The Valley
Author's Note: Always got to have one of these. 
My first and only try at f/f. To the select few who saw it before I posted it, I thank you. Your input and support were greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Warning: This has explicit sexual content. If you are underage or whatever, don't go any farther. This warning is almost useless. I bet no one ever listens to them anyway. Have fun. I am not responsible for lost innocence, sanity, or car keys.
The Valley
By Ravenlark
The black cat walked down the quiet trail. It was mid afternoon and the sun shone brightly overhead; a balmy breeze blew gently through the treetops. The cat's ear flicked to the side and she stopped to listen better. No sound reached her ears so she shrugged and continued to walk on. The small trail led her down to a cool pool fed by a mountain spring.
Her thoughts were preoccupied with the inhabitants of her Valley. She was the Guardian and the people who lived in it were in her care. Outsiders had christened the valley, Haven. Grinning, Raven saw no reason to refute it. An aura of peace lay over her valley. The cat's green eyes darkened a little. That peace was not always easy to keep and the scars she bore on her spirit were testimony.
As Raven neared the pool, she stopped to watch the waterfall tumble down from a smooth wall of rock. Wryly, Raven noted the wall was unnaturally smooth. The mere presence of the wall was a mute testament of the powerful magic that created this present day paradise. Raven's ear cocked back again at a sound she barely heard over the rumble of the falls. Too late did she realize it was a familiar laugh as the cat felt a heavy push send her into the churning waters below.
Sputtering, the cat surfaced immediately. A small splash beside her alerted her to her attacker's entrance into the water. Ears flattened, the cat waited for her friend to surface. She managed to suppress a yowl when she felt bubbles flitter up her leg and into her wet skirt. A grinning female otter appeared right under the cat's nose. Her grin widened as Raven's scowl darkened.
"Hello, Shiloh," Raven said flatly.
"Oh, Raven, quit being such a stick in the mud. You love water almost as much as I do!"
Raven just grinned her response. The otter had her there. Instead, she dunked the otter's head back under the water and swam away until her feet touched the ground. Standing, the water lapped gently at Raven's torso. Shiloh surfaced a few feet away, still grinning as she wiped water out of her eyes. Rolling her eyes, Raven stuck out her tongue. Somehow that otter always got under her skin, yet the cat loved her all the more for it. Shiloh knew it too and had no qualms about flaunting her talent.
Shiloh walked over to Raven until she touched noses with the wet cat. Raven gulped and became distinctly aware that Shiloh wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. Grinning, the otter gently kissed the cat's lips and the cat had to remember how to breathe. Shiloh's eyes half closed and she cast a seductive look at the cat before pulling away. The black cat let a shuddering breath as she fought down her desire. Damn otter, she thought ironically, she's teasing me again!
As if agreeing with Raven's thoughts, Shiloh grinned again and pulled away to swim lazy circles on her back. Sighing, the cat looked skyward in supplication, mainly to avoid looking at Shiloh's round firm bust as she swam. That otter will be the death of me, Raven thought as she submerged under the cool water. She swam until the water became too shallow. Standing, the cat let the water run off her body. Her clothes were undoubtedly soaked and needed drying.
Shiloh watched her with a forlorn expression, "Leaving so soon? You just got wet!"
Raven cast her a heated look. "No, but I am taking off my clothes. By the time you are done testing my control, they should be semi dry."
"One of these days, I'm going to break that control."
"Where have I heard that line before...?" Raven mused as she stripped her wet shirt off to lay it over a bush. After wringing her skirt out, she draped it over a branch. The cat hung her white panties on a branch and noted wryly how much it looked like a mark of surrendering.
"Because someone else has said it before," Shiloh quipped. Looking at Raven's stiffened spine, she continued softly, "Easy, Raven. No one has claimed you as a conquest. I would see to it personally that his or her pelt hung from a random tree."
Grinning, Raven blew a kiss at her otter friend before slipping back into the water. Shiloh pretended to catch it and brought her closed fist to her own lips. The black cat swam to the center of the deep pool, floating. Gracefully, Shiloh dipped below the sparkling surface of the water. The rays of the sunset danced off the water and dazzled Raven's green eyes as she felt Shiloh's lips on her knee.
