Fic: LotS/ Assassin's Creed crossover (Cara/Kahlan)
Fandoms: Legend of the Seeker/ Assassin's Creed (Brotherhood)
Author: raug_moss
Pairings: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: None for LotS (maybe a few for AC Brotherhood)
Summary: Rome. A city once prosperous and thriving, is now in the grasp of the tyrannical Borgia family. Only the Order of Assassins stands in the way of complete corruption and immorality. Kahlan and Cara, two apprentices in the Order, who are trying to become worthy of wearing the white cloak of a true assassin, are caught in between a battle of good and evil. The plot thickens as Kahlan is hurt in a fight and Cara's darkest secrets are about to be revealed.
A/N: This is more like a crossover/AU. Even if you don't know what Assassin's Creed is about or have never even heard of it, you can still understand and enjoy this story. In this fic, our favorite ladies live in the 15th century in Rome, Italy. They belong to the secret Order of Assasins and fight for justice and the survival of free will.
And a thanks to synergyfox for giving this story a once-over. Oh and this fic was kinda prompted by this post.
Chapter 1 - Shadows
The sun was slowly setting, darkness creeping through every alley and into most houses.
Light meant protection, and as soon as it was gone, people tried to stay away from the streets - except for those who belonged there.
She hobbled through the streets of Rome unseen. No one was paying any mind to her.
With the hood of her cloak covering half of her face, her weapons hidden and her clothing torn, one could think that she was a mere sleazy thief - she hadn’t yet earned the right to wear white.
With her left hand, she held her right arm tightly pressed against her chest.
After a while, or an eternity as it felt to her, she reached the island that had become more familiar to her than any other place in Italy.
In the midst of Rome, surrounded by water, was the headquarters of the Assassin’s Guild located.
In front of everyone’s eyes and yet hidden.
With scuffling steps she made her way to the door that was near the blacksmith’ shop.
She lifted her uninjured arm and knocked in a certain pattern that would be changed as soon as she stepped inside.
The door was opened shortly after and she literally fell into the arms of the person now standing in front of her.
To her misfortune, said person was Ezio Auditore, leader of the Assassins Guild himself.
He lifted her into his arms as soon as she tried to regain her balance.
It was more than embarrassing that her mentor saw her in this weakened state.
He carried her to a rather luxurious looking chair and sat her down gently. Icy-blue eyes looked up at him as she started explaining what exactly had happened to her.
She’d been surprised and pretty much overrun by Borgia guards while carrying out her assignment.
Even though she was extremely talented for her rank, she still wasn’t able to fend off a dozen men by herself and get out of it without as much as a scratch.
She also told him, with a little bit of pride in her voice, that her attackers looked far worse than she did.
She then dutifully explained everything she’d seen as well. It had been her task to inform Ezio about troop movement in the center and outskirts of Rome.
After she was done talking, her mentor shot her a brief smile and turned to leave.
She saw the serious look in his eyes and knew that he was about to bring some justice to this crime plagued city.
The door closed behind him and Kahlan was by herself again. She sighed deeply and tried to take off her cloak, but the task proved to be impossible. She winced as soon as she moved her right arm. The pain that shot through her shoulder down to her wrist was excruciating.
It didn’t take long until steps were heard in the ample hallways.
Within a heartbeat she was surrounded by worried looking apprentices.
Niccolo Machiavelli shoved his was through the little crowd and shooed most of the people away with his grave looks.
Niccolo was somewhat of a caretaker and negotiant of the Brotherhood. He was also a trusted ally of Ezio, and usually didn’t partake in actual assassinations.
He assessed Kahlan’s wounds with a single glance and immediately sent for ointments and bandages.
Grinding her teeth, the brunette accepted everything without protest. She hadn’t meant for everyone to see her injured and in pain.
Assassins weren’t meant to feel pain, they were meant to cause it.
...
Chapter 2 - Messages
The blacksmith advertised his magnificent goods, as well as his masterly workmanship and still promised unbelievable low prices.
The doctor around the corner felt safe from any disaster, because he was wearing his mask that would protect him from pestilence and disease. He sold handily medicine and claimed to be able to heal any injury with his leeches.
But despite all of the bustling in the streets around the island, there was a feeling of dread and sadness - because the city was about to break apart in the grasp of the Borgia family.
Only the Assassins were brave enough, skilled enough, to stand in the way of evil.
The apprentices were a source of hope. They were people, who decided that it was time to act and fight.
One of these apprentices was Cara - an orphan from Sicily, who’d hoped to find a better life in Rome.
She would’ve never thought that she would one day, fight for justice.
Only few were trying to do the right thing, and they usually wore white, carried hidden blades and were called Assassins.
Cara was one of them, but her rank did not allow her to wear white like Ezio. Every apprentice would sooner or later rise to the rank of assassin depending on their skill and talent.
Until then, she handled little assignments, scouted Rome or let the Borgia believe that they were the most powerful family on the face of the earth.
Returning from her musings, Cara looked at the blacksmith. He stared at her but she hadn’t heard a word he’d said while being caught up in her own thoughts.
With the hood covering half of her face, one could only tell by the slight curve of the corner of her mouth that she didn’t like to be stared at.
The blacksmith repeated his words and Cara nodded.
Her hidden blade had been damaged on her last assignment, and there certainly was no better place to get it fixed than in the blacksmith’ shop next door.
Just as she was about to reach for her coins she noticed two neatly folded pieces of paper on the counter next to her hand. She reached for them and quickly unfolded the first one. Her eyes briefly skimmed over the words, her lips curling into a tiny smile.
Ezio had somehow managed to drop this message unnoticed. He wasn’t their leader for no reason.
The second message was supposed to be delivered. Cara sighed and paid the blacksmith.
She turned around and headed back to the headquarters, while the first piece of paper burned to ashes in the blacksmith’ fire.
She would take care of the blade when she was back in her chambers. She didn’t need it to deliver the message.
It was dead silent inside the headquarters because most rooms were empty at this hour - except for one. Five young apprentices were gathered in that room. They scurried around, trying to take care of their injured comrade. Kahlan. A very talented woman who managed to impress even Cara every now and then.
Her arm in a sling with some ointment on her face, Kahlan looked around and sighed.
She was sitting in her bed wanting desperately to be alone.
The other apprentices were still milling around, reluctant to leave because everyone wanted to know about her fight. How’d she fight the Borgia guards? How many did she fight and most importantly, how many had she killed?
As soon as Niccolo had been done examining her sprained ankle he’d left. And now she was surrounded by her annoying comrades.
She sighed and closed her eyes.
...
Chapter 3 - Family Ties
“Buongiorno Sorella”, Cara murmured as she slipped past the apprentices to stand next to Kahlan’s bed.
The brunette lifted her gaze as a familiar voice reached her ears.
A little piece of paper appeared in Cara’s hand and she held it out to the other woman.
“A message from Ezio” she said quietly.
“Grazie” Kahlan replied and then looked over to the people who were still waiting at the other end of her bed. She shooed them away with an ice-cold look. There was only so much attention Kahlan could stand in one day. And she’d had more than her share.
She took the message, read it, and then folded the piece of paper to hide it beneath her pillow.
She sat up a little straighter, her gaze returning to Cara. The blonde had known that she was welcomed to stay without Kahlan saying it out loud.
“Ezio wants to let me know that he’s proud. I shouldn’t worry, because fleeing from the fight was the right decision” she then explained the message.
Kahlan frowned. She could’ve never killed all of the Borgia guards, but she still felt miserable that she’d bolted.
“It was the right decision to flee” Cara agreed, while looking down at her damaged hidden blade.
If she would’ve fled, her blade would still be in one piece - but that wasn’t her. She would fight until the end.
"I’m glad you came by” Kahlan said, interrupting Cara’s train of thought. She wanted to talk about the little incident with the other woman.
Even though the blonde was more of a loner, usually working on her own, the two of them had developed some kind of comfortable friendship.
They’d spent many nights on the highest tower of the building, only talking - even though Kahlan was the one who was mostly doing the talking.
“Anyways, we have an assignment as soon as I’m recovered” she continued, her blue eyes glinting dangerously.
She loved doing what she’d been trained to do. Killing was a part of her and the more Borgia guards she could eliminate, the better.
Ezio was a phenomenal mentor. He was also very attentive and often spoke with the apprentices.
He’d soon realized that Kahlan and Cara made a perfect match. So he sent them out on missions together, as often as possible.
This time Kahlan had ventured out alone and it had obviously turned into a disaster.
She decided not to think about it further. There was no use in contemplating, what could’ve been.
“Niccolo informed me that, Caterina will come back to Rome, soon” she said instead, again looking up at Cara.
Caterina Sforza, Countess of Forlí , was a fierce and determined woman and mother. After her husband had been killed, she’d taken control of his property, and successfully defended it.
“She’s got Forlí under control” Kahlan added.
Cara nodded.
Everyone knew that Caterina Sforza was Kahlan’s aunt.
Some apprentices thought that Ezio gave her undue preference because of it, but the brunette knew better than to fret about it. She was talented, and sooner or later people would acknowledge that.
Kahlan and her aunt were very close, she’d learned a lot from her. And they both shared the same temper.
“I really do miss her. When I was younger we used to play with wooden swords. She’d teach me how to parry…”
...
Chapter 4 - Togetherness
With a short nod, every once in a while, Cara signaled, that she was still listening to Kahlan.
That was quite uncommon for her. If anyone talked for certain amounts of time, she found herself getting bored, so she simply tuned the voice out.
She usually got lost in her thoughts. Even with Ezio it was hard to stay focused. His voice was… Cara couldn’t tell what exactly it was. She really made an effort to listen to him, but it became harder and harder, the longer he spoke.
To socialize was torture for Cara, and only Kahlan had managed to lure her out of her invisible, protective shell.
“You should’ve waited for me” the blonde suddenly said.
Cara raised her head, but her eyes were still covered by the hood.
“You know very well that you can’t take on that many Borgia guards” she continued.
She probably should say something uplifting to Kahlan, or tell her, that it was good that she didn’t react the way Cara would’ve reacted.
