"Richard, look at me." Dennee asked him kindly.
They had spent more than an hour talking and still his wrath was awake. She studied his hard face, finally placing a hand on his arm.
"You will see, things will come to a reasonable end. The Council just follows the rules. You can´t deny that the circumstances demand weariness. As soon as we can be sure that your Mord Sith can be trusted they will join you again." She ducked her head in order to catch his eyes.
He inhaled deeply and then lifted his gaze. His jaw was still set, but the fire in his eyes had dimmed to a faint glow. He sighed, almost defeated.
"Okay, Dennee. I understand why you´ve set them under arrest, but however you want to prove their loyalties, you have five days. If you don´t set them free by then, I will! And I will fight my way to them if needed!"
She granted him a soft smile.
"There will be no need, Richard. Just trust me." She sighed as she leaned back.
„We should use the time to find a strategy. What do you think Rahl plans? Has the Sister of the Light told you any details?" Richard shook his head.
"She had no further information; except…"
"Except what, Richard?" She leaned towards him, her eyes watching his face closely. Her brow rose as he frowned thoughtfully.
"The wizard, you demanded to look after my Mord Sith. Is he one of Zedd´s apprentices?" She nodded.
"His name is Connor. He and his companion arrived here a few months ago. They were sent from the Palace of the Prophets. Why are you asking?"
"Verna… she said one of Zedd´s apprentices might be a traitor." Concern lay in his eyes as he watched her frowning and then shaking her head.
"That can´t be. Since Kahlan has left I worked with him to prepare our security. I think I can say I´ve come to know him. He is vigilantly thinking of every possible gap in our defenses. I can absolutely rely on him. Your Sister Verna must be mistaken."And, striking an easy tone, she changed the subject.
"As you´re mentioning her: why isn´t she, and Zedd, with you? I was sure they would join you? Zedd would be really of great use here; he´s needed…"
"They are on their way to Comorra." Her brows rose surprised. "We agreed that Kahlan and Cara should be informed as fast as possible. They will pick up with them and as soon as they can leave King Sadom´s palace they´ll return by the shortest route. I hope they reach Aydindril within the next eight days."
Dennee hummed absently, her gaze thoughtfully settling on the dancing flames in the hearth. Richard waited a while, but as she seemed to drift away with her thoughts he stood and approached her. "You should go and rest, Dennee. As I will. It´s been a long day. Let´s talk tomorrow." He cupped her cheeks kindly and pressed his lips to her forehead. The low sound of a small sigh rewarded him.
On his way out he turned once again.
"Be careful, Dennee. This Wizard Connor is an obscure person… We should have an eye on him."
With that he left. Dennee watched him go, a shadow falling over her face. The white line of her teeth sank into her lower lip as she turned and let her gaze go lost in the flickering light in the hearth.
::::::::::::::::::
Richards steps could still be heard as a new visitor entered her rooms. He found the Confessor sitting at the hearth and staring into the fire and harrumphed slightly to be acknowledged.
"Could you calm him down?"
Her fragile frame did not move. But her voice was hard and her face set into a stony mask.
"He´s wrapped around my little finger... Richard shouldn´t be of your concern." She lifted her gaze and turned towards him, her lips pursed, glaring at him with some reluctance.
"But there is not much time. He is not known for his patience; I don´t think I can steady him for more than a few days.
Go, send your messenger to him. Tell him time is pressing. Zedd and this Sister of the Light are on their way to Comorra!" She pierced him with cold eyes. "And Richard just advised me to have an eye on you! He did not elaborate on why you make him feel suspiciously, but you will stay in the shadows, without attracting further attention. Is that understood?"
His brow climbed slightly up, but he smiled a tight smile and nodded. His eyes spreading little sparks.
"Did you have any troubles with the Mord Sith?"
"They were not pleased of their treatments, especially that brown-haired... what´s her name? Berdine? She fought as though she had an army at her side. We lost three guards, a few others are gone to the healer. But nothing I couldn´t handle. They are locked up and under surveillance." His lips quirked up satisfied. "I made them taste a bit of what is awaiting them ..." She shot him a disapproving glare. The Mord Sith belonged to her!
