The thermal pool

Sienna managed to open Ramse's bracelet. She threw it far in the grass. Ramse got really upset and stood up. The warriors only get one bracelet, so he will have to find it."Go find your bracelet!" Sienna called and ran back to the camp to hide behind Xander.

Xander saw her running bewildered. She ran straight to him and hang onto his neck ."Save me!" she sobbed.

Xander pet her hair."What happened?"

"Ramse just tried to become my mate, he snapped on me his silvery bracelet."She shivered. Xander looked at her and caress her cheek."Well, he bought you too. You still belong to us."

Sienna shook her head."I was thinking the strongest one should mate with me first. I was thinking it is you."She whispered and let go of him.

Xander grabbed her waist passionately."You are right! I will tell him not to touch you till we fight."

Sienna nodded."Thank you."

Xander thought for a bit and furrowed his brows." But mating bracelets are golden, why would he give you a silvery one? Probably he wanted just to make you his betrothed. He was surely not trying to mate you!" he shook his head.

Sienna breathed out in relief but looked thinking. "He said I'm to become his mate there. He was angry," she said suspiciously.

Xander shook his head." Have no worries. I will find out and talk to him." he smiled gently at her.

Xander went to see upset Ramse. He found him still looking for the bracelet in the deep grass. Sienna made him busy for sure. Xander took his panther form and followed Sienna's scent. He found the silvery bracelet fast. He pick it up and came to Ramse." What are you looking for Ramse?"He gave him the bracelet.

Ramse was grumpy."She refused me again."

" I will do the same in her place. You are horrible to a female you love, I do not even dare to think how you treat the rest of them." Xander replied.

"Like slaves. They are good for nothing else but serving men and bearing children. They are weak."Ramse scoffed.

"What you are good for then? Can you bear children?" asked Xander.

Ramse looked at him."Of course not. I'm a strong male, not a weak female."

"You are weaker than Sharchan for sure, should he treat you as a female slave then?" Xander lifted his eyebrow cheekily.

"Don't spill nonsense!" Ramse growled.

"Don't touch Sienna till we wrestle. The stronger one should have her first, she said."Xander smiled.

"Why we should listen to her?" Ramse said grumpily.

"Because that means she agreed to have us, so we are not forcing her." Xander smiled cheekily.

"She still doesn't even like me."Ramse sighted.

"Start being kind then, so she starts liking you, "Xander noted."And you will need to get a golden mating bracelet."

Ramse stared at him."Why?"He asked surprised.

"You will see."Xander smiled cheekily.

Ramse nodded. He will let the black panther help him. He loved Sienna, but she was going on his nerves every time she opened her mouth. Their personalities just clashed. He always went angry and it pushed her further away from him.

Ramse and Xander came back to camp together. Sienna was sitting near the stream again and looked thinking.

"Sienna, time to go, my little dove."Xander came closer to her. Sienna looked at him with a sad face. She felt confused.

Xander crouched next to her and held her hand gently."Ramse really did not try to mate you. He was just trying to give you a gift for betrothal. It is sealed with a kiss on the cheek. " Xander noted gently. "We will not force you to do anything. We both love you dearly, my little dove. We do anything for you. Ramse just wanted to give you a bracelet after his late mother," Xander smiled gently.

Sienna lifted her head."Are you sure? "Sienna kind of felt, like something, is off with that statement, but she did not want to upset him. Ramse really did not touch her at all. He snap on her the bracelet and leaned to her face, but she was fast to throw it away, so he went to look for it. She started to feel a bit wrong.

Xander nodded and called Ramse. "Show her the bracelet again properly," he said to him. Ramse dropped the bracelet into Xander's hands."Look, it is no ape tribe sign on it, it is a white snow leopard. Ramse's mother was from a white snow leopard tribe, and she gave him this bracelet before she died. She was poisoned by a deadly snake when she was protecting her little baby girl from it. Ramse was just ten years old boy. She told him to give it to the woman he truly loves in her last breath."

