm of expertise.

Cara had been a surprising comfort to have around, though. She was always close at hand, keeping people from bothering her and yet she was never so close as to be suffocating. Cara recognized that her friend was suffering, but had thankfully not forced Kahlan to talk about it. She had allowed Kahlan to lock herself away in her room for hours on end, dealing with her pain the only way she knew how right now.

Kahlan had a feeling, though, that even Cara was not going to allow her to go on like this for much longer. Every time she looked into the mirror, Kahlan could see the effects of Richard's absence weighing more heavily in her features despite her best efforts to put up a good front. Her once bright blue eyes appeared dull, dark shadows forming beneath them. Her lack of appetite and the relentless morning sickness had already begun to be noticed in her face. Her cheeks looked drawn and hollow, a sense of sadness veiling her appearance.

Kahlan knew she couldn't lie there all day despite how she felt. She had responsibilities and the world was not about to stop because of her heartache. She was the Mother Confessor. She could not afford the luxury of sorrow right now.

Bringing the tooth pendant to her lips, Kahlan placed a tender kiss on Richard's necklace, releasing a silent prayer to the Spirits that he would come home to her and their baby soon…

*There you go! Kahlan's going to have a baby! :)