"What about the prince?" he quickly changed the subject. "He doesn´t seem to have a strong lock on himself…"
"Prince Devron owns the same foolish mind as his cousin did. Give him just a little prospect of gain in power and he loses his head. We can´t trust him…"
He nodded. "I´ll take care of that."
"Fine. That´s all." She waved her hand to dismiss him.
His dark grey cloak flowed behind him like a ghostly wave as Wizard Connor wheeled and left.
Not a candle mark later a falcon shrieked as it headed southward through the night.
::::::::::::::::::::
Cara waited for the point where pain turned into something different; she waited for the adrenaline to flow in her veins, carrying the intoxication into every cell of her body; waited for the cuts and bruises starting to fade, dimming to a blanket of heat and pulsing vitality, filling her with a new fresh strength, the feeling of being wide awake. The corner of her lips grimaced a spiteful grin.
That uninspired Mord Sith in front of her was failing miserably in her task.
She was young, inexperienced and certainly too weak to be in charge; probably in her fifth or sixth year of training. This girl should have served cleaning the Mord Sith bath rooms instead of being honored with spending time in the dungeons...
Obviously Rahl suffered a serious staff problem.
The young woman was very much focused on her work, carefully avoiding the risky spots, but trying to cause enough pain. She worked her agiel on Cara almost mechanically; stab to the left, stab to the right; blow across her face and a twist on her belly. As if she had a plan in her head and she didn´t dare to deviate from it. All but passionless.
It was annoying.
The good thing was that it left space for her head to wrap around Kahlan´s fate.
Cara didn´t remember the arrow hitting her heart, but she remembered the look of sheer horror in the Confessor´s eyes the moment she acknowledged that all her men were confessed. Closing her eyes she still wanted to growl, wanted to stab her agiel into the one who had caused it, wanted so badly to rip him into pieces. But then her world had gone black and she had found herself in chains in this rotten cell, not knowing where Kahlan was, what had happened to the Mother Confessor; all she could do was bat the thoughts away that tried to overrule her mind; that image of Rahl killing the woman in white, the only one;
Her only one.
Cara clenched her hands into fists, clasping at the furious thought that he would certainly have some mad ideas why he would keep her alive...
Another passionless stab into her belly... Cara hissed in frustration like a riled cat of prey.
The hag-ridden squealing of tired hinge hooks interrupted her thoughts and assuming that Rahl made his appearance a smug grin settled on her face.
"What do you think you are doing here?" Rahl´s snarky voice startled the Mord Sith and she turned to look at him confused.
"My Lord?"
"Can´t you see that she laughs at you? I ordered you to prepare her for me! Look at her; Can´t you see the grin on her face..." In a rush he backhanded Cara heavily, as if to wipe that grin away. The blonde laughed out loud.
"Oh,I hoped you´d come for my personal entertainment, Rahl, eventually. If you let this schoolgirl do the job any longer you risk killing me through tedium. It´s nothing but boring."
In a hard blow his hand met her jaw once more. She could see anger flashing in his eyes and smirked with bruised lips; but then he wheeled to his Mord Sith and batted her agiel from her hand, staring her down.
"Go, see that her place gets prepared in the other cell. Garen will take over your job here." His gaze was an angry blue fire as it seared into her eyes. She dropped her head and turned on her heels, her shoulders slightly sagged. His eyes set into small slits, he called after her. "And you will not speak to her!" She stopped and straightened, but did not look back. Cara saw how she set her jaw, but her voice was low and submissive. "As you wish, My Lord!" and she was gone.
He turned and smiled at Cara, who´s body tensed suspiciously, while his gaze went on a ride over her bruises and the dark marks that painted her form. As if on its own his hand reached out, almost tenderly, and slid to a black spot under her ribcage, where her skin had broken and blood trickled ever so gently from the gash. He licked his lower lip subconsciously as his fingertips wiped blood off, bringing it to his still smiling mouth to be sucked clean while his eyes caught hers with a lustful stare. He groaned lowly.
"Hmm, your taste still does things to me, Cara. I missed it; your blood; your sweat; and all the other moistures we used to share... Tell me, do you still think of all the pleasures we shared?" His oily voice crawled into her ear like a slimy worm, drilling its way through her mind. She pursed her lips, her eyes narrowed snidely, her answer a sheer scorn.
