*NOTE: All italicized text within quotes are spoken in the Mud People's tongue. Now, that being said, let's find out how R/K become Mud People!


Chapter 29 – Ritual

It had been decided, and they had both agreed to go through with the Rite of Mud, yet Kahlan still felt unease and nervous, not to mention confused as to what the rite actually entailed. They had both been ushered away far too quickly after Chandalen had told them about the ritual and Kahlan was left with only questions. Worrying about the man she loved, Kahlan had Nicci follow Richard to keep an eye on him, while she was escorted to Savidlin's hut, where the man's wife, Weselan, was waiting to help prepare Kahlan for the ritual.

"Oh, you are so beautiful, Confessor Kahlan," Weselan gushed as she helped unlace Kahlan's white confessor dress. When they pulled it off and began removing her corset, Weselan grinned. "You have very nice breasts, Kahlan, you will give your man many strong children."

Kahlan blushed and thanked her, not knowing why she was feeling embarrassed. She knew that amongst the Mud People such brazen comments were commonplace, but it still took a while to get used to such boldness. Kahlan was glad Richard could not speak or understand the tongue of the Mud People. If he had, he probably would have started a fight every time a man came up to her and complimented her on her womanly shape.

As to the Rite of Mud, Kahlan was wondering how bathing each other in the sacred mud pool made them Mud People. However, it was not her place to judge other cultures. She was just glad it was little more than bathing… but she was still a little anxious over the fact that it had to be done in front of the entire village.

Weselan helped Kahlan untie the corset, and soon she was free of its tight constrains. She took a deep breath and rubbed her sore ribs, and not for the first time, questioned why she wore such a thing. Now standing in nothing but her black shorts, Kahlan began to fret over having to walk around so exposed amongst the Mud People.

She looked over at Weselan, the woman's young breasts full and bouncy as she moved about, assembling the grass skirt that Kahlan would wear. The cloth covering the entrance moved and an older woman with large sagging breasts came in. Kahlan immediately recognized her as Nissel, the village healer. She walked up to Kahlan and gave an approving nod as her small little eyes examined Kahlan's exposed breasts.

"Yes," she hummed as she began anointing Kahlan with some spring water, dabbing it on her nipples and in the valley between her soft firm breasts. "Very nice. And your man," she gave a soft whistle. "You are a lucky one, indeed."

Confused by her statement, Kahlan was about to ask, when the door flap opened again and Savidlin came in. Kahlan quickly moved her hands to cover her breasts. However, Savidlin did not even look at her, but instead looked over at his wife.

"I must go with the hunters and patrol the village perimeter," he said, softly touched the side of Weselan's round face. His eyes glanced up at Kahlan for a moment, and then returned to his wife. "The Bird Man senses danger in the woods."

"Be careful, my husband," Weselan said, and leaned forward to kiss him. Kahlan smiled to see such love, knowing that she, too, shared a love similar to that with her Richard.

Savidlin turned to Kahlan and bowed his head. "When I return I shall have the pleasure of calling the Confessor Kahlan and Richard With The Temper Mud People," he turned to leave and then stopped, as if he had forgotten something. "You have very nice breasts, my wife…," and then he turned to Kahlan. "As do you, Confessor Kahlan." And then, casting on last loving glance at his wife, Savidlin was gone.

Nissel hummed and pulled at Kahlan's hands to continue rubbing the spring water on her chest. Kahlan relented, but could not help but blush. "You are very fortunate, Weselan, to have a man like Savidlin as your husband," the healer said to the other woman. "Together you have produced a fine strong son, and no doubt will produce many more."

Nissel stepped back and bit her lower lip as she examined her work. She gave a nod of approval and turned to Weselan, gesturing with her hands. The young woman came over with the grass skirt. Nissel turned back to Kahlan. "Remove that outsider clothing from you, child," she said. "Tonight, you will dress as a Mud Woman."

Kahlan took a deep breath, yet did as she was told and removed her black shorts, now fully exposed to the world. Nissel ran her old hands around Kahlan midsection and felt the flesh of her rear, before bend to examine her femininity. Kahlan's cheeks flushed when she felt the woman move her folds to look. The healer smiled and stood.

"This is good," she said. "You have yet to lie with the man."

