Fic: A Light That Never Went Out (Cara/Dahlia, Legend of the Seeker 10/12)

[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 ) ( Part Eight ) ( Part Nine )

xxx

Part 10

"Kahlan," Dahlia exclaimed in surprise as she saw the Mother Confessor walk through the doors of the shop. "You're the last person I expected to see. I hope you're not feeling ill."

"No, no, nothing of the sort," Kahlan said waving her hand lightly as she offered Dahlia a smile. "I stopped by to see you, actually," she continued as she walked over to the counter Dahlia was standing behind, crushing some plants with a mortar and pestle.

"If you've heard stories about me skinny dipping in the river after drinking too much wine at the last Harvest Festival, and then tipping over a cow, I'm not going to look you in the eye when I deny it," Dahlia stated wryly, glancing up to meet Kahlan's eyes for a moment before she returned her gaze to her work.

"I don't know why you would want to," Kahlan said smiling as she rested her arms on the top of the stone counter. "All of my best stories start with 'I was skinny dipping in the river after drinking too much wine.'"

Dahlia looked over at her laughed before shaking her head in amusement and then glancing back down to the mortar and pestle still being held in her hands.

"It's a shame you all won't be around for the Harvest Festival this year. I hear there'll be a cask mixed with wine and ale. We could have streaked through the town square and painted our names on some horses," Dahlia drawled, smiling slyly as she placed the mortar and pestle down on the counter top and then wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing. "I make excellent tea," Dahlia commented a moment later, turning her full attention to Kahlan.

"I'd love to try some. Thank you," Kahlan responded.

"Why don't you come in back with me? There's a small table and some chairs. We'll be more comfortable," Dahlia said tilting her head in the direction of the doorway on the left side of the shop.

"Lead the way," Kahlan said pushing herself off of the counter before nodding to Dahlia who smiled and then started towards the doorway.

xxx

They walked in silence into the room, but once they were inside and Kahlan had taken a seat, Dahlia looked over at her and said, "Richard mentioned Cara wearing a pink dress the first night we met. It's absolutely necessary for my continued existence that you to tell me the whole story."

Kahlan had laughed at that, and then she had leaned back in her chair and begun to tell Dahlia about their adventure with the Magrave as Dahlia began to prepare their tea.

Kahlan wasn't sure how long the two of them spent in the backroom talking, but she suspected that they must have been there for hours based on the position of the sun when she glanced out of the window during a rare pause in their conversation. The sun was beginning to set and Kahlan knew that the time that Dahlia would normally leave the shop for home was rapidly approaching. If she was going to broach the subject that had brought her to see Dahlia in the first place, she knew that she was going to have to do it soon.

"I've had a lovely time talking with you this afternoon," Dahlia started conversationally, drawing Kahlan's eyes from the window. "But I would have answered your question even if you'd just asked when you first walked in."

"What question?" Kahlan asked, arching a dark eyebrow at the woman sitting opposite her.

"The question that brought you here," Dahlia replied knowingly. "The question you've been trying to figure a way to ask since you walked through the door."

Kahlan stared at her for a moment, and then she smiled, shook her head and murmured, "There's a touch of Confessor in you."

Dahlia smiled at the compliment, but her eyes remained serious and curious as she looked at Kahlan, and Kahlan breathed in deeply before placing her elbows on the small table that separated her and Dahlia and leaning forward.

"I'm here about, Cara," Kahlan began.

Dahlia smiled.

"Of course you are," she said lightly. "Would you like to know what my intentions towards her are?"

"Something like that, yes," Kahlan admitted a little ruefully.

Dahlia nodded and a thoughtful expression came over her features as her eyes drifted past Kahlan to some spot on the wall behind the Confessor. Dahlia was still and silent for a few seconds and then her eyes fluttered shut and she breathed in deeply before angling her head back towards the Confessor.

