[Trade] End of the Friendship

The tension in the group grew with each passing day, to the point where it was almost palpable. Despite this, the group continued to stick together, trying to pretend that the events of recent months had not affected them at all. Some were better at it than others.

Maeve was generally the quickest to cope with it. The female had always been exceptionally resolute and had a rather optimistic outlook on life, and these traits only intensified with age. Although the memorable event had definitely shaken her (for the first week after it, she was awakened by nightmares every night), she managed to push that horrible memory to the back of her mind. At times, she even tried to downplay its significance – after all, wasn't what happened before their eyes something that happens every single day in the archipelago? Dinosaurs die, plain and simple. Sometimes even in such cruel ways. However, these attempts did little to help her, so she quickly returned to plan A: to forget about what happened as soon as possible.

The second female, Meteor, definitely could not boast of similar calmness. From the outset, she was more cautious and reflective than her companion, although it was difficult to attribute all the differences in their attitudes to this. Quite the opposite - the decisive factor in this matter was probably the fact that it was the therizinosaurus that was involved in the bloody massacre they witnessed. Of course, the brutal death of any creature would shock Meteor, but if it had been a deer or a boar, she could have somehow distanced herself from it emotionally due to the vast differences that separate her from those species. Watching the death of someone like her was something else entirely. Much worse.

There was also Deadnettle, the only carnivore in the group. Although it might be hard to believe, he was the one most tormented by persistent, unshakeable thoughts. He had a good idea why - the bloody hunt he had witnessed did not trigger these disturbing thoughts. It was merely a catalyst.

The three met when they were still hatchlings. At that young age, there was little difference between them – each was just an inexperienced youngster who had to learn about life. Maeve and Meteor were fortunate enough to be able to learn from members of their own species. In addition to being part of this peculiar group, both females also belonged to their own herds, where they spent most of their time. Only Deadnettle was deprived of any suitable role models. This had a significant impact on his behaviour.

It was obvious that herbivores and carnivores would find it difficult to find common ground. The male acrocanthosaurus did not notice this at first – after all, the two females he had encountered by chance were the only creatures he could consider his family. With each passing week and month, however, the differences between them became more and more apparent, and the group of friends drifted apart. Meteor and Maeve obviously still had a fairly strong bond, but Deadnettle was gradually being rejected. The moment of attack they experienced was confirmation that the predator would never be a fully integral part of their group.

Even if it weren't for the growing ostracism from the females, Deadnettle would probably have distanced himself from them anyway. At first, when he was still a hatchling, he enjoyed their company very much. In addition, he didn't need much to survive - when the two females stopped to rest, calmly nibbling on tasty leaves and twigs they had found, he would slip away for a moment to hunt for rodents or small mammals. However, this could not last forever. The male grew every day, so it didn't take long before these small prey were no longer enough for him. He had to switch to much larger prey, such as deer or elk. Killing and eating an animal weighing several hundred kilograms was no longer as easy and aesthetic as swallowing a rodent in one go. The females recoiled from him in disgust every time he returned to them with his muzzle smeared with fresh blood. He knew that this growing distance between them could not lead to anything good.

Meteor sensed it too. For several weeks, she had been a bundle of nerves, reacting nervously to every unexpected sound. She spent little time meeting with her supposed friends, spending most of her days with the herd. However, whenever she was near the other two youngsters, she watched the problematic male's every move closely. Her trust in him had fallen to zero.

Meteor tried to suggest to Maeve that it would be best to split up. She repeatedly listed all the dangers they might encounter if they stayed with the male. However, the female styracosaurus was adamant (or rather naive...) - she repeated with maniacal persistence that Deadnettle would never do what the adult acrocanthosaurus they had seen did. She repeated it so many times, as if she was trying to convince herself.

All this tension led to a situation where, despite apparently still belonging to the same group, each of them actually lived quite separately. Despite this, there was still something in them that made them stick together, at least sometimes.

At that time, they did not yet know that when stress and anxiety were driving each of them, even a minor disagreement could escalate into a huge argument.

On that fateful day, no one even knew what it was really about. There was no indication that things would turn out so badly. It started with just some unfriendly glances, with Meteor looking at the acrocanthosaurus with irritation. With Deadnettle walking at the very back of the group, following the two females as if they were mere prey, carefully watching their every move. Maeve desperately tried to defuse the situation, attempting to divert the attention of her quarrelling friends to all the insignificant details around them. To no avail.

Deadnettle had been thinking about this for some time. The female therizinosaurus was right – he was a predator. A common murderer. To live, he had to kill other creatures. So what difference did it make whether those creatures were deer or dinosaurs? It all boiled down to the same thing. There was only one difference – his hunger, which grew with each passing day, could only be satisfied by larger prey. The mammals that usually lived in the surrounding forests were not enough for him. So why delay the inevitable? Sooner or later, he would have to hunt someone strikingly similar to the females in this group. Then he would not be able to count on even a remnant of their support – they would turn away from him completely, and he would be left alone.

The final trigger was a few careless, honest words — none of them even remembered exactly what had been said. Meteor realised the male's intentions a fraction of a second before the acrocanthosaurus took action. With a loud, piercing scream, she moved aside, raising her arms in a defensive gesture.

The acrocanthosaurus was already moving. He wanted to strike the therizinosaurus, but he couldn't change the direction of his attack in time. Maeve stood in his way, completely unaware that the danger was coming from within the group – the other female's scream had alerted her, but it hadn't indicated the source of the disturbance.

Deadnettle opened his jaws with a swift movement, aiming for the grey female's neck. She turned away at the last moment, shielding her vulnerable neck with her horned crest. The male lunged at her, trying to avoid the sharp daggers aimed at him. Only then did Maeve realise what had really happened.

However, there was no time to think - Meteor struck almost blindly, trying to push the aggressor away from the attacked female. Her claws landed on the acrocanthosaurus' head, cutting through the light-coloured scales in some places. The wounds were shallow, but blood suddenly spilled onto the male's creamy scales.

Deadnettle automatically changed his target, dodging the female's claws. He tried to bite again, this time successfully - his jaws closed on Meteor's shoulder. However, before his sharp teeth could fully penetrate the female's tissue, Maeve, who had already recovered from her shock, sprang into action. She took a short run-up and then, with her head bowed, struck the acrocanthosaurus' side.

The male howled in pain as he felt the styracosaurus' horns tear into his flesh. This time he was lucky – the female's horns were not yet fully developed. Their pitiful length saved him from certain death.

Deadnettle loosened his jaws, releasing Meteor from his painful grip. Maeve forced him to back away, swaying her blood-stained head threateningly. He couldn't beat the two of them. At least not now.

They stared at each other for a few more seconds, each covered in blood – their own or someone else's. They didn't even have the strength to think about how tragic the collapse of their relationship was. They only knew that they would never meet again. Or at least that would be best for all of them...