The Gift of Stolen Time - Part 17
Title: The Gift Of Stolen Time
Author: Dark_Kurai
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan, touches of Cara/Dahlia
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: Should be none, plays after 2x22.
Summary: Follow-up to A Tear, A Word, A Smile - When Zedd opens a magical portal to ease their travels after the victory against the Keeper, something goes wrong that forces Cara away from the Midlands for some time...
A/N: seven_3_oh is a writing goddess. I wanna read Cold. I really, really do. (By the way, if you haven't... go! Go read it, I dare you!) But when I started this fic, I vowed to myself: "You won't read it until you're done with this, so that you can reward yourself with long nights of epic story reading."
... I'll totally never do that again. But I know that I won't get anything done once I start, so... off to the typing! Don't worry if that sounds like whining, this fic isn't a burden, writing it is so much fun and I'm learning heaps while doing it :D
17.
Cara accepted Kahlan's presence the next morning without comment. The brunette had seen her at her weakest and had, without judging or pitying, simply offered her shoulder to the broken woman. Now Cara no longer felt the strange need to run away and hide when meeting her in the hallways, even staying close to the Mother Confessor during breakfast and inducing small-talk if she felt comfortable enough to do so.
There was still an open wound that Kahlan could see bleeding permanently inside the blonde, knowing that even though Cara had changed for the better since that night, there was still a long way to go before it could form a scab and start to heal. It was one more scar to add to the damaged Mord'Sith's heart.
So when the day outside was beautiful, warm, and Kahlan had the hunch that Cara would feel the need to roam the woods, she sought the other woman out and joined her on the ride. At first the blonde had grumbled and refused, but Kahlan's will was harder than iron. Certainly stronger than a stubborn Mord'Sith's head when it came to interpersonal relations.
And so the Mother Confessor got her wish: She was riding next to her clueless beloved, without her twitchy shadows of the house guard and free from the ears and eyes that hid in every creak of the castle walls like annoying, persistent bugs.
"You seem to like nature much more now than during our journey to the Pillars," Kahlan remarked while stretching her face towards the sunlight. The direct contact with the unforgiving rays would mean a dozen more new freckles on her pale skin, but it was worth the warmth.
"I lived in it for years. The city feels... confining. My senses are much finer than before and such a huge amount of people in a small space is sensory overload after a while."
"Aren't Mord'Sith trained to the finest? You could spot advancing enemies already better than all of us."
"That was before I started playing hide-and-seek exercises with one of the sneakiest creatures I've ever met," Cara answered and turned her intense green eyes over to the brunette.
Kahlan tilted her head. "Creature? Not the Apothics, I hope."
"No. Noa." Cara's look was nondescript, fine features schooled even though she did not hide from her pain as much anymore in front of Kahlan. Then she concentrated back on the trading route they were following without haste.
Smiling sadly, the Mother Confessor understood that the best way to make the Mord'Sith ease up to her sadness and memories was to confront them head-on. And that was by talking about it.
"Tell me about Noa."
Cara threw her a strange look.
"Please," Kahlan added with a softer smile, gently nudging the smaller woman's thigh with her knee after pulling the horse over. Cara huffed and gazed into an empty cornfield, toying with the notion.
They rode on for about half an hour in patient silence through the blooming spring when Cara interrupted Kahlan's train of thought by suddenly starting to speak.
"The kid was horribly impulsive, chaotic and reckless. Whatever I did or how much I tried to teach her to think her actions through, she always fell back on her instinct. Sometimes her head was scattered all over the place. But it made her a good fighter, a creative one, I could never anticipate what she would do next. It also made her do incredible stupid things," it broke out of the blonde, surprising Kahlan with the long oral fluency that was uncharacteristic for the reticent Mord'Sith.
Cara told stories of how the girl had accomplished to get herself into the most impossible situations, from getting stuck in a hollow tree to being chased by a whole army of angry bees after stealing honey and even setting herself constantly on fire, because she experimented with different inflammable herbs. The mother boar memory found its way into her retelling and had the brunette laugh out loud at the image of a flailing Noa.
The ride of this day was the first of many, the blue-eyed beauty joining her friend whenever her duties as Mother Confessor and ruler gave her some free time. The beginning of the year quickly traversed into the first days of summer and they found themselves resting beside a patiently gurgling stream after riding through the lively forest.
Kahlan picked some leaves out of her hair, the dark strands having gotten tangled in a low-hanging branch when she was busy watching Cara's strong back and sultry hips move with every step of her mount. At her resulting curse the blonde had simply turned and smirked mercilessly in her usual way at the Mother Confessor's plight. It reminded her of the old Cara, the one that had traveled with them across the whole of Midlands.
She was surprised when the blonde now sat down behind her on the stone Kahlan was leaning against, slapping the brunette's hands away and replacing them with her own. The Confessor had to swallow a pleasantly surprised groan when she felt Cara's ungloved fingers brushing her hair and skin free of tree parts and knots. Instead she closed her eyes and tried not to purr at the sweet gesture and feminine fingertips gracing her scalp.
