Chainfire pg. 511-607

When Ann and Nathan arrive at the Wizard's Keep, Richard is there along with Zed, Nicci, Cara, and Rikka. Ann and Nathan ask Zed about the prophecy and learn that they are damage here too, but Zed explains he believes he has the answer. Zed shows them the book about prophetic worms and says that due to the decrease in births of prophets after the Great War, Wizards believed that prophecy would eventually not have enough prophets to support it and would begin to deteriorate. Nathan and Ann also try to present Richard with the prophecy that says he must go to lead the final battle which they believe will happen soon. Richard still looking for Kahlan looks at the prophecy and begins to analyze problems with it, but by doing so, he is using his gift and summoned the beast. All of them try to stop them beast, but nothing worked. Richard made the beast follow him away from everyone else, and went through one of the strongest shields in the Wizard's Keep which required both sides of the gift which stopped the beast.

In that place, Richard found valuable books, but he found a place to think, something more valuable. During the time he stayed there Zed, Nathan, and Ann decided that to save other and to get him to lead the final battle so they would win they must erase his memory of Kahlan.

Kahlan was in the People Palace during this time with the remaining four Sisters of the Dark that are not under the control of Jagang. They used Kahlan, who is unnoticed by anyone because of the spell, to remove the Boxes of Orden from the Garden of Life.

As Nicci approached Richard to warn him of Zed, Ann, and Nathan's plan, he figured out what happened. He figured that the remaining Sisters of the Dark had Kahlan from thinking about the day that she was taken. He remembered something moving in the trees, but there being no wind, and that he could not open his eyes even if he tried because of a sleep spell. To escape the Keep and Zed they went to the sliph. Richard asked the sliph if it could take them to a place called the Deep Nothing and it did.

The mystery is beginning to dissolve. Richard will learn what he needs at the Deep Nothing, and then he will be able to have proof of Kahlan's existence. Throughout the book we have seen slight changes in personalities because of Kahlan's disappearance, but the effect on Zed and Ann have seen to be more apparent. I do not think Zed would have questioned Richard in such a way if he had the memories of Kahlan, and Ann never became less faithful of following prophecy blindly without Kahlan's confrontation. I shows the impact that people make on others even though sometimes it is not realized. The removal of one person can change many others even if everything else remains constant. It reminds me of something that The Doctor from Doctor Who said, "I've never met anyone who wasn't important."