The Gang of Five
The Land Before Time => LBT Fanfiction => Topic started by: Malte279 on November 17, 2004, 03:26:38 PM
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Hi!
The Fanart and Fanfiction section of the Gang of Five is picking up activity, especially concerning the fanfiction part. And fanfictions posted here did receive reviews.
Now I'm going to post one of my fanfictions here too. It is the second one I wrote, and some of you received it via email already. It is a winter story, but it was written and translated before LBT 8 was released, and except for snow the story has very little in common with "The Big Freeze".
If those of you whom I promised to send the story as an email would still like to receive it that way I shall send it to you as I said.
Either way however, I would be really glad and grateful to hear your oppinions, and this does include criticism. Really, I don't have a problem with being criticized. Please, if you tell me what you think, let me know what you like and what you dislike. Your oppinion may help to improve future stories. :)
I'm going to post the chapters of the stories in intervals.
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Chapter I
It had become very cold in the Great Valley. Of course it was not the first cold time Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike experienced, but this time it lasted longer than ever before. They plodded quietly through the deep snow. Ducky had climbed on Spike’s back as the snow reached nearly up to her shoulders in places. Their breath transformed into little, white clouds of vapor in front of their faces. They all thought of the time when the bright circle had still shone warm upon the Great Valley and the snow hadn’t covered its floor. That time seemed to have past for an eternity. At the moment the sun stood close over the mountains’ summits as a red glowing ball and it wouldn’t last for long until it would disappear behind them completely; the days had become shorter. At first they had been delighted about the snow.
It had brought some alternation in their every day life, especially for Ducky and Petrie who had formed balls of the snow and thrown them at their friends, less for Littlefoot, Cera and Spike who had been delivered nearly defenseless to these “attacks”. But they to had enjoyed walking about on the slippery ice sheet that had lain over the river and every waterhole.
After all it didn’t occur every day that they were able to walk on the water.
But they all had realized the apprehension of their parents, which seemed to increase with every day that passed. Once Littlefoot had asked his grandfather for the reason of his own and the other grownups’ apprehension when he had noticed his grandfather’s worried look.
It had been at a time when he hadn’t seen the problems the coldness brought along himself.
At first his grandfather had tried to force a smile on his face, but the attempt failed miserably, and after all, his grandfather had sighed and begun to speak. Littlefoot remembered his words very well. “You Littlefoot have never experienced what happens when the cold time lasts longer than we are accustomed to.” Littlefoot’s grandfather had fallen silent and ignored Littlefoot’s inquisitive looks until Littlefoot had finally asked impatiently:
“What does happen grandfather?”
His grandfather had continued to keep silent and Littlefoot had already expected not to get an answer on his question, when his grandfather had suddenly continued speaking:
“I’ve experienced it a long, long time ago, when I was as young as you are now. It became colder and colder and green food ran shorter with every passing day. As long as the coldness lasted the leaves didn’t grew again. You too have certainly realized, that no leaves grow on the trees anymore at the moment. We life on the few plants that are not damaged by the coldness and on of withered, hard frozen grass we find below the fall of snow. That does not taste very well and sometimes we’re not even satiated, but it is enough until the bright circle stands on the sky for a longer time and it gets warmer again. We have to pound holes into the sheet of ice that is over the river and every waterhole when we want to drink. The water is very cold, so cold that it nearly hurts to drink it; but we can drink it, as we know it will get warmer soon.” Again Littlefoot’s grandfather had paused, as if it would be an effort for him to continue. Littlefoot had looked at his grandfather with big eyes. Had his grandfather not continued by himself now, Littlefoot would not have insisted again, and for a moment he wished he never had. For whatever his grandfather was going to tell him now, it wouldn’t be anything pleasant and Littlefoot suddenly hadn’t wanted to hear it anymore. But he had asked and was unable to countermand it, much as he would have liked to the moment his grandfather had continued: “Well Littlefoot, you know the cold time as something that passes quickly and that brings nothing negative except the bad food and the cold water. You kids can play with the snow and it is interesting for you to be able to walk on the water for some time. But now imagine, the cold time lasts longer.” Littlefoot had kept quiet dismayed while his grandfather let his words take effect for some moments, before he had continued:
“Food would run shorter with every day and it would become colder and colder and one day...”, he had hesitated for a moment, “...we would not have any food left at all!”
“But grandfather! Why do you believe this cold time will last any longer as it always does?”
“Whenever the cold time ends, the days get longer and the bright circle describes a wide arch above the Great Valley. But the days don’t get longer; on the contrary. Usually it should be warmer already for a long time.” His grandfather had turned away slowly and had plotted away. Once more he had turned his head back to Littlefoot and said: “Remember this Littlefoot! It could become possible, that...”, he had hesitated and thought of the right words for the moment, “...that we’ll have to do something... you can’t imagine to do at the moment.” And with that he had gone away. “I... I don’t believe that this will happen!” Littlefoot had said quietly to himself while at the very same moment he had been certain that his grandfather would be right in the end; though he hadn’t even known what his grandfather had meant with his last words at all.
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It sounds like an interesting story...something you'd never see in a LBT story...I like that. :D
Overall, there are just spelling and grammatical errors throughout, and sentence structure in a couple of places that needs revising. Otherwise it looks fine to me. I'll e-mail you a copy of suggested changes and grammatical fixes. ;)
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Thanks a lot! This more than welcome! :D :D :D
something you'd never see in a LBT story
What exactly is it that you'd never see in an LBT story?
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Excellent story, Malte.
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Nice going!
-Threehorn
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Chapter II
Indeed his grandpa had been right in the end. It had become colder every day, and Spike, who pawed the snow on his way aside again and again, hardly ever found some blades of grass. Those he did find were hard-frozen and had changed their color to an ugly yellowish brown. Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike had soon recognized the consequences of the coldness, or their parents had told them about it. At all events none of them took pleasure in the snow anymore. The whole morning they had wandered through the Valley aimlessly and suddenly they stood at the shore of the frozen river that traversed the Valley. If they were thirsty they now had to wait until one of the grownups came to pound holes into the sheet of ice, or they had to eat snow, which melted to water in their mouths.
But this water was almost colder than even the chilly water from the river. At the moment however none of them was thirsty. Nevertheless they continued on their way until they stood on the ice. At least they were not impeded by the snow here, that reached even Littlefoot, Cera and Spike up to the knees at treeless places, and that forced Ducky and Petrie to ride on their bigger friend’s backs, respectively to fly at those places. Here on the sheet of ice the snow had frozen hard as stone so it was passable for all of them.
Ducky jumped down from Spike’s back and ran in circles several times to get a little warmer. Suddenly she stopped abruptly and stared at the ice sheet furiously. Finally she broke the silence that had been between them for nearly the whole morning. “We can not even swim! Oh I hate this coldness!” And then she started as furiously as inconclusively to stamp on the ice sheet. Her friends exchanged a grinning. It was unusual that Ducky really got in a fury about something, but when she did, it seemed to be more comical than threatening. Ducky had noticed the exchange of grins between her friends. She stopped trampling and looked at them enraged. However after a few moments she sighed and bowed her head a bit. But already the very next instant she raised her head jerky and her angry look fell upon a collection of stones that lay on the ice sheet. Furiously she ran over to one of the biggest stones and kicked it as violently as she could. She cried out, “Ah!” danced around on one foot and held her other foot, she had bent painfully at the stone, with both hands. Littlefoot couldn’t watch it any longer. He paced some steps towards Ducky and said: “Hey Ducky cool down! You can’t change anything!” Ducky had stopped to dance around on one foot. She cast a furious look at Littlefoot. He was right and she knew that; but she didn’t want to know that. Instead of answering she whirled around and kicked a stone, that was much smaller than the one she had kicked before, with her unhurt foot. The stone skidded away and left a dimple behind at the spot where it had lain, that was darker than the ice around. Ducky ran to that spot and began to stamp about in the dimple. Littlefoot, Cera, Spike, and Petrie changed an affected look now. Their original malicious joy had receded for consternation and pity with Ducky. The situation had lost all its comic effect. Never before Ducky had been in such a rage about anything. She was quite beside herself with rage. Ducky didn’t stop to trample about on the sheet of ice. Suddenly Littlefoot believed to hear a portentous grating.
“Ducky, stop it!” he shouted to her.
But she didn’t seem to hear him at all while she stamped on the ice and had started to blast loudly. “I hate this coldness! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! Yep, yep, ye....” Ducky never finished the last “yep”. A loud grating and cracking was audible, and then the ice of the dimple, in which Ducky stood, gave in! Ducky shrieked at the top of her voice when she felt the icy cold water like thousands stitches. The coldness paralyzed her nearly completely and she couldn’t breath for a moment. Littlefoot jumped up and tried to reach the hole in the ice with one leap. But it was an awkward movement so Littlefoot slid on the smooth as mirror ice and skidded past the hole where he lost his balance after all and remained lying on the ice sprawling. Cera didn’t make a better figure. Although she ran as fast as she could, she didn’t get from the spot until she slid too and clapped on the hard sheet of ice painfully. Petrie had flown off as fast as he could and had reached Ducky now. She had stopped shrieking and tried to make swimming-movements, but the coldness stiffened her, so she immersed in the icy water. In the very last moment Petrie seized one of Ducky’s arms. Petrie was unable to pull Ducky out of the hole, but at least he could keep her head above the water for a while. In this moment Spike was alongside. He had learned from Littlefoot's and Cera’s mistakes and had, hard as it was for him, not tried to hurry as much as them to get to the waterhole, so he hadn’t slipped. He grasped Ducky’s arm on which Petrie pulled already as fierce as he could.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/01Duckybrokenintotheice.jpg)
Quickly he pulled Ducky out of the cold water and put her down carefully aside the hole. In this moment Littlefoot arrived by them after he had managed to get up. “Ducky, how are you?” he asked worried. Ducky’s beak clacked and it was a visible effort for her to whisper lowly: “I’m... cold!” Spike drove his warm tongue all over her. Cera arrived by her friends too now. She cast an anxious look on Ducky. “Quickly! We must warm her up somehow or she’ll freeze to dead! Once my Dad has told me about that”, she called. “But how we shall warm up her? Here nothing still is warm in the Valley!” croaked Petrie. But suddenly Littlefoot called: “But of course there is! On the slopes of the Burning Mountain are many glowing vents in the ground. There we can warm her there!” He cast a short look at Spike and said hasty: “Spike fetch your parents! We’ll bring Ducky to the Burning Mountain!” Spike looked at him helplessly and uttered some wretched noises. Littlefoot remembered that Spike was unable to speak, so perhaps he wouldn’t be able to explain what had happened to Ducky’s parents, who had adopted him for he had never come to know his own family, quickly enough. Littlefoot looked over to Cera. He didn’t need to say anything more; Cera had understood. “Me?” she asked hesitating. But then she nodded shortly turned round and ran as fast as possible in the direction where Ducky and her family had their nests. Spike lifted the trembling Ducky on his back carefully. Petrie landed beside her and coated her with his wings as well as he could to protect her at least a little bit of the coldness. “Brrrrr! She as cold is as water!” croaked Petrie. “Come on we must hurry up!” shouted Littlefoot and hurried as fast as the smooth ice permitted it towards the other shore of the river, to the side of the river where the big volcano was. Spike with Petrie and Ducky on his back followed him.
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Sounds bad for Ducky... Hope she get warmed up. But not too fast or it will give her one hell of a heart attack. Well that what I know about it when trying to warm someone up from freezing. Slowly get the warmer so their bodies get stable.
-Threehorn
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I was laughing at the sight of a pissed off Ducky because that's not typical. :p I really like how you went through and showed how hard times can change the emotions of one...that was amazing. :) I'm positive Ducky survives this without catching hypothermia.
There's not much to fix this time...did you happen to go and re-edit this before you posted it? ;)
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Hi!
Yes, I did reread the chapter before posting it. A few days ago something really annoying happened to me. I was doing some correction work for the story. I had finished the corrections of chapter one you suggested (and you are going to get a mail from me with just a few questions about some of the corrections) and I had made sure that in the whole story Littlefoot’s grandpa and his grandma won’t be named as his –grandfather“ or –grandmother“ a single time. Luckily I had saved after that, so at least this part was saved.
Reading this you may already anticipate what happened later. I was ridding the whole story of sentences which begin with the conjunction “and”. This was a mistake which I made very, very often throughout the story, and each case must be considered and corrected individually. Sometimes one can simply delete the “and” and make sure that the next word begins with a capital letter. Sometimes the “and” needs to be replaced by a different word (I frequently used “suddenly” here if it fitted into the context), and in a very few cases of direct speech from the characters the “and” at the beginning of a sentence works out just fin (you even hear it throughout the movies). It was quite some work, but finally I had corrected this mistake throughout the whole stories. And what happened? When I hit the “save” button I got some weird error notification and “Word” broke down without saving any of the corrections done after page 60 :angry:
Of course I was really frustrated at this. Oh well ... happens ;)
You are going to see more scenes of an angry Ducky in “Old Threehorns”, but there it is much more serious than it is here.
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I like this a lot, quite interesting so far, and I also was amused at seeing Ducky's little fit of rage. :lol Although it was 'out of character' for her, I could easily see it actually happening...extreme hardships, or weather in this case, can make the sweetest of characteres reach their edge. It's great so far, keep writing...can't wait to see what happens next. I've had that happen with word too, so I know how you feel.
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Chapter III
The Burning Mountain was a sinister site and usually it was avoided by every saurian as nobody could tell when the mountain would spit fire and glowing lava next time. When they reached the base of the Burning Mountain Littlefoot stopped and cast an anxious look up to its summit. The ground here was warmer than anywhere else, and the mountain itself was completely free of snow. Above the fiery pit, the giant crater of the Burning Mountain, was a red gleam of fire which flashed up time and again, and a threatening grumbling could be heard whenever it did. Ashes rained down on Littlefoot and the others and covered the ground around with a gray layer. The Burning Mountain always seemed uncomfortable, but usually they could avoid to get very close to it, this time however they had to intrude its nearest nearness. Littlefoot looked back for Spike with Ducky and Petrie. Spike had caught up with him, had stopped too and eyed the mountain with an anxious mien just like Littlefoot had done. “Up there?” asked Petrie shivering. Littlefoot nodded. “Yes! Come along we must get on!” Spike cast a surreptitious look behind. But then he remembered Ducky who had ceased trembling on his back. She simply sat there, very stiffly, and Petrie had to hold her to stop her from falling down from Spike’s back. Spike plodded on determinedly over the layer of ashes and Littlefoot ran ahead to look out for a suitable lava vent.
Cera ran, closely followed by Ducky’s mother, towards the Burning Mountain. She had told her in great haste about what had happened and about what the others were going to do. Ducky’s mother had been shocked, when Cera told here what the others were going to do with Ducky. “To the Burning Mountain?!” she had cried and started to overwhelm Cera with a flood of reproaches. Cera however hadn’t listened to that very long, but had told Ducky’s mother to follow her, and had run off. Now Cera had reached the base of the mountain and looked around searching. Ducky’s mother caught up and asked impatiently: “Where is Ducky? And where is Spike?” Cera had discovered footprints in the layer of ash. They were already halfway masked by new ashes, but still the outlines of Littlefoot’s and Spike’s feet were clear to be seen. “They have gone past here. We follow their trails!” called Cera and ran on. She wanted to find the others as quickly as possible, if it were only to calm Ducky’s mother. The trails led directly up the steep, rugged slope of the mountain and finally behind a big rock. As she turned around it Cera spotted the others. Ducky sat, encircled by Littlefoot, Spike and Petrie, next to a vent in the ground. Hazes of steam rose above the vent, and the lava that filled the vent’s ground glowed red and orange. Ducky’s mother ran past Cera towards her daughter. Littlefoot, Petrie and Spike had heard them coming and stepped aside, to make room for her. None of them said a word. Cera ran over to them.
“How is she?” she asked Littlefoot quietly.
“I don’t know.” He whispered back. “But I believe that she is on the way of recovery.”
He added louder. Ducky had heard her mother coming too. She turned her head to her and tried to smile a bit, but she didn’t really succeed.
“Ducky is everything alright with you?” her mother asked worried.
“I’m better than before. But I’m cold!” Ducky breathed.
Her mother eyed her examining, sighed relieved after a while, turned to Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie and Spike, who approached expectantly and gave them a relieved smile.
“She is alright! And she’ll recover soon, I guess!” she said audibly eased.
Loud cheers from Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie and Spike were the response.
Ducky’s mother remembered how she had overwhelmed Cera with reproaches before.
She bent down to her and said: “I’m sorry for what I said a little while ago. I was so upset. But if you hadn’t brought Ducky here then...”, she broke off.
“It’s Okay!” Cera mumbled a bit shy.
A thudding, rumbling followed her words and everybody’s eyes turned up to the crater, above which the gleam flashed up brightly.
“Nevertheless we should get away from here as fast as possible!” said Ducky’s mother while she turned to the children.
Littlefoot had gone to Ducky, eyed her for a moment and then he asked: “Do you believe that you can walk?”
“I guess so.” Ducky answered quietly. She stood up, made some awkward steps, tripped and fell down longitudinal. Fortunately the layer of ashes had softened her fall.
Littlefoot shock his head wordlessly and lifted Ducky on his back carefully.