She blinked, startled. "Yes… Is this important for the ritual?" Kahlan asked, unsure why her having not lost her maidenhood had any pertinence to a ritual that clearly only involved bathing in mud.

Both Nissel and Weselan nodded. "If you were not pure then you could not have participated… though we could have allowed an exception for you, Confessor Kahlan," Nissel said, winking. "After all, that man of yours is a handsome one. And no doubt if you had lain with a man, it most certainly would have been only with him, yes?"

Kahlan blushed at the suggestion that she and Richard had been intimate, but only nodded in response to Nissel's question. Richard and her had explored each other's bodies, and had given each other physical pleasure in different ways, yet they had yet to consummate their love in the way they both wished.

Nissel stepped back and allowed Weselan to begin fixing the grass skirt to Kahlan waist. The grass was thin and barely covered her. Feeling awkward standing there with nothing to cover her breasts, Kahlan reached up and placed her hands over herself. Nissel huffed and swatted at her arms.

"You are to become a Mud Woman, Confessor Kahlan," she admonished. "For that, you must let go of this silly modesty. You have no reason to cover your breast. You should bask in their firmness and fullness while you can, child… in time they will sag and look like mine!" Nissel let out a light chortle, and then turned at a sound from outside.

The healer waddled over to check. She stuck her head out, then backed up, allowing Nicci, fully dressed in her tight form fitting black dress, to duck into the hut. Nicci glanced up at Kahlan and then avert her eyes.

"Sorry, I did not know you were undressed," Nicci said.

Kahlan took a breath. "If I am to be a Mud Person, I must let go of my modesty," she said repeating what Nissel had told her and letting her hands drop to her sides as Weselan continued her ministrations with the grass skirt. She was thankful the healer had allowed the sorceress to enter and check on her. Kahlan was glad to see a familiar face.

"How is Richard?" Kahlan asked, jerking a bit when Weselan tied the skirt tight around her waist.

Nicci smirked. "He is still a little confused over this Rite of Mud, as am I," Nicci said. "But he seems happy enough. He is looking forward to splattering you with mud." Nicci laughed softly. "Chandalen has him dressing in the traditional mud man fashion. Though, I must say, the trousers they have given him are a bit strange."

"Strange, how?" Kahlan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nicci gave a soft smile. "I don't if I should say," she said, turning slightly pink. "Chandalen looked very angry when I poked my head in to check when I heard Richard's voice raise." Her blush faded and she smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You know what, I think the Mud People's name for his is very apropos. He does have a short temper."

"Only if you rile him up," Kahlan laughed. She took a deep breath and sighed, trying to cool off her cheeks. "Nicci," she continued, glancing down to fiddle with her hands, trying to work out the nervousness. "Have you found out what that other part of the ritual was… the one they said we do after we—" she smirked "—splatter ourselves with mud?"

"No, sorry," Nicci said with a frown. "I have not. I tried to ask Chandalen about it, but he said it was not for an outsider to know." She sighed. "Apparently I am banded from even witnessing it."

Kahlan dropped her mouth. "Let me talk to them," she said. "Richard and I will want you there. We'll need a friendly face."

The sorceress stepped over and placed a hand on Kahlan bare shoulder. It felt odd to feel Nicci's hand on her skin, but it was not a bad feeling. Nicci had become a friend and it was sort of nice to feel the touch of a friend.

"Do not fret, Kahlan," Nicci said. "I will be content. Some of the young children will need someone to look after them. I have volunteered my services." The sorceress eyes looked down. "And besides… I'm not sure if I'd want to witness the ceremony."

Kahlan nodded, remembering how Nicci felt about Richard. It must be hard for the sorceress to see Richard with her, but to her credit, Nicci never complained.

Nicci looked up after taking a quick breath and smiled. "Besides, I believe Richard's looking forwards to bathing you in mud… as no doubt, you are looking forward to bathing him."

Kahlan blushed, remembering how Richard's frown had instantly turned into a wide grin when Chandalen had explained that part of the Rite of Mud. It was an ancient ritual that had not been done in ages. But parts of it had been kept and incorporated into their marriage ceremony. Kahlan did not know why, but assumed it had something to do with the two newlyweds "returning" to the mud, as it were.

