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A gun shot rang through the jungle angrily, its booming echo sending birds into flocks. A screech was heard shortly afterwards, its echo raising the heads of several Triceratops.
The raptors clicked their hind claws in unison as they surrounded the explorers. The female in charge, her long brown head held low as she made an extended position with her forearms, gave an ear piercing screech at the two men who were shooting at them. A male suddenly darted up behind them, his body getting ready to leap on the woman behind the one man. Whirling, Marguerite trained him with her pistol, and released a smoking shot. The raptor squealed angrily in retort, his shoulder bloody and smoking as well. When he saw her raise her gun, he backed off, snarling angrily.
"We don't have enough ammo to keep missing, Marguerite," Roxton hissed at her tightly as he trained his rifle on the female. She looked at him incredulously despite her fear.
"Then remember that before you miss that female again, oh wise one," she retorted. Challenger fired a killing shot at one of the smaller males that circled and glanced back at them.
"That's enough out of you two!" he shouted, provoking the pack further. "We're going to have to make a break for that wooded clearing. The village isn't too far off," he ordered, nodding to the clearing directly to Roxton's right. "Go. NOW!" he roared. Roxton fired a clean shot to the raptor's jugular and pulled Marguerite ahead of him, taking up the rear as the raptors roared in anger. Swiftly, Marguerite almost dove into the clearing, stopping abruptly at the size of it. Challenger was able to swerve around her before Roxton hit her fully on the back. Looking up at him, she controlled any harsh words and darted up, looking at the advancing raptors.
"Any other bright ideas, George?" she ventured, her breath harsh. Roxton reloaded swiftly and took aim. Suddenly, the raptors keened and vibrated backwards away from the clearing, heads lowered in submission. Roxton sent off a warning shot and they broke, screeching and keening as they raced back into the forest. Marguerite took off her hat to look at the disappearing dinosaurs. "What in God's name was that?" she asked aloud. Challenger was also bewildered and they both watched as Roxton looked around
"Maybe they've heard from their friends we have someone that is a more dangerous predator then them," he said aloud, fully intending to tease her. She clicked her tongue.
"Why, John, how nice of you to take the blame!" she exclaimed as she walked into the clearing. Roxton tensed his jaw and followed. Challenger looked around as he wondered at the scarceness of trees or brush in the clearing. Such scarcity signified acidity in the soil perhaps, or even… "GODDAMN IT!" The angry shout caught his attention immediately, and he sped up to catch up to the pair. Marguerite was sitting, looking undignified strangely, her pants cut at the knee. A scrape's bloody mark could be seen and Roxton knelt down to inspect. Wincing as he touched it, Marguerite looked at the thing that had tripped and scraped her. The now blood stained ivory bone was half uncovered and she grabbed it, wincing as she did so. Roxton took a look at it and tossed it angrily to the side, looking back at Marguerite.
"Let's make camp. I don't think it would be for the better if we went out with her injured into the forest again," he told Challenger lowly, leaving Marguerite by herself as he stood and looked around. Challenger nodded, unpacking swiftly in a practiced manner. Roxton turned his attention to the mumbling woman who was cursing under her breath. He tried not to smile at it, and looked around at the darkening horizon.
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Challenger watched as Marguerite pound her knee with the material she had ripped from her shirt arms. She could be resourceful when she wanted to, but she did so grudgingly. Shifting forward, he began to strike a pair of flints together. The flints suddenly clacked onto his forefinger, the forcing bruising him. *Damn,* he thought to himself as he started again, smiling as the flame sprouted lowly. He nodded to Roxton who fed the fire with the scarce twigs they had found. The night felt colder already and Marguerite crept closer, rubbing her arms as she did so.
"How far do we have to go tomorrow?" Marguerite asked, looking at Challenger. He shrugged
"Probably not very long, depending on if we run into any raptors," he answered, settling down for the night, his hat tucked down over his eyes. Soft snores could be heard from his place across from her
"That really helped," Marguerite groaned, looking at the fire. As if suddenly realizing he was there, she looked over at Roxton. "What's wrong?" she asked, watching as he looked at moon. He looked back at her.
