Uncertainty (16/?) part 2
Title: Uncertainty (16/?)
Author: misanagy
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: R
Length: 17.289 words
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Terry Goodkind and ABC/Disney.
Summary: After “Desecrated” the merry band continues the search for the Stone of Tears, but along the way other things will be discovered and new people will appear in their lives.
AN: Hey guys! So after a long time here’s the next chapter of my story :D I apologize for the delay, but unfortunately some technical problems prevented the chapter to be posted sooner :( Thank you so much to shadowsoffense for the beta work and for not killing her computer *chuckles* Hope you guys enjoy it ;)
Sarah sat at one of the inn’s tables, eagerly munching on a slice of bread with cheese; the food was very appreciated after the eventful day she had had. Zedd had already done a wonderful job of healing all her wounds and she had already gone to hers and Alys’s room to change from Kahlan’s dress back into her better fitting black leathers.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Kahlan asked as she approached the table, placing a hand on Sarah’s shoulder and sitting next to the teen.
“Much better now,” Sarah grinned, visibly pleased with Kahlan’s use of the term of endearment and moving her arms experimentally to prove the lack of pain.
“Zedd comes in handy once in a while,” Cara drawled, taking a seat opposite Kahlan and smirking at Zedd’s indignant expression. “Tomorrow I’ll take you to a tailor to get that fixed,” the blonde pointed to Sarah’s shoulder where the gash from where Kahlan’s dagger had cut through the leather was clearly visible.
“Okay mom,” Sarah answered absentmindedly looking at her plate and missing Cara’s nervous look, the elder Mord’Sith still not accustomed to being addressed like that.
“I’m sorry about that,” Kahlan moved her hand to the gash on the leathers. “I thought-“
“I know, don’t worry,” Sarah quickly assured Kahlan with a warm smile. “Besides, I intend to take advantage of it,” she shared deviously, grinning as the others laughed while Kahlan just shook her head fondly at the teen’s obvious intention of holding the incident against her future self.
“Sarah was just telling us about her morphing weapons,” Richard interrupted with a smile as the teen nodded. “I had never seen agiels like that,” he said, looking to his left with questioning eyes, silently asking Cara for her opinion.
“Neither have I,” the blonde shook her head at Richard. “Where did you get them anyway?” she directed her question to her daughter.
“They were normal agiels before,” Sarah shrugged, picking up an apple. “I always loved the staff as a weapon but I like the agiels too, so Zedd combined the best of both as a birthday present,” she grinned at the wizard who was smiling fondly at her.
“You’re not bad with them,” Cara complimented in her own way, picking up the plate with the roasted lamb and offering it to Kahlan before she served herself.
“I’m pretty good considering that I had you earlier,” Sarah grinned smugly.
“You didn’t have me,” Cara raised a competitive eyebrow and stared at the still grinning green-eyed brunette. “You just managed to deliver a lucky blow,” she sniffed proudly, refusing to admit that Sarah had indeed get successfully under her defenses.
“Don’t be so upset mom,” Sarah patted Cara’s gloved hand in a playfully soothing gesture. “You’ll get better,” she reassured mockingly, squeezing Cara’s hand for good measure.
“The nerve of the girl,” Cara scoffed, sliding her hand from under Sarah’s and slapped at her daughter’s arm. “We’ll have a sparring session tomorrow then, to see if you’re as good as you claim to be,” Cara promised while the laughter around the table continued. She was actually really interested to test Sarah’s skills; the small demonstration she had earlier was testimony that the girl was good.
“I look forward to see you beat Cara, my child,” Zedd said, now his turn to be pleased by the dirty look the blonde was shooting his way. “But for now why don’t you tell us all you know about Farkas,” he suggested, ending the playful banter and turning the conversation to more pressing matters.
“He wants to be Aydindril’s ruler,” Sarah explained, looking at Kahlan. “He tried to demand it at first, listing a series of reasons, the foremost of which was that he doesn’t want a ‘freak’ ruling the Midlands,” she sighed, trading a meaningful look with Alys and seeing the child roll her eyes in annoyance.
“Freak?” Kahlan repeated flabbergasted. “Confessors always ruled in Aydindril, I can’t see why people would change their minds about my capability to be in charge of the Midlands,” she shook her head is disbelief.
“Well, the problem is not so much with you, but with the next generation,” Sarah clarified. “As you might have noticed already, the next generation of Confessor’s have other powers beyond those of confession and reading the truth in people,” she pointedly looked at Alys.
“When Farkas caught up with us days ago he attacked me,” Kahlan informed Sarah, who narrowed her eyes deep in thought. “Why not attack Alys directly?”
“Because he wants to cut the problem from the root,” Richard supposed. “By killing you, and probably your sister, before you’re pregnant with Alys he makes sure no other Confessor lives. That’s probably why he came back to the past, to get to you outside of the protective walls of Aydindril and when you would have no idea who he is and what his intentions are,” he finished, looking around the table to see what everyone else thought about his line of thinking.
“That’s sounds like something the coward would do,” Sarah said through her clenched teeth. “But if you ask me, he just wants power and is using a lot of excuses to get supporters.”
Kahlan pondered Richard’s hypothesis and she was more than inclined to agree with him; it made perfect sense and it was a solid plan from the wizard. What he surely hadn’t count on was Alys messing with his plans.
“It sounds plausible to me,” Cara nodded at Kahlan. “What about any allies Farkas may have?” the blonde asked Sarah.
“The Blood of the Fold support him,” Sarah said, hearing Kahlan chuckle humorlessly beside her. “I think they were preparing for a war, but it was always weird... they seemed to have been holding back for some reason.”
