Little Red Pixie

Part 7

The soldiers of the Imperial order suddenly appeared from the bushes on the third day of their journey after the encounter with the snake. Cara has just started adapting to the feeling of less teeth in her mouth. The five year old heard like in a dream Richard shouting at her to hide, when suddenly a muscleman with a wry smile sprouted on her way out of nowhere like in a fairy tale.

"Who do we have here?" He asked anticipating an easy prey. "Come to uncle Joshua, pretty face." The man already stretched his hand to grab her when Cara took out her childish but charmed sword and sliced his wrist to the bone making the man scream in horror. While Joshua wrapped another hand over his wrist, Cara jumped at him cutting the muscles right at the back of the knee. The man shook and kneeled. She would have killed him with another swift cut to his throat but another soldier was running at her. The girl let him come closer and threw a dagger in his face trying to aim in the eye of the man.

At the same time Richard was fighting three men while Zedd was getting rid of two other soldiers using the wizard's fire. Kahlan cut one unfortunate man open and confessed another to protect her. Three adults and one child were greatly outnumbered by a well-trained squad. Instead of running away from the man, who was even more furious when the dagger brushed across his left cheek leaving a bleeding scar, she ran forward and kneeled right at the time when his blade swooshed above her head. She swept through the grass on her knees and dug her small sword into man's left leg above the knee ripping off his pants and leg to the hip as she lifted up from the ground. No matter how lucky Cara was with these two fools she was still a child. So, the second man despite pain turned to her and knocked out the sword from her hands making her nearly fly face on the ground. At that moment the wizard turned to her and did some kind of spell that knocked out the soldier. This gave Cara some seconds to recover from the fall. She immediately grabbed the sword. The girl heard Zedd's words to get away from the place but ignored him. Instead she attacked one soldier from his back cutting both of his shins which caused him to land down on the ground. In the middle of the fight Cara felt that she could fly because somebody lifted her up taking her very unlady-like by the collar.

"Stop the fight or I kill her!" Shouted the captain of the squad through metallic clang and cries of the wounded.

His voice distracted Zedd who turned and was stabbed in his back. In the corner of the eye the Confessor saw this picture. She was tired but mad. The woman yelped attracting Richard's attention at once. Her eyes engorged. The woman stretched her hand towards the killer of the wizard, no matter that he was quite far away from her, his eyes turned black and the only thing he could whisper was: "Command me, Confessor."

"Kill your mates!" she commanded hoarsely but clearly.

The man who surrounded Kahlan started to fight with each other. This happened in several seconds which gave Richard time to throw the sword in the neck of the man holding Cara. The child and the soldier collapsed on the grass. Cara ran to Zedd who was already in agony lying on the ground.

"Richard, help Kahlan! I'll take care of Zedd." The child panted kneeling near the wizard. "I'm sorry. I have to get out this sword." She apologized to the old man, who was lying on one side while the sword stuck out from his back. The Mord'Sith saw a tiny stream of blood with bubbles coming from Zedd's mouth. She understood that his lung was damaged. The child got behind the wizard, rested her foot on his back and pulled the sword. The old man wheezed one last time and became silent forever. She had to tinker with the sword for a while to get it out of the body. By the time the rest of the Imperial squad was eliminated with the help of confession. Richard tried to appeal to Kahlan's common sense while Cara tried to push Zedd's body on his back. Finally, the child succeeded in this hard task and gave the old fellow a good Breath of Life. The wizard opened his eyes and inhaled deeply as if he was drowning.

"Are you alright?" inquired the girl. "The lung shouldn't hurt anymore, probably the back would."

Richard, who managed to make Kahlan turn into her serious self but not a monster she was few minutes ago, ran to his grandfather. Zedd was sitting upright still gulping air as fish out of water.

"Zedd, how are you?" The Seeker kneeled beside the old man checking on his condition. Kahlan also approached to see if everything was fine.

"Thank you, child!" The wizard wheezed looking at Cara. The girl stood in front of him covered in blood from head to toes. She didn't kill those soldiers but she hurt them quite badly and now was proud of herself.

"Thank you?! If not for her, you wouldn't have been distracted!" told Richard angrily looking at the girl. "Why didn't you obey the orders?"

He turned to face her totally furious with her stupid behavior.

"I told you to hide! Look at you. You have nearly been killed! If Kahlan didn't get into the blood rage, that man would have suffocated you!" The Seeker shouted at her.

"Mord'Siths never run," said the child stubbornly.

"Cara, you're a five year old now! You can't fight as you could before!" reprimanded the Confessor.

"I destroyed three of them," said the Mord'Sith proudly.

"You were just lucky that they didn't know how old you really are!" Richard disagreed. "Now, let's see what we can find out from these soldiers. I talk to you later." He warned the Mord'Sith who just frowned at the remark.

