She rested the butt of the Winchester Repeater against her shoulder, repositioning it twice before it felt comfortable, closing one eye and looking along the barrel at the rabbit sitting quite the distance away from her, happily nibbling at the dried up grass, now and then lifting its head to look around.
Kahlan took a deep breath, aiming for a long time before she placed her finger on the trigger tensely and pulling.
The bullet whizzed through the air, missing the rabbit by two feet and making it jump up in a scare before racing off.
Before the brunette could reload however, another shot rang through the valley and she let out an annoyed sigh before sharply looking up at Cara as she stood there, revolver loosely fitting in her hand, a little stream of smoke coming from its mouth.
Cara smirked at the accusatory gaze upon her, holstering her gun and stepping out their hiding spot to retrieve the dead rabbit: "Thank god I didn't leave you alone, you can't even shoot properly."
Kahlan grumbled, jumping up and chasing after the vampire as she brushed the leaves and grass from her dress: "I'm still learning."
Cara glanced backwards: "That's what you said last time."
That got Kahlan's blood boiling even more: "If you would teach me, it would all go much faster!"
Cara laughed, spinning around to face Kahlan while she walked backwards and twirling her gun around her finger: "What would be the fun of that?"
~0~0~
Kahlan had to admit that the rabbit cooking above the fire was smelling delicious and although she was having a harder time than expected with adapting to this new life style away from comforts such as hot water, plenty of food and a comfy bed, the idea of filling her belly with a hot meal made all the worries die down for the time being.
Cara plumped down next to her, poking into the fire a few times before handing over the newly filled water skin and watching carefully as Kahlan took a big gulp, a few drops sliding to the tip of her chin and dropping on her dress.
Kahlan noticed and quickly withdrew the water skin from her mouth, running the back of her hand over her chin, catching the few stray drops, smiling lightly: "What?"
Cara just cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes a tad, plainly answering: "You drink a lot."
Kahlan chuckled, putting the cap on the water skin: "It was a hot day."
Cara shrugged: "I suppose it was," and she looked back at the rabbit cooking above the fire: "I think it is about done, are you hungry?"
As if on cue, Kahlan's stomach growled louder than she remembered it ever have and blushing furiously, she nodded her head as Cara let out a small laugh, taking the knife stuffed into her boot and chopping of the rabbit's leg and offering it to Kahlan who took it graciously before tearing into it like a starved animal.
Cara watched her enjoy her meal for a moment, trying to remember when or rather if she had ever found such pleasure in a meal.
She stopped herself before getting to far down memory lane and instead went about cleaning her rifle and checking her ammo supply to busy herself.
She did that and sharpened her knives and cleaned her boots before returning her attention on Kahlan and still the brunette was nibbling on rabbit meat.
Noticing the quirky look Cara was throwing her, she removed the piece from her mouth, feeling quite self-conscious under the scrutiny of those deep greenish eyes: "What?"
Cara took a moment to respond: "You eat a lot as well."
Kahlan good humouredly rolled her eyes: "Is this your way of calling me fat?"
Cara's brow dropped as she regarded her: "No, you just eat a lot."
Before Kahlan could form an answer a horse whining in the distance took demand of Cara's attention, her back tensing, her ears focusing in the direction from where the sound came, trying to pick it up again.
A light breeze seemed more successful in providing information: "Three horses, three riders," she looked at Kahlan for a moment: "Non human."
The sound of hooves on the dusty ground was like a rumbling storm rolling into her ear, she had little time to think out a decent plan, standing up and grabbing for her riffle before thrusting it into Kahlan's hand and pulling her up: "Pretend like you know how to use that," she said through gritted teeth, pushing her coat behind her own two revolvers sheathed in her belt: "And stay behind me."
She saw the fearful flicker in Kahlan's eyes but luckily she did not comment and did as she was told.
They came riding up as Cara turned around, three of them.
One was stout with broad shoulders and huge hands, his face mostly covered with black curly hair that made him almost look like a cuddly bear was it not for the ugly scar running from above his left eye over his nose under his right.
The second seemed a child next to the first, skinny and small, his face void of any hair with a beak for a nose and a pair of mouse eyes squinting at her; his crooked teeth were covered with rot and his lips coarse and split from the heat and one side was even covered in red angry boils.
