This update is dedicated to my friend Deacon (Bob Kenny) who passed away a couple of weeks ago. You will be missed, my Seeker friend.

Chapter 14

Richard stood there in the fading darkness of the room, the only light coming from a faint shaft of lingering moonlight that splashed across the bed they had shared last night. He couldn't tear his eyes off her beautiful sleeping form, how positively breathtaking she looked…so peaceful and full of such unimaginable love for him.

He silently memorized every single exquisite detail of her face. He never wanted to forget this moment or how she looked, the passionate love they had shared last night. He had no idea when he'd be able to see her again, but he swore to himself that he would and it would be soon.

This was one of the most difficult things that he had ever had to do, but he knew with his whole being that he had to do it. He had to leave her in order to protect her. He couldn't be the one that led Sister Nicci straight to her or the reason that she ended up back with Demos.

Images of what his wicked brother would do to her if he ever got his hands on her again flooded his mind, making him nauseated and weak in the knees. At the same time, it also strengthened his resolve to leave her, knowing it was for the best right now.

He silently leaned over, brushing a raven curl away from her face before gently kissing her temple. She whispered his name in her sleep, a sweet smile momentarily curling her lips before fading away. He couldn't help but smile in return, loving the sound of his name on her lips whether murmured in her sleep or cried in the height of climax. It was something that he never grew tired of, only craving to hear it time and time again.

He was more than thankful that the barrier Zedd had set up in her mind had finally allowed her to sleep without nightmares for the first time in several days. It was one less thing that he needed to worry about now that he was going to be separated from her for a little while.

"I love you, Kahlan," he softly said, closing his eyes and kissing her cheek.

It took everything he had to walk away from her, reminding himself that he was doing this for her, to save her life. He just prayed that she would forgive him someday, understand the reason why he had to do this. There just was no other way.

He couldn't stand the thought of her hating him, but he knew beyond a doubt that he couldn't live if she died.

Richard came to a stop by the door to their room, pausing to look back at Kahlan still sleeping peacefully. The sheet only partially covered her back, allowing an enticing view of her shoulder blades, her tousled raven hair fanned out over the pillow. He ached to return to her, crawl in beside her and pull her close against his body, curling himself around her in a protective cocoon in an effort to protect her from the world.

Drawing a deep breath, he silently turned the doorknob, leaving her all alone to wake up and find him gone. He swallowed hard as he turned and closed the door behind him, his forehead as well as the palm of his hand coming to rest against the wood as his heart struggling with the decision that he had made.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"Yes, I do," he managed to choke out in a whisper without turning around. "I have to in order to save her."

"We have fought together before and won," Cara reminded him. "We can do it again."

"I can't take that chance…not with Sister Nicci coming after me and Kahlan," he softly said, finally turning around to face her. "I won't be the reason that Kahlan dies."

"You don't know that Kahlan will die."

"No, I don't, but Nicci is not going to give up until she has us, Cara," Richard insisted. "I have to draw her away from Kahlan and put a stop to this permanently."

"Then, let's get started," Cara replied.

"Did you tell Zedd what I told you to tell him?"

"Yes," Cara confirmed with a nod of her head.

"What did he say?" he tentatively asked as they descended the steps.

"He told me to tell you to be careful first of all," she informed him. "Then he said not to worry. He would get Kahlan safely to Aydindril as soon as possible and try to restore her memories."

"Good," Richard sighed heavily as they exited the inn.

"He also said that if we weren't in Aydindril in seven days, he was sending the entire Aydindril army out after us."

Richard chuckled softly in response at his grandfather's threat. "I intend to be there in less than five if at possible. The sooner this over, the sooner I can marry Kahlan and start the life that we've wanted all along."

"And what about Demos?"

There was a long moment of silence as Richard grappled with what he knew in his heart that he was going to have to eventually do. "I cannot allow my brother to continue to rule especially knowing how obsessed he is with Kahlan. I want him out of our lives forever."

"Kahlan's not going to just sit back and let you go after him without her," she reminded him. "In fact, it's going to take her some time to get over you leaving her now without doing it again to her later after you're married."

"I know, but what do you want me to do?" Richard angrily ground out. "I can't just let him live knowing that he could be coming after Kahlan at any time. He's not going to stop until he has her."

"Then send the Aydindril army after him," she stated, suddenly noticing how clear the pre-dawn sky was. Nicci had managed to find a way to remove Zedd's cloud cover. Her tracer cloud would be able to find them now.

