1: They Meet

It's a perfect summer day for swimming and Eve loves to swim. She walks softly on the well-known path she's worn through the fluorescent yellow waist high grass to her favorite spot along their side of the river. Following close behind the young woman is Maw with her lamb, Girdy, both bleating loudly. Maw is the best milk shoat in Eve's tiny community, and has shadowed Eve since she was a lamb.

Finally, the forest of bright braided and twining trees gives way to a small clearing and before Eve is Boarder River, and this is her spot away from everyone else. The water is peaceful and there's a spot that's just the right depth for diving. This natural clearing along the bank is where she suns herself on the black sand and reads. She holds her round naturally tan, high cheek boned face up toward the sun, closing her dark chocolate eyes as the white sun's rays heat her cheeks.

She hears a twig snap behind her and smiles as she slowly turns around. "Come out, Adam." It's a command, but her voice is soft and patient.

Adam steps out from behind a thick braided tree. The grass that is waist high for her is only about mid-thigh high for him. His name is Adam because he was the first male born in their village, just as she is Eve because she was the first female born in the village. Except, she was the first-born period. She's nearly 5 years older than Adam. He's about the same age as her younger sister, Erin.

"Hi," Adam trying to sound confident and masculine. He musters up a nervous smile, "Going for a swim?"

"Yes…Alone," Eve answers patiently; even though, Adam seems to have been following her since he got his first pubic hair. In his adolescent mind, he is Adam and she is Eve, and the two just naturally go together.

"Oh," Adam with disappointed eyes, "I guess you want to be alone."

"Yes, Adam, I treasure my time here alone."

"It could be dangerous to be here at the river by yourself," trying not to be shooed away by Eve again.

"I've been coming here by myself now for years and I've never had a problem."

"But they live on the other side somewhere and the river's kind of narrow here," Adam can see it's not working, but he tries anyway, "What if one of them…"

Eve cuts him off dismissively, "I'll introduce myself."

Eve begins to unlace her blouse and looks up into Adam's face. He's a head taller than her, yet still not quite a man. He reaches out and touches her cheek. Then lets his hand drop down. The back it of lightly brushes her left breast.

She's going to let him have that one, "I'ld like to be alone now, thank you."

Adam turns to walk away but stops and turns back, "Eve…Do you ever get lonely?"

She looks into his pleading blue eyes peering at her through his mop of dishwater blond hair. "Sometimes," her voice is solemn. "I'll spar with you after I get back, OK?"

"OK," his face lighting up. Then he turns and runs back to the village. He's happy Eve will spar with him. Even though, it means he's going to eat dirt. He knows she'll keep her word and somehow he feels victorious as if he's finally gotten a date with her.

Eve strips down to her undergarments and lays on a blanket with her towel to sun herself while she reads an electronic novel. A chapter later, she needs to take a dip in the river to cool from being in the sun. She shakes out her excessively wavy mid-back length hair with her fingers. She knows the exact spot where she's able to dive right in.

The clear jade colored water feels wonderful as it swirls around her. Eve's not in the habit of paying attention to where she is in the river as she flips around under the water, surfaces, dives for the bottom and backstrokes. Finally, she's content to float on her back relaxing. She floats with her eyes closed feeling the water about herself. The sun dapples her strong petite healthy body through over hanging branches and leaves. She smiles to herself and opening her eyes, she realizes she's very close to the opposite bank of the river. Eve pictures her father bellowing on their side of the river about being too close to the other side and giggles a little to herself.

A sharp cracking breaks the air. Eve looks up into the branches hanging over from the other side of the river. She hears more loud cracking, then crashing. She realizes too late something big is falling toward her down out of the tree. It slams into her violently, pushing her all the way to the bottom. She fights her way back to the surface, bursting through choking and gasping for air.

