[Trade] Fumble

The world was harsh and cruel. Bumble had learned that at a young age- not that he still wasn't at a young age! He was just a bit older now. A little bit wiser. He was now old enough to know that bugs were a good source of food, at least. But the lizards and small mammals that often scurried around in the forest were much better. And he had learned that other dinosaurus, regardless if they looked like him or not, were not likely to be kind. Many times he has had to run from larger teeth and claws, the only thing saving him being the tangled depths of the forests he hid in. 

And Bumble had no plans on leaving. At least, not anytime soon. He was perfectly content to stay and exist in this bit of forest he had. Sure it was dark and musty, and the leaves made him sneeze a lot, but it was perfectly safe. The only things that could fit into the thicket were smaller creatures. Said smaller creatures usually ended up as food. 

However, something was drawing Bumble out of this little safe spot, for the first time. Sounds that sounded similar to ones he would occasionally make, but higher pitched. Soft squeaks and squeals filled the air outside the den, sounds of pure joy and happiness. Emotions he had not had a chance to feel yet.

Curious, Bumble poked his nose out from his verdant fortress, before the rest of him wiggled out behind him. Quickly he pulled himself to his feet, the layers of mud he had rolled in helping to hide his bright pelt from detection. He set off for the noise, letting curiosity override his caution for once.

It was not long before Bumble found the source of the noise- when said source crashed into him, sending both of them head over tail with a yelp. In a whirl of thrashing claws and tails the two slammed into the ground, separating with pained grunts.

Head swimming from the rough collision, Bumble looked up with a wince from where he had landed. Next to him on the ground was a gray and white pile of scales. As he watched the pile of scales unfurled into an equally dizzy cryolophosaurus. In the past, Bumble had a few bad encounters with others of this kind- but this one was smaller than him. This gave him enough confidence to not instantly run, to spend a moment observing the other instead.

The smaller cryolophosaurus was the color of gray clouds, wispy patches of white splashed across his hide just completing the look. Dark spots speckles his body, seemingly centered in a straight line, while star-like spots lit up his hide. With a groan bright red eyes opened, seeming foggy for a second before focusing on Bumble. 

“Orion!” A name was called out, as a blur of bright purple ran down the slope in front of him. Another hatchling, similar in appearance to what seemed to be her brother but with more bold colors. Quickly her concerned look shifted to Bumble, hardening into more of a glare. “Did you do this?” She angrily lashed her tail, bearing small, stubby teeth. If it wasn't for the height difference between them, Bumble may have felt cowed. Instead, he couldn’t help but giggle softly, seemingly offending the female hatchling. 

However, before said hatchling could attempt to pounce forward and nip at him with her sharp little teeth, the hatchling seemingly called Orion finally spoke. “Wait! Nebula! It was my fault.” Orion scrambled to his feet, before dipping his head to Bumble as apologizes flew from his mouth like a startled bird. “I'm so so sorry! It’s my fault! Please don't be mad!” 

Bumble blinked, startled. He was apologizing? Not attacking? Huh. This hatchling was the first dinosaur he had come across that hadn’t treated him with disdain at best and aggression at worst. “Its… fine.” The bright cryolophosaurus cracked, shaking his head a bit. He was unused to communicating with others. “Not mad.”

Seemingly calming down, the female hatchling (Nebula?) pushed her way into his personal space. She no longer seemed aggressive, instead very curious about him. “Who are you?” the pastel hatchling squeaked. “We don’t live around here- our father told us to stay put in a den but there was something gross in there!” Her eyes widened as if she was trying to get across how gross this thing was, and Bumble found himself nodding around in bemusement. “So we left! And Orion wanted to play, and I only gave in because he begged me.”

Orion tackled her, pushing his sister down with an indigent squeal. “Did not!” He insisted, looking to Bumble with big pleading eyes- all nervousness gone. “She was the one who pounced first!” Orion yelped as Nebula nipped his leg, quickly recreating the sounds that had drawn Bumble to them in the first place. And if Bumble had heard it…

The sound of snapping branches was what alerted Bumble to the nearby danger. Without a second thought he lunged forward, tackling the hatchlings and himself into the underbrush. Together they rolled under the branches of a thick brush, Bumble gritting his teeth to avoid yelping as sharp points scraped against his hide. The hatchlings underneath him, however, had no such qualms. “Shhh!” Bumble shushed their frantic peeps with a growl as the sound of loud footsteps grew closer.

Flattening himself and the now silent hatchlings to the ground, Bumble tried to keep himself as quiet as possible. From between the branches, he could make out the slow movement of giant, clawed feet. Looking up, Bumble spotted the shadow of a giant fanged head, scenting the air slowly for any sign of them. A low growl sounded across the clearing, before the large shadow stopped in front of a bush. It had found them. Bumble closed his eyes, looking away in dread as a drooling maw poked through the foliage-

An angry shriek filled the air as the shadow of an adult crylophosaurus pounced onto the back of the larger predator. Two other snarls filled the air, more packmates coming out of the woods to assist. “Sire!” Bumble heard Orion call out- the hatchlings frantic calls must have attracted the pack. 

Quickly, Bumble nudged the two of them out the back of the bush. “Hurry!” He hissed, shouldering the foliage aside to make room for them. They had to get clear before the bush was trampled in the violent fight. Nebula scrambled out first, Orion casting wide eyes back at Bumble as he followed. Bumble grunted, quickly scrambling deeper into the woods. “Stay here until the fight is over.” He advised the two. Already, the sounds of combat were wearing down.

As Bumble turned to run off, he heard a small whine, but neither of the two hatchlings raised objections. They seemed too shell-shocked to move still. Bumble hid behind a tree just out of range, wanting to make sure the two hatchlings were safe before he left. The sound of combat was gone now. A worried roar split the air, the two hatchlings responding to it with the cries of a child calling for their parents. Feeling satisfied, Bumble quickly crept away before he could be discovered. However, part of him couldn’t help but think; what was it like to be protected?