Richard stirred when he felt weight being applied to his body. His eyes slowly slid open, focusing to see Kahlan. Her hair was pinned behind her head, a few strands escaping and framing her face and tickling her neck. She was wearing the black robe. Richard blinked a few more times.

"Morning, again." Kahlan smirked.

"You don't look ready to travel." He chuckled, sitting up and resting his hands on her hips.

"Observant." She mocked, hands reaching to grab his pendent. He smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her. When he pulled away she climbed off of him, grabbing his hand and urging him out of the bed. He stumbled over the bedding, which was now piling on the floor. He rubbed his eyes with his other hand.

"What's this all about, Amnell?"

"You smell, Cypher. I thought we established this." She laughed, guiding him to a tub near the front of the room. She started pulling off his vest, dragging it down his shoulders. When her face was close to his, he could smell her hair. She had taken a bath earlier.

"I just put warm water in." She looked up at him through her lashes, moving her hands to undo his belt and strip him of his pants.

"You did all of this while I was asleep?" She nodded, tugging the belt free. When he was fully nude, she shook her hands in a shooing motion, urging him to get in the bath. He obliged. The water felt relaxing against his skin, and he was suddenly very aware of how filthy he had been. He sunk lower in the tub.

Kahlan grabbed a cloth and dipped it in the bath water, sitting on the edge of the tub. She wrung it out and started dabbing it along his neck and chest. She handed him a bar of soap. He dipped his head under the water, allowing the water to run through his hair. When he resurfaced, Kahlan was handing him the cloth, leaning over to kiss his forehead.

"I'll be right back." He nodded as she walked over to the wash basin, grabbing a towel and setting it on the floor as she repositioned herself back on the edge of the tub. When she sat down, her robe fell around her leg, exposing the creamy flesh. She took back the cloth and started patting it on his face and arms, attentively cleaning him. When Richard felt all the dirt had been removed from his skin a thought came to his mind.

Kahlan leaned away from him, dropping the cloth to the ground. Richard sat up and wrapped his arm around her waist, dragging her down into the bath water. She hit the liquid with a splash. She gasped as the water soaked through her robe.

"Richard Cypher!" She screeched, grabbing the sides of the tub and trying to lift herself out. Richard just held his arm firmer around her stomach, clutching her back against his chest. He saw her right leg fling out of the robe, now flailing as she tried to leave porcelain trap.

"Richard Cypher!" She yelled again, now using her hands to try and pry Richard's arm from around her. He chuckled as lifted her slightly, pressing his face on the flesh of her neck. Kahlan crossed her arms and stopped fighting, now huffing and blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Richard couldn't help but laugh, Kahlan now reluctantly sitting on top of him, encircled by his arms.

"I hate you."

"You do not." He chuckled into her neck, his mouth placing light kisses along her skin. She huffed. Her robe was getting heavy and she shifted uncomfortably in his arms. He moved the arm around her stomach to give her a little more leeway. He started to kiss her neck as his hand fumbled with the tie of her robe, attempting to open it. When his hand made contact with skin, she quickly batted it away and grabbed the bottom of her robe, climbing over the edge of the tub.

"No, no, no, Cypher. We have traveling to do." More of her hair had fallen, making a fuller frame around her face. She was holding her robe up with her hands, her thighs exposed. She started to wring out the water, adding to displaced liquid that already had fallen.

He leaned against the edge of the tub, reaching with his right hand to grab the edge of her robe, tugging her closer. "There isn't time to spare?" He asked playfully, her head lifting slightly as she smirked at him.

"We are already late."

"Zedd said we could go down whenever you woke." His eyebrows shot up playfully.

"Ah, see, that would work if .." she leaned down, her face just out of reach.

"If what?"

"If he hadn't already seen me." She straightened her back and dropped her robe as she walked away, shrugging it off her form. He sighed and dipped his head under the water again before reaching over the edge of the tub to grab the towel. He dried off and quickly got dressed, Kahlan still lacing up her corset when he was finished. He walked over and took the ties from her hands, lacing them up for her. She turned in his arms and he kissed her forehead. He sighed.

"I have to pack."

"Already done." She lifted up a bag with her right hand.

"You are too amazing." She laughed as she tossed the bag to him, leaning down to retrieve hers.

When they met up with Zedd and Cara, Zedd lifted his eyebrow at the two before walking out of the People's Palace, the three close at his heels.

The sun had set long ago and the four of them had been riding for hours. Zedd had told them it would be a two week journey to the forest near Aydindril and Richard was less than thrilled. Cara was bitter because a part of the army wasn't coming with them, and the army had been just as upset at not being invited to protect their Lord Rahl. When Kahlan asked Cara if she was scared to be the only D'Haran to protect Richard, Cara rolled her eyes and said she was the only protection he needed.

"We should stop for camp soon." Richard remarked, noticing how Kahlan was starting to slowly slump forward in her saddle.

"Great idea, my boy. I could use some food." Cara scoffed at the old man and muttered something under her breath, shaking her head.

When they found an opening, Richard slid off his horse and tossed his bag on the ground. He then went to Kahlan's horse and offered her his hand. When she made contact with the ground, Richard could feel how much effort it took for her to stand upright. He put an arm over her shoulder while his left hand grabbed hers, guiding her to sit on a blanket that Zedd had put down. She nodded her appreciation as she readjusted herself.

Richard proceeded to set up the camp, gathering some wood to place in the small fire. Zedd had started to eat a few slices of fruit, offering dried meat to the rest of them. Richard and Cara accepted, but Kahlan shook her head and said she'd much rather have fruit to snack on. Zedd passed her the pieces and took to eating a strip of the dried meat.

Richard was sitting beside her, observing her movements. When her head hit his shoulder he looked up at Zedd and Cara.

"Kahlan and I are going to turn in for the night." The two nodded and went back to chewing on their food. Richard wrapped his right arm around Kahlan, lowering her down to the bedroll and letting her press against his side. Her right hand rested on his chest, loosely enclosing his tooth pendent in her hand. He smiled as he kissed her hair.

"Goodnight, Kahlan Amnell. I love you." She murmured into his skin and adjusted herself slightly, tucking herself tighter against his side.

He heard Zedd and Cara start arguing over the fundamentals of magic in the background. Cara didn't understand half of what Zedd was saying, and Zedd was tired of trying to explain it to the blonde. Richard smiled as his eyes slid closed.