Fanfiction.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12535668/8/We-Will-Hold-On-Forever--1/2
We Will Hold On Forever
by
DaveTheAnalyzer
Chapter 08: New Arrivals Part 1By the time Littlefoot finished recounting his sleep story and his reaction to it, he and his grandparents were on their way to their nest. The whole tale wasn’t long but Littlefoot felt like he was talking forever when he ended the story weakly by saying he then went to play with his friends. Throughout, Grandpa and Grandma Longneck were silent, nodding encouragingly when Littlefoot slowed, and taking in every word even when they briefly detoured to wash their injuries. They didn’t have anything to say when Littlefoot finished, not yet. The bright circle had descended and the lights of the night started winking in one by one, casting enough brightness that they arrived at their nest without any trouble, their long shadows following their every move. Only when they settled on the grass did anyone speak.
“I wish this was brought up sooner.” Grandpa Longneck said, flicking his tail around himself. “But I understand why you didn’t. It’s an upsetting topic for many to face.”
Littlefoot nodded, unable to meet their eyes. “Are you – do you still feel fine?”
“I feel a bit sore from fighting the sharptooth but it’s far from the worst I’ve ever been injured.” Grandma Longneck made a show of casually looking over his injuries. “I’m sure it’ll pass.”
“The same for me.” Grandpa Longneck smiled reassuringly. “Why, I feel like the two of us will live on for some time yet. You won’t be saying goodbye to us anytime soon.”
“But what do we do when that happens?” Littlefoot asked.
His grandparents looked at one another before Grandma Longneck answered. “This mightn’t be comforting for you, Littlefoot, but it’s likely we won’t pass together. Hopefully one of us will be around to look after you until you grow to be a fine longneck.”
“And I have a feeling the one who will be looking after you will be Grandma.” Grandpa Longneck chuckled. “Between the two of us, you always were the stronger one, dear.”
“Oh, you stop it.” Grandma Longneck whipped her tail at her husband fondly. The two of them laughed lowly.
Littlefoot couldn’t crack a smile. “You did become sick around the time Ali’s herd first came around. Maybe that will happen.”
That quieted the laughter. “Yes, well.” Grandpa Longneck said. “That reminds me – during that time, I said to you that if anything happened to me, you and Grandma should join Ali’s herd for your protection. I hope to assure you we have made better preparations.”
“Do I still have to leave?” Littlefoot asked. “I guess this time I would go with Dad and Shorty. I do like them…but I want to remain in the valley. I don’t want to leave my friends, my home. Please don’t make me go.”
“Let us finish, Littlefoot.” Grandma Longneck said. “Things have changed since Grandpa fell ill. We get along much better with the other grownups of the valley. We have had talks with your friends’ parents and they have agreed that if anything happens to us, they will take you in. Even if you’re old enough to take care of yourself, they will make sure to keep an eye on you.”
“Don’t underestimate how much they value you, Littlefoot.” Grandpa Longneck said. “You have not only saved their children, your friends, but the whole valley multiple times. After all you have contributed, I’m sure you’ll be welcomed warmly by the time we pass.”
Littlefoot nodded reluctantly. He was a bit reassured he wouldn’t have to depart from the Great Valley and could remain with his friends. But that dodged around Littlefoot’s main concern.
“But what do I do when the signs come?” he asked. “Like with the Night Flower, I’ll try to find a cure for anything that makes you sick but if nothing works, should I just stand there and wait? Wait for you to die?”
Grandpa Longneck sighed. “You’re right. We still have much to do. Even in old age, you never stop finding things you want to learn or accomplish. We aren’t eager to part with you anytime soon. We’ll try be with you for as long as we can…but when the time finally comes, having your company, saying goodbye, will be really comforting to us. I’m sure your mother was comforted by your presence in her last moments. Making some peace with loved ones can make all the difference in making sure death holds some measure of happiness.”