"You always make that unbecoming face when you try to untangle your hair," Cara said by way of explanation.
"Confessors can't cut their own hair. When I try to ease the knots I'm scared I might pull a few strands out... I could as well bath my head in molten lava when that happens."
"Sounds fetching."
Kahlan could only snort at that with a smile, easing her eyes open to imprint the perfect scene into her mind forever. After a while her hair was back in order, but Cara did not move away and instead laid her hands down on the brunettes shoulders, the taller woman stretching out her legs and touching her temple to a leather clad thigh.
"I heard the citizens are getting restless," the blonde hinted in a nonchalant tone, feeling how the Confessor stiffened.
Kahlan sighed. Her duty followed her on relentless feet even into her most private moments, never unhooking its claws from her body and soul. "They... are unsure. Scared. I'm the last Confessor and they are afraid it will stay that way. They are demanding a successor, one to preserve the line."
"You are free to mate with the Lord Rahl."
Biting her tongue to keep from snapping at the blonde woman, she reminded herself of the fact that Cara didn't know about the recent events. "I... " don't want to ".. we can't. Shota warned us that our firstborn would be a male Confessor."
Cara sucked in her breath between her teeth at that information, images of her dead Sisters flashing before her eyes, a horrifying message scratched into the floor tile. "I am the last of the Mord'Sith." It was like a dire warning.
"That changes things," she replied neutrally and slipped down next to Kahlan, so that they sat shoulder to shoulder.
The need for words abated for a while, both woman glancing down into the sparkling water and lost in their own thoughts.
"Cara?"
The one addressed shifted her head slightly.
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Ask."
"If Noa was your and Darken Rahl's child... why was she sent away? As a female she should not have been a threat," Kahlan asked, choosing what she wanted to say carefully.
"I don't know. Although it isn't forbidden for Mord'Sith to bear children, it is very uncommon and more or less frowned upon." Cara let her head fall back against the stone, dragging one knee closer with her hands. "Only the power of reflecting magic is inherited by the female children. But as only the kindest girls of a village are broken for our needs, whatever child a Mord'Sith bears is useless for our Order."
"So they are... killed after being born?"
"Yes."
"And the males?"
"Join the army at young age."
Kahlan bit her lip, wondering why she had felt the need to ask about that specific topic. Though she still wondered why Darken Rahl had taken the complicated route of sending Noa to another world instead of killing her right away. It made no sense, no matter from what angle she looked at it.
Cara took a shuddering breath. "If I had been faster, stronger, she wouldn't have-..."
"No," Kahlan forbid firmly. "Don't go there, Cara, it isn't your fault. She chose to do this."
Softly she laid her head down against Cara's shoulder, the neck guard digging into her cheek. She didn't mind, the blonde's body heat against her skin was more important. It was a wonder that the blonde didn't shy away from her touch anymore, at least not simple affections like this or touching her hand or arm. And it was always Kahlan that initiated the contact, but the Confessor was content with it anyway.
"Tell me more about your daughter," Kahlan quietly requested, aware of the small twitch Cara gave off whenever that last word fell from her lips. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Cara worrying her lower lip, cyan green flicking from side to side in hesitancy while she tried to order her memories.
Somehow Kahlan had the feeling that this one wouldn't be a fond one, with the depressive mood the blonde now was in.
"Noa already died once on Darza," Cara whispered into the warm afternoon air that caused Kahlan to feel a chill despite the temperature. "I brought her back."
The Confessor had been correct in her assumption that what followed would be sad and heart-wrenching and she waited with bated breath as the Mord'Sith told her story. Although Cara's voice was to the point, calm, the brunette could still feel the horror of the day woven into every syllable and soon found herself in tears, interlacing her free hand with one of the other woman's to give herself as much solace as to Cara.
She was only able to draw a shuddering gasp of air when the blonde finished with telling her story of Noa's scar, the Mord'Sith wiping away the Mother Confessor's salty tears distractedly with the back of her fingers.
"Those people were... horrible. Her voice might have been gone forever... how cruel that has to be. I'm so sorry for her," Kahlan couldn't help but say outraged.
"Don't be," Cara mentioned with a thin smile on her lips, "in the end she made the best of it. Thought it made her sound dangerous. She even attempted to imitate several different predators from that point on."
Reflecting the smile, Kahlan watched the blonde strands of Cara's hair slip down her shoulder, pooling around her hips, the brunette's fingers itching to push them back. Cara wore it in a loose ponytail today, otherwise the Confessor would have never been able to get distracted by the Mord'Sith's fetching backside. "Did she succeed?"
This time the blonde actually showed a hint of white teeth while she let out a small guffaw. "Not quite. It was only after we reached the Dead Wall that she stopped sounding like an agitated lion cub." Reminiscent, with a hint of a smile on full lips, Cara gazed into the distance. "It's a wonder she didn't drive me crazy."
