Fic: A Light That Never Went Out (Cara/Dahlia, Legend of the Seeker 8/12)

[fembuck]

Title: A Light That Never Went Out
Author: Janine
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker
Pairing: Cara/Dahlia
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: After defeating the Keeper our band of heroes heads back to D'Hara, and on the way Cara meets a familiar face.

( Part One ) ( Part Two ) ( Part Three ) ( Part Four ) ( Part Five ) ( Part Six ) ( Part Seven )

xxx

Part 8

Five Days Later

Kahlan forced her lips up into a smile as a village woman approached her, and let the woman take her hands as she thanked Kahlan for the work she had done for her the day before settling a land despite between the woman's family and a neighboring farm. Kahlan had only been out on the streets for a few minutes but already she had been approached by five people seeking to thank her or ask for her council. She was happy to help of course, it was a pleasant distraction to actually be able to serve as a Confessor and agent of justice instead of fighting as a warrior, but it was exhausting in its own way and she was anxious to arrive at the building site where Richard and Cara were working.

Three villagers later, Kahlan arrived at her destination, and through the dust swirling around in the air, she was just able to make out Cara's leather clad form striding purposefully away from her direction towards the tavern.

"Was it me?" Kahlan asked Richard, her eyes on Cara's rapidly retreating form as Richard pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"No," he breathed out, eyes twinkling and a smile forming on his lips as his gaze turned towards Cara as well. "We're breaking for lunch," Richard continued barely suppressing the urge to laugh as Cara disappeared inside of the tavern.

"Will Cara be joining us today?" Kahlan asked though she already knew that the odds were not in their favor.

She and Zedd had barely seen Cara during their duration in Ragora. Richard still spent most of his day with the blonde, but during the evening hours when their lives were their own, Cara was rarely around.

"No," Richard said finally giving in to his natural inclination and chuckling. "It seems Dahlia is fixing another feast for Cara."

"Dahlia's cottage is in the opposite direction," Kahlan pointed out.

"Oh, I know," Richard said grinning widely. "Cara's going to the Inn to take a bath," he continued, losing the battle he was fighting with himself and laughing again when Kahlan turned to look at him with wide, surprised eyes. "I guess Dahlia's more particular than you," Richard went on, wrapping his sweaty arms around Kahlan and hugging her tightly, making her laugh. "This is the fourth day in a row Cara's stopped by the Inn before going to see her."

"By the Creator," Kahlan breathed out shaking her head. "Dahlia may have more powerful magic than Zedd."

They had all witnessed Cara stalk off covered in sweat, blood, dirt and various other types of gore in order to satisfy her sexual cravings. Not once in all of the time they had been traveling together had Kahlan seen Cara bother to try and make herself presentable before going off to hunt for someone to bed, and now she was taking pre-lunch bathes.

"Don't tell Zedd I said this, but I think you may be onto something," Richard whispered as he nuzzled Kahlan's ear.

"She's been ... happy this past week, hasn't she?" Kahlan said thoughtfully as she and Richard started towards the Inn as well.

As far as Kahlan could determine, Cara wasn't often upset. Irritated and frustrated, yes, but she rarely seemed depressed or sad. In the same tradition, Cara was very rarely exuberant - unless she was agieling someone or knew that she would soon have the opportunity to agiel someone. Cara's moods were relatively constant. When they were moving and being productive she was focused, calm, relatively pleasant and content. When she felt they were dawdling or using their time inefficiently she was irritable, brusque, and often stomped ahead of the group, silently condemning their behavior.

Since arriving in Ragora however, or more accurately since Cara had been reunited with Dahlia, when Kahlan did see her, Cara seemed relaxed and was generally in a pleasant mood despite the fact that they were 'wasting time' staying in the town. She smiled more easily than Kahlan could remember, and even though she was spending far less time than she was used to around Cara, Kahlan had heard her laugh – well, chuckle – more during their stay in Ragora than she had in the past four months.

"I think she has been," Richard agreed, drawing Kahlan out of her thoughts. "I'm glad we listened to Zedd. I think this has been good for her. I think Dahlia's been a very ... civilizing influence on her."

"Civilizing," Kahlan repeated smiling. "I'll do you a favor and never tell Cara you said that."

"Thank you," Richard responded making Kahlan smile. "What is it?" he asked a few seconds later when the soft smile Kahlan had been wearing since she arrived faded and her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"We're going to have to leave here soon," Kahlan said slowly as she settled into a table at the tavern. "This has been a lovely vacation but we do ..."

"Have places to be," Richard finished for her, leaning back as he realized why Kahlan suddenly looked concerned. "You're worried about how leaving now that Cara's become attached to Dahlia is going to affect her."

Kahlan nodded.