"If you are speaking of the nights you bored me to death with your dirty little games? You are badly mistaken if you think of them as pleasure. I knew my vexatious duty, no more, no less..." A smirk settle on her bruised lips. "Did you know that we tossed up for who had to be the one to put up with your little skills in bed?" She grunted a laugh. "It was better a punishment for failing than a day in the dungeons would have been..."
He smiled at her thoughtfully, seemingly untouched by her words; his hand reached behind and winked for Garen to hand her agiel to him.
"I see, you still try to keep your head up; pretending you rather follow my little brother, Cara. But you and I, we do not need to play acts in that matter, do we? We both know who you really belong to; who made you this adorable Mord Sith you actually were before Richard´s stupid intervention; who is the Lord Rahl you would die for..." The low, coaxing sound of his voice felt like painting her skin with heated honey. She waited; her eyes set into small slits, half-expecting the buzzing sound of a swarm of wasps allured by it, or the deadly strike of a bear´s paw, scratching this sticky skin off her flesh.
"See, what I´m offering you is the chance to come back; to come back to your family. And you will not even lose your face, Cara. You may still pretend you´re only giving in because you´ll be trained. I understand your need. I´ll give you what you´re craving for. The strength, the honor, the pride; the knowledge that you´re serving the only man who can bring you down… Who deserves your submission because he earns it.
All it needs is to break for me, just one more time." His fist slammed the agiel into her chest, pressing it harshly into her skin and dragging it slowly down to her belly. His eyes glowing as they bored into hers. The sudden pain flashed through her mind and made her gasp, but her gaze didn´t waver. That was what she had waited for, what brought the fire in her heart to new flames. She laughed while panting, spitting at him.
"Dream on, Rahl! Richard is the true Lord Rahl. He and Zedd. And Kahlan. Are my family. My place is at their side. You will never change that; as hard you may try.
You are not even worthy to clean the floor they walk upon." A smug grin graced her lips.
"Though I would give a lot to see you kneeling before her and lick the crud from her boots."
The agiel´s harsh, angry bite split her lip before it burned into the skin of her neck, sucking the air from her lungs, drawing bloody lines down to her chest. He only pulled it away as he felt she was almost fainting, his tongue licked blood from her chin and then he stepped back. A cruel smile on his lips, he handed the agiel to his Mord Sith, Garen, who´s eyes started beaming and her smirking lips told clearly how much she was going to enjoy her task.
She hadn´t forgotten yet that Cara had deeply embarrassed her the last time they had met. In front of her sisters.
Rahl shrugged regretfully.
"Well, it´s your choice, Cara. But you should know the options. You will die, someday, in honor, for me; or you´ll die soon and ignobly through the hand of the Confessor." A satisfied grin passed his face as he saw her eyes narrowing and her chin rising warily. He couldn´t help a chuckle.
"No, I´m not speaking of the whore in white who joined you. But the little sister of your precious Mother Confessor doesn´t care that much that you see her as family. She wants her revenge on you; and who am I to stand in her wake? I promised her that she´ll get it. That she´ll get you.
You will pay your debts, this way or another. Choose well!"
He winked Garen to take his place. "She´s yours. Just see that she stays alive!"
And with that he left, leaving the blonde in chains staring with murderous eyes at the Mord Sith who whispered under a blossoming smile.
"So who is in charge here now?" - before her agiel slammed down on her.
::::::::::::::::
"There they are! I can see the tents!"
Verna straightened in her saddle to see above the hill where the first caps of tents rose over the horizon.
"Ah, and not a minute too early. I´m starving for a good meal…" Zedd stretched and grinned, instantly sniffing the air for hints of roasting meat over camp fires.
Verna eyed him incredulously, but her lips curled into an amused grin.
"We would have reached here much earlier if you hadn´t insisted to stay for a nice meal at this inn; let me see, wasn´t it just three hours ago?"
Zedd seemed a little choked.
"Powerful magic needs powerful nutrition, my dear. You of all people should know that!"
Verna laughed. "I´m sorry, Zedd; but if I would eat just the half of yours, all my powerful magic wouldn´t help against the resulting immobility… I can´t believe that you´re still such a bag of bones!"
