[Trade] Winter's Awards

All across the isles, the cold bite of winter had the wildlife in various forms of frosty moods. While some creatures hunkered down for the cold front in cozy dens, others roamed far and wide in search of any fun to be had. In the case of a small trio of raptors, the dromaeosaurs explored every nook and cranny of the frozen wastelands and winter wonderlands. Trees were weighed down by the collection of ice across their limbs and leaves; bushes hardly moved in the breeze, and if they did, an ominous creaking and rattling echoed from them. The ground was covered in a layer of snow in most areas, and every step left a little footprint behind—hunting was easier, given that failing to track something down to the end of a trail would take a blind carnivore. Scents were even sharper on the wind as the ice and snow snuffed out anything beneath. 

Despite the bonuses towards hunting, the trio wasn’t out for blood or carnage; instead, the utahraptors were each in search of something in particular. See, they had played a game back at the den, and it was quite simple. Whoever loses the sparring match had to get the other a victory reward. They took turns against each other until it was decided: Scorch would get Eden an award; Eden would get Sparrow an award; and Sparrow would get Scorch an award. 

This led the three utahraptors out into the frigid air of winter, traveling through the elements in order to find something worthy of a sparring match winner. Eden fussed over the snow and did her best to stay warm—she didn’t hang back with the other two, and instead insisted on running almost everywhere she went, from cover to cover to avoid the discomfort of the chilling winds. She had a hard time figuring out what Sparrow deserved. Eden didn’t appreciate the slightly under-taloned tactics Sparrow had used to best her; a talon that close to the eye should’ve been considered cheating or something in her mind. Losing an eye was no joke, especially for a small carnivore like herself. Despite that, she still wanted to get something that wouldn’t disappoint. After all, if Scorch and herself ended up getting stellar items, it’d make Eden look bad on account of her not putting in as much effort. Thus, while Eden attempted to stay decently close to home, she still had to venture out and find something interesting. She headed further into the woodlands, hoping that the trees would block the wind.

Scorch wasn’t as bothered by the cold; her thick feathers provided plenty of insulation. While the heat would occasionally keep her from adventuring much during the day, winter provided solace from being trapped in the den until the sun set. Instead, she could roam and run without fear of overheating. The heat of the ashlands was welcomed, and Scorch could readily enjoy exploring closer to the lava flows with the breeze cooling the surrounding area more so than it would on a spring or summer’s day. She traveled past the flows, farther from home than Eden strayed. Scorch was surprised that Eden didn’t follow in her direction, given that her lack of feathers would benefit from the warmth of the volcano’s bleeding wounds. Scorch excitedly scoured the frosty ashes and icy lava rocks in search of something perfect. Her sparring match with Eden was exactly what she expected: furious, clean, and horrifically efficient. She’d have to find something to match Eden’s ferocity and prowess properly.

Sparrow was fussy over her loss to Scorch. She beat Eden, after all–how could she not beat the one who lost to the one she defeated? Sparrow didn’t mean to be a sore loser, but her mood was spoiled by her own perception of self worth. However, Sparrow knew that if she didn’t get a proper gift, she’d probably get dirty looks or even a nip on the tail. She didn’t want to face the slight social ostracization over her own displeasure. Besides, Sparrow would have another chance to best Scorch in a sparring match once the other two decided it was time to test their skills once more. Unlike Eden, Sparrow could comfortably travel out of the woodlands and towards the moors–her feathers weren’t as dense as Scorch’s, but they still worked well enough to keep her warm against the winter wonderland she ventured into. The snow had built up in thicker drifts than there were around the densite; little to no trees across the fields ensured that the snow could be distributed across the grasses, and the wind could push the downfall up into any dip or lowland that persisted. Although her talons were cold, Sparrow kept on her journey in order to find an award for Scorch that wouldn’t get her shunned by the other two. 

As expected, Eden returned to the den first. She didn’t travel far, after all, on account of her lack of feathers and the way the cold made her shiver in excess. Eden set the trinket she’d found on the ground in the den, then settled over it as though the item was an egg she needed to warm. That way, she could keep it mostly hidden from the other dromaeosaurs until they had awards to present as well.

Sparrow returned second; she held her head high, with something clasped in her jaws that she tried to avoid letting Eden see. Eden snickered at the other utahraptor’s attempt at secrecy, but didn’t bully or mock her for the effort. There was a faint build up of snow along Sparrow’s back, almost as though she’d burrowed through it and failed to shake every snowflake off of her feathers. Unfortunately, she decided to shake out her feathers when she stood next to Eden, while preparing to sit down, and Eden let out a squawk of indignation at the offense. Sparrow rolled her eyes at the dramatics, but cooed an apology around the trinket in her mouth.

Last to arrive was Scorch. Her feathers had ashes and snow scattered across them, and her feathered crest was ruffled from the winds. The item she’d collected as an award for Eden was more than obvious as she dropped it at Eden’s feet proudly. It glittered purple and white on the inside, with a darkened crust around the core of the crystal–a geode, which Eden’s eyes sparkled at as she inspected the crystals. She was more than pleased with the gift, and rose off of the item she’d gathered for Sparrow. 

Sparrow’s head tilted in confusion before she jumped up, dropping Scorch’s award at her feet as she scrambled to get ahold of the trinket Eden had brought back for her. It was her favorite–a Pachycephalosaurus egg. Sparrow hauled it further back into the den before she began carefully biting at the crown of it to enjoy its tasty innards. Scorch hopped back from the item that rolled to her feet when Sparrow unceremoniously dropped it in her direction. After her initial hesitance, Scorch inspected it closely before realizing what it was: a slightly slobbery, otherwise free of debris, skull. Upon even closer inspection, Scorch discovered that the skull must’ve belonged to one of the researchers or unfortunate humans that tried to remain on the island whenever Morpheus pulled out. She was more than pleased with the impressive find.

All three utahraptors ended up settling down in the den, enjoying the shared warmth and delighting in their newfound possessions. The weather might’ve been cold and unwelcoming, but their company kept spirits high within the burrow for many nights to come.