“Come on kids!” shouted Ducky’s mother and they set in motion. When they had reached the base of the Burning Mountain the nipping coldness in the Valley fell upon them even harder than before. Spike looked back to the Burning Mountain. Now from a little more distance it didn’t look threatening at all and Spike almost thought of returning to the pleasant warmth. Suddenly Ducky began to whimper quietly on Littlefoot’s back: “I’m so cold!”
Her mother looked around and went into the leafless thicket that sprouted to their both sides.
The children looked after her confused. She returned after a few moments and she seemed to have found what she had been looking for. In her hands Ducky’s mother held a big fern-leaf. Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Spike and Ducky looked even more bewildered. They knew this rare sort of fern. It was absolutely inedible, way too stringy for any leafeater’s teeth.
But Ducky’s mother didn’t seem to intend to eat the leaf. She went over to Littlefoot and laid the leaf around Ducky’s shoulders. “Hold it! It protects you from the coldness a little bit”,
she explained and Ducky did as she was told. Indeed she noticed how she became warmer after a few moments. They set in motion again and soon arrived at the nests of Ducky and her family. Littlefoot set Ducky, who still clasped to the fern-leaf her mother had given her, down carefully.
“Do you feel better now, Ducky?” her mother asked.
Ducky nodded: “Yep mummy!”
“Very well!” she looked at Littlefoot and the others and asked them: “Would you please stay with Ducky? I got to go away once more!”
Littlefoot, Cera and Petrie nodded. “Yes, of course we stay with Ducky!” said Littlefoot while he advanced a step. Ducky’s mother nodded and turned to go.
“But where do you want to go at such a late time?” Cera called after her with a look up to the sun that began to disappear behind mountain’s tops at the western brink of the Valley in the already. But Ducky’s mother went on without answering and even seemed to accelerated her steps. Cera looked after her frowning. Ducky’s mother had certainly heard her! It looked almost as if she didn’t want to answer the question. Littlefoot had noted it too.
He changed a surprised look with Cera and then shrugged.
Petrie flapped over to Ducky’s nest and asked: “Really everything again is well with you Ducky? Hm?”
Ducky nodded: “Yes Petrie, I think so. But I would have liked to renounce this bath!”
Hearing that Cera stepped forth with a somewhat sly grinning and said:
“You wanted to swim a short while ago! Now you’ve swum and you’re still not satisfied. What do you want?” Ducky cast an extremely angry look at Cera so the grinning vanished from her face. For a moment Ducky looked at Cera and the others grimly, but then her features relaxed and she mumbled reflectively: “Yes Cera. You’re right; somehow.”
And suddenly Ducky started to laugh loudly. Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie and Spike chimed in. They hadn’t laughed for a very long time, so they really enjoyed it. For a moment they even forgot about the coldness, until Petrie suddenly stopped laughing. He looked down to the river and what he saw worried him.
“Look!” he croaked and pointed down at the river bank. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, and Spike stopped laughing too and looked into the given direction.
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Chapter IV
Down by the river stood Ducky’s mother. She seemed to be deeply engaged in a talk with Littlefoot’s grandparents. Cera recognized also her father nearby Littlefoot’s grandparents and just in that moment Petrie’s mother landed on a low tree beside them. Many other grownup dinosaurs had gathered around and more and more of them were coming from all directions down to the river bank.
“I do not like that! Oh no, no, no!” mumbled Ducky and crept out of her nest.
“When the grownups gather, then this means trouble most time”, said Cera.
“Let’s go there! Then we’ll know what all that is about.”
“You no really believe grownups will us let listen?” croaked Petrie.
Littlefoot shrugged and said: “Let’s try! Then we’ll know it.”
“Well then, come on!” said Cera and set in motion towards the river bank.
Littlefoot followed her after a short hesitating; very suddenly he had a very uneasy feeling like a foreboding. Spike wanted to lift Ducky upon his back again, but she gave a sign of refusal, threw the leaf, she had clung to till now away, and ran off herself.
Her nest lay on a low hill on whose slopes lay only a thin sheet of snow so Ducky had no problems to walk on it. Petrie swung up into the air too, and Spike hurried to catch up with the others. There was not a great need to hurry for Spike, for Cera had stopped some distance from the grownups. She hesitated and cast a look back. Littlefoot just caught up with her.
He noticed how nervous Cera seemed to be and felt pretty precarious himself. Now Ducky and Petrie, and a moment later Spike, arrived by them. Each of them seemed to feel this unpleasant, uneasy feeling.
Some seconds passed then Littlefoot went on slowly and the others followed him hesitantly. Nearly the very moment they reached the grownups the sun disappeared behind the mountains completely. The sky shone in deep red where it had vanished. At the other horizon the sky was already dark blue. Usually it was nest time when the bright circle was not to be seen anymore, but since the beginning of the cold time the bright circle was on the sky only for such a short time, that nobody stuck to that rule anymore. Littlefoot thronged through between two grownups, closely followed by the others. He and the others tried to call as little attention as possible on themselves, but Littlefoot’s grandpa had spotted them immediately.
He frowned and bent his head down to them. But before he was able to say anything Littlefoot’s grandma had stepped aside him and murmured in his ear:
“Let them stay! They will hear it in any case, so why shouldn’t they yet?”
She had spoken quietly, but since there was complete silence around, Littlefoot, the others and even the other grownups had understood every word. Littlefoot’s grandpa looked at her doubtful and then he cast a look around. None of the other grownups seemed to want to raise any objections, so Littlefoot’s grandpa nodded to them to show his permission to stay. Then he raised his head, cast a look in every direction and asserted that nearly every grownup saurian of the Valley was present. He cleared his throat and everyone fell silent.
Littlefoot’s grandpa began to speak with an earnest mien. “My dear friends! As you all noticed the cold time lasts longer already than we are accustomed to, and nothing indicates that it will get warmer soon!”
A troubled murmuring set in. Littlefoot picked up some pieces of talks. They promised nothing good. Littlefoot became more and more fidgety; a terrible misgiving came over him. He looked back for the others. They too seemed to be worried, even frightened.
Littlefoot’s grandpa waited for an instant until the murmuring had died down before he continued: “The coldness seems to increase with every day, the food runs shorter and shorter and today...”, Littlefoot’s grandpa bent his head down to Ducky, “...the coldness has almost cost the life of one of our children!” Again a polyphonic murmuring arose and everybody’s eyes turned to Ducky. Intimidated Ducky stood back a few steps and then ran over to her “little brother” Spike. Gradually the jumble of voices died down again and Littlefoot’s grandpa continued: “It is hard to say this...”, he stopped and cast a pitiful, nearly pleading look to Littlefoot. It was completely silent. Even the cold wind had stopped to blow for that moment. In that moment Littlefoot’s misgiving solidified to certainty.
Now he knew what his grandpa had meant then with his words. “It could become possible that we’ll have to do something you can’t imagine to do at the moment.”
The words of his grandpa danced through Littlefoot’s mind and now he knew for sure what they meant. “...but we’ll have to leave the Great Valley!” Littlefoot’s grandpa ended his sentence and Littlefoot’s last hopes that his misgiving might not fulfil. Somehow Littlefoot had known for long that this would happen, but he hadn’t wanted to admit that.
“Of course we should migrate all together”, Littlefoot’s grandpa added hasty when he saw the horrified faces of Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike. Some seconds of utter silence followed and then the burst of talking of the grownups started anew far louder and far more polyphonic than before. Littlefoot had stepped forth from the row of the other saurians unconsciously and starred up to his grandpa. He returned his look pitiful.
Littlefoot wanted to say anything, but it was as if an invisible hand pushed on his throat.
“You ain’t serious!” shouted Cera. She had run forward some steps and looked up to Littlefoot’s grandpa angry. The face of Littlefoot’s grandpa became even more sorrowful, but he didn’t say anything.
“We can’t go away from here! Here we are at home!” Cera nearly cried it and she still starred at Littlefoot’s grandpa fiercely and challenging. Some shouts from the crowd became audible. Most of them agreed with Cera. Littlefoot ran over to Cera and tried to shove her back into the semicircle that had formed around his grandpa.
“Cera come back! It...”
“Leave me alone!” cried Cera furiously and starred at Littlefoot so hostile that ht fell back from her instinctively. But Cera shouted on: “If you longnecks are such cowards, then get lost! I’ll stay!”
Littlefoot twitched under her words like under a blow. Cera had pronounced the word “longnecks” derogatory like an insult. Littlefoot lowered his head threatening and starred at Cera lurking. Cera pawed with one of her hooves and lowered her horned head too.
In this moment a big foot stamped between them. Cera and Littlefoot looked up surprised. It was Cera’s father, Daddy Tops.
He cast a stern look on both of them and then he said to his daughter: “That’s enough Cera!” And turned to Littlefoot’s grandpa he continued: “But my daughter is right longneck! Where should we go at all, if we would leave the Great Valley?”
It seemed that Littlefoot’s grandpa had expected and thought over this question as he answered immediately: “Among us are some who come from the direction where the bright circle stands at it’s highest point, before it sets again behind the mountains to reappear the next morning behind the mountains on the other side of the Valley, and a new day begins. Everybody who comes from there has told that it was much warmer there than it has ever been here in the Great Valley. So I think we should turn in that direction. I hope that we’ll find a warm place where enough green food grows for all of us.
Some day this cold time will end too! Then we’ll be able to return to the Great Valley!” Littlefoot uttered a short sigh of relief at this words, as so for it had sounded as if his grandpa planned to leave the Great Valley forever. Again a murmuring ran through the crowd and died down gradually. Sad nodding was visible everywhere. Everybody had to accept that the only other possibility was to stay and to hope for a wonder.
Finally Cera’s father advanced another step and asked quietly: “And when shall we go longneck?”
“As soon as possible! Tomorrow morning if we can, for there is hardly anything left to eat already now! Unfortunately we’ve really no other choice my friends”, answered Littlefoot’s grandpa and bowed his head on the long neck. No further objections were raised and so it was a settled affair. Nevertheless not everybody seemed to be convinced. A few of the grownups went away and apparently seemed to be determined to stay in the Valley. Most of them however stayed and discussed the details. But Littlefoot didn’t listen anymore.
He looked over to Cera because he hadn’t forgotten her words from a short while ago.
She had retired a short distance and lain down below a big, bare tree.
There Littlefoot noted tears in Cera’s eyes and suddenly he realized what was behind Cera’s behavior. He went over to her slowly. Petrie, Ducky and Spike approached too. When Cera heard them coming she wiped the tears away hasty and as inconspicuous as possible, stood up and looked towards them. Nobody spoke.
“It must be a bad dream! It is not true!” Cera mumbled finally.
Littlefoot nodded, but shook his head the next moment: “It is no dream! It is really true!” Ducky jumped with one leap down from Spike’s back on which she had climbed to escape the grownups’ attention. “It really always means trouble when the grownups are gathering!
It should be forbidden to them! Yep, yep, yep! That should be done!” she shouted annoyed. “And what would be changed by that? My grandpa is right after all! What else can we do if we want to survive?” Littlefoot interjected.
The others kept dismayed quietness.
The voice of Ducky’s mother startled them: “Ducky, Spike come along! Tomorrow will be a strenuous day!” Ducky nodded and leaped on Spike’s back.
“See you tomorrow!” she called with a sadly mien and waved them for parting.
Spike cast a look on them that said more than words and trotted after Ducky’s mother then. “Petrie we must fly home! It is already late!” Petrie’s mother called.
“See you!” mumbled Petrie and disappeared with some flaps in the darkness that had fallen over the Valley meanwhile.
Littlefoot and Cera remained. Cera’s father still seemed to talk intensely with Littlefoot’s grandparents, but most of the other grownups had disappeared in the meantime.
Cera cast a hasty look around to make sure that nobody else was within hearing and then she approached Littlefoot and whispered to him: “Sorry for what I’ve said before.”
Littlefoot knew how difficult such a confession was for Cera and it was for Cera, as for everybody else, very hard to come to terms with leaving the Great Valley. He didn’t want to make it even harder for her, so he nodded and said quietly: “Its alright Cera!”
“Anyhow I’ve anticipated that this would happen.”
“Yes, so have I. And we were not the only ones. Nearly everybody seemed to anticipate it.” This time Cera nodded. Suddenly she looked up. She had seen her father and Littlefoot’s grandparents approaching from of the corner of her eyes.
“Good night Littlefoot!” she called and went over to her father.
“Sleep well!” shouted Littlefoot after her before he turned away and followed his grandparents to his nest.
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Looking good Malte! Seriously guys. I've read both of Malte's stories and I always recommend his work! For a non-native English speaker, the vocabulary is excellent and (minus a few mistakes here and there) his tales are just sooo interesting to read! I can't wait for your upcoming novel Malte! You just gotta let me have a glance at that when you're done!!! :)
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Chapter V
As announced they set off very early the next morning. The bright circle still seemed to touch the mountains’ tops at the brink of the Valley. It shone in glaring red and orange and colored the cloudless sky around. Above the other end of the Valley the sky was still deep blue and some stars twinkled there. The dinosaurs had eaten nearly nothing for breakfast, since nearly nothing was there, and now they hurried to leave the Valley. Littlefoot had noted that not nearly all saurians were present and he had asked his grandfather about the others.
His grandfather had answered gravely: “They want to stay here and we couldn’t persuade them to come along. It is their decision. But Littlefoot...”, his grandfather had continued when he had seen Littlefoot’s dismay, “...don’t worry too much about them. They are so few that indeed the little food that is left in the Great Valley may lasts for them... I hope!”
The grownups removed some big boulders that blocked a way from the Valley into the Mysterious Beyond, broad enough, even for the grownups, to pass through. In the meantime Littlefoot, Cera, Spike, Ducky and Petrie stood a bit apart and watched the rise of the bright circle. The white snow that covered the whole Valley reflected the sunlight and shone in the same colors as the sky. The innumerable leafless trees contrasted dismally from the snow that had kept its white color within the tree’s shadows. In spite of everything it was a beautiful sight thought Littlefoot, and he realized they were not the only ones who watched the Great Valley a last time, as if to say goodbye. All the children stood around and it could be read from their faces they would have favored to go back.
Even Hyp, Nod and Mutt stood among the other children and remained uncustomary silent. Since the time of great giving they had become far more affable, but still they tended to show how tough they considered themselves and they also were not the kind who ever let an opportunity for a quarrel slip. Others, especially the younger ones didn’t seem to understand what was going on at all. Cera suddenly felt how she was nudged two times by somebody;
she looked back. Behind her stood the twins Dinah and Dana. “Wenus gogo bag auntie Ceri?” “They want to know when we’ll go back”, interpreted Ducky. Cera nodded. She didn’t need Ducky’s translation, for meanwhile she had a certain practice in understanding what the little ones wanted to tell her. Moreover the question could nearly be read from their faces.
Not only the twins but also Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike and Petrie looked at Cera expectantly, nearly as if their return would depend on Cera’s answer. “Dunno when we’ll go back”, Cera answered sadly. “But I fear that it could take quite a while.” With that she turned away in a nearly jerky manner. It was hard to leave the Great Valley and it would become even harder if she didn’t tore herself away from its sight. Cera went slowly towards the passage the grownups had created in the meantime. She hesitated shortly and then traversed it. The others followed her brooding in silence.
They didn’t know for how many days they were on the move. Since the grownups had blocked the passage carefully with boulders after they had left the Valley nothing of importance had happened anymore. During the first few days the younger ones had asked again and again the question after the time of return. But this question grew more and more rare with every day, until at last it stopped completely. During the days they rested only when they would have been absolutely unable to walk on without a break. Whenever they did take a rest the dinosaurs dispersed as far as possible and searched for hard frozen grass that was nearly the only food to be found. Initially Littlefoot, his friends and probably everybody else had hoped that it would get warmer soon after leaving of the Great Valley. But after the climate hadn’t changed the least after several days of marching they gave up this hope gradually. The fall of snow that stretched over the whole landscape from one horizon to the other didn’t get any thinner either. Some had perhaps given up any hope to ever see a green landscape without snow again. But they were regardful enough not to say that aloud.
Now and then Petrie’s mother and the other grownup flyers flew ahead filled with the hope to reach the horizon where the fall of snow would end finally. But they always returned with the same disappointing report, that the warmer regions were still not in sight. But they went on; in the morning the sun stood to their one in the evening to their other side. Usually they set off long before sunrise and stopped only long after sunset, as the days hadn’t become longer either. The children were urged by the grownups not to look on the sunlit snow too long. They had explained them that the bright light on the snow could injure the eyes. The grownups themselves too tried to keep their eyes in their own shadows. Some of them were appointed by turns to stand sentry at night while the others slept. The guards were relieved several times by others during the nights so nobody had to be awake for the whole night, which would have certainly disabled anyone to continue the journey the next day. Littlefoot had asked his grandfather what the guards had to protect them off anyway in this desolate lands and his grandfather had explained that the coldness was the main reason. He told him it was dangerous to sleep by this coldness without anybody else awake who could awake the others later. Many others had frozen to death, as they simply hadn’t woken up again by themselves. They moved straight on and left a broad trail behind in the snow, a fact that didn’t contribute to calm the grownups. Every sharptooth would have been able to find and follow the trail easily. But neither did they meet a sharptooth, nor any other being. Once Littlefoot believed to see a flyer far, far away, but he wasn’t sure. The landscape seemed to be downright deserted. Still they didn’t seem to be the only ones who migrated in the direction of the bright circle’s highest stand, because, though they didn’t meet any being, they found tracks several times that led in the direction they went too. They tried to avoid the tracks as far as possible however, knowing that if a herd had passed through before there wasn’t going to be any green food left ahead. The only good fact was that the weather stayed as it had been all the time. The sky was clear most time and nothing indicated that new snow could fell. The sun shone and in its shine they became a bit warmer sometimes while only occasionally a slight cool breeze passed gently over the snow-covered land.
