New episode - season finale: 3.14 - "Hope" - part 1
Disclaimer: This is a fan-produced creation and is not affiliated in any way, shape or form to the official TV show Legend of the Seeker. Neither the characters nor the universe belong to us, and we are making no money from this whatsoever.
*~*~*~*~*~
Previously on Legend of the Seeker:
Episode 3.01 - "Tremors"
Episode 3.02 - "Restoration"
Episode 3.03 - "Madness"
Episode 3.04 - "Found"
Episode 3.05 - "Night"
Episode 3.06 - "Choice"
Episode 3.07 - "Doubt"
Episode 3.08 - "Trust"
Episode 3.09 - "Instinct"
Episode 3.10 - "Harmony"
Episode 3.11 - "Allegiance"
Episode 3.12 - "Villains"
Episode 3.13 - "Discord"
Cara froze as a loud whistle pierced the air, her face twisting in horror as the sickening thunk of metal slicing through flesh and bone resounded through the square. She let out an agonized scream.
"Kahlan!"
*~*~*~*~*~
Episode 3.14 - "Hope"
*~*~*~*~*~
Cara's voice rang out across the square, but it was quickly drowned out by the triumphant cheers of the crowd. Up on the platform, Tobias knelt to pick up the head by its jaggedly chopped hair. Kahlan's face stared blankly out at the spectators, blood still dripping from the severed neck.
Cara stared numbly for a moment; then her shock dissolved into all-consuming rage. Shrugging the borrowed cape from her shoulders, she reached for Kahlan's other dagger. Gripping the weapons tightly, she pushed her way forward with renewed determination. Any townspeople not sufficiently cowed by the murderous look in her eyes were convinced to move by the jab of an elbow or the threatening slash of a blade.
A path quickly opened up in front of her, and Cara stormed forward, drawing the attention of the red-caped guards surrounding the platform. A half-dozen of them moved to encircle Tobias, shielding him as he was urged back toward the palace, his gruesome trophy still clutched in his hand. Two men were moments behind, dragging Kahlan's corpse from the dais.
The rest of the soldiers charged at Cara, who met them with wild fury. She slashed at them relentlessly with Kahlan's daggers as she continued to press forward, desperately trying to catch up to Brogan. Soldier after soldier fell to her blades: one sliced across the throat, another stabbed in the chest, a third clutching his slashed-open gut.
Out of nowhere, Zedd pushed his way up beside her, keeping a wary distance. An influx of red-capes was flooding into the square.
"Cara!" he called out, his eyes soft with sympathy and pain. "There's too many of them! You have to get out of here!"
Cara didn't spare him even a glance, jabbing a dagger up under one soldier's jaw. "Get away from me, wizard!" Pulling the dagger free, she whirled on the next soldier, parrying his sword with one dagger and slamming the other into his stomach. "Unless you want to be next!" She kicked out at the dying man, sending him flying back into a couple of his comrades. "I'm going to find Brogan, and I'm going to kill him!"
Zedd's face twisted with worry, his voice growing more urgent. "You'll never reach him!" he warned, raising a hand to throw a non-lethal blast of magic at the advancing soldiers. They fell backward, slamming back against the men behind them. "We need to return to Richard, regroup!" he pleaded, stepping closer to Cara to reach a hand toward her shoulder.
Momentarily without enemies to fight, Cara whirled on him, knocking his hand roughly away from her. "Don't touch me," she growled, pointing a bloodied dagger at him. Her face was shining with tears, but she didn't seem to notice. Her voice rumbled low and menacing in her throat. "If I have to kill every last person in this city to get to him, then that's what I'll do."
Having struggled back to their feet, the soldiers charged again, and Cara quickly turned back to the fight. Zedd looked around the square, seeing more and more red-caped soldiers pouring in. With a conflicted sigh, he rushed at Cara, wrapping his arms around her shoulders just as a sword came swinging down at her neck.
The sword sliced through air, throwing the soldier off-balance. Cara and Zedd were gone. The soldiers gripped their swords, looking around in confusion and fear.
~*~
The distant roar of shouts and clashing steel carried to the hill where Richard and his allies had made their camp. Berdine was standing at the edge of camp, looking out over Aydindril.
"Something's happened in the city," she noted, turning around to face the others.
"I hope Kahlan's alright," Richard said worriedly, sharing a glance with Dennee. The Confessor nodded, her arms crossed over her chest.
Just then, the air in the middle of the camp rippled, and Zedd and Cara appeared. Cara broke free from Zedd's hold, whirling on him and snapping a dagger to his throat. The blade still glistened with blood.
"I warned you, wizard," she said menacingly, pressing the blade into the soft skin. "I should kill you right now."
"Cara!" Richard exclaimed, rushing forward to tug at her arm. The weapon fell away from Zedd's throat, a thin trickle of blood oozing from a shallow nick in the skin. Richard pulled Cara a couple of steps back, pinning her with his eyes as he held his hand out to stop her from advancing again. "What's going on?" he demanded, shock and confusion coloring his expression.
Cara kept her eyes fixed hatefully on Zedd as she gestured with one of the daggers. "Ask him," she spat, ignoring the tears still sliding down her cheeks. "He's the one who planned it all."
Zedd rubbed at his throat guiltily. "It wasn't me, child," he said gently, sadness in his eyes. "You can't fight prophecy. Kahlan knew that, and she made her decision."
"You forced her into that decision!" Cara raged, lunging at Zedd again with Kahlan's daggers clenched tightly in her gloved fists. Richard stepped between them, pushing back against Cara's shoulders. He glanced behind him at Zedd, dread creeping into his eyes as he started to understand.
"What are you talking about?" Dennee asked uneasily, her eyes flicking uneasily between Zedd and Cara as she stepped toward them.
"Kahlan is dead." Cara choked on the words, eyes shining wet and accusing as she pointed deliberately toward Zedd with a dagger. She swallowed back a sob, her face flushed with rage. "And he made it happen."
Dennee gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. Zedd hung his head sadly. Richard looked from Zedd to Cara, then back to Zedd, a lost expression dawning on his face.
~*~
ROLL CREDITS
~*~
All eyes in camp were on Cara as her declaration set in. All showed varying degrees of shock, save for those belonging to Nicci, Darken Rahl, and his Mord-Sith.
"She was an honorable woman," Darken said solemnly from where he stood leaning against a tree. For once, his words seemed to be completely free of sarcasm or derision. The glint in his eyes could even have been respect. "To sacrifice her life for her people."
"Don't you dare speak of her!" Cara snapped, her voice thick with anger and pain. "You know nothing of honor, and even less about Kahlan."
Richard furrowed his brow as he tried to wrap his mind around what Cara had said. He barely noticed as Chase clapped a comforting hand on his shoulder, instead turning his anguished eyes to Zedd. "I don't understand," he said weakly. "You went in there to save her. What went wrong?"
Before Zedd could form an answer, Cara's eyes shot back to Richard. "Nothing went wrong," she said, her voice shaking with barely restrained anger. "The wizard never intended to save Kahlan."
"That can't be true," Dennee said, shaking her head in disbelief as tears spilled over her cheeks.
Cara's gaze jumped to the Confessor. "I wouldn't lie about this," she choked.
"No," Dennee said stubbornly, her eyes fixed on the ground as she hugged her arms to herself. "Wizards are sworn to protect Confessors." She looked up at Zedd imploringly. "There has to be another explanation."
Zedd looked warily at Cara, waiting to see if she would interject again. She just glared back at him, daring him to explain this. Zedd cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of everyone's gaze.
"There was a prophecy," he explained, his eyes shifting between Richard and Dennee, deliberately avoiding Cara. "It stated that in order to bring peace, Kahlan would have to die."
Richard met Zedd's gaze steadily, his eyes narrowing as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "How did you find out about this prophecy?" he asked, accusation creeping into his voice.
Zedd sighed, bracing himself for Richard's ire. "Shota told me of it," he admitted reluctantly.
Richard's expression hardened as confusion turned into anger. "Shota?!" He turned fully to face his grandfather. "Zedd, you know you can't trust a thing she says!"
"Richard, this wasn't an ordinary vision," Zedd said placatingly. "You've learned better than most that it's impossible to avert prophecy. Kahlan did what she had to, for the greater good."
"Kahlan was the greatest force for goodthat I have ever known!" Cara growled, her voice thick with grief. She clutched Kahlan's daggers tightly in her fists. "How does her death serve anything?"
Richard glanced back at Cara warily before fixing his eyes on Zedd once more. "Zedd, if my time as the Seeker has taught me anything, it's that prophecies don't always play out the way you think they will. There must have been some other way for this one to come true." His voice cracked as he met Zedd's gaze, his eyes pleading with the wizard as though he could somehow fix this, bring Kahlan back.
Tears were beginning to moisten Zedd's eyes, his voice quavering with guilt. "Richard, there was nothing I could do. I would have spared her if I could."
"You didn't even try!" Cara exploded, taking advantage of Richard's averted attention to lunge at Zedd again.
"Cara, stop!" Richard only just caught her before she got within striking distance.
She struggled against his grip, shaking with barely restrained fury. "Get out of my way, Richard," Cara demanded. "He could have saved Kahlan, but he didn't. He might as well have killed her himself!" Her voice broke into a sob as she pushed against Richard's hands on her arms.
"Cara, please," Richard pleaded, his voice rough with grief. "I know you're angry. I am too. And we will make Brogan pay for what he's done," he said passionately. "But hurting Zedd isn't going to accomplish anything."
"I wasn't planning on hurting him," Cara said murderously, tearing an arm from Richard's grip and trying to take a step closer to the wizard. Zedd stepped back reflexively, even though Cara didn't come close to reaching him.
Richard caught her wrist, pushing back against her. He held her gaze steadily, his voice firm. "Cara, stand down."
Cara narrowed her eyes at him, jerking against his hold one last time before stepping back, raising her arms in defeat. "As you wish, Lord Rahl."
Pain flashed across Richard's face as he watched her turn and leave the camp, daggers still clenched in gloved hands. His shoulders slumped as his firm demeanor fell away, leaving a shattered, grief-stricken man. Chase stepped forward again, slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder.
"Richard, I'm sorry," Zedd called out as Richard let Chase lead him away. Richard glanced back at his grandfather, a conflicted look on his face before he looked away without a word.
Wounded, Zedd looked away from his grandson, his eyes inadvertently falling on Dennee. The Confessor met his gaze, struggling to keep her face a stoic mask, but failing. Pain radiated from her eyes as tears spilled from them. Clutching her arms over her chest, she turned away, walking out of the camp in another direction.
"Splendid," Darken sneered, watching the group dissipate. "Here we are on the cusp of an impossible battle, and our forces are wandering off in every direction."
Zedd shot him a look that wasn't nearly as stern as he intended, weighed down as it was with guilt.
No one in camp noticed as Denna slipped off in the direction that Cara had gone.
~*~
Jennsen bounced Edrand on her hip as she wandered through the area where the Minders were setting up their healing stations. Renn was trailing after her, looking curiously at the faces of the Minders as they went about their preparations.
They looked over as Dennee wandered into camp, tears silently falling down her cheeks as she sank down onto a nearby log. Renn hurried over to her, his face falling as he looked into the Confessor's eyes. He reached out, pulling the seated woman into a comforting hug.
Holding tightly onto Dennee, Renn looked back to meet Jennsen's questioning gaze. His eyes welled with tears as he shook his head sadly.
Jennsen's face twisted with worry and sympathy as she sat down on the log next to Dennee. Bracing the baby on her knee with one hand, her other came to rest on the Confessor's shoulder. She fixed her gaze on the ground as tears began to slip from her own eyes.
~*~
When Denna caught up with her, Cara was crouching behind the cover of some bushes, her eyes scanning the army below her at the base of the hill. She had her back to the other woman, but Denna could clearly see the tension emanating from her.
"I know what you're doing, Cara," Denna said smoothly, the corner of her lips quirking into a half-smile as Cara tensed further, keeping her eyes trained ahead. Denna swayed another step closer, words rolling seductively from her tongue. "You want your power back. You want to make someone hurt. Taste their blood, hear their screams." The smile fell from her face as her voice turned deadly serious. "But if you go in there now, you'll get yourself killed."
Cara rose slowly to her feet, deliberately taking her time turning around to face Denna. There was a desperate, haunted look in those green eyes that suggested that death wouldn't be such a bad thing. Then she seemed to recover, if only enough to stiffen her resolve and hide her grief.
"Why do you care?" Cara growled, eyeing Denna suspiciously.
Denna smirked. "Who said I did?" She stepped closer to Cara, stopping a couple of paces away from the other woman. "But Richard certainly would, and whether I like it or not, I seem to be stuck with him for the time being."
