Kahlan's mind had been spinning for days. She had made love to Richard without taking his soul. She had never imaged being as happy as she was now. Zedd had made sure that they didn't sleep near each other, so that they would actually get some sleep. She missed sleeping by him.
"Are you okay?" Cara's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I'm fine." she said starring at the ground, trying to get back to her thoughts. Rolling her eyes, Cara turned to look at her. "You look fine." Taking her eyes from the ground, and gazing up at Richard, Kahlan sighed. Cara laughed "You've had one taste of him, and you want more." she continued to laugh as Kahlan brought her eyes to hers, a smile on her face. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" "Yes." she laughed out. "You're going to help me." Kahlan said widening her smile as she sped up her pace, leaving Cara behind.
"Time for your help." Kahlan said softly as they started setting up camp. "I'm not helping." Kahlan straightened up and smiled "If you don't I'll just keep bothering you." Cara crossed her arms "Fine. I'll take the old man to get food." she said as she walked passed Kahlan "Take your time." Kahlan said smiling wider.
"You're coming with me wizard." Cara said making her way to Zedd. "What?" he looked confused. "You never get the food, so you're going to help me." "Take Richard." Cara sighed "He's resting. Come." she said walking away, Zedd followed her reluctantly through the trees.
Richard was laying on his bedroll, eyes closed. His headaches had been getting worse. Quietly, Kahlan made her way over to him, slowly lowering herself over him. Holding herself just above him, she pressed her lips to his. Without opening his eyes, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him as he deepened their kiss. Lifting her chest from his, she grabbed his shirt and began pulling it to his head. "Cara's not going to be able to keep him busy very long." Richard smiled as he lifted his head, allowing her to remove his shirt. "You had her do that?" she smiled down at him "I had to get you alone somehow." He let out a quick laugh as he pulled her back to him, giving her a hard kiss.
She ran her hands over his chest as she moved her lips from his, slowly making their way over his jaw to his neck, her tongue running across his skin at times. He held her against him. He had missed the feel of her lips on his flesh. The return of the feeling was driving him mad. He pushed her chest forward, away from him, giving his hands some room to move in and untie her dress.
Sitting herself up on his thighs, she let him pull her dress from her shoulders. His eyes running over her quickly, before he reached up and began to untie her corset. The second he had finished she pulled hit from herself, tossing it to the side. He ran his hands over her, watching as she leaned into his touch. His heart racing as she moaned his name. He had to have more contact. Pulling her down to him, he kissed her as he rolled them over.
He pulled her dress from her waist and tossed it next to her corset. Grabbing the top of his pants, she pulled the laces until she was able to push them from his waist. Lowering his head to hers, he started kissing her face, his hands roaming her body as she arched into his touch. His lips trailed down her neck as she ran her hands over his back. Moving his lips over her collarbone to her chest, he could feel her heart pounding against his lips.
"I'm starved!" Zedd said as he followed Cara. "Look! There's another one! Get it this time!" He shouted at Cara. "How could you have missed it?" He said as she stood back up and looked at him. She sighed, this was even more annoying than she thought it would be. "Enough of this. I've got the next one." He said as he jumped into some bushes. "See, that wasn't so hard. Now let's get back to Kahlan and Richard." "No!" Cara grabbed his arm and turned him back to her. "We need to get more than one rabbit." Zedd starred at her "What's going on?" "Nothing. I just think we should have enough food for all of us, not just you."
He held her in his arms, tightly, kissing the top of her head as she sighed. "We should get dressed." she said without moving. He laughed hard, making her look up at him. "What?" "I was just thinking how miserable Cara must be with Zedd right now." Kahlan smiled widely. "She's going to have to get used to it. I'm planning on asking her again tomorrow." Richard smiled widely "She'll adjust." Closing his eyes, he laid his head back down. "Richard?" "I'm fine. The headaches back." Rolling herself on top of him, she kissed his neck up to his ear. "I can make you forget about it." she whispered in his ear.
"I would like nothing more." He smiled and opened his eyes. "But, I'm sure we've run out of time alone." She lifted herself up and frowned. "One of these days, I'm going to have you to myself." Sitting next to him, she grabbed her corset and began to fasten it. He watched her, his mind being focused on her instead of the pain. When she finished, she grabbed her dress and stood slowly stepping into it. As she finished tying her dress she turned to him, still starring at her, eyes wide and his mouth open to help him breathe. She gave a soft giggle as she tossed his shirt to him. "Your turn." she said with a smile.