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Chapter VI
“I don’t believe we’ll ever reach warmer regions”, said Cera earnestly while she chewed on some hard frozen blades of grass braking the silence that prevailed between them most of the time since the departure from the Great Valley. They rested on a large steppe, and as usually the saurians had scattered over the whole plain to search for food below the fall of snow, though the sun stood already close to the mountains that bordered the plain at the western horizon. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike and Petrie however had stayed together as usual.
The others froze in their motions upon hearing Cera’s words and looked up to her. Littlefoot swallowed some grasses and replied with a nearly pleading look: “Cera, don’t say that!”
Cera shrugged slightly. “But it is true”, she said with a pretended indifference.
“How do you know?!” Littlefoot answered with beginning rage; a deep crease had formed on his forehead. Cera lowered her head threateningly and opened her mouth for a sharp answer. Ducky, Petrie and Spike changed an alarmed look.
“Not quarrel again!” Petrie croaked crossly while he flapped towards Cera and landed on her horn. He eyed her sternly and cast a reproachful look at Littlefoot.
“Stop it! Both of you!” shouted Ducky too and jumped with some quick leaps over to Littlefoot whereby she tried to pass only places where they had pawed the deep snow aside during their forage for food. Spike nodded fiercely swallowing down a thin cluster of grass. Cera fell back one step. For a moment she seemed to play with the thought to blow Petrie from her horn with a snort. Littlefoot’s annoyed look alternately met Cera’s and Ducky’s. Ducky stood in front of him, her arms set akimbo and frowning up at him. Finally he shook his head with a sigh and nodded the next moment.
“You’re right”, he said quietly to Ducky, Petrie and Spike and a bit louder he said to Cera: “They are right. Nothing will become better if we start to quarrel now.”
Cera closed one eye halfway, fixed him with her other eye and held her head a bit slanted to be able to look past Petrie, who through this motion of her could barely hold on to her horn. Littlefoot looked at her a bit grieved. Finally she nodded too with a quiet sigh, robbing Petrie finally of his balance and sending him falling down into the deep snow.
“But we are going on and on and nothing changes”, said Cera and the others fell into affected silence. Petrie struggled out of the snow, shook the snow away, swung up into the air and flew in circles several times to warm up.
“I just wish that anything would happen!” Cera said sadly.
A sudden, cold squall arose before Cera had even finished. Petrie was whirled around in the air and managed to cling to Spike, while he wobbled past him, in the very last moment.
They cast a frightened look up to the sky and could hardly trust their eyes at the sight.
Few minutes before the sky had been completely clear, apart from a few thin, tattered clouds at the horizon, but just in this moment the shadow of a giant cloudbank that approached with terrific speed lay over them. It were dark gray clouds that piled up high, and there was no doubt that snow would fall from these clouds. A strong gust of wind brought the first flakes.
“Are you pleased now?” grumbled Ducky and looked at Cera as if it was her fault.
The threehorn prepared for a sharp answer but Littlefoot shouted hasty: “We must return to the grownups! Quick!”
As he spoke he turned round and ran off as fast as he could. The sky continued to darken, the wind became stronger and it was so cold, that the chill forced tears into Littlefoot’s eyes.
The sight became poorer with every step Littlefoot made, but he recognized the herd gathered on the plain. He ran as fast as he could, but that was not very fast, for he had to struggle against the wind that had become a real storm in the meantime and that blew straight into his face. They seemed to be the last ones who were not with the herd. Littlefoot recognized from the distance that the grownups had formed a circle around the children to protect them from the snow and the cold wind. Moments later the herd was only discernable as a dark shadow in the snowdrift. Littlefoot believed to recognize his grandparents when the storm lulled for a moment. It was the last thing he saw of them for a long while.
A strong blast swept across. Littlefoot closed his eyes fiercely and stopped. When he blinked again he saw nothing but the wall of snowflakes, which surrounded him from all sides and that seemed to become denser with every second. Littlefoot cast a careful look up to the sky. Everything he saw was a mass of innumerable white spots, that were whirled around by the wind until they touched the ground after all. Some snowflakes fell directly into Littlefoot’s eyes so he has to shut them again. He shook off the snowflakes that had landed on him and rubbed fiercely over his smarting eyes. When he opened them again he cast a look back.
His heart missed a beat, for there was nobody!
He hadn’t paid attention on Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike to see if they followed him.
He had simply taken for granted that they would. And probably they had, but possibly they had progressed not as fast as he had and lost sight of him. Perhaps they had called for him and he hadn’t heard them because of the storm’s howling. Littlefoot whirled around.
“Cera!” he shouted as loud as he could; he got no answer. “Petrie, Ducky, Spike?” No answer. Littlefoot knew it was senseless. Nobody who was not even in sight would hear him in this din, and the range of sight amounted to only few meters. Littlefoot noticed how a thin blanket of snow began to cover him. He couldn’t remain standing on the spot!
Hasty he looked around. Where should he go? Where was the herd? And where were the others? He had lost his bearings completely. It was all the same in which direction he looked, everywhere was only the wall of falling snowflakes. He looked for his tracks from before, but he didn’t find them; the new snow had already covered them up. He didn’t even know roughly where the herd had to be. The wind changed its direction every few moments so it was no help for Littlefoot to orientate himself either. Finally he chose one direction and set in motion, not at least to get warmer. First he ran, but then he became slower and slower. Sometimes he had to lean against the wind with all his might not to be torn from his feet. Littlefoot’s ears, his nose and feet, everything hurt. He knew that he was on the wrong way. Had it been the right direction, he would have reached the herd for long. He wondered if Cera, Ducky, Spike and Petrie had made to reach the herd, or if they were in the same situation as he. Of course he hoped for them that they had reached the herd, but on the other hand he wished that they would be there. Along with them he was never really unsure what to do, but now he didn’t know what to do further. He was alone. Completely alone...
Suddenly a blast swept across that was strong enough to tear him from his feet and send him sprawling into the soft snow. He raised his head and starred into the snowdrift that surrounded him from all sides. He wanted to stand up but then he let himself relapse feeling so tired suddenly that he could hardly keep his eyes open. And the snow felt so pleasantly soft suddenly.
“I must stay awake!” he though, feeling that he couldn’t. The very last moment before his eyes closed he saw a shadow in the snow squall.
A shadow?! Littlefoot cast his eyes open again and immediately he recognized the shadow. “Cera!” he shouted at the top of his voice. “Cera I’m here!”
The shadow stopped moving and Littlefoot could discern a voice indistinctly. But the howling of the storm made it impossible to understand any words. Then the shadow approached. Littlefoot jumped up and ran to meet it. It was as if his lassitude had been blown away.
Cera appeared her head lowered and her eyes halfway closed from the wall of falling snowflakes.
“Littlefoot!” Cera cried to drown out the howling of the storm. “Gosh I’m sure glad I have found you!”
“So am I Cera! Are you alright?” Littlefoot cried back.
“Yes I think so. And you?”
Littlefoot simply nodded, because the crying was very strenuous in the long run; he already felt the slight scratching in the throat that announced the beginning hoarseness.
“Where are Petrie Ducky and Spike?” asked Littlefoot; and he croaked so much that he nearly sounded like Petrie. Cera made a helpless gesture and shrugged.
“Anywhere. Dunno where. I lost the sight of them shortly after you weren’t to be seen anymore. They have stayed together I believe.” Cera’s voice began to become husky too.
Littlefoot signified Cera that they had to go on with a gesture. Cera nodded and she didn’t budge from Littlefoot’s side. It was a calming feeling not to be completely alone anymore. They took new courage.
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I'll catch up later tonight....that's a promise. ;) I just keep forgetting these are here, and when I see the length, I have to get some work done beforehand so I can take a good look at these without worrying if I'll get this or that done today. :)
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Read it....and I'm impressed. :) You've done a great job of translating this into English and I like the drama of the last chapter there--lost in a blizzard. ;) I wonder if they're going to make it through all of this....
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Chapter VII
They didn’t know how long they had plodded through the snowdrift already. Not only had they lost their bearings but also the feeling for time. But for sure it was already in the midst of night, as it had become even darker in the meantime.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/02Strugglingthroughtheblizzard.jpg)
They hadn’t spoken a single word since their meeting for they tried to save their strengths for walking on rather than trying to shout at each other over the din of the blizzard. Their feet, noses and ears were nearly unfeeling and they moved on almost mechanically as if somebody else would control their steps.
Both of them had nearly fallen asleep several times. Every time when their eyes closed involuntary they startled and cast them widely open, but the cold wind and the snowflakes forced them immediately to close their eyes to as narrow slits as possible without blocking their sight entirely which didn’t make their struggle against the desire to sleep any easier. Though they fought against it with all their willpower they always relapsed into the drowsy semi-conscious state, they had been in before the startle, within a few moments.
Littlefoot felt a slight push in the side; he nearly didn’t perceive it. A second push hit him so violently that he screamed out painfully and cast the eyes open startled. Apparently he had actually fallen asleep for some seconds. As if through a thin wall he heard Cera’s voice.
She spoke directly into his ear not to be forced to cry too loud.
“Littlefoot! Wake up! You mustn’t fall asleep! Wake up!”
“I’m already awake!” mumbled Littlefoot so quietly that Cera probably didn’t understand the sense of his words. Littlefoot stood up groaning and rubbed his hurting side whereby he cast an angry look on Cera’s horn. Cera put on a pardon mien, but it became grimly one a few moments later.
“What else should I’ve done? Leave you behind? You would not get up any other way!”
Cera shouted angrily drowning out the blizzard’s howling. Littlefoot had to recognize that and cried back: “Sorry Cera. I know you meant no harm. Thanks!”
Cera nodded and her look became more conciliatory again.
That moment the wind calmed down completely for some instants and it became very quiet.
The howling of the storm still lingered in Littlefoot’s and Cera’s ears but both of them could clearly hear the lamenting that only one could utter in this pitch; Spike!
Littlefoot jerked onto his feet and Cera whirled around too to the direction from where the lamenting came.
They couldn’t see him, but nevertheless they were sure, that it was him.
“Spike!” they shouted like out of one mouth and heard the lament end a moment later.
Nearly in the same instant the storm burst out again with all its might, so it was impossible to hear each other again. Littlefoot fought against the wind into the direction from where they had heard Spike; Cera followed him hasty. The blizzard was almost stronger even, than it had been before; they could hardly see their own feet any longer. Littlefoot made another step, and didn’t feel ground below his feet anymore. He cried out frightened when he tumbled down into the deep. Cera almost leaped after Littlefoot when suddenly he wasn’t to be seen in front any more.
“Littlefoot what...?” She never finished the question. She too lost the ground below her feet, fell and landed in soft snow. The next moment she fell asleep at last.
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This is what I mean, Malte! Excelent work. Nice translation!
:yes :yes :yes
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Thanks a lot Fox! :)
I appreciate your feedback very much!
There is a little flaw to be found in the picture though. Especially Cera's legs are too long and too thin (which I regret to admit is a mistake I made more than once).
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Well, considering this is two years old I don't think you'll be getting around to finishing it, but I migt as well review... *thread necromancy*
The story is intriguing and, while many have probably thought of the basic idea before, I haven't seen it done before. Some of the phrasing is a little awkward, but considering English isn't your first language, this is pretty darn good. I would love to one day see the whole thing completed, but if this is all you have, that's fine. Great job, I say. ^_^
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Sorry, actually I finished this story back in 2001 (translation in 2002) but in fact I forgot this thread even existed. You did more necromancy than you thought you did. Chapter VIII will be up in a moment. I made many mistakes back then I probably wouldn't make today anymore, but still my English is not perfect. I'm working on it. Any suggestions, opinions, pieces of criticism are very welcome :yes
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Chapter VIII
When the sun rose the next morning everything appeared as if the terrible blizzard, which had been raging for nearly the whole night, had never happened. The sky was again of a shining blue. Not a single cloud was on the sky and only a thin haze was above the horizon. It was calm and the bright sun’s beams warmed the herd that was recuperating from the hard night on the plain.
The grownups began to move around aimlessly to reanimate their nearly frozen limbs.
The circle they had formed around the children during the whole night began to break up. Littlefoot’s grandmother counted the children for the third time, but she came to the same upsetting result than before, Littlefoot was not among them. She closed her eyes and turned to Littlefoot’s grandfather slowly. “He is really not here!”
Littlefoot’s grandfather nodded. He had already sought for Littlefoot himself everywhere at and around the resting place, but he hadn’t found him. Cera’s father and Ducky’s parents ran around restless. None of them spoke a word. They knew that their search was senseless, as they had already looked everywhere; but everything was better than to do nothing.
They had noticed the disappearance of their children already when the blizzard had burst out the evening before. Littlefoot’s grandparents had noticed the absence off their grandson first. They had informed Cera’s father and Ducky’s and Petrie’s parents and their worst misgivings had proved right. If one of the five was missing one could be nearly certain that the others would be gone too.
The only positive fact was that apart from Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike nobody from the herd was missed and that everybody had weathered the blizzard well.
Suddenly Littlefoot’s grandfather raised his head. “They are coming back”, he said quietly.
“Where?” Littlefoot’s grandmother surveyed the horizon excitedly.
“I didn’t mean our children”, Littlefoot’s grandfather said faintly. “The flyers are returning.” Littlefoot’s grandmother nodded with a disappointed sigh. From all directions small points appeared at the horizon, that turned out to be pterosaurs as they approached. Some hours ago the flyers had swarmed out to search for Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike and their fellow Petrie. Cera’s father and Ducky’s parents gathered with Littlefoot’s grandparents. The flyers spun some circles over the herd and confused chattering was audible. Finally the flyers scattered and Petrie’s mother, who was among them, landed in front of Littlefoot’s grandfather. Everybody looked at her expectantly.
It could be read from her face how unpleasant this was for her. She shook her head slightly. “Nobody has seen them. We haven’t found them”, she mumbled quietly. The disappointment could be read from everybody’s face. Ducky’s mother sniveled quietly and even the corners of Cera’s father’s mouth twitched uncontrolled.
Petrie’s mother seemed to find the silence even more uneasy than the others, so she continued with inconsiderable matters just to stop the silence:
“Over there...”, Petrie’s mother pointed into the direction from where she had come with her beak, “...far away is a valley. Like a giant hole in the ground, with a forest, some rocks and a river in it. But the trees are bare of leaves. There is not much more green food than there is here. The valley is snow covered and the river is frozen. There was no mark of the children anywhere.”
A long break set in during which nobody uttered a sound. Littlefoot’s grandfather felt terrible. He had taken the lead of the herd since the leaving of the Great Valley. So far this hadn’t meant anything special. The others followed him and he had to decide when it was time to rest and when it was time to go. He had always tried to meet his liabilities and to pay regard for those who were not as strong and tenacious as the others. But now he faced an important but dreadful decision; that was what herd leaders were for. He felt the responsibility for the whole herd resting on him as a heavy burden. He had to take all his will power together to make a decision and to announce it. “We must move on!” he said sadly.
Cera’s father flared up: “What?! You want to forsake our children longneck?!”
The words hurt Littlefoot’s grandfather, but he stayed calm. “I don’t want to forsake them friend. But we can’t stay here. There is not enough foot to nourish the herd around here. We’ve done what we could do to find our children. If they are not alive anymore...”,
these words were the hardest to pronounce for Littlefoot’s grandfather, the others starred at him horrified, Ducky’s mother sobbed and Littlefoot’s grandfather had to force himself to continue, “...there is nothing left we can possibly do for them. But if they are alive, they’ll find us. I’m sure about that. If we don’t go on, we’ll starve or freeze to dead. Believe me my friends; nothing could be harder for me than this decision. I can’t and I don’t want to force any of you to come along, but it is the only thing we can do if we want to survive!”
Silence.
At first Cera’s father had prepared for a very furious answer, but he had to accept, like all the other grownups, that Littlefoot’s grandfather was right. He let his eye travel over the endless snowfield where his daughter Cera had to be anywhere. Then he turned round.
“Let us go!” he said firmly, and continued the way of the last days. Only Littlefoot’s grandfather noted the slight shaking of his voice. The others followed him slowly one by one. Suddenly Cera’s father felt somebody nudging one of his legs. Looking back he saw the twins Dinah and Dana. “Auntie Ceri nono? Wen comes aunti Ceri back grampi threebe?”
they asked. It took Cera’s father a moment to understand what the little ones meant.
“I don’t know where auntie Cera is. Somewhere”, he made a movement with his head that enclosed the whole landscape around. “I don’t know when she’ll come back either.”
He gritted his teeth. “But maybe it will take her very long.”
Dinah and Dana looked at each other at a loss. Hadn’t Cera said something similar when they had asked her when they would return to the Great Valley? Cera’s father lifted both of them on his back and rejoined the passing herd again.
