A/N: When I first wrote this story it was meant to be a one shot but I never discarded the possibility of turning it into a second shot if people were to like it. Truth be told I had never expected such a great feedback. I know that Lots' fics don't get many reviewers in general and I put my finger on it I wouldn't be the exception and much less with a one shot and as short as it was. Yet I was dumbfounded by such a great comeback. You guys gave me an incredible welcome to the family and so I decided to spoil you by giving you a second shot ;) It can turn into a three shot if you want it too or it can end like that as well. So let me know what I should do =)
Enjoy!
`There's a lake just behind those bushes' Richard had said and so Kahlan had blindly followed, no further questions asked.
The Mother Confessor trusted her mate like no one else in this world but it was times such as this that she wondered just how much truth did the Seeker actually possess. He had sent her on a 30m walk through the lush forest and she still hadn't found his precious lake.
Kahlan used her hand to wipe out the prickling drops of sweat that were beginning to form in her forehead and continued walking. She was lost deep in thought when she tripped with a protruding rock on the ground and toppled forward, landing face-first on the mud.
'Argh!' Kahlan growled in frustration, her face covered in dirt.
The brunette heard a mocking snort a few metres away from her and raised her eyes to meet a very naked Mord-Sith submerged half waist down on the famous lake.
'Who would have thought so?' Came Cara's teasing tone 'The Mother Confessor sneaking on naked women' The Mord-Sith smug and delighted at the sight of Kahlan's cheeks firing red.
The blonde watched in amusement how Kahlan tried to get on her feet again but stumbled a couple of times in the process. By the time the brunette did manage to stand again Cara was bent forward, laughing her life out.
'I was not sneaking up on you, Cara' Came Kahlan's dry response as she tried to brush off the mud from her white dress with her hands 'I just happened to trip with that rock over there while I was looking for the lake and Richard he..'
'Confessor' Cara interrupted her, barely able to hide her wide grin 'Why don't you stop that incessant babbling and come join me here?'
Kahlan's jaw dropped at the direct proposal at the same time her cheeks flushed again. She averted her gaze from the Mord-Sith in utter shame and instead stared at the ground below.
'Oh, come on woman' Cara mocked again, pretty much enjoying seeing the Mother Confessor embarrassed like that 'You said you were coming to the lake, so I see no reason why you should stay there' She answered matter of factly 'And certainly not like that' At the mention of her current state Kahlan shot daggers at the blonde and turned her back on her, unlacing the front of her dress with much skill.
'You're right' She said from over her shoulder and she realized the Mord-Sith was staring at her as she undressed.
'Your modesty insults me, Kahlan' Cara's mocking tone was replaced by a serious one.
The brunette couldn't help but to glance back over her shoulder again. If she didn't know better she'd say she had hurt Cara's feelings. But hurt her with what? Her modesty?.
When Kahlan finished undressing and turned on her heels to face the lake, she found Cara laying her back against a rock, eyes closed and a look of perfect harmony displaying on her stoic features.
The brunette stepped into the lake with a probing foot first and then submerged herself completely underwater, emerging a second later with her jet black hair drenched and glued to her naked form. She then swam to where Cara was resting and mirrored her pose against some rocks.
'You look like an angel like that' The brunette said in a mere whisper.
Cara opened her eyes and turned to look at the Mother Confessor, laying contently right beside her. She raised a brow in skepticism and snorted her obvious displeasure.
'An angel?' She asked as if insulted 'Please' Cara scoffed and grabbed Kahlan by the shoulders to lead her away from the rocks 'Here, I'll do your hair'
Kahlan smiled inwardly. She knew Cara more than the Mord-Sith knew herself.
'See?' She asked with a sweet tone 'You are an angel, Cara. I know that' Kahlan sighed in contentment when she felt the blonde's hands rake through her wet locks.
'I wouldn't bet on it, Confessor' Cara's tone became serious and lacking of emotion 'I'd rather say I'm the Devil'
Kahlan chuckled at the seriousness in Cara's statement but when the Mord-Sith didn't respond or made any sound to acknowledge her a strange feeling crept up her spine. Something was not right. Actually, something was quite wrong.
'Cara, what's wro..' She was cut off abruptly when water filled her mouth, making her choke underwater.
Kahlan swallowed an incredible amount of water when she was pushed down by a tremendous force. She desperately tried to stand but found it impossible when a pair of strong hands forced her to remain where she was. Kahlan began to struggle when she realized she had no air left in her lungs. Her heart began hammering in her chest as she pushed and fought her way to the surface but it wasn't enough. She was helpless trying to beat the furious force that was keeping her underwater. Kahlan couldn't bear it anymore, the air.. She needed to breathe at all cost. She dig her nails in those bestial arms and screamed beneath the surface in her last attempt at freeing herself.
But she failed.
