Fanfiction.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12373051/1/Familial-TourSummary: When Bron and Shorty make their first visit to the Great Valley, Littlefoot is delighted to introduce them to his friends and the amazing sights. With two new companions and old and new tensions, shall this tour go as smoothly as Littlefoot hopes?
Notes: At last, my next fic. This is a one-shot, but one that's nearly sixty pages, so I needed to split it into three parts. Basically, my test drive of the main seven plus several other characters. I nipped and tucked and edited this for several months until at last I decided I made it presentable enough for posting. So with no further ado, here it is.
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Familial Tour
by
The AnalyzerLittlefoot had been on his way to play with his friends when he heard the raised whispers. Slowing, he peered through the trees. A crowd had gathered in a large clearing, observing a herd arriving from the more commonly used entrance. Newcomers weren’t unusual. They came to the Great Valley around once a week, by themselves or among herds, making this place their home or a rest stop for a longer journey. The valley residents only occasionally gathered to greet visitors and the children weren’t required to be present unless something important or interesting was happening. So Littlefoot just glanced at the herd, about to go on his way, when he noticed the herd was mostly longnecks, some of whom unleashed stirrings of familiarity.
Littlefoot stepped out to survey these visitors, who swung their tall necks to gaze around with interest. The familiarity wasn’t strong but Littlefoot had the sense he had seen some of these longnecks in passing some time ago. It was puzzling but the more he thought about it, the more certain he became. A few of the grownups parted and two longneck figures stood out – a green colored youth around Littlefoot’s age and a brown adult with a commanding presence, talking to a few valley residents with a genial smile. Littlefoot found himself scampering forward, confusion blooming into joy.
“No way….yes!” Littlefoot then cried out. “Dad!”
Bron turned in the voice’s direction and lit up at Littlefoot’s approach. Bron lowered his head and Littlefoot was all too happy to accept the nuzzle, so grateful to feel that fatherly contact he had only got to know briefly a few cold times ago.
“You really came.” Littlefoot murmured.
“I did say I might bring my herd here for a visit.” Bron replied. “It took some persuading but I got it to happen.”
Shorty watched Littlefoot and Bron continue rubbing their heads together with tolerant amusement. “Alright, are you two going to be at it all day? There must be more interesting things to do in this valley than that.”
Bron and Littlefoot chuckled, and disengaged. To Shorty’s surprise, Littlefoot then turned and nuzzled him as well.
“I’m happy to have you here too, Shorty.” Littlefoot said.
“Whoa, whoa!” Shorty backed away and tripped, gaze shifting around awkwardly. “Um, I…it’s not like I really missed…okay, I admit, there was some part of me that wanted to see what you’ve been up to. Happy?”
Littlefoot answered with a grin. Shorty rolled his eyes but broke off laughing, now more at ease. Bron smiled appreciatively at Littlefoot for that accommodation. Littlefoot had been truthful. He was glad to see his father and Shorty again with almost equal passion and he couldn’t wait to spend time with them.
In the meantime, some members of Bron’s herd had been watching the trio’s reunion with a bit of mirth.
“At last, your true agenda is revealed, Bron.” A lady longneck teased.
Bron sighed exasperatedly. “For the last time, my true agenda was to find a place where the herd can relax and eat in safety. I’ve been informed the Great Valley is plentiful in green food, is insulated from the threat of sharpteeth, and is a pleasant place to rest in. Not to mention this place lays near the route to our next destination. As you can see, those sources have proved themselves to be more than correct.” Bron looked up and smiled. “And here come two of them now…”
Littlefoot turned, and his morning went from great to fantastic. His grandparents walked up, beaming at the scene before them.
“Well this is a pleasant surprise.” Grandpa Longneck said. “How are you, Bron?”
“I’ve been good.” Bron answered. “Leading a herd is never easy but the effort has been rewarding and I’ve been in good spirits these last couple of cold times.”
“And I can guess where those good spirits come from.” Grandma Longneck said, attention shifting briefly to Littlefoot. “How have you been, Shorty?”
“Huh?” Shorty blinked. “How do you know my name?”
“Littlefoot has mentioned you a few times.”
“And so has Bron during that fun little longneck excursion.” Grandpa Longneck said wryly. “Some hints have been dropped about your relationship to Littlefoot and Bron. So…has it gone where we suspected it might go?”
Shorty only looked confused but the question stirred Littlefoot’s memories, bringing up the exact details of his farewell with his father.
“Oh, that’s right.” Littlefoot looked at Bron. “Remember what I said last time about Shorty? I didn’t say his name but you knew what I meant. So have you…did you really…?”
Bron smiled. “Shorty and I talked it over. Since I look after him most of the time anyway, we decided he might as well become part of the family.”
“Which makes us brothers, I guess?” Shorty said. “If that’s what you still hope for. I mean…”
Littlefoot’s heart swelled. “Of course it’s what I still hope for! I always wanted a brother. Oh, you’ll make a great one.”
He was so overcome with emotion he bounded over to press against Shorty. After a few seconds, Shorty good-naturedly shoved Littlefoot back.
“Hey, stop trying to bowl me over. Geez, I might not survive a day with you if you continue to be like this. Is this what brothers usually do?”
Littlefoot and Bron laughed, and Shorty cracked a smile, pleased at the reaction. Littlefoot looked with anticipation singing within him. A day? They were going to spend the day with him? Surely, Bron would be at least busy with some herd duties but Littlefoot would take anything to spend a long amount of time with them. Littlefoot felt like he could walk on air. Today was turning out to be very great.
Grandpa and Grandma Longneck, in the meantime, had also been chuckling fondly over the scene. They smiled reassuringly.
“Well, welcome to the family Shorty.” Grandpa Longneck said. “Now we can really assure you Grandma and I will do all we can to make your stay comfortable.”
