Aladar and Neera raised a fine nest of younglings, exciting everyone in our family. I was glad to finally be an aunt and the little ones seemed to enjoy chasing Suri, Zini and I on their wobbly legs until they got the hang of running. The entire nesting grounds were full of new hatchlings, you had to watch your step very carefully.
We raised the young until they were strong enough to travel, then we all made the long journey back to where we'd come from, however this time Aladar and Bruton led the way side by side, ensuring that every last one of us made it back. Neera would walk on Aladar's left and I walked on Bruton's right, the two of us occasionally glancing to one another but he'd always snort and stride off, pretending he did not care one bit. I always called his bluff.
Although he never said anything to me about how he felt, he never complained when I went to lay down with him at night, even when it was very warm. He was just stubborn and refusing to admit it. Eema had the greatest of times teasing him behind his back when he was out of earshot, always making the rest of us laugh. Zini enjoyed teasing me but I would always take it on the chin in good grace.
Of course, I doubted Bruton would ever admit that I was something special to him as he probably did not know when I had become a steadfast object in his life. All I knew was that he challenged me in ways no one else did with his temper and I found it one of the most attractive things about him. With the long journey back, there was plenty of time for me to starve him of my attention and occasionally he would come seeking me out, silently concerned I'd been left behind and I'd smirk proudly to myself as he'd flick his tail at me and order me to keep up.
The territories we reached on the other side of the long and still perilous journey were not as majestic as the nesting grounds, however they were spacious and we could wander and live freely, with enough food for everyone that joined us. Baylene even found others of her kind, which delighted her greatly and they would often converse together with their heads high up in the air.
Of course, I was always happiest when the family came together. The children grew so quickly and when the time came for us to move out to the nesting grounds again for the next raising season, they were halfway up to my chest. "Aunty Nadia! Check this out!" One of the boys yelled before taking a running start at a large muddy bank, sliding along with his brothers and sisters with a whoop as Zini rode on his back, making me laugh.
"You kids. Come on, we can't mess around right now. Your father is moving the herd forwards." I instructed, keeping a close eye on them all and almost constantly had to do number checks. They were so wild and boisterous they often got separated, so I had Suri and Zini helping me keep them all together until Neera could come and get them from me.
We walked at a steady pace, not too slow but not fast either so that even Baylene and her new companions of varying ages could easily keep up. I kept my face turned towards the horizon, carrying Yar and Plio, the former having already dozed off to sleep. "Well look who it is." Plio murmured teasingly as she hooped closer to my head and pointed to a rise where Bruton stood. "It's your stubborn male friend."
"Plio." I sighed with a hint of laughter as I glanced up at Bruton just as we passed. His eyes met mine and he held them for a moment before we both had to turn away. Stubborn male.
"Why haven't you two already talked this through? Surely by now he realises what he feels for you. I see it in his eye every time he looks at you. It's like he wants to follow you but his feet are stuck in the mud." She questioned me so I lifted my head.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Thus we continued walking, the children all scampering around Baylene's feet, daring one another to wait as long as they could stomach before moving out of her way. "Children! If you get crushed then it will not be Baylene's fault. Come here and behave yourselves you little rascals." I called for them and instantly they bounded over to me, making me chuckle with the endless bundles of energy.
As the day wore on we stopped only once for a short rest before continuing onwards, going a slightly different route that took longer but passed more areas to eat and drink. It was a much more ideal route. Aladar and Neera came to collect their children once we'd all stopped for the night, happily taking over their care as I walked away to find my own rest spot.
Almost as soon as I lay down Bruton appeared, lumbering with his heavy footsteps before he took the space next to me. "Never liked kids." He muttered, snorting in irritation at the masses of children who raced around endlessly.
"They have their own charm upon occasion." I mused before glancing a smile over to him. "Your scars look much better. They've almost healed over completely." Reaching out I brushed my nose against his back where one of the carnotaurs had bitten into him, feeling the roughness of each scar before I gave them a little lick of affection.
"Another scar doesn't make a difference." He answered gruffly but I knew he wore his scars with pride as they intimidated others.
"You're a big softie really, Bruton, there's no hiding it from me." I teased him, laying my head down over his front legs which earned a hearty glare from him.
"Don't be ridiculous." I smirked to myself, turning my head slightly to shoot him my playful expression before lifting up my head and nibbling at his neck to tickle him. I'd discovered that Bruton was exceedingly ticklish so I made use of this precious knowledge whenever I could. Bruton snorted and shook me off, making me chuckle with mirth as he glowered hotly. "Why do I even put up with you?"
"Because you love me dearly." I answered without thinking as I lay my head back down to rest. For a while I did not notice Bruton had gone silent or even answered me as I was too relaxed in his company. Eventually he settled his head over mine and we slept like that until sunrise, where he rose first like he always did though he kindly did not move until I had awoken, not wanting to disturb me.
As I rose he brushed his cheek against my shoulder, stepping close as a few other males passed us in a possessive manor which made me laugh once they were gone. "You still take that claiming thing very seriously." I mentioned to him as we started to walk to the river to drink. "It's been months since anyone has approached me, you don't have to worry so much."
"I'm just letting others know." He responded gruffly, not meeting my gaze as I frowned.
"Know what?" He ignored me after that, guzzling down some drink before moving off to rouse the rest of the herd in his usual no nonsense attitude, getting everyone up and moving as Aladar led with Neera at his side. He'd arranged the herd so that the slow, old and sick were in the middle, protected by the rest of the herd with the strongest at the back to defend from following predators and the majority of females and children at the front so that they could escape first if need be.
