TITLE: The Winds Return: The Swordsman and the Confessor
AUTHOR: Robswandering
CHARACTERS: Kahlan Amnell / Cara / Chaylan /
RATING: R / M
WARNINGS: No Warning
TIMELINE: After Season 2, 26 years
DISCLAIMER: This is a creative license to use some of my favorite Programs from Legend of the Seeker Television show and develop a more in depth personal view of one possible future for Richard and Kahlan.
SUMMARY:
Kahlan and Cara's ongoing journey through the Woods of Westland to reach a destination that will lead them to someone who will help them locate Richard. Accompanied by a young Swordsman, Chaylan, they find that he may be more than meets the eye. Filled with characters from previous adventures who revisit Kahlan and Cara, they must fight through the woods of Westland for their lives to get to their destination and in the process find an old ally to assist with the search for Richard.
The Winds Return
The Swordsman and the Confessor
Chaylan stared out across the valley of noble fir trees. Their large trunks and green branches dotting the landscape as they marched down into the valley and up over the far hills. The scent of pine wafted through the air as he stood up on a formation of boulders that overlooked the valley. Cara closed her eyes and looked up into the rough canopy of the evergreen trees. Chaylan noted the expression on her face. The perfect mirror of a child in blissful contemplation. He flicked a glance at Kahlan, "What is she doing?"
Kaylan laughed a warm and lilting laugh. "It's an exercise Richard taught her. She's 'taking it all in' as he would call it."
"I may have my eyes closed, but I can still hear you." Cara replied. "I'm getting a feel for the area."
Kahlans smile was enough to tell her that she knew better. "Do you 'feel' anything yet, Cara?"
Cara pursed her lips concentrating then relaxed her face once again impassive. "Just Lord Rahls trees."
Chaylan rolled his eyes as he stepped down off the rock formation. "Just over those hills, and through the rocks we'll be at the cove that encloses the harbor of a small coastal town on the coast of Northern Westland." He smiled at Cara and she stared up at him with a deceptively impassive expression. "Do you ever smile Blondie? Or is that something else we're going to have to teach you?" Her momentary reaction seemed as though she would stick her tongue out at him, but it was a mere imperceptible reflex. So she has a personality after all, he thought. "After we reach it, you'll be able to find passage on a ship to Southhaven."
"I don't' recall Richard ever mentioning a town this far north in Westland." Kahlan replied. "There was a town, Hartland as I recall, south of us. I don't think we would find a warm welcome there." She flicked a strand of brown hair behind her right ear as she peered down into the valley and out over the hills.
Cara sniffed. "Do you really think Lord Rahl came this way Mother Confessor?"
"The Wizard… said his trail came west from Aydindril. We haven't found any sign of Richard, Cara. If we need to go anywhere, it's Southhaven." Kahlan sighed. "That I'm sure of."
"Southhaven?" Chaylan passed her some dried meat and then some to Cara. "What makes you so sure your friend-"
"Lord Rahl," Cara interjected. "He is Lord Rahl. Master of D'hara."
Kahlan noted the brief glistening moisture that barely cupped the surface of Cara's right eye and then with a blink was gone. Chaylan's relaxed demeanor was like water running off a ducks back with his easy going smile, prominent cheek bones, and feline like grace. It almost seemed as though he lived outside the world around him. There was something about his eyes, so similar to Richards hawk like gaze that hid an ageless appearance behind his gaze she rarely saw in others.
"Lord Rahl" Chay continued, his long white hair flipping back and forth over muscular shoulders still held intricately together with a small leather thong. Kahlan noted that the thong held his hair fast to his skull and not a single strand out of place. "What makes you think Lord Rahl," He emphasized the appellation, but Cara stared off into the distance seemingly disinterested, "will be where you presume he will be?"
"He was a woods guide here in Westland when I first met him. He was known by the name Richard Cypher." Kahlan said as matter of factly.
"I knew a George Cypher," Chaylan's use of the name stopped Kahlan cold. "I haven't seen him in some time. "
"Richards adoptive father. He was killed by Darken Rahl. Before the boundaries came down Richard grew up here in Westland with George Cypher near Hartland. Do you know it?"