“Oh. Right.” Shorty’s eyes darted about again, a blush coming in. “About that first question, I’ve been doing fine. Very fine. And for saying you’ll make me comfortable – thanks.”
Bron caught their attention before Shorty could get anymore embarrassed.
“You’ve arrived at just the right time.” Bron said. “My herd has been haggling me about coming here just to see my son when there are benefits to stopping here as well.”
His herd members, who still watched him, chuckled, or shook their heads.
“Still think that was your primary goal, Bron!” The same lady longneck called out.
“It’s a heartwarming bonus. Besides, if you can answer two questions with one answer, I don’t see why any of us are complaining.” Bron turned to Littlefoot’s grandparents. “You see what I have to put up with? I would appreciate if you can direct us to where migrating herds usually eat. Rest assured, we’ll only be here for two days. I don’t want to disturb the balance of the Great Valley by allowing my herd to eat willy nilly.”
“You shouldn’t worry.” Grandpa Longneck reassured. “You came at just the right time. There’s plenty of green food to go around. However, if you want to know where the best green food is, then I’ll be happy to provide recommendations.”
Bron appeared relieved, and he and Grandpa Longneck actively conversed about the best trees to feast from in the Great Valley. Then they discussed what the herd could do in the valley, and when and where they could regroup for later discussions and their eventual departure. Littlefoot found the happiness in his chest wilting. Bron’s herd could only stay for two days? He hoped he would have more time to be with Bron and Shorty. He wanted to get them to appreciate what he had here in the Great Valley.
But Littlefoot shook his head. This wasn’t the only time someone he loved could only stick around for a limited period. He made the most of such time then and he would do the same now. Littlefoot thought hard about how to make the most of these two days and was so busy with accepting or throwing away ideas about where to visit or what to do he didn’t hear a voice calling out to him.
“Littlefoot? Can you hear me? Littlefoot.” Grandma Longneck said. “Is your head in the sky puffies?”
Littlefoot blinked, and grinned sheepishly. “Oops. You could say that. What were you saying?”
“I was trying to get your attention on an important issue.” Grandma Longneck lowered her head to whisper. “It’s about two additions to our valley that might cause a stir if you introduce them.”
Littlefoot looked at his grandma blankly. Then his heart lurched. “You mean Ruby and Chomper. Yeah. I do remember Dad calling sharpteeth cowards. That might make meeting Chomper awkward.”
“And Ruby and other fast runners have experienced some distrust from both leaf eaters and sharpteeth.” Grandma Longneck said. “Fortunately, not as many have found issue with her in the valley, but it’s a risk you might have to prepare for.”
“Right.” Littlefoot nodded reluctantly. “But I don’t want to leave Ruby and Chomper out if Dad and Shorty are going to meet my friends. I’m sure they won’t hurt Ruby and Chomper if we explain things to them.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Grandma Longneck said. “Still…Ruby and Chomper should have a say in if and how they reveal themselves, don’t you think?”
“Reveal themselves?” Grandpa Longneck popped in, also speaking quietly. “I’m sure there’s a reason you two are whispering.”
Grandma Longneck started at her husband’s sudden appearance but replied all the same. “We’re discussing how to introduce Bron and Shorty to Ruby and Chomper.”
“Ah yes.” Grandpa Longneck flicked his eyes to Bron, who was still giving orders to his herd, Shorty standing proudly nearby. “I’m sure, under the right conditions, you’ll be able to sway them. You kids have inspired shakeups in even the most stubborn of people.”
“Thanks. I…” Littlefoot hesitated. “I won’t tell Dad and Shorty anything until Ruby and Chomper have a say. I don’t want to spring this on any of them.”
“That’s considerate of you.” Grandpa Longneck said. “Just make sure not to wait so long the issue springs itself on them. Though speaking of your friends, weren’t you on your way to meet them?”
Littlefoot jumped guiltily. In the excitement of seeing Bron and Shorty again, Cera and the others had been driven clean from his mind. Before Littlefoot could reply, the longneck herd was dispersing and Bron and Shorty approached him and his grandparents. The two looked pleased.
“Unless there’s an emergency, my herd leading duties are done for the day.” Bron said. “Now I can attend to my other duty.”
Littlefoot perked up. “You mean…”
Bron smiled. “You have Shorty and I for the day. So what shall we do? Take your time. I know our arrival is sudden and you must be bursting with ideas.”
“Oh, I am!” Littlefoot said eagerly. Then he reconsidered. “Um, but I’m going to have to go somewhere for a bit. There’s something I have to-”
“Littlefoot, there you are!”
A new voice interceded, and Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike galloped out of the foliage, breathless. Cera gazed at Littlefoot in annoyance.
“We’ve been waiting forever for you. What kept…”
Cera trailed off as she and her companions spotted Bron and Shorty. Dawning expressions came across Cera and the others’ faces.
“Oh…” Ducky said. “Hi Littlefoot’s dad, Shorty. It’s nice to see you again. It is, it is.”
Bron smiled. “Hello, kids. Are all of you and Littlefoot happy?”
“Um…as happy as if bright circle is shining inside us.” Petrie said with forced cheer.
Shorty widened an eye quizzically and sent an amused smile at Bron. Looking awkward, all of their earlier annoyance gone, Cera’s group fidgeted.
“Well…we’ll be on our way now…” Cera began to turn around.
“Wait, you guys!” Littlefoot said quickly.
The group stopped their departure but gazed at Littlefoot understandingly.
“Hey, it okay.” Petrie replied. “This rare opportunity to be with your dad and Shorty.”
“Family time is important.” Ducky said, Spike nodding in agreement. “We can come around some other day.”
