LL fic - It's in the sun
Kahlan smiled gently and took the small flowers from the little girl. She bowed her head in thanks and watched the small read-head giggle before dashing back to her mother.
“It was a pleasure having you Mother Confessor,” Kayla said as she rested her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.
Kahlan’s smile remained firmly in place. “Thank you for giving us your spare rooms. We certainly needed a good night’s rest.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the feast? We’re preparing a wonderful roast and there will be music and dance.”
Kahlan briefly glanced over her shoulder before shaking her head. “I’m afraid we simply don’t have time, thank you for the offer though. Perhaps we will return next year.”
Kayla’s daughter tugged on her mother’s sleeve, talking quietly to her until Kayla nodded with a smirk.
The little girl hurried over to Kahlan once again and produced a small white stone from the folds of her dress. Kahlan moved to kneel in front of her. “And what is this?”
“It’s for you. A lot of girls in the village have one, the witch that lives at the foot of the mountains gave them to us,” the small girl explained proudly, “if you put this under your pillow tonight you will dream of your future true love before the day of the summer solstice.”
Kahlan raised her eyebrows with a grin and took the stone from the girl. “Are you sure it’s for me?”
“I’m too young to have a husband,” the girl answered and Kahlan laughed quietly.
“That is true. Well thank you for this thoughtful gift.”
She rose to her feet and put the white stone into her backpack, securing the straps once again before inclining her head toward Kayla and her daughter.
“Have a save journey Mother Confessor.”
“Thank you, for everything.”
They parted ways with a last wave and Kahlan quickly followed after Richard, Zedd and Cara.
…
“I think we should stop here for tonight,” Richard said, a weary sigh escaping his lips.
“The Stone of Tears won’t come to us,” Cara replied, but Zedd interrupted an oncoming argument by dropping his bedroll dramatically to the ground.
Cara rolled her eyes and pushed the straps of her own backpack off her shoulders.
“I’ll go find some water,” Kahlan offered.
Richard was in charge of gathering firewood while Zedd prepared the food and Cara took care of their sleeping arrangements. Ever since they’d been ambushed in the middle of the night and Richard had gotten tangled in a bush of red thorns, Cara had taken to making sure that they slept in optimal positions, allowing them to get up quickly and defend each other.
By the time Kahlan returned to their small campsite they had a small fire going and Cara was off patrolling the surrounding area. They shared a quick meal before Zedd and Richard retired for the night.
Kahlan had first watch and even after Cara had taken over she had a hard time falling asleep. Her eyes returned to the bundle of Richard sleeping across from her and she contemplated getting the small white stone from her backpack but eventually closed her eyes with a sigh.
…
Kahlan woke before the sun. She opened her eyes and squinted at the dark sky. Something had roused her but she wasn’t entirely sure what.
She heard Zedd shuffling around somewhere near their camp but the small murmur from Cara was what made her sit up. She turned to look at the Mord’Sith with a furrowed brow. Cara never spoke during sleep. Therefore it was even more surprising to hear her own name fall from Cara’s lips.
Kahlan turned around until she was basically on hands and knees and shuffled closer to the sleeping woman.
“Kahlan… I…what are we…please,” Cara mumbled.
Something tingled at the back of Kahlan’s skull and her stomach tightened uncomfortably. She knew she shouldn’t be watching Cara like this. The Mord’Sith would rip her head off if she knew Kahlan was staring at her while she slept.
It took several more moments until Kahlan could tear her eyes away from Cara’s face, her slightly furrowed brow and moving lips. She scrambled to her feet and decided to relieve Zedd of his duties so he could get a few more hours of sleep.
…
She’d settled on a fallen log, watching the sun rise above the tops of the trees and smiling to herself. Summer solstice. The longest day of the year. She was sure Cara would force them to keep moving until dark and somehow she was glad for it. Without the Mord’Sith’ constant vigilance they would’ve never made it this far.
She got up from her perch when the first sounds came from the others. Strolling toward their campsite she was greeted with the oddest sight. Both Richard and Zedd were staring down at a sleeping Cara.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her sleep before,” Richard mumbled.
Kahlan marched toward them and waved with her hands. “Leave her alone.”
The commotion caused Cara to open her eyes. She sat up abruptly and turned her head from one side to the other with a groan.
“Are you… alright?” Kahlan asked slowly.
Cara raked both hands through her hair and Kahlan’s eyes followed her movements, surprised to see those fingers without gloves for once.
“I’m fine,” Cara grumbled even though her face and her posture told an entirely different story. She moved her hands to massage her neck, still cursing under her breath.
She fumbled around with her bedroll and Kahlan watched with wide eyes as she grabbed something that seemed to have made her sleep that much more uncomfortable. Cara pulled her hand from underneath her pillow and there, in her open palm, rested the small white stone Kahlan had received from the little girl the day before.
“But how…?”
“Why would you have stones inside your backpack?” Cara asked with a scowl, finally getting to her feet.
“Why are you using my pillow?” Kahlan asked, narrowing her eyes.
Cara only huffed in response and turned away to take care of her bedroll. Kahlan stared at the Mord’Sith, then at her own pillow and back to the one Cara was fussing with.
“You gave me your pillow because mine became flat.”
“I did no such thing,” Cara replied.