But she wasn’t here to exchange pleasantries.
Kahlan only smirked and nodded. She knew Cara well enough, to not be offended. There always were good intentions behind the harsh words.
Reproaches and threats usually came out of the blonde’s mouth, as soon as she opened it. Most people hated her for it, so she simply tried to be quiet, but with Kahlan many things were different.
Cara sat down on the edge of the bed and gently lifted Kahlan’s leg. She produced a little bottle and opened it. “Ointment” she explained, as the brunette looked at her questioningly. She’d just bought it from the doctor, and now it was at least useful.
Kahlan watched the blonde, with a small smile on her lips. Cara usually wore gloves, and so her hands were extremely soft. Relaxing into the soothing touch, she closed her eyes for a moment.
There were two sides of Cara, Kahlan thought, the ruthless assassin and the gentle woman.
It was a shame that the blonde never showed her soft side, to anyone else but Kahlan. But then again, the brunette felt special because of it. She’d never been an overly jealous person, but every time she saw someone getting too close to Cara, the green beast reared its ugly head.
A slight shiver ran through the brunette, as Cara’s fingertips danced across her lower leg.
Sometimes there was something between them that, Kahlan couldn’t quite put a finger on. The blonde’s presence was always calming and reassuring. It wasn’t just that Cara was her best friend - she was also her confidant and safe harbor.
Cara finished wrapping some fresh bandages around the swollen ankle and leaned back.
“Thank you” Kahlan whispered, opening her eyes again.
The blonde smiled briefly.
“So, we’ve got another assignment…” It was kind of strange that Ezio always sent them out together.
He knew that Cara tended to lose her assigned partners, or scare them off, instead of fighting side by side.
“Don’t overdo it though” Cara then warned. “You won’t be of any use if you’re sickly” she said, a smug smile on the blonde’s lips.
Kahlan laughed quietly, but nodded again.
Cara tenderly reached for Kahlan’s hand and clasped it in between her own. “Next time you’ll wait for me, or I’ll show you how sharp my blade really is.” A tentative smile tugged at Cara’s lips as she said it.
...
Chapter 5 - Dirty Secrets
“Of course, next time…” Kahlan said, raising her eyebrows conspiratorially and squeezing Cara’s hands.
She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, and in the same movement, grabbed Cara’s hood and tugged it down. She wanted to look into the blonde’s eyes, when they talked.
Grudgingly Cara allowed it. If anyone else would’ve only thought about touching her hood, she would’ve broken that person’s arm.
Kahlan had bugged her nonstop, always pulling on her hood, until she’d finally given in. Now the brunette knew no limits. She touched her as often as she pleased, and as soon as they were alone, Cara had to say goodbye to her hood, if she wanted it or not.
Beneath the piece of clothing lay nothing, that needed to be hidden anyway - sparkling sea-green eyes, full lips, and perfectly beautiful features.
“Well, my aunt will arrive soon” the brunette said. A fond smile spread across Kahlan’s features at the thought of seeing Caterina again.
“She has defended Forlí and fought off every attacker. Now that Cesare is busy keeping Rome under his control, he has no time to pay attention to Forlí…”
For a moment, Kahlan was reminded of the time when Cesare had kidnapped her aunt and had taken her to the Castel Sant’Angelo. Said man, Cesare Borgia, was as dangerous as can be. As the son of soon-to-be pope Rodrigo Borgia, he held ultimate power. Kahlan suddenly realized that it was time to tell Cara something that had only been discussed in her family, before.
“Listen…” she began and produced the piece of paper with Ezio’s handwriting on it. “We’re supposed to keep an eye on Cesare and his doings. Now that he is our target, we should gather as much information as possible.”
Kahlan knew that Cesare was extremely dangerous, and she didn’t want to jeopardize Cara’s life because she was withholding something.
“During Caterina’s imprisonment, she found out that Cesare and his sister Lucrezia are probably more than… siblings. You know that Lucrezia was married to Giovanni Sforza. She was only eleven years old and she’d had no idea what marriage was about. Giovanni was killed soon after Lucrezia fled from his mansion.”
Kahlan sighed.
“What I’m trying to say is that Lucrezia and Cesare hate my family. If they have a list of enemies they want dead, I’m probably pretty close to being at the top. It is possible that they are going to come after me.”
Kahlan looked into Cara’s eyes, trying to make sure she listened. “I don’t want you to be in the line of fire, you hear me? Just because I happen to belong to the family of Caterina Sforza, you don’t have to risk your life for me…”
Thoughtfully Cara shook her head. “Have I ever given you reason to worry about me?” she asked.
“Only because you’re related to Caterina doesn’t mean that I’m going to handle you with kid gloves. I think it’s enough that the others are close to having a near death experience, because you’re coming home with a sprained ankle” she said smirking.
Cara patted Kahlan’s leg one last time und got up.
The blonde was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Cesare und Lucrezia Borgia were, seemingly involved with each other. It really wasn’t uncommon for aristocratic families to copulate amongst themselves to preserve their pure line of blood. It only confirmed Cara’s assumption that Cesare was simply insane.
The blonde walked over to the door and turned around, to face Kahlan. “I’ll start gathering some information. I’m going to talk to the merchants and some of my informants, while you rest. As soon as you’ve recovered we’ll focus on the Borgia.”
A small smile tugged at the blonde’s lips, her eyes softening. “Don’t worry. I’ll look out for you.”
She pulled her hood back into place and left.
Sighing, Kahlan watched as Cara slipped out of her chambers.
“Alright. Alright” she mumbled and leaned back into the pillows, her thoughts still occupied with a certain blonde apprentice.
It would kill her, if anything ever happened to Cara. She would never let the blonde get into harm’s way.
She tried to think back to the time when they’d become friends, but it was hard to remember a certain event, because they’d slowly become closer and closer. There was no one she trusted more.
Thinking about Cara finally calmed her, and after a while, she fell asleep - her bruised body needing rest.
She opened her eyes again, when the setting sun warmed her skin and a feathery touch danced across her face.
She realized that someone was with her in her chambers, and as soon as her vision cleared she saw a person sitting next to her, on the bed.
Kahlan gasped, her mouth hanging open in surprise. She was looking into the smiling face of her aunt.
“Caterina!” Kahlan lunged forward, hugging the older woman enthusiastically. Caterina returned the hug, laughing. “What’ve you done now, Kahlan?” Caterina held her niece at arm’s length, studying the bruises on her face, shoulder and ankle.
The two women talked and laughed for almost two candle marks, about everything that had happened in their lives since they’d last seen each other.
Only when food was served down in the great dining hall, they decided to get out of bed.
Kahlan had insisted on walking herself, and so she was hobbling down the hallways next to her aunt.
When they’d arrived Caterina took a seat at Ezio’s side at the farther end of the room, while Kahlan sat down on one of the long benches. A young man, whose name she’d forgotten, sat down across from Kahlan, immediately beginning a conversation with her. More and more apprentices were entering, and soon the dining hall was filled with voices and the smells of food.
Kahlan pretended to listen to the young man, but instead she secretly watched her aunt. She and Ezio were talking quietly, touching every now and then. It was pretty obvious that there was something going on between the two, and Kahlan was happy for Caterina.
She finally turned away and focused on the young man across from her. Supporting her chin with the palm of her hand, she tried frantically to remember his name. He was just talking about smoke bombs, when Kahlan’s memory finally came back. “Bernardo!” she exclaimed, striking the table with the flat of her hand.
“Y-yes?” he asked, a little shocked because of the brunette’s sudden outburst.
Kahlan’s joy about remembering his name, had caused that reaction, but now she was at loss for words. “Uhm… nothing” she said, shrugging. Bernardo looked at her strangely, and then turned away to talk to the girl next to him.
Great, the other apprentices already thought that she was a little nuts and this encounter, didn’t help things either.
Sighing, Kahlan lifted her mug and sipped some of the liquid. Spluttering, she realized that it was wine filling her mouth. A few cheers in the room confirmed that, others had noticed as well.
It looked like the apprentices were in for a treat that evening.
As Kahlan looked up, she saw Caterina winking at her. Who else would be responsible for a delivery of wine, other than Caterina Sforza?
Kahlan raised her mug, her aunt returning the gesture, and drank another gulp.
Looking around she wondered, where Cara was at this hour.
...
Chapter 6 - Gone Astray
Cara returned to the headquarters coughing and sputtering. Soot and dirt were covering her face and hands, as well as her clothing.
“I’m going to kill them. I’m going to kill them all” she growled, as she marched past the dining hall. Every conversation in the room died, and every pair of eyes turned to a cursing Cara. She realized too late, that she’d taken the wrong way.
The blonde cleared throat and, squaring her shoulders, she turned to Ezio. “I’m sorry. I’m late…” She gestured with her hands, trying to find the right words.
Ezio was still looking at her questioningly, as well as everyone else in the room.
“There were… a few Borgia children, and they decided to play a game of ‘who is going to shoot down the assassin’” Cara explained, her shoulders visibly sagging.
Kahlan’s heart immediately went out to her friend. She knew how embarrassing this was for Cara. But Kahlan admired her for her honesty.
Then the blonde simply turned around and left.
It was extremely demoting that Cara had been cornered by these children. And to cap it all off, she just admitted it, in front of the entire Brotherhood.
She entered her chambers, her hood pooling at the base of her neck, and stood in front of the mirror.
A little bowl with clear water was already waiting for her, and she began washing her face. After that she put some ointments, from her belt bag, on the few superficial cuts on her face and hands.
She still couldn’t figure out, how those children had detected her. She’d been quiet and careful, just like she’d been taught. Maybe she had been a little careless, she admitted to herself - not seeing the children as potential threats, and thus ignoring them. It was possible, and Cara was sure that it would keep her up all night. Failure didn’t sit well with her.
She removed her cloak and boots, deciding that she would dust them off in the morning.
She needed something else to do to distract herself.
Sitting down, she unpacked her new blades and started to integrate them into her bracers.
She had the appropriate tools in her belt bag - just as a lot of other helpful things.
