Chapter 22
Kara wanted nothing more but to full on gallop home but she knew that Dakota was already tiring, she had no idea how long he had been wandering, looking for her but he had barely had a break since leaving the Black mountain,
She glanced up at the sky, it was late afternoon now and she was just outside of the ranch's land, she thought about hopping the fence but after remembering what she was wearing, she thought it was best to enter through the front, otherwise she might get shot at by her father
She slowed Dakota down to a walk, as she crossed the threshold, she had no doubt that her father would be out with the animals and her mother would be inside, probably sorting dinner for the family, what she didn't count on was Alex being home and sitting on the porch
Her sisters scream echoed all around as she dove into the house
"ALEX!"
Kara looked up to see her father sprinting around the corner of the barn, rifle in his hands, once he saw Kara he aimed at her, the blonde raising her hands in a yielding fashion, she was hurt but couldn't blame him, Kara was dressed in the pelted clothes given to her by the tribe, her hair pulled back, braided with feathers, her face still holding the scars of her ordeal
"GET OF MY LAND!" he called out
"DAD WAIT" Kara called back "IT'S ME"
There was a hesitation in his eyes but he didn't lower the old family rifle
"Dad please"
"JEREMIAH"
Kara turned at the sound of her mum's voice, she saw her come out of the house, she stayed on the porch for a moment, looking at Kara, but a mother knows a daughter, she came rushing towards the blonde, Kara dismounting and wrapping her arms around her mother
"Oh my sweet baby girl" Eliza held her tightly, she pulled back a little, placing a hand on either side of the young blonde's face, her eyes filling with sorrow as she took in the damaged features of her youngest daughter "What happened?"
Kara smiled weakly "It's a lot to explain and I don't have much time"
"What do you mean?" Her father had now come over to them, he seemed confused by his own feelings, like he wanted to embrace Kara but wasn't quite sure how, his eyes still looking at Kara's clothes
"Kara?"
Alex stood on the porch with wide eyes
"Hey sis"
Kara walked over to her, hugging her closely
"You've been busy" Alex said tugging on Kara's hair
"Yer, Yer I have" Kara smiled sadly
The blonde shook her head "I can't stay long, but I will explain everything when I get back" she went to move back to Dakota
Eliza blocked her way "Wait, Kara you have been missing for weeks, you come back looking all…" she gestured to Kara's attire, not being able to find the words "I'm not letting you anywhere without an explanation"
"Mother please I don't have time" Kara tried to explain
"You will make time" her mother raised her voice something she had not done before
Kara could see the pain in her eyes, her father stood beside her, his arms crossed over his chest, they were not going to let her leave
"Please Kara" Alex's hand was on her shoulder
"I need to find Lena" Kara whirled around "She's in danger"
There was a long moment of silence, she didn't care who knew it now, but Kara could see her father's fists clench
"Lena, the Luthor's youngest?" her mother asked quietly "You know her?"
Kara could feel her heart thudding unsteadily as she faced her family
"I love her mother"
And the truth that Kara had been hiding from her family for so long was out, she had said it, she watched her parent's faces carefully, her mother nodded slowly, like a part of her had always known, she smiled sorrowfully at her daughter, she knew something else
"You've heard news of Lena?" Kara asked, rushing forwards and taking her mother's hands "Please mother, tell me" she begged
Eliza looked to Alex, Kara spun, following her gaze to her sister, standing on the porch, with Kara's eyes upon her she began to fiddle with the hem of her sleeves
"Alex?"
"A LUTHOR!"
Jeremiah's sudden outburst had all three women jumping, Kara looked to her father, his face reddening, eyes filled with rage, he towered over Kara
"A FUCKING LUTHOR!" he bellowed "After everything they have done to this family!"
"Father she ain't like the rest of-
"DO NOT SPEAK!" he began to pace back and forth "You could have fallen in love with anyone, anyone!"
"Jeremiah" Eliza tried to soothe him
"No, Eliza I will not hear of this" he continued to rage "First they try and take our home and when I wouldn't yield they poison my own daughter against me, take her away from her home"
"Nobody has poisoned me" Kara yelled back, angered by his response "She is not her family, she is different"
"THEIR FAMILY KILLED OUR LIVESTOCK!"
"SHE DIDN'T!" Kara was now facing off against her father, shouting just as loud as he was, but she had bigger things to worry about, she turned back to Alex "Is she at the Luthor estate?"
Alex nodded, looking between Kara and her Father "For now, I overheard that she is gonna leave town"
"When?" Kara demanded
"Tomorrow"
Kara's heart dropped "I have to go" she moved towards Dakota but a large hand grasped her upper arm, she looked up into her father's eyes
"You are not going there" he growled "By morning there won't be a plantation"
"What?" Kara exclaimed struggling against her father's grip but years of working had him stronger
He said nothing more as he began to drag her into the house
"Jeremiah?" her mother was by his side "Jeremiah stop this"
"This is for her own safety Eliza" he grunted through gritted teeth as he continued to pull Kara
"Father!" But he wouldn't listen
Kara's anger was bubbling within her now, she wanted to fight back, but how could she against her own father, someone she loved, she instead she dug her heels into the floor and spun to face him, tears streaking down her cheeks
"If you do anything to harm Lena, then be prepared to lose me forever" she swore
Her father looked down at her, his usually stoic face was flooded with so many emotions
"The Luthor's have been taking from this town for too long without consequence" he muttered under his breath "For generations, they are all the same, it's in their blood"
"How can you be so blind?"
"Jeremiah this is madness" Eliza tried to speak to him but he was not listening
"I hope one day you can forgive me"
Then Kara was shoved hard, backwards, stumbling over her own feet, taken off balance as she was finally pushed into the pantry, the last thing she saw was her father slamming the door shut before being plunged into darkness.