According to the Bird Man, the last time it was performed was when two children who had been found abandoned in the woods and had been brought back to the village. One of mud families took them in and when the two children came of age they decided to fully become Mud People. Chandalen proudly asserted that his great-grandfather had been one of those children.

Kahlan had also learned that the yet unspecified part of the Rite of Mud was so rarely performed that all the Mud People were eager to witness it. Weselan was presently bursting with excitement about her son, Siddin, being able to see such an ancient and spiritual rite conducted.

"Kahlan?" Nicci called her out of her thoughts.

"Yes…?" Kahlan looked up.

"You are going to go through with it, right?" Nicci asked. "I mean... bathe in front of all the village."

Kahlan bit her lower lip. "Of course," she said. "I know it seems odd, but the Mud People believe in honoring their traditions and ancestors. What little anxiety I have I'm sure will evaporate once I'm with Richard."

Nicci gave a nod. "If that is your decision."

She inclined her. "Yes," Kahlan asserted. "Richard and I must do this."

Nicci nodded. And examined Kahlan as Weselan stepped back and declared she was finished.

"Chandalen was right about one thing, though," Nicci declared, folding her hands together as her waist.

"Oh, and what was that?" Kahlan asked, accepting a wool blanket from Weselan. She was thankful for that bit, at least. The night air was cold and Kahlan would not have to fully expose herself until the Rite of Mud began.

"You do have nice breasts," Nicci responded with a smile, before ducking out of the hut.

XXX

Bree was relieved when she woke to find that the Emperor had already left for his morning meeting with his generals and inspection of the camp. She slowly sat up and rubbed her sore legs. The Emperor had been especially rough last night, causing her to bleed. Bree placed her hand over her bleeding flesh and hummed some of the words meant to heal her.

Suddenly, she became aware of another presence in the room. Her eyes darted up and locked with the brilliant blues of the girl. Yes… she had forgotten. The Emperor had forced the girl to watch as he mounted Bree and had his way with her. The girl had shrunk back into a corner and cried softly as she watched the terrible things Bree had to endure. After she finished healing herself, Bree sat up and raised her hand.

"Come here," she said.

The girl took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows to sit on the bed next to her. Bree was once again struck by the similarity of Cynthia to the Mother Confessor. Her dark hair framed the woman's pale face in much the same way that Kahlan Amnell's did. And her features were strikingly the same. Her body, too, was much like the confessors. And no doubt, if the Seeker had stumbled up this one bathing in a creek, he would have mistaken her for the Mother Confessor and then preceded to kiss and make lover to her.

"He made you bleed," Cynthia spoke softly, shocked and afraid. "The last time I bleed there was when my maidenhood was taken in my marriage bed when my husband made love to me." Her eyes drifted down, sadness filling them. "That was the night before the Order came and made him watch as they rape me one after another." A tear drifted down her cheek. "Then they killed him."

Bree did not care for this girl's story. If her husband had been killed then he was the lucky one. He was with their eternal Father, the Keeper. Just the same, she smiled at the woman, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can make it so that you are sealed again, Cynthia," she said. "I can make you as your were before the Imperial Order came and took you for their amusement."

Cynthia shook her head. "I do not know if I would want that," she said. "It… it would be like tarnishing the memory of my husband."

"He is dead," Bree said bluntly. "He no longer knows what will become of you. You must now do what you must to survive."

"But I wish to die," Cynthia wailed. "I want to join him in the Underworld."

"No," Bree said firmly. "You must live. I am sure that is what he must want, this man of yours."

"But why must you make me a virgin again?" Cynthia asked.

"The Mother Confessor is a virgin," Bree said. "And the Lord Rahl will expect to see a virgin's blood when he takes her maidenhood."

Cynthia hugged herself and rubbed her arms. "I do not know if I want to be for this Lord Rahl. If he takes me as the Emperor took you, I do not want to live."

Bree took a deep breath. "You have nothing to worry about, my dear, I highly doubt he will be as rough as the Emperor was with me," she said, trying to smile and reassure the girl.

The girl nodded and blinked. "What exactly is it that I'm supposed to do with this Lord Rahl? Why it is so important that he… that he beds me?"

"It is much more than you spreading your legs for him, Cynthia," Bree said, softly running her hands through the girl's hair, marveling at how much alike she was with the Kahlan Amnell. "He will expect you to be more than just his bed mate. You see... the Lord Rahl loves the Mother Confessor. And he views her as an equal and partner."

