Fic: Privacy, a Series of Scenes
Title: Privacy, A Series of Scenes
Author: AngelicSinner / VixenRaign
Pairing: Kahlan/Cara (pre-slash for now), Richard/Kahlan, Dahlia
Rating: G - R (G for now, maybe R later)
Warnings: Contains Femslash, and my rampant reinterpretation of how things may have gone after the end of Season 2.
Disclaimer: I do not own “Legend of the Seeker”, not do I even own copies of the “Sword of Truth” book series. They belong to Terry Goodkind, ABC and Disney TV. I make no profit, nor would I like to. This is all in good fun.
Author’s Note: I’ve always been fascinated by people, the way they are when they are alone with just one other person; who they allow themselves to be in the company of a trusted friend. The secret parts of themselves they reveal to just one, the way that brings them closer and allows them to understand each other in ways others could not…
Summery: Post “Tears”/Season 2. Life is complicated. So are people. And to quote a great comic book, “The thing about changing the world? Once you do it, the world’s all different.”
(Time-Line can be found here: angelicsinner.livejournal.com/9250.html )
Takes place after “Baby Steps"
Bed Times
Scene Summery: Understanding and communication are far more important than talking. Cara and Lilly know this. Kahlan will learn.
When Lilly was nearing the last season of her third year, and still could not talk, Kahlan was becoming concerned. Cara was not, however, saying the child merely made due. The truth was, Lilly could communicate, but not in any way that people besides Cara and herself could understand. And Cara was still much better at it than Kahlan was. Whatever it was she spoke, it was not so much a language as verbalizations set to gestures and facial expressions. One only ever learned to understand it through a great deal of exposure and time.
There were a few ‘words’ however; Ahba was Lilly’s name for Cara, Ehma for her mother, Nuck for her stuffed cow, Bernice, and the words for yes and no: Dah and Lo, respectively. Somehow, despite her language not being a language at all, Cara and Lilly managed to have whole conversations. Whenever Kahlan caught them ‘speaking’ to one another, she would watch in hopes of understanding something new. As Kahlan went to say goodnight to Lilly and tuck her into bed, she paused in the darkened door to her daughter’s connecting room and watched as Cara was putting the child to bed herself.
“Now go to sleep, Sparrow,” Cara told her in her no-nonsense voice, “And don’t wake your mom up so early tomorrow? She’s a big girl, she needs more sleep than you do.” Kahlan tried to hold in a smile at this logic.
Lilly sat up in bed, a serious look on her face; her eyebrows scrunched together and lips slightly pouted. She plied together a string of syllables that, judging by the inflection, was a question-- the specifics of which were lost on Kahlan. Cara sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed next to where Lilly’s little legs were under the covers.
“Sparrow, you know I’m no good at stories. You and your mother both hate my stories. They give you nightmares, remember?” Lilly’s expression was unchanged. “I’ll get your mother, she’s good at stories.” She offered. The child’s face changed only for her to somehow take on a look of mild inpatients. Cara sighed and wiped at her face with her hand. “Fine.” She sounded so resigned. Lilly just crossed her legs and scooted closer to her Ahba. “What story do you want to hear-I’m not making one up this time, those ones always scare you.”
Whatever Lilly requested, she was very sure of what she wanted. Kahlan was also fairly certain she heard her name (or Lilly’s version of her name) mixed in there somewhere. Cara raised an eyebrow at the girl, face serious and jaw set. Lilly stared back, just as stubborn.
“Lillian, I’ve told you, you should pick a real story. And, one that I know too, please, because those never end well for you either.” Lilly folded her arms and sighed, once again looking inpatient. “Seriously?” Cara asked her, a little disbelieving. Lilly just nodded vigorously.
Now Kahlan was intrigued; she’d planned to stand and keep listening in an effort to make sure she could intervene should Cara’s abysmally age-inappropriate storytelling once again surfaced. The blonde seemed uncomfortable; she pulled her hair from its loose braid and shook it out with her fingers, removed her red leather vest and her sheathed daggers with their weapons belt and gently tossed them all onto Lilly’s little play table not far away.
