"Sister!"

Dennee is engulfed in a hug that is as familiar as slipping into an old coat, even in the wrong body. She lets Kahlan hold her and she buries her face into her hair, inhaling deeply. She smells of the road and soap and childhood. The joy at seeing her sister is dampened when she catches sight of red leather, hovering in the background. Her face hardens, and her body must do likewise because Kahlan senses something is wrong and pulls away, keeping hold of her hands. She follows Dennee's eyes and her own land on Cara, who is looking at the ground. She bites her lip and turns back.

"We, uh, were on the way to Aydindril and I couldn't pass this close without coming to see you. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you, sister," Dennee says, her eyes still on Cara. She shifts her gaze to Richard. "I heard tell of the Seeker sealing the veil. We are all thankful to you."

Richard gives her a shrug and a smile. "We all played a part. I couldn't have done it on my own."

Dennee can't help but notice that her sister shifts uncomfortably at this.

"Where are my manners?" she says, to break the strange tension. "You must all need a good meal and a bath."

"Well, we wouldn't insult you by turning down your kind offer," the wizard says. "A home cooked meal sounds delightful."

"If someone can bring up water from the river, we have a tub you can use."

"I'll do that." It's the first time the Mord'Sith has spoken and Dennee acknowledges it with a nod. "There are buckets at the side of the house."

"I'll go with you," Richard tells her. "Get it done quicker."

"And I feel like taking the air," the wizard announces, though it must be the last thing he wants to do after months of traipsing around the countryside. "I'll be back."

And she's left alone with Kahlan. They both watch the retreating backs of Richard and the Mord'Sith.

"She's still following you around like a lost puppy, I see?"

"Dennee..." Kahlan's voice sounds weary.

"I apologise, I'm not sure I know the etiquette for dining with one's murderer," she continues, seemingly unable to stop. "Should she sit to my right or my left?"

"I'm sorry," Kahlan says. "We shouldn't have come. We...we'll go."

She wants to scream at her sister's use of 'we'. That she dare talk about herself, the Mother Confessor, in the same breath as that monster. She's torn between agreeing that they should go because she's unsure how long she can look at the Mord'Sith's face without grabbing her by the throat and savouring the sound of her death throes, and begging Kahlan to stay and be the one thing in her life that she knows and isn't stolen from a dead woman. But though she should want to see her sister, there's something between them now. Kahlan made a choice when she allowed the Mord'Sith to live. A choice Dennee is not sure she can ever forgive.

"Why did you bring her here? Here. To what passes for my home now. Tell me that, sister."

Kahlan sighs and Dennee can't help but think that she is not displaying a great deal of remorse, only disappointment that Dennee still holds a grudge. Kahlan turns to face her with her mouth set in a hard line.

"I didn't bring her anywhere. She accompanied me. I don't tell her where to go and where not to go."

"Of course, I imagine she wanted to come here so that we could become lifelong friends. Don't be ridiculous, Kahlan. She is here because you are here and for no other reason."

"Absolutely. I agree. And what do you think it took for her to come here and face you, knowing how you parted the last time."

"Do you wish me to applaud her audacity?"

"It is not audacity," Kahlan says, her eyes flashing in warning. "It is..."

"What? Kahlan?" Dennee pushes. "Stupidity? Because if I were a Mord'Sith and I knew I was going to visit with a confessor who hated every fibre of my being, I might think twice."

"Are you threatening her?" Kahlan asks, coolly. "Because you'd have to come through me."

Dennee shakes her head in disbelief. "You would stand in my threshold and defend my killer?" she spits.

"I would stand anywhere and defend my lover."

The world stills for a moment. Dennee hears a roaring in her ears as she attempts to comprehend what Kahlan has just said. It can't be true. It can't be.

"Your...no, Kahlan. It's not...no. What about...Richard?"

"This is why I came here," Kahlan whispers. "Why we came here. Because I don't want hide part of my life away from you. Richard and I...that was over long ago. I want you to see how happy she makes me. It hurts me to cause you pain, but I will not keep her in the shadows. I'm not asking you to love her..."

"I hope you're not asking anything of me, because you are unlikely to get it."

Kahlan looks at her, silent. "Do you wish us to leave?"

Dennee bites back the immediate 'yes' that threatens to escape. Instead, she asks a question.

"Do you love her?"

"Yes," Kahlan says, without hesitation. "I do. I love her far beyond what I dreamed love might feel like."

