Authors note: Ok I thought I might mension I don't have a beta for any of my stories so if there are errors sorry in advance.
Landing hard, Kahlan gasped. She knew she shouldn't be doing this in her current situation, but her people were in danger. Rolling behind a fence, she stroked her bump, trying to tell her child that it would be alright.
Following the bainling with her piercing eyes, she saw it heading towards the farm house, sprinting towards the unsuspecting toddler playing on the lawn. She panicked at the thought of any child getting hurt. Before she had just thought it wrong how innocent children should have to die in place of thieves and murderers, but know, with her own child, she realised the bond between mother and child. Trying not to think about what the mother would be like if she found her toddler dead on the lawn, she charged at the bainling.
As she ran, time seemed to slow. It was almost like a dream as she watched the bainling raise the knife higher above the screaming child. Trying desperately to move her legs faster, she watched the knife fall lower and lower, slicing through the air towards the paralysed child.
Knowing she would never reach it in time, she yanked her dagger from her boot and threw it at the bainling, watching it sink deep into the bainling's flesh. She smiled as it toppled over, away from the child.
Kicking the rotting body aside, she bent and picked up the wailing child. Wondering where the mother was, she made her way towards the house. As she held the child to her, trying to sooth him a woman came running out onto the porch, screaming the child's name. Hearing his mother, the toddler stuck out his arms expectantly.
Scooping the boy out of Kahlan's arms the woman cooed the child to sleep, before enveloping Kahlan in a hug. "You saved him, you saved my little boy" She cried over and over again in to Kahlan's shoulder. Embarrassed, Kahlan hugged the woman back, unsure what to say she muttered comfort into the woman's ear until she let go.
Standing straight, the woman looked her up and down "Thank you for saving Joseph. You must get out of the cold, come inside." Without waiting for an answer, the woman turned and jogged back to the house. Hovering Kahlan debated whether to follow the woman or destroy the corps first.
Deciding on the corps, Kahlan walked over to the dead thing, removed her blade from its heart and began to try and drag it. A sharp pain in her back, made her gasp. Straightening up, she jumped when the woman spoke "Let my husband take care of that, come in and get warm." Giving up, Kahlan followed the woman inside.
Setting a pot of tea on the table the woman asked "So what's your name then?"
"Kah... Cara, that's my name, Cara Mason." Kahlan winced at how close she was to saying her real name.
"Look dear, I'm sorry to probe, but I've seen you around town a lot and I can't help but notice that you're always alone. Does your husband approve of you running around trouble in your condition?"
Sighing, Kahlan decided to stick with her widow story. "My husband died at the hand of those creatures not too long ago. Although I am not "running around trouble" as you put it, I was merely taking a leisurely stroll around the countryside; it helps with the baby you know."
Slightly pink, the woman nodded "I'm sorry if I offended you Cara, I meant no harm. I was just worried about how you were faring. My name's Diana by the way."
Smiling at the good hearted woman Kahlan replied "Not at all Diana, thank you for your concern, but I assure you I am faring fine." Noticing Diana trying to interrupt, Kahlan blocked her "How about we leave as just friends?"
"Why yes of course, friends we shall be, and as friends I would like to invite you to lunch with me and a few others."
Knowing she was going to be sticking around for a while Kahlan nodded. "So how far along are you?" Diana asked, staring pointedly at her bump.
"Four months, give or take a few days." Guessing where the conversation was leading, Kahlan settled back into her chair and started a lengthy conversation with Diana about children.
Hearing footsteps, Kahlan froze, shushing Diana, she pulled out her daggers and slipped into a defensive crouch. Hearing Diana laugh, she turned to tell her to be quite, when a man walked in. Realising he wasn't a bainling, Kahlan straightened up.
"Diana, why is there a rotting corps on our lawn?" He bent down and hugged little Joseph, who had dived out from under the table at his father's voice.
"That was a bainling dear, Cara here killed it just as it was about to attack our son. She tried to move it, but couldn't in her current state."
As if noticing her for the first time, the man smiled in thanks "I'm Philip, thank you for saving my son. I will move the body for you, it's the least I could do." Turning back to his wife, he joked "What no mother's meeting today?"
Slapping a hand to her forehead Diana said "Oh yes, I completely forgot, come on Cara, it's only a few minutes' walk.
