The Abandoned Shack, Early Saturday Morning

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara was not the kind of person to come slowly to wakefulness. Mord'Sith training saw to that. But there were times it took several minutes to realise and remember where exactly she was waking up. Today was one of those times.

It wasn't that her surroundings were unfamiliar. This was far from the first time she'd woken up naked, or on bare ground, or with a not entirely unpleasant aching in her muscles. Though admittedly all three of those things at once was less common.

It was the familiarity that did it, some part of her (that she'd never acknowledge) wanting to enjoy the possessive arm draped over her side, the hand tracing circles on her belly, the hair tickling the back of her neck as a mouth moved over her shoulder, for just a little longer.

Of course, then someone had to go and ruin it by talking.

"I'd forgotten just how aggressive you used to be." Dahlia had always been insufferably smug in the morning. "Or maybe I just didn't have the perspective to properly appreciate it."

And like that, Cara's memory very helpfully chipped in with everything she'd been ignoring.

After leaving the clearing she found them in, she'd spent most of the last day and half avoiding both Leo and Dahlia. Eventually though, whether though the same magic that'd brought her to the island or simply being better at guessing where Cara might decide to hole up, Dahlia had managed to find her. Just to talk, she claimed.

But since talking was hard and fighting was easy, it hadn't been very long before a comment of Dahlia's (that in hindsight had very likely been intended to produce just that effect) had Cara reaching for an agiel. And once her blood was up, then falling into other old patterns was easier still.

She sat up, not shoving Dahlia away, but making no effort to acknowledge her presence either. Even if her gaze was drawn to the split lip the other woman was currently sporting, or the collection of teeth- and nail-marks and still darkening bruises that marred pale skin.

Once she realised what she was doing, Cara forced her eyes to anywhere-but-Dahlia. "We should get dressed."

[For one.]

Comments

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

Dahlia who was not the world's fastest dresser and hair braider but rather had no naked icons, alas reached up to trail fingers along Cara's spine. "Why? We have hours still before I have to go."

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara didn't react to the touch. She was very good at not reacting when she wanted to be. "You can find something else to do, then."

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

"I'm quite sure there's nothing else in this place worthy of my time." Dahlia smirked, her hands slipping down over Cara's skin. "Or yours."

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara did react this time. Thought probably not the way Dahlia wanted her to, then again given how quickly she'd gotten under Cara's skin last night, maybe being thrown to the ground with a hand wrapped around her throat was exactly the kind of reaction she wanted.

"Stop. Talking. Dahlia." Regardless of any similar thoughts she might have had along those lines over the last few months, Cara really didn't need Dahlia giving voice to them. "We're done here."

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

Cara's hand pressing against her neck was an uncomfortable enough reminder of how she'd died to wipe the smirk off Dahlia's face, if only temporarily.

It wasn't quite enough to cow her, though. "Whatever my mistress desires," she replied, making no secret of the way her eyes travelled over Cara's body.

[wrongkindofsith]

And Dahlia saying things like that would be one of reasons they were in this position to begin with. Doing her best to ignore the way Dahlia was watching her, she hauled her upright.

"The only thing thing I desire," she growled, her voice throaty enough to make a lie of it. "Is for you to get dressed and get out."

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

Once Cara released her throat, the prudent thing would have been for Dahlia to step back, instead she moved in closer. "And then? Play at being a schoolgirl until the Seeker remembers you exist?" she asked. "Cara, you're Mord'Sith, your place is at the Lord Rahl's side."

[wrongkindofsith]

Another of Cara's thoughts that didn't need voicing right now.

"My place is wherever the Lord Rahl wishes it to be," she said instead, refusing to meet Dahlia's eyes. "And Richard wants me here." So here she would stay, regardless of where she wanted to be.

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

"There's another choice," Dahlia said softly, reaching to tilt Cara's face back towards hers. "The magic that brought me here, I'm sure between the two of us we can make sure I don't have to go back. Then we could go anywhere we wanted. No Seeker, no Darken Rahl, just the two of us." Not that this line of argument had worked the first time she tried it, but things were different now. She was dead for starters.

[wrongkindofsith]

"Dahlia," Cara's voice caught and she could feel tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "I don't want that."

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

"Why? You can't be happy I'm dead."

[wrongkindofsith]

"I'm not." Even if she couldn't admit to it, after what had happened with Leo she could recognise the sick, hollow sensation of grief. "But I'm not sorry either."

[exparrotexes.livejournal.com]

That did make Dahlia draw back, as effectively as if Cara had back-handed her. "Of course not." She didn't bother to ask why. "Mord'Sith are never sorry."

She dressed in silence, without asking Cara to help her with her leathers.

Cara helped her anyway.