Gotta Go Deep[Open]

[Willow]

Within the thick, tangled rainforest, where the heat was choking and the moisture kept everything under a veil of raindrops, where the sun shone through in shards through the dense canopy, a small group of troodon savanged growth in search of edible vegetation. Their striped bodies blended well with the surroundings, but a certain pair of sharp yellow eyes picked them out with ease.

This would be a...different hunt. She had never hunted something her own size and most certainly nothing with a sickle claw like her own. A low series of clicks emenated from her throat as she weighed the decision. If she went for one, there was a chance it would fight back and she could be injured, something she could not afford. Troodon were not stupid beasts etheir, they had those large eyes, the jaws, the claws. They were capable of defending themselves and detecting danger. But so far they had failed to notice the raptor in the bushes, perhaps she could surprise them...

Lessa snorted softly and shook her elegant head. This] was one reason she would do better with a pack. An ambush was much more effective than a single female trying to take down something she could look in the eye. Oh well, she was hungry and another oppertunity might not arrive.

Gathering herself, the lyth velociraptor shifted and bunched her muscles, lowering her head down so her body ran parallel with the moist earth. Swallowing back any apprehension and switching into predator mode, Lessa's eyes narrowed and she sprang from the ferns, claws outstretched and jaws open to reveal her deadly incisors.

It hadn't been as bad as she expected. A blurr of gray swept through the group and sprang upon a brown and black striped back, sinking her sickle-claw in and putting the troodon out. Now she was enjoying a feast, compared to the meesly portions she had been theiving the past days. Her snout was bloody as she tore through the disembowled belly of her kill, swallowing choice organs whole and then going in deep for the flesh. Not too bad,She thought as she lifted her head for a quick area scan and then licked her lips. I should hunt Troodon more often.

[Tax]

Sindri
Rao

Munching happily on ferns, feeling raindrops splashing against his hide, Sindri was happy and rather unconcerned. This was the life; here he could live trouble-free. Or so he'd thought. Of course, later he grumbled as he trudged through the forest, wondering why he couldn't be free of those darned pesky predators. At least they hadn't been targeting him.

The muted clicking had been his first warning. He'd frozen and glanced around, swallowing the shred of fern he'd just plucked from the bush but he saw nothing. Still, plants sure didn't click, and he had a nagging suspicion something dangerous was out there.

Snaking his head through the bushes, Sindri attempted to find the source of the noise, but he hadn't. Not before a gray form whizzed by and the screeching started. Sindri bellowed, mind reeling in panic. Fight or flight... the choice wasn't hard. He barreled through the foliage, mindless of where he was putting his feet. He could smell blood now and it finished off the panic-state of his reaction. There was no stopping him now.


Rao had been watching the Troodons also, though he had been unaware of Lessa. He didn't fancy eating other predators, but hungry raptors couldn't be picky and meat was meat. His belly gurgled in agreement.

He crouched low, watching the movements of the other dinos. Muscles tensed in his hind legs and he was a second away from launching himself forward when he caught sight of a streak of silver and another raptor hurled itself into the middle of the Troodons. Blood filled the air and a very nearby herbivore let out a bellow that filled his ears, followed a second later by the crashing, crunching sounds of plant matter being trampled by four large feet.

The crazed sauropod was blindly charging straight toward the raptor, coming on faster than Rao had thought it possible for any plant-eater to move. His hind legs were still tensed. He bolted forward and plowed straight into the other raptor, sending them both head-over-heels out of the path of the stampeding herbivore.

[Willow]

Lessa was quite enjoying her prey. The flesh was tender and the sharp tang of blood added flavor to it that no vegetation or long-dead kill could ever supply. It had been long since she had taken down something and was able to relish the taste of fresh meat. Though this was a fellow predator she was feasting on, no remorse or guilt egged at her; She was hungry and this would be more than enough to fill her demanding stomach.

But then that horrid sauropod bellow came from near-by, making Lessa cringe and hiss at the low, deafening tones against her sensitive ear drums. Still stunned by the call, yellow eyes shut as she tried to regain herself, the silver and black raptor didn't register that the sound of downing trees and cracking undergrowth was a great long-neck crashing through the forest...straight for her. Blood staining her snout and hands, she finally looked upward to see the giant beast ready to set one of its wide, flat feet onto her, eyes wide and ear-drums still ringing as the sauropod continued to rumble.

Then a great force plowed into her side and sent her tumbling head over tail away from the long neck that was now stampeding away. Landing belly-down and littered with forest-floor debri, Lessa lay stunned, the world in doubles for a few moments before her mind readjusted. She had not jumped or ran or...died. She had been pushed by someone.

Slowly the silver velociraptor got to her feet and looked around instead of down, not even noticing the tiger striped raptor by her, instead seeing the troodon carcass. Or what was left of it.