“That doesn’t seem like much.” Littlefoot said. “It’ll be so sad. But…I’ll do it for you.”
“Such a process also brings comfort to the living.” Grandma Longneck added. “As tough as it was to be with your mother when she died, we saw it gave you some closure. You got to have your last words and process it so you can continue living. Grandpa and I aren’t unhappy by any means, with you and the friends we’ve made in the valley. Still…”
“As her parents, we wish we could have been with her in that moment.” Grandpa Longneck said wistfully. “Every once in a while, we stop and think about what we could have said to her if we had the opportunity. There’s always a little sting in our chests now that we can’t speak to her. We have made our peace but still…hopefully you can be with us when the time comes. I don’t want you to live with that kind of regret. Understand?”
Littlefoot inhaled slowly. “Yeah. I still don’t like it but…yeah.”
Grandma Longneck smiled. “We know you’re a longneck of action Littlefoot, but the world turns on. No one can live forever. With that, sometimes there’s only so much you can do. Though I know there’s one action you can take that’ll be very helpful to us.”
“What’s that?” Littlefoot asked.
“Sleep.” Grandpa Longneck said.
In spite of himself, Littlefoot laughed. All the tension broke: it was a welcome change after so many hours of terror and uncertainty. He yawned and laid his head down, soothed by the sight of his grandparents following his example. They were fine and that made Littlefoot able to close his eyes more easily. The talk had helped, to some extent. He still had a place in the Great Valley no matter what happened and his grandparents’ interest in staying alive for him as long as possible was a great relief.
Nevertheless, Littlefoot’s stomach still curled at the thought of them dying while he was young. Their acceptance that it might be unavoidable didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t like how they wouldn’t be with him for long in his life, to enjoy the potential joys he would go through. There must be a way to really help. There had to be, in this wide world where so much must be happening few dinosaurs know about. Unbidden, the resigned acceptance of the circle of life by Hyp’s father, Mr. Clubtail, and Mrs. Threehorn echoed his mind.
There was also something else…
“Even you haven't noticed the greatest terror – the one that has been staring you in the face this entire time.”What did that mean? Littlefoot’s mind didn’t know how to look at the statement. Maybe the sharptooth wanted to mess with the gang as one last spiteful attempt to scare them before he faded. But his confusion and anger thereafter seemed too genuine. What could be around all the time that would scare them? Maybe it was the death and danger always occurring in the world but the gang weren’t exposed to that most of the time. The sharptooth seemed to imply it was around even during peaceful days. Littlefoot was at a loss for what it was then, since he couldn’t think of anything unusual in his many days of play and rest. Still, there was a stir of unease in his chest, as though some tiny part of him noticed something off about his life in the valley…
Littlefoot shoved those worries aside. He wasn’t going to solve anything tonight, not with how drained he was. Littlefoot needed to sleep. He allowed himself to drift until he slipped into a calm, sleep story-less rest.
--
“Mama, it is okay,” Ducky said, “me and Spike are not going to get into any trouble today, really.”
“You didn’t expect to get attacked by the ghost of that dead sharptooth yesterday.” Mama Swimmer said sternly. “Who knows what’s going to happen today. No, I want to make sure you and Spike stay where I can see you.”
Ducky sighed and accepted a sympathetic nuzzle from Spike. She, Spike, their mother, and many of their brothers and sisters were walking in the midmorning sunshine, having already eaten breakfast. They were on their way to one of the Great Valley entrances where a herd was supposed to come through today. Some flyers had informed them of their arrival two day before and it was agreed by many of the grownups to present a united front in assuring the visitors the ghost situation was real and would be taken care of. After yesterday’s close brush, Mama Swimmer had kept Ducky and Spike from running off like they did every morning, to make sure the pair remained safe.
“Will we be able to meet Littlefoot and the others today?” Ducky asked.
