We had flown across a swamp, over a low mountain and through a cold snowy expanse. Currently, Skydeath and I were huddled between 4 fires on the side of a snow-covered mountain. Down below in the valley there was a large herd of wolves savaging a fleet of mammoths: the hungry Skydeath was eyeing a blood covered small straggler at the back of the pack. I gazed at her for a moment before whistling. She took off in an explosion of snow and ice, heading for the now limping dog.
She dropped the carcass at my feet, uncharacteristically offering me the first bite. Leaving my cuts to roast over the fire I stood and unrolled the sleeping bag tied to Skydeath's saddle. I took the saddle off her and let her stretch out with her meal.
*.*
The dawn broke bright and frigid. Skydeath was perched on a rock and watching the valley animals begin to wake. Her keen gaze gave me an idea: could I teach her to pick up a wolf while I was riding her? She was a very bright bird and so far had learned everything I taught her. Besides, that was her natural way of hunting. We dined on a bit of meat left from last night and stoked the fires again, before saddling up.
I directed her down to the valley, then stopped on a tall rock. Whistling for the bird to grab one of the deer that were calmly grazing through the snow, I waited until she returned and commanded her to drop the herbivore without hurting it. As the deer ran off honking to his mate Skydeath landed and eyeballed me. Her disapproval was clear.
"I know." I patted her comfortingly. She suddenly chirped low, flapping her wings and watching something in the distance. The Argent couldn't keep still, hopping from foot to foot and nearly quivering. I snatched the new spyglass, made on this trip when I found some massive crystal nodes on the mountain, and searched the area she was fussing at.
There was a graceful all black bird swooping and diving towards a pair of Rexes, ripping huge chunks of flesh from the large dinos. Skydeath was so agitated that I was afraid she'd fly off on her own so I hopped aboard and let her fly over to the battle. She let out an unholy screech once we were closer and the black bird wheeled away from the Rexes and towards us.