The Raptors Attack
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zomba snuffled around in the dirt, trying to find any leftover scraps of the compy. His search turned up unsucsessful, as he only found a fragment the tail bone. Zomba gave up and went to lay in a patch of sun with Wrex and Loria.
Jesper paced along the border of the cave. Something was agitating him. No doubt he could smell the humans. He growled worriedly to himself, and Chasidy walked up, nuzzling his snout. Jesper pushed her away and continued to pace.
Salmanca and Chanhassen were laying on their sides on a boulder, in the sun. They were fast asleep. The meal of the Hypsi weighed them down. They, nor the rest of the pack, would need to eat for another few days.
Wrex got up from the sun spot and walked to the stream. He dipped his head in and took a long, cool drink. He was accompanied by Jay and Zanerkand as they all took long, refreshing drinks.
Then, in a sudden burst of play, Wrex nudged Jay, and he toppled into the stream. Wrex followed, and a heated game started up. Wrex snapped playfully at Jay's back legs while Jay nimbly danced out of Wrex's way. Then, losing all interest, Wrex starred to dig his snout into the stream bed, sending bursts of bubbles up every time he opened his mouth or exhaled.
Jay followed suit and shuffled around the bottom of the stream bed. He sent bubbles up just like Wrex. Zanerkand left the stream, not wanting to get wet, and layer down in a patch of sun. Jay was still by the stream, not following his 'role model' of a raptor, but watching him go, water running off his snout and into the water.
Wrex lifted his head out of the stream. The water trickled down the sides of his face and dripped off. Wrex snorted, in Jays direction, and a jet of mist and water hit Jay in the face. Wrex must have found this entertaining, because he dropped his snout back into the water and did the same thing again.
Jay retaliated by pouncing on Wrex and getting him fully submerged in the water. Wrex struggled, and in a violent kick, claw retracted of course, he threw Jay off of him and leaped up. He dropped his snout in the water again and blew the mist in Jay's face. Then, he nimbly dashed out of Jay's reach and into the small safety of the cave.
Jesper halted all other activity by sounding the alert. He coughed and then made a series of high clicks. All of the raptors were suddenly alert, standing, regardless if they were sleeping minutes before.
Jesper sniffed the air again and recognition hit him. He had been on this island for far longer than any of his pack. He was nearing ten years. For a raptor, that was actually quite long in this harsh climate. He recognized the sent of the Humans. No, they weren't the same humans, but he recognized the /sent/. The putrid odder of machines.
Jesper snorted and jerked his head to the stream, then coughed. The other raptors understood fully. They were going to check it out. This would be a test of braveness for the younger ones, watching the way their elders fidgeted at the sent, they were already wary of the odd presence. Of course, it was almost dark. The sun patches were almost all gone, the pale white circle of the moon already showing in the crimson sky.
Jesper trotted to the stream. Hidden behind a clump of ferns was a well worn trail. Jesper followed this, and his pack followed him single file, the same way as before. Wrex, understanding the situation, kept his devious deeds to himself.
Jesper and his pack came out of the stream path and to the path that they took to get to the Hypsi's fields. They were running at a fair pace when Jesper stopped suddenly. Instead of running into him, the other raptors stopped dead in their tracks. Well, for the acceptation of Wrex, who had been planning to do something horrid. He plowed right into Zomba, who plowed into Jay, who plowed into Zanerkand, who stayed his ground and didn't plow into any-raptor.
Qwill snapped irritably, and Wrex wagged his tail out of snapping reach, practically mocking Qwill.
Jesper started out again, and they came to the place Wrex had seen the humans. By now it was dark, and the humans couldn't see. But the raptors, they could see as if it were noon. They ducked and weaved in the trees to get better looking spots. Zanerkand was actually perched on a low hanging branch.
A few minutes later, a male human stepped out of the human-made-caves they had scattered over the clearing by the river. He stepped around the corner and the raptors could hear something being unzipped, then the steady trickle of water. The human was going to the bathroom.
There was a sound of zipping, and the male went back into his cave. The raptors looked at each other unsurely. Only Jesper knew the threat of these two-legged animals. He searched for anything that was familiar... A cage, gun, vehicle, something he could accuse these Humans of before he attacked.
There, a gun. A gun mounted on a little land rover. How Jesper knew thins was beyond him. He waved his tai in the air and hopped out into the clearing.