He smiled whimsically. "You may see it as a gift, but in fact it´s a curse that the Creator decided to make me starve for all her wonderful gifts and never grants me a pause..."
While twaddling they had gotten closer to the camp when suddenly Zedd´s good-natured grin froze and he reined his horse harshly. Verna looked surprised, but seeing his eyes narrow and strong concern settling on his face, she followed his example and dismounted, hastily tugging her horse into the bushes near the road to come to a halt beside the old wizard with a deep frown on her features.
"For the Creator´s light! What is it, Zedd? What have you seen?"
He still stared at the campsite, his gaze travelling along the tents, meticulously scanning their lines.
"Something's wrong… I thought I saw a Mord Sith walking there."
"Zedd!" Verna shook her head, slightly amused. "Cara is with Kahlan, don´t you remember? She is a Mord Sith!"
It gained her a scowl from under his bushy brows. "That Mord Sith was not blond; she wore a long dark braid!" he hissed.
Verna inhaled sharply. Dismay spread on her face and turned her gaze into a dark wave of worry.
"But… that would mean…"
"…that Rahl was faster than we were." Zedd huffed. "I only hope that Kahlan and Cara have escaped."
"And... if not?" Verna sounded almost hopeless as she looked at him, as if searching for his confidence, waiting for his assurance that the Mother Confessor and her Mord Sith were safe.
Zedd had no answer.
They watched the camp carefully and after a while they were sure Zedd had been right. There were more than five Mord Sith in the camp and they had even detected some men in D´Haran uniforms and others in an odd mixture of Aydindril´s colors and D´Haran armors.
It was clear: this troop was incontrovertibly Rahl´s!
They moved deeper into the bushes, hoping that their short appearance had been gone unnoticed by the guards and eventually settled between some imposing rocks almost two leagues behind the camp. Though the sun wasn´t too low yet, Verna put fire to a small heap of branches but took care that the light wouldn´t be seen outside of their small shelter.
Zedd sat quietly and stared ponderingly at the nothing. Verna didn´t disturb him. She didn´t know Rahl as well as he did and had the strong feeling that it was best to give Zedd´s mind enough space to consider the options before setting a plan out.
Finally he stretched as if awakening after a long, nice nap.
"Before we can decide what to do, we need to know what´s going on, in the camp and in Comorra! Which of these locations would you prefer?"
Verna grinned half-heartedly.
"I don´t think I´ll pass for a Mord Sith! So, I´ll go to Comorra!" Zedd nodded, as if she had been supposed to do.
"Well, then, you should pass for a respectable market-woman. Just…" he eyed her attentively, his lips slightly curled. "…a few changings here and there and a basket with chickens and you´re quite perfect!" She arched a suspicious eyebrow that he deliberately ignored.
"I´ll go to the camp." He stood and went to the horses, pulling his bag from the chestnut and putting it on the ground,; then he stepped back and waved his hands while murmuring a long line of strange words. The bag stretched and tightened until it was a great basket; muffled cackle was heard from under its cap. He grinned contently and turned to Verna, who immediately lifted her hands, palms up, to stop him.
"Thank you, Zedd, but before you´re giving me a dress of feathers I´ll change myself! Hurry on, we´ll meet back here at midnight."
Still grinning he nodded and mounted intricately, than waved a goodbye to her, his eyes hugging her kindly.
"Be careful, Verna!"
"You too, Zedd!"
::::::::::::::
He watched as the men settled around their fire, the smell of roasted rabbit made his mouth water but thankfully his stomach made no noise, yet.
Zedd had stopped at a little fountain before he came in sight of the camp and changed his appearance with some powerful magic, trying different images until he choose that of a chubby peasant, ready to put an imbecile expression on his face if one of the guards noticed him. Though that wouldn´t stand against a scrutiny, it would do for a superficial consideration, he hoped. He left his horse there and sneaked into the camp.
Among the soldiers he found many civilians who were walking around freely. It seemed as though they were from the city, come for catering the troops or dealing with some supplies. Some were joining Rahl´s men around their fires, listening to their stories and even sharing their meals. Every now and then roaring laughter was heard.
