Jurassic Park Broken Lives
Chapter 12: A dreadful, dreadful day
Disclaimer: I do not own Jurassic Park.
Author Note: Sorry that is has taken so long to update, I've had exams to study for and school is nearly over. As always, I want to hear what you have to say. R&R.
Amanda slowly awoke; the warmth of the morning sun brought welcome warmth to her face. Her head slowly rose and fell with every breath Silver Claw took. Amanda smiled and opened her eyes slowly, small wisps of cloud drifted through the air in the sky above. Amanda tilted her head to look at Silver Claw but something obstructed her view, a blanket, thick and heavy with an interwoven design of red and blue lines.
"Where did this come from?" Amanda mumbled.
"Ellie and I went and got it last night," a female voice said.
Amanda turned to see Sunayana looking at her. Her white scales glittered in the morning light and her amber eyes shined in a hypnotic glow. She was lying on her side with her legs stretched out but her chest was flat, her arms stretched out in front of her body and her neck craned upward. Sunayana yawned and shifted her jaw slightly.
"Good morning," Amanda said in raptor, "How are you?"
"Fine," she yawned and slowly stood up.
"How do you say your name?" Amanda asked, "I would like to call you by name rather than raptor or something else."
"Sunayana," she said softly and reached for Ellie. Amanda made several attempts to say it correctly and soon succeeded. Sunayana meanwhile grabbed some cloths from under Ellie's arm and walked over to Amanda. She gently placed a bundle of clothing on the floor and stepped away.
"Thank you," Amanda said and gently moved out from under Silver Claw, allowing his head and tail to gently slide to the floor. She wrapped the blanket around herself and leaned over, grabbing the clothing. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to change," Amanda said and walked into the warehouse.
Sunayana sighed. These humans are interesting creatures, she thought and turned to Ellie, examining her. She does not seem to have large muscles or teeth and she defiantly cannot hunt with those hands and feet. I wonder if she can hunt at all or if she ever will even with help.
Sunayana looked to the sky to see a flock of white birds fly overhead, their soft calls drifted through the air. She watched the birds as the gracefully disappeared into the golden horizon. Sunayana rested her body on the floor and hummed softly as the light warmed her body.
Amanda emerged from the warehouse in the clothing. Large grey shorts covered some of the bandage on her leg while a baggy forest green t-shirt covered her body. The blanket, Amanda had draped over her right shoulder. "How do I look?"
Sunayana tilted her head, "What?"
"Do these cloths look ok on me?" Amanda asked.
"Why?" Sunayana asked.
"I was just wondering if I looked good it these or if we should find some different later…" Amanda said but when Sunayana stared at her blankly she added, "Never mind."
Amanda sat down near Silver Claw and leaned against the glass, calmly watching Sunayana as she basked in the sunlight. Amanda yawned slightly and turned her gaze towards the ground below the elevated hall.
A few dozen small, two legged creatures with a tiny frill at the back of their head were scurrying down the gap between the buildings, behind them a larger carnivore was in pursuit. It stood waist high on two long legs, its shorter forearms tucked against its body, and its head looked somewhat like a velociraptor skull but with a narrow red crest that looked almost like a horn, sat on the front of the snout. A large red spot surrounded its eyes and feathers on the back of the head stood on end.
"There's an ornitholestes chasing some small dinosaurs over here." Amanda said.
Sunayana glanced over but quickly went back to relaxing in the sun. Amanda watched as the ornitholestes lunged forward and grabbed one of the fleeing animals. The small animal cried out in freight and struggled to free itself from the toothy maw that held it. The ornitholestes suddenly snapped its head to the left, releasing the animal in the process. The microceratops hit a wall with a tremendous force and quickly dropped to the ground. Its limp body sat unmoved until the ornitholestes picked it up once more but with its hands. It scanned the area before digging into the tiny morsel, tearing small chucks of flesh off with every bite.
Wow, Amanda thought, before I arrived on this island I would have been sick at the sight of all that blood and that animal ripped to pieces but now… I have changed, Amanda suddenly realized. I have gone from being a rich city girl to eating raw meat on an island inhabited by dinosaurs. A tear formed in her eye but Amanda quickly brushed it away.
She turned back and watched Silver Claw as he slept. He seem so peaceful right now, Amanda gently placed her hand on his head and gently stroked a spot behind the feathers. She smiled, he is the greatest friend anyone could hope have, thoughtful, friendly, loyal and smart.
