She tugged at her dress, feeling more than uncomfortable in it. Looking a head of her, she made she they didn't notice. Richard had been keeping a close eye on her, being sure to be there for every one of her needs. Giving the white dress one last tug, she rushed to catch her friends. The rain had continued throughout the night, the ground had become soft and muddy, making their feet sink in with each step, slowing their pace.
"You keep pulling on it, you're going to rip it off." She turned around at her friends voice, realizing that she was back to tugging at her clothing. "Don't stop, i'm sure Richard wouldn't mind."
"He would." she replied looking over to him. He walked closely to his grandfather, speaking softly so they wouldn't hear him. "He wouldn't want to hurt me again."
Cara looked at her, confused by her tone. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing." Kahlan snapped back at her friend, going back to pulling at the white cloth. A soft growl of frustration left her lips as he came to a stop. Moving quickly, she bent down and ripped her dress, the sound bringing everyone's atention to her. She didn't say anything as she pulled at the fabric, tearing it shorter and shorter.
Zedd, his mouth open wide in surprise at her destroying her dress, started to say something, but Richard grabbed his arm, silently begging him not to say anything. "It's been bothering her since she put it on." he whispered, watching the Mother Confessor, to see if she had heard him. If she had, she didn't let on. "Something's wrong with her." he added, looking up to his grandfather.
She looked up at the silence around her, seeing them staring at her. "What?" she asked almost innocently. Her eyes were dark, frightening them for a moment. Standing, she dropped the pieces of white cloth to the ground, bringing their attention to how short she had ripped the dress. It covered little more than Richard's shirt had, making it difficult for Richard to look away. Seeming pleased with herself, Kahlan started walking again, passing them all without a word.
"Zedd?"
"There is indeed something wrong."
Nodding, Richard turned and watched the woman he loved walk away from them. "We can't let her near Rahl like this."
"What are we going to do? Tie her up?" Cara asked laying her hands on her hips.
"If I have to." he replied looking back to Kahlan, who hadn't stopped or slowed down. "I can't let her get hurt. Not again. Zedd, what's wrong with her?"
"It must be the wounds. An elixir that moves through the blood, but I have never known one to have worked."
"Well since you've heard of everything." Cara said rolling her eyes.
With a sigh, Richard turned away from them and took a few steps, "We have to think of something before it gets worse. I can't lose her. Not again."
He walked closely beside her, his eyes constantly looking from her to the path before them, afraid he would lose her in the few seconds he looked away. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" her voice was soft and sultry, bringing his eyes back to her.
He swallowed quickly, forcing himself to speak instead of kiss her. "Why did you rip the dress?"
She looked over at him and licked her lips, slowly, wanting his attention. "Why not? Don't you like it this way?" she smiled, looking down to herself for a moment, before looking back to him. "I thought you did. You've hardly taken your eyes off me. Not that I'm complaining."
"Kahlan," he started, somewhere inside hoping that saying her name would bring her back to him. "that dress- you're dress, it's a symbol of who you are."
"Of what I am." she said quickly. "I am a Confessor. That is what this dress represented."
"You're The Mother Confessor."
"I didn't ask to be." she replied, coming to a sudden stop. "You think that I wanted this?" she asked angerly. "I wanted to rid myself of this curse from the moment it was given to me! I've wanted nothing more my entire life to be normal and this, this is just another burden."
"You don't mean that." he said softly, his heart pounding at the anger in her eyes and voice. "Kahlan-"
"I mean ever word. I never wanted any of this." she replied, stepping away from him.
He shook his head, he wasn't going to watch her do this any longer. "What is wrong with you? You've been acting strange for almost two weeks and now, you're almost a completely different person."
"I don't know what you're talking about." she replied, turning away from him and walking away.
He grabbed her arm, yanking her to a stop as he held her in place. "Don't do that. Don't walk away from me when I'm trying to help you."