“We’d probably be a distraction while you give them a taste of the Great Valley experience.” Cera said.
Littlefoot shook his head. “You’re as much a part of the Great Valley experience as anything else. You won’t be a distraction at all. If anything, you’ll make this day even better.”
Bron lowered himself to Cera and the others’ eye level. “I never did get to talk to you children much. I would like to get to know the friends Littlefoot speaks so highly of.”
Shorty shrugged. “Eh, why not. From the stories Bron tells, you’ll probably make this trip interesting anyway.”
All the apprehension drained from Cera and the others. They looked amongst themselves with the first stirrings of bright smiles. Ducky clasped her hands together.
“Oh thank you so much, Littlefoot,” she said. “We’ll make this family time very happy, oh we will.”
Cera preened. “Besides, you can’t remember everything in the Great Valley. If we’re touring, you might need some reminders of where we’ve been,” she paused. “Wait, family time? Does that mean Shorty’s really-”
“Yep,” Littlefoot said proudly, standing next to Shorty. “He’s my brother now.”
There were gasps and cries of joy for Cera and the others. Shorty had a hard time meeting their eye, unused to all this positive attention. Ducky jumped on Spike and clapped her hands happily.
“Oh congratulations, Littlefoot!” she cried. “Having a sibling is the best thing ever, it is, it is.”
Spike nodded emphatically, gazing warmly up at his sister. Petrie chuckled.
“Me happy for you. You already look after us like a brother already, so this won’t be too hard.”
“I’m so sorry for the suffering that is to come.” Cera said dryly. When the others glared at her, she added. “Kidding! Seriously, congrats. Having a brother or sister does have its good points, so I’m sure you two will get along well.”
“Thanks.” Littlefoot said. “I’m pretty new at this, so I hope you can be patient with me Shorty.”
“Hey, I never had a sibling before either.” Shorty said. “So at least neither of us is going to be better at this.”
Littlefoot chuckled. “That’s the one way of looking at it.”
“You know, it’s kind of funny.” Cera commented. “Now everyone among our group has a sibling. Well, everyone except…Chomper. ”
A few of them squirmed as they became aware of Bron and Shorty watching with bemusement, the implications of these two meeting the valley’s most unique residents became clear.
“Where are Chomper and Ruby anyway?” Littlefoot whispered, looking around nervously.
“They woke up late and didn’t get chance to eat.” Petrie explained, automatically also lowering his voice. “They thought they could eat when you come along but when you didn’t, Ruby took Chomper to a good snacking place while we searched for you.”
“I see.” Littlefoot hesitated, but couldn’t think of any other options. “Petrie, can you go tell them who’s in the valley and whether they’ll be okay with meeting them even with what some think of their food issue?”
“Food issue?” Petrie said blankly.
“Yeah. You know…
that food issue.”
Littlefoot stared harder. Petrie continued to look puzzled until the others cottoned on and also gave him significant looks. Then Petrie’s eyes widened.
“Oh, food issue!” Petrie began to fly higher. “Me know what you’re saying and will tell Ruby and Chomper about it right away. Be back soon!”
So saying, Petrie flew off. Littlefoot was relieved – he felt guilty for sending his friend on a retrieval mission so soon after vowing his friends shall accompany him on this day but maybe the issue with Ruby and Chomper would be taken care of quickly. Bron and Shorty had watched the whole coded exchange, bemused.
“Are Ruby and Chomper new friends of yours?” Bron asked.
“Yeah.” Littlefoot said. “We became friends with Ruby more recently but we met Chomper a few times before. They’re busy but if all goes well they might meet you later today.”
“What do you mean, ëif all goes well?’” Shorty asked, suspicious.
“Um, you’ll understand when you meet them.” Littlefoot averted his gaze. “Don’t worry, Petrie will rejoin us without missing much. Anyway, why don’t we begin exploring the valley? There’s just so much to show you!”
“Littlefoot’s right.” Grandpa Longneck cut in. “No time like the present. Be on your way.”
“We can make time to talk when the bright circle comes down.” Grandma Longneck reassured. “Have fun with the kids, you two. You won’t regret it.”
The grandparents lingered long enough to nod at Bron and Shorty and wink at Littlefoot before walking off. Littlefoot smiled appreciatively. At times like this, he really valued how much he and his grandparents could be on the same wavelength. Bron and Shorty silently observed the grandparents’ departure before Bron returned his attention to Littlefoot’s group.
“It seems you have a surprise for us.” Bron said wryly. “I don’t know what it is, but I look forward to it. So, where shall we start?”
Littlefoot thought it over and turned unsurely to his friends. Now faced with the responsibility of this tour, he was at a loss for where to begin.
Cera chuckled. “I said you would need us. How does starting at the Thundering Falls sound?”
Littlefoot agreed that the Thundering Falls sounded like a good idea and they led Bron and Shorty there. As they moved, Littlefoot could see Bron and Shorty looking around with interest, observing the geography of the land, the diversity of plants, and the variety of dinosaurs eating and kibitzing. Littlefoot was nervous when they passed Hyp’s group, since the trio could still be troublemakers even if they weren’t as mean as they used to be, but fortunately they were wholly focused on kicking around a rock, yelping and then laughing coarsely whenever the rock struck one of them too hard. Bron seemed interested in these examples of inter-species mingling. The topic appeared to slip his mind when they at last came across the majestic Thundering Falls.
A wide curtain of water fell before them, nearly turning white in its descent. Where it met the beginning of a great river, foam rose up. The roar signaled the power of natural forces, which altered and broke the land over unfathomable generations to create wonders that gave relief and shelter to life attempting to survive in a wide and difficult world. Several dinosaurs were drinking from the water and a few of the larger or more daring sorts bathed in the waterfall, closing their eyes and letting the liquid deliciously soak their skin. Bron marveled at the sight. While Shorty didn’t appear much impressed, he did look at the waterfall bathers, intrigued.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful.” Littlefoot said. “This is an important source for the valley’s water.”