He suddenly stirred and slowly opened his eyes, "Good morning Amanda."
"Good morning Silver Claw," She replied in raptor, "sleep well?"
"Yes," Silver Claw replied then reached out and grabbed her shirt, tugging it slightly before returning his head to his side.
"Oh, Ellie and Sunayana got it for me last night," said Amanda in raptor.
"Ok," Silver Claw said and tilted his head slightly.
"Do you like them?" Amanda asked.
"Yes I do." Silver Claw yawned before he stood up.
"Do you think we should wake Ellie up," Sunayana asked in a soft tone.
"Yeah we might as well; it will be a long walk back to the cave." Amanda said and slowly stood up, stretching he arms into the air. "Sunayana, do you want to wake her up."
"Yeah, I guess," Sunayana said and slowly stood up. "Ellie, Ellie wake up," Sunayana said softly as she gently nudged Ellie's arm.
Ellie flinched slightly and slowly opened her eyes. "Good morning Sunayana," she said in raptor, "It's time to go already?"
"Yes," Sunayana replied and helped Ellie up.
"Good morning Amanda, good morning Silver Claw," Ellie said in a perky tone.
"What are you so happy about?" Amanda questioned.
"We found a bunker last night when we got you cloths, it has food, bathrooms, a computer, and most importantly it is dinosaur proof. Nothing on this island could get through those walls." Ellie replied, "I was thinking we might stay there from now on."
"But the cave is our home now," Amanda said, "our stuff is there even."
"Did I mention it has four beds and a TV," Ellie added.
"I don't want to stay in this building, I like our cave," Amanda said, "and you're the one who wanted to find a cave in the first place."
"But now we can come in this territory without much trouble," Ellie exclaimed.
"Silver Claw," Amanda said and turned to him," Do you want to stay in this building or go back to our cave?"
"Cave," Silver Claw replied without any hesitation.
Ellie rolled her eyes, "I'm going to stay here then."
"But Ellie," Amanda protested, "what if you're attacked by something and no one's around to help."
"I can stay in the bunker most of the time unless you or Sunayana are there," Ellie said, "I'm not going to change my mind either."
Amanda sighed, "alright but I'm heading home today so…"
Ellie shrugged and walked to the door opposite of the warehouse. She slide the door open and leaned against the frame. "Do you want to eat before you go?"
"Yeah," Amanda sighed, "where are we going?"
"There is a cafeteria or the gift shop," Ellie replied, "Do you want snacks or a cooked meal?"
"Cooked?" Amanda stammered. "There's a working stove here?"
"Yep, we found that out last night," Ellie smirked, "I wanted to do some exploring."
"Lead the way," Amanda gestured with her hands.
Ellie quickly walked down the hall, followed by Amanda, Silver Claw, and then Sunayana. Passing numerous closed doors and bulletin boards, the four walked down the winding halls. Large iron bar covered openings on the roof allowed light to filter into the musty hall, the light reached the floor in spots, exposing the footprints left by Ellie and Sunayana during the night.
"How far is it?" Amanda asked.
"Not too far away," Ellie answered, "only a few more turns."
They continued onward for several minutes until a large set of metal doors with small windows were the only way visible way out of the hall besides back. A rusty sign above the doorframe barely showed the letters for cafeteria. Ellie walked up to the doors and pushed them open.
The room was almost black, a few beams of light shone through windows at the top of the room, almost three stories up. An eerie mist clung to the ground, large tables sat in lines within sight, and in the far left corner of the room, a faint light streamed from a small circular window. Ellie started to step into the room when a loud click echoed through the air.
"What was that?" Ellie gasped.
A low hiss bounced off the walls of the room, distorting its source. Suddenly an object moved through a beam of light and disappeared back into the darkness. Ellie retreated behind Sunayana and looked around. A loud thud sounded through the air followed by a metal clicking. Silver Claw looked up from the base of the door, a large metal walkway ran the length of the room but they had failed to notice it.
"What is it?" Ellie stammered and backed farther away from the doors.
Silver Claw sniffed the air but could find no scent to tell what it was; only a sour fruit smell hung in the air. A chirp echoed from within the room followed by the creaking of a door. Silver Claw roared in frustration that he could not locate the creature in the dim light. Suddenly there was a loud scream.
Amanda was the first to turn around but only to find Ellie was gone. Amanda stepped back in disbelief. "Where is she?"
"Ellie," Silver Claw called out but there was not response. The same sour fruit smell lingered in the air where Ellie had been standing, but no hint of what creature was around. Amanda moved closer to Silver Claw.
