Chapter XCII
“Can’t we stop the trunk anyhow?” asked Littlefoot almost imploring. Ali bit herself on the lower lip, but pulled it immediately back from between her teeth, since the tree trunk slid just over some small unevennessess of the slope whereby her jaws clashed together so she bit more fiercely than she had intended. “We could all together try to brake the trunk propping against the ground with our legs”, suggested Cera.” “No!” called Ali immediately. “By this speed it will only break our legs.” “So what do you suggest next Ali?” asked Cera audibly irritated. “Cera, stop it!” called Littlefoot immediately. “That was as well our decision as it was Ali’s!” Ali acted as if she hadn’t heard Cera’s tone and answered: “Maybe we can really do something. When the tree trunk has turned, there it has become distinctly slower.” “That not only was because of deep snow?” croaked Petrie. “Maybe”, admitted Ali. But I don’t think so. We simply have to try.” For a moment everybody kept quiet. “Well”, said Littlefoot. “Let’s try it or does anybody have any objections?” Nobody said anything. “Okay”, said Ali finally and let her eye travel along the slope. As far as she could see there was no obstacle anywhere. “Everybody lean in the same direction like I! And set upright again when I do it!” Ali waited for one more moment and leaned then as far as she could to the left. Seconds later the tree trunk turned sharp in this direction and while it did so a loud, unpleasant crunching could be heard that became louder and louder. They all had the feeling that the trunk would start to roll and dig them all under, but it slid laterally down the slope without turning around its longitudinal axis. Ali had been right. The tree became perceptible slower and when it lay pretty exactly laterally to the slope Ali set up again. Yet the tree turned a bit further before everybody had perceived that they should set up. The fore end of the trunk slid a short distance up the slope and for a moment Ali believed that they would slide back up the slope now. Then the trunk came to a standstill. For some seconds nobody said anything and everybody clung close to the tree trunk as if they would be afraid that it would set in motion again the next moment. Finally Ali raised her head, sighed relieved and cast a slightly unsure smiling backwards. Also the others relaxed gradually from their cramped poses. “I guess we have made it”, mumbled Littlefoot finally. Ducky let go Spike’s neck finally and climbed over Cera’s back up to her neck and looked over her neckshield forward. Cera was very pale and said finally: “My goodness, am I glad that we’ve forgotten to eat up there!” Ali smiled momentary. “Yes”, she said, “But how shall wee come down the last part of the slope now?” A look to the side showed them that they had already brought more than the half of the glacier behind themselves. Spike opened very slowly his eyes he had kept closed firmly so far. He looked around disconcerted and when he finally grasped that they had come to a standstill and were provisionally in safety he erected jerky threw his forefeet in the air and uttered a cry of joy. The fierce movement let the tree trunk tremble and everybody gasped for breath frightened. Ducky’s hands clinched at Cera’s neckshield and she ducked behind it. Everybody bent forward and clung to the trunk. “Oh no!” called Cera helpless and Ali leaned as far as she could to the side. But she couldn’t prevent anymore that the trunk set in motion again. But this time they didn’t slid down the slope forward, but backwards! Spike howled, Ducky and Petrie shrieked, Cera and Littlefoot cried out while Ali gritted her teeth. She troubled to breathe calm again and looked then back, respectively forward, as you took it. It was a nearly comic view for not only Spike had closed his eyes firmly again but also Littlefoot and Cera, while Ducky who peered carefully over Cera’s neckshield had cast her eyes far open. Now she could do that for the cold wind caused by the high speed came from the back now. Suddenly Petrie began to squeak loudly. “Has something happened to you Petrie?” asked Littlefoot immediately and blinked back carefully. Spike opened his eyes too, to look if he could maybe help Petrie. It was not in Spike’s nature to enjoy another’s misfortune. Especially in a situation like this he tended merely to commiserate himself and the others; but when he saw Petrie, he and Ducky who carried out a really acrobatic sprain for it were the only to be able to do so, something like a mocking smiling passed through Spike’s face for a very short instant. Apparently Spike’s lee wasn’t enough to