Cara took a step toward Denna, flexing her fingers around the hilts of the daggers that still hadn't left her hands. "You could just leave," Cara suggested, both her expression and tone implying that she would prefer it.
"I could," Denna granted, sliding her borrowed dagger from her belt and looking at it in contemplation. "But I won't."
Cara glared at the other woman, her eyes bloodshot and rimmed with red, cheeks flushed and stained with the tracks of countless tears. "Stay out of this, Denna," she snarled, trembling with the hunger for violence. "It's none of your concern."
Denna responded with a feral smile, bringing her dagger up to Cara's chest to trace the generous neckline of her altered leathers. "If you need to fight someone, fight me," she dared.
The ghost of a grin touched Cara's lips as she shoved at Denna's shoulders, digging the hilts of Kahlan's daggers into the bones there. Denna stepped back to correct her balance, her eyes never leaving Cara's.
"For someone who's fought death so hard," Cara began dangerously as she tucked Kahlan's daggers into her boots, opting instead to reach for her agiels. The pain seemed to center her, a deadly calm coming over her. "You're certainly quick to ask for it."
Denna grinned, raising her weapon in preparation. "We'll see about that, Cara."
With lightning speed, Cara lunged at Denna, raining down a relentless flurry of attacks that Denna barely managed to deflect with her dagger and free hand.
"You have two weapons, I only have one," Denna panted, parrying another swing with her dagger. "It's not exactly a fair fight."
"You're the one who volunteered," Cara sneered as she jabbed her other agiel toward Denna's gut.
Instead of diverting the attack, Denna wrapped her hand around the agiel, shuddering slightly at the pain. With a feral smirk, she pushed at Cara's other weapon with her dagger and twisted her body so that she stood flush with the other woman, her back pressed tightly against Cara's front.
Cara reacted instantly, holding her free agiel to Denna's throat. "Foolish move, Denna."
Denna's smirk never faltered. "That's what you think." With a twist of her wrist, she freed the other agiel from Cara's grip, whirling away as she flipped the handle into her hand. She tossed her dagger aside, shifting the agiel into her right hand as she prepared for Cara's next attack.
Cara didn't disappoint, launching herself at Denna with renewed vigor. Fury flashed in her eyes as she traded blows with Denna. With the weapons more fairly distributed, the two women were evenly matched, and soon they were both panting with exertion, sweat dripping down and matting their hair to their faces.
It was a tiny slip that gave Cara the advantage, a root barely sticking out of the ground behind Denna's foot. She stumbled backward over it, and Cara pressed forward, knocking Denna flat on her back. Before Denna could recover, Cara was straddling her ribs, one hand holding the wrist of Denna's weapon-hand in a vise grip.
"Looks like you'll get to meet the Keeper again," Cara growled fiercely as she brought her agiel to hover over Denna's chest. Denna's eyes were wide with shock.
That was the sight that met Richard as he burst into the clearing. "Cara!" he exclaimed, rushing toward the women. He stopped in his tracks as Cara's eyes shot up to meet his in warning. "What are you doing?!"
"What she asked for," Cara responded with steel in her voice, lowering her agiel toward Denna's heart.
Richard surged forward, pulling Cara's arm back before she could make contact. "Stop!"
The action at least had the effect of drawing Cara's attention from the woman beneath her; Cara retaliated with an elbow to Richard's thigh, pushing him backward as she rose to her feet. She stared back at Richard, pointing her agiel at him menacingly. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, but the glint in her eyes was much darker than the thrill of battle.
Richard gripped the hilt of his sword, but refused to draw it. "Cara, I don't want to fight you," he warned.
"That's too bad," Cara snarled, advancing on him. "I'm going to fight someone, and you don't seem to approve of any of my choices."
Richard glanced back at Denna, who was sliding back away from Cara. "Denna didn't kill Kahlan," he said, his voice rough with grief. He took a step back as Cara swayed closer. "And neither did Zedd."
Setting her jaw, Cara lunged forward, catching Richard with a backhanded blow to the face. "It doesn't matter who killed her!" she cried, her voice rising tremulously as she reached back for another swing. "She's still dead!"
Blocking her attack with his forearm, Richard grabbed her other arm, bringing the struggle to a standstill. His eyes were soft and wide with sympathy as he met Cara's pained gaze.
"Kahlan's dead," Cara said weakly, her chin trembling as fresh tears welled in her eyes. Richard pulled her into his arms, holding firm as she tried to wrestle free. After a moment's struggle, the strength seemed to bleed from her body, and she sagged against him, the agiel falling from her grasp.
"And Tobias Brogan is going to answer for that," Richard said hoarsely, tears moistening his own eyes as grief finally took him. He clung to her tighter. "I swear to you he will."
Cara hands came up to clutch at his back as a sob escaped her throat. Over her shoulder, Richard's eyes sought out Denna. She had risen to her feet and was standing uncomfortably at the edge of the clearing. She met his gaze, nodding her understanding. Dropping Cara's agiel to the ground, Denna moved to collect her dagger and return it to her belt. Before she turned to leave, she met Richard's eyes once more, her eyes soft with something resembling compassion.
Richard managed a bittersweet, strained smile of gratitude as Denna walked away. Now it was just him and Cara, and their grief. He let his tears come in earnest as he held Cara in a fierce embrace, their shoulders shaking as they clung to one another.
~*~
They were still clinging to each other when Chase found them. He stood at the edge of the glade, softly clearing his throat to announce his arrival.
Richard opened his eyes, loosening his hold on Cara when he met Chase's gaze. Cara tensed and pulled away, averting her eyes as she collected her agiels.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Richard," Chase apologized. "Queen Corah has arrived, with her forces from Caddock." He hesitated. "She asked for the Mother Confessor."
Richard sniffled as he drew his sleeve over his cheeks to wipe away the tears. He sighed. "I should go talk to her, tell her what's happened before someone else does."
Chase nodded his agreement. "Better to hear it from you than from Darken Rahl."
Richard swallowed his grief, clenching his fist around the hilt of his sword as he gathered his strength. He moved over to Cara, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Will you be all right?" he asked softly.
Cara scoffed, stubbornly narrowing her eyes. They still glistened with tears. "I'll be better once I drive Kahlan's daggers through Brogan's heart," she muttered, shrugging off Richard's hand and brushing past him to return to camp. Richard watched her go, his forehead crinkling with worry.
Chase stepped forward, clapping a hand gently on Richard's shoulder. "What about you, Richard?" he asked, concerned. "Are you going to be okay?"
Richard sighed heavily, looking up at Chase with a strained attempt at a smile. "I have to be."
~*~
The camp was quiet, filled with an awkward tension. Denna had returned, and was sitting off to the side, deep in thought. Nicci brooded by the remnants of the campfire, occasionally raising a hand to rub at her neck under the Rada'Han. Dahlia stood farther back, close enough to attend her lord, but her eyes were fixed on the blonde sorceress. Her hand rested absently over her corset. Berdine and Raina stood behind Darken, solemn expressions on their faces as their eyes continuously scanned the trees around the clearing.
Darken himself was seated on a large rock protruding from the ground, a whetstone lying next to him. He was polishing his sword with a rag, a satisfied smile touching his lips as he tested the edge.
No sooner had he put the rag down than it was snatched up, along with the whetstone, by a blur of red leather. He looked up to protest, but Cara moved swiftly to a log on the other side of camp, pulling one of Kahlan's daggers from her boot. As she began to clean the blade with grim determination, Richard and Chase stepped into camp.
Richard glanced sadly at Cara before crossing to Corah, who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the clearing. She watched as he approached, her eyes shining with concern.
"Seeker," she greeted urgently. "Is it true, what they're saying about Kahlan?"
Richard inhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair as he raised his eyes to meet hers. "She's dead," he said softly, barely managing not to choke on the words.
Corah's face crumbled, and she pressed a hand to her chest to try to contain her grief. After a moment, she straightened, forcing composure into her features. She looked back up at Richard with renewed strength in her eyes. "She will be missed," she said firmly. "The Midlands shall know of her noble sacrifice."
Richard sighed uneasily. "There'll be time for that later," he said, looking off toward Aydindril. "Right now, we've got a lot of work to do. You can bet General Brogan isn't sitting idle."
~*~
The next day dawned on a drastically changed city. The gates of Aydindril were still open, but now they were heavily guarded on the inside by men of the Blood of the Fold. A quiet tension filled the streets, empty except for swarms of red-caped soldiers flooding every block. Here and there, faces peeked through windows; some watching with interest, others in fear.
On one street, a man was speaking animatedly to a pair of soldiers, leading them toward a particular house. A couple of blocks down, a different pair of soldiers was arguing with a young couple. One of the men was holding on to a squirming young boy as the other held the parents at bay.
The father surged forward, reaching for his son, but was stopped by a swiftly drawn sword pointed at his chest. The boy's mother clapped her hand to her mouth, tears running down her face as she watched fearfully. The father's face twisted in grief as he stepped away from the sword, pulling his wife into his arms as their son was dragged away. The soldier holding the sword gave the father a sympathetic look before putting away his sword and following his partner.
Further into the city, in the town square, a crowd was gathered once again. It was smaller than the day before, and more subdued. The majority of townspeople still watched eagerly as an elderly woman was pulled up onto the dais, but off to the side, a pair of women looked a bit more uneasy.
"That's Althea!" the blonde woman said in a hushed voice to her dark-haired friend. "She's just a healer! She knows her herbs, but there's nothing magic about it."
"Shh! You'll end up in the dungeons talking like that!" her friend said urgently, looking nervously at the people around her, and at the red-caped guards lining the edge of the square. "You heard General Brogan. His men know magic when they see it." Her voice didn't sound so certain.
A nearby man turned to look at them. "That's right," he said smugly. "And soon the General will have cleansed Aydindril of all its magical filth."
As he turned back to watch the soldiers force the healer to her knees over the block, the two friends shared an uncomfortable glance. Around them, a few scattered faces shared their unease, but the square still rang with cheers as the axe was dropped.
The gates to the Confessors' Palace were closed, and guarded by several men in red capes. The studded blue of the Home Guard was nowhere in sight.
Inside the Palace, in the council chambers, Tobias lounged in the seat of the Mother Confessor, looking bored as a guard gave a report.
"They've gathered more men, General," the young man said, nervously fidgeting with the collar of his cape. "And more keep arriving. Their camps almost completely surround the city now. They appear to be preparing for a siege."
Tobias pinned him with a solemn glare, making the guard squirm uncomfortably, before he burst out laughing.
The guard furrowed his brow in confusion. "General?"
His laughter quieted to a chuckle as he looked the young man up and down. "You seem like a sensible enough young man," Tobias said, leaning back in the chair. "You've seen our army, and you've seen this city's defenses. Why would we worry about the Seeker and his little ragtag group of friends playing at being soldiers?"
"Of course, General," the guard said, forcing a smile onto his face.
Tobias smiled. "Good. Now go check on the men in the dungeons, see how they're doing with containing the prisoners. Make sure they're not being generous with space in the cells; there's too much magical corruption in this city to be bothered with comfort."
"Yes, General." The guard gave a sharp nod, turning on his heel and exiting the room.
Lunetta crept closer to her brother as the far door opened and the council started filing in. "Tob- General Brogan," she began hesitantly. He turned his gaze on her, his smile twisting into a sneer. "It might be wise to bring the rest of the men into the city," she suggested, watching his face closely for his reaction. "And perhaps close the gates. If the Seeker continues to gather forces, we should be prepared to defend against them."
Tobias scowled at his sister, his eyes flicking over to where the council was taking their seats. "The Seeker is not the only one with reinforcements, Lunetta. Ours will be arriving very soon," he said, a fraction louder than he needed to, to ensure that the council heard him. He smiled. "Besides, with the Mother Confessor eliminated, the boy and his followers have nothing to fight for. With their morale shattered, they won't stand a chance against our soldiers."
"Of course." Lunetta nodded warily. "You're right, Tobias, as always."
His eyes narrowed in annoyance at the use of his given name, but he was in too good a mood to dwell on it. He smiled condescendingly at her. "My dear sister, you've got to understand that what you think is wisdom is really the Keeper's taint, manifesting in you to try to sabotage my noble work."
Lunetta nodded again, more resolutely. She stepped back away from the chair as Tobias rose, opening his arms in welcome to the now-seated council.
"Welcome, honored members of the Council of the Midlands," he greeted smoothly. "This is a momentous occasion. Today marks the first meeting of the council as an assembly of equals, without the pall of magic casting doubt on our every decision." His smile broadened as he was met with a sea of nodding heads. Satisfied, he reclaimed his seat. "Let us begin."