Her limbs lost all their strength and Kahlan felt her heart give its last weak beats as she stared at her murderer looking back at her from across a transparent layer of water. Her sight had become blurry and the small waves that had formed in the water weren't helping but as her eyelids began to close Kahlan caught sight of short blonde hair and a demoniac smug.
Cara.
Kahlan took a sharp intake of breath as she jumped from her bedroll and began to gasp for air. Her hands quickly made their way to her throat and heart which was pounding frantically in her chest.
She felt Richard's hands on her face, trying to draw her attention to him but failing miserably.
Kahlan was breathing yet she felt that the air wasn't reaching her lungs. She was still gasping and hyperventilating when her eyes met crimson red leather right behind where Richard was crouching.
It was her, Cara.
Her widely opened eyes locked with the blonde's for the longest of seconds.
Cara must have understood what had transpired some moments ago because she drily asked Richard and Zedd to leave the two of them alone.
The Seeker mumbled her protests but decided not to utter another word when the Mord-Sith gave him a murdering look. He then left with Zedd for a walk, leaving the two women alone.
When they left, Cara walked over to Kahlan's bedroll and stopped an arm's reach from her, not too close so as to startle her but not too far in case Kahlan had another sudden breathing attack.
'It was another nightmare' Kahlan whispered barely audible, yet Cara heard her perfectly well. She had guessed what it was when she first heard Kahlan whimper in her dream. Cara had thought of waking her up but Richard had reached her first. Though by the time he did she was already gasping for air as if holding on dear life.
'I thought so' The Mord-Sith answered simply.
Kahlan raised her eyes from the ground to look at the woman standing in front of her.
'I keep having these awful dreams, Cara' Kahlan's voice cracked with emotion as she let her head drop once more.
The next thing she knew she was being held by a protective Mord-Sith and cradled tenderly against her red-clad leathers.
This kind gesture was more than what Kahlan could bare at that moment and she broke down, allowing a stream of tears to pour down her cheeks freely. She sobbed in the crook of the blonde's neck until she had no more tears to shed.
Cara waited patiently until she had unleashed all her anguish, stroking her hair and rocking her frail body back and forth in a soothing manner.
The Mord-Sith didn't utter a word yet Kahlan couldn't have asked for more. In Cara's embrace she felt safe.
It was dusk when the Seeker and his grandfather returned to camp, both looking wary and with clear signs of having had an intense argument. They found the women exactly in the same spot where they had left them but for a small difference, Kahlan wasn't awake anymore and Cara was almost glued to her sleeping form, looking up at them with a cold stare as if daring them to take a step closer to the Mother Confessor.
'She's asleep yet?' Richard acknowledged from across the fire pit. He didn't dare to come any closer to them, possibly afraid of the Mord-Sith lunching at him savagely.
Zedd, on the other hand, did walk over to them, paying no attention to the blonde's killing glances as he got nearer to the sleeping brunette. He then kneeled before the pair and examined Kahlan with apprehensive eyes.
'She has trouble sleeping' Cara granted and the Wizard regarded her with a warm smile.
'I've noticed' He said a moment later almost inwardly 'But from what I've seen her dreams are not normal' Cara's sharp eyes shot back to him.
'What does that mean, Wizard?' She asked drily, placing a hand on Kahlan's shoulder absent-mindly.
Zedd looked at her with a frown. He clearly was having trouble figuring something out.
'It means that Kahlan might be a victim of powerful sorcery' He said with a defeated tone which made Cara straighten up a little in her place 'She is having dreams so vivid that they seem real, they feel real yet they are not'
Cara's brows knitted together in confusion. She was having a hard time discovering where the true problem laid.
'And what's the fuss with vivid dreams?' She asked irritated. It was clear that Zedd's riddles had sent her over the edge already.
'Well, my Dear. If Kahlan's dreams are so vivid that they look and feel real it might come a time where she will not be able to distinguish the reality from the dream. And if this were to happen, she might lose herself in a world that does not exist.. And from that place there is no return'
When realization hit her, Cara's eyes shot to Kahlan's sleeping form laying next to her on the ground. She had a hand on her shoulder that she didn't remember putting there and was about to shake her awake when Zedd stopped her.
'No, Cara' He said, drawing her full attention back to him as well as her anger 'Never heard that is not ok to awake sleepwalkers?' Cara's face turned red in pure anger.
'Kahlan is not a sleepwalker!' She spat, getting only inches away from the Wizard's face.
'I know she isn't, child. But it works the same for her' Both Zedd and Cara's eyes went back to Kahlan's frail form on the ground. They remaint silent for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath intake 'You cannot wake her up because you'll cause her severe damage. She has to face her nightmares and beat them by realizing it's just a dream. That's the only way we can beat this powerful sorcerer'
'And what if she can't beat her?' Richard asked from across the fire, his voice betraying his calm stance.
Zedd turned over his shoulder to look straight into his grandchild's worried eyes.
'Then she'll get trapped forever in her dreams, jumping from one nightmare to the other until one of them finally kills her'
To be continued? You tell me guys ;)
