Kahlan shot a dark look in the Mord'Sith's direction. In the direction of the epitome of everything she stood against. The woman had the nerve to ride beside her, holding herself upright in complete pride. Kahlan almost smirked at the irony of it, of the somewhat fresh wound on her head from her "Sisters." Her leathers were different from that of a Mord'Sith, but it only made her more of a threat. She held no allegiance. Kahlan didn't know if it was better or worse than holding loyalty for Darken Rahl. If only she knew where the Mord'Sith stood. As if it wasn't bad enough the woman was a Mord'Sith, but one of her own will and ambitions, her endgame unknown.
"See something you like?" Cara's head didn't move an inch.
"I was admiring the style of your hair," Kahlan said all too sweetly.
To Kahlan's surprise, Cara turned just enough to meet her eyes, smirking. "Unlike you, I have more to offer Lord Rahl than pretty hair." Effectively dismissing Kahlan, she faced the path once more and urged her horse to go faster.
Icy eyes narrowed as Kahlan watched the Mord'Sith's form. "Infuriating woman," she ground out through her teeth, clenching the reins of her horse. Thankfully, when she caught up, she kept herself in check, not looking anywhere but forward. Kahlan could feel the smirk. They rode in heavy silence.
A slight wind teased her blonde hair as she drew back the arrow. It sailed quickly, burying itself into a patrolling Mord'Sith's neck. As her knees buckled, the dead Mord'Sith's companion discovered an arrow protruding from her own neck.
With a slight curve of her lips, Cara turned to her own companion. "You were a bit late, Confessor."
The slight narrow of Kahlan's eyes only served to increase Cara's satisfaction. "Mother Confessor," she corrected.
Cara mounted her horse with a shrug and false sincerity, "My mistake."
"Let's just get this over with."
She started leaving the brunette behind again. "Agreed."
Kahlan gave herself a moment before going after her. Otherwise, she might've killed the woman. "If you try to cross us-"
"You're no good to me dead. I'll have nothing to do with any of you after this."
"Are you always this rude?"
"Does the sun rise in the east?"
"You lack gravity as well as manners, I see."
"Are you always capable of destroying Lord Rahl?"
Kahlan's indignant expression danced with anger. "I would never destroy Richard!"
"Your powers would. There is no difference."
"I am not my powers."
"You're a fool."
Cara couldn't help but notice that Kahlan's knuckles had turned white. "My powers would destroy you first."
The Mord'Sith turned on her horse. With a wicked smile, Cara gestured to her neck as she leaned toward Kahlan and whispered, "Then confess me."
Kahlan's eyes burned. One of her hands flew to the blonde's neck. Mocking green eyes stared into infuriated blue ones. After a few moments of intense silence, Cara raised a gloved hand and with it, pressed Kahlan's hand much more firmly to her own throat. "Come on, Confessor." Her voice dropped somewhat. "Let me stare into those pretty eyes, as bright and dark as death."
Kahlan couldn't help but wonder if the Mord'Sith had lost her mind, even as she tried to pull away. Not only did Cara pin it to her throat, but she wore an odd expression. Head tilted at a slight angle, brow lightly furrowed. And her green eyes were searching, almost… soft, like they'd shed a small amount of ice. What they searched for, Kahlan didn't know. However, as quickly as the sudden change came over Cara, it left.
"Coward," she spat. Eyes full of ice, she all but wrenched Kahlan's hand from her throat and, without another glance, rode off.
Mouth somewhat open, Kahlan stared after the odd Mord'Sith. She blinked a few times and her jaw worked before she produced sound, giving a weak plea to the Creator. She'd seen a glimpse of something in those eyes, something she couldn't place but knew to be something Mord'Sith shouldn't have. Didn't have. That in itself shook her, provoked questions she didn't have the words for, didn't know the meaning of, questions whose answers she couldn't begin to guess at. With a heavy sigh and shake of her head, Kahlan caught up to Cara. For all appearances, she seemed her normal, unfeeling self and Kahlan would be the last to question what happened. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. Besides, her concern was her Seeker, not a vengeful Mord'Sith.
"Ready, Confessor?" Her voice spoke of challenge.
"The sooner this is over, the sooner the Seeker and I can go on without you."
"Sounds like a blessing," Cara replied smoothly as she shot a few arrows into the air, giving Richard and the squad leader the signal.
"Remember that the girls-"
"Are not my concern," finished Cara. "Let's move."
Again left behind by the Mord'Sith, Kahlan gave an irritated sigh and went after her. Surprisingly, the Mord'Sith was outside the secret opening of the mountain, waiting. If it'd been up to Kahlan to find it on her own, they would've been doomed. It was tucked away in the rock and looked like the other gouges and patterns in the surface. She looked to where Cara gestured and tied her horse before joining Cara, examining her. She seemed composed but ready to go. Ready to kill. It provoked a noise of disgust from Kahlan.
"Problem, Confessor?" Cara still faced away from her, into the opening.
"Not for long. Shall we then?"
Looking at nothing, the Mord'Sith gave an overly polite gesture toward the opening in the cave. Kahlan remained motionless so Cara acknowledged her with a sadistic smile. "Suit yourself."
Kahlan watched her slip into the opening. "This day is just getting longer." With yet another shake of her head, she followed the other woman through the cramped passage.