"Ellie, this isn't funny, come out." Amanda yelled. Several tears formed in her eyes. Suddenly another scream, although muffled, came from the wall next to the group. Amanda rushed over to the wall and felt around to find a hole where a doorknob used to be. "There is a door here!"
Silver Claw charged the door, ending in him dropping to the ground. It was metal. Ellie screamed again from behind the door but it suddenly cut short. "No," Silver Claw mumbled and hit the door again but it would not budge. "No, no, no, NO!" he roared in furry. A loud snapping came from behind the wall, followed by what sounded like cloths ripped into pieces.
Sunayana watched in shock, unsure of what to do. Silver Claw hit the door again and the door moved outward slightly. Sunayana noticed this and quickly moved to the door. She pulled on it briefly and it slowly slid open.
Amanda burst into tears at what she saw. A corpse, ripped open and torn to pieces so horrifically that it was unidentifiable, lay in the center of the room. Blood pooled around the body and several boxes covered what looked like it might be the head. Shredded cloths lay like tattered blood stained rags around the body. Silver Claw began to tremble with anger and suddenly let out a deafening roar that would send anything running in fear.
"Who ever did this, will suffer for what they have done!" He roared, digging his claw into the floor.
Sunayana pushed the door shut, unsure how to feel. Ellie was kind of a friend to her as well, even though they did not know each other that well. Sunayana watched as Amanda wrapped her arms around Silver Claw and how cried against him. Sunayana looked down and slowly walked up to Amanda and placed her hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I'm sorry…"
"Why did she have to die," Amanda bawled.
Silver Claw pulled her in closer and turned his head behind hers. He whimpered loudly and closed his eyes. His head feathers became flat and his heart ached as it did when he was completely along in the jungle with no one left. Even though Ellie did not like him as much as he would have hoped for, they were still friends. Amanda and Ellie were even closer, the pain this must be causing her. He whimpered louder.
"We should go," Sunayana whimpered softly, "let's go to the bunker for now."
"Ok," Silver Claw sniveled. He slowly released Amanda from his grip and looked her in the eyes. His red eyes met with hers and he could feel her pain. Silver Claw gently rubbed his snout against her neck and tried to cheer her up but it useless.
Sunayana started to walk down the hall and gestured for them to follow her. Silver Claw gently nudged Amanda's shoulder and pointed with his snout at Sunayana. Amanda wiped away several tears and began to follow Sunayana. Silver Claw lingered for a moment and followed close behind Amanda.
They slowly made there way down the twisting halls, past dozens of doors and finally found themselves in font of a large steel door surrounded by a concrete wall. Sunayana walked over to a panel and pressed the button Ellie had press to open the door during the night. With an electronic click, the door unlocked and Sunayana pushed it open.
A musty wave of air bellowed from the room, rows of lights flickered on, one after the other, allowing the entire room to be clearly seen. Large boxes piled on top of each other in one corner of the large room while shelves crammed into another. Four beds sat in the center of the room with white sheets draped overtop. As they entered, the kitchen and food stocks became visible to their right while a large cabinet sat on the wall to the left.
Amanda rushed over to one of the beds and threw herself on it. She cried louder than before and turned over. Silver Claw quietly walked over, set down next to her, and placed one of his hands on her chest. He gently licked her cheek and hummed in a low sad tone.
Sunayana watched and looked down. She closed the door and turned back around to face Amanda and Silver Claw. Sunayana felt a tremor course through her body but brushed it aside. She quietly walked over and set down on a bed next to Amanda's bed. The only thing she could do was sleep…
Amanda continued to cry. She wrapped her arms around Silver Claw's neck and pulled him closer. He did not struggle, even though Amanda had him a little too tight for his comfort. Silver Claw licked her cheek again and rested his head next to hers.
Finally, after hours of crying, Amanda stopped and said, "She was my only human friend left Silver Claw."
"I know," Silver Claw replied softly.
"Why does everyone close to me die?" Amanda said and began to cry as another wave of tears flooded from her eyes.
"No they don't," Silver Claw replied with the only words that might help comfort her.
"Yes they do, if I were you I might go away before you get hurt," Amanda cried.
"Never Amanda, you are my friend and I…" Silver Claw said but Amanda did not catch the end.
Amanda tightened her grip on him, "Thank you, I just can't believe she's gone…"
"I know." Silver Claw sighed and gently moved his tail over her legs to keep them warm.
