Under the cover of darkness [Part III/?]

[madame_denna]

Pairing: Denna/Cara
Rating: R
Warnings: violence
Summary: AU diverting from canon, takes place a couple months after 'Tears'., Cara needs to get accustomed to her new and different life in Aydindril, but life itself has a surprise ready for her - one she wouldn't have dared to dream about...
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. They are not mine and - of course - no money is made.

Part I
Part II

Cara sensed that something was wrong and shot a glance back over her shoulder. She couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that someone was following her - them. Denna had been so quiet, she almost forgot she was there. Almost.

A hissing sound, then a tiny fraction of a second later she saw the arrow, aimed at the blonde walking besides her.

Cara experienced a deja-vù, however, with the minor deviation that this time she was not the executing force. Without thinking she pushed the blonde down, out of the arrow's flight path. As she grabbed her screaming agiels and the ferocious pain spread through her body, the acquainting touch centered her almost instantly.

The aggressor emerged from his hidden place, Cara recognized him at once. It was the man dressed like a soldier, who had bet in the auction for Denna earlier that day - and lost. He let out a core-shaking battle cry and attacked Cara furiously, trying to stab her with his sword. When Cara fell to the ground, it was not his sword which brought her down. The hard kick that hit her head could have broken her neck in a different angle, but it merely robbed her consciousness for a few moments. The man abandoned her as soon as she hit the ground and turned to face Denna - it was not Cara he had come for.

From her half lying position, Cara could only watch as he raised the sword over his head to slaughter the defenseless woman before him. If it really wasn't Denna, Cara was still unsure whether she was it or not, she might be indeed defenseless. The Denna she used to know, would never be, regardless any arming. Cara's gaze dropped down to one of the agiels in her hand, "Catch" she screamed and caught Denna's attention as she threw one of her agiels through the air. Denna's hand came up, but as her fingers closed around the shaft, her face twisted in pain, she clenched her teeth. The agiel slipped from her grasp and fell down into the green grass.

"Defend yourself", Cara called out as she stumbled to her feet, fighting against the dizziness and her impaired vision, heading in their direction.

"I'm trying! But with no weapon, it's kinda hard thing to do!" Denna countered a punch and brought the soldier down.

"It does not seem that you would need any..".

Denna reached down and grabbed a knife out of the soldiers belt, however not fast enough as a kick from him let the it fly in a high arch out of her hand. She stumbled backwards, but kept her balance to catch the flying object, while the soldier came back to his feet. Cara blinked, as Denna grabbed the knife with practice.

Whoever this woman was, how innocent she might seem to an outsider, in this moment Cara was sure, that there was nothing innocent about her. The precise motion how her fingers closed around the hilt, her strained fighting position, revealed several years of training, so very much like a Mord'Sith. So very proud.

Cara watched the scene before her, as the soldier started another attack with renewed eagerness. But the sharp knife on his throat made him quickly reconsider. He retreated backwards, stumbled and fell on his back. Denna leaned down and pressed the in the sunlight gleaming blade to his skin. "Tell me, what do you want from me?" Denna's eyes narrowed as she stared him down.

"I said. Tell me!", the blonde warned while the man remained silent. Cara stood a few paces away and observed the two with growing interest. Her leathers cracked slightly, as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Spill. It!", as Denna pressed the knife more tightly against the man's throat and the razor-sharp blade broke his skin and the blood started to run freely. His stoic expression twisted in pain. He grunted like a pig.

"You should remember me and my family," he spit. "You monsters hunted down each one of them! Even the children!" His eyes widened, his face flushed to a dark shade of red, and the hands clenched into fists beside his body.

Denna titled her head to the side and studied him silently for several seconds, then shook her head.

"No." She stood up.

"You must be mistaken."

"I will never forgot the faces of the murderers of my family!", he screamed, wild fury overwhelming him. Denna's hand shot out and grabbed him by his throat. Her voice low as she spoke,

"I going to say this only one more time, don't make me repeat myself", her grip tightened, squeezing his windpipe,

"I am not the one you're searching for, now leave before I change my mind and finish what the women you're looking for, weren't able to manage." She shoved him away and let go of his throat.

The man stumbled to his feet. "This is not the end!", he threatened, then pointed with a finger at her.

"I will come for you!"

He paused a moment, as if memorizing every single detail of Denna's face, then vanished into direction were he had come from.

"You should have killed him, when you got the chance", Cara remarked indifferently after she watched him go.