Working for more than a candle mark, she tried to forget what’d happened in the dining hall. But she still recalled Kahlan’s icy-blue eyes looking at her with compassion. Sighing, Cara put everything aside and lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling unseeing.
Meanwhile, Kahlan had emptied a few more mugs of wine. Her ankle and shoulder were barely hurting anymore and she was also still thinking about Cara’s appearance, a few hours prior.
Kahlan was pretty sure that the blonde was still fuming about what’d happened.
But Cara had been a sight to remember - covered in soot from head to toe.
The evening party was slowly dissolving and Kahlan decided to go to bed as well.
She realized that she was pretty drunk, as she staggered down the hallways. Needing to hold on to the wall, she grabbed a vase to stop it from shattering on the floor.
And even though it took a while, she finally reached her chambers and opened the door. Her head felt a little fuzzy, and she wanted nothing more than to rest it on a pillow. While walking, she dropped her cloak and took her boots off. Jumping on her uninjured foot, she got rid of her pants as well.
Finally, she made it to the bed and collapsed into it, with a little thump.
The only thing she didn’t catch was the fact that, she wasn’t in her own chambers. Her thoughts had still been occupied with Cara, and so her drunken mind had steered her legs towards the blonde’s room.
Kahlan’s right arm was hanging over the edge of the bed, her fingertips almost touching the floor, while she was sprawled out on her stomach.
The wine had definitely muddled her senses.
Somehow she smelled the root, but it seemed to be just another mannerism of her bed. Almost asleep, she turned over and wrapped her arm around Cara’s waist.
The blonde had been awake for most of it, but now she was staring wide-eyed at the sleeping Kahlan next to her. Her fingers were still wrapped around the dagger beneath her pillow - which she’d grabbed when she’d heard her door open -, but as soon as she’d realized who’d entered her room, she’d tried to stay calm. She just couldn’t bring herself to wake Kahlan, so she loosened her grip around the hilt of the dagger and breathed in deeply.
That Kahlan had wrapped her arm around Cara’s middle, wasn’t making it any easier to not jump up.
After she’d listened to the brunette’s breaths for a while, she pulled a blanket over them both. Cara didn’t dare to move any more, because she feared Kahlan could wake.
It took all of Cara’s mental strength to keep her breathing even.
When sleep finally claimed the blonde apprentice, she felt warm and content.
The first noises of morning woke Cara.
Her eyes went immediately to the sleeping body next to her. Kahlan looked peaceful in sleep, her beautiful features relaxed and calm.
After Cara had, unsuccessfully, tried to free her arm from underneath Kahlan’s head, she leaned back with a sigh. It was somehow disconcerting that Kahlan’s body felt so good, pressing close to her own.
Cara felt also uneasy about the fact that, the brunette strayed into her bed in the middle of the night.
Kahlan’s clothes were spread all over the floor of her room.
Cara sighed and rubbed her free hand across her face. She peeked over at Kahlan once again and, very slowly, reached out to gently touch the brunette’s forehead with her fingertips.
It was the first time that Cara was so close to Kahlan, and the first time she touched her willingly.
When Kahlan finally stirred, Cara closed her eyes. Should she pretend to still be asleep? No, she wouldn’t but she wasn’t sure, how she was going to handle this.
Blinking a few times, Kahlan slowly opened her eyes. Except for the small headache, she felt alright. She hadn’t slept that good, in a very long time. Cuddling closer to the source of warmth next to her, she looked up to the ceiling of the room. Somehow the patterns were different, than she remembered.
Turning her head, she saw unfamiliar furnishings. Slowly, very slowly, she sat up. Looking down at Cara, she stared into sea-green eyes, twinkling with amusement.
“I’m… I wasn’t… I…” she stammered, a blush creeping up into her face. She cleared her throat and got up.
She, hastily, collected her clothes from the floor, her shoulders stiff and her body tense. With the bundle in her arms, she turned to Cara, a crooked smile on her lips. “I’m terribly sorry. I had a little too much wine last night and… thanks for not rolling me out of bed…”
Cara propped herself up on her elbows, watching Kahlan with curious eyes. The blonde didn’t reply anything, so Kahlan turned around and walked over to the door.
It was fairly early, and so the brunette slipped out of Cara’s room unnoticed.
Her ankle hurt again, and she had to hobble down the hallway. Her thoughts were racing. How did she not notice that she’d gone to sleep in Cara’s bed?
Finally reaching her chambers, she went inside, closed the door, turned around and rested her forehead against the cool wood. Closing her eyes, she blushed anew.
Kahlan was sure that, she had to apologize thoroughly to Cara, for what’d happened.
She knew that no one would ever find out about that little incident, because Cara wasn’t much for talking anyway. The last thing she needed now was gossip.
Breakfast would be served in a few candle marks, giving her enough time to figure out what exactly she was going to say to Cara.
And she also decided that she needed a hot bath to relax her tense muscles. Sighing Kahlan turned around and flopped down onto her unused bed.
Meanwhile Cara had gotten up, a smirk plastered on her face. She knew Kahlan was embarrassed - after all she hadn’t just slept in the wrong room, she had also slept in the wrong bed.
But Cara wasn’t angry. She didn’t need any apologies either. It could’ve happened to anyone, even though she wouldn’t have let anyone into her bed.
Cara washed her hands and face once again, finally getting rid of all the soot and dirt. She dressed, pulled her hood into place and readied herself for being bombarded with apologies from Kahlan.
...
Chapter 7 - A New Day
There were no tell-tale signs that, there had been two people in Cara’s room last night, except for the piece of clothing in the blonde’s hand. She knew that it wouldn’t fit her, without trying it on, and it still smelled like Kahlan - not that she’d sniffed on it, she just guessed.
Cara made her way to the brunette’s room and knocked once… twice. No answer.
She simply pushed the door open a little bit and held the piece of clothing inside, without actually stepping into Kahlan’s chambers. “You forgot that” Cara said quietly.
The cloth was ripped out of her hand.
“Thank you”, was the mumbled reply.
“See you at breakfast.”
Cara turned around and marched down the hallway, leaving a very agitated Kahlan behind.
Cara’s smile was a little too bright for Ezio not to notice. He was always the first one in the dining hall, and it just seemed like he needed no sleep at all, after a night with wine and a beautiful woman.
He greeted Cara and she only nodded curtly in return. Only when Caterina entered she smiled politely and exchanged a few words with the older woman.
It didn’t take long for Kahlan to arrive in the dining hall as well. It was getting crowded, because everyone seemed hungry after consuming as much wine as possible the night before.
The air was filled with smells of fresh baked bread and the noises of clanking plates.
Kahlan made her way across the room, still hobbling a little, but overall she seemed to feel better than the day before.
As an assassin you needed to have a high pain threshold. Injuries were the order of the day.
When the brunette finally reached the far end of the room, she met her aunt in a hug, smiling brightly. It felt good to have Caterina close again.
The older woman wrapped an arm around Kahlan’s waist, pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek.
“You haven’t been in your room this morning” Caterina whispered into Kahlan’s ear.
All color drained out of the brunette’s face, and she stared at Caterina, shocked.
But within moments she regained her composure and returned her aunt’s suggestive smirk.
“You haven’t either.”
Caterina laughed, her eyes flicking over to Ezio. Kahlan involuntarily let her eyes wander over to where Cara was sitting at one of the tables, eating quietly.
She’d had spotted the blonde right when she’d entered, but greeting her aunt first, was the right thing to do.
Caterina’s little ruse had worked - she knew now, where Kahlan had spent the night. And she wasn’t really surprised. Kahlan could’ve made a worse choice than the quiet blonde apprentice. Caterina wasn’t the one to judge anyway, she’d had several lovers, men and women.
The two parted with a last smile and Kahlan sat down next to a few young women, quite far away from Cara. She just wasn’t ready to deal with the blonde yet.
Cara barely ate or conversed with other apprentices during breakfast.
She only looked up now and again, to see that Kahlan was talking to her aunt. A strange feeling settled in her gut, but she wasn’t quite sure what it meant. The look Caterina shot her was unsettling, but she had no idea what she’d done to deserve it.
Breakfast went by pretty quickly after that, and the mandatory training in the morning was next.
Most apprentices got together in teams of two, for sparring. To train and practice was crucial for every assassin. Sometimes it was simply wiser to avoid a fight, but sometimes there was no other way but to defend yourself and kill.
Kahlan had found a nice shady spot on a marble bench, underneath a large tree.
The inner courtyard of the headquarters served as training ground. It was nearly impossible to see what was happening in the courtyard from the outside. Even from above, the view was obscured by trees and pillars.
Kahlan couldn’t participate in the training, because her ankle would only get worse if she tried. She needed to heal first. Even though she was itching to throw a few daggers or knock someone out.
Instead she sighed and looked around.
When she finally spotted Cara, she saw that the blonde seemed simply bored.
Usually Cara would spar with Kahlan, but due to her hindrance, she had to find someone else.
Nicolas, a pretty knew apprentice, was the only one left. So he had to face Cara, if he wanted it or not.
No weapons, they decided.
The blonde beckoned him to come closer and their short fight began.
Cara struck first. She hit his face and stomach in quick succession.
By the time Nicolas finally realized that he should fight back, Cara was already out of his reach.
He tried again, but again he failed to even touch her. Cara’s movements were graceful and controlled.
With a little twist she positioned herself behind him and with the side of her hand, struck his neck.
He crumbled to the ground.
“I think you’ve had too much wine last night” the blonde sighed.
It really was mean, even for Ezio, to have a little feast the night before and then force everyone report to training, the next morning.
Most of the apprentices were still tired and drunk. They made mistakes and laughed helplessly to mask them.
“We’ll do this again, when you’re sobered up” Cara said and stepped over Nicolas, to make her way across the training ground.
Mugs, half-filled with water, were waiting for the apprentices on a table. Ezio and Caterina were also standing nearby, watching the training.
Cara grabbed two mugs and joined Kahlan on her bench.
She could almost feel the stare Caterina was giving her, so she turned away and focused sea-green eyes on the brunette.
“I know what you’re going to say. So please, start apologizing while I’m not listening.”
