When Cara had heard the coughing, she darted to Kahlan's side, grabbing her hand and inspecting her. Richard froze in place. It felt as if his whole world was crashing down. Kahlan kept trying to bat away Cara's inspections, but to no avail. Zedd was standing near the two women, looking just as shocked as Richard. When Kahlan started to speak, Richard was able to move his feet.

"Cara, stop. Stop! It's just a little blood." Kahlan wiped her hand on her dress, leaving a blood smeared stain. Richard made his way to her, taking her hand in his, lightly squeezing. She nodded at him, trying to ensure him that she was fine.

Zedd worked at his jaw, but no words came out. He hovered his hand over Kahlan's womb, his eyebrows furrowing. Richard's heart stopped beating. The old man sighed.

"The baby is fine." He managed to choke out, Richard taking in a deep breath. His grandfather was holding something back. "For now."

"What do you mean for now!" Richard yelled, his heart hammering in his chest, his head spinning. "You just said the baby was fine!" His vision was starting to get blurry. He felt Kahlan's hand go limp in his, her expression one of disbelief.

"Kahlan took a blow to the stomach, causing minor damage to the womb. It can be healed, but she musn't do anything to over exert herself - which lately, has been a lot. We need to get her somewhere where she can rest, where distractions aren't running rampant." Zedd gestured his hands, Kahlan scowling at him.

"Quite a few of those Sisters managed to escape." She drew out, her eyes darkening. Zedd started pacing. Richard started panicking.

"Aydindril is a two day walk, if we don't stop." Zedd was rubbing his head with his hands. Kahlan stared at him.

"You expect me to walk for two days straight?" Richard's head was reeling and he couldn't seem to focus on the conversation, his left hand was hanging awkwardly at his side while his right was holding hers. He moved his left hand and placed it on her stomach, Kahlan flinching slightly at the touch. He lightly traced patterns over the cloth.

"No, dear one. We would .." Zedd trailed off, muttering something under his breath. "You need as much sleep as possible. We could build you a litter-"

"A litter!" She yelled, slightly cringing. She reached her hand to her throat and then dropped it. Rage was dwelling on her features. "You want to drag me along the ground like rubbish!"

"My dear-"

"No! I know how litters work. You are going to tie it to the back of a horse, and then I'm going to get dragged along the ground - which happens to be forest floor. With hills and roots protruding through the soil. I will feel every single one of the grooves in the earth, and you want me to sleep on it?" Her face was becoming red, and beneath Richard's hands he could feel her start to shake slightly. She looked at him for support. He had none to give. He hung his head low. She huffed.

"Mother Confessor," it was the first time Cara had spoken since the conversation had started. Her tone was softer than normal, tip toeing around Kahlan's anger. "If you want to save your child, this is the only option we have."

Kahlan blinked away angry tears as she moved away from them all, turning her back and shaking her head in her hands. Richard nodded appreciatively to Cara. The blonde had managed to bring the reality of the situation forward without commanding Kahlan to do anything. Instead, Cara gave her a choice. This still allowed Kahlan to have some control. Richard saw her drop her hands.

"Fine." She muttered, slightly kicking at the dirt. Richard smiled sadly, even though her back was turned to him. When she turned to face him, her hands were resting on her stomach, a confused look on her face.

"Something doesn't feel right." She said it in a whisper, barely audible. If Richard wasn't so focused in on her, he wouldn't have been able to tell that it was more than a faint gust of wind. He tilted his head as he watched her fumble with her fingers. He glanced at Cara and Zedd. The blonde was still, no emotion present on her face except for her eyes - a mixture of worry and concern. If it weren't for the situation, Richard would have smiled at the Mord'Sith's affections towards Kahlan. Zedd was wearing a frown.

"What do you mean, my dear?"

Kahlan started shifting her weight from each foot, unable to stay still. Her hands still rested on her stomach. Her face was contorting to all different kinds of expressions. Richard wasn't sure what to think. She looked up at the three.

"Can you start building the litter?" Cara nodded and was already out of sight, Zedd quickly following. Richard didn't want to leave her, and certainly didn't want to leave her alone among all the dead bodies. He reached for her hand and gently tugged her back to the campsite, her other hand never leaving her stomach. He directed her to the bedroll, helping her sit down. She seemed in shock.

Kahlan watched intently as the three made the litter, Richard trying his hardest to make sure it was thoroughly padded. He didn't like the idea of dragging her behind a horse, but it made the most sense. The constant movement of riding on a horse could harm her, and walking wasn't an option. Richard would gladly carry her in his arms the whole duration, but he knew his strength would give out all too soon. A thought occurred to him.

