[Trade] Seraphine x Iaewen

Winter, although it ruled over a large part of the archipelago, flooding the islands with tons of snow, was not so harsh everywhere. The weather along the coastline was always much milder and more balanced, and everyone who lived in the area could enjoy moderate temperatures and limited precipitation. However, the beaches also had their drawbacks - loose sand was not the best substrate for plants, so the dunes were almost completely devoid of them. The empty, monotonous coastline, dotted here and there with random stones and stumps washed up by the sea, stretched on endlessly, offering few places that could be considered good potential shelters.

This feature was the main reason why few herbivores lived on the beaches - the coast offered them neither abundant food nor good shelter from predators. The sandy dunes were inhabited mainly by much less intriguing species of animals - distant cousins of dinosaurs, namely marine, fish-eating birds, reigned supreme here.

One of the gulls, screaming chaotically, carelessly lowered its flight. That was enough to seal its fate – before the annoying bird could figure out what had happened, long jaws filled with dagger-like teeth closed on it.

Iaewen felt warm, fresh blood spill onto her tongue. The sweet, slightly metallic taste refreshed her, but she had to refrain from consuming her prey. This time, she was not hunting for herself.

Although Iaewen belonged to a rather solitary species, she did not live alone on the beach. She spent most of her time with her companion and partner, Seraphine. The females had met a long time ago, completely by accident, and immediately felt a strong bond between them. The relationship that connected them was truly special – neither of them was the life and soul of the party, quite the contrary, and yet they became attached to each other almost immediately. The hunted seagull was therefore a gift for Seraphine.

However, this little surprise was not just a nice gesture, but had a specific purpose. With spring approaching, the courtship season began for many dinosaurs. It was no different for the Suchomimus. Iaewen wanted to earn even more favour with her companion during this special time. The choice of this exact gift was not accidental – Seraphine, although it was unusual among her species, was not a fan of fish. A freshly caught seagull was therefore a much better choice.

When it came to the courtship season, Seraphine had similar plans, which she had begun to implement a few days ago, carefully hiding them from the other female. She intended to build a cosy nest in one of the few places in the area that could be considered a good shelter – in a small and very damp cave, but one that was hidden from prying eyes. For almost a week, she had been eagerly carrying there all the branches, algae and man-made objects she could find. Several times she had managed to escape with difficulty from Iaewen, who had almost noticed what her partner was planning. Fortunately, Seraphine was known for often needing a moment alone, so the crested female rarely questioned her sudden disappearances.

It must be said that the work was progressing quite quickly (no surprise, given the female's huge determination), so the nest was almost completely ready. Its main frame was made of long, twisted stumps that Seraphine had found on the beach. The bottom of the nest was carefully lined with a few scraps of fabric she had found on the coastline, washed out by the ocean, as well as countless feathers (admittedly, some of them belonged to Seraphine herself... unfortunately, even the flocks of birds living on the beach were unable to satisfy the sudden demand for such a large number of feathers). Here and there, branches were also stuffed in (a rather scarce commodity on the beach), and the gaps between them were sealed with partially sun-dried, surprisingly durable seaweed. The whole thing looked really impressive.

Seraphine left the cave she had chosen, satisfied with her work. Despite her stoic, secretive nature, this time she could not hide her joy - her happiness was visible from afar.

In any case, Iaewen spotted them from afar. The female, still holding her latest prey in her mouth (along with three other birds she had hunted a moment earlier), had been searching for her partner for a good half hour, circling the coast. She tried to follow Seraphine's familiar scent, but the strong wind, which changed direction every few minutes, made it quite difficult. However, the crested Suchomimus quickened her pace when she saw her companion several dozen metres ahead.

The distance between them melted away very quickly, as both females began to almost run towards each other. They met halfway, right by the ocean shore, close enough that the cool water almost washed over their scaly feet. When Seraphine noticed the gift the other female intended to give her, she beamed even more - it was a wonderful confirmation that they had similar feelings for each other.

Seraphine took one of the catches and swallowed it in one gulp, satisfied with the fresh meal. Iaewen nestled her head, covered with long, light feathers, into her partner's shoulder, feeling her soothing warmth.

The darker female reciprocated the gesture, but after a moment she moved away slightly, turning towards where she had come from. She nodded invitingly - it was time for her to present her gift. Iaewen followed her obediently, approaching the small cave with quick but calm steps.

Soon, they saw a carefully constructed nest, located at the deepest point of the cave, completely sheltered from the wind and possible precipitation. Despite this, the entrance to the cave was clearly visible from the nest, and pleasant, warm rays of sunlight reached the fascinating structure without a problem.

Iaewen, delighted by the view, cuddled up to the darker female again. This time, they stayed in this embrace a little longer.

When they finally broke away from each other (which took them a good minute), Iaewen approached the nest and placed the remaining birds she had hunted on its edge - the prey was intended for later. Soon, when both females would have to watch over the eggs, hunting would become much more difficult, so they had to start stockpiling supplies.

In fact, the sooner the better – with such important matters, they couldn't delay too long. The two females, walking step by step, so close to each other that their shoulders touched from time to time, left the cave, leaving their nest hidden among the rock formations. The sun was still high in the sky, so they had plenty of time to hunt down a few more careless birds.