A/N: I spent two weeks editing the entire story and another few weeks worldbuilding for it. There's new scenes at the end of chapters 1 & 10. I am so tired. AND SO EXCITED TO BE BACK ON THIS STORY. Even if no one writes this fandom anymore, I'm going to finish this story and those that follow it. I love this ship and I am so happy to have all of you along for the ride. Your support is beyond appreciated.
Cara coughed as the dust settled, and brushed some debris off her body. A collapsed cave, another thing to add to the odd list of things she survived. She froze in the silence. The Mord'Sith surged to her feet. "Confessor?"
Green eyes settled on the wall of rock barricading her in the cave. Maybe it was too early to add to her list just yet. She sighed, walking to the half of Elysan's body that stuck out from the rubble. Gloved hands searched his clothes as she wondered if luck actually existed.
"Kahlan?" Coughing.
Cara's head tilted. That had to be the wizard. But why didn't he call for the Seeker? Her hand settled on the Rada'Han key and she stilled, focusing. The bond was alive, but not conveying anything.
"Kahlan? Spirits, help me."
She rolled her eyes, standing. They rolled again when she focused on a small amount of rocks on some wood, likely the remains of a table. The pile shifted slightly. Cara walked over, beginning to cast the rocks aside.
"Kahlan?" He coughed. "Richard?"
She paused, cocking her head at the note of fear when he said the Seeker's name. Cara resumed and soon lifted the wood off the wizard.
He stared at her silently, without expression.
After a moment, she quirked an eyebrow.
He continued.
She looked around, stared back at him.
He stared.
She crossed her arms.
He tilted his head.
She tossed the key onto his chest.
Genuine surprise crossed his face as he sat up, but it held traces of something else. Her brow furrowed. Was that approval?
The Rada'Han clattered to the ground. "Are you going to help an old man up?"
She scoffed and wandered away.
He harrumphed, rising and dusting himself off. "Have you seen Kahlan or Richard?"
"No." She could practically hear his heart drop. The Mord'Sith gripped her agiel, making it scream, and released it. "He lives."
"If only we could tell Kahlan's state from here."
She faced him, crossing her arms. "I'm annoyed."
He stared at her curiously.
She huffed. "Well, can you get us out of here?"
He took a moment to answer. "How foolish do I look? You can turn my magic. And even if I did use my magic around you, what makes you think I would take you with me?"
"I am not in the mood to play games."
"And I am too old for games."
The Mord'Sith glared. "Then?"
He studied her. "You fought beside the Mother Confessor."
Her eyebrow quirked.
"What's to stop you from agieling me if I get us out of here?"
"Honor," she said curtly.
He frowned at her, rubbing his face. "What horrors will you perform after?"
"At this rate? Sticking agiels in my ears to be free from your ridiculous questions."
"I am Zeddicus Zu'l Zorrander, Wizard—"
"Of the First Order, Namer of the Seeker of Truth." She rolled her eyes. "I know."
He harrumphed. "I cannot blast us out."
She snorted. "Obviously."
His face took on a faint red. "I can only take us to a small town near here."
Her face twisted. "Why?"
"It's the only place I know."
"You can't just put us at the entrance of this place?"
"No," he said, "I don't know it well enough."
"Some magic you have."
"Unless you want to find yourself embedded in a tree or rock we will go to the town."
"Careful, your heart might give out if you keep puffing like that."
Zedd's eye twitched as he stuck out his hand, muttering to himself.
Cara pressed a single fingertip to his hand, her expression as exasperated as his. He said something under his breath, performing a gesture with his free hand.
The Mord'Sith slowly exhaled through her nose, suddenly finding herself at the town again. She wordlessly left the wizard for the tavern.
Zedd hurried after her, concerned about the Mord'Sith interacting with others. He reached her as Ave rushed over. His brow furrowed when the large man sat across from the Mord'Sith.
Ave waved at a young man, snapping his fingers before speaking. "Where's your Confessor?"
Zedd fell into a chair, not hearing the rest of their exchange. Her Confessor?
"Wizard."
He blinked, looking up.
Green eyes rolled. "They would understand your limited magic and return here, correct?"
"It is not limited! Just because you fail to understand the—"
"I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
Ave's gaze drifted before settling on her again, as though deciding something. "Now what?"
"I wait until they retrieve their wizard?"
He swallowed. "And then?"
Zedd leaned forward slightly.
The Mord'Sith studied the table, and shrugged.
Darken Rahl walked around a particular soul. "Tell me, how does only one Mord'Sith die at a time? You arrived alone, and I always assumed your character too twisted to do so."
Mistress Elle flinched at the remark.
He stopped in front of her. "Must I repeat myself?"
She winced at her stupidity. "Berdine."
