AU Fanfiction: Sweetwater Inn
Title: Sweetwater Inn
Rating: PG
AU: Dinotopia
Author’s Note: It was only a matter of time before I did this. Thanks to all the people who volunteered their muses and all the wackiness that came from this. I’ll admit, it’s a little rough, but I like it. The cast got large so getting scenes to at least mentioning people were needed. All the dinosaurs mentioned are real dinosaurs who have been in the books and the places are all mentioned in the books too except for Sweetwater Inn, which I made up. Any questions? Just ask.
---
“Careful with that!” the Chandarian mathematician yelled from the ground as Murphy picked up a wooden chest and made to toss it at Flack who was waiting to catch. “Those are very delicate instruments!”
“Sorry, sir Malcolm,” Murphy said and carefully walked the chest over to Flack where he was strapping down the cargo in the passenger basket.
Six years ago, Connie Murphy had washed up on a beach far from the Sweetwater Inn but now it was her home. Dinotopia was her home too and as strange as living with dinosaurs had first seemed, she was used to it now. That was why she didn’t bat an eye as a 15 ton female brachiosaurus craned her head back to watch them work. This was her life now, leading convoys through the Rainy Basin to places like Cornucopia or Treetown, or back to Waterfall City when they were heading in the other direction.
“You think everyone from Chandara’s like that?” Flack asked when she passed him another part of the mathematician’s luggage. Don Flack had been shipwrecked years before Murphy had shown up on the island. He had always been the brachiosaurus handler for as long as she’d been at the Inn. He could even imitate Angel’s gliding calls.
“What? Arrogant, egotistical and annoying?” She smiled. “I think it’s a math thing.”
In an Inn that was mostly staffed by native Dinotopians who were all very nice, incredibly polite and perfectly trusting, she and Flack still had that old world cynicism. It kept her sane that some people still understood sarcasm. Person was the keyword there.
Leek and Swamp were waiting feet below the brachiosaurus, talking in rumbling hoots and grunts. They were the final pieces of the convoy, a stegosaurus and a styracosaurus. While Angel had to wear plate armor to cross, those two had enough spikes and attitude to handle any predator that came at them. She was convinced they were actually sarcastic dinosaurs but she couldn’t speak their language.
“Never did like it. Toss me the…”
He was cut off a skybax came shooting overhead, crying out loudly. Everyone around the mounting platform stopped to watch as it flew low over the lake for a moment before wheeling around. It was bigger than the skybax other skybax Murphy had seen before, and darker too with more black on the neck than was usual. It touched down on the end of dock outside the front of the inn, the rider already sitting up and swinging his legs to dismount. She only knew one large black colored skybax.
“Where’s Pam?” Don yelled.
“We gotta go now,” Snake yelled from the edge of the dock. “Pam and I spotted two people walkin’ along the river and one skybax isn’t going to hold off any predators long.”
“You ready, Angel?” Flack asked. For an answer, the brach swung her head down and he climbed into the head saddle strapping himself in.
“Sorry, emergency,” Murphy said to the waiting crowd of passengers, pulling herself into the shoulder saddle.
“Hey! Hey! You get their names?!” Dean Winchester, a recent shipwreck survivor yelled towards Snake. “You get their names man?!”
“We don’t have time for…”
“What are their names?!”
“Chuck and Sam!” Snake yelled than muttered something to Apollyon, who clacked his beak.
“I’m coming with you.”
“What? What did he say?” Flack said.
“Kid you…”
But it was too late, Dean was already halfway up the stairs to the platform and even as Angel side stepped to get away from it he leapt from the edge and grabbed onto the passenger basket, hauling himself inside. He had just recently washed up on the shores of Dinotopia. He claimed with his brother had survived with him but he’d been found on his own and no one washed up with him in the following days. Yet, no matter what anyone said he believed his brother was alive and wouldn’t stop looking for him.
“You stay in that basket!” Murphy twisted around in the saddle, pointing a finger at the young man. “Do not get down! Whatever happens!”
“If we’re all done wasting time, I’ll lead the way.” Snake was already getting back on his skybax.
“Ready!” she yelled up to Flack, who was in the saddle at the top of Angel’s head.
“He’s up!” Flack yelled and once again Snake and Apollyon streaked overhead. While Angel couldn’t turn on a dime, Swamp and Leek were already charging after the skybax heading towards the tree line. Once Angel got going, all Murphy could do was hold on.
