Tom sat in a cloud of sadness. All he could see was Zawkane’s huge form flapping above him. He wanted to be back in those massive claws. Even though they could have killed him in an instant, they were a welcome memory.

Tom knew his two remaining friends were trying to talk to him, but he paid their voices little heed. That was until he felt Shehleg slow to a stop. He wondered where they were and so came out of his memories to the present time.

The sun was now going down. How long till sunset, he couldn’t tell. They were still amongst trees, but no hint of human habitation. “I feel that you’ve decided to rejoin us,” Shehleg said taking deep breaths.

“Where are we?” Tom asked plainly.

“We are about six miles from our battle location,” Chaphar answered, also breathing hard.

Tom almost didn’t hear the response. Sadness kept trying to carry him away, almost like Zawkane’s claws. “Do you still want food?” Shehleg asked. “We tried to make as many miles as we could, but we won’t reach anywhere with your kind of food until tomorrow night, when we can reach Red.”

“I am hungry, though I don’t feel like eating,” Tom answered.

A rustling in the bushes to their right brought them all to full alertness. For the moment, sadness was a distant thought in Tom’s mind. “Who’s there?” Chaphar called out to the disturbance.

“Who’s asking?” a male voice answered back.

“Chaphar, Stallion of the Canyon Herd,” Chaphar answered.

“And I’m Shehleg, Mare of the same herd,” Shehleg added.

Chaphar signaled Tom to answer. “Uh, my name is Tom.”

The voice delayed his answer a moment or two. “Sounds right from what I’ve heard. I am Bohen, Lead Scout in this area.”

“A scout you said?” Chaphar answered. “That would make you a—”

“So you know of our presence here?” the voice interrupted.

“Yes, but why did you stop me from telling what you are?” Chaphar asked.

“We don’t like our whereabouts known,” the voice answered.

“Well, we mean you no harm, we’re just passing through,” Chaphar said pointing the way they were traveling.

“I gathered that, I am a scout remember,” the voice answered. “Therefore I was not going to make myself known, but I wanted to know why you stopped in our territory.”

“We are tired, nightfall is on its way, and our human friend needs food,” Chaphar said looking to the sky.

“That is understandable; I will get my fellow scouts on the hunt immediately.” The words were followed by a loud roaring signal. It was higher pitched than that of a dragon, but it was not any animal Tom had heard before. Two other bushes rustled and footsteps were heard running away. They were fast, as they disappeared quickly, and the strides were long.

Chaphar noticed Tom’s confused look and requested, “Our human friend has never seen one of you before and this is likely going to be his only chance. Could you show yourself, I promise we will not spread a word of this?”

“Why is that? We are everywhere,” the voice asked.

“He is…one who lives with his own kind most of the time,” Chaphar answered.

Silence met the end of Chaphar’s words. After about a minute of nothing but the wind making noise, footsteps were heard returning. Something hit the ground; it was as if the returning creatures had dropped it. A low growl responded to the sound.

The other creatures left. It almost seemed like they were stalking away. The voice answered again, “I sent my scouts away.” The bushes rustled a few seconds. “I will bring the food out myself.” Just as the last word was spoken, a semi-large green creature leaped out into the open.

Tom’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help but say its name out loud, “Utahraptor!”

The creature dropped the bunny it was carrying in its mouth on the ground. “Well, I see his schooling is complete, but what does ‘utah’ mean?”

Tom thought hard for an answer. “It means…it means in essence ‘large’.”

“Then the word usage is correct. I am of the large breed of Velociraptors,” Bohen answered. “Now, I will remain with you until sunrise, when I will escort you to the next scout zone. They will keep tabs on you until you reach the border of our territory.”

“Thank you,” Chaphar said lowering his head in a small bow.

“I’m not doing this to be kind,” Bohen answered. “We must know what the other mindful creatures are doing on our grounds.”

“But, may I ask why all the security?” Tom asked sliding off Shehleg.