"Nothing is the matter. I'm just not used to it being so silent, even with you here," he answered, smiling at her. Instead of being offended, Marguerite shrugged and looked around as well. She almost zoned out as she looked at the fire, and then grimaced as her knee began to ache. Roxton looked over at her quietly, looking at the covered wound. Despite the cleaning, it still looked like it hurt like hell, and he crept over beside her. "How bad is it?" he questioned, touching the bandage gently.
"Your probing isn't making it any better," she told him, her hair draping over one shoulder. He chuckled without looking up and suddenly tugged on the bandage, drawing it tighter. Startled, Marguerite's reflexes acted out and she kicked him in the jaw. He flew back, laying on his back, eyes shut. Marguerite gasped with shock and crawled over to look at him. She nudged him gently. "Roxton!" Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
"If you wanted me to quit it, you could have asked," he commented in a dazed voice. She gritted her teeth, and moved to back off before she felt herself being yanked down on top of him. "Aren't I owed an apology?"
"Fine. Sorry for what my reflexes did," she snapped, going to pull away. His grip tightened again and she felt his hand touch her cheek.
"That's an apology?" he chuckled, looking up at her. She bit her lip anxiously.
"Where'd I catch you?" she asked, voice slipping into one of the tones she used for him alone. He worked his jaw and she saw a faint dirt mark. Rubbing it off, she suddenly bent down and kissed the spot gently, feeling his cheek stubble graze her skin. She drew her lips up his jaw to his lips and kissed him gently. Roxton slipped his hand into her hair and the kiss intensified, causing Marguerite's legs to slip down his. There was one thing he did want to do for an apology…
"Urrr…." Challenger said in his sleep, startling them both. The mood gone, Marguerite looked over at him and suddenly slipped off Roxton, going to where her blanket was. She watched as Roxton ground his teeth in frustration and smiled, trying hard not to laugh as she faded into sleep.
*Damn that,* Roxton thought to himself, looking at Marguerite's turned back with a longing he had felt for almost three years. These moments of brief passion were leaving him wanting, and he knew he shouldn't think that way. Despite Marguerite's involvements in the past, he knew he frightened her as much as she made him wary.
A sudden crack made him turn his head as he was knocked on the side of the head with a stout branch, the pain ringing in his now unconscious skull.
A gun shot rang through the jungle angrily, its booming echo sending birds into flocks. A screech was heard shortly afterwards, its echo raising the heads of several Triceratops.
The raptors clicked their hind claws in unison as they surrounded the explorers. The female in charge, her long brown head held low as she made an extended position with her forearms, gave an ear piercing screech at the two men who were shooting at them. A male suddenly darted up behind them, his body getting ready to leap on the woman behind the one man. Whirling, Marguerite trained him with her pistol, and released a smoking shot. The raptor squealed angrily in retort, his shoulder bloody and smoking as well. When he saw her raise her gun, he backed off, snarling angrily.
"We don't have enough ammo to keep missing, Marguerite," Roxton hissed at her tightly as he trained his rifle on the female. She looked at him incredulously despite her fear.
"Then remember that before you miss that female again, oh wise one," she retorted. Challenger fired a killing shot at one of the smaller males that circled and glanced back at them.
"That's enough out of you two!" he shouted, provoking the pack further. "We're going to have to make a break for that wooded clearing. The village isn't too far off," he ordered, nodding to the clearing directly to Roxton's right. "Go. NOW!" he roared. Roxton fired a clean shot to the raptor's jugular and pulled Marguerite ahead of him, taking up the rear as the raptors roared in anger. Swiftly, Marguerite almost dove into the clearing, stopping abruptly at the size of it. Challenger was able to swerve around her before Roxton hit her fully on the back. Looking up at him, she controlled any harsh words and darted up, looking at the advancing raptors.
"Any other bright ideas, George?" she ventured, her breath harsh. Roxton reloaded swiftly and took aim. Suddenly, the raptors keened and vibrated backwards away from the clearing, heads lowered in submission. Roxton sent off a warning shot and they broke, screeching and keening as they raced back into the forest. Marguerite took off her hat to look at the disappearing dinosaurs. "What in God's name was that?" she asked aloud. Challenger was also bewildered and they both watched as Roxton looked around
"Maybe they've heard from their friends we have someone that is a more dangerous predator then them," he said aloud, fully intending to tease her. She clicked her tongue.
