He held her tightly against him. Her back press firmly against his chest. "Kahlan..." He didn't know what to say, his mind was running overtime, trying to figure out how she was able to release her power again so soon. His arms held her, just over her breasts, keeping her from pulling away from him, though he knew she didn't have the strength. Her face was pale and her eyes were red from crying. She starred out into the thickness of the trees and shook her head. How could she have been so stupid? He had his free will taken from him before, and it nearly killed her. If it were she who destroyed him now... She couldn't bare the thought. She tried to move away from him, her body wouldn't listen. She couldn't muster up the strength to speak, let alone move. She sat there, in his arms, naked.

Her body started to shake from its weakness. She tried to calm herself, but nothing seemed to help. All she could think about was the feel of his lips on her skin... The power surge building within her... The pain in his eyes as she pushed him from her. When she stopped shaking, Richard tilted her head towards him. Her eyes were shut; her heart beat was slow against his hand. "Zedd!" He screamed out as loud as he could. "Zedd!" He scanned the area for movement, none came. He slowly laid her backwards on the ground. Moving quickly, he grabbed her dress and wrapped her in it before he put on his pants. "Zedd!" He cried out once more, desperate for help. Pulling her dress tightly around her, he picked her up and carried her back towards Zedd and Cara leaving behind the rest of their clothes.

"Zedd!" Cara and Zedd stood at the sound of Richard's panicked voice. Coming into view, their eyes came to rest of the half naked woman in his arms. "What happened to her?" Zedd asked as he met Richard at the tree line. "Who attacked her?" Richard shook his head as Cara helped lay Kahlan down before Zedd. "No one attacked her..." He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to find a way to explain what happened. "I don't get it; she shouldn't have been able to release her power again." "Again?" Cara's eyes piercing Richard's. "She tried to confess you?" "No!" He bent down behind Zedd, close to Kahlan's head. "We we're... and then she..." Zedd turned to him. "You two were doing what?" The look in Zedd's eyes told Richard he didn't have to answer, but he did anyway. "We have ourselves one stupid Seeker here." Cara said folding her arms across her chest. He glared at her. "She would never hurt me." Before Cara could say anything, Zedd grabbed Richard's arm "Tell me what happened. Everything."

"I was getting you food." He looked off to the direction he had just come from. "I felt her...pain... She released her power. I came back, asked you where she was... When I found her, she... was crying. We talked and then..." "You tried to make love to a Confessor." Cara said with her back to them. "Zedd, she shouldn't have been able to... It should have taken more time to build up again..." Cara turned to them "Apparently she was very pleased with your... love making skills." Richard looked at Zedd, who nodded. "A Confessor can't help but release their power in the throws of passion. If she had already released her power, then it wouldn't have been so strong." "Look at her Zedd!" Richard said as he sat, lifting Kahlan's head and letting it rest on his legs. "I've never seen anything like it before." He said more to himself than to the others. "Richard, what happened when she released it?" He closed his eyes as he started to answer "She could feel it... Her eyes, were growing black...She said she couldn't hold it. Told me to stop. I didn't, so she made me..." Zedd looked over to Cara and then back to Richard "Made you?" Richard nodded "She pushed me across the area."

"Did she confess you?" Richard's eyes shot to Cara's "No! She turned and then..." He looked down at Kahlan, his fingers rolling into her hair. "It was powerful..." "Richard, if she released her power before you two started... It couldn't have been strong." "Look at her Zedd!" Zedd watched Richard for a few moments. His eyes examining Kahlan. Looking for any sign she was okay. "She's going to need some time." Richard's eyes left her for a moment to look at Zedd. "Can't you help her?" Zedd shook his head, "I'm afraid not. She's seems to have used a lot of energy. We won't be moving anymore today." Richard returned his eyes to Kahlan, her face was pale. It hurt him to see her like that.

He sat there for the rest of the day, starring at her. Never letting his eyes leave her for too long, for he feared if they did, she would disappear. Cara had gone and found them all some dinner. Richard couldn't eat, his stomach was in knots. Zedd returned with Kahlan's corset and boots along with Richard's shirt. Pulling another blanket over Kahlan, Richard laid down next to her. The sun was setting and Zedd and Cara had taken care of everything for the night. He moved closer to her until he was able to lay in her arms. His arm laid across her bare stomach. He could feel her slow heart beat against his cheeck as he laid his head down on her chest. It seemed to be the only sign she was still alive. Her face held no expression, she hadn't moved since he brought her back.

