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« on: June 04, 2012, 04:46:02 PM »
(Thanks for all the feedback thus far^^ much appreciated.)
=Part One
Several miles back, in the Great Valley, little Petrie was having trouble falling asleep. No matter how much he tossed and turned in his large nest, amidst his many brothers and sisters, he could not slip into slumber. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind. Petrie finally sat up and sighed. “It no use, me never getting sleep, tonight.”
Mama Flyer hopped closer to her little son. “Something the matter, Petrie?” She murmured softly.
Petrie turned to his mother with a mournful look. “Me thinking, Mama. Me miss Uncle Pterano.”
Mama Flyer stiffened. In the dark of the cave, Petrie would have missed it had the Night Circle not been shining like torchlight outside. He noticed her shiver and he sighed. “Me sorry Mama, me know Uncle Pterano did bad things, but he still my uncle and me still love him.”
Mama Flyer bent and wrapped her little son in her wings. “I know, Petrie. I know.”
“You think he come back soon?” Petrie’s squawky voice was slightly muffled. “That he be let back in when five cold times pass?”
Mama Flyer paused and sighed. Knowing her brother, she would have answered in short: a blunt ëno’ and that would have been the end of it. But she was talking to her son, who idolized Pterano, despite his past. “I don’t know, Petrie. I hope so.” Truly, Mama Flyer did hope that her brother would be welcomed back to the Great Valley, preferably sooner than later. She, like Petrie, wasn’t too happy about the sentence of five cold times’ banishment, but she knew that was what Pterano had to do. He never took responsibility for his actions, never had, and probably never would. To Pterano, responsibility got in the way of things; one didn’t need responsibility to lead a group, he was convinced. Pterano paid for that mistake with whatever dignity and honor he had left, not to mention an undefined length of banishment, after what happened the first time.
“Mama?” Petrie queried somewhere within the folds of Mama’s wings. “What you think Uncle Pterano doing now?”
Mama Flyer grinned. “Oh, I don’t know, probably getting ready for sleep. If he’s still with the far walkers, he’s likely very tired from all the traveling they do.”
“Me see,” Petrie sounded happy, and was that a yawn escaping his beak? “What he be doing tomorrow?”
Mama Flyer carefully laid her little son back into the nest. “He’ll be doing more traveling. That’s what the far walkers do, dear. Travel all the time. He’s probably very tired at the end of each day.”
“Me… me think so, too…” Petrie yawned again, his eyelids drooping until they were closed and his breathing leveled. Mama Flyer smiled gently and bent to give Petrie a little kiss.
~
Sleep for Pterano didn't come that easily. Every noise he heard, every twig snap, or rustle below caused the flyer to jerk out of his wing folds and almost topple off the branch he was perched on. It seemed like there was more noise tonight, or maybe it was just because he didn’t fall asleep immediately.
Just then, the flyer heard another noise, and this time it was the closest yet. Whipping out of his wings, Pterano balanced himself on the branch, glaring fearfully down into the darkness. His claws gripped the branch nervously as he croaked out in as brave a whisper as he could muster. “H-hello? Who’s there?"
Nothing happened. Pterano, narrowing his eyes and tensing his shoulders in case of a take-off, tried again. “I know someone's down there! Sneaking around won't do you any good, so -!” Pterano's beak closed with a loud snap as he heard a new voice below.
“N-no! Wait, see? Nothing wrong, here. I-I’m coming out. No cause for alarm.” There were more rustlings and then finally, a young dinosaur stepped out from behind a large fern. Pterano, threatening demeanor completely forgotten, gawked down at the youngster.
It was a young Egg-Stealer, Pterano could tell that much, but he wasn’t sure why as the Night Circle didn’t really shed enough light through the trees for him to get a better look. Maybe it was something in the little one’s voice that gave away his species. Pale eyes glowing, the youngster peered intently up at the big flyer and piped up a cautious greeting. “’Allo, there. Name’s Taylen, what about yours?” The Egg-Stealer’s accent matched his own and for some reason, Pterano calmed down slightly because of that.
Pterano, in reply, spread his wings, causing Taylen to jump back in fear. The flyer quickly pulled his wings back in. “Everything’s fine, I’m not going to hurt you. I just can’t see you very well from up here.” Not waiting for the little one to respond, Pterano flapped nimbly to the ground. Taylen flinched slightly. “Hey, come on,” Pterano insisted, voice betraying some annoyance. “I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you and I meant it, so settle down.”
Taylen nodded quickly. “Uh, okay, right, sorry about that. So… who are you?”
“I'm Pterano,” the flyer cocked his crested head. “Now, what is someone your age doing all the way out here at this time of night? I’ve never seen you before in our group, so please explain yourself.” He straightened and folded his arms.
Taylen swallowed loudly. “Well, I’m-I’m trying to find someone, two someones, s’matter of fact. And I almost ran into a couple of sharpteeth earlier, so I ducked in here.”
“Is that so?” Pterano remarked. “Well, I suppose the next question on the agenda is who might you be looking for?”
“My brothers, Ozzy and Strut, who disappeared awhile back and I decided I’d go and look for ëem.”
Pterano raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “And where are your parents?”
Taylen paused. “Uhh… back with my herd. Why?”
