A/N: Thank you for the reviews, they're always appreciated :) Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it ;)
Chapter 14
"At the pace we're going we'll probably reach the Midlands in two days," a blonde Mord'Sith informed her leader after coming down from the small hill where she went to survey the land still ahead of them.
"Good, we'll make camp here for the night and tomorrow we'll continue," Garren nodded while scrutinizing her surroundings. "We have to catch up to them as soon as possible," She dismounted her horse, followed quickly by her Sisters.
"Who are they, exactly?" Gwen asked curiously, approaching Garren from behind with the reigns of her own horse firmly held in her closed fist.
"It appears that one of the brat's travelling companions is none other than the Mother Confessor," Garren informed Gwen over her shoulder, but frowned, doing a double take, when she saw the brunette's eyes go wide. "Afraid of the Mother Confessor, are you?" Garren taunted, taking pleasure at seeing Gwen swallow uncomfortably.
"I'm not afraid," Gwen said a little too quickly. "I just wasn't expecting her to be with the child." Her fist trembled slightly due to the force with which she was griping the reigns.
"Granted it'll make things a little harder," Garren admitted, turning to fully face Gwen. "But it'll also make them more interesting," she smirked. "You're not thinking about running away, are you?" the leader of the squad taunted, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Gwen's unsteady hand.
Gwen snorted. "No more than you are." Her lips twitched as a secret smile touched their corners briefly before it twisted further upwards into a malicious smirk. "I'm pretty sure I can deal with the Mother Confessor."
"You don't lack confidence," Garren chuckled. "But don't let your arrogance and pride cloud your vision," she warned wisely, turning to rummage through the saddle bag of her horse.
"I guess that's a tendency Mord'Sith have, right?"
Garren stopped her search through the saddle bag and turned back around to look closely at Gwen. Her eyes narrowed at the young Mord'Sith, but when Gwen smirked almost proudly Garren figured that the young woman, although very capable, still had a lot to learn about not underestimating the enemy.
"The stupid ones, yes," Garren reprimanded. "Now go help your Sisters set up camp," Garren ordered, watching Gwen nod her head curtly and lead her horse over to the other animals.
"This just keeps getting better and better," Gwen whispered to herself, a wicked grin on her lips.
"Richard dropped his flint and steel into the tinder of what was going to be their campfire, his hand automatically gripping the hilt of his sword as his head whipped around. Alys gave another shriek of delight and flung herself at Kahlan, hands outstretched to show the Confessor her completely healed palms. Zedd laughed as Alys nearly bowled Kahlan over by leaping into her arms when the Confessor kneeled down to examine her daughter's hands. The wizard tossed the used bottom layer of used bandages into Richard's fire pile and rolled up the rest. Smiling, Richard fished for his flint in the dry bark and began restacking the twigs. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Cara, standing quietly behind Kahlan, watching Kahlan kiss Alys palms with what looked like relief. The Mord'Sith looked completely intent upon the domestic scene yet Richard could tell a part of her mind was somewhere else, perhaps asking herself the same questions he had about her future, her role in the life of Kahlan's daughter."
The Seeker smirked as the Mord'Sith was jolted out of her reverie when Alys slipped out of Kahlan's arms and held up her palms for Cara to inspect. To Richard's surprise, the stoic Mord'Sith gently took hold of the child's hands to examine them and said something to Alys that made the blonde Confessor beam up at her. Alys hugged Cara around the waist, saying something that made the Mord'Sith chuckle and bend down slightly to place a quick peck on the top of the girl's head.
Richard frowned in surprise at this unexpected interaction between the blondes and pursed his lips worriedly. His thoughts kept going in a direction he didn't want them to, but his Seeker nature compelled him to puzzle pieces together. He stared at the still rocks in his hands, thinking about what he knew about Alys and the way the little girl interacted with them; especially Cara. Abstractly he heard Kahlan calling Alys to go with her take a bath, while Cara mumbled something about going hunting.
"You seem lost in thought, my boy?" Zedd said as he took a seat on a rock next to his grandson and started to assemble the utensils he would need to prepare dinner. "Anything I can help you with?" he asked helpfully.
"Actually, I think you can," Richard nodded. "Don't you find Alys' ability to heal so quickly strange?" he asked carefully.
"Not to mention her ability to deflect magic," Zedd readily completed his grandson's train of thought. "Hmmm," he agreed noncommittally, patiently observing his grandson fumbling fruitlessly with the flint while his forehead creased in deep thought, clearly the reflections of his inner struggle.
"Could it be possible that-" Richard trailed off. The theory forming on his mind was one that made his already wounded heart constrict even more with pain, but his Seeker nature kept pushing him to try and figure out something to explain Alys' unusual powers. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Could it be possible that she has Mord'Sith magic in her?" he glanced at Zedd almost afraid to hear the answer.