Leaning her head back, Raven closed her eyes and let Shiloh play. Moaning quietly, Raven felt her resistance slip away faster than water over the falls. All Shiloh had to do was give a nudge and the cat was hers. But the otter still continued to play with Raven's body as she would a beloved toy. Running her paws up the back of Raven's thighs, Shiloh gripped her hips as her face nuzzled the area right below the cat's navel.
Shuddering, Rave felt pleasure ripple through her. Bubbles ran up her belly fur to break the surface between her breasts. Shiloh's face followed and once again she was face to face with Raven. Her body brushed Raven's teasing but never actually touched fully. A feral gleam came into the cat's green eyes and she wrapped her arms around the otter's shoulders, pulling her close.
Her mouth touched Shiloh's in a chaste kiss before Raven's paws cupped Shiloh's head gently. Raven titled Shiloh's head back so she could trail small kisses down the otter's jaw and neck. Her trail ended at the base of Shiloh's neck, and the cat was pleased to see the fast, fluttering heartbeat.
The otter's paws trailed up Raven's lower back to bury in her thick ebony mane. Smiling softly, Raven pulled Shiloh close and ran her tongue over the otter's lips. Parting slightly, Raven slipped her tongue in to dance over Shiloh's. Closing her eyes, Shiloh pressed tightly against Raven as she returned her kiss passionately.
Smiling, the kitty broke the kiss and moved away towards shore. Naturally, Shiloh followed her mistress, hazel eyes shining like stars. Turning, Raven walked until the water lapped at her ankles. As she wrung out her hair, anticipation shivered through her. The cat turned when she felt Shiloh's warm breath on her shoulder. Raven gave Shiloh a tender kiss over her shoulder as the otter's arms encircled her waist as pulled her close.
Turning, Raven faced Shiloh without breaking the kiss as her arms wrapped around the otter's neck. A soft purr began in the back of her throat. Grinning, Shiloh broke the kiss to sink to her knees before the black cat. She started a trail of small kisses from the cat's neck to her navel. Gently, her paws reached around to give Raven's butt a firm squeeze. Raven's eyes widened before she looked down with a benevolent expression. Her paws stroked Shiloh's head as the otter pushed her nose between the cat's thighs. One paw massaged the cat's tail base as the other caressed the curve of Raven's rear. As her breath touched the cat's sensitive sex, she felt Raven's grip tighten on her head.
Closing her eyes, Shiloh nuzzled her and inhaled Raven's sweet scent. Slowly, she flicked her tongue out and traced the sides of the cat's moist lips, deftly avoiding her most sensitive spot. Raven tilted her head back and moaned softly as Shiloh's tongue played deviously over her sex. Ears perking at the moan, Shiloh grinned and flicked her tongue over Raven's clit. Gasping, the cat felt her knees go weak as the otter teased skillfully.
Pressing closer, Shiloh probed her tongue into Raven deeply, running it along her walls. Raven collapsed as pleasure rippled through her, bringing her long denied release closer. When Raven's face was even with her lover's, the cat kissed Shiloh deeply, tasting her own flavor on the otter's tongue.
Grinning, Shiloh pushed Raven onto her back on the sandy shore. Leaning over, she nuzzled the cat's soft furry breasts as her paws stroked the undersides before cupping them. She flicked her tongue over one nipple, which hardened immediately, as her other paw stroked the opposite breast. While the otter licked Raven's chest, her paw moved down to cup the cat's sex gently. She could feel the wet warmth against her palm. Panting, Raven pushed her hips against the otter's paw in a silent plea.
Keeping her palm pressed against Raven's clit, Shiloh slipped in her middle finger inside. She watched with fascinated amusement as Raven moaned and moved her hips in time with Shiloh's finger. Raven whimpered slightly when Shiloh removed her paw but the otter smiled and leaned over to kiss the feline hotly, promising more. Sliding down Raven's body, Shiloh licked the cat's inner thighs before pressing her nose right to Raven's sex. Moaning, the cat dug her claws into the ground beneath her as she bucked her hips against her lover's face. Her tail lashed against the otter's side.