“A long time ago, before you were born, while traveling in search of the Stone of Tears, your mother, father and I had many adventures,” Cara said all this as though it was practiced, as though she’d said it a number of times before. Lilly piped up suddenly and Cara rolled her eyes. “Yes, and Zedd too.” Cara fidgeted before taking a breath to continue on. “Your father, the Lord Rhal, Seeker of Truth, and defender of… baby ducks,” She added as though she could not think of something else to add, “was a hero who was known throughout the land for his desire to help those who did not know how to help themselves. Your mother, already the Mother Confessor of all of the Midlands, was often the only voice that could keep your father from being distracted by every small child or creature in distress, but she too was soft-hearted and often refused to be told that she could not help those that needed her.”
Lilly took a moment to add her opinion on this story so far, which caused Cara’s lips to purse. It was clear she knew that her Ahba was resisting the story she’d actually wanted to hear.
“Fine.” Cara grumbled. With a huff and a deep breath, she moved on. “The terrible Darken Rahl had burned down the sacred forest of the Night’Wisp, and had saved only one. He did this not to protect the Night’Wisp but to protect his own as-” Cara stopped so suddenly, Lilly tilted her head. “asinine plan to escape the clutches of the Keeper.” Lilly interrupted, obviously confused. “It means dumb, stupid, silly.” Lilly nodded. Kahlan shook her head, amused.
“Your father left with Darken Rahl while your mother and I went to deliver the last Night’Wisp to a special place in the next forest where it could… raise its family.” Cara seemed to doubt her word-choice, but shrugged and continued on. “As it got dark and we got closer to the special grotto of the Night’Wisp, the forest between us and our destination was filled with Gars. We had to be very quiet, but the Night’Wisp needed constant conversation to stay alive. Eventually, your mother and I had to split up so that all of us could be safe. Your mother ran one way to distract the Gars, and gave me the Night’Wisp so that I could get it to safety. When I found her again the next morning she’d been hurt while trying to escape.”
Lilly pulled her blanket up over the bottom of her face until it was just below her nose. In a trembling voice she asked Cara something, too muffled by the sheet for Kahlan to make out. Cara shook her head and moved so she was seated next to Lilly, putting her arm around her in comfort.
“Of course not! Don’t be silly.” Cara chided, smiling, almost smirking. “You’re mother is too smart to get hurt by Gars. Besides, she is far too tough for them. She can be clumsy sometimes, however. She only fell was all. Everyone falls down sometimes.” Cara pulled the sheet down from Lilly’s face to show that Lilly was smiling again. “It was dark, and she was watching the sky so carefully for the Gars… she probably just tripped over a root or something.” The blonde reassured, giving the child a gentle squeeze. Lilly nodded accepting this logic. “You are not scared, are you?” she asked. Lilly shook her head. “Do you promise?” Lilly just smiled. “Good. Because nothing can hurt you with your mother and I here- you know that, yes?” The child nodded. Cara nodded, and began again.
“So with the last Night’Wisp in so much danger, and so sick, we had too little time to get her to the grotto to wait for your mother. So I took the Night’Wisp in my hand, and kept her safe, talking to her the whole way there.” Lilly asked her a question. “What did I talk to her about? …Well, she asked me a lot of questions. Like how much I cared about your father and mother and Zedd. I didn’t want to talk about it to a stranger, but the Night’Wisp are really very curious creatures; she kept asking, so I told her.” Lilly asked another question. “Well, I told the Night’Wisp that I cared very much for my family. And I do, you are all of my world, you know?” Cara asked, kissing the top of Lilly’s head. The little girl smiled up at her, happy.
“The Night’Wisp only just made it to the grotto.” Cara finished soothingly, “But she had many, gorgeous little children. All of them beautiful, bright and blue like you and your mother’s eyes.” Something about this made Kahlan sigh, leaning her head against the doorway as she watched. Cara leaned her cheek against the top of Lilly’s head, speaking quietly to her. “And her children had children, and they have had children, and someday you will get to meet them all. Every single one. Your mother and I will take you there someday, Sparrow, when you are older. They will want to meet you, the Littlest Confessor.” She whispered, smiling. Lilly turned, so she was nestled into Cara’s side, her eyes closing to go to sleep.