"It won't be enough," Richard replied with a shake of his head. "I'm going to have to be the one to do it."

"You need to stay as far away from him as possible," Cara insisted. "Demos wants you just as much as he wants Kahlan and it's not for a family reunion. He wants you both to suffer."

"I know that, Cara," Richard snapped, his patience waning. "I can't worry about that when Kahlan's life is in constant danger."

Cara grabbed hold of his arm, pulling the Seeker to a sudden stop. "See that cloud up there?" she asked, pointing to the sky and the single dark cloud that hovered above them. "That cloud is attached to you by magic. Where you go, it goes and so will Nicci and the Sisters of the Dark.

"There is a battle waiting for us on the horizon whether we like it or not and you are just as much in the center of it all as Kahlan is. Whether you like it or not, you can't take it all on by yourself and think you'll survive it on your own."

"That's why I have you with me," he pointed out with a lop-sided smile.

"We might not be enough, Richard," she softly confessed, unamused by his effort to lighten the mood. "I will give you everything I have including my life if necessary, but I fear it won't be enough this time."

"Cara, you are not going to die because of me," he heatedly stated. "We end this with Nicci and then we go after Demos once I know Kahlan is safe in Aydindril."

The Mord'Sith drew a deep breath, fighting against the worry that all of this invoked within her. She couldn't help but fear that they weren't going to make it out of this one as easily as Richard hoped that they were especially with everyone and everything converging on them like this.

Demos…Sister Nicci and her Sisters of the Dark…Darken Rahl and the Keeper…Shota. They all wanted Richard or Kahlan for one reason or another. She feared that it would never end.

"Let's go," Cara finally grumbled, turning away from him with a scowl. "The sooner we lead Nicci away from Kahlan and Zedd, the sooner we can get you to Aydindril as well."

Richard watched her as she began to head down the narrow dirt path that would lead them west out of Rothenberg. He turned back to look at the inn sitting silently against the backdrop of the sun that was just beginning to rise, his gaze finding the window to the room where Kahlan slept.

His eyes momentarily fell closed as he pictured her sleeping, remembering the feel of her soft warm skin pressed flush against his, the heated breaths they had shared in that intimate moment. It was those memories that would keep him going, help keep him sane through this war that was no doubt coming with Demos and the Sisters of the Dark.

It was a fight he did not want, but knew he must face in order to ensure not only Kahlan's safety, but the safety of the Midlands as well as D'Hara. It was time for the wicked tyranny to come to an end. And that time was now.

XXX

Kahlan slowly began to stir as awareness replaced fitful slumber, the warm feel of the sun's rays falling across her waking her from a deep sleep. Her lips curled softly as she remembered making love with Richard last night, the feel of him pressing her so deeply into the mattress, the feel of his muscular body so hard beneath her as she rode him until they had both collapsed in sweet rapture.

She had wanted more, but exhaustion had ended up winning out. They had fallen asleep, a tangled mess of limbs and momentarily sated desire. She was beyond thrilled when she realized that she had been able to sleep through the entire night without any nightmares, allowing them both a full night of much needed sleep.

Without opening her eyes, she reached over beside her, wanting to touch him, to feel the intense peace and love that his embrace always instilled within her. Even without her memories, Richard had managed to become her everything, her heart remembering and knowing him despite the void Demos's spell had created in her mind.

Her brow furrowed as her hand found nothing but cool sheets next to her, confusion and worry instantly gripping her. She sat bolt upright, holding the sheet against her chest as she swiftly looked around for any signs of where Richard could have gone, hoping that he had gone downstairs to get them something to eat.

Worry, however, swiftly turned into unrelenting panic when she noticed that his clothes were missing along with his sword and his pack.

Richard was gone.

Tears immediately filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, her heart pounding wildly. "No…no, Richard…no," she repeatedly whispered to herself as she turned to look out the nearby window, her fingers curling around the window sill as she fought to contain her panic.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, Zedd's cloud cover gone as well as the dark tracer cloud that had been following them. Richard had left sometime during the night while she had been sleeping. He had left her behind. How could he have just left her like this?

Tears streamed down her face as she drew her knees up close to her body, her forehead coming to rest on top as she cried, her body shaking with the heartache that had suddenly gripped her. She felt as though her heart was shattering, her world crumbling down all around her. He was her anchor and he had left her.

