Disclaimer: You know the drill. All characters bla bla bla don't belong to me.

A/N: Hi, so this is my first time writing for this fandom and I'm not sure if I do the characters justice. I didn't read the books and I have only watched the series once (planning to watch it again, though). Should you find any OOC-ness, please be a star and let me know where I've messed up so I can fix them. And since this is an un-betaed work, pardon me for any grammatical mistakes and such – of course if you can point out my mistake, I will try to get it right :)

I'm going to regret posting this tomorrow. But I'm going to shut up now. I hope you enjoy the ride *bows*

Dark was the first word that came across Cara's mind the moment she opened her eyes. She frowned at the unusual darkness that surrounded her. For a moment she thought she was back in the Mord'Sith temple, in the dungeon. She shook her head slowly to cast away the cobweb in her head and winced when she tried to move; her head was hammering and her body ached in all places. Palming the hard, earthy ground beneath her – for support as well as finding out where she was, the blonde began to push her aching body to sit up.

Cara blinked a couple of times to get used to the darkness but she was still unable to catch even a shadow. Her blood began to pump faster as she felt an eerie chill down her spine. She listened carefully for things, for anything that would give her a clue on where she was and what happened. The slender woman ran her hand and felt the furry material of her bedroll. This was certainly not Mord'Sith dungeon – her Sisters of the Agiels wouldn't be so nice as to provide a deserter with a warm bedroll, now, would they? Cara snickered despite feeling uneasy. She took a deep breath and sucked in a lungful of fresh air with a distinct smell of damp leaves and trees; she reckoned she was outside. Outside where? Why was she alone? Where was Kahlan? And Lord Rahl? And the wizard? Did she die? Was the Underworld supposed to be this quiet?

Her musing was abruptly disrupted by a rustling sound not far from where she was seated. She tensed, closing her eyes and focused on her hearing. Instinctively she reached for her left hip to get her Agiels only to find them missing. She balled her fist in sudden rush of anger and a slight restlessness that she was unwilling to admit openly, waiting for whatever – or whomever – was coming. Clenching her jaw tightly, Cara began to steady her breathing and let her remaining senses work. She was ready to fight for her life.

Kahlan just returned from her berry hunting when she saw Cara sitting up. The brunette's face lightened up and broke into a wide grin in an instant. "Cara!" she beamed, carelessly dropping the berries she was cradling on her bedroll and ran to the other woman's bedroll. "Thank the Spirits you're awake!"

Cara's body relaxed immediately the moment she recognized Kahlan's voice. She opened her mouth to give the other woman a snarky remark about the unnecessary perkiness but something that she recognized as her own more logical and cautious part stopped her. Wait! How could Kahlan know she was awake? How could Kahlan see her in this darkness? What happened? Was it really Kahlan? What if it wasn't Kahlan? What if this was some kind of really sick dark magic to trick her into thinking that it was the Mother Confessor coming? It was pitch-dark; she couldn't see anything and she was not stupid to trust something she couldn't see; after all, she was still a well-trained Mord'Sith. Her brain was storming her with so many thoughts she felt dizzy.

The small movement didn't go unnoticed by Kahlan. Her brows furrowed into a crease as she knelt down in front of the sitting Mord'Sith. "Cara?" the brunette called out her name tentatively.

"Who are you?"

The viciousness in Cara's voice stopped Kahlan from asking if the blonde was alright. On instinct she reached out to touch Cara's arm but refrained herself from doing so, knowing how the other woman felt about random unnecessary touches. Instead, Kahlan ran her hand through her own brunette locks, tucking a loose strand behind her ear as she nervously replied, "What do you mean? It's me, Kahlan."

Listening for a slight falter, a different tone, or anything that could give her a clue that this was not Kahlan, Cara was disappointed when all she could catch was confusion and worry. The young woman breathed in and Kahlan's unique scent filled her nostrils. She was almost sure that this woman claiming to be the Mother Confessor was indeed who she claimed she was. Still, it was better to be cautious.

"Who are you?" the blonde nearly shouted now.