Zedd sauntered between them as if he was one of them, looking for a place where he would inconspicuously find some information. Eventually a group close to the biggest tent drew his attention. Surrounded by more than a dozen listeners hanging on his lips, a tall and chunky soldier, half wrapped in the dark blue of Aydindril, half covered by the bloody red of D´Hara, was actually bragging about the dangerous capture of the Mother Confessor.
"That silly whore had no chance to recognize us as Lord Rahl´s men, because we were all dressed in the uniforms of their army. You should know, our ingenious Lord Rahl has an astute arrangement with her sister who is obviously dreaming of the First Chair. So she willingly dismissed her troops and let us follow the Captain of the homeguards instead. We, and a handful confessed, who have nothing in mind but bringing the Confessor´s pet, that Mord Sith Cara back to Aydindril where she will be confessed and killed..." He roared with laughter.
"You should have seen her face, guys! I will never forget this expression of sheer horror in her eyes as she recognized what happened. And when her Mord Sith pet was shot.
But Lord Rahl topped it all: He was all mocking at her and then he raised his arm and sent a damned blue lightning into her. Her scream was just marvelous..." He slapped his thigh and everyone laughed. Zedd tried hard to force a grimace on his face that could be seen as a grin, but he felt chills running down his back. Thankfully he heard a voice asking what he didn´t dare to ask, but what bothered him deeply.
"But where is the bitch now? She isn´t dead you said. Lord Rahl has her chained in the dungeons? What are his plans for her and her... pet?"
Zedd listened closely.
"Indeed, my friend. He has her chained in the dungeons. And that perfidious Mord Sith is hanging in chains, too. Well, as much as I know our master, he will enjoy some pleasure with them..." he blinked twice, exaggeratedly confidential and burst with laughter again. But seeing the questioner staring blankly at him he became sincere, remembering that these people believed that Rahl was the good guy in this game. .
"As we all know, she tried to conquer your city and wanted to behead your king. This is high treason. Lord Rahl will bring her to Aydindril and there she will be judged. We have order to be ready for departure any time now."
He gripped his empty cup and stared inside, as if hoping to find a fountain of ale at its bottom. But when the cup didn´t refill of its own, he looked around, and his eyes settled on Zedd.
"Hey, fatso! Go, bring more ale!"
Zedd nodded eagerly, glad for an excuse to run away. He had heard enough...
Leaving the camp round about ways, trying not to draw attention to his path, the sudden shriek of a falcon perplexed him. Worriedly, his eyes searched the sky, that was already dark and way out of the hunting time for the bird. Zedd frowned as he saw the fragile shadow of the little raptor rattling in the air, just above the group he had recently overheard. The wizard sidled carefully through the rare posts and stopped when he felt safe under the bushes. He turned and sought the sky again, a knowing grin blossoming on his face as he saw the falcon had followed him and now stood in the air closely as if waiting for a sign.
Zedd rose his hand and clenched it into a fist, wrapping the sleeve of his cloak around it, then let out a short, sharp whistle.
Instantly the bird swooped down and landed on his fist, sharp eyes jerkily scanning their surroundings;
"Hey there, little beauty!" Zedd blew a tender breathe against the bird´s breast, while his free hand reached for the small parchment roll that was attached to his claw. "Let me see what you gotta tell..."
::::::::::::::
„Cara?... Cara!"
The voice emerged through the nothingness to touch her like a soothing breeze, chilled the heat of her skin and stroke over her bruises like a healing balm.
"Cara... please!"
The blonde smiled subconsciously, trepidation in the sound scratching at her mind like fingernails scratching her back. It reminded her of something. Something sweet and undeserved, too precious to be hers; still all that mattered. She sniffed for its flavor, wanted to breathe it in, taste it, savor it...
"Cara... please, wake up! Look at me!"
She wrapped the sound tightly around her nerves like a thick cloak against winter´s icy winds. Kahlan...
Her eyes shot open.
She needed a moment to adapt to the rare light, but, yes, there she was!
For an instant her eyes beamed with a blissful light, before she frowned deeply as she realized Kahlan was half standing, half hanging in chains, barely covered by two small leather bands; and bruised. In a rush she jumped to her feet and made a quick, shaky step towards the brunette, only to be yanked back sharply as her chains stopped her move. The Mord Sith growled loudly; not for the pain but for the frustration and the rage that boiled up in her.
