"Easy girl. Easy."

He spoke in soft tones as he approached the half buried raptor. She had picked her large head off the ground and was now watching Owen's every move with sharp, fearful eyes. If he moved too quickly, a soft growl would escape her mouth, warning him to stay back. He slowed, but ignored her warnings in favor of getting slightly closer. He would need to get around her back and inspect the damage.

He let out a nervous breath to expel his concern he needed to keep his demeanor even and calm. When he was about three feet from her, she made her first attempt to snap at him. The crack of her jaw snapping shut startled him despite being prepared for just that. She struggled violently against the mud, but it just clung to her, keeping her buried deeply.

Charlie struggled for nearly a full minute. She struggled to get free. She struggled to reach the trainer with her large jaw, her slender arms, anything. She struggled just to feel movement again. When she had finished, her head hit the soft earth with a wet thud and a winded growl. Her breathing was labored now, she had expended her energy and all she could do was watch, her eyes dilating fearfully in the fading light, her nostrils flaring in heavy snorts as Owen resumed his cautious approach.

He circled to her side and approached her muddy back. Even in the dimming light and constant rain the handler could tell that she was in rough shape. Scrapes and lacerations littered her rough hide, several gashes pulling back to reveal deeper cuts and bloody flesh caked in mud and rinsed in rainwater. His hand lightly caressed her hide and he could feel her trembling as her heart beat rapidly, fading adrenaline causing her muscles to spasm irregularly.

He threw himself back the moment her whole body tensed. Her head whipped around in another attempt to bite. When the sudden assault missed its mark, she began to struggle once more, her slender body writhing and spasming fruitlessly. When she was finished, her head hit the ground softly again, this time craned around so she could watch him with one amber eye.

The moment she settled, Owen approached her again speaking in a hushed calming voice.

"Easy girl."

"Easy."

"I'm here to help, but I'm going to need to touch you to get you out."

"Easy."

It was just noise to the raptor, he knew, but the words helped keep him calm and focused, and he hoped that they might calm her.

When he was close enough, he finally reached for her back haunch. Resting his hand softly on her scaled hide he dropped carefully to his knees. Her shallow breaths and trembling increased the moment he touched her, but the raptor stayed still, watching him with a wary eye.

Carefully Owen sunk his hands into the dark mud near her left haunch and scooped out a large mass of muck and debris. Using his hands as a shovel, he began to scoop, pull and push the loose, claylike mud away from the trapped dinosaur. As he worked he continued to talk to her in calming tones, reassuring her that everything would be okay, she would be back in the paddock with the others soon enough.

Every few minutes or so, Charlie would struggle violently against the mud that ensnared her and Owen would have to throw himself away from her in order to stay away from her thrashing neck and jaws. The progress was painfully slow, and Owen soon had to dig through his backpack in order to locate his headlamp as night set in.

He worked well into the darkness, shivering, wet, and cold, but determined to continue. He had cleared about a foot of muck from around her backside, freeing the green raptors muscular tail. This had proved to be a hazard during her timely struggles and he found himself knocked flat several times. Gratefully though, the raptor's frantic struggles had stopped being aimed toward him.

The rain itself finally slowed to a stop, the heavy clouds breaking to reveal the stars above the island, still Owen continued to dig out the raptor. She had grown quiet and still, her head no longer watching the young man as he worked. Her left leg was now technically free, it had been tucked up against her body, but her right leg had been fully extended it seemed.

With the rainstorm cleared, the island quickly returned to its muggy habitat. He continued to work, talking to himself now mostly, muttering tiredly and wiping sweat from his face or slapping insects away as he worked.

Finally, around one in the morning according to his watch, Owen unearthed the dinosaur's scaly foot. With only enough energy for a satisfied grunt, he pulled himself tiredly out the hole and staggered away from her as the blood returned to his legs. He glanced over the sleeping raptor's form. Her breathing had steadied and her body only shuddered every few minutes. Tiredly, he stumbled his way over to a nearby tree that had been uprooted by the slide. He sat himself down against the trunk and leaned his head back against a branch.

Clinging to his rifle, he decided that he would rest here and watch until the raptor stirred and freed herself.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was the sun pouring onto his face through shimmering leaves that finally awoke him. He was stiff and groggy, releasing a tired groan as he sat up, berating himself for whatever he had done last night to cause this much discomfort now. Covering his face with his hands, he blocked the painful morning light with his fingers but his eyes snapped open when a hot breath blew across his outstretched legs.

Charlie lay next to him, curled in a tight ball, her eyes closed in sleep. She was breathing smoothly, but now that he could see her in the light, she was a sight to behold. Nearly full grown, the raptor herself was an intimidating sight to see next to him, but what drew his eyes were the myriads of cuts, scrapes, and bruising that was showing all over her body. Two or three deep lacerations cut into her sides, the two halves of these wounds standing visibly apart from each other and still oozing a dark muddy blood.

