Love is Cruel, Chapter 9 of 13

[hrhrionastar]

Title: Love is Cruel: The Sword of Truth
Pairing: Richard/Nicci (background Richard/Kahlan, Rahl/Kahlan/Cara)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 817
Spoilers: whole series
Summary: Post-Tears, Richard wakes up to find he's not at the Pillars of Creation anymore...and someone very familiar is in the cell next door. Written for madmguillotine, on seekerrarepair.

 

The Sword of Truth

The Wizard was hurt. Nicci’s first impulse was that it served him right, but one look at Richard’s face had her on her knees, feeling the Wizard’s pulse and trying to find the most serious points of pain and damage.

She worked quickly, knowing someone would find that Mord’Sith in Richard’s cell and know to look for them—and, if that someone knew Richard, where to look for them as well.

Besides, Richard would want to free the Mother Confessor and his pet Mord’Sith, and that would take time—

Nicci refused to think of the inevitable moment when all she and Richard shared would be gone, vanished in the triumph of Richard’s meeting with the Mother Confessor, the Love of his Life—

This still made her want to roll her eyes, despite how she felt about Richard herself, because it was just ridiculous. Richard and the Mother Confessor were just too perfect.

Nicci ignored the voice in her head that said, if only she were more like the Mother Confessor, everyone (Richard) would love her. Would love her best.

“That’s the most I can do,” she said at last. “The bruises will take time, and aum leaf salve. He needs food and rest.” She didn’t mention the possible mental and psychic effects of the Mord’Sith’s particular brand of torture. Richard must already know, and it would do no good to dwell on the subject.

Besides, the Wizard was still very weak—Nicci didn’t doubt that, by the time he was fully recovered, the success or failure of his ‘training’ would be apparent.

“Right,” Richard agreed. He helped lift the Wizard to his feet, and the two of them staggered to the door, the Wizard nearly unconscious between them.

Nicci was just reviewing her mental list of spells to find one for lessening a weight, when there was a shout, and three Mord’Sith came running toward them.

Nicci gathered power in her hands, determined they wouldn’t capture her again.

This had always been inevitable—Nicci hoped Richard wouldn’t do anything stupid. She hoped he would be all right.

 

 

Richard saw the Mord’Sith approach, and ducked out from under Zedd’s lolling arm, leaning his grandfather against the wall and hoping Nicci would keep him from falling to the floor.

Then there was no time—Richard swept his borrowed agiel through the air, wishing for the Sword of Truth—there was a clatter as a loose stone worked its way free of the ceiling and fell on the head of one of the Mord’Sith—as she collapsed to the floor, Richard caught sight of Nicci glaring at him, and looked quickly for Zedd—

Was it such a crime that he wanted to see Nicci safe? he thought, as he parried the blow of one Mord’Sith, grabbed her braid, yanking her backward, and applied the agiel to her temple—everyone knew those with a great deal of magical power were useless against Mord’Sith—they so rarely had knowledge of any other weapon—

The last Mord’Sith had a good grip on Nicci’s arm, and her agiel held to Nicci’s shoulder—Richard yanked her back, and then had to duck as the loose stone bounced impossibly high off the floor and hit the Mord’Sith’s chest—

Nicci massaged her shoulder, as she and Richard went to pick up Zedd again, stepping daintily over the bodies—

“Are you all right?” Richard asked, reaching out and gently brushing her long hair from the afflicted shoulder.

“It’s not my first time,” she said wryly. “That’s done it—they know we’re here.”

Richard nodded gravely. Whatever grace period they had formerly possessed was over. And Rahl would be looking for them.

He knew what he needed—

And so did Nicci; leaning against the stone wall, she held out her hands and cried out a string of unrecognizable ancient spell-language, that everyone who practiced magic seemed to know.

Richard waited, hoping this wouldn’t take long because Zedd was in bad shape and needed rest, and they all needed to get out of here, and that fight, not to mention Nicci’s magic words, were probably alerting everyone in the entire palace to their presence—

And then the Sword of Truth appeared in Nicci’s outstretched hands, shimmering with magic, and most of all, familiar and reassuring to Richard. He even grinned as Nicci gave it to him—now, at last, he didn’t feel so hopelessly underdressed.

Although if he knew Rahl, the Sword had been where Richard’s brother could always keep an eye on it, which meant they had seconds before Rahl appeared—

And they had places to be. “Can you find—“ he started to ask Nicci, when suddenly, another Mord’Sith appeared at the end of the hall, walking rapidly toward them; Nicci raised a hand toward her convenient loose stone again, but Richard saw that shorn hair and confident stride and found his voice: “Cara?”

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