Another chapter, I have so free time to write, so here we go. I don't even know if people read this, but I enjoy writting it!
When Richard and Kahlan finally reached the tavern in Tractan, Kahlan looked at the window trying to find her friends, Zedd and Cara inside. When she finally spotted them, she saw Cara was absently watching Zedd eat. She turned to face Richard and said: "They're here."
The Seeker was looking pale, Kahlan didn't remember seeing him like this since she met him. Sweat was covering his face and one of his hand was covering his wound. After walking in the woods all day long, he couldn't hide his tiredness anymore. During the last hour of their trip, Kahlan had to help him to walk, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulder for support.
As Kahlan stretched her hand to open the front door of the tavern, Richard stopped her and whispered: "Wait."
He pinned her against the wall and pressed his body against hers. She felt like he could pass out at any minute and tried to object to his action but before she could say something, he kissed her passionately. It was a long, slow and loving kiss. She couldn't help and let a soft moan escape her lips when he slid a hand in her back to press her body against his even more.
She gave herself a moment to enjoy his kiss, knowing that a moment like this one wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
She finally broke the kiss, softly pushing him away with a hand on his chest. "Richard." She whispered.
He rested his forehead against hers and whispered: "I know." His breath was heavy, he was clearly struggling with the pain of his wound to be able to fill his lungs with air.
He kept his eyes closed as he whispered: "Thank you."
She ran a hand in his hair, wishing she could take his pain away.
"Thank you for helping me today. Thank you for letting me love you and thank you for loving me in return. I love you Kahlan Amnell." He added.
She felt his body tense with pain against her. She kissed his forehead and told him: "I love you too, with everything I am."
Suddenly Richard collapsed against her, the last of his strengths leaving him.
"Come on, let's get you to Zedd." Kahlan instructed as she pushed the door of the entrance of the tavern, helping Richard to get inside.
Once they reached Zedd and Cara, they immediately got up.
"Spirits, Richard! What happened?" Exclaimed the Wizard.
"He got hurt by a sword in a fight." Kahlan explained quickly.
"Hurry, let's get him upstairs, we have two rooms for the night." Zedd said.
Cara got by Richard side, helping Kahlan to carry him.
"Happy to see you again Mother Confessor, are you alright?" She asked Kahlan without a smile.
"Yes, I am alright Cara. Thank you. It's good to see you too." She replied.
They quickly got up the stairs and when they reached the room followed by Zedd, they slowly laid Richard on the bed.
"Out!" Zedd ordered. Kahlan was about to object but he said: "Both of you, out. Let me work on his wound. I will not be able to concentrate with you worrying behind my back."
Giving one last look at Richard, she reluctantly left the room along with Cara, knowing that Richard was safe with Zedd and that he would get better soon.
When they reached the other room, Cara lied on the bed, her back against the headboard and watched Kahlan pacing in the room.
"Richard is going to be okay Kahlan." She finally said, the pacing was getting on her nerves.
"I know." Kahlan replied but didn't know stop walking.
"You look tired, you should get some rest. I'll wake you as soon as Zedd has finished with Richard." Cara said.
"Huh-huh." Was all Kahlan replied.
The Mord-Sith sighed and crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I know I should have stayed with him to protect him." She stated.
Kahlan stopped her pacing and looked straight in her eyes.
"Ha finally, are you willing to listen to me, Mother Confessor?" She asked.
"What Cara?" She harshly said.
"You should rest and get something to eat." Cara tried again.
"I'm not tired, nor hungry." She replied and walked to the window, it was already getting dark.
"So much for trying to be nice." Cara muttered.
Kahlan sighed and sat on the bed and closed her eyes for a while.
"Spill it Kahlan." Cara exclaimed suddenly, causing Kahlan to open her eyes.
"Something is wrong, your eratic behavior is telling me that there is something going on. You shouldn't be so worried knowing that Richard is with Zedd, yet you are acting like he's going to slip away at any minute." Cara added, getting up from the bed and sitting next to Kahlan.
"I'm just wondering if he is alright, that's all." Kahlan replied, looking down at her hands.
"Fine, don't talk to me. I don't like to talk anyway." Cara said, taking back her place on the bed, her back against the headboard and her arms crossed.
After a long silence, Kahlan finally said: "Today was our last day together. I'm going back to Aydindrill."
"You're... what?" Asked Cara, taken aback by what she just heard.
"Aydindrill." Was all Kahlan could say in a whisper as tears fell down her cheeks.
"Richard isn't going to allow that." Cara replied.
"He had to. We all know that our duty comes first. Yours as a Mord-Sith, his as the Seeker and mine as the Mother Confessor." Kahlan explained.
Cara snorted and said: "I was talking about you taking a mate. Richard isn't going to allow that."
Kahlan stood silent, letting the tears fall from her face.
"Oh, I see this isn't something you discussed with the Seeker." Cara added.
"I don't think he knows what going to Aydindrill implies for me." Kahlan said.
"Spirits Kahlan, he's the Seeker of Truth... he will know, if he doesn't know already." The Mord-Sith said.
Kahlan got up, dried her tears with the back of her hands, put on her Confessor face and said: "It doesn't matter, when the sun will rise, I'll be on my way to Aydindrill and he will be on his way to defeat the Keeper. Once he succeeds, he will go back to Hartland and go on with his life."