Smiling, Shiloh could sense Raven's tenseness and she licked her tongue over her nether lips. Gently, she slipped her finger in and started a firm rhythm. Reacting instantly, Raven moaned and tightened. Her ears had gone back and her eyes were tightly closed. Licking the feline's clit unceasingly, the otter slipped in two fingers and thrust hard. Panting, Raven grabbed Shiloh's head hard as her womb tightened in her climax. Shiloh grinned as she felt the cat's sex contract tightly around her fingers, followed by a gentle flood of her fluids. Blinking, Raven collapsed and peered up at the night sky.
Suddenly, Raven snapped up and pinned Shiloh on her back. Sitting on the otter's chest, Raven leaned over and kissed her deeply, making the otter's senses reeling. Cupping Shiloh's round breasts in her paws; Raven massaged them before flicking her thumbs over her nipples. Moaning, Shiloh arced her back into Raven's touch. Smiling, Raven started to rain kisses on Shiloh's neck and torso. The cat flicked her tongue in and out of the otter's navel, causing the otter to whimper her need. The otter's strong tail came up to encircle around the kitty's ankle.
Massaging Shiloh's inner thighs, Raven licked the area above Shiloh's sex as her paws brushed over her wet lips lightly. Instantly, Shiloh bucked and moaned. Grinning, Raven raised an eyebrow. She now knew Shiloh was exquisitely frustrated, but she wondered why. The otter could have anyone she wanted as a lover yet she chose not to take one. The otter's teasing had been very intense during the last few moons. Shiloh made it clear that she Raven only.
Raven pressed her nose against her lover's clit and blew softly. Shiloh's paws gripped Raven's head tightly. Closing her eyes, Raven rubbed her slowly nose from side to side. Her thumbs ran up and down the otter's lips and Shiloh moaned in pleasure as her hips lifted slightly. Nuzzling Shiloh's sex, Raven slipped her raspy tongue into her, tasting Shiloh's sweet juices. Slipping a finger inside, Raven moved it in circles. Moaning, Shiloh's walls tightened around the intrusion. Smiling, Raven pulled her finger out and touched the otter's nose with it.
One of Shiloh's paws ran up the cat's arm to hold it. The otter's tongue flicked out to taste Raven's finger before she sucked on it gently. Amused, Raven mimicked every move Shiloh did on her finger to the otter's sex. Panting, the otter's hips moved restlessly beneath Raven's muzzle. Gripping her lover's hips firmly, Raven plunged her tongue deep into Shiloh, deftly drawing Shiloh closer to her release as pleasure danced along her body.
As her tongue flicked over the otter's lips, Raven slipped a finger into her tight depths again. Shiloh's tail came up and curled around the cat's neck, pressing her closer. The cat slipped in two fingers and pulled them out until only her fingertips brushed Shiloh's sex. Then the cat plunged them back in again as she flicked her rough tongue over Shiloh's clit. Arcing her back, Shiloh called out Raven's name as her climax hit. Smiling, Raven continued to lick Shiloh, stimulating further pleasure. Releasing a deep breath, Shiloh smiled.
Raven crawled up next to Shiloh and she grinned. The cat rolled onto her back and stretched languidly, arms above her head. Turning, Shiloh, rested her head on the cat's shoulder as Raven brought her arm down to embrace her lover. Sighing, Shiloh looked extremely content and she draped a leg over Raven's. Smiling softly, Raven nuzzled the top of the otter's head.
A sensation similar to pain ripped through the cat's body, causing her to bite her lip and push away suddenly. Confused, Shiloh's round eyes mirrored her hurt. Gently, the cat controlled her urges and kissed Shiloh on the cheek. "Shiloh that was never meant for you. Someone is trying to breach the Barriers around the Valley right now! I'm sorry, love, but I must go."
The cat grabbed the otter's face and kissed her heatedly before breaking away with a growl. Shiloh was dazed by the kiss's intensity but she managed, "Be careful, Raven."