Kahlan opened her mouth, closed it again, opened it, and closed it a final time.
Cara handed Kahlan a mug, smirking. The blonde didn’t want, or need, any apologies for what’d happened. She would be the last one to admit that she’d enjoyed Kahlan’s body next to hers, but she still didn’t want the brunette to apologize.
After a few moments, Kahlan had made up her mind. She lifted her gaze to Cara, ready to speak, when the blonde raised a hand, stopping her.
Cara reached out, her fingertips gently stroking the brunette’s cheek. And then cupping it a heartbeat later, she leaned forward to gently brush her lips across Kahlan’s.
Humming into the kiss, Cara closed her eyes, while Kahlan’s were opened wide in shock.
Cara drew back, smirk firmly in place. “I think we’re even now” she murmured. “You won’t apologize and I won’t either. I didn’t plan on it anyway, so you don’t have to. I think that’s fair.”
No one was paying any mind to them, so Cara doubted that the other apprentices had seen their kiss.
They were so self-absorbed, that they wouldn’t have noticed a Borgia attack.
Only Caterina was probably watching them, but if Cara was going to get a tongue-lashing from her, she wanted it for something she’d really done.
“By the way, you’re always welcome in my bed” Cara added, slowly getting up. She gulped down her water and turned around, to do at least a few exercises with her hidden blade.
...
Chapter 8 - Unexpected
Kahlan was only staring after her friend. Blood was pounding loudly in her ears. Her lips still tingled from the kiss. A strange, wet, feeling was spreading across her lap and when she looked down she saw that her mug was happily rolling away from her, on the ground.
Her fingers were still curled around the non-existing water mug.
She sighed. It was warm enough, her pants would dry. So she decided to stay put, and think about Cara’s impossible soft lips.
Her features softened, a small smile pulling the corners of her mouth upwards. She’d kissed others before - but it had never felt that good.
The leaves above her head rustled quietly, and she leaned back, just enjoying the day.
A small stone hit her on the shoulder and Kahlan looked around, trying to figure out where it had come from.
The mischievous smile on her aunt’s lips told her that, it had been Caterina who was throwing stones at unsuspecting apprentices.
Kahlan raised an eyebrow, skeptically regarding her aunt. Caterina only laughed, obviously pleased with herself.
“I can’t believe she’s a mother of three children…” Kahlan murmured.
Suddenly, a pretty beaten apprentice plopped down next to her, and she had to focus on him. He seemed to have troubles staying conscious. An ugly, bleeding cut could be seen on his forehead.
Kahlan took the cloth he was holding and begun dabbing his wound. “You should go see the doctor around the corner…” she said, looking at the cut as it began to swell. “Now” she added.
He nodded and staggered towards the door.
“Poor guy” Kahlan mumbled, shaking her head.
She wanted to practice too. Improving her skills and working off some steam were crucial for her.
But now that she couldn’t, she decided to take a little trip to the thermal baths.
And she was going to ask Cara to join her…
As if she’d read the brunette’s mind, Cara turned around. “Walk with me, sorella” she called.
Cara was bored anyway, there was no competition here, no one, but Kahlan could keep up with her.
It was also important that Kahlan used her ankle. It wasn’t hurting much because of the ointments she’d been using, but she also needed to put some weight on it.
Kahlan rose and followed Cara.
They left the training ground, to stroll through the busy streets of Rome.
“It seems like it does you good that Caterina is here” Cara said, looking at her brunette friend. Kahlan seemed to feel better with every passing hour. Within a few days she should be able to go on assignments and fight, the way she did before.
Kahlan nodded, smiling. To have family around made her happy.
Glancing at Cara’s partially hidden face, she wondered if the blonde missed her own family from time to time.
Unbeknownst to Kahlan, Cara had similar thoughts. She was glad that her father, mother and brother had crossed to the other side. A dark secret connected her family to Cesare and Ezio, and she would rather take it to the grave with her, than let it be revealed.
While Kahlan stopped to chat with a few townspeople, Cara bought a couple of useful items in several shops.
Even though she was constantly talking to the people, the brunette apprentice still hadn’t figured out, how much the townsfolk knew. There surely were rumors about, what was happening behind the walls of the Brotherhood’s headquarters. But no one could say for sure, what was going on.
The people weren’t complaining though, they were glad that the control, the Borgia had had over this district, was broken. They knew that, they could consider themselves lucky and so the headquarters remained untouchable.
After walking the streets for a while, Kahlan suggested that they should get out of the centro, to ride along the outskirts of town.
They both saddled a horse - horses always stood ready for the Brotherhood in different locations all over town - and rode out.
It was a beautiful day. Cara on her brown mare and Kahlan on a white stallion, made quite an intriguing sight.
“Now that we’re close to the thermal baths anyway, we could just as well pay little visit, don’t you think?” Kahlan asked with a mischievous little smile.
Cara sighed. She wasn’t too fond of the thermal baths, at least not when they were overrun with people, but at this time of the day, they should be fairly empty.
She agreed with a curt nod, and the two apprentices made their way to the famous thermal baths.
They left their horses near the arches of the entrance and walked through winding corridors. Some of the baths were al fresco, where others were roofed.
There was certainly an advantage to belonging to the Brotherhood, because there were always a few baths kept free for them.
It was very much possible that Kahlan and Cara would be the only ones there, at this time of the day.
Even though it was a rather warm day, one always felt more relaxed and calm after a bath. Kahlan told a closemouthed Cara that and smiled.
“Not that it would be necessary for you to be even calmer, than you are now” the brunette added, grinning. “In your case, calmer would probably mean that your heart stopped beating” she said, quietly laughing. And it was true. Cara was usually silent and solitary. There were only very few things that, could make her lose her temper.
Cara only raised an eyebrow, replying nothing, but in her head she was already planning out a payback for her brunette friend.
No one made fun of her, without paying for it. Not even Kahlan.
Oblivious to Cara’s revenge plans, Kahlan strolled over to an al fresco bath and knelt down. She dipped her hand into the water and sighed. “Wonderful.”
It was a matter of moments, and Kahlan had gotten rid of her cloak, vest and pants, so that she was only clad in a long white linen shirt. There was no way she would bathe naked - one never knew who spied on them while relaxing.
The bath itself was surrounded by four walls, only one having an entrance. The walls were not high, and everyone who was determined enough could easily climb them.
But Kahlan didn’t care. She slid into the water, groaning with satisfaction.
“People say that the thermal baths have medicinal properties” Kahlan explained, sinking further down until the water came up to her chin.
“Maybe they’ll heal my reticence” Cara deadpanned, while she undressed as well.
It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the blonde that Kahlan had a fantastic body. Curves and muscles in just the right places. Not that she cared. She just acknowledged.
But there was also still the issue of her revenge.
Cara took a step backwards and, with unexpected speed, ran forward and jumped into the bath. Water splashed everywhere, completely drenching Kahlan.
The brunette sputtered, trying to wipe water out of her eyes. “What was that for?!” Icy-blue eyes were glaring at Cara, who was now settling down next to Kahlan. The blonde laughed heartily, as she leaned her back against the warm tiles of the bath.
“You’ll have to practice your evil eye” the Cara said, grinning. She lifted the fingertips of her right hand and gently tapped them on the corners of Kahlan’s mouth. “Your smile is far too beautiful, to hide it behind anger, anyway.”
Kahlan blinked a few times, surprised by the sudden gentleness of Cara’s touch and voice.
The blonde dropped her hand and leaned back, her arms stretched out on the edge of the bath.
Kahlan wanted to say something. She felt like that was an important moment.
She reached for Cara’s hand, gently trailing her fingertips across the wet and smooth forearm. Cara turned her head, looking right into blue eyes. They stared at each other for long moments. If Kahlan could only put into words, what she was feeling deep inside of her heart, she could… splash!
As she was about to speak, a man crashed face first, into the bath. Water splashed and immediately turned red.
Kahlan crawled backwards out of the basin, her eyes wide.
A dagger and an arrow were sticking out of the dead body’s back.
As fast as she could, Kahlan scooted over to her pile of clothes and grabbed a hold of her daggers.
She was ready for a fight, tensed to kill, but nothing happened. No one was screaming - everything was perfectly still.
Cara was, just always, taking this rather calmly. She pushed the reddened water away and then slowly climbed out of the bath.
Dripping wet and with daggers in hand Kahlan inched closer to the man now floating around in the water. She knelt on the edge of the bath and plucked on his clothes so that he would float her way.
“A dagger and arrow? Isn’t that a little too much?” she asked, looking over her shoulder to Cara, who was making sure that they weren’t attacked from any other direction.
Breathing in deeply, Kahlan grabbed the man’s dark hair and pulled his head upwards so that they could see his face. He was obviously dead.
“I don’t know him” Kahlan stated. Cara had come closer and was now looking down at the man’s face as well. A terrified expression crossed her features, but she schooled her face back into an emotionless mask. She knew this man, alright. Cara wiped her hand across her forehead to avoid Kahlan’s gaze.
“Don’t know him either” she lied, turning away from the scene.
She couldn’t have been found out. It was impossible. Cara grabbed her clothes, and dressed hastily.
She pulled her hood into place and looked around once more. How could it be possible that anyone knew of her past? Not even Ezio had the slightest idea.
Cara tossed Kahlan’s clothes over to the brunette and dragged her out of the area. “Let’s go” she only said, a half-dressed Kahlan tagging behind.
It was too dangerous for them. Borgia guards could be there soon, and Cara just wanted to get away. Her heart was racing uncomfortably and she worried about Kahlan’s safety.
Kahlan dressed as quickly as she could while hurrying after Cara. She had no idea what had gotten into her blonde friend, but at the look she saw in those green eyes, she didn’t ask.
They made their way back to the horses and Kahlan stared at Cara.
The blonde turned around, and seeing Kahlan’s angry gaze, lowered her eyes to the ground. “Don’t look at me like that” she mumbled. It was really hard to hold everything in, under that penetrating stare. Sometimes Kahlan managed to make people confess their darkest secrets, only by staring at them.
“Talk to me Cara” Kahlan then pleaded.