The moon was high above them, when Kahlan made a soft moan. Without any hesitation, Richard lifted himself onto an elbow and looked down at her. Her eyes were racing under her eyelids, her hand slowly moved in the dirt. "Richard?" She spoke softly, barely audible. Her lips had barely moved. "I'm right here Kahlan." He looked up to be sure that Cara and Zedd had fallen asleep. Looking back down to her, he saw her eyes slowly opening. "I'm so sorry..." She said as their eyes connected for a moment as he leaned down to hug her. She moved her hands to his arms, pushing slightly, lifting him away from her. "I almost lost you, Richard." She starred into his eyes. "We can't do this. I don't want to hurt you." He pulled himself closer to her, running his hand over her shoulder and down her arm.

"Where are my clothes?" Richard lifted himself up, realizing she was still naked. "I...Zedd got them." He looked around on the ground "There. There over between him and Cara." She turned her head, slowly, in the direction he was looking. When she returned her gaze to him, he starred down at her. His hand still running up and down her arm. A smile slowly came across his face as he stared down into her eyes. "What?" He shook his head, "I was just thinking..." He didn't have to say what it was he was thinking about. She knew. Pulling the blanket closer to her, she used it as a barrior. Being so close to him, being this close to him while being naked was sending chills through her body. She allowed her eyes to slide shut for a moment, allowing herself to remember, before she forced them open again.

"Kahlan?" He waited for her to look at him "What happened?" she closed her eyes, while shaking her head. "Kahlan?" She opened her eyes, a set of tears falling down to the ground. "We were given all the signs we needed to know that this..." She moved her hand from herself to him and back to herself, before letting it rest on her stomach. "...Can never be." She tore her gaze from his, looking past him to the sky. "I shouldn't have been able to..." she said as she closed her eyes."How was I able to?" She was asking herself, but he answered anyway. "Cara and Zedd seem to think you released it because of...what we were doing...That it pleased you..." a smile crept across his face as he looked down at her. "I'm sorry, Richard." He ran the fingers of his left hand through her hair. "For what?" She pulled his hand from her hair, holding it in hers. "Richard, we can't keep doing this." He tilted his head "What?" She pushed on his chest as she tried to sit forward. Quickly, he placed his hands on her shoulders and held her down. "You shouldn't move." "I can't talk to you, like this." She starred up at him, his face showed no signs of letting her move. She sighed laying her head back to the ground and closing her eyes.

She stayed that way for a few moments until Richard moved his hands from her and sat back facing her. She opened her eyes and starred up at the sky. She could see Richard in the corner of her eye. He watched her closely, waiting for her to try to sit up again. She turned her head to him slowly trying to find her words. Her mind was spinning; she could still taste him on her lips. It thrilled her. It was taking a lot of her strength not to throw him backwards and take him. "It never should have happened." "Kahlan..." "When we're done. After we find the stone I will leave." she took a deep breath, her eyes focusing on his. "I will take a mate to continue my line..." He starred at her. His mind pictured her with another man. She watched the pain come into his eyes. "This is why we can't... Why it can never happen again..." He blinked and leaned closer to her. "Kahlan, I know that we-" "We can't. Richard, I..."

She closed her eyes. "I almost destroyed you." She was squeezing her eyes shut, trying to hold in the tears. "Kahlan, you wouldn't have destroyed me." Her eyes opened, locking onto his. "I almost did... I didn't want you to stop." "I didn't want to stop. Kahlan, I know that we can be together, I feel it." "I can't do that to you." She looked past him, trying to control the shakiness of her voice. "I can't let you hope for something that can't be." "I'm not scared of your power, Kahlan." She brought her eyes back to his, reached up and touched the side of his face. "You should be." Shaking his head against her hand, a smile crossed his face. "I know you. I know how I feel about you. I know that there is nothing your power can take from me." Kahlan lowered her hand back to her stomach. "It would flow though you, taking everything that you are..." "Everything that I am is already yours. I would do anything you asked me to. Not because I'm your slave, but because I love you. I know your heart. When you released your power... The strength of it... That's when I knew..." He laid his hand over her chest. "...Your power would have nothing to hold onto, because I would give to you freely." He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. "I give you the most important thing I have. I give you my heart."