“They could have been waiting for Farkas succeeding in his mission,” Zedd joined in, pealing an apple for Alys. “The Triangle of Anuyr has a peculiar effect, it makes the past and present become linked and until the spell is ended, the future is in a state of flux, with a day in the past equaling a day in the future. So the changes that should have happened immediately after the girls disappeared, are instead happening gradually has they happen in this time.”
“So, in the future, they have no idea of knowing what its happening now,” Kahlan mused out loud. “And if Farkas is in a solo mission, we probably don’t have to worry about the Blood of the Fold right now,” she theorized, looking around the table to see nods of agreement.
“Don’t worry mommy,” Alys said as she got up and went to Kahlan. “We’ll protect you,” the little girl promised, climbing on Kahlan’s lap and giving a tight hug to the older Confessor.
“Aww, sweetie, thank you,” Kahlan cooed, hugging her daughter back and kissing the top of the blonde’s head.
“What’s wrong Sarah?” Cara questioned as she noticed the teen suddenly look down at her plate with a constricted expression.
“Nothing’s wrong,” the brunette Mord’Sith mumbled as she got up and stormed out of the inn.
As Sarah fled, Kahlan noticed, with concern, that there were unshed tears in the teen’s eyes. The elder Confessor looked around the table meeting the confused expressions of her companions. As she let her gaze rest upon Cara, she watched as the Mord’Sith stared at the closed door, a myriad of emotions evident in her hesitation.
“Let me go see,” Kahlan trailed off as Cara looked at her and nodded gratefully.
“I’ll go too,” Alys quickly added, getting off Kahlan’s lap.
“No honey, why don’t you wait here for a minute and let me talk with Sarah a little first,” Kahlan proposed, looking down at the worried child.
“Come here kiddo,” Cara extended an inviting hand to Alys which the girl reluctantly took and sat down next to Cara. “You better eat the apple Zedd has so masterfully carved or else he’ll cry like a little girl,” Cara’s jab at Zedd hit both intended goals, mocking the wizard and distracting a now giggling Alys.
With a quick wink at Cara and a smile at Alys, Kahlan went after the distraught teen. Once outside the inn, the Confessor squinted in the moonlight, scanning the surroundings for Sarah. Fortunately, she spotted the girl slumped on a stone bench a couple of houses down the road and made her way quietly over.
“What’s bothering you, sweetie?” Kahlan asked softly as she sat next to Sarah, hoping that the term of endearment would relax the girl and make her willing to talk to her.
“Nothing,” the ten shrugged and turned away from Kahlan.
“Then why are you crying?” Kahlan insisted gently, hearing the sniffle sounds the girl was trying to keep quiet.
“I’m not,” the stubborn Mord’Sith replied and Kahlan had to shake her head slightly at how much the girl resemble Cara right now.
“Sarah, please look at me,” Kahlan asked, placing one hand on the teen’s arm and gently turning the girl to look at her.
Pleased that Sarah didn’t pose any resistance, Kahlan reached for the teen’s chin to lift Sarah’s eyes towards her own. Kahlan heart sunk at the tears silently falling down the girl’s face. Without really noticing it, the Confessor pulled Sarah into a comforting hug; one that the teen gladly returned, soaking up every bit of comfort Kahlan had to offer.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be okay,” Kahlan whispered reassuringly, but her chest grew heavy with concern as she wondered if she was inadvertently lying. “Why don’t you tell me? Maybe we can help,” Kahlan insisted, stroking Sarah’s long dark hair.
“You will help,” Sarah nodded, resting her head in the crook of Kahlan’s neck. “Everything is going to be fine once Alys and I get back to the future,” the teen sniffled, making no move to leave the Confessor’s arms. “Everything has to be fine.”
“Okay honey,” Kahlan gave up on discovering what was making Sarah so upset. “But know that I’m here if you need to talk,” Kahlan told the now calmer girl, feeling Sarah once again nod her understanding.
“Do you mind if we just stay here a little longer?” Sarah asked, lifting her head to look at Kahlan’s worried eyes. “I don’t want Alys to notice that I cried,” the teen explained, wiping furiously at her tears as if mad that she had let them fall in the first place.
“We’ll stay as long as you need,” Kahlan halted Sarah’s hands and substituted them with her gentler ones, wiping the tears from the girl’s face. “Alys really looks up to you doesn’t she?” Kahlan smiled.
“She does,” Sarah nodded and sniffled. “She also worries a lot; she’s still little, I don’t want to burden her unnecessarily.” Sarah shrugged.
“You also don’t want to burden us,” Kahlan stated, guessing that that was part of the reason Sarah unwilling to talk to her.
“I…” Sarah trailed off sheepishly, looking up at Kahlan and shrugging meekly, which was enough to confirm the Confessor’s words. “I honestly don’t want to talk about it; it will be fine, trust me,” she said more firmly.
Kahlan sighed and nodded, bringing Sarah’s head to rest on her shoulder once more. She had to smile at how much of Cara’s selflessness she could see in Sarah’s attitude. The blonde Mord’Sith also preferred to suffer in silence than to share her worries with another; even with how close they had become, it still took Kahlan some effort to get Cara to confide her troubles. Looking down at the pensive girl in her arms, Kahlan wondered again what the girl was hiding; she wished she could do more for her, but the young Mord’Sith seemed to be content with Kahlan’s comforting hug alone. She guessed that, for now, it was the only thing Sarah needed.
*****
“Cara,” Richard said to get the attention of the Mord’Sith sitting next to him. “A wizard, a friend of Zedd’s, was here earlier with us and he told us some interesting things,” he started, noticing Cara protectively picking Alys up and sitting the girl between them, clearly so that Cara could look at him and have the girl in her line of sight too.
