Deadly Beautiful (SuperCorp Medieval AU)

Part 34

or the one where Kara is a force of nature again   

     This morning, Kara woke up at her natural time; just as the sun had begun to rise. Lena was plainly still in the grasp of a deep sleep and she could easily hear Winn snoring through the thin walls. Kara carefully extricated herself from underneath Lena and stretched out her sore muscles. She had so many feelings she needed to sort through. Her mind was so incredibly muddled it felt almost like a fog had settled over her.

Kara stretched as she had been taught by her doctor and began to move through her forms as the sun rose. When Lena and Winn woke, it was to Kara's silhouette moving gracefully with enough power to fill five people. Sweat had begun to bead across her forehead. Her sword reflected the light of the sun and their banked fire in flashes. Lena and Winn found they could not tear their eyes from her. Kara had not noticed them as they watched.

"Damn..." Winn muttered lowly, almost as though the word had been pulled out of him against his will.

"She is truly stunning." Lena said softly, her voice almost reverent. The smell of tea heating on a stone reached her nose and drew her attention. Kara had evidently left it with her in mind. "Gods, do I love that woman."

Winn's eyebrows shot up, just as Lena realized what it was she had just said.

"I, uhm, I... mean that in the most platonic manner possible?" Lena attempts to backtrack, the lie plainly a poor one.

"I know what you really mean and I understand. I feel like it would be harder to not love her." Winn's voice is soft and betrays a lot to her. He is oddly kind at that moment and Lena realizes she actually knows next to nothing about him. She truly believes in his loyalty to her and to their cause, though, no matter Kara's former suspicions.

The trio broke their fast and drank their tea without much more conversation after Kara greeted them. After the previous day's misadventures, it was hard to regain the optimism they once had, though Lena seemed to be leaning into her a bit more. Something had brought them closer and neither of them minded. In fact, even Winn and Kara were more friendly with one another. Lena assumed it was some sort of warrior's bond she was not quite capable of understanding.

They broke camp in a companionable silence. When Kara stood, Lena realized her gladius had changed sides on her hips once more. Kara noticed Lena's noticing and grinned at her proudly. Lena pointed it out to Winn and they congratulated her on being completely healed. Kara drew and whipped the gladius around her head a few times and Lena was unable to discern a difference in the movements from the first time she had seen Kara with one.

Morale had taken a significant boost even just from that small amount of good news. Kara and Lena shared a handful of smiles, looks, and laughs as they finished packing and headed back to the main path. They had come to a smaller and less traveled path Winn announced would take them to their destination. Kara felt a distinct sense of recognition, though she could not quite place it. It left her with a feeling of disconcertion she could not shake.

"Are we getting close?" Lena asked, her voice bordering on petulant. Despite their practice sessions, Kara had not been able to completely quell Lena's inner spoiled princess. Luckily, Kara found her utterly adorable even when acting rather childish.

"It should be just past the next two ridges." Winn answered. Lena had asked the question at least once every hour and a half. He had done quite well to maintain his patience with her thus far, though Kara noted he had begun to grind his teeth.

Kara continued to question how she knew this place as they passed through a small community in the fief between plantations/farms/ranches. It was some distant memory Kara had to have repressed earlier on in her life. She wracked her brain but could not come up with anything.

"I swear I have to have been here before." Kara said for what had to be at least the third time, only to be met by the collective groans of her companions. They could see the small village Winn had pointed out to them. A wagon passed them on the other side of the dirt road. Something about the wheels, the sounds it made, and the way it bounced reminded her of riding in one. "Oh! It is that Midvale! Alex and I used to spend a lot of time here as youths. Eliza and Jeremiah did their business here and we would just wander around. I sold myself into the gladiator service here."

"Oh, wow. That just got really dark, really quickly." said Winn with a raised eyebrow and a grimace. As they entered the town's radius, Kara heard her name called loudly and Alex Danvers exited the town's main local tavern.