Broken (Chapter 10)

Storm clouds began to rumble softly overhead, the stars completely hidden now. The night air was quickly becoming infused with the tranquil smell of rain. The wind grew stronger, the tops of the trees bending and swaying back and forth at nature's mercy.

Shadows raced frantically through the night towards the stables, Zedd leading the way, a ball of Wizard's fire glowing brightly in his hand cutting through the darkness and lighting their path. Richard was being followed closely by Cara who had her agiel pointing menacingly at him.

Cara had to threaten Richard with bodily harm to force him to go with them to the stables to search for the Mother Confessor. His cool indifference to Kahlan's disappearance was unnerving. It was difficult to watch his detached, cavalier attitude towards the well-being of the woman who owned his heart. It made her more fearful about what could have happened to Kahlan. Could Richard have actually done something to her?

Now devoid of love, Kahlan no longer meant anything to him; none of them did. In his quest to contain his emotions, Richard had also eradicated his love for the one who was the very center of his world.

"Where did you last see Kahlan?" Cara asked in irritation, her eyes trying to make sense of the shifting shadows around them as concern for her friends pounded through her heart.

Approaching the stables, Richard looked about, his brow creased as he thought back to what had happened here. His mind was clouded, events of the night already rapidly fading. He remembered being out here, riding his horse. Then someone had come looking for him. Standing before him with a lantern, the phantom in white had captured his attention, completely mesmerizing him. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of the apparition that had appeared before him.

Kahlan…it was Kahlan…something had happened to her. The chaos of emotions was now gone from his mind, but it had been replaced with confusion and empty distant memories. Something had happened to Kahlan tonight, something that he had caused. He forced himself to try to think, to try to remember. Instead of being able to remember what had happened to her, one word kept coming to his mind.

Love. He…loved her. And yet where he used to feel such a deep passionate love for her, there was nothing but a dark void. Staring into the darkness, Richard closed his eyes. This was important. Once he remembered, he could tell them where she was, return to the Keep, and find the Dragon's Heart. Then everything would be alright again.

"Over there," he finally announced, opening his eyes and pointing in the direction on the other side of the stables.

Forcing Richard forward, Cara and Zedd made their way to the other side of the stables. Coming to stand at the edge of the cliff, Zedd held his hand out in front of him, the ball of fire suddenly glowing larger and brighter. Spreading out along the cliff's edge, they immediately began scanning for signs of Kahlan, hoping that she had not fallen down into the deep chasm.

"There she is!" Cara frantically called, her eyes catching site of the Confessor's dress. "Kahlan!"

Richard stood impassively with his arms crossed against his chest, blankly staring straight ahead as Cara called out to Kahlan, not making any attempt to look for her or try to help. Infuriated by Richard's indifference towards his wife, Cara strode to him, forcefully grabbing him by the arm and jerking him back over to where she saw Kahlan.

"See down there? There is your wife, Richard…the woman you used to love before you became obsessed with that stupid journal!" Cara seethed, as she stared at him, her finger directing him to where Kahlan now laid. "Don't you feel anything for that woman down there who risked her life to try to save you?"

Cara knew that she was being hard on Lord Rahl, that he was under a powerful spell that had all but obliterated his emotions, but she could not stand to see him like this. Richard and Kahlan's love for each other had opened her eyes, allowing her to finally see the possibilities of what her life could be. They had given her a hope she had never known before. Seeing him so cold and emotionless about the woman he loved more than life was turning her world upside down.

Richard stared vacantly down into the rocky chasm, his gaze settling on the body of his Kahlan lying motionlessly among the rocks several feet below the cliff's edge. She was lying on her back on a narrow flat ledge that had caught her when she had fallen, saving her from plunging even further. Her hair and her dress was fanned our around her, dirt and blood mingled on her face and dress. She looked so broken, so lifeless.

"Dear Spirits," Zedd mumbled under his breath, horrified by the site of the Mother Confessor as he came to stand beside them.

"I'll get some rope," Cara said as she left Richard and Zedd standing there, hoping that they would be able to get to Kahlan in time for her to give the Mother Confessor the breath of life if needed. Zedd had better be able to fix Lord Rahl before she strangled him herself or he would need the breath of life as well.

Richard continued to stand transfixed, the site of his wife possibly dead began to slowly reaching past the ice, triggering something inside of him that had been hidden away and protected from the magical spell of the journal. The thick layer of ice that had formed around his heart began to crack and split, the bitter glacier in his soul beginning to suddenly thaw and melt away.

"Kahlan!" Zedd called down to her, frantically trying to think of a way to save both Richard and Kahlan.

The Seeker watched his Confessor, not even hearing his grandfather as he called out to her. Everything suddenly came roaring back to his mind. Marrying Kahlan, the love that he had made to her, her being attacked in the prison, his anger that had almost consumed him, the chaos inside of him exploding, pinning Kahlan to the ground, almost trampling her with his horse…

"…I love you, Richard…Forever, Kahlan…"

Those words spoken so tenderly to each other began echoing through his mind and ringing in his heart, awakening what had been hidden so protectively from the spell. And in that moment, the damn of ice abruptly broke, the glacier crumbling within him, allowing his emotions and memories to flood his body once more.