“So important that a lot of the green food dried up when some flying rocks blocked off the falls.” Cera said.
“But we unblocked it and shared the green food that remaineded until it all grew back.” Ducky said. “I like swimming around here, I do, I do. Spike does too, though Mama warns us not to get too close to the falls. They’re difficult to swim around.”
Bron chuckled. “This does look dangerous as it does beautiful. I believe it’s wise here to listen to your mother’s advice.”
“Advice we still try to impart to them but it’s hard to make it stick,” said a wry voice.
Mr. Threehorn and Tria approached from a set of chewed bushes, Tricia laughing as she tried to balance against her father’s nose horn. Tria surveyed the group with her genteel smile.
“Why hello everyone.” Tria continued. “Who are these two new faces?”
“This is my father Bron and adopted brother, Shorty.” Littlefoot nodded to each of them. “Dad, Shorty, this is Cera’s family – Mr. Threehorn, Tria, and Tricia.”
Tria and Mr. Threehorn gave a small double-take, visually comparing these guests to Littlefoot. Tria smiled.
“What a delightful occasion. How do you do?”
“So you’re the father of Littlefoot I heard about.” Mr. Threehorn said gruffly, looking briefly at Littlefoot. “At least that longneck migration nonsense actually did some good.”
“For that alone, it did so much good.” Bron said. “But it wasn’t nonsense. It gave so many of us an opportunity to be part of something spectacular, and your daughter and her friends got to witness it.”
Mr. Threehorn scoffed. “So you say. The bright circle falling, longnecks keeping it up in the sky…it sound pretty unbelievable.”
Bron’s expression turned mediating. “Well whatever did happen, it was a sight to behold. I’m sure threehorns and other herds have been part of holidays and events that are just as spectacular that I’m ignorant of.”
Mr. Threehorn didn’t seem to know what to say to such a balanced reply. Tria stepped firmly forward.
“Whatever is behind them, these holidays and events do make nice occasions to get together with family and community,” she said pleasantly. “Enjoy your stay in this beautiful valley.”
Bron nodded agreeably. Mr. Threehorn looked disgruntled a potential argument had concluded on such even territory but then Bron peered closer at the child balanced on the former’s horn.
“Though I must say, your daughter Tricia here is also beautiful.” Bron said. “Look at how she stays on your nose. It’s precious”
Mr. Threehorn raised his head slightly, mollified. “Of course Tricia is beautiful. She’s my child. All of my children are beautiful.”
Bron chuckled. “Every good parent thinks that, as they should. We’re biased that – ooh, careful there!”
For Tricia stared at Bron and attempted to reach out with a paw, only to wobble and nearly fall off. Mr. Threehorn hastily tilted his head and Tricia was able to rebalance. Bron got his nose closer so Tricia could properly bridge the distance and pad at it in bright fascination. Sighs of relief followed as the three adults smiled.
“She’s good at balance.” Bron said.
“Gets it from her parents.” Mr. Threehorn said.
“I hear Cera’s as good with balance, with what I hear about their adventures.” Tria said.
Bron, Mr. Threehorn, and Tria continued to murmur fondly amongst themselves. Cera sighed exasperatedly.
“Oh great, it’s goo-goo-gaga time,” she said. “Grownups can be so embarrassing.”
“Yeah.” Shorty grimaced. “Bron said it’s all part of the skillset of being herd leader and parent but still – it’s weird.”
“It might be weird but it seems to have worked.” Littlefoot said encouragingly. “Being herd leader means being able to smooth over arguments and he seems to have got onto Mr. Threehorn’s good side.”
The others glanced at the three adults again. Mr. Threehorn and Tria had allowed Tricia to climb onto Bron’s snout. Bron nearly sat down to minimize the height of any possible fall. Mr. Threehorn and Tria laughed gently as Tricia scaled up the longneck’s forehead and began to hop around. Bron didn’t look the least abashed and laughed right along with the couple.
“Well, Mr. Threehorn doesn’t look grumpy anymore.” Ducky said.
“You might be right.” Cera said grudgingly. “Though without Tria around, he would have a harder time getting Dad into a good mood.”
Shorty turned to Cera, bemused. “Wait, ëTria?’ Isn’t she your mom?”
“Tria’s my stepmom. My other mom is…” Cera trailed off and shook her head. “I had issues with accepting Tria as she and Dad got together but she was always okay with me calling her by her name. Just call her whichever makes me comfortable, she’d say. She treats me as well as she treats Tricia, who calls her ëMom,’ and I like her just as much.”
“Huh.” Shorty had an unusually thoughtful expression as he gazed at Bron but said no more.
Soon Bron returned Tricia to Mr. Threehorn’s horn and was wrapping up the conversation with Cera’s father and Tria.
“Hopefully, I’ll meet you three again.” Bron said. “Bye Tricia.”
“Wave goodbye to the nice longneck, Tricia.” Mr. Threehorn said, and Tricia obligingly waved a paw at Bron.
“Make sure the kids don’t wander off into the Mysterious Beyond again.” Tria said brightly.
“We’re touring the Great Valley!” Cera said. “The Mysterious Beyond isn’t in the Great Valley, so why would we go there?”
That elicited laughter. Cera rolled her eyes as they bid farewell to her family and walked off. Littlefoot was relieved. A part of him feared what would happen if Bron dueled minds with the stubborn Mr. Threehorn but the former handled the interaction wonderfully. If Bron could get Mr. Threehorn to warm up to him, then his interactions with the other valley residents wouldn’t be any trouble. With pride bouncing in his chest, Littlefoot thought about where next to tour when Bron spoke to him.
