Chapter 109: Homecoming

Refracted winter sunlight filtered through Kat’s bedroom window. The lenses set into the cave ceiling, while hidden, did give the illusion of sunrise. Ann yawned wide, stretching, before nuzzling into the back of Kat’s neck. Smooth scales rubbed against her nose as she nuzzled her girl. “Mornin.”

Kat just grumbled in reply. Definitely still too early for her to be up. They’d gotten back late the last night, and after their nightly romp they’d collapsed in bed.

Ann looked around, finding Rosalyn mysteriously missing. She was as much an early riser as Ann was, but normally she woke her girlfriend up before leaving. She’d be fine, though. They were in the middle of the palace under a mountain. The Druid had probably wandered off for an early walk.

Ann rolled over, arm still trapped under Kat, and kicked the sheets off, letting her fur breathe. It got achy under sheets if it was rubbed the wrong way for too long, so she’d started sleeping without the covering. Kat, however, insisted on the blanket, so she’d suffer the minor annoyance.

They had a full day ahead of them, what with getting Kat’s current predicament checked out by Rowena, telling her parents about the scales, everything else that came with talking to Rowena, probably meeting up with Remmi and going over her recent events. They also needed to talk to Wendyl about the enchanted disposal idea to see if it’d work, or if there was a better solution. More teasing Kat during that encounter, maybe getting Rosalyn in on it. See if they could get Kat to break a little, get her to loosen up a bit.

It wasn’t like Ann was unhappy in her relationship. She just thought the horny enchanter would be fun in bed with them. An on and off kind of thing, here and there, when they wanted to spice things up with another partner. Since all of them were still very concerned with Rowena’s mental state, Wendyl was her next best option. That she’d basically begged to have them watch her get off definitely made Ann feel more comfortable about inviting her.

It was, ultimately, her girlfriends’ decisions to make. They weren’t some majority rules relationship. If one of them said no, that was it. Kat hadn’t said no, just not now. Ann was very aware she was pushing a boundary with the princess on this, but with the other things she’d gotten out of Kat even the night before last, she had an inkling Kat had more kinks hiding in there than she was letting on. Girl was already pretty freaky with the public sex thing, the voyeuristic streak she’d described, and the amazingly rough way she fucked. Not to mention the degradation from the that night.

Then there was Rosalyn. Rosalyn was by far the easiest to convince. Ann had initially thought the woman would be sheltered and even more closed off to some of these ideas, but the woman had become almost as bad as she was when instigating sexual encounters. The fact that she goaded Ann into situations, then acted like it wasn’t her idea, drove Ann wild. In over her head was an understatement when she thought about what to do with Rosalyn.

A knock came at the door. Odd. Rosalyn didn’t normally knock. “Come in!” Ann called.

“Oh Katlyyyn!” an unfamiliar voice accompanied the sound of the door opening. “I know it’s been a while, but are you still this bad at mornings? Honestly. Sleeping out in the wilderness still hasn’t given you a sense of wariness?”

Around the corner strode one of the most beautiful women Ann had ever seen. An Alfhindur with platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes cast her gaze upon them. Pale, slender, elegant, with a dusting of freckles across her nose. She wore her hair in long straight sheets, coiled with ornaments of silver and gold. She was only slightly shorter than Kat, maybe an inch or two, and wore a resplendent, but simple, dress that trailed on the ground behind her. If she was to compare any Alfhindur to Galadriel, it was this woman.

“I… uh, sorry!” Ann cried, scrambling backwards.

“Oh! Oh my Gods, I should have asked, but you said to come in. I’m deeply sorry to have intruded,” the woman sputtered, blushing. “You are both… oh my. I will… excuse me for a moment. Please let me know when you are decent.” The woman fled, closing the door behind her.

“Kat, I’m not asking. Wake the fuck up,” Ann cried, shaking her lover.

Kat groaned and sat up. “The feck are you and Rosalyn yammering on about this time?”

“Not Rosalyn. Pretty Alfhindur woman. Blonde. STUPIDLY pretty. She seemed to know you? Came in after knocking.”