Denna met her eyes, "I guess I should.." Her gaze grew distant, "But I couldn't."

"Come on", Cara took the rains of her horse and guided it down a small trail, "we have a long way ahead of us, especially when the horse is too weak to carry us both." Denna shot the beautiful woman a short side glance, then returned her eyes back to the trail.

~~~

The small path sidled through the landscape, the grass was lush green. The trees still carried dense foliage, shining all red and gold. Birds were chirping through the evening hours as Cara and Denna made silently their way back to Aydindril. The sun stood deep at the horizon and was kissing the earth with the last lightening of the day, still strong enough to warm their faces.

The trees got denser with every step they took. The sky was diverted, on the one side, where the light was still touching the earth it was still red and warm, on the other the darkness had thrust out its claws, swallowing everything into infinity. The clouds were dark and heavy, wild bolts of lightning without thunder flashing between them. Cara wondered if they would escape the storm before it hit.

"We should hurry", she said while her eyes were directed heavenwards, studying the growing darkness. She quickened her pace. They walked for some time in comfortable silence, leaving the dark clouds behind them until the daylight was fading but still spent enough light to lead their trail.

"Why did you hurt me earlier with that thing of yours?" Denna asked.

Cara looked at her, studying Denna's face. "Because you deserved it."

Denna's expression tightened, but she kept walking steadily besides Cara.

"At first I was relieved, that you were the one to... 'buy' me. Now I'm not sure anymore that I should." She run her fingers through her hair. "What have I done?"

Cara considered the question, unsure how much information she should reveal.

"You've much to answer for, Denna", she said, while her eyes never left Denna's as she spoke.

"You're avoiding my question.." Denna's voice dropped, hard and cold, "Answer me!" it send a chill down Cara's spine. She had heard that very tone before, many times, once at the receiving end.

The next thing Denna knew was being pinned backwards against the nearest tree, the uneven bark scratched her bare skin at the back. Cara's forearm squeezed her throat while her warm, in leather-clad body pressed Denna up against the trunk. Denna kept calm except for her eyes, which twitched uncontrollably.

"I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but there is more to it, than you've told me", Cara growled. It was a statement not a question.

"I told you that the last thing I remember is waking up with my hands bound together!" Denna hissed. She grabbed Cara's shoulders and shoved her off of her. But Cara didn't let go so easily and caught Denna's wrists, pulled her arms up above her head and pressed her once more back against the rough bark.

"I don't believe you."

She squeezed Denna's wrists to make her point. Denna stared back at her and narrowed her eyes, she could feel the constant beating of Cara's heart through the thin material of her dress, her anger faded and was replaced by something else, caused by Cara intimate closeness. She pressed forward. Her gaze shifted from the blazing green orbs down to the tempting red lips hovering so close to her own, then back up. Their eyes met again. Denna's heart picked up it's pace. She took a deep breath to calm her distracting thoughts.

"What can I do to convince you, that I'm telling the truth?" She peered at her from under her eyelashes. Cara leaned in and her breath brushed against Denna's lips as she spoke.

"There is nothing you could do or say."

She suddenly let go of Denna's wrists and stepped away. "Now stop talking or I will hurt you again!" Cars headed for her horse, grabbed it by the rains went down the trail, putting distance between them.

After a while she had almost forgotten about the blonde behind her and enjoyed the silence, only listening to the ambient noise until Denna begun questioning her again.

"Am I married? I mean you knew me, then you would know something like this right?" Cara walked a few steps ahead and had still no intention of making small talk. She ignored her.

Denna kept her eyes down on the rocky path before her and shot only occasionally a quick glance at Cara's back.

Yet, she tried again. "But is there someone... special in my life?"

Cara rolled her eyes and groaned. She stopped. She looked over her shoulder and met eyes with Denna, who as well had stopped walking.

"No," she said simply.

Cara turned back and resumed her walk.

"Just no?" Denna starred incredulous at the Mord'Sith walking in front of her. She quickened her pace and caught up with Cara. She touched Cara's shoulder to make her halt. As Cara flinched, she pulled her hand back as if she had burned herself at the touch.

"Don't do this again", Cara growled, then turned to face her.

"Sorry," the blonde whispered, "but there must be something!?"

Cara had the annoying feeling, that she would not let go of the matter and would still insist on an answer.

"Well," Cara begun, "back when we were in the temple, there were a few..", then trailed off. Denna nodded silently, obviously content with her answer.

Cara started walking again, then continued "a few dozen of our sisters, which you bedded regularly."

Cara heard the surprised outcry behind her.

Denna never saw the smug grin that settled on Cara's lips.

