Red Crest: Washed Out

The worried mumbled of Alpha-Mother had almost every adult head of the pack popping up to attention, focusing on the grey and black stripped hide. The younger members of the pack fumbled, and became aware of a shift in attention, looking around to see what was going on.

Alpha-Mother was looking out of the false air, staring at the coast line and then sky. The older raptor scented the air, then moved outside the entrance of the egg nesting area and into the den, the others in her pack moving out of the way. The Beta-mate chirped out a confused tone from his spot, wanting to fallow but not getting up with the tiny hatchling sleeping on his back, hips and tail.

The pale leader paused, then came over to cuff at her favorite mate, sharing a reassuring nuzzle before pacing out of the den. Pausing to flex a forelimb and grasp the metallic stick, turning it down, hearing the click before prodding the way to the den open with her head. She froze and sniffed, checking if it was clear before a greeting chuff came from outside.

The raptor outside glanced over, shifting and rising to great his Alpha, getting a return chuff and a press of muzzle to neck.

With the orders of, –Stay here. Keep watch.- to her son, the female trotted off, aware of a fallowing escort as she scented out the five already out. The first drops of rain were starting to fall, to some grumbling huffs of the pack. Three-Scar, a smaller female with distinctive scarring on her neck tooth marks from one of the giant pack-predators, moved ahead once figuring out what Alpha-Mother was after. She was the best tracker and caught up the scent of the others. Two of the sisters were out with three young, teaching them how to be scouts, how to scare Prey into the jaws of the pack.

Alpha-Mother let out a powerful bark, scaring the birds around the sub-pack, the commanding tone had the sisters coming up to attention. Looking around as a warning sound came next just before a thunder rumble. There was nervous chitteres for the young, the nose and bouncy energy of before from being let out of the den and grounds bleeding away. The two young males retreated to the older sisters as the youngest female chirped, looking in the direction of sky as the rain picked up with the wind.

The older members realized what was happening, turning to head back to the den, as the younger gave soft peeps. At the sound the Alpha-Mother paused, looked back to study the younger ones, how tired they were from a day long adventure of first hunting attempts. Then up at the sky to study the first hurricane the youngest of her pack would experience. Instinct as well as her own years of experience told the raptor this wasn't going to be a mild storm.

They needed shelter, something stronger then tree roots, strong like the den but closer...

Barking an order, the female turned, with the young trio clustered around her and the older five falling into escort positions around their leader. They trusted the Alpha-Mother's with no doubts or hesitation, fallowing her away from the main den to another place. It wasn't clean, with a part of the top falling in on one side, but mostly dry as one of the sisters manipulated the metallic stick to open the path inside with a tug, her twin poking her nose in the entry way to scent and slipped in.

The youngest tilted their heads, the two males fairing crests in interest as they watched how the older members of the pack behaved and worked the not-rock place. The red male turned and rubbed against his mother, chirping for attention after another thunderclap. A pale muzzle dipped to lick over the feathered crest to get the rain off, murmuring in assurance, that his Alpha and mother was here, she would protect her pack.

There was a churring bark from inside, -All clear, come-, and the other twin nosed the door open, letting in Three-Scar then the others. The twin rumbled and backed in after the Alpha-Mother and chicks, using her teeth to close the panel. The pack was scenting around, picking up smells of the place, finding them all old except for one smell.

Trills of delight sounded as the pack scrambled about, snapping at the rats. When a rodent was crunch it was dropped and the raptor took after another while the chicks each grabbed at a rat that was left. Alpha-Mother came back to her older chicks, settling down and feeding the three each a rat from those that were inside her jaws, the other adults bringing fuzzy offerings of the things, but not eating. Chicks had to be fed, full bellies meant safety and comfort, as they all knew that a big storm would be very scary for their first time.

The dry plant things were found and nudged into a nest around the big pale female and the chicks before the pack settled. Curling tails and snuggling close to groom and give murmured compliments between the sisters, settled in here like the rest of the pack was in the den as the storm picked up. Wind blew in but they had nested in the far back, near the false air that was cracked, giving a view of the water and river. It was also a view of possible pack-predators that might come, or dare the storm.

The group weren't exactly content, at least the adults weren't, the three chicks had full stomachs, nibbling on aromatic leaves that were offered by White-Tail. The small female was half rooting around her spot to find any more leaves or roots to chew and break before offering to the Alpha-Mother for inspection before it was given to the chicks.

