Distantly, Kahlan feels her hair whip around her face as a strong wind rips through the camp. Zedd's usually booming voice sounds murky, distant, as if they were all under water.

You'd think she'd be used to this spell business by now.

Zedd calls upon the forces of nature; begs for the grace of The Creator and bargains with the sands of time. Richard is beside him, drawing out spell forms in the dust at his feet.

She feels Cara's hand slip into her own, giving a gentle squeeze.

"It's going to be ok, Mother Confessor." Cara's words seem sure and strong, but her gaze remains focused forward towards Zedd and Richard, betraying her hidden fear.

The wind picks up even more and Zedd's voice is completely drowned out by the howling.

Soon.

Kahlan doesn't understand how the spell forms aren't getting swept away at this point. Cara's grip on her hand tightens as she draws herself closer to The Mother Confessor.

"Kahlan…"

Turning her heads towards Cara, Kahlan realizes she's not sure if her friend actually spoke her name or if she'd imagined it but Cara's fierce green eyes pierce her own. The nod that Cara gives her is nearly imperceptible, but Kahlan sees it. She knows it's the only affirmation Cara can give her right now.

It's the only response Kahlan can give back.

Kahlan's eyes water as dust is kicked up into them by the wind. She closes them, only for the briefest of moments but when she opens them the howling wind is gone.

And Cara with it.

Kahlan stays perfectly still in her bedroll and squeezes her eyes shut in one desperate attempt to make this nightmare go away.

Nearby Richard and Zedd are waking up also, or becoming aware, she supposes. It's not like they'd really been sleeping moments ago in that windstorm of a spell.

"Kahlan?" She hears Richard call out from where he is just getting to his feet.

"I'm here," Kahlan calls back, finally pushing her blankets away and sitting up, "I'm alright."

"Zedd?" Richard turns to make sure his grandfather is also unharmed.

"All's well here, m'boy," Zedd groans, standing also.

"And we all remember the spell?" Richard questions, looking back and forth from Zedd to Kahlan. She simply nods.

"Indeed, not one I'm likely to forget either."

Zedd's attempt at levity seems to work for Richard. Kahlan isn't having any of it; she swears there's a boulder tied to her heart, dragging it down to the depths of her soul.

"We'd better get moving so we have time to set that trap." Richard already has his things packed and moves to help Kahlan with her own supplies. "Are you alright?" His voice is low, directed only to her.

Kahlan's hair falls into her eyes as she shakes her head, "I will be when this is over."

Richard takes a deep breath; his head dips with understanding. He offers his hand to Kahlan and pulls her onto her feet when she accepts.

"Let's go," he says, trying his best to smile. His façade is not as convincing as usual.

Kahlan's hand feels dwarfed in his. Somewhere in the back of her mind she notes that Cara's hands are so soft in comparison.

Must be the gloves.

Kahlan smiles to herself and doesn't bother correcting Richard when he thinks it's all for him.

They reach their destination around midday, with a few candle marks to spare before they know Cara and the other Mord'Sith will arrive.

Richard enlists Zedd's help and goes about setting his trap.

Kahlan paces, idly twirling her daggers in her hands. She loses track of time and Richard's hand is on her shoulder much sooner than she would've liked. Although that also means they're that much closer to having this over with.

"Ready?" He asks gently. Kahlan nods and Richard motions for Zedd to make himself scarce before the Mord'Sith arrive.

Within minutes they see a blonde head of hair crest the small hill in front of them. Cara saunters towards them, Dahlia shadows her and the other Mord'Sith are not far behind.

With a flick of her hand Cara orders the attack and her Sisters of the Agiel surge forward. Cara's smirk falters as she glances at Richard, the picture of calm, his sword still securely sheathed at his waist.

Kahlan watches as the blonde's eyes dart about before landing on the forest floor just a head of them. She stops and throws an arm out to the side, blocking Dahlia's forward progress. They watch as the leaves below their Sisters give way, plummeting them into a deep pit.

"Your arrogance gives you away Richard," Cara calls out before carefully moving around the hole in the ground. She chances a look down and sees that, instead of her sisters skewered on sharp spikes as she had expected, they are simply, literally, in over their heads. The pit extends above them twice the tallest Mord'Sith's height.

Cara arches an eyebrow towards The Seeker, as if to say, you weak naïve fool, you should have killed them.

They are ten paces away when they come to a stop and Cara's gaze finally lands on The Mother Confessor.

Kahlan can't help it; her eyes clench, right along with her heart. But she's made a deadly error within those few seconds.

She hears the ring of the scabbard as Richard unsheathes The Sword of Truth and her eyes snap open to find Dahlia's agiel screaming towards her head. It collides with her face, snapping her head to the side and sending her reeling. She hardly has time to whip her hair out of her face before she feels the agiel connect with her again. Dahlia jabs it into her back, just barely missing Kahlan's spine, failing to deliver the lethal blow.

Thank the Spirits.

She feels the pain suddenly vanish. Richard had managed to sweep Dahlia's legs out from under her but as Kahlan struggles to stand he calls out to her, "Kahlan! Run get out of here!"

