-----.Katrina had her fingers entwined behind her back as she hummed a tune that didn't exist in the books. She was following Richard and Kahlan to Zedd's house, well, actually to Richard's house. That's where they were going first, after all. Katrina knew the conversation they were having, so she stayed out of it. She didn't need to be a part of it. She noticed when Kahlan glanced back at her for a moment but continued to talk to Richard. Moments later, the two were laughing. Katrina smiled.
-----.That's when tables turned.
-----.Kahlan grabbed Richard's shirtsleeve and spun him around to face her.
-----.Wide-eyed, she demanded why he had said what he said. He explained that it was just something he was told growing up. Katrina continued walking closer, wanting to actually hear the conversation, even though she already knew what was being said.
-----."What? You mean 'seeker of truth'? That's what Zedd calls me. Ever since I was little. He says I always insist on knowing the truth of things, so he calls me a 'seeker of truth.' " His eyes narrowed at her. "Why?"
-----.Kahlan started walking again. "Never mind."
-----.Richard realized that he broached a sensitive topic, so he backed off a bit. His brain was working to figure out why she had become touchy on the subject. The people who hunt her fear the truth, but she doesn't. Therefore, when he said that he is a 'seeker of truth', he must have scared her.
-----."Can you at least tell me who 'they' are? Those who hunt you?" He asked her, walking by her side again.
-----.It took her a moment to respond. "They are followers of a very wicked man. His name is Darken Rahl. Please do not ask any more for now; I do not wish to think of him."
-----.Katrina watched as Richard made that small connection in his mind. She continued to follow behind them, humming her little tune.
o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::>
-----.No one cared to speak as the afternoon hours wore on. There was a cool breeze rolling through the hartland forest, turning at the gentle rolling hills. Katrina smiled as it tumbled her hair over her shoulders. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The woodsy aromas filled her nostrils. It was amazing that something as unreal as this world - this story - could feel as real as it was to her at this time. Despite knowing every frightening detail that the story had offered her, she couldn't help feeling at ease in its pages. One thing nagged at her though. How could it be that she was here? In the story? She began thinking that she had fallen asleep on her book, but then dismissed it. Her dreams were never as real as this experience was. She thought about how the events in the Chronicles of Narnia had happened, but quickly dismissed that too. She finally shook it off and gave it the name it was: magic. Magic can't always be explained logically or realistically with scientific reasons.
-----.Seeming satisfied with the answer she came up with, Katrina skipped ahead to Kahlan's side. Richard had taken the lead as they got closer to his house. Katrina noticed that he wasn't pulling spiderwebs away from his face as Kahlan had been doing earlier on the path. They all stopped hiking for a moment. He turned to face them.
-----."Someone's been up the trail this afternoon."
-----.Kahlan had asked him why. Katrina answered.
-----."Spiderwebs. You were peeling them away from your face, but Richard hasn't. The spiders haven't had time to rebuild."
-----.Both of them looked at Katrina again.
-----."You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to you knowing everything, Katy," Richard said while a small smile. Katrina smiled back.
-----."I don't know everything. The author leaves quite a bit for the reader to figure out on their own. That's half the magic."
-----.Kahlan spoke up. "Does anyone else live up this trail?"
-----."No. It could be just a traveler, passing through, but this trail isn't used much." Richard responded. "Either someone came out of the woods back by the clearing, and then went up the trail - a very hard way to travel" - he looked Kahlan in the eyes - "or they dropped in out of the sky. "My house is over this hill. Keep your eyes sharp."
-----.Katrina knew what was going on. She wasn't partial to the imminent danger, but anxiously followed quietly.
-----.When they reached the top of the rise, they ducked behind a large pine and looked down at his house. The place was a mess. The windows were broken and Richard's belongings were scattered about haphazardly. The door hung open, even though it should have been locked.
-----.Richard stood. "It's been ransacked - just like my father's house."
-----.Kahlan and Katrina both stood up and took one of his arms. Kahlan whispered angrily to him.
-----."Your father may have come home to something just like this. Maybe they were waiting for him."
-----.Richard ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. She was right. He had made his decision though. He needed to get what he came for.
-----."Alright. We'll sneak around back. There's something inside that I need to have. We're not leaving without it." Both of the females nodded to him as he lead the way around the back of the house, giving the house a wide berth.
-----.When they reached the backside of the house, Richard motioned for the girls to wait. He didn't like it, but it was necessary. Both nodded and kept an eye out as he moved on.
-----.Kahlan looked at Katrina, regarding her with her tired and fear-driven gaze. Katrina gave Kahlan a small smile, letting her know that everything was going to be okay. She put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. She then brushed some leaves away and left a small patch of dirt to draw on. She grabbed a small stick and began drawing how she imagined a certain creature to look. She then drew another, but with a longer tail and circled it. Kahlan looked at her picture and blanched. Kahlan mouthed the word 'gar'. Katrina nodded and pointed up the trail, but then motioned a lip-zip gesture. Richard returned just as Katrina finished brushing away her drawing.