"Oh Cara!" Now her voice brimmed with tears, a sob of deep relief escaped her mouth.
"What have they done to you?" Barely a whisper, desperate and sorrowful. Cara opened her parched lips to answer, but only a croak left her throat. She tasted blood and knew it was her own. Pain covered her body. She swallowed arduously.
"I´m fine." A crooked grin that looked more a grimace settled on her face. Her eyes swept over Kahlan´s figure. She could tell they had been almost kind to her. She wore bruises and marks, but no bones seemed broken, her skin hadn´t been ripped from her. Her beautiful face showed a small gash at her left brow and a longer one at her right temple, blood still trickling from it, and her tousled hair stick together around the wound. But all in all she seemed not hurt dangerously. She eyed the bloodied collar around her neck, and huffed helplessly.
Cara´s eyes found the teary blue that stared at her. For a moment they just shared their gazes, silently, putting everything into this look, trying to reach out and touch the others skin and soul with all its intensity.
Finally Cara broke their contact, feeling she would lose herself in the brunette´s soul if not. She looked around, wondering why she had been brought into Kahlan´s cell. She found that young Mord Sith, Rahl had send off so harshly before, standing tensely at the entrance to the cell. Her eyes staring blankly at them, her face expressionless in a way that made Cara frown.
That was not a trained mask she wore... it was sheer lack of... anything.
She shifted her gaze back to Kahlan, giving her a smile as soft as she could manage.
"What happened to you? How did he get you?"
Still holding her eyes Kahlan sighed resignedly.
"He has magic! I don´t know...some sort of power I have never felt before. It has almost torn me apart..." She looked at her as if apologizing for that she hadn´t been strong enough. Hadn´t escaped. Cara watched a sad frown crossing on her face. Then the brunette´s eyes widened and new tears spilled from their corners.
"Cara... Dennee! She´s on his side. She´s sold me out." Despair painted her face and made Cara´s heart clench into a thick clump. "She wants you, Cara! She wants to kill you..."
Cara dropped her eyes and nodded slightly.
"I know. He...made me an offer." The question in Kahlan´s eyes was almost audible.
"He wants me to join him again, let him break me." Her eyes narrowed. "If not, he´ll deliver me to her revenge."
A muffled moan. Blue eyes filling with desperate resolve. The Confessor set her jaw, shaking her head ever so slowly.
"You have to flee, Cara!"
Kahlan knew it was stupid to hope for an escape. But it was all she could think of. She would neither allow Cara to break for this monster, nor would she ever allow that Dennee confessed her! She would fight for her, at all costs.
The blonde stared at her blankly, her eyes wrapping Kahlan into a tight embrace, her head waving a no.
- Never! My life before yours! –
- You must! –
- Not without you! –
...
- I love you! –
- And I love you! –
Their eyes talking beyond words, their hearts beating jointly, they found strength in their oaths, subconsciously straightening, preparing for a fight they wouldn´t surrender so easily to loss...
They didn´t even look up when the door slammed open and Rahl entered the cell. He didn´t say a word, just watched as they both tensed, a wicked grin blooming on his face. Then he noticed Kahlan didn´t hang in her chains but had been lowered enough to find a halt on the ground. Frowning he turned to the Mord Sith.
She dropped her head immediately and murmured lowly:
"You demanded that she´d stay conscious. She wouldn´t have if I wouldn´t have eased her just that little."
Kahlan shot her a stealthy look from under her lashes. That wasn´t exactly what had happened.
- When the girl had entered the room, the coarse guard who had been on duty had been close to her. She still heard his low, menacing voice and felt his hands groping her bare flesh.
"Do you know what we did to your kind? When we chased them down? Two or three of us were always there to share their prey..." He had laughed. A hoarse, lewd sound that had made her shiver.
The young Mord Sith had approached without a sound, suddenly ripping him off her, her steely eyes tossing icy spears into him as she had dragged him to the door with an unforeseeable force. Her low, growling voice, pointing the words she didn´t say aloud, had been nothing but an audible nightmare to him.
