Fic: Trained (Cara/Kahlan, NC-17)
Title: Trained
Author: Lexus Grey
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: sex, violence, and S/M of the whipping variety
Disclaimer: The show nor the characters belong to me, I'm just borrowing the girls for fun. No money is being made from this work, no copyright infringement is intended.
Sometimes the wanting was too much. It was too much and Cara had to get up in the middle of the night, or during dinner, or any other time of day, and go for a walk. She had to get away, away from blue eyes and long, dark hair that her hands ached to grab and pull. Most times she self-punished with her agiels, but if the chance came up to pick a fight, she always jumped at it.
Lately her little jaunts had been getting more and more frequent, and she knew it was only a matter of time before someone called her out.
Kahlan wondered what the problem was. Was it her? Richard? Zedd? What made Cara stalk off in the middle of dinners and conversations, and come back bloody?
Now, Richard and Zedd had gone off on some special expedition or something, and Cara seemed jumpier than ever. In fact, she had run off awhile ago for no apparent reason.
"I won't go far," she'd growled, and took off into the woods.
Kahlan didn't have much to do but wait for Cara to come back. And when the Mord'Sith finally did, she was bruised and bloody, limping into camp and sinking onto a tree stump with a long, drawn-out sigh, removing her gloves and flexing her fingers with a satisfied wince.
Beating the shit out of a local gang of thieves had felt good. Amazing, even. Just what she'd needed. Despite the pain in just about every place on her body, she was in a good mood. Until Kahlan rushed over and started fussing.
Seeing Cara like this was hard for the Mother Confessor. "Oh my... what happened? Are you all right? Let me see--"
"Back off, Confessor," Cara snapped. "I'm fine."
"Fine?" Kahlan asked, raising an eyebrow. "You are not fine. You're covered in blood and bruises."
"So I'll take a bath, if the sight of a warrior offends your delicate senses."
"You know it doesn't," Kahlan said, unamused by Cara's dry humor. "I'm worried about you."
Worried about her? Well that was new. "Don't strain yourself. You have more important things to worry about."
"Such as?" Kahlan moved closer, reaching out for one of Cara's injured hands.
"Don't," Cara warned darkly. "I'll hurt you."
Kahlan paused, but did not withdraw. Challenge shone in her eyes. "And if I don't mind?"
At that, Cara's eyebrows shot up. "The Lord Rahl will mind."
"The Lord Rahl would not know."
Now a smirk. "If I put my hands on you, everyone that sees you will know."
"Is that supposed to frighten me?" Kahlan raised an eyebrow and reached out for Cara's hand again. This time she made contact before she was knocked in the jaw with a leather-clad elbow and went flying backwards onto her ass in the dirt.
"Shit!" Cara swore, frustrated with herself for not controlling the reaction, but more frustrated with Kahlan for pushing dangerous boundaries. "No one touches a Mord'Sith without permission," she said icily by way of explanation. "Not even the Mother Confessor."
Kahlan just sat there for a moment, stunned into inaction, then felt her mouth for blood. There was none. Then she smirked at Cara.
That was not the reaction she'd expected. "What?" the blonde hissed.
"You think you're such a badass," Kahlan grinned. "And maybe you could kick my ass in a fair fight, but if it came to life and death, all I'd have to do is confess you."
Green eyes went wide with indignation. Was Kahlan actually calling her grit into question? "Have you taken leave of your senses?"
"Perhaps," Kahlan allowed for the possibility. "More likely I'm just underwhelmed by that little love tap you gave me."
"The love tap that knocked you on your ass, you mean?" Cara was quickly going from angry to amused. "Are you really trying to bait me, Confessor?"
Kahlan leaned back on her elbows and took a long, slow breath. Did she really have enough nerve to challenge Cara into touching her? "I'm bored. I could use some entertainment, and I know you wouldn't really hurt me."
Cara was on her feet, agiels drawn in an instant. "You don't think I would hurt you?" she asked, fearing she was falling into some sort of trap, but unable to resist defending her honor.
"No, I don't think you would."
"I would," Cara said after a minute or so, her eyes fixed on Kahlan, waiting for the Confessor to initiate a spar.
Kahlan's eyes glittered in the midday sun. "And if I endure everything you wish to inflict upon me, for one half candlemark, without begging you to stop, will you allow me to dress your wounds?"
Cara's throat went dry, her thighs suddenly slick with arousal. Kahlan wasn't talking about a spar. "You have no idea what you're asking for," she breathed in awe.
"Do we have a deal?" Kahlan asked, all business.
"Kahlan, I can't use my agiels on you," Cara finally said, looking at the ground. "For so many reasons."
"I know," Kahlan smirked, getting up from the dirt. "What do you think I was counting on? Ready to have your wounds tended to?"
