TITLE: Marked

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Original Characters

RATING: PG-16 / R later

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

TIMELINE: Anything up through S2

DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

SUMMARY: Sequel to my fic Revenge, Richard finally has Kahlan safely back with him, but does he really?

Chapter 31

Walking out into the morning sunlight, Cara was glad to finally be leaving the Spirit House as she followed behind Zedd and Tolla Nakunam to the gathering. It had been a little awkward sleeping in the Spirit House last night especially knowing what had gone on in there between Richard and Kahlan.

She had never been timid or shy when it had come to sex. In fact, she was pretty brazen about, enjoying how uncomfortable the Lord Rahl and Mother Confessor always used to become whenever she had made comments about them just needing to have sex and get it out of their system.

She didn't know what had actually changed in her, whether it was her damned humanity rearing its ugly head again or the fact that she was becoming soft after all these months of travelling with them. Either way she didn't like it one bit.

If it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have affected her in the least. She would have smirked about it and been on her way. But this…this wasn't just any two people. This was Richard and Kahlan, her Lord Rahl and friend. As much as she loathed admitting it to herself let alone anyone else, they had a special place in her heart, felt a certain protectiveness for them.

While happy they had at long last consummated all the ridiculous doe-eyed looks of longing from the across the campfire, the secretive lustful glances that were far from covert as well as the unbearable sexual tension that hung so thickly in the air that it could have set off a cataclysmic explosion that could've split the world in two, she still didn't want any part of it or care to see it in action.

In this, ignorance was more than bliss.

She had a haunting feeling, though, that now that the damn had been broken and the Confessor's walls had been breached, there was going to be no separating the two of them. They were going to be all over each other like two rabbits in heat. She was going to have to carry a bucket of cold water with her at all times just to keep Richard off of his Confessor.

Cara couldn't help the smirk that tugged at her lips, though. Richard had finally discovered how to love his Confessor without her magic affecting him and Kahlan had finally lost her virtue, knew what it was like to be made to scream in ecstasy by the man she loved. It had been about damn time.

The Mord'Sith smirk suddenly fell as she spotted Hadi watching her from a distance. The hate-filled glare in his eyes spoke volumes of what was going on inside that head of his. It was obvious he wanted them dead and was only barely restrained from carrying it out himself.

She was not in the mood for dealing with him, not when Kahlan's life was hanging so precariously in the balance again, Richard likely hanging as well by a steadily thinning thread of panic. They had too many other things to deal with right now than to mess with this sad excuse for a real Aku warrior.

On the other hand, Cara was not about to let him think for even one moment that she was going to just sit back and let him threaten her or her friends. If he tried anything, he would find out what crossing a Mord'Sith was truly like.

Without a second thought, Cara immediately made her way to Hadi skulking in the shadows much to the Aku warrior's surprise. He instantly stiffened, raising his spear in warning for her to stay back, but it went unheeded.

Ignoring his veiled threat, she shot him a heated glower that would've sent any sane person scurrying into the nearest corner. Hadi was far from sane, though, his preconceived ideas as well as his anger kept him in a tightly wound knot set to unravel at the slightest provocation.

"What do you want, Mord'Sith?" he hissed at her, her name like an evil curse on his lips.

"I just want you to know that I don't care if you hate me, but if you dare try to hurt my friends, I will not hesitate to rip your heart out with my bare hands," Cara coldly stated, her emerald eyes flashing with lethal intent. "Are we clear?"

"You should not be allowed to live, you or your friends," Hadi spat out. "The Mord'Sith should've been wiped off the face of the earth long ago as well as Confessors."

"Hadi!" Temin scowled from beside him. "Don't say such things."

"No, let him speak his mind," Cara said, holding up a hand up to silence Temin. "I want to hear what he had to say and then I will be more than happy to introduce him to my agiels."

"Cara!" Zedd barked from behind.

"Hadi, go!" Tolla Nakunam ordered. "Mistress Cara is a guest in our village and will be treated as such."

