A World of Chaos

Part 1

Sierra Nevada Mountains

My breath swirls around me as I sit on my horse. My body moves insync with the animal below me as I ride after the herd of parasaurolophus. Owen is to my left on his own horse. We glance at each other as we ride. 

While it might be a step down from riding on a motorcycle through the jungle with a pack of raptors, herding parasaurolophus isn't without its challenges and dangers. My shoulder is still a little sore from when my horse threw me in fright a couple of weeks ago. 

"Hyah!" I shout and snap the reins to get my horse moving faster. Owen and I drive up through the center of the herd to keep them going toward the plains. 

"Let's bring 'em home!" Owen shouts over his shoulder to two of our friends riding with us. He snaps a whip and we all move to keep the herd together. 

I notice one of the parasaurolophus veering off. "Owen!" I shout. He notices the dinosaur and nods.

"Keep 'em goin'. I got this one!" He shouts back. I nod and kick my horse fasts. 

"Let's go guys! Hyah!" I shout and drive to the center of the herd. We lead the rest of them toward the plains where they'll be safe from poachers and hunters. I slow my horse and whistle. Me and our friends pull away from the herd to let them explore the new area. The three of us turn back to meet up with Owen leaving the herd to calm down and begin grazing. We keep our horses at a trotting speed as we head back the way we came. We strike up conversation as we ride. They live for my stories about the parks. 

"I was just a kid, 12 years old, screaming at the top of my lungs while a hungry t-rex flipped over the jeep I was in." I shake my head as I retell the story, "It was then, under the crushed jeep, that I wished I had just stayed in Montana." 

My voice drifts off as I hear something. I turn as to see Owen approaching on his horse covered in snow with the missing parasaurolophus on a lead. I smile seeing he's okay. 

"You take a tumble back there, love? You're soaking wet." I say. 

Owen nods and gives me a smile, "Yeah, little tumble down a big hill, nothing to worry about." 

"Oh I wasn't worried." I say as I look straight ahead. Out of the corner of my eye I see Owen glance at me with confusion. I look over at him and smile, "I knew you'd always come back to me." He smiles as well followed by a nod. 

I ride next to Owen. The parasaurolophus behind him to the left. Our two friends trail behind us. Chat resumes lightly as we ride through the forest. I quiet down when I hear something in the woods. I look around and see a man watching us from the back of a horse with a rifle in his lap.

We continue on but more men appear through the trees. 

"Shit." Owen mutters. 

"Delacourt." I mutter. This is not going to end well. Owen and I share a look. We continue following the river trying to ignore Delacourt but he seemed to have other ideas. Owen and I stop our horses. 

Delacourt and his goons stand there blocking the trail. "Poachin' is three to five." Delacourt calls. "Y'all know that." He looks from me to our friends behind us. His eyes trail to the parasaurolophus, "Looks like we'll be takin' that animal off your hands."

"Like hell you will." I snap as I glare at the asshole. "You're not touchin' her." 

Delacourt smirks and nods before looking away, "Alright, seems our friend don't recognize a badge." Delacourt reaches into his inner coat pocket and pulls out a wallet. He opens it and shows us a badge for department of fish and wildlife. "Department of fish and wildlife." He says. He nods to me and snaps the wallet closed then points to the parasaurolophus. "We're rounding up that dinosaur for its own safety."