“I can’t” was the only reply she got.
To Be Continued
Chapters 9-13
Author: raug_moss
Pairings: Cara/Kahlan
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: None for LotS (maybe a few for AC Brotherhood)
Summary: Rome. A city once prosperous and thriving, is now in the grasp of the tyrannical Borgia family. Only the Order of Assassins stands in the way of complete corruption and immorality. Kahlan and Cara, two apprentices in the Order, who are trying to become worthy of wearing the white cloak of a true assassin, are caught in between a battle of good and evil. The plot thickens as Kahlan is hurt in a fight and Cara's darkest secrets are about to be revealed.
A/N: This is more like a crossover/AU. Even if you don't know what Assassin's Creed is about or have never even heard of it, you can still understand and enjoy this story. In this fic, our favorite ladies live in the 15th century in Rome, Italy. They belong to the secret Order of Assasins and fight for justice and the survival of free will.
And a thanks to synergyfox for giving this story a once-over. Oh and this fic was kinda prompted by this post.
Chapter 1 - Shadows
The sun was slowly setting, darkness creeping through every alley and into most houses.
Light meant protection, and as soon as it was gone, people tried to stay away from the streets - except for those who belonged there.
She hobbled through the streets of Rome unseen. No one was paying any mind to her.
With the hood of her cloak covering half of her face, her weapons hidden and her clothing torn, one could think that she was a mere sleazy thief - she hadn’t yet earned the right to wear white.
With her left hand, she held her right arm tightly pressed against her chest.
After a while, or an eternity as it felt to her, she reached the island that had become more familiar to her than any other place in Italy.
In the midst of Rome, surrounded by water, was the headquarters of the Assassin’s Guild located.
In front of everyone’s eyes and yet hidden.
With scuffling steps she made her way to the door that was near the blacksmith’ shop.
She lifted her uninjured arm and knocked in a certain pattern that would be changed as soon as she stepped inside.
The door was opened shortly after and she literally fell into the arms of the person now standing in front of her.
To her misfortune, said person was Ezio Auditore, leader of the Assassins Guild himself.
He lifted her into his arms as soon as she tried to regain her balance.
It was more than embarrassing that her mentor saw her in this weakened state.
He carried her to a rather luxurious looking chair and sat her down gently. Icy-blue eyes looked up at him as she started explaining what exactly had happened to her.
She’d been surprised and pretty much overrun by Borgia guards while carrying out her assignment.
Even though she was extremely talented for her rank, she still wasn’t able to fend off a dozen men by herself and get out of it without as much as a scratch.
She also told him, with a little bit of pride in her voice, that her attackers looked far worse than she did.
She then dutifully explained everything she’d seen as well. It had been her task to inform Ezio about troop movement in the center and outskirts of Rome.
After she was done talking, her mentor shot her a brief smile and turned to leave.
She saw the serious look in his eyes and knew that he was about to bring some justice to this crime plagued city.
The door closed behind him and Kahlan was by herself again. She sighed deeply and tried to take off her cloak, but the task proved to be impossible. She winced as soon as she moved her right arm. The pain that shot through her shoulder down to her wrist was excruciating.
It didn’t take long until steps were heard in the ample hallways.
Within a heartbeat she was surrounded by worried looking apprentices.
Niccolo Machiavelli shoved his was through the little crowd and shooed most of the people away with his grave looks.
Niccolo was somewhat of a caretaker and negotiant of the Brotherhood. He was also a trusted ally of Ezio, and usually didn’t partake in actual assassinations.
He assessed Kahlan’s wounds with a single glance and immediately sent for ointments and bandages.
Grinding her teeth, the brunette accepted everything without protest. She hadn’t meant for everyone to see her injured and in pain.
Assassins weren’t meant to feel pain, they were meant to cause it.
...
Chapter 2 - Messages
The blacksmith advertised his magnificent goods, as well as his masterly workmanship and still promised unbelievable low prices.
The doctor around the corner felt safe from any disaster, because he was wearing his mask that would protect him from pestilence and disease. He sold handily medicine and claimed to be able to heal any injury with his leeches.
But despite all of the bustling in the streets around the island, there was a feeling of dread and sadness - because the city was about to break apart in the grasp of the Borgia family.
Only the Assassins were brave enough, skilled enough, to stand in the way of evil.
The apprentices were a source of hope. They were people, who decided that it was time to act and fight.
One of these apprentices was Cara - an orphan from Sicily, who’d hoped to find a better life in Rome.
She would’ve never thought that she would one day, fight for justice.
Only few were trying to do the right thing, and they usually wore white, carried hidden blades and were called Assassins.
Cara was one of them, but her rank did not allow her to wear white like Ezio. Every apprentice would sooner or later rise to the rank of assassin depending on their skill and talent.
Until then, she handled little assignments, scouted Rome or let the Borgia believe that they were the most powerful family on the face of the earth.
Returning from her musings, Cara looked at the blacksmith. He stared at her but she hadn’t heard a word he’d said while being caught up in her own thoughts.
With the hood covering half of her face, one could only tell by the slight curve of the corner of her mouth that she didn’t like to be stared at.
The blacksmith repeated his words and Cara nodded.
Her hidden blade had been damaged on her last assignment, and there certainly was no better place to get it fixed than in the blacksmith’ shop next door.
Just as she was about to reach for her coins she noticed two neatly folded pieces of paper on the counter next to her hand. She reached for them and quickly unfolded the first one. Her eyes briefly skimmed over the words, her lips curling into a tiny smile.
Ezio had somehow managed to drop this message unnoticed. He wasn’t their leader for no reason.
The second message was supposed to be delivered. Cara sighed and paid the blacksmith.
She turned around and headed back to the headquarters, while the first piece of paper burned to ashes in the blacksmith’ fire.
She would take care of the blade when she was back in her chambers. She didn’t need it to deliver the message.
It was dead silent inside the headquarters because most rooms were empty at this hour - except for one. Five young apprentices were gathered in that room. They scurried around, trying to take care of their injured comrade. Kahlan. A very talented woman who managed to impress even Cara every now and then.
Her arm in a sling with some ointment on her face, Kahlan looked around and sighed.
She was sitting in her bed wanting desperately to be alone.
The other apprentices were still milling around, reluctant to leave because everyone wanted to know about her fight. How’d she fight the Borgia guards? How many did she fight and most importantly, how many had she killed?
As soon as Niccolo had been done examining her sprained ankle he’d left. And now she was surrounded by her annoying comrades.
She sighed and closed her eyes.
...
Chapter 3 - Family Ties
“Buongiorno Sorella”, Cara murmured as she slipped past the apprentices to stand next to Kahlan’s bed.
The brunette lifted her gaze as a familiar voice reached her ears.
A little piece of paper appeared in Cara’s hand and she held it out to the other woman.
“A message from Ezio” she said quietly.
“Grazie” Kahlan replied and then looked over to the people who were still waiting at the other end of her bed. She shooed them away with an ice-cold look. There was only so much attention Kahlan could stand in one day. And she’d had more than her share.
She took the message, read it, and then folded the piece of paper to hide it beneath her pillow.
She sat up a little straighter, her gaze returning to Cara. The blonde had known that she was welcomed to stay without Kahlan saying it out loud.
“Ezio wants to let me know that he’s proud. I shouldn’t worry, because fleeing from the fight was the right decision” she then explained the message.
Kahlan frowned. She could’ve never killed all of the Borgia guards, but she still felt miserable that she’d bolted.
“It was the right decision to flee” Cara agreed, while looking down at her damaged hidden blade.
If she would’ve fled, her blade would still be in one piece - but that wasn’t her. She would fight until the end.
"I’m glad you came by” Kahlan said, interrupting Cara’s train of thought. She wanted to talk about the little incident with the other woman.
Even though the blonde was more of a loner, usually working on her own, the two of them had developed some kind of comfortable friendship.
They’d spent many nights on the highest tower of the building, only talking - even though Kahlan was the one who was mostly doing the talking.
“Anyways, we have an assignment as soon as I’m recovered” she continued, her blue eyes glinting dangerously.
She loved doing what she’d been trained to do. Killing was a part of her and the more Borgia guards she could eliminate, the better.
Ezio was a phenomenal mentor. He was also very attentive and often spoke with the apprentices.
He’d soon realized that Kahlan and Cara made a perfect match. So he sent them out on missions together, as often as possible.
This time Kahlan had ventured out alone and it had obviously turned into a disaster.
She decided not to think about it further. There was no use in contemplating, what could’ve been.
“Niccolo informed me that, Caterina will come back to Rome, soon” she said instead, again looking up at Cara.
Caterina Sforza, Countess of Forlí , was a fierce and determined woman and mother. After her husband had been killed, she’d taken control of his property, and successfully defended it.
“She’s got Forlí under control” Kahlan added.
Cara nodded.
Everyone knew that Caterina Sforza was Kahlan’s aunt.
Some apprentices thought that Ezio gave her undue preference because of it, but the brunette knew better than to fret about it. She was talented, and sooner or later people would acknowledge that.
Kahlan and her aunt were very close, she’d learned a lot from her. And they both shared the same temper.
“I really do miss her. When I was younger we used to play with wooden swords. She’d teach me how to parry…”
...
Chapter 4 - Togetherness
With a short nod, every once in a while, Cara signaled, that she was still listening to Kahlan.
That was quite uncommon for her. If anyone talked for certain amounts of time, she found herself getting bored, so she simply tuned the voice out.
She usually got lost in her thoughts. Even with Ezio it was hard to stay focused. His voice was… Cara couldn’t tell what exactly it was. She really made an effort to listen to him, but it became harder and harder, the longer he spoke.
To socialize was torture for Cara, and only Kahlan had managed to lure her out of her invisible, protective shell.
“You should’ve waited for me” the blonde suddenly said.
Cara raised her head, but her eyes were still covered by the hood.
“You know very well that you can’t take on that many Borgia guards” she continued.
She probably should say something uplifting to Kahlan, or tell her, that it was good that she didn’t react the way Cara would’ve reacted.
But she wasn’t here to exchange pleasantries.
