Chapter 38: Breaking Free

Ann and Kat were relaxing the next morning. Time wasn’t an issue today. With the Snail slain, and the rest of the Warped in the area dealt with, they were taking their time. They’d had their nightly passions, but this morning was proving to be similarly intimate. Something about being able to take their time, relaxing, and being so close was almost as exciting as the nights Ann was slamming Kat into the bed, or vice versa.

At the moment, Kat was gently petting Ann’s tail. Ann’s breath slowed as the relaxing strokes caused her to melt into her Protector. A soft chuckle from Kat made her heart skip a beat, heat rising in her cheeks. She loved that sound, and how easy it was to tease out of the woman. She had the same silly sense of humour. A goofy grin here, a poke or wiggle there, a playful kiss, and they were laughing happily as they embraced. It was bliss.

Unfortunately, that bliss was interrupted by a knock at the door. “May I come in?” Rosalyn called from the other side.

“We’re not decent!” Ann called back, as Kat continued to pet her tail.

“I… is it still ok?” Rosalyn stammered.

“Come in before ye fidget yerself apart,” Kat laughed.

Rosalyn cracked the door and slipped through, gently shutting it behind her. “Sorry to interrupt. I was just. I wanted to talk for a minute. Sorry if I interrupted. I could have waited. It’s just. This is stupid. I’ll leave you be.” She turned to leave, cracking the door before Kat stopped her.

“None o’ that. Sit yer plump arse down an’ tell us what’s the matter,” she almost commanded.

Rosalyn stopped dead in her tracks, frozen, before she turned back around and sat on the bed next to Ann as directed. She held her hands together in the same nervous habit Ann was starting to get used to. She also noticed how the posture pushed her rather large chest together under her loose shirt.

Kat, still petting Ann’s tail, not letting the other woman move under the covers, turned her head to face Rosalyn.

“So, what’s on yer mind? We’ve not known each other long, but ye didn’t seem the type tae not speak what ye’re thinkin’.”

Rosalyn fidgeted where she sat, wooly hair falling over her shoulders as she adjusted. “It’s… I’ve been thinking about what Bren was talking about the other day. I’m… nervous? Scared? Worried? There’s a lot going on in me. I think I want to. To join you all. Going around and figuring out the Warped issue? Working for Orenous? It sounds like the adventure I’ve always dreamed about. Thing is, I’m scared about leaving. This is pretty much all I’ve known. I’ve got family here. People who rely on me. I can’t just… leave. Can I?” Rosalyn turned to look at them, eyes almost pleading as she seemed to shrink.

Ann tore her eyes off the heart wrenching sight to meet Kat’s gaze. The woman nodded, and Ann threw off the covers and hugged Rosalyn. “Hey. No no no. It’s ok. It’s a big change,” she said comfortingly. As she held her, she felt the bed shift as Kat joined the hug, brawny arms wrapping around Rosalyn’s front.

“And ye won’t have tae worry about the duties ye’ve been handlin’. I’ve been thinkin’ about that since yesterday. I think I can work out a deal tae take care o’ that. Provided ye’re not the only one who can do it.”

Rosalyn shook between them, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “You… really? I… I can. I can go? You can do that?”

“What’s bein’ a princess fer, if not tae help people?” Kat smiled softly, tightening her hug.

Rosalyn began to cry, burying her face in Kat’s arm. They stayed there for a while, holding the smaller woman between them, providing all the comfort they could. Eventually, Rosalyn’s tears slowed. She wiped her eyes and nose, sniffling heavily. “Thanks. I… I needed that. Something about me just…”

“Needed to hear that it was ok?” Ann tried to finish the sentence, leaning her head down to look into the Druid’s hazel eyes.

“Yeah. I got so wrapped up in the ‘what if’s that I felt like I couldn’t move,” she sniffled again, shaking as she suppressed another wave of tears. “I was so scared that I’d be stuck here. I like it, but I want more, and I wasn’t sure I could want that. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah. Gods above, I get it,” Ann sighed, pulling her close again. “Doing something new is fucking scary. Shhhh,” Ann whispered as Rosalyn started to cry again. Kat rubbed the Druid’s back in gentle circles.