---
Castiel was not comfortable on the ground, surrounded by shallow water and tall trees with very little view of the sky. The skybax, or quetzalcoatlus, stayed behind his rider while she talked to the two humans they’d spotted walking through the dangerous Rainy Basin. If danger came, there was no way he could quickly get into the air and escape. He did not like being on the ground but Pamela had said they were not leaving until Apollyon and Snake returned with help. The tallest one had injured his leg and was leaning heavily on the shorter human.
“We were on the same ship,” the shorter human was saying, “The Intersect, and there was a huge storm. The reef came out of nowhere it seemed like and then we washed up on the same beach. And you’re a… a skybax rider?”
“Don’t worry, boys, it’ll all get explained once you’re safe,” Pamela, his rider said with an easy smile, “It’s rare anyone makes it this far into Dinotopia without encountering a single dinosaur.”
“We avoided them,” the injured one gave a tight smile. “We didn’t know.”
A loud cry caused Castiel to turn his head and call back. It was Apollyon, and he could feel the vibrations of something heavy running towards them.
“That would be the rescue party.” Pamela sounded relieved, but only Castiel could hear it under the cheery tone. He was incredibly attuned to his rider’s voice and body language. She didn’t like to be on the ground either. They were meant for the skies.
It wasn’t long before Apollyon flew over head, still calling with Castiel. His wing mate told him that a rescue party of three was on their way, with two humans to help and to be ready. He clapped his beak five times at Pamela, making the last two claps longer than the first three and she nodded. Pamela could speak his sounds and body language too.
“Boys, three dinosaurs are coming, but don’t worry, they’re like Castiel, they’re friendly,” she said. “And they’re bringing help too. More humans. See, we fly escort for an Inn not too far from here. You probably would have found it at night fall, but this place is very dangerous.”
Pam had to yell towards the end as Leek and Swamp came running up the riverbed, hooting at Castiel who clapped his beak at them. They took up their positions, Swamp with his horns towards one bank and Leek with his tail towards the other. The two humans moved closer together, Pam yelling reassurances towards them as Angel shook the ground as she neared.
“Do you have to be so loud all the time?” Pamela asked as Angel drew up broadside.
“Sam!”
“Dean?”
“Sam!” A young human jumped down from the passenger basket and ran towards the two.
“I told you to stay in the basket!” Connie yelled from the saddle.
“Man, Sammy, I thought…” the young human was saying as he took the injured human from the short one and embraced him.
“I’m okay, Dean, I’m okay. Just hurt my leg a little.”
“Boys, please, can you get back in the basket?” Pamela held the end of a rope ladder and a hand out towards the humans. The short one was the first to struggle his way up, then the one who had jumped down helped the injured one up before climbing aboard himself. Once the ladder was up again, Pamela came around to his head and scratched where his beak met the skin of his head.
“See? The ground isn’t always bad.”
He disagreed but crouched down to let Pamela climb into the saddle. It was not easy getting into the air from the ground. He was much better at dropping from high heights and getting airborn that way. After a few moments of straining though, he was able to catch a thermal and circle his way higher, up above the trees and out of reach of snapping jaws. Apollyon took up a place at his left wing and together they caught more wind and turned towards home, keeping a close eye on the convoy beneath them.
---
When all the excitement was done, Murphy sat on the dock, her feet dangling into the water. From where she sat, she could see Leek in the water with Irina, one of the Inn’s cooks and caretakers, as the two of them searched for roots. While earlier the stegosaurus had been on defensive and quite fierce about it too, now he was gentle and making Irina laugh with his antics.
Swamp was in the shallows, under the dock and wallowing in the mud. The styracosaurus didn’t do much when they weren’t crossing or gathering wild rice from the water. He could occasionally be heard making hooting comments towards Leek who would hoot back and then Irina had to step in and break up the fight.
Off to her left, the stone Inn was quiet after all the excitement of the morning. She could see Rachel Dawes, the Code philosopher from Waterfall City, sitting on the porch with her protoceratops translator, both chatting away, undoubtedly discussing today’s events. It was one of those things that happened in Dinotopia. One moment everything was happening at once and then nothing was happening at all.
“Um, excuse me, do you mind if I join you?”
