[Gift] The Coconut Kinship Club

Morning broke over the Kela Highlands area. Three little styracosaurus hatchlings were enjoying the morning rays. Moosetracks, a mahogany feathered female with black freckles, black rims, and a lighter cover, shifted awake. Next to her was her half brother, Fudge, who was a dun brown with black rims, cream stars and cream dimorphic striping on his face and tail. The other hatchling in the trio was a half brother to Fudge, he too shared the same cream dimorphic striping, but he was a creamy color with fawn-like markings. These three were new hatchlings to their Styracosaurus herd. Moosetracks and Fudge shared the same dam, Fjiila, whereas Fudge and Custard shared the sire, Zeus. 

Moosetracks shuffled between the two boys with a quiet huff. Custard soon stretched and quickly got up to join the darker female. One would say his eyes were quite well set on her, even though they were just hatchlings. Fudge soon rose to his own feet and snorted to Custard. How dare Custard even think about flirting with his sister. Being related to both of them, Fudge had a strange relationship with them. He wanted to protect his sister, but he also had a bro code to keep with his brother. 

Fudge, being annoyed with the pair, rushed towards Custard and instigated a rivalry fight. Being young still, this fight was more out of play than territorial or serious. While the two boys locked in and pushed against one another's crests, Moosetracks just sat back and watched the fight unfold. She was still quite naive to the boys and had no idea what the fight was actually about. 

The two boys scuffled playfully for what felt like an hour. The two locked in to their rivalry and playful dance. Custard was doing his best to look impressive, trying to show off for Moosetracks. Fudge, on the other hand, was trying to teach Custard a lesson in looking at his sister like she was his future wife. Moosetracks just stared at the pair and tilted her head. Was she supposed to be impressed? 

Fudge slammed his head and crest into Custard, pushing him back and away from Moosetracks. Custard would repeat the movements and push back against his brother Fudge. The two would side step each other before ramming heads again and again. Their scuffle makes loud noises from keratin and bone colliding and echoing off the surrounding environment.

The Highlands were fields of rock-covered grasses and limited trees. Even so, there were plenty of boulders and other crumbling structures for the noises to bounce off of. Moosetracks, herself, was standing next to a group of boulders that shielded the three hatchlings from any onlookers. The rest of the herd was all around them, grazing on the grasses and ignoring the playful hatchlings.

The boys soon stopped their scuffle, both panting from the play fight. Custard returned back to Moosetracks and nuzzled her muzzle for approval. Moosetracks, of course, nuzzled back, but she glanced at her brother Fudge curiously. Fudge just shrugged his shoulders and joined the pair with curiosity in his eyes. 

Moosetracks greeted her brother and the trio discussed what they would do for the rest of the day. “Maybe we could go out and fetch some delicious food for our mothers. After all, is it not the day to honor our mother?” Moosetracks chirped to the two boys. 

Custard nodded his head and glanced around them. “I agree, that would be a great way to give them thanks for our life. Not much to choose from here in the Highlands, though.”

“What if we went lower then? Perhaps the Kela beaches could be bearing some coconuts.” Fudge added in. His expression turned thoughtful for a moment while they discussed ideas. 

“Those beaches are quite far away. It might take us a day to get there and find something and a day to get back.” Moosetracks chirped quietly. She glanced over to Custard with a small sigh escaping her lungs. 

Custard nodded his head and glanced up at the bright sky as if in thought. “If we leave now and quickly find those coconuts we can make it back before we're missed and before the herd moves to a different area.”

Fudge hummed quietly as if thinking about the plan in his head. It certainly did sound like a plausible idea. “Yeah, if we leave now, we can get back here by morning and return to the rest of the herd with our bounty. We might have to construct some nets to help us carry the coconuts back.”

“But how are we going to get the coconuts? They grow so high on those trees and it makes it difficult for us younglings to reach them.” Moosetracks pointed out. “Even then, styracosaurus are lower to the ground. We're not like brachiosaurus or brontosaurus that are tall and have long necks for coconut grabbing.”

Custard grunted in agreement and grabbed a stick to start drawing up a plan. The creamy styracosaurus drew stick figures and crude representations of where they were and where the coconut trees were. Moosetracks and Fudge watched with curious glances to one another as they watched Custard draw up his map. “Right, so if we go down this valley into the forest we should make it down to the beach here…” He pointed to each of the areas with the stick as he went along. 

“Okay, so where do we get the vines to make the nets to drag the coconuts home?” Moosetracks asked. Fudge pointed to the trees in the forest as if to answer.

“There. We can get vines and weave them while we're on our way there.” He answered with a thoughtful smile. Moosetracks nodded her head, understanding their plan more. “Then we can just carry the net down and place it under the trees.”

“Why would we do that?” She asked again curiously. Custard chuckled and drew another diagram as if to explain. He drew a tree with the net below and falling coconuts.

“You see, when we shake the tree, we should be able to get the coconuts out. Then once they fall, they will land in the nets.” Custard explained. 

“Yeah and then once the nets are full we gather them up and just tie them like a sack for easy transport.” Fudge chimed in. Moosetracks nodded her head and continued to listen to the boys explain the plan. The plan seemed to come together nicely and the trio of hatchlings were prepared to carry it out