"Not so fast," Cara said, deflecting Kahlan's wrist before it reached her arm. She looked up now, a smirk trying to surface, but she didn't feel much like smirking. The situation was a bit more serious than that. Her features darkened to a semi-scowl and she spoke directly into Kahlan's ear. "I said I can't use my agiels on you." She tossed them aside, flexing her hands purposefully, then wrapped her fingers tightly around Kahlan's biceps. "I can do plenty of damage with my hands."
Kahlan's eyelids fluttered, and she tried not to betray how turned on that made her. It was easy to bury the arousal under her sudden burst of doubt, the thought that she might not win this battle after all. She wasn't sure what Cara would do, or how much she could take without requesting reprieve. "What will you do?" she whispered.
"Whatever I want. Isn't that what you said?" Cara reminded her. "Everything I wish to inflict upon you? This is your game after all, and you made the rules. I won't disappoint." She moved one hand into Kahlan's hair and tugged sharply, until the Confessor was on her knees.
"Do you plan to pull it out of my head?" Kahlan asked, somewhere between genuine and sarcastic.
Cara's response was to pull harder, and dig the nails of her other hand sharply into Kahlan's arm until blood began to seep through her sleeve.
"Cara!" Kahlan gasped, a throbbing pain in her head as well as her arm.
"Aww, do you want me to stop?" Cara mocked, her groin clenching when Kahlan backed down and submissively shook her head. "On all fours then, Confessor."
"Going to ride me?" Kahlan snapped, embarrassed at the instruction. The swift slap to her face made her reconsider her attitude and she dropped forward onto her hands with a whimper.
Cara purred at the sound - old habits die hard - and walked slowly and deliberately to the nearest tree. She considered her options and broke off a thin branch, stripping it until it made a perfect switch. The faster she made Kahlan beg, the faster she could lord it over the Confessor's head. "Get your pretty dress up over your back, so I don't have to rip it," she commanded, smirking at the way Kahlan stiffened.
To Cara's surprise, Kahlan obeyed.
"Are you trying to kill me?" she murmured into the back of Kahlan's neck, then stood up and expertly cracked the switch across pale thighs.
Kahlan's teeth gritted to keep in the cry her body wanted to let out, and she grunted softly instead, a stripe of fire erupting under the lash. She knew she was stupid for enduring this just to be allowed to care for Cara's wounds, but she wanted a way in so badly, and this was the closest she'd ever gotten.
There was so much more Cara wanted to do to the chaste, virtuous Mother Confessor while she had her on her hands and knees, but she had to admit, just having her like that, willingly taking a whipping for no good reason at all, was un-fucking-believable. And that soft little grunt out of Kahlan's tightly clenched jaw was enough to make a Mord'Sith shiver. She tapped the switch a few times on Kahlan's inner thighs, and the Confessor obediently spread her legs. It was, simply put, delicious. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd been trained."
"I didn't agree to endure insults," Kahlan said smoothly.
"You find that an insult?" Cara asked, lifting an eyebrow as she swished the whip across Kahlan's thighs again. "I'm trained."
Kahlan gasped, dropping her head forward between her arms. The tips of her hair brushed the dirt as the pain brushed the backs of her thighs. "I didn't mean..."
Cara chuckled. "I don't care, really. It's the same view as the rest of the Midlands."
"I really didn't mean it like you think. I have the utmost respect for you, Cara, you know that."
Another searing slice, this one breaking the skin where the tip of the switch met tender flesh. "Do I?"
Kahlan cried out softly, rocking forward in an attempt to let her surroundings help her absorb the blow. It took her a long moment before she was able to speak without her voice breaking. "Would I be in this position otherwise?"
"You're in this position because you want something from me, not because you respect me."
"I respect you, Cara," Kahlan insisted quietly.
"Then you should abide by my wishes not to be fussed over."
"Accepting human contact doesn't make you weak."
"You think beating you makes me strong?" Cara couldn't help the bitterness in her voice. "Don't flatter yourself. You're the latest in a long line of women on their knees for me. I was strong long before you met me."
As much as that hurt, bringing tears to her eyes, Kahlan didn't let it distract her. "You know very well I was not referring to this." Her voice shook with the effort to keep emotion out of it. She did want something from Cara. She wanted everything. But perhaps this arrangement would only push her further away. "Maybe I was wrong to suggest it."
Cara seemed to realize too late that she'd crossed a line. Why was she always realizing after the fact? Shouldn't she be able to apply specific knowledge in a general manner? She didn't think Kahlan would believe nor appreciate an apology, so she settled for what she hoped was the next best option. "Are you trying to back out on me? All you have to do is say please stop, and it's over."
"I'm giving you an out," Kahlan explained.
"I don't want an out. I like you on your knees for me." Too much.
"I thought I was one in a long line."
"You are. But one of many doesn't mean you're the same as any of them."
"You made it sound so."
"I needed to protect myself."
"What changed?"