"In all my years of life, I have come to find that the things one thinks are impossible turn out to be very possible," Zedd mused, his eyes glazed over in deep thought. He continued to speak slowly, choosing his words with care. "I have never heard of it, but I wouldn't be as presumptuous as to claim that it is impossible." He paused, lacing his fingers together, and raised eyebrow at Richard. "But that's not exactly the question that's plaguing you, is it my boy?" he asked kindly, only to have Richard confirm his suspicion a moment later as the boy pursed his lips and looked away.
"Is it possible?" Richard exhaled and looked back at his grandfather. "Even with magic, is it possible for two women to have a child? It can't be, can it?"
"For a spell to allow two women to conceive a child, it would need to be cast by someone with an incredible powerful Han; not to mention the spell itself would have to be very complex. I have never heard of such a spell." Zedd noticed Richard opening his mouth to probably come up with another theory and quickly interrupted him. "Which doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he added gently, causing Richard to nod in understanding.
"I was hoping you could clarify that," Richard said in a small voice, his shoulders slumping as he stared sightlessly into the campfire pit. He blinked as his grandfather's long fingered hand, warm and reassuring, settled onto his shoulder drawing him back into the world. Reaching up with his own hand, he patted Zedd's thankfully. "I'll go see if I can find that root you claim makes your stew a food worth of the Creator herself," Richard smiled and got up to head into the forest.
"Don't mock my food, boy," Zedd scolded after him. "Go get that root and you'll see if doesn't make all the difference." He watched his grandson kick a small rock halfheartedly and worried about the disheartened stoop of the boy's shoulders. With a sigh, Zedd turned back around to light the mess Richard had made of the fire with a wave of his hand.
"Zedd, did you find anything new?" Kahlan asked hurriedly as she entered the library of the Wizard's Keep, startling Zedd who was hard at work looking through a sea of books.
"I'm afraid not, my dear," the old wizard sighed sadly while shaking his head. He was one of the oldest wizards alive and probably the wisest too; if anyone could find the answers they needed, it would be Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Wizard of the First Order. "How are the troops coming along?" he questioned, dividing his attention between the texts and the rightfully worried Confessor.
"They are receiving orders as we speak," Kahlan answered, pacing anxiously back and forth in front of Zedd's desk. "This war is so uncalled for," she huffed in frustration.
"All wars are uncalled for," Zedd said with a humorless chuckle, looking away from his books at last and focusing solely on Kahlan. "The ignorant and those that thirst for power are often significant catalysts for a war to start," he mused. "And you have the perfect combination of that with the Blood of the Fold and that manipulative and delusional wizard, Farkas."
Kahlan nodded in agreement.
"Mother Confessor!" Berdine exclaimed in surprise as she rounded a corner into the reading area; her arms stacked with books. "Is there anything you need?" she asked attentively.
"I need my family back," Kahlan exhaled brokenly, trusting that her present company would not judge her for this distraught outburst.
"We're searching these books meticulously, Mother Confessor," Berdine immediately reassured, as Kahlan expected her to. "If there's even the slightest clue about what will allow us to resolve the problem in any of these texts, you can be sure we'll find it," she promised with fervor, suiting her actions to her words by placing the books she was carrying on the desk and immediately picking one to read over.
"I know," Kahlan smiled gratefully at the loyal Mord'Sith. Her eyes slid over to the wall in thought and the lines of her face grew harsh. "Farkas will be judged by the Midlands' law for what he's trying to do to my people and especially for what he's doing to my family," the brunette vowed angrily to no one in particular.
"For that to happen, we have to find him first," Zedd once again lifted his eyes from the books and regarded the upset Confessor. "I already tried tracking his energy through time, but it led me nowhere. The Triangle of Anuyr is the only artifact that allows time travel and since Farkas has it, and he's not in our time, we have no way to find him. Nor may we travel in time ourselves to look for him ourselves," the wizard expounded. "If he does return to our time, however, we'll know; with the help of the other wizards, I casted a spell that encloses all of the Midlands, so if Farkas returns here I'll be immediately warned," Zedd reassured Kahlan, who nodded in understanding.
"I never thought I would see the Midlands at war with ourselves," Kahlan shook her head in disbelief. "The beliefs of the Blood of the Fold managed to affect more people than I thought. Now that we are at peace with D'Hara, we fight amongst ourselves; can't people live in peace?" she wondered aloud, walking towards the big desk and leaning tiredly on it with her hands.
"Some can, my dear. But others feed from war, greed, and hatred. And, unfortunately, such people exist in the Midlands too." Zedd reached out and patted her hand. "I trust you'll have the strength to fight them, Kahlan. And you do have help from D'Hara."
"The problem is that by the time the D'Haran army gets here we might already have been defeated," Kahlan said somberly. Her eyes met Zedd's in a silent acknowledgement of the truth.