Despite the hole in the roof of the building the currently small pack was in, they were staying warm, the chicks safely sandwiched between the adults. The Alpha of the pack was just resting her chin in her neck, curving into a graceful 'S' shape as a soft snore like sound started to emit from her. The other five settling heads down, making a point to show the chicks that nothing was wrong, not tensing at the flashes of lightning or the resulting thunderclaps. Three-Scar even rolled over onto her back and side, head resting on the hip of one of the twins' and getting her neck groomed with little bites along her scar lines and then armor scales that couldn't be reached by a raptor on its own.

It wasn't contentment, but peaceful for the storm.

The bellowed roar from a bull T-Rex was completely unexpected, nor was the answering roar from another bull.

Six heads popped up, staring with wide eyes as the ground shivered and vibrated with the not so distant weight of the Predators-of-the-Pack. Even the Alpha's blue eyes were wide in shock. Those weren't supposed to by this far away from their territory, so close to den! There were chicks and eggs in the den!

The big pale female rose, her three chicks with the pack falling from her sides to around her feet as the others the others scrambled upright. They hesitated as the long deep bellow echoed with another almost on top of the pack.

Confused at the titian made thunder that crashed through trees and abandoned buildings, just out there on the other side of the one wall that had no windows. The pack was shifting backwards, closer to the windows on silent feet, the killing-griping claws held high so not to click. What they didn't know, but might start guessing was that there was a battle in full rage. The oldest Rex-bull on the island had been challenged by one of his own grandsons, something that wouldn't be tolerated. The last challenger that got past the gnarled bull had upset his mate into biting his tail.

The brief fight had the younger, barely crested bull had retreated, but then was chased as his grandsire moved after to fully beat in his law. The big bull, who was one of the first two males of the island, over thirty years old now he was very distinct, not looking like the rexs' on the other islands, high red ridges crested from eyes and down the back of his skull, his muzzle shorted and more blunted with more notable muscles in the jaws. He had scarring from other predators up and down his flanks, from prey that fought back, even the teeth marks of his mate. The Bull charged the last few body lengths out of the jungle, sweeping a massive head to hit then body slam the younger male that was two thirds his size with another bellow that was deeper counterpart to the grandson's roar.

The Bull-King of the island snapped at a whipping tail, turning around as he bodily dragged the younger male. He had a mate with who was brooding and moody over two eggs in a new nest, and didn't want her upset, wanted to end this rebellion quickly as thunder cracked and the wind picked up. The Bull wanted to be in his nest, curled next to his mate, but now he would have to hunt in the storm to find something as an peace offering because of this young male.

Massive jaws snapped at the other body, dancing around each other and over the abounded property, the bull careful of placing his feet in the once fish hatchery, so not to slip and damage his legs. With no eggs or chicks he would become his mate's priority, it was best not to push it as he got a grip on the younger male's neck, hearing a yowling cry of protest as he forced the younger's head down into one of the half collapsed buildings. Multi-tones of solid muscle rippled, ignoring the shrieks of sudden panic from inside the building as he started shoving, pushing the former challenger, destroying the shelter of the raptors inadvertently, forcing them through sharp glace and tumbling down the hill to the river with mud and debris fallowing after.

Panic-barks of the raptors weren't headed as the younger male rex was sent down the slope as well, staggering as he got up at the base, the mud and wet earth slick to his feet, and something crunched as he backed up.

The pale grey raptor gave another scream, an agonizing sound as she saw her little female chick just in time to watch her being stepped on by the brown-green giant. She charged forward two steps, shrieking again as she started forward to save her offspring but the sheer mass of the rex brought her up right, then the panic-barks behind her. The raptor Alpha-Mother swung her head around, screaming as she saw what was happening. The pack was scattered, one of the twins stuck in the mud like the chick had been, struggling to get out as her sister and White-Tail franticly ran around and started to dig as their own feet started to sink. Three-Scar was barking, plunging into the water after the red crested male chick that was crying from a tree as it was being dragged into the flow of water. The pack leader couldn't see the others, and a rumbled behind her was her only warning to run as the rex backed up towards the raptors and the river as the larger Bull started to slide down the slope to keep up the beating.

She screamed a warning, an order for White-Tail and the twins to run when she looked back, seeing that the cluster were in the path of the fight between a giant and gnarled titian king. A chick-cry has her head swiveling to the direction of the swollen river where Three-Scar was trying to pull out the orange crested male out of the water and up onto the broad rock, most of her body under water and pushing up with her head. It was the other chick that was on a wavering mess of debris that was caught, but threatening to break apart with the tremors that shivered the mud under feet.