Cara just chuckled at how sneaky such a young child could be. Lilly did not like to sleep alone, often making excuses to sleep in one of their beds. They were trying to teach her to sleep in her own bed, in her own room. Now she was coming up with ways to try and get them to sleep in there with her if she could not sleep in their rooms with them. Cara stood up, much to Lilly’s disappointment, and tucked her back under her blankets. Leaning down, she presented her cheek to the little girl, who kissed it, before Cara kissed her tiny forehead goodnight. Opening the curtains at the window by her bed, letting in the moonlight so that she would have enough light not to be scared, Cara dimmed the lamp next to Lilly’s bed until the tiny flame flitted out.
For long moments the Mord’Sith stood by the bed, just watching the little girl as she settled down to sleep. She remained even after Lilly’s breaths became slow and long, her limbs heavy with sleep. Kahlan slowly walked up behind her, knowing that Cara must have known she was there.
“Thank you for not swearing this time.” The Mother Confessor whispered, a smile detectable in her voice, though Cara could not see it. “And for not telling her another story about Banelings.” Cara shook her head before glancing over her shoulder at her companion.
“After last time?” Cara muttered. “Please, spending two weeks sleeping in her tiny chair by her bed at night? I’m actually a very quick study, contrary to what you may believe.” Kahlan suppressed a laugh.
Wordlessly, they both moved to return to the small office area just inside the Mother Confessors adjoining rooms, closing the door behind them. Kahlan sank heavily into the chair at her study’s table, releasing a tired sigh. Cara moved to the hearth, stoking the logs back into life before straightening up again. “Drink?” the blonde asked, hands already reaching for the bottle of spirits on the mantle. The Confessor shook her head.
“No, I should reread a proposal before it is presented fully to the public and the Counsel tomorrow morning. The wording of it is like a briar’s bush, on purpose!” Kahlan huffed, “Playing on the hopes that both the people and Counsel members value their time too much to properly dissect the requests? A desperate move, but sadly it may work.”
“Tea, then?” Cara asked. Kahlan just nodded.
Kahlan closed her eyes but could hear the squeak from the hinge as Cara moved the small kettle and arm over the fire. She hadn’t realized she had dozed off until, what she’d thought was seconds later, Cara was pressing a cup of dark, strong tea into her palm. Forcing her eyes wider and shaking her head, Kahlan brought the cup to her lips to sip. The strong better taste of the tea didn’t completely hide the strong, bitter taste of the spirits Cara had added to her drink as well. Smirking at Cara behind her cup, she saw Cara smirking right back.
“Thank you,” Kahlan rasped, both from her tiredness and the burning in her throat. Cara inclined her head the slightest bit before sipping from her own cup. The blonde leaned back against the edge of the wide, stone hearth, savoring the peace and quiet, and her strong tea, relaxing for probably the first time since sunrise.
Kahlan shook her head, sat up further in her chair, and pulled a small pile of parchment closer. She sat, read, drank her tea, and silently Cara hovered out of the edge of vision. She didn’t make a sound, didn’t talk, expressed no desire to, her only movement to bring her cup to her lips every couple minutes until it was empty.
The Confessor could feel the tea’s lift wearing off and the spirits sinking in just as she was finishing reading the last page of the proposal. Restacking their pages neatly and laying it aside, she rose from her chair and held out her cup. As though already expecting such a request, Cara had the bottle of spirits already in hand and poured a small mouthful into the bottom of Kahlan’s cup, and then her own. They drank these down, silently, before replacing the cups and bottle back on the hearth. Kahlan moved towards her bed, and Cara towards the door.
“Goodnight, Mother Confessor.” She said, opening the door that would lead her through Lilly’s room and then further into her own, allowing Cara to check on the child one last time and collect her things before she too went to sleep.
Kahlan undressed, slipped between her sheets, and looked across the expanse of her wide and empty bed. Glancing across her room, she saw vacant chairs, lonely tables. These rooms of the Mother Confessor were not meant to be lived in alone. She thought of Cara down the hall, in the room meant for the personal maid to the Mother Confessor’s children. It was small, but warm, felt lived in despite Cara’s lack of personal belongings, and she wondered why her own rooms never felt so inviting.