This repeated a few times. Rosalyn would collect herself enough to stop crying, but would soon fall apart again. Ann’s front was damp from the tears that flowed, but she didn’t mind. The woman had clearly been holding in a lot over the years, and this seemed to be her letting it out. It was touching that she’d sought them out for this as well. Kat had laid her forehead on the curl of one of Rosalyn’s horns, being careful with her own long ears, and was whispering quiet reassurance.

Eventually Rosalyn calmed. She still shook now and then, as the exhaustion of the emotions she’d just gone through took their toll, but she wiped her tears and moved out of the hug.

“Thank you. Both of you. I really needed that,” she said before taking a piece of her shirt and blowing her nose.

“Any time, girl,” Kat said with a gentle smile. “Ye ok?”

“Yeah. I’m better now. Gods, my eyes hurt a bit. Ugh, crying sucks,” Rosalyn groaned. She blinked rapidly, wiping tears away with ebony fingers. “It feels so good, but then you feel like your head is all stuffed full of cotton. Not to mention you feel exhausted. Oh, and hungry. Guess I didn’t have breakfast yet. We should probably do that, right? Oh, Gods, you’re both naked! I’m so sorry!”

“We warned you,” Ann laughed. “Didn’t seem to have a problem with it until just now.”

“I was distraught!” Rosalyn tried to defend herself, completely failing, as her eyes couldn’t be torn from the two naked bodies in front of her.

“Think she likes the view,” Ann teased Kat.

“Aye. Not the first time she’s seen it either,” Kat purred back. “Ye’d think she’d be used tae it by now.”

Rosalyn squeaked and buried her face in her hands as the other two women shared a good-natured laugh at her expense.

Ann reached behind herself and offered her tail to wipe Rosalyn’s tears. The other woman took it gratefully, and after a short minute, she was herself again.

“That was a lot. Wow! I didn’t know I had all that bundled up in there. Thanks for just listening, and for helping me and the people and my parents. I don’t know how I could ever repay you. Anything. Anything you want.”

Ann and Kat shared a look, and Ann turned back to the Ovine. “Just come with us? That’s all we could ask, really. You good with that, Kat?”

“Aye. That’ll do nicely. We needed ya, an’ now that we know ye a bit better? I’d like tae have ye around.”

Rosalyn dissolved into gratitudes again, with Ann and Kat desperately trying to talk her down. Eventually, they were saved by Bren knocking at the door.

“Are you three all right in there? I believe I heard crying a bit ago,” he asked, voice muffled through the door.

“We’ll be out in a minute!” Ann called back.

She and Kat got out of bed and dressed. Nothing special was planned for the day, so they just stuck to their casual wear. Ann in her simple shirt and kilt, Kat in her tighter shirt and pants.

Bren was putting out cups and plates for them as they descended the stairs to the living room. An eyebrow quirked as he looked at Rosalyn, but Kat waved him off.

“Don’ worry about it. Things got a little emotional after we offered tae help her wit’ the wardin’ duties ‘ere so she could join us. Nothin’ big.”

“Ah, yes. I can understand.” Bren nodded sagely through the steam wafting from his cup. “Then it was agreed to? You will join us?”

“Yup! That’s the plan. Though the other plans are still a bit of a question, right? Like, I get you’re all important being a princess, but can you really do all that? Get someone out here to help with the rune stone? Oh! I didn’t answer your last question! It doesn’t have to be me to do it. Anyone with sufficient Mind that knows the ritual can do it, no problem! Just got to teach them the words, the mindset and how to channel everything and it’ll just happen. Wow! I can’t believe you’re helping me this much. This is so great!”

Ann laughed as the woman practically bounced in her chair with excitement.

“Though I guess I’ll need to talk to my parents. That’s going to be an interesting conversation. Little lamb leaving the pasture. Oh, mom’s gonna cry worse than I did. At least we’re staying in the kingdom for now, so we can just hop a train back and come see them if we need. Just, yeah.”

“Honestly, not sure what tha’s like,” Kat said, chewing through her bread. “Ma an’ Da sent me off wit’ some gold an’ equipment tae help get started, but there wasn’t any cryin’ or disapprovin’ stuff. Just a ‘make us proud’ an’ off I went wit’ Bren.”

