Cleanup on the Isle

“Did you find anything yet?” 

“Find any-what yet?” 

“Presents. “ 

“Yeah, actually! I think. “ Gemini popped his head up from behind the sandy bank. The merle Anteosaurus looked across the way, clenched in his teeth was the ribbon of a square shaped present, wrapped up in metallic shimmery green wrapping paper. The ribbon itself is red. 

“Isthin?” 

“What?” 

“Isthin?” 

“I can't understand you. “ 

Gemini would drop the present back to the sandy ground under him. “Is this it? I don't know what they look like but I've never seen this here. “ He'd cock his head some, eyeballing Duncan from across the way. 

Duncan was another Anteosaurus of varying browns, with a ragged midline and dark dimorphic markings that looked like claw marks in a way. He pushed himself up to stand a bit taller, furrowing his brows (Or the Anteosaurus equivalent) a bit before he nodded. “Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's a present. I heard Snow Fellow and Santa Claws leave them as gifts for us on the island but I haven't the slightest idea why or where they come from. How do they even get them?”

“Maybe that's one of life's mysteries?” Gemini would question as he picked up the present and trotted it over to leave in a pile on higher ground where the sea couldn't get it. He turned to look down at Duncan across the way. “Have you found one yet?” 

“Not yet. “ The brown Anteo would respond, glancing back up to the merle marked one who was now lazily wagging the tip of his tail. He knew the entire pack was out looking for these things, while some were placed intentionally others seemed to be laying around haphazardly. He wondered if presets meant for others were washing up on their little island. It was better they collect the presents now before they could get ruined by the elements. 

Duncan got back to work, continuing down the beach from where he had been. There was a particular crook in the terrain where driftwood always seemed to wash up one way or another and he figured finding a present there was a good bet. When he got down to the crooked beach he was surprised to find he was actually right, laying tangled up in the driftwood and other debris was a few presents.  One looked just like the one Gemini found, meanwhile another had blue paper and the last half red paper. He'd call over his shoulder, trying to get the attention of Gemini. “Hey Gemini! Come over here I can't carry all of these. “ He probably could, but it'd be a hassle. 

Gemini perked up and trotted over. “Did you find some presents? Oh you did find some presents!” He gave a bit of an excited grin before he would come down the hillside to help Duncan collect up the presents and move them to higher ground. Him and Duncan had a time and a half getting them unstuck from the driftwood and clutter. After a few minutes of tugging around the limbs and pushing bits and pieces here and there and just cleaning the beach up some the two of them managed to retrieve the presents and move them up the bank to leave them with the growing pile on the higher ground.

“How do you think the others are making out?” Gemini would ask, making smalltalk.

“I don’t know, I’m not babysitting them.” Duncan responded, not really up for it. He got the presents better situated before he reared up on his hind legs, using his tail to balance. He gave a look around himself and Gemini. “I don’t see anymore on our stretch but I could be wrong. “

“We have a decent pile already, any more and they might be a bit hard to carry back.” Gemini would take a look at the presents. He wanted to give them to the rest of the pack and see what everyone got.

“Here comes Jarona. “ Duncan would half-warn and half-state.

Jarona is an Anteosaurus of varying greys, with a hood on her head framing a haze and her body being lined with bands, starting with filled ones before ending with white banding and daubs. If you squinted, there was brindling on her hip. Her bands hid a merle pattern on her back half. She was carrying something in her mouth as she came over and when she got closer they were able to see she was carrying slabs of meat. She would drop the two pieces of meat to the ground once she got within speaking distance of the two boys.

“Present for you!” She’d greet them, giving the free food to them. “I thought it was about due time you boys got some food in you since you’ve been working. “

“Thanks Jarona.”

“Thanks.”

Gemini tilted his head some before he’d come forward and take a piece of meat, not digging in just yet. “You’ve been helping to look for presents too, right Jarona?” He’d ask her.

“That’s what the boss has us all doing, cleaning up this island. I don’t imagine all of these presents from Santa-whoever are for just us, there’s just too many of them.” She’d explain as Gemini got snacking on the slab of meat she’d brought for him.

“There is, after we eat we’re going to move further down, go past the crook. “ Duncan would explain and would move up to grab his piece of meat so he could scarf it down.

“Thanks for the present, Jarona. “ Gemini would thank between bites, offering her a pleased expression coupled with a bit of wagging tail.

“Not a problem, just looking out for you.” She’d give him a nod. “Since you boys have this section cleaned up I’ll take these presents and hand them out to the others, any excess I’ll leave in the den so we can all share them.”

“Thanks Jarona. Think you’ll be okay carrying them all?” Duncan would ask.

“I’ll figure it out. “ She would move up to the pile of presents. Now there were a total of four presents and one Anteosaurus. She moved them around and lined up the ribbon bows, getting them a certain way made it easy for her to lean down and pluck them up by their tops so she could (awkwardly) carry all of them at the same time. With them successfully rescued from the beach she would set out to go look for the rest of her pack members so she could deliver the presents to them and take any extra to the den so they could all later open them together.