[maxlet]

Thank you!

I'm so glad I get to keep him <3

[maxlet]

With the last piece of her hair tamed into the braid, Vexa grabbed the leather tie off of her dresser and slipped it around the end of her hair. The mirror above her dresser reflected a girl one year older than the girl it showed the day before. She didn’t feel any older, but today was indeed the day she had been born those seventeen years ago.
And today was the day she would find her steed.
Customs had allowed her to do it the year before, on her sixteenth birthday, but there hadn’t been a Bernikesaur that had caught her eye. Over the last few months, however, that had changed. She never meant to wait this long to attempt to get near him, but observing him had become too enjoyable. He was beautiful and stubborn and the only thing she could think about. Most often she wondered if that’s what happened when a girl found a guy she liked. Probably, but she couldn’t be sure.
Her mind went over the mental checklist she had given herself. Bathed? Yes. Dressed? Obviously. Hair done? Of course. Meat? No. That one still had to be done. From what she had seen of the creature, he wouldn’t come to her without a bribe, and that would be what the meat was for. Unless he sees me as the bribe. She thought.
The door to her room opened with a soft scraping sound as the wood brushed against the stone floor of the cave. Their whole community lived in the dark caverns at the very edge of the territory. It always seemed unfair that the others be given land where crops can be grown while there are forced to live in holes like animals. An annoyed breath puffed out of her nostrils, her jaw tense. It was no wonder the tribes were always at war.
“Where do you think you’re headed?”
Vexa’s grey eyes were pulled from the left side, where she would head to the kitchen for meat, to the right side that lead to the more populated areas of Mat’huen. When her eyes stopped, they fell on Mador. He had always been out to get her and she had no idea why. Stupid boy. “Where I’m headed is none of your concern.”
A smirk played on his lips as he strolled closer to her. His casual, cocky attitude was more annoying than his constant appearing in places he wasn’t wanted. “Come on now, Vex. You’re practically built like a thirteen year old boy. We can’t have you wandering off and getting hurt.”
An angry flush rushed to her ears and her cheeks. Like she could help her flat chest and lean build. “Oh, your wit is so amusing. Let me tell you.”
What more he had to say was of no concern to her. She had hit people for less and only found the will to stop herself from hitting him because she knew she would be reprimanded and sent to her room. That in no way would help her get out to meet her dinosaur. Leaving him behind, she turned and stormed down the left hallway. She passed few others, but none of them greeted her. It must have been her face.
Choosing to go to the kitchen after the breakfast rush was the smartest thing she had done that day. Not only were there hardly any other Mat’huen there, but she would be able to grab any extra meat that was already cooked to take along with the raw piece she was going to sneak from the back. She wished she could have said it was hard to sneak the meat out, but as someone who had done a lot of sneaking in her life, it was made far too simple.
Meat? Check. Now it was time to find Golden Boy, as she had dubbed him.


Leaving the caves, she had traveled on foot to the place where she had first seen him. Different spots were known for scouting dinosaurs and that was because they frequented there, but her spot was one that she had found on her own. She didn’t want to have someone else sticking their nose in her business, trying to claim the ride she wanted. She knew she would beat them out no matter what, but it wasn’t something she wanted in the first place. She would be the only one to own him.
From behind the rock she could see him standing below, sniffing the air. It reminded her so much of the first time she had noticed him. His dark blue skin would help him to blend into the dark caverns they lived in, and make him almost invisible at night. But the most intriguing thing to her was the bright golden markings that adorned him. He had taken her breath away, and now he would be hers.
“You really think you can catch him?”
The voice startles her, even though she knows very well who it belongs to. A boy of nineteen with celery green eyes and shaggy blonde hair. Mador Adinta. She had let herself become so caught up with Golden Boy that she hadn’t even thought to listen for a follower.
“Look, Mador. I know you’re in love with me or something, but you can’t keep following me. I have important things to do.”
Laughter filled her ears. She cut him a glare, but that was all she could manage. The dino had heard the laughter and was now peering in their direction.
“Are you completely brain damaged or what!?”
“Now, now. No need to stoop that low.”
“Whatever, Mador.” Her words were spat in his direction as if they tasted bad in her mouth. Whether he was here or not, she was going to touch the dinosaur. He was not going to ruin this for her.
Standing up from behind her hidden spot, she climbed on top of the rock and into view. The dinosaur stared up at her, his eyes cold and his mouth parted. She knew this could end badly, but there was no time to be anxious. Getting him to let her touch him was the first step in their relationship and if she couldn’t manage that, she couldn’t expect to ride him either.
Her footsteps didn’t falter as she made her way down the rocky ledge that took her to the flat, sandy area where Golden Boy was standing. Her eyes held his in her gaze. Without pulling them away, she reached her hand over to dig into the bag at her side. Her fingers brushed against some cooked meat and she grasped it, tugging it out of the cloth.
“Easy, boy. Easy.” Her voice came out barely above a murmur. She clutched the meat in one hand and outstretched her other, allowing him to smell her scent. From behind her she could hear stones shuffling as Mador stood to watch her. Idiot.
The Bernikesaur stood, his body swaying. His chest heaved with the deep breaths he was taking. She was closer now, only a few yards away, and it was becoming clear just how much bigger he was than her. One bite or swish of his tail and she could be gone for. It was all about trust.
A hiss escaped her ears. GB was moving fast—moving towards her. Her body froze in its place. She didn’t want to admit it, but her nerves were shot. She had seen how he was towards the other dinos. There was nothing stopping him from killing her. She took a shaking breath and stared at him. He was barely eight feet away, his large head lowered to look at her.
“Vexa.” Mador called behind her. He sounded closer, but she wouldn’t turn. She couldn’t turn. She had to act.
Her hand extended and she dropped the meat.
“Vexa!”


“I can’t believe you did that. You’re a moron.” She heard him pause and felt his eyes on her. “How’s your arm?”
She shrugged, though it was unconvincing. Perhaps he would have believe it more if she hadn’t winced when she rolled her shoulders. “It’ll heal before I’m married.”
His laughter met her ears again. Why did he think everything she said was so funny? No one else laughed at her as much as he did. She rolled her eyes and turned her face away. In the distance she could still see the dark outline of her dinosaur. His head was raised, proud and stubborn, and it brought a smile to her face. She looked dawn at her palm. She could still feel his rough skin against her fingers. It had been brief, but it had been sweet.
Once the meat hit the ground, he had moved to pull it into his mouth. She put the blame on herself for touching him then, but she couldn’t help herself. His head had been right there.
Not wanting to be touched while he was eating left him pulling away and hissing at her. As if he wanted to prove himself dominate, he boared into with his head. The force had knocked her back and caused her to hit her shoulder off of a rock, but it hadn’t be broken and that was all that had mattered to her. Mador, though, suddenly became concerned for her wellbeing. God, were all boys so weird and confusing?
“I’m glad you got to touch him.”
“You can stop being nice to me, you weirdo. I can’t feed you to my dino when he isn’t here.”
There was another laugh, and a sigh from her. He must be bi-polar or something. Brain damaged for real, maybe. Vexa rolled her eyes again and stole one more glance over her shoulder. He was still there. Strong and proud. Hers.

I'm sorry this is so long. I finally was able to get wifi and post this.