"I don't want to risk you getting up. Before I order you to, that is."
"It's not fair of me to try to force you to accept care if you don't want it."
"I'm a big girl, Kahlan. And I'm the one holding the whip. Not to mention, you won't win. I'll have you begging me to stop soon enough."
"But you know how I hate to lose."
"You've asked a Mord'Sith to torture you. You're going to lose."
"I might. But the potential reward is worth the risk."
"I'll never understand how dressing my wounds is a reward to you. I'm afraid your mind is lost, even if you do manage to win."
Kahlan laughed, the sting of Cara's earlier words fading. "Wench."
Cara's eyes sparkled. "Take off your dress."
To Kahlan's credit, she didn't so much as question the order. She undid the catches and got out of the dress, standing in her corset, boots, and weapons, even if a light blush covered her cheeks.
"You do know how to behave," Cara said, her voice low and husky as she stepped up to Kahlan. "Now the corset."
That took longer, but she put her hands behind her back and started working the laces until they were slack enough to let her undo the front stays. The garment fell to the ground, atop her discarded dress. Her blush was darker now, but she didn't attempt to cover herself.
Cara stared, baring her teeth with a half-restrained growl. "Rahl help me," she murmured under her breath, and then louder, to Kahlan, "will you go Con-Dar if I hurt you here?" She gently cupped a breast in one hand, running her thumb over the peaked nipple. "Or can I leave you untied?"
Kahlan moaned, surprised and pleased at the sensual attention. A shiver ran through her entire body, and she struggled to remember the question. "I won't," she promised at last. "No need to tie me, unless you want to."
Cara couldn't resist putting her mouth on the Confessor, and she bit roughly at Kahlan's unoccupied breast, sucking the flesh into her mouth like a hungry animal.
Kahlan groaned, her knees shaking, head falling back. "Creator," she breathed, closing her eyes.
"I'm getting off track," Cara said suddenly, pulling back and stripping the Confessor of any remaining clothing or protection, until she was naked and trembling, and once again blushing.
"I didn't mind," Kahlan whispered.
"I'm sure you didn't," Cara smirked. "But my half candlemark is almost up, and I'm supposed to be hurting you, not pampering you. Stand against that tree, with your arms above your head. Facing me."
Kahlan lowered her eyes and nodded, backing against the tree and putting her arms over her head as ordered.
"Good girl," Cara purred. "But this is where it gets messy." Her features hardened and she raised the switch, cutting it down so the tip flicked the side of Kahlan's left breast, faintly splitting the skin.
Kahlan sucked in a breath, clamping down on the swirling magic inside her. She knew her eyes had shifted black for a split second, and she knew by Cara's expression that the blonde had seen. "I'm sorry," she promised in a rush. "I have a handle on it."
Cara wasn't sure she believed that, but she believed that Kahlan believed it, and that was good enough, for now. She flicked the whip again, and again, and again, until the streaks of blood down Kahlan's chest matched the streaks of silent tears down her face. "Turn around," she said harshly, before the tears could melt her Mord'Sith armor. She had a lot at stake here. Letting someone treat her injuries was showing vulnerability and weakness - two death sentences for her a lifetime ago, but still as unpleasant in her new life.
Kahlan turned, shaking more than she'd like to have been, and leaned her front against the tree, despite the pain caused by the rough bark on her broken skin. And despite all of it, she was soaking wet like she'd never been before. In fact, she rarely allowed herself into situations where she had the potential to become aroused, so this was one of the few times she had ever felt such stirring. And Cara made it so strong.
Cara was loathe to admit it, but as much as she loved causing Kahlan pain, she also hated it. The double-edged sword nicked her with one side and pleasured her with the other. Unfortunately, the nicking edge was right on her heart. She loved Kahlan, she had known that for awhile now, which was what made it so important to keep her at arm's length. But after two dozen strikes to her buttocks and shoulder blades, Kahlan was whimpering and pleading, and arm's length was just too far.
Cara dropped the switch and went to Kahlan, pressing herself flush against the Confessor's bloody back, her arms snaking between Kahlan and the tree to wrap around her stomach.
For some reason, Cara didn't want to gloat in her victory. She had no idea what words to offer as comfort, unused as she was to being comforting, so she just held Kahlan firmly.
"I lost, I know," Kahlan exhaled on a shaky breath, bringing her hands down to cover her face.
"Hush," Cara scolded, and making a quick decision she slid one arm beneath Kahlan's knees and picked the Confessor up, heading for the lake.
Humiliated, Kahlan kept her face covered, her skin burning everywhere the lash had touched. "What are you doing?"
"I said hush," Cara snapped, irritated at herself for showing the Confessor this extra attention. When she reached the lake, thankfully without further questions, she walked right in until Kahlan was submerged to her shoulders.