After a brief silence, one of the councilors rose from his seat, clearing his throat. "General Brogan, I think I speak on behalf of the entire council when I say that your intervention has been most welcome," he began hesitantly. It was the same man who only a day ago had been so adamant about the dangers of magic, but today he seemed rather more subdued. "I must admit, however, that the pace at which the Blood of the Fold seems to be moving seems rather...hasty."
Tobias narrowed his eyes, but kept his voice jovial. "With the evils of magic posing so great a threat, it's essential to move swiftly."
The councilor nodded, searching for the nerve to say more. He was preempted by a fellow councilor standing a few seats down from him, a dark-skinned woman with a furrowed brow.
"General, we're aware of the urgency of the situation, but I'm concerned that the people may not understand it," she said, her voice growing with conviction. "Simply put, they're terrified. A good number of them have barricaded themselves in their homes, for fear that the soldiers will come for them."
The general smirked, as his sister fidgeted nervously behind him, watching him with growing distress. "Why would they be afraid, unless they have something to hide?" he asked smugly. "My men are under orders to take only those people suspected of using magic."
The other councilor found his voice again. "Just this morning my niece was taken into custody," he said worriedly. "She's only seven, and my sister and her husband have been excellent parents. They would never have even exposed her to magic, let alone allowed her to use it."
"Children have a way of gaining access to things, councilor," Tobias pointed out. "Things their parents would be shocked to learn about." He waved his hand dismissively. "You needn't be worried, in any case. Only the guilty will be punished."
Lunetta could not hold back any longer. She stepped forward, laying a hand on her brother's forearm. "General, it might be prudent to listen to their concerns," she whispered. "The people must be firmly on our side."
Tobias snapped his head to look at her, an angry sneer curling his lips. "I thought I told you to be silent!" he hissed, jerking his arm from under her hand. Turning back to the council, he rose from his seat again, a confident smile masking his anger. "Honored council, I assure you that we have but one goal, and that is justice - for every citizen of the Midlands, which requires bringing justice to every single servant of the Keeper that lurks in our midst. We may be forced to do things that are distasteful. Innocents may be taken in for questioning, and I understand how that would be frightening to consider." His eyes leveled with those of every member of the council, piercing them with his conviction. "But in order to purge our lives of the taint of magic, we must follow every lead, question every person with the remotest chance of being corrupted."
Scanning the council, Tobias was pleased to see his words having effect. The councilors nodded hesitantly, as though trying to convince themselves of the righteousness of his words. He struggled to control his widening smile. It was time.
"I know what some of you are thinking," he said solemnly. "How can you trust me if I allow the very enemy we are fighting against to wander freely about my home?" His gaze drifted sideways to Lunetta, whose forehead creased as her eyes clouded with confusion. "I admit, I have put this off for far too long, out of a misplaced sense of family loyalty. But in order to ensure the safety of all of our people, no creature of magic can be spared. Guards, take this woman to the dungeon."
A rash of hushed whispers broke out among the council as the guards stepped forward, one on either side of Lunetta. She looked imploringly back at Tobias. "Tobias, brother, what are you doing?" she asked quietly, her voice wavering with conflicting emotions. "I can still help you!"
Tobias' eyes turned hard. "Silence, vile creature!" he ordered, his lip curling in disgust. "I have no sister," he declared passionately, loud enough for the council to hear. "This woman is an abomination, a depraved servant of the Keeper! Her taint has haunted me from the moment I was born, just as countless others are being haunted as we speak. This will not be allowed to continue." Lunetta wilted under his hateful gaze, her own eyes filling with shame. Tobias smiled to see her accepting her fate. His eyes turned to the guards on either side of her. "Be sure to put her in the securest cell you can find. The corruption is strong in her, and she will need to be heavily guarded."
The guards nodded sharply. Lunetta offered no resistance, only a last sad look at her brother before allowing herself to be led from the council chambers.
With a victorious grin, Tobias turned back to the council. There was still uncertainty on a good number of faces, and a couple of councilors looked even more uncomfortable than they had before, but the majority of the council appeared to have been reassured by his display of conviction.
"Enough of this unpleasantness," he said amiably as he sat down once more, tenting his fingers on his lap. "Let us move on to more cheerful subjects. The Midlands have a bright future ahead."
~*~
Richard's forces worked tirelessly as the day wore on. Tents were erected, weapons prepared, messengers dispatched to communicate between the growing number of factions. Zedd assisted where he could, his magic helping them perform menial tasks more efficiently. By the time the sun set, countless fires could be seen dotting the hills surrounding Aydindril, where they were not concealed by the thick cover of trees. Soldiers milled about, keeping watch on the enemy troops all through the night and into the morning.
The next day dawned on colors flying proudly among the troops, banners of a variety of Midlands nations. Groups of soldiers continued to trickle into the growing camp, bringing much-needed hope to people still grieving for the Mother Confessor.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Chase made his way to a large area designated as the commissary. Large cooking fires were burning brightly across from the healing tents. His wife, Emma, stood stirring a pot that sat on one such fire. With her back to him, she didn't notice his approach until he crept up behind her, resting his hands on her hips, placing a tender kiss on her cheek.
Emma smiled, leaning back against her husband. "What are you doing here?" she chided, turning to face him. "You should be in the command tent with Richard."
"Even commanders need to eat," he sighed, smiling ruefully. "And if I don't force it down his throat, I don't think the thought would even cross his mind."
"The boy is dedicated," Emma agreed, turning back to her pot of soup. "I suppose he needs something to occupy his mind," she added sadly.
Chase nodded soberly. "I guess it's good that he's able to focus," he admitted. "This certainly isn't the time to get distracted."
He looked over toward the healing tents, his expression growing concerned. Laura, his eldest, was helping the Minders prepare bandages and put together healing supplies. His younger daughter was engaged in animated conversation with the Listener, while his youngest was seated firmly next to Jennsen, peppering her with questions and playing with the baby in her lap. Jennsen was smiling and humoring the boy while Dennee sat a small distance away, hugging her arms to herself while she stared at the ground.
Chase sighed at the sight. "I still don't like you all being here."
"You'd prefer we sit at home, worrying ourselves to death over when or if you were coming home?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she reached for a bowl, ladling soup into it. "Everyone can do something, and the Seeker needs all the help he can get." She pushed the bowl into Chase's hands. "Where would he be without my famous spice soup?"
Chase took the bowl sheepishly, giving his wife an affectionate peck on the lips. He turned away, making his way back to the command tent. Smaller tents were erected around it, for housing Richard and his companions.
He was bombarded with noise as he entered the tent. The table in the center of the tent was ringed with commanders: Corah from Caddock, a couple of leaders from the Resistance, two generals from other nations. Darken Rahl sat at one corner, with Berdine standing behind him. Richard sat at the head of the table, running his fingers over his forehead as Cara looked on from behind him, her face devoid of expression. One of the generals, a gruff-looking man outfitted in leather of such a dark blue it appeared almost black, with a finely crafted steel sigil of crossed swords firmly embedded in the front, was gesturing at the large map of Aydindril and its surrounding areas that covered nearly the whole surface of the table.
"It's too well-defended," he was saying. "The only possible approach is from the front, and that will only drive them inside the city walls."
Chase maneuvered around the men, placing the bowl of soup in front of Richard on the table and patting him on the shoulder before returning to the empty seat at Richard's right.
Richard gave Chase a grateful look before he turned back to the commanders. "We have no choice, General Baldwin," he sighed. "If we want to defeat the Blood of the Fold, it has to be here, now. If we leave, we only let them grow stronger, and we'll never win."
General Baldwin huffed, and was about to speak when two members of the Resistance entered, holding a man in a blood-red cape between them.
"This man claims he wants to join us," one of them said briskly, gripping the man's shoulder tightly.
Richard peered up at the man. "Why would you join with your enemy?" he asked suspiciously.
"Please, Seeker," the man said, struggling against his captors. Richard nodded toward them, and they released him. The soldier reached up to push back his cape. "I'm not Blood of the Fold. My men and I are Home Guard, dedicated to protecting Aydindril and the Confessors."
Darken let out a sharp laugh. "You've done a splendid job thus far," he said sarcastically.
Richard glared at his brother before turning back to the guard, urging him to continue.
"We wanted to stop the execution," he said with frustration. "But Brogan captured our families. He offered us an ultimatum: join his cause, or condemn our loved ones to death."
"And what of the Mother Confessor?" General Baldwin asked angrily, rising from his seat. "She was worth a hundred of your loved ones!"
The other general, a younger man in brown leather with the image of a rearing horse tooled into the front, shot up from his chair across the table, glaring at Baldwin. "Since when does Kelton hold such love for the Mother Confessor? It was your prince that tried to depose her!"
Baldwin sneered. "Fyren did not speak for all Keltans," he said angrily. "And at least our swords will be useful in this fight! What good are your renowned Galean war horses here?"
Richard stood, slamming his hand down on the table. "Sit down, generals," Richard said firmly. Behind him, Cara gripped the hilt of one of her agiels, her composure slipping ever-so-slightly.
The generals obeyed, unhappily. "Seeker, you can't tell me you're going to ally with these cowards!" Baldwin protested.
"They could have vital information," Richard pointed out. "They've been closer to Brogan than we could dream of getting."
"Exactly!" Baldwin retorted. "How do we know they're not here to spy on us?"
Richard fixed the general with a steely glare. "I'm the Seeker of Truth," he said firmly. "I believe he's being honest." He turned back to the guardsman. "Please, have a seat." He offered, pointing to an empty chair next to Darken. The man looked warily at the tyrant before hesitantly taking the seat. "What's your name?" Richard asked.
"Darren," the man replied. "Thank you for trusting me, Seeker. I want to do whatever I can to avenge the Mother Confessor's death."
Richard gave him a tight smile, directing his next words to the soldiers that had brought him in. "Inform Darren's men that they are welcome in our camp." The soldiers nodded and left, leaving the tent in a brief uncomfortable silence.
Corah cleared her throat. "Richard, if they've started taking prisoners, we've got to get them out before we attack," she urged. "Otherwise Brogan will just use them as leverage against us."
"That would be risky," Darren said regretfully. "The Palace is the most heavily guarded part of the city. My men and I know enough to get you in, but getting the prisoners out would put them in more danger than leaving them in the dungeon."
"Then we'll send a small contingent of men in to protect them," Richard said decisively.
"That's all well and good, Seeker," General Baldwin said irritably. "But what of the actual battle? The minute we attack, Brogan will just pull back into the city and close the gates against us."
"He has a point," the other general agreed unhappily. "We don't have enough men for a lengthy siege. We'll have to disable the gates before we attack, to leave the way open."
"We can send in a force to eliminate the guards, clear the walls," General Baldwin added. "I can have fifty men ready to act in a candlemark."
"Wait," Richard said, holding up his hand. "I agree that it's a sound plan, but these soldiers are men, just like us. Before we go charging in killing people, they should be given a chance to surrender."
"Surrender!?" Baldwin exploded. "These men have slaughtered our citizens, taken control of our cities. They murdered the Mother Confessor!"
"Seeker," the other general said carefully. "I think perhaps you should leave the planning to men more familiar with war." Richard opened his mouth to protest, but the general continued. "Don't take this as an insult, but you simply don't have the experience to lead an army."
Across the table, one of the Resistance leaders rose angrily. "The Seeker is the only one my men will follow!" he declared, glaring at the generals.
"War is hard, and it is cruel," General Baldwin spat, rising from his seat to shout back at the man. "There's no room for coddling murderers, or for allying with traitors and tyrants!"
"We need to focus!" Richard said loudly, to no avail. The shouting grew louder as more commanders joined in. Darken sat back and watched with a mixture of irritation and mild amusement.
Then there was a flash of red, and the loud "thunk" of a blade being driven into wood. All eyes turned to Cara, her hand still on the hilt of Kahlan's dagger.
"You're all being idiots," she spat in disgust. Her eyes flashed with cold fury as they moved around the table, fixing on each commander in turn. "If the Mother Confessor were here, she would be ashamed of all of you. This is not the time for childish bickering, it is the time for action." She paused, bringing her eyes back to pin General Baldwin in particular. "The Seeker is the one who brought you all here in the first place. You will listen to him, and follow his orders, or you will answer to me."
"We will win this battle," Cara continued, her voice taking on an edge of steel. "And Brogan will pay. Kahlan will not have died in vain."
As she stepped back, all eyes drifted toward the table. Kahlan's dagger was embedded in the wood, piercing the map perfectly in the center of the Confessors' Palace.
