Here's another chapter… I hope not to bore anyone with this story. Please hit the review button, it's always good to know where to stand, more Kahlan and Richard, less Kahlan and Richard? Anyway, let me know what you think! Thank you.

Richard woke up a little before the sunrise. He found himself lying on the cold ground, a throbbing pain coming from his ribs remembered him of his previous injurie. He blinked several times and saw Kahlan's green blanket covering him. Resting on his chest, on top of the blanket, was Kahlan's hand, holding one of her daggers. She must have woken up in the middle of the night and put the blanket on him. He smiled at that kind attention and tightened his hold on her. She was still lying next to him, her face in the crock of his neck.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered her name. She moaned and adjusted her position next to him.

"It's cold, get under the blanket." He told her softly.

She mumbled something he couldn't understand, making him chuckle.

"You can let that dagger go." He added, before pulling the cover over her.

"Love you." She mumbled in reply. He wasn't even sure she was awake but answered: "I love you too, go back to sleep my love."

When morning came, Richard woke up to find himself alone on the ground. Panic took the best of him has he realized that Kahlan wasn't next to him. He sat up with a start and found her in front of him, next to the fire.

"Easy Richard." She told him calmly.

"I thought... I... You..." He started.

"I'm right here." She said, well knowing what he was thinking about. "Do you want some tea?" She added.

"No, thank you." He replied.

"Actually, it wasn't a question, here drink this." She told him, handing him the cup of hot tea.

"Is it an order from the Mother Confessor?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It is." She said proudly.

"And will Kahlan Amnell kiss me good morning first?" He asked.

Kahlan gave him a peck on the cheek and said: "Drink." Richard sighed deeply and relutanctly drank his tea.

Once he was done, he gave back the cup to Kahlan and said: "Happy?"

"Very much. Now let me see your wound." She replied.

Examining the wound Kahlan stated: "We need to meet up with Zedd. He'll take care of your wound."

"You are taking really good care of it." Richard replied.

"I'll travel with you until we meet with Cara and Zedd and then I'll go to Aydindrill." She stated, adverting Richard's eyes.

"We are supposed to meet in the city ofTractan. Zedd knows the owner of a small tavern there." Richard said.

"If we leave now, we can be there by sunset. Can you walk all day?" Kahlan asked.

"I think so." Richard told her.

"Let's pack and go then." Kahlan said, grabbing her bagpack and getting up.

Richard was in pain. He didn't know what hurt the most. His clearly bad looking wound or the distance Kahlan was establishing between them. She had opened up to him the night before, telling him how much she was blaming herself for being the reason they couldn't be together and he understood what she was feeling, how hard this was on her. He just wanted them to be close before they had to be around Zedd and Cara, he just wanted to enjoy being almost like a normal couple for the few hours they would spend together.

"Could you help me to get up?" He asked her. Truth was that he was probably able to get up by himself, but he needed an excuse to get her close to him.

She rushed by his side and helped him, feeling his bare skin under her hands made her shiver.

"Thank you." He told her, his left arm around her waist.

She nodded silently, she was looking so sad, it broke Richard's heart. He pulled her closer to him and she rested her head on his shoulder. She was blaming herself for giving up so easily, for not being able to pull away from him.

"Do you want me to let you go?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied softly, finally finding the strength to pull away from him.

It was certainly not the answer Richard was waiting for. A knot formed in his throat as he replayed his question and her answer in his head. Was it a goodbye? Did she mean let her go to Aydindrill? Let her go of his life?

"Kahlan." He called her. He saw the tears in her eyes as she turned to face him.

She looked at him, at the verge of tears and he said: "I am accepting the fact that you have to go back to Aydindrill and that I have to find the Stone of Tears. I am accepting that we are going to be separated. You asked me to accept this and I'm doing my best to do so. But please, just accept the fact that I love you and I always will. Accept my embrace, my kisses, accept not to be the Mother Confessor around me, just accept to be Kahlan Amnell, the woman I love, the one I'll marry one day, the one who will be the mother of my children."

He took her hands in his and said: "Come here." He pulled her close and cupped her face with his hands, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

"Shhh, don't cry." He told her. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

"Ouch." He exclaimed as her body meet up with his wound.

"Richard, I'm so sorry." She exclaimed.

"It's okay, I'm okay. Don't worry." He told her, trying to smile.

She relaxed in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Until we reach Zedd and Cara, we're going to kiss, hold hands and smile. I'm going to love you with all my heart and show it to you." He stated.

Kahlan nodded and he added: "Now that we agree, we can pack and start to walk."

"Not yet." She replied, tightening her hold on him.

Richard ran a hand through her hair while the other was caressing her back.

"I love you with every fiber of my being but sometimes, this love is too much for me to handle." She softly said, bringing a hand to caress his neck.

"Leaving you is too hard to handle." She added as tears formed in her eyes.

Richard didn't answer. What could he say? Ask her to go against who she was, against her duty as the Mother Confessor? He felt powerless against her decision even if he understood what it meant to her. Imagining himself in her position, having to choose between her and his duty as the Seeker, he couldn't decide what he would do. His first thought would be to choose Kahlan. But could he let innocent people die? Could he let the Keeper win and destroy everything? He couldn't resolve himself to let his enemy triumph.

He kissed the top of her head and held her closer. He smiled when he felt her hands caressing his waist and his back. Spirits how he loved this feeling.

"We should get going." She said, her head still resting on his shoulder.

"Yes, we should." He added, kissing the top of her head once again.

"Maybe you could let me go then." She said but her body pressed against his even more.

"Maybe you are the one to have to let me go." He replied.

She sighed deeply and he said: "This day is not over Kahlan, until we reach the tavern and meet Zedd and Cara, I'm going to hold you and kiss you many more times."

She nodded against his chest and said: "And Zedd must heal your wound."

"Come on my love, let's go." He told her as they pulled apart.

Kahlan reach for Richard's shirt and helped him to put it on, he could barely move the arm on the side of his injury. Once his head appeared out of his shirt, Kahlan smiled and ran a hand trough his messy hair.

"Thank you." He told her as he bent down to kiss her, his tongue instantly finding hers. When Richard reluctantly stopped their kiss to breathe, he opened his eyes to look at Kahlan, her eyes still closed as if she never wanted this moment to end. He kissed her forehead, bringing her back to reality.

"Let's go." He whispered in her ear before giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

He heard her sighed and they finished packing up and started to walk towards Tractan.