Panic and heartache soon gave way to anger and determination as she suddenly leapt from the bed, furious with him for doing this to her. He had made love with her last night, allowing her to believe that everything was going to be alright, that he wasn't going to leave her. He had lied to her, giving her a false sense of security and hope.

She thought that she knew him, had trusted him and he had deceived her.

Kahlan grabbed her travelling clothes, dressing quickly as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She was going after him. He was not going to just leave her like this and try to face Sister Nicci and her Sisters of the Dark by himself.

She was nearly trembling with anger as she pulled on her thigh-high boots before grabbing her pack and heading for the door. She pulled it open to find Zedd standing there, his hand raised to knock on her door. The look on his face told her that he already knew what Richard had done, that he had taken Cara and had left them behind.

"I'm going after him," she ground out, her chest heaving with anger and hurt.

"Kahlan…" Zedd cautiously began, his arm falling limply to his side.

"He had no right to do that to me, Zedd!" she growled. "He…he…"

The tears came faster…harder as she collapsed against him, breaking down into sobs. He wrapped his arms firmly around her, holding her close as she wept; knowing what all of this was doing to her. This was what he had feared the most. So much had happened to her with Demos and the spell, losing her memories and the nightmares, recently learning what had happened to her family and now this. He didn't know how much more Kahlan could possibly take before finally breaking.

Richard had been the only one that she had truly remembered and even that had been negligible. It was what she had felt in her heart, the unbreakable bond that she shared with Richard that had allowed her to know him despite not remembering much about their past together. Now, the one person that was holding her together through all of this turmoil was gone and there was no way of knowing if he would truly be able to come back to them or not.

Zedd knew that Richard had needed to do this in order to protect her, but it couldn't have come at a worst time. He feared for her mind, how fragile that it could become because of the dangerous spell that Demos had used. It was a no-win situation. If they left the spell alone, it could cause her mind to deteriorate. If they tried to remove the spell, the sudden flood of memories could destroy her mind as well.

The emotional battle of all of this was definitely beginning to take its toll on her, sapping her strength and stealing her hope. He hated to see what this was doing to her. It was threatening to take away the Kahlan that they knew and loved, but he would do everything in his power to keep that from happening.

"Kahlan, he's not gone forever," Zedd told her as he led her back into her room, sitting her down on the foot of the bed. "Nothing means more to him than coming back to you."

"He shouldn't have left," Kahlan cried, the tears refusing to cease. "He…he left without saying goodbye…without telling me. How could he do that to me? I thought he loved me."

"Because Richard knew that he'd never be able to leave you if he had to look you in the eye," he pointed out. "Kahlan, he loves you far more than you can begin to imagine. He's prepared to take on Nicci and her Sisters as well as Demos if he has to in order to keep you safe."

"I don't want him to do that," she yelled, leaping to her feet. "I want him with me. Why does he insist on trying to protect me all the time at the risk of his own life?"

"It's because he loves you more than his own life," he gently replied, watching her as she began to pace. "Nothing is more important to him than you. He won't rest until he knows that Demos is dead."

Kahlan paused, folding her arms against her chest. "Why can't we just run away…go some place where no one will find us so we can just live in peace?"

Zedd stood to his feet, making his way to her. "I know you're struggling to understand it all and none of this makes any sense to you, but if you had your memories, you'd know why Richard can't do that…why you wouldn't be able to do that either.

"Right now, everything is such a chaotic mess and your world has been turned upside down, but I promise we'll do everything we can to make it right again for you. Everything will make sense then."

"If Richard isn't with me, nothing will ever be right again," she softly said, her tears returning with a vengeance. "I have to find him, Zedd. I can't breathe when he's not around."

Zedd pulled her into his arms again, rubbing her back. "I know, dear one," he sighed heavily, his heart breaking for her. "And I also know that he feels the exact same way you do. Leaving you was the hardest thing that he has ever had to do, but he did it in order to draw Nicci away from you."

Kahlan's fingers curled into the wizard's robes, clinging to him for dear life. "It just hurts so much," she murmured. "When he's with me, everything makes sense, but now…I feel so lost and alone."

"You've been through more than anyone can begin to comprehend, Kahlan," he told her, bending down to kiss the top of her head. "But you are not alone. I know I'm not Richard, but I love you as if you were my very own granddaughter. I'm going to get you safely to Aydindril and then see what I can do about restoring your memories. You have a wedding to plan for when Richard returns."

"I don't think I can do this, Zedd," she confessed, pressing her forehead against his shoulder.