"Ah!" Kahlan started at the cold water suddenly enveloping her body, moving her hands from her face so she could assess the situation. Cara was standing in the lake, fully dressed, an unreadable expression on her face. "Aren't you going to--"
"No."
"Why n--"
"Because you lost. You don't get to see me naked."
"But your leath--"
"Don't try to manipulate me, Confessor. I'm not as stupid as you think I am."
"Are you sure about that?" Kahlan shot back. "Because instead of telling someone what's bothering you, you seek out combat and take your agiels to yourself!"
"How I deal with my discomfort is of no consequence to you."
"Yes it is, of course it is!" Kahlan argued, clearly distraught and nearly yelling. "You don't understand that you're just as important to me as Richard or Zedd, do you?"
That got a bitter laugh. "Oh, I'm sure I am. I also love to wear dresses, and Mord'Sith are sweet little girls who like to play with bunnies."
"You are, Cara," Kahlan insisted. "Just tell me, maybe I can help. Why do you do this to yourself?"
Another laugh, this one mean-spirited, and she set Kahlan on her feet, starting to walk back to shore. "Again, no idea what you're asking for. You can't help me, Kahlan."
"How do you know that if you won't even tell me what's wrong?" Kahlan said frustratedly, following even though it hurt to take a step.
"Leave it, Confessor." Cara was starting to get angry.
"Of all the things I imagine you to be, I never thought I'd add coward to the list," Kahlan rallied as they reached the water's edge. The Mord'Sith had turned, green eyes wild, her hand at Kahlan's throat before the last word left her lips.
Tension curled in every muscle in her body. Curled and burned until she thought she might implode. "You think you want to help, but you don't," she hissed, squeezing Kahlan's throat, waiting for that spark of fear to show up in her eyes, but it never came.
Kahlan grabbed Cara's forearm with both hands and twisted until the grip on her throat slackened enough for her to duck out of the hold. "Stop pushing me away!" she shouted. "Tell me what's wrong and let me make my own decision whether or not to help!"
Cara couldn't take any more. "You really want to know?" she asked, her hands shaking as she grabbed Kahlan by the back of the neck and threw her down on the sand, then jerked her up onto her hands and knees, her own body moving to cover the Confessor's. "You really want to know?!" Now she was shouting too, expecting a struggle, but Kahlan didn't fight, she arched her back and then dropped her head forward, pressing her upper back into Cara's chest.
The Mord'Sith knew what the gesture implied - I'm yours.
One hand curled into Kahlan's hair, forcing her head back so Cara's hungry mouth could clamp down on the side of her jaw. Two fingers sank into Kahlan from behind, a growl escaping at how wet the Confessor was - she hadn't expected that.
Kahlan groaned, tension releasing in waves, opening herself to Cara's fingers. "This is what's wrong?" she gasped. "You want to fuck someone?" She didn't dare hope it had anything to do with her.
"I want to fuck you," Cara clarified, slamming her fingers in harder than she meant to, but spurred on by Kahlan's answering moan. "You like it rough, Confessor?"
"You've whipped me until I'm bloody and I'm still on my hands and knees for you, what do you think?" Kahlan hissed, moaning again at the next hard thrust.
Cara jerked on Kahlan's hair every time she pushed her fingers in, and she had the Confessor pulsing around her hand in no time, a thundering cry leaving her lips, echoing into the air around them.
"Get off!" Kahlan warned as the pleasure and magic coiled around each other, bursting forth in a sea of lights and colors and soundless fury.
Cara let go and flipped backwards out of the way, stumbling as the very edge of power hit the front of her leathers, sending her on her ass in the sand. She pushed up onto her hands and watched with a hungry sneer as Kahlan's body shook with the aftershocks of release, listened to the panting breaths she'd never heard from the Confessor before, not even after a battle. She was damn proud of herself for making that happen. Not that she'd doubted she could.
"Okay," Kahlan finally said, her arms too shaky to hold her up anymore, and she slowly lowered herself onto her stomach, turning her head to rest her cheek against the sand.
"Okay what?" Cara asked, jumping up into a crouch, then stalking toward Kahlan on her hands and knees like a predator intent on its prey.
"Okay it's safe to touch me now," Kahlan breathed.
"Who says I want to touch you now? I already got what I wanted."
"Cara," Kahlan said, not in the mood to deal with another bout of snarky arguing.
"All right," Cara snorted, laying on her side next to the Confessor, half-covering Kahlan's body with her own. One finger traced the open wounds on her back, and she felt Kahlan shiver. "You look good bloody," she finally said, dropping her head to kiss away the freshest stream. The metallic tang was welcome in her mouth; familiar, comforting. "You taste good bloody," she whispered, turning her face to rub her cheek in the viscous liquid.
Kahlan moaned quietly, folding her hands beneath her head and closing her eyes. "Now can I see you naked?"
Cara paused just long enough to seem like she was considering it, then pressed a sweet kiss to Kahlan's lips.
