Water Under The Bridge, Chapter 8
Warning: Potentially annoying deus ex machina ahead...
And thanks for all the really kind reviews, everybody! I'm quickly becoming a review junkie.
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"Hello, Britta," Marlena said, stepping across the street to intercept the healer, who was starting toward the bridge.
Britta whirled to face her, and looked wary. "Don't try to stop me, Marlena. I know exactly what's going on."
Marlena smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Stop you? Spirits, woman, I don't want to stop you. But you might want to reconsider it once I'm done here."
"Don't you dare use your magic on me—!" Britta started to say, but Marlena was already raising her hands, and beginning the incantation she'd used on Kahlan, though this time she repeated it several times. Energy crackled around her hands, and Britta stepped back fearfully. There was a bright flash, and Britta stumbled back, catching herself against the railing of her porch.
"Marlena!" a man said, stepping out of the house. He was tall and thin, with a gloomy expression. "What's going on?" His voice was thick, and Marlena knew he'd been drinking. I can't say as I blame him, she thought sadly.
"Roderick!" Britta said, and her voice sounded strange to him, different. More pleasant. He turned to look at her, and his eyes widened. "She used magic on me, Roderick! Make her take it back!"
He looked back at Marlena, who nodded. "Indeed I did, Roderick, but I won't be removing this spell. Not while she's intent on hurting my friends."
Roderick's eyes got even wider. "So it's come to this, has it?" he said. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised."
"Roderick!" Britta said, and stepped toward him. In the light of the open door, he could see even better that her appearance had changed dramatically. For the better, he thought, surprised, though it seemed when he looked closely at her that her features were a little…blurry. "What is wrong with you?" she said furiously. "You have to stop her!"
"Now why would I want to do that?" he said mildly. He shook his head. "No," he said, looking over Britta's shoulder, his expression hardening, "no, I think it's time things changed around here. Oy!" he called, gesturing wildly at something down the street leading to the bridge. "I've found her! The woman you're looking for!" He pointed at Britta.
Her face went white, and she whirled to stare, terrified, at Marlena. "What did you do to me?" she whispered.
Marlena stared back evenly. "Nothing I shouldn't have done years ago, you harpy. Now," she said, glancing back up the road at a contingent of soldiers heading toward them at a run, "I'd suggest you start running. Unless you think you can fight like the Confessor as well as looking like her."
Britta gasped, looking at the oncoming soldiers.
"There she is!" one of the soldiers yelled. Britta screamed, and turned, hiking up her skirts and running down the street as though her life depended on it.
***
Richard froze as he heard shouts outside, followed by the sound of boots hitting earth and the jingling of chain mail. "There she is!" a man's voice yelled, followed by a woman's scream, and more running.
Richard jumped as the door behind him opened, and Marlena came in as his hand went to his sword hilt. "Oh, so you heard it, did you?" she said, her eyes twinkling. "I've never seen Roderick stand up to her before. It was magnificent. And it's about time he did!"
Richard stared at her, his eyes wide. "We have to get out of here! She'll have the soldiers on us any minute!"
Marlena looked at him, amused. "Really? I think not. No, she's a bit too busy running away from those soldiers. And they think they're about to have the tremendous good luck of capturing the Confessor."
"What?" Richard said, baffled.
Marlena wiggled her fingers at Kahlan. "Remember my little trick that first night?" she said, her eyes twinkling. "When I really put my back into it, I can do some extraordinary things. Like making that spiteful healer look the spitting image of Kahlan Amnell. It helps that she's tall and dark haired like you, but I must say, it took quite an effort to overcome that sour face of hers. No, I expect she'll be leagues from here before the spell wears off. She has a good pair of legs," Marlena said, grinning, "so who knows, she might even outrun them."
Her smile was infectious. Kahlan found herself grinning at Richard, who still looked confused. "You're a wizard?" he said.
Marlena looked down modestly. "I wouldn't go that far. But I do come from a fine long line of wizards. My mother said I'm cousin to Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander himself!"
This woman is my cousin? Richard thought, amazed. Am I related to everyone in the Midlands? "But…but Zedd said that kind of magic was incredibly powerful!" Richard protested.
Marlena looked disapprovingly down her nose at him, which was impressive given how much shorter she was than him. "My dear boy, apparently there are some parts of the family history Cousin Zeddicus is unfamiliar with. The women in this family have always had the power to obscure. I had a little help," she lifted Fleur up to show Richard, "and I've practiced a bit more than most, though luckily no one around here has seen me do it in years." She grinned again. "I doubt anyone would mind though, least of all Roderick Moragon. Heaven knows why he ever married that shrew. And it's clear he's asking himself that these days."
Richard finally let himself relax, trusting this bizarre little woman. He looked over at Kahlan, who still looked exhausted, wondering if they dared let her rest longer. Marlena noticed the look, and hustled him out of the room. "You go on in there and find yourself something to eat, boy! I'll look after your…friend." She waggled her eyebrows at him while she shut the door, and he flushed.
Marlena turned to Kahlan after she shut the door. "Now, I think you need to get back into that bed, child." Kahlan didn't protest as Marlena bent to pull off the boots again, and helped Kahlan lie back gingerly onto the bed. "There's no need for you to hurry off. We'll leave the dress on, I think. You've been through enough for the time being. And it wouldn't do to have that boy finding you unclothed again."
Kahlan blushed wildly. "We're not—he's not—" she began.
"Of course he is," Marlena said, rolling her eyes. "He's mad about you. And more than a bit entranced by your womanly wiles, I think." She pulled the covers back up over Kahlan, smiling as she did. "And that dress certainly doesn't hurt. I know it's probably helpful for people to see Confessors as attractive, and who wouldn't show off a perfect bosom like that—some men go for the melons, but those are the men to stay away from, if you ask me. In my experience, though, the real heartbreakers are the women with a reasonable size and the right shape, if you catch my meaning, and you certainly have that. But I have to say, most of the time it just isn't practical, is it? The dress, I mean, not the breasts. Of course, most of the time breasts aren't particularly practical either—"
Spirits, I have to stop this, Kahlan thought, wondering if her face could get any redder. "I was thinking the same thing myself," Kahlan broke in, then stammered, realizing what that sounded like, "I…I mean…about the dress, and…and practicality. But it is tradition."
"And you don't mind him looking at you like that now and then, do you?" Marlena said, smiling knowingly.
Kahlan sighed. There's no getting past her with this, is there? "No," she finally said, embarrassed. "No, I don't mind it." Her look turned inward, though, and Marlena could see she was troubled.
"Don't you worry, dear," she said, patting Kahlan's hand. "The spirits will guide you. They'll find a way for you both." She fluttered out of the room, leaving Kahlan with her thoughts and a sudden overwhelming need to sleep.
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Sorry, I know the whole "magically altered appearance" thing has been done to death lately, but I had this part in the works before Mirror. Really. I mean it!