Berdine hadn't spoken since she started down the hall, Kahlan following dutifully behind her.
"Um, my name's Kahlan."
Berdine smirked to herself. Now I have a name.
"That's nice. I hope you're willing to work hard in this class. High D'Haran is a hard language to learn and you've come in half way though the year."
"I'm good at learning languages. I don't think I'll have too much trouble."
Berdine bit off a laugh. "High D'Haran is like no other language. I grew up speaking it and I still find certain parts hard."
Berdine stopped outside a class room door. "This is our class. Before you go in, want a word of advice?"
"Sure. I'd appreciate it."
Berdine's grin was back, and suddenly Kahlan wasn't so sure anymore.
"I'm fine with you looking at my ass while I'm walking, but my girlfriend won't be. And she'd eat you alive."
Kahlan blushed furiously, she could even deny it. Berdine's swagger had been hypnotic. Berdine opened the class door, calling out loudly to the teacher.
"Hey Warren. We've got ourselves a new student. Does that mean we can do that ritual chant now?"
Mr. Warren, or just Warren blinked at Berdine before leaning around her to see a still blushing Kahlan. Berdine moved to the back of the class where she always sat. Warren was a young man; he looked to be in his mid to late twenties.
"I wouldn't worry about Berdine. She likes to embarrass new students. Now, you're name is?"
Kahlan was finally managing to get her blush under control as she answered.
"Kahlan Amnell."
"Right, Kahlan. You should probably take the seat next to Berdine. She is the best in the class and will get you up to speed."
He turned to the class as Kahlan moved to where Berdine was sitting.
"Now, before any of you ask, no, we will not be doing any rituals, chanting or otherwise. If you want to do it, do it outside my class room."
xxxxx
It turned out that Berdine was particularly skilled at High D'Haran. She spent the lesson alternating between informing Kahlan of the latest gossip at D'Hara High, bragging about her girlfriend Raina and teaching her the basic of the long dead language. Berdine had been almost vibrating with excitement when she told Kahlan that Sister Verna and Warren were engaged. Apparently, Sister Verna must have proposed last night, as the ring on Warren's finger hadn't been there the day before and Warren was too much of a push over to propose himself.
"How could you possibly know that?"
Berdine tilted her head. "I read a lot."
"What does that have to do with…"
"Books are not the only thing that can be read, Kahlan. Remember that. People are just as easy to read. Now, this sound here needs to come from deep in the throat."
Her first lesson in basic (Very, very basic according to Berdine) High D'Haran ended and Kahlan found the seat next to her empty very quickly. The cause of that, Kahlan found out as she left the class room was a dark haired, dark eyed girl about the same height as Berdine, her hair held in a similar plait to Berdine's and almost as long. She wore a brown leather jacket, white t-shirt and worn blue jeans. By the kiss Berdine was giving her, Kahlan guessed she was Berdine's before mentioned girlfriend. If she wasn't, Kahlan didn't want to be around when Raina found out. From what Berdine had told her, Raina really was quite over-protective, and could be a tad jealous. Before Kahlan could speculate further, a tall blonde stormed down the hallway and yanked on Berdine's braid, pulling the two apart. The blonde was taller than Berdine and Raina, but shorter than Kahlan. Unlike her companions, her hair was shorter, and loose, falling to just below her shoulders. Her skin was tanned and complimented sharp green eyes surrounded by dark lashes. Her full lips were curled into a smirk aimed at the couple.
"Come on; let's get down to the cafeteria. That way you can gross more than just me out as you practice the Breath of Life."
Berdine and Raina shared a look before following. Kahlan vaguely heard their quite conversation, more focused on the sway of the blonde girl's hips. The red leather dress clung in all the right places. Across a taunt back, perk breasts, toned stomach and shapely thighs. Kahlan suspected that it would have looked just as good over the blonde's powerful calf mussels, if the dress had extended that long. As it was, it barely reached her knees.
"She needs to get laid." Was Raina's comment.
"Yeah," Berdine agreed. "But you know she won't let him near her until he gets checked out. What was he thinking sleeping with Triana? She's diseased."
Kahlan had no idea who Triana was, but she really wanted to know who the blonde was.
"You get use to it."
She spun around to see Richard.
"What?"
"You get use to Berdine and Raina making out whenever they see each other." He smiled at the couple. "They're a cute couple. They really love each other. It's nice to see."
Kahlan turned her head back in time to see the trio disappear down the staircase.