"Zedd, why can't you heal her?" Richard stood there, stopping his work and staring at the old man. He was about to get angry if they had just upset Kahlan over nothing.

"My boy, I don't like to use magic where a new life is concerned. The damage is minor and can be healed on it's own. I'll only resort to using magic on her and the baby if it is necessary to their existence." Richard sighed, nodding his head in defeat. He didn't necessarily like the idea of using magic on her either, but now felt better that his reasoning was somewhat justified. Kahlan's knees were pulled up to her chest, her arms encircling them. Richard noticed she would get in that position a lot - especially when upset. His heart sank. He passed the materials over to Cara, who gladly accepted with no remarks. She took up his portion of the work while he went to sit by Kahlan, a hand wrapping around her waist as the other moved between her legs and torso, resting on her stomach. His hand made Kahlan let go of her grip on her legs, loosening them so she was sitting in a more relaxed position. She leaned her head against his chest and clenched her eyes shut.

"Something's wrong, Richard." Richard nodded against her head as he placed light kisses along her hair, the hand on her waist moving up and down to try and comfort her. "Something doesn't feel right." She started to squirm in his arms. Richard started to rock her back and forth, whispering to her and trying to sooth her. She relaxed in his arms and he thanked the spirits. He felt her doze off, her breathing steadying as her weight became more heavy against him.

Richard sat on the bedroll with Kahlan until Zedd and Cara had finished the litter. From what he could see, it was well padded and enforced. Richard was certain that Kahlan would feel minimal discomfort. He resumed rubbing her side, attempting to wake her up.

Her skin was clammy.

Richard's hands were rested on her side and stomach, they never veered onto her bare flesh. Now that he as trying to wake her up, he felt that she was colder than normal, that her skin was paler. Perspiration was appearing on her forehead.

"Kahlan?" He whispered in her ear, slightly shaking her to try and get her to wake. "Kahlan?" He said it louder, more rushed. Zedd and Cara were already by their side.

"Spirits, it's worse than I thought." Zedd drawled out, his hand resting on her forehead. Richard started panicking again, rocking her back and forth.

"What do you mean?" His voice was desperate, almost failing him.

"I'm not sure my boy - I think a Sister may have infected her with something." Richard's eyes grew wide.

"You think one of them used magic against her?" He choked out, his voice raspy from the lack of saliva in his mouth. He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. Zedd nodded slowly. "But .. but .. we were fighting. How could they have just .. spelled her?" Richard wanted so badly to find fault in Zedd's theory, but he couldn't even make the argument sound convincing, let alone convince himself.

"It was a minor wound, nothing a little rest couldn't cure. She shouldn't be cold like this, she shouldn't be this sickly. If anything, she'd feel slight discomfort, nothing more." Zedd was shaking his head. If the Wizard of the First Order didn't know what was wrong with her, how was Richard supposed to know? To help? He felt like his world was crashing down around him. If anything happened to her, to their baby, he was sure he would die on the spot.

Cara was standing away from the trio, keeping an eye on Kahlan, observing her movements. Richard smiled sadly at her and she nodded in return. The two were becoming friends. Cara genuinely cared what happened to Kahlan. Kahlan, by being dominant and demanding like Cara, was bringing the blonde's humanity back. The Mord'Sith related to the Mother Confessor. Richard's attention was brought back to the woman in his arms when she started stirring slightly, parting her lips.

"She's waking," Zedd managed to say. He looked to his grandson. "This is a good sign." Richard nodded as he started to rub along her stomach again, trying to coax her into opening her eyes.

She started convulsing.

Before Richard knew it, she was coughing up blood. The red fluid was coating her dress, splattering on Zedd and Richard's face. Richard froze in shock while Zedd quickly reached for her, turning her and letting her spill the liquid on the ground, preventing her from choking on it. The blood wouldn't stop coming, her body getting exhausted from heaving so much of it out.

"Zedd!" Richard cried, trying to get his emotions under slight control. "This is necessary to her existence!" He managed to yell, pulling her hair back as she coughed up more blood. Zedd moved his hands over her womb, attempting to heal it. His eyes grew wide in shock.

"What!" Richard yelled, gripping Kahlan tighter to him as her coughing subsided slightly. Zedd retracted his hands, falling back a few steps.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't!" Her coughing had died down, but blood was still leaking steadily out of her mouth.

"The magic used on her - it's Subtractive."