Chapter Five

Richard almost fell to his knees and begged Denna to command him. It took all his strength to call her 'Denna' and not 'Mistress.' He quickly regained his senses. She was not his master. Kahlan sitting behind the desk in the tiny room helped him stand his ground. Kahlan had told him Denna was dead. Cara had told him that she had died by an arrow and fell over a cliff.

"Lord Rahl." Denna and Cara spoke at exactly the same time, and tried to kneel. He raised a hand to stop them. He saw Kahlan flinch in the corner of his eye. They couldn't have both knelt in the tiny space. Richard wouldn't fit in the room with the rest of them.

"Um," Richard was still having a hard time with Denna, who was giving him a smile that he remembered coming right before pain. "Kahlan, can I talk to you?"

He saw Kahlan looked scared for half a second, "Of course, Richard."

She got up, but they all had to come out of the room because Kahlan had been the farthest back. After a few minutes of struggling, they were all out of the room. Richard pulled Kahlan away from the two Mord – Sith, trying to be gentle, but she still flinched. Richard saw a look of concern pass across Cara's face for a brief second.

"I need your help with something." Richard said.

Kahlan's hands balled up into fists, "What ever you wish, Richard." She walked off in the direction of his bedroom.

"Kahlan, wait." He grabbed her arm. It was harder than he had intended, and she flinched, trying to pull away. "That's not what I need your help with. I just need you to translate something. I thought you were good with languages." He saw tension go out of her shoulders.

"Oh. Lead the way, Richard." She kept using his name in every sentence like she thought he would hurt her if she didn't. Like she would use it if she were still calling him Lord Rahl.

Before he took a step, he heard Denna call out to him, "Lord Rahl, would you like me to come with you." He voice was seductive, and he knew what she wanted. For a second he feared that if he answered in correctly she would beat him with her Agiel, but she wouldn't. He was the Lord Rahl now, and Denna would not hurt him.

"No, but Cara. I think I might need your help." Denna's face hardened into a cold mask of indifference. Cara looked surprised and immediately started to walk towards Richard. Denna was not used to being rejected, and one look at Kahlan's face told him that no one had ever seen Richard turn Denna down.

"Come on." Richard said, and started off towards the bedroom and garden. As they got closer, he saw Kahlan's fists slowly tighten into balls, and her eyes looked fiery. She looked extremely angry. The guards pulled open the doors as they got closer and closed them behind Cara who was behind Richard and Kahlan walking side-by-side.

Richard led them through the garden and into his bedroom. He walked over to the bed to get a closer look at the words, expecting them to follow. Kahlan stopped outside the door, and Cara walked slowly and reluctantly to the bed.

"Kahlan, come on. I need your help." Richard said.

"You said you didn't need that kind of help." Kahlan whispered, her tone was intense, and Richard though she might attack him. Cara looked impassive as she stood near him next to the bed. Richard knew she was glad Kahlan had said something though.

"No, I don't need that kind of help, Kahlan. Look," He said, pointing to the blood red words. "I don't know what this says. It doesn't look right with the room, and I'm sure that it's written in blood. I just need you to translate it."

Kahlan stared at him for a while, not sure whether to believe him. "Fine." She decided and walked towards him, slowly, but with purpose.

"I've never seen this before, Richard. I don't know what it says; it's in High D'Haran. I . . . thought you knew High D'Haran?" Kahlan seemed reluctant to give him an answer he didn't like, but she seemed a little more at ease now.

"I didn't know High D'Haran was a language. Do you know anyone who reads High D'Haran?" Richard looked at Kahlan, but saw Cara react to his question.

"Um, I don't think I know anyone who knows this language. It's dying out. I didn't learn it . . . well, because it was D'Haran. I'm sorry Richard." She still seemed sort of afraid, but it was the most he had heard out of her yet. He also believed her; she didn't know High D'Haran.

"What about you Cara?" He said turning his gaze to her. "Do you know anyone who can translate High D'Haran?"

Cara looked like she wanted to die. There was obviously someone that knew this dying language, and Cara wanted to protect her.

"Possibly . . . a Mord – Sith?" Richard asked knowing that it was.

Cara swallowed. "Yes . . . Lord Rahl. I know of a Mord – Sith who . . . knows a little High D'Haran." She didn't seem like she wanted to say anymore. Kahlan was looking at her with pity.

"The Mord – Sith, Cara, what is her name? Don't worry. I wont hurt her." Richard was trying to make her feel better. It seemed to do the opposite, however. Kahlan also looked scared after he said that.

"Lord Rahl, I – "

"Cara, he will find out one way or another. Just tell him who it is." Kahlan whispered.

After Kahlan spoke, Cara's resolve broke. She closed her eyes for a second and told Richard the name of the Mord – Sith. He had never heard of her before.

"Well, show me the way to her room, Cara."

Cara immediately started off, slightly shaking her head as she went. She didn't even seem to be paying attention anymore. She was shaken up over betraying her friend to Richard. Something he had said had frightened the two women into telling him the Mord – Sith's name. He didn't know what it was though.

They arrived in the Mord – Sith's quarters shortly, to find that she wasn't there. It didn't surprise Richard that much, so they decided to wait. Kahlan sat on the bed, she had tried to offer it to Richard, but he had refused. Cara still seemed lost in thought and was standing in the corner, and Richard stood by the door. For a short time there was an awkward silence over the air, but Richard didn't want things to be awkward.

"Cara, I'm sorry that I fell asleep in your bed. If it happens again, just wake me up, okay?" Richard had tried to lighten the mood, but Cara seemed to think it was a threat, like wake me up or I'll kill you. Kahlan looked over at Cara stunned.

"Of course, Lord Rahl. What ever you wish." Cara answered after a second.

The room fell back into the awkward silence. Richard, still uncomfortable, was about to say something about Meiffert, when he heard the footsteps out side of the door.

It opened slowly, and the Mord – Sith, looked stunned for a second. She was in her brown leather. The woman was beautiful, of course, Richard had never seen an ugly Mord – Sith, and she had piercing blue eyes and brown hair pulled back into the single braid of a Mord – Sith.

She tried to fall to her knees, but Richard stopped her. He was running out of patience with being in the dark. He needed to know what was happening and this woman was the only way to find out.

"Hello," Richard said as causally as possible. "I hear you know a little of the High D'Haran language. I was wondering if you could help me with a translation?"

The woman nodded, "Of course, Lord Rahl. Anything I can do to help you."

Richard smiled, "It's going to be nice to know you, Berdine."