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drabble - killing the Merrow
Jan. 31st, 2016 11:34 pmThe journey into the Wabe was almost too easy, given the unfamiliarity with the area, but before Richard could notice how strange the idyllic forest was, he was caught in the Merrow's web of deceit. The first thing he notice was a smell that brought a smile to his lips. He smelled sweet rolls, just like his mother used to bake. Under normal circumstances, Richard would balk at so blunt a memory, but something about the Wabe urged him on, deeper.
As he entered the clearing, his smile broadened. He found himself in a field of wildflowers: daisies, yellow flowers, and the summer cottonblooms he'd never seen since stepping foot in the Midlands. The scent of sweet rolls was replaced with the ripe summer smells he'd grown up with, and he knew this glade. He'd camped here many times to and from various areas of Westand. This particular glade was nestled just off a side path and shortcut to his father's home that shaved days off of the trip from the North Lands to his hometown.
This glade was in the Hartland Woods, and he was home. He looked around, moving further into the glade and marveling at the rich summer tapestry created by the fading light of day. The golden sun filtered through the foliage above, dappling the flowers of the glade with dancing spots of gold and shadow, and fell upon the gleaming white dress of the Confessor on the other side of the clearing. His pace quickened as he moved across the glade toward her. Her dark hair fell about her shoulders and across her back and danced lazily in the warm breeze and he imagined as he closed that she would smell of the wildflowers she was standing amid and yearned to be near enough to make sure he was right.
"Kahlan, what are you doing here? How...did we get here?"
"Richard! You came!" She shook her head as Richard neared enough to take her hand. "You always ask so many questions." Kahlan turned, smiling broadly herself as Richard approached, and reaching out a hand toward him, the trailers of her long sleeves moving in the breeze.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't be much of a Seeker, otherwise." He returned her smile. There was a fondness in her tone as Richard stepped close to her, taking her hand in both of his, meeting her eyes.
He smiled tinged with a touch of confusion. "How did this get here, Kahlan?" Hartland was a place, not a person. He hadn't visited one of the sub-archways yet. Would he just not have noticed walking into one? For some reason, that didn't seem right, and besides, if this was in fact a sub-archway, it could only mean one thing. "What did you give up to bring this here?" His happiness at seeing her was gone, replaced with nothing but concern.
At his expression, Kahlan laughed, shaking her head at him again, making her hair sway against her shoulders. "Don't look so worried. I gave up something that means nothing here." She closed the remaining distance between then, then, pressing her body against his, and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her mouth to his in a passionate kiss.
Richard's body reacted without his input, moving his arms around her waist, he gave himself over to the need to taste her, to feel her pressed against him, but after a moment, reason stole its way into his mind, just as they moved as one, Kahlan leaning backwards and Richard following her to the grassy floor. He pulled away to look her in the eyes, his breathing heavy.
"Kahlan, you know we can't do this." He shook his head as though trying to clear a fog. Some little worry was teasing at the back of his mind but it was too obscured in a haze of desire to see it clearly.
Kahlan tightened her arms around his neck in an effort to pull him closer again but he resisted. "It's my powers, Richard. That's what I paid for this."
Richard's immediate frown of displeasure prompted further explanation from her and she moved slightly beneath him so that she was reclined on her elbows looking up at him.
"Don't you see? We can finally be together."
Richard shook his head again. "Kahlan, I-"
"Richard, look at this place," she interjected, sliding from under him and gesturing around at the picturesque glade around them. "It's just like you described, down to the last detail. Look," she pointed to a small scrub oak off to their right. "You told me that underneath that tree, you skinned your first rabbit. Isn't it perfect? And it's ours Richard. We can have everything we wanted. We can have each other, and you can have your home, one that Darken Rahl can never touch. We can be happy here."
Richard watched her, a sick pit rising in his stomach. He knew Kahlan, knew her dedication to their mission, and after arriving here, in Genessia, that unswerving devotion had turned to finding a way home, to their quest, to stopping Darken Rahl. This wasn't the Hartland Woods recreated by whatever magic Genessia used to bring pieces of their world here. That little worry quietly bouncing for attention in his clouded mind sudden broke through the fog to the forefront on his thoughts. Something had felt off about this place since he'd stepped foot in it, but he couldn't see why. Now he knew.