That was the signal. The raptors were going to attack.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zomba snuffled around in the dirt, trying to find any leftover scraps of the compy. His search turned up unsucsessful, as he only found a fragment the tail bone. Zomba gave up and went to lay in a patch of sun with Wrex and Loria.
Jesper paced along the border of the cave. Something was agitating him. No doubt he could smell the humans. He growled worriedly to himself, and Chasidy walked up, nuzzling his snout. Jesper pushed her away and continued to pace.
Salmanca and Chanhassen were laying on their sides on a boulder, in the sun. They were fast asleep. The meal of the Hypsi weighed them down. They, nor the rest of the pack, would need to eat for another few days.
Wrex got up from the sun spot and walked to the stream. He dipped his head in and took a long, cool drink. He was accompanied by Jay and Zanerkand as they all took long, refreshing drinks.
Then, in a sudden burst of play, Wrex nudged Jay, and he toppled into the stream. Wrex followed, and a heated game started up. Wrex snapped playfully at Jay's back legs while Jay nimbly danced out of Wrex's way. Then, losing all interest, Wrex starred to dig his snout into the stream bed, sending bursts of bubbles up every time he opened his mouth or exhaled.
Jay followed suit and shuffled around the bottom of the stream bed. He sent bubbles up just like Wrex. Zanerkand left the stream, not wanting to get wet, and layer down in a patch of sun. Jay was still by the stream, not following his 'role model' of a raptor, but watching him go, water running off his snout and into the water.
Wrex lifted his head out of the stream. The water trickled down the sides of his face and dripped off. Wrex snorted, in Jays direction, and a jet of mist and water hit Jay in the face. Wrex must have found this entertaining, because he dropped his snout back into the water and did the same thing again.
Jay retaliated by pouncing on Wrex and getting him fully submerged in the water. Wrex struggled, and in a violent kick, claw retracted of course, he threw Jay off of him and leaped up. He dropped his snout in the water again and blew the mist in Jay's face. Then, he nimbly dashed out of Jay's reach and into the small safety of the cave.
Jesper halted all other activity by sounding the alert. He coughed and then made a series of high clicks. All of the raptors were suddenly alert, standing, regardless if they were sleeping minutes before.
Jesper sniffed the air again and recognition hit him. He had been on this island for far longer than any of his pack. He was nearing ten years. For a raptor, that was actually quite long in this harsh climate. He recognized the sent of the Humans. No, they weren't the same humans, but he recognized the /sent/. The putrid odder of machines.
Jesper snorted and jerked his head to the stream, then coughed. The other raptors understood fully. They were going to check it out. This would be a test of braveness for the younger ones, watching the way their elders fidgeted at the sent, they were already wary of the odd presence. Of course, it was almost dark. The sun patches were almost all gone, the pale white circle of the moon already showing in the crimson sky.
Jesper trotted to the stream. Hidden behind a clump of ferns was a well worn trail. Jesper followed this, and his pack followed him single file, the same way as before. Wrex, understanding the situation, kept his devious deeds to himself.
Jesper and his pack came out of the stream path and to the path that they took to get to the Hypsi's fields. They were running at a fair pace when Jesper stopped suddenly. Instead of running into him, the other raptors stopped dead in their tracks. Well, for the acceptation of Wrex, who had been planning to do something horrid. He plowed right into Zomba, who plowed into Jay, who plowed into Zanerkand, who stayed his ground and didn't plow into any-raptor.
Qwill snapped irritably, and Wrex wagged his tail out of snapping reach, practically mocking Qwill.
Jesper started out again, and they came to the place Wrex had seen the humans. By now it was dark, and the humans couldn't see. But the raptors, they could see as if it were noon. They ducked and weaved in the trees to get better looking spots. Zanerkand was actually perched on a low hanging branch.
A few minutes later, a male human stepped out of the human-made-caves they had scattered over the clearing by the river. He stepped around the corner and the raptors could hear something being unzipped, then the steady trickle of water. The human was going to the bathroom.
There was a sound of zipping, and the male went back into his cave. The raptors looked at each other unsurely. Only Jesper knew the threat of these two-legged animals. He searched for anything that was familiar... A cage, gun, vehicle, something he could accuse these Humans of before he attacked.
There, a gun. A gun mounted on a little land rover. How Jesper knew thins was beyond him. He waved his tai in the air and hopped out into the clearing.
That was the signal. The raptors were going to attack.