Kahlan stood there, motionless, speechless. The implications of what happened only starting to sink in. “Oh my…”
“It was a pleasure having you Mother Confessor,” Kayla said as she rested her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.
Kahlan’s smile remained firmly in place. “Thank you for giving us your spare rooms. We certainly needed a good night’s rest.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the feast? We’re preparing a wonderful roast and there will be music and dance.”
Kahlan briefly glanced over her shoulder before shaking her head. “I’m afraid we simply don’t have time, thank you for the offer though. Perhaps we will return next year.”
Kayla’s daughter tugged on her mother’s sleeve, talking quietly to her until Kayla nodded with a smirk.
The little girl hurried over to Kahlan once again and produced a small white stone from the folds of her dress. Kahlan moved to kneel in front of her. “And what is this?”
“It’s for you. A lot of girls in the village have one, the witch that lives at the foot of the mountains gave them to us,” the small girl explained proudly, “if you put this under your pillow tonight you will dream of your future true love before the day of the summer solstice.”
Kahlan raised her eyebrows with a grin and took the stone from the girl. “Are you sure it’s for me?”
“I’m too young to have a husband,” the girl answered and Kahlan laughed quietly.
“That is true. Well thank you for this thoughtful gift.”
She rose to her feet and put the white stone into her backpack, securing the straps once again before inclining her head toward Kayla and her daughter.
“Have a save journey Mother Confessor.”
“Thank you, for everything.”
They parted ways with a last wave and Kahlan quickly followed after Richard, Zedd and Cara.
…
“I think we should stop here for tonight,” Richard said, a weary sigh escaping his lips.
“The Stone of Tears won’t come to us,” Cara replied, but Zedd interrupted an oncoming argument by dropping his bedroll dramatically to the ground.
Cara rolled her eyes and pushed the straps of her own backpack off her shoulders.
“I’ll go find some water,” Kahlan offered.
Richard was in charge of gathering firewood while Zedd prepared the food and Cara took care of their sleeping arrangements. Ever since they’d been ambushed in the middle of the night and Richard had gotten tangled in a bush of red thorns, Cara had taken to making sure that they slept in optimal positions, allowing them to get up quickly and defend each other.
By the time Kahlan returned to their small campsite they had a small fire going and Cara was off patrolling the surrounding area. They shared a quick meal before Zedd and Richard retired for the night.
Kahlan had first watch and even after Cara had taken over she had a hard time falling asleep. Her eyes returned to the bundle of Richard sleeping across from her and she contemplated getting the small white stone from her backpack but eventually closed her eyes with a sigh.
…
Kahlan woke before the sun. She opened her eyes and squinted at the dark sky. Something had roused her but she wasn’t entirely sure what.
She heard Zedd shuffling around somewhere near their camp but the small murmur from Cara was what made her sit up. She turned to look at the Mord’Sith with a furrowed brow. Cara never spoke during sleep. Therefore it was even more surprising to hear her own name fall from Cara’s lips.
Kahlan turned around until she was basically on hands and knees and shuffled closer to the sleeping woman.
“Kahlan… I…what are we…please,” Cara mumbled.
Something tingled at the back of Kahlan’s skull and her stomach tightened uncomfortably. She knew she shouldn’t be watching Cara like this. The Mord’Sith would rip her head off if she knew Kahlan was staring at her while she slept.
It took several more moments until Kahlan could tear her eyes away from Cara’s face, her slightly furrowed brow and moving lips. She scrambled to her feet and decided to relieve Zedd of his duties so he could get a few more hours of sleep.
…
She’d settled on a fallen log, watching the sun rise above the tops of the trees and smiling to herself. Summer solstice. The longest day of the year. She was sure Cara would force them to keep moving until dark and somehow she was glad for it. Without the Mord’Sith’ constant vigilance they would’ve never made it this far.
She got up from her perch when the first sounds came from the others. Strolling toward their campsite she was greeted with the oddest sight. Both Richard and Zedd were staring down at a sleeping Cara.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her sleep before,” Richard mumbled.
Kahlan marched toward them and waved with her hands. “Leave her alone.”
The commotion caused Cara to open her eyes. She sat up abruptly and turned her head from one side to the other with a groan.
“Are you… alright?” Kahlan asked slowly.
Cara raked both hands through her hair and Kahlan’s eyes followed her movements, surprised to see those fingers without gloves for once.
“I’m fine,” Cara grumbled even though her face and her posture told an entirely different story. She moved her hands to massage her neck, still cursing under her breath.
She fumbled around with her bedroll and Kahlan watched with wide eyes as she grabbed something that seemed to have made her sleep that much more uncomfortable. Cara pulled her hand from underneath her pillow and there, in her open palm, rested the small white stone Kahlan had received from the little girl the day before.
“But how…?”
“Why would you have stones inside your backpack?” Cara asked with a scowl, finally getting to her feet.
“Why are you using my pillow?” Kahlan asked, narrowing her eyes.
Cara only huffed in response and turned away to take care of her bedroll. Kahlan stared at the Mord’Sith, then at her own pillow and back to the one Cara was fussing with.
“You gave me your pillow because mine became flat.”
“I did no such thing,” Cara replied.
Kahlan stood there, motionless, speechless. The implications of what happened only starting to sink in. “Oh my…”