I became alert and stood, but relaxed when I saw it was Todd. My tarbosaurus was more unsure though, when I saw the Yuty I tensed back up. I had a history with Yutys, if I'm being honest there is a reason none of them are on this side of the river. They clash with the Aliosaurus too much, and I was a target for many since I was a lone Alio for so long. My Tarbosaurus daughter, Amiss, knew this, she had witnessed me kill two young males who were trying to take over my cave when she was young. I watched the female Yuty cautiously, I was one of the many who managed to help push the Yutys to the other side. So I wasn't just about to let one stick around if they were going to be like the rest. I found her markings somewhat recognizable, it was possible I fought a relative of hers. Maybe she even witnessed me kill Yutys before. I silently hoped she knew I wouldn't tolerate her presence if she acted like the Yutys in the area once did.

It took me a while to tear my eyes off her, I turned my gaze to Todd and I hesitantly returned his clicks. Amiss didn't back off as Todd and I approached each other.

"I forget you don't know the history of this side of the river," I said quietly glancing at the Yuty he brought to my home. I wanted to say a lot more but I didn't know they relationship he had with the Yuty. I had my connections with other dinosaurs, he probably has some of his own.

Todd heard her and swivveled his head back to Bliss.

He scanned her, her eyes werent focused on Night or the Tarbosaur, she was looking at the birds in the tree. Her eyes narrowed and then dilated with each chirp and woosh he heard of their wings.

Todd sighed.

"This is Bliss. She is infertile, and for that she is outacsted by femalesa and males alike. She also has..."

He walked over to her, cooing softly. Bliss looked at Night with big eyes then Todd. He got under her arm and raised her body up a little. Scars formed around her chest.

"Deformed heart. Parents tried to kill her when they realized their daughter was a defect."

Bliss nudged Todd away from out under her, shaking he feathers.

"She saved my life."

Todd moved my eyes back to her.

He stand limp on one foot while the other had no weight on it. He looked at the Tarborsaur then back at Night.

"That fight nearly costed me my life. This isnt even the beginning of the start of what might come. And im very unsure if I can continue any longer." He yawned, shaking his head after.

I stared at Todd unfazed, Amiss knew my history so she just stayed put. It didn't matter to me if she was different. Some say the way i think is 'old school' but it is just how things work. Predators and prey don't care if you have health issues or any of that. they are just trying to survive. plus the fact she has all these issues isn't going to simply change my mind overnight. For all I knew this Yuty thought the same way I did and survived being smart and making allies. With her injuries, she either has to depend on others for resources or she is perfectly capable of handling herself even with them. Either way, she was either smart or could still fend for herself. She didn't need my sympathy.

"Todd, I have too many bad experiences with Yutys just to be able to overlook one." I stated, "I don't care if she hangs around but she is not allowed inside my cave, and if I mother a clutch she not allowed anywhere near them." I said sternly "And if you don't think you can handle fending off all the others that is your decision." I said looking at him with a serious expression.

"I thought youd say that."

Todd took a deep breath.

He nodded but the feeling that was rising in him was becoming more and more obvious.

"Very well."

He yawned again, defusing what tension he had.

"Those raptors? This Tarbosaur? Could have ripped me to little peices to fed to the young and the birds." He chuckled, sadistically almost.

"Bliss is smart. Capable and a very good hunter. She just cant be with her own kind. I look the most like her species. Shes not uncapable. Just lonely. And trust me, shes had her fill for the week."

Tood gruffed and sighed once again.

"I understand how you might feel uncomfortable but i asure you. She has no interest in your children to come or your den. As far as im concerned, seems like you dont need me." He nodded to her daughter.

He had a glare shining in his eyes that spread to all his features.

"I will not he fathering chicks this close to bigger predators. I wouldnt do it near the raptors, Bliss or your other friend." He snapped. His turned on his heels, heading back to the trees, Bliss watching before following behind him with a rather hop in her step.

I watched him run off and Amiss watched them run off, she didn't like the way he snapped at me but once she saw they were gone she backed off a bit. I looked at my cave and resituated everything again, I didn't mind the fact that Todd just run off. His loss, not mine I stated what I was and wasn't okay with, while he hadn't said a word until now.

-

I knew it wouldn't take long until another male showed up since Todd's scent would disappear pretty fast. I looked out at Amiss as she left with a couple of clicks, her mate must have made a kill and was calling to her. I went back into the cave and sat in my nest, hidden in the dark as I stared out.

His birthday had come quiet soon. He was now four and his little ones had grown huge.

He had 4 chicks overall, 3 girls and one boy.

The eldest of his clutch was a little girl called Lilac. Then there was his son, Kovi. His two other daughters were named Kisme and Iris.

They were fast learners and loved Todd.

His mate was a shy and pateint lass named Syzy. She was brown and grey in colouring with blue ocean deep eyes. Her fur was light in colour.

Their children were white and light brown. Kovi had his father's bright blue crest with his dark eyes. Iris had green specs in her fur and how you could tell Kisme and Lilac apart was the fact that Lilc was much bigger then Kisme and also the fact Kisme had a dark grey face.

-

The morning sun had drifted into a hot noon wave. Both Todd and Syzy sat while the children cooled off despretly in the small pond they had deemed theirs. Todd had found Syzy by her lonesome just nearing the end of the wet season. Syzy had fallen for Todd's looks and when Todd realized he accompanied her throughout the storms.

