The discovery that she and Richard could be together, in a Being Together sense, ought to have made things much easier.
In theory.
In reality, on the other hand ...
+
"Oh, look," Kahlan says one night, the four of them sitting around a slightly dwindling campfire. "We're almost out of firewood."
"I don't know," Richard says, "I think we'll be all right for another few--"
She knocks her foot against Richard's, significantly.
His eyes widen. "Oh. Right. Firewood. We should get some more! We don't want anyone freezing during the night."
"Warm nights," Kahlan says, "are a good thing."
"You just come find us if you need us, Zed, Cara!" Richard calls over his shoulder as Kahlan drags him away.
"Come find us if you need us??" she whispers, incredulous.
"I panicked a little," Richard says. The expression on his face makes her laugh, and walking through the forest hand in hand, all calm and moonlight and shadows, she almost can't believe that they've ever known anything less sweet.
She doesn't actually expect them to come find them. But sure enough, no sooner have she and Richard kissed their way onto the ground than--
"Someone's coming!"
"Zed," Richard sighs, with the world-weary wisdom of one who's been interrupted by Zed a thousand times. Kahlan knows the feeling.
But then, it's:
"Cara??"
They both scramble into a sitting position. Richard plucks a leaf from Kahlan's hair.
"You were right," Cara says briskly. "We need more firewood."
"We're taking care of it," Kahlan says. Her breathing is a bit too heavy to lend much credence to the statement.
Cara eyes them skeptically.
"We are," Richard says, adorably defensive.
"All right," Cara says. "I was under the impression you'd just said that so you could sneak off to roll around like dogs in heat, but clearly I was wrong." She smirks. Richard pulls another leaf from Kahlan's hair.
"Wrong," Kahlan agrees.
"So wrong," Richard expounds.
The three of them stare at each other.
"I'll leave you," Cara says at last, "in pursuit of your wood."
Richard and Kahlan blush, and Cara stalks away looking even more quietly self-satisfied than usual.
"Hey, Cara?" Richard calls.
Cara stops, and turns.
"If Zed gets any ideas about randomly wandering the forest before we get back ..." Richard starts.
Kahlan says, "... could you ..."
"Leave the wizard to me," Cara says. And off she goes.
"Have I mentioned," Richard says, "that I really like having her around?"
"Yes," Kahlan replies, smiling, "but I don't think it can be said enough."
They sink into fond silence, and she looks at him. He's a little overdue for a haircut, and there's a smudge of dirt on his face from an atypically muddy fight with a group of bandits earlier, and he looks at her like he could never ask anything more from the world. Like he'll never need another gift.
The first time they met, she held a knife to his throat and one thought coursed through her brain, her limbs, her veins: I'll never be fool enough to trust you. Even then his eyes were sweet.
"I love you," she says, putting her hand to his cheek.
"I love you," he answers easily, and takes another leaf from her hair. She laughs, and so does he, and laughing she falls into his arms, and laughing he pulls her close.
They don't return to camp 'til morning. Fortunately, Cara chooses to go in the other direction to search for firewood. She takes Zed with her.
legend of the seeker | richard/kahlan | just for tonight, darling, let's get lost
In theory.
In reality, on the other hand ...
+
"Oh, look," Kahlan says one night, the four of them sitting around a slightly dwindling campfire. "We're almost out of firewood."
"I don't know," Richard says, "I think we'll be all right for another few--"
She knocks her foot against Richard's, significantly.
His eyes widen. "Oh. Right. Firewood. We should get some more! We don't want anyone freezing during the night."
"Warm nights," Kahlan says, "are a good thing."
"You just come find us if you need us, Zed, Cara!" Richard calls over his shoulder as Kahlan drags him away.
"Come find us if you need us??" she whispers, incredulous.
"I panicked a little," Richard says. The expression on his face makes her laugh, and walking through the forest hand in hand, all calm and moonlight and shadows, she almost can't believe that they've ever known anything less sweet.
She doesn't actually expect them to come find them. But sure enough, no sooner have she and Richard kissed their way onto the ground than--
"Someone's coming!"
"Zed," Richard sighs, with the world-weary wisdom of one who's been interrupted by Zed a thousand times. Kahlan knows the feeling.
But then, it's:
"Cara??"
They both scramble into a sitting position. Richard plucks a leaf from Kahlan's hair.
"You were right," Cara says briskly. "We need more firewood."
"We're taking care of it," Kahlan says. Her breathing is a bit too heavy to lend much credence to the statement.
Cara eyes them skeptically.
"We are," Richard says, adorably defensive.
"All right," Cara says. "I was under the impression you'd just said that so you could sneak off to roll around like dogs in heat, but clearly I was wrong." She smirks. Richard pulls another leaf from Kahlan's hair.
"Wrong," Kahlan agrees.
"So wrong," Richard expounds.
The three of them stare at each other.
"I'll leave you," Cara says at last, "in pursuit of your wood."
Richard and Kahlan blush, and Cara stalks away looking even more quietly self-satisfied than usual.
"Hey, Cara?" Richard calls.
Cara stops, and turns.
"If Zed gets any ideas about randomly wandering the forest before we get back ..." Richard starts.
Kahlan says, "... could you ..."
"Leave the wizard to me," Cara says. And off she goes.
"Have I mentioned," Richard says, "that I really like having her around?"
"Yes," Kahlan replies, smiling, "but I don't think it can be said enough."
They sink into fond silence, and she looks at him. He's a little overdue for a haircut, and there's a smudge of dirt on his face from an atypically muddy fight with a group of bandits earlier, and he looks at her like he could never ask anything more from the world. Like he'll never need another gift.
The first time they met, she held a knife to his throat and one thought coursed through her brain, her limbs, her veins: I'll never be fool enough to trust you. Even then his eyes were sweet.
"I love you," she says, putting her hand to his cheek.
"I love you," he answers easily, and takes another leaf from her hair. She laughs, and so does he, and laughing she falls into his arms, and laughing he pulls her close.
They don't return to camp 'til morning. Fortunately, Cara chooses to go in the other direction to search for firewood. She takes Zed with her.