Richard was yelling for Zedd and Cara as he jumped off his horse and rushed to Kahlan. He cradled her in his arms, pressing her head to his chest, using his free hand to check her pulse. It was slow, but steady. He kept yelling until he saw the specs in the distance get closer.

When Zedd got close enough to see Kahlan unconscious in Richard's arms, he slid off his horse and ran to her.

"What happened!"

"I don't know!" Richard was almost sobbing. "We were arguing and then I started continuing forward and when I turned around she just .." He choked back the lump in his throat. "Fell." Zedd's hands were hovering over her.

"Dear Spirits." Zedd's eyes grew wide as his hands continued to move around her.

"What?" Richard was growing frantic, his hold on Kahlan tightening. When Zedd didn't respond, Richard yelled. "What's wrong!"

"Nothing, my boy." Zedd sighed, removing his hands from her.

"Don't tell me nothing, Zedd! What's wrong!"

Zedd looked to his grandson, his face showing no sorrow for the event that was happening. Richard was sure his heart would stop any minute.

"I've never seen a case of exhaustion this extreme." Richard sighed as he started to rock Kahlan back and forth in his arms, cursing himself for not helping her off her horse. For not believing she didn't feel well. For yelling at her. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Although his eyes were blurred from the tears threatening to fall down his face, he could see the blonde was concerned.

"Don't worry, Lord Rahl. The Mother Confessor is strong." Richard nodded his thanks as he went back to rocking her, smoothing her hair back from her face and cursing himself yet again.

Richard didn't know how long he had been holding Kahlan in his arms, he only knew that she wasn't waking. Some of her color returned, and that was the only thing that kept him from thinking she was slipping into death. He had a rising suspicion that this was more than over exhaustion.

Cara had started setting up camp after her words to Richard, laying out the bedrolls and making the fire. Zedd had suggested they move closer to the trees once it was nightfall and Cara began moving all their things. Richard nodded numbly as he picked Kahlan up in his arms and carried her to the new site. He couldn't believe how limp she was in his arms.

She had been passed out for half a day. Zedd didn't seemed concerned, and it eased Richard's mind some. His grandfather couldn't lie to him about something of this magnitude. If something had really been wrong with Kahlan, Zedd would have been fretting just as much as he was. Cara sat nearby and watched Richard, asking him occasionally if he wanted anything. He would just shake his head and look down at Kahlan, the guilt sinking into him. He felt he was responsible. He could have helped her off her horse instead of being bitter about her not answering his questions. It didn't matter if she loved him - he loved her. He'd do anything for her, and instead, he yelled at her and left her alone to hit the ground. He was ashamed of himself.

"My boy, don't beat yourself up. This isn't your fault."

Richard shot his grandfather an icy glare. "It may not fully be my fault, but I definitely attributed to it." He looked back down at Kahlan, her pulse had been normal for hours now, her cheeks rosy due to the warmth of the fire. Richard hoped she would wake soon.

It had been another hour until he felt her stir in his arms. His heart swelled with joy. She wasn't exactly coherent, but she was able to move without hindrance. Richard called Zedd's name, his grandfather coming instantly. He moved over to Kahlan and smiled.

"I told you, my boy. She's fine."

Kahlan's eyes fluttered open and Richard smiled, tears welling up. She moaned as she lolled her head from side to side, attempting to find the strength to sit up. She braced herself on Richard as she pulled her body upright, quickly separating herself from him and wrapping her arms around her knees as she sat in front of the fire.

Richard felt horrible. "Kahlan, I'm sorry."

She flicked her hand in his direction. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Lord Rahl."

Richard felt his heart shatter into pieces. She had never said his name in a vindictive way before. The tone of her voice indicated she had lost respect for him, that the feelings she once held had fallen away from her. The lump in his throat returned as he stared at the ground, wanting very much to become invisible.

Zedd walked behind the two and slapped Richard's back while wrapping his other arm around Kahlan's shoulders.