Their nest was in the high mountians of a quiet place. Their eyes scanned the forest over and over again. The pond was large and its not like they were hidden at all. Predators and herbivore herds with their new babies has passed by for a drink and cool off. All the water ran back into the ocean by a river. But the pond never gave out.

"They have gotten far."

"They still have far to go." Syzy had said in return, turning to face Todd, nuzzling him breifly.

"Lilac is showing her colours already. I will not be suprized if she becomes a leader of her own."

"Shes bossy, thats for sure."

Both of them giggled.

Lilax threw a peice of wet seaweed at Kisme and she growled, wiping it off. Their feet and legs in water as they played. Iris and Kovi were sticking their head under the water, trying to grab the shells and little fish that lifed in the water. But the sand kept rising because of their very uncordinated feet.

Todd lay with his legs out, leaning againts rocks in the shade, Syzy in a loaf position, her head poking out of the shade, her face shining vibrantly.

Todd had wondered but it was gonna be like when he had to move his clutch further into the world. He was a little scared of the odds but they were fast and quiet capable already.

About a week after Todd left I found a mate I got along with and didn't mind all my adopted children. He was a darker male with bright green markings and dark green eyes. He was even two years older than me.

He lost his first mate to Yutys after they had crossed the river to the other side. It wasn't his first time raising young, so we were both experienced.

-

After 9 months passed we had chicks to call our own, they still had a year until they could go off on their own but they were still considerably large.

I sat at the entrance to my cave as I watched the 6 of them fumble and wrestle each other. Acid, their father, was off hunting and scouting. I was glad all 6 of the eggs I laid hatched, it's more of an achievement that we have kept them all alive. My favorite was a female I named Forest, she had black scales but they had a green shine to them in the sun. Her eyes were a toxic green color, almost like my mini-me. She was a rough and tumble girl but she was also a bit of a daddy's girl. She was always interested in what he was doing and always asked if she could go with him. She was the only one who ever asked and she behaved so he allowed her to go with him quite often.

They all knew how to hunt for themselves but they were still too small to fend for themselves based on how much food they needed. Me and their father were tough about that, they had to hunt and kill their own food, but we would only allow them to have some of our food every few days and it was only little bits. So they were learning to be independent very quickly. Their father and I were just protection against larger predators until they could fully defend themselves.

Todd had seen how hungry his children wre getting but overkilling the fish here would result in hard clutches to come for others and himself. There was no prey as of recently and he knew he would have to move dens and locations.

He beleived his children were old enough, mature enough..? That would only be able to be shown through expriences.

-

He called his kids, and Syzy new where this was going, without Todd having to even hush a word to her. Their cooeing and clicks encouraged the little ones to follow them as they set off into the woods, little pitter padders of feet following hurriedly behind their rather wide strided parents.

-

They stopped often to let the harsh sun slide off of the babys in the shelter of trees and bushes, catching their breath. Water breaks were essentail but wuth food running low and this trip becoming longer and longer they had to resort to roots and salt rock.

Night began to fall and the babies had grown quiet tired from their long journey so in the small area Todd found a rather good little cave to store his children and mate in.

Syzy lay with the four around her while Todd lay at the entrace of the den, the shadow of the night keeping him just outta sight of anything that could pass by on chance. It was open but that means its a quicker and more efficient way to escsape, fight and be spotted. Oh the joys of parent hood.

Acid decided earlier in the day it would be good to teach the young how to hunt properly at night. Since hunting at night and hunting during the day were two different situations. So once night fell we were all making the trek into the open field.

Acid explained how he spotted a couple of camptosaurus earlier in the day bedding down. It would be the perfect example of why hiding at night can be more beneficial. On a normal day, the Camp would outrun an Alio, but that changes when the prey is asleep.

Since all of us had dark coats we just looked like moving shadows, even the ones with green markings like forest blended in quite well since the grass for so green this time of year.

We started to slow down a bit and Acid ducked down into the tall grass that led into the treeline. The young followed his actions, catching on quickly, I held up the rear. Soon enough we had them surrounded and the teens attacked first, going for the young Camptos. When the adult Camptos tried to protect their young, me and Forest went after them, getting us food of our own.

A family hunt like this was rare, so it was a strange sight to see a family of Alios each carrying a kill back to their den. I got a whiff of a familiar scent which forced me to pause for a moment. I did my best to recognize it but it wasn't any of my children, nor any of my adopted children. My pause caught Acid's attention and he stopped looking back at me, causing the children to wonder as well. My expression was confused but also curious, this caused Acid to trot over to me and nudge me a little roughly. It was his way of saying we needed to get going immediately. I promptly followed, and we went back to the den.

Todd smelt blood. The screams of something small was sharpened and afraid, Then silence. Syzy had nipped at Todd to brake him out of a trance.

The children had looked up at Todd, eakping close to their parents heels. Iris sighed, the tired eyes of them were closing faster and for longer.

Todd, looking back at his mate shook his head, diffusing tension in his neck.

"We find a place to keep safe for the night." Todd muttered, Syzy nodded in returned.

"Somewhere were the smell of blood is faint. Soomething could be lurking.

"Yes."

Todd and Syzy kept the kids in the middle, the babies following slowly and with more and more slack pulling on their feet.

Syzy, at the back, was keeping her head down, nudging them along. A den, where salt water was strong in smell and the family would be harder to find found a cave to curl up in. Their yawns and snoring soon filled the small rock sanctuary. Todd, as the front behind bushed that was covering the entrance, curled up in the way of everyone, his eyes drifting off as the lights of the stars kept a clear imagein his mind.