~*~
The tiny blue lights skimmed over the tops of the trees, dipping and rolling as they wound through the forest. Finally they reached their destination, homing in on a small glade that was tightly ringed by trees. Off to the side of the clearing was the woman they had come to see.
Kahlan was unconscious, her dark hair spilling over the roughspun blanket that had been propped under her head. Her chest rose and fell steadily, causing the flowing white fabric of her dress to ripple with the movement.
The night wisps hummed happily amongst themselves as they settled around Kahlan; in her hair, floating over her face. After a few moments, her eyes blinked open, and she smiled sleepily.
"Hello," she greeted, her voice thick with sleep. She blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up, and memories came rushing back to her. The smile fell from her face. The wisps skittered away as she shot up, her hands moving instinctively to her throat.
"It's about time," called a voice from a few paces away. Kahlan looked over to see Shota perched by a spring, peering into the lightly burbling water. "You've been unconscious for two days."
"What happened?" Kahlan asked, confused. "I...I died. I remember the axe at my neck." Her face twisted in distress as she rubbed at her throat. "The people were cheering," she said in disbelief, her eyes moistening at the memory.
"It's called a death spell," Shota explained, raising her eyes from the water to meet Kahlan's. "It's an old spell, requiring a great deal of power. Luckily Zeddicus and I were both at hand, or you really would be dead."
The night wisps chittered nervously as they returned to floating near Kahlan's head. Clearly the idea distressed them.
"Zedd didn't say anything," Kahlan said softly, trying to make sense of what Shota was telling her.
"In order for the spell to work, the subject must believe they are going to die," Shota said. "That belief is amplified, projected into the minds of everyone who witnesses the event."
"So they all think they saw me die," Kahlan said, starting to understand. Shota nodded. "Brogan and his men, all those people in the square - everyone thinks I'm dead."
"Well, almost everyone," Shota huffed, glaring at the blue lights fluttering around Kahlan. "It apparently doesn't work on night wisps."
Kahlan smiled softly at the wisps before her face fell again. "Cara," she breathed in horror, raising her hand to her lips. "And Richard, and Dennee - they all think I'm dead too?"
"Well it certainly wouldn't work as well if your loved ones were carrying on as though nothing happened," Shota said sarcastically.
Kahlan barely heard her, overwhelmed by her own worry. Tears welled in her eyes. "Spirits, she must be devastated," she murmured, pulling herself to her feet. She stumbled a little, her legs shaky after two days of disuse. "I have to go to her -"
Shota was at her side in an instant, gripping her forearm both to offer support and to keep her from leaving. "No one will recognize you," she warned. "And if you tell even one person who you are, the spell will be broken, and it will all have been for nothing."
"You don't understand!" Kahlan said passionately. "She's been through so much." Her voice wavered as a tear slipped down her cheek. "It took all of her strength just to let me in, and now she thinks I'm dead."
"And she must continue to think so," Shota said firmly. "If we are to have any hope of defeating Tobias Brogan."
"By the time we defeat him, it could be too late!" Kahlan argued. "It's been two days, Cara might have already done something reckless."
"Would you risk the freedom of your people for one woman?" Shota asked sharply.
Kahlan's shoulders slumped helplessly. "No," she conceded, holding a hand to her chest to try to contain the ache there. Shota released her arm, returning to her seat by the spring.
The wisps hummed as they drifted around her, and her face brightened. She focused her gaze on them. "You can go to her," she said hopefully. "Make sure that she's safe, comfort her. Richard and Dennee, too." The wisps sang their agreement, and Kahlan smiled.
The wisps began to float away, when a thought struck Kahlan. "Wait!" The creatures hovered in place, waiting for her to speak. "They can't know that I'm alive," she said sadly. "Do what you can to comfort them, but don't tell them about me."
The wisps' voices warbled with slightly less enthusiasm, but Kahlan understood their agreement, and smiled. "Thank you," she said sincerely as she watched the little blue lights drift away.
"The people of Aydindril are growing restless," Shota remarked, gazing deep into the water. "They are beginning to question Brogan's methods."
Kahlan turned, walking over to peer into the spring as well. Her eyes widened at what she saw, her jaw clenching in growing fury. Shota glanced up at Kahlan, solemn conviction in her eyes. "It is time."
~*~
The atmosphere was calmer in the command tent after Cara's outburst. At the very least, the commanders were listening to Richard speak.
"Corah, you and your guard will be most effective here," he said, maneuvering around the protruding dagger to point to a spot off to the side of the city. "You're valuable fighters, but we don't want our own people getting hurt if we can help it." He met her eyes apologetically, but she nodded her understanding.
"I want to help as much as I can," Corah said resolutely. "And that means removing the Rada'Han."
Cara was watching the discussion with a small degree of interest when a flash of blue light caught her eye. Turning her gaze to the entrance of the tent, she saw it again. Glancing back at Richard, she saw that he had things under control, so she crept toward the light, stepping out in front of the tent.
The pair of wisps fluttered excitedly when they recognized her, chirping a greeting. A bittersweet hint of a smile touched Cara's lips as she extended a hand to them. One of them landed on her hand, the other hovering a small distance from her face.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice rough but still tinged with wonder. "Did you come to help Richard?"
The wisps hummed a response, their voices softening as they felt her emotions.
"Me?" she scoffed. The wisps trilled in the affirmative. "I'm not sad," she said defensively. "I just..." she swallowed, her voice cracking. "Kahlan's dead."
A tear began to trickle out of her eye, and a wisp landed on her cheek to catch it, flitting out of the way as Cara's hand came up to wipe at her face. The creatures warbled softly, and Cara huffed sadly.
"Hope is for fools," she said bitterly. The warbling grew more insistent. "No, Kahlan wouldn't want me to give up," she conceded. "But she's not here." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you so stuck on this?"
The wisps chittered nervously, floating away from Cara. "No, you know something," Cara said, hope and suspicion flaring to life in her eyes. "Is Kahlan alive?" she breathed urgently. The wisps hummed regretfully. "Where is she?" Cara demanded, reflexively shooting out her hand to try to catch them. The pair evaded her hand, drifting off into the trees.
"Come back!" Cara called desperately, watching them disappear.
"Talking to yourself, Cara?" Dahlia teased as she approached the command tent. Cara turned to look at her, pulling her features back into a stoic mask, but not before Dahlia saw the hope in her eyes. Dahlia quirked her lips into a soft smile, nodding to Cara before breezing past her. Cara followed her back into the tent, wanting to hear whatever she was going to say.
Darken's eyes shot to Dahlia immediately as they entered. "Where's Nicci?"
Dahlia shrugged. "Raina's watching her," she replied. "I just came to inform you that the reinforcements you sent for have arrived."
Darken smiled smugly as all eyes in the tent turned to him. "Excellent, Dahlia. I'll greet them immediately."
Richard gaped as his brother rose from his chair, signaling for Berdine to follow him. Darken paused at the entrance to the tent, smirking back at Richard.
"Just because I don't have my throne, brother, does not mean I don't have power."
Richard stood quickly, looking at Cara and shrugging before heading out after his brother. Cara rolled her eyes, and was about to turn and follow when her eyes landed on Kahlan's dagger, still embedded in the table. Heedless of the gaping commanders, she stepped forward, yanking it free and returning it to her belt before rushing out after Richard.
~*~
Rahl's reinforcements were roughly three dozen Mord-Sith, standing stiffly at attention as Darken arrived with the others. Their leader approached Rahl to speak with him in clipped tones. Cara ignored them, appraising the gathered women with her eyes. Her gaze stopped abruptly on a particular Mord-Sith in one of the back rows. Tall, pale, ice-blue eyes. She squinted as she stared at the woman, sure she had seen her somewhere before.
Richard's attention was drawn immediately to Shota, who stood off to the side talking with Zedd. "So now you show up," Richard said angrily, storming over to the witch woman. Shota turned to face him. "I thought I told you not to come back without Kahlan."
Shota made some reply, but Cara didn't hear it; her attention was fixed on the dark-haired Mord-Sith. She caught the woman's nervous flinch when Richard said Kahlan's name, a soft gasp escaping her throat as recognition set in. She swallowed thickly, not quite believing what her eyes were telling her.
Cara watched, wide-eyed, as Kahlan tried to compose herself, quickly averting her gaze from Richard and Shota. Cara's breath caught in her throat as the familiar blue eyes landed on her.
For an instant, Kahlan's face brightened when her gaze met Cara's, but it fell when she caught the glint of recognition in the jade eyes. Swallowing back the urge to rush to her lover, Kahlan held Cara's gaze firmly. She gave a slight shake of her head, hoping Cara would get the message.
A look of wary confusion flashed across Cara's face, but she held her tongue, looking toward Darken and the Mord-Sith he was talking to.
"Well, Richard, let's see what you can do with some real warriors," Darken said, turning to smirk at his brother. Richard turned away from Shota, his anger only slightly cooled.
"My lord, why are we following the Seeker's command?" the Mord-Sith asked, confused.
Darken's lip curled slightly in distaste. "Necessity dictated that we have a leader that everyone would follow," he said disdainfully. "But make no mistake - I am still your Lord Rahl." His voice hardened as he looked back at the woman. "I have no intentions of relinquishing my title."
"And I don't want it," Richard said firmly, catching his brother's eye. "We should gather the commanders, prepare for battle. It's almost time."
Rahl nodded, raising a hand to signal for the Mord-Sith to follow. They filed out of the clearing, passing an empty tent on the way. As Kahlan followed, bringing up the rear, she found herself being pulled inside, face to face with Cara.
"Kahlan -" There was a question on Cara's lips, her eyes wary as she took in the sight of Kahlan, but she didn't have a chance to ask it. It took all of a split-second for Kahlan to throw herself into Cara's arms, hugging her desperately. Cara hesitantly returned the embrace, patting Kahlan's back with gloved hands.
"I'm so sorry, Cara," she murmured into the blonde's ear, her eyes filling with tears. "I wanted to come find you, but I couldn't. Shota wouldn't let me, because of the spell -"
Cara pulled away, a million questions on the tip of her tongue as she searched Kahlan's face. "I saw you die," was all she could manage, in a weak voice.
Kahlan's hands trembled as they cupped Cara's face. "It was a spell," she explained, sniffing back tears. "I didn't know until I woke up out here in the forest." She stroked Cara's cheek with her thumb, her eyes shining with remorse. "Cara, I'm so sorry for what you must have been going through. I would have done anything to spare you that pain."
Cara scoffed, her hands on Kahlan's shoulders keeping a moderate distance between them. Her eyes roamed over Kahlan's leather-clad form, drinking in every detail to assure herself that this was real. Her eyes finally returned to Kahlan's, and they glistened with tears she was struggling not to shed.
Finally, she tugged Kahlan against her, wrapping her arms tightly around Kahlan's waist. "You're alive," she murmured into Kahlan's neck.
Kahlan clung to her shoulders, breathing in the scent of leather and skin. "I'm so glad you're all right," she said tearfully. "I was terrified that you would have already done something to get yourself killed."
Cara huffed into Kahlan's shoulder. "I almost did," she admitted, her hands running up and down Kahlan's back as though to reassure herself that she was real. "Denna stopped me."
Kahlan pulled back, her eyes shimmering with confusion. "Denna?"
Cara shook her head. "I'll tell you later," she promised, looking reluctantly over her shoulder. "We should catch up to Richard and the others."
"Cara, wait," Kahlan said quickly, stopping her from leaving. Cara cocked her head in question. "No one else can know about this," she said regretfully. "About me."
"Not that I'm complaining, Kahlan, but the disguise you've chosen doesn't do much to actually disguise you," Cara said skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
"The spell makes it so that no one will recognize me," Kahlan explained, then froze, looking at Cara curiously. "How did you?"
Cara shrugged, a smug smile tugging at her lips. "Night wisps aren't very good liars."
Kahlan sighed, returning the smile. "Well, I can't be too mad," she admitted, her eyes turning serious as they caught Cara's. "I think I would have gone crazy if I'd had to go another minute without holding you."
Cara looked down uncomfortably, trying to hide the pink tinge to her cheeks. Kahlan smiled broadly, sliding her hand down Cara's arm to grasp her hand.
"Come on, let's go catch up to the others," Kahlan said. As she started moving toward the entrance of the tent, though, Cara tugged her back. The blonde's free hand came up to Kahlan's neck, pulling her into an ardent kiss. Kahlan responded eagerly, her lips moving against Cara's with equal fervor.
After a few moments, Cara pulled away, panting as she rested her forehead against Kahlan's. "I thought I'd never get to do that again," she admitted softly.
Kahlan smiled, pulling back to look fondly at Cara. She slid her hand up to squeeze Cara's where it rested on her neck. "When this is over," she vowed solemnly, "You can do it as often as you like."