“Care to share,” the blonde prompted carefully, noticing the wrinkles on Richard’s forehead that usually meant that what he was about to say was either bad or potentially bad.
“He was Darken Rahl’s prisoner for many years and the reason he was abducted was to master a spell for Darken Rahl.” Richard relayed what Baronis had said to them; the familiarity he had with Cara allowed him to see the almost imperceptible apprehension form on the blonde’s stoic face as he spoke. “The spell was meant to give Mord’Sith powers to the Mord’Sith’s sons or daughters,” he revealed, noticing how Cara’s eyebrows rose in shocked recognition, confirming his suspicions.
“You know of this,” Zedd stated, he too noticing how Cara went slightly pale and instinctively moved one hand to grip the comforting agiel at her waist.
“I didn’t know it was for that,” Cara swallowed, her eyes distant with memories. “I remember Darken Rahl spelling every Mord’Sith that got pregnant; he said it was for protection,” she said, lifting a sleepy Alys to her lap because the girl was resting heavily against her side.
“He was lying,” Richard spat, his eyes shining at the prospect that Cara had more information about his departed brother’s plans. “He made Baronis complete a spell, the one used on the pregnant Mord’Sith. Then he imprisoned the children and tortured them with magic in the hopes they would deflect it, hence showing that the spell worked,” the Seeker said angrily, but careful to not rise his voice and disturb the slumbering Alys.
Cara visibly flinched when Richard told her what had happened to those children, a reaction that didn’t go unnoticed by the other two men who exchanged a worried look; Cara was not one to flinch lightly.
“Where are those kids now?” the Mord’Sith asked in a strangled voice, looking down at the sleeping child in her arms.
“Baronis said that most of them died,” Zedd supplied, watching the blonde’s reaction closely. “But he suspects that before he escaped, Darken Rahl still had a few surviving prisoners; the first to successfully manifest Mord’Sith magic was a girl, but one of them was a boy,” Zedd concluded, frowning when Cara clenched her jaw and stared at the table with an intensity that had him half expecting to find a hole appear in the wood.
“I was also thinking about what Sarah said earlier,” Richard added, he too concerned about the blonde’s reaction. “She said she was born a Mord’Sith; maybe this spell was what will be used on you.”
“That’s a question you should ask Sarah, don’t you think?” Cara said dismissively and moved to get up from the table. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation tomorrow; I’d better get Alys to bed,” the Mord’Sith suggested while lifting Alys carefully, so as not to disturb her.
“Okay, we’ll talk about this tomorrow,” Richard assented. “I took the liberty of booking three rooms, one bedroom for the girls and one for you and Kahlan,” he said not quite meeting her eyes while extending two keys to Cara.
“Thank you,” Cara said simply, grabbing the keys. Richard was clearly trying to be okay with the mention of her and Kahlan in the same room, but Cara could see that the implications of it still bothered the Seeker. Nonetheless, she recognized and appreciated the effort he was making to be completely okay with the new relationship between her and the brunette. With a slight nod Zedd’s way, Cara walked towards the steps that lead to the upper floor, where the rooms were located.
“I got the impression Cara knows more than she shared,” Richard mused out loud while watching Cara ascended the stairs with Alys slumbering in her arms.
“Hmm,” Zedd agreed wordlessly. “Whatever it is, it’s most certainly a personal matter. Let Cara take her time, she would never hide important information from us,” he advised.
“I know that,” Richard looked back at Zedd, as if surprised his grandfather would ever consider that he thought Cara would knowingly hide something important. “I’m just worried about her; the conversation definitely triggered something,” he mused, turning back to look pensively at the stairs where Cara had disappeared.
Zedd smiled at his grandson as Richard looked concernedly towards the stairs. Even if the woman had, in a way, robbed him of his loved one, Richard still cared dearly for Cara and their friendship was certainly still there. They both merely need some time to rekindle their previous bond; Zedd was sure that they would eventually get there.
*****
Cara opened the door of what was Sarah’s and Alys’s bedroom and made a quick inspection of the room before entering. She didn’t want to take any chances, especially when she had Alys with her. Entering and kicking the door close behind her, the older blonde placed the little girl on the bed, chuckling softly when Alys just mumbled something unintelligible and nuzzled the pillow underneath her head. Spotting the back packs next to the bed, she looked for something more comfortable that she could change Alys into. Finding the small linen shirt which the family that had helped Alys insisted the girl keep, Cara busied herself with carefully undressing the slumbering child.
“Nooo, I want to sleep more,” Alys whined with a scrunched up nose and eyes tightly closed.
“Let me just change your clothes and then you can go back to sleep again,” Cara pulled Alys’s arm into the shirt’s holes, surprising herself with the soft tone her voice took.
“’Kay mom,” Alys sighed and let slumber take her again, not at all bothered by Cara man handling her.
For a second Cara shrugged off the child’s words thinking it was just Alys confusing her with Kahlan, but then a detail clicked and made her stop. The memory of Sarah calling her ‘mom’ came to her, as well as the fact that Alys only addressed Kahlan as ‘mommy’. Cara raked her brain, but she couldn’t remember a single time Alys had said ‘mom’. Cara’s eyebrows rose as she did remember when Alys had said ‘mom’; it had been after she woke up from Farkas’ attack and when she said it the child had been looking at Cara.
The sound of the door opening behind her interrupted Cara’s thoughts. Turning around a little distractedly, her mind still caught between what Richard had told her downstairs and what Alys had said just now, the blonde saw Sarah entering the room, followed closely by Kahlan. Looking back at the sleeping Alys, Cara decided to leave the thinking for another time; this has been a night full of new and unexpected information, she needed time to process it.
