Chapter eleven:

There was only chaos.

The soldiers had been wary enough of Kahlan's approach and had quickly discovered her hands were not bound but quick to find her daggers. She killed three men swiftly, turning this way and that with a powerful grace. The soldier she had confessed showed off his own fighting skills to protect her.

Too late the soldiers who had come to discover if the Mother Confessor was really under their power found themselves surrounded by Zedd and Cara, and they fought with a keen ferocity.

Still, the four were easily outnumbered, and it was only their skill and desperate need that drove them to kill man after man. Kahlan struggled to find Richard in the ensuing chaos, but she finally caught sight of him slumped only a few feet away.

Ducking around swords thrust her way, she picked up a lance beside a fallen soldier and stabbed the last man in her way, before falling beside the man she loved.

"Richard!" she gasped out, "Richard, are you alright? What has she done to you?" she wailed as she cupped his face in her hands.

He looked sick, and she stroked his cheeks with her thumb, concerned by the pallid sheen to his face.

He slowly opened his eyes to see Kahlan above him.

"No!" he cried out forcefully and tried to push her away.

"Richard it's me, it's Kahlan," Kahlan tried to reassure him, a tear falling down her cheek at the state he was in.

"No, it's not. It's a trick, I know. Why won't you leave me?" he was almost crying and Kahlan choked down a sob.

"Ssh, it's alright, Richard, I'm going to get you out of here."

Richard tried to push her away again.

"I love you," Kahlan told him, her voice wavering with tears, but strong with conviction. "Just breathe, it's me."

At that moment she caught the tell-tale sign of red of Richard's captor.

Boiling with rage, Kahlan stood and glared with Denna with more hatred than she had ever felt.

"What did you do?" she shouted.

Denna just laughed.

Kahlan strode forward menacingly, her hand outstretched to destroy her with her power.

Denna's smirk cooled to a scowl, and she flicked her agiel into her hand ready to do battle.

Denna blocked the flurry of Kahlan's attacks, as Kahlan fought with all the determination in her body. Caught on the side by the Mord-Sith's agiel, she screamed in agony, and suddenly found the floor tilting up to meet her.

As soon as Kahlan hit the floor she rolled, and pulling out a dagger she threw it at Denna, who narrowly dodged it.

Growling in anger Kahlan pushed herself up, but noticed that Denna was staring intently behind her.

Kahlan knew she should have taken the instant to strike but her heart contracted with the icy fear that Denna was staring at the spot where Richard lay.

Kahlan turned and nearly dropped back to the floor when she saw Richard standing bathed in white light.

The words of the prophecy echoed in her mind.

A life must be sacrificed for one twice-blessed to enter Regan's sanctuary.

If the life of the one bonded to the blade is sacrificed willingly, he will have the power to free her.

In the twilight sounds a heart beating in the darkness. He must choose his path, and if he breathes true, only truth will emerge, all else will be lost.

At that moment Kahlan knew unequivocally that if she didn't stop him Richard was about to sacrifice his life. She would die before she let that happen.

Dropping her daggers Kahlan broke into a dead sprint, running faster than her tired body should have been able to carry her.

"Richard!" she screamed, and urging her bruised muscles into action she didn't slow as she ran into him, knocking him down and out of the light. He lay dazed on the floor, and Kahlan looked upon him for the last time.

She felt the light turn its attention to her, enveloping her instead, and she felt the pain as it began to constrict around her.

A tear snaked a path down her cheek as Richard opened his eyes to look into hers. It looked as though a sudden jolt of recognition had hit him.

"I love you," she told him, knowing that this was the way it should be. That he should live rather than her.

She screamed as her world went white.