Chapter 13: Razorhide's clan


Tholestes' POV-

I was a little nervous about introducing a human to Razorhide and his clan with only myself. My sister wanted to come, but I quickly said no. Razorhide's clan was not like the black stripes. But that didn't mean that they were less dangerous.

The afternoon finally came the next morning just as I went to the human town to fetch Josiah. Deep down, I didn't like coming to this place. True that the jungle was reclaiming it, but human keepers had once lived here. Soon there would be nothing left of the town itself. The jungle would see to that.

Josiah came out from the white building, carrying his spear. That was good. I did not like the thought of him bringing that rifle. The clan knew of the humans and their weapons and didn't want Josiah with one they would recognize. But the spear was a different matter. I allowed Josiah to bring it along with him, that and his knife. I knew that they wouldn't do much against a summit clan raptor, but it was better then nothing.

Without saying a word to each other, we set off in the direction of the mountain. I led the way since I knew where to go and which paths to take that were safe to travel on. Josiah kept pace with me as best he could, but sometimes I had to slow down since we were going uphill. I had to snort with impatiences because of this. Humans were so slow sometimes.

When we finally made it to the path that would lead us up to the clan's home, I paused long enough for Josiah to stand beside me.

He wasn't breathing hard so I assumed he wasn't tired.

We traveled the rest of the way in silence. I guess we both didn't have much to say. I and detect a slight smell of fear coming from Josiah.

"You shouldn't smell so frightened, you know," I said. "I can smell that your nervous."

"Glad to know your sense of smell is sharp, Tholestes," Josiah said dryly.

"You don't have to worry," I said, giving him a nudge with my snout. "The clan won't harm you. Like I told you, they've already eaten."

"Suppose they didn't?" Josiah said.

"Their scout already told me so, that's what," I said. "And you can trust Razorhide. He's never gone back on his word."

Josiah was about to say something when I suddenly stopped. There in front of us was the same scout from before, standing in the middle of the path. Josiah stood beside me, his spear now in both his hands.

The scout, much like the other summit clan members, was shorter then myself and my pack. They were leaner and looked tougher and had reddish blotches on their hides. The scout, who's name was Saru, was young and strong. His scales were just like his clan's, but duller because he was not full grown. There were dark patches around his eyes and he had quite a few scares on his back and legs.

Saru approached me, gently squawking and bobbing his head. When he got within a few feet of us, he bowed his head respectively.

I gave him a slight nod and a bark.

"Welcome to our territory, alpha Tholestes," He said. "my master is expecting you and your...human companion."

Saru then approached Josiah, sniffing him a few times before walking back to me.

"Are you sure he can understand our language?" Saru asked, nodding his snout to Josiah.

"He can," I said. "and I assure you that he comes in peace as well."

"Very well," Said Saru. "follow me."

He turned and started to walk up the path that would lead us to flatter ground. Josiah walked behind me and I could still sense that he was nervous. We were already half way there, so there was no turning back now.

After a few more minutes of walking uphill, we finally reached a even, wide area. The ground here was flat with patches of grass here and there, but it was mostly loose brown dirt. Milling around the fringes of some of the old human structures were the rest of Razorhide's pack. There were young ones and juveniles, a few chicks with their parents, and some old ones. The warriors and scouts like Saru were positioned around the edges of the nesting ground, keeping watch for danger. Though I thought that it was sort of silly. The pack had the high grounds here and the only way in and out.

We stopped at the edge of the clearing as Saru let out a series of barks to announce our arrival. As the pack came to attention, I turned to Josiah.

"Remember what I told you about greeting Razorhide," I said. "I have to greet him first, and then you do. But if he makes the first move, you bow your head respectively, got it?"

Josiah nodded, putting his spear down but keeping his knife close to him in his sheath around his waist.

Josiah's POV-

There were plenty of raptors here at the summit after all. And I could tell that they were tougher and leaner like the journal had said.

As Saru led us down into the middle of the clearing I could see that a few of the raptors were watching us. The younger raptors approached out of curiosity. They pushed and snapped at each other, wanting to get a closer look at me. Some of their parents though didn't see it that way. Some of them hissed at me while pushing their young away.

I wasn't offended. They didn't trust me yet. They didn't trust that I wasn't going to hurt them. A few more trusting raptors came forward. These were older pack members and seemed to be a few months old. Even though they were smaller then Tholestes didn't mean they were less dangerous. They were still carnivores.