"I think I'm going to sleep for a bit… ok?" Amanda sniffled.
"Of course Amanda." He replied began to hum softly.
"Could I rest my head on your side…?" Amanda said, brushed tears of her face, and admitted, "It's rather comfortable."
"Anything," Silver Claw answered and shifted himself so Amanda could rest her head on his side.
Amanda slowly closed her sore eyes and listened to Silver Claw's delightful humming. "Goodnight… Silver Claw," Amanda said in raptor before dozing off.
Silver Claw looked at Amanda as she slept, her hair draped over her face in wavy columns and her cheeks glowed in a brilliant wet red. I hope she never has to suffer like this again, Silver Claw thought, I will do every thing I can to make sure that no one you care for are harmed ever again, I promise…
A few days later, only Silver Claw and Amanda remained in the bunker. Sunayana left the day after Ellie died and had not returned since. The food in the bunker had begun to run low, due to the amount of inedible food that that had expired long ago, but there were still a few days worth left.
"Silver Claw, I was wondering if we could leave this place and go back to the cave," Amanda said completely in raptor. Over the last few days between crying over Ellie's death and occasionally eating, her vocabulary had nearly tripled and she was beginning to understand the sounds associated with each letter of the alphabet.
"If you want to we can Amanda, it's your choice where we go." Silver Claw replied as he chewed on a candy bar.
"Ok then lets go back today then, I'm getting sick of the stale air in here," Amanda proudly said in raptor.
Silver Claw quickly tossed back the remainder of the bar and stood up, as did Amanda. She gently pet his head then walked over to the panel. With a click, the door opened slightly and Amanda pulled it open. Silver Claw gently bushed up against her as he walked out the door and she soon followed him after she grabbed a knife and its casing.
"Which way do you want to go?" Silver Claw asked.
"Let's… go… through the factory," Amanda said and turned down the hall labeled Factory and Research center. She brushed away several tears that began to roll down her cheek. They passed several long corridors until a large heavyset steel door blocked their way. Amanda pushed on it slightly; the door creaked and fell off its hinges, crashing to the ground in a thunderous bang.
"Way… to… go," Silver Claw joked and stepped onto the door.
Amanda rolled her eyes and followed him down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom, Amanda had to stop. The room before her was vast with machines everywhere. Tables containing broken eggs lined the outer edge of the area, two large conveyer belts ran the length of the room, large syringe tipped robotic arms hung from the roof, and a large tank of a grey liquid sat at the end of the room.
Silver Claw and Amanda weaved in and out of the tables and machinery as they made their way to the far side of the room. Eggshells littered the ground and occasionally would brake under foot.
"This place is huge," Amanda said.
"Yeah I know," Silver Claw said, keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding area.
"I wonder what that tank has in it," Amanda said and walked over to where a sign was at the base. She knelt by it and brushed of the dirt. It read:
Nanotechnology version 10
Nanite DNA amplification and Structural Repair
Do not mix DNA samples with liquid
"I wonder what that all means?" Amanda question after she read it aloud for Silver Claw.
"DNA," Silver Claw said with a puzzled expression on his face.
"It's… uh how would I explain it…" Amanda started as she tried to think of the right words. "It's what makes you a raptor while for me, a human and stuff like that… I think. I didn't pay attention in science class too much so I couldn't tell you much more than that."
"Oh…" Silver Claw said in response and turned towards a door.
Amanda looked at the sign for a moment, several tears rolled down her cheeks but she brushed them aside. Amanda quickly followed Silver Claw and soon they were walking down another hall.
"What do you want to do once we're home?" Amanda asked.
"Rest," Silver Claw replied.
"Yeah I guess so, it'll be a long walk their." Amanda sighed, "I wish Ellie was here."
"I know. I miss her too." Silver Claw sighed, "I only wish I knew her better that I did."
"Ellie liked you, you should know." Amanda reassured, "Even though she never showed it, she did think of you as a friend."
"Really," Silver Claw questioned.
"Yeah," Amanda said and placed her hand on his back.
They soon reached an exit an Amanda pushed open the door. Light flooded into the hall, blinding both Amanda and Silver Claw. Amanda sheltered her eyes from the light until they adjusted and she took in a deep breath.
"It feels good to have fresh air, doesn't it?" Amanda said and looked to Silver Claw.
"Yeah it does, though the sunlight is a little much."
