CHAPTER 11: STOWECROFT
Denna and Nicci appear bathed, dressed and happy. When Nicci's eyes meets Kahlan's eyes, they talks silently and Kahlan smiles. When Denna walks next her Sisters, each one touches the tip of their agiel on Denna's ribs quickly, making Denna to shake her body as if in a gangling dance.
After crossing The Wilds land, only the Kern River separating them from Stowecroft, they saw the city on flame. Cara's body trembled, her sister lived there. She rode faster, her Sisters and Kahlan following her. Richard shouts but they are riding faster far from him then he sighs. Richard, Zedd, Nicci, Princess Cyrilla and the soldiers follow them.
All city was almost destroyed, corpses left in all village, twice in a row Kahlan saw Cara showing emotions in public and she does not mind it. Nicci said if city was still on flame then the Imperial Order is near, and they would return there to destroying the rest.
The house of Cara's sister was destroyed and on flames. Cara looks at Kahlan, pain inside her eyes. Kahlan holds her hands tight and they walks around the house. No one alive. They looks around and the few people alive are wounded and desperate because they lost everything. They made camp near there.
The Imperial Order destroyed the village completely. The Mother Confessor looks at the big bonfire where the corpses are being burned. Her mind is spinning with thought of the Midlanders, and Cara's sister and George Rahl. The little boy child is like a son, she saw him to be born, she was the first to hold him in the arms, she saw him growing and all nights, she made him to sleep. He waited her to come, then he huddle in her arms and looking at her face caressing a lock of her hair and hearing her to sing. Kahlan's heart tightened in pain, she missed him. A tear rolled on her cheek.
Cara approaches behind from Kahlan and hugs her. Cara kisses her shoulder and rests her chin on it. "We will find our son" Cara says looking at the bonfire. Kahlan whipped her head toward Cara and put her hand on her face looking for Cara's eyes, turning in front of her. With both hands, she cups Cara's face "What did you say?" she says surprised. Cara looking into Kahlan 's eyes "You are as mother of him as I am" making Kahlan cries. Their foreheads touch each other, then she kisses Cara tenderly.
Richard coughs near them and they looks at him, but instead of him, they saw five Mord'Siths and D'Hara soldiers with eyes opened wide looking at them horrified. Confessors had been their enemies for a long time, and Mord'Sith did not show emotion. This was the first time they saw a Mord'Sith and a Confessor together, showing openly their love each other, in the middle a city with people around them. And...the Mother Confessor is too, the Lady Rahl of D'Hara and the lord Rahl is right there at their side. Kahlan blushes and looks at the floor and Cara opens her eyes wide.
Near them, a blonde woman with two kids come slowly, the woman is looking at Cara her expression as a mirror, but the others with her were looking at the corpses in the bonfire. All of them were dirty with soil.
Zedd was petrified, "Spirits! It's Dahlia!"
Kahlan feels Cara tensing her entire body, then Kahlan looks at the woman standing in front of Cara and clenches her jaw. When Kahlan hears the name of woman, her magic runs faster through her body making her blue eyes mix with black, in spiral, she closes her hands with a fist. This was the woman who destroyed Cara's life, betraying her and killing her, in the others worlds where Zedd had been and told them when they were in a cave in a night, before to go toward the Pillars of the Creation with the Stone of Tears.
Cara was lost and her head spinning with thoughts and memories. "Dahlia!" and the woman "Cara!", then suddenly both women were hugging each other. Kahlan sighs and looks at the ground, her eyes all black.
Other bonfire was made and their dinner was being made, they sit around it hearing Dahlia's story while her kids were near there. Dahlia had married seven years ago and she had two little children, a boy and a girl with 4 and 2 years old. She was a teacher and her husband was a blacksmith. She told about her childhood before and after Cara had been taken by the Mord'Siths and how Cara had saved her life. And it was in the same place where Cara had placed her safe, she went with her kids and they were saved when Imperial Order attacked the city. But she was sorry because Cara's sister and her family had not time to do anything.
When they were in their tent, they heard screams outside. All of them go out with their weapons in hands. Next there, a group of Imperial Order were attacking the D'Hara soldiers. They started to fight, but the group of Imperial Order seems was growing. They were killed but it appeared more. Cara ran to protect Dahlia and her children when that ones went out from their tent. But Dahlia had two swords in hands and fought with skillfully for surprised of everybody.
Dahlia's kids were left with Zedd and Nicci, Kahlan and Princess Cyrilla were with their daggers in hands to protect them. Richard ordered some D'Hara soldiers stand around them to protect them. But there are many Imperial Order soldiers. They are brutal and cruel. The few D'Hara soldier were soon killed and Kahlan and Cyrilla had to protect them alone.
Zedd casts a spell around them to protect them but Kahlan was fighting and a Imperial's soldier was going to thrust his sword on her back and Nicci ran and jumped throwing the soldier on the ground and both women stepped out the boundary of spell before it being closed. They could not to be protected for it anymore. Imperial's soldiers attacked them. Cara and Denna runs toward them and scream to others Mord'Siths and Benjamin come close.