"Love?" Cynthia almost laughed, but then caught herself. "The man that ever really loved me is dead."

Bree gave her a tight smile. "That may be… but once I am done training you, the Lord Rahl is going to love you."

XXX

Nissel stuck her head in and smiled. "It is time, child."

Kahlan took a deep breath and released the wool blanket, letting it fall to the ground. As the night air blew through the hut's entrance, Kahlan shivered as her skin tickled with gooseflesh. She was barely clothed, the only thing that covered her was the grass skirt, and even that hardly really covered anything, leaving very little to the imagination. Kahlan wondered how the women of the Mud People put up with it.

The healer held open the door flap and Kahlan ducked out into the night. Gasps went up as the people surrounding the hut caught the first glimpse of the confessor. Kahlan could not help but blush, but she managed to resist the urge to cover herself, to do so would be a show of disrespect to the Mud People.

The crowd parted and she could see the top of Richard's head as her Seeker came walking through the throng with Chandalen by his side. Her eyes grew wide when she finally saw his entire person. He had his shirt off, like all of the Mud People, but his trousers… Spirits, Nicci had been right when she said they had been strange. The buckskin trousers looked more like leg warms, because there was nothing covering up his groin, leaving his manhood fully exposed to the view of all.

Kahlan had trouble not staring and Richard was blushing like crazy, yet to his credit, he made no move to cover himself. His warm brown eyes were locked on hers and slowly differed down to her chest, only making his cheeks flush even more.

When Richard finally closed the distance between them, he smiled. "You have very nice breasts, Kahlan," he said, grinning widely.

Kahlan's cheeks burned and she knew that her milk white skin was betraying herself and turning pink. She rolled her eyes and smiled up at him. "Any other time and I might have slapped you for saying that, Richard Rahl," she said, suppressing a laugh.

He took a deep breath, obviously trying to suppress his desire for her; Kahlan knew it must be hard, because she was having trouble controlling her own wanton need. Richard held out his hand and took a quick breath, glancing over at Chandalen. The hunter nodded.

He turned back at her and knelt before he, holding her hands in his. "Kahlan Amnell, will you accompany me to the sacred mud pool?" he asked.

Kahlan raised her eyebrows, having an odd sensation that this felt like a proposal of marriage. Just the same, she smiled and accepted his hand. "It would be my pleasure, Richard Rahl."

The press of people parted and Richard led Kahlan down the aisle made by the Mud People. All eyes were on them as they walked. With Richard by her side, Kahlan no longer felt so exposed. He kept his eyes ahead, yet his cheeks were still blushing.

"Spirits, Kahlan," he murmured softly so that only she could hear him. "I had no idea you'd be… be so naked."

"Neither did I," she whispered back. "And I had no idea that you'd be…"

"I know," Richard looked over and their eyes met. "I just hope I don't embarrass myself and become aroused." He glanced over as they passed the young women who had been offered to him to select as a mud wife. They all pouted and looked sullen. He looked away from them and turned back to her. "At first when Chandalen gave me these trousers I told him that they must be broken."

"It does seemed odd," Kahlan said. "Why would you have to be so exposed? I understand why they dressed me as they did. All Mud Women dress like this. But all we are doing is bathing in the mud pool."

Richard raised his eyebrows. "Is that what you think?" he asked.

Kahlan furrowed her brow and her mouth dropped as she began to wonder. "What do you mean?"

Richard gulped and visibly tensed. His hold on her hand tightened. "Kahlan…," he leaned down to her and lowered his voice as they glimpse the Bird Man standing by the edge of the mud pool. "Chandalen explained the whole thing to me when Nicci left to check on you." He paused. "It is like you said during the feast, to become a Mud Person we must lay with a Mud Person. And I must plant my seed in mud."

Kahlan stiffened. "What?"

"It is more than bathing they expect us to do," Richard elaborated. "Chandalen told me that after we cover ourselves in mud, that I must then enter you and release my seed. Only then, will we both become Mud People." He paused and took a breath. "According to Chandalen, this was how his grandfather was conceived."

She did not know what to think. Kahlan wanted nothing more than to feel Richard inside her, but she did not know if she could do it in the mud pool with the entire village watching.

