Jurassic *Hiatus*

Chapter Seven

Beta got off Omega. The two jumped away from each other.

Blue pounced down off the bolder. "I haven't seen you three in a long time," she raised her sought into the air, her nostrils pulsing with each deep inhale. She then turned her attention to Beta. "Where's Alpha?"

"Dead," Omega hissed, "A fleshie put her down."

Beta nodded in agreement.

Blue let out a low growl. "My sisters are gone too."

Violet took a step into the clearing, "we're sorry to hear that, Blue."

Blue cast her eyes towards Violet. The old friend that once hunted a toy mouse with Violet was gone. All that remained was a stranger. A hungry stranger. Blue looked away, refocusing on Beta and Omega, "You three can stick with me. I can teach you to hunt."

Omega lowered herself as if preparing to pounce. "We don't need help."

Blue barked a laugh. "Oh, really? Do you know how to hunt? How to track? How to move as a unit?"

Omega fell silent.

"We will graciously accept your help, Blue," Beta bowed her head in submission.

Omega hissed at her sister's action but didn't protest.

When Blue glanced at Violet, she flinched in surprise, then quickly lowered her head too.

Blue nodded, standing taller now, "Alright. Follow me." Blue broke into a sprint. Beta and Omega looked at one another before dashing after the older raptor. Violet lingered a bit longer. Her stomach was in a knot. She hadn't expected to see Blue again. Did Blue even remember her? Or had she just lost someone else? Someone who wasn't dead, but still out of reach.

Gathering herself, Violet set off in the direction the others had gone, following the scent of her sisters.

It wasn't long before Violet arrived at a cave. She sniffed the air to be sure this was where the others had gone, then dipped inside. The cave angled down into the earth. It was muddy, the air felt damp, and it was dark.

"Glad to see you found us," Blue was lying by the back wall. Omega and Beta were laying along the other two walls, as far from one another as possible.

Violet nodded, "I followed my sisters' scents."

Blue bared her teeth in a smile, "so you can track. Very good, little one."

Violet had nearly forgotten how much smaller she was in comparison to her sisters, and even Blue. She hadn't stood next to another raptor since she was young. But comparing herself to them now, Blue was right. Violet was shorter, her scales were a duller colour, apart from the bright purple blotches that started at her eyes and travelled down either side of her spine all the way to the tip of her tail. Her teeth were smaller, yet still sharp, and her talons were shorter too. She didn't look like the full-grown raptor she was.

"How does tracking work?" Omega asked, her head resting on a rock. Was it all the running that had made her tired? Or hunger? Perhaps both.

"It's not difficult," Blue assured Omega, "You simply pick up a scent and follow it. Violet knows your scents, and you know hers. It may take a few days or weeks for you to be able to identify the smell of pray, but you'll learn quickly."

"What about hunting?" Beta asked her eyes on Violet, who was still standing in the middle of the cave. Beta gestured with her head for the raptor to come over.

Violet did as she was motioned to do. She went to Beta's section of the cave and laid down. She was tired, hungry, and a bit chilled. Her heart missed Alpha. Was Beta trying to take over for Alpha? Trying to keep Violet company and keep her spirits up? Because it wasn't working.

"With hunting," Blue began, "it's a strategy. Will smaller creatures you can chase them, catch them, and kill them. But with larger ones, you need to corner them from multiple sides before attacking." Blue stretched her body out and opened her mouth widely to yawn. "I'll teach you what creatures to avoid and what ones are easier prey."

Violet watched Blue. She must have had to eat smaller creatures since she was all on her own.

"Don't look at me with such pity, Violet," Blue hissed, "you're the smallest. You'll have to try twice as hard to take down some of the creatures out there. They won't be as easy as a fleshie."

Omega scuffed, probably thinking back to how Violet refused to eat the rotting fleshie bodies that were left for them.

Blue laid her head down, "You all should rest. We hunt in a couple of hours." She closed her eyes.

Violet's stomach ached, but she laid her head on the hard, uneven floor. What were a couple more hours of hunger? At least she was alive.