Kahlan only smirked and nodded. She knew Cara well enough, to not be offended. There always were good intentions behind the harsh words.
Reproaches and threats usually came out of the blonde’s mouth, as soon as she opened it. Most people hated her for it, so she simply tried to be quiet, but with Kahlan many things were different.
Cara sat down on the edge of the bed and gently lifted Kahlan’s leg. She produced a little bottle and opened it. “Ointment” she explained, as the brunette looked at her questioningly. She’d just bought it from the doctor, and now it was at least useful.
Kahlan watched the blonde, with a small smile on her lips. Cara usually wore gloves, and so her hands were extremely soft. Relaxing into the soothing touch, she closed her eyes for a moment.
There were two sides of Cara, Kahlan thought, the ruthless assassin and the gentle woman.
It was a shame that the blonde never showed her soft side, to anyone else but Kahlan. But then again, the brunette felt special because of it. She’d never been an overly jealous person, but every time she saw someone getting too close to Cara, the green beast reared its ugly head.
A slight shiver ran through the brunette, as Cara’s fingertips danced across her lower leg.
Sometimes there was something between them that, Kahlan couldn’t quite put a finger on. The blonde’s presence was always calming and reassuring. It wasn’t just that Cara was her best friend - she was also her confidant and safe harbor.
Cara finished wrapping some fresh bandages around the swollen ankle and leaned back.
“Thank you” Kahlan whispered, opening her eyes again.
The blonde smiled briefly.
“So, we’ve got another assignment…” It was kind of strange that Ezio always sent them out together.
He knew that Cara tended to lose her assigned partners, or scare them off, instead of fighting side by side.
“Don’t overdo it though” Cara then warned. “You won’t be of any use if you’re sickly” she said, a smug smile on the blonde’s lips.
Kahlan laughed quietly, but nodded again.
Cara tenderly reached for Kahlan’s hand and clasped it in between her own. “Next time you’ll wait for me, or I’ll show you how sharp my blade really is.” A tentative smile tugged at Cara’s lips as she said it.
...
Chapter 5 - Dirty Secrets
“Of course, next time…” Kahlan said, raising her eyebrows conspiratorially and squeezing Cara’s hands.
She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, and in the same movement, grabbed Cara’s hood and tugged it down. She wanted to look into the blonde’s eyes, when they talked.
Grudgingly Cara allowed it. If anyone else would’ve only thought about touching her hood, she would’ve broken that person’s arm.
Kahlan had bugged her nonstop, always pulling on her hood, until she’d finally given in. Now the brunette knew no limits. She touched her as often as she pleased, and as soon as they were alone, Cara had to say goodbye to her hood, if she wanted it or not.
Beneath the piece of clothing lay nothing, that needed to be hidden anyway - sparkling sea-green eyes, full lips, and perfectly beautiful features.
“Well, my aunt will arrive soon” the brunette said. A fond smile spread across Kahlan’s features at the thought of seeing Caterina again.
“She has defended Forlí and fought off every attacker. Now that Cesare is busy keeping Rome under his control, he has no time to pay attention to Forlí…”
For a moment, Kahlan was reminded of the time when Cesare had kidnapped her aunt and had taken her to the Castel Sant’Angelo. Said man, Cesare Borgia, was as dangerous as can be. As the son of soon-to-be pope Rodrigo Borgia, he held ultimate power. Kahlan suddenly realized that it was time to tell Cara something that had only been discussed in her family, before.
“Listen…” she began and produced the piece of paper with Ezio’s handwriting on it. “We’re supposed to keep an eye on Cesare and his doings. Now that he is our target, we should gather as much information as possible.”
Kahlan knew that Cesare was extremely dangerous, and she didn’t want to jeopardize Cara’s life because she was withholding something.
“During Caterina’s imprisonment, she found out that Cesare and his sister Lucrezia are probably more than… siblings. You know that Lucrezia was married to Giovanni Sforza. She was only eleven years old and she’d had no idea what marriage was about. Giovanni was killed soon after Lucrezia fled from his mansion.”
Kahlan sighed.
“What I’m trying to say is that Lucrezia and Cesare hate my family. If they have a list of enemies they want dead, I’m probably pretty close to being at the top. It is possible that they are going to come after me.”
Kahlan looked into Cara’s eyes, trying to make sure she listened. “I don’t want you to be in the line of fire, you hear me? Just because I happen to belong to the family of Caterina Sforza, you don’t have to risk your life for me…”
Thoughtfully Cara shook her head. “Have I ever given you reason to worry about me?” she asked.
“Only because you’re related to Caterina doesn’t mean that I’m going to handle you with kid gloves. I think it’s enough that the others are close to having a near death experience, because you’re coming home with a sprained ankle” she said smirking.
Cara patted Kahlan’s leg one last time und got up.
The blonde was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Cesare und Lucrezia Borgia were, seemingly involved with each other. It really wasn’t uncommon for aristocratic families to copulate amongst themselves to preserve their pure line of blood. It only confirmed Cara’s assumption that Cesare was simply insane.
The blonde walked over to the door and turned around, to face Kahlan. “I’ll start gathering some information. I’m going to talk to the merchants and some of my informants, while you rest. As soon as you’ve recovered we’ll focus on the Borgia.”
A small smile tugged at the blonde’s lips, her eyes softening. “Don’t worry. I’ll look out for you.”
She pulled her hood back into place and left.
Sighing, Kahlan watched as Cara slipped out of her chambers.
“Alright. Alright” she mumbled and leaned back into the pillows, her thoughts still occupied with a certain blonde apprentice.
It would kill her, if anything ever happened to Cara. She would never let the blonde get into harm’s way.
She tried to think back to the time when they’d become friends, but it was hard to remember a certain event, because they’d slowly become closer and closer. There was no one she trusted more.
Thinking about Cara finally calmed her, and after a while, she fell asleep - her bruised body needing rest.
She opened her eyes again, when the setting sun warmed her skin and a feathery touch danced across her face.
She realized that someone was with her in her chambers, and as soon as her vision cleared she saw a person sitting next to her, on the bed.
Kahlan gasped, her mouth hanging open in surprise. She was looking into the smiling face of her aunt.
“Caterina!” Kahlan lunged forward, hugging the older woman enthusiastically. Caterina returned the hug, laughing. “What’ve you done now, Kahlan?” Caterina held her niece at arm’s length, studying the bruises on her face, shoulder and ankle.
The two women talked and laughed for almost two candle marks, about everything that had happened in their lives since they’d last seen each other.
Only when food was served down in the great dining hall, they decided to get out of bed.
Kahlan had insisted on walking herself, and so she was hobbling down the hallways next to her aunt.
When they’d arrived Caterina took a seat at Ezio’s side at the farther end of the room, while Kahlan sat down on one of the long benches. A young man, whose name she’d forgotten, sat down across from Kahlan, immediately beginning a conversation with her. More and more apprentices were entering, and soon the dining hall was filled with voices and the smells of food.
Kahlan pretended to listen to the young man, but instead she secretly watched her aunt. She and Ezio were talking quietly, touching every now and then. It was pretty obvious that there was something going on between the two, and Kahlan was happy for Caterina.
She finally turned away and focused on the young man across from her. Supporting her chin with the palm of her hand, she tried frantically to remember his name. He was just talking about smoke bombs, when Kahlan’s memory finally came back. “Bernardo!” she exclaimed, striking the table with the flat of her hand.
“Y-yes?” he asked, a little shocked because of the brunette’s sudden outburst.
Kahlan’s joy about remembering his name, had caused that reaction, but now she was at loss for words. “Uhm… nothing” she said, shrugging. Bernardo looked at her strangely, and then turned away to talk to the girl next to him.
Great, the other apprentices already thought that she was a little nuts and this encounter, didn’t help things either.
Sighing, Kahlan lifted her mug and sipped some of the liquid. Spluttering, she realized that it was wine filling her mouth. A few cheers in the room confirmed that, others had noticed as well.
It looked like the apprentices were in for a treat that evening.
As Kahlan looked up, she saw Caterina winking at her. Who else would be responsible for a delivery of wine, other than Caterina Sforza?
Kahlan raised her mug, her aunt returning the gesture, and drank another gulp.
Looking around she wondered, where Cara was at this hour.
...
Chapter 6 - Gone Astray
Cara returned to the headquarters coughing and sputtering. Soot and dirt were covering her face and hands, as well as her clothing.
“I’m going to kill them. I’m going to kill them all” she growled, as she marched past the dining hall. Every conversation in the room died, and every pair of eyes turned to a cursing Cara. She realized too late, that she’d taken the wrong way.
The blonde cleared throat and, squaring her shoulders, she turned to Ezio. “I’m sorry. I’m late…” She gestured with her hands, trying to find the right words.
Ezio was still looking at her questioningly, as well as everyone else in the room.
“There were… a few Borgia children, and they decided to play a game of ‘who is going to shoot down the assassin’” Cara explained, her shoulders visibly sagging.
Kahlan’s heart immediately went out to her friend. She knew how embarrassing this was for Cara. But Kahlan admired her for her honesty.
Then the blonde simply turned around and left.
It was extremely demoting that Cara had been cornered by these children. And to cap it all off, she just admitted it, in front of the entire Brotherhood.
She entered her chambers, her hood pooling at the base of her neck, and stood in front of the mirror.
A little bowl with clear water was already waiting for her, and she began washing her face. After that she put some ointments, from her belt bag, on the few superficial cuts on her face and hands.
She still couldn’t figure out, how those children had detected her. She’d been quiet and careful, just like she’d been taught. Maybe she had been a little careless, she admitted to herself - not seeing the children as potential threats, and thus ignoring them. It was possible, and Cara was sure that it would keep her up all night. Failure didn’t sit well with her.
She removed her cloak and boots, deciding that she would dust them off in the morning.
She needed something else to do to distract herself.
Sitting down, she unpacked her new blades and started to integrate them into her bracers.
She had the appropriate tools in her belt bag - just as a lot of other helpful things.
Working for more than a candle mark, she tried to forget what’d happened in the dining hall. But she still recalled Kahlan’s icy-blue eyes looking at her with compassion. Sighing, Cara put everything aside and lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling unseeing.
