Parallel Affinity

Part 4.

Zedd looked about himself, glancing over a dozen or so dead soldiers scattered about on the forest floor. Another dozen was killed by Kahlan alone, their bodies left like a trail pointing to her whereabouts. All of the surviving soldiers appeared to have gone back to where they came from, which Zedd found a little strange, considering that they could have easily had absolute victory. However, more urgent matters demanded his attention at present - he was the only one from his party that was left alive and conscious.

He looked around for an abandoned sword to cut the rope on his wrists and ankles but was surprised to find that amidst all of the soldiers' dead bodies, not a single sword was left behind. Foul play was at hand here, he concluded. Luckily, Richard's own sword, the Sword of Truth, lay on the ground by the Seeker's side, bloodstained and gleaming like a blade of ruby under the red moon. With effort, Zedd shuffled along the ground towards it. Using his feet to steady the sword upright, facing a sharp edge, he pushed and rubbed the rope on his wrists against it, eventually breaking through the bonds, freeing his hands entirely. Cutting through the rope on his ankles was fairly easy after that.

As soon as he had freed himself, Zedd turned to Richard, who lay face down in the dirt, the tail of a large black arrow sticking out of his back. He turned him to the side, examining his body, feeling for a pulse, but the Seeker appeared to be perfectly lifeless. Blood trickled from the spot where the arrow pierced his chest.

Zedd rushed towards Cara. The woman had a pulse but wasn't conscious. She seemed to be loosing a lot of blood too, though after examining her wound, Zedd concluded that the arrow had just missed her heart and that she had a fair chance of surviving if he could treat her damaged lung quickly. For this, he needed Kahlan's help.

For the moment, Zedd abandoned the two bodies and rushed through the forest, following the trail of dead soldiers. He found the Mother Confessor lying on the ground with blood splattered over her hands and white dress. He tapped lightly on her cheek to wake her.

It took a few moments for Kahlan to rouse from the unconscious state. With Zedd's help, she stood up. She looked about herself in horror, unable to recall how she had ended up on the ground but eerily aware that she had something to do with all of the dead bodies lying around.

Richard... she remembered.

At once, Kahlan scrambled through the forest towards him.

Even from a distance she could tell that his condition didn't seem promising. She ran to him, dropped down next to his lifeless body. Grabbing him by the shoulders, she shook him, grabbed his face, tearfully called his name, desperate to feel his pulse, horrified to the point of numbness by the unresponsive bloodied sight of the man she loved...
But there was no doubt about it: Richard was dead.

Suddenly, a faint groan called her and Zedd's attention elsewhere.

It was Cara.

The wizard and the Confessor rushed to the Mord'Sith's side. Kahlan knelt by the girl, feeling for a pulse, examining the arrow buried deep under her left shoulder.

"Her lung has been punctured," Zedd furrowed his brow. "But she is very lucky - the arrow had just missed her heart."

"She saved my life..." Kahlan said, watching the girl's face twist under groans of pain, reaching for her hand.

"But she is still alive," Zedd said firmly. "If I didn't have this thing around my neck, I could heal her immediately! Alas, there's not much I can do in this moment. Still, if we can get her to a lucid enough state, she might be able to give Richard the Breath of Life before he turns cold and it's too late."

Kahlan agreed.

"Cara..." she gently called out.

As carefully as she could, Kahlan took ahold of the girl's head with both hands, searching her features for signs of response.