"I must admit, despite what Zedd said I don't think that I really expected such a strong connection to form between Cara and Dahlia," Kahlan said shaking her head a little bit. "The possibility that we would end up dragging Cara away from someone she deeply cared for seemed ... unlikely."

Unlike Richard, Kahlan had seen Cara charmed by another person. She had seen Cara smitten when Leo had been named Seeker. The loss of Leo had not left Cara unfazed, but Cara had recovered far more quickly than Kahlan had anticipated. That first night in Ragora, the way Cara acted around Dahlia reminded Kahlan a lot of the secretly charmed, barely tolerant attitude she had adopted around Leo, but the relationship that had formed between the two women since then ran far deeper than the flirtation Cara had with the former Seeker, and Kahlan was worried about how Cara would deal with having to leave her. Zedd had said that it seemed as if the fates were trying to bring the two women together, and it seemed unnaturally cruel to Kahlan to force them to separate after giving them the time to allow a loving relationship to bloom.

"I know what you mean," Richard sighed. "I saw them holding hands the other day," he said smiling when Kahlan smiled at his words. It had only been for a moment, and Cara had dropped Dahlia's hand as soon as her eyes met his, but it had still happened and he'd seen it. "And yesterday morning, when Cara showed up to the site, her hair had been braided," he continued looking over to meet Kahlan's eyes.

Since they had found Cara bruised and bleeding after being attacked by her sisters, not once had Cara ever attempted to start braiding her hair again, even though at times it had grown long enough. Kahlan had offered to braid it for her once when their friendship was still budding, and Cara had answered her with a withering look that had dissuaded the Mother Confessor from bringing it up again. That Cara would now allow Dahlia the privilege spoke volumes about the growing relationship between the two women.

"I thought this would be ... an affair," Richard sighed, "but it feels like so much more," he said unconsciously reaching out for Kahlan's hand and taking it into his own.

The barmaid arrived soon after to take their orders, halting their conversation momentarily, and when Richard returned his attention to Kahlan he saw that she looked thoughtful again.

"What are you thinking?"

"Dahlia is very pleasant company," Kahlan began.

"She's taken, and so are you," Richard replied making Kahlan chuckle and slap him on the shoulder.

"She also has a very useful skill set," Kahlan continued.

Richard stared at Kahlan for a moment and then nodded his head in understanding.

"You think we should take her with us."

"I think ..." Kahlan began carefully, "that I should have a talk with her to try and determine if Dahlia coming with us would be a viable option." Kahlan sighed. "She has a good life here. She has family and status and is comfortable here. Life on the road is difficult, dangerous, and once we arrive at the People's Palace things are likely to stay just as difficult and dangerous for some time. It would be a lot to ask."

"Not if she's in love," Richard said.

"No," Kahlan said softly. "Not if she's in love," she agreed, "Which is why I ought to speak with her before proposing anything."

"Should we speak to Cara about it?" Richard asked though he sounded dubious.

Kahlan sighed and leaned back against the booth looking perturbed.

"She's Cara," Kahlan finally breathed out and Richard nodded in perfect understanding. "She'll insist that's she fine and that she doesn't need anyone or anything. After all, she's Mord'Sith," Kahlan declared importantly as Cara often did, making Richard smile.

"You're the one who pointed out she doesn't like surprises," Richard said knowing that if Dahlia was amenable to traveling with them that Kahlan would want him to issue a decree as 'Lord Rahl'. Cara would not likely not respond any better to being surprised with the knowledge than she was to being informed that they were staying on in Ragora, but she would obey, no matter in how ill a humor. After all, she was Mord'Sith.

"Children don't like vegetables, but we still make them eat them," Kahlan responded.

Richard stared at her for a moment, and then his warm brown eyes danced with amusement as his lips curved up into a smile.

"I'll do you a favor and never tell Cara you said that," Richard smirked, parroting back Kahlan's earlier words.

"Thank you," Kahlan said smiling ruefully, even though on many occasions when Cara was displeased her behavior truly did remind Kahlan of a five year old, well, an extremely lethal five year old.

"Okay," Richard breathed out as the barmaid arrived with their food. "Talk to Dahlia and we'll take it from there."

To be continued ...

Comments are always welcome and greatly appreciated :D

Comments

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

And hell yes Dahlia should come with them!!!


I'm pretty sure Dahlia will feel the same way! lol

Now are you sure about this whole 12 chapters thing?

Well yes. It's all plotted out. BUT, there's always room for short fics in this AU-verse after this story ends ;)

[bonobo24.livejournal.com]

BUT, there's always room for short fics in this AU-verse after this story ends ;)

Now I assume that word "short" is relative, right? Short as in... 3-5 chapters? Yes????