~*~
continue to Episode 3.14 - Hope - part 2
*~*~*~*~*~
Previously on Legend of the Seeker:
Episode 3.01 - "Tremors"
Episode 3.02 - "Restoration"
Episode 3.03 - "Madness"
Episode 3.04 - "Found"
Episode 3.05 - "Night"
Episode 3.06 - "Choice"
Episode 3.07 - "Doubt"
Episode 3.08 - "Trust"
Episode 3.09 - "Instinct"
Episode 3.10 - "Harmony"
Episode 3.11 - "Allegiance"
Episode 3.12 - "Villains"
Episode 3.13 - "Discord"
Cara froze as a loud whistle pierced the air, her face twisting in horror as the sickening thunk of metal slicing through flesh and bone resounded through the square. She let out an agonized scream.
"Kahlan!"
*~*~*~*~*~
Episode 3.14 - "Hope"
*~*~*~*~*~
Cara's voice rang out across the square, but it was quickly drowned out by the triumphant cheers of the crowd. Up on the platform, Tobias knelt to pick up the head by its jaggedly chopped hair. Kahlan's face stared blankly out at the spectators, blood still dripping from the severed neck.
Cara stared numbly for a moment; then her shock dissolved into all-consuming rage. Shrugging the borrowed cape from her shoulders, she reached for Kahlan's other dagger. Gripping the weapons tightly, she pushed her way forward with renewed determination. Any townspeople not sufficiently cowed by the murderous look in her eyes were convinced to move by the jab of an elbow or the threatening slash of a blade.
A path quickly opened up in front of her, and Cara stormed forward, drawing the attention of the red-caped guards surrounding the platform. A half-dozen of them moved to encircle Tobias, shielding him as he was urged back toward the palace, his gruesome trophy still clutched in his hand. Two men were moments behind, dragging Kahlan's corpse from the dais.
The rest of the soldiers charged at Cara, who met them with wild fury. She slashed at them relentlessly with Kahlan's daggers as she continued to press forward, desperately trying to catch up to Brogan. Soldier after soldier fell to her blades: one sliced across the throat, another stabbed in the chest, a third clutching his slashed-open gut.
Out of nowhere, Zedd pushed his way up beside her, keeping a wary distance. An influx of red-capes was flooding into the square.
"Cara!" he called out, his eyes soft with sympathy and pain. "There's too many of them! You have to get out of here!"
Cara didn't spare him even a glance, jabbing a dagger up under one soldier's jaw. "Get away from me, wizard!" Pulling the dagger free, she whirled on the next soldier, parrying his sword with one dagger and slamming the other into his stomach. "Unless you want to be next!" She kicked out at the dying man, sending him flying back into a couple of his comrades. "I'm going to find Brogan, and I'm going to kill him!"
Zedd's face twisted with worry, his voice growing more urgent. "You'll never reach him!" he warned, raising a hand to throw a non-lethal blast of magic at the advancing soldiers. They fell backward, slamming back against the men behind them. "We need to return to Richard, regroup!" he pleaded, stepping closer to Cara to reach a hand toward her shoulder.
Momentarily without enemies to fight, Cara whirled on him, knocking his hand roughly away from her. "Don't touch me," she growled, pointing a bloodied dagger at him. Her face was shining with tears, but she didn't seem to notice. Her voice rumbled low and menacing in her throat. "If I have to kill every last person in this city to get to him, then that's what I'll do."
Having struggled back to their feet, the soldiers charged again, and Cara quickly turned back to the fight. Zedd looked around the square, seeing more and more red-caped soldiers pouring in. With a conflicted sigh, he rushed at Cara, wrapping his arms around her shoulders just as a sword came swinging down at her neck.
The sword sliced through air, throwing the soldier off-balance. Cara and Zedd were gone. The soldiers gripped their swords, looking around in confusion and fear.
~*~
The distant roar of shouts and clashing steel carried to the hill where Richard and his allies had made their camp. Berdine was standing at the edge of camp, looking out over Aydindril.
"Something's happened in the city," she noted, turning around to face the others.
"I hope Kahlan's alright," Richard said worriedly, sharing a glance with Dennee. The Confessor nodded, her arms crossed over her chest.
Just then, the air in the middle of the camp rippled, and Zedd and Cara appeared. Cara broke free from Zedd's hold, whirling on him and snapping a dagger to his throat. The blade still glistened with blood.
"I warned you, wizard," she said menacingly, pressing the blade into the soft skin. "I should kill you right now."
"Cara!" Richard exclaimed, rushing forward to tug at her arm. The weapon fell away from Zedd's throat, a thin trickle of blood oozing from a shallow nick in the skin. Richard pulled Cara a couple of steps back, pinning her with his eyes as he held his hand out to stop her from advancing again. "What's going on?" he demanded, shock and confusion coloring his expression.
Cara kept her eyes fixed hatefully on Zedd as she gestured with one of the daggers. "Ask him," she spat, ignoring the tears still sliding down her cheeks. "He's the one who planned it all."
Zedd rubbed at his throat guiltily. "It wasn't me, child," he said gently, sadness in his eyes. "You can't fight prophecy. Kahlan knew that, and she made her decision."
"You forced her into that decision!" Cara raged, lunging at Zedd again with Kahlan's daggers clenched tightly in her gloved fists. Richard stepped between them, pushing back against Cara's shoulders. He glanced behind him at Zedd, dread creeping into his eyes as he started to understand.
"What are you talking about?" Dennee asked uneasily, her eyes flicking uneasily between Zedd and Cara as she stepped toward them.
"Kahlan is dead." Cara choked on the words, eyes shining wet and accusing as she pointed deliberately toward Zedd with a dagger. She swallowed back a sob, her face flushed with rage. "And he made it happen."
Dennee gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. Zedd hung his head sadly. Richard looked from Zedd to Cara, then back to Zedd, a lost expression dawning on his face.
~*~
ROLL CREDITS
~*~
All eyes in camp were on Cara as her declaration set in. All showed varying degrees of shock, save for those belonging to Nicci, Darken Rahl, and his Mord-Sith.
"She was an honorable woman," Darken said solemnly from where he stood leaning against a tree. For once, his words seemed to be completely free of sarcasm or derision. The glint in his eyes could even have been respect. "To sacrifice her life for her people."
"Don't you dare speak of her!" Cara snapped, her voice thick with anger and pain. "You know nothing of honor, and even less about Kahlan."
Richard furrowed his brow as he tried to wrap his mind around what Cara had said. He barely noticed as Chase clapped a comforting hand on his shoulder, instead turning his anguished eyes to Zedd. "I don't understand," he said weakly. "You went in there to save her. What went wrong?"
Before Zedd could form an answer, Cara's eyes shot back to Richard. "Nothing went wrong," she said, her voice shaking with barely restrained anger. "The wizard never intended to save Kahlan."
"That can't be true," Dennee said, shaking her head in disbelief as tears spilled over her cheeks.
Cara's gaze jumped to the Confessor. "I wouldn't lie about this," she choked.
"No," Dennee said stubbornly, her eyes fixed on the ground as she hugged her arms to herself. "Wizards are sworn to protect Confessors." She looked up at Zedd imploringly. "There has to be another explanation."
Zedd looked warily at Cara, waiting to see if she would interject again. She just glared back at him, daring him to explain this. Zedd cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of everyone's gaze.
"There was a prophecy," he explained, his eyes shifting between Richard and Dennee, deliberately avoiding Cara. "It stated that in order to bring peace, Kahlan would have to die."
Richard met Zedd's gaze steadily, his eyes narrowing as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "How did you find out about this prophecy?" he asked, accusation creeping into his voice.
Zedd sighed, bracing himself for Richard's ire. "Shota told me of it," he admitted reluctantly.
Richard's expression hardened as confusion turned into anger. "Shota?!" He turned fully to face his grandfather. "Zedd, you know you can't trust a thing she says!"
"Richard, this wasn't an ordinary vision," Zedd said placatingly. "You've learned better than most that it's impossible to avert prophecy. Kahlan did what she had to, for the greater good."
"Kahlan was the greatest force for goodthat I have ever known!" Cara growled, her voice thick with grief. She clutched Kahlan's daggers tightly in her fists. "How does her death serve anything?"
Richard glanced back at Cara warily before fixing his eyes on Zedd once more. "Zedd, if my time as the Seeker has taught me anything, it's that prophecies don't always play out the way you think they will. There must have been some other way for this one to come true." His voice cracked as he met Zedd's gaze, his eyes pleading with the wizard as though he could somehow fix this, bring Kahlan back.
Tears were beginning to moisten Zedd's eyes, his voice quavering with guilt. "Richard, there was nothing I could do. I would have spared her if I could."
"You didn't even try!" Cara exploded, taking advantage of Richard's averted attention to lunge at Zedd again.
"Cara, stop!" Richard only just caught her before she got within striking distance.
She struggled against his grip, shaking with barely restrained fury. "Get out of my way, Richard," Cara demanded. "He could have saved Kahlan, but he didn't. He might as well have killed her himself!" Her voice broke into a sob as she pushed against Richard's hands on her arms.
"Cara, please," Richard pleaded, his voice rough with grief. "I know you're angry. I am too. And we will make Brogan pay for what he's done," he said passionately. "But hurting Zedd isn't going to accomplish anything."
"I wasn't planning on hurting him," Cara said murderously, tearing an arm from Richard's grip and trying to take a step closer to the wizard. Zedd stepped back reflexively, even though Cara didn't come close to reaching him.
Richard caught her wrist, pushing back against her. He held her gaze steadily, his voice firm. "Cara, stand down."
Cara narrowed her eyes at him, jerking against his hold one last time before stepping back, raising her arms in defeat. "As you wish, Lord Rahl."
Pain flashed across Richard's face as he watched her turn and leave the camp, daggers still clenched in gloved hands. His shoulders slumped as his firm demeanor fell away, leaving a shattered, grief-stricken man. Chase stepped forward again, slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder.
"Richard, I'm sorry," Zedd called out as Richard let Chase lead him away. Richard glanced back at his grandfather, a conflicted look on his face before he looked away without a word.
Wounded, Zedd looked away from his grandson, his eyes inadvertently falling on Dennee. The Confessor met his gaze, struggling to keep her face a stoic mask, but failing. Pain radiated from her eyes as tears spilled from them. Clutching her arms over her chest, she turned away, walking out of the camp in another direction.
"Splendid," Darken sneered, watching the group dissipate. "Here we are on the cusp of an impossible battle, and our forces are wandering off in every direction."
Zedd shot him a look that wasn't nearly as stern as he intended, weighed down as it was with guilt.
No one in camp noticed as Denna slipped off in the direction that Cara had gone.
~*~
Jennsen bounced Edrand on her hip as she wandered through the area where the Minders were setting up their healing stations. Renn was trailing after her, looking curiously at the faces of the Minders as they went about their preparations.
They looked over as Dennee wandered into camp, tears silently falling down her cheeks as she sank down onto a nearby log. Renn hurried over to her, his face falling as he looked into the Confessor's eyes. He reached out, pulling the seated woman into a comforting hug.
Holding tightly onto Dennee, Renn looked back to meet Jennsen's questioning gaze. His eyes welled with tears as he shook his head sadly.
Jennsen's face twisted with worry and sympathy as she sat down on the log next to Dennee. Bracing the baby on her knee with one hand, her other came to rest on the Confessor's shoulder. She fixed her gaze on the ground as tears began to slip from her own eyes.
~*~
When Denna caught up with her, Cara was crouching behind the cover of some bushes, her eyes scanning the army below her at the base of the hill. She had her back to the other woman, but Denna could clearly see the tension emanating from her.
"I know what you're doing, Cara," Denna said smoothly, the corner of her lips quirking into a half-smile as Cara tensed further, keeping her eyes trained ahead. Denna swayed another step closer, words rolling seductively from her tongue. "You want your power back. You want to make someone hurt. Taste their blood, hear their screams." The smile fell from her face as her voice turned deadly serious. "But if you go in there now, you'll get yourself killed."
Cara rose slowly to her feet, deliberately taking her time turning around to face Denna. There was a desperate, haunted look in those green eyes that suggested that death wouldn't be such a bad thing. Then she seemed to recover, if only enough to stiffen her resolve and hide her grief.
"Why do you care?" Cara growled, eyeing Denna suspiciously.
Denna smirked. "Who said I did?" She stepped closer to Cara, stopping a couple of paces away from the other woman. "But Richard certainly would, and whether I like it or not, I seem to be stuck with him for the time being."