"No!"Lessa cried, rushing to stand over her hard-earned meal that was now a mush of broken bones, leaking organs, and dirtied meat. It was ruined. "No, no, no! My kill...my kill.." She whimpered, crouching down and picking up the torn casing of the liver, the piece she always saved for last. Not many times did the raptor show weakness, but losing something so precious and rare was enough to break her down right infront another of her kind.

[Tax]

Rao

Flipping head over tail a few times, Rao came to rest at the base of a tall tree on his side. He remained still for a moment, the world spinning around him still. It took a minute for his vision to clear. Slowly, things went back to normal. Ferns stayed rooted to the ground, trees poked themselves toward the sky, and he was still lying on his side. With a snort, he kicked his legs and propelled himself back onto his feet.

Shaking his head, then his entire body, he watched litter float back to the forest floor. He jerked at the sudden cry and memory clicked back into place. That's right, he had pushed some other raptor out of the way of the charging sauropod. He turned to see her and for a moment was confused.

She was standing over the trampled kill and moaning. He glanced at it and grimaced. Bad luck. It wasn't edible anymore. But they could always hunt another. He was still hungry, and hunger made for a sharper hunter. He padded up to her and chirred, dipping his head in a greeting. He left a bit of distance between them, not quite sure of her desire to welcome another, even if he had just saved her life.

"We can hunt another," he spoke up, tipping his head to blink at her. "They went that way. Or we could try for a leaf-muncher."

[Aztec]

AZTEC

The stocky raptor was aware of the presence of the Troodons not far away, but she was unconcerned with them. So long as they left her be, she'd leave them be. Rather, Aztec was content snatching up the tiny mammals that scurried within the tangle of tree roots of the massive forest. The tiny rodent-creatures never put up much of a fight, and they were convenient in-between snacks.

The sand-colored Balaur had concerned herself with stalking one of these small rodents, a Cimexomys. The little rodent crept toward the Troodon pack, perhaps hoping to find a few eggs to make a meal of, and was unaware that it was about to be made a meal of. Green eyes narrowed as she stalked the rodent, closer, closer. In the moment she sprang, another figure too pounced on it's prey. Aztec was not concerned by it, she had her kill dangling from her jaws, so she didn't worry about anything else.

What did concern her was the effect that was unintentionally caused by the other predator. Before she could comprehend what going on, a large herbivore came charging out of nowhere and Aztec was in its path. In a split-second fight or flight response, the raptor abandoned her kill to dive out of the path of the beast. Getting up some moments later, her feathered crest was bristled and she muttered a series of hisses and curses, which eventually faded into a low rumbling growl in the back of her throat. Damn long-neck, She cursed the herbivore silently as she watched it being swallowed by the greenery of the rainforest. You're lucky you are too large for me to kill.

Aztec didn't immediately notice that the stampeding herbivore had forced her into plain view of a pair of raptors until they began speaking. Green eyes focused sharply on the pair, a hint of hope sparking in her mind. They were similar to her, so maybe they were part of her old pack? But that spark soon died out, they were not Balaur, they were velociraptors. She hasn't met another Balaur since she was separated from her pack, but these velociraptors were everywhere. With a snort, the sand-colored raptor shook her head in frustration, beginning to walk away from the pair. Would she ever find her old pack?

[Willow]

As Lessa continued to bewail her destroyed meal, she remained oblivious to the male coming up to her. Her eyes focused narrowedly on the bloody mess, her mind becoming lost in thought of weither to track the troodon or continue on her way. She had managed to take in enough of the kill to hold her over for possibly another day, enough to time to find another trail of a snack or even bigger prey. But would she be so fortunate again to come out of a lone hunt unscathed?

"We can hunt another,"

Lessa jumped at the voice that interrupting her thoughts and whipped her rigid black-marked head to look upon the raptor she presumed had rescued her. Oh...he is...rather handsome. Was the first thought to enter her settling mind, but her nerves were still working on doing the same. Then she became aware that her maw and claws were still stained with troodon blood, making her feel self-conscience about her appearance in the presence of this male. At his warm churring, she averted her burning eyes and looked off at the broken forest, keeping her head high and composure. Did he just suggest they both hunt together?

"They went that way. Or we could try for a leaf-muncher."

This one had just saved her life and now he was willing to hunt with her? Had she even thanked him? The silvery-gray velociraptor turned her head to look back at the orange-striped male head on with her red circled yellow eyes. "You are a kind fellow, and here I am being so rude. I believe a 'thank-you' is in order." Lessa replied with a measure of shame but still managing a friendly smile. "You did spare me from being crushed by that flat-foot, and though my kill wasn't so fortunate, I am eternally grateful." She continued, turning her body to face him and dipping her head to the male.

Before she could say more, the sudden scent of another female made her tense. Trying to remain calm despite her buzzing insides, Lessa searched the vegetation for movement and finally saw a being adorned in feathers, but she could tell it was a cousin of hers. Despite herself, the silver and black female said outloud, "What a peculiar raptor...", tipping her head to the side in wonder, her train of thought instantly shifiting from the handsome male infront of her to the feathered female now walking away from them both.