Murphy looked over her shoulder and smiled Chuck, one of the boys they’d rescued today. He was dressed in borrowed clothes and it looked like he’d gotten a bath. Margaret, the Inn’s head cook and matron, had probably fed him too.
“No, go ahead.” She scooted over and made a little room for him. He sat down and looked down at her feet in the water. “Nothing’s going to bite me, except maybe a fish or two.”
“Thanks.” But he folded his legs underneath him and kept his feet out of the water.
“How’s Sam?” she asked, curious about the other rescue.
“They fixed his leg and he’s in bed. His brother’s staying with him. The two looked pretty happy to see each other again.”
“Yeah, I bet.”
They sat there quietly, listening to Leek and Swamp call back and forth occasionally and the distant rumble of the waterfalls. It was a nice afternoon, all things considered. A lot of afternoons were like that though.
“Can… can I ask you something?” Chuck said suddenly. “How long have you… lived here?”
“I washed up six years ago. I was going from Spain to America where my husband was waiting for me.” She sighed a little. She hadn’t thought about that in awhile.
“And you’re… okay with all of this?”
“Sure,” she said and leaned forward a little. “Most people who get washed up adapt really well. Don, he was on his way to America for work and Snake, he was going to a prison colony…”
“A prison colony? And they just let him fly around like that?” Chuck sounded so shocked, Murphy had to laugh.
“Snake stole to feed his family, first off and then when he had to defend himself in prison, they decided he was dangerous and moved him. Here, Snake’s past crimes don’t matter. Everyone gets a clean slate. You’ll learn all about it when you get to Waterfall City.”
Chuck looked over at the reeds and Leek, “And everyone lives with dinosaurs?”
“Yeah, they’re part of this world. Part of your world now.”
“You don’t have one. I mean, you don’t seem to have one. I haven’t seen you with one like Mr. Flack, he was making whistling noises and the skybax riders, they’re talking to their dinosaurs. And then there was one inside, he introduced himself as Alfred.” Chuck ducked his head, looking a little sheepish. “That was kind of rude of me to say.”
She smiled, “It’s okay. Sometimes, people don’t end up with dinosaurs. It’s just happens.”
“So, it could happen to me?”
“That’s the one thing you’ll learn about this place. Anything can happen here.”
Rating: PG
AU: Dinotopia
Author’s Note: It was only a matter of time before I did this. Thanks to all the people who volunteered their muses and all the wackiness that came from this. I’ll admit, it’s a little rough, but I like it. The cast got large so getting scenes to at least mentioning people were needed. All the dinosaurs mentioned are real dinosaurs who have been in the books and the places are all mentioned in the books too except for Sweetwater Inn, which I made up. Any questions? Just ask.
---
“Careful with that!” the Chandarian mathematician yelled from the ground as Murphy picked up a wooden chest and made to toss it at Flack who was waiting to catch. “Those are very delicate instruments!”
“Sorry, sir Malcolm,” Murphy said and carefully walked the chest over to Flack where he was strapping down the cargo in the passenger basket.
Six years ago, Connie Murphy had washed up on a beach far from the Sweetwater Inn but now it was her home. Dinotopia was her home too and as strange as living with dinosaurs had first seemed, she was used to it now. That was why she didn’t bat an eye as a 15 ton female brachiosaurus craned her head back to watch them work. This was her life now, leading convoys through the Rainy Basin to places like Cornucopia or Treetown, or back to Waterfall City when they were heading in the other direction.
“You think everyone from Chandara’s like that?” Flack asked when she passed him another part of the mathematician’s luggage. Don Flack had been shipwrecked years before Murphy had shown up on the island. He had always been the brachiosaurus handler for as long as she’d been at the Inn. He could even imitate Angel’s gliding calls.
“What? Arrogant, egotistical and annoying?” She smiled. “I think it’s a math thing.”
In an Inn that was mostly staffed by native Dinotopians who were all very nice, incredibly polite and perfectly trusting, she and Flack still had that old world cynicism. It kept her sane that some people still understood sarcasm. Person was the keyword there.
Leek and Swamp were waiting feet below the brachiosaurus, talking in rumbling hoots and grunts. They were the final pieces of the convoy, a stegosaurus and a styracosaurus. While Angel had to wear plate armor to cross, those two had enough spikes and attitude to handle any predator that came at them. She was convinced they were actually sarcastic dinosaurs but she couldn’t speak their language.
