Legend of the Seeker fics

[meridian_rose]

2 Rahl-centric ficlets:

Kitten; a ficlet written for pristineungift's birthday.

Rahl stared into the flames, not bothering to look as the Mord'Sith approached him. He watched her shadow drop to the floor as she knelt at the side of his chair.

"Lord Rahl," Garen said. "I bring you a gift."

Rahl wasn't much in the mood for gifts. He gestured with one hand over the side of the chair. "What is it?"

Garen shuffled forward and dropped something into his lap. Rahl stared down at the spiky thing that was digging into his skin beneath his thick velvet robes. It didn't look spiky – it was mostly ginger fur, except for the tiny pink nose, white whiskers, and the huge green eyes.

The kitten mewled pitifully, showing a pink tongue and sharp white teeth. Rahl reached down and carefully petted it with one finger, keeping his hand behind the kitten's head and away from the teeth.

"We thought you might like a new pet," Garen said.

Well the Mord'Sith did love their pets, Rahl thought. No surprise they thought he would like one. He frowned as the kitten lifted its head to rub against him. He touched the metal band around its neck with one finger.

"What is this? A rad'a'han? Is the kitten somehow magical?" If it was a shape-shifter there was going to be serious trouble.

Garen looked momentarily flustered, but this was not something a Mord'Sith was allowed to be, and she quickly schooled her face into a more nonchalant mask.

"No, my lord. It is a simple metal collar." Under Rahl's intense scrutiny she added, "For the kitten's protection. In case you…it in case it displeases…it shows she belongs to you, Lord Rahl."

Rahl lifted one eyebrow. So word had gotten round about the previous kitten, the one he'd given to Jennsen. He hadn't meant to harm the pathetic creature; he'd merely forgotten his own strength in his rage at Jennsen's betrayal.

The kitten tasted Rahl's finger hopefully. Garen looked mildly horrified, but Rahl was no stranger to pain anymore than she was, and laughed at the audacity of the tiny kitten.

"I shall call her Jenny," he said, still thinking of Jennsen. He couldn't really blame his half-sister for her actions, not when she was under the spell of Richard Rahl's charisma and his Zorander bloodline's magic. One day she might yet realise her mistake and return to him. And then she could take care of her namesake, just as he would take care of Jennsen herself, someone to love and be loved by. Until then, the kitten would have to suffice.

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Mirror; a ficlet written for serendipityxxi's birthday.

Darken Rahl preened in front of his magic mirror and asked, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the best Rahl of all?"

And the mirror said, "Richard Rahl."

And Darken had a temper tantrum, destroying two glasses, a table, and costing him one expendable-anyway castle guard. Then he asked the mirror again, "Who is the best Rahl of all?"

"Richard Rahl," said the mirror. It wasn't the mirror's fault. It had been enchanted by the Zorander bloodline and as such felt a certain loyalty to Richard Cypher/Rahl, grandson of Zeddicus Zu'ul Zorander.

Darken picked up a fire poker and caressed it lovingly and said, "I'm going to ask once more, and I suggest you think *very* carefully about the answer. Who is the best Rahl of all?"

"You, sire," the mirror said, because loyalty only goes far. So Darken was happy and the mirror wasn't broken, at least not that day.

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