"Seat of power for Westland. Ruled by a First Councilor, if memory serves." Chaylan replied,
"That's right. Richards brother Michael was First Councilor." Kahlan added.
"That is, before Lord Rahl killed him." Cara interjected in a tone that conveyed more sarcasm than condolence.
"This Lord Rahl kills all of his family members, or just the important ones?" Chaylan rubbed his chin with thumb and forefinger. He winked when Kahlan eyed him with a sidelong glance.
"Michael betrayed Richard to Darken Rahl, but that's another story for another time," Kahlan's tone was warm, yet instructive, as if she were simply reciting facts, but her sidelong glance at Cara conveyed caution. "Before Richard disappeared, there was a Sorceress from Tamarang in the Peoples Palace who told him to follow his destiny in the West beyond the Rang'Shada Mountains."
"Were those her exact words?" Chaylan's soft tone was instructive and Kaylan could tell he was lost in thought.
"No." Kahlan said giving him a sidelong glance and she pursed her lips as she puzzled his intent. "Why?"
"When dealing with things of magic, especially a Sorceress, it is important to know exactly what is said." He balked noting the look of suspicion. "Or so I've heard."
Kahlan's warm tone softened "When I was young, my mother used to tell me that with things of magic, never assume. Always be certain. I have come to understand over the last few years being with Richard that those words walk a blades edge when it comes to dealing in practical matters of magic."
"That is true, but most common people don't understand rules dealing with Magic. They're either foolish enough to dabble in things of magic they do not understand, or they fear it, often creating bigger problems. In my experience, the latter is almost always true." Chaylan's tone gradually became more of a short staccato of consonants with elongated vowels. It was a subtle difference, but Kahlan recognized the accent much like the accents she had heard as a young girl in Aydindril among the older families.
"Are you saying that you're not one of those Common people?" Kahlan replied.
"Not at all," He laughed, "I simply have the smarts to pay more attention when it concerns things of magic. So," he continued lightly, "What exactly did this mysterious Sorceress say?"
"I wasn't there when she spoke to Richard." Kahlan stared off in the distance remembering the exact words that Richard had said. Search the winds, to the west of Aydindril across the Rang' Shada, no betrayal shall convey you to the shadow of the Temples Peak. She gave a mental shrug. "It's what happened after that that's most important."
"I understand…" Chaylan paused, "What is most important?"
"Richard's odd disappearance. He was in one of the libraries when he simply vanished. Like something pulled him away." She wrung her hands taking slow careful steps keeping Cara within sight as she rounded a tree just up ahead.
"He vanished. As in gone, are you sure he didn't just find a secret passage?" Chaylans new accent began to annoy her a little."
"Vanished," Her brow wrinkled remembering the words Rikka had said. He just vanished. One minute he was standing there and the next. Gone. Right before my eyes. She put her hand on his forearm, "You're speaking with an accent now. Not like you did before." Kahlan replied, her words like ringing an alarm. "Where are you really from?"
He sighed, "Catch that did you? My father was a director for a very high Official, and my mother was a healer. I was being groomed for the life of a High borne and thought it was rather dreary so I left. Not much to tell really."
"Almost like someone else I know." She got lost in thought remembering George's face. Her little boy now fully grown into a young man and trying to live down the shadow of his parents. His small hands, the first time he ever confessed, the girls face. How angry and frightened she was. Richards warm consoling words. Chaylans silence was her queue he wouldn't speak any further on the matter.
"Watch the bank, it gets steeper here." Cara called back crouching down and beginning her descent.
"You mind if I go ahead of you?" Chaylan asked, "It's steep, and this terrain is dangerous."
Kaylan smiled, dropping her hand from his forearm, inclining her head to allow him to pass. The slope dropped a bit down to the south around some trees, but it appeared that the trail down the slope had been well travelled as there were handholds for a traveler to keep their balance. Cara rolled her eyes watching Chaylans descent carefully.
"So," He began with a warm tone, "Lord Rahl, vanished. I imagine since he was in a library he was reading. Do you think that might have been the cause of his disappearance?"
She wiped the sweat from her cheek with a kerchief Richard had given her with his initials stitched into the corner. "We looked at every book he had been reading. We discovered they were the same books that Darken Rahl had been reading. We searched them looking for answers as to where Richard might be, but found nothing that would lead us to him."