"No."
Fin
Author: Lexus Grey
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: sex, violence, and S/M of the whipping variety
Disclaimer: The show nor the characters belong to me, I'm just borrowing the girls for fun. No money is being made from this work, no copyright infringement is intended.
Sometimes the wanting was too much. It was too much and Cara had to get up in the middle of the night, or during dinner, or any other time of day, and go for a walk. She had to get away, away from blue eyes and long, dark hair that her hands ached to grab and pull. Most times she self-punished with her agiels, but if the chance came up to pick a fight, she always jumped at it.
Lately her little jaunts had been getting more and more frequent, and she knew it was only a matter of time before someone called her out.
Kahlan wondered what the problem was. Was it her? Richard? Zedd? What made Cara stalk off in the middle of dinners and conversations, and come back bloody?
Now, Richard and Zedd had gone off on some special expedition or something, and Cara seemed jumpier than ever. In fact, she had run off awhile ago for no apparent reason.
"I won't go far," she'd growled, and took off into the woods.
Kahlan didn't have much to do but wait for Cara to come back. And when the Mord'Sith finally did, she was bruised and bloody, limping into camp and sinking onto a tree stump with a long, drawn-out sigh, removing her gloves and flexing her fingers with a satisfied wince.
Beating the shit out of a local gang of thieves had felt good. Amazing, even. Just what she'd needed. Despite the pain in just about every place on her body, she was in a good mood. Until Kahlan rushed over and started fussing.
Seeing Cara like this was hard for the Mother Confessor. "Oh my... what happened? Are you all right? Let me see--"
"Back off, Confessor," Cara snapped. "I'm fine."
"Fine?" Kahlan asked, raising an eyebrow. "You are not fine. You're covered in blood and bruises."
"So I'll take a bath, if the sight of a warrior offends your delicate senses."
"You know it doesn't," Kahlan said, unamused by Cara's dry humor. "I'm worried about you."
Worried about her? Well that was new. "Don't strain yourself. You have more important things to worry about."
"Such as?" Kahlan moved closer, reaching out for one of Cara's injured hands.
"Don't," Cara warned darkly. "I'll hurt you."
Kahlan paused, but did not withdraw. Challenge shone in her eyes. "And if I don't mind?"
At that, Cara's eyebrows shot up. "The Lord Rahl will mind."
"The Lord Rahl would not know."
Now a smirk. "If I put my hands on you, everyone that sees you will know."
"Is that supposed to frighten me?" Kahlan raised an eyebrow and reached out for Cara's hand again. This time she made contact before she was knocked in the jaw with a leather-clad elbow and went flying backwards onto her ass in the dirt.
"Shit!" Cara swore, frustrated with herself for not controlling the reaction, but more frustrated with Kahlan for pushing dangerous boundaries. "No one touches a Mord'Sith without permission," she said icily by way of explanation. "Not even the Mother Confessor."
Kahlan just sat there for a moment, stunned into inaction, then felt her mouth for blood. There was none. Then she smirked at Cara.
That was not the reaction she'd expected. "What?" the blonde hissed.
"You think you're such a badass," Kahlan grinned. "And maybe you could kick my ass in a fair fight, but if it came to life and death, all I'd have to do is confess you."
Green eyes went wide with indignation. Was Kahlan actually calling her grit into question? "Have you taken leave of your senses?"
"Perhaps," Kahlan allowed for the possibility. "More likely I'm just underwhelmed by that little love tap you gave me."
"The love tap that knocked you on your ass, you mean?" Cara was quickly going from angry to amused. "Are you really trying to bait me, Confessor?"
Kahlan leaned back on her elbows and took a long, slow breath. Did she really have enough nerve to challenge Cara into touching her? "I'm bored. I could use some entertainment, and I know you wouldn't really hurt me."
Cara was on her feet, agiels drawn in an instant. "You don't think I would hurt you?" she asked, fearing she was falling into some sort of trap, but unable to resist defending her honor.
"No, I don't think you would."
"I would," Cara said after a minute or so, her eyes fixed on Kahlan, waiting for the Confessor to initiate a spar.
Kahlan's eyes glittered in the midday sun. "And if I endure everything you wish to inflict upon me, for one half candlemark, without begging you to stop, will you allow me to dress your wounds?"
Cara's throat went dry, her thighs suddenly slick with arousal. Kahlan wasn't talking about a spar. "You have no idea what you're asking for," she breathed in awe.
"Do we have a deal?" Kahlan asked, all business.
"Kahlan, I can't use my agiels on you," Cara finally said, looking at the ground. "For so many reasons."
"I know," Kahlan smirked, getting up from the dirt. "What do you think I was counting on? Ready to have your wounds tended to?"