The other scrapes and bruises that were present opened her hide up further in some places and turned it sickly yellow and purple in others. One nasty looking bruise was forming on the top of her head, accompanied by a sizable knot pushing against her reptilian hide. The rest of her body was caked in hardening mud, likely hiding more wounds and making it harder to move than usual.

Owen himself was caked in the hardening mud as well, the stuff stuck to his skin and hardened uncomfortably on his clothes. His eyes were drawn back to the sleeping raptor, waiting to see if she would wake up. When she did not, he carefully stood, pulling his rifle up to his shoulder and stepping carefully around her.

He didn't turn his back to her until he was nearly thirty feet away. Finally he turned and made his way into the field of tall grass that marked the beginning of the large valley. Crossing the old road and stepping into the tall grass, he began to use the wet vegetation to clean himself off. When he emerged, his clothes were soaking wet once again, but he was visibly cleaner and felt more refreshed.

He made his way carefully back towards the downed tree. When he was about halfway there, he froze, releasing a sharp whistle and raising his rifle. Charlie's eyes locked onto him and her head raised off the ground so she could watch him approach. She called to him with whines and soft warbles but when he got close enough to touch her, a deep growl emanated from her throat.

Heeding the warning, he stepped around her carefully and only reached for his bag when she finally laid her head back down. Reaching into the still soggy pack, he retrieved an energy bar and fished for his canteen. As the young man drank, he could see the green raptor staring at him, her focus on the canteen. With a quiet sigh, he sated himself and carefully held the metal container to the dinosaur.

Gingerly the raptor snaked her neck around and grabbed the open canteen in her mouth. Owen could hear the aluminum bending against her grip. She held it in her mouth and stared at him, unmoving and unsure what to do. She slowly chewed on the canteen while staring at him with her fierce amber eyes. With a more solid bite, she crushed the aluminum container, forcing some water into her maw and spilling the rest on the ground.

Her head reared back in surprise and with a whip of her neck the green raptor tossed the mangled container away, staring where it landed dangerously.

Still it was water, and even as she eyed the destroyed canteen, she smacked her mouth wetly.

Owen let out a soft chuckle at her antics.

She whipped her head around eyeing him dangerously now.

"Whoa girl, I wasn't laughing at you." His hands shot out defensively where he held them until she moved again.

She let out a snort. Shaking her head and whining at the apparent discomfort it caused.

Relieved, Owen relaxed and picked up his breakfast biting into the energy bar, enjoying the flavor, but not savoring it too much. When he finished, he tucked the packaging back into his pack and shouldered the damp bag. Standing smoothly he grabbed his rifle, intending to explore the valley and find another water source. He had no idea how he would get Charlie to follow him to it, but that was a problem he could work out if he found water.

With a cautiously slow pat on her haunch, Owen carefully skirted the laying raptor, keeping an eye on her the whole time.

"I need to find us some more water, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Backing away from her, he wondered if she would even be there when he returned, or if she would rejoin the pack. Looking down, he chewed on the inside of cheek. The thought of being alone with raptors hidden in the undergrowth around him was worrying, but not as much as it would have been several months ago. No, he already had raptors hidden in the surrounding jungle. Raptors that had for some reason abandoned their alpha. That was more worrying.

He was a little surprised when he looked back at where Charlie lay to find that she had stood and was now attempting to follow him. He tensed at her movement. His hand gripping his rifle.

She limped painfully toward him, her left leg dragging behind her in the drying mud. He could hear her let out sharp hisses each time she put weight on the leg, but still she moved towards where he stood at the edge of the old road. Her breaths came through in rough snorts and her head hung low as she concentrated more on moving than where she was going.

A minute or so later she walked slowly past him, giving the trainer a sharp glare and a hard bark as she moved by. She took several steps into the tall grass before stopping and lowering herself gingerly into the wet vegetation. When she had settled, she craned her neck and watched Owen passively as he stood in the road.

Owen's hand reached or his radio clicking it on with a burst of static.

"Barry, you there?"

Static answered him for a few seconds before Barry's voice came through loud and clear.

"Owen? Are you alright? You missed this morning's check in time."

"Shit. you contacted A.C.U. didn't you."

"Hey, you told me to. Are you almost back?"

"Not yet. I got delayed. Found our missing girl though."

"Great, did you figure out why Blue was separated from the pack?"

"Charlie was the one separated."

"Oh shit, are you alright? Don't tell me you went toe to toe with her and you're just now calling."

"Not quite, she's pretty banged up. She got herself caught in some kind of mudslide, cuts and bruises everywhere. I think she may have done something to her leg."

"Shit. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm not sure, she seems to be able to move, but I'm definitely not getting back by lunchtime. Just be ready. What did Vic say when you told him?"

"Someone owes him $50."

"Ha Ha. Did he mention what they were going to do."

"Honestly. He said they'd start looking for your corpse when the raptors were all recovered in a few days. No use risking more live over a crazy bastard hell bent on suicide. "

Owen let out a sigh. "Well he took it better than I thought he might. Listen, I don't know where the others are, but I'm going to try to lead Charlie back to the paddock.