Chaylans uniquely relaxed manner seemed to turn into a measured feline grace as he walked. "If you don't mind my asking, these books told you what exactly?"
Kahlan cleared her throat clearly stalling for time. She was unsure of Chaylan now. His revelations about magic made him out to be far more than she had first expected. She would have to think carefully about what she would say. "They spoke of a rift that occurred many years ago, prior to the Great War." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but his expression remained unreadable, "Over seven thousand years ago."
"Seven thousand years ago, you say?" Chaylan stepped over a dead log and turned to offer Kahlan a hand over it listening to Cara marching out ahead, "That's a long time." He paused staring off across the valley, then back to Kahlan. "I'm curious if Richard would agree to two vulnerable young women searching alone for him, even if you are a confessor and a…" He gestured toward Cara, "Whatever she is." He turned away from Kahlan finding himself mere inches and toe to toe with Cara, her face unreadable.
"For the last time," She whispered through gritted teeth, "You will address him as Lord Rahl, Master of D'hara." She pressed the Agiel into his side listening for the familiar pop of his ribs. He screamed out, more in surprise than pain as she looked directly into his eyes."You would do well to remember it." Cara grasped his throat with her left hand, the Agiel flicked up to her right." She turned on her heel tripping his left foot out from under him, throwing him off balance as she struck her palm into his chest driving him to the ground. "These young women, as you call them, are hardly vulnerable." Her icy glare scolded him before she turned and stalking off.
Chaylan rubbed his throat, "Master Rahl Protect us," He whispered reciting part of the devotion. "Is she always like this?"
Kahlans smile was almost condescending. "She's not wrong Chaylan and I'm not entirely defenseless either." Kahlan whispered rather conspiratorially as she let a piece of the confessors white dress slip from under her travelling cloak while she helped him up off the ground.
"I see" Chaylan replied, his left eyebrow arching in recognition of the threat. "A Confessor is hardly vulnerable. Although I hardly understand what a single Rift event has to do with you two out here searching for… Lord Rahl. How do you know he's here?"
"The books spoke of a guardian in the west, an ageless protector of power that stands guard over the breach. We do not know what this breach is," Kahlan's voice became very quiet. "We searched some of the other books and Darken Rahl's notes. It says that he found references to someone who knew of the Guardian, the Rift and the Seventh Star shift. That… is who we're searching for."
"So you're searching for someone who may have the location of this Guardian in the hopes that they may lead you to Lord Rahl," He pulled a piece of dried meat from his pack and tearing off a piece handing it to her. "Yet you don't know who that person is only that they are somewhere here in Westland. Is that right?"
"That would be almost accurate." Kahlan smiled angling down past some tall redwood trees and through some shrubs. "We're actually searching for someone I knew many years ago. The last I heard he was in Southhaven."
"Why don't you tell him our master plan Mother Confessor." Cara's sardonic tone called from up ahead. "With luck, he'll try to murder us both and go in search for this guardian you speak of."
"He's been helpful this far Cara, we need to find Richard, before…" her sudden silence brought a meaningful look from Cara that perhaps she was going too far. "Before it's too late."
I'm assuming that Lord Rahl is some relation to this Darken Rahl?" Chaylan replied with the intent to divert the subject quickly.
"His birth father." Kahlan replied feeling a sudden change in the air as if the air around them got crisper and somehow colder. She noted Chaylans expression growing colder, his eyes filling with the same cold rage she'd seen in so many others. "Richard killed Darken Rahl."
"I remember hearing rumors of Darken Rahl. Father Rahl they called him, the benevolent leader." No sooner were Chaylans words out of his mouth than Cara let out an audible huff, backtracking and pushed past him following movement through the trees. She scanned the ground rapidly tracing a trail through the undergrowth.
Chaylan changed course and followed behind her. "George Cypher was jovial and warm. His stories entertained our table one evening when he passed through. If the stories are true and If Richard was raised by George, there's no doubt in my mind he's a good man." He smiled reassuringly, "George is the reason I came to Westland after the boundaries came down. A very unique soul in this world, I'm sorry he passed from it."