“Is she asleep?” the older brunette asked with a fond smile, looking at her daughter sprawled on the bed.
“Like a rock” Cara commented with a nod, the little blonde sure had no trouble in falling into a deep sleep.
“She’s a heavy sleeper,” Sarah said sitting on the other side of the bed. “She’ll probably mumble a lot during the night, but she won’t wake up until morning,” the teen smiled slightly as she looked down at Alys.
Kahlan had brought Sarah back inside when the teen had regained her composure, but the Confessor could still see a little bit of sadness in the green eyes of the young brunette. Looking at Cara, Kahlan saw the blonde observe Sarah closely; most likely trying to assess the teen’s state of mind. Sensing that Cara wanted to say something to the girl and that Sarah probably needed her mother’s support too, Kahlan decided to leave them both alone.
“I’ll call it a night,” Kahlan said, placing a supportive hand on Cara’s arm and leaning down to kiss Alys on the forehead. Going around the bed, Kahlan tucked Sarah’s hair behind her ear and leaned down to place a kiss on the teen’s cheek. “Have a good night, sweetie. If you need anything we’re two doors down the corridor.” She smiled as Sarah nodded and hugged her around the neck, kissing Kahlan’s cheek in return.
“I’ll be right there,” Cara said, extending their room key to Kahlan. The knowing look and understanding nod the Confessor gave her as she took the key was all Cara needed to know that Kahlan was aware that she wanted to talk to Sarah.
Cara heard Kahlan close the door quietly behind her, keeping her eyes on Sarah as she waited for the girl to say something. After a few seconds, it was obvious that Sarah was perfectly content to pick at the bed’s covers, so Cara rose to place Alys’s dress on a nearby chair and walked slowly to stand beside Sarah.
“Do you have clothes to sleep in?” Cara asked tentatively, more to gauge the girl’s mood than to know about her wardrobe.
“Yes, I have something on my pack,” Sarah answered without lifting her eyes from the bed.
“I don’t know if I’ll get better at this,” Cara started her voice soft, almost as if she were speaking to herself as she sat down next to Sarah. “I’m not very good at it now, but I’m trying.” She nodded curtly once to herself and took a deep breath. “How are you? You seemed very upset downstairs,” she inquired about Sarah’s storming out.
“I’m okay,” Sara nodded as she looked up at Cara with a smile. “I was just upset about something, but I know everything it’s going to be okay once I get back to my time,” she explained as Cara nodded in understanding. “Don’t worry, you will,” Sarah added with a smile.
“I will what?”
“Get better at this comforting thing,” Sarah clarified. “Actually you’re really good at it,” the teen said in a nostalgic tone. “You always know what to say or do to make me feel better,” she sighed as she smiled at Cara. “Granted you seem a little out of sorts now,” she added letting her smile change into a teasing grin.
“Do I?” Cara smirked and playfully poked Sarah’s ribs, making the teen giggle. “Well, I guess I have time to learn,” Cara conceded, even though she was surprised to hear Sarah describe her like that; she never thought she would ever be someone who knew how to make anyone feel better.
“You’re not that different, thought,” Sarah continued after a beat. “You just have your stone face on most of the time, but I can see how much you care even if you seem to make an extra effort to hide what you feel,” Sarah explained with interest in her eyes.
“Are you examining me kid?” Cara drawled, feeling a little self-conscious about the sincere and caring way Sarah spoke about her.
“No, I’m just curious,” Sarah chuckled. “I heard a lot of stories about how you where a little impossible when you were younger. People are always telling me how much I resemble you, especially when I’m not the role model for good behavior,” Sarah said making Cara snort in amusement. “So I guess it’s nice to see for myself,” she shrugged.
“Hmmhmmm,” Cara looked suspiciously at Sarah and smirked knowingly. “See for yourself and see if you can’t hold something against me, am I right?”
“Who do you think I am?” Sarah asked mock indignant. “I would never do such a thing,” she shook her head vehemently, but the mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away.
“Not buying it kid,” Cara shook her head slowly, smiling lopsidedly at her daughter’s cunning ways.
“Okay, maybe I’m hoping to catch something that will allow me to say ‘you did the same thing’ to you,” Sarah admitted. “But you’re a very strict mother, I have to use all I can get,” she playfully defended herself.
“I’m sure that if I’m strict it’s for your own good,” Cara defended her future self. She knew nothing about raising children, but by what she had seen so far she decided that her future self wasn’t doing such bad job. “You sure you’re okay?” she changed the topic back to what had started the conversation.
“Yes mom, don’t worry,” Sarah answered sincerely, smiling gratefully at Cara and throwing her arms around the blonde’s neck in a tight hug. “I love you,” Sarah whispered in a small voice full of emotion.
Cara’s throat suddenly closed at hearing Sarah, her daughter, telling her so effortlessly that she loved her. Unable to make her voice work, the blonde opted for hugging the teen close to her, conveying in the action what she didn’t have the words to express. Sarah squeezed back, as if she understood Cara’s silent communication.
“Now get some sleep,” Cara said quietly while Sarah pulled back from the emotional hug.
Seeing the girl nod her agreement, Cara got up and started to walk to the door but stopped and turned back to address Sarah again.
“If you need anything, we’re-“
“Two rooms down the corridor, I know,” Sarah repeated what Kahlan had already told her before leaving, and twice before getting to the room.
“I was just making sure,” Cara said as she raised her hands in surrender.