"She´s Lord Rahl´s. I´ll give you this one chance to vanish. If I will ever get sight of you again - you´ll! be dead! Is that understood?"
She didn´t need to say more. The guard had taken a flight as if the Keeper himself was after him...
The Mord Sith had turned, her face as expressionless as Kahlan had ever seen one, and wordlessly she had lowered her, allowing her a solid, if shaky stand and her shoulders an appreciated relaxation.
Ever since then she had stood at the door, motionless, expressionless... All while that Mord Sith with these intense dark almond eyes had dragged a bloodied Cara inside and fixed her at the opposite wall...until now her Lord Rahl stared her down.
So he seemed to accept her answer, or just wasn´t in the mood to beat her;
He focused on Kahlan and Cara, smiling his priggish smile and crossing his arms in front of him.
"My dear ladies! I hope you enjoy your little cell sharing... I thought it easier to... convince you of your options if you´d be able to share your... experiences. Since you are friends, or even, as Cara had named it, family..." He grinned and approached Kahlan until he stood close enough for her to feel his hot breath sweeping over her skin.
"What a pity that time is too short for teaching you now... See, a little bird told me that our presence is needed in Aydindril. We will leave there tomorrow. So I ask you to behave on our way. Will you? Because we will have no time to deal with aggressive, mulish captives while we´re riding..." His brows arched questioningly, as if he just asked a little favor of them.
Both the women shot him disbelieving glares. Kahlan rose her chin, spitting her answer with a disgusting voice.
"You are insane if you expect us to cooperate! There is no way you will have us joining you without fighting you with every breath we take! I swear! You won´t get it the easy way, Rahl!"
He ignored Cara´s murderous look; instead he focused on Kahlan with regretful eyes.
"Well, it´s your decision, my dear. But do not complain then..."
A voice from the door emerged. The sudden sound of it was chasing all of Kahlan´s blood in a hot rush from her heart, forcing a stifled moan to fall from her lips. Cara watched her face pale, panic crawling into her eyes and she yanked at her chains helplessly.
From the shadow at the door, the slender form of a woman approached.
"I told you they wouldn´t listen, Rahl." Long, silky blonde hair, a simple black dress swaying pointedly around her figure while she came closer.
"Nicci!" Kahlan´s voice almost broke with her whisper. She was panting heavily, her eyes had widened in terror.
Cara´s chains rattled noisily as she squirmed, trying to break free; every nerve yelling to jump onto the sorceress who barely gave her a look, staring at Kahlan as if trying to magnetize her.
Rahl stepped aside, giving the way free for Nicci to get close to Kahlan, who´s body had started trembling uncontrollably, her head shaking a voiceless no as the woman closed the gap between them.
"Do not dare touching her!" Cara yelled. Nicci shot her a brief, arrogant glance, but quickly turned towards Kahlan again, her look changing into almost tenderness, piercing hers with warm eyes; a tight smile played on her lips.
"I don´t want to hurt you, Kahlan. Be not afraid. It will be much easier if you´ll play along" Her eyes, glowing intensely adjuratory, locked with Kahlan´s, which had become dark as midnight. The brunette still trembled, but felt unable to say a word.
Then Nicci´s hand shot out and slammed the dacra into the Confessors side. Cara cried out loud.
Kahlan screamed, her body shook heavily, her head thrown back in fear and pain, until she broke down after what seemed to Cara like an eternity, her head dropping to her chest, her hair falling over her face like a veil, hiding her misery.
When Nicci finally stepped back, her eyes watched curiously how Kahlan came to her feet, looking around in the cell, a confused expression on her features. Then her gaze found Nicci´s and she broke in an adoring smile, staring devotedly at the sorceress with loving eyes.
"Command me, Mistress!"
Nicci smiled at her softly.
Cara broke in her chains like she´d never broken before.
t.b.c.
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AN: Yes, I know, it´s another cliffy - Poor Kahlan! So sorry for her - and for you all who stare at your screens... :) But, you know me - I love my angsty angst... So, trust me! And stay tuned.
Oh, and for those of you, who always take the time: thank you SO MUCH for your kind comments! You, know, that´s what writers need to survive like you need the air to breathe - to see readers appreciate your work! Thank you!