Kahlan tilted her head, confused. She looked at Cara as if the blonde had lost her mind. "Cara, what's wrong with you? Can't you see, it's me, Kahlan?" she asked worriedly, taking Cara's hand into her own without thinking.

The blonde flinched at the touch, slapping the hand away. See? Her mind raced. See what? What to see? It was so dark she couldn't even see her own hand. Where was she? Where were Richard and Zedd? "Why is it so dark?" she didn't realize she asked the question out loud until she heard her own voice speaking in such unsure tone. Weak, she scolded herself.

"Dark?" Kahlan repeated as if in trance. "But Cara, it's broad day–.. Oh!" she gasped, clasping a hand to her mouth when a revelation crossed her mind. Experimentally and very silently, the taller woman raised her trembled hand in front of Cara's face and waved it. When she got no reaction from Cara, the brunette widened her eyes in shock. She scrambled to her feet and took a step back. Before she could move farther, though, a steely grip had grabbed the hem of her long skirt and pulled. Hard. Kahlan stumbled back on her knees, her face mere inches from the blonde's.

"What was it you were going to say?" Low and dangerous as it sounded, Cara couldn't help but notice a small waver in her voice she recognized as weakness. She steeled herself. You are a Mord'Sith, she reminded herself coldly. A Mord'Sith doesn't fear anything.

Staring wide-eyed at the open – and empty – orbs of green in front of her, Kahlan lost her words. She opened her mouth but no words came out. All she could do was stare into Cara's eyes.

Even before the answer came, Cara knew what Kahlan was going to say earlier. She knew, because she could also feel the warmth of the sun caressing her back and warming the top of her head. She didn't need a verbal confirmation to know that she was the only one who was enveloped by the darkness. She swallowed an invisible lump in her throat as she came to the realization. No, she screamed inside. It can't be!"I'm... blind?"

Cara's words were hardly above whisper but it sounded like thunder in the Confessor's ears. The brunette could hear her own heartbeat, pounding like she had been running for leagues. Kahlan couldn't tear her eyes away from Cara's. Now that the blonde had said the word she hadn't been able to bring herself to say, it became more real. She felt the grip on the hem of her skirt loosen, the face in front of her inched away as if trying to hide. This time, Kahlan was the one who made a move; she reached out and grabbed Cara by the shoulder. The other woman struggled but Kahlan didn't let go.

"Look at me!" she commanded, cupping Cara's face in one hand. She mentally smacked herself when she saw Cara raised an eyebrow. "Cara," she started again, more softly this time, "Please. Listen to me. We're going to make this better, alright? You are going to be alright."

The Mord'Sith chuckled a humourless laugh. She turned away, pushing the Mother Confessor from her, avoiding the touch. "Of course I'm going to be alright! I'm a Mord'Sith!" Cara scoffed. "Now where's the wizard? He'll fix this." A bubble of rage began to surface from beneath as Cara's words sank in to herself. She, Cara Mason, a Mord'Sith who pledged to serve and protect her Lord Rahl, blind. Blind – as in unable to see. How could she protect her Lord if she wasn't able to see? Her body began to shake as she was trying her best to control her emotion. Her Agiels! She needed her Agiels!

The brunette watched motionlessly while her friend scrambled on her hands and knees on the ground, looking for something Cara couldn't see. Hot tears formed in Kahlan's eyes; her heart broke at the sight. She crouched next to the furious woman. "Cara," Kahlan called out very quietly, not wanting to startle her friend. "Cara, what are you looking for? Please, let me hel–.."

"I don't need your help!" Cara retorted brusquely, cutting off Kahlan's words. She didn't need pity – especially from someone whom she couldn't see. For all she knew, it might still be a trap. My Agiels! Where are my Agiels?

The sound of heavy footsteps behind them alerted Cara. She backed off with her hands and knees until she touched a rough trunk of a tree. She pressed her back there, waiting. Waiting for what – or who, for that matter – she didn't know, she thought bitterly.

