Tis' the season

Åra, Öre and Ära was enjoying a quiet morning. At first at least. They were all stretched out on the big bed they had originally made for Ära, the big dark grey Suchomimus, but as they had gotten to know each other as the weeks had passed by they had grown closer and closer. At first it was just Ära and Öre who cuddled together at night, given that they had known each other for a longer time than they had known Åra. But now they all knew each other much more. And while they didn’t do it every night, sometimes they all three fell asleep as they cuddled carefully in bed together. That night was such a night. And as the light started to enter the big windows they started to wake up. They were looking at each other and just enjoying what would have been a sleep in when they suddenly heard a slight chiming sound. All three of them, almost simultaneously, lifted their heads to look up at the wall from where they could hear it. They looked at each other and as if they could speak telepathically they all agreed to be as slow and silently as they possibly could stand up. They had to walk to the back of the warehouse if they wanted to get out all three of them. But if they walked to the front door they could at least catch a glimpse of who was on the outside without giving themselves away too much. Åra looked back at Ära and Öre. If they took the front door they couldn’t get Ära out. However Ära would not help the situation much. He was already quite shaken as they listened to the rhythmic soft chiming of bells.
Åra finally took the initiative and slowly opened the door as the chiming of bells slowly had passed the door by. She looked out through the smallest gap she could. What had walked past them was a brown Dacentrurus. While Åra had met a few Dacentrurus before he looked slightly off as he walked. His spikes and feathers just looked slightly abnormal. Åra couldn’t really put her claw on it as she watched. She could feel both Öre and Ära slowly press their heads outside through the gaps in the door but the space wasn’t enough. Not really. So the door quickly opened with a creak. For a second everyone froze. Even the Dacentrurus froze. But he didn’t look back. The Dacentrurus stood still and so did the three grey dinosaurs as they watched him. Until he whipped his head around and looked back at them. There was something with his red eyes that felt off. It sent shivers down Öre’s spine and made Ära recoil slightly.
“Well. Well. Well.” The Dacentrurus said with a slight grin on his lips. “What do we have here? A group of younglings?” He spoke with a soft voice, riddled with bad energy.

“We live here. This is our place.” Åra was the first one to speak. She was the bravest of them all. She was good at standing her ground. She had done the same when both Öre and Ära had arrived at the door of the warehouse. But they were young and not looking for a fight. This Dacentrurus didn’t seem to be on the same level as them. He seemed to be looking for trouble, or hoping that trouble would find him. “So you should leave.” Åra tried to keep her voice steady.
“I agree. There’s no space for you here anyway.” Öre chimed in. Her voice was shaking more than Åras voice. Öre nodded with his head as it stuck out between the two raptors.
“Oh, I can make space. It’s a lovely space you’ve got here.” He scraped one of his tail spines against the wall of the warehouse. Åra’s feathers raised high and the other two followed suit.
“How dare you hurt our home.” Her feathers stuck out as much as they could. Åra tried to get out but they were slightly stuck in the doorway. Öre tried to wiggle herself so that there would be space for them to leave the doorway.
“Looks like you aren’t going anywhere.” The Dacentrurus spoke with a slight grin on his face as he slowly made his way over. “What could two tiny raptors and a,” he looked up at the Suchomimus, “a scardy-cat hope to do against me?”
“Åra is like the master of fighting. Aren’t you Åra?” Öre said with a proud and loud voice while Ära nodded a lot to compensate for not being able to also talk up the raptor.
“Y-yes. Yes I am.” Åra’s voice was slightly unsure. But it had worked before to believe in her non-existent fighting abilities. In reality she barely had any at all.
“Well. How scared I am. I wasn’t planning on standing around here, but now I might have to. To see what you will do.” The Dacentrurus said as he walked closer to them.
“Give it a rest. Krampus.” There was another voice. It appeared out of nowhere and the Dacentrurus called Krampus turned around with a scowl and a growl.
“What are you doing here?”
“Evidently ruining your day.”
“Evidently.”
The two dinosaurs stared at each other for a while before the Dacentrurus gave off a grunt and started walking away. Åra, Ära and Öre all looked at the red and white Therizinosaurus slowly making its way up to them.
“Looks like I just arrived in the nick of time.” His voice, unlike the Dacentrurus, was jolly and kind.
“Thank you.” Öre said as Ära, who was the only one of them not stuck in the small door because he could only fit his head inside it, slowly dragged his head back inside.
“But why are you here?” Åra asked with a slight suspiciousness in her voice as Ära finally helped them get loose by carefully pushing them outside. It might have also helped that they finally relaxed a bit.
“It’s the season.” The Therizinosaurus said with a smile on his lips as the two raptors finally could shake themselves off outside of the doorway. Ära stuck his head outside again and waved his arms a bit.
“Ära is right. What season?” Öre translated Äras hand gestures into the question.
The Therizinosaurus didn’t answer but instead handed them three small gifts each. Small packets.
“Be good, and we will meet each other again next year.”

All three of them looked over their presents before Åra looked up:
“Wait, what was your name?” Her question echoed out into the empty parking lot. He was already gone. The two raptors and the head of the Suchomimus took the opportunity, while confused, to enter back into the warehouse again.
“That was weird.” Öre said as she looked over her small present. Ära nodded his head before carefully shaking his present.
“Who were they?” Åra asked as she too looked over her present. She thought she could hear it squeak inside of the packet.
“Well. At least it all solved itself. Somehow. I am not leaving this room.” Öre and Ära both sat down. Ära was silently agreeing with everything they were saying.
“Let’s never get that curious again when we hear someone outside, yes?” Åra said as she too sat down.
“Agreed.”