Amanda stared at the dense jungle only a few meters away. The large trees and ferns made it impossible to see past the edge of the tree line. A dirt path lined the edge of the building; small tracks clearly marked the ground. To the far left, the stairs where Amanda and Silver Claw out ran the Tyrannosaurs while to the far right, the door where Ellie and Sunayana entered the building.
A large dragonfly buzzed in front of Amanda briefly then flew away as light breeze snaked out of the jungle. Amanda smiled slightly, the wind felt relaxing as it swayed her hair and press against her cheek. Low deep cries of the brachiosaurs echoed from the distant lake and through the valley.
Silver Claw briefly sniffed the air and stepped down the stairs, walking into the jungle. Amanda watched him disappear and quickly followed. She pushed aside wet ferns so that they would not hit her face and soon found Silver Claw's tail. Amanda placed her hand on his back as a way to keep herself from getting lost in this unusually thick area of jungle.
Before long, the jungle became thinner and tall thinner trees towered instead of thicker trees. Damp leaves and soil clung to Amanda's shoes, water droplets seeped in through the hole in them. A lizard scampered up into a tree as Amanda and Silver Claw passed by.
"I hope we can find some food on the way to the cave," Silver Claw said.
"Ten candy bars weren't enough for you?" Amanda asked in a joking sarcastic tone.
"No, I think a compy would be enough though." Silver Claw replied.
"How's your leg?" Amanda asked.
"No pain anymore," Silver Claw replied.
"Can I check it while I'm remembering it?"
"Sure," Silver Claw sighed and stopped walking.
Amanda bent over and examined the bandage before unwrapping it. The wound, nearly healed, was clear of infection and looked healthy, or at least to Amanda it did. "I don't think you need the bandage anymore Silver Claw, it looks almost healed."
"Alright," Silver Claw said and licked his leg slightly. "What about yours?"
"Oh yeah," Amanda said and started to unravel the bandage on her leg. The punctured skin where the raptor had bitten was healing well and the smaller holes were only a slight bump now. "I'm fine by the looks of it but is should keep the bandage on."
"Ok," Silver Claw sighed with relief. When she was finished with her bandage, Silver Claw grabbed the back of Amanda's shirt and pulled her to her feet.
"Thank you," Amanda said and walked forward, tossing Silver Claw's bandaging off into a bush.
Silver Claw and Amanda continued into the jungle. They came upon the fence and easily climbed over the concrete barrier at the base. The jungle looked as if it was out of place around the fence; the foliage seemed thinner that it should have been with the age of the area, possibly the area surrounding the fence was once clear but has since grown over. Before long started to go up hill as they reached the edge of the valley. The terrain was harder to walk on than it had been running from the tyrannosaurus and Amanda quickly tired.
"Do you want to rest?" Silver Claw asked.
"Yeah," Amanda said and plopped down on a log.
"There is not much further to go." Silver Claw sighed, "We can stop at the lake if you want."
"That would be nice." Amanda sighed, "We could go for a relaxing swim."
"If you want," Silver Claw said.
"It's your choice to, you know," Amanda said, "You can say if you don't want to do anything."
"I know," Silver Claw replied and lowered his body to the soft leaf littered ground below. "It doesn't matter what we do as long as you're safe there."
"And what about yourself," Amanda questioned. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Nothing will, I can escape most things on this island." Silver Claw replied.
"I think this is the longest we've ever talked today," Amanda exclaimed. "And I'm doing it completely in raptor."
"I know. You're a quick learner." Silver Claw said softly, "I'm impressed."
"I had a good teacher," Amanda laughed, "I don't think I need to speak English anymore."
"Why?"
"I can understand most of the things you say and I can figure out the words I don't." Amanda replied, "Speaking raptor is more fun anyway."
"Yeah, and it's funny to hear your mistakes to." Silver Claw chuckled as he looked at her.
"Maybe you can teach me more about raptor life later, like games that you play and politics."
"Maybe," Silver Claw said. "There is a lot I don't know though."
"You know games though," Amanda said. "We need to have some fun. This past while has been stressful on us."
"Yeah, I know a few games…" Silver Claw sighed, "Sophia and I would play them while we were growing up."
"Who was Sophia?" Amanda asked, interested.
"Sophia was my best friend and only raptor in my pack that was the same age as me." Silver Claw replied and smiled as he remembered how much fun they had together.
"What kind of games did you play?" Amanda asked.
"We would hunt, play hid and seek in the jungle, and chase each other on the roof of that building we were in." Silver Claw said softly and his head feathers rose slightly.