"Are you trying to get points for association, swordsman? It will do you no good. The Mother Confessor and I already have husbands." Cara called back over her shoulder as she moved through the tall pine trees and down through a heavily forested area near a small brook. She could hear Chaylans laughter ring through the forest. "Any louder and you'll scare off our dinner." She called back scanning an area of broken shrubs and plants before moving on. She placed the flat of her palm on the trunks of trees as she passed them and intently studied the ground.
"What are you looking for?" Chaylan asked following her line of sight.
"Shhh, Deer. I'd say an hour they passed through here, maybe less." She stopped and turned looking off down the valley and pulled a single strand of hair from her head releasing it into the wind watching it blow away from her face angling down into the valley in line with the deers trail. She growled in frustration knowing the wind would alert the deer to their presence by their scent.
"I didn't take you for a hunter, blondie. Know any other magic tricks?" Chaylan noticed the sudden reflex of her body as if reacting to his offhanded remark. Hardly noticeable but with one fluid motion Cara reached for the bow hanging from her shoulder and slid the string across the belly and into the nock.
"Shhhh." She growled more than whispered, crouching down waving the others behind her to follow. With one swift fluid motion the bow came up, the string drew back, the arrow flew and the deer jumped from the brush with the arrow firmly imbedded in its neck. Cara let out an audible huff of frustrated disappointment. "Come on." She growled.
"Nice Shot Cara," Kahlan called out to her as she followed close on her heels.
"I missed," She growled, "It was alerted to our presence. All this noise spooked it. If not for his blundering back there we wouldn't be chasing after a fleeing deer, we'd be skinning it for dinner."
Kaylan smiled her own private smile. "Still a good shot. Let's go find it."
Cara gave her a sidelong glance and started moving down the hill toward her prey, but Chaylan grabbed Cara by the arm whirling her back around. "Hold up there Blondie." He stared up at the Canopy of Pine trees and then off into the distance.
"What is wrong?" Cara flicked her wrist bringing the Agiel to her hand ready to fend him off, but Chaylan's reflexes surprised Cara when he grasped the end of the rod and pulled it down to the ground bringing her right along with it. A momentary flick of an arched eyebrow gave any indication of her surprise that he was painfully being affected by the Agiels magic. She could feel it coursing through his body, but he didn't show any indication the magic affected him.
Chaylan held a finger to his lips and motioned for them to look in the crook of two hollowed out trees some distance off. A group of clawed and furry long tailed gars huddled together startled by the fleeing deer. He held up six fingers reiterating the number of Gars huddled together and removing the blade from its scabbard he moved off to the left circling around the Gars.
Cara grasped Kahlans arm and slowly moved back towards the trees. They all stopped dead as a branch snapped under Cara's heel. Chaylan winced, shaking his head in disbelief. Cara could see the sudden change in the Gars attention which was now focused on their hiding place.
"Mother Confessor, stay here!" She growled coming out from behind the trunk of a live oak evergreen, drew back and put an arrow into the skull of the largest beast. It gave off a sickening howl, the slick belly still covered with blood flies as it dropped to the ground. The other gars seeing the woman in brown leather came bounding toward her. She realized it was far too late for her to notch another arrow, so she stood, feet planted, Agiel in hand waiting for the Gars.
The long tailed gars howled, wings frantically flapping, jaws slavering, claws outstretched to meet their prey. Cara watched it all in slow motion, senses heightened, the gars leaping and bounding until with one swift movement she caught a glimmer of silver light flashing from the corner of her eye.
"Ayyyyyyiiiaaooooooo!" Chaylan charged, the head of the first long tailed gar sailed past Cara and its body coming to rest at her feet. The Gars quickly changed direction, wailing and growling as Chaylan reappeared in the midst of the group moving with feline grace and ferocity, his blade glimmering. He barely avoided the jaws of one of the gars crushing his skull and disemboweled another with a fluid strike of his blade. His slow fluid grace seemed too slow, but every time it seemed the Gars had him with the swipe of a claw or within the reach of those needle sharp jaws he seemed to slide past the danger and slash with the blade. Moving, dancing, and slashing. With one final thrust all was silent. The bodies of six gars lie motionless on the forest floor.
Chaylan stood stock still, sword still raised horizontal to the ground and parallel to his eyes. Finally the danger averted, he relaxed lowering the blade to the forest floor and then turned back to Cara. "I don't know if that was bravery, or blind stupidity, Blondie. You're lucky you survived."