“You may not have gotten that, but I absolutely did.” Bren laughed. “Mother would not stop fussing about if I had enough rations, if I had my maps, bedroll, and more. I could not get a word past her. Father was not much better. I could see how much he wanted to fuss over me too, but he could see how much mother was doing already. He just began listing off advice he had read from journals of famous mercenaries, war heroes and the like.”

“Yeah, me too. When I went off for college, I had the whole rundown of making sure I had a place to live, knew how to cook, all that. Had to move cross-country for the school I wanted to go to, so it was a big adjustment. Thankfully, we could just video call if we needed to talk or see each other, so it wasn’t much of a problem.”

“More ancient technology?” Bren asked, perking up.

“Oh, right, yeah. Basically, we had a way of talking from pretty much anywhere in the world. After like a hundred or more years of that, we figured out how to do video so you could see someone else while you were talking. It was pretty insane now that I think about it.”

“That would set so many people’s hearts and minds at ease,” Rosalyn sighed.

“It did have its downsides, but not like it’s likely to happen again in our lifetimes here.”

“Still. To see mom and dad whenever I wanted? What a wonderful gift.”

They continued chatting through their breakfast before everyone helped clean up.

“Right, so. I guess I should pack,” Rosalyn said, looking around her living room. A sigh escaped her lips as a sad look dawned on her.

“Do you want help?” Ann asked.

“No, no. I just. I need a minute? Could you all just, give me a bit?”

“Yeah, we’ll head up to the room. Let us know, though,” Ann said softly. The three of them stood and headed upstairs. Ann gave Rosalyn’s shoulder a reassuring pat, which was surprisingly met by the ebony hand, before she followed the other two.

Closing the door behind her, Kat spoke first. “Think she’s gonna be alright?”

“Yes. I believe she simply needs to work through the emotions. It is rather sudden. Maybe we could give her some time? Leave before her and have her find us in the Keep?” Bren suggested.

“That might be a good idea,” Ann huffed as she sat down. “It’s a couple day hike back for us. Polaris should already be gone by now to talk to your mom, Kat. Not to mention our equipment should be ready, and my clothes. It would also give her time to say her proper goodbyes. Though, I guess she might want us there for her parents’ sake. Know who their daughter is going to be travelling with. You know?”

“Aye. There’s ups an’ downs tae both options there,” Kat muttered. She’d sat herself on the bed and had flopped over so her head was in Ann’s lap. Her eyes were closed, clearly enjoying Ann stroking her hair and ears.

“I believe we should propose those to Rosalyn as a choice. I think I will be the one to do so. You two stay here,” Bren said, rising.

After he closed the door and they heard footsteps descending, Ann let out a sigh. “Gods, this part always sucks. Don’t like having put her in such a hard spot.”

“Aye, but she wanted tae do this. Ye heard ‘er this mornin’,” Kat reminded her. “Emotions just feckin’ suck. Illogical bullshite.”

“Even the better emotions?” Ann teased, wiggling a finger in Kat’s ear.

“Aye, even those, ya nutter. Keep it up an’ ye’ll lose that finger,” Kat grumbled.

“Fine. She does seem to be opening up to us at least. More comfortable.”

“Dinnae if that’ll be headin’ in the direction ye’re implyin’ though, Ann. Ye’re too hopeful sometimes. Anyone ever tell ye that?”

“Oh, sometimes,” Ann sighed. “Just, she’s nice. That nervous energy is really endearing. Ya know?”

“Trust me, I know,” Kat grinned, snuggling deeper into Ann’s lap. “She’s growin’ on me. Not quite there yet, but she’s gettin’ there.”

“I mean, the two of us hit it off pretty hot and heavy,” Ann said softly. “Not everyone’s gonna be giving me handjobs after days of knowing each other.”

“Don’t regret it fer a minute,” Kat giggled.

“I’d be upset if you did.”

The door creaked as Bren returned. “All right. She’d prefer us to stay and meet her parents. She is struggling, but believes things will be alright. We might as well just relax for a couple hours, while she gets ready. I have some reading to do. What about you two?”

Kat rolled over, craning her neck to the side so she could see past Ann’s bust. “Spar?”

“Sounds good to me. I’m on the level with you, finally. Sounds fun!”

“So prone to violence, both of you,” Bren sighed. “Let me know if you need healing. I’ll be listening.”

“We’ll be gentle!” Kat scoffed. “A few cuts and bruises at most.”