"You were a wonderful mother to her," Kahlan felt herself say, knowing that her eyes shone with something she better kept hidden.
Mother Confessor and Mord'Sith locked gazes, watching each other, thinking, searching. Not quite knowing what to suspect and yet knowing all too much, the conflict of secret and need fighting a war filled with endless battles. Only one of them had to take one step forward into the unknown, to grasp for whatever lay behind the mask of green and blue and find out what it was that sometimes reared its head around the corner.
All it took would be a word, a breath, a gesture.
Cara looked away first.
"It's getting dark soon. We should head back."
Kahlan closed her eyes, pain flaring up in her soul. This is how it should be. How it should stay. You have her as a friend, don't let your greed destroy this. "Yes. You're right." She loosened her fingers out of Cara's and raised herself to her full height until she was able to breathe again.
Yet she was unable to turn herself away when the blonde pulled herself up on her chestnut horse, the sinking sun enveloping her in a shine that made her every movement even more graceful, more desirable. With her long mane glimmering like molten gold, the strong, fearless Mord'Sith was the very image of an immortal gracing the living with her all-consuming presence as her intense gaze traveled along the horizon.
It was breath-taking. It was untouchable.
And Kahlan knew she would rather stand and watch this woman from afar for all eternity than knowing her gone forever in return for a shameless touch.
It has to be enough.
________________
Several weeks later, just past the hottest days of summer that had caused the people of Aydindril and the Midlands to suffer greatly under the harsh sun, the weather turned around enough that the lethargy was slowly driven from their bones and flesh. Cara managed to gather the guards for a training that had everyone groaning and moaning, as a fight with the Mord'Sith always meant aching limbs for all those involved.
But they were unable to protest, as Cara had not only the encouragement of the Mother Confessor, but also the slow yet notable success of improvement on her side. Those that trained under her always suffered greatly, but were noted quicker by the commandants when it came to distributing responsibility during troop assembly.
The blonde was busy dropping one recruit after the other on their backs below the afternoon sky, gliding through their lines with practiced ease, when she became aware of a smiling Seeker and Confessor watching her from the sidelines of the drill ground, both observing her amused with their arms on the rail.
Cara pivoted around, threw a hollering soldier over her shoulder and moved into a crouch, hammering both Agiels into the solar plexus of the two unfortunate beings that had tried to use her turned back to their advantage. They bowed with a gasp of air, only to taste dirt when she slammed her hands into their necks, effectively laying them out spread-eagled on the dusty ground.
Twirling one of her weapons with a flick of her wrist, she lazily turned towards the observing pair.
"Care to join?" she drawled, sweeping her tongue over her upper teeth. The other soldiers silently heaved a sigh of relief that maybe they would not not be beaten to a pulp today.
Richard pushed himself away from the fence with a contemplative smile.
"Careful, she has become better since the last time we saw her," Kahlan warned him, seeing that the fighting lust was rising in his eyes. It had been months since the last time he had an opponent that required him to work hard for a victory and even though he had been only a woodcutter two years ago, the experience he had gained from the Sword of Truth was now integral to his personality, the will to fight merged with his soul.
"And I already beat you once," Cara added with a smirk, the defeated men around her groaning and trying to crawl and hobble out of the exercise area.
Richard jumped over the hindrance with an easy leap, happy to be able to draw and use his sword without having to kill or seriously hurt someone. He laughed. "I didn't have the Sword of Truth then."
"And I only had one Agiel," she purred in return, scratching the tip of the rod along the underside of her chin. "So let's see what tilts the balance more."
They started circling each other lazily on the hard-packed soil, trying to decipher their opponents first move. The soon-to-be fight had the bystanders silent in anticipation and awe, more observers soon joining the groups and hustling along the rails. The men and women left a respectful ring around Kahlan, trying not to crowd their ruler, but the Mother Confessor wouldn't have noted it anyway, as her eyes were riveted to the two combatants.
It was Richard who decided to act first.
He rushed forward with a small shout, slashing at the red-clad woman with a diagonal swipe to check her defenses. He could have as well attacked fully, as Cara leaned out of his range with an almost bored look on her face.
The trading of blows soon began, Richard thrusting and slashing at the Mord'Sith, Cara slipping out of his grasp or diverting blows with a well-placed slap of the leather rods. For the moment they appeared to be equals. Neither was gaining the upper hand, the Seeker unable to hit the smoothly moving blonde and Cara not getting close enough into his range for a well-placed attack.
"So, big words at the beginning?" Richard panted, a wide grin stretching across his lips. They jumped apart, again circling the ground.
"Are you sweating already, Richard? Poor boy, I've hardly started."
And then Richard got the surprise of his life as Cara jumped forward and attacked. He found himself on the defense within mere seconds, one sword unable to block the amount of blows that pelted him from all sides. Cara was as smooth as water, a lot more agile with two single-handed weapons, hitting every weak and vulnerable spot he displayed even for the blink of an eye. Only the Sword of Truth in his hands kept him from outright loosing with the shock in his system.
