Snow Roses

The evergreen forest flourished in even the harshest times, even as the biting cold of winter drained the life from everything around. Here, it was a paradise. Or as much as a paradise as a place this cold and dangerous could be. Many predators would migrate to the dense forests once the first snow fell, wanting to take advantage of the concentrated amounts of prey. But they were always beaten to the punch- the albertosaurus pair never left the forest for longer than a few hours, even when the heat of summer came and drove most out. They prowled beneath the branches, on the hunt for their next meal. And they found great success in doing so- little had challenged them.

Early on in the morning, and they already had a successful hunt. Glory yawned, the purple and brown albertosaurus opening her mouth widely and showing off bloodstained teeth. She lowered herself back down, letting her feathers sprawl out over the snow as she relaxed on her back. Large rosettes on her back allowed her excellent camouflage amongst the trees, her dull, earthy tones allowing her excellent utility in any area.

A low rumble and the sound of softly crunching snow made Glory raise her head a bit as a white albertosaurus stalked into the area. White as snow and covered in haunting brown rosettes, jagged spikes along his back gave the male the appearance of a frozen tree. Slowly the carnivore padded over to Glory, who made no move to get up. Instead, she rumbled back and lifted her snout to brush the other- it was her mate, Boreal, returning from patrol.

The two rested their heads together for a moment, before Boreal peeled back to look at just what she had been enjoying. Her kill, a large moose, was something very few other creatures could have handled- but his mate took it down very easily. “Good kill.” Boreal grunted, poking it with his nose. An older bull, but that did not mean any less dangerous. “Feel up to share?”

“Knock yourself out.” Glory lazily responded, laying back down in the snow. Thick feathers and the blood still pumping in excitement from the intense hunt kept her warm. As Boreal began to eat, she simply observed and let her mind wander.

The two of them had met years ago- she, born from a late cryopod in the alpha labs, and he was born to one of the first of their kind to brave the outside world. Their paths had crossed early on when Glory had fled the labs to the relatively safer outdoors, and when Boreal had separated from his parents and clutch to go his own way. The two had hit it off near instantly- and their bond had only grown as they aged. They went through ups and downs together- Boreal struggled with hunting at first, his white scales giving him away day and night. However, once winter came, they realized just how much of a boon it was. This forest became their sanctuary- endless opportunity to hunt and survive and grow. It wasn’t until many years later, when they were well into adulthood, that they finally became mates- the two realized they could not bear the thought of not being by the others side. A few months later, and their first clutch had hatched. Another year later? Their second. While tragedy and unpredictable events had struck many times, they had managed to pull through each time. Glory felt unstoppable with Boreal at her side- they had managed to take down opponents many times their own size together, both to feed and to defend their home. Now, winter was approaching again- and it was time for her to bring up another subject she had been quietly thinking of for a while.

“Hey, Boreal?” She called. Her mate lifted his bloodstained muzzle, shaking stray scraps off as he turned to face her. He grunted an affirmative, approaching and laying next to her.

“Glory?” He turned to face her, the multitude of rosettes along his side being an intimidating sight for most- but it just bought Glory comfort. “Did you want to talk about something?”

“...What do you think about having another clutch?” Glory brought up tentatively, carefully watching Boreals face. It was a question that was more than fair to be nervous about- raising a clutch was hard, on the both of them. While Glory might be the one who had to tend to the eggs, Boreal was pressed into the role of provider for a vulnerable mate and their future offspring. It was a lot to ask- the last time had ended badly, and Glory wanted to avoid that happening again with every bone in her body.

Boreal hummed. “Are you sure? I thought you said the last one would be the final one.” There was no judgement or expression of apprehension on his face- just thought as he carefully observed Glory. 

Glory huffed softly. “What happened last year… was terrible. It was something we had no control over. But this year… It's been better so far. There has been so much prey already, and it will only increase as the winter goes on and more arrive here. Things could go badly again… but I want to try again. But only if you want to.”

Boreal seemed to consider for a moment, before letting out a low purring sound. “I wouldn’t mind.” He finally admitted. “It's been… quiet. Ever since Flurry left.” Their daughter had left two seasons ago, setting out on her own to discover the world. The two missed her, but it was a part of growing up- she would live or die on her own path. “So yes.” Boreal pressed his head against Glory.

The albertosaurus closed her eyes, returning the low sound as she let her mate press against her feathers. They would do better this season- this season would be better. There was no room for failure- they would succeed no matter the cost.