Warmth permeated his entire essence, filling every fiber of his being. Love that he had known and felt for his wife suddenly came surging forth like a fountain, overwhelming his senses and causing his once cold heart to thunder fiercely in his chest once more.

"KAHLAN!"

The powerful cry of her name tearing free from his lips came forth like an erupting volcano, startling Zedd and echoing violently through the deep chasm. Tears instantly filled Richard's eyes as realization crashed down upon him, awareness of the things he had done the last few days devastating his soul. The site of his wife lying injured and dying on the ledge and the love that they shared had reached beyond the magical spell and set him free. The spell that Da'Tavius had placed on the journal and thus on Richard had been broken somehow.

Zedd stared in sheer amazement as he watched his grandson suddenly transform before his very eyes, breaking the powerful spell that Da'Tavius had laced the journal with. No one had ever been able to break the magical spell on their own.

Crushing panic threatened to suck Richard down into a helpless pit of despair. He had to get to Kahlan, to save her. He could not live without her. Without a second thought, he quickly began climbing down to her, desperate to get to her no matter the danger.

"Richard, stop! Wait for Cara!" Zedd called after him, grabbing his arm and attempting to hold him back.

"Let go of me, Zedd!" Richard roared with a deadliness that rattled the Wizard to his bones as the Seeker jerked his arm free. "I'm alright now, but Kahlan…Spirits…Kahlan is…she's…" he choked out, tears swimming in his eyes, his chest heaving with the ferocity of the grief that flooded his system.

Staring into his grandson's eyes, Zedd could see the life that now thrived in his soul once more, bringing him a great sense of relief. This was the Seeker, his grandson. The spell had been broken. Something had happened inside of Richard, something that Zedd didn't quite understand.

Not waiting another moment, Richard immediately began climbing down, grabbing blindly for rocks and small shocks of grass as his boots skidded in the loose gravel. Thunder began to rumble loudly above as his fingers frantically dug into the dirt, clawing to keep his balance, desperate to get to Kahlan. He did not care what happened to him. She was all that mattered to him in this world.

Raindrops slowly began to fall from the heavens as Richard steadily made his way down to her, the site of his beloved lying lifelessly before him cleaving his heart in two. The ground unexpectedly gave way under his boots, causing him to lose his grip and begin a deadly slide. Panic surged through him as he frantically began scratching the rocks around him to stop his freefall, cutting his skin and tearing at his fingers.

"Richard!" Zedd cried overhead. Reaching out with his free hand, the old Wizard cast an invisible net below his grandson's feet, halting his descent and allowing Richard to grab hold once more.

Pausing momentarily to catch his breath, Richard kept his gaze fixed on Kahlan who had yet to open her eyes or make any movement. Fear buffeted him from every side as guilt continued to pound wildly in his heart. This is what it felt to be alive again.

If Kahlan died, the fault would be completely his and he would die out here on this ledge with her. Richard felt as if a hand suddenly reached inside, seizing hold of his heart, its fingers digging into the flesh, cutting deeply into the muscles and making it difficult to breathe. He could not allow that to happen to his Kahlan.

Quickening his pace, Richard continued his descent, his hands growing more confident as he kept his focus on his wife. Rain began to fall more steadily from the sky, creating a mist in the chasm that began to envelope them, causing the rocks to become wet and slippery.

With a relieved sigh, Richard finally reached her, cautiously setting one boot and then the other on the narrow ledge, fearful it too might give way under his added weight. Feeling that the rock would hold him, he carefully sank to his knees beside his wife.

"Kahlan," he tenderly called to her, his voice quivering with the terror that gripped him.

Tears fell from his eyes as he took in the site of her. Dirt and scrapes covered her face and arms, blood oozed from numerous cuts that marred her body. Blood seeped from a large gash in her side, soaking her dress and wetting the rocky ledge that held her body.

With tremulous hands, Richard carefully cradled her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. Tears dripped from his eyes, wetting the dirt on her face. He tenderly brushed her hair from her face before pressing trembling lips against her forehead and each eyelid. She felt cool to his touch, blood oozing endlessly from every cut, every scrape. Spirits, what had he done?

"Oh my Kahlan," he softly sobbed. A small sense of relief swept over him as he brushed his lips across hers, the faint feel of her breath bringing a very small measure of peace to his heart. At least she was still alive. "I'm so sorry, my love."

He gently ran his hands down either side of her wounded face, frantic to know that she would be alright. He continued his inspection, his hands running down her form until he reached the large gash in her side. Her once white Confessor's dress was now blood red, tattered and torn. Bile rose in the back of his throat, panic surging through him. This had been his fault. He may as well have just run her through with his sword, causing the wound in her side himself.