“Don’t worry, we’ll likely see them when we meet the herd.” Mama Swimmer said. “If by the end of the meeting you both are cooperative and nothing troubling happens, I’ll consider giving you time to play with your friends.”
Ducky and Spike relaxed slightly. Not being able to spend all day with their friends was a bit disappointing, but the possibility spending some time with them was better than spending no time with them at all.
And at least there was a silver lining to this whole situation, in Ducky opinion. They were given more time to be with their brothers and sisters. They were all walking together, chatting, laughing, and even getting into mischief. A few of them climbed up on Spike with all the eagerness of those who used big loved ones as jungle gyms. Spike giggled and stood up straighter to rock back and forth as though he was bigger than he really was. There were startled cries and giggly whoops.
“Harder, Spike.” A brother from the middle batch said eagerly.
“Yeah, I bet you can’t rock harder.” The eldest of the sisters teased.
Spike obliged by rocking a bit faster, earning more glad cries and he joined them in laughter, reveling in giving his siblings some safe thrills. Ducky laughed and a few of their other brothers and sisters did the same, pointing and clapping their hands to cheer their silliness on. While that happened, some talked with Ducky, and she was able to catch up with those she hadn’t been having much conversation with.
“Hey Ducky, I just figured out how to do a flip!” A sister from her batch said eagerly. “I struggled with it so hard but now I can finally do it!”
Ducky gave her a high five. “Good job, Bill. I knew you could do it, yep, yep, yep.”
A brother from the middle batch approached tentatively. “Uh Ducky, I’ve heard you talk about how you fight with your friends sometimes. I got into a fight with mine after I snapped at her while I was in a bad mood. How do I say sorry?”
“You explain why you snapped at her and try to make her feel better, Riv.” Ducky said. “Sometimes, explaining your feelings helps, because then you can understand them better yourself and watch for them next time.”
“That does sound reasonable.” Riv nodded along, encouraged. “Thanks.”
“Ducky, hi,” said a young sister from the latest batch. “Uh, tag swim funny. More swim…ah…”
“I would love to do more swimming tag.” Ducky said. “It is called swimming tag, it is, it is. You say fun when you like a game or funny when it’s silly. I haven’t swimmed much in the last few days, really, so I should…” she trailed off. “Wait, I meant swam. You say swam for past swimming. I guess you should not take speaking lessons from me, really, oh no, no, no.”
There were a burst of chuckles from this sheepish pronouncement, and Ducky allowed herself to smile as she joined in. They were looking fondly on her and enjoying her company. There were none of the nervous and awkward looks that came when she talked about her friends’ adventures and suggested they should come along. Right now, they appeared grateful she was spending some normal time with them, being her usual cheerful self, and Ducky was happy about this. At least in this way, she was helping her siblings. It smothered her anxieties about how much she really cared about others, and that was a plus.
She continued to engage with her siblings, dancing with a brother as they marched through puddles and catching up with one of the sisters she hatched with. Like with her youngest sister, she wasn’t always graceful in words or movement but she didn’t care. She was enjoying herself and they were having fun too, and that was what mattered. She loved being with her friends but she loved being with her siblings as well and was glad some time opened up where she could be with them.
While talking with a younger brother, a pronounced growl stirred up from Ducky’s stomach and everyone looked at her, a bit stunned. Ducky blushed and rubbed the back of her head.
“Whoa, that was loud,” said a sister.
“Almost as loud as Spike,” said a young brother, bemused.
“Ducky, have you been eating?” Mama Swimmer asked. “You should have filled up while we had breakfast.”
“But I have eaten Mama, I have eaten a lot!” Ducky said. “I do not know why I am hungry.”
“Well, you and Spike didn’t get a chance to have dinner since you nodded off as soon as we returned to the nest.” Mama Swimmer said thoughtfully. “I assume that whole escapade yesterday took a lot more energy than you thought.”
“That might be right.” Ducky admitted. “But how come my brothers and sisters’ stomachs aren’t growling? Were they able to eat anything while underground?”