He gnashed his teeth, sweat dotting his skin. The Seeker was slowly driven back step by step, but his stubborn mind kept him from admitting defeat in any way.
They rushed at each other again, the fight quickly turning into an all-out that had the watchers drop their jaws in awe.
Kahlan was the only one experienced enough to see that Cara was still not going full out. While Richard was handy at keeping her busy, her blows were less hard and crippling as they could be. But the brunette was distracted from her analyzing by the almost catlike reflexes the blonde displayed, bending her body this way and that, hair trailing behind her like a velvet veil.
This was more beautiful than any court dance could ever accomplish to be.
It was when Richard picked up his speed even more, muscles screaming at the overexertion, raising the blade for a powerful cut when Cara moved faster than he could have ever anticipated and slapped both Agiels against the right side of his ribs with bruising force while his arms were raised for just a small moment. His lungs collapsed from the explosion of pain, his upper body hunched together without his consent. He barely managed to hold on to the grip of his weapon.
Stumbling back to regain his footing amidst the loud exhale of gasps all around him, he saw Cara up the ante with a wide step forward, trying to jam the tip of her weapon against his shoulder. He reacted out of instinct, turning himself away and kicking at the outstretched leg while simultaneously slamming the pummel of the sword above her collarbone and watching her fall to the ground in a big cloud of dust. His hand moved on impulse, pointing the tip of the blade against her throat.
"You lost," Richard said aghast, breathing heavily. "With what you displayed seconds ago, I should have never been able to hit you like this."
Cara snorted unladylike, pulling herself up on her elbows while her hair splayed around her like a golden curtain. "A Mord'Sith that beats their beloved Seeker? I may be insensitive, but I'm not stupid."
"So you let me win," he added dumbfounded at what should have been his outright defeat.
"Maybe. Or you just got a lucky hit, who knows." Cara raised her eyebrows and pointedly pushed the sword tip away from herself with a gloved finger. Richard got the hint and put away his weapon, reaching out to offer the Mord'Sith a helpful hand. As he was her Lord Rahl, she accepted the gesture and let herself be pulled up.
Kahlan joined them seconds later, her cheeks a rosy pink and her features glowing at the impressive display they had offered. "You two were amazing. I'm sure that this is a fight the whole city will speak about for months."
"Cara would've wiped the floor with me if she wanted to," Richard admitted, taking his victory with the rightful amount of humbleness after nearly losing. "I should have heeded your warning, Kahlan."
She smiled at him, then placed a hand against Cara's upper arm, amazement and admiration coloring her gaze. "I never expected you to become this good."
"Daily training and several run-ins with the Apothics for several years can do that to you."
"But that natural beauty you show in a fight comes from your heart."
Cara looked away in embarrassment, nervously biting the inside of her cheek. It was such an adorable image that Kahlan couldn't help but hug her close to her side for a moment with a soft laugh, then easing forward to give Richard a peck on the cheek.
"That's your price for winning the fight. You fought bravely, my Seeker. Just remember to not raise your hand the next time Cara gets cocky around you."
"Yeah," he added while rubbing the back of his neck. "I should now that Cara doesn't boast without a solid reason."
"I'm right here, you know," the Mord'Sith grumbled, causing her friends to laugh at the disgruntled look.
"We have to celebrate that with a good meal. What do you say, ladies?"
Nodding at the idea, although Cara wasn't very happy to eat food while covered in sweat and dust, the Seeker led the way past the drill grounds, big, awe-filled eyes following him when he left. But the respect they showed Richard was also given to Cara, whom they had seen fight before but never like this. The next time the Mord'Sith would call for a training session, the recruits would put more effort into the fight than ever before.
With Richard's back towards them, the Seeker busy shaking hands and earning claps on the back, Kahlan stealthily stepped closer to Cara and kissed the bronzed cheek as well.
"And that's your price."
Cara gazed at her with wide, confused eyes, a hint of red coloring her skin. "What for? I didn't win." The affection had come as a honest surprise.
"Maybe not the fight," Kahlan admitted with a lovely smile. "But you're the winner of hearts today."
Cara let that linger in her mind for a while, following after Mother Confessor and Seeker. It was true that even after losing the people around her smiled more openly at the Mord'Sith and not everyone looked away or cowered in fear anymore.
But she couldn't help but treacherously hope that the brunette's words had implied more than just the general opinion. Her cheek tingled for a long time.
________________________
A/N: Is there anyone out there that would like to try creating a Cara with long hair? I'd so love to see this... I would offer my mad photoshop skillz... but I don't have any XD Ooookay. Here's my secret guess: I so think that AU!Cara with her long blond mane had her hair in a braid during the night and that's why her lovely, beautiful hair was so curly. But considering normal Cara, she looks more as if it's naturally straight, with maybe a touch of waviness... but mucho love for the curls anyway.
