Chapter 40: Fond Farewells ❤️

They woke early the next morning to what Ann assumed were roosters crowing. Groaning, she stretched as best she could, with Kat still clinging to her from their usual sleeping position. She smiled, nuzzling the Alf’s forehead with her nose, giving it a gentle kiss. The barest cracks of dawn filtered through the rough glass window, giving the room, and Kat, a cozy, warm feeling. The smell of coffee and the sounds of Lorna and Grollor moving about as they prepared for their day were soothing. Like a distant memory of her old life.

Turning her head, feeling the bedroll beneath her flattening the fur that ran down her back, she saw that Bren had also risen early, likely on a walk or helping Lorna with the early morning chores. Another smile. He was such a dependable guy, always there to help with whatever was needed. She really needed to find someone for him.

For now, with a rustle of the blankets, she turned back to her girlfriend. They had a moment of privacy, and they hadn’t had a chance to fuck last night. She’d gotten so used to it, she felt pent up even from that simple delay. Checking her Libido, she was still safe for a couple more hours, but why wait?

Feeling her cock stiffening at the thought, her hands began to explore. Kat had fallen asleep with simple undergarments on, a loose shirt and underwear. Deft hands traced under these garments, easing them aside while the sleeping woman was none the wiser. Grinning, with her heart full of mischief, she gently slipped a hand between Kat’s legs. She oh so gently ran a finger between the woman’s sensitive lips, testing her sleeping companion’s reception to the touch.

Kat shifted, gently mumbling, but not waking. If anything, her muscular arms gripped Ann tighter. How she managed to be so strong even while she was sleeping was beyond Ann, but she wasn’t complaining.

Growing bolder, she slipped a single finger into the warm folds, feeling the heat quickly surrounding the digit. She didn’t move yet, just resting it there until she was certain Kat was still sleeping. Slowly, she began to move the finger, only pushing in up to her second knuckle before slowly removing it. Kat’s breath hitched slightly, her eyes screwing tight, but she slept on. Ann repeated the gesture, this time rewarded with a sigh, and her finger coated with the slickness of Kat’s inner walls.

“Annn…” Kat moaned in her sleep. “Don’ teeeaasseee.”

Ann felt her heart jump at the voice, but grinned all the more as she heard the request. Pulling back her hand, she gently lined up her cock with Kat’s lips. It was a bit of an awkward angle, with them laying face to face, but as she slowly dragged the sensitive head back and forth across the mounds of Kat’s sex, she found the right angle, nestling the tip into her lover.

Kat’s breath quickened again, arms tightening once more as she adjusted to the intrusion. It really was a testament to the woman’s hatred of the mornings that she was able to stay asleep even now.

Gently, oh so slowly, Ann eased her way further in. She felt Kat’s walls spreading for her. Making way for her cock as they wrapped it in the slick, velvety embrace she’d come to love. She could never get tired of this feeling.

Kat was not faring well in her dream. “Mooore,” she mumbled, “Annnn.” Unconsciously, her hips rocked and pushed several more inches into herself, eliciting a moan. “There ye are,” she whispered with a dreamy smile.

Satisfied that the woman was clearly dreaming of some version of what was happening in the real world, Ann worked the rest of her shaft into Kat. Eventually, she bottomed out, their hips meeting, as Ann carefully wrapped one of Kat’s legs over her hip. “Gods, you’re sexy even when you’re asleep,” she whispered.

She dragged herself back, feeling Kat’s folds grip her as the thick cock was pulled away, before pushing back with equal care. Kat’s hips shifted in time with hers, sleepy murmurs and moans becoming more frequent. Ann settled into a slow but steady rhythm, stopping any time she felt Kat starting to wake up, and resuming once she felt the woman relax again.

After a couple minutes of this gentle fucking, she felt a hand rest on her cheek. Looking down, she saw Kat looking up at her; the woman’s bleary ice-blue eyes were full of longing. “Hell o’ a way tae wake a girl up,” she grinned with a moan as she pushed her hips down to the base of Ann’s cock.