~ AngelicSinner / VixenRaign
Author: AngelicSinner / VixenRaign
Pairing: Kahlan/Cara (pre-slash for now), Richard/Kahlan, Dahlia
Rating: G - R (G for now, maybe R later)
Warnings: Contains Femslash, and my rampant reinterpretation of how things may have gone after the end of Season 2.
Disclaimer: I do not own “Legend of the Seeker”, not do I even own copies of the “Sword of Truth” book series. They belong to Terry Goodkind, ABC and Disney TV. I make no profit, nor would I like to. This is all in good fun.
Author’s Note: I’ve always been fascinated by people, the way they are when they are alone with just one other person; who they allow themselves to be in the company of a trusted friend. The secret parts of themselves they reveal to just one, the way that brings them closer and allows them to understand each other in ways others could not…
Summery: Post “Tears”/Season 2. Life is complicated. So are people. And to quote a great comic book, “The thing about changing the world? Once you do it, the world’s all different.”
(Time-Line can be found here: angelicsinner.livejournal.com/9250.html )
Takes place after “Baby Steps"
Bed Times
Scene Summery: Understanding and communication are far more important than talking. Cara and Lilly know this. Kahlan will learn.
When Lilly was nearing the last season of her third year, and still could not talk, Kahlan was becoming concerned. Cara was not, however, saying the child merely made due. The truth was, Lilly could communicate, but not in any way that people besides Cara and herself could understand. And Cara was still much better at it than Kahlan was. Whatever it was she spoke, it was not so much a language as verbalizations set to gestures and facial expressions. One only ever learned to understand it through a great deal of exposure and time.
There were a few ‘words’ however; Ahba was Lilly’s name for Cara, Ehma for her mother, Nuck for her stuffed cow, Bernice, and the words for yes and no: Dah and Lo, respectively. Somehow, despite her language not being a language at all, Cara and Lilly managed to have whole conversations. Whenever Kahlan caught them ‘speaking’ to one another, she would watch in hopes of understanding something new. As Kahlan went to say goodnight to Lilly and tuck her into bed, she paused in the darkened door to her daughter’s connecting room and watched as Cara was putting the child to bed herself.
“Now go to sleep, Sparrow,” Cara told her in her no-nonsense voice, “And don’t wake your mom up so early tomorrow? She’s a big girl, she needs more sleep than you do.” Kahlan tried to hold in a smile at this logic.
Lilly sat up in bed, a serious look on her face; her eyebrows scrunched together and lips slightly pouted. She plied together a string of syllables that, judging by the inflection, was a question-- the specifics of which were lost on Kahlan. Cara sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed next to where Lilly’s little legs were under the covers.
“Sparrow, you know I’m no good at stories. You and your mother both hate my stories. They give you nightmares, remember?” Lilly’s expression was unchanged. “I’ll get your mother, she’s good at stories.” She offered. The child’s face changed only for her to somehow take on a look of mild inpatients. Cara sighed and wiped at her face with her hand. “Fine.” She sounded so resigned. Lilly just crossed her legs and scooted closer to her Ahba. “What story do you want to hear-I’m not making one up this time, those ones always scare you.”
Whatever Lilly requested, she was very sure of what she wanted. Kahlan was also fairly certain she heard her name (or Lilly’s version of her name) mixed in there somewhere. Cara raised an eyebrow at the girl, face serious and jaw set. Lilly stared back, just as stubborn.
“Lillian, I’ve told you, you should pick a real story. And, one that I know too, please, because those never end well for you either.” Lilly folded her arms and sighed, once again looking inpatient. “Seriously?” Cara asked her, a little disbelieving. Lilly just nodded vigorously.
Now Kahlan was intrigued; she’d planned to stand and keep listening in an effort to make sure she could intervene should Cara’s abysmally age-inappropriate storytelling once again surfaced. The blonde seemed uncomfortable; she pulled her hair from its loose braid and shook it out with her fingers, removed her red leather vest and her sheathed daggers with their weapons belt and gently tossed them all onto Lilly’s little play table not far away.