"You know you are going to be fired for this right? If nothing else happens first."

Owen sighed once more, watching the green velociraptor. "Yeah, but I'm going to at least get Charlie back safely for you. Keep me updated."

"Will do Owen, you too."

"Thanks Barry, If the situation changes, I'll let you know."

The radio went silent with a soft click and Owen returned it to his belt. Charlie stared at him, flicking her tail in an almost irritated motion.

"Okay girl, it's going to be you and me for a while, but we need to find you some more water and start heading back to the paddock so we can get that leg checked out."

Owen stepped carefully around the raptor pushing his backpack into the tall grass as he backed his way towards the center of the valley. Charlie didn't move. He took a few more steps before he froze when she let out an irritated bark.

Without taking her sharp eyes off Owen, she turned her head and grabbed a clump of wet grass with her mouth before arching her neck back and flicking the grass across her back. The collected water splashed across her lacerated hide.

Spitting the grass out in front of her she continued to stare at the man. When Owen didn't move she gave him a sharp bark ending in a softer whine.

Cautiously, Owen set his bags down, and approached the raptor, unsure if he actually knew what she wanted. When she didn't respond to him kneeling beside her, he pulled a handful of the wet grass into his hands and tentatively began to rub it against the raptors hide, watching for any signs of aggression.

When none came, he began to work a little more earnestly, using the vegetation to brush away the drying dirt and grime. Soon the green raptor rested her head in the grass, letting her eyes slip closed. She occasionally let out soft mews or warbles, presumably to let Owen know that he was doing a good job.

When the grasses would brush against a cut or a particularly sore spot, she would let out a harsh hiss and jerk her neck around to watch him closely until he moved to another area. Each time she would turn away with a snort, a grumble emanating from deep in her belly.

Finally Owen stood back up and looked at his handiwork. He could actually see some of the green coloring on the raptors hide now and even though he hadn't been able to do much, her injuries were a little cleaner. As he stood, Charlie turned her head around to inspect as well. With a satisfied snort, the green raptor carefully stood up, favoring one leg heavily. With an uncomfortable grunt and hiss, she took a few steps forward before stopping to wait for Owen. The young man grabbed his pack, shouldered his rifle and carefully began to follow the raptor that had hated him so fervently in the paddock.

They had been moving for about twenty five minutes. The sun rising high in the sky, pushing an oppressive heat down on the party of two as they stumbled slowly through the grassland. Owen wiped his forehead again, pulling beads of sweat from his face. The pair were making more progress than Owen had thought. The raptor knew the general direction they needed to head and was picking the easiest route to follow. Because of her injury though, they had progressed slowly and Owen could still see the mudslide on the other side of the valley.

He heard them before he saw them. Several sharp barks pierced the valley, echoing through the ridge lines. The raptor in front of him perked significantly, her head shooting towards the sky as she released a loud warbling response. They had stopped moving, Charlie kept her head perked to the sky, tilting it slightly, listening for her sisters. Delta and Echo appeared beside the pair almost simultaneously. Echo brushed past Owen, rushing to greet her sibling. Delta however locked dangerous eyes on him. Releasing a strained bark, she called to Echo, causing the other raptor to turn and notice Owen for the first time. Delta released a low growling rumble and began to stalk towards Owen who had drawn his rifle instinctively.

Another bark and Echo was moving towards the trainer as well. Owen stood his ground, his rifle jumping between the split targets nervously. Both raptors looked beaten and bruised, their breathing seemed heavy from exertion and their pupils narrowed to pinpricks as the focused on the human.

A louder, more aggressive bark cut though the tension and the two raptors turned to Charlie, tilting their heads inquisitively. A rumbling purrl followed by two softer barks caused the two sisters to break off and approach their sibling to nuzzle the raptor. They circled her. Sniffing her cuts, releasing soft mewls.

Charlie quickly grew impatient with their examinations. Giving some irritated barks and nips she pushed through the two raptors, stumbling on her weakened leg in the process.

The change in her sisters' demeanor was immediate. Both raptors lowered their heads focusing intently on their injured sister. Charlie's nervous gaze met their predatory eyes as they carefully moved around her.

"Hey now, easy girls." The words slipped from Owen's mouth before he could stop himself. Two sets of predatory eyes jerked back to the outsider, narrowing dangerously.

Another sharp bark cleared Charlie's throat, but her sisters were no longer listening. Delta and Echo took slow deliberate steps toward the trainer.

Owen took a step forward, meeting their challenge and praying quietly that it wouldn't end with his death.

The two parties stood facing each other for nearly a minute. The raptors studying Owen and Owen, the raptors. Before either party could make a move however, Blue stepped out of the untrampled grass and between the standoff, glaring at her sisters and stopping directly in front of Owen.

Dropping a small carcass from her mouth, the blue streaked raptor issued a series of barks, lowering her head and widening her stance.

Delta and Echo stared at the raptor blankly deciding what they would do next.

Both took a hesitant step back.