Rough Cut Stone - Indigo's Journey

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Indigo weaved her way between the gathered raptors, intending on being in the front today. The Pack was setting out for a full hunting trip again. It'd been a few weeks of rodents and small prey, and they woke up feeling ravenous for big game. Indigo wanted to be in front today, to better see what was happening. She felt the presence of another raptor coming up next to her, expecting it to be Opal, but when she turned, she recognized Jade. She looked down, focusing on the ground instead.
"Indigo?" Jade asked, forcing her to bring her gaze up again. "I know what you're thinking, I'm probably here to poke fun at you like Graphite does," Jade said, meeting Indigo's gaze. "But I just wanted to say I'm not your enemy. Graphite's a bit of a hothead sometimes, but I'm not! We can be friends, right?"

Indigo felt an odd sensation in her stomach, not entirely trusting what Jade was saying. But, she decided to give the formel the benefit of the doubt and nodded. "Uhm, sure I guess." She replied, earning a grin from Jade before she padded off back to Graphite. Indigo wasn't sure how she could be friends of any raptor that was friends with him, but at least she could try. Indigo sighed, returning her attention to the front as the Pack began to slow down, once more atop the hill overlooking the Lagoon. Topaz stopped and turned back, his gaze determined. "There's young with the herd today. We're going to do the following," he began, walking down the middle of the group to split them up again. Indigo found she was in the group with Graphite and Jade today, which she wasn't too fond of. Oh well, she thought as Topaz addressed them all again. "This half," he faced away from Indigo's group. "Will run down and face the adults. They're more aggressive now, they have young. Keep them preoccupied and distracted, but do not attack." He turned around, facing Indigo's group. "This half will run in after the adults have been distracted, and snatch up as many of the young as you can. Once you have prey, run back up the hill. Only after everyone is safely up here will the second group retreat. Am I clear?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the raptors, so Topaz set off, leading his group down the hill.
Indigo crouched at the crest of the hill, watching as the second group launched themselves towards the herd. Screeches and snarls filled the air, followed by angry bellows of the adult herbivores. Indigo watched as the young scampered away behind the protective wall of adults; only this wall was one sided, and they were entirely exposed from behind.

A soft bark from another raptor-Indigo saw it was Azurite-sent her group pouring down the hill on nearly silent feet. She raced along with them, feeling the thrill of running with her Packmates as she practically flew across the dusty ground, closing in on the exposed herbivore young.
As the Pack came down on them, the terrified shrieks of the younger herbivores filled the air, and Indigo realized they'd only have a few precious seconds to spare before the herd would catch on to what was happening. She locked her blue gaze on a small iguanodon huddled close to the ground, lunging forward with purpose. She clamped her jaws down on its neck, barely hearing a short, garbled cry before it was cut off. Satisfied, she pivoted sharply, sending up a flurry of dust as she pushed off, booking it back up the slope. Most of her group followed at the same time, all clutching prey in their jaws. Only some returned later with none, as the adult herbivores had begun to turn their attention to their squealing babies. The second group began to retreat, joining Indigo's group on the hill.

"Well done!" Topaz called out as he padded briskly to the head of the Pack once more. "The Pack will eat well today. Let's head home." Indigo smiled lightly as she followed her Packmates back towards the clearing. This hunt had gone far better than the last Pack-wide trip had gone for her, and she was proud of her performance for once. She held her head high, her catch clutched in her jaws.
As the Pack entered the forest, she heard footsteps coming next to her, glancing to her left to see Jade again, looking eagerly at Indigo with a slight grin.