This was some trick of magic, and worse, a lie. "You're not Kahlan Amnell."
As he entered the clearing, his smile broadened. He found himself in a field of wildflowers: daisies, yellow flowers, and the summer cottonblooms he'd never seen since stepping foot in the Midlands. The scent of sweet rolls was replaced with the ripe summer smells he'd grown up with, and he knew this glade. He'd camped here many times to and from various areas of Westand. This particular glade was nestled just off a side path and shortcut to his father's home that shaved days off of the trip from the North Lands to his hometown.
This glade was in the Hartland Woods, and he was home. He looked around, moving further into the glade and marveling at the rich summer tapestry created by the fading light of day. The golden sun filtered through the foliage above, dappling the flowers of the glade with dancing spots of gold and shadow, and fell upon the gleaming white dress of the Confessor on the other side of the clearing. His pace quickened as he moved across the glade toward her. Her dark hair fell about her shoulders and across her back and danced lazily in the warm breeze and he imagined as he closed that she would smell of the wildflowers she was standing amid and yearned to be near enough to make sure he was right.
"Kahlan, what are you doing here? How...did we get here?"
"Richard! You came!" She shook her head as Richard neared enough to take her hand. "You always ask so many questions." Kahlan turned, smiling broadly herself as Richard approached, and reaching out a hand toward him, the trailers of her long sleeves moving in the breeze.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't be much of a Seeker, otherwise." He returned her smile. There was a fondness in her tone as Richard stepped close to her, taking her hand in both of his, meeting her eyes.
He smiled tinged with a touch of confusion. "How did this get here, Kahlan?" Hartland was a place, not a person. He hadn't visited one of the sub-archways yet. Would he just not have noticed walking into one? For some reason, that didn't seem right, and besides, if this was in fact a sub-archway, it could only mean one thing. "What did you give up to bring this here?" His happiness at seeing her was gone, replaced with nothing but concern.
At his expression, Kahlan laughed, shaking her head at him again, making her hair sway against her shoulders. "Don't look so worried. I gave up something that means nothing here." She closed the remaining distance between then, then, pressing her body against his, and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her mouth to his in a passionate kiss.
Richard's body reacted without his input, moving his arms around her waist, he gave himself over to the need to taste her, to feel her pressed against him, but after a moment, reason stole its way into his mind, just as they moved as one, Kahlan leaning backwards and Richard following her to the grassy floor. He pulled away to look her in the eyes, his breathing heavy.
"Kahlan, you know we can't do this." He shook his head as though trying to clear a fog. Some little worry was teasing at the back of his mind but it was too obscured in a haze of desire to see it clearly.
Kahlan tightened her arms around his neck in an effort to pull him closer again but he resisted. "It's my powers, Richard. That's what I paid for this."
Richard's immediate frown of displeasure prompted further explanation from her and she moved slightly beneath him so that she was reclined on her elbows looking up at him.
"Don't you see? We can finally be together."
Richard shook his head again. "Kahlan, I-"
"Richard, look at this place," she interjected, sliding from under him and gesturing around at the picturesque glade around them. "It's just like you described, down to the last detail. Look," she pointed to a small scrub oak off to their right. "You told me that underneath that tree, you skinned your first rabbit. Isn't it perfect? And it's ours Richard. We can have everything we wanted. We can have each other, and you can have your home, one that Darken Rahl can never touch. We can be happy here."
Richard watched her, a sick pit rising in his stomach. He knew Kahlan, knew her dedication to their mission, and after arriving here, in Genessia, that unswerving devotion had turned to finding a way home, to their quest, to stopping Darken Rahl. This wasn't the Hartland Woods recreated by whatever magic Genessia used to bring pieces of their world here. That little worry quietly bouncing for attention in his clouded mind sudden broke through the fog to the forefront on his thoughts. Something had felt off about this place since he'd stepped foot in it, but he couldn't see why. Now he knew.
This was some trick of magic, and worse, a lie. "You're not Kahlan Amnell."
