Cera heard the loud call as Petrie slowly rose into the air. For reasons she could not quite determine, she knew it was a victory call.

"Gee, good for you." She muttered to herself. Although she had cleaned her wound and the bleeding had long since stopped, she was still embarrassed over her own mishap and didn't want to hear anyone else revel in their glory. It was in this depressed state that she was interrupted by an unwelcome guest.

"Hmm... Seems like someone is having a bad day."

Cera turned at the sudden exclamation and was surprised by what she saw.

In front of her was an orange fast biter with black stripes. His crest and limbs all lacked feathers, as that was a trait of his particular subspecies. One of Screech's and Thud's kind. Some part of Cera's mind deduced. He appeared to be about her age, probably a bit older, and he had a noticeable scar on his leg from a previous injury. His demeanor gave no hint of hostility or malice, but nonetheless Cera was very cautious. This was a real born and raised fast biter that had tracked her down. What were his intentions? Did he simply want to drink from the river, or did he want to start trouble? She did not know the finer points of fast biter etiquette so she had to be careful here.

"What if I am?" She spoke defiantly. To put it mildly, Cera was not the best diplomat.

The male fast biter laughed heartedly at Cera's brashness. She obviously was not one for pointless pleasantries. He actually found that trait somewhat endearing.

"Oh... Nothing!" He smirked as he answered in a nonchalant fashion. "It was just kind of obvious, you know. It is never good luck to be bitten by prey like that, especially something as small as a ground fuzzy."

"Why, you!" Cera sputtered. Was this fast biter trying to start a fight? She had half a mind to alert her pack to the fact that they had company, but that would show weakness. For reasons unknown to Cera, she knew that she had to hold her own in this conversation.

"If you think you can do any better than show me!"

The fast biter's grin grew even larger. This one certainly is full of himself, isn't he? Cera thought, not aware of the irony of her making that observation.

"Well, I could... but as you see there aren't many ground fuzzies over here." He shrugged in fake disinterest. "As you saw, for every bite of them you took, they took a bite out of you."

Cera was livid. "Why you!"

"Now... Now..." He began, being careful not to push the cantankerous fast biter too much. "Is that any way to behave to someone who is trying to help you?"

"Help me!" Cera responded angrily. "All you have done is insult me since we began talking! Now go away." She then turned her back to the annoying fast biter. Apparently fast biter society was devoid of manners, she thought to herself. Imagine that! Dinosaurs who kill for a living aren't particularly nice. Who knew? She thought sarcastically.

"Go away?" He then turned away in faux defeat. "Very well. I guess I will have to keep all of the food to myself."

Cera turned around again. She had taken the bait. "Food?"

The fast biter turned with the grin still firmly planted on his face. "Oh! Are you interested?"

Cera glared at the fast biter. She resolved to play along and follow this insufferable sharptooth to whatever food he had found and then alert the pack. They needed the food. If he was not as benevolent as he looked, Cera believed that she could take him on. "Just take me to the food will ya? I am not talking to you for the company!"

The fast biter laughed at that. A genuine laugh of amusement.

"I was trying to get a rise out of ya, you know? Most sharpteeth would have charged at me before now." He admitted. "You must have amazing patience."

Cera stared at the fast biter as he uttered those words. No one had ever complimented her on her patience before, as it wasn't exactly a threehorn virtue. Perhaps she was expected to be more forceful and quick to violence in sharptooth society? Much as she hated to admit it, she was not prone to actually lashing out violently. The last time she had done that before the ground fuzzy was back when she was firmly in the hunger madness. She apparently had much to learn.

"The name is Taunt. What is yours?" He asked courteously. It was the first non-teasing remark he had made to the former threehorn.

"Cera." She answered concisely. "Now about that food..."