"How could you leave them alone, knowing what they were going to do?" Zedd said as he rushed his way back to camp. "If we didn't leave them, they would have just waited until they thought we were asleep again." Cara said as she followed closely behind him. "They should waited until there is no longer danger. Until we seal the rift!" he said in a huff. Cara stopped walking. "You don't think they have waited long enough?" Zedd stopped and turned to her. "He waited years for her, even though he knew she was dead." Zedd starred at her, he didn't know what to say. He hadn't been there with her and Richard. He didn't know what happened in that future. Cara rolled her eyes and walked passed him, slowly making her way back to their camp.
Being sure to make noise before reaching Richard and Kahlan, Cara stomped loudly on the twigs at her feet. "Is it safe?" She yelled as she came to a stop by the clearing. "Yes." Kahlan said lifting herself out of Richard's embrace, his eyes closed. He grabbed her arm pulling her back to him. "Stay, please." She lowered herself back into his arms as she turned to Cara. "Thank you." She said softly. Cara nodded, looked to see how far behind Zedd was "You owe me." She said looking back to Kahlan. "Anything." she replied pulling herself closer to Richard.
"Richard?" he soft voice flowed through him, waking him into a smile. "We should be moving." He opened his eyes and looked around. They had already packed everything away. He had slept through It all. "What time is it?" He asked as the sun poured into his eyes. "Late morning. You looked tired, so we let you sleep." He sat up slowly the world spinning around him. His head was throbbing against his skull. "Are you okay?" He tried to smile but couldn't bring one to his face. "I'm fine. I just... I should get clean up."
"There's a water holed though there." Cara said half smiling. "Kahlan will show you." Slowly he stood, taking Kahlan's hand as they walked through the trees. "Richard, are you sure you are okay?" "I'm fine." he looked over her head "I think I need to be alone." she looked up at him, trying to read his face, he turned his head away from her. "Okay." she felt her heart fall from her chest, as she watched him stare off into the trees. Pointing ahead of them she sighed. "It's right through there." He nodded and quickly began walking, leaving her where she stood.
Throwing his hands up to his head he felt his legs give out on him. The pain coursing through his head was blinding. As he closed his eyes he caught a glimpse of Kahlan running to him. Falling to her knees beside him. "Richard!"
She watched him as he lay in across her lap. His eyes moving rapidly under his eyelids as he moaned out softly in pain. Placing a damp cloth to his forehead, Kahlan listened to Zedd as he talk to Cara. "Fine. I'll go." He said in a Cara walked to Kahlan, kneeling down next to her, she watched her for a moment. "Zedd's getting the herbs." Kahlan could only nod. Her thoughts were completely focused on Richard. She jumped when his eyes flew open and he grabbed her arm. "Kahlan?" He released her arm and his eyes fell closed once more.
"I have found something that should help." Zedd's voice coming from behind them a few minutes later. "I'll make it into something he can bare to eat." Cara watched Kahlan, as she tended to Richard. "How's he doing?" He asked to their silence. "I'm not sure." Kahlan said as she handed the cloth to Cara. "Kahlan?" Richard's eyes started to open once more. "I'm here." she said softly, taking the re-moistened cloth from Cara. "What happened?" He moved his head, looking around them. "How'd I get back here?" Cara gave a small laugh. "The Mother Confessor carried you back."
"What?" Kahlan placed the cloth to his head and smiled softly. "How are you feeling?" he starred up at her. "I'm fine." Kahlan lifted the cloth from his face and squeezed it, letting the water fall onto his face. "You said you were fine before and then you collapsed!" He reached up, grabbed her hand and pulled it down to his chest. "Kahlan, I'm sorry, really. It feels better now." She starred down at him, starring into his eyes for the truth. "Cara, come help me with this please." Zedd said as he knocked over a pot of water. Standing, she turned and walked away without a word.
"You scared me, Richard." Kahlan said softly, pulling her arm from his grasp, leaving the cloth on his chest. "I'm sorry... I thought I could handle it." she looked out into the trees, as she shifted her position. "Zedd has something he think may help you." "Kahlan..." She looked down at him, his eyes still filled with pain, but she could see it was from more than just his headache. "It doesn't matter what you tell me, Richard. I can see it in your eyes." She looked back to the trees and closed her eyes for a moment. She opened them, when he took hold of her hand. "I don't understand why you would lie to me." "I don't want you to worry." She looked back to him, slowly. "I'm always worried."