"Dear ones! There is no need to hold resentment towards one another. What is done is done. We have bigger, better things to focus on."

Kahlan scoffed as she shrugged off the old man's arm. "I hardly call finding the Sisters of the Dark better."

Cara was pacing on the other side of the fire. She glanced towards Zedd. "I agree with the Mother Confessor. Bigger? Yes. Better? No."

Zedd laughed heartily as he stood up, walking over to Cara to gently slap her on the back as well. Cara's eyes grew wide as her nose scrunched.

"Wizard, why are you touching me?" Zedd removed his hand and stared at the Mord'Sith.

"Never mind that, child." He turned to Richard and Kahlan, his arms outstretched.

"Kahlan, my dear, you were over exerting yourself. That is why you had fallen from your horse."

Kahlan's eyebrow raised as she glared at Zedd. "And this is what? The bigger or the better?"

"The better!" Zedd boomed, excitement creeping all over his features. Richard was infuriated. How could Zedd view such a thing as Kahlan falling off her horse from overexertion as a good thing? He stood up.

"How is this a good thing!" He yelled, his face going red with rage. Kahlan being unconscious in his arms for hours on end was not something he viewed pleasant, and his grandfather's cheery demeanor was driving Richard right over the edge. Zedd's smile wouldn't leave his face.

"My dear, how can you not know?" He directed his attentions to Kahlan, who remained sitting. Richard could tell she was still dealing with the after effects of the event, her body not fully recuperated. She shot him a cold glare.

"All I know right now is that I feel nauseous and am highly irritable to old men who are babbling about nonsense!" She yelled, her fists slamming into the ground as she did so.

"Exactly." Zedd's smile grew wider. Cara grabbed his robes and brought him to her face.

"Wizard, if you don't come to the point very quickly, I will gag your mouth shut!" Kahlan moved to get herself off the ground and reluctantly took Richard's arm to help steady herself. She stood still as a stone until Cara was done shaking Zedd. He turned to Richard and Kahlan before making his way around the fire and taking her hands in his.

"Kahlan, my dear, you're with child."

Kahlan's eyes grew wide with shock as she took a step back, retracting her hands from the wizard. Richard felt his heart jump to his throat. He was going to have a baby. He was going to have a baby with Kahlan. He couldn't stop smiling. Kahlan was still in a state of shock, unable to make any words come from her mouth. She turned to Richard, his bright features in stark contrast with her uncertain ones. He was so excited he could barely think straight. He took her face in both his hands and kissed her before wrapping his arms tightly around her. She didn't make a move to embrace him back.

When he moved away from her his smile hadn't diminished. She was looking down at her hands, which were now resting on her stomach. She looked up at him.

"I'm with child." Richard nodded, smiling. He wasn't sure what to do, how to act. All he knew was that he was the happiest man in the world.

"We're going to have a child." She repeated, the statement seeming to sink into her more. She started smiling, her face glowing in the fire light. She started laughing, grabbing Richard's hand and placing it on her stomach.

"Our child is in there, right where your hand is." Richard's face hurt from smiling so much, but he couldn't stop. When she started smiling again he picked her up, slightly swinging her around until she batted at his shoulder to let her down.

"That explains why you've been so exhausted, why you wanted fruit instead of meat, why my rambling about nonsense irritates you more than normal." Zedd was smiling, and even Cara was adorning a toothy grin. "I want at least two more grandchildren after this one!" Cara slapped his shoulder.

"Wizard! They haven't even had the first one and you are already demanding more!" Richard's hand pressed against Kahlan's stomach again, her blue orbs starting to fill with tears. She wrapped her hands around his, smiling the most brilliant smile he had ever seen.

"I'm with child." She whispered, smiling as she looked at their hands resting on her stomach. "I'm having your baby." She looked up at him, disbelief still haunting her features. Richard started smiling again as he leaned in and kissed her. He pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Kahlan." She smiled, tears falling freely from her eyes. He didn't mind she didn't say it back, she'd say it when she was ready. All that mattered was that they were now a family, forever bonded together.