“The Tinysauruses gave us treestars from their stores,” said a sister. “There were some bugs crawling on them but Guido ate them and they tasted pretty good.”
“Which means you need to eat some more today.” Mama Swimmer said. “Come, look around for any interesting green food and eat while we walk. I don’t want us to linger any more than we have too.”
There were good-natured chuckles, including a few from Spike, who shook his head fondly in Ducky’s direction. That lasted until a louder growl came out and Spike froze, eyes darting about as attention now fixed on him. Ducky put her fists on her hips and leaned over.
“Looks like you cannot shake your head so wisely now,” she said. “You did not have dinner either and you ran around just as much yesterday. Knowing you, you probably need to eat
more. Do not go acting wise with me, oh no, no, no.”
Blushing, Spike gave a self-conscious chuckle and lowered his head to Ducky’s point. Smiling, she patted him reassuringly on the cheek. After his passengers disembarked, Ducky and Spike went over to investigate the green offerings in the area while Mama Swimmer and her other children waited with varying patience.
Spike immediately went over to the nearest bush and began munching it. Sometimes, Ducky wondered if Spike was just not picky and would take anything handed to him or if he was the sort who saw value in nearly every plant he came across and thought it would be criminal if he didn’t at least have a taste. Whatever the case, he was already eating with great energy and Ducky wasn’t going to be left behind.
She considered the foliage before her. All of it looked good but she was in the mood to eat something specific. Something peaked up from over a bush and she saw a familiar big leaf. She gave a soft gasp. It has been forever since she had big leaves from the tall grass. They were quite delicious but there was so much else to choose from that it eventually slipped from her mind. Now this favorite was going to make a comeback! Eagerly, Ducky walked through the bushes and set to break the nearest big leafed tall grass.
Out of nowhere, a set of spiketail spikes swung over her head.
Ducky screamed and nearly fell on her behind as she scrambled back out of the bushes. Spike, who had been eating placidly, jerked up alertly and moved to be at his sister’s side. He bayed at her with concern, but Ducky waved it off.
“I am fine, Spike,” she said. “What was that?”
The bushes rustled and someone emerged through the bushes.
“Kids, you might want to take yourselves else – oh.”
Ducky and Spike stepped back. A woman spiketail turned around before them, chewing a piece of grass, the beginnings of middle-aged wrinkles appearing around her lips. She spat some of the grass out as she looked at them. Her dark eyes were laidback but there was a flicker of confusion in them as she looked down at the pair.
“Oops, my bad. Automatic reflex,” she continued. Her words were ever so slightly slurred, as though she didn’t see the point of putting extra energy into them. “Deal with a lot of people – difficult people. Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“Oh, that is okay.” Ducky said. “Sometimes, me and my friends are still jumpy after having an adventure. Um, can we have any of the food that you are standing close to?”
“Sure, knock yourself out.” The woman spiketail waved her tail out and pressed it against the bushes, revealing the bounty within the small clearing. “Might as well get it over with. There is quite a selection to choose from.”
Ducky hesitated, but went over with Spike to gather what appealed to her, her brother helping in snapping the big leafed grass from their stalks and reaching for other plants. All the while, the woman spiketail stood patiently, watching them with indifferent eyes. It wasn’t exactly friendly but it wasn’t hostile either and Ducky didn’t know what to make of the look. Still, she and Spike quickly finished their selection and backed away from the clearing Tega occupied. Tega nodded appreciatively.
“Glad you didn’t linger in getting what you wanted,” she said. “Now we can be out of each other’s scales.”
“Um, thanks.” Ducky said.
“No need to thank me. Just go and enjoy your food.”
The woman spiketail went back to her place and sat down, chewing a bit more of her length of grass while observing Ducky and Spike, who stayed where they were and watched her. In the confusion churning inside her, Ducky started to feel rising tingles of familiarity.
