A Late Jurassic Heart [Ash]

The large male chuckled and used his tail to block hers, "I doubt if it was a large herd, you'd just adopt" He said, frowning lightly, "I've seen males gang up on females, so I figure if I act like we've already mated, they'll leave you alone" He stated.

Mazikeen grinned, “come then, let me have another go” she teased, shaking her rear lightly as if about to swing her tail straight into him. She nodded at his words, “thank you” she told him, “I’m not interested in adopting any more annoying Bull’s.”

He raised a brow and glanced to the wound across his chest, shrugging lightly, "I've had worse" He said, giving her a soft comforting nuzzle, "No hard feelings" He said, giving her a smile, "I was taught to respect females more than males, what would we be without females? We'd be dead" He said, "Just know, even if we join another herd, you two are my top priority, if it's a large herd there's enough numbers that they don't nessiscarily need protection" He promised softly.

Mazikeen grunted affectionately, “I didn’t trust you, for all I knew you would have hurt us as well...but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry” she nodded to the wound she’d inflicted onto him.

"You could have said something, I would have stayed closer to try to help" He said, "Mother's shouldn't have to risk their lives when they have young" He told her.

Mazikeen considered the males question for a long while, “I often faired better with predators than I did with my own herd” she informed him, it was clear she was referring to her old leader.

He chuckled as he walked with her, his tail swaying lightly, "Why keep him so close? Or distance yourself from the herd? You two got lucky nothing came for you, being so far from the herd was dangerous" He said, looking to the female, the male clearly concerned.

“Oh the horror” she grinned, the female was clearly becoming familiar with the males touching, she didn’t seem to mind it so much now.

"You probably would get along with her, she was protective like you" He said, looking to her, "Though she gave me much less freedom than you do yours" He teased, giving her a playful nudge.

Mazikeen frowned as she listened to his story, “I wish I could have met her” she admitted, despite her usual hostility the female genuinely sounded sincere in that moment.

"She let it happen" He said, shrugging, "My siblings were more important than me I suppose" He said, "The female that cared for me, she couldn't make it from the last migration before you came, she used the last of her strength to chase me off, then she just laid out in the open, waiting there" He frowned, hanging his head lightly, "She was more my mother than my mother who hatched me" He said.

Mazikeen listened to the male with interest soon frowning, “what happened to your mother?” She asked curiously. While the female seemed to have issues with disclosing information herself, she seemed to have no issue with prying.

He glanced to her before giving a small nod, "We have something in common" He said, "I was chased from my herd, when I was about your son's age" "The leader saw how strong and large I was growing and he didn't want me to challenge him as I grew, so he ran me off" He stated while they walked, "A old female from the herd found me and took care of me" He said.

Mazikeen clearly didn’t approve of this line of questioning, but she couldn’t very well impale him, again. She thought for a long while, almost to the point where it would seem she’d ignored the question before answering. “I caused problems for the leader of my birth herd, to the point he chased me out.” It was clear there was more to the story, but nothing she was ready to share just yet.

The male gave a light grunt in response, before realizing what she was doing, she was willing to trust him, "Nanuk" He said as he glanced to her, "If you don't mind my asking, how if you already had a herd, did you end up in ours?" He asked her.

Mazikeen quickened her pace a little, clearly nervous the female kept pace with the male realising she didn’t actually know him. “My name is Mazikeen” she told the male, this information was used almost like a currency. It was clear the female didn’t expect a response but for now, she was willing to trust this male.

He nodded, shaking himself out lightly before he began walking along the path, keeping the female and her son within his sight.

Mazikeen nodded, she had no other choice really. Although she was concerned, her heat was due to start soon. “Let’s go” she told the male.

The male sniffed the ground and he sighed, "A day, maybe two" He told her, glancing to the female.

“How far are they?” The clueless female asked, concerned about venturing too far with Bruno.

The male snorted once they finally found a trail from a herd, he glanced toward the female as they stepped out from the trees.

Mazikeen was eager to get out of the trees, her side was often brushing against the male, the close proximity was making her nervous.

The male gave a soft snort as he walked, his tail swaying as he walked, looking toward herentor.

Mazikeen kept close to the male, her head shifting around as they walked, she seemed to be quite concerned about anything behind her. Shifting back the female skittishly swung her tail every so often.

"I haven't seem any" He admitted with a sigh, glancing back toward her as he walked.