“Never did like it. Toss me the…”
He was cut off a skybax came shooting overhead, crying out loudly. Everyone around the mounting platform stopped to watch as it flew low over the lake for a moment before wheeling around. It was bigger than the skybax other skybax Murphy had seen before, and darker too with more black on the neck than was usual. It touched down on the end of dock outside the front of the inn, the rider already sitting up and swinging his legs to dismount. She only knew one large black colored skybax.
“Where’s Pam?” Don yelled.
“We gotta go now,” Snake yelled from the edge of the dock. “Pam and I spotted two people walkin’ along the river and one skybax isn’t going to hold off any predators long.”
“You ready, Angel?” Flack asked. For an answer, the brach swung her head down and he climbed into the head saddle strapping himself in.
“Sorry, emergency,” Murphy said to the waiting crowd of passengers, pulling herself into the shoulder saddle.
“Hey! Hey! You get their names?!” Dean Winchester, a recent shipwreck survivor yelled towards Snake. “You get their names man?!”
“We don’t have time for…”
“What are their names?!”
“Chuck and Sam!” Snake yelled than muttered something to Apollyon, who clacked his beak.
“I’m coming with you.”
“What? What did he say?” Flack said.
“Kid you…”
But it was too late, Dean was already halfway up the stairs to the platform and even as Angel side stepped to get away from it he leapt from the edge and grabbed onto the passenger basket, hauling himself inside. He had just recently washed up on the shores of Dinotopia. He claimed with his brother had survived with him but he’d been found on his own and no one washed up with him in the following days. Yet, no matter what anyone said he believed his brother was alive and wouldn’t stop looking for him.
“You stay in that basket!” Murphy twisted around in the saddle, pointing a finger at the young man. “Do not get down! Whatever happens!”
“If we’re all done wasting time, I’ll lead the way.” Snake was already getting back on his skybax.
“Ready!” she yelled up to Flack, who was in the saddle at the top of Angel’s head.
“He’s up!” Flack yelled and once again Snake and Apollyon streaked overhead. While Angel couldn’t turn on a dime, Swamp and Leek were already charging after the skybax heading towards the tree line. Once Angel got going, all Murphy could do was hold on.
---
Castiel was not comfortable on the ground, surrounded by shallow water and tall trees with very little view of the sky. The skybax, or quetzalcoatlus, stayed behind his rider while she talked to the two humans they’d spotted walking through the dangerous Rainy Basin. If danger came, there was no way he could quickly get into the air and escape. He did not like being on the ground but Pamela had said they were not leaving until Apollyon and Snake returned with help. The tallest one had injured his leg and was leaning heavily on the shorter human.
“We were on the same ship,” the shorter human was saying, “The Intersect, and there was a huge storm. The reef came out of nowhere it seemed like and then we washed up on the same beach. And you’re a… a skybax rider?”
“Don’t worry, boys, it’ll all get explained once you’re safe,” Pamela, his rider said with an easy smile, “It’s rare anyone makes it this far into Dinotopia without encountering a single dinosaur.”
“We avoided them,” the injured one gave a tight smile. “We didn’t know.”
A loud cry caused Castiel to turn his head and call back. It was Apollyon, and he could feel the vibrations of something heavy running towards them.
“That would be the rescue party.” Pamela sounded relieved, but only Castiel could hear it under the cheery tone. He was incredibly attuned to his rider’s voice and body language. She didn’t like to be on the ground either. They were meant for the skies.
It wasn’t long before Apollyon flew over head, still calling with Castiel. His wing mate told him that a rescue party of three was on their way, with two humans to help and to be ready. He clapped his beak five times at Pamela, making the last two claps longer than the first three and she nodded. Pamela could speak his sounds and body language too.
“Boys, three dinosaurs are coming, but don’t worry, they’re like Castiel, they’re friendly,” she said. “And they’re bringing help too. More humans. See, we fly escort for an Inn not too far from here. You probably would have found it at night fall, but this place is very dangerous.”
Pam had to yell towards the end as Leek and Swamp came running up the riverbed, hooting at Castiel who clapped his beak at them. They took up their positions, Swamp with his horns towards one bank and Leek with his tail towards the other. The two humans moved closer together, Pam yelling reassurances towards them as Angel shook the ground as she neared.
