LOTS: Another of Plush Panda's answering of one of my prompts
This time around I must share one of my prompts with someone else. I don't mind; because this is what the author came up with.
Prompt by RedAndBlond: a treehouse
Prompt by Mama Bear and Her Cubs: Shadows amongst the fighting
"It looks like a dog," Richard said, folding his arms.
Kahlan tilted her head, mimicking his position as she took in the painting before them. "Maybe it's a horse," she offered.
He tilted his head the other way. "Or a table."
She chuckled, nudging him with an elbow. A smile broke through his serious expression as he looked over at Kahlan. Cara watched on as Richard took her in his arms and as the Confessor protested playfully at the embrace, both of them laughing for no apparent reason. She rolled her eyes at their ridiculous behaviour, looking around the treehouse they had come across. Zedd was looking through some books at the far end of the deserted cabin. The three of them seemed to think that just because there was an inch of dust covering the entire space, it was safe for them to occupy for the night.
She ignored the childish behaviour and walked over to the tiny desk. There was an unremarkable book lying there, prickling her curiosity. She trailed its cover, gathering dust, before flicking it open. A pulse of magic was released through the air, pressing into her joints uncomfortably.
"Did you feel that?" Kahlan asked, seriousness breaking through her playful wrestling with Richard.
"Feel what?" His smile melted away once he saw the worry etched on her face.
Cara glanced over at the wizard, but he kept on reading like nothing had happened. Not trusting the situation, she took the book with her.
Richard frowned as he watched how Cara was staring uncharacteristically at Kahlan. She had been at it for the larger part of the evening and it was starting to worry him even though Kahlan seemed remarkably unaware of the attention.
He waited for Kahlan to head up into the treehouse before approaching the blonde. "Cara?"
She startled out of her trance, blinking several times before looking at Richard. "What?" she asked brusquely.
That was more like Cara, but he still wasn't convinced there wasn't anything wrong. Her eyes held a strange shine to them. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," she snapped, standing up to follow Kahlan into the cabin.
His frown deepened. Cara had been acting differently for a while now, but this was plain crazy. Did he do something to offend her?
Cara wasn't feeling like herself. Her mind felt fuzzy and her thoughts not her own. It was impossible to concentrate, especially with the Confessor around. Not even the comforting sting from her Agiel could nullify the way she was unravelling on the inside, but she refused to acknowledge that foreign emotions were influencing her.
She knew it was a bad idea to follow Kahlan up into the cabin where they were alone, but she didn't want to be around Richard in this condition. That, and maybe she knew more about what was happening.
Kahlan was sitting in her favourite chair when she entered the cabin, gnawing at her thumb nail as she usually did when she was nervous. Her eyes were distant, focused on the ground.
Cara's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Kahlan didn't have a favourite chair and neither did she bite her nails, not even when she was nervous.
The floor beneath her feet creaked, alerting blue eyes to her presence.
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her thoughts dissolved.
"Hannah," Kahlan whispered.
Cara's eyes closed of their own accord. She shuddered.
"Leslie," she responded, eyes filled with unshed tears when she reopened them.
Richard stretched his back, rubbing his neck absentmindedly as he entered the treehouse. He figured it was better if he gave Cara a few moments to settle for bed. He'd confront her the next day, when, hopefully, she was in a better mood.
Cara and Kahlan were still up and about, however.
"You guys still awake?" he asked conversationally, lowering the hand in his neck.
"Don't cry," Kahlan whispered. The tone she used made him freeze. It was careful, light and full of submission like when she had been confessed. After he recovered from that shock, the words started to register in his mind. "I'm here now, Hannah. Don't cry." What he saw disabled any thought that might've been running through his mind. Kahlan was gently holding Cara's face in her hands, standing impossibly close, shooting the blonde a look that tore his heart apart. In turn, Cara was returning the look with large, moist eyes, holding onto the other woman as if she was her life-support.
He was rooted to the spot, petrified, because then they were kissing with such a tenderness he wasn't sure he ever experienced. The air was thick with emotion, choking him slowly but surely. He didn't know how long he had been watching, seeing them make love with their mouths, but eventually he found strength in the fact that Kahlan had called Cara Hannah.
Something was wrong.
"Kahlan?" he called, regaining control of his limbs. He walked over, intent to find out what had happened.
Cara turned away from the kiss, glaring at Richard unabashedly. "Touch him like you touch her and I will hurt you."
"Cara," Kahlan chastised. "We're not here to hurt anyone."
Richard slowed his pace momentarily at the use of Cara's name, but then continued on with new resolve. Whatever was happening, it was going to end now.
