The Flock

Chapter 12

Petrie led Tango even deeper into the cage, trees blocking the sun. Petrie sniffed the air and crept forward and waved her tail. Tango stopped and saw in the clearing where the sun was hitting, was a small mound of dirt.

Petrie crept forward and started to dig lightly at it and four other eggs appeared moments later. Tango sniffed them and nodded. "You did good. They are about to hatch soon."

Petrie purred with pride and smiled then nudged each one of them. There was a growl behind them and a muscular, brown with white markings, raptor stepped out hissing at her.

"Teddy, it's ok. She's going to help us." Petrie touched his nose and his eyes softened.

"You're trying to help us?" He asked.

Tango nodded. "Yes."

He studied her for a moment then nodded then went to sniff his eggs.

"So what do we do with the others?" Petrie asked.

"First, let me just visit Cera and ask her some questions.

...

Cera was an old grey and black raptor. Probably ten or eleven years old. Her eyes were glazed with sadness and clearly she saw no point in living.

Tango squeezed in the crack and paced in front of her. "So, they took your eggs?"

Cera looked at her, this time out of anger. "Yes. Who are you?"

"I want to help my friend and you're the only one with experience." Tango said impatiently.

"Well yeah. I was so excited and they just took them. No one knows where they went." She grunted, thumping her tail on the ground loudly as if trying to take away her pain.

"Are you sure you don't know where they take them?" Tango urged.

"I don't." She hissed.

There suddenly was a very loud sound and Cera's head shoot up and she pushed Tango out the way and slipped through the cracks, running towards he sound.

Tango heard footsteps outside and she squeezed out and followed the rest. They ran forward and saw a man on a platform just above them. All ten of them stopped, their tails wagging excitedly.

"Alexander." The man said.

The scout alpha chirped loudly and the man threw a mouse at him and he gobbled it quickly.

"Bumble."

The yellow and black male chirped and he got rewarded with a mouse also.

One by one, they all got fed and Tango was last.

"Tango."

Tango knew she was supposed to chirp so she could get a treat but she did not.

"Chip, Tango!" Ducky whispered.

The man repeated her name again and she hissed and he said something she couldn't understand then walked away.

All the velociraptors stared at her.

"If you didn't want the mouse, you could've gave it to me!" Chance rumbled.

"Why'd you do that?" Littlefoot complained.

"Listen," Spike walked forward and everyone fell silent. "We follow what the humans say.They are our masters."

"Not mine. I'm my own." Tango hissed back.

Spike narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that a challenge? In cause you didn't know, I am your alpha."

Tango narrowed her eyes also. "I knew."

"Then you follow our rules."

"Not the humans." Tango lashed her tail.

"You are the one locked in a cage, having to wait for them to feed you. They are out alphas."

"You just said you are the alpha." Tango pointed out.

Spike hesitated for several moments, looking at all the staring raptors. "You follow us both."

Tango started to pace. "You're saying raptors and humans have the same rank? That you both are alphas? Then how come you're down here and they are up there, feeding you!?" She hissed. "I will not follow the humans. They took everything from me. We could easily beat them if they didn't have their weapons."

Spike roared and scratched her on the muzzle. Tango shook bright scarlet drops of liquid that came from her scratch and the other raptors hissed in shock.

Tango looked at Spike. "I've only been here for two days and I hate you." She grumbled.

"Well let this be a lesson, Tango. If you don't follow them, you will starve."

"No, let this be a lesson to you." She hissed and ran off, Petrie, Alexander and Littlefoot right behind.

"That was awesome!" Littlefoot chirped.

"Yeah! No one has every stood up to Spike like that!" Petire added.

"Tango. That was dangerous." Alexander chirped.

Tango whipped to him.

"Spike is kinda...aggressive. He would of took that as a threat for his rank and he would've fought you." He rumbled.

"Well let him come. I've fought real dinosaurs before and not you fake dinosaurs!"

"Like what?" Littlefoot challenged.

"Triceratops, Protoceratops, Shivuuias—"

"I don't believe you." Littlefoot snapped.

"Then don't." Tango hissed then looked at her thigh. "That's from a stegosaurus."

Littlefoot sniffed her scar and drew back, not sure what to believe.

"And my real name is—"

"Ok fine." She snorted. "I believe you." Tango wasn't sure she heard what she was trying to say.

"And why do you say we're fake?!" She suddenly snapped back.

"You were made. Not born." Tango hissed at then then trotted off, Alexander and Petrie following, Littlefoot complaining to herself.

"Tango." Petrie hissed.

Tango turned to her.

"Spike is stronger than you think and you probably can't beat him."

Alexander nodded.

Tango lashed her tail then stalked off, no one following her this time.

Tango stopped and breathed in the musty scent of humans and she sighed then looked down, wondering what to do.

Foot steps sounded behind her and a low rumbled came from Alexander. "Tango."

Tango looked at him hopelessly. "We both know what's coming."

Alexander opened his mouth but she continued talking.

"It's best you stay out my way." She growled.