"I don't have any," Dahlia responded with a sigh, deliberately holding Kahlan's eyes as she spoke. "Cara coming back into my life is something I've continued to dream of, but I'd lost hope of it ever happening years ago. When you showed up in town, I thought that I might have one night to try and come to know her again. That we've ended up with so many days together is more than I ever could have hoped for. So, my intentions – such as they are – are to make the most of the days we have left together, and then to try and not make a fool of myself when it is time to say goodbye. At least this time I'll get to say goodbye," Dahlia continued softly, the last few words she spoke coming out so quitely that Kahlan only caught part of it. "To …" Dahlia began before pausing as her eyelashes fluttered quickly and she breathed in deeply. "To have ... to have seen her, and for her to be doing so well, and doing such wonderful things, with such wonderful people is … a gift," Dahlia breathed out, still blinking rapidly. "It is a gift from the Creator, and I am thankful."

Kahlan breathed in deeply as Dahlia finished speaking. She had been unprepared for all that she had seen in Dahlia's eyes, and it had left her somewhat breathless. Everything Dahlia had just said was true, but it was the things she didn't say, it was deep longing in her eyes that revealed the most to Kahlan.

"You're in love with her," Kahlan said softly.

Dahlia exhaled roughly and turned a fascinating shade of red as she angled her face away from Kahlan.

"And apparently made of glass," Dahlia murmured into her hands which she was half hiding behind.

She was silent for a few moments and Kahlan did nothing to interrupt it, knowing that Dahlia needed the time to pull herself together and focus her thoughts.

"I've often dreamed of seeing Cara again, but the idea of it terrified me as much as I longed for it," Dahlia started quietly, looking up at Kahlan again though the tumult of emotions surging through her wouldn't allow her to hold the Confessor's eyes. "The older I got, the more scared I became because I understood more of what was being done to her and what she would become when it was over," Dahlia continued shivering.

"I dreamed of a Cara bathed in light and shadows, more damaged and more weary than the girl I had known, but still bold and brave and so beautiful, inside and out. I dreamed of it, Kahlan, but I couldn't let myself think of it when I was awake because … I didn't believe it," Dahlia whispered as her eyes momentarily squeezed shut. "I didn't believe that any of her brightness could survive in a Mord'Sith temple, and the more years that passed the more I came to believe that she was truly lost forever. And then, a year ago, rumors started of a Mord'Sith name Carly or Cora or sometimes Cara traveling with the Seeker and a jolt went through me, but really what were the odds? It was silly to hope. But more stories, new stories started arriving and in the new ones the name used for the Mord'Sith was always Cara, always. And, sometimes at night, for just a few minutes, I let myself believe that it was her. But even so," Dahlia smiled wetly but happily, "I wasn't prepared for the reality of her. I couldn't have been. She's perfect … I mean, not 'perfect'," Dahlia said waving her hand as if swatting away the implication that anyone could be completely without fault, "but perfect," Dahlia sighed.

"Bathed in light and shadows," Kahlan breathed out, recalling Dahlia's words from before as best she could.

"Yes," Dahlia whispered, smiling at Kahlan. "Exactly, I … I couldn't help but ..." Dahlia paused and dropped her eyes to her lap, but the end of her sentence was written clearly in her eyes before she had looked down. Whether she said the words or not, Kahlan understood that Dahlia hadn't been able to help falling in love.

"I know you all have to leave," Dahlia sighed, looking up again. "I know she can't stay here with me. She's proud of the life she lives with you and the good things you've all accomplished – even if you could have done them more efficiently and with less talking," Dahlia continued, smiling at Kahlan as she parroted back some of Cara's commentary on their adventures. "I won't cause a scene," Dahlia said, becoming serious again. "I won't weep for her to stay," Dahlia went on, sighing softly before she smiled weakly and then murmured, "Although maybe I should since it'd chase her away faster than a group of small children presenting her with flowers and asking for hugs."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation they were having, Kahlan couldn't help the peel of laughter that escaped from her at the mental image Dahlia had painted.

When Kahlan laughter started to fade, she found herself watching Dahlia contemplatively, studying her face as she had watched Cara study it the night before when Cara and Dahlia had joined them at the tavern for drinks.

Kahlan watched Dahlia and her mind drifted back to what she had witnessed between Dahlia and Cara the night before.