protect Petrie from the air current. The wind had driven under his wings and vaulted them far upwards. The up draught of the wind had torn Petrie up into the air, but fortunately he had dug his claws already before so deep into the wood that the wind couldn’t blow him away. He oscillated now helplessly shrieking in the air current. Spike forgot almost that he himself was in a dangerous predicament like everybody and he took up as much room as he could to offer Petrie as much lee as possible. Spike was not very slim, but he had moved so far back behind Petrie that his lee was of no use for the little flyer. Spike cast a short look back and uttered a frightened call. He hadn’t noted at all so far that he hadn’t to move back far farer since the rock had topped the tree trunk directly behind him. By this sudden perception Spike moved instinctively forward with a leap, as far as possible without sitting on Petrie. But the wind whistled left and right past Spike and still whirled Petrie around wildly. Spike cling with his hind legs as firm as he could to the tree trunk and dared carefully to rise one foreleg he nudged Petrie who was just whirled up again carefully down; with surprisingly fierce effect. Because of the slight nudge Spike had given Petrie the air current blew suddenly not past below Petrie’s wing, but above them and hurled the little flyer with all might down on the tree trunk. Petrie slapped hard on the wood and remained lying numbed. He could hardly breathe so fiercely he was pressed on the wood by the air current. Spike rose his forefeet carefully and held them protecting around Petrie. Finally the lee was enough to protect Petrie. “Thanks Spiky! Very much thank you!” mumbled Petrie benumbed and wanted to grasp at his head, but he couldn’t do it since he had clawed to deep into the wood. Ducky turned on Cera’s head back to Littlefoot and Ali without letting Cera’s neckshield go for an instant and. With a nodding she gave them, who hadn’t seen anything of Petrie’s problems of course, to understand that everything was all right with him. Suddenly Cera moaned quietly and her head tilted to the side a bit so that Ducky could only with trouble hold on. She had still closed her eyes and was very pale. It was obviously that she was dreadfully sick. “Cera, is everything alright?” asked Littlefoot quietly. Cera opened her eyes, sparkled furiously at him as if all this would be only his fault and said with sharp irony: “Of course everything is alright! I even amuse kinglike! Would you please nevertheless think of something how we can stop or…”, Cera’s voice sounded suddenly very desperate, “…at least slide down the slope in the right direction again?” Ali didn’t take Cera’s sharp words amiss and nodded only. “ If we lean to the side, then the trunk should turn again, all the same in which direction the trunk slides. So let’s lean as long to the side until the trunk slides forward again down the slope. Ducky?” Ducky on Cera’s head looked up. “Yes?” “Please look out for obstacles and tell us if you see anything!” Ducky nodded. “And what are we going to do if I see an obstacle?” asked Ducky. “Despair?” suggested Cera. Ali ignored Cera’s suggestion and asked Ducky: “Is the slope behind us clear?” Ducky looked with a nearly acrobatic turn back and nodded then. “Yes, it is clear. It is, it is.” “Good”, said Ali. “Keep looking out! And Littlefoot, Cera and Spike you lean in the same direction like I!” “Okay”, answered Littlefoot and the next moment Ali leaned to the side. Littlefoot, Cera and Spike did the same and the next moment the tree trunk turned slowly. Again there was a hideous crunching when the tree trunk slid laterally down the slope. “Is still everything free?” asked Ali Ducky without setting up. The trunk continued turning round and slid already almost straight down the slope, as it should. “All is free”, said Ducky. “Oh we’re nearly there! I see a big meadow and there is a river and… Oh no! Look out!” All had raised their heads hopefully and Ali just set up when Ducky’s warning cry sounded. Immediately she looked forward and recognized the still half snow-covered rock that Ducky’s warning call had meant. “To the side!” cried Ali and leaned as far to the right as she could, but it was too late. A scratching sound could be heard when the tree trunk hit the rock, but the fierce impact for which Ali had prepared internally stayed away. Instead she and the others felt again this feeling of weightlessness they had already felt when the tree trunk had driven over a bump far above on the slope. Obviously the rock over which they had driven was inclining and more or less smooth