"I don't need your help." she snapped, jerking away from him. "Leave me alone."
"No!" he shouted, surprising her. "I won't leave you alone. I'm not going to let you do this to yourself." gripping her forearms, he gave her a gentle shake. "Kahlan, do you hear yourself? This isn't you!"
"How would you know? You've only known me short time, you don't know anything about me!"
"I know enough to know that this is not you."
"You're wrong. This is me. I'm finaly allowing myself to be free. What happened was the best thing that I could have gone through. I now know that I don't have to do this any longer. I'm free."
"You've always been free-"
"Free? I'm a Confessor! There was no freedom for a Confessor. We're all bound by our duties and what the people want of us and we never have a choice. I never wanted this. I hate who I am. Everyone does."
"I don't." Richard said softly, "I love you."
Shaking her head, she smiled. "No. No you don't. You love the idea, but not me. You don't love me."
"I love you more than I can tell you. I know you know that. Somewhere deep inside you, you know that. But, Kahlan, you have to fight this- Whatever is happening to you, you have to fight it."
"Nothing is happening to me. I don't have to fight any more." She ignored his statement of love for her, almost having forgotten about it as she looked around them. "Where are the others?"
"Kahlan-"
"They didn't pass us, I would have seen them." Turning around, she looked around them, trying to see them. Walking away, Richard ran his fingers through her hair, his heart pounding in pain for what must be going through Kahlan's head. "What?" she called after him.
He didn't stop to look back at her, instead, he walked faster, trying to keep himself from saying or doing something that would hurt her.
"Richard!" She shouted in a voice that nearly brke his heart.
Turning around quickly, stomped towards her. "I can't talk to you when you're like this."
A small smile crossed her lips, surprising him. Grabbing his face, she pulled him to her and pressed her lips roughly onto his, pushing him backwards with her force. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, drawing her near for a moment.
"Kahlan-"
"Shh, don't say anything." she said softly, pulling at his shirt. When he reached up to stop her, she pulled back to look at him. "You don't really want to stop me." she whispered, bringing her lips slowly back to his. "You want me. I can see it in your eyes."
Yanking her forward, he collided their lips once again, kissing her with all the passion within him as she reached to the strings of his pants. Kahlan pulled back, lifting his shirt over his head and tossing to the ground behind her, before beginning to remove her own dress.
His pants hung loosely at his hips, as her dress fell to the ground. His eyes moved over her naked body standing before him, silently begging for him. Pulling her against him, he kissed her hungerily as he slowly lowered her to the ground.
It didn't take her long to flip them over and pull the pants from his waist. She looked over his body, biting her lower lip as she moved over him. She worked slowly, running her tongue over his stomach and chest, applying suction to his flesh every few seconds, her own body thriving in his every moan.
His heart pounded with his love for her and his need to please her. How could he deny her this? After everything she had been through, how could he deny her? He wanted so badly to make love to her, but she wasn't the woman he loved. Not at this moment, but his body continued to respond to hers, as though knowing deep down that she was still there.
Her hands explored his body, touching him in ways he had never thought she would. Everytime he would attempt to open his eyes, she would do something that would send his eyes rolling backwards in his pleasure. Feeling his body growing restless, she moved and settled herself over him, looking down into his eyes as she slid down onto him.
The soft moan that escaped his lips was drowned out by one of her own as she leaned down to kiss him. Sliding his hands from her thighs to her hips, he helped her quicken her rhythem.
The force of her magic flowing into him always increased his pleasure, but this time it made him sick. He pushed her off of him and sat up quickly, moving away from her. "We shouldn't have done that." Pain filled him as he stepped back, his heart broke with the betrayal that he had just committed. He had just made love to another woman. It was Kahlan's body, but it wasn't her and it broke his heart.
"Why not?" She smiled up at him, "You didn't enjoy it?" she laughed, slowly moving closer to him.
"Kahlan, get dressed." he said realizing they were still in the middle of the path.