~~~

A strong wind arose, it left the leaves of the trees whispering, like quiet voices, telling secrets in the night.

"Winter is coming," Denna remarked absent mindedly.

"It's far too soon for that in the season", Cara reasoned while she listened closely into the beginning darkness.

"But it smells like winter."

"Maybe," Cara allowed. "We should seek shelter soon or the storm will hit us full force while we are out here."

As they walked, it had begun as a light drizzle, but it changed from one minute to the next and the rain poured down. Wind picked up, whipping rain hard into their faces. The sun had set and the bright shining moon had taken its place. When it shone through the clouds, it was bright enough to see the trees, looking like dark soldiers of the underworld.

Lightening illuminated the sky now and then and lit up to almost daytime brightness. The rolling thunder hit so loud, it left them both deaf for mere moments. Cara's horse stopped, started to get up on its front legs, tossed, bucked and shivered with fear. Cara stroked its neck, spending comfort through her touch. The horse eventually calmed down and let her guide it gradually through the night.

They took refuge under a rocky ledge, which provided enough protection for the horse against the rain. Further inside was a deep hole, laying in complete darkness in the stony wall. Cara secured the horse and fished around in her pack at the saddle, until she had found what she had searched for.

The flickering torch was strong enough to lighten the whole up and let it shimmer in a warm golden glow. It was the entrance to a cave, however, not high enough to go through upright, so they crawled until it was high enough to stand.

The cave was small and dusty. A couple of thoughtlessly discarded branches laid scattered around on the ground. Cara was silently grateful, cause she doubted, that they would have found anything else as thoroughly soaked wood to make a fire. Eventually the flames consumed the branches, cracking and bursting under its destroying force, blowing light sparkles in the otherwise dark cave.

Denna sat close to the heat, shivering fiercely in her drenched state. The chattering of her teeth was barely audible under the cracking sound the fire made.

"Take you clothes off", Cara said, while her features remained stoic.

Cara couldn't suppress the tingling feeling in her stomach as she watched Denna's eyes widen in shock.

"I..", Denna stood up from her huddled position next to the fire, "Why?". She took a step backwards, closer to the cave's uneven wall.

"You've heard me!?". For extra emphasis she added, "Now."

Denna took another step, now with her back to the wall.

Cara waited a moment longer, staring her down, indulging in her unsure expression. She took her cape off and tossed it in Denna's direction. It landed next to her feet. "If you stay in your wet.." she grimaced, "dress, you will get ill. I won't care for you then."

Denna just glared at her, but replied nothing. She turned her back to Cara and slowly started disrobing. Cara seated herself across from the fire and ate some of the bread she had bought earlier on the market place. She wondered about Denna's, for any Mord'Sith unusual, display of modesty. However, she did not avert her eyes as Denna looked casually over her shoulder and met her studying glance. Denna frowned, surprised to discover of being watched while disrobing so openly.

"Where are your manners? she hissed, while she covered her nude form under the cloak.

Cara chewed on her bread and smirked. "Who said I had manners?"

End Part III and in general!

Comments

[nudeinthegutter.livejournal.com]

oh Cara, you're so mean! I love it!

[madame-denna.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) Yeah, Cara is pretty badass, but I guess every Mord'Sith is.. it's just another way to express 'feelings' ;)
Thanks for commenting!

[gostode.livejournal.com]

Loved, this fic! Would love to see what happens next. And I think Cara enjoys the amnesia suffering Denna. Making her do faces, which she knows she'd never do in her normal state.

And lol! It's a miracle Cara didn't go into a rant about marriage. Check this vid out to get what I mean its a deleted scene from LOTS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wNoUTW3wqM

[madame-denna.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! xD I actually thought recently about continuing/finishing this.. I just didn't find the time yet. But I will ;) And I agree - Cara thoroughly enjoys to see Denna suffer haha xD I wrote this (http://madame-denna.livejournal.com/31532.html) - it's finished - to explore Cara's ~delight a bit more xD You may enjoy it too.

The vid is priceless!!!!!! I'd seen it some time ago, but totally forgot about it, so thanks for linking me to it! I lauged out loud! xD Thinking about it, maybe Cara's rant is still coming xD

Thanks for taking the time to comment!