so they had been hurled high up into the air instead of being smashed at it. But this would hardly make a difference when they would impact on the ground now. Ali felt how the tree trunk sagged away below her; she felt how she turned over in the air. Sky and earth seemed to spin around her and she closed her eyes. Then came the impact. It was only a short slap that left an aching feeling behind and then Ali felt for her surprise how she sank deeper down. Had she fallen through the ground? Was this the feeling to die? Ali opened her eyes again. Everything was blurred and there was a strangely dim light that appeared a bit brighter only in one direction from where it seemed to come originally. Ali felt suddenly that she had stopped to breathe and then, the next moment, she became aware of that she was under water. “The river!” it flashed through her mind. Ducky had said something of a river. Ali hadn’t found an occasion anymore to look around for the surroundings or the river, but she was sure to have landed in the river and thus escaped the horrible impact. She rowed fiercely with her arms towards the light and then she broke through the water surface. Ali fetched deep breath, wiped the water from her face and looked around. Spike kept himself above water a short distance away with so fierce movements that it really foamed around him. Littlefoot just emerged not far from her snorting and Ducky swam nearby too. She seemed to be suddenly completely mad with delight and seemed to have forgotten all frights of the glissade at once. “Cera!” called Ali. “Where is Cera?” Ducky forgot her frolicsomeness there and then and dived immediately, probably to search Cera below the water surface. Ali thought of Cera’s hurt leg and that she would have big difficulties to swim with it.
But already the next moment Cera broke not far from the bank through the water surface. Nearby Cera swam also the tree trunk on the water. Ali starred at the trunk. During their glissade the whole lower half of the trunk had been grinded of, Presumably this was also the reason why the tree trunk had never started to roll. Cera moved with jerky movements towards the bank whereby she held her injured leg slightly angled. Ali saw that she bit her teeth firmly together. Ducky just emerged nearby Cera, looked at her relieved and asked: “Can I help you Cera?” “It goes yet”, she moaned and the next moment she felt sandy ground below her feet. Pretty worn out she humbled ashore and let herself drop exhausted into the soft sand. “Where is Petrie?” asked Littlefoot and searched the sky with his eyes. There Spike howled up suddenly, forgot for a moment to row with his legs, sank but emerged again immediately and swam as fast as he could towards the tree trunk that drifted in the water. Also Ducky appeared to be very frightened suddenly, crawled as quickly as she could to the tree trunk and dived. Littlefoot and Ali understood that Ducky and Spike seemed to know more about Petrie’s whereabouts as only they had been able to keep him in sight during the whole glissade. So they swam towards the tree trunk too after a short exchange of looks. Cera who still lay pretty worn out at the bank raised her head, looked back and asked: “What’s the matter?” Ducky emerged again aside the trunk Spike had almost reached too. “He is down there!” called Ducky. “I can’t get him off!” “What?” asked Littlefoot bewildered while he still headed for Ducky and the tree trunk. “Petrie!” called Ducky. “He has clawed so firmly into the wood that I can’t get him off!” With that Ducky dived again. “Come on!” called Ali and reached with a last fierce stroke the tree trunk. “We must turn the tree trunk over! Immediately!” Spike hung himself immediately to one side of the tree trunk and made it swaying very muck. Ali grasped at the trunk too at once and Littlefoot who reached it the next instant did the same. Cera who had also understood what all this was about gritted her teeth, waded into the water and reached the tree trunk that floated already in the relatively shallow water nearby the bank. Together they made to turn the trunk over. Petrie hung visibly limply at the bottom side of the trunk and Ducky, who troubled not to loose her hold by the turning of the trunk hung aside him and tried desperately to pull his claws out of the wood. But the trunk didn’t remain in the state in which they had brought it. By itself it rolled on in the water until it floated again with the grinded of side upside, so Petrie was pushed under water again. “Oh no!” moaned Ali. “Once again!” called Littlefoot. “It won’t be of any use”, answered Ali. “Yet I don’t know why that is