Horns ✖

Turmoil

"P-Promise?"

I nodded, exhaling with a purr, "I promise."

He let out a relieved breath in response to my word, turning to face the mountains ahead of us and swallowed.

"Why here then?"

"The long-necks traveled through here," I responded, following his gaze, "They told me they were migrating early, and would pass by the range before the first flakes fell. But...I-I haven't seen a single remnant of them anywhere. No footprints, no tremors..."

"I felt many tremors, three-horn," The voice of Wrecker, the club-tail, pushed through the grassy strands dividing us all, "But I doubt that these belong to your friend's herd."

I frowned, turning to face him, "What do you mean?"

"Well, they're lengthy," He replied, reaching toward the gap of his spiked shield, "Timed too. I, for one, doubt that shakes like these belong to any ordinary creature. Almost as if-"

Suddenly, the ground beneath us began to shake. But rather than a vibration, like a stomp or slam of one's tail as expected, the rumble continued, and strengthened. I spread my claws out upon the mud instinctively, watching the earth around us bulge upward and rock the meadowlands, before settling down into a soft shiver and halting. What followed was a soft boom, catching our attention as a cloud of distant smoke billowed into the sky. Like leaking black blood, it sealed away the soft glow of the morning star within it's puffs, and engulfed the sweet, sickled air with a putrid egg-like stench.

"In a few days time we should be at the mountain pass." I began to recall Thyrah's warning, "It's not too far from here, but you must catch it quickly. Word is that mountains are stirring again, which is why we're leaving so early."

"T-That was no earthshake," Rockhorn chirped first, "N-not one that I've ever seen."

"That's because it wasn't," I huffed, beginning to lumber into the grass again, "We're running out of time, we need to find them, now."

"How do you even know they even went through here?" Wrecker asked me, twisting his tail with concerned anticipation, "Look, the mountain's going off, there's no path anywhere, we've been searching for so long for their presence yet nothing has come up! So how do you know?"

"I know! I just...I just do..." I gazed into Wrecker's eyes, already beginning to fear and exhaled shakily, "Please...You have to trust me on this."

"I'm trying to, but how do you know she was right?" He frowned, "I mean, in her word?"

"Yes! I mean-" I shook my frill, lashing my tail, "I don't know! She told me the mountains, I swear-"

"Was...she...right...?"

"YES!"

"Three-horn-"

"I'm not lying, Wrecker!" I hissed, slamming my claw into the mud with an angered snort, "And neither was she! I put my trust in her, just as I've put my trust in you, she would not lead me into the middle of nowhere just to get eaten."

"I'm not denying what you heard, I'm denying what you're believing in!"

"Why?! I was right about the raptors!"

"That's different!"

"How so?"

"You saw them. You knew, and I believed that. But you're taking the word of a stranger, someone that you don't even know, and neither do I!"

"I didn't know you, or Rockhorn, but I took your word that you'd save me! You're saying I shouldn't?!"

"Hey, guys-" Rockhorn grunted after pushing through the grass, his eyes wide with alertness. But his voice was all but silenced by our talk.