He stroked a side of his goatee idly. "Berdine? Now, that's something. What did you do to provoke her anger?" He smiled. "Don't look so shocked. She has always been more than you."
Her gaze fell again. "She tried to take what's mine."
His head tilted. "Raina. Interesting." Darken dismissed her, walking among the agonized souls. He rubbed his knuckles. "My dear Denna, what game do you play now? First Grace, now this. But do I pay you a visit? That's the question."
Kahlan dropped the Seeker on the tavern floor the moment she finished ascending the stairs.
The Confessed man ran over to her as she collapsed. "Mistress!"
She gaped at him, panting from exertion, and wiped a mix of dirt and sweat form her face. "I am terribly, terribly pleased to see you."
A grin nearly tore his face in half while he knelt beside her. "What do you need?"
She patted his arm. "Horses."
"How many?"
"Three, but you'll have to ride with the Seeker until he's conscious."
He nodded vigorously and left.
Kahlan sighed loudly, her gaze falling on the Seeker. She had been thankful to find out he was unconscious, and even more so when she saw the Confessed man. A deep, primal part of her wanted to Confess the Seeker. The Mother Confessor in her felt wary of him, and the woman in her didn't want to be alone with him.
She hoped Zedd lived. And Cara, she realized, though it shocked her. She couldn't imagine the woman would be dead from a simple cave-in. She brushed it off. Zedd would go back to the town and wait there. Simple. She hoped.
The man returned, helping her up and wordlessly lifting Richard.
Soon, they departed in silence. The Sword of Truth felt heavy on her back, much like the thoughts on her mind.
They rode nonstop, the journey back easier and quicker since it was a straight one, free of blind searching and danger.
To Kahlan's pleasant surprise, Richard remained unconscious and they reached the town as damn came.
She more so fell off her horse than dismounted and stumbled into the now-familiar tavern. Absently, she swerved and waved slightly, causing a blonde eyebrow to quirk. She sat across from the Mord'Sith and let her head hit the table.
"I've yet to see any of the elegance you're rumored to have."
"Well you're unusually rude."
Cara frowned, confused. Hadn't she been excessively polite lately?
The Confessed man carried the Seeker in, dark circles under his eyes. "Where do I put him, Mistress?"
Kahlan made an indistinct noise.
His brow furrowed, and he looked to Cara when she spoke.
"Just pick an empty room."
He glanced between them before complying.
After a while, Kahlan made a small noise.
"Your wizard snores upstairs."
She slightly lifted her hand for a moment in recognition of her words.
Cara's eyes focused on the table. "Our arrangement has been completed, Confessor."
Silence.
Cara sighed.
The Confessed man returned, uncertain. Cara stood. "Take her to the room at the end." She paused at the door. "Sleep on the floor between her and the door."
The Mord'Sith began a casual trek to where she and the Mother Confessor once sat. She should leave, and yet she could bring herself to do so. A frown crossed her face, and she sat on a log.
Kahlan awoke in darkness punctuated by moonlight streaming in from a window. Her entire body ached, and she sat up with a groan that was drowned in the sound of her stomach growling.
Something rustled in the dark and she froze, realizing she didn't come to the room on her own.
"Mistress?" he whispered.
Kahlan sighed in relief. "What are you doing?"
"The Mord'Sith instructed me to bring you here and sleep between you and the door."
Kahlan's eyebrow rose in the dark.
"Have I displeased you?"
"Not at all." She rose, tilting her head. "Would you like to travel with me?"
"Yes, Mistress!"
She didn't know why she asked. "Get rest. Eat." She carefully went to the door. "What's your name?"
"My sister called me Little Bug."
Kahlan came back after a moment, lighting candles. "Do you, uhm, have something besides that nickname?"
He ruffled his sandy hair. "Everyone calls me Dirt."
She closed her eyes with a sigh. "That won't do."
"Are you, are you giving me a name?"
The Mother Confessor almost blurted "Candle" because her mind was absolutely blank of names. She gave him a small smile. "Yes, but I'll think about it because it must be perfect."
Love lit his dark eyes.
Creator, help her. "Do you know where the Mord'Sith is?" She frowned a little as he shook his head. "Is anyone else awake?"
"I've been here the entire time, Mistress."
She smiled at him and left the room. As Kahlan descended the stairs, she spotted Ave and frowned at his tense smile. It was then that she noticed Richard and Zedd sitting at a table.
Zedd saw her first, relief open on his face.
Anger rippled through Kahlan at the sight of it. She smiled, thrusting the Sword of Truth into his arms as he moved toward her. "How's your head?"
"Good." He knocked on it, laughing. "Nothing Zedd couldn't fix."
"I was worried I wouldn't see either of you again."
"Me too," he murmured, staring at her.
