Chapter Two

The den was in sight just as the first few drops of cold rain began to pelt the Earth. As minutes passed, more rain began to fall until it had become a full-on downpour, the ground quickly becoming slippery as the dirt turned into mud. The old male carefully pulled his kill inside the safety of the den, where the rain could not reach, before finally flopping down upon his side and sighing. The young female followed after him, shaking the water from her body, making the old male groan as the water from her skin pelted him in the face. Her tiny body began to tremble lightly as she stretched herself out in the den, the water that had touched her chilling her body and making her cold.

Carefully, she tried to approach the old male, sliding herself up against his back to gather what little warmth his larger body could offer. A low growl vibrated from the old one's throat in irritation. However, his focus remained on the cascading rainstorm outside while he shifted his body, causing it to push the young female away from him once more. She took the hint and lay there shivering as she closed her eyes to try and rest. It was short-lived, however, as something cold and wet would touch her nose every few seconds, making her eyes peel open again. Lifting her head, she watched water droplets fall from a small hole above as the rain hit the surface of the tree trunk, shielding them from the worst of it.

A low growl vibrated from her chest in irritation as another droplet landed upon her snout. Alright, that was it! She rose to her feet and rushed out of the shelter, the old male raising his head to watch her as she began to jump around, biting at the raindrops as they fell. The tiny snapping sound of her jaws coming together entered his ears. After a few moments of jumping around and attacking her watery foes, exhaustion struck her, making her stop and shake herself again.

It wasn't until she noticed that the groundwater was now up to her ankles that she paused in walking back to the den. She lifted a leg, watching the water drop off her toes before putting her leg back down. She began to look around, noticing the pond's water was spilling out over the bank. Instinct suddenly flared to life as it had with the raptors before. It began screaming at her to run. She wouldn't hesitate like she had before. She cried in distress, the water at her ankles continuing to rise higher up her legs, making her hop from one foot to the other.

The old male seemed oblivious to the danger; the water had not yet reached him. She opened her mouth to tell him of the threat, but how did you say threat? She only knew one word, and even then, she didn't exactly say it right. She cried, trying to get his attention, but the sound was lost in the wind and rain.

"F-feesh!" She cried out. Still, he didn't move. Hopping from one foot to the other, she quickly approached the old male, nudging him with her nose as the water began to draw near.

"Feesh!" She cried out again, making the old male growl out in annoyance.

"I swear to Rex Jesus, if you are pestering me about a bloody fish, I'm gonna..." He growled out as he looked up and glared at her, only to spot the rising water.

Shaking herself of water as it pelted her scales, she continued to follow the old male squinting her eyes to try and keep him in sight though it was hard to do past all the rain. She paused, however, as the ground began to shake, something that wasn't coming from the old one's steps. As it continued, a roaring sound entered her ears, along with loud cracking explosions.

"Run smalls! Now!" The old male shouted at her suddenly before he quickened his pace as much as possible. Once again, she didn't hesitate; if the threat was bad enough to make even the old male's massive form afraid, it was something genuinely terrifying. She rushed forward, but it was too late.

Glancing back behind her, her eyes widened as the forest trees split apart, a raging wave of water pushing them straight apart or up out of the ground entirely before it consumed them both. Her world plunged into a watery darkness, her tiny body twisting and rolling as the current battered her. She couldn't find her footing or know which way was up or down.

Her lungs were screaming for air, making her frantic. Not to mention, where was the old male? She couldn't hold her breath anymore; she would have to take a chance. Twisting her body, she managed to get herself upright before making her way toward what she hoped was the surface. Her leg muscles hurt, working overtime against the current to keep her moving. Just as the remaining air in her lungs rushed out of her, her head broke, the surface water spraying out her nose as she breathed.

"Feesh!" She cried out, letting out another breath as water entered her lungs.

Glancing behind her, she watched as the water ripped away more trees, other animals being pulled into its depths if they had failed to get to shelter in time. Then she noticed the water seemed to disappear into thin air. Her panic only began to worsen seeing this. She forced her legs to work harder as she tried to get to the old male who had disappeared again under the water. The harder she tried to swim, the weaker her muscles got. It was getting harder and harder to keep above the surface.

"Feesh!" She cried out as the current pulled her over the edge and into the bottomless unknown.