"Mother Confessor, Lord Rahl is arriving at the gates," Raina announced as she entered the library. There was a new glimmer in her eyes, usually so playful and recently so bleak. They grew even brighter as she watched as the Confessor allow herself a small, relieved smile. "He arrived with only an escort of soldiers and Mord'Sith in order to get here faster for the initial negotiations, but I have information that the D'Haran army is only three days away from arriving here."
"Have faith," Zedd smiled kindly at Kahlan. "Maybe Richard's threatening presence will be enough to persuade them to refrain from attacking."
Kahlan sighed bitterly. "We are dealing with fools; they'll stop at nothing to get what they want," she nodded her goodbye to Zedd and Berdine and walked out of the library. As Kahlan paused at the door and took a deep, calming breath, Raina winked at Berdine, falling in step behind the Mother Confessor.
"And then she must have carried me and tucked me back in the bedroll with you," Alys finished retelling what had happed in the middle of the night to Kahlan, who was listening avidly, while the brunette washed the girl's blonde hair in the stream close to camp. They had been on the road all day and the opportunity to wash away the dust was very welcome.
The brunette had been mesmerized by the morning's playful interaction between her daughter and Cara. She was surprised, not so much because of Alys since the girl never showed any type of fear or reluctance when it came to addressing, or even touching, Cara. But she was surprised by Cara's carefree behavior with the child. The Mord'Sith was not someone prone to those kinds of exchanges and Kahlan had had to know what was leading Cara to become more affectionate with Alys.
Kahlan had asked the Mord'Sith about her new found closeness with the girl and Cara had just shrugged dismissively and mumbled something about 'the kid not being so bad to deal with'. This simple answer was enough for Kahlan, especially since the Mord'Sith was not famous for including much in the way of details, but it was still frustratingly vague. Yet, when she mentioned the same thing to Alys, she got a whole story as an answer. Her daughter excitedly launched into the, apparently epic, retelling of how Cara had 'made her stop hurting'.
"Why didn't you wake me sweetie?" Kahlan tilted her head curiously, wishing that she could have done something to console the girl the night before. Although, from what Alys had told her, Cara had done a perfect job at it.
"Because you were asleep," Alys deadpanned, making Kahlan roll her eyes good naturedly at the child's logic.
"Okay smart pants." The brunette got out of the stream and lifted her daughter out of the water, reaching for the cloth to dry the small blonde. "You're all clean now; let's get back to camp and see what Cara caught for dinner." Kahlan handed Alys the child's dress and grabbed her own clothes to put back on. The older Confessor took Alys's hand and guided the child back to camp, smiling deviously at the prospect of teasing Cara with her new found information about what had happened the night before.
"Where's Richard?" Kahlan asked as she looked around the camp. Noticing that Zedd was sorting through some spices, Alys let go of her mother's hand and rushed towards the wizard to carefully watch what he was doing.
"He went to look for ginger roots to add to the stew," Zedd glanced over his shoulder to address the Confessor. "It makes all the difference," he turned back towards the pot and winked at Alys, making the girl giggle.
"It makes it edible, then?" Cara quipped from behind Kahlan, coming out of the woods with two skinned rabbits in her hand.
"When you learn how to cook you can criticize my food," Zedd chastised over his shoulder.
Cara approached the wizard and extended the rabbits to him. When he was about to grab them, the Mord'Sith held them above his head, preventing the annoyed wizard from getting the animals.
"When you learn how to hunt you can criticize me," Cara cocked one eyebrow and smirked tauntingly down at Zedd. Satisfied that the wizard only glared at her without any reply, Cara lowered the rabbits to Zedd's waiting hands. Alys snickered at the exchange and claimed her place next to Zedd as his self-proclaimed assistant.
Kahlan stood, smiling, with her hands on her hips, and shook her head at Cara. The Mord'Sith looked back at her with a smirk and put down her bow and arrows. The blonde made her way towards an amused Kahlan and took the cloth and soap from the brunette's hands.
"I'll take that with me," Cara winked and tilted her head suggestively in the direction of the stream. Before walking away, the blonde stole a quick kiss from Kahlan's lips, making the Confessor blush slightly, but grin widely nonetheless. She was watching Cara walk away with a distracting swagger in her step when Zedd's voice intruded on her leering.
"Kahlan, could you help me with these rabbits?" the wizard asked as he used a knife to dismember the dead animals.
Hearing Zedd's request had Cara stop dead in her tracks and turn around with a frustrated scowl, clearly ready to tell Zedd exactly what he could do with the rabbits. Before she could speak, however, Kahlan gestured for her to be quite even before she could open her mouth.
"Of course Zedd," Kahlan replied, trying not to laugh at Cara's deep intake of breath and sudden rapid blinking. "Go," she mouthed at the annoyed Mord'Sith, chuckling when Cara huffed and stomped off.
