Title: Reunion

Author: LOTSoflove36

Characters: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Characters I created

Rating: PG-13 / T

Timeline: After Fury (S2)

Story Type: Angst / Romance

Spoilers: Anything from Season 1 and Season 2 up through Fury.

Disclaimer: I love to write about them even though I don't make any money.

Summary: The return of a person from Kahlan's past threatens her future with Richard. I have one author's note and that is that Kahlan's outfit in my story is her new black outfit even though it doesn't appear until episode 9 (just b/c she rocks in that outfit!)

Reunion (Chapter 1)

The moonlight filtered through the leaves as they danced in the wind, casting an eerie glow here and there on the forest floor below. Shadows constantly moved, shifting and morphing, never staying the same for more than a heartbeat at a time.

He hastily made his way along the shadowy trail that wound its way through the woods. Reaching out a hand, he tugged his cloak tighter around himself to shield against the biting wind that cut through him. The only sound in the woods was that of his boots striking the dirt and his ragged breathing. Faint wisps of vapor escaped his lips with each breath he took as the heat from his body hit the cold air that surrounded him.

He kept his head bent down, partially hiding his face within his cloak. His indigo eyes shifted nervously about him, glancing from side to side as if anticipating unwelcomed company. His handsome features made him appear younger than he was, but his raven shoulder length hair was beginning to streak with gray, betraying his true age.

His heart was racing with the pace of his escape, but he couldn't afford to stop. Not now. Not for a while if he wanted to live. 'What was I thinking pulling a stunt like this?' he silently berated himself. After so many years of living a life such as this, he should know better, but it was too late now. Too late to go back, there was only one possible option. He had to proceed as planned.

He clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing with a renewed sense of resolve. Tightening his grip on the sword snuggly tucked close to his body under his cloak, he cast a nervous glance back over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. Seeing nothing but the trail he had already passed through, he turned back around coming to a sudden halt.

"Going somewhere, Phillip?"

"Just out for a walk," he replied, eyeing the man who was suddenly standing before him, flanked by two burly henchmen who appeared hungry to perform their duties.

"Kind of late for a walk, don't you think? Besides, you're pretty far from town. You know it can be very dangerous out here in the woods alone. Anything could happen to someone out here and no one would ever know it," he said, a smile spread across his face, his eyes narrowed as he began to pace slowly back and forth.

"I couldn't sleep," Phillip slowly answered, panic beginning to swell and spread through him.

Even though cold outside, sweat began to form on his brow and neck, trickling down his back and making his shirt stick to his skin. Trying to relax, he loosened his grip on his cloak, but not on his concealed weapon. He knew better than to let his guard down around Grayson. Even though nothing more than a swindler, Phillip was far from stupid.

"Why don't we just quit the games, Phillip, and see what you have hidden under that cloak?" Grayson replied, his smile quickly dissolving into a sneer.

Eyeing Grayson and the two men hulking impatiently at his side, Phillip quickly weighed his options. He could try to fight his way out of it but it would be three against one which were not very good odds. He could try to run, cutting through the thick woods that lay on either side of him, but that too didn't appear a good option. He could be lost for days on end in the dense forest. He decided to do what he did best – talk his way out of this.

"What could I have possibly taken from you, Grayson?" Phillip started, trying his best to display innocence and charm.

His ploy didn't work as he was quickly grabbed from behind by two more men who suddenly appeared with a mere nod of Grayson's head. Taken by surprise, Phillip quickly started wracking his brain for a plausible way out of this situation that did not include him getting killed.

Struggling against the powerful hands that kept him from fleeing, Phillip attempted to push aside the panic that raced through his mind and threatened to wipe out all sense of reason. He had to rely on his wits and slick talking skills to save his skin once again.

Grayson, nostrils flaring with anger, strode purposefully towards Phillip. With another nod of his head, Phillip's cloak was quickly removed from his body along with his sword.

"Where is it, Phillip? Now, think hard. You don't want to do anything stupid. The longer you draw this out, the harder it will be on you. If you return what is rightfully mine, I may let you live," Grayson spat out at him, his eyes burning into Phillip's skull.

Larger than Phillip, Grayson was intimidating to say the least. His blond hair hung just below his ears, his blue eyes piercing to the soul, his well defined jaw and nose bestowed him with an air of regal nobility.

Sighing, Phillip reluctantly decided to go with his backup plan, hoping to meet the Keeper later rather than sooner. A good swindler always had a backup plan; never a plan that followed a straight path, but one that included several forks that was prepared for all the uncertainties. However, this plan was going to involve a lot more than he had originally anticipated.

"Well, if your bodyguards would be so kind as to release their hold on my arms, I would be happy to retrieve it for you," Phillip finally responded.