“Couldn’t help myself with someone so sexy sleeping right there,” Ann teased. “Gotta be quiet, though. Can hear people moving.”

“Mhm,” Kat nodded, biting her lip. “Speakin’ o’ movin’.” She rocked her hips again. “Think ye can keep me quiet?”

“Sure as hell can try,” Ann grinned, trapping the mouthy woman’s lips in a kiss as she thrust again with conviction. She swallowed the Protector’s moan as she set to work taking her apart. Quickly, she found her cervix, that ever so sensitive knot in the woman’s innermost depths and began to push into it with each thrust. She knew the thing wouldn’t let her past, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t thrilled at how Kat shivered and shook every time she battered her way against it.

Eventually she had to breathe, more than she could with their lips locked, so she broke the kiss. Almost immediately, Kat let out a loud moan, cut off almost instantly by a hand covering her mouth.

“The fuck did I say about quiet?” Ann hissed, not stopping her thrusts. An impish look from Kat told her the perverted woman had absolutely done that on purpose, confirmed by a second moan into her hand.

Keeping her lover’s mouth covered, Ann sped up her thrusts. The tension of the secrecy, along with the early intimacy, was doing wonders for her. She felt her orgasm building as Kat’s walls massaged her length, begging her to let go. To cum and paint her womb white. Gods, it was always difficult to hold back, but that wasn’t the point this morning, was it?

Biting her lip to keep her own moans at bay, Ann sped up, feeling the heat of her lust as she neared her own orgasm. She felt the wall break, the searing heat racing up her cock. She took the hand that wasn’t clamped tightly over Kat’s mouth and pulled the woman’s hips securely against hers, making sure she was as deep as she could get from this angle. Ann wanted everything inside Kat. No mess, no drips. Every drop of cum would be in Kat and stay in Kat.

Kat’s eyes rolled back as she felt the first jets of cum explode into her. Her body trembled with her own orgasm as she felt herself being filled. Gods, Ann lived to see that reaction. To see the woman so consumed by the carnal pleasure they shared. It was part of the reason she loved Kat so much, and she’d make sure to show her that love as much as possible.

Slowly, they both came down, breathing heavily, laying there in each other’s embrace. It took a few moments before Kat began to mumble, muffled by Ann’s hand still firmly gripping her face.

“Oops, sorry,” Ann laughed sheepishly, removing her hand. There were red marks on Kat’s cheeks where she’d squeezed. Her insides curled with embarrassment that she’d held on that tight.

“I’m feckin’ not. Gods damn girl, ye can wake me up like that any time. Ya ken?” Kat giggled back with a randy grin, cheeks still flushed with arousal.

“Oh I hear,” Ann grinned.

“Can ye?” Kat asked, reaching up and gently stroking Ann’s furry ears, working her thumbs into the fluffy fur inside them. Ann gasped as the sensitive area was massaged, and moved to return the favour to Kat’s long, delicate ears. Both of them laid there, taking their time to give each other the care they needed.

Finally, Kat groaned and stretched. “Make me a mornin’ girl if ye keep that up.”

“If only I were one, too. C’mon. Let’s get up,” Ann said with a moan as she slowly unsheathed her still hard cock from Kat’s depths. Shivers ran up and down both of them as their sensitive bodies rubbed against each other. “Got a long day of walking ahead, and a Rosalyn to help say goodbye to her parents. Ya know, sometimes having all that stamina from Orenous is kinda inconvenient,” she grumbled as she looked down at her erection.

“Oh no, ye’ve got a cock that won’t stop. Truly the worst of challenges,” Kat teased.

“Shut up, you,” Ann grumbled, pulling up her underwear and awkwardly stuffing her junk into it.

“Why don’t ye make me, sweetheart,” the mischievous Alf laughed.

Seized by an impulse, Ann grabbed Kat by the long ear, pulled her in and kissed her. Kat moaned and melted into the kiss instantly.