Imperial Order's cavalry came fast, leaded by a strong and short man with a long braided hair. Nicci recognized Jagang. They opened the way among the D'Hara soldiers toward the Mother Confessor.
Stowecroft was the last city before the Old World, it was the only place in D'Hara which people could go toward the Old World easily, besides the boundaries had failed, because the others D'Hara cities were around big mountains hindering access toward the Old World.
Kahlan was fighting against four Imperial soldiers at the same time, her arms were failing, her breath was difficult, her body covered with sweat but she does not stop to fight. They are fighting for a good time already, but Imperial soldiers seems never-ending.
When the Imperial's cavalry reaches them, a soldier tries to catch the Mother Confessor and suspending her in his arms, but Benjamin comes and thrust his sword on the back of the man and he left the Mother Confessor to fall.
Cara and Denna are already near Kahlan, the other Mord'Siths come close too. While Cara is helping the Mother Confessor, she is a easy target to Imperial soldiers who jump on her and to kill her. Dahlia screams and comes running toward Cara.
Before Cara and Dahlia dying fighting against Imperial soldiers, Denna and Kahlan help them, then the others Mord'Siths. But in this time, Jagang catches Nicci, suspending her in his arms and left. Nicci screams out loud. Denna screams in despair.
Jagang takes Nicci prey in his strong arms, his horse running fast. Nicci looks at the place where Jagang comes from and there are a lot of soldiers coming yet, she hopes Denna and her friends can live. With her eyes full with tears, she sees her loved ones disappearing, because of the distance and the darkness of night. They are looking at her in despair, Nicci looks at each one and her heart tightens.
All of them are tired, Kahlan looks at Richard and Cara walking toward them. When Nicci was being taken, she stretched her arm toward the hill and they saw a lot of Imperial soldiers coming fast from there. If she dies, she wanted to be near them. Kahlan stays between Cara and Richard, their arms touching each other, they sighs at the same time, Kahlan said she loves them. She is not giving up, neither she would give up to fight. But the death was coming.
A loud scream echoed for the night and Chase with his warriors arrive followed by sixty thousand D'Hara soldiers and Dennee. They catch all Imperial Order soldiers before they reach in the Mother Confessor, the Seeker and Lord Rahl, the six Mord'Siths, Benjamin and Dahlia.
Without waiting, Denna jumps in a horse to find Nicci. Richard screams "It's dark! It will be difficult to trail her". But Denna do not hear him and rides toward the way where Nicci and Jagang went. Kahlan does the same and Cara follows them. Then the other Mord'Siths, Princess Cyrilla and Dennee.
Jagang is taking Nicci toward the Old World, probably where George Rahl is. Kahlan, Cara and Denna has the same thought and rides faster. At least, the way toward the Old World's boundary is one only. But in the Old World, they do not know how it would be, probably they would need to hunt them.
They are in the top of a hill looking down at the Imperial Order's camp, it is dark and some bonfires are shining by the camp. No signal of Nicci neither Jagang. The six Mord'Siths, Kahlan, Dennee and Princess Cyrilla are standing up there for a long time, protected by darkness and watching Imperial's soldiers, they think there are more than sixty thousand soldiers there. Nicci had told about the Imperial Order has a huge Army. And this was only a part of entire Jagang's Army, often one part follows Jagang, other part follows Six and another stays in the Old World.
Dennee tells Kahlan and Cara how the huge Imperial Order Army invaded the People's Palace destroyed it and kidnapped George. She could not do anything they were numerous and fast. Dennee told too, Six was there and tried to enter in her mind. But she was protected by devotion to Lord Rahl. Dennee heard when Six was talking with her lieutenants she was coming back to her cave in the Old World.
Before dawn, Richard arrives with D'Hara soldiers, Zedd, Dahlia, Chase and his warriors. While they are preparing to fight, Shota appears and says she is going with them. Kahlan looks into her eyes and nods.
D'Hara soldiers are in their places, then The Mord'Siths and the others. Denna is between Shota and Cara. Denna looks at Shota and she returns the look to Denna. Then Denna looks at Cara and she returns the look to Denna. "What is happening?" Kahlan asks to Cara. She is beside Cara. But Denna rides her horse and goes toward the Imperial Order soldiers. Her horse is strong and fast. Richard screams but again, she does not hear him. The Mother Confessor screams too and follows behind her, Cara rolls her eyes, Cara and Shota ride Cara's horse and they ride behind Kahlan. Then Richard waves and all of them go toward the Imperial Order's camp.
Zedd, Dahlia with her children, Princess Cyrilla and Dennee stay there , protected by Zedd's magic.
Denna saw when Nicci went out the one tent and she was taken toward a horse. She looked at Shota raising her eyebrow asking her help and Shota looked at her with a yes. Then she looked at Cara and in her eyes she was saying goodbye. Then she looked forward where she had seen Nicci and she was with Jagang on the horse. She could not lose this chance to rescue Nicci. Then she rides toward them. She heard the Seeker after the Mother Confessor screaming something but she did not pay attention on them.