The young female did not know how much time had passed as consciousness finally flooded her, and her senses started to come back. First came her sense of smell as she took her first breath, water spraying from her nose. Next was her hearing as rushing water entered her ears, along with the sounds of night creatures. Then her sight began to return, her eyes finally sliding open though her vision was blurry, reminding her of her first minutes of life.

She blinked to try and focus her vision more, only for a form to slowly come into view further down the river. The form finally came into view a few moments later, her vision clearing to reveal that it was the old male. Like her, he had been washed up onto dry land, but unlike her, he did not show any signs of movement thus far. Her vision began to blur again, causing her to blink to keep her eyes clear, but it was no use. The more her vision blurred, the more darkness appeared as her mind began to get fuzzy.

"F-Feesh..." She called out in a whisper as her vision went completely black, unconsciousness claiming her once again.

It was about mid-day when the young female's consciousness began returning to her again. Her eyes peeled open again as the great ball in the sky blazed through her eyelids. A groan escaped her almost immediately as all her senses came back at once. The soreness in her muscles was something she wasn't used to. Groaning again, she suddenly remembered the old male she had spotted washed up downriver and turned her attention that way. Her head snapped up, earning her a painful protest from her body, which she ignored.

The old male was still lying where she had last seen him; it seemed he had not even moved a single inch. She groaned again as she began to force herself to her feet, claws digging into the ground painfully, but somehow managed to get standing. Each movement she made was like agony, though; it took all her willpower to keep on her feet each time her muscles gave out a protest to moving. Even taking in simple breaths hurt.

"Feesh?" She called out, leaning down to press the tip of her nose into his cheek, trying to get a reaction out of him. There was still nothing, though, not even a single breath. She pulled her head back for a moment and looked over his body again. Once again, she pressed her nose to his, pressing into his skin just a bit harder.

"Feesh..." She called out once more, and still nothing.

She stepped back once more, her chest beginning to constrict around her painfully. She stared at him, then shook her head, approaching him again, only to press her head against his stomach this time. She gave a growl and continued pushing against his stomach, trying to roll him over. When that didn't work, she moved to his tail, latching her baby teeth into it before giving it a rough tug. Still, there was no sign of life from the old male. As she realized this, his tail dropped from her jaws, the pain in her chest growing each second that the old rex remained lifeless. The familiar sound of barking raptors echoed nearby, most likely drawn in like vultures to the scent of an easy meal. She glanced around her, realizing she was once again alone while the old one lay lifeless.

"Feesh..." She called out again, pressing her head under his bottom jaw. She dug her claws into the ground, pushing with all her remaining strength. "...get up...." She desperately pleaded. "...go...home..." She told him as she lost her footing.

Her legs buckled from under her, no longer able to strain themselves to her demands, forcing her to collapse upon her stomach. She lay there, tears swelling up in her eyes as she realized she could do nothing. He wasn't going to wake up no matter what she did. Her tear-filled eyes glanced up at his giant head from where it lay upon the ground where it fell.

"F-Feesh..." She chirped out in distress as she blinked, forcing the tears to freely fall down her cheeks.

A large breath was taken then, making her suddenly jump in surprise. Her head snapped up, eyes darting towards the old male once again. Had she imagined it because she wanted him to wake up so badly? She watched him closely, heart pounding in her chest from the sudden scare. There didn't seem to be any movement coming off him, though; still no signs of life. After a few moments, there it was. The old one's nostrils flared out, his chest rising slowly before collapsing again as another breath entered his lungs with a great wheezing sound. The young rex blinked back, the tears still falling as she watched his chest rise and fall slowly, hearing the wheezing breaths he took each time until his familiar eyes slowly started to peel open.

"F-Feesh...?" She called out softly, making his hazy attention shift downwards onto her. His jaws parted slightly just enough to whisper:

"Smalls...?" She felt the tip of her tail shake like a snake, excitedly at hearing his voice. He was alive! She couldn't help herself as she rushed closer, again rubbing her head against his chin.

"Feesh! Feesh!" She cheered happily, pelting his chin with licks and affection.

She didn't know what could help, though it was frustrating. She felt useless. Here the old one was protecting her even if it wasn't exactly a willing protection, yet she couldn't do anything to help him in return. All she could do was gently curl herself beside him and offer him whatever warmth she had to help him feel better. She lay there watching him, his eyes and jaw still clenched painfully, though it seemed he had drifted off into whatever sleep he could manage.