so, but the trunk will always turn by itself again.” “Nevertheless! So we deliver Petrie at least for an instant air to breathe.” “Okay!” answered Ali and made like Littlefoot ready to turn the trunk again. “ We could drag the trunk first to the bank and turn it then”, suggested Cera hasty, but Littlefoot shook his head. “Then Petrie will be squashed down there between the trunk and the ground!” he objected and began to turn the trunk. The others grasped at it too and together they turned it over anew. But Petrie didn’t hang there anymore. Where he had hung was only splintered wood. They let the tree trunk go that rolled immediately in its previous position and stirred water waves in every direction like rings by it. They looked searching in every direction. There Ducky broke suddenly through the water surface a short distance downstream. She appeared to be exhausted, but she smiled relieved. “I have him!” she moaned and began to swim troublesome towards the bank. With both arms she held Petrie and troubled to keep his head above the water. With astonishing speed Spike was by them, let Ducky with Petrie climb on his back and carried them the last meters to the bank. Cera waded limping out of the water. Littlefoot and Ali followed her whereby they, without really knowing what for dragged the tree trunk along ashore. Petrie hung limply in Ducky’s arms. He appeared somehow bloated, probably because he had swallowed too much water. Ducky tried to shook Petrie awake, but the head of the little flyer fell only unsteady to and fro by this. Spike howled up. Ducky tried now to wake Petrie the uncomfortable but very effective way by lifting with her fingers carefully one of his closed eyelids. “Wake up Petrie! You must wake up!” implored Ducky. She let his eyelid go, but it simply flapped down again and Petrie stayed as lifeless as he was. Ducky shook him anew fiercely and called: “Petrie, don’t do that! Oh no, no, no, no, no! Please not! Not now, not here! Not after all we have gotten over. We have already made it yet! Petrie you must wake up…” Ducky’s words ended in an unarticulated whimpering and the tears poured into her eyes. “Let him go Ducky!” ordered Ali suddenly. Ducky looked at her troubled. “Maybe I can help him.” Everybody looked at Ali hopefully with watering eyes what was visibly discomforting for her. “Really?” asked Cera and embarrassed her even more by that. “I don’t know. It is a long time ago when a young one from my heard nearly drowned in a river with a very strong current. When the grownups got him out of the water he was like dead, but the old one had made him alive again.” “How did she?” asked Cera, but Littlefoot interrupted her. “Not now. Can you save Petrie Ali?” Ali bit herself on the lower lip. “I don’t know. It is dangerous. Maybe I can save him, but maybe…”, she hesitated, “…I might squash him by it unintentionally.” Everybody fell into affected silence and nobody seemed to dare to say anything, but then Ducky laid Petrie carefully into the grass and went to Ali. “Do it”, she said. “Please be careful.” Ali had become pale and for an instant it seemed as if her courage had left her, as if she would regret her suggestion. But then she nodded, approached the lying on the ground Petrie and raised one foot. Ducky cast her hands in front of her eyes. Ali set the tip of her foot on Petrie’s belly and palpated it carefully. Finally she seemed to have found the spot she had searched. She fetched breath shortly, pushed her foot shortly downwards and drew it back immediately. Petrie seemed to jerk shortly and a gurgling sound could be heard. Ali seemed to be more determined now and pressed her foot down again and began to raise and lower it in a fast rhythm. Again the gurgling was audible and it endured. Suddenly Petrie twitched and a draught of water splashed foaming out of his beak. He coughed fiercely, tried simultaneously to fetch breath convulsively, opened the slightly glassy appearing eyes and set up. Ducky jumped dreadfully relieved over and knocked Petrie from whose beak another draught of water gushed on the back until he finally stopped coughing and looked around disconcerted. Ali had stepped back inconspicuously and retired a short distance. Littlefoot noticed it and he couldn’t help admiring her for her on shyness bordering moderation and the experience of life she had already gathered in her herd. He went to her and she looked at him. She seemed to be almost even more relieved than the others. “I was afraid it wouldn’t work.” Littlefoot shook very slightly his head and nudged hers gently with it. “Thanks Ali!” he said simply and she blushed embarrassed.