Sarah just chuckled and waved her good night as Cara paused at the door, turning to smile and give her daughter a small wink.
part 3
Author: misanagy
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: R
Length: 17.289 words
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Terry Goodkind and ABC/Disney.
Summary: After “Desecrated” the merry band continues the search for the Stone of Tears, but along the way other things will be discovered and new people will appear in their lives.
AN: Hey guys! So after a long time here’s the next chapter of my story :D I apologize for the delay, but unfortunately some technical problems prevented the chapter to be posted sooner :( Thank you so much to shadowsoffense for the beta work and for not killing her computer *chuckles* Hope you guys enjoy it ;)
Sarah sat at one of the inn’s tables, eagerly munching on a slice of bread with cheese; the food was very appreciated after the eventful day she had had. Zedd had already done a wonderful job of healing all her wounds and she had already gone to hers and Alys’s room to change from Kahlan’s dress back into her better fitting black leathers.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Kahlan asked as she approached the table, placing a hand on Sarah’s shoulder and sitting next to the teen.
“Much better now,” Sarah grinned, visibly pleased with Kahlan’s use of the term of endearment and moving her arms experimentally to prove the lack of pain.
“Zedd comes in handy once in a while,” Cara drawled, taking a seat opposite Kahlan and smirking at Zedd’s indignant expression. “Tomorrow I’ll take you to a tailor to get that fixed,” the blonde pointed to Sarah’s shoulder where the gash from where Kahlan’s dagger had cut through the leather was clearly visible.
“Okay mom,” Sarah answered absentmindedly looking at her plate and missing Cara’s nervous look, the elder Mord’Sith still not accustomed to being addressed like that.
“I’m sorry about that,” Kahlan moved her hand to the gash on the leathers. “I thought-“
“I know, don’t worry,” Sarah quickly assured Kahlan with a warm smile. “Besides, I intend to take advantage of it,” she shared deviously, grinning as the others laughed while Kahlan just shook her head fondly at the teen’s obvious intention of holding the incident against her future self.
“Sarah was just telling us about her morphing weapons,” Richard interrupted with a smile as the teen nodded. “I had never seen agiels like that,” he said, looking to his left with questioning eyes, silently asking Cara for her opinion.
“Neither have I,” the blonde shook her head at Richard. “Where did you get them anyway?” she directed her question to her daughter.
“They were normal agiels before,” Sarah shrugged, picking up an apple. “I always loved the staff as a weapon but I like the agiels too, so Zedd combined the best of both as a birthday present,” she grinned at the wizard who was smiling fondly at her.
“You’re not bad with them,” Cara complimented in her own way, picking up the plate with the roasted lamb and offering it to Kahlan before she served herself.
“I’m pretty good considering that I had you earlier,” Sarah grinned smugly.
“You didn’t have me,” Cara raised a competitive eyebrow and stared at the still grinning green-eyed brunette. “You just managed to deliver a lucky blow,” she sniffed proudly, refusing to admit that Sarah had indeed get successfully under her defenses.
“Don’t be so upset mom,” Sarah patted Cara’s gloved hand in a playfully soothing gesture. “You’ll get better,” she reassured mockingly, squeezing Cara’s hand for good measure.
“The nerve of the girl,” Cara scoffed, sliding her hand from under Sarah’s and slapped at her daughter’s arm. “We’ll have a sparring session tomorrow then, to see if you’re as good as you claim to be,” Cara promised while the laughter around the table continued. She was actually really interested to test Sarah’s skills; the small demonstration she had earlier was testimony that the girl was good.
“I look forward to see you beat Cara, my child,” Zedd said, now his turn to be pleased by the dirty look the blonde was shooting his way. “But for now why don’t you tell us all you know about Farkas,” he suggested, ending the playful banter and turning the conversation to more pressing matters.
“He wants to be Aydindril’s ruler,” Sarah explained, looking at Kahlan. “He tried to demand it at first, listing a series of reasons, the foremost of which was that he doesn’t want a ‘freak’ ruling the Midlands,” she sighed, trading a meaningful look with Alys and seeing the child roll her eyes in annoyance.
“Freak?” Kahlan repeated flabbergasted. “Confessors always ruled in Aydindril, I can’t see why people would change their minds about my capability to be in charge of the Midlands,” she shook her head is disbelief.
“Well, the problem is not so much with you, but with the next generation,” Sarah clarified. “As you might have noticed already, the next generation of Confessor’s have other powers beyond those of confession and reading the truth in people,” she pointedly looked at Alys.
“When Farkas caught up with us days ago he attacked me,” Kahlan informed Sarah, who narrowed her eyes deep in thought. “Why not attack Alys directly?”
“Because he wants to cut the problem from the root,” Richard supposed. “By killing you, and probably your sister, before you’re pregnant with Alys he makes sure no other Confessor lives. That’s probably why he came back to the past, to get to you outside of the protective walls of Aydindril and when you would have no idea who he is and what his intentions are,” he finished, looking around the table to see what everyone else thought about his line of thinking.
“That’s sounds like something the coward would do,” Sarah said through her clenched teeth. “But if you ask me, he just wants power and is using a lot of excuses to get supporters.”
Kahlan pondered Richard’s hypothesis and she was more than inclined to agree with him; it made perfect sense and it was a solid plan from the wizard. What he surely hadn’t count on was Alys messing with his plans.
“It sounds plausible to me,” Cara nodded at Kahlan. “What about any allies Farkas may have?” the blonde asked Sarah.
“The Blood of the Fold support him,” Sarah said, hearing Kahlan chuckle humorlessly beside her. “I think they were preparing for a war, but it was always weird... they seemed to have been holding back for some reason.”