“There, nice and shut up.”

“Cheat,” Kat whispered breathlessly as she tried to recollect herself.

The morning meal was as simple as their dinner. Black coffee with eggs and porridge were today’s offerings. Conversation was light around the table, with Bren and Kat sharing news of the nearby areas and telling stories of their travels around the area. Grollor listened intently to any news of Warped in the area, even with the assurance that the Runestone would be maintained in Rosalyn’s absence.

Ann had gotten to talking to Lorna about some of the sewing pieces she’d been working on. Ann had tried out cross stitching when she was growing up, but didn’t have the patience for the art form. Lorna, on the other hand, had found it quite the hobby, and had begun making pieces for her neighbours and friends. Flowers and the smaller animals of the woods that surrounded them were her subjects, and she took great care when recreating them with needle and thread.

Soon enough, far too soon for the parents, it was time to say their farewells. Lorna once again broke down, fussing over Rosalyn’s every detail as she made sure her precious daughter would be safely heading out. Grollor wasn’t much better, giving advice where he could between Lorna’s worried rambling. Both had a sadness in their eyes as Rosalyn embraced them warmly, whispering reassurances, and finally, goodbye.

Turning, the Druid joined her new companions, who waited a respectful distance from the family.

“Let’s get going. If I turn around now, I don’t think I’ll have the nerve to leave. C’mon!” Rosalyn said quickly, taking Ann and Bren’s hands and pulling them.

From behind, Lorna and Grollor continued to call their farewells, and Rosalyn waved back to them without turning around. Soon, they were out of sight of the small home, and Rosalyn’s shoulders slumped.

“That was so much harder than I thought it’d be. Oh my Gods, I’m tired already,” she sniffed, holding back her own emotions. “Mom was being so strong, and dad was so worried. I’m. Holy shit. I’m doing this. C’mon Rosalyn. You’ve got this.”

“Not like ye don’t ‘ave help,” Kat laughed, dancing a few paces ahead of them to walk backwards, facing the rest. “Adventure wit’ friends is what makes this life worth livin’!”

“I will drink to that,” Bren chuckled.

“Damn right ye will. Now, back tae the Keep next, yeah? Ol’ Polaris’ll ‘ave gone by the time we’re back. Check an’ see if anythin’s been sent back yet. An’ if not, wanna try hittin’ another Seed?”

“I’m game. What’s another few life or death fights?” Ann grinned. “Need to see what happens next time I touch a Core as well. Wonder if it’ll hurt as much as the last one did.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised you survived. That kind of power coursing into someone’s being must be incredibly harsh on the system. Overloads from things like lightning can fry a creature like nothing. A conduit of corruption and the power of the Gods? I can’t imagine interfacing with something like it!” Rosalyn was off again, her thoughts spilling from her lips without any filter.

“Still hurt like a motherfucker,” Ann grimaced, remembering the experience. “Guess it’s something I’ve gotta deal with earning this second shot. If I get more of this Warped power out of it, though, could be interesting.”

“Speaking of,” Bren interjected as they moved out of the village and into the woodlands proper, “any thoughts on what that might be tied to? We are supposed to be investigating the source of this anomaly. I admit I am still in the dark.”

“Nope, not a clue,” Ann sighed. “Though we’ve only just started, so I can’t be all that disappointed.”

“A long road is ahead of us,” Bren agreed. “You received a choice the last time you obtained a level of corruption, yes? I do wonder if the options for mutations will reappear. It does not work like that with someone’s Path, however, we are dealing with an unknown power here.”

“I kinda hope it does. That Minor Cosmetic Mutation could be really handy for not looking like me anymore. Especially if I get all famous when Kat’s mom announces who I am. Wait, do skills ever upgrade or grow?” Ann asked, turning to Bren.

“They can. It depends on the skill and the Path walker, but it is a possibility.”

“Well, if I get that option, I’m going to take it, then. It says it’s minor. To me, that sounds like there’s more to it,” Ann decided after a moment, pondering the possibility.