Cara took a step toward Denna, flexing her fingers around the hilts of the daggers that still hadn't left her hands. "You could just leave," Cara suggested, both her expression and tone implying that she would prefer it.
"I could," Denna granted, sliding her borrowed dagger from her belt and looking at it in contemplation. "But I won't."
Cara glared at the other woman, her eyes bloodshot and rimmed with red, cheeks flushed and stained with the tracks of countless tears. "Stay out of this, Denna," she snarled, trembling with the hunger for violence. "It's none of your concern."
Denna responded with a feral smile, bringing her dagger up to Cara's chest to trace the generous neckline of her altered leathers. "If you need to fight someone, fight me," she dared.
The ghost of a grin touched Cara's lips as she shoved at Denna's shoulders, digging the hilts of Kahlan's daggers into the bones there. Denna stepped back to correct her balance, her eyes never leaving Cara's.
"For someone who's fought death so hard," Cara began dangerously as she tucked Kahlan's daggers into her boots, opting instead to reach for her agiels. The pain seemed to center her, a deadly calm coming over her. "You're certainly quick to ask for it."
Denna grinned, raising her weapon in preparation. "We'll see about that, Cara."
With lightning speed, Cara lunged at Denna, raining down a relentless flurry of attacks that Denna barely managed to deflect with her dagger and free hand.
"You have two weapons, I only have one," Denna panted, parrying another swing with her dagger. "It's not exactly a fair fight."
"You're the one who volunteered," Cara sneered as she jabbed her other agiel toward Denna's gut.
Instead of diverting the attack, Denna wrapped her hand around the agiel, shuddering slightly at the pain. With a feral smirk, she pushed at Cara's other weapon with her dagger and twisted her body so that she stood flush with the other woman, her back pressed tightly against Cara's front.
Cara reacted instantly, holding her free agiel to Denna's throat. "Foolish move, Denna."
Denna's smirk never faltered. "That's what you think." With a twist of her wrist, she freed the other agiel from Cara's grip, whirling away as she flipped the handle into her hand. She tossed her dagger aside, shifting the agiel into her right hand as she prepared for Cara's next attack.
Cara didn't disappoint, launching herself at Denna with renewed vigor. Fury flashed in her eyes as she traded blows with Denna. With the weapons more fairly distributed, the two women were evenly matched, and soon they were both panting with exertion, sweat dripping down and matting their hair to their faces.
It was a tiny slip that gave Cara the advantage, a root barely sticking out of the ground behind Denna's foot. She stumbled backward over it, and Cara pressed forward, knocking Denna flat on her back. Before Denna could recover, Cara was straddling her ribs, one hand holding the wrist of Denna's weapon-hand in a vise grip.
"Looks like you'll get to meet the Keeper again," Cara growled fiercely as she brought her agiel to hover over Denna's chest. Denna's eyes were wide with shock.
That was the sight that met Richard as he burst into the clearing. "Cara!" he exclaimed, rushing toward the women. He stopped in his tracks as Cara's eyes shot up to meet his in warning. "What are you doing?!"
"What she asked for," Cara responded with steel in her voice, lowering her agiel toward Denna's heart.
Richard surged forward, pulling Cara's arm back before she could make contact. "Stop!"
The action at least had the effect of drawing Cara's attention from the woman beneath her; Cara retaliated with an elbow to Richard's thigh, pushing him backward as she rose to her feet. She stared back at Richard, pointing her agiel at him menacingly. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, but the glint in her eyes was much darker than the thrill of battle.
Richard gripped the hilt of his sword, but refused to draw it. "Cara, I don't want to fight you," he warned.
"That's too bad," Cara snarled, advancing on him. "I'm going to fight someone, and you don't seem to approve of any of my choices."
Richard glanced back at Denna, who was sliding back away from Cara. "Denna didn't kill Kahlan," he said, his voice rough with grief. He took a step back as Cara swayed closer. "And neither did Zedd."
Setting her jaw, Cara lunged forward, catching Richard with a backhanded blow to the face. "It doesn't matter who killed her!" she cried, her voice rising tremulously as she reached back for another swing. "She's still dead!"
Blocking her attack with his forearm, Richard grabbed her other arm, bringing the struggle to a standstill. His eyes were soft and wide with sympathy as he met Cara's pained gaze.
"Kahlan's dead," Cara said weakly, her chin trembling as fresh tears welled in her eyes. Richard pulled her into his arms, holding firm as she tried to wrestle free. After a moment's struggle, the strength seemed to bleed from her body, and she sagged against him, the agiel falling from her grasp.
"And Tobias Brogan is going to answer for that," Richard said hoarsely, tears moistening his own eyes as grief finally took him. He clung to her tighter. "I swear to you he will."
Cara hands came up to clutch at his back as a sob escaped her throat. Over her shoulder, Richard's eyes sought out Denna. She had risen to her feet and was standing uncomfortably at the edge of the clearing. She met his gaze, nodding her understanding. Dropping Cara's agiel to the ground, Denna moved to collect her dagger and return it to her belt. Before she turned to leave, she met Richard's eyes once more, her eyes soft with something resembling compassion.
Richard managed a bittersweet, strained smile of gratitude as Denna walked away. Now it was just him and Cara, and their grief. He let his tears come in earnest as he held Cara in a fierce embrace, their shoulders shaking as they clung to one another.
~*~
They were still clinging to each other when Chase found them. He stood at the edge of the glade, softly clearing his throat to announce his arrival.
Richard opened his eyes, loosening his hold on Cara when he met Chase's gaze. Cara tensed and pulled away, averting her eyes as she collected her agiels.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Richard," Chase apologized. "Queen Corah has arrived, with her forces from Caddock." He hesitated. "She asked for the Mother Confessor."
Richard sniffled as he drew his sleeve over his cheeks to wipe away the tears. He sighed. "I should go talk to her, tell her what's happened before someone else does."
Chase nodded his agreement. "Better to hear it from you than from Darken Rahl."
Richard swallowed his grief, clenching his fist around the hilt of his sword as he gathered his strength. He moved over to Cara, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Will you be all right?" he asked softly.
Cara scoffed, stubbornly narrowing her eyes. They still glistened with tears. "I'll be better once I drive Kahlan's daggers through Brogan's heart," she muttered, shrugging off Richard's hand and brushing past him to return to camp. Richard watched her go, his forehead crinkling with worry.
Chase stepped forward, clapping a hand gently on Richard's shoulder. "What about you, Richard?" he asked, concerned. "Are you going to be okay?"
Richard sighed heavily, looking up at Chase with a strained attempt at a smile. "I have to be."
~*~
The camp was quiet, filled with an awkward tension. Denna had returned, and was sitting off to the side, deep in thought. Nicci brooded by the remnants of the campfire, occasionally raising a hand to rub at her neck under the Rada'Han. Dahlia stood farther back, close enough to attend her lord, but her eyes were fixed on the blonde sorceress. Her hand rested absently over her corset. Berdine and Raina stood behind Darken, solemn expressions on their faces as their eyes continuously scanned the trees around the clearing.
Darken himself was seated on a large rock protruding from the ground, a whetstone lying next to him. He was polishing his sword with a rag, a satisfied smile touching his lips as he tested the edge.
No sooner had he put the rag down than it was snatched up, along with the whetstone, by a blur of red leather. He looked up to protest, but Cara moved swiftly to a log on the other side of camp, pulling one of Kahlan's daggers from her boot. As she began to clean the blade with grim determination, Richard and Chase stepped into camp.
Richard glanced sadly at Cara before crossing to Corah, who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the clearing. She watched as he approached, her eyes shining with concern.
"Seeker," she greeted urgently. "Is it true, what they're saying about Kahlan?"
Richard inhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair as he raised his eyes to meet hers. "She's dead," he said softly, barely managing not to choke on the words.
Corah's face crumbled, and she pressed a hand to her chest to try to contain her grief. After a moment, she straightened, forcing composure into her features. She looked back up at Richard with renewed strength in her eyes. "She will be missed," she said firmly. "The Midlands shall know of her noble sacrifice."
Richard sighed uneasily. "There'll be time for that later," he said, looking off toward Aydindril. "Right now, we've got a lot of work to do. You can bet General Brogan isn't sitting idle."
~*~
The next day dawned on a drastically changed city. The gates of Aydindril were still open, but now they were heavily guarded on the inside by men of the Blood of the Fold. A quiet tension filled the streets, empty except for swarms of red-caped soldiers flooding every block. Here and there, faces peeked through windows; some watching with interest, others in fear.
On one street, a man was speaking animatedly to a pair of soldiers, leading them toward a particular house. A couple of blocks down, a different pair of soldiers was arguing with a young couple. One of the men was holding on to a squirming young boy as the other held the parents at bay.
The father surged forward, reaching for his son, but was stopped by a swiftly drawn sword pointed at his chest. The boy's mother clapped her hand to her mouth, tears running down her face as she watched fearfully. The father's face twisted in grief as he stepped away from the sword, pulling his wife into his arms as their son was dragged away. The soldier holding the sword gave the father a sympathetic look before putting away his sword and following his partner.
Further into the city, in the town square, a crowd was gathered once again. It was smaller than the day before, and more subdued. The majority of townspeople still watched eagerly as an elderly woman was pulled up onto the dais, but off to the side, a pair of women looked a bit more uneasy.
"That's Althea!" the blonde woman said in a hushed voice to her dark-haired friend. "She's just a healer! She knows her herbs, but there's nothing magic about it."
"Shh! You'll end up in the dungeons talking like that!" her friend said urgently, looking nervously at the people around her, and at the red-caped guards lining the edge of the square. "You heard General Brogan. His men know magic when they see it." Her voice didn't sound so certain.
A nearby man turned to look at them. "That's right," he said smugly. "And soon the General will have cleansed Aydindril of all its magical filth."
As he turned back to watch the soldiers force the healer to her knees over the block, the two friends shared an uncomfortable glance. Around them, a few scattered faces shared their unease, but the square still rang with cheers as the axe was dropped.
The gates to the Confessors' Palace were closed, and guarded by several men in red capes. The studded blue of the Home Guard was nowhere in sight.
Inside the Palace, in the council chambers, Tobias lounged in the seat of the Mother Confessor, looking bored as a guard gave a report.
"They've gathered more men, General," the young man said, nervously fidgeting with the collar of his cape. "And more keep arriving. Their camps almost completely surround the city now. They appear to be preparing for a siege."
Tobias pinned him with a solemn glare, making the guard squirm uncomfortably, before he burst out laughing.
The guard furrowed his brow in confusion. "General?"
His laughter quieted to a chuckle as he looked the young man up and down. "You seem like a sensible enough young man," Tobias said, leaning back in the chair. "You've seen our army, and you've seen this city's defenses. Why would we worry about the Seeker and his little ragtag group of friends playing at being soldiers?"
"Of course, General," the guard said, forcing a smile onto his face.
Tobias smiled. "Good. Now go check on the men in the dungeons, see how they're doing with containing the prisoners. Make sure they're not being generous with space in the cells; there's too much magical corruption in this city to be bothered with comfort."
"Yes, General." The guard gave a sharp nod, turning on his heel and exiting the room.
Lunetta crept closer to her brother as the far door opened and the council started filing in. "Tob- General Brogan," she began hesitantly. He turned his gaze on her, his smile twisting into a sneer. "It might be wise to bring the rest of the men into the city," she suggested, watching his face closely for his reaction. "And perhaps close the gates. If the Seeker continues to gather forces, we should be prepared to defend against them."
Tobias scowled at his sister, his eyes flicking over to where the council was taking their seats. "The Seeker is not the only one with reinforcements, Lunetta. Ours will be arriving very soon," he said, a fraction louder than he needed to, to ensure that the council heard him. He smiled. "Besides, with the Mother Confessor eliminated, the boy and his followers have nothing to fight for. With their morale shattered, they won't stand a chance against our soldiers."
"Of course." Lunetta nodded warily. "You're right, Tobias, as always."
His eyes narrowed in annoyance at the use of his given name, but he was in too good a mood to dwell on it. He smiled condescendingly at her. "My dear sister, you've got to understand that what you think is wisdom is really the Keeper's taint, manifesting in you to try to sabotage my noble work."
Lunetta nodded again, more resolutely. She stepped back away from the chair as Tobias rose, opening his arms in welcome to the now-seated council.
"Welcome, honored members of the Council of the Midlands," he greeted smoothly. "This is a momentous occasion. Today marks the first meeting of the council as an assembly of equals, without the pall of magic casting doubt on our every decision." His smile broadened as he was met with a sea of nodding heads. Satisfied, he reclaimed his seat. "Let us begin."