P.S.: It's still. too. damn. hot. So don't worry if I'm talking nonsense.
Author: Dark_Kurai
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan, touches of Cara/Dahlia
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: Should be none, plays after 2x22.
Summary: Follow-up to A Tear, A Word, A Smile - When Zedd opens a magical portal to ease their travels after the victory against the Keeper, something goes wrong that forces Cara away from the Midlands for some time...
A/N: seven_3_oh is a writing goddess. I wanna read Cold. I really, really do. (By the way, if you haven't... go! Go read it, I dare you!) But when I started this fic, I vowed to myself: "You won't read it until you're done with this, so that you can reward yourself with long nights of epic story reading."
... I'll totally never do that again. But I know that I won't get anything done once I start, so... off to the typing! Don't worry if that sounds like whining, this fic isn't a burden, writing it is so much fun and I'm learning heaps while doing it :D
17.
Cara accepted Kahlan's presence the next morning without comment. The brunette had seen her at her weakest and had, without judging or pitying, simply offered her shoulder to the broken woman. Now Cara no longer felt the strange need to run away and hide when meeting her in the hallways, even staying close to the Mother Confessor during breakfast and inducing small-talk if she felt comfortable enough to do so.
There was still an open wound that Kahlan could see bleeding permanently inside the blonde, knowing that even though Cara had changed for the better since that night, there was still a long way to go before it could form a scab and start to heal. It was one more scar to add to the damaged Mord'Sith's heart.
So when the day outside was beautiful, warm, and Kahlan had the hunch that Cara would feel the need to roam the woods, she sought the other woman out and joined her on the ride. At first the blonde had grumbled and refused, but Kahlan's will was harder than iron. Certainly stronger than a stubborn Mord'Sith's head when it came to interpersonal relations.
And so the Mother Confessor got her wish: She was riding next to her clueless beloved, without her twitchy shadows of the house guard and free from the ears and eyes that hid in every creak of the castle walls like annoying, persistent bugs.
"You seem to like nature much more now than during our journey to the Pillars," Kahlan remarked while stretching her face towards the sunlight. The direct contact with the unforgiving rays would mean a dozen more new freckles on her pale skin, but it was worth the warmth.
"I lived in it for years. The city feels... confining. My senses are much finer than before and such a huge amount of people in a small space is sensory overload after a while."
"Aren't Mord'Sith trained to the finest? You could spot advancing enemies already better than all of us."
"That was before I started playing hide-and-seek exercises with one of the sneakiest creatures I've ever met," Cara answered and turned her intense green eyes over to the brunette.
Kahlan tilted her head. "Creature? Not the Apothics, I hope."
"No. Noa." Cara's look was nondescript, fine features schooled even though she did not hide from her pain as much anymore in front of Kahlan. Then she concentrated back on the trading route they were following without haste.
Smiling sadly, the Mother Confessor understood that the best way to make the Mord'Sith ease up to her sadness and memories was to confront them head-on. And that was by talking about it.
"Tell me about Noa."
Cara threw her a strange look.
"Please," Kahlan added with a softer smile, gently nudging the smaller woman's thigh with her knee after pulling the horse over. Cara huffed and gazed into an empty cornfield, toying with the notion.
They rode on for about half an hour in patient silence through the blooming spring when Cara interrupted Kahlan's train of thought by suddenly starting to speak.
"The kid was horribly impulsive, chaotic and reckless. Whatever I did or how much I tried to teach her to think her actions through, she always fell back on her instinct. Sometimes her head was scattered all over the place. But it made her a good fighter, a creative one, I could never anticipate what she would do next. It also made her do incredible stupid things," it broke out of the blonde, surprising Kahlan with the long oral fluency that was uncharacteristic for the reticent Mord'Sith.
Cara told stories of how the girl had accomplished to get herself into the most impossible situations, from getting stuck in a hollow tree to being chased by a whole army of angry bees after stealing honey and even setting herself constantly on fire, because she experimented with different inflammable herbs. The mother boar memory found its way into her retelling and had the brunette laugh out loud at the image of a flailing Noa.
The ride of this day was the first of many, the blue-eyed beauty joining her friend whenever her duties as Mother Confessor and ruler gave her some free time. The beginning of the year quickly traversed into the first days of summer and they found themselves resting beside a patiently gurgling stream after riding through the lively forest.
Kahlan picked some leaves out of her hair, the dark strands having gotten tangled in a low-hanging branch when she was busy watching Cara's strong back and sultry hips move with every step of her mount. At her resulting curse the blonde had simply turned and smirked mercilessly in her usual way at the Mother Confessor's plight. It reminded her of the old Cara, the one that had traveled with them across the whole of Midlands.
She was surprised when the blonde now sat down behind her on the stone Kahlan was leaning against, slapping the brunette's hands away and replacing them with her own. The Confessor had to swallow a pleasantly surprised groan when she felt Cara's ungloved fingers brushing her hair and skin free of tree parts and knots. Instead she closed her eyes and tried not to purr at the sweet gesture and feminine fingertips gracing her scalp.