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Heh, oh wow! And I've always been told thread necromancy was a bad thing! Apparantly, it's not as bad as one would think. :DD
Well, to talk about the chapter, I knew the kids wouldn't be found so soon (but it's annoying me that I don't know where they are...), but it's almost hard to think about their parents leaving without them. There's good reasoning, of course, but it was definately a hard choice. ... Of course, if anyone can find their way back to their family, these kids can. Anxiously awaiting the next chapter! ^_^
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We had some interesting results from necromancy. Sometimes points of view change over the time sometime now information is provided by new movies etc. Anyway here is the next chapter:
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Chapter IX
Quite a distance away, above the valley Petrie’s mother had told about, the sky looked just as clear and peaceful as it did above the herd’s resting place. Apart from the thick blanket of snow that covered the whole valley and the leafless trees nothing reminded of the night’s terrible blizzard. The valley looked just like Petrie’s mother had described it. It was not surrounded by mountains but resembled rather a giant hole or a meteoric crater in the surrounding plain that was only interrupted by some wavy hills. Only to the side where the sun would reach his highest stand during the day the crater bordered to high mountains whose steep, rugged tops and cliffs stood out gloomy and menacing against the horizon. The walls of the crater became steeper and steeper the closer they were to the crater’s brink, at which they were nearly perpendicular while they sloped easier and easier the closer you came to the ground of the crater. Altogether the crater’s walls were pretty high.
A meandering, river crossed the crater, flowing closely along one of its sides, and disappeared in a narrow canyon at the one end of the crater that bordered to the mountains. The crater was nearly as big as the whole Great Valley. Its ground was largely covered with dark leafless trees. But there were also a number of steep rocks and cliffs, some of which reached up nearly as high as the crater’s walls and didn’t really seem to fit into the crater. Everywhere there were smaller rocks and some long snowy spurs stretched from the rocky walls of the crater far into its interior. High banks of snow had piled up along the brinks of the valley where the snow had slid down from the steeper rocky walls into the deep until they came to rest at the point where the slopes were no longer steep enough to let the snow slide deeper.
At one point the snow of a snow bank near the brink of the crater began to stir suddenly.
It trembled and slipped away as if something was moving below the snowfall. Then Cera made her way through the blanket of snow with her horn. She fetched deep breath, relieved for being at the fresh air again. For her surprise it hadn’t even been cold below the snow, when she had woken up there a short while ago. She hadn’t had any idea where she was and she still didn’t now. But she remembered the blizzard, the reunion with Littlefoot and the fall. After that, it appeared, she had lost her consciousness and had been snowed in. Perhaps this was why she was still alive, for up here the air was so cold she decided not to think over what might have happened if the shielding snow blanket hadn’t covered her. But when she had woken up a short while ago she had been hardly able to breathe and she had started to dig in great haste. She hadn’t even been sure if she was digging in the right direction, as she had lost every sense for the direction. But she had been lucky. Cera yawned deeply for the stuffy air down there had made her pretty drowsy. But after a few more breaths she felt completely recovered and nothing was left of the night’s tiredness. She broadened the way out, she had dug with her horn and her hooves and propped out of the snow. Cera plodded in circles through the deep snow several times to reanimate her numb limbs. Then she looked around. She eyed the valley that spread out in front of her with a cursory look and then turned round into the other direction. Cera deigned the crater wall she had tumbled down in the night a grim look whereby she rubbed one of the hurting bruises she had suffered during the fall.
At the same time she was frightened at the thought of what might have happened if there hadn’t been the deep bank of snow she had landed in. Right here the rocky wall of the crater was comparatively low and it sloped less steep than elsewhere, as right here was at the ridge of a long spur. Had she fallen down somewhere else, the snow might not have done to soften her impact enough for her to get away with nothing but a few bruises, bumps and scratches. Suddenly she winced. “Littlefoot!” she shouted as loud as she could.
“Littlefoot can you hear me?” A bit snow trickled down the rocky wall and Cera stopped terrified. Her father had told her that noise could cause avalanches and an avalanche was really the last thing Cera needed now.
“Littlefoot?” she called with a far quieter voice and listened carefully.
“Littlefoot.” She nearly whispered it, lowered her head and bit on her lower lip.
What if Littlefoot hadn’t been as lucky as her? Her eyes began to smart.
“Cera! I’m here. Help me!” Littlefoot’s faint voice reached Cera’s ears only very damped. She closed her eyes for a short moment to drive away the smarting. Then she opened them again and looked around. She couldn’t see anybody.
“Littlefoot, I can’t see you. Where are you?” asked Cera. I’m down here. At least I believe that it is down. Get me out of here!” Cera had listened carefully to locate the direction from where the voice had come. She had followed the voice and now she stood in front of the hole in the snow she had crept out moments before. She moved her head carefully into the hole she had left under the snow and asked quietly: “Littlefoot, are you in here?”
“I’m here Cera.” She saw a movement at the back end of the hole. She waited until her eyes had accustomed to the dim twilight below the snow and then she recognized Littlefoot’s head. The rest of him was buried by the snow.
“I’m coming Littlefoot”, said Cera with a quieted voice and pressed through the narrow tunnel she had crept out into the little wider, but still very narrow cave she had left behind under the snow. It got pretty dark as Cera blocked most of the light that fell into the cave with her body. “I can hardly move Cera”, said Littlefoot and shoved some snow aside with his head.
“Get me out of here!”
Cera nodded curtly and began to scrape away the snow around Littlefoot’s head with her horn. Sometimes a little cold snow from the cave’s ceiling trickled on her nape and both of them cast alarmed looks upwards; the ceiling made not a very solid impression. Inside the cave it was so unpleasantly warm that Cera wished to be back outside at the fresh cool air. The air in here was so stuffy that both of them both felt drowsy and had to yawn very often. They made little progress, but finally Cera had dug out one of Littlefoot’s forelegs and from now on he did his best to assist Cera to shove away the snow. They had nearly exposed Littlefoot’s second foreleg when he suddenly heard a quiet ominous grating. Apparently Cera hadn’t noticed it, for she continued to dig with undiminished speed, but Littlefoot realized the whole ceiling began to move.
“Stop Cera!” he cried. Cera paused frightened, but it was already to late. The ceiling arched downwards deeper and deeper, a lot of snow began to trickle down on them, Cera shrieked terrified Littlefoot chimed in; and then the ceiling collapsed over them. Cera held her breath. She pedaled and kicked with all her limps and shrieked in panic. It took her some seconds to notice she was in the open air already. She stopped crying and looked around confused.
She was standing in loose snow that reached up to her shoulders in the midst of a deep pit above which the glaring blue morning sky cambered. She still shivered and only gradually she comprehended what had happened. Obviously the ceiling above them had been only very, very thin and when it had collapsed nothing had happened except for a little bit of snow falling onto them. She shook off a bit of snow that still lay on her back and turned to Littlefoot. His head on the long neck looked out from the snow directly aside her. He was looking so dumbfounded that Cera burst into laughter involuntarily.
It took Littlefoot a bit longer than Cera to understand what had happened. Slowly his features relaxed and he cast an angry and offended look at Cera before he joined in her laughter after all. They calmed down by and by and Littlefoot bothered to struggle himself out of the snow completely. Cera helped him to get the last snow away and to get free finally.
Littlefoot fetched some deep breaths of the cool air, just like Cera had done before him.
Still frolicsome they climbed out of the pit. But their cheerfulness came to an abrupt end when they looked around and didn’t see any being anywhere.
“Where are we here?” asked Littlefoot while he let his eye travel over the huge crater.
Cera shrugged and replied: “Why am I supposed to know that?”
Littlefoot turned round to the steep crater wall. “We must have fallen down there in the night”, he said and Cera nodded. “You have heard him too Cera, haven’t you?”
Littlefoot asked suddenly.
Cera looked at him confused. “Who do you mean?”
“Spike. I’ve heard him in the night. Just moments before we fell down here.”
“I’ve heard him too Littlefoot. But don’t you think that we both may have misheard?” Littlefoot thought about that for a moment and shook his head then. “No, we haven’t.
I’ve heard him quite distinctly. It must have been Spike!”
“Ducky and Petrie have stayed with him for sure. But even if we really did hear him, it does not mean forcibly that they are around here too.”
Some steps away the snow began to move suddenly. Something small, dark dug out from under the snow and shot, soon as it had reached the surface, some meters upwards into the air. Then the something stalled, spun, precipitated and crashed into the deep snow.
“Petrie?” Littlefoot and Cera shouted like out off one mouth and ran to the point where the tiny flyer had landed. Petrie shivered. It seemed the sudden shock of coldness had paralyzed him.
“Petrie! Are you alright?” asked Littlefoot while he lifted Petrie carefully out of the hole in the snow that had been caused by his impact.
“It cold!” croaked Petrie and his beak chattered.
“You should have grown accustomed to that in the meantime!” Cera said grimly and earned herself a rebuking look from Littlefoot. She didn’t say anything more.
“Are Ducky and Spike here too?” asked Littlefoot.
Petrie startled. Suddenly he didn’t seem to mind the paralyzing coldness anymore.
“You get them out of there! Hurry!” he croaked and began to dig at the point where he had made his way out of the snow, naturally without achieving too much with his small claws. Littlefoot and Cera too began to dig again immediately, and it didn’t take them very long to find Ducky. She shivered with coldness when they pulled her out of the snow. She coughed fiercely several times and looked around.
“Where is Spiky?” she asked before Littlefoot could even ask her about her wellbeing.
He knocked on the ground with one of his feet. “Probably still somewhere down there, Ducky. Is...” Ducky didn’t wait for Littlefoot’s question, but jumped with one leap from Cera’s back, Littlefoot had lifted her on and began to dig shouting:
“Then we must dig him out. Yes we must! Yep, yep, yep!” Littlefoot Cera and Petrie exchanged a meaningful smile. No doubt everything was alright with Ducky apart from occasionally coughing and sneezing. They dug on and finally they found Spike.
“Spiky we’re coming!” shouted Ducky as soon as she saw him, but Spike didn’t move. “Spike? Is everything okay little brother?” Ducky asked worriedly.
“Spike no can hear us now, Ducky! Dig we must on”, Petrie calmed Ducky, but everybody had an uneasy feeling that didn’t diminish and even increased as Spike persisted not to react to their shouts.
They got more and more worried. Finally they had dug out Spike almost completely.
It had been hard work and Cera let herself drop into the snow with a groan.
Ducky climbed on Spike’s back that lifted and lowered slightly through his breathes.
“Get up Spike!” she called. But Spike reacted neither to her nor to Littlefoot’s or Petrie’s calls. This scared even Cera. She stood up and approached Spike too.
“Could he be injured from the fall?” mumbled Littlefoot. He nearly whispered it, but everybody understood him. Ducky closed her eyes. When she opened them again it glistened in their corners. Petrie landed aside her; he looked very grieved too. Littlefoot and Cera exchanged an earnest look and Cera bent down to Spike. He breathed only very low, but evenly; whereby a quiet snorting was audible. He chewed and grunted quietly, pleased as if he would eat some green food.
Cera flared up and shouted indignantly: “He is just kiping! And we are drudging...”, she rammed her horn against Spike’s flank angrily.
Littlefoot gritted his teeth and sucked in air hissing. When Cera had rammed her horn against his side during the blizzard to wake him up it had hurt so much that he still felt it.
Spike jerked up and cast his eyes open wide.
“Up with you Spike!” shouted Cera angry and made ready for another butt.
“Cera stop it!” Littlefoot, Ducky and Petrie called like out of one mouth and stepped between her and Spike who looked around completely bewildered. He still seemed to be in his pleasant dream with half of his mind. Cera stopped in the motion and fell back one step.
She looked as if she would awake from a dream just like Spike had and seemed to be nearly scared about herself as she mumbled: “Sorry Spike. Maybe I was a bit violent.”
“A bit? Nope, nope, nope! Very violently! Yep, yep, yep!” said Ducky, but Littlefoot stepped between them to prevent the imminent quarrel and said:
“Its alright now! Cera has really reacted pretty rough, but she apologized and Spike has indeed given us quite a fright.”
Ducky grumbled: “That’s Spiky. He is a sound sleeper! Oh yes he is.” But as she wasn’t interested in a quarrel she grumbled it so quietly that Cera didn’t hear it.
“You mustn’t frighten us like that Spiky!” she said rebuking but unmistakably frantic with relief because Spike was unhurt. Spike nodded although he had apparently not understood at all what had happened, and it didn’t seem to interest him. He had put on his nearly perpetual good-natured smiling again. Ducky hugged one of his forelegs as good as she could and he drove his tongue through her face several times. “Spike, stop it!” called Ducky laughing. “Everything is alright with me, but I’m getting cold from this.” And she coughed several times. Spike stopped immediately, gave a surprised mumble, made a self conscious face and lifted Ducky upon his head.
-
Great to see the gang's all back together again and (relatively) unharmed! This new valley worries me, though. I don't know why, but for some reason I have a feeling that there are going to be some not friendly dinosaurs there.
Of course, this may just be the pessimist in me. Maybe the gang'll find someone who can help them.
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Everything you guessed is both right and wrong ;)
As the next Chapter is rather short I'll post the next two together. I'm really happy about your interest in the story :yes
Thank you very much.
Chapter XI comes with a picture.
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Chapter X
After a short while Cera turned round and eyed the rocky wall of the crater. She fell back some steps to take a run and felt how the everybody’s eyes turned on her. She rushed forward as fast as she could. At first it was quite easy. The rocky slope was easy gradient, but the further she came the steeper it became and Cera’s assault became to an unsteady clambering. She leaned against the rocky wall, felt how some pebbles crumbed away below her feet, tried desperately to hold on to the rocky wall. The crater’s brink was in what seemed like an unattainable high. She couldn’t fell down, could not make a fool of herself in front of her friends she thought. Then she lost her foothold. She slid back down, tumbled over and fell into the snow. Littlefoot, Spike, Ducky and Petrie approached her hasty.
“Is everything alright Cera?” Littlefoot asked worried.
“Of course!” answered Cera crossly and took another run.
Littlefoot blocked her way. “Get out of my way!” ordered Cera grimly, but Littlefoot shook his head and stayed where he was.
“You will not made it up there Cera.” Littlefoot looked up to the brink of the crater.
“None of us can do that except...”, he looked over to Petrie who flapped in the air aside Spike. “Petrie. Can you fly up and check if the herd is there somewhere?”
Petrie nodded and swung himself up to the crater’s brink with an elegant bow.
Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike and Cera uttered a deploring sigh that ended in a new fit of coughing in Ducky’s case. Sometimes they envied Petrie. All this wouldn’t have been such a problem if each of them had been able to fly.
Petrie didn’t stay away very long. Only a few minutes later he reappeared over the brink of the crater and dived down into the deep. Close above the ground he spread his wings, flattened out of his dive and landed on the thin branch of a leafless bush that stood nearby. “And?” Cera asked expectantly. They could read the answer already from Petrie’s face.
He made a gesture with his wings whereby he nearly lost his balance, shook his head when he had regained it and said: “Nobody be up there, nowhere; me no see anything but snow!”
A short break set in during which nobody said a word. The quiet howling of a slight breeze, passing gently along the rocky walls was audible, apart from that there was utter silence. Finally Cera turned round and went a few steps to and fro, whereby she surveying the valley that offered, with its many dark leafless trees a rather dreary view. After all Cera sat down without taking her look from the valley. At last Littlefoot and the others stepped near her. “Cera?” Littlefoot asked quietly. First she didn’t react, but then she turned her head to him and said earnestly: “We are completely alone.”
Littlefoot and the others changed an uneasy look. Spike uttered a contradictory grumbling and shook his head. Littlefoot looked at him reflective and turned to Cera again. He thought the same way like Spike.
“But Cera, how could we be alone lonely as long as we are together?”
Cera raised her look a bit. “Littlefoot has right Cera! We no lonely. We no can be lone at all”, croaked Petrie whereby he flapped to and fro in front of Cera to land behind her neckshield after all.
“Yep, yep, yep! We can’t be alone together. That does not make sense. Oh no, no, no, no, no!” chattered Ducky down from Spike’s back exceptionally without closing in a fit of coughing afterwards. Suddenly a smile appeared on Cera’s face.
She nodded. “You’re right we aren’t alone and we’ll never be alone so long we stay together!” For a short moment it seemed to them as if it had become a little warmer.
-
Chapter XI
A long yell down from the valley let them all whirl around. Without another word and without thinking Littlefoot ran off down the slope towards the valley’s floor. Cera jumped up and followed him so abruptly that Petrie fell down from her back. He fell into the snow but got up immediately and flapped after Cera who tried to catch up with Littlefoot who already had a long lead. “After them Spiky!” ordered Ducky up from Spike’s back and kicked him slightly in the sides with her heels, certainly Spike didn’t even feet it. More sluggish than the others he set in motion too.
Littlefoot ran as fast as he could in the direction from where he had heard the yell.
He followed the ridge of the spur that lead down to the valley from the crater’s wall.
The spur forked. Littlefoot hesitated. Which fork should he choose? In that moment he heard a yell again and whoever uttered it seemed to need help immediately. Littlefoot chose the left fork, which was closer to the direction from where the last yell had come, and ran on.
Few instants later Cera reached the fork. She had lost sight of Littlefoot, but it was easy enough to follow his distinct tracks. Still she hesitated for a moment at the fork and cast a look back. Petrie was not far behind her but Spike with Ducky was still a respectable distance away.
“Hurry up!” shouted Cera and ran on.