Sighing, she dropped her head, tucking her nose into her belly as she closed her eyes and tried to rest. After all, with them not feeling well after their ordeal, they didn't know what tomorrow held, so they would need to get whatever rest they could while they could. Even so, she kept herself awake enough to be able to alert the old rex if there was danger. Until then, she would let her body rest. The days seemed to pass in a blur without either one moving from that spot. Though the young rex would move about to stretch her legs now that her muscles and body didn't hurt as bad, the old male had not moved a single inch except his chest, which was the only thing that alerted her that he was still alive. She let out a small sigh as she continued to watch him. She was starting to grow restless but knew the old one was still unable to move either. Still, neither of them had eaten in a few days considering the flood had washed away the para body the old one had killed before they could eat from it.

Granted, it wasn't much considering how small she was, but at least it was something since he couldn't move to get water himself. Again though, food was another problem. Licking the remaining water from her lips, she began to look around once again as her stomach gave out a loud growl, which made her growl at it. Was it possible to live without one's stomach? Because she was seriously contemplating clawing hers out at this point.

"Why are you still...here?" The old one groaned out past his pain. "You should leave...find yourself shelter and... food."

She turned her attention to him for a moment, noting how the eye that wasn't hidden by his body was staring at her. She shook her head, though, and returned to looking around, raising her nose to sniff for food. He sighed deeply at that before giving a light growl of annoyance.

"Just leave me, damn it!" He growled out at her. "Don't you get it; I don't want you here. I never wanted you with me. You're just an annoyance, a flee to me. Now get out of here or so help me; if I get to my feet, you'll be my next meal!" He snarled at her, fangs bared as he glared at her.

She frowned once more as she looked at him. She then began to back away before heading off into the forest. She didn't know why the old one didn't want her around; it wasn't like she ate a lot or took up much room. Still, she at least had to find food for herself, if nothing else. She kept her nose in the air, trying to catch a whiff of any creatures nearby, but she couldn't smell anything.

Was this a different type of raptor? Most of its feathers were a mixture of brown and white. However, a patch of green along the base of its tail and on the tiny wings graced its front legs. There was also a small patch of red on the top of its head and the tip of its tail. It tilted its head back and gave out a series of bird-like chirps before it began to sniff at the ground. She followed the direction it was moving until it stopped at a small tree that had fallen onto a medium boulder. The dirt between the two was loose and piled up with a dark hole in the center.

The creature circled this structure a few times, sniffing around it before it finally approached the hole, sticking its head into it before pulling back and scratching at the dirt with a hind leg. The young rex tilted her head to the side curiously but continued to watch as a different smaller creature poked its head out of the hole and began looking around. However, as soon as it spotted the feathered creature, it bolted out of its hole, calling out loudly. It didn't get very far, though; the feather creatures' quick movements had caught up quickly. The little creature did not stand a chance as the feathered one pounced and killed it.

As the feathered began to dig into its kill, the young rexes stomach growled loudly at the scent of fresh blood. The feathered creature's head snapped up hearing this, its eyes scanning in her direction. However, she was well hidden, allowing her to not give herself away. However, she remembered what the old rex had done when he had hunted the para, digging her claws into the dirt as she readied herself to attack. She just had to be patient. As the feathered creature dropped its head to continue eating, she took her chance and rushed out of her bush.

The first thing she did was copy the feathered creature, shoving her head into the hole to sniff what was in there. Wrong choice, as she soon realized that her head was bigger than the feathered ones and wouldn't come out of the burrow hole. She let out a cry of distress and pulled and twisted her body every way, trying to free her head. She braced both hide legs against the dirt of the burrow and continued to push with all her might and finally, the ground gave way, the momentum throwing her backward in a rolling heap before she finally landed on her stomach.

She shook herself as she got back to her feet, her eyes shifting to the burrow only to spot two small heads poking out, watching her. The little creatures kept making a chattering sound as they spoke to one another, giving off small warning calls here and then. As she moved to approach them, they quickly ducked back down into the safety of their burrow out of her reach. This was obviously going to be more complicated than she first thought. The feathered creature had made it look so easy. She began to circle the burrow as the feathered one had while thinking about what to do.