The last one was the one Cara found most disconcerting because he had a normal look about him, one out of a dozen, unmemorable with his flat broad nose and thin lined lips, hollow cheeks covered by a small beard of graying hair; the rest of his face was hidden behind the edge of his hat which made a Cara even more uncomfortable.
That one spoke first, lifting his head out of the shadow, revealing equally unmemorable eyes of a brownish color: "Greetings, strangers, we did not mean to frighten you."
Cara gently placed one of her hands on a revolver, never blinking for fear they might try something when she did: "One is never too careful, you never know what or who might be lurking around these parts."
The unmemorable one chuckled lightly, clasping his hands on the top of the horn of his saddle: "You are entirely correct in the matter, little lady."
Cara gritted her teeth together, not knowing whether she should take the nickname as a slight: "What do you want?"
"We want food," the one with the beak nose hissed through his teeth and Cara felt Kahlan flinch behind her which she was quite sure the unmemorable one had seen.
"Then go hunt," Cara spat back, earning herself a growl from the bear who else remained stoic like a silent statue.
"It has been a long time since I have seen a vampire take the time to cook a meal before eating it," the unmemorable one said lightly but the meaning behind his words were grave and devastating.
Her hand tightened around her revolver and she dragged one foot slightly backwards, her muscles tensing in anticipation: "I have a skin filled with rabbit's blood-"
"We didn't come here for rabbit's blood!" the skinny one wheezed, his horse feeling his restlessness and rearing as he tried to keep control of the beast.
"It's that or nothing," Cara answered coldly, eyeing the intruders carefully.
"Giving us piss while she feasts," the skinny one spat as he got his horse under control, looking about ready to just attack and take what he wanted though he stayed put, waiting for permission.
Cara took the skin, her eyes never leaving the three men, and threw it at the unmemorable one who caught it easily at the neck.
"Take it and leave," Cara addressed the unmemorable one because he seemed the leader of this little posse, holding his gaze steadily.
After a far too long moment he tipped his hat and a smile that did not reach his eyes slipped on his lips: "You have been too kind," then he turned his horse and galloped away, the bear following him immediately but the skinny one looked down his beak nose at them, his eyes aflame with rage before he finally turned to follow as well.
Cara remained alert until their sounds had disappeared before she turned towards Kahlan who was still clutching the rifle in clammy white hands, fear written all over her features.
Cara repressed a sigh of annoyance, giving Kahlan's shoulder a good hard shake: "Pack your stuff and get the horse, we need to seek higher ground."
The brunette stumbled over her feet to comply: "I thought they left?"
Cara gathered her coat from the ground, dusting it off before putting it on: "For now but they'll be back with more," she explained, looking around their little camp for any objects she might've forgotten before stepping to Kahlan who was waiting by the horse with questioning eyes: "The wind worked in our favor, they couldn't smell whether I had fed off you or not."
"Shouldn't you?" Kahlan questioned, her eyes scrutinizing Cara as she checked the buckles of the saddle, placing a hand on the vampire's forearm.
Cara angrily shook the limb off immediately, glaring at the woman: "Don't say foolish things, that wouldn't help in this situation," Kahlan flinched back at the harsh tone and Cara took a deep breath to settle herself: "Just get on the horse, we ride with the wind and double back into the mountains, that'll throw them of our trail."
Kahlan found that the blonde hadn't finished quite so certain as she had started but it wasn't in her to question anything at the moment so when Cara sat behind her and urged the horse into a trot, she just grabbed hold of the edge of the saddle and prayed.
~0~0~
The sun was at its highest point in the sky, scorching the dry earth beneath their feet before Cara allowed for a break in the shade.
They had ridden all night and when dawn came decided to walk to spare the horse and ascended into the mountain, all the while the sun's warmth beating on their backs.
Kahlan slumped beneath a piece of overhanging rock, thankful for the small respite from the heat as she pulled off her boots to inspect her swollen feet which were covered by angry red boils, ready to pop.
Cara made sure the horse was watered, fed a little bit and had shade as well before turning her attention towards Kahlan who was still very much engrossed by her battered feet.
She squatted down next to Kahlan, offering the water skin which was eagerly accepted and nearly drained by the exhausted woman.