Meanwhile Littlefoot had reached the end of the spur. For the first time since he had started to run Littlefoot looked back. None of his friends was in sight. He was alone. For a moment Littlefoot thought of the fact that his friends had lost him out of their sight during the blizzard too. Maybe it was better for him not to make running off without heeding the others a habit. Again he heard a long cry for help and he looked incited in the direction from where the cry had come. There was the edge of a leafless wood. At the base of the steep spur was a plain snowfield that had probably been a meadow in warmer days and far back he could recognize the silvery band of a frozen river he had already seen before by overlooking the valley from the slope of the crater wall. The cry for help had come from the wood and Littlefoot just wanted to jump down the spur and run over there when he caught sight of somebody who just broke forth from the leafless thicket of the wood. It was a young longneck and Littlefoot recognized it certainly couldn’t be much older than himself.
The longneck seemed to flee from something or somebody, for it ran as fast as it could across the snowfield, on a route that would lead it directly past the spur Littlefoot was standing on.
It was obvious the cries Littlefoot had heard before had been uttered by this longneck.
The next instant Littlefoot saw the reason for the longnecks panic, as another figure appeared out of the thicket.
It was a sharptooth. A very young sharptooth. Smaller than the longneck it pursued determinedly. Neither the longneck nor the sharptooth had noted Littlefoot. Just this moment the longneck ran past below the spur. Littlefoot had to help or the sharptooth would catch up soon. Littlefoot made ready for the jump and when the young sharptooth ran past below the spur he pounced upon it.
The force of the attack was so violent it tore both Littlefoot and the sharptooth from their feet. The sharptooth uttered a surprised snarl. Littlefoot and the sharptooth rolled firmly interlocked to each other through the snow. From the corner of his eyes Littlefoot saw, that the longneck remained in the midst of a step and looked back.
“Run away! Run!” cried Littlefoot while he evaded a claw slash of the sharptooth. Littlefoot wanted to jump up, but suddenly the sharptooth was over him and with a triumphing grin he lifted, his arm for another slash at Littlefoot’s neck which Littlefoot realized, he would not be able to evade anymore. The two terrible claws of the little sharptooth flashed up in the sunlight. Littlefoot closed his eyes firmly and gritted his teeth.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/03Aratherroughreunion.jpg)
“Littlefoot!” cried a voice that was familiar to Littlefoot. But he couldn’t remember at the moment whose voice it was.
The claw slash Littlefoot waited for didn’t come. Instead he heard a second known voice, which asked incredulous and a bit frightened: “Littlefoot?”
He opened his eyes again and saw that the sharptooth had remained amidst his movement looking at him with a mixture of doubt and joy. His eyes flashed up in recognition.
And Littlefoot too recognized the sharptooth.
“Littlefoot!” cried Cera and in the very next moment she was there with a leap from the spur and pushed her horn into the sharptooth’s side so fiercely that he was hurled from Littlefoot and flung a respectable distance away. Cera fell back one step pawed with one of her hooves through the snow, lowered her head and rushed forth to attack the sharptooth again.
Littlefoot jumped up immediately and leaped into Cera’s way. The butt didn’t hit him with full force, as Cera tried to stop in the very last moment and hadn’t much swing yet, but still it was fierce enough to push Littlefoot from his feet again. He gritted his teeth and tried to imagine how painful the butt had been for the sharptooth.
“Littlefoot! Are you crazy?” Cera shouted furiously.
“Cera stop it! Don’t you recognize him?” Littlefoot shouted back. “It’s Chomper!”
Cera starred incredulously first at Littlefoot, who got back to his feet, and then at the sharptooth that lay in the snow some steps away.
“Chomper?” she asked disconcerted.
“Ali!” shouted Ducky down from Spike’s back. Spike had just appeared on the spur accompanied by Petrie.
Whirling around Littlefoot remembered wherefrom he knew the voice that had shouted his name first. The fleeing longneck had seemed familiar to him from the first moment.
Still he could hardly comprehend it.
“Ali?!” he and Cera shouted like out of one mouth when they saw her. Spike tried to climb down from the steep spur, but he skidded off and landed heavily in the snow, whereby Ducky fell from his back. She got up hasty and plodded coughing through the snow towards Ali. Spike followed her after he had stood up awkwardly and Petrie had arrived by Ali long before anybody.
“Littlefoot! Cera! Petrie! Ducky! Spike!” called Ali and with one leap she was by Cera and Littlefoot.
“Hello Ali!” said Littlefoot a bit less cordial than he would have liked to and squinted over to Chomper who still lay on the ground motionless. “You...”, Ali corrected herself with a
side-glance at Cera, “You both have saved my life!” Littlefoot nodded absent-minded and said to Cera: “Come on Cera! We must look after Chomper! Maybe he is injured!”
And with that he turned round and ran over to the sharptooth that lay in the snow.
Cera cast an apologetic look at Ali and followed Littlefoot with a concerned mien.
“Chomper?” Petrie and Ducky asked simultaneously. Petrie flew a narrow curve and followed Littlefoot and Cera. Ducky jumped on Spike’s back and he ran after the others too.
Ali looked after them. Her lower jaw had sagged down. Some seconds passed before she closed her mouth and followed the others hesitating and shaking her head.
-
Heh, wow! Bringing back both Chomper and Ali in the same chapter? Some would say it's ambitious, but I say it works! Poor Ali's gonna be so confused... Great job- few could probably pull off bringing both of them back, but that was a very interesting way to do so.
And great picture, by the way. Better than I could do, that's for sure! ... *not really saying much, but it's the thought that counts*
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It was hard enough for Ali to grow accustomed to the thought of not hanging around with longnecks only. I thought that it would be interesting to see her reaction to this "special case" in particular after the first meeting going so much off on the wrong foot ;)
Here are the next two chapters:
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Chapter XII
When Littlefoot arrived by Chomper the little sharptooth just propped up on his hands.
He moaned, closed his eyes firmly, and puckered his face painfully.
“Chomper?” Littlefoot asked carefully. Chomper leaned on one hand now, wiping some snow from his face with the other and shook his head.
Finally he looked up and smiled: “Littlefoot!”
“Are you okay?” asked Littlefoot worried.
Chomper nodded: “Yes, I’m fine.” He winced again disproving his words; there was probably no part of him that didn’t hurt. In that moment Cera arrived by them and looked down to Chomper dismayed. Before she could ask him about his wellbeing Chomper stood up completely, shook off the last snow and approached her and Littlefoot with a joyful smile. “Cera! Are the others...”, Chomper didn’t finish the sentence because just in that moment he spotted Petrie, Ducky and Spike who had come close too now.
“Chomper!” shouted Ducky, leaped from Spike’s back and ran through the snow, that didn’t lie as high here as it did closer to the crater’s brink, towards the sharptooth. Petrie had flapped over too and hugged Chomper as far as it was possible despite their difference in size.
And when Ducky too joined the hug, Chomper stumbled and all three tumbled into the snow. They romped about frolicsome. Ducky, Spike and Petrie burst with laughter which ended in another fit of coughing for Ducky. But everybody’s laughter ceased abruptly when Chomper groaned painfully gritted his teeth and sucked air between them hissing.
A short brake set in during which Littlefoot cast an inconspicuous look back. Ali had approached too and she looked as if she didn’t trust her eyes. Littlefoot decided to tell her about this sharptooth, she eyed so distrustfully, as soon as possible.
“Chomper, is everything alright?” Cera asked worried. She advanced a step and her guilty conscience could be read from her face.
“It’s okay”, Chomper mumbled quietly. The worried look on Cera’s face intensified.
“Sorry, but I didn’t recognize you and it looked as if you wanted to eat Littlefoot.”
Chomper nodded while he stood up again. “I did want that!” he said faintly. Chomper jerked realizing what he had just said. He would have liked to bite on his tongue, for it, but he didn’t as firstly it wouldn’t have changed anything and secondly it would have hurt very much because of his sharp teeth. What he had said was out and he couldn’t countermand it.
“I hadn’t recognized him”, Chomper added hasty. But it was to late. Littlefoot gulped and looked at him dismayed.
Cera had fallen back a few steps and eyed him distrustful. Ducky, Petrie and Spike starred at him with wide opened eyes and the distrust in the face of the longneckgirl he had hunted increased as far as it was possible at all. A silence followed and Chomper’s eyes traveled from one to the next nervously.
“I didn’t know that it was you. I didn’t mean to...”, Chomper broke off. What ever he said now, it would just make everything worse. The silence began to become embarrassing.
Cera opened her mouth to say something and she didn’t look as if she would take side with Chomper, so Littlefoot forestalled her hasty: “Alright!”
He cast an imploring look at Cera and turned to Ali: “Ali, meet our friend Chomper.”
He turned to Chomper. “Chomper meet Ali.”
“Hello Ali!” said Chomper did a step towards her and smiled embarrassed. Doing so he tried to ignore that Ali fell back one step when he approached her.
“Hello.” Ali nearly whispered it. She looked at Chomper timidly but never let him out of her sight. Littlefoot told Ali in few sentences how they had come to know Chomper and then Chomper wherefrom they knew Ali. “Why are you here?” asked Ali when Littlefoot had finished. She didn’t budge from Cera’s side for she felt a bit safer close to her.
Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, and Petrie began to tell by turns what they had experienced since the beginning of the cold time. Chomper and Ali listened attentively and now and then Ali even forgot to keep an eye on Chomper. Littlefoot was relieved about that, for most likely Ali would have to accustom to the sharptooth. When Cera finally finished their tale Ali nodded. “It is similar to what had happened to me. Every year when the cold time begins the herd migrates in the direction of the highest stand of the bright circle. It is warmer there and when it becomes warmer in the other regions too, we are migrating back. But this year we’ve migrated for long without reaching the warmer regions.” Ali lowered her head and Littlefoot and the others exchanged a worried look.
“And what happened next?” asked Ducky after all impatiently and coughed several times.
Ali shrugged. “This year everything is different. Even the old one is worried. I believe that she has experienced something like this once before.”
“Yes”, said Littlefoot, “So has my grandfather.”
“Yesterday evening the blizzard burst out”, Ali continued. “The same blizzard that separated you from your families separated me from my herd. I’ve reached this valley in the morning and I’ve climbed down here. Well, to tell you the trust it was more like falling than climbing down here. I hoped to find anything edible down here. But I fear that it is not as easy to come out of this valley as it is to come in here. I was just looking for something green in the wood when this sharptooth came.” Ali nodded at Chomper. She had put a special emphasis on the word sharptooth, so it had a threatening and at the same time disapproving sound.
Chomper frowned at Ali, but she avoided his direct looks.
Littlefoot felt the distinct tension that was between them.
To prevent the outbreak of an open quarrel Littlefoot asked hasty:
“And what about you Chomper? How have you come here? You and your parents were on the piece of land amidst of the Big Water.”
Chomper nodded. “Yes, and it became colder and colder there too. It was hardly anything left to... um eat.”
“Yes but how you’ve come over the Big Water?” Petrie interrupted him. For the first time somebody but Littlefoot addressed Chomper again.
“One morning the earth was trembling”, Chomper continued. “It trembled very fiercely.
Many trees were falling over and some nearly slew me. My parents and me ran to the cliffs where there were no trees grew that could fall. And when we reached the coast the Big Water was gone!”
“What?!” Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie and Ducky shouted like out of one mouth incredulously. Spike looked up from some blades of grass he had dug out from the snow and Ali, who probably knew the Big Water from her migrations with the herd made big eyes.
“Impossible! That can’t be! Where should all the water go? It can’t simply vanish!” shouted Ali shaking her head.
Chomper looked at her grimly. “I didn’t claim that the Big Water was completely gone. Where the Big Water used to be was nothing but wet sand and rocks. But far, far away the water was visibly as if it had gone back to there. This seemed uncanny to my parents and it was a unique chance for us to get away from the Big Water to search for a region with enough...”, Chomper hesitated and cast a short glimpse at Ali, “...food for us. So we went off toward what had been the coast so far. And while we were still on the way the Big Water came back!”
Chomper nodded and made a face as if he wouldn’t like to remember to what he was going to tell now. The others looked at him expectantly and even Ali seemed to be interested. Chomper continued: “I believe the whole Big Water stood up that morning and ran after us. It piled up like a mountain and approached incredibly fast. My parents and me ran as fast as we could. We reached some dunes and climbed up the highest of them as fast as we could. But then the water had caught up with me. My parents had nearly reached the top, but I hadn’t.
Suddenly there was water all around me and the next thing I know it that I woke up not far from here.”
Nobody spoke for a moment, but then Littlefoot asked: “And how have you come here? Do you know that?”
Chomper shrugged. “I guess the water has brought me here. At least I lay at the bank of this river.” Chomper pointed at the frozen river, Littlefoot and the others had seen already from the slope with one arm. “The water was not hard then.”
“Then?” asked Littlefoot. “How long are you here already?”
“I don’t know. For some days perhaps. I didn’t count the crossings of the bright circle, but I’m not here for a very long time.”
Littlefoot cut a caper and uttered a yell of exult. Everybody looked at him as if he had gone mad when he began to dance around them enthusiastically.
“Littlefoot? Is everything alright?” Cera asked worriedly. Littlefoot stopped and looked at Cera radiant with joy. Ducky whispered something to Petrie who had sat down aside her on Spike’s back and looked at Littlefoot pitiful. Petrie nodded and eyed Littlefoot anxiously too. Littlefoot understood that his friends took him for crazy, but this didn’t lessen his joy.
He exulted loudly: “We haven’t migrated for nothing! We will reach warmer regions soon!” “What?” asked Ali and frowned. Littlefoot sighed. His friends didn’t understand the reason for his joy.
“Please understand! We are on the right way!”
“Where do you know that from?” asked Cera impatiently, nearly angry. She advanced a step and sparkled at him pugnaciously. Littlefoot’s cheerfulness seemed to be completely out of place to her in their current situation. Littlefoot advanced a step towards Cera too, so they stood directly face-to-face now. “If Chomper is not here for long, but the water of the river wasn’t hard when he arrived here, then it means that it must have been warmer here a short time ago. And this means...”
“Yes indeed, you’re right!” mumbled Cera. While Littlefoot spoke her grim mien had cleared up distinctly. Everybody kept quiet for some seconds. Then Petrie uttered a yell of exult and rocketed vertically up into the air from Spike’s back. Ducky hopped around enthusiastically until she fell down from Spike’s back into the snow. She jumped up immediately and hugged Spike as well as she could shouting again and again: “We will come in warmer regions Spiky! Oh yes we will! Yep, yep, yep!”
Littlefoot and Cera hugged too. Chomper stood a bit aside.
Petrie dived towards him and flew in narrow circles around him. Ducky approached too and was about to hug Chomper like Spike. But suddenly Ducky and Petrie both remembered what had happened before. Ducky grinned awkwardly, turned around and ran back to Spike.
Petrie did the same. Though both of them tried not to cause the impression that they were afraid of Chomper, he felt that they were. He cast down his eyes. Littlefoot saw this and went over to Chomper. The little sharptooth looked up to him.
“Our families and the herds will reach warmer regions; we won’t. Did you forget that we are all stuck in this valley?” said Ali shaking her head. She had remained apathetic all the time. The others stopped and looked at her.
But Littlefoot shook his head. “No Ali! If we have come into this valley, then we can come out again too.”
“And how?” Ali asked with a bitter smile.
Littlefoot thought about it for a moment, then he turned to Chomper.
“Chomper, where exactly have you woken up after the water brought you here?”
“Not far from here at all. If you want that, I can lead you to the place.” Littlefoot nodded, Chomper turned round and set in motion. Littlefoot and the others followed him.
Chapter XIII
At first they went to the bank of the frozen river and then they followed its course. The sun was behind them on their way. So they went in the opposite direction than before, the opposite direction than the direction into which their families were moving, thought Littlefoot. This fact gave him a very unpleasant feeling. The banks of the river were overgrown by numerous plants but none of it had leaves or anything green on them. Nevertheless the plants grew so thick that hardly any snow lay below them on the narrow, sandy bank. In warmer days it had probably been an almost impenetrable jungle. Now it was actually nothing but leafless undergrowth which still grew thick enough to often block the sight completely. The river kept its general direction, but it made numerous turns to the one or the other direction. When he cast a look back at one of these windings Littlefoot noted that everyone but him kept some distance from Chomper who had taken the lead.
“Safety distance”, Littlefoot thought grimly. But the next moment his fury vanished and gave way to a very gloomy mood. Did his friends forget about Chomper’s good sides completely? Just because of what had happened? He hadn’t finished the thought when he became aware of what might have happened had Chomper not recognized him in the very last moment, or if he himself had come some instants later. Chomper would have eaten Ali!
He became furious again, but furious this time at Chomper and he gave him an angry look. Usually Chomper ought not to notice this look, but it seemed he had felt it, for he stopped, turned his head and cast a sad look up to Littlefoot. Then he turned forward again and went on. This look had driven out all the rage Littlefoot had felt a moment before.
Now he felt nothing but pity with Chomper, who was stuck in this valley for days already, who had been separated from his parents too, who had, unlike them, been wholly alone, who was probably at least as hungry as they were, maybe even more hungry, for few plants still existed under the snow, but fresh meat didn’t. It seemed like every being had left this valley, and Littlefoot would have liked to know which way they had used.