His one hand automatically went to his side, his fingers brushing over the hilt of his sword, its magic merging with the rage that lived inside of him once more. His fingers tingled with the powerful magic that flowed from the weapon into his soul, agreeing with and solidifying his guilt, condemning him as he condemned himself. He wanted more than anything to draw his sword and take his worthless life, but he knew that he couldn't. Kahlan needed him to save her right now. There was no time for wallowing in self-pity or dwelling on wrong choices that he had made.

Pulling himself back from that precipice of self-hatred, Richard immediately covered the wound with his hands, frantic to keep the life-preserving fluid in her body. Where was Cara? He had to get her out of here, out of the cool night wind and storms to where Zedd could hopefully heal her before he lost her forever.

"Please hang on, Kahlan," he begged. "I'm so sorry…please be okay…just don't leave me…"

Covering her body with his, he began to sob uncontrollably for what he had allowed to happen to her, his arms gently picking her up and holding her limp body against his own. Burying his face in her hair, his tears fell like a never-ending waterfall of anguish and shame. If Zedd and Cara hadn't gotten to the Keep before him, he never would have found her, never would have broken free from the magic that had bound his heart and soul. She had saved him again by sending them there. He would save her now.

"Richard…"

The hushed whisper of his name almost went unheard, deadened by the sounds of his sobs, but he had heard it. In his heart, he heard her speak his name and like every other time he heard the sound of his name on her sweet lips, it made his soul sing in response, but it was oh so much sweeter this time than ever before.

Pulling back, Richard stared into the bluest eyes he had ever had the privilege of drowning in. "Kahlan…my precious Kahlan," he softly murmured, his voice strained from the grief that overwhelmed him as his eyes roamed over her face. "I'm so sorry…"

Kahlan drew a shaking breath, causing her to cry out in agonizing pain. Her back arched, her body stiffening in his arms as she attempted to alleviate the pain that lanced through her. Every bone in her body hurt like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her head was thundering, her side splitting. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into haunting dark brown eyes, eyes that were filled with so much pain it made her shudder.

"Lord Rahl!"

The sound of Cara's voice was music to his ears and pulled him from the brink of insanity. The end of a rope suddenly landed on the rocky ledge beside them, waiting to haul them both up to safety.

"Richard," Kahlan softly gasped, her breathing erratic as she took shallower breaths to lessen the pain. "Never forget…how much I love you…with all of my heart…"

Tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes, the feel of death's icy fingers beginning to caress her body. She didn't want to leave him. Spirits, they'd only been married for a week. They had so much to live for, daughters to create and raise, a territory to rebuilt together.

"I love you forever," he bitterly sobbed, his tears falling faster with the renewed grief of her profession of love. "Hang on! You promised to grow old with me, Kahlan…you can't break that promise to me…"

Kahlan's eyes slid closed just then, unconsciousness claiming her in an attempt to shield her from the pain that had been inflicted on her body. Holding her to him, shuddering sobs racked his body.

Inundated with the depths of his anguish, Richard began to tremble, a strange warmth springing up from deep within him. It seemed to expand from his very core, reaching up and touching the woman he held in his arms. A bright flash suddenly encompassed them, momentarily blinding Richard.

Kahlan abruptly gasped in his arms, drawing a deep breath before settling back into the waiting arms of unconsciousness. Richard didn't know what had just happened, but something inside of him told him that she was going to be alright now. Gently laying her back down, he quickly grabbed the rope and tied it around him. Picking her back up in his arms, he yelled back up to Cara.

"Ready, Cara!"

Richard held her tightly against him as he felt the rope begin to pull him higher and higher up the rocky slope. Pressing his lips to her ear, he softly murmured his love for her, how beautiful and captivating she was to him, how no one had ever turned his head or possessed his heart like she did. He told her about the daughters they were going to have and how they were all going to look just like their beautiful mother. How they were going to grow old together and that she was his forever.

Reaching the top, Richard saw Marley attached to the other end of the rope being guided by Cara. Kahlan's horse had saved them. He carefully laid her down before quickly untying the rope from around his waist.

"Zedd, do something…please, I can't…I…"

Staring into the shattered eyes of his grandson, Zedd felt his heart break with the weight of Richard's grief. He silently vowed to do everything in his power to save Kahlan even if it cost him his own life. Reaching out his hands, he closed his eyes as he began the grueling process of healing the Mother Confessor.

Sitting back on his heels, Richard held Kahlan's held tightly between his own. His face was soaked with his tears, his shirt with her blood.

Cara stared in horror at the site of Kahlan lying so motionless on the ground, her body so obviously broken. Casting a glance at her Lord Rahl, she felt her heart tighten with grief over his pain. He had never looked so broken before, so utterly devastated.

While the Mother Confessor's body was broken and could be healed, Cara wasn't so certain about the Seeker's heart…