“There are a large number of us and we are carnivores,” Bohen said crouching lower. “If we do not watch where the mindful creatures are, we risk eating them. Also, if other mindful carnivores enter our territory, we must keep their meals in check. We need all the food on our land to survive.”

“In case you didn’t catch it, Tom,” Shehleg added. “That means that rabbit there is a prized possession of theirs and it is a special gift.”

“She speaks truthfully,” Bohen said stalking in to the bushes. “I am going to get myself a meal. Be back shortly.” He then darted away.

“Well then,” Tom said sighing. “Seeing as there is no dragon around, we shall need to make a fire to cook this.”

“You can cook rabbit over a fire?” Chaphar asked surprised.

“You can start a fire from scratch?” Shehleg added just as surprised.

“No and no,” Tom answered walking toward a stick. “But, I’ve seen movies with fires started from scratch. I think I could do it. As for cooking over a fire, I guess it’s a good time to learn.” Tom then walked further into the bushes.

Chaphar and Shehleg helped him gather wood, but Tom collected most of it. They could only carry one back at a time. After a few minutes they had enough. Bohen returned not long after. “What’s with all the plant remains?”

“I’m going to attempt to start a fire to cook my…the bunny you gave me,” Tom answered.

“You are going to do what to that fine meal?” Bohen asked stepping up to the pile of sticks and sniffing them. He righted himself and looked up at Tom’s face.

“I can’t eat raw meat like you can,” Tom said shaking his head.

“So you are going to do that infamous thing we hear that humans do with their food?” Bohen said backing up a step. “I never really believed that your kind did such a thing. I could never grasp why they would ruin such delicious food.”

“From what I’ve heard of your kind, I understand,” Tom said pulling a few dryer sticks out. “But we humans aren’t made the same as you.”

Bohen nodded. “That’s believable. I can’t conceive of eating grass either, yet so many animals do it,” he said looking at Chaphar and Shehleg. “I will stay and watch you burn your food,” he added folding his legs under him. “It will be fascinating, and as long as you don’t waste the food, I won’t be insulted.”

Tom smiled. An awful lot hinged on his doing this right. Whether he liked how the food came out or not, he would need to eat it. Bohen seemed friendly enough, but who knows what he would do under insult. Tom had seen enough movies to know what these creatures could do with that claw on their big toe.

Tom arranged the wood into a small cluster and used the two driest pieces to try and get flame. It took him nearly thirty minutes rubbing them together to get smoke and another fifteen to get enough flame to light the rest of the wood. Tom’s arms burned hotter than the fire he had made.

He then took two sticks with small protruding stubs and pushed them upright into the ground. Taking a long straight stick, he stabbed it through the bunny. He hung that stick on the two upright ones so it passed over the fire. Over the next half-hour, he slowly spun it in a circle to evenly cook the bunny. By the time he felt it was done, the crossing from day to night had passed.

Tom broke a leg off. The fur was burned off and the skin was black. It didn’t look good, but he knew enough to know that the inside wouldn’t be done if the outside wasn’t overdone. He bit in and was amazed at how well he’d done. It was a little overcooked, but then this was a leg.

After Tom had eaten his full, he said, “Thank you Bohen for the meal. I’m sorry I didn’t eat it all, but maybe in the morning I could warm it up.” The bunny was half eaten. The middle wasn’t totally done so it would need more than just a warming up.

“You’re welcome Tom,” Bohen answered. “It was a small service for the highest of the blessed creatures.”

“Well, I’m tired,” Shehleg said yawning. “Tom, you could sleep between us this time.”

“I think I will,” Tom said standing up.

Chaphar and Shehleg moved closer to each other, but left room for Tom, and lay on the ground. Tom lay down between them, with his head toward the fire. “No need to worry about mindless predators,” Bohen said. “We wipe them out quickly.”