“Yeah. I won’t even use my Smite or gun. Just sword to sword, and shield, I guess.”

“Aye, can work on yer footwork, too. Ye’re still workin’ off instinct too much. Need tae give ye yer fundamentals.

A few hours later, and a string of thoroughly humiliating defeats for Ann, Bren and Rosalyn exited the house.

“I do believe it is time,” Bren intoned, a solemn look on his face.

“Yup. I’ve got my stuff. Got everything put away I need to. It’s all here. Just grab your things and we can get going. I… sorry, but I kinda don’t want to go back in? Feels like if I do, I’m not gonna leave. Ok?” Rosalyn rambled, fidgeting with her hands in front of her.

Groaning, Ann sat up from being tripped by Kat, batting away the hand she was offered. Kat cocked an eyebrow, but let her stand on her own. “All right. Whatever you need to do to make it right. Want me to get our stuff, Kat?”

“I can help. Ye don’t gotta do stuff on yer own, lass,” she chided.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Still frustrating getting my ass kicked after I’ve gotten so much stronger,” Ann grumbled, kicking some snow off her paw.

“An’ tha’s ‘cause I’ve been fightin’ people fer longer than ye’ve been conscious. Skill still takes time. Ye’re good. Better than a novice, but ye’ve got room tae grow. And hey, ye’re doin’ way better than the fight on our date!” Kat laughed.

“You two fought on a date?” Rosalyn chirped, cocking her head in a way that made her wooly hair bounce adorably.

“Yeah,” Ann chuckled. “It was more of a conversational fight than much else. Just our fists in a park back in Graven Keep. I swear I almost fu…” Ann trailed off, eyes widening as she realised what she was about to say, and that Bren was right there.

“Well, that certainly sounds friendlier than I thought it was. You two are pretty close, that’s for sure. In personality and physically. I can see why you two work together so well!” Rosalyn giggled, smiling brightly.

Ann took a moment to save that sight in her memory. The woman was dazzling when she smiled. The white wool contrasting her pitch black skin, and the whites of her teeth shining even brighter because of it. Shaking her head, she leaned back on Kat’s shoulder.

“Yeah, and other things for sure,” she said with a mischievous grin.

“Aye, an’ other things,” Kat murmured, nuzzling her head into the hand on her shoulder.

“All right, you two,” Bren interrupted with a smile of his own. “Keep that up and we will be here all day. Go get your things. Be out here in fifteen minutes. We need to get to the village before it gets too late, and it is already past noon.”

“Yes, sir!” the two women shouted, throwing Bren mock salutes before devolving into laughter as they returned to the house.

“They really are something,” Rosalyn sighed once she saw the two close the door.

“Yes. Yes, they are. And don’t think I haven’t seen your glancing toward them, either. Keep that up, and you’re likely to be swallowed up by the same energy.” Bren warned with a smile.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. They seem happy enough together. I wouldn’t want to intrude. They’re so perfect. It’s just, yeah. I’m attracted, but I don’t want to make myself a problem,” she stammered, fidgets returning.

“Hardly perfect,” Bren laughed. “You just saw a small part of their imperfections. Annita is new to everything and desperately wants to improve. Kat has been at this for decades, and she’s the bar Annita’s set for herself. I see tension there, but not enough that they will let it get in their way. Regardless, I would be genuinely surprised if they had not already had something of a conversation regarding yourself.”

“Really?” Rosalyn asked meekly, not meeting his eyes.

“I am not blind, you know,” Bren chuckled with a wry smile. “I see the way Annita looks at you. Annita, Katlyn and I had a conversation regarding her passive, which you have read. Katlyn’s rule was specifically that they both be in full agreement before any romantic attachment be pursued.”

“Oh! Uh, that’s definitely more than I thought would be talked about. Interesting. I guess I’ll see what happens. Just not gonna count my chickens before they’ve hatched, you know?”

“A wise decision. Ah, I do believe they are coming back,” Bren sighed, preparing himself. “At least they did not become entangled in their brief time unsupervised.”

“All right, ye bastards!” Kat shouted as she thrust open the door. “Let’s get on the road! Gotta meet the parents and I’ll be damned if we do it after dark. Bad impression, that!”

The rest laughed as they nodded to each other, and followed Rosalyn into the woods.