“Hang on,” she said slowly, “I feel like I have seen you before, I have, I -”
“Ducky, what was that scream about?”
Mama Swimmer wandered in, faintly concerned, trailed after by their puzzled siblings. She took in the scene of Ducky and Spike not far from the relaxing woman spiketail. Her concern turned into anger.
“What are you doing? Get away from her.”
Mama Swimmer darted forward, stood in front of Ducky and Spike, and pushed them back as they cried out in surprise. Mama Swimmer glared at the woman spiketail.
“Ducky, Spike, has she been bothering you?” Mama Swimmer said.
“Hey, I wasn’t bothering anybody.” The woman spiketail replied. “I just gracefully offered my patch of green food to your kids. I do that too, you know. It can make people like them go away faster.”
“Huh, go away?” Ducky said. “I thought you were sharing the green food with us.”
“I’m not the sharing sort,” she shrugged. “But your kind kick up a fuss when I say no. And if I really tried to drive you off, you all will harass me more than you already do.”
“And for good reason, Tega.” Mama Swimmer snapped. “You can’t just claim certain areas of green to yourself and then whack people with your tail if they don’t go away fast enough. It’s only natural that would make you unpopular.”
“Hey, others are territorial with their greens too.” Tega said. “And if someone is insistent on getting into my turf, it’s my right to defend myself. Really, have I given anything more than mild cuts to anyone?”
“That still doesn’t excuse you. Especially since I’ve heard you like to sneak into other people’s territory and eat their food before they get back.”
“Those are nothing but rumors.” Tega said smoothly. “There’s never been any proof. You know how gossip spreads in the Great Valley. Now, is this over? You clearly got your kids away from me and I’ve got them away from my turf. We both clearly don’t want to deal with the pain of being in each other’s presence, so let’s cut this accusation party short and move on, why don’t we?”
Mama Swimmer gritted her teeth but only said, “Don’t think our issues with you are over for this.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say.”
Tega turned and marched out of sight. Mama Swimmer led Ducky and Spike, with their plant pickings in tow, back to the rest of their siblings. They were staring at Ducky and Spike, looking bewildered and a bit uncomfortable over what the pair got into. Ducky winced and looked away as they returned to the path and walked together. Ducky and Spike ate slowly in the awkward silence, watching Mama Swimmer’s back as they considered what had transpired.
“Mama, who was that?” Ducky asked.
Mama Swimmer was quiet for several seconds, as though considering whether to answer. “That was Tega. She’s one of the few spiketails in the valley. She keeps to herself, eating and not doing much of anything remarkable. Now, that by itself I don’t have any issue with. Your friend Pat keeps to himself and he’s a sweetheart. Mr. Clubtail is often seen alone, and though he can be grumpy, he isn’t so bad. Tega, though…as you probably guessed from that exchange, she’s not very considerate.”
“She said she only allowed me and Spike to get food so we would go away.” Ducky said sadly. “I thought she gave it to us because some part of her is nice.”
Mama Swimmer smiled and patted her. “It’s sweet you think of the best of others, but some individuals are very self-centered. As you just heard, people have complained about Tega sneaking in to take their green food and hurting others if they don’t leave her alone. Since she rarely does these things in public, it’s hard to pin these actions on her and she doesn’t do them often enough to warrant discipline. She says she doesn’t want people around to avoid drama and danger...but she’s certainly not going to accomplish that by stepping on people’s toes like this.”
Spike oddly stirred at the “avoid drama and danger” part. He glanced back at where they left Tega, uncertainty mixing in his face as he appeared to turn some thoughts over. Ducky touched her chin as she also glanced back, taking in her mother’s words.
“Me, Spike, and our friends saw her sleeping by the cave where we met the bellydragger and the sharpbeak,” she said. “After we collapsed the cave, she seemed annoyed and wondered what we were doing.”