Tom felt safer with that knowledge and fell toward sleep fast. His trip to dreamland was delayed as memories only hours old came back to his mind. He slept restlessly that night.Tom sat in a cloud of sadness. All he could see was Zawkane’s huge form flapping above him. He wanted to be back in those massive claws. Even though they could have killed him in an instant, they were a welcome memory.

Tom knew his two remaining friends were trying to talk to him, but he paid their voices little heed. That was until he felt Shehleg slow to a stop. He wondered where they were and so came out of his memories to the present time.

The sun was now going down. How long till sunset, he couldn’t tell. They were still amongst trees, but no hint of human habitation. “I feel that you’ve decided to rejoin us,” Shehleg said taking deep breaths.

“Where are we?” Tom asked plainly.

“We are about six miles from our battle location,” Chaphar answered, also breathing hard.

Tom almost didn’t hear the response. Sadness kept trying to carry him away, almost like Zawkane’s claws. “Do you still want food?” Shehleg asked. “We tried to make as many miles as we could, but we won’t reach anywhere with your kind of food until tomorrow night, when we can reach Red.”

“I am hungry, though I don’t feel like eating,” Tom answered.

A rustling in the bushes to their right brought them all to full alertness. For the moment, sadness was a distant thought in Tom’s mind. “Who’s there?” Chaphar called out to the disturbance.

“Who’s asking?” a male voice answered back.

“Chaphar, Stallion of the Canyon Herd,” Chaphar answered.

“And I’m Shehleg, Mare of the same herd,” Shehleg added.

Chaphar signaled Tom to answer. “Uh, my name is Tom.”

The voice delayed his answer a moment or two. “Sounds right from what I’ve heard. I am Bohen, Lead Scout in this area.”

“A scout you said?” Chaphar answered. “That would make you a—”

“So you know of our presence here?” the voice interrupted.

“Yes, but why did you stop me from telling what you are?” Chaphar asked.

“We don’t like our whereabouts known,” the voice answered.

“Well, we mean you no harm, we’re just passing through,” Chaphar said pointing the way they were traveling.

“I gathered that, I am a scout remember,” the voice answered. “Therefore I was not going to make myself known, but I wanted to know why you stopped in our territory.”

“We are tired, nightfall is on its way, and our human friend needs food,” Chaphar said looking to the sky.

“That is understandable; I will get my fellow scouts on the hunt immediately.” The words were followed by a loud roaring signal. It was higher pitched than that of a dragon, but it was not any animal Tom had heard before. Two other bushes rustled and footsteps were heard running away. They were fast, as they disappeared quickly, and the strides were long.

Chaphar noticed Tom’s confused look and requested, “Our human friend has never seen one of you before and this is likely going to be his only chance. Could you show yourself, I promise we will not spread a word of this?”

“Why is that? We are everywhere,” the voice asked.

“He is…one who lives with his own kind most of the time,” Chaphar answered.

Silence met the end of Chaphar’s words. After about a minute of nothing but the wind making noise, footsteps were heard returning. Something hit the ground; it was as if the returning creatures had dropped it. A low growl responded to the sound.

The other creatures left. It almost seemed like they were stalking away. The voice answered again, “I sent my scouts away.” The bushes rustled a few seconds. “I will bring the food out myself.” Just as the last word was spoken, a semi-large green creature leaped out into the open.

Tom’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help but say its name out loud, “Utahraptor!”

The creature dropped the bunny it was carrying in its mouth on the ground. “Well, I see his schooling is complete, but what does ‘utah’ mean?”

Tom thought hard for an answer. “It means…it means in essence ‘large’.”

“Then the word usage is correct. I am of the large breed of Velociraptors,” Bohen answered. “Now, I will remain with you until sunrise, when I will escort you to the next scout zone. They will keep tabs on you until you reach the border of our territory.”

“Thank you,” Chaphar said lowering his head in a small bow.

“I’m not doing this to be kind,” Bohen answered. “We must know what the other mindful creatures are doing on our grounds.”

“But, may I ask why all the security?” Tom asked sliding off Shehleg.