Looking at the otter, Raven stood and she gave a brief nod of thanks to Shiloh. Concentrating, Raven tapped into her full power. Instantly, light surrounded her, cloaking the cat in her light blue Guardian's robes. A blinding line of light appeared before the cat before materializing into a staff of silver and blue, topped by a glowing white crystal. Finally, a simple circlet of silver appeared around her forehead.
A voice called to her from above, "Guardian!" A slender white dragon beat her wings as she hovered.
"I know, Lady Nari! I am on my way," the Guardian replied, striding up the path. Shiloh quietly slipped into the undergrowth and watched her go, her eyes wide. Never before had she seen Raven turn into the Valley Guardian before in her 18 years. The sight was breath taking as well as frightening. The knowledge that Raven kept such a being hidden inside her soul made Shiloh shiver but the image of Raven's smiling green eyes came to mind as well. Grabbing Raven's wrinkled damp clothing, Shiloh shimmied into them before following at a run.
The Guardian's eyes were no longer green, but deep and boundless as the night sky. She had no pupils as she strode up the path, another flare of pain warning that the Barrier was beginning to collapse under a strong attack. Leaping up, the cat landed lightly on the dragon's back as Nari flapped her wings and took off towards the northern border of the Valley. Her blue robes billowed as the Guardian clutched her staff, anger burning within her.
Another flare of dark energy could be seen against the shimmering translucent wall of the Barrier. Eden winced under the ferocious attack but still maintained her contact with the Barrier, her palms flat against the energy wall. Energy channeled through her, keeping the Barrier strong. But the white cat could only maintain her support for so long. As if sensing her weakness, another attack battered the weakening wall of the Barrier. With a cry, Eden fell to her knees and her paws dropped limply to her sides. The Barrier flickered several times before disappearing.
A monster stood on the other side. A red line split its face in a fearsome grin. Taking a step, it chuckled evilly only to be blown back by a sphere of light. The demon cried in agony as the light enveloped it. A different cry of pain caused the light to disappear completely. The Guardian stood with her staff pointed at the demon.
"Morbin, you bastard. I banished you into Hell two centuries ago. Who resurrected you? Answer me!"
Weakly, the demon chuckled again. He wasn't at his full power yet but he had another way to bring the Guardian to her knees. The Guardian's eyes narrowed as she glared her hatred at the demon. She could faintly sense a familiar presence. When she recognized it, her eyes widened and she hissed, "Where is she? What have you done with my daughter?!"
Morbin's gruesome maw split once again in a smile. Opening his hand, he revealed the soul of Leonie, a small brightly burning ball of white light. A sick feeling of grief ripped through the Guardian when she realized her daughter was dead. Not only dead, but her soul was in the hands of one the most feared demons in this dimension.
Lowering her staff reluctantly, she commanded to Nari, "Leave us, Nari. Restore the Barrier and help Eden!"
"But--" The white dragoness protested.
"DO IT!" The Guardian snarled.
Nari bowed and stepped back into the Valley's borders. Chanting, Nari intoned the Barrier to rise once again. Turning, the Guardian faced Morbin. "Name your price, demon."
The demon touched a claw to Leonie's soul, causing her to flare in agony. Agony tore open the Guardian's heart as she watched her only daughter suffer. Forever, she would never forgive herself for letting her daughter venture into the mortal realm alone. This is what she had feared above all else.
"Bow before me, Guardian!"
The cat dropped to her knees as she gripped her staff tightly, her claws gouging its smooth surface. Fury churned the Guardian's insides. If only she could distract the demon long enough to strike but Morbin still held the upper hand as long as he contained Leonie's soul.
The demon eased up on his relentless torment of Leonie. For two centuries, he had burned in Hell, doomed to receive the pain he reaped upon others until the end of eternity. But some foolish mage on earth had tried to summon him from Hell. Morbin, while under the mage's control, had twisted the mage until, gaining control of him.
"I want you to return the Gate between the Realms. The one you destroyed so long ago!"