“So you’re still gallivanting off to the Mysterious Beyond, I see.” Bron chuckled.
Littlefoot blushed. “We don’t do it that often. Really.”
“It’s not like we enjoy getting chased by sharpteeth.” Cera said dryly. “Usually we’re going out there to save or keep an eye on someone.”
Ducky nodded. “That happened when our glider friend Guido sleepwalked and sleep-glided out of the Great Valley. Oh, it was very hard to keep him safe. But on the plus side, Guido reremembered he was a glider and helped us when we needed him, he did, oh he did.”
“Reremembered he was a glider?” Bron repeated. “That sounds like quite a story in and of itself.”
Spike bayed agreeably, shaking his head in wonderment at the weirdness the gang often ended up in the middle of. And Guido’s situation was only the tip of the iceberg.
“There was also that time we escorted a yellow belly herd to Berry Valley.” Cera added. “It was a pain but Littlefoot was on a wisdom streak and we had to stay the course. They did have their own wisdoms though and they kind of grew on me by the time we said goodbye to them at their valley.”
Shorty frowned. “That does sound like a pain. Aren’t yellow bellies stupid?”
“Now Shorty,” Bron said, “I’m sure they can be as bright and intelligent as any other dinosaur.”
“They were.” Littlefoot said. “I came away after that learning a few things myself.”
“And the things we learn in these adventures do come in handy.” Cera said casually. “I mean, going toe-to-toe with Redclaw and his cronies would be a lot harder if we hadn’t been fighting sharpteeth since we could crawl.”
Bron and Shorty nearly stopped following, and stared.
“Did you just say you went toe-to-toe with Redclaw?” Bron said slowly. “That Redclaw?”
“Yep.” Cera said proudly. “More than once even.”
Shorty’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying. They’re really pulling our legs this time, Bron.”
“Cera was just slightly exaggerating.” Littlefoot gave her a disapproving look, and she glared in annoyance.
“Slightly exaggerating?” Bron repeated. “Are you saying you did meet Redclaw multiple times – and survived?”
“We really have.” Ducky said. “Redclaw and his fast biters might be good at hurting big guys but they have a harder time hurting smaller guys like us. They aren’t very smart. We once made them go away by pretending to be big sharpteeth, we did, we did.”
The others nodded sincerely. Bron and Shorty were slightly round-eyed, the former struggling to digest this information while the latter looked them over, not knowing what to make of these youths who weren’t much older than himself. At last, Bron nodded dazedly.
“You’ve said you fought sharpteeth before,” he said. “But to be experienced enough to fight Redclaw…”
Littlefoot squirmed uncomfortably. “We encounter a lot of sharpteeth on our adventures. It’s hard to avoid them. We just…learned how to deal with him.”
“Screaming and running does buy us enough time for either grownups to come to the rescue or for one of us to come up with a plan.” Cera said. “Our plans usually involve hiding somewhere and losing them, throwing stuff from a high place until they trip or fall, or screwing with their heads until they run away. We’ve gotten pretty good at it.”
“If you’re still standing here, you must be doing something right.” Shorty said, only a bit dryly. He had witnessed himself the talents of Littlefoot and the others when those sharpteeth came around during the longneck migration, and couldn’t be as skeptical of these claims.
“That’s an understatement.” Bron said, with some pride. “I’m impressed you can imitate a sharptooth with your voices. If I tried that, it’d probably sound like gibberish. Where did you learn that?”
“We had help from – um, our new friends!” Ducky hastily edited her sentence.
“That’s right.” Cera nodded. “Let’s just say they have some knowledge about that stuff.”
Bron’s expression turned to confused intrigue while Shorty started looking annoyed. Littlefoot tried not to cringe. Despite his reservations, Littlefoot had been enjoying being open about his adventures. He and Bron had talked about them before. Mentioning these adventures now, though, Littlefoot feared Bron would disapprove. That Bron and Shorty were amazed and impressed made Littlefoot proud. If they didn’t exactly condone Littlefoot and his friends being in danger, they were happy they went to such lengths to learn and help people. Littlefoot was glad to have such a good reception.
But in Littlefoot and the others’ eagerness to impress their guests, they nearly let slip about Ruby and Chomper again. Now Bron and Shorty were paying attention to their secret, and that was bound to arise suspicion. The more they paid attention to the secret, the more likely they might put the pieces together. This might be something they wouldn’t be proud of. Littlefoot wasn’t eager to get into a conflict now. Quickly, he thought of a distraction.
“Anyway, we need to get to our next stop.” Littlefoot said brightly. “There are some amazing peaks around the Great Wall. I know a few that you’ll like.”
Littlefoot drew the group near one section of the Great Wall, pointing out some of the nicer-looking mountains around the valley. As part of a migrating herd, Bron and Shorty weren’t strangers to tall and beautiful mountains but these ones were large and decked with enough interesting features that the pair could pause and appreciate them. As they moved about, they came by a flyer’s nest. Mama Flyer had been carefully distributing berries to a few of her children. She looked up at the approach of Littlefoot’s group and gave a welcoming smile.
“Morning, kids.” Mama Flyer greeted. “I assume these two are the father and brother of Littlefoot I’ve heard about.”
“How do you know that?” Shorty asked.
“I’ve heard word from a few of my children after breakfast. Word can travel fast when you’re a flyer.”
“Dad, Shorty, this is Petrie’s mother and some of his brothers and sisters.” Littlefoot said. “This nest is where they live.”
“A pleasure to meet another family of Littlefoot’s friends.” Bron nodded. “I see Petrie isn’t bereft of siblings.”
