After their morning of vigorous lovemaking in the lake, they dressed and headed back to the village. Anya kept a possessive arm around the mechanic's waist and pulled her closer once inside the compound.

Anya came to a halt in the village's center to make an announcement Raven couldn't interpret. All heads turned, every grounder stopped what they were doing, quieted, and set their attention on the grounder leader.

"I claim Reivon kom Skykru for my own. She is to be treated in the same regards as a loyal guest. Anyone to touch her, answers to me. Anyone to harm her, dies by a thousand cuts!"

The crowd of grounders remained silent; one by one, they each gave a subtle nod of understanding before they returned to their tasks.

"What did you tell them?" Raven asked in a hushed voice as they walked away.

"I told them you are my guest and if they trouble you, they will die."

Raven's eyes shot wide, "Oh err, thanks, Anya. That's sweet…I think."

Anya smiled and pulled the brunette closer who was silently noting to never piss off her new lover. Anya walked them to the bonfire that never seemed to stop burning and helped Raven sit on the log overlooking the flames.

"Stay here; I will be back soon."

Raven nodded as the blonde hurried off. When Anya returned, the warrior looked ridiculously happy, excited even. A warm, calloused hand extended itself to Raven who took it promptly and allowed herself to be led to a saddled horse.

"Oh no, Annnnya. Not this thing again."

"It is the fastest way to reach where I wish to take you, Reivon." She said while mounting the giant beast. Without warning, a grounder who appeared out of nowhere was already lifting Raven up and behind Anya on the horse's back.

She groaned to make her disproval known but wrapped both arms around the blonde anyway and settled in for the ride.

OoOoO

Raven didn't know how much time past when Anya finally halted the creature and announced, "We are here."

Anya helped the mechanic slip from the horse who put more weight than usual on the blonde to stand upright. The pain pulsating through her leg was almost blinding. She seethed and doubled over into the warrior's strong arms who began to look worried, "Reivon?"

"I'm fine," it was getting tougher to hide her lies. Her leg was getting progressively worse with each passing day; she knew she was in for some serious trouble if she didn't get it tended to properly soon. But that wasn't important right now, what was important was Anya. The leader had been so excited to show her something; she just had to see what. "Really," she insisted. "Could we maybe just sit down for a bit, though? Somewhere that isn't on your horse?"

Anya chuckled but still looked worried as she helped Raven over to the largest tree the mechanic had ever laid eyes on, in books or reality. Several massive branches towered over them, thick with leaves that blocked any evidence of sky above. The trunk was easily twice the width of the shuttle she crash landed in and many of its roots poked from the earth in every direction; perfect grassy knolls rested between them.

Raven turned at the sound of rushing water; the tree faced the most mesmerizing of waterfalls, the rushing liquid cascaded beautifully against the rocks and gleamed brilliantly in the fading sunlight.

Raven didn't hear the warrior sneak up behind her, she didn't know the woman had disappeared to begin with until two strong arms slipped around her waist; warm lips pressed themselves into the base of her neck, eliciting a giggle from the brunette.

"This is my favorite place. I have never brought anyone else here," Anya whispered into her ear.

How long Raven had been standing there gawking at the gorgeous scenery she didn't know. It must had been a while because when she turned around, Anya had vanished from the embrace and apparently had enough time to set up some sort of picnic lunch near the base of the enormous tree.

A fur blanket had been laid out right in front of the trunk with a leather bag of food pulled open to reveal what Raven could only imagine was cheese and fresh fruit, along with some new mystery meat she had yet to try. The mechanic's face grew sore as she was smiling so much.

"Are you hungry, Reivon?"

Raven nodded eagerly. That was a silly question; the mechanic was always hungry for earth food.

After lunch, they rested together on the picnic blanket; Anya leaned back against the tree while Raven lay with her head in the beautiful blonde's lap. The warrior ran her fingers through the brunette's hair delicately as they gazed into one another without speaking. The silence was a comfortable one until Anya broke it, "Tell me of your life in the stars, Reivon."

Not meaning to offend, Raven drew her brows and turned away uncomfortably. Two calloused fingers hooked under Raven's chin and gently urged her back to face the grounder leader once more, "Did I say something wrong?" Raven broke a little at the concern on Anya's face, of course she would be curious. But Raven's life on the ark was a complicated unhappy mess.

"I just, rather not ruin the moment by talking about it right now."

Anya nodded in understanding.