The Guardian winced. Bringing the Gate back meant power and spirits could move freely between the three Realms again. Raven had been the Guardian of the Gate before. But in a massive war that threatened to destroy the Balance between the Realms, Raven had destroyed the Gate. Death and birth were the only Gateways between the realms now. Gods could not enter the Underworld or the Mortal Realm from the Higher Plan, and the souls of mortals could not move between the Realms unless they shed their physical form. Great energy and skill was needed to pull demons from Hell.
"Tell me, Morbin, how much blood had to be spilled to draw you out of Hell?"
Morbin laughed deeply, causing the Guardian to dread the answer. Whoever had summoned Morbin from Hell would be sent back with him!
"Enough, Guardian, to bring me into the Mortal Realm but not enough to restore me to full power. The safe guards you set in the Mortal Realm prevented that. But Leonie's life did help a lot. Her screams still echo through my being, fueling me in my revenge."
The Guardian winced in agony, feeling her daughter's final moments of pain wash over her from Morbin. She would not and could not restore the Gate just for the sake of her daughter. Grief welled within the Guardian but she shoved it aside. She doubted she had the power to bring the gate back. Much of it had been spent fighting during the Demon Wars. That is why she took rest in the Valley between mortal lives.
"I cannot restore the Gate, Morbin. Not because," the cat said quickly, watching Morbin raise a claw to Leonie's soul again. "I refuse to, but because I do not have the power too. You hold the last Guardian with the power to do that in your hand."
Morbin looked down at the tiny ball of light in his hand, scowling. So the idiot mage had found a nice power source for him but he had also destroyed it as well. Leonie's soul was no good to him if he could not use it. Thinking, an idea struck him. The Guardian had birthed Leonie once before, she could do it again.
"You will birth your daughter again," Morbin stated.
Shock raced through the Guardian's mind. What is he thinking? She had given up her ability to birth children the day she took up the staff of the Valley Guardian. Only mortals could birth children.
"Morbin, do you know what you ask? Do you know I must be mortal to do what you ask?"
"Then die, Guardian. I want your word as Valley Guardian that you will comply or I will destroy your daughter's soul before your very eyes."
She felt her world shatter around her but she would be damned if she went alone. Laying her staff horizontally before the demon, the Guardian swore, "I, the Valley Guardian, vow to become mortal and to bear my daughter once more in the Mortal Realm."
Morbin smiled, something bothered him slightly, but he pushed it aside. He had the cat where he wanted her. The staff began to glow faintly as it recognized Raven was letting go of her current duties as the Valley Guardian. Her successor was Eden. Poor child, Raven thought, she's not even fully trained yet. The robes around her body lifted and danced before disappearing, leaving the black cat clothed only in her glowing aura. The staff floated and straightened before the demon, who watched it suspiciously. Raven remained kneeling, her eyes closed and her paws clasped. She was in her final trance. She felt the power leave her and her aura faded. Raven's body began to become translucent.
Morbin winced as the staff began to shine brighter. A bright beam of light lit up his hand suddenly. Leonie's soul disappeared from his hand and he howled in anger but stepped back as the staff flared brighter. Suddenly, bonds of light snared his hands. The demon shrieked in fury as he fought them. The cat had tricked him! At the cost of her own life, she was returning to the Mortal Realm as she promised, but she was taking him as well. Morbin was becoming mortal.
Unconscious on the other side of the Barrier, Eden screamed as she felt the power invade her body. Nari stood away from the cat and stumbled as a blinding light enfolded Eden. When her vision cleared, Nari blinked at Eden, who was now clothed as the Valley Guardian. The new Guardian faced the Barrier and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Nari stifled a sob as she realized Raven was dead.
Shiloh came running up the hillside, panting. Her eyes widened at the sight of Eden and she fell to her knees, crying. The Guardian tapped her staff against the ground once; an invisible ripple ensued over the entire Valley. The inhabitants looked up and knew what had befallen Raven.
Looking up, Shiloh felt a faint invisible touch on her head, almost like a caress. Quietly, she said, "She is not dead, she is reborn."