Pest control ('Dam it' Spring 2025)

                Spring was one of Clerics two favorite months. The cold chill of winter was still there, but more tolerable. Grass was at its greenest. Water was at its clearest. And everyone was just happy to be out of the winter months.

                Or, most of everyone was happy to be out of the winter months.

                Cleric and Frankie had gone further inland for the day, wanting to go and see what all they could find to eat but had instead found their normal hunting area had flooded. The weather had heated up enough to start melting off the snow from the last major storm that had blown through as well as the snow from the nearby mountain. The rivers they knew to avoid due to the faster moving water seemed to have been diverted along the way somewhere. The result was the pair of utahraptors standing at the edge of a small clearing that had a good foot or two of water.

                “Well. This blows.” Frankie grumbled, looking around to see what the damage to the area was and where the water was coming from exactly. There was a small ‘river’ that poured gently into the area through a rock outcropping that no doubt led to one of the bigger rivers, which seemed to be where the new pond had come from.

                 “Yep. At least it’s pretty.” Cleric replied, her attention on the water in the clearing. It was clear, the grass that had started to grow before the flooding gently waving in the current under the surface. There were no fish. Just clear, pristine, water. The smell was something else as well. It was clean but also reminded Cleric of when she was a hatchling. There was comfort in the smell. It brought the memories of birds chirping as she snuggled with Apocrypha as the Albertosaur would tell her and Frankie about nature.

                “Pretty does-“ Frankie had started but the pair stopped talking and stood on alert at the sound of something running and crashing through the woods. A streak of black and green was all they could make out at first until the Cryolophosaurus burst into the clearing.

                In front of Kujo was a beaver, running for its life and using the water they ran beside to keep getting just out of the Cryo’s reach. It dipped into the stream that fed the pond, quickly swimming into the makeshift pond and started to circle at the edge of the water. Kujo followed it to the waters edge, circling the pond to keep the beaver trapped as he tried to figure out what to do. That was until he became more aware of his surroundings and spotted the two Utah observers that stood nearby.

                The three looked at each other for a good few moments, trying to determine if either party was going to be a threat until splashing caught the attention of the Cryo again. Kujo snapped his head back towards the beaver, running after it as it tried to escape the pond but quickly u-turned and ran back into the pond.

                “With how you’re chasing that thing, it’s almost like it insulted your mother.” Frankie finally said and gave a single laugh.

                “If it had insulted my mother, she would’ve destroyed this thing herself. No. This bitchass knocked a whole tree over onto my den! It’s going to take me weeks to repair the damage! But first, I’m going to start with killing it and eating it.” Kujo replied as he walked around the edge of the water, head down as he stalked the beaver.

                Frankie couldn’t help but smirk a bit as he looked over at Cleric, his sister finding the situation amusing as well before the two looked back at the young Cryolo. It didn’t look like he’d be getting anywhere quickly with how he paced around the water, seeming to be afraid to get his toes wet. Cleric watched a few more poor attempts from Kujo to snap at the beaver before she sighed and started down to the water.

                “Wh-hey! Cleric!” Frankie said and quickly walked down after his sister.

                Kujo looked over at the pair before looking at the water and huffed.

                “Okay, I have an idea. My brother and I will go in and flush this thing out. But if you stay by the water it’ll just swim past us instead of leave the water. So those trees behind you? Go and wait behind them, kinda crouch down so you’re not seen. Once it’s out of the water we’ll chase it towards you and the that’s when you can pop out and finish it off.” Cleric said, pointing off behind Kujo to a small thicket of trees that would be big enough to hide the Cryo.

                Kujo tilted his head, wanting to keep an eye on the beaver in the water but quickly looked away to where the trees were that Cleric was pointing out. He seemed to consider his options for a moment, before giving a nod.

                “You both don’t get any part of it. If you attack it and eat it, I’ll come after both of you.” Kujo warned. Frankie held his head up, taking offense to what the other male said but Cleric just nudged him and smiled at Kujo.

                “Of course. This is a personal matter between you and the beaver. Come on.” Cleric replied before she turned, pushing Frankie with her to the water. With the beaver in sight and Kujo jogging to the trees to hide, Cleric went ahead and put her foot into the water.

                She instantly found out why the Cryo had avoided actually going into the water.

                The stream had to be coming from the mountains. It was cold, horrifically cold. Apparently the clean and clear beauty of the water came at a price. And as she waded further into the frigid water, she glanced over at Frankie who was bearing his teeth in pain from the shock of it all as well. The temperature of the pond made the pair of Utahs move faster, wanting to get out as soon as they could. They split apart, Cleric moving to the left and closing in on the beaver while Frankie came in from the right.

                It took a good ten minutes before the pair managed to get the beaver in front of them and running onto shore. And as soon as it got out of the water, Frankie and Cleric ran after it, herding it towards the trees where the black and green Cryo waited. Just as Cleric had started to wonder if Kujo would actually come out for the kill, the Cryo made his move.

                He lunged out from the trees, jaws snapping around the water rat and quickly dispatching it. Cleric and Frankie slowed to a stop and watched as Kujo chomped the snack down. Though Cleric tilted her head, narrowing her eyes a bit as a question formed. She remained silent though, letting the Cryo enjoy the taste of his small adversary.

                “Where do you live, by chance? Just up the way from here? This pond and river weren’t here a few days ago. And if you said this one had managed to down a whole tree on your den, I’m wondering if there are more where it came from.” Cleric finally asked once Kujo had turned to them as if about to speak.

                The Cryolo tilted his head, thrown off at how quickly Cleric was to control the conversation before it could even begin. But he gave a nod, looking up where the stream flowed further into the forest. “My den is not too far from here. There is a pretty sizable dam by the river as well, though I hadn’t worried too much about it just because it wasn’t affecting me. At least until now.” The male replied and gave a nod, looking back over at Frankie and Cleric.

                “Well, my big and angry friend! We’re looking for some food. Our normal hunting grounds are currently under water,” Frankie said and motioned to the pond behind them. “Maybe we can help each other out. You show us to where this dam was you saw and we’ll take care of the inhabitants. That way no more small rodents try to murder you in your sleep.” He finished and smirked over at Kujo. Cleric listened to what her brother said and gave a nod, looking over at the Cryo was well.

                Kujo listened and didn’t need to think twice before giving a nod.

                “Follow me. And if you need help hunting these things, then I will return the favor. I had been chasing that asshole for the last hour. I hate spring. These things come out of nowhere and just eat all the trees and fuck everything up. And the water is too cold to go in after them. I’m surprised you both swam around in there.” Kujo replied as he started off again.

                “Yeah, me too man. Me too.” Frankie said and laughed a bit as he and Cleric followed after the young Cryo.