"But she…" Hadi sputtered in fury.

"Go! Now!" Tolla yelled at him.

Hadi turned on his heel with a growl, swearing under his breath as he quickly disappeared into the trees. Temin stood nervously watching, shifting from one foot to the other, not knowing whether to go after his friend or to stay where he was at.

"I'm sorry about Hadi, Mistress Cara," Tolla frowned. "He's a good warrior, but his temper gets him into trouble sometimes."

"There's a lot of hate in his heart," Zedd interjected.

"Combined with his temper, it's a deadly accident waiting to happen," Cara scowled.

"I'm afraid you're right," Toll sighed heavily. "Come, let's head to the gather hut. Mitta and the Council are waiting for us."

Zedd and Cara turned to follow, Zedd placing a calming hand on the Mord'Sith's shoulder. "Don't be the spark that causes that young man to finally explode. We need to focus on saving Kahlan."

"I just wanted to make it perfectly clear that I'm not afraid of him and if he tries anything against us I will not hesitate to stop him," she simply said.

"I believe he got your point," Zedd replied.

"He better or he will learn the hard way," she sneered. "He'll find out I'm not a very kind teacher."

XXX

"Who sent you after the Mother Confessor?" Richard demanded, his voice deep and thunderous with rage.

"Does it matter who sent us?" a blond Mord'Sith asked as she stepped forward, cocking an eyebrow. "You will both be dead in a matter of minutes and in the presence of the Keeper so it doesn't really matter who sent us."

"It will be you who will be greeting the Keeper. Just be sure to send my regards to my brother Darken when you arrive," he growled.

Kahlan glared at the Mord'Sith before her, her daggers clutched tightly in her hands. They were keeping her from fulfilling her master's request. A sneer twisted her lips as she suddenly raced headlong into the fight before Richard even realized what she was doing.

While fearful for her safety, he was relieved that he didn't have to fight his Confessor now. He still didn't know what he was going to do once he was alone with her again. How was he going to be able to keep her safe while trying to keep her from removing his head from his shoulders?

He didn't have much time to consider it anymore as the Mord'Sith began to attack. Throwing himself fully into the battle, he was bent on taking them all down before they could hurt Kahlan. He had no idea who had sent all these Mord'Sith after her or why. None of it made any sense to him no matter how he tried to look at it.

Why cast a powerful spell on her only to send the Lord Rahl's personal mercenaries after her to end her life?

The Sword of Truth glinted in the bright morning sun light as it rapidly arched towards the enemy with deadly skill. Richard did his best to keep them from taking Kahlan's life, but there were too many of them. The grassy clearing seemed to be covered in a sea of red leather and braids.

Fear that had been his constant companion since he had found out something was wrong with his Confessor seemed to suddenly take on a life all its own, morphing and expanding in his chest as he moved in a deadly dance with death, killing as many Mord'Sith as he could while still trying to keep an eye on Kahlan.

Casting a glance back over his shoulder, Richard saw Kahlan dispense with another Mord'Sith, blood spraying her face and clothes. She was mesmerizing to behold as she lifted her leg, knocking back one only to spin and thrust, eliminating another.

Turning, Richard found himself staring at a petite blond Mord'Sith, her agiel clenched tightly in her hand. "We're here to kill your Confessor, Seeker," the Mord'Sith suddenly said. "We're only interested in her. You don't have to die with her."

Taken aback, the Seeker stared at her. "Who sent you after Kahlan?" he demanded to know. "Did Demos send you to kill her?"

The Mord'Sith chuckled softly with his questions. "It doesn't matter who or why, only that it will be done," she smiled seductively at him, her eyes gleaming with something that made him involuntarily shiver. "You don't have to die with her."

"I'm not about to let Kahlan die for any reason," he growled with deadly ferocity that quickly erased the Mord'Sith's smirk.

"Pity," she frowned. "You would have made a very useful pet to me. I heard how not even Denna could break you, but of course, Denna is not me. I could bring you pleasure beyond imagining."

