[Penultima]

Ends tomorrow night!

[Jadeghost]

Ends tomorrow night!

Will you wait until Monday morning to judge?

[Penultima]

Ends tomorrow night!

Will you wait until Monday morning to judge?

I can do that. :3

Ends Monday Evening!

[Penultima]

Ending tonight!

[Penultima]

Wow, these were all very hard forms to choose a winner! I read through every story, each with their own unique twists and plots. I love it! However, I must decide only one person to own this dinosaur, and that person is....

Jadeghost!

It was a very close call, but that cliff-hanger on the end of your story wanted me to hear more! I cannot wait to see the rest of this rider and bernikesaur's story, and congrats to all other participants for other very wonderful entries! I wish you all good luck on your next capture attempt!

[AirAngel]

WOOO! We get to have a Roleplay Moderator in our role-play 8D

[Saren]

Ooh, it sounds silly but I'm glad this dine went to a Mat'junea warrior. Having a green dino with a green blanket while wearing a green cape would just be... a little too much green.

[Jadeghost]

A furious roar of frustration seemed to force Kyra's eyes open much sooner than she would have opened them herself. She looked up to see the Bernikesaur finally back on his feet, but still thrashing about violently as he struggled to get free of the ropes that were still tangled around his upper body. Blood trickled down his hide from the many scrapes and cuts he had sustained from rubbing up against the harsh and sharp rocks of the gorge, and a few drops of scarlet splashed on Kyra's cheeks as he whirled around in panic.
She knew the safest thing to do would be to get the hell out of there. But that option was out, knowing that it would be impossible for her to climb out of the gorge alone. That left the next safest option; staying where she was. But Kyra knew she could not stand to watch the creature suffer a moment longer, and sighing, she slowly got to her feet.
The Bernikesaur saw the movement from the corner of his eye, and froze. Kyra stopped to stare into the massive creature's gaze. His eyes were a dark amber, almost the exact color of her tribe, and from the depth of his gaze she knew that this was not a young creature. His green scales may have once been bright, but they had dulled from age and hardship. Kyra couldn't help but notice how his ribs were slightly visible even through his thick hide.
It was Kyra who broke the vigil. The moment she took a small step towards him, he flinched back and let out a low warning growl. Still, Kyra pressed on, but held up her hands to try and show him she was no threat. His growl continued all the while she approached him, but the look in his eyes slowly went from hostile to confused.
Her backpack still rested on her back. Slowly, she removed it from her shoulders as the Bernikesaur roared in one final warning. Kyra forced herself not to flinch even when the cry made her ears ring. "Look," she muttered as she dug the one blanket she had taken with her from her bag. "If you and I want to have any hope of getting out of here, we need to work together." And before the creature had time to react, Kyra quickly threw the blanket over his back.
He did not react at all in the way she expected him to. He let out another cry and took a nervous step back, but to Kyra it seemed more from confusion than anything else. He did not try to knock the blanket off. Instead, he gave Kyra a look that seemed to be an understanding. Slowly, Kyra smiled as a name came to her lips. An old name, one that had not been used for years and one that had nearly been forgotten. "Halwn."
The Bernikesaur seemed to notice the sudden change in Kyra's voice, and while his eyes were still wide with fear his breathing seemed to calm ever slightly. He took another long look at her, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between them. Kyra did not have a true bridle with her; all she had to use as one was a small length of rope she would have to somehow wrap around the creature's snout. But first, she decided to try to gain a little more of his trust.
Slowly, she approached the dino for one final time. "Halwn," she murmured his name softly, over and over, as she walked. All the while the Bernikesaur watched her carefully: never moving but fully prepared to defend himself if need be. Kyra could see in his eyes how weary the poor creature was. "You and I seem to be alike," she sighed as she slowly continued to close the distance between herself and the dino. "Outcasted, left alone and forced to find our own way. But no one makes it in this world without a bit of help..."
Halwn flinched back and let out a cry of alarm the moment Kyra's fingertips brushed his tender and bruised hide. "I know it hurts," Kyra soothed. "We need to get you out of these ropes." She had a knife hidden in her boot but she knew the sight of it would only terrify the creature even more. Still, she had no other choice.
Carefully Kyra bent down and retrieved her weapon, and was careful to keep it out of Halwn's line of sight. Quickly since she knew it would alarm him, Kyra pressed the cold blade against his scales and under a tangled mass of rope, and gave a mighty tug. Halwn roared so loudly that it made her ears ring, and he nearly smashed her against the wall with the way he was struggling. It took him a moment to realize he was free enough to pull himself the rest of the way out. The Bernikesaur let out another cry, but this time it was clearly more excited than aggravated. Halwn needed no further encouragement before he pulled himself up out of the gorge, free at last.
Kyra let out a sigh of relief and watched as the dino stretched out his legs for the first time in days. All the while the Bernikesaur let out noises of happiness. With one final cry, Halwn turned and fled into the desert, leaving Kyra stranded in the gorge with no way out.
Rage began to boil up in Kyra, and she let out a cry of frustration herself. "How could I be so stupid?" she screamed as she hurled her knife against the gorge. She turned her back to the rocky wall and buried her face in her hands as she lowered herself to the ground. How could I ever dare to show my face in the village again without a Bernikesaur of my own? I'll be the first villager in Mat'junea history without a dino... "At least I was able to help you," she whispered.