For sure Chomper hadn’t had a prey like Ali in a long while. Actually Littlefoot doubted that the little sharptooth had ever before hunted anything bigger than himself. Now he had met them, and had undoubtedly been very glad about that; but everybody seemed to be either afraid of or angry at him. Altogether that was surely too much to cope with for little Chomper. Littlefoot ran some steps passed Chomper and their looks met. None of them spoke a word, but Chomper smiled again like he had read from Littlefoot’s face what he wanted to say. Suddenly Chomper stopped.
“What’s the matter Chomper?” Littlefoot asked.
“Ahead of us the thicket is too thick”, answered Chomper and pointed at the next turn of the river where the thicket blocked every way on the bank.
“We must go a short distance on the hard water.”
The others had approached and understood every word.
“Going on the hard water?!” Ducky cried down from Spike’s back. She nearly got a hiccup of the fright Chomper’s words had inflicted on her. She skidded down from Spike’s back and fell on the sand. She jumped up again hasty. Since her accident in the Great Valley Ducky avoided the ice. “That’s not possible!” shouted Ducky. “Oh no, no, no! That’s really impossible! That is out of question! Oh yes it is! Yep, yep, yep!”
Chomper looked at Ducky confused. He didn’t understand her problem.
Littlefoot exchanged a mischievous grin with Cera, Petrie and Spike. Doing so he noticed that Ali stood a bit aside. She looked very stern. Before Littlefoot could say anything Ducky called his attention on her again.
“I will go through this! Oh yes I will!” she called and went past Chomper towards the thicket. She began to make her way through the brushwood, which turned out to be more difficult than
she had expected. Chomper went after Ducky up to the brink of the thicket and asked carefully: “Ducky is everything okay?”
“Yes!” moaned Ducky and they could hear how she tried to press herself further through the thicket. She climbed between two thick boughs that formed a bifurcation. Thereby she slipped, fell and felt how one of her feet was jammed between the two branches.
She uttered a suppressed yell.
“Ducky, what has happened?” Littlefoot called worried. They had lost sight of Ducky.
“Come back Ducky!” said Chomper. “It is too narrow!”
“I guess you’re right”, said Ducky who noticed that she couldn’t get forward nor back.
As if to make matters worse, there were big spikes everywhere so Ducky didn’t dare to make any fierce movement.
“Now come out!” said Cera after some seconds impatiently.
“I can’t!” answered Ducky nervously.
“What?” Littlefoot asked frightened.
“I’m stuck, really stuck!” lamented Ducky and suppressed a coughing. “Get me out here!” Littlefoot, Cera and Spike looked at Petrie who seemed to be the only one small enough to follow Ducky. But Petrie shook his head and hid behind Cera’s neckshield.
“Spikes there are in the bush! They tears Petrie’s wings!”
The others understood this. Petrie was more fragile than any of them. They looked at each other helplessly, including Ali who had approached in the meanwhile.
“I’ll do it!” said Chomper and stepped towards the bush thicket.
“You?” Cera asked incredulous. Chomper made his way through the thicket slowly.
“Take care!” shouted Ducky when the whole bush seemed to shift. Finally Chomper had made his way to where Ducky was jammed. Very carefully he bent the two boughs of the bifurcation asunder until Ducky could pull her foot free. She stood up and burdened her foot tentatively several times to test if it was all right.
It was, and both Ducky and Chomper made their way back out of the brushwood where the others gave them an enthusiastic reception. Chomper was very pleased. He had caught many scratches during the rescue operation, but the distance the others kept from him had shrunk noticeable.
“Do we really have to go over the hard water?” Ducky asked anxiously.
Chomper nodded. “Why are you so afraid of that?” he asked.
“She broken in once, back in the Great Valley”, explained Littlefoot.
“But now let’s go on.” And with that Littlefoot lifted Ducky on his head and rose it high up into the air so Ducky was as far away from the hard water as possible. Behind the winding they could walk on the riparian stripe again and Littlefoot set Ducky on Spike’s back.
He remembered Ali, and when they went on he fell behind to her inconspicuously.
She still kept a wide distance to the others and avoided Littlefoot’s look until he had arrived by her and asked worriedly: “What’s the matter Ali? Are you angry?”
She looked at him morosely, ignored his question and said: “It is difficult to speak with you in private, but we have to talk urgently!”
“Do you keep any secrets from the others?” Littlefoot asked surprised.
Ali shook her head. “No, not from all of them.” While she said that she cast a glimpse after Chomper.
“Chomper won’t hurt you. Really. I’m completely sure about that!”
“I see. And wherefrom do you take this sureness?” Ali asked gruffly.
Littlefoot was dismayed and remained silent for some seconds. “I know him. We are friends!” “The sharptooth doesn’t seem to know you as well. He nearly had killed you!”
“He hadn’t recognized me!”
“It would have been a cold comfort, had he recognized you a few instants later! I don’t want to end as sharptooth food at the first opportunity!”
Littlefoot fell silent again. He didn’t know what to say at all, for Ali was right. But somehow Chomper seemed to be nothing less right. Once more he made a faint hearted try to convince Ali that there was no need to be afraid of Chomper: “Ali, remember when we’ve come to know each other? Back then you didn’t like Cera and she didn’t like you either.”
“That was something completely different! Cera didn’t want to eat me!” Ali shouted angrily and ran after the others.
“Wait Ali!” Littlefoot shouted after her.
But she didn’t. Littlefoot stopped for a moment sad and perplexed. He understood Ali, but Chomper too. Littlefoot didn’t know what to do; he felt very lonely suddenly.
At last he ran after the others hasty, not to loose sight of them. Just when he caught up with Ali, who went as the last and tried to avoid his looks he heard water rushing and Chomper shouted: “Here it was. This is where I’ve woken up again.”
Littlefoot thronged past the others forward to Chomper. They had reached one brink of the valley. The rocky walls were not very high, but too steep to be climbed up. A big grownup saurian might have been able to leave the valley on this way. A broad waterfall rushed down from the rocky wall. Within a radius of several meters around the waterfall the water was not frozen as it was in constant motion.
“Right here?” asked Littlefoot. “You’ve woken up right here?”
Chomper shook his head. “Over there.” He pointed over to the other bank. Ducky eyed the waterfall pensively, sighed sadly and said unnecessarily:
“No, I can’t swim up there. No, no, no.”
“The more so as the water is probably a little too cold; did you forget that?”
Cera pointed out ironically. Littlefoot stepped to the brink of the ice sheet carefully, ready to jump back at the first cracking, and drank a bit. He shivered of coldness and nodded to Cera agreeing. “You’re right. The water is very cold, but at all events it is better than eating snow all the time when you’re thirsty!”
The others, except for Ducky, who was afraid of walking on the ice, drank too one after the other. When everyone had drunk Petrie said what they all had recognized already:
“Me no see way out for you! Nowhere!”
For a moment everybody remained silent disappointed. Their hopes to get out of the valley quickly using the same way Chomper had come in dispersed.
Finally Littlefoot turned to Chomper: “The river has to flow out of the valley elsewhere.”
“Of course it does”, answered the little sharptooth. “At the other brink of the valley the river flows into a narrow canyon.
Littlefoot nodded lost in thoughts. “We can get out of the valley there”, he said finally.
“How do you mean that?” Ducky asked alarmed. She felt that she wouldn’t like Littlefoot’s idea at all.
“We can walk on the hard water. So we can get out of here!” Littlefoot shouted with increasing enthusiasm in his voice.
“You aren’t serious!” cried Ducky frightened and coughed several times. “A team of wild sharpteeth couldn’t drag me there!” she shouted, but stopped immediately when she noticed Chomper’s offended look.
“Sorry Chomper”, she said subdued and looked at him conscious of her mistake. It was not very polite to represent sharpteeth as something so terrible in presence of Chomper who had perhaps saved her life a short while ago.
“Do we really have to do that?” Ducky asked quietly.
Littlefoot shrugged. “Do you have a better idea?”
Ducky shook her head.
“There you see!”
Ducky didn’t contradict anymore although her heart beat up to her throat at the thought to be forced to walk on the hard water for maybe a very long time.
“So? What’s the matter now? Do we go?” asked Littlefoot impatiently, when none of the others moved. “When we set off now we won’t arrive there before dusk”, said Chomper.
“We should better rest and go on tomorrow. It will be a very strenuous day for sure.” Littlefoot had to agree on that and nodded though he wanted to come out of the valley as soon as possible.
“Resting in this coldness?” shouted Cera and shivered.
Chomper smiled. “Not far from here is a big rock with a cave in it. I dwell there since I’m here in the valley. In the cave is plenty enough place for all of us.”
“Well, so lets go there!” shouted Ducky who liked the thought of a sheltered, warm cave very much.
“The cave is um...”, Chomper grinned mischievously, “...on the other side of the river.”
“Oh no!” groaned Ducky and sat down with a sudden fit of fatigue. Everything seemed to have conspired against her. Spike nudged her encouraging.
“It is just good when you get accustomed to the hard water again”, said Cera.
Ducky nodded and jumped up. But for everybody’s surprise she didn’t jump on the back Spike offered her, but ran over the ice-sheet herself as fast as she could. Her friends had hardly ever seen Ducky running like this before. When she had nearly reached the other bank she turned round to the others who hadn’t done a step so far, and shouted to them:
“What are you waiting for? Come on!”
It had been an awkward movement and when she tried to come to a standstill she skidded on, over the smooth as mirror sheet of ice and finally fell down lengthwise. The others jumped up immediately and hurried, as fast as the slipperiness admitted it, to get over to her.
When they arrived by Ducky she already sat up groaning.
“Is everything alright with you Ducky?” asked Ali worried. It was the first time since her quarrel with Littlefoot she said something.
Ducky shook her head, got up completely and said: “No, no, no! Nothing is alright.
I hate the hard water! Oh yes, I do!”
The others couldn’t suppress laughter anymore.
-
Here are the next three chapters including one picture:
Chapter XIV
They could see the “rock” Chomper had told about already from a far distance, but the designation “rock” was a bit downplayed, for it was a collection plateaus of different highs which together looked like a small mountain chain that rose not far downstream from the place where they had met Chomper and Ali. Littlefoot and the others had seen this mountain towering over the forest already in the morning from the brink of the valley. The river meandered in a narrow bend around two sides of the table mountain, where the walls of rock rose nearly vertically into the sky. The other walls of rock rose almost vertical too, except for a broad rocky spur that reached from the top of the highest plateau a distance into the jungle it branching out several times. This spur was very steep too, but it seemed to be climbable; it looked like a giant ramp. Unlike most of the valley the immediate surroundings of Chomper’s rock were not covered by leafless primeval forest and offered a very impressive sight. Chomper grinned broadly and appeared to be very proud when they had arrived and he showed his friends his dwelling. The entrance of the cave he had told about was close aside the big ramp and it was not bigger then necessary to let them pass comfortably. Cera eyed the narrow entrance critically before she went through it, but her doubts dissipated inside the cave where it widened very much, so there was plenty enough place for everybody. Far to the rear, at the end of the cave a narrow cleft that had to be at the riverside of the rock let in some sunlight, enough to recognize everything. Littlefoot looked around fascinated when he suddenly heard a quiet growling and Spike uttered some wretched noises afterwards. Littlefoot jerked around alarmed and so did Cera, Ali, Petrie and Chomper.
“What was that?” Cera asked worried.
“Spiky’s tummy”, answered Ducky who stood aside her “little brother”. “He is hungry.”
An a bit quieter growling was audible and Ducky pressed hand against her own tummy.
“And I am too”, added Ducky. Only now Littlefoot began to fell that he was nearly out of strength. Since the blizzard had burst out the last evening they hadn’t eaten anything.
Cera, Petrie and Ali didn’t seem to feel any different from Ducky, Spike and himself. “Chomper is there anything left to eat anywhere?” asked Littlefoot.
“Anything to eat for us”, Cera added hasty. Chomper pondered long, but finally he shook his head sadly. “No.” Suddenly he raised his head as if he had yet remembered something.
“That is… of course! Perhaps. But I don’t know if...”
“Is there anything?” Ducky interrupted him hopefully.
“Not far from here are still some trees full of green. But...”
“What?!” Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Ali shouted like out of one mouth and Spike cut an enthusiastically caper; his eyes flashed.
“Really?” Cera inquired carefully once more.
Chomper nodded. “Yes, but it is...”
“Lead us to that place Chomper! Please!” said Littlefoot and his mouth watered.
Chomper shrugged. What he wanted to say didn’t seem to interest his friends. So he went ahead towards the way out of the cave. The others followed close behind him. Even Ali didn’t keep a long distance from him anymore.
Chapter XV
Chomper led his planteating friends a distance into the leafless jungle. He considered if he should tell his friends what he had wanted to say them before when they hadn’t let him speak out. But he decided against it. Soon as they reached their destination they would see it themselves. Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky, Spike and Ali already looked out impatiently for the green trees Chomper had told about. They could hardly believe it especially because every tree they saw on their way was completely bare of any leaves. Finally Chomper went towards a group of conic, snowy trees, seized a low bough and shook the snow down from it revealing rows of green needles on both sides of the bough.
“Needles!?” Cera shouted indignantly. “Do you want to make fun of us?”
The disappointment could be read from everybody’s face.
“I wanted to tell you about it before, but you didn’t let me speak out”, said Chomper and bowed his head dejected. It was hard for Littlefoot to conceal his disappointment, but he went over to Chomper, stood in front of him as if to shield him from Cera’s grim looks and said: “That’s right! He wanted to say something more but we’ve interrupted him.”
Ducky noticed that it was a good opportunity to thank by Chomper for the rescue of a short while ago. She was disappointed too, but she remembered exactly that Chomper had tried to say something more. Ducky stepped towards Cera and nodded.
Her voice sounded sad when she said: “We really haven’t let Chomper speak out Cera. No we haven’t! It is not his fault. No, no, no!” Petrie flapped over, landed aside Ducky and nodded agreeing. Chomper looked at them thankful.
“He should have known that we can’t eat needles”, said Cera, but she sounded very unsure, since she realized that she was wrong.
“Wherefrom should he have known that?” asked Littlefoot conciliatory. “He is no leafeater.” Cera nodded very slightly and cast another sorrowfully look at the snowy conifers.
“You’re right Littlefoot! He only feeds on them!” Ali remarked sarcastically and advanced a step. Littlefoot closed his eyes firmly for a moment. It was as if Ali had dealt him a blow.
He didn’t want to quarrel with Ali and strangely he had thought that they were unable to quarrel at all.
But Littlefoot hadn’t come to know this side of Ali yet. Her last remark aimed not only at Chomper, but also at himself. He had to say something, but he didn’t know what.
Chomper seemed to be near to burst into tears. Littlefoot looked at Ali reproachful; she returned his look defiantly. He tried to sound angry, but at the same time not too furious when he prepared for an answer. “Ali...”, Littlefoot stopped.
Spike had suddenly set in motion with a mumble, passed through between Ali and Littlefoot and headed for one of the snowy conifers. Littlefoot looked after him confused and also the looks of the others, including Ali’s followed Spike surprised. He had reached his destination now and eyed a low bough directly over his head shortly. Then he rose up determined, snapped at the bough and shook it whereby the snow that had lain on the bough poured down over Spike. Spike let go the bough immediately and jumped back. The bough sprang back into its original position and seesawed to and fro for a while whereby also the last snow fell down from it. Spike shook off the snow that had landed on him and stepped towards the tree again at once. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Ali and Chomper followed Spike slowly. Littlefoot was on the sly very glad because Ali seemed to have forgotten the beginning quarrel. Spike rose up on his hind legs anew and snapped at the bough.
“Stop it Spiky! You’ll hurt yourself. You can’t eat needles!” shouted Ducky and ran over to her “little brother” with some leaps whereby she coughed fiercely. Ducky clung to one so Spike’s hind legs and tried to drag him back. Of course Spike, who was completely busied with the green needles, didn’t even notice it at all. Petrie flapped near and said hopefully: “How you know that Ducky? You not ever tasted needles!”
Cera approached shaking her head thoughtfully. “None of us has Petrie”, she said agreeing. Ducky looked at her friends surprised. She let go Spike’s and looked just like Petrie, Cera and the others up to Spike expectantly now. He plucked off a row of needles from the bough’s side with his teeth carefully, let down on all fours again and began to chew the needles.
He made a grimace, but then he swallowed the needles and rose up again to pluck more needles from the bough. Littlefoot went to one of the conifers that stood nearby him, he eyed the pointed needles distrustfully, but then he did the same as Spike, plucked off a row of needles and began to chew them carefully. Immediately a bitter taste spread out in his mouth and he had nearly spit out the needles disgusted. Sharp ends of needles stuck him everywhere in the mouth. But he pulled himself together and chewed on. After some more time the bitter taste moderated a bit and Littlefoot stung rarer.
“How does it taste?” asked Ali.
“Terrible!” answered Littlefoot. “But, it sure is better than nothing.”
By these words he plucked off another row of needles from the bough. Cera went to the tree where Spike already stood too, broke off a thin long branch and gave it to Ducky. She gave another one to Petrie and then she began to eat herself. Nobody said anything, but the longer they ate, the more they grew accustomed to the bitter taste. It was really better than starving. Littlefoot had just ate the last needles of his bough and was going to attack another one when he cast a look back casually. There stood Chomper. He watched them eating and appeared somehow very sad. Littlefoot went over to him and as soon as he noted Littlefoot Chomper tried to force a smile on his face not to show the sadness Littlefoot had just recognized. “Chomper what’s the matter?” asked Littlefoot. “Nothing”, said Chomper. “Nothing at all!” he added when he saw Littlefoot’s doubtful mien. But Chomper’s tormented smiling disproved his last words and the skepticism didn’t disappear from Littlefoot’s face.