Cara's sidelong smirk coupled with a passive expression, "You know Swordsman, you're going to an awful lot of work, but I'm not impressed." Cara stalked past him to pull her arrow from the skull of the gar. She gazed up at the sky, and drew the arrow back with the string, "Oh look, more fun."
Dark shadows broke the rays of sunlight funneling through the tree canopy overhead as five more gars, their tails prominently shorter than those of the first six, landed as one in a clearing no more than fifty feet from them. Chaylan's blade flashed up instantly in a defensive posture as the tallest lunged for him. For a split second man and beast measured one another seemingly frozen in time before they moved. Kahlan realized something wasn't quite right when she noticed the familiar leather thong and pouch that used to hang around Richards neck.
"GRATCH Nooooo!" Kahlan cried, her breathing ragged, she raced between the dueling man and beast.
"Mother Confessor, Noooo" Cara grunted as she dove for Kahlan, but was too far out of reach as Kahlan ran into the path of Chaylans whistling blade. She watched the horrific scene unfold. Chaylans sword passed through the air and as if hitting a wall changed direction sliding sideways narrowly missing Kahlans throat. Her look of surprise turned to relief as her arms wrapped around Gratch's midsection throwing him back and off balance away from the blade. Gratch lifted her off her feet gargling with laughter while showing her a rather large and hideous grin full of needle sharp rows of teeth.
"Riiichhhuuuurrrrgggg!" Gratch howled, hugging her to him. "Richuurrg Lug."
"Yes, yes! Gratch, yes." Kahlan cried out gleefully, "Yes, I know you love Richard. Put me down please."
Gratch gently lowered Kahlan to her feet and shook his head pointing to the leather thong that held a lock of Kahlans hair around his chest, then to Kahlan. "Richuurgg Lug."
"Yes Gratch, I am Richards love." Her throaty laughter set the other gars at ease, yet she could see they were still poised to pounce. She wrapped her arms around him once again to show his companions her good intentions, but also just as quickly released him before he picked her up again. "Gratch, I'm sorry," She waved off a blood fly. "Richard is missing. We're trying to find him."
Gratch held up a clawed finger motioning for her to wait. His wings folded back, his tall frame seemed to hunch as he stepped over to the bodies of the long tailed gars. With tentative slow movements he placed a claw to each of the gars chests before letting out a guttural growl then a whining cry followed by the staccato clucking of his teeth and another gurgle.
"He's calling each by name saying farewell. It's their way. You have some strange friends Blondie." Chaylan whispered while sliding the oiled cloth across the crusted blade of his sword. "Any other friends I should know about with fangs and teeth and wings that might come falling in from the sky?"
Cara smiled. "Lord Rahl is a friend to all creatures. He even has a pet dragon."
"A dragon you say?" Chaylan whispered, the soft incredulous sound almost music to her ears.
"Yes, a red one." Cara replied, the self-satisfied smile still firmly affixed.
"A red dragon. Dangerous beasts, I should like to meet this Lord Rahl who befriends Gars and dragons." He slid the sword back in its scabbard, his expression unreadable.
Kahlan was remarkably touched by the formality of the ceremony. It didn't dawn on her that the Gars would have a formal ceremony to honor their dead, but Gratch's display with the tender touches and the low growls, clicking noises, and guttural roars gave her sufficient reasoning that Gars are far more than she had first been led to believe. At last Gratch came to the last Gar and snarled at the disemboweled body lying in the rapidly turning leaves. He stared at the body, his soft tone gurgling a sound of absolute sadness.
Gratch stared back at the three humans standing together, his attention now focused on Chaylan and the hilt of the sword a striking backdrop to the man's long white hair, curved muscular features and the hawk like gaze staring defiantly back at him. Gratch's lips peeled back in a threatening gesture and then the soft gurgling mews of sadness as he turned back to the disemboweled body. Gratch's eyes drifted to Kahlan and Cara, his lips peeling back once again in a threatening growl.
"Is he going to cry or kill us?" Kahlans soft apprehensive whisper was almost the only sound.
"It appears," Chaylan replied, "he is torn between the two. I don't understand myself as I have never witnessed such a display from a Gar. I assume that he is torn between the two extremes. We should know momentarily."