As she again entertained the thought that the Mord'Sith might be leading her into a trap, Kahlan felt surprised to find a gloved hand extended to her. She looked up into green eyes almost hidden in darkness and set her jaw, taking the offered assistance. Once she got onto the ledge, Cara dropped her hand and turned, but Kahlan gripped her arm, pulling her into the embrace of a Confessor. They stared, wrapped in their own world, an eternity between them. Mother Confessor and Mord'Sith. In a few, tense heartbeats, they exchanged more understanding than either of them had ever known.
I'm watching you.
Enjoy the show.
She held the Confessor's eyes even as she pulled the woman's hand away. They stared a moment longer, but then green eyes broke away. She travelled deeper into the darkness. The Confessor followed in silence. There wasn't anything left to be said. In a short time, Cara sidestepped and crouched, yanking Kahlan down with her.
Kahlan bit back her natural responses, both verbal and physical, and breathed in deeply. Blue eyes followed the direction of Cara's finger and spotted the children, surrounded by a number of Mord'Sith. "I hope you're better this time around," Kahlan whispered absently.
Cara hissed, "They caught me by surprise last time." She moved closer to their mutual enemies, keeping to the shadows.
Kahlan opened her mouth to express that she meant the proud woman no offense, but the realization of what she almost said made her stop. She sent a silent prayer to the Creator and moved to follow Cara's lead, but the Mord'Sith suddenly started yelling about intruders and the scene quickly fell into chaos. Girls cried, Mord'Sith yelled, and the sounds of battle echoed throughout the cave.
Kahlan heard Cara whisper, "Now."
A shadow of her ally moved in the edge of her vision. Drawing her twin daggers, she ran at the closest Mord'Sith and managed to catch her by surprise. A punch with two strikes to follow through felled the Mord'Sith. Adrenaline sent Kahlan's senses into overdrive. She instructed the girls to move, searching for a new target, but, it seemed all of the Mord'Sith that didn't run off to fight Richard and his troops were focused on her. There was no sign of Cara.
Just as she was about to curse the woman to the Underworld, Cara spoke from the darkness. Kahlan felt a chill shoot down her spine and nearly pitied the objects of Cara's vengeance. "Miss me, Sisters?"
Almost as if on cue, the Mord'Sith faced Cara, poised to fight. Kahlan allowed herself to wonder how the woman got behind them undetected for a moment too long before jumping back into action. Her target met her head on. Focused on her opponent, Kahlan couldn't pay much attention to Cara, but she could hear the whine of agiels all too well. One caught her in the side and in hot fury, she plunged a dagger into the offending woman's heart.
The children only whimpered now. Another Mord'Sith fell to Kahlan. As she turned, an agiel struck her wounded side and she dropped to a knee, unable to catch her breath. Just as her vision started to go dark, there was a loud smack and the whine of the agiel was silenced. A gloved hand entered her vision and she grabbed it with both hands.
"Don't die, Confessor." Cara pulled Kahlan to her feet and bent to pick up her fallen daggers.
Kahlan tried to speak but the world tilted and she found herself being held up by a strong pair of hands almost immediately after the clatter of her daggers hitting the ground once more. Or before. She wasn't sure. "I'm fine," she said through clenched teeth.
"Of course you are." She tried to object when Cara shifted, but failed. Instead, she found herself almost completely supported by Cara. "You're no good to anyone if you die from such a small wound."
Her mind felt foggy, but she couldn't think of a good reason to antagonize the reason she could still breathe, so she simply breathed, "The girls."
Kahlan struggled to move her feet and barely kept up with Cara's pace. She heard the woman's commanding voice call out, "Move, children."
They made no move and Kahlan could practically hear Cara open her mouth to probably threaten them into moving, but a desperate voice yelled Kahlan's name.
"We're here, Richard."
Cara halted their forward motion and turned toward the girls slightly. "Does one of you live with Icela?"
A girl took a step forward and despite the trembling of her body, she stood tall as she looked Cara in the eyes. "I do."
Kahlan heard Cara laugh, but it wasn't a happy laugh. There was almost a mocking air to it, but it had just a touch of admiration or respect, at least, that's what she thought. "Your name?"
"Who wants to know?"
"The woman responsible for your life."
The girl glared at Cara a little while longer before she gave a slight nod. "Then I'm the girl you're responsible for."
"Then come along." Without waiting for a response, Cara checked her hold on Kahlan and moved toward the exit.
Barely keeping up, Kahlan ground out, "So is there a heart in there?"
"Kahlan, are you there?" Richard called.
Cara muttered, "Of stone."
"Only a bit further, Richard," Kahlan responded. Lower, so that only Cara could hear, she whispered, "Well, we are looking for the Stone of Tears."
"I'll pretend you didn't say that, delusional Confessor." She kept her voice just as low.
"You could have let me die."
Cara stiffened, calling out, "Seeker, your Confessor could use some help." Her pace quickened, practically dragging Kahlan, and she hissed, "I want the pleasure of killing you myself."
Before she could reply, Richard finally appeared and rushed to Kahlan's aid. She gave assurances that she was alright but her eyes searched for the Mord'Sith that had shoved her into Richard's arms. Senses much clearer than they were a bit earlier, Kahlan spotted the woman. Her hands rested on her hips as she conversed with the girl she spoke with earlier.
Kahlan could've slapped herself. She'd said things she shouldn't have to the woman and now Cara was taking interest in a girl for a reason she couldn't begin to guess. Kahlan shook her head slightly and mentally corrected herself, Mord'Sith.
"Then what's wrong?"
Kahlan blinked at Richard. It took her a moment to realize that he had been talking to her when she shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm alright, Richard," she assured, offering him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.