"Not so fast," Cara said, deflecting Kahlan's wrist before it reached her arm. She looked up now, a smirk trying to surface, but she didn't feel much like smirking. The situation was a bit more serious than that. Her features darkened to a semi-scowl and she spoke directly into Kahlan's ear. "I said I can't use my agiels on you." She tossed them aside, flexing her hands purposefully, then wrapped her fingers tightly around Kahlan's biceps. "I can do plenty of damage with my hands."
Kahlan's eyelids fluttered, and she tried not to betray how turned on that made her. It was easy to bury the arousal under her sudden burst of doubt, the thought that she might not win this battle after all. She wasn't sure what Cara would do, or how much she could take without requesting reprieve. "What will you do?" she whispered.
"Whatever I want. Isn't that what you said?" Cara reminded her. "Everything I wish to inflict upon you? This is your game after all, and you made the rules. I won't disappoint." She moved one hand into Kahlan's hair and tugged sharply, until the Confessor was on her knees.
"Do you plan to pull it out of my head?" Kahlan asked, somewhere between genuine and sarcastic.
Cara's response was to pull harder, and dig the nails of her other hand sharply into Kahlan's arm until blood began to seep through her sleeve.
"Cara!" Kahlan gasped, a throbbing pain in her head as well as her arm.
"Aww, do you want me to stop?" Cara mocked, her groin clenching when Kahlan backed down and submissively shook her head. "On all fours then, Confessor."
"Going to ride me?" Kahlan snapped, embarrassed at the instruction. The swift slap to her face made her reconsider her attitude and she dropped forward onto her hands with a whimper.
Cara purred at the sound - old habits die hard - and walked slowly and deliberately to the nearest tree. She considered her options and broke off a thin branch, stripping it until it made a perfect switch. The faster she made Kahlan beg, the faster she could lord it over the Confessor's head. "Get your pretty dress up over your back, so I don't have to rip it," she commanded, smirking at the way Kahlan stiffened.
To Cara's surprise, Kahlan obeyed.
"Are you trying to kill me?" she murmured into the back of Kahlan's neck, then stood up and expertly cracked the switch across pale thighs.
Kahlan's teeth gritted to keep in the cry her body wanted to let out, and she grunted softly instead, a stripe of fire erupting under the lash. She knew she was stupid for enduring this just to be allowed to care for Cara's wounds, but she wanted a way in so badly, and this was the closest she'd ever gotten.
There was so much more Cara wanted to do to the chaste, virtuous Mother Confessor while she had her on her hands and knees, but she had to admit, just having her like that, willingly taking a whipping for no good reason at all, was un-fucking-believable. And that soft little grunt out of Kahlan's tightly clenched jaw was enough to make a Mord'Sith shiver. She tapped the switch a few times on Kahlan's inner thighs, and the Confessor obediently spread her legs. It was, simply put, delicious. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd been trained."
"I didn't agree to endure insults," Kahlan said smoothly.
"You find that an insult?" Cara asked, lifting an eyebrow as she swished the whip across Kahlan's thighs again. "I'm trained."
Kahlan gasped, dropping her head forward between her arms. The tips of her hair brushed the dirt as the pain brushed the backs of her thighs. "I didn't mean..."
Cara chuckled. "I don't care, really. It's the same view as the rest of the Midlands."
"I really didn't mean it like you think. I have the utmost respect for you, Cara, you know that."
Another searing slice, this one breaking the skin where the tip of the switch met tender flesh. "Do I?"
Kahlan cried out softly, rocking forward in an attempt to let her surroundings help her absorb the blow. It took her a long moment before she was able to speak without her voice breaking. "Would I be in this position otherwise?"
"You're in this position because you want something from me, not because you respect me."
"I respect you, Cara," Kahlan insisted quietly.
"Then you should abide by my wishes not to be fussed over."
"Accepting human contact doesn't make you weak."
"You think beating you makes me strong?" Cara couldn't help the bitterness in her voice. "Don't flatter yourself. You're the latest in a long line of women on their knees for me. I was strong long before you met me."
As much as that hurt, bringing tears to her eyes, Kahlan didn't let it distract her. "You know very well I was not referring to this." Her voice shook with the effort to keep emotion out of it. She did want something from Cara. She wanted everything. But perhaps this arrangement would only push her further away. "Maybe I was wrong to suggest it."
Cara seemed to realize too late that she'd crossed a line. Why was she always realizing after the fact? Shouldn't she be able to apply specific knowledge in a general manner? She didn't think Kahlan would believe nor appreciate an apology, so she settled for what she hoped was the next best option. "Are you trying to back out on me? All you have to do is say please stop, and it's over."
"I'm giving you an out," Kahlan explained.
"I don't want an out. I like you on your knees for me." Too much.
"I thought I was one in a long line."
"You are. But one of many doesn't mean you're the same as any of them."
"You made it sound so."
"I needed to protect myself."
"What changed?"
"I don't want to risk you getting up. Before I order you to, that is."
