Ok, everyone…we're finally to Kahlan. Hope you like it. I am REALLY happy with this chapter!! Thanks for all your encouraging reviews!! :)

Nightmares (Chapter 7)

Walking through the woods listening to the owls hooting back and forth in their own private conversation, Kahlan silently walked the perimeter of their camp absorbed in her own thoughts. The moon was shining brightly as it peeked through the clouds that floated lazily before it while a gentle breeze cooled the warm summer air.

Even though Richard hated it when she was out here standing guard alone, Kahlan enjoyed taking her turn watching over the camp at night. She loved the moonlight that shone overhead, casting a yellowish glow on the earth below. The world was so calm, so peaceful at night. She could let her thoughts drift, reflect on the events of the day, work out her struggles. Her thoughts, however, always drifted back to where her heart forever beat; it always beat for Richard.

In the wee hours of the night before sunrise, there was no Keeper, no rift in the Underworld, no prophecies. All was right with the world. Besides that, she loved the fact that she was watching over her Seeker while he slept, keeping him safe from harm. She wanted to take care of him for the rest of her life.

Richard made her happy beyond her wildest dreams. The only thing that could possibly steal her happiness now was the Keeper and his followers. She couldn't control the shudder that vibrated through her body at the thought of the added danger she put her lover in.

"As long as the Mother Confessor's pure heart beats, the Keeper is doomed to fail…" the prophecy drifted through her mind for the millionth time in weeks. Ever since learning of this new prophecy, it was almost all she could think about at times.

Kahlan was not afraid of dying. She was, however, terrified of what would happen to Richard in the Keeper's attempts to take her life or if the Keeper did succeed in ending it. She knew Richard would stop at nothing to keep her safe, including shedding his blood or laying down his own life for her protection. Her heart began to pound wildly at the thought of the extremes Richard would go to just for her. She knew she couldn't fault him because she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no limit she wouldn't go to for him.

"My dear Kahlan, I can't wait until you join me here in the Underworld…"

The dark haunting voice pierced her heart and invaded her thoughts, sending a cold chill to tingle down her spine, making the tiny hairs to stand up on the back of her neck. She thought she would never have to hear that voice again. And now, somehow, he was here.

"Yes, Kahlan…it's me…your lover's brother…and your worst nightmare…"

The voice chuckled with vile glee as if he witnessed the terror he had struck in her soul. Stopping in her tracks, Kahlan spun all around her, searching frantically in every direction for where the voice was coming from.

"Where are you, Rahl?!" she angrily growled with fury. How could he be here talking to her? He could not be here; he was dead and in the Underworld.

"I'm everywhere that you are my beautiful Confessor…"

"I am not yours!" she seethed, enraged by his intrusion into her thoughts and her life. Wasn't it bad enough that the prophecy haunted her like an evil specter, hanging over her? She knew it consumed Richard's heart and soul.

"You will be sooner than you think. And if that meddling brother of mine tries to stop me, I will bring him here with you…"

His mocking laughter echoed in her ears and made her skin crawl. She couldn't lose Richard. He was the only man who had ever loved her despite what she was. When everyone else fled from her in fright, Richard had fearlessly raced towards her. When no one else cared for her, he had dared to fall in love with her.

"Stay away from Richard or I swear I'll…" she spat out through clenched teeth, fuming with rage at the thought of Rahl harming her lover.

"Or you'll what? Kill me? I'm already dead, Kahlan. Richard saw to that…and now I'm more powerful than you can possibly imagine. I'm coming for you, my love. Soon, we'll be together for all eternity…"

"NO!!" Kahlan screamed, covering her ears with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut tightly against the voice and the echoing mock of his laughter. Tears began to pool in her eyes at the thought of losing her Richard. She loved him so much it made her heart race and her breathing labored. She never knew that love could ever make her feel like this; so all-consuming that it affected every part of her life.

"Kahlan!"

"No!!" she screamed again as she felt hands grabbing hold of her arms, trying to pull them down from holding her head.

"Kahlan, open your eyes!"

Opening her eyes, Kahlan found herself staring into the face of her Seeker, worry imprinted in his handsome face as he stared into her eyes. "Richard!" she cried as she threw herself into his comforting embrace.