Realizing her selfishness too late, Kahlan tore the skin away from her mouth, a few stray drops falling to the scourging sand below: "I'm sorry," she panted: "You must be thirsty as well."
Cara watched her for a moment before accepting the water and taking a small sip, letting it slosh around her mouth before swallowing.
She then corked the skin shut and stuffed it away with the rest of their supplies which were far less than Cara would've liked them to be.
She took her revolver, cocking it open and counting the remaining bullets before flipping it shut and standing up: "I'm gonna hunt."
For the first time Kahlan looked away from her battered feet, staring incredulously at the vampire: "In this heat? Are you crazy?"
Cara cocked her head to the side, she wasn't used to someone disagreeing with her plans because there usually was no one to disagree with her, so she stood there a bit dumbfounded: "We need food."
Kahlan wiped the sweat from her brow: "We have food," she motioned at the cooked strips of rabbit meat that were wrapped somewhere in her pack.
"You have food," Cara countered tersely, clenching her teeth together as she locked eyes with the woman.
Kahlan straightened and said without blinking: "You have as well."
Cara instantly knew what those words meant and she would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it on numerous occasion because she loathed to admit that the temptations had been far greater to resist since travelling with Kahlan.
"You'll be too weak," Cara mumbled, turning around hoping this would be the end of it but unfortunately she had decided to pick up the most stubborn woman it seems.
"If you don't feed, you'll be too weak," Kahlan spoke in a stern, authoritative voice that seemed misplaced on one who used be a woman of the night who were beaten to submit, to be docile yet Kahlan filled such a voice to perfection: "And I would rather you be strong when those thugs come back which as you said, they will."
Cara rattled her mind for an excuse, for anything witty really yet as the seconds ticked by nothing seemed to come forth.
"Please," Kahlan eventually whispered, dragging Cara from her fruitless search: "I'll feel much safer knowing you are at full strength."
Cara sighed and turned away from Kahlan to inspect the surrounding wasteland, contemplating the possibilities of the situation.
She was fairly certain those vampires wouldn't chase them in this heat, she was barely able to tolerate it with all her layers on so they had at least a day on them but they travelled faster so if they did decide to pursue them it would only be a matter of time before they were caught.
If such a time came Kahlan was right, she would need all the strength she could get and that might not be enough.
She shook her head, hoping it would clear the fogginess, biting the inside of her cheek when it only made her more dizzy and with an irritated gruff she cursed the heat and Kahlan in a lesser degree too.
The woman was still very much focused on her, those blasted eyes piercing through her like ice picks, unnerving her far more than anything ever had.
Kahlan raised an eyebrow in question and Cara startled out of her, most likely far too long, silence, steeling herself: "I will hunt and try to find water, try and start a fire."
Kahlan sputtered at the absurdity of that, it was far too hot for a fire but she bit her tongue at the look Cara gave her and like a child scowled by a parent, she nodded grumpily and dutifully began to gather dry wood as soon as Cara had left.
~0~0~
She should have never taken Kahlan with her, what was she thinking; but if she hadn't taken Kahlan, she would probably be dead by now and it was nice to have a conversation partner… some of the time and she had turned out stronger than Cara had thought which intrigued her a little bit and the woman wasn't too hard on the eyes.
Cara rolled her eyes at where this train of thought was headed, stopping it immediately because going there would be a waste of energy, no matter how much she wanted to, it was too dangerous.
She paused in the shade of a dead tree, the wood cracked and weathered by the elements and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and focusing her ears on the world around her.
She heard the click of the gun just in time, stepping back as the bullet whizzed past her, a part of the tree splintering into a thousand pieces, leaving scratches all along her face and impairing the hearing in one ear.
They jumped out all at once and, with a face full of splinters and an incessant ringing in one ear, Cara could still make out that they are humans, not vampires, which means she could probably take most of them out and outrun the rest.
She readied herself, het muscles tensing, one hand on her gun, her eyes flitting over the creatures running at her with all sorts of inadequate weapons and a smirk formed on her face because they were really making it too easy for her.
Yet when her eyes caught something through the dust and heat, she hesitated and didn't see the massive man behind her wielding a sawed-off shotgun.