Amanda suddenly saw a flash from when she was on the boat. The two animals silhouetted on the roof of the building. "I think I saw you and Sophia on the roof of the building before."
"What?" Silver Claw asked, shocked.
"A few days before you found me, were you and her on the roof of the building during the night?"
"Yeah we where, that night we got in trouble for it too." Silver Claw replied and chuckled slight when her remembered how the adults over reacted to that.
"Then I did see you, you seemed so happy with her too." Amanda said, leaning back slightly.
"Where were you?" Silver Claw asked, "I didn't smell you anywhere near there that night."
"I was on a boat nearby before the spinosaurus attacked us," Amanda said and looked down.
"What is a boat?" Silver Claw asked.
"It's a machine, like the jeep, but it floats on water." Amanda replied and looked up to see Silver Claw look downwards. "What is it?"
"I saw the entire thing," Silver Claw admitted in a low saddened tone.
"You saw the entire attack?" Amanda said, stunned that he witnessed her worst nightmare of a night.
"I'm sorry I didn't help." Silver Claw said, feeling guilty that he did nothing to help them.
"Why are you sorry? You couldn't have done anything to stop it; you didn't even know me then." Amanda said and placed her hand on his head. "You have no reason to be feeling bad about this."
"I know, I just do," Silver Claw admitted.
"Well don't… ok," Amanda smiled and lifted his chin up.
Silver Claw smiled slightly, "A swim would be nice."
"Yeah well we better get going then," Amanda said and stood up.
"Let's," Silver Claw said and followed Amanda up the hill.
The soon reached the top and Amanda sighed in relief. Silver Claw gazed back at the building for a moment. I will avenge you Ellie, he thought. Before long, he turned back to the jungle and walked along side Amanda.
Large guanacaste trees and conifers blocked most of the light from reaching the ground while in a few lighted areas large mushrooms grew in abundance. Loose soil and leaves covered the ground and the occasional pile of small stones over that. Several fallen trees lay on the ground. A small rodent scampered into its hole as Silver Claw and Amanda passed by.
A gently breeze twisted through the jungle, rustling the leaves in the trees. The faint smell of flowers drifted through the air but faded away just as fast as it came.
"This place is nice, wouldn't you say?" Amanda said as she looked into the distance.
"Yeah," Silver Claw sighed, "I hope nothing is hiding in here though."
"I hope so too, unless it's smaller than you and you can catch it." Amanda said.
Silver Claw sniffed the air but he could not smell anything, "Nothing I can smell."
"Oh, oh well." Amanda sighed.
Within a few hours of uneventful walking, they reached the tree line around the lake. The vast amounts of dinosaurs were nowhere in sight, but Sunayana and her pack were gorging themselves on a triceratops carcass at the fields center. Silver Claw looked at the carcass and licked his lips before turning to Amanda.
"Can we?" he asked, lowering his head slightly.
"I guess we could stop by and say hi," Amanda said jokingly.
Silver Claw perked up immediately and quickly walked towards the kill, soon followed by Amanda. They continued towards the kill unnoticed until they were only twenty meters away and Sunayana lifted her head.
"Hello Silver Claw, hello Amanda." Sunayana said as she licked the blood off her mouth.
"Hello Sunayana," Amanda replied in raptor.
Several of the pack members, including Talon, hissed and growled at Amanda. Sara and Jack paid no attention to this as they were having their fill of the meal. Sunayana barked at several but not all to be quiet.
"Sorry about them," Sunayana said as she walked up to Amanda, "I can't get the higher ranking members to be quiet."
"That's alright, it doesn't bother me." Amanda sighed.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't stay any longer than I did," Sunayana said, "My father wanted me home."
"Don't worry about it," Silver Claw said, watching the carcass intently. "We only just left the bunker and are heading back to our cave."
"Oh, and I see that you want some of our kill," Sunayana said.
"Tough candy bars are not a good meal for three days." Silver Claw confessed.
"You might be able to have some after were done but you shouldn't try and get any until we're done eating or you could get hurt." Sunayana said. "Several of the members would undoubtedly take the chance to attack you for trying to eat while they are.
Silver Claw nodded and lowered himself to the ground. Amanda sat down next to him and watched the pack as they ate. Sunayana stood by them for some time before returning to the kill.
