[Trade] Bonebreakers

Grave could never understand why Punk insisted she should go on missions with Bones, especially without Punk herself going with them. Grave was self aware enough to know that she had a short temper, paired with Bones' erratic nature it was surely asking for trouble? Still, she usually trusted her mate's judgement and when she had asked them to scout out the new arrivals on the island she felt bad saying no and leaving her short of one of their three scouts. Lost also lived in the graveyard with them but they didn't really leave the graveyard, observing the world silently and advising the others when they felt it was pertinent. They were more of a friendly presence than a true pack member, though the pack welcomed them nonetheless. It was them that had deemed a pair of scouts more appropriate and while Grave had protested, Lost had been insistent. Something had really bothered them about the presence of the new dinosaurs on the island, to the point of sleepless days where they would stare through the overgrowth of their graveyard, like they were waiting for something to arrive. It worried Grave too, to be honest. If Lost was worried about something she had learned over their time living in the graveyard together to take it seriously.  So now, in the dead of night, she was trying to track bird-like dinosaurs with a juvenile Cryo that refused to shut up.

"You think we can eat 'em?" Bones asked, his scorched scent plugging up Grave's nose as she tried to sniff out new tracks.

"Don't know," she answered shortly. Her hostile tone sailed right over Bones' head and he continued rambling.

"You think they'll taste like duck? Maybe a goose? Or maybe like Utahs? I hope it's like a duck, ducks are fun to chase and they taste good," he blathered on and Grave desperately tried to tune him out before she resorted to putting him up a tree and leaving him there. Their route was taking them through high walls of stone and crumbled structures of man, some kind of town they used to inhabit long before either of the Cryos were born. Grave had no real interest in humans, but she figured this was a good place to start looking for the Oviraptors if they really were up to something nefarious. It seemed like anything negative that happened on this island could be traced right back to something the humans did.

The buildings began to open up into a green area, something called a "peeayarkay", and amongst the bent and rusted metal bars Grave saw the brief flash of movement. A group of Oviraptors, gathered in a tight circle and sleeping. Mostly sleeping, Grave could see with its head up and surveying the area. They would have to avoid that one raising the alarm if they had a chance of getting anywhere close. She was already a decently sized theropod and being bigger than average tended to impede her ability to stealthily approach her targets. Usually Punk was better at that kind of thing but she wasn't here and instead there was a pocket-sized firecracker standing next to her. Bones was small and skinny, maybe she could use him to sneak around the other side of the herd and get them in a pincer manoeuvre. Grave was about to relay some form of plan to Bones when he finally saw the Oviraptors for himself.

"There!" he crowed, rushing forward at full speed. His loud screeches had already alerted the full herd of raptors and they began to scatter in panic. Grave let out a loud growl of frustration and had no choice but to follow the younger Cryo into the fray. With him chasing them around like a headless chicken, it caused just enough confusion for Grave to single out an Oviraptor that seemed to be a little more baffled than the others, and stood out a good deal due to its snow white feathers. Grave fell upon it, snatching it up in her jaws and shaking it hard. She felt it go limp as she did, the chest still rose and fell between her teeth but it was stunned. She roared through her full mouth to get Bones' attention and the skinny Cryo perked up when he realised she had caught one. He left the others to flee in peace and began to bounce around Grave's feet in sheer excitement. "Drop it! Drop it! Let me see!" he demanded. The older Cryo sighed, blowing loose feathers into Bones' face before she dropped the Oviraptor against the nearby concrete walls.

"Leave it," she barked as Bones tried to close in, "We need to ask it stuff, remember?" Bones deflated and circled back to stand behind her, sulking. The Oviraptor was more alert now, its pale blue eyes wide in fear. "The seeds, what's the deal?" she asked plainly. The raptor swallowed hard and tried to speak but it came out as a strangled squeaking sound that only irritated the Cryo more. She stamped down on the raptor's leg, hearing it snap under the force and making the birdlike dinosaur scream in pain. She could hear Bones giggling behind her and felt him sneak through her legs to get closer to the action. She ignored him and focused on the raptor again. "Talk, or I break the other one."

"We must," the Oviraptor gasped, crimson blood beginning to blend with his purple war paint, "we must spread the seeds. Grow the plants. The plants must flourish."

"But why?" Grave asked, frustrated. The raptor screamed again and she looked down to see one of its dismembered toes in Bones' teeth. The Cryo looked sheepishly at her but she saved her scolding for later.

"We must!" he groaned again, "We have been told! I cannot say!" That was all she got from him before he broke into wavering sobs. This was a lost cause, she thought. She looked back down at Bones, who was practically vibrating with the effort of not tearing the raptor apart. "I cannot tell you, I won't!" The Oviraptor regained his composure for long enough to deliver one last defiant statement and cover his face with his wings. Grave's patience had run thin at this point and her need to find out more was rapidly being outweighed by her desire to get this guy to shut up.  An idea struck her.

"Well, if you're not going to be useful," she mused, "Bones, you hungry?"