"You always make that unbecoming face when you try to untangle your hair," Cara said by way of explanation.
"Confessors can't cut their own hair. When I try to ease the knots I'm scared I might pull a few strands out... I could as well bath my head in molten lava when that happens."
"Sounds fetching."
Kahlan could only snort at that with a smile, easing her eyes open to imprint the perfect scene into her mind forever. After a while her hair was back in order, but Cara did not move away and instead laid her hands down on the brunettes shoulders, the taller woman stretching out her legs and touching her temple to a leather clad thigh.
"I heard the citizens are getting restless," the blonde hinted in a nonchalant tone, feeling how the Confessor stiffened.
Kahlan sighed. Her duty followed her on relentless feet even into her most private moments, never unhooking its claws from her body and soul. "They... are unsure. Scared. I'm the last Confessor and they are afraid it will stay that way. They are demanding a successor, one to preserve the line."
"You are free to mate with the Lord Rahl."
Biting her tongue to keep from snapping at the blonde woman, she reminded herself of the fact that Cara didn't know about the recent events. "I... " don't want to ".. we can't. Shota warned us that our firstborn would be a male Confessor."
Cara sucked in her breath between her teeth at that information, images of her dead Sisters flashing before her eyes, a horrifying message scratched into the floor tile. "I am the last of the Mord'Sith." It was like a dire warning.
"That changes things," she replied neutrally and slipped down next to Kahlan, so that they sat shoulder to shoulder.
The need for words abated for a while, both woman glancing down into the sparkling water and lost in their own thoughts.
"Cara?"
The one addressed shifted her head slightly.
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Ask."
"If Noa was your and Darken Rahl's child... why was she sent away? As a female she should not have been a threat," Kahlan asked, choosing what she wanted to say carefully.
"I don't know. Although it isn't forbidden for Mord'Sith to bear children, it is very uncommon and more or less frowned upon." Cara let her head fall back against the stone, dragging one knee closer with her hands. "Only the power of reflecting magic is inherited by the female children. But as only the kindest girls of a village are broken for our needs, whatever child a Mord'Sith bears is useless for our Order."
"So they are... killed after being born?"
"Yes."
"And the males?"
"Join the army at young age."
Kahlan bit her lip, wondering why she had felt the need to ask about that specific topic. Though she still wondered why Darken Rahl had taken the complicated route of sending Noa to another world instead of killing her right away. It made no sense, no matter from what angle she looked at it.
Cara took a shuddering breath. "If I had been faster, stronger, she wouldn't have-..."
"No," Kahlan forbid firmly. "Don't go there, Cara, it isn't your fault. She chose to do this."
Softly she laid her head down against Cara's shoulder, the neck guard digging into her cheek. She didn't mind, the blonde's body heat against her skin was more important. It was a wonder that the blonde didn't shy away from her touch anymore, at least not simple affections like this or touching her hand or arm. And it was always Kahlan that initiated the contact, but the Confessor was content with it anyway.
"Tell me more about your daughter," Kahlan quietly requested, aware of the small twitch Cara gave off whenever that last word fell from her lips. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Cara worrying her lower lip, cyan green flicking from side to side in hesitancy while she tried to order her memories.
Somehow Kahlan had the feeling that this one wouldn't be a fond one, with the depressive mood the blonde now was in.
"Noa already died once on Darza," Cara whispered into the warm afternoon air that caused Kahlan to feel a chill despite the temperature. "I brought her back."
The Confessor had been correct in her assumption that what followed would be sad and heart-wrenching and she waited with bated breath as the Mord'Sith told her story. Although Cara's voice was to the point, calm, the brunette could still feel the horror of the day woven into every syllable and soon found herself in tears, interlacing her free hand with one of the other woman's to give herself as much solace as to Cara.
She was only able to draw a shuddering gasp of air when the blonde finished with telling her story of Noa's scar, the Mord'Sith wiping away the Mother Confessor's salty tears distractedly with the back of her fingers.
"Those people were... horrible. Her voice might have been gone forever... how cruel that has to be. I'm so sorry for her," Kahlan couldn't help but say outraged.
"Don't be," Cara mentioned with a thin smile on her lips, "in the end she made the best of it. Thought it made her sound dangerous. She even attempted to imitate several different predators from that point on."
Reflecting the smile, Kahlan watched the blonde strands of Cara's hair slip down her shoulder, pooling around her hips, the brunette's fingers itching to push them back. Cara wore it in a loose ponytail today, otherwise the Confessor would have never been able to get distracted by the Mord'Sith's fetching backside. "Did she succeed?"
This time the blonde actually showed a hint of white teeth while she let out a small guffaw. "Not quite. It was only after we reached the Dead Wall that she stopped sounding like an agitated lion cub." Reminiscent, with a hint of a smile on full lips, Cara gazed into the distance. "It's a wonder she didn't drive me crazy."