Kat sat there for a second, then her eyes flew open. “Junia’s ‘ere? Oh feck, what did she see? Shite shite shite shite.” Kat flew into action, grabbing clothes and desperately dressing herself, then turning to a mirror and making sure her hair covered her scales.

“Me, very naked, but all fluff. Kinda weird that it’s not too scandalous anymore.”

“Illdall preserve us, if we were in more awkward positions,” Kat groaned, undoing her hair and redoing her braids to better cover herself.

Rosalyn walked in, carrying a platter of sausages and eggs. “Morning. Wow, you’re up early, Kat. I thought I’d bring us breakfast in bed, seeing as we’ve been on the road for a while and the seed was kinda awful in a special way so I thought we could use a treat. There’s a really pretty blushing Alfhindur out by the door. She gave me a funny look when I walked in, but didn’t say anything. Who is she? Never seen someone that pale before. Even her hair and eyes. Eyes kinda looked like yours, now that I think about it, Kat. Oh, here, let me help with the hair. It’s gotten tangled again, we’ve gotta brush it. You really need to work on this better. Braids will only keep you going so long.”

While Rosalyn was rambling, Ann pulled on a kilt and shirt. She reached over, then thought better about the collar when meeting someone new. She liked the feeling and the meaning between them, but it was a bit much.

“Feck, it’ll ‘ave tae do. The longer I leave ‘er out there, the more awkward this is gonna be,” Kat sighed, patting her hair into place so none of the shimmering blue scales showed. “Alright Junia, ye can come in!”

The door creaked, and Junia strode back in. Ann could see she was trying to maintain her composure, but that blush betrayed her. She blushed from her ears, just like Kat.

Kat ran over and pulled her sister into a bear hug. Junia looked startled for a moment, then smiled and returned the embrace. Kat laughed, then lifted her easily, spinning her around. “Gods it’s good to see ye again, Jun.”

“It’s good to see you again, too, Kat,” Junia laughed. She straightened her dress and fixed her hair as she was set down by her burly sister. “I must say, I am very sorry to intrude.”

“We’re feckin’ sisters,” Kat giggled. “Not like it’s the first time ye’ve wandered in on me nekkid.”

“First time with company,” Junia said, nodding to Ann and Rosalyn. “Going to introduce me? I think I know from reports and rumours, but it is only polite.”

“Aye, well, Ann an’ Rosalyn, this is Junia. Me oldest sister an’ first in line fer the throne. Junia, me girlfriends Annita an’ Rosalyn. Ye’ve ‘eard about Annita, I’m sure, but Rosalyn’s a Druid we met out in River’s Crest near Graven Keep.”

“An absolute pleasure,” Junia said with a blinding smile. Her voice was silky smooth, of a higher timbre, and completely disarming. “She’s right. I have heard a great deal about you, Annita. Mother and father keep me apprised of important matters, and you definitely qualify. Rosalyn, I am charmed. I didn’t expect Kat to get into a relationship like this, though, seeing how her last few went.”

“Oi, low blow. How’s the current suitor goin’? Ah, right, scared ‘im off wit’ yer itinerary.” Kat huffed.

“You are so lucky you do not have to deal with that process,” Junia sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting primly. “The pressure to find someone reasonable to marry before our parents pass on the crown is unbelievable.”

“They’re only gettin’ intae their late second century. Shite’s not fer a while.”

“No, but expectations are ever present. I’m sorry, I didn’t come here to complain about my life. I wanted to catch up with you and your new friends. Please, tell me about yourselves!”

“Well, um, how much about me do you know?” Ann asked tentatively.

“Chosen of Orenous, sent to investigate the Warping and discover the source of corruption. Currently undisclosed to the public, however plans are in the works to change that with the Everfrost festival in the next week. Currently engaged as a hand to hand rogue type fighter functioning as a licensed mercenary for the kingdom. Made a spectacular debut at the Brawler’s Guild, and a scandalous celebration with my dear sister afterwards. You have since been deployed along Katlyn, Bren and Rosalyn to rescue survivors in a Seed which was falsely reported as cleared, succeeded, and returned to finish the job.”