“A long time ago, before you were born, while traveling in search of the Stone of Tears, your mother, father and I had many adventures,” Cara said all this as though it was practiced, as though she’d said it a number of times before. Lilly piped up suddenly and Cara rolled her eyes. “Yes, and Zedd too.” Cara fidgeted before taking a breath to continue on. “Your father, the Lord Rhal, Seeker of Truth, and defender of… baby ducks,” She added as though she could not think of something else to add, “was a hero who was known throughout the land for his desire to help those who did not know how to help themselves. Your mother, already the Mother Confessor of all of the Midlands, was often the only voice that could keep your father from being distracted by every small child or creature in distress, but she too was soft-hearted and often refused to be told that she could not help those that needed her.”
Lilly took a moment to add her opinion on this story so far, which caused Cara’s lips to purse. It was clear she knew that her Ahba was resisting the story she’d actually wanted to hear.
“Fine.” Cara grumbled. With a huff and a deep breath, she moved on. “The terrible Darken Rahl had burned down the sacred forest of the Night’Wisp, and had saved only one. He did this not to protect the Night’Wisp but to protect his own as-” Cara stopped so suddenly, Lilly tilted her head. “asinine plan to escape the clutches of the Keeper.” Lilly interrupted, obviously confused. “It means dumb, stupid, silly.” Lilly nodded. Kahlan shook her head, amused.
“Your father left with Darken Rahl while your mother and I went to deliver the last Night’Wisp to a special place in the next forest where it could… raise its family.” Cara seemed to doubt her word-choice, but shrugged and continued on. “As it got dark and we got closer to the special grotto of the Night’Wisp, the forest between us and our destination was filled with Gars. We had to be very quiet, but the Night’Wisp needed constant conversation to stay alive. Eventually, your mother and I had to split up so that all of us could be safe. Your mother ran one way to distract the Gars, and gave me the Night’Wisp so that I could get it to safety. When I found her again the next morning she’d been hurt while trying to escape.”
Lilly pulled her blanket up over the bottom of her face until it was just below her nose. In a trembling voice she asked Cara something, too muffled by the sheet for Kahlan to make out. Cara shook her head and moved so she was seated next to Lilly, putting her arm around her in comfort.
“Of course not! Don’t be silly.” Cara chided, smiling, almost smirking. “You’re mother is too smart to get hurt by Gars. Besides, she is far too tough for them. She can be clumsy sometimes, however. She only fell was all. Everyone falls down sometimes.” Cara pulled the sheet down from Lilly’s face to show that Lilly was smiling again. “It was dark, and she was watching the sky so carefully for the Gars… she probably just tripped over a root or something.” The blonde reassured, giving the child a gentle squeeze. Lilly nodded accepting this logic. “You are not scared, are you?” she asked. Lilly shook her head. “Do you promise?” Lilly just smiled. “Good. Because nothing can hurt you with your mother and I here- you know that, yes?” The child nodded. Cara nodded, and began again.
“So with the last Night’Wisp in so much danger, and so sick, we had too little time to get her to the grotto to wait for your mother. So I took the Night’Wisp in my hand, and kept her safe, talking to her the whole way there.” Lilly asked her a question. “What did I talk to her about? …Well, she asked me a lot of questions. Like how much I cared about your father and mother and Zedd. I didn’t want to talk about it to a stranger, but the Night’Wisp are really very curious creatures; she kept asking, so I told her.” Lilly asked another question. “Well, I told the Night’Wisp that I cared very much for my family. And I do, you are all of my world, you know?” Cara asked, kissing the top of Lilly’s head. The little girl smiled up at her, happy.
“The Night’Wisp only just made it to the grotto.” Cara finished soothingly, “But she had many, gorgeous little children. All of them beautiful, bright and blue like you and your mother’s eyes.” Something about this made Kahlan sigh, leaning her head against the doorway as she watched. Cara leaned her cheek against the top of Lilly’s head, speaking quietly to her. “And her children had children, and they have had children, and someday you will get to meet them all. Every single one. Your mother and I will take you there someday, Sparrow, when you are older. They will want to meet you, the Littlest Confessor.” She whispered, smiling. Lilly turned, so she was nestled into Cara’s side, her eyes closing to go to sleep.