"Richard," she breathed softly, making her thoughts public. If there was anyone she could talk to and would understand her, it was Richard. "I… I don't know if I could do that… not with everyone watching." She blushed even more at the thought.

Richard stopped and turned to look at her, placing a hand on her arm. "Kahlan, you don't have to do anything you don't want to," he said firmly, tenderly caressing her arm. "It's not to late to back out.

Her eyebrow knitted together and she shook her head. "No, we have to do this, Richard," she said. "We have to be able to attend the gathering and find out what must be done."

They blinked and looked up to see the Bird Man standing before them.

"Is something wrong, Confessor Kahlan?" the Bird Man asked her.

"No, honorable Bird Man, we were just discussing the ritual," Kahlan said.

He smiled at her. "This ritual is very much like our marriage rituals," the Bird Man said. "It is customary for the soon-to-be husband and wife to bathe in the sacred mud pool before then going to the spirit house to consummate their union." The Bird Man eyed Richard and glanced down disapprovingly. "The Rite of Mud is different as in you must consummate the union while in the mud pool. Richard With The Temper does know he must plant his seed in you, does he not?"

Kahlan swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded.

"Then why is he not ready?" the Bird Man asked, glancing down, again.

"I… I will make him ready," she responded hastily. "When it is time, he will be ready."

The Bird Man frowned then nodded. When the Bird Man turned and started walking back to the mud pool, Kahlan gripped Richard's hand and pulled him along.

"What was all that about?" Richard asked.

Kahlan blinked, confused, and then remembered that she had been speaking with the Bird Man in the Mud People's tongue and not the common tongue. She reddened a bit and looked up at Richard with a half smile.

"The Bird Man was wondering if you knew what you had to do," she said. "And why you were not ready."

"Not ready?"

"He meant aroused," Kahlan blushed. "Apparently this ritual is very similar to the ritual of marriage, and most of the time the man walks down the aisle fully aroused, ready to enter his wife-to-be, once they leave the pool and go to the spirit house to consummate their marriage."

Richard narrowed his eyes. "So they expect me to be aroused… with all these people around?"

"Yes," Kahlan gave a nod. "I… I can help you if you like?" She eased closer to him as they walked and ran her hand down his bare chest, dancing her fingers along his tight muscles, until she gripped him in her hand. He immediately twitched at her touch.

"Spirits, Kahlan," he said, looking down at her as she began to stroke him, seeking to get him hard.

"We must perform the ritual perfectly, Richard," she said, putting on her confessor's face to hide her own arousal. "We need to become Mud People."

Richard took a deep breath. "Does that mean you want to…?"

Kahlan furrowed her eyebrow. "I… I don't know, Richard." But for the moment, the feeling of him becoming fully aroused in her hand distracted her thoughts. Kahlan glanced down at him and smiled. He was exactly as she remembered him from that one night.

Thankfully, they finally arrived at the mud pool, and did not have to linger long in the view of others. Richard slipped in first and held up his hands to help her down. Kahlan let out a gasp as she felt the cool mud seep in around her as they sunk into the mud. The pool was deep enough that the mud covered her well past her navel. The villagers crowded around and Kahlan saw Weselan lift her son, Siddin, up onto her shoulders to watch.

"Here," Richard said, picking up a thick glob of mud and putting it on her head. Kahlan squinted and wrinkled her nose as Richard rubbed the mud over her face. Then she let out a giggle, and picked up some mud and did the same to him.

Together they laughed as they rub the mud all over each other. Her hands lingered on his chest, and his on her breasts. The Bird Man looked down with a smile. They continued to splatter the mud on each other until they were completely covered and looked nothing like themselves.

The Bird Man knelt down. "He must seed you now."

Kahlan took a deep breath and looked at Richard, and translated. Richard pulled her close, flush against his body and she could feel his hardness press against her under surface of the mud. "Kahlan," he whispered, running his hands down her mud-slicked hair. "We… we don't have to really do it, if you don't want to. The mud is thick, I can sit on the bottom and you can sit on my lap. They won't be able to tell. We… we can pretend."