“Background is murky at best, non-existent at worst. Your current story of being from a Lupine village up north is solid enough, but considering other circumstances of your appearance in the kingdom and the method of your discovery, I have my doubts. Once I learned you were with Katlyn in a romantic sense, I have had agents investigating you and your claims. Things do not add up, and I do not appreciate being kept in the dark.”

“Regardless, Katlyn trusts you, as I can see by the bristling anger she’s currently displaying, and Rosalyn is deeply loyal. This indicates a good heart and at least a stable mind. Your current physical appearance differs from previous reports, which indicated fur up to just below your knees. From the peek earlier, it now completely covers your pelvis and any genitalia you might possess. Multiple sources confirm that your status sheet does indicate the Warp influences you, but that you are no threat to the kingdom, nor those around you. In fact, all reports save Arthur’s tell of a positive influence. Some do mention your proclivity for flirting with the same sex, and a more free spirited attitude than Katlyn in these regards, but more than that would be prying into Katlyn’s love life and I would rather not.”

“That’s… a lot,” Ann stammered, trying to digest the deluge of information Junia had just recited at her.

“That’s not even getting into the situation with the Temple, but that is a religious matter, and they can conduct things as they see fit. Really, it is an overall good impression. I just have questions.”

Rosalyn stared at Junia, slack jawed, then hid behind Ann as the woman’s blue eyes turned to her.

“Really, I’m not here to interrogate. That is my official work. I’m just very well connected,” Junia sighed, then relaxed her shoulders. “Please be at ease. I’m in the habit of reporting memorised information like that, and it does tend to intimidate. Sorry, I’m being strange. I mean, you asked.”

“I did, yeah, just didn’t expect that,” Ann laughed, relaxing a little. “I guess you know pretty much everything.”

“I know what you’ve done, but I don’t know you. Since you’re clearly in bed with my sister, I want to actually know you. Just in case I have to take action.”

“Junia,” Kat groaned.

“Hush, I’ve done this with all of your girlfriends.”

“Aye, an’ they all thought ye were feckin natters.”

“Protecting my sister is not ‘natters’, nor is getting to know her girlfriends strange. Honestly, Kat.”

“Aye, aye, feckin, go ahead then.”

“Well, guess I’ll start since half of it is done. Kat, should she be fine with the one thing?”

Kat just nodded, glaring at her sister.

“Well, your hunch about me not telling the truth about where I’m from is right. Orenous may have had me stashed away in her Seed for a few thousand years. I woke up like this just before Kat found me. So, uh, hi. I’m the oldest living person on the planet. Still remember stuff from before the apocalypse, but nothing about what happened after I was shot in the head and put into a coma. Kinda trying to keep that part of me private, so I’d appreciate you not telling anyone.”

Junia’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t react while Ann spoke, but pursed her lips after she finished. “That is interesting news. I will keep that information secret. It doesn’t affect your mission here, so I see no reason to divulge. Do mother and father know about this?”

“Aye. First thing we told ‘em.”

“Good. Well, that’s your history, but I’ll get more from you when I have a little talk with you later,” Junia nodded, then turned to Rosalyn. “Ms. Losenska. Has Katlyn been treating you well?”

“Oh more than,” Rosalyn beamed. “She’s been great! Ever since we met back in the woods it’s been a whirlwind of adventure and all sorts of new things. Lots of scary things. Gods, and so many people. Still trying to get used to that part. I knew like, thirty people tops before, and now I’m walking through seas of them, and it’s so uncomfortable. Kat’s been there through all of it and I couldn’t be happier. Oh, you know that I’m a Druid so I don’t have to explain that. I guess I should say I’ve grown up in poorer farming communities and haven’t seen much of the city. Read a lot, and really like studying beasts of all types, Warped in particular. They’re so fascinating how the magic changes their bodies and modifies them to be so varied. A rat can be thirty different creatures because they were Warped into plants or other animals. Getting my hands on them and figuring out how they work is definitely my passion and I want to keep doing more of it. Kat does a lot by keeping me safe while we kill them, too. Not the only thing though, she’s a really good kisser and I love it when she grabs my horns. It’s so forceful and strong and makes my knees go weak! Easy way to make a girl fall in love. Not like I’m not already in love with her, but still, it’s a good strategy.” Rosalyn took a breath.