Kahlan talked to the confessed commander's assistant, because the commander was lying dead killed by the sword of one of his confessed men. She found out that the squad wanted to kill Richard and the old man and take Kahlan as their slave. They've been travelling south to take care of the village that suddenly revolted against the Imperial order. They had to eliminate the men and 'take care of the women' in the way only the Imperial soldiers took care of them. They had no idea that this is Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor with the wizard of the First order. Their loyal Mord'Sith they would have never recognized in a five-year old child. The attack was nothing special as the soldiers had no idea who the travelers were. They thought they were a family going back from the desert, probably running away from the Imperial Order. They were amazed by the sword and daggers the woman have and made fun of the child, who also had a small sword, a dagger and some throwing stars. The child was equipped with cold weapons. This fact amuzed the men. They anticipated how they would make the child show them the usage of these weapons. Unfortunately for them, Cara knew very well how to use them.

After the Mother Confessor commanded the remaining wounded soldiers to go to the village but instead to protect it from the Imperial Order, the company looted some food and drink from the corpses sending them on fire in the end. They grabbed their things and went further to be as far from the Imperial camp as they could till the end of this day.

Cara went silently until the sunset. She felt that Richard was beside himself with rage. Deep inside she understood why but ignored the Seeker even though she became tired and wanted to stop while the man was still going forward not changing the pace. Only after Kahlan's words he decided to set a camp for the night. The child was exhausted the Confessor saw that because Cara started to fall abreast two hours ago. That's why wizard always made a pause to wait for her while Richard and Kahlan went forward.

"Cara, come here!" The Seeker told looking sternly at the girl. She approached him feeling that something was wrong. "Tell me what should a Mord'Sith do when Lord Ralh gives her an order?" He asked with a compelling voice.

"The Mord'Sith should obey his command, my Lord." She pronounced looking on the ground.

"Why haven't you obeyed me today?"

"I wanted to help, my Lord." She mumbled.

"Did it help when they captured you and they killed Zedd because of that?" He continued the interrogation.

"Not my Lord, not as I expected it should."

"So, what should Lord Rahl do for his Mord'Sith to obey him?"

"I should be punished, my Lord." She raised her head to look in his eyes.

"Here!"

With a gesture Richard made the child lie down on his lap and started to spank her with his hand. It wasn't fierce as Darken Rahl used to do. Those times she was naked. Now she was fully dressed, therefore, she was confused why it hurt so badly. Richard smacked hard but she knew she deserved worse. Cara told herself not to make a sound, not to shed a tear but on the final tenth slap of his hand tears streamed down her childish cheeks. The Seeker put her upright and made her stare into his eyes.

"Cara, we've been through a lot you and I, and Kahlan. We trusted you with our lives and you've always been there for us. I will be thankful for it till the end of my life. Now I want you to trust us. I'm furious not because Zedd was killed. I was sure that you could revive him. The moment I saw that soldier holding you by the collar and threatening to kill you, made my mind blow up because nobody could revive you. Your death will be final. How can't you get that?! I want to bring you to Nicci in one piece. I don't want to bring the Sisters of the Agiel your cold body. Do you understand?" He spoke strictly each word hammered into Cara's head. She couldn't stop the tears flow. "Now go. I didn't want to punish you but if that was the only one way to make you start thinking, then that was it!"

Cara went away followed by the dark haired woman.

"Cara, where are you going?" asked the Confessor when the child went further into the bushes.

"Leave me alone!" The girl sniffed wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her quite dusty shirt.

Of course, Kahlan didn't bow to a child. She took the naughty girl in her arms and hugged her not paying attention to Cara's weak blows. The whole day was too exhausting for a five-year old. She nearly ran all the way after the battle to keep up with the aults. The Mord'Sith had no power to fight her tears anymore. So, she wept and wept on Kahlan's shoulder listening to her friend's soothing words.

When they came back the supper was ready. They ate in silence enjoying the company of each other no matter that Cara's bottom was on fire after Richard's spanking. Still, she knew that each of them cared for her more than anybody else before. Again the Mord'Sith remembered Darken Rahl's punishment of his loyal servants. That was far from the thing she had today. The memory made her shudder. Even though the food was delicious and she was starving, she couldn't eat any more because of those horrifying memories. The pictures of everything that was made to her and other Mord'Siths appeared so vivid in her mind that the feeling nearly made her vomit everything she'd already eaten.

"Thank you. I'm not very hungry. I'll go to sleep."

Cara put her plate on the grass and went to her rug.

To be continued…

Happy Easter everyone! Unfortunately for Cara it wasn't very happy but I hope you won't be too harsh on Richard