"Richard," Kahlan greeted with affection when she entered the wide room where Richard was having his dinner while he waited for her. The formal greetings had been shared in the throne room earlier when Richard – Lord Rahl - had first arrived in Aydindril, but now they could talk more freely.
"How are you Kahlan?" Richard asked with concern, opening his arms to engulf Kahlan in a friendly and comforting hug.
Kahlan sunk in his welcoming arms without hesitation. It was great to have the ruler of a land like D'Hara come, personally, to aid Aydindril in a fight, but right now she was more thankful to have one of her most cherished friends with her when she was feeling most lost. The feel of his comforting arms around her transported Kahlan for a time when she would have been afraid of this kind of physical contact, but Richard had showed her many years ago that it was okay for her to touch people without the fear of destroying them with her enslaving touch. Kahlan pulled away from the hug and looked into warm brown eyes; the same ones that had reassured her time and again in the past were now reassuring her yet again in this time of need. She cupped his stub covered cheek in a friendly gesture, noticing that his once boyish expression now gave way to a more reserved one; an expression of a respected leader that she admired.
"I'm worried, sad, and angry," Kahlan responded, pulling away from the hug. "But even though my heart is taxed with my emotions, my head is fighting to stay clear and find a solution for all of this." Even if the situation was killing her, she had no intention of giving up, but would fight both carefully and wisely.
"Farkas wants my throne," Kahlan continued. "He and his followers claim that the time for Confessors has come to an end," she paused. "They hide behind the excuse that they don't want a 'freak' ruling in Aydindril," Kahlan elaborated, gritting her teeth in rage.
"They can't state something like that; she is a Confessor," Richard reasoned, his fist clenching at his side even as his tone remained comforting.
"A Confessor with some extra skills that never belonged to Confessors before," Kahlan pointed out with a tired sigh. She had already discussed this with Richard through the journey book he insisted she kept in Aydindril to be in contact with him. Kahlan recognized Richard's attempt to try to resolve this conflict without having to resort to a war; unfortunately her enemies refused to see the truth, instead they twisted that same truth for their own selfish benefits.
"Why not attack you directly?" Richard inquired about the lack of attempts against Kahlan's life.
"Though their followers are devout, and truly believe in what they preach, they are still a minority, albeit not by much. I'm too powerful and too well protected here in Aydindril for them to confront directly, even hiding behind their army, they do not have a great chance of success; the best way for them to take my throne," she said. "Is to making sure I never get here in the first place."
"So Farkas travelled back in time to make sure you didn't get to Aydindril and claimed you rightful place as ruler?" Richard summarized.
"At least that's the most logical theory we could come up with, based on the information we have gotten so far," Kahlan nodded.
"But then why take-"
"To mess with me Richard," Kahlan responded before Richard had the time to finish. "Because if there's anything that can throw me off my game and distract me, it is having my family endangered or," she stopped herself from finishing, feeling tears immediately cloud her vision and grief choke her breath.
"We are meeting with the council together tomorrow. With their approval I'll require an audience with a representative of the Blood of the Fold," Richard recalled their plans, placing a reassuring hand on Kahlan's slumped shoulder. "Let me try to reason with them." At this Kahlan shot him a dubious look. "And if that doesn't work," Richard continued. "Maybe the approaching D'Haran army will do the trick," he winked and just like that Kahlan could see the ever optimistic boy she met so many years ago.
"Thank you for your help," Kahlan said smiling. "Now let's go see your grandfather; I bet he's grumbling about you taking too long to go meet him in the Keep and Berdine's patience only goes so far," she joked lightly.
Kahlan walked silently down the path leading to the stream. She bite her knuckle to avoid laughing out loud as she remembered Cara's irritated face from just moments before. She, too, had been annoyed by Zedd's interruption of their flirting, but the opportunity to mess with Cara was too good to pass up. She had had no intention of not going after the blonde; she was just having her wait a little longer.
Noticing the red leathers discarded on the grass, Kahlan caught sight of blond hair midstream. Cara was submerged to her upper back, busy languidly running the soap along her arms, and didn't even bother turning to look at Kahlan until the brunette cleared her throat to get her attention. The Mord'Sith slowly turned around, the water lapping just over her breasts as she looked questioningly back at Kahlan.
"Are you mad at me?" Kahlan called sweetly, worrying her lower lip enticingly.
"No, just surprised to see you," Cara drawled, wading towards Kahlan until the water was only at her waist and they no longer had to raise their voices to be heard. "I thought you preferred to cook instead of… bathe," she said in a low and beguiling voice as she pointedly looked down her naked body.
"I never said I preferred to cook," Kahlan followed Cara's line of sight, swallowing with difficulty and taking a couple of steps closer to the blonde until water touched the tip of her boots.
