by Hopeflower » Wed Sep 08, 2010 12:07 pm
Rose felt her eyes open slowly. Wherever she was, it sure didn't smell like that other place. It smelled like salt and sand; like the coast. the sea breeze blew over her damp scales. Was she...home? She gave a weak groan and lifted her head. "Switchblade?" she barked hoarsely. "Hellfire? Anybody there?"
In the middle of a clearing not far from the coast, at the edge of a deep stream, a few Corythosaurs were lazily grazing, eating their fill of lush green grass and stripping low branches of their leaves. A couple of young ones chased each other with loud hoots of excitement. The leader of the herd, a big male, was watching over his females and young with fierce pride. His family was flourishing. There were a few nests with eggs just inside the treeline, and it was easy to spot the few pesky predators that tried to snatch a quick meal. He let out a content sigh, and relaxed a bit, lying on one side, still watchful nonetheless.
But unbeknownst to the male, he and his family were being watched. A pair of violet eyes peered from the brush, scanning the herd. Five females. Three nests. Six younger animals. And the big male who bore the scars that showed he'd been attacked before, by other raptors. Maybe he'd fought them off. It didn't matter now. The female turned her head from side to side, looking at the two raptors who were with her. She nodded, and tapped the killer claw of one foot on the ground once. Their pack's signal for be ready to attack. Both raptors flexed their hand claws, a sign that they were always ready.
The leader of the hunt moved off towards the nests, hugging the shadows. Her black coloring helped her stay out of sight, and by a stroke of luck the wind was blowing towards her, carrying her scent away. Purposely, she brushed against a big fern leaf. It swayed, rustling gently, probably catching the attention of the male. But his attention wouldn't stay on her position for long. The other two raptors broke cover and charged the herd, setting off a flurry of panicked noises. The big male's attention swung from the disturbed foliage to the threat to his herd, and he stood, bellowing in a mixture of fear and defiance.
The raptors took it in turns to dart forward to nip at the ankles of the fleeing herd, while the big male bellowed and tossed his head, trying valiantly to protect his family even as he backed away from the glitter of teeth and claws. One of the predators, a mottled green female, snarled back, taking a step forward, forcing the enraged herbivore back further. He wasn't stupid. Trying to fight was suicide. The other, a golden-brown male, screeched a challenge as he made a mock-charge, forcing the Corythosaurus towards the black female's hiding spot.
The leader of the hunting party burst out of the undergrowth, took a running leap, and landed on the flank of the big male Corythosaurus. He bellowed, distracted, and that was the opening the other two raptors needed. The male clawed his way up to the herbivore's neck and drove his teeth and claws in, hoping to hit a major vein. The female latched onto the herbivore's other flank and started kicking, scoring deep wounds into its flesh.
After a few minutes the big male finally collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion, and the leader of the hunting party ran forward to finish it with a quick slice of a claw. "Good work, you two," she barked, panting. "Viridis, Mwuaji, stay here and guard it. Meanwhile, I'll go and get Inculta and Astus. We've got to get the pack fed before something else turns up to steal our meal." She paused. "Remember, if you're challenged, don't take stupid risks. There's only two of you after all. Grab as much as you can carry and run. We'll all meet back up at the big half-boulder."
The male dipped his head, acknowledging the orders they'd been given. Viridis took up a perch on top of their kill, her head swiveling to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them. The herd had regrouped some distance away, hooting and bellowing in distress at the loss of their leader. Mwuaji looked up at Viridis. "You did really well," he growled. She looked down at him with unreadable black eyes; eyes that never failed to unnerve him. He'd never seen a raptor with black eyes before he joined this pack. He had yet to get used to it.
"Focus on your job, Mwuaji," she sighed after a moment, returning to her focused scanning of their surroundings. He refused to let his disappointment show as he turned away. He tried, he really did. He tried to show these raptors that he wasn't just another mutant. That he wasn't a burden on their pack. He tried to fit in, but they were a family group of four. Siri, the black female, was the alpha female of the group. Her mate and partner was Inculta, the one who trusted Mwuaji the least. Astus was Inculta's brother, and Viridis was the daughter of the leaders of the pack. And him? He was just a misfit who had been taken in by the dominant female, but didn't belong here.
He was shaken from his thoughts as Viridis let out a long hiss. His head swung around, dark green gaze fixing on the mottled green female. "Trouble?" he rumbled, scanning the treeline.
"Don't know yet. Keep sharp; I've got movement."
Mwuaji drew in a deep breath, tasting the air, and het it out in a hiss of his own. The scent was familiar to him, and laced with aggression. "Allosaurs. Maybe more than one. They're young males, and they're looking for a fight. They probably heard the herd's panic and smelled the blood, and figured they could get an easy meal."
"Let's ditch the kill, then, and grab as much as we can, like Siri said," Viridis growled. Mwuaji looked at her, different instincts warring inside him. He wanted to defend his pack and their kill; but he knew that two raptors were no match for a pair of young male Allosaurs.
"You go first; I'll follow," he growled after a heavy pause, during which the scent of Allosaurs grew stronger. Now he could hear their footsteps. He turned to keep watch, hearing the sound of ripping flesh, tendon, and muscle as Viridis hacked at the body of the herbivore with her claws and teeth. Finally she pulled away with a sizable chunk of meat, almost staggering under its weight. She settled it in her claws and pulled a second, smaller piece off the carcass to carry in her jaws. Shooting a glance at Mwuaji she turned and fled. For one horrible moment he thought she'd trip; she stumbled, her grip on the piece of meat she held in her claws slipping a bit, but regained her balance and kept running.
Taking another deep breath, Mwuaji jumped to the open wound she'd made in the herbivore's side. He lost precious seconds cutting away a piece that would be big, but not too big to carry. Every moment that slipped by he could hear the two Allosaurs drawing closer; a roar split the silence, frighteningly close, making the golden-brown raptor jump badly. Deciding not to risk staying there longer than necessary, He ripped the loosest piece of flesh he could find free of the carcass, then turned and bolted. Almost at once he saw why Viridis had staggered. The pieces of meat were heavier than he'd expected. But he was a mutant; he could handle this. He was stronger than she was.
Behind him, he heard another roar and the sound of splintering bones. For a moment, outrage consumed him and he saw red. That was OUR kill! But this wasn't the time to turn back. Viridis was probably waiting for him at the half-boulder by now.
"Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come."
"Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything that you're willing to practice, you can do." ~ Bob Ross
"The future is always uncertain and painful but it must be lived." ~ Unknown