“They could have been waiting for Farkas succeeding in his mission,” Zedd joined in, pealing an apple for Alys. “The Triangle of Anuyr has a peculiar effect, it makes the past and present become linked and until the spell is ended, the future is in a state of flux, with a day in the past equaling a day in the future. So the changes that should have happened immediately after the girls disappeared, are instead happening gradually has they happen in this time.”
“So, in the future, they have no idea of knowing what its happening now,” Kahlan mused out loud. “And if Farkas is in a solo mission, we probably don’t have to worry about the Blood of the Fold right now,” she theorized, looking around the table to see nods of agreement.
“Don’t worry mommy,” Alys said as she got up and went to Kahlan. “We’ll protect you,” the little girl promised, climbing on Kahlan’s lap and giving a tight hug to the older Confessor.
“Aww, sweetie, thank you,” Kahlan cooed, hugging her daughter back and kissing the top of the blonde’s head.
“What’s wrong Sarah?” Cara questioned as she noticed the teen suddenly look down at her plate with a constricted expression.
“Nothing’s wrong,” the brunette Mord’Sith mumbled as she got up and stormed out of the inn.
As Sarah fled, Kahlan noticed, with concern, that there were unshed tears in the teen’s eyes. The elder Confessor looked around the table meeting the confused expressions of her companions. As she let her gaze rest upon Cara, she watched as the Mord’Sith stared at the closed door, a myriad of emotions evident in her hesitation.
“Let me go see,” Kahlan trailed off as Cara looked at her and nodded gratefully.
“I’ll go too,” Alys quickly added, getting off Kahlan’s lap.
“No honey, why don’t you wait here for a minute and let me talk with Sarah a little first,” Kahlan proposed, looking down at the worried child.
“Come here kiddo,” Cara extended an inviting hand to Alys which the girl reluctantly took and sat down next to Cara. “You better eat the apple Zedd has so masterfully carved or else he’ll cry like a little girl,” Cara’s jab at Zedd hit both intended goals, mocking the wizard and distracting a now giggling Alys.
With a quick wink at Cara and a smile at Alys, Kahlan went after the distraught teen. Once outside the inn, the Confessor squinted in the moonlight, scanning the surroundings for Sarah. Fortunately, she spotted the girl slumped on a stone bench a couple of houses down the road and made her way quietly over.
“What’s bothering you, sweetie?” Kahlan asked softly as she sat next to Sarah, hoping that the term of endearment would relax the girl and make her willing to talk to her.
“Nothing,” the ten shrugged and turned away from Kahlan.
“Then why are you crying?” Kahlan insisted gently, hearing the sniffle sounds the girl was trying to keep quiet.
“I’m not,” the stubborn Mord’Sith replied and Kahlan had to shake her head slightly at how much the girl resemble Cara right now.
“Sarah, please look at me,” Kahlan asked, placing one hand on the teen’s arm and gently turning the girl to look at her.
Pleased that Sarah didn’t pose any resistance, Kahlan reached for the teen’s chin to lift Sarah’s eyes towards her own. Kahlan heart sunk at the tears silently falling down the girl’s face. Without really noticing it, the Confessor pulled Sarah into a comforting hug; one that the teen gladly returned, soaking up every bit of comfort Kahlan had to offer.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be okay,” Kahlan whispered reassuringly, but her chest grew heavy with concern as she wondered if she was inadvertently lying. “Why don’t you tell me? Maybe we can help,” Kahlan insisted, stroking Sarah’s long dark hair.
“You will help,” Sarah nodded, resting her head in the crook of Kahlan’s neck. “Everything is going to be fine once Alys and I get back to the future,” the teen sniffled, making no move to leave the Confessor’s arms. “Everything has to be fine.”
“Okay honey,” Kahlan gave up on discovering what was making Sarah so upset. “But know that I’m here if you need to talk,” Kahlan told the now calmer girl, feeling Sarah once again nod her understanding.
“Do you mind if we just stay here a little longer?” Sarah asked, lifting her head to look at Kahlan’s worried eyes. “I don’t want Alys to notice that I cried,” the teen explained, wiping furiously at her tears as if mad that she had let them fall in the first place.
“We’ll stay as long as you need,” Kahlan halted Sarah’s hands and substituted them with her gentler ones, wiping the tears from the girl’s face. “Alys really looks up to you doesn’t she?” Kahlan smiled.
“She does,” Sarah nodded and sniffled. “She also worries a lot; she’s still little, I don’t want to burden her unnecessarily.” Sarah shrugged.
“You also don’t want to burden us,” Kahlan stated, guessing that that was part of the reason Sarah unwilling to talk to her.
“I…” Sarah trailed off sheepishly, looking up at Kahlan and shrugging meekly, which was enough to confirm the Confessor’s words. “I honestly don’t want to talk about it; it will be fine, trust me,” she said more firmly.
Kahlan sighed and nodded, bringing Sarah’s head to rest on her shoulder once more. She had to smile at how much of Cara’s selflessness she could see in Sarah’s attitude. The blonde Mord’Sith also preferred to suffer in silence than to share her worries with another; even with how close they had become, it still took Kahlan some effort to get Cara to confide her troubles. Looking down at the pensive girl in her arms, Kahlan wondered again what the girl was hiding; she wished she could do more for her, but the young Mord’Sith seemed to be content with Kahlan’s comforting hug alone. She guessed that, for now, it was the only thing Sarah needed.
*****
“Cara,” Richard said to get the attention of the Mord’Sith sitting next to him. “A wizard, a friend of Zedd’s, was here earlier with us and he told us some interesting things,” he started, noticing Cara protectively picking Alys up and sitting the girl between them, clearly so that Cara could look at him and have the girl in her line of sight too.