“She probably wanted you kids to go away so she could rest.” Mama Swimmer said. “Now I want you two to avoid Tega if you can. She treated you decently this time but if you see her again, don’t approach. She hasn’t done any harm to children that I know of but I don’t want to take any chances. Please pass the word on to your friends. Understand?”
“Yes, Mama.” Ducky said.
Spike made a noise of agreement, reluctantly returning his attention to filling his belly with his and Ducky’s bounty. Mama Swimmer sent a brief smile to them.
“Now let’s put aside Tega. We have a herd we need to make a good impression to. Not to mention you two have friends to see. That will make you happy, right? Let’s focus on the important matters.”
Ducky nodded. Her brothers and sisters were looking bored or uncomfortable with the conversation, and she didn’t want to subject them to this anymore than they had to. Riv looked at her and Spike wonderingly.
“You and Spike sure meet some interesting people,” he said.
“That’s for sure.” Bill said, shaking her head.
Ducky gave an awkward laugh. “Yeah, yeah.” A pause. When she continued, it was with some facsimile of her normal cheer. “So, what are you all going to do when we’re finished with this herd meeting? Play with your friends? Splash around in the Thundering Falls? Have I told you all about a fun way to have the water change your color?”
There were curious noises, and Ducky explained the method. Soon, she was back on cheery terms with her siblings. She tried to mentally put aside Tega as advised and focus on the moment, but the woman spiketail kept resurfacing in her mind. Her mother’s mention of happiness inspired a new line of thought. From that brief meeting, Ducky got the impression of a grownup who approached everything with indifference. Ducky didn’t doubt her mother’s words about Tega stealing others’ food and being a bit aggressive but she couldn’t help wondering if any of that made her happy.
--
“Thanks for keeping us company, Petrie’s mom.” Ruby said.
“No problem, you two.” Mama Flyer said warmly. “You do a good job of taking care of yourselves but after what happened yesterday, I thought there was nothing wrong with an adult keeping an eye on you now.”
Ruby and Chomper were currently journeying to the herd meeting spot. Mama Flyer, Petrie, and his brothers and sisters accompanied them, some flying low while others hovered higher above to keep an eye on the path ahead. The family had swooped in as soon as Ruby and Chomper left their caves and Ruby was glad. The pair had slept next to each other that night but the nightmares were still unpleasant. Petrie and several of his siblings decided to do aerial acrobats around the two land walkers and the flyer youths’ playful energy was a good enough distraction to dispel the bad sleep stories.
Petrie and the others seemed particularly determined to cheer up Chomper. They still owed him for saving Mama Flyer during the Days of Rising Water. Their wings brushed past Chomper enough times that he was giggling and clearly enjoying the game. He even waved up his arms and widened the space between his legs to provide more obstacles for Petrie and the others to fly around. Ruby laughed and occasionally did the same, watching with some wonder at the tricks they were able to do at such a young age. Even with this, Ruby couldn’t help noticing Mama Flyer watching them fondly but beadily. Petrie circled Ruby’s head and landed on her shoulder sheepishly.
“Sorry,” he said. “Look like today ëFolks Worry About Us’ day.”
“I don’t mind.” Ruby said. “It’s nice your mother’s nice enough to include me and Chomper as part of their folks.”
“Still, that mean we might not play as much.” Petrie fidgeted. “Though that might be good thing. Me don’t want yesterday to happen again.”
“Don’t worry,” Ruby said uncertainly, “I’m – I’m sure the grownups’ worries will ease enough that we’ll be back to playing like always before we know it.” She rallied. “Now all we have to worry about is easing the worries of the herd visiting today.”
“Yeah.” Chomper said as some of his cheer faded. “And I have the feeling that me standing around too openly isn’t going to help much.”
“Me thought…” Petrie’s gaze lowered with a drop in confidence. “Well…me thought more people would know about Chomper by now.”