Mama Flyer chuckled. “There are several more but they are staying with their father at the moment. We get along enough that our children can choose to spend time with either of us when they desire.”
“I see.” Bron’s expression became sympathetic.
“No, don’t be sorry.” Mama Flyer said casually. “It’s nowhere near tragic as what your family went through. Even if we aren’t as close as we used to be, it’s still an improvement. Not many flyer fathers are present at all.”
“There’s that bright side.” Bron smiled. “Still, it must be difficult to keep track of Petrie and what the rest of his friends are doing. They’re quite adventurous.”
Mama Flyer laughed. “That’s an understatement. Of all my children, I didn’t expect Petrie to fall in with that kind of crowd. Not that I’m complaining. They do so much good for him –”
“Littlefoot!”
Petrie’s call intruded upon the conversation. He flapped into view, landed on Littlefoot’s head, and whispered breathlessly into the longneck’s ear.
“It bad. Me couldn’t find Ruby and Chomper anywhere.”
“You couldn’t?” Littlefoot’s voice rose in spite of himself.
“Me looked at the usual spots they ate but they weren’t there. Me looked at other places too, like where they play or rest, but no luck. Either me too slow to catch up to them or they went somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else?” Littlefoot looked urgently at the others. “Do any of you know where they might have went?”
Cera shrugged. “I haven’t heard anything from them.”
Spike nodded in agreement with Cera’s statement, troubled. Ducky looked thoughtful.
“Wait…when we left, I think I heard them say they might try a good place for delicious bugs Guido recommended through Cera’s dad. They mentioned something about trees.”
Petrie fidgeted. “Well, that not specific. There are lots of trees in valley.”
“Why don’t you just go and ask Guido about the kind of trees he meant?” Cera asked.
“Oh, he ate some bad red plant that had crawlies on it. He has been delirious ever since.”
Cera scowled. “Let me guess. It’s the same red plant with the round top that put Dinah and Dana’s father out for days?”
Petrie nodded rapidly. “That the plant. If me talk to him, he wouldn’t be able to give straight answer. Oh, what now? Me can try to search for them more, but it might take all day...”
Littlefoot saw Petrie fidget anxiously, movements exhausted from many hours of flight that might turn into many hours more. Littlefoot’s heart ached with sympathy. He couldn’t allow this to go on. Resignedly, he blew out a breath.
“It’s alright, Petrie. You don’t need to overwork yourself. Stay with us. We’ll just have to play it by ear.”
“No.” Petrie protested. “Me can try again, look for all the places with interesting bugs, and-”
“And you’d miss much of this special day. I want you to be part of this, Petrie. I want you to have fun, not be tired and anxious.” Littlefoot said firmly. “I’m sure Ruby and Chomper will sniff us out. Don’t worry, we’ll do our best to make sure Dad and Shorty welcome them then.”
“Really?” Petrie said reluctantly. “If you sure. Me don’t want to disappoint you, Littlefoot.”
Littlefoot smiled. “You did your best. I’m sorry I sent you on that wild errand. But at least we know a bit more now.”
Petrie smiled gratefully and hugged Littlefoot’s forehead. Littlefoot nuzzled back, attempting to ignore the guilt flaring in his chest. Petrie was back and that was what mattered, he thought. When Ruby and Chomper came, they would deal with it then. In the meantime, their exchange hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Having trouble finding those friends?” Shorty asked.
“You could say that.” Cera said. “One of them has a good nose, so they should get to us soon enough.”
“Huh.” Shorty then muttered. “This is a lot of fuss for finding some simple friends.”
“These friends are kind of special.” Ducky said. “You’ll see how special soon. Don’t worry, they’re really nice!”
Shorty’s response was to give them a look of deeper suspicion. Hastily, they changed the subject.
“Anyway, me back!” Petrie said with force cheer. “Me hope me didn’t miss anything!”
“Oh, nothing much.” Cera said. “We looked at the Thundering falls. We bumped into my parents and Bron sucked up to them by cooing over Tricia. We told them we don’t march out to the Mysterious Beyond on a regular basis to fight sharpteeth. He’s talking to your mom now. Oh, and she might have said something embarrassing about you.”
“She what?” Petrie yelped. “What did you say, Mama?”
“I said nothing embarrassing, Petrie.” Mama Flyer said patiently. “Cera’s only teasing you.”
Petrie crossed his arms and glared at Cera. She was unabashed.
“I did say, ëmight have,’” she said.
“It’s only praise.” Bron reassured. “She just mentioned how your choice in friends have improved your character.”
“Oh.” Petrie colored bashfully. “Me be quiet then.”
Bron and Mama Flyer chuckled good-naturedly.
“I assume you know the new friends Littlefoot and the others made.” Bron said. “They seem rather secretive about them.”
“Secretive?” Mama Flyer said blankly. Then her expression cleared. “Oh, I do know those friends. They’re sweet. Though if the kids want to keep them a surprise, I’m not going to spoil things.”
“Curiosity is eating at me, but I’ll play along. I could tell they were hiding something but I thought it best to let them have their surprise. It would hopefully make everyone happy.”
Mama Flyer chuckled. “Yes, that’s a balancing act with my kids too. If they want to surprise me, I let them but if they have done trouble…oh, I’ll sniff them out. None of them are good at lying. It’s almost cute when they try.”
Bron nodded. “When I’m not exasperated with what Shorty got involved in this time, his defiant explanations can be endearing. It’s weird what we find loveable in our children.”
“Indeed. Petrie has some anxiety about how he speaks but I find it quite – oh, I shouldn’t be saying this too loud…”
As Bron and Mama Flyer’s voices quieted fondly, Petrie and Shorty grimaced.
“Oh, now you’re embarrassing me, Mama.” Petrie put his wings over himself.