"I don't want to." she replied softly, laying her back down on the leaves around them, leaving herself completely exposed to him and anyone who would walk by.
"Kahlan-"
"I don't think you really want me to anyway." she said as her eyes moved over his body. "See, you aren't done yet." she smiled widely as she moved her finger, motioning him to come to her.
He shook his head instantly, bending down for his clothes. "We shouldn't have don't this. I shouldn't have-"
"I don't blame you." She interrupted as he pulled on his pants, "You've wanted to since you brought me back. And I know that you enjoyed it."
Moving quickly, he pulled her from the ground, standing her up in front of him and shoving her dress into her hands. "Get dressed." he said putting his shirt on and walking away.
"She did what?" Cara said with a smile. "You walked away from a naked woman? Not just any naked woman, but the woman you have been in love with for-"
"It's not Kahlan any more." he said softly, turing around to face the Mord'Sith. "She's not the woman I loved anymore. I have to get her back Cara. I have to."
She started to tell him how he could always find another woman, but the look in his eyes stopped her. "You will. You always find a way to do something for her." She looked over his shoulder, to the sleeping Confessor.
"Cara, what do we do if we can't-"
"You will." she said quickly. "The wizard has been trying to find a way to-"
"He doesn't think he can bring her back. He's already sent word to her sister." He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as his friend looked back at him. "We have to find Rahl, but we can't take her with us."
"We can't just tie her to a tree."
"No, but we can help her sleep for a while."
Shocked by his words, Cara crossed her arms. "Can you do that?"
Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed. "I can't think of another way- Of a better way. I can't lose her."
"Where are we supposed to hide her body? We can't just leave her laying in the middle of the open like this."
Standing up, he walked over to his grandfather. "How can we do this?"
"You're not." Kahlan said as she stood up, shaking her head. "I told you you didn't love me." she said looking straight at Richard.
"Kahlan-"
"You don't have to make me sleep. I will gladly stay here." she said looking around, "Who knows, maybe I'll meet some nice people while you are gone, so you don't have to bother to come back for me. Actually, don't bother coming back." she said loudly, "I don't want to see you again. Any of you." turning away from them, she took in a deep breath as she tried to stop her now shaking body.
"Kahlan?" He whispered her name as he stepped closer.
Turning around, she met his eyes for a moment, her completely dark eyes piercing through his as her jaw shook and her veins began toshow through her skin. "Where's Lord Rahl?" she whispered softly before turning away from him.
He turned around to his grandfather and friend, who stared at the Confessor. "Why am I here? Master Rahl will be upset." she whispered as she continued walking away from them. "I have to go back to him."
"What? No, Kahlan-" he reached out for her, grabbing her arm.
"Don't touch me!" she shouted pulling away from him. "I remember you! I know what you did to me!" she shouted as she yanked her arm away from him in fear. "Don't you ever touch me!" she repeated backing away from him. Staring at them all, she took in a deep breath, "What are you staring at?" she asked.
"Are you alright, dear one?" Zedd asked taking a step towards her.
"Why am I here?"
"We're taking you to Darken Rahl." Cara said quickly before anyone could say anything. "That's why you're here."
"You are bringing me to my master?"
"Yes."
"Then why are we standing here? We should go." turning around, she started to walk away, into the trees.
"Another message in the journey book My Lord. The elixir has taken effect. The Mother Confessor is yours."
He turned around facing his guard. "Good. How long until she arrives?"
"Three days, My Lord. The Mother Confessor has already started out for you. The elixir will keep her moving through the nights and she will not let the Seeker near her. He will not be able to stop her."
"Good. Ride out and meet them. Kill them all if you must, but you will bring The Mother Confessor back to me. Alive."
"Yes, My Lord, but may I ask why you want her?"
"The Mother Confessor created another Stone of Tears. I will be unstopable with her at my side. Our children will rule over D'Hara and Aydindril. We will not be stopped."