CHAPTER 21

Sensing trouble, Richard suddenly drew his sword, the familiar ringing of the magical weapon filling the air. He spun on his heel, shoving Nicci behind him with the others. He was stunned to see D'Haran soldiers and Mord'Sith bearing down on them…and these were definitely not his followers.

His eyes became the familiar raptor gaze of the Seeker, the Lord Rahl, the husband of the Mother Confessor. Nothing was going to come between him and getting his wife and daughters back, least of all these cohorts of Darken Rahl.

Every second that ticked by, every moment that slipped through his fingers kept him from getting to his lover. Spirits only knew what she was going through, what was happening to her at this very moment. He swallowed back his renewed terror in order to focus on the fight ahead of him.

They were greatly outnumbered and he still was not completely certain that Nicci was truly on their side now. One way or another, they were about to find out which Rahl she would chose to follow.

A burst of magic suddenly streaked past his head, startling him as Nicci came to stand beside him. Her face set with a fierceness that sent any icy shiver down his spine. The magic she had unleashed literally split the air with a crack like thunder, lighting the first line of D'Haran soldiers on fire, momentarily delaying their comrades' approach.

Cara, Garren, and Zedd fell in line on either side of him and Nicci, theirs faces set with equal ferocity as they made their stand.

"Let's end this," Richard seethed, his burning rage that had been suppressed for so long finally set free to blaze brightly once more now that the Rada'Han was gone from his neck.

"And get Kahlan back," Cara added, more to herself than to anyone.

The fact that the Mord'Sith cared so much about his wife only added to the weight of his grief her absence had brought him. Kahlan had touched so many lives, making the world a much better place than it had been before.

He knew how much Kahlan meant to him; she was his very life, had become a part of his very essence. But to see how much she meant to everyone else, to see the lives that she had affected with her presence or her influence touched his heart so deeply, bringing such a sense of pride that competed with the pain her absence had created.

Rain began to pound the earth, a cold wind whipping around them in powerful gusts. Thunder grumbled in the distance as Richard raced head on to meet the enemy, determination set like steel in his very core to end this and find his Kahlan.

With a growl that rumbled from deep within his chest, Richard raised his sword, its magic flowing like a mighty river of fire through his veins, washing away the doubts and tempering his terror, drowning out the small voice in his head that kept telling his heart that he had lost his daughters, his beloved forever.

Magic exploded all around him as Nicci and Zedd joined in the battle. The agonizing screams as soldiers burst into flames were a cacophony crashing in his ears. The shrieking did little to influence his sympathy or the priceless value he so dearly held on life, knowing in his heart that they had been sent by his wicked brother who was bent on eliminating him and taking the throne as well as his wife. There was no compassion for wickedness such as this. They had made their choice.

Thunder suddenly crashed over head, reverberating in the Seeker's chest as he swung his sword before ducking to avoid the enemy's blade. Falling to his knees, he thrust up with his sword, running his blade up through the man's gut and into his heart. The sound of the man's organs being sliced apart gave him the strength and determination to push on despite his deepest desire to run in order to find his wife. Richard leapt to his feet, the steel of his sword immediately clashing with another as he battled on for his people and for his family.

Sending another blast of magic into the heart of the enemy, Nicci glanced over at Richard, watching as he moved with such elegance in the dance with death. His movements were sure and determined, full of purpose and deadlier than the Keeper's touch. The fluidity with which he spun and thrust, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision held her in complete fascination.

The way he had defended her to the others, standing in front of her to protect her had broken through that last barrier that she had erected around her heart. She suddenly knew, believed what he had been telling her all along.

If this man that held her heart had that much faith and belief in her, then she had to take the chance to believe it too.

Cara moved in closer to her Lord Rahl, determined to protect him at all cost. She had finally found him and was not about to lose him again. Besides, they still had to find a way to get to Kahlan, wherever in the past she was.

She could barely wrap her mind around such a thing, knowing now that her friend had been sent to the past with no one to help her or protect her and the babies. With a sneer on her lips, Cara tightened her grasp on her agiels, anxious to put an end to this so they could go after Kahlan.

Her thoughts were quickly pulled away from Kahlan as she suddenly noticed Garren fighting with a D'Haran soldier before him, another soldier coming up from behind him, his sword raised. She screamed his name but it was drowned out by the thunder and the battle that swarmed around her.

Images of losing Leo flashed through her mind in that instant, causing her heart to leap into her throat. She took off in a dead run towards him, desperate to reach him in time and yet knowing that she never would. Unexpected tears suddenly blurred her vision before streaming down her face as she watched the sword as it met its intended target, piercing through his back and into his chest.

It all seemed to be happening in excruciatingly slow motion – the battle raging on around them, Garren falling to the ground, his sword dropping from his hand, her screaming his name as she finally reached him.

With a thrust of her agiel, Cara shattered the soldier's rib cage, the sickening cracking sound of the man's bones like music to her ears at that moment. She followed him to the ground, keeping her agiels against his heart and ending the organ's beating once and for all.