Amanda sighed heavily as she watched one of the male raptors in particular that seemed to acting odd. It kept away from the bulk of the pack and did not seem to be like by the other members. Large scars covered his tail and a V shaped scar ran down both sides of his eyes from the top and bottom on both sides of his head, to the tip of his snout. Though he looked battered, his body was thick with muscles and he stood the same height of Silver Claw. His claws were jet black with white scratches clearly visible.
"What do you think happened to that raptor?" Amanda asked Silver Claw and pointed out the one she was looking at. "He looks a little beat up."
"He might be the lowest rank but I doubt it," Silver Claw said. "He looks too healthy to be that low in the pack order, he might be aggressive and likes to fight."
"He wasn't one of the raptors that hissed at me either," Amanda stated. "Maybe he likes humans."
"Maybe," Silver Claw replied as he examined the raptor. "We could ask Sunayana about him."
"Wouldn't that be rude though," Amanda exclaimed.
"If you want to talk to him, you could walk over and ask him some questions."
"Or not," Amanda responded as she watched him tear off a huge chunk of flesh and run off into the jungle.
Within several minutes, the pack finished their meal and relaxed in the tall grasses nearby. Amanda slowly stood up and followed Silver Claw to the kill. Suddenly a male and female raptor moved between Amanda and Silver Claw and hissed at Amanda.
"Stay away from our kill, human," Talon hissed.
"Get away from her," Silver Claw snarled at the two raptors.
"You have no authority over us," the female hissed.
"But I do," Sunayana said as she walked up to Amanda.
"Stay out of it," a voice said from the grass.
"But," Sunayana argued, seeing her father was the one who stopped her.
"They need to sort this out themselves but if you keep interfering they will never be respected by our pack." Jack commanded.
Sunayana lowered her head and back away from Amanda, lying down in the grass nearby incase anything did happen.
Talon grinned and looked to Silver Claw. "What are you going to do now that you are on your own?"
"Get away from her or you'll be sorry." Silver Claw snarled.
The female raptor moved between Talon and Silver Claw, "You will not harm him," She hissed.
"Now," Talon started and turned back to Amanda. He moved his head close enough so only he and Amanda could hear him. "How's Ellie." Tears formed in Amanda's eyes and she started to cry. Talon grinned, pleased and baring his teeth, he looked back to Silver Claw. "Oh gees, she's crying."
"What did you say?" Silver Claw demanded but Talon only tilted his head.
Talon laughed and tilted his head even more, "What are you going to do about it?"
Suddenly Talon yelped in pain and staggered to his left, bumping into the female. The entire pack looked on in amazement that Amanda attacked Talon and not Silver Claw. Talon hissed at her and raised his killing claws. Amanda put her left arm behind her back.
"You're going to pay for that cheap shot," Talon snarled and started to pace back and fourth in front of the female.
"What about when you attacked Ellie because you said she was too close to the nests." Amanda said in raptor. "And she was nowhere near them."
Jack looked to Sara and they began talking quietly.
"What are you going to do to me if I do attack you anyway, you are weak."
A slight pop came from behind Amanda and she pulled out a large steel knife. "This… is as dangerous as those claws of yours and it's longer." Amanda said, hoping he would go away.
Silver Claw rushed past both Talon and the female, nearly knocking them to the ground, and stopped in front of Amanda. "Don't threaten him like that; it looks like your challenging him for his position in the pack and if that happens, I can't do a thing to help you."
"Really," Amanda asked and Silver Claw nodded. "Alright then," Amanda sighed and slid the knife back into its sheath.
"You have to help the poor little human that can't defend herself, that's sad." Talon mocked.
"Talon you will watch you tongue!" Jack barked at him, "They are not challenging you, now back away!"
"Yes," Talon answered, though he nearly snarled at the alpha in rage, but instead lowered his head and backed away. Jack slowly stood up and walked over to Silver Claw and Amanda.
"As for you two, Silver Claw, you had better teach her how to behave around our pack," Jack said threateningly, "I do not want another incident like this happening unless one of you are looking for a challenge!"
Silver Claw looked down and sighed. He turned to Amanda, "We should go."
Amanda could hear the sadness in his tone. "Ok," she said in English.
They slowly walked away and towards the lake. The air was quiet and wind died down. Amanda looked at Silver Claw, his feathers were down and he was looking at the ground.
"I'm sorry Silver Claw," Amanda said softly.
"It's ok," he said though he did not look up. "You could have got hurt or killed back there."
"I know," Amanda said with ever increasing saddened tone.
"I don't want to lose you," Silver Claw said and looked at her.