“You mean to tell me that you’re out here all on your own?” The flyer was shocked.
Taylen shook his head. “No. You’re here, too, right?” The little dinosaur giggled nervously.
Pterano’s beak twitched in a minute grin. “True, clever that. But you really shouldn’t be out on your own like this. How old are you, anyway? You don’t look that old,”
“I’m not: I’ll be fourteen seasons by the end of next month,” Taylen sounded so proud. Pterano started, wings dropping to his sides in total astonishment. Taylen insisted. “I-I’m stronger’n I look, honest.” He thrust a forearm out and tried to flex. “See?”
Pterano could most certainly see, see that this youngster was out of his mind. “Look, um, Taylen. It’s dangerous out here. You need to get back to your family.” He bent so he and the Egg-Stealer were eye level, which was a little lower than what Pterano was accustomed. The flyer could practically taste the disappointment in the youngster’s voice.
“But, but, what about my brothers? I’m really worried ëbout them. They’ve been missing for so long.”
“I’m sure they’re fine, lad,” Pterano said reassuringly through a yawn. “They can probably fend for them – wait, are we talking younger or older brothers?”
“Older by at least two cold times.”
“Of course.” Pterano sighed. “Taylen, I am certain your brothers’ll be just grand. They can probably take care of themselves, so –”
“But that’s just it!” Taylen persisted, insistant. “Mum and Dad sent them out to scout for another home, but they haven’t come back! We all went out searching, and I snuck out to look for them, myself.”
Pterano sighed again. “You should have had one of your parents come with you, at least.” He chided. “A pint-sized Egg-Stealer like you’d be swallowed by a sharptooth in an instant.”
Taylen shrugged. “Mum and Dad gave up way back, but I haven’t. And I haven’t been eaten yet,”
Pterano frowned and shook his head. “The keyword there is ëyet’. You’re way out of your league here, so allow me to point you back in the direction you came from.”
“But wait!” Taylen pleaded. “Please, sir, can’t you help me?”
Pterano nearly choked on his own tongue. “What?” He gasped. Taylen prodded. “Please?”
“Well, uhh…” Perfect time to be tongue-tied, Pterano thought, annoyed. He folded his arms again. “You can't be serious?”
“I am, sir!” the little dinosaur piped up happily. “I made a promise not to stop until I found my brothers, and I intend to keep it.”
Well, this was a fine mess. Pterano narrowed his eyes, obviously put-out. “I, I…” he grumbled. “Well, I guess I can lend a helping wing. Got nothing else to do at the moment.”
“Oh, thank you so much!” Taylen jumped up and down excitedly. Pterano shushed him. “Settle down, will you? Don’t want to wake up every sharptooth in this vicinity now, do we?”
Taylen settled, shaking his head, large eyes still glowing. Pterano shivered. “Well, let’s be on the move, then.” He spread his wings, flying low so that he didn’t lose sight of the youngster, and Taylen didn’t lose sight of him. “Do you know where your brothers were last seen?”
“Yeah! Dad sent ëem to check out the Great Valley!”
Pterano spluttered in surprise. “What? Oh no, oh no. This isn’t going to work Taylen, sorry.” He wheeled around to speed back to the grove when Taylen grabbed his foot. “Why not?” Taylen insisted, tugging the flyer back to earth. He's strong for all his size; I’ll give him that, Pterano thought as he pulled back. Aloud, he ordered, “Will you let go! Listen, lad, I’ve been banished, exiled, kicked out of the Great Valley!”
Taylen let go, eyes wide. “How come?”
“Past mistakes,” Pterano mumbled coldly, hovering. “But, technically, I’m not allowed to set foot or wing,” he flapped his wings for emphasis, “until five cold times have passed by. Now, let’s see: I have at least that amount of time left, so this obviously puts a damper on our plans. Terribly sorry I have to fly off, but you know, ëbanished’.” He made as if to retreat when Taylen gave a powerful leap and jumped on his back. “What are you doing? Are you cr–?”
“Yes, I’m crazy!” Taylen cried. “But you said that you’d help me!”
“Banishment takes priority here,” Pterano replied hotly. “Now, let go!”
“No! Not until you promise to help! Please, sir!” The desperate tone in the little one's voice softened the flyer's resolve. Oh, of all the times to be a push-over. Pterano sighed and slowly landed, realizing that it would be useless to continue this struggle as he would most likely throw the little lad and seriously hurt him.
The flyer grumbled, hemmed and hawed, and then finally whispered back. “All right, fine! I promise, but you have to stop yelling,” he bent to his knees, allowing Taylen to dismount. “And never catch onto me like that again. If I had been up in the air, I’d have crashed, putting us both out of commission.” Despite the scolding tone, Pterano straightened and spread his wings.
“Now,” Pterano flapped into the air. “I’ll try to get you as close to the Valley as I can, but I can’t actually get you in. D’you think you can travel by night?”
Taylen shrugged. “I’ve tried to be on the road by day, but I can make an effort.”
Pterano smiled a small grin. “Grand, then let’s be off,”
==
woohoo for perky OC's with British accents!! XD
and aww, Pterano doesn't sound too happy about helping out this feisty little dino. I guess he doesn't appreciate the fact that he likes kids and is willing to change... ah well