With a quick wave of his hand, the brutes released their iron grip on Phillip. Pulling himself back together, he cast a quick glare at the men who had held him fast before returning his gaze to the man before him.

Reaching a hand into his pocket, Phillip pulled out a tattered piece of paper. Extending his hand, Grayson snatched it, quickly opening it to verify its contents. Scanning over the paper, a smirk spread across his handsome features.

"Ok, this is the map. Now where is the stone?" Grayson demanded, breathing heavily as his patience was quickly running out.

Reaching his hand back into his pocket, Phillip retrieved the item Grayson was so anxious to have returned to him. Phillip held out his hand again, this time palm up, revealing a bright pink stone about the size of a grape.

Grayson reached for the stone, his eyes wide with greed at the site of his most prized possession. As Grayson took the stone, Phillip once again found his arms in the iron grip of the two men who had held him earlier.

"Kill him," Grayson simply stated as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Phillip boldly shouted, struggling against the hold on his arms, panic once again threatening to overtake him. Fear shadowed his face as death was a heartbeat away.

Grayson slowly turned around with an exasperated sigh. "Why should I waste any more of my valuable time on you?" he sneered, one eyebrow arched in anticipation of the answer to his question.

"You need me to help you," Phillip breathlessly exclaimed, anxious to keep the killing to a minimum. "You cannot steal it without my help."

"I'm listening…" Grayson's eyes narrowed again, skeptical of this thief's offer of assistance.

"There is only one way to make the stone work and I know that secret," Phillip flatly stated, not willing to reveal more than he had to. The longer he kept Grayson believing that he needed Phillip, the longer he would live.

"Tell me now or I will have my men start by pulling each of your limbs off one by one until I get the information I want," Grayson heatedly replied, stepping closer to Phillip until they were so close Phillip could feel Grayson's warm breath on his face.

"You'll need someone with a pure heart to make the stone work for you and I know the person with the purest heart in the Midlands. You'll never be able to get to her; she's guarded by the Seeker."

"The Mother Confessor? What makes you think you can even get close to her?" Grayson scoffed, stepping back at the insanity of the desperate levels Phillip was delving to in order to save his life.

"Because…she's my daughter…"

XXX

Running through the market, baskets of fruits and breads were sent soaring, finally scattering all over the ground as they landed. People were running everywhere, screaming while attempting to get out of the way or to find a good hiding place. Unfortunately, that would be their biggest mistake.

The skreeling enjoyed the excitement of the commotion and movement that surrounded him and used it to his advantage. It was attacking people at will; the crowded market was like killing fish in a barrel. It skittered and squealed with evil glee, eyeing its prey and delighting in its handiwork. Blood dripped from its teeth as it scurried over the top of a fallen cart ready to pounce on its next victim.

As the skreeling jumped, a blast of wizard's magic hit the spot it had just occupied. Spinning around to face his attacker, the skreeling found himself opposite the Seeker and the Wizard. People were quickly escaping the market place under the assistance of Kahlan and Cara while Zedd and Richard distracted the creature from the Underworld.

The skreeling breathed heavily as it observed the newest participants in its game of kill and destroy. Richard stood with sword drawn, ready to do whatever it took to send the creature back to the Keeper. Hacking it didn't work in the past. They would have to find water so Zedd could freeze the skreeling before Richard destroyed it. It was the only thing that had worked before.

"Kahlan! We need water!" Richard shouted, glancing to his right seeing Kahlan approaching.

Quickly grabbing a large bucket she found she ran for water. The skreeling's head snapped at her sudden movement which stood out with the now empty marketplace.

Richard, noticing the creature's attention was now on his Confessor, quickly started waving his sword and jumping in the skreeling's line of sight. Having its view of Kahlan blocked, the skreeling now focused on the Seeker in front of him.

Running towards them with the heavy bucket of water, Kahlan quickly threw the water on the skreeling. Zedd swiftly released his magic on the drenched creature, instantly freezing it where it stood. As Richard raced towards it to hack into pieces, Kahlan was suddenly sent sprawling on her back.

A second skreeling appeared out of nowhere, pouncing on the Confessor who had just emptied the bucket of water on its companion. The skreeling sat on her, breathing heavily, its teeth mere inches from her face, observing the bloody cut it had created on her cheek. Its breath was rank as it exhaled on her, the putrid smell of rotting and death making her nauseated as she attempted to turn her face. Her heart was racing; she could hardly breathe from the weight of the creature sitting on her chest and the panic that gripped her soul. The hideous creature released a cackling squeal as it raised its claws to take her life…

*I'm so mean for leaving you hanging there, but the chapter was getting way too long and I had to cut it off somewhere! :)