“They’re going goo-goo-gaa-gaa over us.” Shorty breathed out hard. “I feel like hiding under a rock whenever he does that.”
“Me too.” Petrie paused and looked at Shorty. “You know, that nice for you.”
“Why’s that?” Shorty asked irritably.
“That mean Bron like you.”
Shorty froze and examined Petrie with narrowed eyes. Petrie flinched away. To his surprise, though, Shorty relaxed and became thoughtful.
“Maybe he can make the cooing less embarrassing.” Shorty muttered.
Bron and Mama Flyer wrapped up their conversation on less embarrassing grounds, talking about the relief land dinosaurs provided to flyers on journeys and giving anecdotes of land dinosaurs’ amusing opinions on the matter. He chatted with Petrie’s siblings who had some surprisingly complimentary things to say about Petrie. Then they moved on.
“…dealing well with encountering so many kinds in one place.” Mama Flyer was saying.
“I’m no stranger to encountering different kinds of herds.” Bron replied. “You can’t be picky about who you ask for information and I never had the heart to be rude to others. Talking with other kinds can actually be quite pleasant. Like now, for instance.”
“Oh, you flatter. But don’t let me hold you up. Run along, and enjoy the valley.”
As she suggested, the group ran along. Petrie was still red in the face from his mother’s cooing and his sibling’s compliments but looked cheerier to be back with the group again. Comfortably perched on Cera’s frill, Petrie watched Littlefoot study his surroundings.
“Hmm…” Littlefoot murmured. “Where next, where next?”
“Unless it’s really dangerous, we’ll go anywhere with you Littlefoot.” Bron said gently.
“It’s not that.” Littlefoot said absently. “It’s just…I don’t want to show you anything you probably already see every day anyway. I want you to see some amazing things particular to the valley. But I keep having to strike out places like caves and holes that are too small for you. I know that still leaves in a lot of places but it’s hard to figure out which is unique to here and which I’m sure I’ve seen elsewhere before.”
“Don’t be too concerned.” Bron reassured. “When you migrate, things can start to blur together, but I’ve learned to look for the unique in even the familiar. You’ve been around so much, I’m sure you have a story for each sight that can bring out the uniqueness there.”
“Well, I don’t have a story for everything.” Littlefoot said sheepishly.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to think of something. Even if you can’t, though, being with you at your home brings enough uniqueness for me.”
Littlefoot smiled thankfully at his father. Cera and Shorty made lighthearted gagging faces but he paid them no mind. It was nice to have Bron explicitly announce how much he treasured this experience. With the encounters with Cera’s parents and Petrie’s mother, a part of Littlefoot feared that talk might turn south and Bron wouldn’t be able to understand why the valley was so important to his son. Bron was handling the sights and encounters as well as Littlefoot hoped he would. Littlefoot wanted to continue to impress him with extraordinary sights and that had stressed him out a bit. Littlefoot still wished to aim high, but with Bron’s reassurance, maybe he could aim for something a bit more reasonable.
“How about we have a look at some of the bigger trees around here? When my grandparents get treestars from them, it’s quite a treat. You two should have a taste.”
Littlefoot directed the group to some of the more impressive forests and trees of the Great Valley. Bron and Shorty were encouraged to sample various treestars. Bron hesitated and sometimes refused to take from certain trees because they weren’t as abundant in leaves or others were feasting from them. Littlefoot insisted it was no big deal, though, and the locals sampling the trees also had no objections, so Bron gave in and shared his bounty among the children. Cera and the others’ expressions indicated their fondness for Bron shot up with this generosity. Noon was coming along and their bellies were feeling comfortably full as they wound their way to the last of the leaves.
“I’ve seen bigger trees even Bron couldn’t reach with some amazing treestars.” Shorty said as they feasted on a tall tree not far from a snaking river. “But you lot aren’t doing bad here.”
“It’s why we struggled so hard to get here in the first place.” Cera laid on her stomach, chewing contently. “It’s great to have a variety to choose from.”
“But coming here was really for our families.” Ducky piped in, quickly snatching a treestar from the pile before Spike claimed it. “We really wanted to get back with them, we did. Meeting them here made all that walking and hard work really, really worth it.”
Shorty swallowed and examined Ducky thoughtfully. “Was it as hard as Bron tells it?”
Petrie chuckled nervously. “There were a few fights.”
“Yeah.” Littlefoot’s eyes lowered. “We weren’t very mature. Sorry for ignoring you, Petrie.”
“Oh, it fine.” Petrie smiled. “Besides, when we really need you, you came.”
Littlefoot returned the smile. Cera suddenly appeared quite interested in her bundle of leaves, not meeting anyone’s eye. She seemed thankful when Ducky broke the silence.
“We all did our part to get here.” Ducky explained. “Whether it was finding food, getting directions, or running from a sharptooth. I even played a part in, erm…making the sharptooth go away. That is something I’m quite proud of, I am, I am.”
“Didn’t the others strong-arm you into being bait?” Cera asked dryly.
Shorty turned to Ducky, stunned. “You were strong-armed into what?”
Littlefoot, Petrie, and Spike, too, suddenly found their food quite interesting. Littlefoot tried not to allow the shame to show on his face. He preferred not to bring too much attention to the more pragmatic and morally dubious actions he took in the journey to the valley. He knew some of them were the right decision but Littlefoot could never be comfortable with them. It disturbed others to hear of children making such choices and the gang wasn’t eager to bring attention to themselves in that light.
“Um, I was strong-armed.” Ducky said sheepishly. “But I’m still proud of it. That part we don’t dwell on, especially with-”
“Ducky, Spike, there you are!”
Relief washed over Littlefoot as everyone was distracted by Mama Swimmer’s arrival. She came walking in from the river, followed by a descent quantity of her nine or so children. Ducky started.