...........

It was late into the night when she heard noise above her. Kyra jolted awake and dove for her knife, making sure to keep as close to the gorge wall as possible. She had no idea where she was or into what tribe's land she had wandered. Maybe she should just give herself up. Without a dino at this stage in her life, perhaps she was better off dead...
Kyra took a deep breath before emerging from the shadows with her hands raised in surrender. "Just kill me. I des-" She stopped short when she saw a familiar pair of amber eyes staring down at her. "Halwn?"
The dino grunted softly before carefully lowering himself into the gorge. Unlike earlier when he had feared her, he now gave Kyra a hesitant sniff. Kyra was dumbfounded. "What are you doing back here? Have you come to rescue me?"
Halwn simply stared for a long while. With a jolt, Kyra realized her blanket was still on his back. Slowly, she reached out a hand to touch him and this time, he did not shy away. It was not until she lassoed her rope around his snout that he let out a cry of outrage...

[Jadeghost]

Her makeshift bridle was on! Halwn thrashed and shook his head violently trying to get it off, but it was no use. His amber eyes glared at Kyra, but she was not fooled. "Hey, you abandoned me remember? I thought you were going to leave me for dead, you overgrown lizard!" Halwn let out another warning growl, but finally became still once more.
Kyra tried to reach for the rope wrapped around his snout, but Halwn jerked his head away suddenly enough that she missed. Scowling, Kyra once again reached and this time, got a hold of the makeshift bridle. Halwn roared the best he could with a rope tied around his snout, but did not thrash. The Bernikesaur eyed her with his eerie gaze.
When Kyra laid a hand on his neck, Halwn only flinched once before standing his ground. Gently, Kyra began to stroke him, and laughed when the dino began to rumble deep in his chest, a sign of relaxation. "I guess you Bernikesaurs aren't that bad, are you?" she whispered. "I just hadn't found the right one for me yet." The longer she scratched his neck, the more Halwn began to visibly relax. His eyes began to flutter, and it was not long before he had lowered himself to the ground as he became sleepier and sleepier. Kyra waited until his breathing became labored, and his eyes fully closed as he drifted off to sleep.
Now was her chance. Carefully so she didn't wake him, Kyra skirted around Halwn's body until she was at his back, where she would mount him if he was hers. Still clutching the bridle tightly in her hand, Kyra lowered herself onto the blanket on the Bernikesaur's back, clenching her legs tightly around his sides if he decided to buck.
Almost immediately Halwn awoke and let out a mighty roar. Within seconds he was on his feet, and Kyra felt his muscles clenching as he prepared to bolt. But she gave a firm tug on the bridle, keeping him from going anywhere. Halwn struggled, trying desperately to knock her off but Kyra managed to stay upright on his back even as he bucked. Even though she was in danger of falling, Kyra could not help but smile. They still had a long way to go, but she had come a long way in earning the dino's trust. He was hers, and Kyra finally had a mount to call her own.