"What about the blonde, does she always dress like that?"
"Cara? Yeah, pretty much." He answered as he led Kahlan down the same stairs and towards the cafeteria. "Everything she wears is skin tight."
Kahlan frowned. "Cara? Sounds familiar."
"Cara Mason. You know her?"
"Ah. No, I don't, but I sat next to Berdine…"
Richard laughed. "Say no more. Berdine's the biggest gossip in the school. She knows everything about everyone. If you are sitting next to her in class you'll need to focus extra hard."
"Why? She seems nice enough, not like those jerks that distract the whole class."
"She is, one of the nicest girls you could ever meet, once you get to know her. But she's also incredibly smart. Like genius level smart and she gets bored in class. She tends to distract the people she sits by while entertaining herself. She doesn't mean to, but she does."
"Oh, well, I think she'll be less distracting in High D'Harran." Kahlan smirked slightly at Richard's questioning look. They picked up trays and joined the lunch line.
"Warren has her teaching me as I know nothing."
They sat at an empty table and started to eat. Kahlan asked questions, and Richard answered. Hockey was the school sport. There were two tops teams, the males (called the D'Haran Army) and the females (the Mord-Sith). Being in either allowed a certain status. Cara, Berdine and Raina were all Mord-Sith, and Cara was in fact the captain. Richard pointed out other girls in the cafeteria who were on the team. Over half were scattered around various tables, and Richard didn't give their names. They weren't main political players in the school. Rikka and Haina sat with the trio, but Denna, Constance and Triana sat at their own table alone. Apparently Cara hated them, and only put up with them on the hockey field. Richard refused to go into detail as to why, saying he knew, but it wasn't common knowledge.
"Despite the fact the fact that Cara can be a sarcastic bitch sometimes, she's a good friend of mine. I couldn't betray her trust like that."
Kahlan understood and respected that. Though, Cara was turning out to be even more of an enigma, a puzzle she felt compelled to solve.
The D'Haran Army's captain was a man named Jagang. Richard pointed him out. A big brute of a man who sat at the table with Cara. He wore more jewellery than any of the girls in the whole school; you couldn't see his fingers under all the rings. Richard swore he was intelligent, though he really didn't look it. Next to him his girlfriend sat quietly. She was tall, but slight, particularly in comparison to the other at the table (most of them belonged to one of the two hockey teams). It was clear she didn't play any sports. Nicci had moved to D'Hara High from a small school in Tanimura called Prophets High School and had been (in Richard's words) 'snatched up' by Jagang. People didn't really like Jagang, they were scared of him.
Kahlan watched as a tall man sat next to Cara and hung an arm around her shoulders. He had tanned skin, long dark brown hair and a very carefully managed goatee. Cara looked quite pissed at his possessive gesture and shrugged his arm off.
"Who's that? Cara looks annoyed at him."
Richard barely glanced up.
"That's her boyfriend, Darken Rahl. They've been going out on and off for the last four years. Cara's annoyed at him right now, but they're still in an 'on' phase. I'd love to know why."
Kahlan watched Cara speak to Darken (what kind of a name was Darken?), or more accurately, spit venom at Darken.
"Did you know he slept with Triana?"
Richard started choking. "How in the world would you know that? I didn't know that?"
"I heard Berdine and Raina mention it. Apparently she wants him to be tested for diseases before she'll have sex with him."
"Triana's the school bicycle. I'd want him to get tested before I'd have sex with him."
"Who are you having sex with Richard?"
Kahlan looked up to the tall man standing by their table. He had dark hair and dark skin but a warm welcoming face. It was easy to see that he smiled a lot. He took a seat and smiled at her in silent greeting before turning back to Richard.
"Darken." Answered Richard automatically. He grimaced. "Oh, I think I need to go throw up."
The man laughed so hard tears started to fall from his eyes. Kahlan noticed a few people staring at him.
"Is he that horrible?"
The man wiped the tears away.
"Well, yeah, Darken is a bastard. He's also Richard's brother. I'm Chase by the way."
Kahlan raised an eyebrow at Richard. He blushed deeply.
"Half brother and I didn't mean it that way." He said accusingly at Chase. Looking at Kahlan he continued.
"We have the same father, different mothers. When my mum died I was sent to live with dad and Darken."
"Where are you from? I had thought I was a bit crazy but you do have a distantly non D'Haran accent."
Chase answered. "Both Richard and I are from Westland."