Chapter XXV
They had spent two days preparing for the journey up the mountains. The people of Palindor had been willing to lend them the use of their militia for Cara's rescue. One look at the "soldiers" told Kahlan and Richard that the teenagers wouldn't stand a chance against Rahl and the Mord'Sith. They'd rather fight them themselves than risk innocent lives. Besides, the odds were in their favor. They outnumbered them four to three and had the element of surprise on their side. Despite the facts, it wasn't hard to sense Kahlan's growing anxiety as they hiked closer and closer to their destination.
"It's going to be alright, you know?" Ava said softly, watching the seemingly permanent frown on the Mother Confessor's face falter.
"You don't know that." The brunette told her. "A lot could've happened in the six months it took us to get here."
"If Cara survived four years of him, there's no reason to believe that these last six months are any different." The Mord'Sith said. "We're going to save her, Kahlan." The determination in the woman's voice made Kahlan stop and look at her. With a tight-lipped grin, she wrapped her arms around Ava's neck and drew her in close. The Mord'Sith struggled to keep her heart from beating too fast, lest the brunette notice.
"I'm glad you're here." Kahlan breathed. Ava merely patted the woman's back with one hand until she let go and continued the trek up the mountain.
"What was that about?" Richard asked curiously as he caught up to them. Ava shrugged.
"Just Kahlan being Kahlan." The Lord Rahl chuckled softly as he quickened his pace to catch up with his wife. Just as she was about to follow, she caught sight of Ben staring at her with an amused look. "Get a portrait drawn. It'll last longer."
"You really don't know, do you?" Ben asked her as he tilted his head. Ava frowned.
"Did a rock hit you on the head?" She questioned. "What are you talking about?" The man simply shook his head, continuing past her without another word. The wind picked up speed just as she was about to call after him. Snow kicked up around them and Ava reached up to grab the hood of the cloak she had been given to keep it from blowing off her head.
"Ava! Ben!" Richard cried from atop the hill. "We've found it." Any thought of Ben's comment was gone as the D'Harans sprinted towards their Lord Rahl. As they reached the top, they crouched, knowing that being seen now would ruin their chances of success. Crawling in the snow towards the edge of the hill, Ava stopped right beside Kahlan as the two took in the structure before them. In the middle of a vast plain of snow and ice stood a temple the likes of which none of them had seen before. Even Ava was baffled at the sight of it and she had seen almost every Mord'Sith temple known to man. This temple, however, was red while the others were black. It was also smaller and made from a material none of the four could identify. Its peak was carved out to look like the tail of a dragon, the old sigil of the House of Rahl.
"What in the name of the Sprits?" Ben wondered aloud.
"I've never seen a temple like this." Richard added. "Perhaps it's not really a Mord'Sith temple."
"Why would Rahl bring her here if it doesn't belong to him?"
"Rahl thinks everything belongs to him." Ava pointed out. No one disagreed. "Besides, I think I know what this is."
"Besides 'terrifying'?" Ben asked quietly.
"It's the First Temple." Ava surmised. She knew that the others would have no idea what that meant so she continued. "It's where they made the first Mord'Sith."
"'First' Mord'Sith?" Richard asked.
"You didn't think we just sprung from the ground one day, did you?" Ava lifted an eyebrow. "Just like Confessors, there was a first- a woman who allowed herself to be experimented on."
"Why would anyone do that?" Kahlan questioned only to receive a frown.
"Why would Magda Searus chose to be ripped away from the love of her life?" Kahlan quieted. "No one knows who she was or why she was chosen. All we were told was that D'Hara was in a state of chaos and the presiding Lord Rahl desperately needed someone to bring order."
"And you think this is the place they…made her?" Richard looked uncomfortably from Ava to the temple. The Mord'Sith shrugged.
"Mord'Sith aren't exactly keen on bedtime stories but it fits the description- isolated in snowy mountains, significantly smaller than modern temples, and red."
"Is there anything different about this temple that we should know?" Kahlan wondered, anxious to get their mission started.
"Like I said, I only know what Rahl allowed us to know but there is one thing." Ava had their attention. "It's said that the temple is the one place in the three territories where the veil doesn't exist. That's why it was built here."
"How is that possible?" Richard frowned. "The veil is what separates the land of the dead and the-"
"Land of the living, I know." Ava finished. "I don't know how. I just know that to make the first Mord'Sith, an overwhelming amount of dark magic was thought to be needed- much more than what is used today."
"That poor woman." Kahlan muttered under her breath.
"To funnel that much magic into a living being required a place where it could flow freely." Ava explained.