Wrapping his strong arms around her, Richard pulled her securely to his chest. "Shhh, Kahlan…it's alright…I'm right here…it's alright, you're safe," he murmured into her hair as he held her against him, stroking her long dark hair.

As she trembled in his arms, Kahlan could feel tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, soaking his shirt. Unable to hold her fears in any longer, she released all the anguish that she had held in her heart the last few weeks.

"Kahlan, what happened? Please…talk to me," he softly pleaded with her.

"Richard, I heard Darken Rahl," she choked out as she pulled back to look into his eyes. She hated to tell him, knowing it would only further upset him, but she also knew she couldn't hide it from him.

"You heard Darken Rahl?" he repeated astonished, panic beginning to cloud his eyes.

"Yes…he…he was talking to me. He told me that I was going to be joining him soon and that he couldn't wait until I was his forever."

"Kahlan, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," Richard vowed, his breathing becoming ragged with anger.

"Richard, he said he would take you too if you tried to stop him from getting to me," she murmured as she pressed her face into his chest once more, wanting to hide from all the horror and pain that Darken Rahl had stirred up inside her.

Richard closed his eyes as he leaned down and placed a comforting kiss to the top of Kahlan's head. "Hey, it'll be alright. We'll get through this together," he comforted her. "I've taken care of Rahl before and I'll do it again. I'm the Seeker, remember?"

"I don't think I can take much more of this…I can't bear the thought of losing you. I'm not strong enough, Richard," she fearfully admitted as she pulled back to look into the loving brown eyes that she adored. She was the Mother Confessor. She was supposed to be strong and fearless, the ruler and governing authority of the Midlands and yet here she was, crumbling under the weight of her fears.

"Kahlan, you're not going to lose me. I promise that there is nowhere that I would ever go that you aren't with me," Richard vowed as he pulled back to cup her face in his strong hands.

"That is one promise that I am going to make sure that you keep, Richard Cypher," she swore, his presence melting away all her fears as he wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "Hey, you're supposed to be sleeping. What are you doing up?" she suddenly realized.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to look for you. I was worried about you keeping watch by yourself. That's when I heard you scream and found you here," he told her. "Besides, we haven't had a moment alone together in over two weeks," Richard mischievously admitted before leaning in to brush his lips against hers. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, Kahlan Amnell," he whispered against her mouth.

"I've missed you too," she breathily moaned into his mouth as he finally crushed his lips against hers.

Richard quickly moved his hands from her face to bury them in her luxurious hair, keeping her where she could not escape his kisses. Plunging his tongue into her mouth, Richard began to drink her in as he deepened their kiss.

Feeling his desperate need to be with her, Kahlan's own arousal began surging forcefully through her system. She had to have this man she loved more than her own life. It had been far too long since they had last made love and she was starving to taste him again.

As his tongue explored and caressed her mouth, Kahlan's hands began moving down his back, tugging his shirt free from his pants. Desperate to feel his hot flesh pressed against hers, she ran her hands under his shirt, raking her nails gently over the muscles of his back causing him to groan into her mouth.

"Kahlan," he breathed with passionate longing, pressing his hips against hers. "I need you now…I can't wait any longer to make love to you," he gasped as Kahlan grazed her teeth over his earlobe, taking it in her mouth and sucking on it, her hands still stroking the muscles of his back.

"Richard," Kahlan moaned. The feel of him pressing himself into her as well as vocalizing his frantic need to be in her were driving her insane with wanton desire for him. Rolling her hips against him, Richard spun her around and pressed her back against the nearest tree.

As he reached for the clasps of her jacket, a low rumbling sound resonated through the midnight air. Breathlessly, Richard pulled back, scanning the area for any sign of what could have caused the sound that had interrupted them.

"What is it?" Kahlan asked in between gasps for air, her eyes narrowed as she too began searching for the cause of the noise.

"I'm not sure," Richard mumbled, continuing to look as he listened intently for it again. It had almost sounded like thunder but there were only a few scattered clouds in the sky and no sign of rain.

After several moments of hearing nothing, Richard turned back towards Kahlan. "Now, where was I?" he seductively inquired with a smirk.

"I believe you left off right here," she teased as she ran her tongue across her lips before seizing his in a fiery kiss, eliciting a groan from the Seeker.