She starred up at him. Her hand still on his chest, his on hers. His eyes filled with so much emotion from her. He was truly sharing his heart with her. She could see his hurt, his love for her and his longing for her. She felt as though they were sharing one heart. One mind. She knew he spoke the truth and that she felt the same way he did. As she allowed her mind to lay the pieces together, everything seemed to fall together. Hope of being with him, truly being with him, was filling within her. She bit her lower lip, as her eyes left his, making their way down his face to his chest where her hand was. Leaning forward, she pulled her hand back and kissed the spot her hand had been. His skin was damp with sweat, leaving the taste of him on her lips as she laid back down. She pulled him down close to her, his body no more than two inches from hers, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him.

She allowed her mind to be consumed with him. The feel of his hands moving beneath the blanket to her side, pulling her impossibly closer to him. She ran her hands over his chest to his back, holding him close to her. Richard pulled at the blanket, removing the only thing separating his body from hers. She grabbed his hand. Keeping him from removing it. He pulled his lips from hers and looked down at her. "What's wrong?" Kahlan smiled and pulled his face closer to hers. "Cara and Zedd are right there..." Richard looked over to where they were sleeping and then back to her. "I know a great spot..." She laughed, kissed him and pushed him up. He watched her as she tried to sit up. He leaned forward, taking her into his arms, he held her to his chest as he stood. Her arms were around his neck as he walked slowly away from their camp. Trying not to wake Zedd and Cara. Once they could no longer see the others, Richard's pace quickened as he kissed her.

He was finding it even harder to stop kissing her as he continued to walk. His eyes, half closed, his foot went into a small hole. As they fell, he could hear her laughing. "This spot will due." Kahlan said as she pulled his shoulders causing him to roll over her. He pulled the blanket from her and inched her over it slowly as he kissed his way around neck to her chest. Her fingers ran though his hair, taking a fist full of his hair. He moaned as she pulled his head up. Pulling his lips from her chest and bringing them back to hers. Their lips clashed together, moving in a single movement. Her hands ran down his back, coming to a stop at the top of his pants. Moving her hands between them, she grabbed at his pants pulling until he sat back and removed them. He sat over her, starring down at her. She looked even more beautiful then she had before. "I could get used to this." He said with a smile. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her. "I hope so." When she reconnected their lips, a soft moan came from both as he lowered her back to the ground.

Holding his body tightly against hers, she felt her heat racing. The feel of his body against hers. The taste of his lips. The way he moved his hands over her body. Her mind wanted to saver every moment. Every sensation. He ran his hands over her arms, moving them through the dirt, bringing them above her head. Holding them with one hand, he used his other, to explore her body. He removed his other hand, releasing her arms, and ran it down her side. She held her arms in place, allowing him to further explore. Suddenly, her hands were on his chest. She pushed him up lightly, but hard enough to get him to stop. "Kahlan?" Her eyes were starting to darken as she starred up at him. He leaned down, taking her face in his hands and kissed her. "Are you sure, Richard?" He smiled as he leaned down closer, his lips lightly touching hers. "I'm yours." He kissed her, as he wrapped his arms around her. Holding her tightly against him. The magic flew through him, as she leaned her head back. His lips never leaving her skin. Finding nothing to be tainted, the magic retreated from his body.

She laid in his arms, her arm over his chest as her fingers traced small circles over his skin. "I can't believe we did that." He could feel her smile against his chest. "I'm glad we did." She pushed herself up slowly onto her elbow, moving herself over him. "Me too." Their smiles covered their faces. She starred at his face, looking in his eyes. "How is this even possible?" His fingers played with the ends of her hair as he starred up at her. "Your power could take nothing from me. I felt it go through me. All I could think about was how much I wanted to be with you. That if it meant being confessed, I didn't care." Her smiled widened as she leaned down and kissed him. "We could always do it again... To be sure." He laughed as he rolled himself over her.