"In that case," Cara smirked before disappearing completely under the water. Ripples of her passage beneath the surface moved almost to the shallows where Kahlan stood before she effortlessly rose out of the water. Kahlan's wide eyed expression only served to fuel the blonde's confidence as she almost stalked out to Kahlan, drinking in the lust behind the brunette's flustered look.
Kahlan's breath started to become heavier as she watched a dripping wet and completely naked Cara walk towards her with intent, absently dropping the soap on the sandy bank as she closed the distance between them. The devious smirk on Cara's lips made Kahlan smile; the blonde sure knew how to claim attention. Kahlan shamelessly let her eyes wander the blonde's toned body. The brunette licked her lips unconsciously as she stared transfixed at Cara's full breasts; the water on them sparkled in the sun, making Cara's tanned skin glow. Kahlan lowered her gaze to the Mord'Sith abdomen, watching as toned muscles flexed with each small step Cara took. It was when Kahlan's eyes dropped lower that the Confessor let out a needing whimper; the vision of a completely naked Cara was definitely something that made Kahlan's mind shut down.
Cara seductively walked towards an immobilized Kahlan and surrounded the Confessor with her arms, pulling her wet body flush with Kahlan's clothed one. Kahlan blushed, but didn't back down; the brunette circled Cara's neck with one arm and playfully slapped the blonde's upper arm.
"You're incorrigible," she admonished, not quite capable of holding Cara's intense gaze for fear her legs would completely give out beneath her.
"I recall someone telling me that everything's fair in love and war," Cara cocked an eyebrow with a smug smirk. Kahlan closed her eyes as she recognized her own words and moaned when Cara caught her lips in a hungry kiss. She shivered as the blonde's hands slide over her back and hugged her closer.
"You're making me all wet Cara," she jokingly complained against the Mord'Sith's lips as a drop fell from Cara's wet tresses and traveled down her cleavage.
"I hope so," Cara whispered suggestively, raising a teasing eyebrow the moment she saw the recognition on Kahlan's satisfyingly shocked face. Without giving the Confessor a chance to recover from her words, the blonde closed the small gap between them and teasingly bit on Kahlan's lower lip, eliciting a gasp from the Confessor.
Kahlan trembled at the soothing slow lick Cara applied on her bitten lip and used her hand on the back of Cara's neck to pull the blonde's mouth to fully meet her own. Their lips slid slowly and passionately against one another, tongues darting out to taste and tease. Kahlan tangled her fingers in blonde hair at the nape of Cara's neck and moved her other hand to squeeze Cara's bicep. The brunette felt Cara's tongue's movement's change from teasing to insistent, silently asking Kahlan for permission to deepen the kiss. The Confessor allowed Cara access and moaned again at the skillful way in which the blonde explored her mouth; she instinctively thrust her hips wantonly into Cara's, making the Mord'Sith smile into the kiss.
"I think you're in need of a bath," Cara said sultrily and trailed hot kisses down Kahlan's neck.
"I already took one," Kahlan responded distractedly, whimpering at Cara's passionate kisses and pressing her hips against Cara's once again.
"It seems to me that you need to take care of something dirty," Cara teased, lifting her head to look deeply into Kahlan's unfocused eyes and pulled Kahlan's hips closer to hers to get her point across.
"Maybe you should help me," Kahlan invited with a crooked smile, succumbing to her own need to feel the blonde's skin against her own. Kahlan took one of Cara's hands and brought it from her lower back to the tied laces across her breasts, encouraging the other woman to unlace them.
Cara grinned eagerly and noticed Kahlan's amused smile at her reaction. The blonde unlaced a few laces and Kahlan had to bite her lip to suppress a loud moan when Cara lowered her head and placed a hot mouthed kiss on the inner side of one of Kahlan's mounds before continuing to loosen the dress. With a helpful shrug of Kahlan's shoulders the white dress was discarded to the ground, leaving the Confessor in her black corset, undergarments and knee high boots. Cara took a moment to run her eyes up and down Kahlan's body appreciatively.
"As much as I like you in that, I want you out of it," Cara complimented and tugged at the black laces until she freed Kahlan from the corset. The Confessor quickly took off her boots too and grabbed Cara's face with both hands to attack the Mord'Sith's lips with fervor. Kahlan lowered her hands to Cara's collar bone and after a beat lowered one of them to cup Cara's breast, pinching the hard nipple teasingly between her thumb and forefinger.
Cara groaned in response and gripped Kahlan's hips fervently. Without breaking the kiss, Cara flattened her hands on Kahlan's hips, running them up and down in a sensuous caress, making Kahlan arch her back and press her chest firmly against Cara's own. Kahlan ended the kiss and licked a wet path across Cara's jaw, moving the hand from Cara's breast to cup the blonde's cheek tenderly. Her other hand moved from Cara's collar bone to kneed the blonde's neglected breast as the Confessor caught Cara's earlobe between her teeth and started to nibble on the soft flesh. Doing nothing to stifle her own breathy moans, she let them arouse Cara even more. Lost in the passionate touches, Kahlan pushed herself more firmly against the toned body in front of her, forcing the blonde take a few steps back toward the, now very close, edge of the stream in order to maintain her balance.