Petrie’s brothers and sisters noticed the drop in mood, and did several more aerial tricks that brought some light back into their eyes. Ruby patted Petrie.
“You’d be surprised by what word does or doesn’t travel around,” she said. “And even if they got word about him, that doesn’t mean they’ll accept him. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get word on the kind of hiding places that would be good for Chomper. From how some flyers saw it, we’ll arrive at the meeting spot before the herd meets us, so we might find something there.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that.”
A shadow soared over and everyone looked up to see another adult flyer had joined the higher flyers. Don flapped with a smooth, graceful precision that belied his old age and he glared down at those below with some disdain.
“The path they are using doesn’t have as many obstacles as the others and sharpteeth are less frequent there.” Don continued. “They might already be here when you arrive.”
Mama Flyer sighed. “What are you doing here, Don?”
“I’m merely correcting the young minds below us.” Don replied. “Knowledge is power and they will need it. Is that so wrong?”
“Not really, but the information you gave is a bit outdated.” Ruby said. “My family has been by that path and me and my friends have taken a few trips down it ourselves. The ground isn’t as smooth, so it would be hard for the land walkers to walk as quickly. Not to mention the wind there could slow things down. You had some difficulty flying in it, right Petrie?”
“Huh?” Petrie said. “Oh yeah, me remember. Me had to hide in Cera’s frill to not be blown away.”
“So we’re in no hurry to be hurried.” Ruby continued. “Thanks for trying to help though.”
Don didn’t appear at all pleased by her expressed gratitude. If anything, he flushed, his lip curling in anger.
“Watch your tongue, girl!” he snapped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A few of Petrie’s siblings started, cut off guard while the others rolled their eyes, as though familiar with this reaction. Though jerking a bit in surprise, Ruby met Don’s sudden temper calmly.
“Maybe the path was like that when you were around,” she admitted. “But the earthshakes have changed things since then and the wind patterns have changed direction too. I remember what I saw clearly.”
“You’re still young. You don’t have an elder observing eye.”
“But there were cracks and the wind had changed.” Petrie said. “Anyone could see it.”
“That’s enough lip from you. For Wing Father’s sake, I won’t be disrespected in this way. If you don’t stop, I’ll-”
“Don, control yourself!” Mama Flyer snapped. “Don’t even think of hitting them. That’s no way to handle disagreements, especially from how polite Ruby and Petrie are being.”
“Hit him?” said one of Petrie’s brothers, alarmed. “Hey, stay away from our brother!”
More than one of the adolescent flyers glared at him, wings flapping warningly. Don ignored them, gazing icily at Mama Flyer.
“This isn’t a disagreement about favored tree sweets,” he said. “For Wing Father’s sake, this is a dispute about facts. We can only allow the youth to make so many mistakes before they have to be corrected and they can be quite stubborn in believing their falsehoods are truths.”
“But grownups can be wrong too.” Chomper said, slightly puzzled. “Even old ones. They can be especially stubborn about being told they’re wrong.”
“Don’t lump me in with such idiots. They refused to listen to their elders and have never nurtured their minds to see the world the way it actually is.” Don surveyed the children seriously. “I can see that this generation is going to make the same mistakes. Do you really think you can hide the sharptooth?”
“Of course. Chomper is, um…” Petrie glanced at Chomper sheepishly, “Not big. We hide him in bush with big leaves. No one has good nose like Chomper and if they don’t know he here, they won’t look for him.”
Don sneered. “NaÔve. Sharpteeth aren’t the only ones with good noses.” He began to ascend. “There is more than one way to track someone down. If you continue your ignorant ways, you’ll realize that soon enough.”
And with that, Don flew out of sight, a few of Petrie’s brothers and sisters rolling their eyes and jeering as he left. Ruby and Petrie stared after Don, still absorbing his words. Ruby found it hard to resist what he said about her ignorance. It stung, especially after yesterday. Petrie lowered his eyes.