"Cara!" Richard's voice was of excitement when his eyes caught a blonde sitting up. The twinkle in his eyes faded, though, the moment he saw Cara's expression and the tension between her and Kahlan. "What's wrong?"

The Mother Confessor turned her head and looked up at the Seeker, tears welled up in her baby blue eyes.

"Kahlan?" Richard demanded.

Bracing herself, Kahlan opened her mouth. Nothing came out at first. "She can't see," she was finally able to let out in a shaky breath.

The brown-haired man was taken aback. "What?" He approached Cara in two long strides. Before he could get too close, he stopped in his tracks. Cara was clutching the tree behind her as if for dear life; her eyes wandered everywhere but on Richard. He had never seen her like this – so lost – and it broke his heart.

"Back off!" Cara growled like a wounded animal, threatening and frightful.

"Cara, it's Richard."

"How do I know you are who you say you are?" the blonde barked precariously, ignoring the tingling of the bond she could feel between her and the man before her.

Richard shook his head, sighing. This was Cara, a proud woman who didn't trust easily, sometimes even after she saw it with her own eyes. And now that she could see nothing, how could Richard make her trust him, or Kahlan? He turned his head towards Kahlan, looking for an advice, an assurance. He found nothing. The pair of blue eyes weren't looking at him; they were fixed to the blonde form in front of them as if nothing else existed. Guilt was evident in those blue eyes and Richard let out another audible breath. This was another thing he should deal with. But for the time being, he decided, first thing first. His attention was back to Cara.

"You don't," he said, "All you can do is trust us. Cara, we don't mean any harm to you. You know that. And I know– I know deep down you know that we are who we say we are."

He was right, Cara pondered. Deep down, even before Richard showed up and said those words, Cara had known that it wasn't a trap; nobody would have been stupid enough to think that they could trick her by guising as the Mother Confessor. Even though she had no bond with Kahlan, she would be able to differentiate between the real one and an impostor in a heartbeat. She had known everything all along but she refused to acknowledge that little voice that kept telling her that it was true. Somehow she felt that if she accepted the fact, then she had to accept that she was really... blind. A bile formed at the back of the throat as her mind mentioned the five-letter word again. Blind. The Mord'Sith clamped her jaw to calm her nerves; she would shed no tears.

"Cara?"

Her head snapped up at the hesitant voice that was Kahlan's. She couldn't see the brunette, but she could still register where the voice was coming from. She waited.

Fidgeting with her hands, Kahlan stepped forward until she was an arm-length away from the blonde. "Cara, could you please trust us? Please? At least... try?"

"My Agiels," the blonde said, her voice steady as she made up her mind, "I want my Agiels."

Kahlan and Richard exchanged a worried look. The look was so obvious that if Cara had seen it she would have been offended.

"Cara, do you think it's a good id–.." Again, Kahlan was cut off by a gruff remark.

"I said," Cara repeated in a low tone, punctuated on each word, "I. Want. My. Agiels." She heard a rustling sound and recognized it as Richard's footsteps. Then she felt something put on her lap. Cara reached out. Her fingers met a cloth wrap and she opened it quickly. In the wrap was her pair of Agiels. The moment the two red leather rods touched her bare skin, Cara felt a tingle of pain she was too familiar with. At last, she thought, something she understood. She began to feel her eyes flutter close and she resigned to the pull as the stinging sensation of the Agiels lulled her to sleep. She had her Agiels. Nobody could hurt her.

The Mother Confessor and the Seeker watched guardedly as Cara held her Agiels tightly in her hands, eyes closed. They were worried that she might hurt herself. The two were amazed, though, when they saw a smile form on Cara's lips – a full blown smirk of confidence she usually showed during battle – as the woman slipped to slumber. They stood in silence for a while before Richard noticed that Kahlan had been shifting nervously from one foot to the other, her eyes were puffy and red from crying. He patted the woman's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze to ease the tension that was evident from the way she was standing. She met his eyes and found only reassurance in them. Nodding at him, Kahlan allowed herself to believe in the promises in Richard's eyes – the silent promise that Cara would be alright, that they would make everything right again – and her muscles relaxed.

