Dam It (Vanim)

It was a crisp spring morning on Isla Kera, and a family of cryosaurs were beginning to stir. Sandstorm, after scenting no predators on the breeze, allowed her hatchlings to follow her out of the cavern they using for shelter. Sandstorm herself didn’t mind staying out in the open, but with her little ones, she didn’t want to take the risk.

Vanim was the last to emerge, and he carefully trailed behind his mother. He didn’t join his siblings in their roughhousing; he wasn’t the fighting sort. He preferred to keep to himself and simply enjoy the warm morning, and delight in how they’d been growing warmer and warmer. He had no idea what summer would truly entail, but already the increasing heat made his senses awake and sharp.

As his mother made herself sentry and watched the others play, Vanim went behind her, to the edge of the sandy cliff (though he made sure to keep several tail-lengths between himself and the ledge). Out in the distance, there was a small river, and there were creatures swimming there that he’d never seen before. “Mama!” He called, and Sandstorm turned around immediately. “What are those?”

She came over and squinted into the horizon, where the fuzzy lumps were walking. “Those are beavers.”

As he looked closer, Vanim saw that the beavers were carrying branches and bringing them to the water. “Do they eat trees?”

A smile played at Sandstorm’s lips. “No, no. They use them to block the water. Look close, you can see their dam forming in the river.”

Vanim peered closer, and saw a tiny line spanning the length of the river.

“When it’s done, the water will be stuck and the river will bloom into a lake. Then when they build their den in the middle of it, predators won’t be able to reach it.”

“Are they dangerous?”

“They have very sharp teeth that could chew up a curious dinosaur. But they are herbivores, and won’t fight unless you give them a reason to.”

Vanim was about to ask she’d ever eaten a beaver, but behind them two of his siblings were shrieking, their play-fight having escalated to dangerous levels. With a huff, Sandstorm stood to split them up.

Vanim kept watching the beavers build their dam until his mother called him away.

#

“Vanim.” The grown cryolophosaurus was brought out of sleep by Kyrien nudging his face. “There’s weird animals at the river.”

By now, Vanim was used to the impudent little hatchling whining, and he wasn’t panicked enough to warrant a quick response. So he took his time to rise: stretching, yawning, blinking slowly. When he did look down at Kyrien, he’d already forgotten what he was asking about, so Kyrien repeated himself, a bit gruffly.

“Strange animals?” Vanim got to his feet and made his way towards the river at the bottom of the hill. “What are they like? Did they attack you?”

Kyrien huffed. “No. But they’re so noisy, always chattering and slapping their tails on the water.” They walked in silence for a time before he added, quietly, “And their teeth look really sharp.”

Vanim was beginning to suspect he knew what kind of animal Kyrien was talking about, and as they got into view of the stream, he was proved right. A family of beavers had moved in with the spring snowmelt, and had already begun to work on building a dam.

“They’re only beavers, Kyrien. They won’t hurt you.” He rumbled a laugh deep in his throat. “I don’t think they’ll mind if you stare at your reflection there all day.”

Kyrien’s tail twitched in embarrassment; he’d grown very fond of his growing crest and white markings, as Vanim was keenly aware of. “Good, then! They’re lucky my big teeth haven’t grown in yet!”

Vanim watched the beavers, and was oddly happy to see them again. He was big enough to hunt them if he wanted to, though he didn’t have much of a reason for it. Even the fattest beaver would only constitute the lightest snack. But unlike when he was a hatchling, he lived right next to their soon-to-be lodge, and could admire their work as much as he wanted. Cryolophosauruses didn’t build dens themselves unless eggs were involved, but their construction work fascinated him nonetheless. It made their new home more lively to see it change so drastically.

“Kyrien,” he called out. The juvenile looked up from his reflection. “See all the branches they have with them? They’re going to build a dam across the river, and then it’ll swell into a great lake.”

“But why?”

“So they can build a den in the middle of it. No one will be able to reach their kits without going underwater themselves, which most things wouldn’t want to do.”

Kyrien scrunched up his nose, agreeing with the sentiment. “So we just leave them, then?”

“Why not? It doesn’t hurt us if they give us a nice lake to fish in.”

Kyrien hummed. “I guess not.”

He was fixated on the water again. Vanim kept his eyes on the little beavers as they gathered sticks for their dam.