Chapter XCIII
If Ali had hoped to avoid the thanksgivings of ther others by withdrawing inconspicuously she was disappointed. Cera had even forgotten the long list of her complaints about the glissade on the tree trunk when she hobbled towards Ali and embraced her as well as her leg admitted it. Only now they really became aware of that they had made it. Where the glacier ended began a green free of snow meadow that extended up to the bank of the river whose water was yet cold but seemed to be nearly tepid to them after all they had experienced. Beyond the river began a huge grassy plain that stretched, interrupted only by some green woods up to the horizon. And far back they could recognize herds of grazing dinosaurs. “Let’s hope our families are there too, but even if they aren’t they are certainly not far.” “If they are already here at all”, said Ali. “If they aren’t we’ll simply wait”, said Cera. “That really doesn’t make a difference now anymore.” “So upon what do we wait?” asked Ducky. “We should go now, Oh yes we should, yep, yep, yep!”
It was a problem to bring Cera over the river, for with her injured leg she could hardly and only with big pains swim although she denied stubbornly that her leg caused her any trouble. Finally Ducky came upon the thought that Cera could lay on the tree trunk and the others could shove the trunk with Cera to the other bank. Also this idea seemed to embarrass Cera anyhow, but finally they made to persuade Cera whereby their common wish finally really to come into the warmer regions was the main reason. Yet there was no snow on this side of the river either, but on the sandy riparian stripe grew only scarcely grass and they, especially Spike had grazed away these nearly completely. It was an uncustomary feeling to eat green stuff again although this grass differed only unessential from those they had still found below the snow occasionally. Shortly before they had reached the other bank of the river, whose current was fortunately only very slight the tree trunk capsized, turned around its axis and Cera fell into the water. When she finally reached the back with the help of the others she hobbled, when they continued their way after a longer brake through a field of very high grass, even more. So they progressed only slowly. Spike ate a real vista through the grass. Only gradually they became aware of how much warmer it was down here. After the longest cold time of their life they thawed really. The high grass blocked their sight forward and they still orientated at the stand of the sun that had as they noted first now had begun during their whole journey to pass more and more over instead of ahead of them. Nobody thought of sending Petrie ahead to look out for their parents and Ali’s herd. Suddenly the high grass in front of them ended. Yet it still grew here, but somebody had stamped it down roomy, so a free place had been formed. They had done it themselves often in the Great Valley since there was hardly a better hiding place than high grass. The next moment they discovered the creators of the hiding place and the creators discovered them. “Aunti Ceri is back again!” Dinah really pounced upon Cera and Dana followed her there and then. Cera’s left foreleg gave in and Cera fell down with a painful moaning, but the little ones didn’t seem to notice it at all in their joy. Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike, Petrie and Ali, who had never seen Dinah and Dana before tugged the two amazed threehorns hasty away from Cera and prepared for the thunderstorm Cera was used to let come over the twins in such situations, without having ever impressed Dinah and Dana very durably. But Cera smiled only a bit vexed when she stood up, moaned and looked at the twins who looked apologizing. “Yes, aunty Cera is back again. I’m so glad to see you!” And Cera nudged the both gentle. Littlefoot and the others smiled when they saw the slightly bewildered faces of the twins who were not accustomed to such cordialities from Cera, especially not when they had just torn her to the ground. The two didn’t seem to see the reunion as something surprising or special. Probably they had never thought that Cera and the others might not return. “Say, the grownups are surely nearby too?” asked Littlefoot. Not even Ducky could translate the two-voiced prattling that started now, but the both ran as soon as they were ready in one direction so it was clear that the grownups had to be there. They followed the both, that meant they followed the trail the two had left behind in the high grass for the both had run away faster than it could be expected from Cera with her leg. They all apart from Ali, who seemed to be strangely worried, felt urged simply to rush on to be at last back by their families again, but they stayed with Cera who tried to hobble on swiftly. Soon after they had reached the edge of the high grass. In front