"You were a wonderful mother to her," Kahlan felt herself say, knowing that her eyes shone with something she better kept hidden.
Mother Confessor and Mord'Sith locked gazes, watching each other, thinking, searching. Not quite knowing what to suspect and yet knowing all too much, the conflict of secret and need fighting a war filled with endless battles. Only one of them had to take one step forward into the unknown, to grasp for whatever lay behind the mask of green and blue and find out what it was that sometimes reared its head around the corner.
All it took would be a word, a breath, a gesture.
Cara looked away first.
"It's getting dark soon. We should head back."
Kahlan closed her eyes, pain flaring up in her soul. This is how it should be. How it should stay. You have her as a friend, don't let your greed destroy this. "Yes. You're right." She loosened her fingers out of Cara's and raised herself to her full height until she was able to breathe again.
Yet she was unable to turn herself away when the blonde pulled herself up on her chestnut horse, the sinking sun enveloping her in a shine that made her every movement even more graceful, more desirable. With her long mane glimmering like molten gold, the strong, fearless Mord'Sith was the very image of an immortal gracing the living with her all-consuming presence as her intense gaze traveled along the horizon.
It was breath-taking. It was untouchable.
And Kahlan knew she would rather stand and watch this woman from afar for all eternity than knowing her gone forever in return for a shameless touch.
It has to be enough.
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Several weeks later, just past the hottest days of summer that had caused the people of Aydindril and the Midlands to suffer greatly under the harsh sun, the weather turned around enough that the lethargy was slowly driven from their bones and flesh. Cara managed to gather the guards for a training that had everyone groaning and moaning, as a fight with the Mord'Sith always meant aching limbs for all those involved.
But they were unable to protest, as Cara had not only the encouragement of the Mother Confessor, but also the slow yet notable success of improvement on her side. Those that trained under her always suffered greatly, but were noted quicker by the commandants when it came to distributing responsibility during troop assembly.
The blonde was busy dropping one recruit after the other on their backs below the afternoon sky, gliding through their lines with practiced ease, when she became aware of a smiling Seeker and Confessor watching her from the sidelines of the drill ground, both observing her amused with their arms on the rail.
Cara pivoted around, threw a hollering soldier over her shoulder and moved into a crouch, hammering both Agiels into the solar plexus of the two unfortunate beings that had tried to use her turned back to their advantage. They bowed with a gasp of air, only to taste dirt when she slammed her hands into their necks, effectively laying them out spread-eagled on the dusty ground.
Twirling one of her weapons with a flick of her wrist, she lazily turned towards the observing pair.
"Care to join?" she drawled, sweeping her tongue over her upper teeth. The other soldiers silently heaved a sigh of relief that maybe they would not not be beaten to a pulp today.
Richard pushed himself away from the fence with a contemplative smile.
"Careful, she has become better since the last time we saw her," Kahlan warned him, seeing that the fighting lust was rising in his eyes. It had been months since the last time he had an opponent that required him to work hard for a victory and even though he had been only a woodcutter two years ago, the experience he had gained from the Sword of Truth was now integral to his personality, the will to fight merged with his soul.
"And I already beat you once," Cara added with a smirk, the defeated men around her groaning and trying to crawl and hobble out of the exercise area.
Richard jumped over the hindrance with an easy leap, happy to be able to draw and use his sword without having to kill or seriously hurt someone. He laughed. "I didn't have the Sword of Truth then."
"And I only had one Agiel," she purred in return, scratching the tip of the rod along the underside of her chin. "So let's see what tilts the balance more."
They started circling each other lazily on the hard-packed soil, trying to decipher their opponents first move. The soon-to-be fight had the bystanders silent in anticipation and awe, more observers soon joining the groups and hustling along the rails. The men and women left a respectful ring around Kahlan, trying not to crowd their ruler, but the Mother Confessor wouldn't have noted it anyway, as her eyes were riveted to the two combatants.
It was Richard who decided to act first.
He rushed forward with a small shout, slashing at the red-clad woman with a diagonal swipe to check her defenses. He could have as well attacked fully, as Cara leaned out of his range with an almost bored look on her face.
The trading of blows soon began, Richard thrusting and slashing at the Mord'Sith, Cara slipping out of his grasp or diverting blows with a well-placed slap of the leather rods. For the moment they appeared to be equals. Neither was gaining the upper hand, the Seeker unable to hit the smoothly moving blonde and Cara not getting close enough into his range for a well-placed attack.
"So, big words at the beginning?" Richard panted, a wide grin stretching across his lips. They jumped apart, again circling the ground.
"Are you sweating already, Richard? Poor boy, I've hardly started."
And then Richard got the surprise of his life as Cara jumped forward and attacked. He found himself on the defense within mere seconds, one sword unable to block the amount of blows that pelted him from all sides. Cara was as smooth as water, a lot more agile with two single-handed weapons, hitting every weak and vulnerable spot he displayed even for the blink of an eye. Only the Sword of Truth in his hands kept him from outright loosing with the shock in his system.