-----.Kahlan asked him, "Did you get what we came for?"
-----."Yes."
-----."Well? What was it?"
-----."It was my backpack. I had to get my backpack."
-----."Richard Cypher, you expect me to believe that you risked your life to get your backpack?"
-----."Kahlan, you are coming close to getting kicked." He couldn't manage a smile. Kahlan cocked her head to the side, giving him a sideways glare.
-----."Fair enough my friend, fair enough."
-----.Richard could tell that when she asked questions, she was used to getting answers.
o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::>
-----.As the daytime lights gave way to dusky grayness, Richard started thinking of where they could set up camp for the night. There were several wayward pines on the path that led to Zedd's that he had used on countless occasions. There was one just up the trail in a clearing, standing above all of the other trees and out against the pink sky. His thoughts trailed off as he led the girls off of the trail toward the tree.
-----.He felt something biting his neck and brought his hand up to slap it. Kahlan caught his hand. He turned to look at her, but saw that she had gone rigid - her eyes wide. She put her other hand over his mouth. Katrina motioned to him with her lip-zip gesture, then brought her hand up to her eyes, pointing two fingers into them, then toward the clearing. It was a gesture to watch. She then slowly lowered herself to the ground. Kahlan took her hand away from Richard's mouth and gently urged him to the ground too.
-----.Kahlan voiced to him in a whisper so low that he had to concentrate just to hear it. "Listen to me or we are dead. Let the flies bite. Do not move. Or we are dead. No matter what happens." Richard gave her a small nod, fear holding him still. Katrina watched the event unravel.
-----.There was a grunt, like a wild boar, but the green reflecting eyes betrayed it. It looked how she had imagined it. It was covered in long fur from head to toe, with only a patch of taut skin over its stomach. It grunted as it moved into the clearing in a sideways shuffling manner. It stood still for a moment, cocking its ears. When it heard what it wanted, it charged into the center of the clearing, grunting loudly. A scream from the ground startled Richard. He flinched involuntarily. Kahlan kept a firm hand on him. Even Katrina couldn't hide her fear. She lay still, watching, waiting.
-----.Another scream came and a rabbit burst out of a hole, its ears covered in the biting flies. The creature bolted at the rabbit, catching it in one hand, then ripping it in half. It swallowed the first half easily, then tore at the rabbit's insides a little, followed by spreading the guts and blood on the skin of its stomach. All of the flies flew back to the furry creature, immediately going to feed on the blood on the creature's skin-taut stomach. The rest of the rabbit was ripped in half between the legs and eaten half-by-half. The creature then stood still a moment, listening. When it couldn't hear anything, it spread its wings. Against the failing light, Katrina could see the veins pulsing through the membranes that were the skin of the wings. The creature took off, running sideways through the clearing. It hopped twice and began to fly in the direction that the boundary was in.
-----.Everyone flopped over on their backs, breathing heavily. The level of fright was exhausting. Richard propped himself on one elbow, trying to get rid of the stinging sensation in his back. He turned to Kahlan.
-----."What was that thing?"
-----.Kahlan sat up and hooked some of her hair behind an ear. "It was a long-tailed gar." She reached down and picked up one of the biting flies that had gotten stuck in the folds of Richard's shirt. "This is a blood fly. Gars use them to hunt. The flies flush out the quarry and the gar catches it, smears some of it on its stomach for the flies. We are very lucky." She held the blood fly in front of Richard's face. Katrina spoke up. Richard turned to face her, as if just remembering she was there.
-----."Long-tailed gars are stupid. If it had been a short-tailed gar...well," she trailed off for a moment while Kahlan held the fly in front of Richard's eyes. "We would be dead right now. Short-tailed gars are bigger and smarter. They count their flies."
-----.Richard was all kinds of tired, exhausted, confused and frightened. "Kahlan, I didn't press it when you didn't want to tell me who was hunting you, but for all I know, whoever is after you is after me too. I can't go home either. I think I have a right to know at least some of what's going on. I'm your friend, not your enemy.
-----."Once, when I was little, I had a fever and almost died. Zedd found the root of plant and saved my life. Up until today, that's the closest I've been to death. Today, I was close three times. What do I..."
-----.Kahlan silenced him with a gentle finger on his lips. "I will answer your questions. None about me though. For now, I cannot."
-----.Her shivering betrayed how cold she was. Richard pulled a blanket from his pack and wrapped it around her shoulders. Katrina watched, but realized that she didn't feel the cold. She glanced at her own shoulders, noticing that she now donned a fur mantle. She smiled to herself as she caught the end of their conversation.
-----."You promised me a fire. Is that a promise that you intend to keep?" Kahlan asked Richard.
-----."Sure. There's a wayward pine in the clearing just ahead," Richard replied, but judging by the look on Kahlan's face, he offered up a different answer.
-----."There's another one a ways up the trail, too."
-----."What's a wayward pine?" she heard Kahlan ask Richard.
This is not an original story. This is a fan-fiction based off of the Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind. I do not own any of the characters or places or anything part of the series. Katrina is my character.