Meanwhile, Kahlan had emptied a few more mugs of wine. Her ankle and shoulder were barely hurting anymore and she was also still thinking about Cara’s appearance, a few hours prior.
Kahlan was pretty sure that the blonde was still fuming about what’d happened.
But Cara had been a sight to remember - covered in soot from head to toe.
The evening party was slowly dissolving and Kahlan decided to go to bed as well.
She realized that she was pretty drunk, as she staggered down the hallways. Needing to hold on to the wall, she grabbed a vase to stop it from shattering on the floor.
And even though it took a while, she finally reached her chambers and opened the door. Her head felt a little fuzzy, and she wanted nothing more than to rest it on a pillow. While walking, she dropped her cloak and took her boots off. Jumping on her uninjured foot, she got rid of her pants as well.
Finally, she made it to the bed and collapsed into it, with a little thump.
The only thing she didn’t catch was the fact that, she wasn’t in her own chambers. Her thoughts had still been occupied with Cara, and so her drunken mind had steered her legs towards the blonde’s room.
Kahlan’s right arm was hanging over the edge of the bed, her fingertips almost touching the floor, while she was sprawled out on her stomach.
The wine had definitely muddled her senses.
Somehow she smelled the root, but it seemed to be just another mannerism of her bed. Almost asleep, she turned over and wrapped her arm around Cara’s waist.
The blonde had been awake for most of it, but now she was staring wide-eyed at the sleeping Kahlan next to her. Her fingers were still wrapped around the dagger beneath her pillow - which she’d grabbed when she’d heard her door open -, but as soon as she’d realized who’d entered her room, she’d tried to stay calm. She just couldn’t bring herself to wake Kahlan, so she loosened her grip around the hilt of the dagger and breathed in deeply.
That Kahlan had wrapped her arm around Cara’s middle, wasn’t making it any easier to not jump up.
After she’d listened to the brunette’s breaths for a while, she pulled a blanket over them both. Cara didn’t dare to move any more, because she feared Kahlan could wake.
It took all of Cara’s mental strength to keep her breathing even.
When sleep finally claimed the blonde apprentice, she felt warm and content.
The first noises of morning woke Cara.
Her eyes went immediately to the sleeping body next to her. Kahlan looked peaceful in sleep, her beautiful features relaxed and calm.
After Cara had, unsuccessfully, tried to free her arm from underneath Kahlan’s head, she leaned back with a sigh. It was somehow disconcerting that Kahlan’s body felt so good, pressing close to her own.
Cara felt also uneasy about the fact that, the brunette strayed into her bed in the middle of the night.
Kahlan’s clothes were spread all over the floor of her room.
Cara sighed and rubbed her free hand across her face. She peeked over at Kahlan once again and, very slowly, reached out to gently touch the brunette’s forehead with her fingertips.
It was the first time that Cara was so close to Kahlan, and the first time she touched her willingly.
When Kahlan finally stirred, Cara closed her eyes. Should she pretend to still be asleep? No, she wouldn’t but she wasn’t sure, how she was going to handle this.
Blinking a few times, Kahlan slowly opened her eyes. Except for the small headache, she felt alright. She hadn’t slept that good, in a very long time. Cuddling closer to the source of warmth next to her, she looked up to the ceiling of the room. Somehow the patterns were different, than she remembered.
Turning her head, she saw unfamiliar furnishings. Slowly, very slowly, she sat up. Looking down at Cara, she stared into sea-green eyes, twinkling with amusement.
“I’m… I wasn’t… I…” she stammered, a blush creeping up into her face. She cleared her throat and got up.
She, hastily, collected her clothes from the floor, her shoulders stiff and her body tense. With the bundle in her arms, she turned to Cara, a crooked smile on her lips. “I’m terribly sorry. I had a little too much wine last night and… thanks for not rolling me out of bed…”
Cara propped herself up on her elbows, watching Kahlan with curious eyes. The blonde didn’t reply anything, so Kahlan turned around and walked over to the door.
It was fairly early, and so the brunette slipped out of Cara’s room unnoticed.
Her ankle hurt again, and she had to hobble down the hallway. Her thoughts were racing. How did she not notice that she’d gone to sleep in Cara’s bed?
Finally reaching her chambers, she went inside, closed the door, turned around and rested her forehead against the cool wood. Closing her eyes, she blushed anew.
Kahlan was sure that, she had to apologize thoroughly to Cara, for what’d happened.
She knew that no one would ever find out about that little incident, because Cara wasn’t much for talking anyway. The last thing she needed now was gossip.
Breakfast would be served in a few candle marks, giving her enough time to figure out what exactly she was going to say to Cara.
And she also decided that she needed a hot bath to relax her tense muscles. Sighing Kahlan turned around and flopped down onto her unused bed.
Meanwhile Cara had gotten up, a smirk plastered on her face. She knew Kahlan was embarrassed - after all she hadn’t just slept in the wrong room, she had also slept in the wrong bed.
But Cara wasn’t angry. She didn’t need any apologies either. It could’ve happened to anyone, even though she wouldn’t have let anyone into her bed.
Cara washed her hands and face once again, finally getting rid of all the soot and dirt. She dressed, pulled her hood into place and readied herself for being bombarded with apologies from Kahlan.
...
Chapter 7 - A New Day
There were no tell-tale signs that, there had been two people in Cara’s room last night, except for the piece of clothing in the blonde’s hand. She knew that it wouldn’t fit her, without trying it on, and it still smelled like Kahlan - not that she’d sniffed on it, she just guessed.
Cara made her way to the brunette’s room and knocked once… twice. No answer.
She simply pushed the door open a little bit and held the piece of clothing inside, without actually stepping into Kahlan’s chambers. “You forgot that” Cara said quietly.
The cloth was ripped out of her hand.
“Thank you”, was the mumbled reply.
“See you at breakfast.”
Cara turned around and marched down the hallway, leaving a very agitated Kahlan behind.
Cara’s smile was a little too bright for Ezio not to notice. He was always the first one in the dining hall, and it just seemed like he needed no sleep at all, after a night with wine and a beautiful woman.
He greeted Cara and she only nodded curtly in return. Only when Caterina entered she smiled politely and exchanged a few words with the older woman.
It didn’t take long for Kahlan to arrive in the dining hall as well. It was getting crowded, because everyone seemed hungry after consuming as much wine as possible the night before.
The air was filled with smells of fresh baked bread and the noises of clanking plates.
Kahlan made her way across the room, still hobbling a little, but overall she seemed to feel better than the day before.
As an assassin you needed to have a high pain threshold. Injuries were the order of the day.
When the brunette finally reached the far end of the room, she met her aunt in a hug, smiling brightly. It felt good to have Caterina close again.
The older woman wrapped an arm around Kahlan’s waist, pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek.
“You haven’t been in your room this morning” Caterina whispered into Kahlan’s ear.
All color drained out of the brunette’s face, and she stared at Caterina, shocked.
But within moments she regained her composure and returned her aunt’s suggestive smirk.
“You haven’t either.”
Caterina laughed, her eyes flicking over to Ezio. Kahlan involuntarily let her eyes wander over to where Cara was sitting at one of the tables, eating quietly.
She’d had spotted the blonde right when she’d entered, but greeting her aunt first, was the right thing to do.
Caterina’s little ruse had worked - she knew now, where Kahlan had spent the night. And she wasn’t really surprised. Kahlan could’ve made a worse choice than the quiet blonde apprentice. Caterina wasn’t the one to judge anyway, she’d had several lovers, men and women.
The two parted with a last smile and Kahlan sat down next to a few young women, quite far away from Cara. She just wasn’t ready to deal with the blonde yet.
Cara barely ate or conversed with other apprentices during breakfast.
She only looked up now and again, to see that Kahlan was talking to her aunt. A strange feeling settled in her gut, but she wasn’t quite sure what it meant. The look Caterina shot her was unsettling, but she had no idea what she’d done to deserve it.
Breakfast went by pretty quickly after that, and the mandatory training in the morning was next.
Most apprentices got together in teams of two, for sparring. To train and practice was crucial for every assassin. Sometimes it was simply wiser to avoid a fight, but sometimes there was no other way but to defend yourself and kill.
Kahlan had found a nice shady spot on a marble bench, underneath a large tree.
The inner courtyard of the headquarters served as training ground. It was nearly impossible to see what was happening in the courtyard from the outside. Even from above, the view was obscured by trees and pillars.
Kahlan couldn’t participate in the training, because her ankle would only get worse if she tried. She needed to heal first. Even though she was itching to throw a few daggers or knock someone out.
Instead she sighed and looked around.
When she finally spotted Cara, she saw that the blonde seemed simply bored.
Usually Cara would spar with Kahlan, but due to her hindrance, she had to find someone else.
Nicolas, a pretty knew apprentice, was the only one left. So he had to face Cara, if he wanted it or not.
No weapons, they decided.
The blonde beckoned him to come closer and their short fight began.
Cara struck first. She hit his face and stomach in quick succession.
By the time Nicolas finally realized that he should fight back, Cara was already out of his reach.
He tried again, but again he failed to even touch her. Cara’s movements were graceful and controlled.
With a little twist she positioned herself behind him and with the side of her hand, struck his neck.
He crumbled to the ground.
“I think you’ve had too much wine last night” the blonde sighed.
It really was mean, even for Ezio, to have a little feast the night before and then force everyone report to training, the next morning.
Most of the apprentices were still tired and drunk. They made mistakes and laughed helplessly to mask them.
“We’ll do this again, when you’re sobered up” Cara said and stepped over Nicolas, to make her way across the training ground.
Mugs, half-filled with water, were waiting for the apprentices on a table. Ezio and Caterina were also standing nearby, watching the training.
Cara grabbed two mugs and joined Kahlan on her bench.
She could almost feel the stare Caterina was giving her, so she turned away and focused sea-green eyes on the brunette.
“I know what you’re going to say. So please, start apologizing while I’m not listening.”
Kahlan opened her mouth, closed it again, opened it, and closed it a final time.