She leapt to her feet and charged to the door, slamming her shoulder into it but it was no use, he had locked it and by the sound of it had barricaded it closed, she hit her fists against the wooden door
"Father don't do this please!" she called out
She could hear her mother arguing with her father, their voices raised, Eliza questioning him
"ENOUGH!" he bellowed "Do not let her out for her own safety, do you understand me?"
"Where are you going?" her mother called out, Kara could hear the tears in her voice "Jeremiah?"
There was a loud door slamming and everything went quiet on the other side of the pantry door
Kara pushed against the door again, but it wouldn't budge, she could only imagine that her father had put the large dining table up against it
"Mother? Alex?" Kara called "Unblock the door, please"
There was no answer
"Please I have to get to Lena" Kara slammed her fist against the door again "Please" she begged
She could hear a soft sob in the kitchen, a shuffling of footsteps coming in
"Mother?" Alex's voice trembled slightly "What's going on?"
"Alex?" Kara tried to peer though the crack in the door frame, but only seeing blurred shapes "Alex please you have to let me out, I have to get Lena"
"Mom?" Alex asked
But their mother didn't answer, at least not that Kara could tell
"She's not like her family, she's a good person" Kara pleaded "Her family are hurting her"
Footsteps approached the door
"I was trying to save her, take her away from it all" she explained hoping that they were listening to her words "Her brother found us, he ripped her from my arms" Kara couldn't hold back the tears anymore
"His men tried to kill me, but I was saved and the only reason I survived the ordeal was her, the thought that she needed me as I need her" she placed a hand on the door, leaning her head against it "I don't wanna live without her and I won't" the last words were a vow to herself and to her family
There was a long moment of heart wrenching silence and for a moment Kara believed that she would be locked in there forever
A loud screeching found her ears
"Mom help me" Alex's voice was now commanding
The pair moved the table and the door moved but did not open
"Father's taken the key, I don't know how to open it" Alex's voice came from the other side
Kara pushed against the door, she pounded her clenched fists against it
"Damn it!" again and again she hit the door, she needed to get out, she couldn't fall at the last hurdle, she had no idea what her father was planning but he would not stop, not for Lena, he was so blinded by his anger for what the Luthor's had done, not only to their family but the entire town as well
She needs you
Do not give up Tala
Kara whirled around at the voice, but the darken pantry was empty, the voice one she did not recognise, but she didn't fear it, the voice had called her Tala
The blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath
"Guide me spirits" she whispered
You are stronger within young one, embody the mighty bear
Kara focused, a tingling sensation in her fingers, moving it's way up ad through her body, she could feel the bear spirit as it surrounded her, her muscles tensing
"Get back from the door" she growled loudly
The power coursing through her veins peaked, Kara's eyes flew open and she raised her fists above her head and slammed down hard on the door, the wood splintered as it flew off of it's hinges, crashing hard onto the floor, Kara roared out as though she was an actual bear, before the power drained from her and her knees buckled beneath her
After a moment she looked up to see her mother and sister, both standing down the hallway looking shocked, neither of them said anything as Kara rose to her feet, the blonde looked down at the door, it was broken in two by the impact, she inspected her expecting to see damage but there was none, just the scars from the past
"Kara?"
She looked up to Alex who had taken a caution step towards her, the blonde took a deep breath
"I've got to go" she tried to step past them but her mother caught her arm
"Don't try and stop me mother" Kara warned
Eliza placed a gentle hand on Kara's scared cheek, her thumb stroking her skin
"You truly love her?" she asked quietly "Lena Luthor?"
Kara nodded "I do"
"And does she love you?" her mother's voice held so much weight in the question "I mean really love you, that you would risk everything just to hold her one more time, would she do the same for you Kara?"
The blonde didn't hesitate, she didn't need to she knew that Lena had already risked everything to be with her
"She already did mom"
Eliza nodded "Then you do everything in your power to get her back and never let her go" she placed a gentle kiss on her youngest daughter's forehead "Then you come back home… the both of you"
Kara couldn't stop the tears that escaped her lashes as she grinned at her mother, she had been so afraid of them rejecting her that she had almost forgotten that they loved her, no matter what
"But make sure you do come back"
Kara flung her arms around her mother and hugged her close, though she didn't make the promise, how could she, she knew that she wouldn't be returning if it were not with Lena. The blonde caught the eye of her sister as she stood still a little shocked, but Kara could see in her face that she knew exactly what Kara was thinking and it was confirmed when Alex brushed away the tears that stained her cheek
Kara released her mother and moved to her older sister, Alex opened her arms for Kara
"Take care of them" the blonde whispered, low enough so her mother couldn't hear
"Kara"
"Promise me" she urged quietly
Alex sniffed and buried her head into Kara's shoulder
"I promise" she finally said
Kara pulled away and nodded, taking a long look at her mother and sister, for what could possibly be the last time, she prayed it wasn't but she couldn't deny the harsh reality of what she had to do
"I have to go" she turned and walked out of the door, down the same two porch steps that she had done a million times, away from the only home she had ever known
Dakota was waiting for her, he whinnied and stamped his front hoof, he was ready
"Anything happens I want you to come straight home" she told him, stroking his large neck
He snorted
"I mean it" she warned "They're gonna need you around here if I'm not-
Her words fell short
"Let's just go"
She mounted, she didn't dare look back at the family ranch, she had to focus on the task ahead, she had to get to Lena before anything happened to her
She spurred Dakota on, she knew that he was already tired but he still galloped as fast as he could for her