As they walked through the woods, Kahlan began to get a peculiar sense of being there before. On the path, she was introduced to two women Rita and Nicole. Rita had a girl named Chloe, who was about six and Nicole was eight months pregnant with a boy. As she proudly stated, before carrying on with her walk.
Although Kahlan was a good traveller, none of the woman knew that, and kept asking her if she needed to take a break. Getting tired of saying "I'm fine" all the time, Kahlan walked ahead with the children.
Reaching the clearing she smiled, a beautiful cottage stood nestled against the trees in front of her, making a picturesque setting of a family home. Walking to the door, Rita knocked twice before opening the door and saying "Hey Dennee, we bought a friend along, she goes by the name Cara Mason" Hearing a something smash, Kahlan froze. It couldn't be her sister, could it?
Stepping into the kitchen, she bent by the kneeling woman and picked up a few bits of china, "Here let me help with that." Watching Dennee look up and gasp, she raised a finger to her lips, begging her to be quite.
"You know I never thought you were the clumsy type Dennee," shaking her head, Diana went to go sit at the oak table, turning her attention back to Kahlan; she asked "have you thought of any names yet?"
"Not really, I just want it to be a girl that's all" Kahlan accepted the tea Dennee offered her and joined the three women at the table.
Diana seemed the most talkative out of the three and began again without a pause "Really? I thought it was only confessors who cared about the gender. Come to think of it I haven't seen any confessors poking there noises around here lately-"
"I heard they were all dead" Rita butted in obviously trying to get a look in.
"No, isn't there one still travelling with the seeker Kathryn or something" Nicole seemed almost bored by the subject, as if the extinction of confessors wasn't worth bothering about.
"Kahlan, her name was Kahlan." Kahlan noticed the anger in Dennee's tone and pinched her under the table, warning her to keep her mouth shut.
"If anyone wants to know the truth, I know it." Kahlan kept her voice calm, as if trying to hide even an ounce of emotion "The confessor travelling with the seeker is dead now, she died about six months ago. Her name was Kahlan, but I'm sure we don't have to worry. Something tells me the seeker will stop at nothing to save this land."
Trying to ignore Diana's curious glare, Kahlan sipped her tea. "You seem to know a lot about his man" Diana blurted.
Picking up the subtle hint of jealousy on her tongue, Kahlan smiled "In the war my husband fought for the resistance. One day the seeker came by in need of shelter, his confessor was with him. We took him in for the night and over dinner we talked."
Rita gasped, "So let me get this straight, not only did you save a child from a bainling, but you also met the seeker. Is he as wonderful as the stories say?"
Wondering what stories there was about her seeker, Kahlan tried desperately to remember all of the different lies she'd told "He was very polite, and seemed to care for others way more than he did himself. I remember thinking that besides my husband he was one of the most handsome men I had ever met." Realising how her face had become slack and her eyes unfocused, Kahlan put thoughts of Richard to the back of her mind.
"Did you flirt with him?" At Kahlan's confused look, Diana explained "well if he's as hansom as you say. Surly you must have thought what an opportunity it would have been. To say you slept with the seeker would have made you very popular"
It was Kahlan's turn to get pinched. Unable to contain all of her anger, she spat "the seeker would never do anything like that and I would never cheat my husband."
The tense silence that filled the room made Kahlan sigh, she was supposed to be fitting in "Sorry, I... it's just that he seemed to be one of the nicest men I'd ever met and I wouldn't want him to have that sort of reputation around him.
A boring hour later, everybody left, except Kahlan.
Standing by the sink, Dennee began washing the dishes severely "What in the name of the creator is going on Kahlan?" She asked, not bothering to turn and glare at her sister.
Kahlan sighed and began drying the clean dishes "I don't know where to start Dennee"
Dennee pondered for a moment, her hands pausing in the bubbly water. She didn't want to hurt her sister, but she could tell something was wrong and she had to know what. "Ok, how about I ask you questions and you give me answers?"
Kahlan nodded mutely. Whilst plucking a clean dish from her sister's hand, she tried to prepare herself for the onslaught of emotions that she knew was about surface. "Have you taken a mate?" Again Kahlan shook her head. Dennee gasped "The child...is it Richard's?" Nodding, Kahlan dropped her eyes to the dish she was holding. "Kahlan Amnell, what have you done? Look at me when you speak, you are not a child."