When Zedd returned soon after with a burnt rabbit in one hand – wizard fire, obviously – and a basketful of mushrooms in the other, Richard informed the older man about Cara's condition. Zedd frowned. His first instinct was to wake Cara up immediately so he could check up on her but Kahlan asked him to wait until Cara woke up on her own, arguing that the agile woman had had too much excitement already and needed her rest.

"I'll check up on her as soon as she is awake," Zedd agreed.

...

Cara was breathing hard. She looked around and saw her friends fighting around her; on her left was Zedd fighting off three banelings and on her right was Richard against two Sisters of the Dark. She couldn't find Kahlan. As she focused on finding the brunette, she caught a glimpse of red coming at her from the right side. Growling, Cara raised her right hand and swung her Agiels with force without actually looking at her attacker; she blocked a dacra just before it grazed her upper arm.

"Have a death wish?" she taunted cheekily. She laughed when the Sister attacking her snarled and launched at her. Again, effortlessly, the blonde blocked the attack. "Oh, you've gotta do better than that." Her Agiels hummed as she thrust hard into the Sister's chest and Cara barred her teeth in a feral grin.

They were ambushed on their way to the village. There were so many of them – banelings and Sisters alike. Too many for Cara's liking. She enjoyed the fights – that was unquestionable. But she always felt uneasy when they were fighting off too many enemies. She couldn't watch the others' backs when she had to focus on fending off her own opponents; Cara didn't like it. Her duty was to protect Richard Rahl, to make sure that the man was in one piece when she dragged him back to People's Palace to claim his throne; that was it . Then she remembered that Richard told her to protect Kahlan as if she was him so Cara, obedient as she was, took the task seriously.

Glancing around for the second time to make sure that her Lord was fine, she focused on finding Kahlan. The Mother Confessor had the habit of missing from Cara's sight in the heat of a battle; that was one of the things she had been trying to change from Kahlan to no avail. When she finally caught a glimpse of white dress and dark hair surrounded by four women, she muttered and trotted to the Confessor.

Kahlan could see Cara approaching with her trademark catlike move from the corner of her eyes and let out a shaky breath of relief. She was capable of handling the Sisters, of course, but she wouldn't be so arrogant as to refuse any helps coming her way – she wasn't Cara. The blonde would kill Kahlan on the spot were she to try to interfere with her fight.

"Your dagger blunt, Confessor?"

Even in the middle of an attack, the habit of throwing sarcastic remarks never seemed to leave Cara as she made her way to Kahlan, calmly twirling her Agiels in both hands. Kahlan glared at the deliberate taunt but said nothing in reply, saving her breath. Her glare turned into a grin, though, when the Mord'Sith moved swiftly to her side, aiding her. Soon the two moved together in sync as if dancing – a block by Kahlan's dagger here, a jab of Cara's Agiels there, a little push there, a little pull here. There were no words exchanged, no commands shouted; it was just like they could read each other's mind when it came to battle. Had anyone seen them fight, they would have witnessed how beautifully complementing Kahlan and Cara were to each other. Of course, such thing could only happen in battle.

They were panting by the time Cara pressed an Agiel to the last Sister's heart, the woman's pained scream was matched by the screech of the Agiel before finally the red stick was the only one that cried. Cara put the Agiels back in their holsters, close to her hips, before looking up to assess the woman next to her.

The brunette looked flustered. Her hair was matted by sweat and she was visibly tired. Other than that, Cara couldn't see any injuries. She nodded at the taller woman, satisfied with the assessment.

Kahlan, on the other hand, gasped as she laid her eyes on Cara, doing the exact same thing as the other woman. "You're bleeding!" she exclaimed, pointing at Cara's shoulder.

"Just a graze," the blonde dismissed. She got the wound while pushing Kahlan out of the way before a Sister slashed a dacra; she wasn't fast enough to avoid it herself. "Come on; let's see if the men are alright." She began to walk back to where they first got separated. The tall blonde could hear Kahlan behind her, quickening her footsteps to match Cara's, and she considerately – or rather absentmindedly, waited for Kahlan to catch up with her.