Cara lowered one hand to cup Kahlan's behind and frowned in displeasure when she felt clothing preventing her from feeling Kahlan's smooth skin. Wanting to change the situation, Cara slide her fingers under the sides of Kahlan's undergarments and made slow circles on the brunette's hips with her thumbs, taking pleasure at the way Kahlan shivered at her touch and reflexively squeezed the Mord'Sith's nipple harder. Hungrily, the blonde started a wet path of hot kisses down Kahlan's neck, stopping to rake her teeth on the juncture between Kahlan's shoulder and neck. She couldn't pause long, however before continuing down to engulfed Kahlan's nipple into her mouth, alternately sucking then flicking her tongue over it.
"Spirits Cara," Kahlan gasped in pleasure, moving her hands to bury her fingers in the blonde's hair and effectively bringing Cara's mouth closer to her skin. Recognizing Kahlan's heightened state of arousal, the Mord'Sith slowed her motions in anticipation of the Confessor pleading with her to stop their activities, but the Confessor surprised with her next words. "It feels so good, don't stop," Kahlan breathed huskily, looking down into Cara's green eyes hungrily.
Keeping her eyes lock with Kahlan's, Cara knelt on the ground and lavished the brunette's toned abs with her lips and tongue. The blonde looked intensely up at Kahlan while sucking slightly on the soft skin at the brunette's hip and finally pulled Kahlan's underwear down. She released the skin with a wet sound and lowered her gaze to admire, for the first time, Kahlan's completely naked body.
"You're beautiful," Cara whispered directly in Kahlan's center, looking up to see a deep red color Kahlan's face and neck. The Confessor cupped the blonde's chin, prompting her to rise to her feet again. Cara got up and kissed Kahlan tenderly on the lips, placing her hand gently on the brunette's hips, tracing small patterns with the tips of her fingers. "I'm really good; I make the Mother Confessor blush and I leave her speechless," Cara wiggled her eyebrows playfully at Kahlan, enjoying the way the brunette squirmed under her gaze.
"Don't flatter yourself," Kahlan smiled shyly and slapped the Mord'Sith's shoulder. This was the first time she had ever been completely naked in front of someone; it was only natural that she was a little shy about it. However, she knew that Cara's teasing and playful banter had one goal only: to ease Kahlan's nerves. Kahlan took a deep, cooling breath, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders and resting her forehead against Cara's. "We shouldn't be like this in the open," Kahlan looked down at their naked bodies and glanced nervously behind her to the path leading to the stream.
"Where do you suggest we hide?" Cara looked around them to the various trees and behind her to the clean waters. Before she could turn her head back to Kahlan, the blonde felt a strong shove against her shoulders and the water hit her back, surrounding her as she sunk into the stream.
Kahlan laughed at her successful attempt to catch Cara off guard, pushing her into the stream. The Confessor entered the water and, as Cara still didn't resurface, waded further out. She yelped in surprise as she felt something shove her until she had her back against a large worn boulder that interrupted the stream's flow. Kahlan looked down to see a blonde head surfacing with a mischievous smirk. "You startled me for a second, that's not funny," Kahlan said with a mock serious face, wrapping her arm's around Cara's neck while the blonde tenderly caressed Kahlan's shoulders.
"But it's funny to throw me in the stream?" Cara asked disbelievingly.
"You looked like you needed to be cooled down," the Confessor shrugged dismissively.
"I don't think that that's what I need," Cara breathed against Kahlan's lips and captured them ardently once again. The Mord'Sith lowered one hand to cup Kahlan's breast, moaning at feeling of the brunette's nipple hardening beneath her hand as the brunette moaned too.
Cara's hand felt scorching on Kahlan's breast, even underneath the water. They were very close together, but the need Kahlan could feel in the blonde's kisses made the brunette want to be even closer. Kahlan started to feel light headed as a warm and tingling feeling started to spread in her lower belly. On instinct, the brunette lifted her strangely weak feeling legs and wrapped them around Cara's back, aided by the water buoyancy.
Groaning at the change in Kahlan's position, the blonde moved her hands to Kahlan's thighs and instinctually thrust her hips forward, pressing between Kahlan's legs to create some desperately needed friction. The brunette arched her back, hissing in pleasure at the intimate contact and used her shoulders as leverage to grind her hips against Cara's. The blonde moaned throatily and darted her lips to the column of Kahlan's exposed neck, planting her feet firmly on the sandy river bed to prevent herself from being pushed away by the force of the Confessor's hips.
