[Trade] Cold, Cold, Cold

Cold weather was rare on the islands where dinosaurus now lived. Usually it was tropical and warm, especially on the volcanic islands. However, occasionally the weather would dip and bring in a wave of cold that was unnatural and spoke of past meddling in the environment. Even when gone, humans have left scars on the very skies.

Biting wind and snow fell across the islands, the violent snowstorm coming with little warning and lashing the island like a heavy strike. Creatures big and small quickly dove for cover, hiding in dens and thick brush to avoid the freezing temperature they were not built to handle. 

Several creatures stuck out in the open when the blizzard struck were lost, sent sprawling into the building snow with any exit blocked off by white. Trying to find an way to escape was for nought, and even their cries for help were drowned out by the all consuming snow.

When Beni-Oh had gone out hunting on his own an hour before the storm struck, there had been little sign of the looming doom. The sky had been grey, sure, but it often was during this time of year. The wind was cold, sure, but that was normal. What hadn't been normal, however, was the gleaming white specks that started falling from the sky. Curious, Beni-Oh had stuck his tounge out to catch one before spitting it out with a hiss. It was cold. Very cold. As he stared up at the sky, the albertosaurus noticed that the clouds looked even less friendly, somehow, than they had beforehand. The snow was only getting harder and harder as he watch, and it was sticking, Shivering, he turned to head back to the den only for a gust of wind to fly right into his face.


Disorientated, Beni-Oh stumbled forward a bit before managing to right himself. The snow had only just begun, but his limbs were already starting to buzz with cold and numbness. "Have to get back." The theropod spoke to himself, trying to shake the snow off his body before he got any more numb. This had mixed results however, given the snow was up to his ankles, and it really just made him dizzy. Facing off into the distance that he came from, Beni-Oh blanced. Wind and fog and snow had combined together to fill the air, making him unable to see more than a few feet in front of him. "Still got my nose, at least." Quickly Beni-Oh broke into a run, knowing that he needed to get back before things got worse.


The fog presented a problem, however. Beni-Oh could not fine his way, and his nose could only smell so much. On his hunt, the theopod had stepped over a small frozen creek carefully. However, in his rush, he had forgotten where it was. With a yelp Beni-Oh slid across the small patch of ice, crashing to the ground with a roar that the wind snatched away. He didn't stay down for long- he couldnt afford to. But the world was spinning. Beni-Oh couldnt tell what way was what. He was lost.

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“Need to keep going…” Beni-Oh panted to himself. He had long ago lost the trail back to the den, and now he was just stumbling in hopes of finding any type of shelter from the relentless cold nipping at him. He had been walking for so long he couldn't feel his feet, but the den had never appeared. His head was still dizzy from his earlier fall, making it harder to find his way. Beni-Oh feared this was his end.

Eventually, salvation came in the sight of some sort of abandoned human building. It was small and run down, and out in the middle of nowhere. But it was better than the cold. Quickly shoving his way through the already broken door, Beni-Oh quickly collapsed in the small room. The floor and walls were just as cold, but at least the roof was in good enough shape that snow was no longer falling upon his quills. Curling into a ball, he couldn’t help but wish for his brother and his warmth.

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Konkoh had been asleep when the blizzard started, curled into the den next to Ritsao. Because of their feathery coats, neither had noticed the sudden cold until a strong gust of wind caused a tree branch to fall, waking them up with a flinch. 

“Wha-what?” Konkoh pulled himself to his feet, before peeking out of the den in confusion. The roaring wind instantly nipped at his muzzle, causing him to rear back.

“Snow?” Ritsao nosed his way out the den past him, scowling as he looked into the windy white void. “This is a really bad storm…” he whipped his tail around in agitation. 

“Wait- Beni-oh?” Konkoh called out in fear. “He was right here when we fell asleep!” Ben-oh had a habit of occasionally going off on his own for a quick hunt, returning just as the other two woke up with a fresh meal that he would sometimes share. And if he wasn’t here…

Konkoh and Ritsao stared into the storm in silent fear. Beno-oh was out there- and unlike them, he didn’t have feathers to offer some protection from the snow. “We need to go after him.” Ritaso hissed lowly. “The storm can’t have been going on for too long- the snow still hasn’t fully covered the ground yet. We need to go now before his footprints and scent get covered.”

Konkoh hissed in agreement, before quickly stepping out into the storm. The snow was cold, and the wind was so strong it was hard to breathe. Ritsao followed behind, using Konkoh’s body for slight shelter from the wind. Clever. But there was no time to shake him off- they had to move.

Konkoh ran through the snow, constantly scenting the air as he tried to find any clue of what way his brother had gone. The wind was teasing, giving him a quick whiff of the scent before tearing it away. 

“There!” Ritsao was able to fully catch the scent first from his slight shelter, nodding towards a partly covered footprint on the ground. Pressing his nose closer, Konkoh was able to catch the scent trail fairly easily.

“Its fresh.” Konkoh huffed. “He can’t be far ahead.” Quickly he raised his head, letting out a loud roar. However, no response came. The sound simply got lost in the snow. Fear chilled Konkoh worse than the cold ever could. Quickly he broke into a run again, Ritsao following behind with a quiet curse.

The trail was extremely hard to follow. It veered left and right several times, even doubling back a few times before moving forward again. It was like Beni-Oh had been confused, trying to find his way back but just getting more and more lost. Several times Ritsao and Konkoh lost the trail, and it was becoming harder and harder to find it again as more and more snow fell down.

It wasn’t long before the footsteps were fully covered by the snow, the only thing guiding the pair was the faint scent and the direction they had last been going in. Konkoh felt his heart sink deeper and deeper with every snowflake. Were they all going to die out here, doomed to wander the white nothing until they collapsed? Has that already happened to Beni-Oh?

Ritsao's shout broke Konkoh out of his spiraling thoughts, muscles burning from the cold and exhaustion as he craned his neck up. Ahead of them was the human building that lay on the fringes of their territory- they had really wondered that far? But what made Ritsao shout was the scent that was coming from the door- Beni-Oh’s scent.

Feeling energized, Konkoh dashed into the building. He shoved his way through the door, which seemed worse off than the last time he had been there. There, curled  up on the floor, was Beni-Oh. For a moment Konkoh was stunned, forgetting how to breathe for a moment. Were they too late? Was he gone?

Ritaso stepped forward, brushing his snout against the fallen albertosaurus. After close inspection, he was able to infer that Beni-Oh was unconscious, cold but alive. “He’s ok.” Ritsao carefully waved his tail, beckoning Konkoh closer. 

Konkoh gently pressed his head to his brothers, relieved to feel the soft breathing. “We need to warm him up.” Konkok quickly piled against his brother, brushing his feathers against slowly warming scales. Ritsao joined without a word on the other side of Beni-Oh, resting his head on the back of the quilled albertosaurus. The two waited in silence.

Beni-Oh groaned as he felt something press against his side. Huffing, he shifted only to press into something warm on the other side. Wait. Warm? Curious, he opened his eyes to meet the worried face of Knokok.

“Brother!” Knoko cried out, tail swiping in relief. “You're alright!” Ritsao poked his head over as well, explaining the warmth Beni-Oh could feel from the other side too.

“Glad you guys found me…” Beni-Oh sighed, still exhausted even after the “nap” he had. The structure was much warmer, now that three adult albertosaurus were inside. While the weather outside was frightful, in their temporary shelter it was safe.