She immediately moved towards Garren, grabbing hold of his shoulders and rolling him over. Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of the wound, his face so pale as he blankly stared up at her.

"Zedd!" Cara screamed in panic. "Damn it, Garren! Don't you dare die on me!"

"I wouldn't…dream…of dying…on the woman…I'm going to marry…" he mumbled, his face creased with pain as he gasped with each breath he drew.

"Marry?" Cara gasped in surprise, tears still falling down her cheeks as she cradled his face in her hands.

"I was going…to ask you…to marry me…after we found Richard and Kahlan…" he told her, closing his eyes.

"Don't close your eyes, Garren," she ordered. "Stay focused on me!"

"You're the most beautiful woman, Cara…I love you…"

"ZEDD!" Cara screamed again, grief seizing hold of her, threatening to sweep her away like a swelling tide.

"It'll be alright…" he murmured as he reached up, wiping her tears from her cheek, his hand settling on her face.

Cara looked up in stunned silence as Sister Nicci suddenly appeared on Garren's other side. She hated this sorceress, hated everything that she had done to her friends, all of the pain that she had inflicted. Staring into Nicci's hopeful eyes, Cara ground her teeth as she fought to shove aside all of the anger.

Swallowing hard, Cara slowly nodded her head as she stared at the Sister, sitting back on her heels as she seized Garren's hand. Holding it between her hands, Cara brought it up to her chest, hoping that she was not making a horrible mistake. She knew that she didn't have much of a choice at that point. If they did nothing, Garren would die within minutes.

Nicci smiled softly as she leaned over the fallen soldier, her hands hovering above the wound in his chest. Closing her eyes, her hands began to glow warmly as they moved over him. Her forehead was creased in concentration as she worked feverishly to save him.

Cara tightened her grip on Garren's hand, tears still falling unashamedly down her face. She normally would have been embarrassed to be seen weeping, but this man before her now had touched her heart in a way no one else had. Richard and then Kahlan and Zedd had begun the task of repairing her humanity. Leo may have been able to as well had he lived long enough, but Garren had continued to nourish what others had found inside of her.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nicci sat back on her heels. Looking up, she stared into the Mord'Sith's eyes and in that moment an understanding was made, a truce of sorts had been decided.

"He should be alright now; he just needs to rest," Nicci quietly stated as she moved to get up.

The Sister of the Dark was brought to an abrupt halt when she felt a hand tightly grip her arm. Turning she looked down to see Cara's hand wrapped around her arm.

"Thank you," Cara murmured, sincerity filling her green eyes.

Nicci smiled softly, nodding her head before racing back into the battle. Cara immediately returned her attention back to her lover. Leaning over him, she kissed him lightly on the forehead as she ran her fingers through his dark hair.

"Is that the only kiss I get after almost dying?" he murmured, his eyes still closed, a small smile touching his lips.

Cara chuckled against his face as she moved to kiss him tenderly on the lips. "Don't ever do that to me again or you I will kill you myself. Don't make me a widow before we're even married."

"Who said anything about getting married?" he replied, feigning ignorance.

"It's too late; you've already said it. You can't take it back now," she told him as she caressed his face.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he whispered as he pulled her down for another kiss.

Richard watched as soldiers and Mord'Sith dropped around him, the ground littered with corpses, many charred beyond recognition. Despite the odds, they had gotten the upper hand, the battle almost over when more soldiers suddenly began pouring in, replacing their fallen comrades.

Taking another soldier head on, Richard thrust his sword, grinding his teeth and blocking a swing at the last minute. Spinning, he ran his sword through the soldier, dropping him in less than a heartbeat when he heard a sickening sound erupt from behind him.

Turning on his heel, the Seeker's eyes met those of Commander Holland as a soldier sank to the ground with the tip of the blade protruding from his chest, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Welcome, Commander," Richard smiled at him.

"Glad to be here, Lord Rahl," Holland broadly smiled back before moving on to the next soldier, so thankful that his leader was safe once more.

Returning to the battle, Richard felt so relieved that his Commander had finally found them. The sooner they drove these rebels back, the sooner he would have Kahlan in his arms once more.

XXX

Breathing heavily, she dropped to the ground in a heap of utter exhaustion. Running the back of her hand across her forehead, she leaned her back against a tree. She felt so weak, so nauseous but she had nothing more in her stomach to vomit. She had emptied what little she'd had there when she had been at the stream by Zedd's house.

Kahlan knew that the babies were quickly sapping her strength, not to mention having not eaten much was not helping. On top of that, there was the stress of everything that had happened to her and the lack of sleep she'd had.

But this was seemed different somehow, something more than what she had expected with all that had occurred. She'd been through long bouts without food, travelling hard and fighting D'Harans along the way and she'd never felt as horrible as she did now. Of course, she hadn't been carrying twins at those times either.

Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back, attempting to calm her racing heart. She hoped that if she could get some sleep she would feel better, regain some of her strength.

Kahlan looked around for something that could provide some sort of shelter, keeping her somewhat hidden. Seeing nothing, she sighed in resignation, forcing back the onslaught of tears that suddenly rose to the surface. She was so weary; she just wanted to lie down and sleep for days, but she knew that she had to keep watch for her Seeker.

Kahlan knew with every fiber of her being that Richard would be coming for her. She didn't know when or how, but only that he would come. He always came for her…and this time would be no different despite the overwhelming odds against them.

Fighting against the fatigue that gripped her, she began to lose the battle. She focused on her girls kicking forcefully inside her womb, reminding her that she was not alone. She smiled softly as she thought about the countless nights that she and Richard had laid in bed, his arms wrapped around her as they talked about names for their girls.

It had taken weeks to come up with names that they both could agree on. Kahlan was certain that the names could have been decided upon much sooner, but that Richard had kept disagreeing only because he enjoyed holding her like that and talking about their girls. She'd never seen a man more excited about having children than Richard Rahl. The thought of him renewed the tears that still filled her eyes, as a sob slipped past her trembling lips.

Closing her eyes once more, thoughts of getting her hands on Nicci began drifting through her troubled mind. Being with child or not, she was determined to make the dark sorceress pay for what she had done to them, for taking her and their daughters away from Richard.

Unable to resist any longer, Kahlan quickly lost the battle, drifting off to sleep with her hands resting on her large belly.

XXX

Fatigue was settling into every muscle as he fought the soldiers and Mord'Sith who continued to pour into the clearing. They seemed to coming out of every tree and from under every bush in the forest.

The arrival of Commander Holland and his men could not have come at a better time. Richard had felt a renewed strength and purpose with their appearance, a definite shifting in momentum back to their side. He would not allow his brother to win, especially not now that he was that much closer to finding Kahlan.

The Seeker swiftly lifted his leg, using his boot to shove another dead body off of his sword before storming after the next enemy that was bent on eliminating them, an enemy that was threatening to sentence D'Hara to a future full of darkness and turmoil under the reign of Darken Rahl.

Nicci too was beginning to feel the effects of using her magic, the constant effort to eliminate as many soldiers and Sisters of the Agiel as possible. Her powers were beginning to weaken her, the intensity with which she fought starting to wane. Sweat ran down her neck and back as she pushed herself deeper into the battle.

It was partly because of her that they were in this struggle with life and death. If she had eliminated Darken Rahl when she'd had the chance instead of trying to fulfill her own selfish desires, Richard wouldn't be in this battle right now.

Without Darken Rahl's leadership, these treasonous soldiers and Mord'Sith would never have been able to mount such an attack. Without Rahl's devious schemes and evil mind, they wouldn't be here now, fighting for their lives.

Nicci knew that she could not give up, not yet. She still had to reserve enough magic to send Richard back in time to rescue Kahlan. The love between the two of them was nothing sort of magical, that much was evident, but it wasn't until last night in the cave that Nicci had gotten a true sense of its enormity.

It was a living, breathing thing in and of itself. It was something that bonded them together, intertwining their lives and their hearts as one. These two were inseparable, unable to survive for long apart from the other.

She never would have believed that such a thing was even possible until she had witnessed it for herself. Now that she had, she knew that it was something that should not be destroyed.

Nicci swallowed hard at the thought of her meddling killing something that was obviously so precious. Everyone had taken and taken from her without her permission and now…now she had been doing it to Richard. She was just like everyone who had ever hurt her, had made her feel so worthless and vile. She was no better than the Keeper or Darken Rahl, but she would use this opportunity given to her to repair the damage that she had caused.

There was also one more thing that she had to remedy, something that she had not told Richard about just in case he had managed to escape and go back in time to rescue Kahlan.

She was ashamed for what she had done, almost fearful of telling him the rest of it, but she knew she had to now. If she wanted to make things right, she was going to have to tell him what else she had done in her selfish quest to take him away from the Mother Confessor.

Richard had been so kind to her, showing her compassion in a way that no one ever had. If she told him now, would he change his mind, hate her for what she had done? If he did, it would only confirm her worst fears – she was unredeemable, unworthy of love.

Looking to her left, Nicci noticed that Zedd was also quickly weakening by the moment. They had been fighting for well over an hour now, but they were finally gaining on them once more. The arrival of Richard's men could not have come at a better time.

Looking to her right, her eyes fell on Richard. He continued to fight with the same intensity and fierceness that he had begun this battle with. She stared at him as he continued to throw himself into the fight with everything he had. He truly was a remarkable man and it made her heart want him that much more.

Chiding herself for her improper thoughts, Nicci turned her attention back where it should be – on the fight before her instead of on the man that she wanted more than anything, but could never have, a man that would never love her the way that she so desperately wanted him to.

And it was in that moment of inattention that a dagger suddenly found its target…