Kahlan could swear the water was heating up around them. Cara's lips nibbling at her earlobe and the blonde's hands moving up to erotically massage her breasts were making it very difficult for Kahlan to keep her eyes open, not to mention thinking coherently. She opened her mouth to warn Cara that their make out session was getting out of hand, but Cara chose that moment to bite her earlobe and slide her hand to the small of Kahlan's back, pulling the Confessor firmly against her. Not surprisingly, instead of a warning, the only thing that came out of Kahlan's mouth was a shamelessly loud moan that proved just how much Kahlan was enjoying the Mord'Sith's attention.
"Sounds like you need the same thing I do," Cara whispered hotly in Kahlan's ear, grinning smugly when the brunette whimpered in response and sunk her nails in the blonde's shoulders.
"You have no idea how much," Kahlan said seductively, lowering her head to kiss Cara's shoulder. Unwrapping her legs from Cara's waist, a powerful swimmer's kick, with one hand on the boulder as leverage, was all that was needed to flip their positions so that she was pressing the unprepared Mord'Sith against the boulder. Before Cara could even think of protesting the change, Kahlan pushed one of her strong thighs in between the blonde's legs.
Feeling Kahlan's leg grinding against her center had Cara unconsciously flattening her feet against the boulder's slop and sliding herself up Kahlan's thigh with a gasp. The blonde took hold of Kahlan's smiling face and kissed her swollen lips desperately, relinquishing control to the Confessor as Kahlan griped Cara's hips and aided the blonde in her sensual movement.
Kahlan ended the kiss and separated her face from Cara far enough to stare spellbound at a quivering Cara. The blonde, her mouth slightly open in pleasure, was taking large gulps of air to feed her fast working body. Her eyes were unfocusedly on as she met Kahlan's gaze, but Kahlan could clearly see the love reflecting from the green orbs. Kahlan was certain that she had never seen Cara look more beautiful.
"Spirits, I never thought I would ever say this, but we should stop," Cara groaned, closing her eyes tightly in noticeable frustration as she pushed softly against Kahlan's arms to stop the Confessor's motion and the motion of her own hips.
Kahlan stopped her movements for a moment and waited until Cara reopened her eyes. When the blonde's lustful eyes were gazing back at her, Kahlan looked deep into them and pushed her thigh firmly against Cara's center, making the blonde whimper in surprise and pleasure. Kahlan left her thigh there while she licked Cara's upper lip teasingly, before finally disentangled their legs and slipping away in the water. Not going very far, she looked back at Cara's open mouth.
"You tease," the Mord'Sith accused, biting her lower lip, but obviously very pleased with Kahlan's dominant side.
"I learned from the best," Kahlan replied promptly, lifting one finger to gently release Cara's swollen lip from between the blonde's teeth and letting her wet digit slide sensuously over the supple flesh.
"That's not helping my restrain," Cara warned as she bit softly on Kahlan's finger. "Get out of the water before I change my mind," the blonde grabbed Kahlan's wrist and placed a tender kiss on the inside of it.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Kahlan asked with a tilt of her head, combing her fingers through blonde wet locks.
"No," Cara sighed, cupping Kahlan's chin and giving the Confessor a reassuring kiss. "But some things are better when they can be shared," the blonde said softly, looking meaningfully into Kahlan's eyes.
Cara's sentimental words made Kahlan's heart swell and a wide grin illuminate her face. The Confessor nodded her understanding and brought her lips to Cara's once more, conveying with the soft caress how grateful she was for the considerate and tender way in which Cara treated her. She had never guessed the blonde would turn out to be a romantic, but it was hardly the first time she had been wrong.
They got out of the water and took turns drying their bodies with the cloth Cara had brought for herself, all the while stealing glances at each other. To avoid a repeat of what had happened moments before, Kahlan turned her back on Cara with a smile and busied herself with putting on her undergarments and her black corset. Behind her, Cara was taking her time with her leathers, more interested in watching Kahlan comb her fingers through her long dark hair.
"So, Alys told me how you took care of her last night," Kahlan started, glancing at Cara over her shoulder to gauge the blonde's reaction. The Mord'Sith just grunted noncommittally as she adjusted the bottom of her uniform. "Why didn't you wake me? I could have helped," Kahlan prodded.
"Because you were asleep," Cara deadpanned.
At Cara's quick reply Kahlan let out a full laugh, causing Cara to raise her eyebrows is wonderment. "So I've heard," Kahlan said still chuckling and remembering how Alys had giving her the exact same answer in the exact same tone. It looked like she was the only one missing that obvious piece of logic.
"She told me that when you hugged her, she closed her eyes and it was like she was back at home again," Kahlan continued as she pulled up her white dress. "What do you think that means?"
"She's your daughter; she probably gets a lot of hugs from you," Cara rationalized with a shrug, sliding her arms through the tight leather sleeves.