"This is most unfortunate," Zedd commented, glancing between Kahlan and Cara. They had resorted to tying them up to different trees once they got downstairs, because it was simply impossible to keep them from each other and they needed time to think over the best course of action. Kahlan seemed at peace with having been restrained, but Cara kept shifting, different emotions flitting across her face, ranging from helpless to loving to about ready to tear someone's heart out. "They appear to have been possessed."
"Why?" Richard asked, keeping an eye on Cara in case she managed to loosen the ties around her wrists. "Can it be undone?"
"Please, no," Kahlan begged in that tone that Richard had come to despise very fast. "We just want to be together."
Richard blanched while Zedd merely continued to observe the situation, waiting for them to explain themselves.
"Not like that, you idiot," Cara growled through clenched teeth. She grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. Kahlan looked over at the blonde, something about her composure changing as she leaned towards her.
"Cara, don't fight it. You'll lose yourself." Richard narrowed his eyes at the change in tone. That was definitely Kahlan. "They're not here to hurt us."
She opened her eyes to glare at Kahlan. "They've already hurt Richard."
"He understands." Her eyes flickered over to Richard momentarily. He stood with his arms folded, not liking where this was going. "He has to understand. If we don't give them this closure they'll move on to others."
"That's a problem how, exactly?" Cara demanded.
"Who knows when the next few travellers will cross this part of the woods, how long they'll suffer through this longing," she continued. "Can't you feel it?"
Cara seemed to grow less restless, her frown easing up slightly. "Yes," she agreed reluctantly.
Kahlan settled her attention back on Zedd and Richard. "I want to give them this," she stated, tears forming in her eyes. "Please," she begged. "This feeling is unbearable."
Richard ground his teeth as all eyes rested on him expectantly. He tore his eyes from the scene, the slight inclination of his head just before he turned away interpretable as the go ahead. Zedd remained thoughtful as he watched the two. Richard stormed off. "Are you sure?"
Kahlan turned her pleading gaze on Cara and the blonde could not tear her eyes away. Those watery blue eyes scratched at her will to protect the Lord Rahl and under the blur of aching thoughts and feelings she could do nothing but relent.
She nodded.
Cara watched Kahlan or Leslie or whoever she was looking at right now sceptically once they were finally alone and untied. The pushing at the back of her mind had eased off when she agreed to letting them have their way, but now that the moment had arrived, she wasn't quite sure what to expect.
"Hannah?" Leslie spoke, eyes glimmering with barely contained happiness and his voice dripping with honey and everything nice. His hands reached for hers, a wide, honest grin playing on his lips.
Cara tried to convince herself that it wasn't her who succumbed to the look of pure joy on Kahlan's face, that Hannah had somehow crept into her mind prematurely without her realizing, but as those heavenly soft lips pressed against her own and a wave of thoughts that were not her own drowned her, she knew that she had betrayed Lord Rahl.
When Cara opened her eyes, the world was still dark. The campfire had died out to glowing logs of ash, barely shedding any light upon them. She was aware that she was sitting in the grass, leaning back against a warm body. Arms were wrapped around her snugly and her head was reclined on a shoulder. She had seen everything, felt everything happen, and listened voluntarily to every meaningless story Leslie and Hannah had to share. It left her disgustingly fulfilled and full with a sticky sweet emotion that made her want to take a thorough, long bath.
"Hey," Kahlan greeted her gently, her voice betraying the barest of smiles.
She tilted her head to the side and looked upon the dark outline of the Confessor's face. Her breath was warm and equally gentle against her face. She wanted to say something, to emerge from this horrid, syrupy sweet situation with a snarky remark, but she was unable to speak. Kahlan was not pushing her away, not ending their moment after the legitimacy of it had ended. With thoughts filling her mind that still not seemed quite like her own, shadows of thoughts that were left to fend for themselves, she raised a hand - a hand which she noticed was lacking a glove - and ran her fingers along the woman's jaw tenderly.
The breathing against her face became more pronounced against her lips and as those familiar lips connected with her own for the umpteenth time that night she realized that her allegiance had shifted a long time ago. It might have been Lord Rahl's orders that pushed her over the edge, but it was Kahlan who always pointed her in the right direction.
RSTUSTUST
I believe this is the moment where you all go: … lolwut? I know I am, hahaha. It's a good thing I'm not taking this story too seriously, because wow, those are some huge, gaping plotholes.
RedAndBlond, Mama Bear and Her Cubs; DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, DID YOU? -maniacal laugher- (why yes, yes I am enjoying this too much).