Nicci could not sleep, she was alone in one tent, the painful Rada'han in her throat. She was waiting Jagang entering in her tent in any moment. But he did not. Good. In the early morning, she is taken toward Jagang's horse and the soldier says Jagang is coming. While she waits Jagang, she looks at the hill and gasps, and her eyes full with tears. Her friends and D'Hara Army. Jagang appears and rides his horse putting her on his lap again. When she looks at the hill again, she sees one horse coming fast toward them with a red leather riding it. Denna. Her Denna. Nicci had no doubt and her heart tightened and starts to beat faster inside her chest.
Kahlan could not believe how Denna had not fear. But Denna and Nicci are her friends and she would help them. Then Kahlan rides behind Denna.
They catching the Imperial 's soldiers off guard and they could kill them easily, at least, the first ones. Jagang saw when they are approaching him and rides toward the Nemerhi's mountains, taking Nicci.
Denna was almost flying with her horse chasing Jagang and Nicci. Kahlan, Cara and Shota are right behind her. They are closing the distance with Jagang. The D'Hara soldiers, the others Mord'Siths, Richard are protecting them from Imperial's soldiers attack. Zedd, Princess Cyrilla, Dennee and Dahlia, Dennee with her kids stayed safe in the top of hill, Chase and his warriors are there to protect them but Zedd had casted a protecting spell on them.
The D'Hara soldiers had the advantage of a surprise attack and Richard was a war wizard the he used his magic against Imperial Order soldiers, Zedd helping him with his magic too.
"Denna is almost beside Jagang" Kahlan thinks " she is going to kill him". Then Kahlan rides toward the free side Jagang's horse, in case Nicci needs her help. She looks at Cara, her horse is coming and Shota is with her. But she sees Shota's arms outstretched toward Denna and she opened her eyes wide in surprise. Denna is riding fast and side to side with Jagang and one of her arms is outstretched toward Shota, mimicking Shota's ones. Then it happened and it happened in seconds in front of Kahlan's eyes.
Shota casts a spell and Denna catches it and turning toward Nicci, Denna reaches out and grabs the Rada'han on Nicci's throat and screaming in pain she releases the Shota's magic in the Rada'han making it to break. A green light covers Nicci, Jagang and Denna quickly.
Nicci was the last thing Denna saw, before falling of her horse Denna's heart stopped to beat and her life finished. Nicci, Kahlan, Cara and Shota screams out loud. Cara stops her horse and she and Shota jump running toward Denna's corpse. Kahlan said out loud to Cara give her the Breath of Life and follows toward Nicci.
Nicci screams in despair, pain and with hatred. Without the Rada'han, she can use her magic. When Nicci is going to touch Jagang, Kahlan appears in her side begging to her to stop, they need to know where is George. And at a glance, the Mother Confessor grabs Jagang's throat and releases her magic on him, Jagang's eyes opens wide "Command me, Confessor!".
Nicci screams out loud, then she turns and sees Denna's corpse on the ground and screams out loud again, her eyes all white. Then she jumps on the ground and walks towards the Imperial Order's soldiers and with her outstretched arms, she releases her magic and tiny wave of air runs fast toward the soldiers, cutting their heads and their bodies as a razor sharp blade would slice through their bodies.
When Kahlan and Jagang are on the ground in front of each other, "Where is George Rahl?" she asks. "He is with Six in the caves of Nemerhi's Mountains" he answers.
Nicci screams again releasing her magic, the tiny wave of air runs fast, slicing the Imperial's soldiers bodies easily. Then she falls on her knees and slowly she sit on her heels crying. Kahlan reaches her and embraces her saying Cara is going to give Denna the Breath of Live.
Kahlan looks at Nicci nodding. Then Nicci stands up and put her hands one in each Jagang's ears and whispers something in a strange language, her magic is released in Jagang making his braid to fry. His eyes, his nose and his ears bleed and his body falls on the floor without life.
Richard, the Mord'Siths, D'Hara soldiers, Zedd , Dennee, Dahlia and Princess Cyrilla are horrified with the power of Nicci's magic. Nicci had killed more than two hundred enemy soldiers only in this few time. "The Death's Mistress could be a excellent War Wizard!" Zedd said surprised.
Denna feels an explosion in her heart. Her blood was burning into her veins. And for the third time her life comes back and she opens her eyes and sees Cara's face near her and Shota is looking at her, standing behind Cara. She is dizzy but she sit anyway, she hears a tiny cracked inside her and her mind is spinning inside her head and a strong pain squeezes her heart, she weeps. Then she hears Nicci's screams and turns toward it . Denna, Cara and Shota gasp looking at Nicci releasing her magic and killing a lot of the Jagang's soldiers. Then she falls slowly on the ground and Kahlan embraces her. Nicci stands up and holding Jagang's head she kills him. Denna runs toward them calling Nicci's name. Then Nicci turns and runs. When Denna and Nicci hug each other, they are crying uncontrollable tears. Denna is broken, again. Kahlan is crying too and Cara holds her hand squeezing it, then Kahlan leans into Cara's embrace.