"Why, John, how nice of you to take the blame!" she exclaimed as she walked into the clearing. Roxton tensed his jaw and followed. Challenger looked around as he wondered at the scarceness of trees or brush in the clearing. Such scarcity signified acidity in the soil perhaps, or even… "GODDAMN IT!" The angry shout caught his attention immediately, and he sped up to catch up to the pair. Marguerite was sitting, looking undignified strangely, her pants cut at the knee. A scrape's bloody mark could be seen and Roxton knelt down to inspect. Wincing as he touched it, Marguerite looked at the thing that had tripped and scraped her. The now blood stained ivory bone was half uncovered and she grabbed it, wincing as she did so. Roxton took a look at it and tossed it angrily to the side, looking back at Marguerite.
"Let's make camp. I don't think it would be for the better if we went out with her injured into the forest again," he told Challenger lowly, leaving Marguerite by herself as he stood and looked around. Challenger nodded, unpacking swiftly in a practiced manner. Roxton turned his attention to the mumbling woman who was cursing under her breath. He tried not to smile at it, and looked around at the darkening horizon.
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Challenger watched as Marguerite pound her knee with the material she had ripped from her shirt arms. She could be resourceful when she wanted to, but she did so grudgingly. Shifting forward, he began to strike a pair of flints together. The flints suddenly clacked onto his forefinger, the forcing bruising him. *Damn,* he thought to himself as he started again, smiling as the flame sprouted lowly. He nodded to Roxton who fed the fire with the scarce twigs they had found. The night felt colder already and Marguerite crept closer, rubbing her arms as she did so.
"How far do we have to go tomorrow?" Marguerite asked, looking at Challenger. He shrugged
"Probably not very long, depending on if we run into any raptors," he answered, settling down for the night, his hat tucked down over his eyes. Soft snores could be heard from his place across from her
"That really helped," Marguerite groaned, looking at the fire. As if suddenly realizing he was there, she looked over at Roxton. "What's wrong?" she asked, watching as he looked at moon. He looked back at her.
"Nothing is the matter. I'm just not used to it being so silent, even with you here," he answered, smiling at her. Instead of being offended, Marguerite shrugged and looked around as well. She almost zoned out as she looked at the fire, and then grimaced as her knee began to ache. Roxton looked over at her quietly, looking at the covered wound. Despite the cleaning, it still looked like it hurt like hell, and he crept over beside her. "How bad is it?" he questioned, touching the bandage gently.
"Your probing isn't making it any better," she told him, her hair draping over one shoulder. He chuckled without looking up and suddenly tugged on the bandage, drawing it tighter. Startled, Marguerite's reflexes acted out and she kicked him in the jaw. He flew back, laying on his back, eyes shut. Marguerite gasped with shock and crawled over to look at him. She nudged him gently. "Roxton!" Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
"If you wanted me to quit it, you could have asked," he commented in a dazed voice. She gritted her teeth, and moved to back off before she felt herself being yanked down on top of him. "Aren't I owed an apology?"
"Fine. Sorry for what my reflexes did," she snapped, going to pull away. His grip tightened again and she felt his hand touch her cheek.
"That's an apology?" he chuckled, looking up at her. She bit her lip anxiously.
"Where'd I catch you?" she asked, voice slipping into one of the tones she used for him alone. He worked his jaw and she saw a faint dirt mark. Rubbing it off, she suddenly bent down and kissed the spot gently, feeling his cheek stubble graze her skin. She drew her lips up his jaw to his lips and kissed him gently. Roxton slipped his hand into her hair and the kiss intensified, causing Marguerite's legs to slip down his. There was one thing he did want to do for an apology…
"Urrr…." Challenger said in his sleep, startling them both. The mood gone, Marguerite looked over at him and suddenly slipped off Roxton, going to where her blanket was. She watched as Roxton ground his teeth in frustration and smiled, trying hard not to laugh as she faded into sleep.
*Damn that,* Roxton thought to himself, looking at Marguerite's turned back with a longing he had felt for almost three years. These moments of brief passion were leaving him wanting, and he knew he shouldn't think that way. Despite Marguerite's involvements in the past, he knew he frightened her as much as she made him wary.
A sudden crack made him turn his head as he was knocked on the side of the head with a stout branch, the pain ringing in his now unconscious skull.