After a brief silence, one of the councilors rose from his seat, clearing his throat. "General Brogan, I think I speak on behalf of the entire council when I say that your intervention has been most welcome," he began hesitantly. It was the same man who only a day ago had been so adamant about the dangers of magic, but today he seemed rather more subdued. "I must admit, however, that the pace at which the Blood of the Fold seems to be moving seems rather...hasty."
Tobias narrowed his eyes, but kept his voice jovial. "With the evils of magic posing so great a threat, it's essential to move swiftly."
The councilor nodded, searching for the nerve to say more. He was preempted by a fellow councilor standing a few seats down from him, a dark-skinned woman with a furrowed brow.
"General, we're aware of the urgency of the situation, but I'm concerned that the people may not understand it," she said, her voice growing with conviction. "Simply put, they're terrified. A good number of them have barricaded themselves in their homes, for fear that the soldiers will come for them."
The general smirked, as his sister fidgeted nervously behind him, watching him with growing distress. "Why would they be afraid, unless they have something to hide?" he asked smugly. "My men are under orders to take only those people suspected of using magic."
The other councilor found his voice again. "Just this morning my niece was taken into custody," he said worriedly. "She's only seven, and my sister and her husband have been excellent parents. They would never have even exposed her to magic, let alone allowed her to use it."
"Children have a way of gaining access to things, councilor," Tobias pointed out. "Things their parents would be shocked to learn about." He waved his hand dismissively. "You needn't be worried, in any case. Only the guilty will be punished."
Lunetta could not hold back any longer. She stepped forward, laying a hand on her brother's forearm. "General, it might be prudent to listen to their concerns," she whispered. "The people must be firmly on our side."
Tobias snapped his head to look at her, an angry sneer curling his lips. "I thought I told you to be silent!" he hissed, jerking his arm from under her hand. Turning back to the council, he rose from his seat again, a confident smile masking his anger. "Honored council, I assure you that we have but one goal, and that is justice - for every citizen of the Midlands, which requires bringing justice to every single servant of the Keeper that lurks in our midst. We may be forced to do things that are distasteful. Innocents may be taken in for questioning, and I understand how that would be frightening to consider." His eyes leveled with those of every member of the council, piercing them with his conviction. "But in order to purge our lives of the taint of magic, we must follow every lead, question every person with the remotest chance of being corrupted."
Scanning the council, Tobias was pleased to see his words having effect. The councilors nodded hesitantly, as though trying to convince themselves of the righteousness of his words. He struggled to control his widening smile. It was time.
"I know what some of you are thinking," he said solemnly. "How can you trust me if I allow the very enemy we are fighting against to wander freely about my home?" His gaze drifted sideways to Lunetta, whose forehead creased as her eyes clouded with confusion. "I admit, I have put this off for far too long, out of a misplaced sense of family loyalty. But in order to ensure the safety of all of our people, no creature of magic can be spared. Guards, take this woman to the dungeon."
A rash of hushed whispers broke out among the council as the guards stepped forward, one on either side of Lunetta. She looked imploringly back at Tobias. "Tobias, brother, what are you doing?" she asked quietly, her voice wavering with conflicting emotions. "I can still help you!"
Tobias' eyes turned hard. "Silence, vile creature!" he ordered, his lip curling in disgust. "I have no sister," he declared passionately, loud enough for the council to hear. "This woman is an abomination, a depraved servant of the Keeper! Her taint has haunted me from the moment I was born, just as countless others are being haunted as we speak. This will not be allowed to continue." Lunetta wilted under his hateful gaze, her own eyes filling with shame. Tobias smiled to see her accepting her fate. His eyes turned to the guards on either side of her. "Be sure to put her in the securest cell you can find. The corruption is strong in her, and she will need to be heavily guarded."
The guards nodded sharply. Lunetta offered no resistance, only a last sad look at her brother before allowing herself to be led from the council chambers.
With a victorious grin, Tobias turned back to the council. There was still uncertainty on a good number of faces, and a couple of councilors looked even more uncomfortable than they had before, but the majority of the council appeared to have been reassured by his display of conviction.
"Enough of this unpleasantness," he said amiably as he sat down once more, tenting his fingers on his lap. "Let us move on to more cheerful subjects. The Midlands have a bright future ahead."
~*~
Richard's forces worked tirelessly as the day wore on. Tents were erected, weapons prepared, messengers dispatched to communicate between the growing number of factions. Zedd assisted where he could, his magic helping them perform menial tasks more efficiently. By the time the sun set, countless fires could be seen dotting the hills surrounding Aydindril, where they were not concealed by the thick cover of trees. Soldiers milled about, keeping watch on the enemy troops all through the night and into the morning.
The next day dawned on colors flying proudly among the troops, banners of a variety of Midlands nations. Groups of soldiers continued to trickle into the growing camp, bringing much-needed hope to people still grieving for the Mother Confessor.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Chase made his way to a large area designated as the commissary. Large cooking fires were burning brightly across from the healing tents. His wife, Emma, stood stirring a pot that sat on one such fire. With her back to him, she didn't notice his approach until he crept up behind her, resting his hands on her hips, placing a tender kiss on her cheek.
Emma smiled, leaning back against her husband. "What are you doing here?" she chided, turning to face him. "You should be in the command tent with Richard."
"Even commanders need to eat," he sighed, smiling ruefully. "And if I don't force it down his throat, I don't think the thought would even cross his mind."
"The boy is dedicated," Emma agreed, turning back to her pot of soup. "I suppose he needs something to occupy his mind," she added sadly.
Chase nodded soberly. "I guess it's good that he's able to focus," he admitted. "This certainly isn't the time to get distracted."
He looked over toward the healing tents, his expression growing concerned. Laura, his eldest, was helping the Minders prepare bandages and put together healing supplies. His younger daughter was engaged in animated conversation with the Listener, while his youngest was seated firmly next to Jennsen, peppering her with questions and playing with the baby in her lap. Jennsen was smiling and humoring the boy while Dennee sat a small distance away, hugging her arms to herself while she stared at the ground.
Chase sighed at the sight. "I still don't like you all being here."
"You'd prefer we sit at home, worrying ourselves to death over when or if you were coming home?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she reached for a bowl, ladling soup into it. "Everyone can do something, and the Seeker needs all the help he can get." She pushed the bowl into Chase's hands. "Where would he be without my famous spice soup?"
Chase took the bowl sheepishly, giving his wife an affectionate peck on the lips. He turned away, making his way back to the command tent. Smaller tents were erected around it, for housing Richard and his companions.
He was bombarded with noise as he entered the tent. The table in the center of the tent was ringed with commanders: Corah from Caddock, a couple of leaders from the Resistance, two generals from other nations. Darken Rahl sat at one corner, with Berdine standing behind him. Richard sat at the head of the table, running his fingers over his forehead as Cara looked on from behind him, her face devoid of expression. One of the generals, a gruff-looking man outfitted in leather of such a dark blue it appeared almost black, with a finely crafted steel sigil of crossed swords firmly embedded in the front, was gesturing at the large map of Aydindril and its surrounding areas that covered nearly the whole surface of the table.
"It's too well-defended," he was saying. "The only possible approach is from the front, and that will only drive them inside the city walls."
Chase maneuvered around the men, placing the bowl of soup in front of Richard on the table and patting him on the shoulder before returning to the empty seat at Richard's right.
Richard gave Chase a grateful look before he turned back to the commanders. "We have no choice, General Baldwin," he sighed. "If we want to defeat the Blood of the Fold, it has to be here, now. If we leave, we only let them grow stronger, and we'll never win."
General Baldwin huffed, and was about to speak when two members of the Resistance entered, holding a man in a blood-red cape between them.
"This man claims he wants to join us," one of them said briskly, gripping the man's shoulder tightly.
Richard peered up at the man. "Why would you join with your enemy?" he asked suspiciously.
"Please, Seeker," the man said, struggling against his captors. Richard nodded toward them, and they released him. The soldier reached up to push back his cape. "I'm not Blood of the Fold. My men and I are Home Guard, dedicated to protecting Aydindril and the Confessors."
Darken let out a sharp laugh. "You've done a splendid job thus far," he said sarcastically.
Richard glared at his brother before turning back to the guard, urging him to continue.
"We wanted to stop the execution," he said with frustration. "But Brogan captured our families. He offered us an ultimatum: join his cause, or condemn our loved ones to death."
"And what of the Mother Confessor?" General Baldwin asked angrily, rising from his seat. "She was worth a hundred of your loved ones!"
The other general, a younger man in brown leather with the image of a rearing horse tooled into the front, shot up from his chair across the table, glaring at Baldwin. "Since when does Kelton hold such love for the Mother Confessor? It was your prince that tried to depose her!"
Baldwin sneered. "Fyren did not speak for all Keltans," he said angrily. "And at least our swords will be useful in this fight! What good are your renowned Galean war horses here?"
Richard stood, slamming his hand down on the table. "Sit down, generals," Richard said firmly. Behind him, Cara gripped the hilt of one of her agiels, her composure slipping ever-so-slightly.
The generals obeyed, unhappily. "Seeker, you can't tell me you're going to ally with these cowards!" Baldwin protested.
"They could have vital information," Richard pointed out. "They've been closer to Brogan than we could dream of getting."
"Exactly!" Baldwin retorted. "How do we know they're not here to spy on us?"
Richard fixed the general with a steely glare. "I'm the Seeker of Truth," he said firmly. "I believe he's being honest." He turned back to the guardsman. "Please, have a seat." He offered, pointing to an empty chair next to Darken. The man looked warily at the tyrant before hesitantly taking the seat. "What's your name?" Richard asked.
"Darren," the man replied. "Thank you for trusting me, Seeker. I want to do whatever I can to avenge the Mother Confessor's death."
Richard gave him a tight smile, directing his next words to the soldiers that had brought him in. "Inform Darren's men that they are welcome in our camp." The soldiers nodded and left, leaving the tent in a brief uncomfortable silence.
Corah cleared her throat. "Richard, if they've started taking prisoners, we've got to get them out before we attack," she urged. "Otherwise Brogan will just use them as leverage against us."
"That would be risky," Darren said regretfully. "The Palace is the most heavily guarded part of the city. My men and I know enough to get you in, but getting the prisoners out would put them in more danger than leaving them in the dungeon."
"Then we'll send a small contingent of men in to protect them," Richard said decisively.
"That's all well and good, Seeker," General Baldwin said irritably. "But what of the actual battle? The minute we attack, Brogan will just pull back into the city and close the gates against us."
"He has a point," the other general agreed unhappily. "We don't have enough men for a lengthy siege. We'll have to disable the gates before we attack, to leave the way open."
"We can send in a force to eliminate the guards, clear the walls," General Baldwin added. "I can have fifty men ready to act in a candlemark."
"Wait," Richard said, holding up his hand. "I agree that it's a sound plan, but these soldiers are men, just like us. Before we go charging in killing people, they should be given a chance to surrender."
"Surrender!?" Baldwin exploded. "These men have slaughtered our citizens, taken control of our cities. They murdered the Mother Confessor!"
"Seeker," the other general said carefully. "I think perhaps you should leave the planning to men more familiar with war." Richard opened his mouth to protest, but the general continued. "Don't take this as an insult, but you simply don't have the experience to lead an army."
Across the table, one of the Resistance leaders rose angrily. "The Seeker is the only one my men will follow!" he declared, glaring at the generals.
"War is hard, and it is cruel," General Baldwin spat, rising from his seat to shout back at the man. "There's no room for coddling murderers, or for allying with traitors and tyrants!"
"We need to focus!" Richard said loudly, to no avail. The shouting grew louder as more commanders joined in. Darken sat back and watched with a mixture of irritation and mild amusement.
Then there was a flash of red, and the loud "thunk" of a blade being driven into wood. All eyes turned to Cara, her hand still on the hilt of Kahlan's dagger.
"You're all being idiots," she spat in disgust. Her eyes flashed with cold fury as they moved around the table, fixing on each commander in turn. "If the Mother Confessor were here, she would be ashamed of all of you. This is not the time for childish bickering, it is the time for action." She paused, bringing her eyes back to pin General Baldwin in particular. "The Seeker is the one who brought you all here in the first place. You will listen to him, and follow his orders, or you will answer to me."
"We will win this battle," Cara continued, her voice taking on an edge of steel. "And Brogan will pay. Kahlan will not have died in vain."
As she stepped back, all eyes drifted toward the table. Kahlan's dagger was embedded in the wood, piercing the map perfectly in the center of the Confessors' Palace.
~*~
The tiny blue lights skimmed over the tops of the trees, dipping and rolling as they wound through the forest. Finally they reached their destination, homing in on a small glade that was tightly ringed by trees. Off to the side of the clearing was the woman they had come to see.
