[Trade] Sudden Appearance

The sun’s rays shone through the young, green leaves growing on the slender branches of the surrounding trees, somewhat timidly but persistently. Spring was only just beginning, and this was clearly evident in every aspect of nature. Although nature was coming to life, it was still easy to spot signs that winter had, until recently, reigned over the archipelago. Even a casual observer could easily imagine that all these flowering, green plants had been buried in snowdrifts just a few weeks earlier.

Canna was delighted by the arrival of spring. The young female was far better adapted to warmer temperatures – her featherless skin, covered in green and red scales, did not cope well with the cold. Winter also meant hunger, more or less severe, and to tell the truth, the female had a problem with that too. Her young, lanky, slightly too thin body needed nutrients.

The sudden rise in temperature, accompanied by the blossoming of many plants, was like a promise of a meal to her – at last she would have the chance to fill her stomach to the brim. What’s more, thanks to this sudden surge in biodiversity, she could afford to indulge in a little culinary experimentation. She had spent most of the winter in one place, which offered her a monotonous but relatively steady source of food. Now, however, with other paths opening up before her, Canna had had more than enough of eating the same thing all the time. Now, though, the young female had so many options that she had absolutely no idea what to choose.

She lived alone on a day-to-day basis, but she wasn’t entirely cut off from other members of her species – she knew where various representatives of her noble kind lived. There was great diversity. Most of them chose the vast steppes or the savannah as their home. She also knew a sizeable group of enthusiasts for more densely wooded areas – dacentrurus lived in both temperate mixed forests and right in the heart of the jungle. There were also certain daredevils who, for reasons known only to themselves, preferred to grace sandy beaches or urbanised areas with their presence. Everyone had their own preferences.

This variety left her somewhat paralysed, so Canna decided to choose the first kind of place that came to mind. Her mind settled on a forest as the most basic, uncomplicated location, so that was where she intended to head. What sort of forest, one might ask? Although the female was well aware of the many types of such plant formations, she had no particular preference; whichever forest first came her way would become her temporary, new home.

Canna had no intention of wasting time. She set off immediately, striding steadily along the straight road. She was practically in the very centre of the island, so finding any forest could not be too difficult a task.

The female did not stop, determined to reach her as-yet-unidentified destination with some alacrity. During her journey, she came across many interesting things – intriguing natural formations; plants she hadn’t seen in the area very often; strange objects, haphazardly left on the islands by people of the past; other herbivores who, with joy practically bursting from their bodies, were revelling in the young spring. Although all this naturally drew her in, she tried not to get distracted – after all, she had a task to complete.

Her determination soon paid off. Before Canna had even had a chance to tire, she spotted the first trees, which grew denser and denser with every step, gradually forming a forest. Overcome by sudden joy, the female quickened her pace, breaking into a brisk gallop. Laughing, she darted between the trees, gazing at their lively twigs and leaves. A tasty meal was definitely waiting for her here. However, she did not want to be satisfied with the result of her search so quickly – she decided to run on.

It paid off. After a few dozen metres, she came upon a sight that almost rooted her to the spot (to tell the truth, the female had left deep furrows in the soft, rain-softened earth beneath her feet). Before her stood a huge, sprawling bush with dark leaves. Best of all, against this deep green backdrop, there was a veritable swarm of tiny, glistening red berries. Eureka!

Without a second thought, Canna immediately pounced on this wonderful spring delicacy. The female greedily plucked branch after branch, savouring their pleasant, slightly tart flavour. These sensations completely absorbed her.

She was so focused on her discovery that she didn’t notice at all that she wasn’t the first dinosaur to find the bush. She only realised this when, about half a metre to her left, a fairly light-coloured, elongated head marked with darker stripes emerged from the bushes.

Canna instinctively jumped back as if scalded, letting out a terrified roar. The stranger, who had been quite calm until then, was also startled – by her reaction.

At first, the young female wanted to run away, leaving the fruit bush under the control of the strange, mysterious creature. Fortunately, the fact that no attack followed her initial fear calmed her enough for her to acknowledge the stranger, if only for a second.

To her surprise, this brief inspection led to a rather unexpected conclusion – the stranger was also a Dacentrurus. Canna tilted her head slightly in a questioning gesture. The male’s relaxed posture seemed to suggest that he had no intention of attacking.

Encouraged by this sight, and wishing to show that she too posed no threat, Canna approached the clump of bushes once more and began to pick the fruit from it with cautious movements. The male, now a little more confident, smiled gently and began to sway his hips slightly, setting his long, spiked tail in motion – he looked like a slightly uncertain but friendly dog.

“Well, I’m Canna. And you are…?”

981 words