of them was a large meadow that bordered at several ends to small woods. And on the meadow they were gathered. The whole herd from the Great Valley with their parents and families was busy with searching their lairs and building their nests. Very obviously they weren’t here for long too. None of the grownups paid any attention to the two twins who ran around and called something in their gibberish so loudly that Littlefoot and the others could hear it even where they stood at border of the high grass. They stepped forth on the open meadow, but still none of the grownups had noted them. But suddenly Cera’s father stopped in his momentary occupation and looked at the twins, who had stopped tempestuous prattling in front of him, attentively for a moment; then he raised his head and looked over to the high grass. “Cera!” he said, so quietly that only a few who stood nearby heard it, more to himself than to anybody else. “Cera!” he called now so loud that everybody heard it, stopped and looked over to him. But he had already set in motion and stormed so fast that Dinah and Dana couldn’t keep the pace anymore towards the high grass. “She is back again! They are back again!” called he when he ran past Littlefoot’s grandparents who had chosen their lair a bit apart at the edge of the forest. They looked amazed first down at Cera’s father and then in the direction where he ran like being bitten by a sharptooth. When she discovered Littlefoot and the others a beautiful smile spread all over the face of Littlefoot’s grandmother. “It’s the children!” she mumbled blissfully. “You were right dear; they’ve made it. They’ve come to us”, she said to Littlefoot’s grandfather to whose boundless joy came also the relief that he had really been right. During the last days his conscience had often vexed him and he had asked himself again and again if he had done the right by leading the herd on. But now Littlefoot’s grandparents lost their usually distinguished restraint and ran after Cera’s father that the ground trembled below their feet. Also Ducky’s parents had jumped up and ran towards Ducky and Spike, followed by Ducky’s twelve twins who however couldn’t keep up with their parents anymore. And also Petrie’s siblings lagged behind their mother who headed with mighty flaps towards the border of the high grass. The other dinosaurs from the Great Valley who had shown much concern during the last days followed them in tactful distance when the news spread with lightning speed. Littlefoot, Spike, Ducky and Petrie would have liked to run respectively fly to meet their parents, but with regard for Cera they joined her slow nearly stalking pace with which she tried vainly to conceal her limping. Endless time seemed to pass until the grownups were finally there. Petrie’s mother swooped down at her son with a shout of joy and when his siblings had arrived it was not possible anymore to differentiate from the ground which wing from the throng belonged to which flyer. Spike had not yet loosened from the hug of Ducky’s mother when he already went to the ground under the enthusiastically up-rush of his other twelve siblings, while Ducky’s father held Ducky herself by the hands and whirled her around like in a carousel. Cera was torn between the wish to calm her father concerning her leg and the wish to act a bit important with her leg while Dinah and Dana hoped around her completely beside themselves. And Littlefoot’s grandparents bent their heads at the long necks down to their grandson. They smiled just like Littlefoot’s mother had always done when she had been very glad. Ali felt very uncomfortable between all the unknown grownups and she had shyly stayed close to Littlefoot. But when Littlefoot’s grandmother saw her she smiled at her. “Ali?” she asked. Ali nodded shy. “I’ve recognized you immediately.” Ali smiled embarrassed. “But we could have nearly expect this”, said Littlefoot’s grandfather now. “Why?” asked Ali unsure. “Because…”, said Littlefoot’s grandmother again, “…your herd couches on the other side of this wood and we learned from them that you are missed too.” It flashed in Ali’s eyes; all worries vanished from her face and half backwards half sideward walking she approached the wood but kept her look fixed on Littlefoot and his grandparents. “Then I have to go back to them now”, said Ali who wanted to return to her herd as soon as possible but also wanted to take leave politely from Littlefoot and his grandparents. “Thank you very much!” she said with a kind of courtesy to Littlefoot’s smiling grandparents. “I will come back tomorrow she called already half backwards over her shoulder and then she rushed between the grownups who stepped out of her way towards the wood. “See you tomorrow!” called Littlefoot and looked after her for some moments. Then he turned back to his grandparents who lifted him on their heads. I was so good to be with them again.