"It's not fair of me to try to force you to accept care if you don't want it."
"I'm a big girl, Kahlan. And I'm the one holding the whip. Not to mention, you won't win. I'll have you begging me to stop soon enough."
"But you know how I hate to lose."
"You've asked a Mord'Sith to torture you. You're going to lose."
"I might. But the potential reward is worth the risk."
"I'll never understand how dressing my wounds is a reward to you. I'm afraid your mind is lost, even if you do manage to win."
Kahlan laughed, the sting of Cara's earlier words fading. "Wench."
Cara's eyes sparkled. "Take off your dress."
To Kahlan's credit, she didn't so much as question the order. She undid the catches and got out of the dress, standing in her corset, boots, and weapons, even if a light blush covered her cheeks.
"You do know how to behave," Cara said, her voice low and husky as she stepped up to Kahlan. "Now the corset."
That took longer, but she put her hands behind her back and started working the laces until they were slack enough to let her undo the front stays. The garment fell to the ground, atop her discarded dress. Her blush was darker now, but she didn't attempt to cover herself.
Cara stared, baring her teeth with a half-restrained growl. "Rahl help me," she murmured under her breath, and then louder, to Kahlan, "will you go Con-Dar if I hurt you here?" She gently cupped a breast in one hand, running her thumb over the peaked nipple. "Or can I leave you untied?"
Kahlan moaned, surprised and pleased at the sensual attention. A shiver ran through her entire body, and she struggled to remember the question. "I won't," she promised at last. "No need to tie me, unless you want to."
Cara couldn't resist putting her mouth on the Confessor, and she bit roughly at Kahlan's unoccupied breast, sucking the flesh into her mouth like a hungry animal.
Kahlan groaned, her knees shaking, head falling back. "Creator," she breathed, closing her eyes.
"I'm getting off track," Cara said suddenly, pulling back and stripping the Confessor of any remaining clothing or protection, until she was naked and trembling, and once again blushing.
"I didn't mind," Kahlan whispered.
"I'm sure you didn't," Cara smirked. "But my half candlemark is almost up, and I'm supposed to be hurting you, not pampering you. Stand against that tree, with your arms above your head. Facing me."
Kahlan lowered her eyes and nodded, backing against the tree and putting her arms over her head as ordered.
"Good girl," Cara purred. "But this is where it gets messy." Her features hardened and she raised the switch, cutting it down so the tip flicked the side of Kahlan's left breast, faintly splitting the skin.
Kahlan sucked in a breath, clamping down on the swirling magic inside her. She knew her eyes had shifted black for a split second, and she knew by Cara's expression that the blonde had seen. "I'm sorry," she promised in a rush. "I have a handle on it."
Cara wasn't sure she believed that, but she believed that Kahlan believed it, and that was good enough, for now. She flicked the whip again, and again, and again, until the streaks of blood down Kahlan's chest matched the streaks of silent tears down her face. "Turn around," she said harshly, before the tears could melt her Mord'Sith armor. She had a lot at stake here. Letting someone treat her injuries was showing vulnerability and weakness - two death sentences for her a lifetime ago, but still as unpleasant in her new life.
Kahlan turned, shaking more than she'd like to have been, and leaned her front against the tree, despite the pain caused by the rough bark on her broken skin. And despite all of it, she was soaking wet like she'd never been before. In fact, she rarely allowed herself into situations where she had the potential to become aroused, so this was one of the few times she had ever felt such stirring. And Cara made it so strong.
Cara was loathe to admit it, but as much as she loved causing Kahlan pain, she also hated it. The double-edged sword nicked her with one side and pleasured her with the other. Unfortunately, the nicking edge was right on her heart. She loved Kahlan, she had known that for awhile now, which was what made it so important to keep her at arm's length. But after two dozen strikes to her buttocks and shoulder blades, Kahlan was whimpering and pleading, and arm's length was just too far.
Cara dropped the switch and went to Kahlan, pressing herself flush against the Confessor's bloody back, her arms snaking between Kahlan and the tree to wrap around her stomach.
For some reason, Cara didn't want to gloat in her victory. She had no idea what words to offer as comfort, unused as she was to being comforting, so she just held Kahlan firmly.
"I lost, I know," Kahlan exhaled on a shaky breath, bringing her hands down to cover her face.
"Hush," Cara scolded, and making a quick decision she slid one arm beneath Kahlan's knees and picked the Confessor up, heading for the lake.
Humiliated, Kahlan kept her face covered, her skin burning everywhere the lash had touched. "What are you doing?"
"I said hush," Cara snapped, irritated at herself for showing the Confessor this extra attention. When she reached the lake, thankfully without further questions, she walked right in until Kahlan was submerged to her shoulders.
"Ah!" Kahlan started at the cold water suddenly enveloping her body, moving her hands from her face so she could assess the situation. Cara was standing in the lake, fully dressed, an unreadable expression on her face. "Aren't you going to--"
"No."