"How about I show you that thing I do with my joints instead?" Raven suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

Anya smiled and nodded as Raven encouraged the warrior to grasp the mechanic's wrist as tightly as she could. "Don't let go," Raven instructed as she began to twist and wrench her hand out of the warrior's grip, the bones popping and dislocating as she slipped out almost effortlessly. Anya reached for the de-shaped wrist after the brunette's escape and appeared quite impressed that they really did pop right back into place.

"That is an astounding skill, Reivon."

Raven laughed and sat up before pressing their lips together; the kiss was returned, gentle, passionate, and softer than all the times before. "This was a great day, Anya. The perfect date."

Anya looked confused again, "We dayted? I thought dayte was dinner, and then activity, and then the love making? This dayte confuses me to no end, Reivon!"

The mechanic laughed hysterically before kissing Anya harder and climbing into her lap. Hands flew around her waist, but Raven doubled over in pain once more when she tried to grind down into her lover. The action wasn't lost on Anya, "We should go back. Nyko can give you something for the pain."

"Not yet," Raven insisted as she climbed off and leaned her head back into Anya's lap. She didn't want their alone time to come to an end. "Tell me something about you. Something no one else knows."

Anya resumed running her fingers through the mechanic's hair while she seemed to think of what to share. "There's a hidden cave behind that waterfall," Anya began, "I discovered it with another girl in my eighteenth summer. We grew up in the same clan and had trained side by side our entire lives. I allowed her to take my blood in that cave."

"Take your blood?"

"Yes, we made the love."

"Oh, oh! You mean you lost your virginity." Anya furrowed her brows and Raven waved her off, "Did you love her?"

Anya was silent a long moment before answering, "It does not matter. She did not love me."

Raven sat up and placed a comforting hand behind Anya's neck, "Hey," she whispered. "I didn't mean to bring up a bad memory. Forget about that chick, you got me now, what more could you need?"

That got a hearty chuckle from the blonde. "You are like no other, Reivon. I enjoy you very much."

The mechanic wrapped both arms around the blonde and pulled her in for a long kiss, "And you may continue to enjoy me any time you please, baby. Pending you keep me well fed and all that, of course." Raven joked.

Anya laughed again and kissed Raven harder who couldn't hide the pained hitch in her breath when her leg screamed at her again.

"We leave now, Reivon. I do not wish you to be in pain." Anya said firmly.

Reluctantly, Raven agreed as they packed up to head back.

OoOoO

Raven heard the echo of drums as they approached the village later, long after night had fallen. She smiled as she leaned in to ask, "What's going on, Anya? What is all this?"

Anya craned her neck to look over her shoulder at Raven, "This is the dayte! After we see Nyko, I will show you if you are feeling well enough."

"Damn right I am! I'd have to be dead for you to keep me away from that sick beat!"

Anya laughed and shook her head as she tossed the reins to the stable girl who tended the horses. Anya slipped effortlessly from the beast as always before turning to help Raven down. The mechanic always enjoyed her body sliding tightly against her lover's on the descent. She would've loved to have added some playful caresses but her leg screeched at her again causing her to wince. Catching the expression, Anya hurried them to the healing tent.

"Nyko, I need something to help with Reivon's pain."

The burly giant of a man looked Raven over before he turned and rummaged through several pouches and boxes before finally pulling out a jar of leaves of some sort. Anya helped Raven over to the cot as it was the only place they could sit side by side.

Nyko later returned with tea and handed the small wooden cup to Anya. "Be sure she drinks it all. It may make her act odd later, Heda. It is a typical response; she will be normal again in the morning."

"Thank you, Nyko." Anya turned to Raven who looked at the tea with caution, "He says to drink it all."

After Raven finished the tea and they left the tent together, Anya introduced her to something called barbecue, and the mechanic had wondered how she had lived all these years without knowing such bliss. After a combination of the tea, incredible food, and fantastic company, Raven was ready to enjoy the music.

Her leg still twinged here and there, but overall, Raven felt like she was walking on clouds. She didn't need her legs to dance anyway, she was that good. Animatedly, she led Anya by the hand through the sea of dancing grounders until selecting an area for the two of them in the middle. Completely revitalized and ready to dance, Raven broke out into an intense series of movements with the beat of the music.

Skillfully, she bent at the waist from ground to sky then watch to wallet as she bent both arms at ninety-degree angles and swished them either side of her body before forcing them to turn inward or outward at unpredictable times. She craned her neck at the oddest of angles while maintaining a serious expression.

Anya stood motionless watching her as did a few other grounders as Raven ended the first phase of her dance with one arm falling into a mechanical spin.

"What are you doing, Reivon?" she asked, head cocked to the side.

"The robot!"