Kahlan was unconscious, her dark hair spilling over the roughspun blanket that had been propped under her head. Her chest rose and fell steadily, causing the flowing white fabric of her dress to ripple with the movement.
The night wisps hummed happily amongst themselves as they settled around Kahlan; in her hair, floating over her face. After a few moments, her eyes blinked open, and she smiled sleepily.
"Hello," she greeted, her voice thick with sleep. She blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up, and memories came rushing back to her. The smile fell from her face. The wisps skittered away as she shot up, her hands moving instinctively to her throat.
"It's about time," called a voice from a few paces away. Kahlan looked over to see Shota perched by a spring, peering into the lightly burbling water. "You've been unconscious for two days."
"What happened?" Kahlan asked, confused. "I...I died. I remember the axe at my neck." Her face twisted in distress as she rubbed at her throat. "The people were cheering," she said in disbelief, her eyes moistening at the memory.
"It's called a death spell," Shota explained, raising her eyes from the water to meet Kahlan's. "It's an old spell, requiring a great deal of power. Luckily Zeddicus and I were both at hand, or you really would be dead."
The night wisps chittered nervously as they returned to floating near Kahlan's head. Clearly the idea distressed them.
"Zedd didn't say anything," Kahlan said softly, trying to make sense of what Shota was telling her.
"In order for the spell to work, the subject must believe they are going to die," Shota said. "That belief is amplified, projected into the minds of everyone who witnesses the event."
"So they all think they saw me die," Kahlan said, starting to understand. Shota nodded. "Brogan and his men, all those people in the square - everyone thinks I'm dead."
"Well, almost everyone," Shota huffed, glaring at the blue lights fluttering around Kahlan. "It apparently doesn't work on night wisps."
Kahlan smiled softly at the wisps before her face fell again. "Cara," she breathed in horror, raising her hand to her lips. "And Richard, and Dennee - they all think I'm dead too?"
"Well it certainly wouldn't work as well if your loved ones were carrying on as though nothing happened," Shota said sarcastically.
Kahlan barely heard her, overwhelmed by her own worry. Tears welled in her eyes. "Spirits, she must be devastated," she murmured, pulling herself to her feet. She stumbled a little, her legs shaky after two days of disuse. "I have to go to her -"
Shota was at her side in an instant, gripping her forearm both to offer support and to keep her from leaving. "No one will recognize you," she warned. "And if you tell even one person who you are, the spell will be broken, and it will all have been for nothing."
"You don't understand!" Kahlan said passionately. "She's been through so much." Her voice wavered as a tear slipped down her cheek. "It took all of her strength just to let me in, and now she thinks I'm dead."
"And she must continue to think so," Shota said firmly. "If we are to have any hope of defeating Tobias Brogan."
"By the time we defeat him, it could be too late!" Kahlan argued. "It's been two days, Cara might have already done something reckless."
"Would you risk the freedom of your people for one woman?" Shota asked sharply.
Kahlan's shoulders slumped helplessly. "No," she conceded, holding a hand to her chest to try to contain the ache there. Shota released her arm, returning to her seat by the spring.
The wisps hummed as they drifted around her, and her face brightened. She focused her gaze on them. "You can go to her," she said hopefully. "Make sure that she's safe, comfort her. Richard and Dennee, too." The wisps sang their agreement, and Kahlan smiled.
The wisps began to float away, when a thought struck Kahlan. "Wait!" The creatures hovered in place, waiting for her to speak. "They can't know that I'm alive," she said sadly. "Do what you can to comfort them, but don't tell them about me."
The wisps' voices warbled with slightly less enthusiasm, but Kahlan understood their agreement, and smiled. "Thank you," she said sincerely as she watched the little blue lights drift away.
"The people of Aydindril are growing restless," Shota remarked, gazing deep into the water. "They are beginning to question Brogan's methods."
Kahlan turned, walking over to peer into the spring as well. Her eyes widened at what she saw, her jaw clenching in growing fury. Shota glanced up at Kahlan, solemn conviction in her eyes. "It is time."
~*~
The atmosphere was calmer in the command tent after Cara's outburst. At the very least, the commanders were listening to Richard speak.
"Corah, you and your guard will be most effective here," he said, maneuvering around the protruding dagger to point to a spot off to the side of the city. "You're valuable fighters, but we don't want our own people getting hurt if we can help it." He met her eyes apologetically, but she nodded her understanding.
"I want to help as much as I can," Corah said resolutely. "And that means removing the Rada'Han."
Cara was watching the discussion with a small degree of interest when a flash of blue light caught her eye. Turning her gaze to the entrance of the tent, she saw it again. Glancing back at Richard, she saw that he had things under control, so she crept toward the light, stepping out in front of the tent.
The pair of wisps fluttered excitedly when they recognized her, chirping a greeting. A bittersweet hint of a smile touched Cara's lips as she extended a hand to them. One of them landed on her hand, the other hovering a small distance from her face.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice rough but still tinged with wonder. "Did you come to help Richard?"
The wisps hummed a response, their voices softening as they felt her emotions.
"Me?" she scoffed. The wisps trilled in the affirmative. "I'm not sad," she said defensively. "I just..." she swallowed, her voice cracking. "Kahlan's dead."
A tear began to trickle out of her eye, and a wisp landed on her cheek to catch it, flitting out of the way as Cara's hand came up to wipe at her face. The creatures warbled softly, and Cara huffed sadly.
"Hope is for fools," she said bitterly. The warbling grew more insistent. "No, Kahlan wouldn't want me to give up," she conceded. "But she's not here." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you so stuck on this?"
The wisps chittered nervously, floating away from Cara. "No, you know something," Cara said, hope and suspicion flaring to life in her eyes. "Is Kahlan alive?" she breathed urgently. The wisps hummed regretfully. "Where is she?" Cara demanded, reflexively shooting out her hand to try to catch them. The pair evaded her hand, drifting off into the trees.
"Come back!" Cara called desperately, watching them disappear.
"Talking to yourself, Cara?" Dahlia teased as she approached the command tent. Cara turned to look at her, pulling her features back into a stoic mask, but not before Dahlia saw the hope in her eyes. Dahlia quirked her lips into a soft smile, nodding to Cara before breezing past her. Cara followed her back into the tent, wanting to hear whatever she was going to say.
Darken's eyes shot to Dahlia immediately as they entered. "Where's Nicci?"
Dahlia shrugged. "Raina's watching her," she replied. "I just came to inform you that the reinforcements you sent for have arrived."
Darken smiled smugly as all eyes in the tent turned to him. "Excellent, Dahlia. I'll greet them immediately."
Richard gaped as his brother rose from his chair, signaling for Berdine to follow him. Darken paused at the entrance to the tent, smirking back at Richard.
"Just because I don't have my throne, brother, does not mean I don't have power."
Richard stood quickly, looking at Cara and shrugging before heading out after his brother. Cara rolled her eyes, and was about to turn and follow when her eyes landed on Kahlan's dagger, still embedded in the table. Heedless of the gaping commanders, she stepped forward, yanking it free and returning it to her belt before rushing out after Richard.
~*~
Rahl's reinforcements were roughly three dozen Mord-Sith, standing stiffly at attention as Darken arrived with the others. Their leader approached Rahl to speak with him in clipped tones. Cara ignored them, appraising the gathered women with her eyes. Her gaze stopped abruptly on a particular Mord-Sith in one of the back rows. Tall, pale, ice-blue eyes. She squinted as she stared at the woman, sure she had seen her somewhere before.
Richard's attention was drawn immediately to Shota, who stood off to the side talking with Zedd. "So now you show up," Richard said angrily, storming over to the witch woman. Shota turned to face him. "I thought I told you not to come back without Kahlan."
Shota made some reply, but Cara didn't hear it; her attention was fixed on the dark-haired Mord-Sith. She caught the woman's nervous flinch when Richard said Kahlan's name, a soft gasp escaping her throat as recognition set in. She swallowed thickly, not quite believing what her eyes were telling her.
Cara watched, wide-eyed, as Kahlan tried to compose herself, quickly averting her gaze from Richard and Shota. Cara's breath caught in her throat as the familiar blue eyes landed on her.
For an instant, Kahlan's face brightened when her gaze met Cara's, but it fell when she caught the glint of recognition in the jade eyes. Swallowing back the urge to rush to her lover, Kahlan held Cara's gaze firmly. She gave a slight shake of her head, hoping Cara would get the message.
A look of wary confusion flashed across Cara's face, but she held her tongue, looking toward Darken and the Mord-Sith he was talking to.
"Well, Richard, let's see what you can do with some real warriors," Darken said, turning to smirk at his brother. Richard turned away from Shota, his anger only slightly cooled.
"My lord, why are we following the Seeker's command?" the Mord-Sith asked, confused.
Darken's lip curled slightly in distaste. "Necessity dictated that we have a leader that everyone would follow," he said disdainfully. "But make no mistake - I am still your Lord Rahl." His voice hardened as he looked back at the woman. "I have no intentions of relinquishing my title."
"And I don't want it," Richard said firmly, catching his brother's eye. "We should gather the commanders, prepare for battle. It's almost time."
Rahl nodded, raising a hand to signal for the Mord-Sith to follow. They filed out of the clearing, passing an empty tent on the way. As Kahlan followed, bringing up the rear, she found herself being pulled inside, face to face with Cara.
"Kahlan -" There was a question on Cara's lips, her eyes wary as she took in the sight of Kahlan, but she didn't have a chance to ask it. It took all of a split-second for Kahlan to throw herself into Cara's arms, hugging her desperately. Cara hesitantly returned the embrace, patting Kahlan's back with gloved hands.
"I'm so sorry, Cara," she murmured into the blonde's ear, her eyes filling with tears. "I wanted to come find you, but I couldn't. Shota wouldn't let me, because of the spell -"
Cara pulled away, a million questions on the tip of her tongue as she searched Kahlan's face. "I saw you die," was all she could manage, in a weak voice.
Kahlan's hands trembled as they cupped Cara's face. "It was a spell," she explained, sniffing back tears. "I didn't know until I woke up out here in the forest." She stroked Cara's cheek with her thumb, her eyes shining with remorse. "Cara, I'm so sorry for what you must have been going through. I would have done anything to spare you that pain."
Cara scoffed, her hands on Kahlan's shoulders keeping a moderate distance between them. Her eyes roamed over Kahlan's leather-clad form, drinking in every detail to assure herself that this was real. Her eyes finally returned to Kahlan's, and they glistened with tears she was struggling not to shed.
Finally, she tugged Kahlan against her, wrapping her arms tightly around Kahlan's waist. "You're alive," she murmured into Kahlan's neck.
Kahlan clung to her shoulders, breathing in the scent of leather and skin. "I'm so glad you're all right," she said tearfully. "I was terrified that you would have already done something to get yourself killed."
Cara huffed into Kahlan's shoulder. "I almost did," she admitted, her hands running up and down Kahlan's back as though to reassure herself that she was real. "Denna stopped me."
Kahlan pulled back, her eyes shimmering with confusion. "Denna?"
Cara shook her head. "I'll tell you later," she promised, looking reluctantly over her shoulder. "We should catch up to Richard and the others."
"Cara, wait," Kahlan said quickly, stopping her from leaving. Cara cocked her head in question. "No one else can know about this," she said regretfully. "About me."
"Not that I'm complaining, Kahlan, but the disguise you've chosen doesn't do much to actually disguise you," Cara said skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
"The spell makes it so that no one will recognize me," Kahlan explained, then froze, looking at Cara curiously. "How did you?"
Cara shrugged, a smug smile tugging at her lips. "Night wisps aren't very good liars."
Kahlan sighed, returning the smile. "Well, I can't be too mad," she admitted, her eyes turning serious as they caught Cara's. "I think I would have gone crazy if I'd had to go another minute without holding you."
Cara looked down uncomfortably, trying to hide the pink tinge to her cheeks. Kahlan smiled broadly, sliding her hand down Cara's arm to grasp her hand.
"Come on, let's go catch up to the others," Kahlan said. As she started moving toward the entrance of the tent, though, Cara tugged her back. The blonde's free hand came up to Kahlan's neck, pulling her into an ardent kiss. Kahlan responded eagerly, her lips moving against Cara's with equal fervor.
After a few moments, Cara pulled away, panting as she rested her forehead against Kahlan's. "I thought I'd never get to do that again," she admitted softly.
Kahlan smiled, pulling back to look fondly at Cara. She slid her hand up to squeeze Cara's where it rested on her neck. "When this is over," she vowed solemnly, "You can do it as often as you like."
~*~
continue to Episode 3.14 - Hope - part 2