At first, it didn't seem like the little creatures would take the bait, making her grow bored and even more hungry. Just as she let out a small sigh and lowered her head to the trunk, movement could be heard inside the burrow entrance, making her pull her head back up again. She watched quietly as a tiny creature cautiously poked its head out of the burrow entrance and began looking around. It soon spotted the scratched-up dirt she had dug and sniffed, but it refused to leave the entry entirely. Soon another one appeared, this one noticing the soil as well. It began chatting with the first one, which didn't seem pleased with whatever the second one said.

The second pounced on the first, the two grappling momentarily before the first one finally began leaving the entrance. It was almost as if the second one had yelled to 'clean this shit up.' The first slowly drew closer to the dirt while the young rex watched silently, not daring to move. Though she was as still as a rock, she was still out in the open with no cover to hide her. Even the slightest movement from her would give her away. Her only advantage at the moment was that she was above the little creatures that were more occupied with repairing their burrow now.

The second one also left the entrance, rising onto its hide legs to look around, clearly keeping an eye out for danger, while the first gathered up dirt and began to pack it neatly back into the burrow pile. She had to remember what the old one had taught her during his hunt. The element of surprise was vital when making a successful kill. It was easier said than done, though, especially for something small like her that didn't have any hunting experience. Also, she had two creatures to deal with instead of one. If one spotted her, it would give her away to the other, and vice versa.

This was her chance! She didn't hesitate and went for it, her tensed-up leg muscles suddenly releasing as she sprang forth, launching herself through the air down to her target as it was still busy scratching itself to pay attention. As her shadow appeared in their vision, both creatures sprang up onto their hind legs and let out a distress call. It was too late, though. She landed with a light thud, the impact jarring her back legs a bit, but her jaws snapped shut around the guard. One swift squeak of surprise left it before it went limp. She dropped it quickly and followed the second who tried to bolt into the burrow. She cut it off, grabbing it by the tip of its tail and yanking it backward, further away from the entrance. It cried out in surprise and spun around, lashing out with needle-sharp teeth toward her face.

Letting it go before its hit could land, it instantly tried to bolt back towards the entrance, but she was ready, slamming her right foot down on it to knock it off balance. It squeaked again, rolling over onto its back to claw and bite at her again. She backed up to avoid the attack, and it sprang to its feet again, bolting towards the entrance. This time she cut it off, getting in front of it and blocking its path. It changed direction, running off towards the tree line this time, but again she rushed after it, cutting it off. Back and forth, this little cat-and-mouse game continued until the young rex finally had enough.

She didn't waste any time digging into her kill, especially when her stomach gave a loud roar from within her. The taste of blood and meat on her tongue was terrific, only encouraging her to continue her meal. Though it wasn't much of a meal, considering how small the creature was, only as big as one of her feet after all, a meal was a meal, though. She wouldn't be picky with the old one down for the count and unable to hunt for them. Her meal didn't last long, leaving her hungry still as she approached her first kill. She wanted to enjoy this one in a safer area, not in the open field where anything could make her a meal for itself. Scooping up the remaining kill, she began to take it into the tree line.

She stopped just short of the trees, glancing back over her shoulder in the direction she had left the old one. She thought about it for a long moment before turning around and quickly rushing back to the old Rex's location. It took her a few good minutes to remember the exact location, having to stop and sniff around for his scent to keep her on track before her head finally poked out of the bushes near him. He had not moved from his spot, though his eyes did open hearing her approach. A groan escaped him as he spotted her watching him from a bush.

"I swear to Rex Jesus...." He groaned out. "Didn't I tell you to..." He was cut off by the sound of something being dropped by the tip of his nose.

"You killed this?" He questioned, turning his attention to her for a moment. He caught the tip of her tail shake for a moment as if she was waiting for praise from him which made him snort. "You call this a kill? Pathetic."

Her head dropped hearing this, a sad frown and look coming to her eyes. However, she approached the kill again, using her nose to push it closer to him, before stepping away again. He dropped his gaze back to the kill, then to her, and sighed before closing his eyes. The young rex gave a huff of annoyance at him. Here she was making a kill for the first time with no help, bringing him something to eat even though she didn't have to, and he wasn't even eating nor thanking her for it. She took a deep breath, puffing up her chest before stomping towards him. As she reached his nose, she spun around quickly, her tail lashing out, whipping him square across the skin, making his body jump in surprise and his eyes snap open to focus on her.

"Did you just..." He began to question in disbelief that this young thing dared attack him.