"The only pleasure you could give me is by dying," he spat out. "Who wants Kahlan dead?"

Mistress Cyia huffed in agitation. "I guess it really doesn't matter," she supposed. "You're both going to be dead soon anyway. It's Mistress Lucinda, leader of the Mord'Sith and Lord Demos Rahl's personal mistress."

Stunned, Richard couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So this Mord'Sith wants Demos all to herself?"

"I don't presume to know what Mistress Lucinda is thinking, but I would assume so," Cyia shrugged a shoulder. "Like I said, it doesn't really matter. You and the Confessor will be dead."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Richard sneered as he lunged for the Mord'Sith standing so smugly before him.

Cyia smirked as the Seeker swung his sword, turning and thrusting her agiel, connecting with his side. Richard cried out as a loud sickening snap filled the air, his ribs cracking against the magical pain inflicted upon him.

He spun around with a snarl, his sword slicing through the Mord'Sith and abruptly ending the threat. A scream split the air and pierced his heart. Turning, he found Kahlan kneeling on all fours in the grass, several Mord'Sith lying dead on the ground around her.

She was panting heavily, blood trickling from her nose and mouth as she fought to catch her breath. Her fingers were clawing at the grass beneath her, her body trembling violently.

"Kahlan!" Richard cried as he took off in a dead run, spotting a Mord'Sith suddenly rising up from behind her, her agiel raised and ready to finish his beloved off. "No! Kahlan!"

With a sudden movement that stunned him, Kahlan swiftly turned, her dagger clutched tightly in her hand. She thrust her dagger deep into the Mord'Sith's chest before collapsing. The Mord'Sith crumpled to the ground, her agiel falling uselessly from her hand.

"Kahlan!" he screamed as he slid to his knees beside his fallen Confessor, his sword falling from his grip as he frantically ran his hands over her face, desperate to find life still within her. "Please…Kahlan…"

XXX

Cara began to feel woozy from the effects of the strange fire burning brightly before her, the smoke drifting through the gathering hut beginning to flicker. She didn't like not feeling in complete control at all times. It made her feel susceptible and at a disadvantage especially if there was a surprise attack.

She kept a firm hand on her agiels just in case as a disorienting sensation began to drift over her. She could Zedd growing tense beside her as well, also uncomfortable with the strange sensations washing over them.

She quickly lost site of the other Aku in the room with her, her skin beginning to tingle as her breathing grew more shallow. She had a strange feeling of some unwanted presence suddenly in the hut with them, one that she hoped to never see again.

"Why Cara," the deep ominous voice abruptly came, cutting through the thick haze of smoke and causing her to immediately bristle. "What a pleasant surprise this truly is."

Cara leapt to her feet, her agiels twisted fiercely in her hands. "What do you know about Richard and Kahlan?" she ground out, fighting the desperate urge to attack.

"So good to see you," Darken drooled as he approached. "Zeddicus, always a great pleasure."

"What can you tell us about this marking spell your brother placed on Kahlan?" Zedd demanded to know as he came to stand beside the Mord'Sith who was like a caged animal about to claw her way to freedom.

"I already told Richard and Kahlan everything they needed to know," Rahl replied, adjusting the cuff of his robe in feigned disinterest.

"They're not here so you're going to have to tell us everything before I force you to talk," Cara snapped.

"Oh, Cara," Darken chuckled softly. "How I have missed your acid tongue. There's nothing you can possibly do to me, dear Cara. I'm already dead thanks to Richard."

"Then why come back from the Underworld just to see us?" Zedd questioned him.

"You summoned me," Rahl frowned. "Besides, it's nice break from the monotony of being dead and trapped in the Underworld."

"What can we do to save Kahlan?" Zedd tried again.

Darken Rahl clasped his hands behind his back as he sized up the Wizard and Mord'Sith standing before him. "Even if I knew, why would I tell you?"