"I know you, Kahlan Amnell, and you are a very strong woman," he insisted, pulling back and forcing her to look at him. "You can do this. We need to get to Aydindril as soon as possible and then Richard will meet us there as soon as he can."

"Thank you, Zedd," she murmured, unconvinced with his attempt to reassure her. She couldn't get past the fact that Richard said that he loved her, would always be there for her and yet he had left her without a word. It didn't feel like love to her. It was too gut-wrenching for it to be love.

"Anytime, my dear," he smiled at her. "Now, let's get you something to eat and then get out of here. I made a promise to Richard to take care of you and I'm not about to be on the receiving end of his anger if I fail him."

"I know I'm supposed to be this Mother Confessor and ruler of the Midlands, but…I'm scared, Zedd," she admitted, turning away from him in embarrassment, her chin falling to her chest. "I guess I'm not much of a leader, am I?"

"On the contrary, Mother Confessor," he replied, placing a reassuring hand on her back. "It makes you a very good leader. Fear can either make you or break you. You can allow it to drive you or you can let it defeat you and the Kahlan I know has never let it defeat her. And if you want to know a secret, I'm scared too."

"I'm afraid the Kahlan you once knew is gone," she softly confessed. "I'm scared she might never come back."

Zedd chuckled lightly in response as he began to lead her towards the door. "Oh, there is definitely no fear in that happening," he told her, withholding his own private fear of her mind breaking down soon if he didn't get her to Aydindril. She didn't need the added weight of that possibility right now. "You are still most definitely the Kahlan I know even though I know you might not feel like it."

Kahlan swallowed hard, slowly nodding her head in acknowledgement as they descended the stairs. She couldn't help but wonder where Richard was at right now, if he was even thinking of her at that moment. The heartache that had settled within her deepened and expanded with every step she took, knowing it was taking her further and further away from him.

She was furious with him, her heart laying in jagged pieces inside of her chest. Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, something horrible happened. She just hadn't expected it coming from the one person she had given her heart to.

XXX

As Kahlan and Zedd left Rothenberg on horseback, Nicci began to lead her Sisters of the Dark in from the opposite side of the city, knowing that the Seeker had been here recently. She had been able to formulate a spell to counteract the wizard's spell, clearing the sky so she could follow the tracer cloud that she had created.

She was getting close. She could feel it in her bones.

She glanced at the novice who had been staying unusually close to her for the last few days. It stirred her suspicions about the novice's motives for staying so near to her. What was even more suspicious was how Sister Iriana had also taken to spending more time near her.

Something had changed recently, something that wasn't good. She had a feeling that someone, or more likely Darken Rahl, had asked the two of them to keep an eye on her, making sure that she didn't turn away from the Keeper again.

Darken Rahl had a secret agenda that Demos knew nothing about, one that included the Seeker. She had no doubt that Demos would try to keep Richard for himself, but he would find out the hard way that that was not going to happen. Darken and the Keeper had other plans for him.

Nicci knew they feared her failing them, turning away from their service, but they need not worry about that. She was more than determined to find the Seeker and deliver him to the Keeper as promised. Nothing was going to keep her from that – not the Mord'Sith, not the Wizard, and definitely not the Mother Confessor.

Richard would be dead and Kahlan would be on her way back to Demos Rahl who was no doubt growing more and more desperate to get his vile hands on her. She had never believed there could be someone worse than Darken Rahl, but then she had met Demos.

"Sister Nicci, the tracer cloud is heading west now instead of north," Tash said. "Are you sure it's working correctly?"

Nicci scowled darkly at her as she stopped to face her. "He is more than likely trying to lose us, but it will not work. We will find him and deliver him to the Keeper as promised."

"My apologies for questioning you, Sister," Tash apologized. "I was just concerned that maybe something had gone wrong."

"Nothing is wrong," Nicci bit out as the rest of the Sisters of the Dark averted their eyes, not wanting to stir the powerful sorceress's ire.

"I'm sorry, Sister Nicci," Tash murmured, looking away.

"Let's go," Nicci stated. "We're wasting valuable time with your pointless questions. We are gaining on the Seeker and I'm not about to lose him this time."

The Sisters of the Dark began to move again, making their way through the large town. People on the streets made every effort to avoid them, knowing they were dangerous. Nicci paused, turning to look back at her surroundings.

Something inside of her prickled with an uneasy feeling. The Seeker and Mother Confessor had been here very recently. She could feel it. Her gaze narrowed as she swept over the people moving about the town taking care of their daily business.

They were very close indeed.