"You know, I think I won't miss any of these when the rift is sealed," the Mother Confessor began.

"Any of what?" Cara responded flatly, out of politeness rather than curiosity – small talk was never her forte.

"These," she repeated, motioning with her hands, "these fights and attacks and banelings and such."

"Oh," was the only answer Cara gave.

Kahlan placed her hand on her hip, tilting her head at Cara in annoyance. "Oh?" she said, "That's the only thing you can say?"

The blonde shrugged, "What else would you have me say?"

Kahlan gave the other woman an are-you-for-real look. She was about to give Cara a lecture about the propriety in a conversation when she saw Richard and Zedd. She smiled, thanking the Spirits that everyone was fine.

"You're bleeding," was Richard's first words to Cara. He chuckled at the woman's reaction of rolling her eyes. "We'll need to tend to that after we set a camp," he told Cara. After a second thought, he added, "And that is not a suggestion, Cara."

"It's just a graze," Cara protested. Salves and medicines shouldn't be wasted on small cuts like this, not on her. Now if it had been Kahlan, or Zedd, or Richard himself that were injured...

She didn't get the chance to finish the thought as she saw something flew towards Kahlan. Trained to react first before thinking Cara moved in front of the Confessor and pushed her out of harm's way.

A loud sickening thud was heard the moment what was seemed to be a catapulted rock met the base of Cara's skull. The blonde heard Kahlan scream her name. And then everything went black...

...

Cara woke up with a start, beads of sweat covering her forehead. Darkness still enveloped her and she immediately regretted waking up. Apparently, she had been dreaming; it was so vivid that she thought it was real. And in her dream, she could still see. Biting her lower lip so hard it bled, the blonde reprimanded herself for letting a dream consumed her. She pushed away every lingering doubt and locked her feelings back in place. This wasn't the time to feel. She needed to think.

She tried to control her breathing and listened to the noises around her. She heard the crackling of the fire and felt cool breeze hit her uncovered face and neck; she guessed that it was night time. Then she heard light footsteps she recognized as Kahlan's walking around the camp. She heard no other footsteps or voices. She frowned. Surely Richard and Zedd weren't that stupid leaving Kahlan alone with her when she was practically incapacitated to protect anyone?

The brunette was just going to wake Cara up for dinner when she saw that the other woman was awake, lying silently on her bedroll. "You're awake," Kahlan spoke uncertainly, sounding unsure about what kind of reaction she would get from Cara.

"What time is it?" asked Cara, mentally rolling her eyes because Kahlan had, again, stated the obvious. Or maybe, she thought, blind people sleep with their eyelids open.

"Only a couple of candlemarks after sunset," she informed. Kahlan tilted her head, noticing at how calm Cara was now. She didn't know if it was a good thing or not – with someone like Cara, you never knew.

The blonde frowned when Kahlan told her the time. She couldn't believe she had slept that long. She refused with a shake of her head when the Confessor offered her something to eat. Cara wasn't hungry; she had no time for hunger. She sat up, using both hands to support her weight. Then she realized that something was missing. The tingling sensations of her...

"Your Agiels slipped off your hands while you were sleeping," Kahlan informed as if reading Cara's mind, "They are under the blanket, on your right."

Thinking back later, a lot later, Cara found it amusing that Kahlan knew exactly where her Agiels had been then, but right now the only thing she cared about was holding the weapons. Sliding her right hand on her bedroll, soon her fingertips brushed against the cool metal chain that was attached to her Agiels. She drew them out, holding both in each hand and relishing in the pain that they caused her.