“What’s the matter?” Littlefoot asked gently once more.
Chomper squirmed embarrassed and unwilling. “I’m hungry”, he admitted after all.
He nearly whispered the words. Littlefoot gulped; now it was him who was at a loss.
“Would you like to have some of this?” asked Littlefoot and pointed at one of the conifers with his head. “No, thank you”, answered Chomper quietly after short pondering, turned round and went back on the way they had come from the rock.
The others, who had finished their dinner in the meantime, followed him and Littlefoot set in motion too. He suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore.
Chapter XVI
They were still in the forest when Chomper suddenly stopped. The end of the ramp of Chomper’s “rock” lay in front of them. “What is it Chomper?” Littlefoot asked alarmed and jumped with some leaps from the end to the head of the column. Chomper turned round, he looked as if he had an idea he liked.
“Would you like to overlook the whole valley once?” he asked.
“You mean...”, began Cera and looked over to the ramp that sloped easy here.
“Certainly!” said Chomper and nodded enthusiastically. “You can see everything from up there. You can even look out of the valley.”
“Perhaps we can see how we must go tomorrow”, considered Ali and Chomper nodded eagerly again. “Then let’s go!” said Littlefoot and set in motion. Chomper took the lead again. At first the way was easy, the ramp sloped slightly, but when they reached the brink of the forest, Chomper’s “rock came in sight and they were at the level of the tree’s tops, the way began to become steeper quickly. When at last they all had reached the highest plateau they were pretty exhausted. Cera let herself drop sprawling.
Ali and Littlefoot leaned against some boulders and even Chomper, who has shown an amazing endurance during the ascent sat down and fetched deep breath several times.
Only Ducky and Petrie who had sat on the back of Spike, who just made his way on the plateau short of breath and as the last one, during the whole ascent began to survey the surroundings of the rock immediately. “Maybe we shouldn’t have climbed up here”, grumbled Ali and looked over to Chomper. But Chomper smiled weary and shook his head. “Wait till you see it. Besides, who knows, maybe we’ll have to climb much more during the next days.”
“Talk of the sharptooth and it will appear!” said Cera thoughtlessly. A moment later she noticed her mistake when Chomper looked at her reproachful.
“Sorry! Um I meant... err, that uh...”, stammered Cera embarrassed. She didn’t found the fitting words which annoyed her quite a bit. She continued irritated: “Anyway, you shouldn’t be so pessimistic!”
Chomper made an pacifying gesture and said: “It’s alright, it’s alright!”
Then he stood up and went over to Ducky and Petrie who stood close to the edge of the rock around which the frozen river meandered far down in the deep. Littlefoot, Cera, Ali and finally Spike followed him. The sun was already out of sight and the whole sky was coated with a blue that was still pretty bright at the western horizon, while at the opposite horizon it shaded into the dark black night-sky on which already some stars twinkled. The moon too stood on the sky already, but it was concealed again and again by scuds of clouds passing by. Littlefoot eyed the sky and said finally with an earnest mien: “I hope that it won’t start to snow again.” A cold blast howled past; altogether it was pretty windy up here.
“Where is the canyon you’ve told about Chomper?” Cera asked.
“Yonder far back.” Everybody’s eyes followed Chomper’s outstretched arm. Despite the darkness they could recognize a gloomy canyon in the stated direction. It was recognizable only as a dark stripe on the rocky walls into which the silver band of the frozen river flowed.
“I do not like to go in there! I do not like that idea at all!” said Ducky shivering.
“Oh no, no, no!” She coughed several times. Spike nodded agreeing to her words. The canyon appeared somehow uncanny.
“Looks dangerously!” whispered Petrie so loud that everybody understood him.
“I don’t like it either...”, said Littlefoot, “...but do you have a better idea?” No one spoke. Littlefoot craned his long neck; he tried to see what was outside the valley in the direction of their way, but in this direction big, low cloudbanks blocked his sight. In every other direction Littlefoot could see a big plain that was only interrupted by some wavy hills. Finally Littlefoot contented himself with the guess that it would look similar in the direction of their way. “Petrie get away from there!” said Chomper suddenly to Petrie who stood closer than anybody to the edge of the rock. “It is not safe!”
“Why? What do you mean Chom...”, Petrie didn’t finish his sentence, for the very next instant he noticed himself what Chomper meant to be dangerous. A strong gust swept across, tore Petrie from his feet and over the edge of the rock. “Petrie!” Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Ali and Chomper cried like out of one mouth. Spike jumped to the edge of the rock and all apart from Chomper did the same.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/04PetriesfallfromChompersrock.jpg)
“Careful!” shouted the little sharptooth, but his friends seemed to have eyes and ears only for Petrie who fell into the deep shrieking.
“Do fly Petrie!” shouted Ducky and only now Petrie seemed to remember that he was a flyer. He flapped fiercely with his wings caught himself and flew back to his friends. He trembled all over when he landed beside Chomper far, far from the edge of the rock.
“Are you alright Petrie?” asked Ali concerned.
Petrie shook his head but nodded the next moment. He had gotten away with the fright. “Whew, what a luck you’re a flyer Petrie!” said Ducky and Petrie nodded.
“Dear me! Just imagine he wouldn’t be a flyer!” said Cera. Littlefoot shook his head and answered: “I prefer not to imagine that!”
“If the river wouldn’t be frozen...” “...I still wouldn’t jump down here!” Ali finished the sentence Ducky had begun. “You don’t have to”, said Chomper smiling calmingly with, but Ali ignored him. Chomper stopped to smile. He wasn’t in the mood for it anymore.
Again a nipping cold wind howled around the rock.
“I’m cold! Let’s go down! It is nearly dark”, said Cera and went towards the ramp.
“Yes, we should rest now. Who knows what will have to go through tomorrow.”
Littlefoot agreed. So they began the descent. Littlefoot who went as the last one looked once more in the direction of the waterfall Chomper had shown them today; and he believed to recognize a big shape there. He stopped and looked carefully, but the shape had disappeared. “Probably my eyes cheated me in the darkness”, thought Littlefoot and tried to close up with the others. He couldn’t know that his eyes hadn’t cheated him. Two saurians had just entered the valley at the waterfall and disappeared in the leafless forest.
It were big saurians and they had pointed claws and sharp teeth.
-
Chapter XVII
“One of us should always stay awake”, said Littlefoot. “As we don’t know if somebody apart from us is here. Besides the one who is watching can wake the others in the morning.”
“And who of us shall stay awake?” asked Cera.
“We relieve one another, so everybody gets his sleep. Spike would you...”, Littlefoot let the sentence unfinished for Spike yawned deeply turned round and lay on the ground of the cave that was nearly completely dark in the meantime.
“I’ll keep watching first”, said Cera. “Let Spike sleep.”
“I’ll keep watching after you Cera”, said Ali.
“Then I’ll keep watching after you two”, said Littlefoot hasty. He saw a possibility to speak with Ali undisturbed when he would relieve her in the night. Turned to Ducky, Petrie and Chomper he continued: “I guess that will do. You may sleep tonight.”
For some reason Chomper seemed to be disappointed at this thought Littlefoot.
“Well, good night”, said Cera and took position at the entrance of the cave. “I will wake you later Ali.” In this moment Spike began to snort. “Sleep well!” said Ducky and went over to her “little brother”. Chomper lay down too and Littlefoot lay down beside him. Ali lay down not far from Cera close to the cave entrance, and Petrie joined with Ducky and Spike.
One by one fell asleep and the last thing Littlefoot heart before falling asleep was the rumbling of Chomper’s stomach.
Only Cera stayed awake. At first she stood in a mighty pose at the entrance of the cave, but in the long run this pose became very uncomfortable and when all the others were asleep Cera didn’t saw a reason to put on such a pose and she squatted down, for it was very cold at the cavern’s entrance. She didn’t know how much time had passed when she noticed that her legs began to get numb. She stood up, stretched, went out of the cave and ran a few steps whereupon the feeling came back to her legs. She returned to the cave.
Ducky, Petrie and Spike seemed to sleep well, but Ali tossed about in what seemed to be a rather troubled sleep, Chomper’s stomach rumbled audibly, which gave Cera a shudder and Littlefoot didn’t seem to sleep very well either. After a long tome had passed Cera thought that she had kept watching long enough now. She approached Ali, but she didn’t need to wake her. Ali startled with a shriek and looked around disordered; she shivered.
“Ali. Ali everything is alright”, whispered Cera loud enough that Ali could understand her, but also quiet enough not to wake up the others; fortunately none of them had from Ali’s shriek. “Did you have a bad dream?”
Ali starred at Cera bewildered. It seemed to take her some seconds until she had found back to the real world; then she nodded. “I’m gonna to get some sleep now, you keep watching”, said Cera and turned to retire deeper into the cave.
“Cera?” Cera stopped and looked back at Ali.
“Yes?”
“Can I have a word with you?” Cera was taken aback. Some moments passed until she nodded and answered quietly: “But of course! Certainly!”
Ali pointed at the cave entrance with her head and went out. They hadn’t woken up anybody yet, but they certainly would if the continued to talk in here. Cera followed Ali.
The longneckgirl crossed the snowy meadow in front of the rock and headed for the edge of the forest. Cera frowned. It seemed Ali wanted to have quite a distance between her and the others. At last Ali stopped at the first row of trees. “What’s the matter?” Cera asked impatiently when she arrived by Ali. She was tired, cold and wanted back into the warmer cave as soon as possible, “I just had a nightmare.”
“I know”, Cera answered a bit rough. “And?”
“I dreamed about the sharptooth.” Cera looked at her bewildered. Some moments passed until she understood that Ali meant Chomper. Suddenly this talk seemed to be very important to Cera. “And what did you dream?”
“The sharptooth had eaten Littlefoot.” Cera couldn’t suppress a laugh and Ali looked a bit insulted. Cera shook her head: “No Ali! Chomper would never hurt Littlefoot. They are nearly like... um like brothers.”
“I noticed in the morning!” Ali said sarcastically, but she became earnest again immediately. “You’ve saved Littlefoot’s live today. Thank you!”
Now it was Cera who became more earnest. “No, I don’t think so. He simply hadn’t recognized Littlefoot.”
“And had that made any difference?” Ali asked dryly.
Cera didn’t answer for a moment. “Why do you want to talk with me?” she asked suspiciously after a while.
Ali noticed that she had made a mistake and she continued with a gentler voice:
“Sorry Cera. I don’t mean to incite you against the shar... uhm I mean against Chomper.
I’ve quarreled with Littlefoot.”
“About Chomper?” asked Cera suddenly very sympathetic. Ali nodded. “Yes.”
Cera didn’t know what to say. Finally Ali said: “I guess that I’m afraid of him. But...”
“There is no need to”, Cera interrupted Ali. “Actually I don’t believe that Chomper had ever really hurt a saurian. He is too young.”
“Maybe, but he is growing up and I don’t had the impression that he was hunting me just for fun. But above all Littlefoot cares only for him.”
Cera smiled and Ali blushed a bit. “You should talk with him”, Cera suggested.
“With whom?” asked Ali. “With Littlefoot and at best also with Chomper.” Ali didn’t answer. “Chomper isn’t evil. He is only well... different from us. That’s all. I’ve once thought just like you Ali. But I’ve learned to live with saurians that are different from me. My father had taught me that everybody should stay with the own sort. Threehorns, longnecks, spikedtails, flyers should never do anything together. Didn’t they teach you in your herd not to associate with saurians who are no longnecks?”
“That’s all very well, but...”
“The difference is a little bigger this time... Okay, perhaps it is even very big. But it is no mountain that cannot be topped. And, you can believe me; it was harder for me than for anybody to see that. Give it a try!”
Some seconds passed then Ali nodded. “I will!”
Cera nodded agreeing and gave Ali a cheering up smile.
“I’ll go to get some sleep now. I’m really tired”, she said at last, turned round, and plodded across the snowy meadow back to the cave. Ali looked after Cera slightly confused.
Never before Ali had heard Cera talking so open minded nearly self critically. It was really not like her, and this more than anything made her think about it. After a while Ali got cold and she returned to the cave’s entrance. Cera had fallen asleep meanwhile.
Chapter XVIII
Hours passed. Ali stepped out of the cave again and again and looked up to the moon.
When it lowered closer and closer to the western horizon Ali thought that she had kept watching long enough and that it was time to wake Littlefoot; she was really anxious to talk with him undisturbed. Littlefoot woke up immediately when she nudged him, nearly as if he had waited for it. He got up quickly. “Ali”, said Littlefoot the very same instant Ail addressed him: “Littlefoot.”
Both had to grin and suppress a laugh not to wake up the others. But Littlefoot became serious again very quickly and said: “Ali, I need to talk with you.”
Ali nodded: “And I’ve with you.”
“Let’s go out so we don’t wake up the others.” When they went out of the cave Littlefoot noticed the tracks Ali and Cera had left in the snow. He looked at them shortly, but didn’t say anything about it. “I’m sore for…what has happened before... But the shar... uhm I mean Chomper it is...” Ali stopped short. While she had kept watching she had prepared the words for this moment, but now everything was somehow different than she had imagined.
Littlefoot waited for a moment and when he was sure that Ali didn’t want or could say anything more he implored: “Please Ali give him a chance!”
Ali didn’t answer. Littlefoot continued after some seconds and nearly pleading:
“You almost don’t know him. He is really very nice. He has often helped and saved us.”
After some moments Littlefoot added thoughtfully: “If it hadn’t been for him, we had probably never come to know each other.”
“Why?” Ali asked surprised.
“He had saved me. And I’ve saved him.”
Ali bit on her lower lip thoughtfully and finally she asked half-heartedly:
“But what could be worse than a sharptooth?” Ali hadn’t expected an answer and so she was surprised when Littlefoot blurted out, “Eggsnatchers!” after some seconds.
Ali looked at Littlefoot confused. “What?”
“Eggsnatchers!” I think that eggsnatchers are worse than sharpteeth!” “Why?”
“Just consider. The eggs cannot even run away. And to be eaten before you are even hatched...”, Littlefoot trembled for the mere thought of it made him shudder. “My mother told me that an eggsnatcher had nearly stolen my egg very shortly before I hatched. Moreover they are hardly different from a sharptooth when they are hungry; they are only smaller.
When we came to know Chomper, we saved his egg from two eggsnatchers and later he saved us from the very same eggsnatchers.”
“Tell me about it Littlefoot. Please tell me exactly how you’ve come to know Chomper.”
And Littlefoot began to tell.
When he had finished finally he and Ali looked at each other wordlessly for a moment.
“Do you understand now why Chomper and I... we...”, Littlefoot corrected himself,
“...are so good friends?” Ali nodded: “I guess so. But...”
“But?” asked Littlefoot when Ali didn’t continue.
“Oh nothing”, said Ali shaking her head. “I’m cold. I’ll lay down again”, she said and before Littlefoot could answer anything she turned round and went back into the cave.
“Good night”, said Littlefoot so quietly that Ali didn’t hear it. He was dissatisfied, feeling he hadn’t convinced Ali completely. Slowly he too went back to the cave’s entrance.
-
Does anyone still read the story? :unsure:
Chapter XIX
The very first sunbeams shone over the summits in the east and Littlefoot considered waking the others now. Finally he decided against it. It would be a comfort for all of them to sleep a little bit longer especially for Cera and Ali who had kept watching. At this thought Littlefoot noticed how tired he was himself. Maybe it would take very long before they would have the occasion to sleep long the next time. Very quietly Littlefoot went over to the place where Chomper slept. Littlefoot shuddered when he heard how Chomper’s empty stomach rumbled and when he saw how Chomper seemed to snap for something in his dream.
Chomper would be glad when Littlefoot showed him how much he trusted in him, for he had appeared sad and disappointed when nobody had asked him to watch when they had gone to sleep the previous evening. Littlefoot woke Chomper quietly. He looked a bit confused. “Littlefoot? What’s the matter?” “Hist! Be quiet Chomper so none of the others wakes up!” whispered Littlefoot. They went to the cave’s entrance, where they could speak a bit louder. “I think it is better when we sleep a little longer, otherwise Cera, Ali and I won’t get one foot in front of the other later. Would you keep watching and wake us when the bright circle is up completely?” Chomper’s face brightened distinctly. He seemed to be wide-awake promptly and nodded zealously. “Of course Littlefoot. It’s a pleasure!”
Littlefoot nodded at him smiling. “Thanks Chomper!”
Then he went back into the cave and lay down.
The time passed slowly for Chomper. Again and again he looked out for the sun, but only its first beams appeared over the mountains and tinged the sky there in an exceedingly beautiful red and orange. Chomper felt very feeble for he hadn’t eaten anything yesterday. Of course he couldn’t hunt as long as his friends were along with him. In this moment a thought struck him. The others were asleep! With a short look Chomper made sure Littlefoot too had fallen asleep again and then he sneaked over to the cave’s entrance. “If they don’t know everything will be okay”, he thought and began to run as soon as he was out of earshot.
