Brothers

Chapter 4: A Setback

I wasn't going to let this beast take me. I swung my head around and retaliated, biting down on the great monster. Its skin was surprisingly tough, breaking a couple of my teeth, but that was enough to get it off. I popped my head out to take a breath and didn't even check for Tappy before I started swimming away.

Every kick I made with my injured leg stung, and I wasn't even looking towards the shore I came from, I was swimming towards the closest one. I just needed to get out of the water. My heart was pounding, my breath was rapid, but I didn't rest. I knew predators, and they would never be done chasing you until they had you in their jaws.

Just as I feared, the creature latched onto my leg again, this time tearing away at me. I roared and turned around to bite it. This time I saw its silver eye and went for that, hoping my teeth would puncture it. It was a success, and despite losing a couple more teeth, the creature let go, thrashing wildly as it swam back down into the depths.

I still swam just as fast as before, fearing that it would come back for a third bite. The pain in my leg was excruciating now, making it difficult to swim properly. But I eventually made it to the shore, my feet glad to touch the soft sand. I could barely move my leg, and didn't even dare putting pressure on it, so I walked out onto the beach putting most of my weight on my arms.

I could walk just fine like that, I had done it many times before, and was thankful that my arms were long and strong enough to support me like that. As I limped out onto the beach I dared to look at my leg, and sorely regretted it.

My left leg was torn and bloodied from the knee down. My foot was dragging and I willed it to move, but it only obeyed a little bit. Panic started to surge through me. I would never be able to walk again. My bones are broken. Deinonychus will definitely get me now!

Thankfully, I wasn't left to panic long until I heard a familiar voice.

"Spiny!" Tappy called.

I looked to watch her and three other tapejaras fly in. The closer they got, the more I was able to make out who they were. Tappy's parents and an older one carrying some sort of satchel.

"Oh Spiny, I'm so glad you're okay!" Tappy said as she landed on my snout and wrapped her wings around it.

"I wouldn't call myself okay, but thank you."

"You're not dead, and that is what matters," the elderly tapejara spoke. Now that he was beside me, I noticed that his satchel was made out of fishskin, and I wondered what he was carrying in it.

"What's that satchel for?" I asked him.

He smiled at me and opened it, with his feet, of course. "Medicine and supplies that should work just fine on that leg of yours." he replied. "But first, I must examine it and see just how bad the damage is. Tappy, Glida and Swifta, pleased bring a log big enough for our friend to bite down on." he instructed and the three happily obeyed.

"Why?" I asked him. "I won't hurt you,"

He chuckled. "Oh, when I touch that, every instinct in your bones will tell you to." he replied.

The three came back, dragging a large log and placed it in front of me. I stared at it before looking back at the healer. I was starting to feel a little dizzy now.

"Okay, thank you. Now Glida, I will need smaller sticks to work as splints. Swifta, I need large leaves to bind the wound. And Tappy, my young student, I need you to get that special plant that clots blood." he instructed.

"Okay," they all replied at once, flying off in different directions.

The healer then turned to me. "Now, my dear friend, I am going to assess the damage. This is where you bite down on that log."