"Does that make you feel better?" Cara asked. "Thinking he'll go back and find someone to marry when the woman he loves betrayed him?"
Kahlan sighed, anger rising in her chest because of Cara's comment. Walking again towards the window she said: "He will hate me for betraying him, for letting someone else touch me and make me with child. With time, he will forget the pain and go on with his life."
"And you will live a life of sadness and loneliness." Cara added.
"I will live like many Confessors did before me. But I will have the memory of what it's like to love and be loved in return." Kahlan said, sighing again.
"Damn you Mother Confessor." Cara exclaimed as she got up, Kahlan could swear she had seen tears in the Mord-Sith eyes. Cara stormed out the room, leaving her clueless about where she was going.
"I'd rather share a room with a snoring Wizard then with a wiping Confessor." She heard Cara said in the hallway.
"Can you get up?" She heard Cara ask. Kahlan made her way to the door of her room, taking a look in the hallway and she saw Richard and Cara walking towards her. Richard was walking slowly, he still looked pale but in much better shape than when Kahlan last saw him.
Approaching the door, Cara pointed at Richard and said: "You need to rest." Then she pointed at Kahlan and said: "You need to rest as well."
Kahlan nodded with a small smile, wrapping her arm around Richard's waist, helping him to get in the room. Once they were inside, Cara added, pointing again at Richard: "You keep your hands off the Mother Confessor." Then she looked at Kahlan and said: "And try not to confess him if he does not keep his hands off you." And with that she closed the door.
"Here, lie down." Kahlan instructed Richard as they reached the bed. "Do you want something to drink or to eat?" She asked him.
"No, I'm okay, thank you. Zedd already gave me food and water." He replied, sitting up on the bed.
Kahlan reached for her bag back and took her bed roll out of it, setting it on the floor.
"Are you seriously considering sleeping on the floor?" Richard asked.
"Richard, you need to rest, you'll be better in a bed than on the floor, so yes, I am seriously considering sleeping on the floor." She replied, adjusting the bed roll.
"You should consider sleeping with me, we could share the bed." He said with a small smile.
"Richard! It's a bed!" She exclaimed, almost horrified by his proposal.
Laughing despite the pain, he knew exactly why she was reacting that way, he managed to say: "It is a bed. Nice and comfy. Nothing's going to happen as long as you keep your clothes on."
Kahlan pretended she didn't hear his comment and took her blanket out of her bag. Richard got up and wrapped his arms around her.
"It's going to be okay. It'll be the same than when we slept together in the woods. We'll just lie down, in each others arms. The only difference is that we won't be cold and our backs won't be killing us in the morning." Richard reassured her.
"I bet Cara and Zedd are sharing their bed too." He added with a smile.
Kahlan smiled at the thought of the old Wizard and the Mord-Sith sharing a bed.
"Richard, you should be resting, not up on your feet." Kahlan told him, shifting out of his embrace to look at him.
"I'm not resting if you are sleeping on the floor." He told her. "I even might do some exercise." He added.
Kahlan shook her head with a sigh, she smiled at him and said: "I'm not even arguing with you mister stubborn. This is a lost cause."
Richard smiled widely, victory was his. He approached her ear and whispered: "That's because you know you want to share this bed with me."
His teasing sent shivers down Kahlan spine, she closed her eyes and inhale his scent, hoping she would never forget it. Richard kissed her forehead and said: "Come on, let's get some sleep my love."
Opening her eyes, Kahlan nodded and said: "Let me put everything in my bag pack and I'll be right here."
"Okay." Richard replied before kissing her forehead once again and letting her go from his arms. He sat on the bed and proceeded to take off his boots and shirt.
Kahlan took a look at him and said: "So much for keeping our clothes on."
"I said 'your' clothes, not mine." He replied, throwing his shirt at her.
Catching his shirt she asked: "You don't know what it's like to sleep in a corset, do you?"
"Take it off." He shrugged
"You're really funny Richard." She told him. "I guess the sword injured more than your ribs and that Zedd wasn't able to fix your brain." And with that she threw him his shirt and finished the put her blanket in her bag pack.
"I'm not asking you to sleep naked Kahlan. Take off your corset, sleep just in your dress or in my shirt, I don't care, I just want you to feel comfortable, to take a good night of sleep." He told her. "I'm not forcing you to do anything against your will, I know and I understand what's holding you back."
"We're playing with fire here Richard. Every day we're growing closer and our game is getting more dangerous. As much as I love this game, the consequences of losing will be devastating." She told him sternly.
"Quit the Confessor talk Kahlan, you're going back to Aydindrill and our 'game' is ending." He replied sharply.
Kahlan felt like a knife was piercing through her heart, she stopped breathing for an instant as tears filled her eyes.
"Kahlan... I... I didn't mean..." Richard started.
"It's alright Richard. It's getting late, we should get some sleep." She cut him off and made her way to the other side of the bed, lying on top of the covers. She rested on her side, her back turn to Richard and let the tears roll freely on her face. She felt his hand touching her shoulder and heard him say: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Just... just get some sleep." She replied without turning to face him.
Letting go of her, he lied on his back and looked at the ceiling. "I just wanted to have you in my arms, to feel comfortable, warm and loved in my arms. I've been inappropriate and pushy and I'm sorry. Good night my love."
Big thanks to klynnrhiannon for the review on last chapter, glad you enjoy my story as much as I enjoy yours!