Surprised by Dennee's bossy behaviour, she grinned. Looking her directly in the eyes, she spook "Yes the child is Richard's and I couldn't be happier about it and before you ask, no he is not confessed"
Slowly Dennee grinned. "I'm so happy for you sister, wait, why did you say you were dead?"
Dennee fired questions until Kahlan's voice was horse from talking. Summing it up, Dennee asked "So you're keeping Richard's child from him to protect it and you "killed" yourself so he wouldn't follow you, but you plan to see him again. Just after the child can protect herself?"
"When you say it like that, I sound truly crazy, but yes that is the idea. Will you promise me something sister?" Looking deep into Dennee's eyes, Kahlan begged her to understand.
"Of course, what is it?" Dennee knew she would promise her sister anything, but she was still unsure about what Kahlan was doing. Even though she knew that the child would be one of the most loved children in the Midlands, she still thought it wrong not to give her a father.
"Promise that you will never tell the seeker that I am alive, or that he has a child until I do?" Inwardly, Dennee groaned.
Knowing it was for the best, Dennee nodded and placed her hand over Kahlan's heart, whispering "I promise" just like they did when they were children.
"Wait, let me get this straight. We're going to tell the woman I killed that her sister is dead because I failed to protect her. No offense or anything lord Rahl, but don't you think that's just a little stupid having your best protector killed?" Cara huffed as Richard walked further ahead. It was as if he was trying to ignore her!
Speeding up, Richard tried to tune out Cara's constant moaning. He didn't want to see Dennee anymore than she did. It wasn't that he had anything against her, in fact from what he knew of her, she was one of the nicest people he had met.
It was just the way she acted so much like Kahlan and the love he knew the two sisters shared. He did not want to be the one to deliver the news to her, for both their sakes.
As Kahlan filled his mind, he felt the familiar pain flow through his body. Although it had been months since she died, it still hurt as if it were yesterday. He gripped the silver locket around his neck until his knuckles turned white.
"We will arrive just before lunchtime tomorrow. I hope she's a good cook. Are you alright my boy?" Zedd came up beside him and put an arm around his shoulder, trying to keep his voice as cheerful as possible. He had found that he missed Kahlan dearly. He missed her laugh, he missed her cooking, heck he even missed her rows with Cara. Although none of them would be there if it weren't for Richard, he felt as if she had not only taken Richards's soul with her, but also their hope.
Richard nodded mutely still lost in his thoughts of Kahlan. Absentmindedly he stroked the locket around his neck, Kahlan's last words hovering in his mind "I will always love you...forever"
Kahlan laughed as Toby squirmed in her arms as she mercifully tickled him. "Now now Kahlan play nice" Dennee joked, lifting a finger she wiggled it at Kahlan and laughed when she pouted. Although Toby wasn't technically hers, she loved him like her own and loved her role as Lucinda when it involved him.
Placing Toby carefully on the floor, Kahlan stood up to help Dennee with the potato's she was peeling.
As she peeled and chopped, she hummed a tune Richard used to hum. Although she missed her old life very much, she enjoyed just being able to relax with Dennee and let the days fly by.
Hearing a knock at the door, she froze. She knew Richard had not seen Dennee yet and the times fit perfectly. Trying to be as silent as possible, she slid to the window and peeked out. Sure enough, Richard stood there, looking as beautiful as the last time she'd seen him. Smiling at the sight of him, she nearly missed Cara and Zedd standing behind him.
Stepping back from the window she knew she needed to hide. Whispering to Dennee to keep her promise, she slid into the bedroom.
As she sat down on the bed, she heard Dennee open the door. "Richard, what are you doing here?" Kahlan was proud at the way her sister could lie so easily that even Richard could be fooled.
A small smile lit up her face as she remembered the first time she had taught Dennee to lie. "I'm sorry Dennee but we have some bad news, may we come in?" Kahlan recognised Zedd's voice and suppressed a groan. She wanted desperately to hear Richard speak.
Hearing them cross the threshold and take their positions Kahlan grew impatient. "Kahlan's dead" Kahlan's inpatients turned to sorrow as she heard Richard's flat voice, knowing she'd put it there. Choking back tears, she tried to listen for her sister's reaction, but all she could here was Richard choking and crying. "What have I done?" she muttered as she pulled the blankets over her ears, unable to listen any longer.