Chapter XCIV
The bright circle had passed over them many times since they had reached the warmer regions. Cera didn’t limp anymore meanwhile and it was long ago since Ducky had coughed the last time. Yet they had found a huge amount of green stuff, but they hadn’t stayed the only ones. Every day, for some time even nearly every hour new herds had arrived and just like them this herds had preferred not to move on, but to wait directly here that it would generally become warmer again. Very soon already the edges of the surrounding woods had become nearly as leafless as those they had seen on the way here. Very much for Dinah’s and Dana’s regret the high grass, in which they had mad their hiding places, had seen been grazed away too, but they and everybody else had been forbidden to move away from the herd anyway for they soon had to realize that not only the planteaters had moved to this region. The sharpteeth had followed the herds of the herbivores and only if they stayed close together they were save to a certain extend. Repeatedly single or several sharpteeth had appeared nearby and had tried to scatter the herd with threatening gestures to attack then. The herd from the Great Valley had stayed close together and this was certainly the reason why they had to deplore no victims while every day news from other herds arrived that members who had retired only a few steps from the others had immediately been attacked and most time been killed before they had been able to flee. Sharpteeth were swarming and Littlefoot felt uneasy by the thought that Chomper and his parents were among them and surely were responsible for victims in the herds who couched farer apart. Also a young adult from Ali’s herd had disappeared since he had dared to go deeper into the wood that separated Ali’s herd from those of the Great Valley. The longneck had wanted to search for treestars there that were everywhere already scarce. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike could see Ali rare and rarer, only if both herds dared to go deeper into the wood foraging for food. If the herds met in the wood there were only a few hearty greetings, since they began to see a rival by the searching for food in the members of the other herd. According to rumors open hostilities had already broken out between two herds of herbivores a far distance upstream. Also the children noticed the increasingly cooler relations between their parents that however couldn’t do any harm to their friendship the slightest; the contrary took place. Contrary to the grownups the common problems seemed to weld the kids more than ever together. Sometimes Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike felt very much remembered to the great time of giving after the burning of the Great Valley. But even with the herd the saurians were not absolutely safe. One time a clubtail was slightly wounded while foraging for food in the wood when he had been attacked by a sharptooth that had lurked there. Only its armor, the quick intervention of numeral other dinosaurs and the immediate flight of the sharptooth had prevented worse. But even in the herd itself was big discontent and secretly things were said about each other that would have caused serious rivalries between the different sorts of dinosaurs in the herd if they would have been said loudly. Littlefoot’s grandfather who held still the role of a kind of leader in the herd saw all this with the biggest worries and he asked the flyers more and more often to fly into the direction from where they had come to check if the time would be ripe to return. And after all the nature seemed to have good intentions towards the dinosaurs, for already soon the flyers could announce that the blanket of snow receded and that partly even with really amazing speed. Simultaneously also the dinosaurs that couldn’t fly and see it themselves, felt that it became generally warmer. Soon there was even an unpleasant sultriness. Upon that Ali’s herd was the first to move back into the direction from where they had come. The farewell was for Littlefoot’s, Ali’s and the taste of the others far to hasty. They had only time to change a few hast words of goodbye and then Ali had to hurry not to loose contact with her herd. Littlefoot looked after the longneckherd for long until it had finally disappeared at the other shore of the river. He was almost sure that they would see Ali again soon. The Great Valley was simply a too beautiful and above all save place than a herd of migrating dinosaurs wouldn’t visit it for a long time. The thought of the Great Valley woke longing memories in Littlefoot. Apparently it was possible to read Littlefoot’s thoughts from his face for suddenly a voice behind him said: “We’ll follow them. Soon.” It was Littlefoot’s grandfather who had despite of his huge size made it anyhow to step aside Littlefoot without startling him immediately. Littlefoot had simply been to absent minded to pay attention to anything or anybody. “Do you think that it will be as before the cold time?” “I guess so Littlefoot. Provided that it had become warmer there too already.