“Care to share,” the blonde prompted carefully, noticing the wrinkles on Richard’s forehead that usually meant that what he was about to say was either bad or potentially bad.
“He was Darken Rahl’s prisoner for many years and the reason he was abducted was to master a spell for Darken Rahl.” Richard relayed what Baronis had said to them; the familiarity he had with Cara allowed him to see the almost imperceptible apprehension form on the blonde’s stoic face as he spoke. “The spell was meant to give Mord’Sith powers to the Mord’Sith’s sons or daughters,” he revealed, noticing how Cara’s eyebrows rose in shocked recognition, confirming his suspicions.
“You know of this,” Zedd stated, he too noticing how Cara went slightly pale and instinctively moved one hand to grip the comforting agiel at her waist.
“I didn’t know it was for that,” Cara swallowed, her eyes distant with memories. “I remember Darken Rahl spelling every Mord’Sith that got pregnant; he said it was for protection,” she said, lifting a sleepy Alys to her lap because the girl was resting heavily against her side.
“He was lying,” Richard spat, his eyes shining at the prospect that Cara had more information about his departed brother’s plans. “He made Baronis complete a spell, the one used on the pregnant Mord’Sith. Then he imprisoned the children and tortured them with magic in the hopes they would deflect it, hence showing that the spell worked,” the Seeker said angrily, but careful to not rise his voice and disturb the slumbering Alys.
Cara visibly flinched when Richard told her what had happened to those children, a reaction that didn’t go unnoticed by the other two men who exchanged a worried look; Cara was not one to flinch lightly.
“Where are those kids now?” the Mord’Sith asked in a strangled voice, looking down at the sleeping child in her arms.
“Baronis said that most of them died,” Zedd supplied, watching the blonde’s reaction closely. “But he suspects that before he escaped, Darken Rahl still had a few surviving prisoners; the first to successfully manifest Mord’Sith magic was a girl, but one of them was a boy,” Zedd concluded, frowning when Cara clenched her jaw and stared at the table with an intensity that had him half expecting to find a hole appear in the wood.
“I was also thinking about what Sarah said earlier,” Richard added, he too concerned about the blonde’s reaction. “She said she was born a Mord’Sith; maybe this spell was what will be used on you.”
“That’s a question you should ask Sarah, don’t you think?” Cara said dismissively and moved to get up from the table. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation tomorrow; I’d better get Alys to bed,” the Mord’Sith suggested while lifting Alys carefully, so as not to disturb her.
“Okay, we’ll talk about this tomorrow,” Richard assented. “I took the liberty of booking three rooms, one bedroom for the girls and one for you and Kahlan,” he said not quite meeting her eyes while extending two keys to Cara.
“Thank you,” Cara said simply, grabbing the keys. Richard was clearly trying to be okay with the mention of her and Kahlan in the same room, but Cara could see that the implications of it still bothered the Seeker. Nonetheless, she recognized and appreciated the effort he was making to be completely okay with the new relationship between her and the brunette. With a slight nod Zedd’s way, Cara walked towards the steps that lead to the upper floor, where the rooms were located.
“I got the impression Cara knows more than she shared,” Richard mused out loud while watching Cara ascended the stairs with Alys slumbering in her arms.
“Hmm,” Zedd agreed wordlessly. “Whatever it is, it’s most certainly a personal matter. Let Cara take her time, she would never hide important information from us,” he advised.
“I know that,” Richard looked back at Zedd, as if surprised his grandfather would ever consider that he thought Cara would knowingly hide something important. “I’m just worried about her; the conversation definitely triggered something,” he mused, turning back to look pensively at the stairs where Cara had disappeared.
Zedd smiled at his grandson as Richard looked concernedly towards the stairs. Even if the woman had, in a way, robbed him of his loved one, Richard still cared dearly for Cara and their friendship was certainly still there. They both merely need some time to rekindle their previous bond; Zedd was sure that they would eventually get there.
*****
Cara opened the door of what was Sarah’s and Alys’s bedroom and made a quick inspection of the room before entering. She didn’t want to take any chances, especially when she had Alys with her. Entering and kicking the door close behind her, the older blonde placed the little girl on the bed, chuckling softly when Alys just mumbled something unintelligible and nuzzled the pillow underneath her head. Spotting the back packs next to the bed, she looked for something more comfortable that she could change Alys into. Finding the small linen shirt which the family that had helped Alys insisted the girl keep, Cara busied herself with carefully undressing the slumbering child.
“Nooo, I want to sleep more,” Alys whined with a scrunched up nose and eyes tightly closed.
“Let me just change your clothes and then you can go back to sleep again,” Cara pulled Alys’s arm into the shirt’s holes, surprising herself with the soft tone her voice took.
“’Kay mom,” Alys sighed and let slumber take her again, not at all bothered by Cara man handling her.
For a second Cara shrugged off the child’s words thinking it was just Alys confusing her with Kahlan, but then a detail clicked and made her stop. The memory of Sarah calling her ‘mom’ came to her, as well as the fact that Alys only addressed Kahlan as ‘mommy’. Cara raked her brain, but she couldn’t remember a single time Alys had said ‘mom’. Cara’s eyebrows rose as she did remember when Alys had said ‘mom’; it had been after she woke up from Farkas’ attack and when she said it the child had been looking at Cara.
The sound of the door opening behind her interrupted Cara’s thoughts. Turning around a little distractedly, her mind still caught between what Richard had told her downstairs and what Alys had said just now, the blonde saw Sarah entering the room, followed closely by Kahlan. Looking back at the sleeping Alys, Cara decided to leave the thinking for another time; this has been a night full of new and unexpected information, she needed time to process it.
