The Tyrant of Alberta: Ch.4

Oasis

The female Albertosaurus  turned to see the Daspletosaurus dissapearing into the lava fields. She held much content for such creatures now, the bite wounds of the Lythronax coupled with her now mangled arm bore a hole in her psyche about tyrannosaurs. She would never again be near another of her kind.

Turning to face the mountains, she felt a tinge of regret. The stood above her like towering giants, yet the sweet scent of the pine trees beckoned her forward. Hadrosaurs whinnied some where in the distance, and that was enough to get her going.

Hadrosaurs had been a favorite prey of hers since she was a hatchling. She reminisced about the taste of Edmontosaurus flesh. How her family always followed the large herd during the annual migrations, picking off the sick, young, and injured.

Her stomach growled.

She started to leisurely walk up the mountain face, eyes on the peaks of the majestic purple mountains. Some Ornithocheirus  shrieked over head, their massive wingspans blocking out the sun rays. 

From past experience, she knew these enormous pterosaurs always stayed near large bodies of water. She watched as three dove straight down, shrieking the whole way down.

She started running, As severly dehydrated as she was, she was still capable. 

Low hanging leaves and pine needles abraded her scaly flesh, but she payed no attention. She burst through the last grave of Seqiouas and redwoods, and onto the most welcome sight.

Hadrosaurs by the hundreds stood at the edge of a pristine lake. Dryosaurs flocked around their feet, ducking in from time to time to get at the life substaining liquid.

The female Albertosaurus walked shakily towards the water.

Shrieks of terror eminated from the plant eaters. They took off in various directions; she was amused. Now, she had the entire lakeside to herself. She bent her large, powerful head to the water. She took in every drop she could, squatting down for a good ten minutes.

She could see the hadrosaur herd was some distance away, the Dryosaurs were still close though. Not wanting to waste any more energy then she had to, she walked back to the trees. She walked amongst them, keeping her eyes on the Dryosaur flock.

She picked her target.

It was a young female, her leg was bent at an awkward angle. It was clear some injury had hampered her dearly at one point.

Easy pickings.

The female Albertosaurus crouched behind a giant redwood stump. She was now ten feet away from her unsuspecting victim.

The little dinosaur turned her head.

The attack was on. 

The Albertosaurus rushed forward; with one massive stride she was upon the Dryosaur. She hoisted it heftily off the ground, and shook it. The Dryosaur kicked and squealed, but she was done for. The Carnivore slammed her into the Tree stump, and she fell silent. 

The Albertosaurus dropped the carcass, and ripped it open with her immense talons. She went for the liver first, for it had the most nutrients.

She gourged herself on the little dinosaur, yet it had nof fully satisfied her. She was too tired to make another kill, yet decided to make this place her new home. She walked up to the now blood spattered redwood stump, and scent marked it. She then let out a roar, a scream from another world that shook the ground below her feet. She had just let every carnivore in the area know this was her territory.

Nothing was going to take it from her.