Mother

A short story by a forbidden water noodle (only the OGs know who I am ¬‿¬)

The sun sat low in the sky as Mica's tail curled around the egg. Her mate, Talc, was already sleeping next to her. She rested her head on the other side of the object, feeling the calming touch of her unborn offspring's temporary vessel. Soon she would be teaching Copper, the name she planned for him, how to climb and hunt. Mica's mind swirled with these positive thoughts as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Mica awoke to Talc prodding her shoulder. He had caught a juvenile jerboa, her favorite.

"I thought you'd might like this," he said, dropping the fluffy creature next to her.

"Thanks. But, you do realize I can still hunt, right?" Mica added lightheartedly, sitting up. She bit into the jerboa, relishing the juicy taste.

"Of course! But someone still has to watch Copper. You know about the recent raids on other nests. We can't let that happen to him," Talc replied, glancing down at the egg. He wrapped his tail around it, smiling warmly. "If you want, I can watch him while you hunt? I saw a few fat dodos near the cliff. I'd like some of that." He dragged his tongue over his lips.

"Sure! I hope Copper likes dodo as much as you do," mused Mica. "I saw a new clutch of eggs down by the beach yesterday."

She stood up and shook out her feathers. "See you later!" Mica bounded off, taking a glance back at her mate. Love filled her heart looking at him.

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'It's almost sundown,' thought Mica as she picked her way back to her nest with a plump dodo dangling in her jaws. A bloodcurdling screech filled her ears, and at once she dropped her dodo and ran to her nest. Mica recognized the voice clearly; it was her beloved mate.

Panic raced through her, nose to tail-tip. She sped up and turned a corner around a rock, nearing the small clearing where her nest lay. The noise was clearer now, humans were definitely involved. She thought of her child, Copper, and all of the memories she could make with him. Mica could still make this happen, if only she got there in time.

She burst through the bushes, letting out a roar. There were three humans and a tamed ptera. Mica risked a glance at her egg, still safely tucked into her nest. Talc was nowhere in sight; she hoped that was a good thing.

Mica dashed to her egg, ignoring the unwelcome worries roaming in her head. What if Talc was dead? Would the humans kill her family?

She was dimly aware of the humans screaming at one another, barking orders. The smallest one set his sights on her, holding a long stick. She was familiar with those, they could kill a deinonychus in one shot.

Grasping the egg, Mica made a run for the bushes, spotting blood splattered all over them. Her mate's tail, stained red, was sticking out, still as a rock. Mica swallowed down a wail, grief and anguish flooding her head.

Fury shot through her. She set the egg down in a small hole and whipped around. Mica crouched, looking at the small human chasing after her. She pounced on his neck, her teeth sinking into the warm flesh. The human let out a squeal, cut short as he slumped to the ground.

Time seemed to slow down as she looked up from her kill. The largest human pointed the deadly stick at her, whilst the other made a run for the egg. She tried to stop the human going for the egg, although it was to no avail. The large human strengthened her grip on the stick and rested her finger on a button. A painful noise flooded her ears, but just as quickly as it came, darkness flooded her vision and she fell to the ground.

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