“Is she asleep?” the older brunette asked with a fond smile, looking at her daughter sprawled on the bed.
“Like a rock” Cara commented with a nod, the little blonde sure had no trouble in falling into a deep sleep.
“She’s a heavy sleeper,” Sarah said sitting on the other side of the bed. “She’ll probably mumble a lot during the night, but she won’t wake up until morning,” the teen smiled slightly as she looked down at Alys.
Kahlan had brought Sarah back inside when the teen had regained her composure, but the Confessor could still see a little bit of sadness in the green eyes of the young brunette. Looking at Cara, Kahlan saw the blonde observe Sarah closely; most likely trying to assess the teen’s state of mind. Sensing that Cara wanted to say something to the girl and that Sarah probably needed her mother’s support too, Kahlan decided to leave them both alone.
“I’ll call it a night,” Kahlan said, placing a supportive hand on Cara’s arm and leaning down to kiss Alys on the forehead. Going around the bed, Kahlan tucked Sarah’s hair behind her ear and leaned down to place a kiss on the teen’s cheek. “Have a good night, sweetie. If you need anything we’re two doors down the corridor.” She smiled as Sarah nodded and hugged her around the neck, kissing Kahlan’s cheek in return.
“I’ll be right there,” Cara said, extending their room key to Kahlan. The knowing look and understanding nod the Confessor gave her as she took the key was all Cara needed to know that Kahlan was aware that she wanted to talk to Sarah.
Cara heard Kahlan close the door quietly behind her, keeping her eyes on Sarah as she waited for the girl to say something. After a few seconds, it was obvious that Sarah was perfectly content to pick at the bed’s covers, so Cara rose to place Alys’s dress on a nearby chair and walked slowly to stand beside Sarah.
“Do you have clothes to sleep in?” Cara asked tentatively, more to gauge the girl’s mood than to know about her wardrobe.
“Yes, I have something on my pack,” Sarah answered without lifting her eyes from the bed.
“I don’t know if I’ll get better at this,” Cara started her voice soft, almost as if she were speaking to herself as she sat down next to Sarah. “I’m not very good at it now, but I’m trying.” She nodded curtly once to herself and took a deep breath. “How are you? You seemed very upset downstairs,” she inquired about Sarah’s storming out.
“I’m okay,” Sara nodded as she looked up at Cara with a smile. “I was just upset about something, but I know everything it’s going to be okay once I get back to my time,” she explained as Cara nodded in understanding. “Don’t worry, you will,” Sarah added with a smile.
“I will what?”
“Get better at this comforting thing,” Sarah clarified. “Actually you’re really good at it,” the teen said in a nostalgic tone. “You always know what to say or do to make me feel better,” she sighed as she smiled at Cara. “Granted you seem a little out of sorts now,” she added letting her smile change into a teasing grin.
“Do I?” Cara smirked and playfully poked Sarah’s ribs, making the teen giggle. “Well, I guess I have time to learn,” Cara conceded, even though she was surprised to hear Sarah describe her like that; she never thought she would ever be someone who knew how to make anyone feel better.
“You’re not that different, thought,” Sarah continued after a beat. “You just have your stone face on most of the time, but I can see how much you care even if you seem to make an extra effort to hide what you feel,” Sarah explained with interest in her eyes.
“Are you examining me kid?” Cara drawled, feeling a little self-conscious about the sincere and caring way Sarah spoke about her.
“No, I’m just curious,” Sarah chuckled. “I heard a lot of stories about how you where a little impossible when you were younger. People are always telling me how much I resemble you, especially when I’m not the role model for good behavior,” Sarah said making Cara snort in amusement. “So I guess it’s nice to see for myself,” she shrugged.
“Hmmhmmm,” Cara looked suspiciously at Sarah and smirked knowingly. “See for yourself and see if you can’t hold something against me, am I right?”
“Who do you think I am?” Sarah asked mock indignant. “I would never do such a thing,” she shook her head vehemently, but the mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away.
“Not buying it kid,” Cara shook her head slowly, smiling lopsidedly at her daughter’s cunning ways.
“Okay, maybe I’m hoping to catch something that will allow me to say ‘you did the same thing’ to you,” Sarah admitted. “But you’re a very strict mother, I have to use all I can get,” she playfully defended herself.
“I’m sure that if I’m strict it’s for your own good,” Cara defended her future self. She knew nothing about raising children, but by what she had seen so far she decided that her future self wasn’t doing such bad job. “You sure you’re okay?” she changed the topic back to what had started the conversation.
“Yes mom, don’t worry,” Sarah answered sincerely, smiling gratefully at Cara and throwing her arms around the blonde’s neck in a tight hug. “I love you,” Sarah whispered in a small voice full of emotion.
Cara’s throat suddenly closed at hearing Sarah, her daughter, telling her so effortlessly that she loved her. Unable to make her voice work, the blonde opted for hugging the teen close to her, conveying in the action what she didn’t have the words to express. Sarah squeezed back, as if she understood Cara’s silent communication.
“Now get some sleep,” Cara said quietly while Sarah pulled back from the emotional hug.
Seeing the girl nod her agreement, Cara got up and started to walk to the door but stopped and turned back to address Sarah again.
“If you need anything, we’re-“
“Two rooms down the corridor, I know,” Sarah repeated what Kahlan had already told her before leaving, and twice before getting to the room.
“I was just making sure,” Cara said as she raised her hands in surrender.
Sarah just chuckled and waved her good night as Cara paused at the door, turning to smile and give her daughter a small wink.
part 3