"She probably does," Kahlan agreed and moved behind Cara to help the blonde with the laces at her back. "But she wasn't talking about me," the brunette hinted, knowing that Cara was well aware of what she was referring to, but for some reason still avoiding the subject.
"She said she missed me," Cara revealed with a resigned sigh. "So I'm probably with her in the future; I must be part of her life too," the Mord'Sith reasoned, seemly unconcerned with the implications of her theory, except, of course, for her reluctance to speak of it in the first place.
"I suspect that you're a bigger part of her life than we think," Kahlan mused, finishing the intricate laces at Cara's back; the image of Alys deflecting the wizard's fire flashing through her eyes. "Did you see how well her hands healed?" she asked, rounding Cara to stand in front of the blonde.
"You must have taken a wizard for a mate," Cara shrugged and cleared her throat uncomfortably, bending down to retrieve her agiels.
"Richard's not the father, didn't you hear what Alys said the other day?" the Confessor recalled, furrowing at Cara's cold tone.
"I heard her say Richard's not the father, but I also heard her said that you took a mate," Cara corrected, wishing that Kahlan dropped the topic. She hated to be reminded that eventually Kahlan would have to lie down with a man to fulfill her duty as a Confessor, to have children in order to continue the line of Confessors. "So the bastard probably is a wizard," she said, shoving her agiels in their holsters with a lot more forcefully than needed.
"You don't know that," Kahlan contradicted, as a hint of a smile curved her lips at Cara's very noticeable distaste for the idea of a man touching Kahlan.
"Can you find another reasonable explanation for your daughter's little tricks?" the blonde challenged, leaving one hand griping one of her agiels and locking her gaze with Kahlan's.
"I can't give you a reasonable one," the Confessor conceded, shaking her head. "But the way she is with you keeps nagging at me for some reason," she insisted, cupping the blonde's cheeks and looking at her with a hopeful smile.
"I know what you're thinking and you can stop right there," Cara warned, gently grabbing Kahlan's wrists. "You know that's impossible," Cara said, letting go of the brunette's wrist and turning around to pick up the discarded cloth on the ground and spread it over a rock so that it could dry a little.
"What if it was possible?" Kahlan wondered hopefully, twiddling her fingers nervously.
"For the Creator's sake Kahlan, not that it would make a difference, but we can't even have sex," Cara briskly swiveled around and pointed out more harshly than she intended. She didn't regret her words; she regretted the way she said them, but the look on Kahlan's face told her that the Confessor was more disappointed with the fact that Cara was right than by the harsh tone Cara had used. "Come here," Cara beckoned, opening her arms to hold Kahlan tenderly as the brunette sunk in her embrace.
"I just wish things were simpler," Kahlan whispered while nuzzling Cara's neck.
"I know, but they're not," the Mord'Sith gently replied, soothingly stroking the wet hair on the back of Kahlan's head. "I don't have that kind of magical powers and you do have a line to rebuild; it's your duty Kahlan. I know you won't run away from it and you can be sure I'll be right beside you all the way," Cara promised. "I just don't want you to fantasize about something that will only get you hurt when it doesn't come true." For her, musing about the impossible, even if that impossible was what they both wanted, it was just setting them both up for heartache. Cara was sure they would be together, but miracles didn't exist and she had come to accept what needed to be done so that Kahlan could fulfill her duty. She didn't like it, but she accepted it.
"Thank you," Kahlan whispered against Cara's neck.
"For what?" the Mord'Sith placed a kiss on Kahlan's temple before the Confessor lifted her head to gaze deep into Cara's eyes.
"Loving me," Kahlan answered sincerely, smiling as she leaned in to kiss Cara's lips softly.
"That's a pretty easy thing to do," the blonde shrugged playfully, although the sincerity in her eyes let Kahlan know that those words were the plain truth. "The hard part is you loving me back. I know I can be… challenging most of the time," Cara shifted her eyes away from Kahlan's gaze, noticeably losing some of her confidence.
"You are," Kahlan confirmed, moving her hand to Cara's chin to direct the blonde's gaze back to hers. "But your tough act hasn't fooled me in a long time," she shook her head and stroke a loving hand down Cara's cheek. "And you're loosing your touch; you can't even fool a kid anymore," Kahlan gasped, her eyes widening in mock shock, earning herself a poke in the ribs from Cara.
"Obviously that's because she knows me better than she let's on," Cara defended herself. "But whatever I am in the future doesn't matter right now," Cara shrugged. "Right now we'll take Alys home, where she belongs. I can only imagine how your future self is reacting; she's probably having a fit." Cara supposed, watching Kahlan nod in agreement.
"And with a wizard on the loose trying to kill me, my guess is that Alys's disappearance is not the only thing she has to worry about," the Confessor added with a troubled look.