Some of them sniffed at me, taking in my scent. Some circled me as they gently or roughly plucked at my pants and shirt. I also had to keep my hands up because these guys could bite. And even at this age, they could still take a finger off. Or a hand.

As time passed more and more of the young raptors soon joined their friends in tugging playfully at at my clothes. Before long, even some of the older raptors joined in the examination.

"Bring the human to me,"

The clearing suddenly grew silent. Even the young chicks who had been squawking loudly and jumping about my feet stopped in their movements and went back to their parents. The voice of the raptor who spoke came from a cave in the side of the mountain.

Adjusting my translation device in my ear, I saw Tholestes make his way toward the cave and I followed close beside him. The cave mouth was large enough for both Tholestes and myself to enter, but we didn't go in.

Instead, the alpha of the summit clan came out to see us.

When he emerged, I thought I was looking at an old Indian war chief from the old west. There were scratches and scars all over Razorhide's body, some small and hardly noticeable, but there were and were plain in sight for all to see. The largest scars on his body looked like claw marks that ran along on his back, his tail and his upper left leg. Other signs of scaring were at the end of his tail, which wasn't just bent, but looked more like a bone had been broken and caused a deformity, as well as his left eye, which was all white and undoubtedly didn't work anymore. He was tall, but as tall as Tholestes. His sickle claws weren't very big. But I could see why. His feet were a little big just like his claws.

Razorhide's scale colors were not like his pack's coloration. He was dark green along his head, flank, the sides of his tail, and his arms and legs. His undersides were a sort of yellow color. His claws were white and his normal eye was bright yellow with a red pupil.

He looked as if he had been a great fighter back in his days. But not anymore.

Remembering what Tholestes had told me, I got down on my knees, my head down in a submissive gesture. Tholestes did the same out of the corner of my vision, lowering his head and giving Razorhide a brief bark.

Razorhide gently touched Tholestes on the tip of his snout and gave him a soft trill in return.

When he was finished, Razorhide turned to me and did the same thing. His snout felt rough and I could feel some of the scars as well.

"So, you must be the human that Tholestes has told me about," He said, standing back. By the sound of his growl, I could hear that the old raptor's speech was a bit...hoarse.

I looked at him and nodded.

"I have also heard that you can understand our speech," Razorhide said, looking at me from head to toe. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it is," I said, getting up to my feet and adjusting my translator device in my ear. "I can understand you as clear as crystal."

"Well, I can say that I'm surprised by this," Said Razorhide. "And I bet you're wondering why I have brought you here, correct?"

I nodded. "I am a bit confused myself."

Razorhide motioned for me and Tholestes to sit upon some large boulders by the cave. We sat down and Razorhide started to explain, though it was a bit harder for him to sit since he was a bit past his prime.

"It has been years since we last saw keepers on this island. Our tribe was released from our cages long before the great storm came and forced the keepers to release the other dinosaurs into the wild. Since then our tribe has been trying to find a place where we can rule a territory of our own.

And so, we chose the highest point on the island. This mountain was the perfect place for us to live. No keepers, no other large predators to contend with, and plenty of lizards and birds for us to feed on."

Razorhide shifted a bit as he licked his claws nonchalantly. As he did this, a young raptor, probably a month old, came and sat itself down on my lap. I was tempted to reach down and give the little fellow a rub, but didn't. Somewhere along the lines I knew that petting a young dinosaur like this would mean trouble should the parent see it as a threat. And that was the last thing I wanted since I didn't have my spear with me at that moment.

Tholestes noticed the look of discomfort on my face and hissed softly at young raptor.

The little raptor hissed back at him in defiance, got up off my lap, and scampered away. Tholestes snorted after the little guy in irritation.

"As I was saying," Razorhide continued as if nothing happened. "My pack has never been more happy to have a territory of our own. But now that happiness might be in jeopardy. Which is why I have asked for you to come here, Josiah."

I tilted my head. "Really?"

"Yes," Said Razorhide. "For the past few months since before you had returned to the island, my clan has been smelling an odd smell coming from the southwestern part of the jungle. And only I had remembered what that smell was. It was the smell of humans."

I didn't gasp or anything but felt a slight prickle run up my back. The wispy smell of weed that I had kept smelling in the air for the past few days had been real. And that could only mean that other people were on this island. And after seeing Enrique getting chased by those gunned boaters, I had a feeling that those guys were somewhere on the island in the southwest jungle. If they were here and armed to the teeth with weapons, then Isla Sorna was trouble.


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