Kahlan sat by the fire, facing her friend. Kahlan had been unable to tear her eyes away from Cara when the blonde was asleep. She justified her action by telling herself that she only kept watch in case Cara needed anything. But now, after Cara was awake and she had no reasons to still watch over the blonde, the Confessor found it difficult to not look at Cara. It made her heart clench in indescribable feeling when she saw how tightly Cara was holding the Agiels. It pained Kahlan to see that Cara, instead of dealing with the mixture of emotions Kahlan was certain the blonde had to be feeling at the moment, chose to find solace in the hurting touch of an Agiel. But she couldn't blame Cara for doing so; how could she? Cara was only trying to seek comfort in the only way she understood, the only way she had been taught – pain.

The sudden silence alarmed Cara. She straightened up and paid attention to her surroundings. "Kahlan?" she called out. There was no answer.

Kahlan had been so deep in thought that she didn't hear Cara calling her name at first. She barely registered that Cara was calling her when she caught movement from the corner of her eyes – Cara was standing up; her back pressed to the tree behind her should someone attack her from behind.

"Confessor!" There was power in Cara's voice. That, and a little waver Cara hoped Kahlan wouldn't notice – if she had heard her, that was. She was ready for anything. If it hadn't been for Kahlan's voice answering her, she would have done something drastic.

"Sorry, Cara. I wasn't listening," Kahlan apologized. She recognized panic when she saw it, no matter how hard Cara wanted to hide it.

"Don't do that!" She was referring to the sudden silence. "I'm blind for Creator's sake! What if someone attacked us and I didn't know?"

The brunette's face fell. "I'm so sorry, Cara," she repeated. "I didn't mean to scare you." And the moment those words left her lips, Kahlan wished she had said nothing. Cara's face reddened with anger.

"I'm not scared!" Cara hissed.

The low hiss was more threatening than a yell, and Kahlan felt a shiver down her spine. "Of course," she said. "I didn't mean it to sound that way. I'm so sorry."

"Never do that again, Confessor." That was the blonde's way of telling Kahlan that she was forgiven. Cara lowered herself until she was sitting down on her bedroll. She felt someone move closer and she stiffened a little.

"It's me," Kahlan let herself known. She sat down next to Cara and took a better look at the fair woman. It didn't escape her attention that Cara was still holding her Agiels like they were extension of her hands. If she had to be perfectly honest about it, Kahlan greatly disapproved of Cara's keeping the things in her hands. The Confessor had mentioned this to both Richard and Zedd while Cara was asleep earlier, asking Richard to command the Mord'Sith to put the Agiels away. Richard dismissed the idea quickly. Too quickly, Kahlan grumbled.

...

"I can't do that," Richard said, "Kahlan, you can't expect me to take away the only control she has on the normal world."

"She's hurting herself!" the brunette tried to get her point across.

"She is used to the pain."

Her head whipped up, blue orbs met Richard's brown ones in one chilling look. "That doesn't make it right," she uttered coldly, "I can't believe you just said that, Richard." Kahlan was totally disappointed in Richard and she made sure he knew what she thought of him.

The Seeker sighed. He knew Kahlan would not understand. "Listen," he began, "Cara is emotionally hurting; she is physically impaired. Kahlan, she was robbed from the thing she had had from birth! Her Agiels, bad as I think they are, are the only things that are closest to what normal is for Cara. Do you really want to steal that away from her, too?"

"There's got to be another way!" Kahlan was adamant, "She doesn't need them. Not now. She is safe."

Richard ran his hand through his hair in frustration. This is going to be difficult, he muttered to himself. "If there was another way, do you think I'd let her hurt herself like now?"

"I don't know, Richard. I wasn't the one insisting that she keeps her Agiels," retorted Kahlan in her Mother Confessor tone and she saw Richard blushed at her words. "I wasn't the one who seems to have no problem with her dwelling in pain. Pain," she paused to give emphasize, "can't be healed by more pain. That is sick."

"That is the way of a Mord'Sith," Zedd interrupted their heated argument when the wizard saw that his grandson began to lose the verbal banter. He cast Kahlan a sympathetic look, only to be responded by icy stare. "I'm sorry, Kahlan, but I have to agree with Richard. Cara needs her Agiels – even more so now than ever before. She needs to face her fear of living in the dark, Kahlan, and if facing fears means having the Agiels with her at all time, so be it."