"Let's hope that he loves Lord Rahl more than he cares for his own kind." Cara interjected as she slowly pulled the leather straps holding the long bladed dagger at the small of her back.
Kahlan moved closer to Cara and closed over Cara's hand now brandishing the hilt of the blade, "I'm inclined to agree Cara, but discretion is necessary in this case."
Cara relented, her hand dropping from the hilt and her Agiel dropping from her grip to hang by the chain attached to her wrist.
"Gratch." Kahlans voice was cool and calm. Her face filled with sorrow over seeing the sadness mirrored on the Gars face. "Gratch."
Gratch met her gaze and stared sullenly back at her. His clawed fingers opening and closing as his chest heaved. It appeared the longer he stood over the body, the more excited he became. Cara noted the same tense expressions on the faces of the other Gars. They all seemed to slowly crouch as if ready to pounce.
"Gratch, I am deeply sorry for your loss." Kahlan swallowed hoping she was getting through to him. She maintained her even composure and tender voice. "Gratch, they gave us no choice. They attacked before we had the chance to-"
Gratch growled ferociously, his lips peeling back to show hideous needle sharp teeth, his attention entirely focused on Kahlan. The growl finally subsided and he stared back down at the corpse lying in the leaves. With one final grunt he scooped out entrails and blood wiping it on his stomach and turned back to the small group of humans.
It was an immediate change at first, the solemn sadness, then an impassive stare, finally after eyeing Chaylan for a moment, his lips pulled back into a menacing snarl, the guttural beginning of a roar in his throat. His wings unfurled showing thin veins traveling through nearly transparent membranes. In a flying leap he bounded. Chaylan stood still as stone, his face expressionless watching the advancing Gar.
"No! Gratch!" Kahlan cried tried to get between the man and the Gar, but Chaylan moved to bar her way with his arm. Cara's Agiel lunged forward in her already outstretched arm and Chaylan grasped the end of the rod maintaining his still posture accepting the pain the Agiel delivered.
"Gramoahr," Chaylans even tone was a growling roar. Gratch's ferocity faltered as he processed the word. Chaylan bowed his head, eyes to the ground, and placed his palms together in front of his chest and bent to one knee. "Ho'Maija Gramoahr."
As quickly as Gratch had covered the few feet between them his wings folding back and for a brief moment a look of confusion shadowed his face before changing to an impassive expression that Kahlan could not read. He placed a fur covered claw on Chaylan's shoulder and lightly squeezed. When Chaylan rose and looked up at him, he smiled that hideous smile with rows of needle sharp teeth.
Chaylan bowed his head and moved off through the forest moving away down the hill toward where the deer had run. "We had better go," He called "If we want to catch it by nightfall."
"What just happened?" Kahlan asked bewildered. She sidled up to Cara, a look passing between them that Cara did not miss.
"Mother Confessor," Cara stole a glance back the way that Chaylan had gone. "After marrying Ben, I have long decided that sometimes male customs are simply beyond my understanding."
"There are times when I feel the same about Richard," Kahlan sighed and stared into the face of an old friend who smiled back with that hideous grin. "This is something else entirely. Do you think perhaps he has magic?"
"None as far as I can tell, I would feel it." Cara replied trying to remember all the times she touched him with her Agiel.
"This isn't adding up, but we have to find Richard." Kahlan turned back to the large Gar that stood almost three heads taller than her and weighed another two hundred stone more. "Have you seen Richard, Gratch?"
Gratch shook his head, his ears slowly drooping and his lips in what appeared to be his best mimic of a frown.
"It's okay Gratch." She ruffled his fur and his hideous grin reappeared, wings flapping. "What did he say to you? The man with the sword," She pointed the way that Chaylan had gone.
Gratch gave her a confused expression and then pointed back the way that Chaylan had gone and then north east toward the northern edge of what was once the Midlands, but now through Richards actions had become the part of the Empire of D'hara.
"He's from the North?" Kahlan's voice was calm, her confessors face firmly affixed.
Gratch's affirmative response was enough to confirm, but he held up his claws as if brandishing a sword and then pointed at Cara's Agiel.
