Rejkjavik x Wellspring

The blue-and-yellow crest on the female’s head bristled slightly. An electrifying shiver of excitement ran through her entire body. Wellspring pressed forward relentlessly, at a steady, measured pace – though it had to be said that this steadiness was difficult to maintain when her whole body was frantically straining to move forward. The female lowered her head, her attention drawn to a slightly bent, battered bush. It looked as though someone had inadvertently bumped into it with their body as they passed by. The oceanic acrocanthosaurus drew in air filled with various scents through her nostrils. She hoped that amongst the wide array of traces she would find that one, single clue she was counting on – the scent of another acrocanthosaurus. She was wrong, however. Some much smaller, insignificant animal had leaned against the bush. The predator she was seeking could not, therefore, have passed this way – the faint scent, more like a hallucination than reality, that hung in the air must have come from another direction.

This was already the third day the female had been tracking the mysterious member of her species. In fact, it was hardly surprising. Predators as massive as she was tended to be loners, who, moreover, successfully maintained quite large territories. A chance encounter with a fellow species was therefore a rarity and usually ended in a fight, often a bloody one. During the courtship season, however, things were different – so much so that Wellspring decided to leave the coast she had long called home for a while. She was prepared to risk losing her territory.

During her journey, she had already ventured deep into the island, yet so far her search had not yielded the desired result. Wellspring had only encountered members of her own species a few times, but each time she ended the interaction rather quickly. None of the suitors she had met so far were worthy of her attention. One might say that the female was slowly losing hope of ever finding a mate. This would not, in fact, be surprising – Wellspring was still quite young and had never raised her own clutch. It had to be admitted that she stood little chance compared to some more experienced females. Despite this, she had no intention of giving up without a fight.

Wellspring ruffled her feathers once more. Moving completely blindly, she managed to choose the right path – the scent she had been so desperately seeking grew stronger. Though it remained as delicate as a brush of the afternoon breeze, the determined female began to distinguish individual scent notes within it. Analysing them left her completely bewildered. The scent was very complex, deep, intricate – in some respects almost contradictory in itself. At times, Wellspring was certain that she was tracking a very young female; at others, she sensed a confident male. She was completely baffled – could it be that, somehow, she was closing in on a pair of acrocanthosaurus?

~*~

Solace, by contrast, already had some experience. This wasn’t his first courtship season, so he knew what he was up against. What’s more, he knew the local terrain better and the wind was in his favour. The male was fully aware that he was approaching not one, but two females, moving towards each other from opposite directions. Solace chuckled to himself – if he was lucky, the three of them would meet, perfectly in the middle of their paths.

~*~

Rejkjavik didn’t have far to go. She was in luck – due to her young age, she had begun the courtship season later than other predators. As a result, the area around her territory, usually teeming mainly with herbivores and non-dinosaur animals, had now changed somewhat. Solace and Wellspring were the perfect example of this.

Due to her relative lack of fatigue, she moved the fastest, occasionally even breaking into a quick trot. She, too, was following a very faint, barely perceptible trail. She was lucky also in this regard, however.

She spotted him first. A black-and-blue male with short, glossy feathers and truly impressive dimensions, even for a male acrocanthosaurus. He exuded a confidence that bordered on arrogance. It was clear he wasn’t looking for his first mate of this season.

Before Rejkjavik had even had a chance to get a proper look at the male, a second figure appeared not far away – a shape that stood in stark contrast to the previous candidate, bright, almost garish against the grey backdrop. Rejkjavik tilted her head in curiosity, like a puzzled puppy, as she looked at the stranger. The crested female looked very unusual – her flanks were covered in blue, pseudo-ribs visible from a distance, topped at her back by a broad, also blue, band. Another oceanic acrocanthosaurus. And the first one Rejkjavik had ever seen, apart from her own reflection.

Solace stepped closer and roared, displaying his assets. Sensing the scent of two females, he had come here almost certain he would find another mate. Now, however, he felt threatened – the two females, strangers to him and of a truly astonishing appearance, seemed more taken with each other than with him.

Wellspring, somewhat irritated by this display, hissed warningly at the male, looking him straight in the eye. Solace took a few steps back – not out of fear, but in the hope that he might still win the favour of one of the females.

The blue-and-cream-coloured female approached the piebald acrocanthosaurus at a leisurely pace, eyeing her with an enigmatic smile. She was unable to hide her true thoughts – Rejkjavik immediately sensed that her interest was reciprocated. Although they appeared very different on the surface, a trained eye could spot many shared traits. It wasn’t just the bright, unnatural colours of their coats, but also the patterns on their bodies – equally rare, intricate and giving the impression of great fluidity.

Despite the fact that his chances were melting faster than an ice cube, Solace hadn’t given up yet. He ostentatiously stepped between the two females, his shoulders almost brushing against their muzzles. This time, the young Rejkjavik (who looked almost comically petite beside him) decided to teach him a lesson – with a swift movement, she nipped his neck, hissing like an irritated cat. Wellspring joined in, bumping the male’s side with her head, letting him know in a harmless but sure way that he was not welcome here.

The defeated Solace, growling with discontent, walked away from the females, on whom he had clearly not made a very positive impression. Wellspring and Rejkjavik, in turn, now free of the annoying male standing between them, set off together in the same direction, their steps synchronised and harmonious, occasionally nudging each other’s shoulders in an affectionate gesture. Who would have thought that two rather young, not particularly experienced females would find solace in one another…

1132 words