She let out a breath and was glad the mud covered her face to hide her blush. "Thank you, Richard." Kahlan would not have admitted it, but she was afraid. Not of losing her maidenhood to Richard, but that this was not the moment for it to happen. This price… this ritual they were doing was not meant for payment to the Temple of the Winds, but was payment to become a Mud Person. Their true price was to be asked during the gathering.

Richard backed up and eased down, directing Kahlan into a position above his lap. He gentle lowered her until her breasts suck under the mud and she could feel his hardness brush against her stomach. His hands ran down her shoulders and slid under the mud, following the curve of her back, until his hands were on her bottom. She pressed herself to him, pushing her breasts into his chest. And then they kissed.

He jerked his hips, causing her to rise a bit out of the mud, and Kahlan gasped and closed her eyes as she was expected to. Richard held her head to him and whispered into her ear of everything he would do to her when they did this for real. He whispered his undying love for her, smiling and laughing when he complimented her breasts… which he did a number of times as they rose above the surface of the mud with each feigned thrust.

"I have no doubt, that you will bear me many beautiful strong daughters, my confessor," Richard muttered softly to her as his hardness brushed up against her stomach, hidden from view of the others by the thick mud. She rested her head against his shoulder and listened to him whisper his plans for their future as he continued to direct their feigned movements with his hands on her bottom.

Though they were not truly making love, Kahlan liked how it felt every time he moved her, his fingers slightly kneading the soft flesh of her rear, and his masculinity brushing against the soft flesh of her flat stomach. He was so hard and warm that she thought he might have enough stimulation to actually reach release. From the look on his face, Kahlan believed her assumption was close to the truth.

"Spirits, Kahlan," he murmured into her ear as he jerk his hips and her breasts pushed against his chest. "Even though I'm not inside you, it almost feels like I am."

She lifted her head to look into his warm brown eyes and saw the desire and love for her reflected back. "I wish I could be, my Richard," she murmured, though happy he had suggested they fake it. Kahlan was capable of many things, but making love to Richard in front of an entire village of people watching was not one of them. She leaned forward and kissed him. Wrapping her arms around his neck as he bucked his hips up.

Making sure the Mud People did not notice, Kahlan slid one of her hands down his shoulder and sunk it deep into the mud. Richard looked at her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "There is no reason I cannot please you, even if we are pretending," she winked at him and sought out his hardness with her hand. She found it and brought her other hand up to rest on his shoulder for support as Richard continued to move them as if they were making love.

"Kahlan…," he murmured, but she cut him off with a kiss as she began to stroke his hardness in unison with the motions of their feigned lovemaking. Kahlan moaned and gasped, using her memories of that one night, when he had given her pleasure with his mouth on her femininity, as reference.

In her hand, Richard was becoming harder and warmer. He kissed her neck and moved his hands to grip her hips tightly as he bucked his hips up hard. She smiled when she felt his seep release and spray through the mud to make contact with the flesh of her stomach. Richard slumped his head down onto her shoulder and exhaled her name.

He leaned back and their eyes locked. "I love you, Kahlan," he murmured.

Kahlan smiled back at him. "And I love you, my Richard."

The moment it was over, all the Mud People began to cheer and applaud. Underneath the mask of the mud, Kahlan blushed, knowing how real their feigned lovemaking must have looked. It almost felt real, because they were both truly breathless after the experience. Richard more so, because he had actually achieved release and had planted his seed in mud, just not in the manner to which the Bird Man had been told them.

Though they had not truly made love, they both breathed heavily from the feigning of it, and Kahlan knew that all the Mud People believed their act.

Kahlan slowly slid off Richard lap and the Bird Man stepped up to the edge of the mud pool and raised his hands into the air for silence. "Tonight," the Bird Man called out in a loud voice, so all may hear him. "We have witnessed the birth of two Mud People—Confessor Kahlan and her mate Richard With The Temper. In the custom of our ancestors, by the act of consummation, in the sacred mud pool, they are now linked to our people and each other, forever."

Richard took a deep breath, his chest heaving, as he still recovered from their performance. He looked over at her and slid his arm around her waist. "What did he say?" he asked.

Kahlan gave him her special smile, the one she saved only for him. "That we are Mud People now," she said, then smirked playful and rubbed her nose against his. "And, amongst the Mud People, we are now considered husband and wife."

His grin turned into a beaming smile and he cupped her face in his hand and captured her lips in a fierce passionate kiss.