Parallel Affinity

Part 15.

Maybe something has happened to her... She said she was only going to get water, I don't understand what could be taking her so long.

Hand on the Sword of Truth at her waist, Kahlan paced up and down in the forest, wrecking herself with worry. She wiped perspiration from her forehead and was forced to squint from overbearing heat of the day. In the morning, she awoke with one thing on her mind and at night, when she wasn't keeping watch, fell asleep with the one thing on her mind:

She must not fail this time. She will protect her charge, and the future of all confessors along with Cara, with her life if need be. She will not fail this time.

Maybe I should see what's taking her so long, even if she does get annoyed at me for checking on her.

After another moment's deliberation, Kahlan picked up the horse's reins and lead the animal through the trees, over a meadow and down towards the riverbank. She was about to walk around the hedgerow that separated the riverbank from the meadow when she noticed a remarkably familiar-looking pile of clothing on the gravel ahead... All of it leather, all of it maroon. Kahlan faltered, perplexed, feeling on edge, ready to charge through the bush that concealed her from sight from the river and bust whoever had done this to Cara, when suddenly, movement in the water caught her eye. Peering over the hedge, Kahlan squinted to see better and was shocked when a slender golden arm, entirely bare, leisurely stretched upwards in the air before gently dipping beneath the water surface, while a soaked blond head softly bobbed up and down, as though floating, facing away from her.

Is that... Is that... Cara?!

Kahlan narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what, or rather, who, it was she was seeing, when suddenly the figure stood up in semi-shallow depths of the river, revealing an entirely bare back, with droplets of water trailing down, glistening between the golden sun and the golden skin, melting like pure honey. The figure turned towards her and Kahlan's eyes turned large when she saw... She saw... Cara's eyes pointed straight at her.

The Confessor ducked behind the bush and clutched at her heart. She held her breath and hoped that Cara had not seen her. Alas, the horse had no such concerns. It picked at the leaves of the nearest tree, causing its branches to sway, to practically wave at Cara, until Kahlan pulled at his reins. The animal neighed at being denied his snack so abruptly before Kahlan shushed him, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself. But once she had recovered from the shock enough to look again, uncertainly peering above the hedge, Cara was nowhere to be seen. Unnerved, the Confessor scanned up and down along the riverbank as far as she could see but saw no glimpse of the blonde, even though her clothing had remained discarded in a pile on the sand. Unsettled, Kahlan abandoned her search and slunk down on the grass, resigning herself to waiting it out until Cara finished her leisurely bathing session.

"Is there something I can do for you, Kahlan?" an irked voice demanded from above, eclipsing the sun.

Kahlan flinched and clutched at her heart again. Looking up, she saw a stark naked figure, hands on hips in a defensive stance, entirely soaked and dripping with water, facing her square-on, glaring down at her. Or... That is what Kahlan imagined the figure's features to look like... The tone of the voice suggested as much when she couldn't quite make out the face, obscured by the light as it was. The sun was high in the sky, streaming down directly from behind Cara, setting her skin on golden fire, illuminating her entirely as if she had descended down to Earth directly from it, while her face remained shrouded by shadow. Kahlan put her hand up to shield her eyes and see more clearly... Then abruptly put her hand down and looked away, lips pressed into a flat line, cheeks turning pink, when she did see everything more clearly.