"I know," Amanda said and looked down.
"You should have seen the expression on their faces when you hit Talon," Silver Claw smirked when they were far enough away so no one else could hear him, "I'm proud of you."
"Really," Amanda said and looked up to see Silver Claw smiling at her.
"It took a lot to do what you did and then you stood your ground, I was very impressed." Silver Claw admitted, "Concerned but happy that you stood up to him."
"Thanks," Amanda smiled and placed her hand on his back. "Do you still want to go for a swim?"
"Sure," he smile, "Where about though?"
"Somewhere not too deep and free of reeds," Amanda replied, "Maybe with some sand."
"I think I saw a spot like that on the other side of the lake." Silver Claw said.
"Well we better hurry so we can get there and have enough time to swim and get home before night." Amanda said and quickened her pace.
They both walked into the jungle, the pack disappeared from view and the sound of buzzing insects filled the air. Amanda started to hum softly and Silver Claw could not help but smile.
The trees thinned slightly and the ground became spongy as they reached the swampy part by the lake. The swash of the lake faintly sounded under the buzz of the insects. A softly wind snaked through the trees and gently moved small branches.
Within an hour, they reached the other side of the lake. Amanda moved out of the trees and onto the rocky shore. "Where about is this area?" Amanda asked, "This side looks like it is all rock along the shore."
"I don't think we should go swimming now," Silver Claw said nervously.
"Why don't you want to swim now?" Amanda asked, surprised.
"That," Silver Claw said and looked down.
Amanda scanned the trees but could not see anything. All of a sudden, a large creature with deep blue skin, a long crocodilian snout and a single hooked claw along with two smaller ones at the end of each forearm walked out from the jungle and into the water. It looked like the spinosaur but without the sail and was only slightly smaller. The creature waded into the water and began to search for something wit hits snout.
Amanda sighed, "I guess we can go tomorrow or something."
Silver Claw lowered his head more so in disappointment. "Let's go."
They slowly walked back into the jungles. The trees swayed overhead and the leaves rustled. The faint scent of flowering plants and damp foliage filled the air. The energetic chirping and whistles of birds echoed from the surrounding darkness.
Before long, the towering cliff appeared through the dense canopy. Its brown rock face and forested top clearly stood out from the canopy in the sunlight that enveloped it. Finally after and hour of walking, Amanda and Silver Claw stepped out of the jungle and onto the six meter clearing between the jungle and the cliff. Silver Claw looked back and forth briefly to find the cave.
"Which way is the cave?" Amanda asked, "It's starting to get a little cloudy out."
"Um…I think it is this way." Silver Claw said and walked towards the north.
Amanda quickly followed him and soon the bush that covered the entrance appeared in the distance. "We're almost there." Amanda sighed with relief, "Soon we can rest for the day with nothing to bother us."
"And we won't get wet," Silver Claw said as the low rumble of thunder echoed across the island.
"It's a good thing we got here when we did, if we did go swimming, I'd get as wet out of the water as in." Amanda said then yawned, "I could use a nap."
"Me too," Silver Claw said as they entered the cave.
They quickly rounded the bend and to Amanda's horror, the bags were gone. "Where are my cloths?" Amanda freaked.
Silver Claw sniffed the air to find the same sour fruit smell as when Ellie died. He hissed in rage and scanned the darkness. "Whatever took them is gone now." Silver Claw sighed. "We're safe for now."
"The stone you gave me was in my bag," Amanda said, saddened.
"Oh, what about your stuff though?" Silver Claw asked.
"The cloths and knives can be replaced but that stone can't," Amanda said. "It was a gift from you and now it's gone." She sat down on the ground and placed her hands over her eyes.
"It's ok Amanda," Silver Claw said, trying to comfort her. He sat down behind her and rested his head against her shoulder. "Maybe I could find something else like it."
"It's not just that. You and Sunayana are the only friends I have left, I have no family and I keep losing everything I care about." Amanda said and began to cry. "Why does life have to be so cruel?"
"You have me," Silver Claw said softly. "If there is anything I can do to cheer you up, just ask."
"That's sweet, thank you." Amanda said and wiped the tears from her face. "I think I'll just go to sleep for a bit, that might help." She slowly leaned back until her head rested on Silver Claw's side and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight Amanda," Silver Claw whispered softly into her ear and placed his head on her stomach. Before long, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. A gentle rain began to pour outside the cave, the sky darkened and silence befell the jungles of Isla Sorna…