"He hurt your… your family. Yes, Gratch.. I'm sorry, Cara is sorry-" Kahlan stopped speaking when a clawed hand clamped down over her mouth as he shook his head no. When she stared up at him he repeated the gesture and grabbed the end of Cara's Agiel. His recoiling howl set the other gars on edge as they all crouched in a menacing posture ready to pounce, but Gratch turned and quieted them with a growl of his own.
"This fun game is going to get us killed, Mother Confessor," Cara's acidic tone was clear, but Gratch's growl and Kahlans impassive stare brought the desired response.
Kahlans brows rose in comprehension, "The sword, the sword hurts like Cara's Agiel."
Gratch's ears perked up, he nodded and his mouth dropped in a hideously larger grin than before.
"I don't understand Gratch," Kahlan ran her fingers through her hair as she got lost in thought. "He's not a Mord Sith. He's just a man we met here in Westland. He isn't even a wizard."
Gratch's stare was undeniably like the expression Richard would give her when she wasn't quite seeing the truth of something, as if she was unavoidably trying to deny what was right in front of her.
Kahlan recoiled a little at the similarity. "Don't look at me like that Gratch."
Gratch patted her head and pointed a furry clawed finger at his temple. She watched carefully as he put his claw above his eyes as he stared out over the valley to mimic searching for something. "Richuurrg, drrruuuttthhh.."
"I will Gratch." Kahlan smiled somewhat incredulous at the communication and Gratch touched the leather thong around his neck. She ruffled his fur and he picked her up hugging her to him, barely able to breath. "Gratch, Gratch," She laughed in spite of herself when he gently placed her back on the ground. "Will you help us find Richard Gratch? Help us find him?"
"Richhhuurrrg." Gratch gurgled.
"Yes Gratch, help us find him. Please Gratch." Kahlan called stepping away from him before he decided to pick her up and hug her to him again.
"Graaaaatch find Richurrrggg." He placed a clawed fist to his heart before turning back around to the other Gars.
"Ok Mother Confessor, this Gar is starting to make sense, I think we've spent enough time with Lord Rahl's playmates. It's time to go." Cara grabbed Kahlan's arm hauling her down into the valley after Chaylan.
"Thank You Gratch!" Kahlan called waving back to him before turning and following Cara down into the Valley.
Gratch turned to the two smallest short tailed Gars and released a series of Growls. They seemed to involuntarily straighten and then replied with a guttural affirmation before unfurling their wings and launching themselves into the air. Gratch watched them circle over the valley heading the direction that Cara and Kahlan had gone. Gratch stared east and sniffed the air before launching himself into the air, the other gars right behind him and flying in slow lazy circles east toward Aydindril.
Cara and Kahlan found Chaylan standing over the deer at the bottom of the hill. It had dropped down into a shallow creek bed, finally exhausted and too weak to continue running as the blood poured from its neck. Chaylan lifted it and started back up the hill. He let the deer settle onto his shoulders as he moved up the other side of the valley.
"We'll be safe once we get to the top of those hills." He inclined his head to the west denoting a group of hills covered in trees, with the exception of the top where appeared to be a clearing. "There's a small cave just on the other side. We can make camp and eat before we begin the trek down into town."
Cara gave Kahlan a passing glance as she moved passed the mother Confessor to keep distance between her and Chaylan. She watched his muscles ripple with the added weight of the deer he'd placed on his back supported by his pack. Kahlan pulled Cara back watching Chaylan move on up the hill through the trees.
"Did you understand what he said to Gratch?" Kahlans confessor face mirrored Cara's Mord sith.
"I have never heard Gars addressed in that way Mother Confessor. Darken Rahl communicated with Gars to send them out to assassinate targets, but never in any other language but magic. It's possible it's an ancient dialect of High D'haran. Berdine would know more than I about such things."
"I don't like this, Cara. Chaylan is not what we thought. At first, I wasn't quite certain, but after... after seeing Gratch, there's something not quite right about this man. Gratch wanted me to seek Richard, seek the truth. I'll write to Berdine in the Journey book and see what she says for now, if nothing else, we should be more careful"
"Aren't I always Mother Confessor?" Cara's broad grin made Kahlan uneasy. She stepped past Kahlan and fell into a trot, pulling the string from her bow and securing it with a thong to her leather pack.