"And you believe she loves you?" Denne continues, ignoring her sister's flowery language.

"I don't just 'believe' it," Kahlan says. "I know she does."

"Kahlan, she is a Mord'Sith," Dennee spits the word out like it tastes bad on her tongue. "She is incapable of love. She does not understand it. Remember, I looked into this woman's face as she drove her agiel into my heart." Kahlan has the good grace to dip her eyes. "I saw no love in her. She is built of pain and hatred."

Kahlan looks like she may be about to answer, when her eyes catch something over Dennee's shoulder.

"Cara!" Kahlan calls, beckoning with her hand.

Dennee fumes as she hears the other woman approach, glaring at her sister for bringing her into their conversation; theirlives. The Mord'Sith comes and stands next to Kahlan, looking at her with a question on her brow. Kahlan smiles at her and Dennee's teeth clench harder. But then Kahlan's hand is lifting, coming to wrap around the Mord'Sith's neck. The Mord'Sith gives a little nod and Kahlan unleashes her confessor magic, her eyes going black. Dennee watches in a mixture of horror and fascination as the Mord'Sith's green eyes swirl before being overtaken by black. They stand for a moment, the magic flowing through them, until Kahlan is spent.

But the Mord'Sith does not fall to her knees once her eyes have returned to their normal colour. Nor does she beg to be commanded. She's still looking at Kahlan. Kahlan strokes the skin of the Mord'Sith's throat with her thumb and turns to her sister.

"That's how much she loves me," she whispers. "Enough that confession has no effect on her. Because she could not love me more."

The first thing that comes to her is that it's some sort of trickery. The Mord'Sith has ingested a potion or been spelled so that she is immune to confession. And her sister has been taken in by these lies. But when the leather clad woman meets her eyes, Mord'Sith or no, it's clear for all the world to see that she truly loves Kahlan.

She holds Dennee's gaze as Kahlan removes the hand from her neck and slides it down her arm to link their fingers together. They're both looking at her now and she finds it difficult to think, to hate, in the face of such depth of feeling. She draws a breath to try to clear her head.

"It looks like the Seeker is struggling, you better go and help him with the water," she finally manages.

They turn as one to see Richard hobbling up the pathway, carrying two large buckets of water. The Mord'Sith looks to Kahlan, for reassurance, or perhaps to check that she is okay. Kahlan gives a tiny nod and a smile, which is returned. The Mord'Sith offers a further nod in her direction and then she is gone, calling out to the Seeker to wait for her.

Dennee lifts her eyes to meet her sister's.

"I do not bless this union," she says.

"I didn't expect you to," Kahlan admits.

"But...I am glad you have found happiness, sister. Though it has come in a strange form."

Kahlan laughs a little. "Yes, it took me by surprise," she says. "And I fought it...for longer than I should have. I made myself miserable, and Cara too. But when I stopped fighting...Dennee, I knew it was right."

Dennee closes her eyes. "I said I was glad you'd found happiness, not that I wished to hear the details of it."

"Of course," Kahlan says.

They stand in silence and watch Richard and Cara carry water from the river.

*

Later, after a meal filled with strained conversation, Dennee stumbles upon them by accident. She's gone outside to get more wood from the fire when she hears their voices. She knows she shouldn't listen, but something in the Mord'Sith's tone compels her to.

"…should go. I can go to Stowcroft and see Grace. You can have some time with your sister without me getting in the way."

"You're not in the way, Cara. I want you here with me. And I want to go to Stowcroft with you when you go. I'd like to meet your sister under…more pleasant circumstances."

"I'm quite sure she's your biggest supporter, Kahlan," the Mord'Sith says, with humour in her voice. "You saved her little sister's life."

Kahlan laughs and when she speaks next, her voice is muffled.

"It's funny to think that you're someone's little sister."

"If this is going to turn into some joke about my height, you can stop talking right now."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll…"

Kahlan yelps and Dennee jumps at the suddenness of it.

"Okay, okay…no height jokes. I hate it that you know where my ticklish spot is."

"So, we're staying?"

"We're staying." Dennee can picture Kahlan's expression perfectly; a determined smile with a nod.

"I'll try to keep out of your sister's way."

Dennee frowns. She does not want to have to think of the Mord'Sith as thoughtful or considerate. Nor does she want to be grateful to her.

They're quiet for too long and Dennee realises that they must be kissing. She hurriedly withdraws, troubled by the fact that she thought that they sounded, as Kahlan had said, 'right'.