If her head weren't swimming and her back weren't still in spasm from the agiels touch, she might not have listened. As it is, she knows she can't do him any good in her current state.

If only I hadn't let my guard down.

Kahlan turns and manages to run several paces towards where Zedd is hiding before she hears two things. The first being the near silent slicing of the air that accompanies a Dacra.

What in creation is a Mord'Sith doing with a Dacra?

The second; a yell that makes the blood in Kahlan's veins run cold with the fierceness of it.

"Dahlia! No!"

Kahlan feels as if her world is in slow motion as she turns to face both noises and is met with a surprisingly familiar scene. Red leather invades her vision as Cara skids to a halt. The blonde's back is to her but Kahlan can see Cara's arm stretched out in front of her, the Dacra inches from her palm. It slows to a stop and Kahlan can hear Dahlia's incredulous cries of anger.

"What do you think you're doing?! Protecting that bitch?!"

Kahlan can feel the fury flowing off of Cara and she's torn between stepping away and reaching out a hand to touch Cara, to feel that power.

"Do not call her that." Cara's voice rumbles in her chest and Kahlan swears her own body is humming with the Mord'Sith's power.

She sees Cara's arm cock back and a second later hears the small cry of pain as the Dacra embeds itself in Dahlia's chest. Kahlan chances a glance towards her and sees that her palm is still extended, arm outstretched but having done nothing to curb the Dacra's deadly path towards her heart.

Cara is breathing deeply in and out through her nose, her jaw still clenched.

"Cara?"

Kahlan lightly touches the blonde's shoulder. She hears Richard cry out as Cara rounds on her.

For a moment she is terrified of the fire she sees in Cara's eyes but when they meet hers they soften immediately, as if cooled by the icy blue they found there.

"Kahlan," Cara says simply before surprising The Mother Confessor and wrapping her arms around her, nearly picking her up off her feet in a crushing hug.

Cara's name ghosts across Kahlan's lips as she wraps her arms around the blonde's neck.

"I couldn't let her hurt you," Cara murmurs against Kahlan's shoulder.

Kahlan pulls back, gently taking Cara's face between her hands, "You remember? You're unbroken?"

Cara ducks her head slightly, shaking it, "I didn't, I wasn't; not until I saw that Dacra flying towards you."

Kahlan smiles, tears of joy shimmering in her eyes, "You got my back."

Cara nods, "I've got your back."

Kahlan can't help but pull Cara into another hug only disentangling herself from Cara when they hear an awkward cough from behind them.

Cara immediately turns and drops to one knee, her head hanging low, "Lord Rahl," she intones, "I know I don't deserve it but if you can find it within yourself to forgive me, I will never betray you again."

Cara's head snaps up as she hears Richard laugh. Before she knows it, he's pulling her to her feet and into a fierce hug.

Kahlan notices that the tension never leaves Cara's shoulders as Richard grips her tightly. He steps back, holding Cara at arms length, smiling widely, "I'm just glad you're back with us."

"As am I!" Zedd's voice booms from where he had come out of hiding. Cara manages a smile in the wizard's direction before approaching him.

Kahlan can just barely make out what Cara says to the wizard as she glances back towards Dahlia's lifeless body.

"Don't let her come back a baneling Zedd."

Zedd places a comforting hand on Cara's arm before making his way over to the dead Mord'Sith. Kahlan doesn't watch as he engulfs her body in Wizard's Fire, her attention is focused on Cara who can't seem to look away from the unsettling sight.

"They're gone," Richard says suddenly, looking into the gaping pit of their trap, "The Mord'Sith, they're gone."

Cara rolls her eyes and sighs, "It must have escaped the Lord Rahl's mind that Mord'Sith can transform into crows at will."

Richard turns from the pit sheepishly, "Right, yeah."

"You should've lined it with spikes," Cara says simply, crossing her arms across her chest, "you should've killed them."

"What if it had been you?" Richard questions.

Cara's indignation shows all over her face, "If the Lord Rahl thinks I can be fooled by a trap as simple as that he may as well kill me now for I am surely of no use to him," she glances in Kahlan's direction, "nor anyone else."

Richard huffs slightly, but smiles, "Ok Cara we get it. Now, we'd better put some distance between ourselves and this place; those Mord'Sith could come back for us any moment."

"Richard's right. Plus, the sooner we can find a place to camp, the sooner we eat." Zedd's smile stretches across his broad face; Kahlan can see the cogs turning in his mind, imagining their next meal.

As they start off Kahlan finds Cara by her side, "Remember what I said in the tomb?"

Kahlan tilts her head towards Cara, giving her a smile, "Of course I do."

Cara meets her gaze before looking straight ahead up the path.

"I wasn't delirious."

With that the Mord'Sith picks up her pace to take point while they travel.

A/N: Once again thanks to those who reviewed and favorited. I have decided to post this chapter and then next within a couple of days getting in tune with the general word count of the other chapters. After that I'll be extending the chapters and posting once a week, more than likely on Sundays. I'll try and stay a couple of chapters ahead so that I always have something to post for you guys. Thanks again! rke