Junia let out a tinkling laugh, covering her mouth with a hand as her shoulders shook with mirth. “My, you sure have found a talkative one, Katlyn.”

“Makes up fer me taciturn mannerisms,” Kat said with a haughty lilt to her voice. “Nae, she fits in well wit’ the group. Very ‘appy tae call ‘er mine.”

Junia cocked an eyebrow at that. “Careful. Remember how last time ended?”

“Don’t need tae remind me. We’ve talked about it, actually. Workin’ on some o’ the more, erm, negative aspects o’ that habit.”

“That’s progress already,” Junia nodded. “You two are aware of how her last relationship ended, then?”

Both women nodded.

“Well, keep an eye on her and don’t let her push you around. I guarantee she’ll love you more for it.”

“She sure loves being pushed around in other ways,” Ann mumbled under her breath.

“Hm?”

“Nothing!” Ann said loudly, leaning back on the bed. “Just, we’ve had our disagreements so far. We’ve been able to talk them through.”

“Communication is important. Now, if you two don’t mind, could I have a few minutes of privacy with my sister? It has been a long time, and I’d like to speak with her.”

“If ye call ten years a long time.”

“It is for most mortal races.”

“Aye. Ann, Rosalyn, give us a few? See ye out in the garden?”

“Sounds good. See ya!” Ann said, gathering the platter of barely touched food. She and Rosalyn made their way to a nearby garden and set the platter out on the grass.

“Well, that was an awkward start to things,” Ann sighed, grabbing a sausage.

“She seems nice, though. Maybe a bit tense, and how do I say it, rigid? Not like Bren is. Formal in mannerisms? She doesn’t talk all fancy like Bren or Kremdol do, but the way she rattled off your history sure was something.”

“Yeah. Very literal and practical. We didn’t get yelled at for being in Kat’s bed, so she seems to have suspected that.”

“The more I hear about Kat from other people, the less I think that we’re a surprise,” Rosalyn said around a pastry. “I think the biggest surprise is that it’s two of us. At least none of them know you have a giant cock. That’d make things awkward. Oooh, wait, she knows about the Guild thing. Do you think she suspects?”

“On Orenous’ name, I hope not,” Ann groaned. “Probably the wrong Goddess to be praying to for that one, but still. Can you imagine how that talk will go?”

“Might wanna get ready to have that conversation,” Rosalyn nodded sagely, a gob of preserve on her chin undermining her seriousness.

Ann leaned forward and licked the stray sweetness off her girlfriend’s face, then stole a quick kiss. “Yeah, you’re right. She singled me out for a private talk later. I know how that game goes. Did it plenty, had it done to me.”

“Wait, you’ve had someone talk to you about their sister?”

“Yeah, girlfriend in high school. Sarah. Honestly, I think her sister was a little jealous with the looks I was getting, but I’d never say that to her face. Gave me this whole spiel about not breaking her heart and keeping her safe or it’d be my ass.”

“So, did you?”

“I tried. When she got all cold and didn’t want to do anything with me, it was kinda hard not to get angry at her. We got into a fight and broke up. I got an earful from her sister, but I think she understood. Still had to stick up for her family. I get it. Don’t like it, but I get it.”

“Yeah, that sounds really awkward. I probably would have been a puddle of tears and nerves,” Rosalyn said, shivering. “Anyway, happier things. What do you think they’re talking about?”

They spent the next while making up what they thought Junia and Kat were talking about. It ranged from the mundanity of Kat’s health to the ridiculous. “How many dragon’s has Kat slain? Not enough for our household. You need to do better.”

Laughter echoed throughout the garden as Junia and Kat approached them.

“Sorry tae keep ye waitin,” Kat said, taking a seat on the grass.

“Don’t worry about it. You good?” Ann asked.

“Oh I’m fine. Hungry, though. Give me a few o’ those,” Kat said, her stomach growling as she snatched a couple sausages.

“Annita, if you would?” Junia prompted, offering a hand to help her up.

Ann took her hand and stood, looking down slightly as the woman regarded her.

“Let’s walk and talk. It always helps me think,” Junia said, and pulled Ann along with her.