However, he watched her stand her ground, eyes shifting from him to the kill then back up to him with a glare, lips pursed stubbornly. The look she gave him clearly told him he would eat it and that she wouldn't take no for an answer. He shifted slightly so his body slowly rose above her, making her, bit by bit, lower herself to the ground, her stubborn expression melting into growing fear before his eyes.

"You got balls, kid. For a female that is." He told her, before scooping up the small kill and swallowing it whole.

By the time the great ball in the sky was awake, the young female began to stir herself. Letting out a giant yawn, she rose to her feet and scratched out her body, one hind leg stretching out behind her before the other leg did the same. The first thing she did was check on the old male, who was still sleeping in the same spot as he had been since they landed here. She supposed it was good; at least she didn't have to chase after him if he suddenly disappeared on her.

As she made her way to the water's edge, she lapped at the cool liquid, feeling it run down her throat and into her belly. Once she had her fill, she licked the remaining droplets from her lips and began to make her way back towards the burrow to try and catch her and the old male some breakfast. When she got there, luck was not on her side. The den was utterly destroyed, and all hopes of a somewhat easy meal with it.

She sighed deeply in frustration before tilting her nose to the sky. Her nostrils flared as she took in the scents around her, trying to see if there was anything else she could possibly catch. A loud trumpeting sound reached her then, a sound she was all too familiar with at this point in time. Paras... and from the sounds of it, a whole lot of them. She quickly rushed into the forest's darkness and followed the sounds as they echoed across the wind.

The young rex stayed by in the shadows, once again remembering what the old rex had shown when he had hunted the para herd before. She had to watch and had to wait. If there was a potential meal here, she had to be smart about it. Obviously, the adults were a definite no-go for her. They would squish her flat before she could blink if she tried to go after them. The sub-adults were also a no-go since they were bigger and faster than her. So the only thing she could really go after would be the babies that were her size or smaller.

The issue with that was the mothers. The babies had been taught to keep close to their mothers, so getting one alone or far enough away from an adult would be a challenge. She glanced up at the sky, taking note of where the ball in the sky was. It would still be a while before dark. Darkness would be her best bet, but the question was whether the herd would stay here that long. This was frustrating, indeed. She could happily live off of small prey since she wasn't huge and her stomach was small in itself, but she knew the old male couldn't live off the tiny game; he needed big meals, or he'd get weaker than he already was from his injuries.

She didn't have a choice; either she killed what she could for both of them until he was well enough to get up and hunt for them, or they would both end up starving to death cause she wouldn't eat without him. He was her best protection until she could fend for herself. She would be stupid to get rid of that right now. There was still the matter of catching something cause once again, she wouldn't be able to kill anything significant. Or, perhaps she could get one of the young that were attached to sleeping mothers?

A young para that was off a bit from the others, seeming with no parents to protect it. Its front left leg pulled up to its chest, which refused to touch the ground. A broken leg, perhaps? There was no sign of external injury nor the scent of blood. Either way, it was just the opportunity that she needed. Creeping through the shadows to a better position. As she got into a good spot, her legs and muscles tensed as she readied herself to make her move. Jaws were parting in anticipation of sinking into flesh, tongue sliding over her lips as she imagined the taste of blood.

A warning suddenly went off, all heads shooting up and alert at the call. The sleeping mothers quickly jumped awake and to their feet as the call returned. The young rex was confused at this. Had she done something wrong? She checked the ground, ensuring she had not stepped on a twig of something to alert them to her presence. There was nothing, though, at least nothing that stood out to her. As a gust of wind blew past in the paras' direction, the paras gave one last distress call before they all began to rush across the river, the adults surrounding the young, herding them to safety. The young rex turned her attention to the sky again at this and realized her mistake. The wind had carried her scent to the paras, alerting them that she was there.

The further she went, the darker it became as the clouds darkened themselves before a light drizzle of rain began to pelt the Earth. At first, she began to panic, remembering what had happened the last time it had rained. She sought shelter, rushing through bushes and over fallen logs as fast as she could. To her luck, up ahead, she found a rock face that had formed a small shelter just big enough for her to squeeze into. She didn't hesitate and slipped into the only source of cover, pushing herself as far back as possible before turning to face the entrance. She then realized that if this was another one of those heavy rains, the old male would be swept away again, and this time, she may not find him, let alone find him alive.