They had all gathered at the tavern, but as the night wore on the place had became quite crowded and loud and Cara became restless prompting Richard to suggest that they go for a walk.

It was decided that some fresh air would do them all good, and Cara, Dahlia and Kahlan had headed to the door to wait outside for Richard and Zedd who said they were going to procur some provisions for the walk – which Kahlan knew meant a cask or two of hot wine.

On the way out of the tavern Kahlan had been stopped by a man seeking her advice, and she'd nodded her head to Cara, indicting that she and Dahlia should continue outside without her. However, it only took a minute for Kahlan to set up a meeting time with the man for the next morning, and sooner than she thought she was exiting the tavern in search of Cara and Dahlia.

She found them standing in the shadows of the small gap between the tavern and building next to it. She started towards them, but as she did she saw Dahlia lean forward and kiss Cara's cheek and Kahlan froze awkwardly where she was, not wishing to interrupt the intimate moment.

Backing away slightly and fading into some nearby shadows, Kahlan watched as Cara's head dipped down at the chaste touch of Dahlia's lips against her skin, and Kahlan was just able to make out Cara saying, "What was that for?" as blonde turned, almost bashfully, to look at Dahlia.

"For being you," Dahlia had replied sweetly, and though Kahlan couldn't see Cara's eyes from where she was, she could tell from the way the blonde's head moved that she had rolled her eyes.

Dahlia had laughed at that, and Cara angled her head to the side, pretending to ignore Dahlia. However, when Dahlia quieted down, Cara looked back over at her and then proceeded to stare at her until finally Dahlia placed her hand on her hip and said, "What?"

Kahlan wasn't sure what she expected to happen after that, but she certainly hadn't been prepared for Cara petulantly muttering, "I'm still me and you're not kissing me now."

Dahlia had responded to that by laughing again, and then she leaned forward indulgently and kissed Cara's cheek. When she pulled back Cara took up staring at her again until Dahlia crossed her arms and amusedly said, "Cara, I can't kiss you every moment of the day."

"You don't know that," Cara replied. "You haven't tried. Kahlan says a person can do anything they put their mind to," and while Kahlan was busy feeling touched that Cara actually did listen to her when she talked to her about such things, Dahlia smiled and kissed Cara again.

When Dahlia's lips left Cara's cheek, she looked at Cara curiously, and said, "If I'm kissing you every moment of the day, how are you going to make clever remarks?"

Cara had smiled one of her rare full smiles in response, drawing an equally dazzling smile from Dahlia, and then she had murmured, "Perhaps, every moment was overly ambitious. We should experiment until we find the perfect balance of kisses to witty observations. It's the only logical course of action."

That drew a giggle from Dahlia, and as Kahlan lifted her hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing at Cara's heart-warmingly ridiculous response, Dahlia had leaned forward and captured Cara's lips in a kiss that was far from brief and in a different universe from chaste.

Knowing that she should not have stayed and watched them as long as she had, Kahlan had slipped back inside of the tavern as the two women continued to kiss.

Kahlan made no comment about what she had witnessed between Cara and Dahlia when she joined Zedd and Richard, and if she had been asked why she was so charmed by Cara during their stroll – even as her affectionate glances made Cara increasingly cranky – she had planned to blame it on the hot wine.

Despite the talk Kahlan had had with Richard over lunch, she had waited to talk to Dahlia because she didn't want to presume too much about Cara's feelings – which while no longer a complete mystery to Kahlan, were still hard for her to read.

However, what she had seen between them outside of the tavern had made Kahlan confident enough of Cara's feelings for Dahlia for to her finally approach Dahlia about joining them on the road, and, after a few very pleasant candle-marks of tea and conversation that was finally what Kahlan was going to do.

"Dahlia, there's something I'd like to talk to you about," Kahlan began, and Dahlia turned her big brown on eyes towards her and leaned forward, eager to hear what Kahlan had to say.

To be continued ...

If you read and enjoyed, comments are always welcome and are very much appreciated :D

Comments

Great story!

[keinlurker.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'v commented on this story before even though I meant to do so. It is wonderful, and it keeps getting better. Great dialogue, especially! Thank you so much for writing and sharing.