Sienna felt really sad. She felt sorry for Ramse's mother and she teared up. "It must really hurt him when I threw it away."She thought. " I'm so sorry Ramse. I was too scared because you said we will become mates right now!"

Xander sighed."It was just a misunderstanding, but is true you can become mates at betrothal, it doesn't involve mating though." He said gently. Xander felt Sienna is very sensitive and sweet. He knew she forgave easily. He was a very smooth talker and Sienna just fell for him.

Ramse crouched next to Sienna." I'm so sorry to scare you and upset you. Can you forgive me, please?" he asked gently.

Sienna saw, that he is trying so hard. She nodded her head. "I'm also sorry for throwing your mother's bracelet."She saw Ramse as a poor boy who lost his mother too soon and her heart ached for him.

"Will you accept it then?"He asked carefully.

Sienna shook her head."It is very precious. You can give it to me after you became my mate." She said seriously." What will be never." she added in her head.

Ramse nodded happily. It sounded so well from her lips. Xander petted Sienna's hair and smirked at Ramse. It was going well.

Xander sat Sienna on another panther and walked next to her. Ramse walked from her other side looking at Sienna secretly. Sienna was quiet.

"Why are you so quiet?" Ramse asked Sienna.

"I do not want to upset you more."

"I'm no more upset. You can talk."Ramse noted.

Sienna bit her lips and nodded.

Sienna was looking at Ramse."Are we going to Crystal City? she asked.

"No, we drop you off at Sarcos. It is closer and he can pay us as well, "said Ramse nonchalantly.

"I do not want to go to Sarcos yet."Sienna said, "I want to go to Tyrell first."

"Why?" Xander asked with interest.

"Because Sarcos is not himself. The immortal took over his body and he made me too upset lately," said Sienna.

"If you are not there, how will the city be saved?"Asked Ramse.

Sienna looked at him."What do you mean?"

"Eagles can pick on scorpions quite easily, except on Sarcos. He got powers. But he can't use them till he is not himself."

Ramse looked at Sienna."I know Sarcos long time. Tell me exactly what happened."

Sienna told him, she had nothing to lose anyway and she knew they had been long-time friends.

"You need to convince immortal to try to talk to Sarcos, to cooperate. Then he will be able to get his body."Ramse said.

"How do you know?"Sienna asked.

"I saw him do it before. With his father."Said Ramse.

Sienna nodded." I will try. Thank you." she smiled at him. He gave her a bit of hope.

Ramse shook his head and went to walk back with Xander.

Xander was upset."Are we really giving her up?"Ramse smiled cheekily," We pass around Sand City and go to your tribe, this way we stay out of Sharchan's way. We never said we do as he ordered ."

"We fight together and the winner will mate her first. Then the other one. That is what she said."Xander smiled."Sharchan said only not to force her, so even if we meet him we are safe."

Ramse nodded his head."But how I will make her mate with me? She said she doesn't like my personality."

They started to walk closer to check on Sienna."You should be more kind and you smell."Xander said.

"What?" said Ramse shocked.

Xander nodded."You should swim more."

Sienna heard them and chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" they came closer to her.

Sienna looked at them."I was thinking how would you look like with make-up on." She bit her lips cheekily.

Xander shook his head in amusement."She is going to be a handful. Why she is so alluring."He sighed.

Ramse and Xander looked at Sienna curiously."You look too happy."Ramse looked at Sienna.

"I'm enjoying my time with you two."She said sweetly."It is very refreshing. I like to be out."

"Would you like to go for a swim?" Xander asked as they passed a crystal-clean river. Sienna nodded. They stopped for a rest a bit.

Sienna put down her top dress and left it on a big rock. Ramse looked at her curvy body and tightened his lips." I need to win over Xander to mate with her first." he thought. Ramse stood on the shore."Just make sure she doesn't get lost."He called to Xander. Sienna giggled," Like I can outswim a black panther." Sienna splashed Xander's face and laughed."You can try to outswim me, I count to ten and then I go after you." Xander said. Sienna giggled and started to swim, she felt so free in the water, it was exactly what she needed on this long journey. She swam close to rocks. Suddenly she felt something tangled around her ankle. She tried to free it but she was stuck." Xander!" she called," Help me, something caught my leg."