Already at the same evening Littlefoot’s grandfather suggested to return to the Great Valley as soon as possible. The suggestion was accepted enthusiastically. It seemed to cause a real wave of relief in the herd. The mood in the herd, so bad before bettered promptly and the irritation that had threatened to cause a quarrel in the herd always during the last time vanished there and then. It was agreed to set off already in the course of the next day.
Chapter XCV
Already early in the next morning they set out as there was nothing that would have kept them back. How much differed this setting out from the one then when they had moved away from the Great Valley thought Littlefoot. While they had then marched slowly initially and had set a quick travel-tempo only in some distance from the Valley it was exactly the contrary now. It was a hasty, almost flightlike set out and the younger ones who hadn’t found room on the back of one of the grownups had serious problems to keep the pace. Only after they had crossed the river and left it some distance behind they assumed a normal tempo. Although they started as early as then, if not even earlier the sun had already risen completely. Littlefoot cast thoughtful looks up to the snow covered mountaintops. But they wouldn’t have to traverse the mountains again. It would have been hardly possible for some of the grownups. Instead of it they took the route the herd with the grownups had come then in opposite direction. So they spared themselves the way through the pathless terrain, but they had to go a long roundabout way around the mountains. That had also been the reason why Littlefoot and the others had then arrived at the lairs only one night later than the grownups. On their way now they traversed only plains and hilly landscapes at the border of the mountains. Quite contrary to then the mood of the herd was happy and frolicsome. There was not the constant danger of freezing to death or starving, for although the grass of the steppe was even thawed not quite a titbit it filled and was above all available in sufficient quantities. The flyers scouted now and then the area ahead and brought always the same confident making news that it was warm ahead too and that there was no snow lying. The cold time seemed to have ended even more suddenly than it had come. But in spite of everything they were nervous as they all wondered how the Great Valley would be and hoped that it wouldn’t look like then when they had left it. Despite the end of the cold time they couldn’t be sure about that. The farer they went the farer the sun stood behind instead of over them and the more the temperature sank. It was not at all cold, but after they had been so long in the sultry warmness it was an, if not unpleasant, still disturbing change. Several times they passed small woods in the plain that had not survived the cold time. The disconsolate view of tree carcasses, died with coldness added to their fears. Some regions of the land had really been ravaged by the long frost. And the initial frolicsomeness changed to uneasy worry and nervousness.
Chapter XCVI
The day came on which they finally reached the Great Valley again. The flyers had refused to fly ahead that day, worried that neither themselves nor the other saurians in the herd would like what they might come to see in the Great Valley. They didn’t want to be the bearers of the ill news in this case. Nearly as unwillingly as then when they had left the Great Valley the grownups removed the boulders that blocked the gap through which they had left the Valley then. Even after they were done with it they stood unsure around and even Littlefoot’s usually so determined grandfather and Cera’s father didn’t seem to dare to go into the valley and thus maybe destroy all hopes. “So what’s up now?” asked Cera impatiently. They were almost at home and the fears of the grownups shouldn’t prevent them from doing the last steps now. When none of the grownups stirred she turned away and went ahead herself. Littlefoot, Petrie, Ducky and Spike joined her and the twins Dinah and Dana gamboled ahead of them. Finally the first grownups set in motion and followed the kids who had traversed the gap now and stood on the very rocky ledge from where they had then by their set out overlooked the Great Valley. And in front of them displayed the Great Valley, their home, in all its splendor. The jungle pullulated denser than ever before; for long hardly anybody had eaten from the plants so they grew unhampered. The small waves of the river glittered in the sun and when they listened carefully they could hear the roaring of the thundering waterfalls. For an almost devotional moment nobody spoke, then Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike grinned at each other and began their descent down to the Valley.