He gnashed his teeth, sweat dotting his skin. The Seeker was slowly driven back step by step, but his stubborn mind kept him from admitting defeat in any way.
They rushed at each other again, the fight quickly turning into an all-out that had the watchers drop their jaws in awe.
Kahlan was the only one experienced enough to see that Cara was still not going full out. While Richard was handy at keeping her busy, her blows were less hard and crippling as they could be. But the brunette was distracted from her analyzing by the almost catlike reflexes the blonde displayed, bending her body this way and that, hair trailing behind her like a velvet veil.
This was more beautiful than any court dance could ever accomplish to be.
It was when Richard picked up his speed even more, muscles screaming at the overexertion, raising the blade for a powerful cut when Cara moved faster than he could have ever anticipated and slapped both Agiels against the right side of his ribs with bruising force while his arms were raised for just a small moment. His lungs collapsed from the explosion of pain, his upper body hunched together without his consent. He barely managed to hold on to the grip of his weapon.
Stumbling back to regain his footing amidst the loud exhale of gasps all around him, he saw Cara up the ante with a wide step forward, trying to jam the tip of her weapon against his shoulder. He reacted out of instinct, turning himself away and kicking at the outstretched leg while simultaneously slamming the pummel of the sword above her collarbone and watching her fall to the ground in a big cloud of dust. His hand moved on impulse, pointing the tip of the blade against her throat.
"You lost," Richard said aghast, breathing heavily. "With what you displayed seconds ago, I should have never been able to hit you like this."
Cara snorted unladylike, pulling herself up on her elbows while her hair splayed around her like a golden curtain. "A Mord'Sith that beats their beloved Seeker? I may be insensitive, but I'm not stupid."
"So you let me win," he added dumbfounded at what should have been his outright defeat.
"Maybe. Or you just got a lucky hit, who knows." Cara raised her eyebrows and pointedly pushed the sword tip away from herself with a gloved finger. Richard got the hint and put away his weapon, reaching out to offer the Mord'Sith a helpful hand. As he was her Lord Rahl, she accepted the gesture and let herself be pulled up.
Kahlan joined them seconds later, her cheeks a rosy pink and her features glowing at the impressive display they had offered. "You two were amazing. I'm sure that this is a fight the whole city will speak about for months."
"Cara would've wiped the floor with me if she wanted to," Richard admitted, taking his victory with the rightful amount of humbleness after nearly losing. "I should have heeded your warning, Kahlan."
She smiled at him, then placed a hand against Cara's upper arm, amazement and admiration coloring her gaze. "I never expected you to become this good."
"Daily training and several run-ins with the Apothics for several years can do that to you."
"But that natural beauty you show in a fight comes from your heart."
Cara looked away in embarrassment, nervously biting the inside of her cheek. It was such an adorable image that Kahlan couldn't help but hug her close to her side for a moment with a soft laugh, then easing forward to give Richard a peck on the cheek.
"That's your price for winning the fight. You fought bravely, my Seeker. Just remember to not raise your hand the next time Cara gets cocky around you."
"Yeah," he added while rubbing the back of his neck. "I should now that Cara doesn't boast without a solid reason."
"I'm right here, you know," the Mord'Sith grumbled, causing her friends to laugh at the disgruntled look.
"We have to celebrate that with a good meal. What do you say, ladies?"
Nodding at the idea, although Cara wasn't very happy to eat food while covered in sweat and dust, the Seeker led the way past the drill grounds, big, awe-filled eyes following him when he left. But the respect they showed Richard was also given to Cara, whom they had seen fight before but never like this. The next time the Mord'Sith would call for a training session, the recruits would put more effort into the fight than ever before.
With Richard's back towards them, the Seeker busy shaking hands and earning claps on the back, Kahlan stealthily stepped closer to Cara and kissed the bronzed cheek as well.
"And that's your price."
Cara gazed at her with wide, confused eyes, a hint of red coloring her skin. "What for? I didn't win." The affection had come as a honest surprise.
"Maybe not the fight," Kahlan admitted with a lovely smile. "But you're the winner of hearts today."
Cara let that linger in her mind for a while, following after Mother Confessor and Seeker. It was true that even after losing the people around her smiled more openly at the Mord'Sith and not everyone looked away or cowered in fear anymore.
But she couldn't help but treacherously hope that the brunette's words had implied more than just the general opinion. Her cheek tingled for a long time.
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A/N: Is there anyone out there that would like to try creating a Cara with long hair? I'd so love to see this... I would offer my mad photoshop skillz... but I don't have any XD Ooookay. Here's my secret guess: I so think that AU!Cara with her long blond mane had her hair in a braid during the night and that's why her lovely, beautiful hair was so curly. But considering normal Cara, she looks more as if it's naturally straight, with maybe a touch of waviness... but mucho love for the curls anyway.
P.S.: It's still. too. damn. hot. So don't worry if I'm talking nonsense.