"Why n--"
"Because you lost. You don't get to see me naked."
"But your leath--"
"Don't try to manipulate me, Confessor. I'm not as stupid as you think I am."
"Are you sure about that?" Kahlan shot back. "Because instead of telling someone what's bothering you, you seek out combat and take your agiels to yourself!"
"How I deal with my discomfort is of no consequence to you."
"Yes it is, of course it is!" Kahlan argued, clearly distraught and nearly yelling. "You don't understand that you're just as important to me as Richard or Zedd, do you?"
That got a bitter laugh. "Oh, I'm sure I am. I also love to wear dresses, and Mord'Sith are sweet little girls who like to play with bunnies."
"You are, Cara," Kahlan insisted. "Just tell me, maybe I can help. Why do you do this to yourself?"
Another laugh, this one mean-spirited, and she set Kahlan on her feet, starting to walk back to shore. "Again, no idea what you're asking for. You can't help me, Kahlan."
"How do you know that if you won't even tell me what's wrong?" Kahlan said frustratedly, following even though it hurt to take a step.
"Leave it, Confessor." Cara was starting to get angry.
"Of all the things I imagine you to be, I never thought I'd add coward to the list," Kahlan rallied as they reached the water's edge. The Mord'Sith had turned, green eyes wild, her hand at Kahlan's throat before the last word left her lips.
Tension curled in every muscle in her body. Curled and burned until she thought she might implode. "You think you want to help, but you don't," she hissed, squeezing Kahlan's throat, waiting for that spark of fear to show up in her eyes, but it never came.
Kahlan grabbed Cara's forearm with both hands and twisted until the grip on her throat slackened enough for her to duck out of the hold. "Stop pushing me away!" she shouted. "Tell me what's wrong and let me make my own decision whether or not to help!"
Cara couldn't take any more. "You really want to know?" she asked, her hands shaking as she grabbed Kahlan by the back of the neck and threw her down on the sand, then jerked her up onto her hands and knees, her own body moving to cover the Confessor's. "You really want to know?!" Now she was shouting too, expecting a struggle, but Kahlan didn't fight, she arched her back and then dropped her head forward, pressing her upper back into Cara's chest.
The Mord'Sith knew what the gesture implied - I'm yours.
One hand curled into Kahlan's hair, forcing her head back so Cara's hungry mouth could clamp down on the side of her jaw. Two fingers sank into Kahlan from behind, a growl escaping at how wet the Confessor was - she hadn't expected that.
Kahlan groaned, tension releasing in waves, opening herself to Cara's fingers. "This is what's wrong?" she gasped. "You want to fuck someone?" She didn't dare hope it had anything to do with her.
"I want to fuck you," Cara clarified, slamming her fingers in harder than she meant to, but spurred on by Kahlan's answering moan. "You like it rough, Confessor?"
"You've whipped me until I'm bloody and I'm still on my hands and knees for you, what do you think?" Kahlan hissed, moaning again at the next hard thrust.
Cara jerked on Kahlan's hair every time she pushed her fingers in, and she had the Confessor pulsing around her hand in no time, a thundering cry leaving her lips, echoing into the air around them.
"Get off!" Kahlan warned as the pleasure and magic coiled around each other, bursting forth in a sea of lights and colors and soundless fury.
Cara let go and flipped backwards out of the way, stumbling as the very edge of power hit the front of her leathers, sending her on her ass in the sand. She pushed up onto her hands and watched with a hungry sneer as Kahlan's body shook with the aftershocks of release, listened to the panting breaths she'd never heard from the Confessor before, not even after a battle. She was damn proud of herself for making that happen. Not that she'd doubted she could.
"Okay," Kahlan finally said, her arms too shaky to hold her up anymore, and she slowly lowered herself onto her stomach, turning her head to rest her cheek against the sand.
"Okay what?" Cara asked, jumping up into a crouch, then stalking toward Kahlan on her hands and knees like a predator intent on its prey.
"Okay it's safe to touch me now," Kahlan breathed.
"Who says I want to touch you now? I already got what I wanted."
"Cara," Kahlan said, not in the mood to deal with another bout of snarky arguing.
"All right," Cara snorted, laying on her side next to the Confessor, half-covering Kahlan's body with her own. One finger traced the open wounds on her back, and she felt Kahlan shiver. "You look good bloody," she finally said, dropping her head to kiss away the freshest stream. The metallic tang was welcome in her mouth; familiar, comforting. "You taste good bloody," she whispered, turning her face to rub her cheek in the viscous liquid.
Kahlan moaned quietly, folding her hands beneath her head and closing her eyes. "Now can I see you naked?"
Cara paused just long enough to seem like she was considering it, then pressed a sweet kiss to Kahlan's lips.
"No."
Fin