"Demos gaining control of Kahlan keeps her safely tucked away with him, away from the Keeper's reach," Zedd reminded him. "The prophecy will come true then about the Confessor's pure heart beating. The Keeper's defeat will all but be sealed."

Rahl seemed to consider the Wizard's words for a moment before finally responding. "The Keeper's reach stretches far and wide, even into the darkest reaches of the People's Palace. Who's to say that he doesn't have followers there who could end Kahlan's life once and for all?"

"That may be so, but the chances are dramatically reduced what with all the Mord'Sith lurking about there, always present and ready to give the breath of life to bring her back for their Lord Rahl," Cara added with a triumphant smirk.

"Unless she is attacked beyond repair," he smiled in return.

"Stop the games and tell us what we need to know to save Kahlan," Zedd angrily growled, feelings of helplessness building.

"I will tell you exactly what I told Richard and Kahlan," Rahl scowled. "There is no way to break the marking spell unless Demos chooses to."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Cara huffed. "Give me a few minutes alone with him and I will have begging to remove it."

Rahl folded his arms against his chest. "It's not that easy. You really think that my twin brother is going to just let you waltz into the People's Palace and take over?"

"Is there no other way to remove the spell?" Zedd asked before Cara could reply with a scathing retort.

"Even if you were to end her life and then bring her back with the breath of life, the spell is still attached to her soul," Rahl informed them. "The only way to break it is for Demos to remove it."

"Or to kill Demos," Cara sneered.

"There is that," Darken nodded his head in agreement.

"So the key to all of this lies with Demos, not in what we can do for Kahlan," Zedd thought out loud, stroking his chin.

"Exactly," Rah agreed. "There is absolutely nothing that can be done for her. Her fate is sealed. The answer lies with Demos."

"We'll have to find a way to keep Kahlan safe or from hurting anyone until we can get her back," Zedd turned towards Cara.

"We need to find them first," Cara groused. "Richard's going to have his hands full trying to restrain her."

"Indeed he will," Darken Rahl interjected into their private conversation. "Kahlan will be near impossible to contain. She'll be desperate to reach her master, to please him, to do whatever it is he has planted in her mind to do for him.

"She'll possess greater strength, a darker nature, more animalistic instincts. She won't be the same woman that she once was. Her memories will be fragmented and jagged, not fitting together creating further confusion in her. She won't be able to put the pieces of her life back together in her mind unless the spell is removed."

Zedd shivered with Rahl's words. This was not going to be easy for any of them, but especially Richard. He was going to be forced to fight his Confessor, to battle the woman he loves more than life itself. How was he going to be able to stop her if he had to?

"We need to find them," Cara growled. "We can't just wait here hoping that they'll return. There's no telling how far gone Kahlan is now."

"I would imagine the spell has taken full effect by now," Rahl said. "Now, your only hope is getting Demos which will be next to impossible now that he has the most powerful Confessor who has ever lived as his own personal bodyguard. I'm afraid Kahlan is far more dangerous than she's ever been."

"This isn't over yet," Cara snapped. "We won't stop until we have saved her."

"You always were my most tenacious Mord'Sith, Cara," Rahl smiled proudly at her as he moved to stand directly before her. "And one of my very favorites."

Cara stiffened as his hand came up to touch her cheek, only to feel a chilling cold slice through her. Unable to actually touch her, his hand fell away, a sad expression filling his face as he began to fade from their presence.

"Too bad you chose to follow the wrong Rahl brother," he told her as he disappeared from sight.

"What did you ever see in that man?" Zedd grumbled as he wearily rubbed his forehead.

"Obviously more back then than I do now," she huffed, attaching her agiels to her waist. Turning to look at Zedd, her brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"

Zedd nodded as he settled down on the bench once more, releasing a ragged breath. "Yes, just tired," he admitted, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands.

"You don't look so well," she frowned. "I think Odo needs to see what he can do for you."

"We have more important things to worry about then me," the Wizard shook his head. "With Kahlan possessed by that spell, Richard's in more trouble than he could possibly know."