“Mama!” she exclaimed, her delight a bit strangled. Quickly, she turned to Shorty with a finger to her lips. “Shh!”
“You must be Bron and Shorty.” Mama Swimmer said. “Hello, I’m Ducky and Spike’s mother.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Bron turned his attention away from the tree. “Has word really traveled that fast about this little party?”
Mama Swimmer smiled wryly. “Gossip can get around the Great Valley, for good or ill. Fortunately, it’s good this time. I hope my kids haven’t been a distraction from your family time.”
“No, they have done nothing but brought good cheer to this expedition.” Bron turned fondly to Littlefoot and the others. “I’ve heard a lot about his friends during the migration, so it’s great to get to know their lovely peculiarities in person.”
“That’s good to hear.” Mama Swimmer became nervous. “If Littlefoot has mentioned his friends, I assume he has given some details about Ducky…and Spike. I know it seems kind of strange…”
“If I judged you for adopting children, I would be an almighty hypocrite.” Bron said firmly. “You give Spike love, and a home. Having a paw in adoption myself, I find that any challenges you encounter…they don’t go away, but you find you can take them on.”
Mama Swimmer relaxed. “I see. Yes, I know what you’re saying. Before, I wondered how adopters dealt with the challenge of such a responsibility. When Spike sailed in and Ducky proclaimed he was family, though, I found I didn’t care about the challenges and welcomed him with a nuzzle.”
While Bron and Mama Swimmer spoke, Shorty started when he felt a nudge. Spike stood close, expression content and encouraging as he bumped Shorty’s side again.
“What?” Shorty said, puzzled. “What is it?”
Spike jerked his head toward Bron and Mama Swimmer, baying happily. When Shorty continued to look blank, Ducky brightened and hopped over to lean affectionately against her brother’s neck.
“Oh, Spike is happy that we all have such great parents.”
“Really?” Shorty asked. “Why’s he acting so chummy with me about that?”
“You both have similar situations.” Ducky replied. “He found a happy home and so did you. At least, that’s what I think he meant. Spike?”
Spike nodded eagerly. He turned to his collection of treestars, sniffed at them, and hummed a tune, staring expectantly at Ducky. She smiled at him.
“Yes, I know green food makes you happy enough to sing, Spike.” Ducky said. “I sometimes like to sing about food as well, I do, I do.”
Spike tilted his head, as though this wasn’t the answer he expected. Then he sighed fondly, took a big bite out of his pile, and nosed up a few leaves to Ducky. She gasped happily and embraced his neck, the two the most content of siblings. Spike gave Shorty a fond look and indicated to Bron and Mama Swimmer again. Shorty, heat radiating from his cheeks, nodded awkwardly.
“Yeah.” Shorty murmured. “It’s great, I guess…”
Also feeling moved, Littlefoot got closer and bumped into Shorty’s other side, smiling encouragingly. Shorty didn’t know how to react to this brotherly affection, so he awkwardly nodded again before stepping back and eating some more treestars. Unsure how to react, not sure if he did the right thing, Littlefoot did the same, eying Ducky and Spike thoughtfully as Bron and Ducky’s mother wrapped up their conversation.
“…nearly know him as well as all my kids.” Mama Swimmer was saying. “And yet I feel Ducky is more attuned to him. There are always some things I’m not always sure about.”
“No, it’s okay.” Bron replied. “I’ve sought advice from other parents in my herd and even those with the chattiest kids feel like they don’t know them completely. I feel guilty about how clumsy I’ve been with him.”
“Parenting is a work-in-progress. Hopefully each step we take is a bit more graceful.” Mama Swimmer smiled sheepishly. “At any rate, don’t let me delay you. There is still much to see.”
“As I’ve been told many times. Thank you. In exchange for the advice, may I give you some food?”
Ducky and Spike’s family gratefully receive some treestars from Bron. The family waved, Bron returning the gesture with his tail, before they resumed their travels along the river. Bron observed their departure and brought his attention back to Littlefoot and the others.
“That was a pleasant conversation.” Bron said. “I hope everyone had their fill. Where do you suggest we go next, Littlefoot?”
Littlefoot ate a treestar to give himself time to think. “We could…find someplace to view the valley. I still remember when I first saw it all from high up and I know of a few places where we can get just as wonderful a view.”
“Those can accommodate someone of my size?” Bron said wryly.
“I know of some places that Grandpa and Grandma can go to without much fuss. I know of one that’ll fit all of us, but it’s a bit of a walk and I’ve been down it only once. I hope you don’t mind us doing some backtracking.”
Bron didn’t find that a problem, so the group marched into one of the denser Great Valley forests. The trees and foliage were more tightly pressed together. Only a path carved out by many passing large dinosaurs gave Bron any room to move. Littlefoot was glad nothing much had changed. Apparently, people still took this route to either get that view or conduct other business, and that meant his memory wasn’t playing tricks on him. Hopefully his mind still retained the routes his grandparents took. Littlefoot didn’t want Bron and Shorty too breathless and disgruntled from retracing their steps to appreciate the amazing sight he hoped to display. That thought occupied his mind to such an extent that he nearly missed hearing a pair of voices.
“Man, they’ve been all over the place,” said a slightly haggard, young voice. “Do Great Valley dinosaurs love doing workouts?”
“It must depend on the person,” commented an older voice wisely. “Because some persons I’ve seen seem content with eating and not moving around much.”
“At least I think we’re caught up to them now.” The first voice took a deep breath. “Hey Littlefoot, guys, are you there?”
Everyone stopped at the call of that familiar voice. Heart pumping, Littlefoot exchanged gazes with Cera and the others, and saw they were as tense and worried as he was.
Part 1/3