Kahlan frowned. She didn't like where the conversation was going; Zedd was talking as if he didn't expect Cara's sight to return. "She won't be blind forever," stated Kahlan affirmatively. Of that, she was sure.

Zedd nodded. "Of course not. But until then – until I find a way to return her sight, it's better this way."

Without saying another word, Kahlan turned her heels and walked away. She was done talking with the two – it was going to be futile trying to make them change their mind. She could have pressed the issue, but the last thing she wanted to do was to make a scene and wake Cara up. She slumped disgracefully on a log, a couple of steps away from where Cara was sleeping.

The blonde looked peaceful in her slumber and Kahlan was mesmerized by the serenity on her face as it was an unusual view. The Cara Kahlan knew was nowhere near calm – Kahlan couldn't even put the waking Cara on the same sentence as tranquillity.

...

"You're doing it again."

Cara's protest interrupted Kahlan's train of thoughts. The taller woman quirked an eyebrow.

"What was it?"

"You sneaked out on me again," Cara explained impatiently.

"But I didn't go anywhere," Kahlan responded, puzzled.

Cara wanted to roll her eyes, but she realized that she couldn't do it anymore so instead she let out an irritated sigh. "You went silent. If you had sat far from me I wouldn't know that you're still around."

"I'm not leaving you," she said. A smile formed on Kahlan's lips.

"Well you'd better not. Richard will kill me if something happens to you," Cara snapped. "Told him you're good enough with those daggers but he still fusses around. I made a promise so don't make me break it by acting stupid."

Kahlan blinked at the masked compliment. "Yes, I am capable of protecting myself," she agreed. Richard was always over protective sometimes and she found it a little aggravating. She was not so weak as to need a body guard. She eyed the woman before her, adding, "Myself and the both of us." She considered it really sweet that Cara still thought about Kahlan's wellbeing above Cara's own. But it bothered Kahlan that the blonde had no single thought her own safety. All her life, Cara had always been forced to protect the so-called 'more important people' – to die for them if need be; she had always been led to believe that her life meant nothing, that she was expendable and there would always be someone else to replace her, were she to fail her mission. If anything, Cara Mason was everything but selfish.

Even though there was a hint of laughter in Kahlan's voice that suggested the other woman was teasing her, the words was like a hard slap on Cara's face. The blonde had never felt so insulted before – except when her sisters of Agiels cut her braid, but that was another story. A Mord'Sith who couldn't fight for herself, who had to be protected by those she had to protect; what bigger humiliation would top that? The visually impaired woman tightened her grip on the Agiels as fury began to take control of her.

"I don't need protection," she murmured.

It took Kahlan only a second to note the sudden change of tension between them and she had an idea on what had caused it. She sobered up. I really need to watch my tongue, she reprimanded herself mentally. "You don't. I was only joking," Kahlan admitted. She didn't apologize but she hoped that Cara understood that she meant nothing by it. It was so easy to anger Cara now – this was the third time that day Kahlan had managed to upset her friend.

The blonde looked away. She didn't want Kahlan to see her face. For the first time since she realized that she was no longer able to see, Cara was grateful for the blindness. At least she couldn't see the pity that she was sure must be present in Kahlan baby blue eyes then. Or in Richard's. Or Zedd's. She could stand being tortured. She could stand being blind. She could stand being mocked and ridiculed. She could stand being left to die. Cara could stand almost anything but one – being pitied.

Realizing that her friend wanted to be alone, Kahlan stood up and left for her own bedroll, but not before telling Cara that she was going to sleep. She hoped that it would at least put Cara's mind at ease if the blonde couldn't hear a sound from her.

Long after Kahlan went to bed, Cara was wide awake, lying on her back. For the first half candlemark or so, the blonde could hear Kahlan toss and turn on her bedroll. Then the breathing steadied and Cara focused on it. Richard and Zedd were yet to be heard when Cara's green eyes began to get heavier. Her last thought before she yielded to the deep slumber was how she was going to give the two men hell for leaving Kahlan unprotected with her.