“Do you have to be so loud all the time?” Pamela asked as Angel drew up broadside.
“Sam!”
“Dean?”
“Sam!” A young human jumped down from the passenger basket and ran towards the two.
“I told you to stay in the basket!” Connie yelled from the saddle.
“Man, Sammy, I thought…” the young human was saying as he took the injured human from the short one and embraced him.
“I’m okay, Dean, I’m okay. Just hurt my leg a little.”
“Boys, please, can you get back in the basket?” Pamela held the end of a rope ladder and a hand out towards the humans. The short one was the first to struggle his way up, then the one who had jumped down helped the injured one up before climbing aboard himself. Once the ladder was up again, Pamela came around to his head and scratched where his beak met the skin of his head.
“See? The ground isn’t always bad.”
He disagreed but crouched down to let Pamela climb into the saddle. It was not easy getting into the air from the ground. He was much better at dropping from high heights and getting airborn that way. After a few moments of straining though, he was able to catch a thermal and circle his way higher, up above the trees and out of reach of snapping jaws. Apollyon took up a place at his left wing and together they caught more wind and turned towards home, keeping a close eye on the convoy beneath them.
---
When all the excitement was done, Murphy sat on the dock, her feet dangling into the water. From where she sat, she could see Leek in the water with Irina, one of the Inn’s cooks and caretakers, as the two of them searched for roots. While earlier the stegosaurus had been on defensive and quite fierce about it too, now he was gentle and making Irina laugh with his antics.
Swamp was in the shallows, under the dock and wallowing in the mud. The styracosaurus didn’t do much when they weren’t crossing or gathering wild rice from the water. He could occasionally be heard making hooting comments towards Leek who would hoot back and then Irina had to step in and break up the fight.
Off to her left, the stone Inn was quiet after all the excitement of the morning. She could see Rachel Dawes, the Code philosopher from Waterfall City, sitting on the porch with her protoceratops translator, both chatting away, undoubtedly discussing today’s events. It was one of those things that happened in Dinotopia. One moment everything was happening at once and then nothing was happening at all.
“Um, excuse me, do you mind if I join you?”
Murphy looked over her shoulder and smiled Chuck, one of the boys they’d rescued today. He was dressed in borrowed clothes and it looked like he’d gotten a bath. Margaret, the Inn’s head cook and matron, had probably fed him too.
“No, go ahead.” She scooted over and made a little room for him. He sat down and looked down at her feet in the water. “Nothing’s going to bite me, except maybe a fish or two.”
“Thanks.” But he folded his legs underneath him and kept his feet out of the water.
“How’s Sam?” she asked, curious about the other rescue.
“They fixed his leg and he’s in bed. His brother’s staying with him. The two looked pretty happy to see each other again.”
“Yeah, I bet.”
They sat there quietly, listening to Leek and Swamp call back and forth occasionally and the distant rumble of the waterfalls. It was a nice afternoon, all things considered. A lot of afternoons were like that though.
“Can… can I ask you something?” Chuck said suddenly. “How long have you… lived here?”
“I washed up six years ago. I was going from Spain to America where my husband was waiting for me.” She sighed a little. She hadn’t thought about that in awhile.
“And you’re… okay with all of this?”
“Sure,” she said and leaned forward a little. “Most people who get washed up adapt really well. Don, he was on his way to America for work and Snake, he was going to a prison colony…”
“A prison colony? And they just let him fly around like that?” Chuck sounded so shocked, Murphy had to laugh.
“Snake stole to feed his family, first off and then when he had to defend himself in prison, they decided he was dangerous and moved him. Here, Snake’s past crimes don’t matter. Everyone gets a clean slate. You’ll learn all about it when you get to Waterfall City.”
Chuck looked over at the reeds and Leek, “And everyone lives with dinosaurs?”
“Yeah, they’re part of this world. Part of your world now.”
“You don’t have one. I mean, you don’t seem to have one. I haven’t seen you with one like Mr. Flack, he was making whistling noises and the skybax riders, they’re talking to their dinosaurs. And then there was one inside, he introduced himself as Alfred.” Chuck ducked his head, looking a little sheepish. “That was kind of rude of me to say.”
She smiled, “It’s okay. Sometimes, people don’t end up with dinosaurs. It’s just happens.”
“So, it could happen to me?”
“That’s the one thing you’ll learn about this place. Anything can happen here.”