Another rumble suddenly vibrated through the air causing the ground to tremble beneath their feet. Pulling free from their passionate kiss, Richard turned, his eyes narrowed again as he waited silently. Kahlan moved from the tree to stand beside him, her hand on his arm in nervous anticipation of what was about to come. The air was unexpectedly still and silent, the only sound was that of their heavy breathing as they waited anxiously for the cause of the tremors.

Suddenly, the ground before them began to quake as it abruptly started pulling apart. Rocks and dirt fell into the expanding ravine that had rapidly opened up before them. Green glowing fire spurted out of the crack in the earth's crust as the rift continued to split and widen.

"Kahlan, run!" he worriedly yelled as the ground continued to rumble and quake, the split heading directly for them.

Kahlan took off in a dead run, turning back to see that Richard was right behind her. "Richard!" she screamed as she saw the rift suddenly split again and seemingly follow them in pursuit. It was as if the rift was alive, pursuing them like a hunter would its prey.

Loud mocking laughter began rising up from deep within the rift, permeating the air as it attempted to suffocate the life out of them. It was Darken Rahl. He had finally come for her.

Seeing the wide-eyed terror in his Confessor's eyes, Richard hollered, "Faster, Kahlan! Run!"

Kahlan ran as fast as she could, charging through brush and swatting at low limbs. Heat began to escape from the gaping rift behind them as the green glowing flames shot higher illuminating the sky and stifling the air, making it more difficult to breathe. Turning around as she ran, Kahlan could see the rift gaining on them, following closely at Richard's heels. She had to do something immediately or it would swallow Richard at any minute.

"Richard, you go that way and I'll go this way. It can't follow us both!"

"No! I'm not leaving you, Kahlan!" he growled in frustration.

"Richard, please! Just do it!" she shouted at him as her foot caught a tree root sticking up out of the ground, causing her to fall forward and hit the ground hard.

Richard stopped and quickly helped Kahlan to her feet. As he did, the ground began to crumble beneath him as the rift caught up to its prey. "Richard!" Kahlan screamed as she grabbed his hand, frantically pulling him with all her strength from the rift's deadly grasp.

Finally getting his feet on firmer ground, Richard began to race through the woods again as he kept a tight hold on Kahlan's hand. The ever expanding rift continued to cause the earth to rumble and quake as it split apart, Rahl's laughter erupting louder as it chased the Seeker and Confessor through the woods.

Trees, brush, and rocks were no match for the power that had erupted from the Underworld beneath, all falling into the rift. There was no place to hide from its vile attack on the earth or its deadly pursuit of the Mother Confessor.

Gripped with terror, Kahlan knew it was coming for her and for her alone. She had to do something to save Richard's life. As Richard made a hard right, Kahlan yanked her hand free from his grasp on her. Richard spun around at the sudden release of Kahlan's hand in his to see that she had stopped running.

Her bright blue eyes were set hard with resolve, cementing the decision that she had finally made. She would not let Darken Rahl or the Keeper get her Seeker. "I love you, Richard…more than you could ever possibly know," she said, her eyes wet with tears.

"Kahlan, no! Run! We can escape this!" Richard desperately shouted, anger mingling with panic at what he realized she was about to do.

"No, we can't Richard. It's me the Keeper wants. I will not let you die because of me," she stated as she closed her eyes, feeling the earth begin to crumble and give way under her feet.

"KAHLAN!"

She heard him scream her name, the terror and rage in his voice sending a shiver down her spine. "I love you forever…" she murmured as she waited for her life to end and her horror in the Underworld to begin.

Suddenly as if out of nowhere, she felt her body being slammed to the ground. Opening her eyes, she realized that Richard had raced towards her, throwing her out of the path of the rift just as it had opened under her feet. Dazed, she crawled to the edge of the rift. Peering down in horror, Kahlan found Richard hanging precariously to a rock a few feet below the edge of the fissure, green flames bursting up from below and licking at his boots.

"Richard, no!! Hang on!" she screamed as she lay down on the ground, stretching as far as she could and extending her hand for him to grasp.

"No, Kahlan! Stay back!" he shouted at her, his eyes filled with fear for her. "I love you, Kahlan, more than life," he proclaimed.

Staring at his lover for one last time, Richard's hand released his hold on the rock and fell into the waiting arms of the Keeper…

* Whoops! Now I took out the Seeker! I'm just sooo mean!! :)