White-Tail stopped digging but only to attack the massive foot in an attempt to keep the giant away from her younger sister as the Alpha plunged into the waters to save the lone red male chick. Prioritizing the most helpless like the smaller Three-Scar was, kicking legs for balance, the Alpha-Mother lashed her tail to push forward in the water. Glancing back at a higher raptor scream to see White-Tail being dangled from the jaws of the green giant massive jaws crushing before her tail disconnected and sent the sister flying into the air with a screech.

Chaos was dominate in this part of the beach, the Alpha-Mother's orders drowned out by the Rex bulls, even the last of the pack that was running back from where she was washed to, to help the twins couldn't hear her. Three-Scar was struggling against the current, trying to stay in place to make sure the orange male chick wouldn't fall back in the water. The only thing clear to the pale raptor's ears was the red chick that was crying for her, wanting his mother his Alpha to save.

Alpha-Mother lashed her tail and surged forward in the current, impacting the debris, she lunged up, jaws clamping on the chick's tail as he started falling the other way, towards the mouth of the river where it met the salt waters of the sea. She struggled to brace her legs on a log and pull the chick back up as the debris pile started shifting, loosening and breaking apart. Digging her claws in, and trying not to bite too hard on the crying red chick. The bulls behind where thrashing and snapping at each other, sending waves of mud and water up and then down the river, and in turn something impacted hard against the Alpha-Mother, hitting her back and rolling to smacked her neck. Teeth that could rend flesh from prey scraped down the chick's tail, he was sliding away from her! The raptor gave a garbled sound and tried againt to get a grip, her head forced to turn as Three-Scar hit her next.

Horrified, the Alpha-Mother watched as the chick's tail broke, disengaging against the muscle stress and pressure, her male chick falling back into the water, flailing and crying in the current as he was washed into the storm waves. The leader of the pack scrambled, trying to get up onto the log, intending to go over and after her chick.

Three-Scar screamed, -Chick Danger!- before going under the water

Alpha-Mother dropped the twitching tail of her chick, spotting the orange chick was back in the water, rushing towards her. She lunged at him, diving into the spot the chick had slipped under the surface. Desperate to save any of her family, more so one of the rare male chicks that was closer. As the fight between the giant predators continued, the raptor broke the surface farther down, lashing her tail to get to the shore, the chick held firm in her jaws, enough that he was bleeding but the Alpha-Mother hand a hold of her chick over his hips this time, not his tail. It took all her strength to lift the chick out of the water, high enough to get his head out of the water, it sank her lower but there was no stopping the mother as she struggled to save her son. Wide blue eyes rolled as she heard her other red chick crying, garbled as it chocked on water and cried again.

Sand and muck was brushing against her feet, and the raptor lashed her tail harder, getting up where she could start using her legs as well. She gave a muffled cry at hearing Three-Scar's voice moving farther out in the water like the red chick. Gasping around the young one in her jaws, the Alpha-Mother pushed up onto land again, caring her chick away from the King and his challenger, putting as much of distance between them and her. Running to the outer beach where the pack normally fished or dug for clams, scanning the waters and debris.

Three-Scar became visible, pushing the other chick up onto a mess of things that came down the river, only to vanish as a wave washed over her. The red chick was clinging to the pile, alternating between panic-barking and crying for its pack.

The Alpha-Mother set down her chick, lifting her head and barking back, calling for the chick and Three-Scar to return. She wavered, stepping over the huddled orange chick to provide protection, wanting to go after the other but couldn't leave this one. Hearing the thunder of flesh as well from the sky getting closer, she glanced back and had to make a choice to keep her chick the priority, picking him up and moving farther along the beach away from the bigger predators, stopping beside a tree to stand over the chick and call out to the water, calling again and again for her pack as the chick whined and cried. The mother stopped her cries as the younger bull limped along the beach in a foul mood. She could smell the pain and anger off the creature and pressed down over the chick, muffling his whine into something that wouldn't pass over the sounds of the storm on water and in trees. The alpha felt herself shivering as the multi ton predator limped past, and after he lift she curled around her chick, eyes still wide as the trauma from realizing she had lost two chicks, and five pack mates settled onto her mind. Making her curl up around and over her orange colored chick through the storm until the little body got cold with her, exposed to the weather as they were.

Moving was hard and stiff going, but the Alpha picked up her male chick to try and make it back to the Den. Turning back once as she thought she heard her other, water-lost son, yet couldn't see anything past the rain and waves.