"But then how do you make Mord'Sith now if no one knows about this place?" Ben asked the obvious. Ava shrugged. "Well if you don't know, who does?"
"Rahl. And only Rahl." Ava told him. "Why do you think the graduation ceremony of every Mord'Sith requires the presiding Lord Rahl's presence? He's the only one who knows the process. It's a well-kept family secret."
"Not anymore." Richard narrowed his eyes at the temple as if it had somehow offended him. "So what you're saying is that this place is teeming with dark magic and we have absolutely no idea what we'll find in there?"
"Pretty much." Ava concluded. "Of course that piece of shit would bring her here."
"Rahl served the Keeper just a handful of years ago." Kahlan reminded them. "If the veil doesn't exist here-"
"We could be walking into a slaughter." Richard's frown deepened. "We've only ever fought one creature of the Keeper and it took Zedd's magic to kill it."
"I doubt the worse thing in there is a screeling, Richard." Kahlan crossed her arms against the cold. "Regardless, we can't go anywhere now. They'd see us coming the second we poke our heads out."
"We'll wait until dark and pray that whoever is keeping watch isn't expecting company." Richard said.
"Assuming someone is even watching." Ava added. "They have no reason to expect us and this isn't exactly a popular tourist destination."
"I wonder why." Ben took in the daunting architecture and eerie surroundings. "Regardless, we should sneak around the back."
"Right." Richard nodded once. "I know it's cold but we can't risk a fire tonight. Let's find somewhere close to make camp, get some rest, and figure out the rest of the plan."
"That's ok, Lord Rahl. We don't need a fire to get warm. Isn't that right, Ava?" Ben tried to lighten the mood. The Mord'Sith elbowed him in the chest as he went to wrap his arms around her.
"I'd rather lose all ten fingers."
The group settled in under a nearby cliff in an attempt to remain dry from the persistent snow fall. Richard and Kahlan huddled as close to the wall as they could, wrapped up against one another inside of a blanket. Ava and Ben were close by, each with their own blanket, as they all quietly chewed on the dried fruit and meat they had been given in Palindor. The plan had been set but there were still a handful of hours before complete darkness and Richard had suggested they get some sleep. The couple was quick to fall into a dreamless slumber and Ava watched as Kahlan's head fell onto Richard's shoulder. The Lord Rahl grinned slightly in his sleep as he pulled her in close and Ava felt an increasingly familiar yet foreign pang in her chest. Rising, she walked as quietly as she could to the edge of the cliff they had been on before and watched the lights in the temple begin to turn on as darkness fell.
"Can't sleep?" Ben's voice caused her to jump as he approached silently from behind. "Me neither."
"We're so close." She mumbled, almost to herself. "Cara is right there and yet so far."
"We're going to get her." Ben's determined voice made her feel slightly better although she would never admit it. "By this time tomorrow, you'll have your sister back."
"Hmm." Was Ava's only response as she hugged the blanket tighter around herself.
"But that's not the only thing that's keeping you up, is it?"
"What are you talking about?" Ava wondered if this had anything to do with his comment a few hours prior.
"Do you miss her?"
"Who?"
"Lila." Ava was ashamed at the fact that the brunette hadn't immediately cross her mind.
"Yes." Ben took in the Mord'Sith's answer with a curios expression.
"Do you love her?" Ava turned to face the man, a scowl on her features.
"I don't see how that's any of your business."
"It's my business because I care about you, Ava." Ben sighed, exasperated. "You're my friend and I want you to be happy." Ava was slightly taken aback by the admission and faltered with her words.
"I…I care about her very much."
"But you don't love her." It wasn't a question.
"I don't know, Ben. I don't have time to think about that when all I can think about is what Rahl is doing to Cara while we stand here and wait."
"If you loved her, you wouldn't have to think about it." Ben said softly.
"Well, I don't exactly have a lot of experience with that so it might be best if I gave it some thought, if that's ok with you. The last person that claimed to love me is lying in a shallow grave after trying to kidnap me so you'll excuse me if my perception of romance is slightly off."
"You're right. I'm sorry." Ben's apology made Ava raise an eyebrow. "I just want you to be happy."
"I'll be happy when we have Cara." Ava persisted, her single-minded focus keeping her from seeing what Ben was trying to show her. The man let out a sigh, resigning the battle for now and letting the blonde focus on the task at hand.
"Get some rest, then." He said. "We can finish this discussion when you're feeling a bit less 'stabby'." Ava let out a short chuckle as she turned and made her way back to the others with the large D'Haran.
"Don't you know by now?" She nudged his shoulder with her own. "I'm always feeling 'stabby'."