Chapter Seven

Richard was so glad he had found Berdine. Not only did she know High D'Haran, which was part of their main purpose when spending time together, but also she seemed to accept him as he was now, not who she thought he was before. It help that she had never actually spent time with Richard except for a few times when he was walking around the Palace and he had asked her a question. She had immediately come to accept him as a different person than the Lord Rahl everybody else thought he was.

They had mostly stayed in the large garden, which Berdine had called the Garden of Life, and his bedroom. She was trying to teach him High D'Haran. He seemed to be very good at it, for he learned the difficult language fast. They had also translated the message on the headboard, but Richard didn't want to think about that right now.

Berdine and Richard were feeding chipmunks in the Garden of Life at the moment. Berdine would hold out her hand and let a chipmunk nibble the seeds out of it. Richard always smiled when the chipmunks approached her. It represented the childhood she had never had.

Richard heard a fight break out behind the doors into the garden. The guards had been told to allow no one in. As far as he knew no one had tried to come see him. Berdine's smile disappeared as she took her Agiel out. Richard brought out the sword, expecting to hear the metallic ring, but it didn't sound. The magic wasn't there, but it only threw him for a second.

Richard heard a man cry out in pain, and then another. The doors burst open and Cara, standing in the middle of the doors, confused him. She didn't need to fight to get into the garden. Richard lowered the sword, almost putting it away, when Berdine pushed him out of the way to meet a possible attack from Cara that Richard thought was absurd.

"Berdine, what are you doing?" Richard said quietly.

Berdine looked confused by Richard's statement. Cara looked confused as well, but not by Richard. Cara put her Agiel away slowly, and upon Richard's stare, Berdine put hers away as well.

"Hello, Cara. Is there something that I can help you with?" Richard asked, looking around Berdine.

"Um, yes, Lord Rahl. I got a report back about the scouts you requested me to send." She said, trying to tell him, but not Berdine.

"The scout you sent to Agaden Reach?" Berdine asked Richard quietly, who nodded.

"What did the scout find out Cara?" Richard asked in a loud voice, because Cara was still several feet away, near the door.

"He found the person you wanted. She is living in the same place you said she would be. The scout said that she was waiting for him, and told him to deliver a message to you." Cara stopped. Richard knew something was wrong. Cara hadn't called him Lord Rahl, and she had stopped telling the story on her own.

Richard walked around Berdine, towards Cara. She looked very frightened, but it wasn't because of him. He came up to her and gave her a hug. Cara tensed up only a little bit, but then she sank into Richard's shoulder. Berdine stood behind him with her mouth open.

"Cara, what was the message?"

Cara went rigid in Richard's arms. Her eyes glossed over, but continued to stare straight into Richard's eyes, seemingly penetrating to his soul. Cara's arm, stiff as a board, came up to touch Richard's forehead. He heard Berdine scream, but it was cut off by his unexpected loss of senses. The world turned white. All he could feel was Cara's stiff figure on his fore head.

Suddenly her finger was torn away and Richard fell into darkness.

Author's Note: Tomorrow there will not be a chapter. I've decided to not post on Sunday's because it gives me a day to sit down and just write, and then I can get ahead for the week. On Monday the next chapter will be up. Sorry this was posted so late.

IndependenceDayChild17