“Tired o’ bein’ all dark an’ sexy?” Kat teased, flicking one of Ann’s furry ears.

“Hells no. I like how I look,” Ann laughed, batting the hand away. “Would be cool, though. Just imagine what else could change about me? I can turn off and on my own fertility as a starter!”

“Pervert,” Bren huffed.

“I didn’t even say anything!” Ann gasped, staring at him with mouth agape.

“No, but your mind is easy enough to read. That, and you are blushing,” he replied with a wry grin.

“He’s got you there,” Rosalyn laughed. “And yeah, there’s a lot that a Path... Wait, is it a Path? We should probably figure that out. Anyway, there’s a lot that something like that can do. I wonder how extreme the changes could get? Could you get extra limbs? Weird tentacles like that Snail thing? Oooh, maybe you can take features from other Vulhardrin or animals! How cool would it be to have wings? Or even scales to defend yourself without armor! What if you could get bigger or smaller? Change pieces of yourself. The possibilities are literally endless, and that was mostly considering external changes. Internal is a whole other frontier. I’m so excited to see where you go with all of this!”

Rosalyn, while talking and without thinking, had drawn closer and closer to Ann as she talked. Taking the short woman by her shoulders, Ann heard a surprised squeak as she pulled the Druid into a hug. “And you’ll have a front-row seat to all of it. You always so interested in the Warped?”

“Absolutely! They’re twisted nature and nature’s just about the oldest friend I’ve had. Being able to figure out how they’re changing is almost as interesting as figuring out the why. Did you know that a lot of these creatures started out as one thing, then over time are merged with more and more the older they get?”

“Aye, that’s the general theory, right, Bren?” Kat nodded, turning to Bren.

“The issue with the theory being that no one has seen it in progress. Guardians or higher grade Warped are always found at the end stage of their mutations, never in the middle. This is something scholars and researchers have been seeking for generations. To be honest, some of the reason for going along with you was to be seeing how you change further. There’s so much unknown about this situation and yourself, I can’t help my curiosity.” Rosalyn sucked in a breath before nodding, signaling the end of her thought.

“Having an adorable woman want to study my body?” Ann teased, brushing up against the shorter woman and wrapping her tail around her waist. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Ann watched with a wolfish grin as Rosalyn seemed to shake at the touch, the fur surrounding her setting off mixed instincts. She didn’t pull away, though, and made an effort to remain calm despite her thighs drawing closer together.

“Aw, leave the poor thing be, ye beast,” Kat cackled. “Ye’re scarin’ ‘er. Big ol’ wolf gonna eat the precious sheep.”

“I am not precious,” Rosalyn protested, shoving off Ann’s tail. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“Oh, we’ve got no doubts about tha’,” Kat laughed at the sight of the woman a full foot shorter than her glaring up with hazel eyes. She leaned down, putting her face right up to the Druid’s. “But ye’ve got no idea what ye’re temptin’ there. Or maybe ye do? Ye saw us that night.”

Rosalyn’s eyes somehow widened further as her entire posture shrunk into itself. “I remember, believe you me,” she muttered under her breath.

“Gods above, both of you lay off,” Bren called back, having kept walking while the women taunted each other.

“Yes, brother dearest!” Kat shouted, mockingly imitating his manner of speech, before running to catch up.

“Just gonna say I do like you, and it seems like Kat’s warming up to you pretty quick,” Ann continued, a gentle hand resting on Rosalyn’s shoulder while they tried to catch up. “No pressure. Take this as slow as you want. I’m just a fan of putting my feelings out there, so there’s no confusion.”

“I, uh. I appreciate the forwardness, I guess? Still working on it. You’ve got my word. I’ll let you know if I feel like doing, um… more? More. Yeah.” Rosalyn stammered slightly, tripping over her words.

“Good. God damnit, Kat! Wait! Holy shit, she walks fast,” Ann grunted as she saw Bren and Kat disappear behind a tree.