My nieces and nephews decided to walk with their parents today, however one of them wanted to stay with me, the youngest. Leahi was the youngest of them all and she was quite a bit smaller than her brothers and sisters, which endeared her to me a lot, I think as I was fairly small also. She walked directly beside me, always making sure that we brushed against one another constantly. She was quiet and reserved however bubbly when her brothers and sisters were around, so she was always smiling.
"Auntie, when will we reach the nesting grounds?" She asked me quietly.
"Not for a while yet, little one. We still have an entire desert to cross but don't worry, we'll all reach there together and once we're there, you can see the place where you were born again." I informed her softly, reaching down with my face to nuzzle her affectionately.
"Will I be getting more brothers and sisters?" This made me chuckle so I told her that I wasn't too sure about that and she'd have to ask her parents. She didn't ask anything more after that, walking peacefully at my side until we stopped at around midday for a rest. She bounded after her brothers and sisters, giggling happily as they played together, chasing their tails and jumping at one another under my watchful eye as we stood a little way from the rest of the herd, the children having wanted more room to play.
After a while, however, I started to get a strange sense of foreboding and my spine tingled sharply. My instincts were on high alert and immediately I stood up on my hind legs, trying to see around better as the others grazed. Something was wrong. "Children, come here." I ordered them quickly and by my tone, they knew instantly to obey. They shot towards me, frowning in confusion but I ushered them closer and told them to go stand with Eema and Baylene until I told them they could move.
"What's wrong Auntie Nadia?" The eldest questioned but I just nudged him closer to the inside of the circle.
"Just do as you're told." I counted quickly. "Where's Leahi?" Dread flooded me as I heard a low hiss and the trickle of falling rocks as something moved. "Go. Go now!" I ordered and instantly they were running as I rose up and called out in warning, my roar immediately catching the herd's attention. "Leahi!" I darted forwards, scrambling to the edge of the playing field the children had used to see Leahi down below, crouched down and trembling as she faced an entire pack of the creatures I'd faced before. "No!"
Without even thinking I dove down, sliding over the rocks and landed with a heavy thud over Leahi, who squeaked and whimpered as I stood over her, snarling. I tried to warn them off, stamping my feet and stood up to make myself look bigger. "Leahi, start climbing back up. Leahi you have to move!" One of the creatures lunged at us so I knocked it aside with a strike to the face, my talon drawing blood and it squealed in pain before shooting off. "Leahi!" I pushed her roughly to wake her up before I helped to lift her up onto the rocks where she madly started to scramble. "That's it, keep climbing!" One of the creatures leaped after her but I reared up and bit down on its tail, snarling viciously as I tore it off the rock and whipped out my tail, warding them off.
They abandoned Leahi, aiming instead for me. They came at once, snapping their jaws at my feet and jumping on my back so I rolled, crushing the two that had tried to bite into my flesh as I gave another roar but once I was on the ground, they all pounced on me and did not let me get back up. I felt my flesh being picked at and one of them tried to bite into my throat but I struggled, lashing out and roaring so they had to avoid my talons and teeth.
Amidst the chaos I saw Leahi finally reach the top and she raced away, her tail disappearing and I relaxed. At least she was alright. One of the monsters jumped onto my belly and tried to go for the softer flesh but I kicked it off, my powerful feet slamming against its chest and it squealed in pain as it hit a rock. "Nadia!" I had never heard Bruton sound so frightened in all my life. Even to this day nothing quite compared to it. He bypassed descending the rocks and leaped from the top straight to me, roaring his most petrifying roar to frighten off the others as Aladar and some other males appeared, forming a ring around me as I lay panting. "Get up, stand up!" He ordered, urgently pushing at me to rise to my feet.
"Nadia, are you alright?" Aladar demanded to know as I gasped for air.
"I'll live." I answered quietly as I got to my feet though my knees trembled from the fear. The others chased off the predators, ensuring that they were far gone from our herd before together we all returned, Bruton pushing at my rump to help me climb back up until finally, I was guided back to the centre of the herd. Aladar calmed everyone down, however Bruton stuck intimately close to my side as I leaned against him for support and comfort.
"Auntie! Auntie you're alive!" Leahi and the other children rushed to me, worriedly fussing over my injuries and trying to nuzzle close but Bruton sent them scampering away with a rough snort, earning a disapproving glare from me.
"Leave them be, they're just children." I reminded him as he continued to press his shoulder into mine.
"You could have been killed today." He snarled but I only rolled my eyes.
"Don't be so dramatic, I knew you would come." I told him, however he was still less than impressed and it sounded in his furious growl. Not wanting to argue as I didn't have the energy I turned my head into his chest and rubbed myself into him, nuzzling him with all my love and affection until he calmed down. Gradually he lowered his own head and rested it over me in an embrace, brushing his tongue against my wounds to stop them from bleeding further.
Bruton did not leave my side until he was certain I was passed into Eema and Baylene's care, their soft fussing comforting me when his warmth left my side. I watched him go, a low whine hiding in the back of my throat but I kept it at bay as I knew if I called out to him, he'd come straight back and then he'd just be intolerably over protective, and that was just too exhausting to deal with right now.
Once everyone was calmed and settled, we moved off again after I'd assured Aladar that I was fine. Thankfully my injuries weren't deep or painful, there were merely a lot of them. The children stuck close to me, walking around me almost like an honour guard and they all walked with proud uplifted chests, making me chuckle and nuzzle them affectionately before I lifted my head and continued forwards.