Kahlan almost frowned at something in his eyes, but Zedd surprised her with a tight hug. "I missed you, my dear."
She smiled up at him before releasing him. "I assume we're resting here another day or two?"
"Or a week. My old bones ache, as tired as I am of this place."
"We need to leave as soon as possible."
They both raised an eyebrow at him.
He looked between them. "We have to repair the Veil. Did you learn anything in the Wizard's Keep?"
Zedd sat, motioning for them to join him. "Yes, I found an old text. It had little to offer, but we have to find a Compass." He stared at Kahlan.
She scratched her face to control her expression, not understanding why Zedd lied, but trusting him.
"An Order has been guarding it for centuries," he continued.
"So, we find them, we find the Compass. I'm guessing it leads to the Stone and then we defeat the Keeper. Simple." Richard nodded to himself.
Kahlan held up a finger. "Has anyone seen Cara?"
Richard leaned back. "No."
"Who?"
Kahlan tried not to notice the undertones Richard had. "The MordSith."
Zedd slammed his hand on the table. "That woman is insufferable!"
Kahlan laughed loudly, unaware of Richard's stare. "I'll go find her."
"She probably left."
Kahlan's head tilted, a ghost of a smile coming to her lips. "I doubt it."
He crossed his arms. "I believe you told me she only upsets you."
"And?"
"And why are you going to look for her?"
That strange, yet familiar, primal thing twitched inside of her, and she felt it leak into her eyes. She saw him respond to it, anger flaring in his eyes. "Are you questioning me, Seeker?"
"Well, I am the Seeker of Truth and that's all I'm doing. Trying to find the truth."
She reigned in that feeling inside of her. "And you will never know truth as I do."
The Mother Confessor stormed out, her fury leading her.
Cara cocked her head at the sound of footsteps.
The Mother Confessor swept into their old camp, halting suddenly. She stared at the fire, a cold look on her face.
Cara rose, a frown on her brow.
She focused on the Mord'Sith as though she'd suddenly appeared there.
The Mord'Sith did not flinch under the Mother Confessor's intense stare. Green eyes let blue pierce them, burn into them. Gazes locked, the Mord'Sith drew her agiels, and discarded them carelessly. The Mother Confessor did the same, tossing her daggers next to agiels.
She flexed her fingers.
The Mord'Sith cocked her head.
The Mother Confessor mirrored her.
Cara stalked forward slowly, beginning to circle her. Rage rolled off the other woman in violent waves, but she felt the waves were beginning to slow.
Kahlan shifted, matching her opponent.
They moved, circling, slowly, blue never leaving green. After a moment, green left blue, taking in Kahlan. Aspects of their surroundings fell away. She could only hear Cara, see Cara's subtle movements, feel the space between them. All that she could perceive consisted of Cara. Her gaze traveled, and she began to study the blonde, forgetting all but this moment.
The tension of muscles under leather before they relaxed. A breeze lifting the white sleeves of Kahlan's dress. The twitch of gloved fingers.
In this moment, Kahlan formed Cara's entire world. The realization relaxed her body, and her mind focused. Blue met green.
Kahlan lunged forward.
Cara deflected, stumbling from her opponent's momentum. She ducked from a fist, dropping to sweep her leg out.
Kahlan lost her balance, hopping backward.
Green eyes regarded her, a faint twinkle lighting them.
Excitement rippled through Kahlan as the blonde beckoned to her and an almost mad smile twitched about her face. She lunged forward again.
Cara stepped around her with surprising grace, an elbow stopping just before Kahlan's ribs.
Blue eyes questioned her.
"Your ribs cannot sustain more trauma without breaking."
Kahlan's face remained impassive, but an amount of shock entered her eyes.
Cara shoved her away.
Kahlan engaged again.
For the first time in her life, Cara played the defensive role. She studied the brunette as she did, curious about the woman's style when she wasn't blinded by life's troubles. Her swings were too wide, her weight not distributed to protect her from falling, her guard nonexistent. None of that stopped her from being an absolute terror as she whirled around, maddened anger darkening her bright eyes.
The woman attacked relentlessly, pursuing Cara around the camp, giving no chance to breathe.
Cara recognized the frenzy with which Kahlan attacked. Understood. Her blows rained down, passionate, but uncoordinated. Not once did Cara retaliate. And no blow connected. They were all too sloppy, and Cara's guard too solid.
Kahlan's assault slowed, and Cara saw tears fall from her eyes.
Her frenzy faded, a last punch making her stumble into Cara. Her chest heaved, heart raced. All of this, Cara felt with ease as the woman leaned against her for support. Her own chest heaved from exertion, and she closed her eyes.
A/N: See you guys in a couple of weeks! (Yes, you read that right.)