“NaÔve,” he mumbled. “Me – me think me not that. Am I?”
“We’re all naÔve in some way.” Mama Flyer said. “Don was just saying that to put you down. He has rarely taken criticism well in his old age.”
“You mean he has in his young age?” Ruby asked.
“If he has taken criticism, it mustn’t have been much. From what I heard, he was a wise and well-respected person of his flock. His experience and wisdom had guided them well but when the land and the dinosaurs began to change, he had trouble adapting. When he made mistakes, he began making excuses and lashing out at others. That hasn’t made him popular, so he has been keeping to himself, especially a night circle cycle back after an incident with a sharptooth. He’s often said he doesn’t want to be around those who would disrespect his knowledge.”
“Hmpth.” Petrie crossed his arms. “Maybe if he didn’t start disrespecting us, he might get some of it back.”
“Don’t think too much about his words.” Mama Flyer reassured. “He only says those mean things to make himself feel good.”
“Hmm.” Ruby looked anxiously at where he disappeared off to. “His words about Chomper did sound like a warning.”
“What he says is usually about getting some attention for himself.” Mama Flyer replied. “Whether it’s true or not is secondary to his concerns. Come, we mustn’t dawdle if we don’t want to be late for the meeting.”
“Will Papa be there?” Petrie asked.
“No, unfortunately.” Mama Flyer said. “With how our conversations the last few days, I think he wants to stay away from this supernatural drama.”
Petrie was a bit disappointed. Still, he was in better spirits as he took off from Ruby’s shoulder and they continued moving. He couldn’t help noticing as he flew Ruby still appeared thoughtful. Ruby noticed this about herself but her mind was focused on the warning tone Don suddenly adopted before he flew away.
--
Littlefoot stood by his grandparents in a large clearing with many other grownups. He was relieved to note that his friends were present and not far off. Though from how close they were to their families (And in Ruby and Chomper’s case, Mama Flyer), their parents must still be jittery and wanted to make sure if something went wrong, at least their children were in sight. Littlefoot understood and sympathized but he wondered if they would be allowed to hang out even under their parents’ watchful eye.
He was far from the only one not happy about the current arrangements. Mr. Clubtail stood right by Grandpa and Grandma Longneck, swishing his tail, and eying the bright circle impatiently.
“Why do I have to get up early?” Mr. Clubtail grumbled. “It’s not like I’m needed anyway.”
“The herd needs to be presented with a united front.” Grandma Longneck said. “It’ll be hard to convince them that ghosts are real, so if we’re all here, that might give pause to their doubts.”
“Hmpth.” Mr. Clubtail looked around. “Not everyone is here though.”
“Not everyone can be.” Grandpa Longneck said. “That would be quite a feat and it would intimidate rather than reassure the herd. Many have needs and duties to attend to, so it’s up to us who can make it to fulfill our public responsibility. Don’t worry, it won’t be long. We’ll let you go as soon as matters are settled.”
Mr. Clubtail didn’t appear pleased by this explanation but settled for muttering. “I also have needs to attend to. Staying up tonight is going to be an even bigger hassle now I have to do this.”
Grandma Longneck smiled apologetically before glancing down. “Are you feeling alright, Littlefoot?”
“Huh?” Littlefoot suddenly realized he was rubbing his chest. “Oh, it’s nothing. My chest just feels a little cold. I must have slept on a cold spot, that’s all.”
Grandma Longneck nodded before returning her attention forward. Littlefoot didn’t pay much attention to Mr. Clubtail’s continuing grumbles. He was watching his grandparents carefully. Despite the troubles of yesterday, they all went to sleep early and they appeared wide awake. Some of the scratches and bruises from the battle with the sharptooth came in the light of the new day but if they were providing any problems for the elderly couple, they didn’t show it. They had all the energy and alertness of people who long experienced struggle and thus weren’t going to be downed easily by a simple battle. In some ways, Littlefoot was reassured.
