They walked farther than usual, trying to put some distance. Kahlan had stopped looking obviously over her shoulder as Cara fell behind to be able to look herself. Zedd, who was leading them all, never looked back as they traveled. Richard couldn't help but watch Kahlan. His mind wondered over the conversation they had previously had. He couldn't get his mind to stop imagining things. "This place seems as good as any." Zedd said as he dropped his pack and turned to face the others. "I'm starved!" "Aren't you always?" Cara said as she too dropped her stuff to the ground. "No. Not always. Most of the time." He turned to Richard, who was still watching Kahlan as she searched the area. "Come on, my boy. Food waiting." Richard reluctantly walked through the trees with Zedd as he continued rambling about being hungry.

"Cara?" Cara turned slowly "What did you and Richard do with him?" Cara looked at the direction Richard and Zedd had left before she spoke "We made it very clear he was not welcome." Kahlan tilted her head and sighed "What did you do?" Cara took a few steps towards her "We didn't kill him." Kahlan took a step to close the distance between them. "That's not what I asked." She looked to the trees and back to Kahlan "When he woke up, I took the opportunity to allow him to suffer." she emphasized on her final word. Kahlan didn't seem to be upset, so she continued. "I used my agiel..." Kahlan smiled "You're not going to tell me the truth are you." Cara didn't move. "He asked you not to..." Cara turned and began to start the fire. "No. He ordered me." Kahlan sighed and finally dropped her pack and sat beside the fire.

"Richard?" Zedd's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "You've been standing there, starring into space for quite a while now." Richard looked up at him "I've been thinking." Zedd nodded as he bent to a bush and began picking the berries. "About Kahlan." Richard knelt beside him "I don't know what to do." he grabbed a handful of berries and handed them to Zedd. "Yes you do," He placed a hand oh his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile "She'll come to you... When she's ready." Richard shook his head "Zedd, how can someone do that to someone else? Their own daughter..." He sat and crossed his legs looking up at his grandfather. "People can surprise you." Zedd stuffed two handfuls of berries into his pockets and stood. "You're not going to starve, Zedd." he laughed and helped Richard to his feet. "No. Not now I wont." He turned and started towards camp. "Shouldn't we get some more food?" He stopped and turned to Richard "While you were...thinking... I found that." He pointed down to the body of a deer. "Come on now. If I left it to you, we'd all starve tonight." Richard walked to the deer and bent to pick it up "Zedd. Should I have killed him?" He turned and looked down at Richard as he starred up at him. "You know the answer to that too." "I can't let anything happen to her." "I know."

Cara poked at the fire as she watched Kahlan stare into the flames. "You're upset I didn't tell you." she asked as she threw a stick into the fire. "No." she looked up from the fire. "Yes... but I understand." "Do you?" Kahlan picked up a handful of dirt and let it fall through her fingers. "I don't know." "Hurry up Richard!" Zedd's voice came booming through the trees before he appeared before them. Richard coming into view shortly after. Dropping the animal he looked over at Kahlan who had gone to help Zedd. "You're going to have to tell her what we did with him." He turned to Cara "She asked you?" she nodded "I informed her that you ordered me not to." Richard looked back to Kahlan and then down at the deer. "Just help me with this."

The moon's light covered the ground, making it easy to see. They all slept close to the fire, as the wind brought in a cool breeze. Kahaln watched as Richard slept. Watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. Moving slowly she inched closer to him. Lowering herself, she laid her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, her name escaped his lips. He ran his fingers though her hair, slowly wrapping stands around his fingers. She closed her eyes and let out a soft moan of want. "Richard." she whispered into his chest. "Mmm" she started to pull away when he tightened his hold on her. "Stay." he breathed out softly. Kahlan laid her head back on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked down "Kahlan?" she looked up at his confused face "Who'd you think it was?" he smiled "I just thought It was a dream." he laid his head back down and closed his eyes "A good dream." she allowed a small smile to cross her lips before she shifted herself up onto her elbow. "Richard." she waited for him to open his eyes. He continued to play with her hair as he wondered how long she would allow him to hold her. "Richard."

He opened his eyes and signed "I'll talk on once condition." she let out a quiet laugh "What?" he pulled her closer "That we don't move." he looked down as she considered his condition "What happened to Jacob?" He waited a moment, trying to choose his words carefully. "We taught him a lesson." "A lesson?" he ran his hand over her shoulder and down to her hand. "Kahlan, does it really matter?" After what he put you through. I couldn't just drop him off in the forrest." She remained quiet as he took in a deep breath. "We questioned him Cara's way. Then, we stripped him of his clothes and left him." Kahlan looked up at him "You took his clothes?" "Of course not. We left them. They will no longer be of use to him torn to shreds." he opened his eyes and was surprised to see her smiling. "But we di" "It's okay. I don't need to know anymore." she laid her head back on his shoulder, but her pulled her closer, so her head rested on his chest. Slowly they drifted off to sleep as she traced her finger over his chest.

Richard woke up with his arms around Kahlan. Her back firmly pressed against his chest. Her arms holdin his in place around her. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he took in the feel of her in his arms. He could remember the many times he'd dreamt of waking this way and none were as wonderful as this moment was. How long he had been laying there, he didn't know or care. For once in the past few weeks, he was happy. Everything seemed to fall into place, preparing the way for this one perfect moment.

Suddenly she jerked away and out of his arms. "Sorry." she said when she turned around and found him starring at her. "I didn't mean to wake you." "You didn't." he smiled as she laid back down and looked up at the skiy. "Bad dream?" she closed her eyes and smiled. "Not. Not entirely." she looked over at him "I didn't wake you?" he moved closer until he was able to pull her back into his arms "No. I've been awake for some time." she looked at his face "You look tired. You should try to get more sleep." she rolled and listed herself onto her elbow and ran her hand over his chest. He closed his eye for a moment. When she stopped he opened his eyes for a brief moment, allowing their eyes to connect. That moment he pulled her on top him and kissed her. With no hesitation, Kahlan held his face to hers, allowing her lips to move with is. "Kahlan, please..." he managed to breathe out as she pushed herself away from his lips. "That shouldn't have happened. It's too dangerous." He moaned as he sat forward "You'd never hurt me." "Not intentionally." Kahlan stood and looked down at him. "You should try to sleep before they wake. I'll go to the lake and clean up. Richard reached for her hand and she pulled back quickly "Richard we can't do this. I'm not strong enough." She drew in a quick breath "I'll be back in a while."

Kahlan remained in the water longer than she intended. He mind refused to stop thinking of being with Richard. How she'd give anything and everything to be with him. As a normal woman. As she made her way out of the water, the sound of slow footsteps caught her attention. "Richard!" she shouted as he came into view. Rushing to her clothes, she lifted her dress and covered herself. "What are you doing?" she asked as he continued to walk towards her. "What I should have done along time ago." he was standing inches from her. "You shouldn't be here." he reached out and ran his hand over her bare shoulder, and down over her chest. He grasped her dress and pulled it from her hand, dropping it to the ground over her boots. "You're beautiful." "Richard, please... This isn't right... We can't do this." he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard and full of intent. "I want you." he moaned against her mouth as she kissed him pack passionately. She ran her hands along his back and up under his shirt over his chest. Quickly, she pushed him away and bent down to retrieve her dress. Holding it over her, she took a few steps back. Richard took a step closer, almost closing their distance. "Tell me you don't want me." He said as he leaned in to kiss her. The knife went through his flesh easily as she pushed "I don't want you." she said as she watched him fall to the ground. He starred up at her in shock as she pulled the knife from his stomach.