Cara handed Kahlan a mug, smirking. The blonde didn’t want, or need, any apologies for what’d happened. She would be the last one to admit that she’d enjoyed Kahlan’s body next to hers, but she still didn’t want the brunette to apologize.
After a few moments, Kahlan had made up her mind. She lifted her gaze to Cara, ready to speak, when the blonde raised a hand, stopping her.
Cara reached out, her fingertips gently stroking the brunette’s cheek. And then cupping it a heartbeat later, she leaned forward to gently brush her lips across Kahlan’s.
Humming into the kiss, Cara closed her eyes, while Kahlan’s were opened wide in shock.
Cara drew back, smirk firmly in place. “I think we’re even now” she murmured. “You won’t apologize and I won’t either. I didn’t plan on it anyway, so you don’t have to. I think that’s fair.”
No one was paying any mind to them, so Cara doubted that the other apprentices had seen their kiss.
They were so self-absorbed, that they wouldn’t have noticed a Borgia attack.
Only Caterina was probably watching them, but if Cara was going to get a tongue-lashing from her, she wanted it for something she’d really done.
“By the way, you’re always welcome in my bed” Cara added, slowly getting up. She gulped down her water and turned around, to do at least a few exercises with her hidden blade.
...
Chapter 8 - Unexpected
Kahlan was only staring after her friend. Blood was pounding loudly in her ears. Her lips still tingled from the kiss. A strange, wet, feeling was spreading across her lap and when she looked down she saw that her mug was happily rolling away from her, on the ground.
Her fingers were still curled around the non-existing water mug.
She sighed. It was warm enough, her pants would dry. So she decided to stay put, and think about Cara’s impossible soft lips.
Her features softened, a small smile pulling the corners of her mouth upwards. She’d kissed others before - but it had never felt that good.
The leaves above her head rustled quietly, and she leaned back, just enjoying the day.
A small stone hit her on the shoulder and Kahlan looked around, trying to figure out where it had come from.
The mischievous smile on her aunt’s lips told her that, it had been Caterina who was throwing stones at unsuspecting apprentices.
Kahlan raised an eyebrow, skeptically regarding her aunt. Caterina only laughed, obviously pleased with herself.
“I can’t believe she’s a mother of three children…” Kahlan murmured.
Suddenly, a pretty beaten apprentice plopped down next to her, and she had to focus on him. He seemed to have troubles staying conscious. An ugly, bleeding cut could be seen on his forehead.
Kahlan took the cloth he was holding and begun dabbing his wound. “You should go see the doctor around the corner…” she said, looking at the cut as it began to swell. “Now” she added.
He nodded and staggered towards the door.
“Poor guy” Kahlan mumbled, shaking her head.
She wanted to practice too. Improving her skills and working off some steam were crucial for her.
But now that she couldn’t, she decided to take a little trip to the thermal baths.
And she was going to ask Cara to join her…
As if she’d read the brunette’s mind, Cara turned around. “Walk with me, sorella” she called.
Cara was bored anyway, there was no competition here, no one, but Kahlan could keep up with her.
It was also important that Kahlan used her ankle. It wasn’t hurting much because of the ointments she’d been using, but she also needed to put some weight on it.
Kahlan rose and followed Cara.
They left the training ground, to stroll through the busy streets of Rome.
“It seems like it does you good that Caterina is here” Cara said, looking at her brunette friend. Kahlan seemed to feel better with every passing hour. Within a few days she should be able to go on assignments and fight, the way she did before.
Kahlan nodded, smiling. To have family around made her happy.
Glancing at Cara’s partially hidden face, she wondered if the blonde missed her own family from time to time.
Unbeknownst to Kahlan, Cara had similar thoughts. She was glad that her father, mother and brother had crossed to the other side. A dark secret connected her family to Cesare and Ezio, and she would rather take it to the grave with her, than let it be revealed.
While Kahlan stopped to chat with a few townspeople, Cara bought a couple of useful items in several shops.
Even though she was constantly talking to the people, the brunette apprentice still hadn’t figured out, how much the townsfolk knew. There surely were rumors about, what was happening behind the walls of the Brotherhood’s headquarters. But no one could say for sure, what was going on.
The people weren’t complaining though, they were glad that the control, the Borgia had had over this district, was broken. They knew that, they could consider themselves lucky and so the headquarters remained untouchable.
After walking the streets for a while, Kahlan suggested that they should get out of the centro, to ride along the outskirts of town.
They both saddled a horse - horses always stood ready for the Brotherhood in different locations all over town - and rode out.
It was a beautiful day. Cara on her brown mare and Kahlan on a white stallion, made quite an intriguing sight.
“Now that we’re close to the thermal baths anyway, we could just as well pay little visit, don’t you think?” Kahlan asked with a mischievous little smile.
Cara sighed. She wasn’t too fond of the thermal baths, at least not when they were overrun with people, but at this time of the day, they should be fairly empty.
She agreed with a curt nod, and the two apprentices made their way to the famous thermal baths.
They left their horses near the arches of the entrance and walked through winding corridors. Some of the baths were al fresco, where others were roofed.
There was certainly an advantage to belonging to the Brotherhood, because there were always a few baths kept free for them.
It was very much possible that Kahlan and Cara would be the only ones there, at this time of the day.
Even though it was a rather warm day, one always felt more relaxed and calm after a bath. Kahlan told a closemouthed Cara that and smiled.
“Not that it would be necessary for you to be even calmer, than you are now” the brunette added, grinning. “In your case, calmer would probably mean that your heart stopped beating” she said, quietly laughing. And it was true. Cara was usually silent and solitary. There were only very few things that, could make her lose her temper.
Cara only raised an eyebrow, replying nothing, but in her head she was already planning out a payback for her brunette friend.
No one made fun of her, without paying for it. Not even Kahlan.
Oblivious to Cara’s revenge plans, Kahlan strolled over to an al fresco bath and knelt down. She dipped her hand into the water and sighed. “Wonderful.”
It was a matter of moments, and Kahlan had gotten rid of her cloak, vest and pants, so that she was only clad in a long white linen shirt. There was no way she would bathe naked - one never knew who spied on them while relaxing.
The bath itself was surrounded by four walls, only one having an entrance. The walls were not high, and everyone who was determined enough could easily climb them.
But Kahlan didn’t care. She slid into the water, groaning with satisfaction.
“People say that the thermal baths have medicinal properties” Kahlan explained, sinking further down until the water came up to her chin.
“Maybe they’ll heal my reticence” Cara deadpanned, while she undressed as well.
It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the blonde that Kahlan had a fantastic body. Curves and muscles in just the right places. Not that she cared. She just acknowledged.
But there was also still the issue of her revenge.
Cara took a step backwards and, with unexpected speed, ran forward and jumped into the bath. Water splashed everywhere, completely drenching Kahlan.
The brunette sputtered, trying to wipe water out of her eyes. “What was that for?!” Icy-blue eyes were glaring at Cara, who was now settling down next to Kahlan. The blonde laughed heartily, as she leaned her back against the warm tiles of the bath.
“You’ll have to practice your evil eye” the Cara said, grinning. She lifted the fingertips of her right hand and gently tapped them on the corners of Kahlan’s mouth. “Your smile is far too beautiful, to hide it behind anger, anyway.”
Kahlan blinked a few times, surprised by the sudden gentleness of Cara’s touch and voice.
The blonde dropped her hand and leaned back, her arms stretched out on the edge of the bath.
Kahlan wanted to say something. She felt like that was an important moment.
She reached for Cara’s hand, gently trailing her fingertips across the wet and smooth forearm. Cara turned her head, looking right into blue eyes. They stared at each other for long moments. If Kahlan could only put into words, what she was feeling deep inside of her heart, she could… splash!
As she was about to speak, a man crashed face first, into the bath. Water splashed and immediately turned red.
Kahlan crawled backwards out of the basin, her eyes wide.
A dagger and an arrow were sticking out of the dead body’s back.
As fast as she could, Kahlan scooted over to her pile of clothes and grabbed a hold of her daggers.
She was ready for a fight, tensed to kill, but nothing happened. No one was screaming - everything was perfectly still.
Cara was, just always, taking this rather calmly. She pushed the reddened water away and then slowly climbed out of the bath.
Dripping wet and with daggers in hand Kahlan inched closer to the man now floating around in the water. She knelt on the edge of the bath and plucked on his clothes so that he would float her way.
“A dagger and arrow? Isn’t that a little too much?” she asked, looking over her shoulder to Cara, who was making sure that they weren’t attacked from any other direction.
Breathing in deeply, Kahlan grabbed the man’s dark hair and pulled his head upwards so that they could see his face. He was obviously dead.
“I don’t know him” Kahlan stated. Cara had come closer and was now looking down at the man’s face as well. A terrified expression crossed her features, but she schooled her face back into an emotionless mask. She knew this man, alright. Cara wiped her hand across her forehead to avoid Kahlan’s gaze.
“Don’t know him either” she lied, turning away from the scene.
She couldn’t have been found out. It was impossible. Cara grabbed her clothes, and dressed hastily.
She pulled her hood into place and looked around once more. How could it be possible that anyone knew of her past? Not even Ezio had the slightest idea.
Cara tossed Kahlan’s clothes over to the brunette and dragged her out of the area. “Let’s go” she only said, a half-dressed Kahlan tagging behind.
It was too dangerous for them. Borgia guards could be there soon, and Cara just wanted to get away. Her heart was racing uncomfortably and she worried about Kahlan’s safety.
Kahlan dressed as quickly as she could while hurrying after Cara. She had no idea what had gotten into her blonde friend, but at the look she saw in those green eyes, she didn’t ask.
They made their way back to the horses and Kahlan stared at Cara.
The blonde turned around, and seeing Kahlan’s angry gaze, lowered her eyes to the ground. “Don’t look at me like that” she mumbled. It was really hard to hold everything in, under that penetrating stare. Sometimes Kahlan managed to make people confess their darkest secrets, only by staring at them.
“Talk to me Cara” Kahlan then pleaded.
“I can’t” was the only reply she got.
To Be Continued
Chapters 9-13