Disclaimer: I don't own them. Terry Goodkind owns the books…don't remember who owns the series, but it ain't me!

Feedback: Please! (no flames tho…I have this evil, vindictive twin..)

Author's Note: There doesn't seem to be enough fanfiction for either this awesome show or the books! This is a mix of both. (If you haven't read them then I urge you to so! They are every bit as good as the series!)

Kahlan, Richard, and Zedd watched the little girl sleeping on the other side of the fire. She had dark tumbles of dusty auburn hair that was nearly as long as Kahlan's, her clothes were a torn and covered in dirt and blood. She couldn't have been more than nine. The only thing on her that looked of worth was a silver collar around her neck, which was etched with four symbols; a small range of mountains, a flowing river, swirls of winds, and flames.

"Why did they have her?" Richard wondered aloud.

"She's a spirit child," Zedd told him his eyes locked on the collar around her neck that they had been unable to remove.

"A what?" Richard asked. Kahlan too looked at the First Wizard curiously.

"A spirit child, an Elementress," Zedd stated looking up and rolling his eyes at their confused glances. "A spirit child is one who controls the four natural elements; earth, fire, wind, water. She will remain pure, untouched by the marks of age. She'll grow older of course, but were as we mature she will not; metally at least. She will always see the world as she does now, with the same wonder each child does. Some call them spirit children because of this, though she is in fact an Elementress. She's probably the first one since the great wars," Zedd told them going back to staring at her. She wimpered and turned over pulling the blanket they'd given her closer. "Darken Rahl could destroy the Midlands with her."

"Then why did they hurt her?" Kahlan asked for when they had first seen her she had been beaten within an inch of her life. "Surely if she was so important they would have treated her better than this. They certainly did with Rand."

"It's easier to get him to do Darken Rahl's bidding. An Elementress is harder to break, she has such a strong belief in good and love that to help Darken Rahl would be tatamount to betrayal of her own conscious. She's a stong one," Zedd muttered remembering how long it had taken to heal all of her injuries.

"We'll have to take her to Thandor," Richard announced watching her whimper again. "She won't be safe anywhere else."

"I agree," Zedd said, "but you'll have to convince her of that."

"What?"

"It would be easier to convince Rahl to stop killing than to convince a spirit child to go were she doesn't wish. The only way Nass was able to is through the sorceress he had with him controling her through that collar."

"Couldn't you do that too?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes, but I would only have a limited control over her even then. If she believes in our cause strongly enough she can throw off my control of the collar. The collar is controled by her essentially. Elementress' choose their masters and when they have learned to control their powers may take the collar off. I'm afraid that this one is more trouble than it would be worth. She won't let me take control."

"If she's so powerful how did Nass and his sorceress get a hold of her?" Richard questioned disappointed that they couldn't just take the girl to Thandor and continue.

"He probably collared her when she was very young. I assume he had to keep getting new sorceress' though, she would be able to throw off their control after a short time."

Suddenly the girl flipped over onto her back and screamed.

The end..of chapter one. Review and tell me what you think...I've already got an idea of where I'm going with this and I've been think about this ever since I started reading the first book. It's all going to work out in very strange ways...Tell me if you want more. I have the 2nd chapter all ready and waiting if you want me to continue!

Phoenix