“There are a large number of us and we are carnivores,” Bohen said crouching lower. “If we do not watch where the mindful creatures are, we risk eating them. Also, if other mindful carnivores enter our territory, we must keep their meals in check. We need all the food on our land to survive.”

“In case you didn’t catch it, Tom,” Shehleg added. “That means that rabbit there is a prized possession of theirs and it is a special gift.”

“She speaks truthfully,” Bohen said stalking in to the bushes. “I am going to get myself a meal. Be back shortly.” He then darted away.

“Well then,” Tom said sighing. “Seeing as there is no dragon around, we shall need to make a fire to cook this.”

“You can cook rabbit over a fire?” Chaphar asked surprised.

“You can start a fire from scratch?” Shehleg added just as surprised.

“No and no,” Tom answered walking toward a stick. “But, I’ve seen movies with fires started from scratch. I think I could do it. As for cooking over a fire, I guess it’s a good time to learn.” Tom then walked further into the bushes.

Chaphar and Shehleg helped him gather wood, but Tom collected most of it. They could only carry one back at a time. After a few minutes they had enough. Bohen returned not long after. “What’s with all the plant remains?”

“I’m going to attempt to start a fire to cook my…the bunny you gave me,” Tom answered.

“You are going to do what to that fine meal?” Bohen asked stepping up to the pile of sticks and sniffing them. He righted himself and looked up at Tom’s face.

“I can’t eat raw meat like you can,” Tom said shaking his head.

“So you are going to do that infamous thing we hear that humans do with their food?” Bohen said backing up a step. “I never really believed that your kind did such a thing. I could never grasp why they would ruin such delicious food.”

“From what I’ve heard of your kind, I understand,” Tom said pulling a few dryer sticks out. “But we humans aren’t made the same as you.”

Bohen nodded. “That’s believable. I can’t conceive of eating grass either, yet so many animals do it,” he said looking at Chaphar and Shehleg. “I will stay and watch you burn your food,” he added folding his legs under him. “It will be fascinating, and as long as you don’t waste the food, I won’t be insulted.”

Tom smiled. An awful lot hinged on his doing this right. Whether he liked how the food came out or not, he would need to eat it. Bohen seemed friendly enough, but who knows what he would do under insult. Tom had seen enough movies to know what these creatures could do with that claw on their big toe.

Tom arranged the wood into a small cluster and used the two driest pieces to try and get flame. It took him nearly thirty minutes rubbing them together to get smoke and another fifteen to get enough flame to light the rest of the wood. Tom’s arms burned hotter than the fire he had made.

He then took two sticks with small protruding stubs and pushed them upright into the ground. Taking a long straight stick, he stabbed it through the bunny. He hung that stick on the two upright ones so it passed over the fire. Over the next half-hour, he slowly spun it in a circle to evenly cook the bunny. By the time he felt it was done, the crossing from day to night had passed.

Tom broke a leg off. The fur was burned off and the skin was black. It didn’t look good, but he knew enough to know that the inside wouldn’t be done if the outside wasn’t overdone. He bit in and was amazed at how well he’d done. It was a little overcooked, but then this was a leg.

After Tom had eaten his full, he said, “Thank you Bohen for the meal. I’m sorry I didn’t eat it all, but maybe in the morning I could warm it up.” The bunny was half eaten. The middle wasn’t totally done so it would need more than just a warming up.

“You’re welcome Tom,” Bohen answered. “It was a small service for the highest of the blessed creatures.”

“Well, I’m tired,” Shehleg said yawning. “Tom, you could sleep between us this time.”

“I think I will,” Tom said standing up.

Chaphar and Shehleg moved closer to each other, but left room for Tom, and lay on the ground. Tom lay down between them, with his head toward the fire. “No need to worry about mindless predators,” Bohen said. “We wipe them out quickly.”

Tom felt safer with that knowledge and fell toward sleep fast. His trip to dreamland was delayed as memories only hours old came back to his mind. He slept restlessly that night.