Cara just chuckled at how sneaky such a young child could be. Lilly did not like to sleep alone, often making excuses to sleep in one of their beds. They were trying to teach her to sleep in her own bed, in her own room. Now she was coming up with ways to try and get them to sleep in there with her if she could not sleep in their rooms with them. Cara stood up, much to Lilly’s disappointment, and tucked her back under her blankets. Leaning down, she presented her cheek to the little girl, who kissed it, before Cara kissed her tiny forehead goodnight. Opening the curtains at the window by her bed, letting in the moonlight so that she would have enough light not to be scared, Cara dimmed the lamp next to Lilly’s bed until the tiny flame flitted out.
For long moments the Mord’Sith stood by the bed, just watching the little girl as she settled down to sleep. She remained even after Lilly’s breaths became slow and long, her limbs heavy with sleep. Kahlan slowly walked up behind her, knowing that Cara must have known she was there.
“Thank you for not swearing this time.” The Mother Confessor whispered, a smile detectable in her voice, though Cara could not see it. “And for not telling her another story about Banelings.” Cara shook her head before glancing over her shoulder at her companion.
“After last time?” Cara muttered. “Please, spending two weeks sleeping in her tiny chair by her bed at night? I’m actually a very quick study, contrary to what you may believe.” Kahlan suppressed a laugh.
Wordlessly, they both moved to return to the small office area just inside the Mother Confessors adjoining rooms, closing the door behind them. Kahlan sank heavily into the chair at her study’s table, releasing a tired sigh. Cara moved to the hearth, stoking the logs back into life before straightening up again. “Drink?” the blonde asked, hands already reaching for the bottle of spirits on the mantle. The Confessor shook her head.
“No, I should reread a proposal before it is presented fully to the public and the Counsel tomorrow morning. The wording of it is like a briar’s bush, on purpose!” Kahlan huffed, “Playing on the hopes that both the people and Counsel members value their time too much to properly dissect the requests? A desperate move, but sadly it may work.”
“Tea, then?” Cara asked. Kahlan just nodded.
Kahlan closed her eyes but could hear the squeak from the hinge as Cara moved the small kettle and arm over the fire. She hadn’t realized she had dozed off until, what she’d thought was seconds later, Cara was pressing a cup of dark, strong tea into her palm. Forcing her eyes wider and shaking her head, Kahlan brought the cup to her lips to sip. The strong better taste of the tea didn’t completely hide the strong, bitter taste of the spirits Cara had added to her drink as well. Smirking at Cara behind her cup, she saw Cara smirking right back.
“Thank you,” Kahlan rasped, both from her tiredness and the burning in her throat. Cara inclined her head the slightest bit before sipping from her own cup. The blonde leaned back against the edge of the wide, stone hearth, savoring the peace and quiet, and her strong tea, relaxing for probably the first time since sunrise.
Kahlan shook her head, sat up further in her chair, and pulled a small pile of parchment closer. She sat, read, drank her tea, and silently Cara hovered out of the edge of vision. She didn’t make a sound, didn’t talk, expressed no desire to, her only movement to bring her cup to her lips every couple minutes until it was empty.
The Confessor could feel the tea’s lift wearing off and the spirits sinking in just as she was finishing reading the last page of the proposal. Restacking their pages neatly and laying it aside, she rose from her chair and held out her cup. As though already expecting such a request, Cara had the bottle of spirits already in hand and poured a small mouthful into the bottom of Kahlan’s cup, and then her own. They drank these down, silently, before replacing the cups and bottle back on the hearth. Kahlan moved towards her bed, and Cara towards the door.
“Goodnight, Mother Confessor.” She said, opening the door that would lead her through Lilly’s room and then further into her own, allowing Cara to check on the child one last time and collect her things before she too went to sleep.
Kahlan undressed, slipped between her sheets, and looked across the expanse of her wide and empty bed. Glancing across her room, she saw vacant chairs, lonely tables. These rooms of the Mother Confessor were not meant to be lived in alone. She thought of Cara down the hall, in the room meant for the personal maid to the Mother Confessor’s children. It was small, but warm, felt lived in despite Cara’s lack of personal belongings, and she wondered why her own rooms never felt so inviting.
~ AngelicSinner / VixenRaign