Pack Hunting

[FuryDance]

The injured speed stinger slept as still as normal giving a sense that she slept as deeply as one would during the day. However, that was more as to not disturb her wound. She had gladly found a position that did not hurt so that was how she stayed.

Those meaning to disturb beware. She sleeps, yes, but not deeply. Approach and observe, but dare not touch. She may be crippled; she yet has her sting.

Despite the fact she was not sleeping as soundly as she truly needed, the speed stinger remained unaware of a party of intruders who had recently landed in a clearing nearby. They couldn't be her pack. Perhaps they would miss her, pass her by, or simply leave her alone. Hopefully they would not further harm an already suffering creature.


((ooc: Little muse right now but we can continue. Dusty the Small , your turn.))

[Dusty the Small]

Dusty smiled as she looked around and listened to Lana at the same time. "Of course it's safe! We've got a nice, big dragon with us. If anything goes wrong, he won't let anything happen." She looked up at Slicediver, expecting him to give some sign of reassurance. Instead, he turned his head around and narrowed his eyes. He'd either seen or heard something they had missed. Dusty bumped Lana's arm and nodded toward the dragon, certain Lana would have the sense to stay quiet until the situation resolved itself.

Slicediver slowly turned his body, eyes still narrow, and suddenly rushed at something in the brush. He seemed to pounce on whatever it was, and when he raised his head he had a girl in his jaws, holding her by her shirt. Dusty put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Inkeri! Ugh, how did you even get here? Are you stealing dragons again?" Slicediver rumbled his similar disapproval.

It wasn't very often that Dusty took such scolding tones; she herself was a bit of a troublemaker on Berk, especially according to Hiccup, but it was always either Inkeri, Dustin, or the twins that were causing the most grief. She waited impatiently for an answer.

Dusty's Speech	Dusty's Thoughts
Slicediver's Speech	Slicediver's Thoughts
Halvor's Speech	Halvor's Thoughts
Hiccup's Speech	Hiccup's Thoughts
Toothless' Speech	Toothless' Thoughts

[Crystal]

Inkeri squirmed and swatted at the dragon holding her shirt. "Let me down, you son of a half-troll!" she shouted at Slicediver. Despite her words, Keri didn't sound angry at all. She sounded as bubbly and excited as ever, and it was accented by the broad grin on her face. Despite being discovered, this was still an adventure of epic proportions. This was just a little hiccup. She just hoped she wouldn't get in too much trouble, but thoughts of consequences quickly fled her mind.

She stopped struggling and looked at Dusty. "Hey Dusty," she said, not abashed in the least. "Sorry. I wanted to know where you were going."

[Revan]

Lana was reassured by Dusty's words, but Slicediver's reaction put her right back on edge. First the changewings, then the attack on Berk, and now this. Dusty had been trying so hard to show Lana the good side of dragons, but it seemed like everywhere she went it was the wrong time or place. Or at least, that's what she thought up until Slicediver pulled another human out of the grass.

She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed again. From Dusty's scolding it sounded like the girl was from Berk, but Lana hadn't seen her around before. At any rate, she thought it best to just stay silent and let the two talk. At the same, she couldn't help but half-giggle at the way Slicediver held the girl - Inkeri, as Dusty had called her.

[FuryDance]

The intruders were hard to ignore now. Their shouts at each other traveled through the speed stinger's shallow sleep waking her in full. She raised her head in one sudden motion like a bird. Staring ahead through bright blinding sunlight, she watched mostly for movement in an unclear world and listened for hints danger was close.

Their barks were loud and annoying. The foreign sounds they made were nearly like those of the creatures that had hurt and separated her from her pack. She squinted her eyes against the sunlight trying to make out more than movement to little effect. Shapes blended together if not for the color keeping them apart. These intruders were not in the immediate vicinity but they were close enough to make her wary.

But should she risk moving?

It was too bright to see clearly. She was still so tired for her reflexes to work properly. Beyond that, sharp pain responding to most movement would keep her from running as quickly and gracefully as she should.

[Dusty the Small]

Dusty crossed her arms and considered the situation. "Well... Fine, I guess you can stay. But where's the dragon you stole? I'm not making Slicediver carry a third person."

Rumbling again, Slicediver lowered his head and dropped the girl, just so she would hit the ground with a satisfying and practically painless thud. "Just... stay out of the way, yeah? We came out here to get away from brats like you." She was half-teasing. After all, she didn't mean that Inkeri was a huge brat; she was just irritated that they had been followed all the way out there.

During the humans' conversation, Slicediver thought he could smell something else. Dragon blood? He wandered toward the source of the smell, knowing the humans would eventually follow him. If there was a wounded dragon nearby, they would help it. He knew they would. However, if they just went up to it, somebody would get hurt. No, he had to give it a warning first. "Hello...?" he called out softly. "Um... Are you hurt? If you are, we can help you. We want to help."

It was then that Dusty noticed that her dragon was onto something. "Hey, Slicediver found something else. Did one of your friends come along, Inkeri?"

Dusty's Speech	Dusty's Thoughts
Slicediver's Speech	Slicediver's Thoughts
Halvor's Speech	Halvor's Thoughts
Hiccup's Speech	Hiccup's Thoughts
Toothless' Speech	Toothless' Thoughts

[Crystal]

Inkeri frowned. "It's okay, you can come out now," she called to the Nadder she'd ridden from Berk. The smallish dragon slunk out of the trees, watching Dusty with a bashful expression. After all, the dragon shouldn't have been there either. However, the Nadder didn't appear to be injured, so whatever had caught Slicediver's attention, it wasn't Keri's stolen dragon.

She looked away, her attention returning to Slicediver. Her pale eyes were still wide and bright, excitement mingled with curiosity. She still didn't know why Dusty and Lana had come to this island in the first place, but it certainly wasn't going to be boring. "What is it, Slicediver?" she asked. "Did you smell something?"