"A man," she gasp in realization, "It was a man." She looks around but doesn't see anyone. Something brushes her foot and she slips beneath the water surface. She resurfaces with him and is stunned to see he is one of them from the other side, a Malyon. The terrible bloodthirsty enemy her parents blame for stranding them and the other surviving crewmembers from their ship on this planet.

Eve's not sure what to do. He certainly doesn't look like a bloodthirsty killer to her. She can't help thinking that in his own unique way, he's beautiful. Of course, he's the first she's ever seen up close and in person. Yet she can't leave him to drown. He's unconscious and his side of the river is closest. So, with him in tow she swims for his riverbank. In the shallows she manages to get him over her shoulders. She carries him to the tall fluorescent yellow grass and collapses with him into the grass.

She lies there next to him breathing heavily, but only for a few moments. She needs to make sure he's alright, assess his injuries. There's a cut on the left side of his forehead near the hairline on the temple between the end of the left brow and a section of his sinus tubes. A trickle of purple blood runs from it. She glances around wondering for a second what to use for the wound. Then grabs the bottom of his tunic and rips apiece away. But before she can use the piece of cloth to clean the cut, she finds herself grabbed and flung onto her back. He's conscious, yet blinking confusedly. His grip is firm with all his body weight pinning her to the ground. Eve's self-defense training helps her to remain calm despite her fear. She knows panic won't help her.

Stuttering, Eve manages, "[I not your enemy,]" in his language while patting his chest lightly with her small hands palms up, displaying that she is unarmed.

"I sorry," he says releasing her shoulders. "I not wish you fear I," in her own language. She stares into his large dark green catlike eyes as she sits up slowly. She catches the side-to-side swish of his dripping wet tail out of the corners of her eyes as he attempts to stand.

"Please," Eve implores, "you've hit your head. You may have a concussion."

He complies by sitting. Eve sits on folded legs in front of him to tend the cut on his forehead.

"So, what were you doing in the tree," Eve's curiosity washing away her fear.

"Watching," he answers flatly as he studies her face. It's his first opportunity to see it up close. It's roundness, the smooth forehead lacking sinus tubes, her smaller irises with round circles for pupils, her full pink lips and straight white teeth with tiny canines.

"Watching what," Eve ask next.

"You," he answers matter of factly.

"Me," Eve surprised.

"Yes," he confirms with a nod. Then he continues, "You come here often swim, lie in sunshine, sometime speak to you animal… I have watch many days. You appear lonely same like I."

"You're lonely," Eve's voice soft with understanding.

"Yes," taking her hand gently, "My name Evan."

"It's nice to meet you, Evan," smiling brightly, "My name is Eve." He returns her smile. His long doubled sets of canines make her think of vampires for a moment.

They talk for hours doing the best with what they know of each other's languages. They have a lot in common. Both were the first born in their communities. Neither has a peer to identify with, and there's no significant age difference between them. Evan's just less than 2 years older than Eve. They agree to meet back here at the river in 2 days.

They meet at the river regularly, about every other day, talking, swimming and teaching each other, using human English one day, then Malyon during their next day together. They share their favorite foods with each other. They like many of the same fruits and nuts that grow from the trees. They're both curious and inquisitive with many of the same interest. Sometimes as they lay in the sun they give each other little exams with their medical scanners. Evan touches Eve frequently, her small hands, her hair, her tiny toes, just to reassure himself he's not dreaming. He is always amazed that she never pulls away. Instead, she touches him just as frequently, his large competent hands, his hair and tail.

Evan enjoys brushing Eve's hair. It's nearly as black as his hair, a rich deep mahogany and it's very long, thick and wavy. His own hair is jet black and arrow straight hanging just a little past his shoulders. It's something his parents complain about often. It is customary for Evan's people to keep their hair cropped short. So, Evan's a bit of a rebel in his community wearing his hair shoulder length. While Eve is a model citizen within her own community, but Human communities don't require the high level of conformity that Malyon communities require. Time spent with Eve is immensely relaxing for Evan.