Xander took his knife from his belt and swam to her fast. He dove under the water and cut off the sticky plants. They hold tight like strong velcro in the water and was impossible to take them apart. He helped Sienna out of the water. He sat her on the rock and started to remove the leftover plant from her leg. Ramse looked at him." Now you see why I don't like water. It is treacherous."

" It is just a plant. But you did well that you did not dive your hands to free it, it will tangle your wrist and try to drown you."

Sienna smiled in relief."Thank you Xander. You saved me," she kissed his cheek slowly.

Ramse looked at her."I saved you too, but you did not kiss me. And you kiss Xander all the time."

"Because he is kind and you are not."Sienna shook her shoulders.

" I can be kind too if I want to," Ramse said.

" I'm curious to see."Sienna smiled cheekily."This will be funny." she thought.

When the sky darkened, they found a spot to spend the night in. It was an old volcano formation in the middle of the dark forest.

There was a spring with bubbling thermal water, which formed a little hot pool. Sienna wanted to try it."I will help you wash your back," Ramse offered and went away for a bit. Sienna flinched.

"Shh."Xander held her waist. "Ramse is trying to be kind," he said gently.

Sienna sighed. She took off her top dress and went into the water. It was warm and a bit smelly. Ok, a lot smelly, it smelled like rotten eggs, but Sienna knew this kind of healing thermal water, so she was excited to jump in. Xander looked at her." How it is that you don't mind that horrid smell?" he asked her.

"It reminds me of a pool back home," she smiled.

Ramse came back with a handful of fresh banana peels, "Come, I will scrub your back," he offered. His warriors stared. They never offered help to the females. The females always had to take care of them or be punished.

Xander nudged Sienna gently with his hand." Come on. Just try it."

Sienna removed the top part of her underdress as well and held it to cover just her breasts.

Sienna tried her best and turned her back to Ramse. She put her long hair in front of her and waited patiently. She felt so weird and vulnerable, but Xander's presence made her calmer. She breathed deeply.

Ramse looked at her wet shiny elegant back. He reached and start scrubbing it gently with the white insides of the banana peels. It felt like gentle peeling. Bit squashy and soft, "It is quite ok," Sienna thought. Then she felt Ramse's strong hands squeezing her back gently. She let him." If it is not him, it will be quite pleasant."Sienna thought.

She stared into Xander's pretty face and became more relaxed. Ramse squashed Sienna's back on her sensitive spot and she giggled. Xander looked at her. She was trying to be serious, but it was hard. She was worried she will enrage Ramse again."You are tickling me Ramse. I have a sensitive back." she wiggled. Xander gave him a look to continue, he was curious. Ramse held Sienna's shoulder strongly with one hand and started to poke her back in different places.

Sienna was giggling, wiggling, whimpering and trying to flee, depending on where he pressed. Xander was curious and stood close in front of her inside the warm bubbly water locking her in. He held her hips with his hands and stared into her giggly face with a soft smile. Her movements were making him hot.

Sienna had nowhere to run. Ramse started poking down her back and pressing her sensitive spots strongly."Ahh." the moan, came out of her mouth unwillingly and Ramse's lips curled up. He got what he was looking for. He felt the energy near Sienna raising and he pressed around her lower back more strongly.

"Ahh."A different moan came out thru her tightly closed mouth. Xander smiled and licked his lips. He liked it. She was like a puzzle to uncover. Xander moved his cheek closer to hers and he felt her she is getting hot. He kissed Sienna's cheek lightly. She tilted her head in a daze, so Xander continued to her neck. Sienna felt a bit confused. She felt relaxed and pliable somehow."It must be my sensitive spots."She sighed as she felt her brain stop thinking. She felt her body heat up wanting to mate.