While he was still running towards the edge of the forest he realized that the others would see his tracks in the snow, but he didn’t worry much about that. He would find a good excuse and besides the others had obviously left the cave too, for numerous trails led from the cave to the edge of the forest and back.
In this moment the outmost rim of the sun appeared over the mountains in the east and enlightened the cave’s entrance from which a shape appeared this moment.
Since Littlefoot had began to keep watching Ali hadn’t really fallen asleep again. She had dozed, but had woken up immediately always when she had really fallen asleep for a moment. The talk between Littlefoot and Chomper had woken her up completely and since Chomper kept watching Ali had observed him with half closed eyes. Despite of everything Littlefoot might say she distrusted the sharptooth and her mistrust was confirmed by Chomper’s sudden and hasty departure. She cast a short look back into the cave. The others slept soundly.
Then she ran after Chomper as quietly as she could.
Chapter XX
When he arrived in the forest Chomper stopped running and began quietly and carefully to sneak through the undergrowth. He didn’t notice Ali who stole after him within a safe distance taking cover behind bushes and tree trunks. Suddenly Chomper stopped and sniffed shortly. Ali held her breath; her heart beat up to her throat. The first moment Ali had thought that Chomper had scented her, but the gentle breeze that blew here came against her, so Chomper couldn’t perceive her. Chomper made some quick steps to the edge of a brushwood, he was just sneaking through, and looked out between the many thin boughs. He saw what he had smelled. In front of him was a small glade onto which the first sunbeams shone.
In the midst of the glade lay some small boulders and on the biggest one sat a small lizard.
It had probably crept there to be warmed up by the sunbeams to get its full mobility.
But it was still nearly paralyzed with coldness, a sure victim. Chomper did not even have to hurry. With some nearly comfortably steps Chomper had reached the rock and the lizard hadn’t even budged.
Ali peered carefully through the brushwood through which Chomper had peered through some moments before. What she saw took away her breath. Chomper was busy devouring a little lizard. Ali wanted nothing but to get away without being noticed. But she had to gulp. Chomper who had just finished his meal heard the gulping and a quiet rustling in the brushwood. He jerked round and saw Ali disappearing in the thicket. Chomper starred at the brushwood helplessly for some instants, then he went slowly back to the cave. The sun had risen half only, but Chomper foresaw that he wouldn’t need to wake the others.
From her tracks he could read, that Ali had started running after a few meters.
Chapter XXI
Chomper assumption proved right. When he entered the cave, the others were all up and awake already and he could read from their faces that Ali had already told them everything. Ali looked at him hostile. Cera eyed him with a touch of mistrust in her look. Ducky, Petrie and Spike looked at him with a mixture of fear and regret. When Littlefoot stepped towards Chomper he looked very grieved. The others, especially Ali and also Cera looked at him expectantly. Littlefoot tried to sound very reproachful when he asked: “Where have you been Chomper?” On the way back to the cave Chomper had imagined dozens of excuses but none would have sound credible. Besides Ali had seen everything and moreover Chomper suddenly felt that he hadn’t to vindicate himself for what he had done, not even before his herbivorous friends. With a tinge of anger in his voice he answered: “I’ve had breakfast!”
Littlefoot looked at him dismayed. Ali opened her mouth to say something, but kept quiet. The mistrust in Cera’s look increased and Spike, Petrie and Ducky looked even more frightened. Spike gulped just as Ali had done when she had observed Chomper. Nobody said a word for a while. Littlefoot looked at the others as if he wanted to ask if anybody wanted to say anything more, but no one did.
“We should set off now. Come on!” said Littlefoot after all and went past Chomper towards the way out of the cave. Chomper followed him after a short hesitation; only then the others set in motion too. When she stepped out of the cave behind Spike, Ducky looked at the snowfield in front of the cave surprised. “Oh! It looks like there was a lot going on tonight!” she said when she saw the numerous different trails in the snow.
“Chomper how do we come to the place where the river runs out of the valley?” Littlefoot asked. “We would have to go simply in this direction”, Chomper answered and pointed with one of his claw-armed hands in the direction he meant.
“But perhaps you should take some boughs with the green needles along. Who knows when we’ll find something eatable for you next time.” Littlefoot nodded.
“Oh yep, yep, yep, Chomper is right! He is!” said Ducky. Obviously she still sided with Chomper; and Littlefoot who had feared to be the only one again gave her a thankful look.
Nobody spoke during their further way to the conifers. Although the sun had risen completely in the meantime it was still not much warmer than it had been during the night. Their breath changed to white clouds and Spike had to carry not only Ducky, but also Petrie on his back who considered the air to be too cold for flying. He had wrapped up in his own wings.
Even after they had arrived by the trees they hardly spoke.
“Petrie, come on my back!” ordered Cera. “We load as many boughs as possible on Spike’s and my back and Ducky holds them on Spike’s and you on my back.”
“We’ll relieve one another on the way so you don’t have to carry the boughs alone all the time”, said Littlefoot. Cera and Spike made faces when the boughs were loaded upon their backs. They pricked very much and Ducky and Petrie could barely hold the boughs without pricking themselves. When they were finished they continued on the way Chomper had directed them. Littlefoot was pleased to see it was the direction of the bright circles highest stand. Littlefoot walked slowly intending to fall some distance behind the others now. Chomper had noticed it and tried to remain behind too now as inconspicuous as he could. Nevertheless Ali too noticed it and cast a look back.
She frowned shortly, but didn’t stop or say anything. Chomper had become more and more sad on their way to the conifers.
“Maybe he wants to talk with me undisturbed”, thought Littlefoot. They went side by side wordless for a while and Littlefoot felt Chomper watched him out of the corners of his eyes. Both waited for the other one to say something. After all Littlefoot couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Chomper?”
The little sharptooth stopped and looked at him. “Littlefoot! I had to eat something!” Chomper said pitiable.
He seemed to be close to tears. “It’s okay, I think, Chomper!” Littlefoot hurried to say.
“I know you had to eat. And... uhm that you unfortunately can’t eat plants.”
Chomper nodded. Despite of this affirmation from Littlefoot he looked grievously.
“But what’s about the others?” Littlefoot cogitated for a while.
“I don’t know”, he admitted, but then he corrected himself: “We all know it, but we prefer not to talk about it.” Chomper nodded again. Something in Littlefoot’s words seemed to displease him. They fell back into silence again for a while, until Chomper asked finally: “Did you have a fight about me?”
“Who?”
“You and the others. Especially Ali.”
“What makes you thinking that?” Littlefoot asked partly to win time to think over the answer. “There were several tracks in front of the cave. Some of you have been outside tonight.”
“We had no fight tonight”, Littlefoot replied evasively.
“And before that?” Chomper asked persistently. Littlefoot nodded wordlessly.
“Stop! Look that!” croaked Petrie so loudly at the head of the column that even Littlefoot and Chomper at its end could understand him distinctly.
“Ah!” cried Cera. “Hold on to the boughs Petrie!” The next moment Littlefoot and Chomper heard surprised outcries from everybody. They exchanged a short look and ran to catch up with the others who had stopped and stared up fascinated. They had stopped short in front of a big glade on which a steep round hill rose, that was grassy and completely free of snow.
None of the others took notice of Littlefoot and Chomper, so much they were impressed by what they saw, but it was not the hill which appeared like a wonder to Littlefoot. The others looked up to the roof of the trees below which they stood. Littlefoot followed their looks.
The light of the sun, which stood a respectable distance over above the mountain’s tops meanwhile blinded him, but when he had accustomed to the light he recognized a small shadow between the boughs whose shape became clearer and clearer the longer he looked at it. Then Littlefoot identified it as a sappy green treestar. Before the beginning of the cold time the view would have hardly impressed any of them since there had been innumerable treestars in the Great Valley. But these had changed their color, had fallen down or had been eaten and had left their trees behind as gloomy frames. Littlefoot felt remembered to his first treestar. There was nothing else he could compare it with, for apart from the lone treestar the tree was just as bare of leafs as any other.
“Who gets it?” asked Cera after they had marveled it for long. “We can’t possibly divide it among six fairly.” Littlefoot felt the tension that was in the air suddenly. They were all hungry, they all wanted to have the treestar, none of them needed it more than the others, but only one of them would get it and earn the others envy. A quarrel seemed to be inevitable and a quarrel was really the last thing they needed now. In this moment a thought struck Littlefoot. “I suggest that we leave it to Chomper.”
Complete silence set in. Chomper fell back some steps and mumbled quietly:
“To me? Why to me?” He didn’t seem to be very enthusiastic about Littlefoot’s idea. Chomper had tested some leafs during his live and had always spit them out immediately, but never a treestar.
“Maybe one of my greatest wishes will be fulfilled soon”, thought Littlefoot. The treestar appeared to be so marvelous to him and to the others that Chomper simply couldn’t scorn it. Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike and Ali had all been surprised at Littlefoot’s suggestion.
But they realized that it was probably the only possibility to prevent a quarrel: “I agree”, said Cera finally as the first hesitating. “Alright ”, Ducky said next. Spike cast another longing look up to the treestar, but then he nodded and did even smile. Petrie shrugged spreading his wings, whereby also the last conifer’s boughs fell down from Cera’s back and croaked:
“Me okay with that.” At last Ali too nodded and said so quietly that she was the only one who heard it: “Well.”
The only who hadn’t given his consent was Chomper himself. Had asked him he had refused thankfully for sure. But he wasn’t asked. A gentle puff of wind passed through the tree’s tops, broke off the treestar that had hung there for such a long time, and let it hover down to them slowly. Littlefoot pushed Chomper with gentle force some steps forward so the treestar landed directly in front of his feet. Chomper only looked at it helpless and didn’t pick it up.
Finally Littlefoot picked it up carefully with his teeth and handed it to Chomper.
Chomper took it awkwardly. His claws left long tears in the leaf. Seeking help he looked around, but there was no way to escape the situation. Everybody was looking at him expectantly.
The treestar seemed to be a wonder for them. He could hardly imagine their reaction if he would refuse to eat it now. So he drew breath and bit into it. It tasted just as he had expected. Nasty. It was and effort for him not to simply spit out the leaf. But he brought himself to chew on valiantly. His whole interior seemed to rebel when he forced himself to swallow with all his will power. He began to feel sick and dizzy. But he forced himself to a smile that couldn’t have looked more spurious and crammed the rest of the treestar into his mouth.
He chewed briefly and struggled fiercely. For a moment he believed that he would have to vomit. The direct feeling disappeared, but a great nausea remained.
He became more and more dizzy. Everything spun around him and Littlefoot’s voice reached Chomper’s ear only deadened. “And Chomper? How was it?”
“It... it was...” Chomper felt how he lost his balance. He heard Littlefoot’s frightened outcry and he felt how Littlefoot cushioned his tumble.
Then he fainted.
-
I don't know if anyone is still reading the story, but hope dies last I guess. Here are the next few chapters one of which is so short that I would definitely not make it a separate chapter if I was writing the story today ;)
One of the chapters comes with a picture.
Chapter XXII
“That’s all my fault! I’ll never forgive me that.” Littlefoot’s words reached Chomper’s ears at first very quietly, but then they became more and more distinctly. He felt that he was lying on something warm and he couldn’t imagine what it could possibly be.
“Why your fault? Don’t talk such nonsense! He didn’t have to eat it!” It was Cera’s voice. “What choice did he have?” Littlefoot replied slightly grim and then he said depressed:
“I didn’t ask him at all.” “None of us did”, said Ali. “It is not your fault, but rather...” “Hooray! He wakes up!” shouted Ducky in whose face Chomper had looked as soon as he had opened his eyes a tiny slit. Actually he would have liked to know what Ali had been about to say. But Ducky’s cheer had interrupted her, and everybody’s attention was focused on him now. “Chomper, how are you?” asked Littlefoot who had hurried over to Chomper immediately, Cera and Ali closely behind him. Chomper saw that he lay on the snow-free hill they had seen before. The ground of the hill was not only not cold, but lukewarm.
But Chomper had no time to think about that, as he had not even opened his eyes completely when Petrie, who had apparently stood aside him together with Ducky and Spike all the time, asked: “Everything okay is with you?” Chomper stood up slowly. Doing so he became dizzy again, a black veil seemed to lie over his eyes and he sat down on the ground not to lose his conscience again. After some seconds he made another attempt.
This time he tried to get to his feet even more slowly and he succeeded. “Can you stand?” Littlefoot asked worried. Chomper nodded and doing so felt the sickness returning.
“I’m sick!” he said quietly and then he asked louder: “Why are we here?”
“We brought you here so you didn’t have to lie in the snow”, answered Cera.
“And why does no snow lie here?”
Cera shrugged. “It’s all the same. I do not objection.” Spike nodded agreeing while he chewed a bunch of grass he had pulled out of the ground.
“But there is no hill here!” protested Chomper feebly. “I’ve been here before, and there never was a hill here! And certainly there was snow around here!”
A little impatient Cera said: “Would you prefer it the other way round?”
“No, but…”, Chomper stopped. Cera was right, it was no use questioning this luck.
“Do you think that you can walk now?” Littlefoot asked after a short break. Chomper nodded. “I guess so, but please don’t go too fast.”
“Shall I carry you?” offered Littlefoot. “Littlefoot. Do you really believe that...”, Ali fell silent frightened. She hadn’t thought and had spoken much louder than she had intended and though she hadn’t finished, it was easy to guess what she had meant to say.
Chomper didn’t say anything, but he was disappointed. Anyhow he had hoped that Ali’s opinion of him had changed, but obviously it had been a false hope.
“Never mind Littlefoot”, he said and gave a sign of refusal.
“I’ll walk myself.” Ducky and Petrie began to load the conifer boughs they had put down nearby back on Spike’s and Cera’s backs.
Ali murmured something to Cera and underestimated the hearing of Chomper who stood only a few steps apart. He understood Ali’s words exactly: “I wonder how somebody can possibly get sick of a treestar.”
Till now Chomper had always kept cool at such remarks of Ali, but now he lost his
self-control. “And you wouldn’t become sick if I would offer you a tasty piece of meat?”
he shouted furious and looked at her aggressively. Everybody stopped in their motions and looked at him. Chomper felt that a lot depended of what he would say now.
“Ali why are you so... so...”, Chomper couldn’t think of the right expression.
“Why don’t you give me a chance? Are you so scared of me? I am a sharptooth! I can’t and I don’t want to change it”, said Chomper with a short sidelong glance at Littlefoot.
Chomper appeared to be weary when he continued: “I would never hurt any of you, but if you want it so, then we’ll go asunder and I’ll go on alone.”
Chomper cast his eyes down and waited for the others saying anything. Nobody stirred, but after all Spike, on whose back Ducky held the boughs stepped towards Chomper and eyed him for a long while. And then he advanced another step and drove his tongue through Chomper’s face so he sat down involuntary. Ducky let the boughs drop, jumped down from Spike’s back and ran to Chomper. “Spiky is right! He is! That is out of question! You won’t go on alone! Oh no!” “She right is Chomper! Me no want you go neither.” Petrie flapped over to Ducky, Spike and Chomper from Cera’s back. Littlefoot gave them a relieved smile and Chomper too looked at them thankful. Cera stayed by Littlefoot who didn’t move from where he stood. Now Ali stepped near. It could be read from her face that she was fighting an inner battle. She just wanted to say something when suddenly a slight vibration of the ground could be felt, that grew stronger very quickly.
“What’s that?” Cera asked frightened.
“An earthshake!” cried Ducky, but Ali shook her head. “That’s not an ordinary earthshake.” “What is it then?” asked Littlefoot drowning out a booming and rumbling that became louder and louder. “Run! Run as fast as you can! Get away from the hill!” cried Ali.
She whirled around and rushed away. Littlefoot ran after her immediately. With one leap Chomper was on his feet again and had to fight against the vertigo that set in immediately. Cera ran off with an outcry. She too had understood what was about to happen. She ran into the forest, but in another direction than Ali and Littlefoot.
Ducky jumped onto Spike’s back. “Go! Run!” But Spike looked helpless first in the one direction where Ali and Littlefoot ran and then in the other direction into which Cera ran.
He couldn’t decide for one direction. Suddenly a terrible stench like rotten eggs was in the air. “Hurry little brother!” shouted Ducky desperately from Spike’s back.
Like most of the others she recognized the danger that came from this hill.
But Spike was still unsure in which direction he should turn. Finally it was Petrie who took the decision for Spike. “Follow Petrie!” he shouted and flew off. He flew neither after Cera nor after Littlefoot and Ali, but between the directions in which they ran to keep the distance to all of them as small as possible. Chomper followed Petrie as fast as he could.
He understood that it was high time to get away from this hill. But Spike set in motion only very slowly in spite of everything. This changed however when a deafening detonation could be heard behind him and a big boulder from the top of the newly born volcano struck on the ground very close behind him. Now Spike ran at such a tempo that he outran Chomper even before they had reached the edge of the forest. Glowing boulders whizzed through the sky like comets, and the sky itself seemed to darken more and more from the dense smoke. Just when Chomper reached the edge of the wood the first torrent of lava welled out of the burst top of the hill.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/05Birthofavolcano.jpg)
Chapter XXIII
Ali stopped for a moment to cast a look back. Littlefoot was close behind her, but nobody else was in sight. She waited until he had caught up with her. “Where are the others?”
“I don’t know. They’ve probably run in another direction.” In his mind Littlefoot added:
“I really grow kind of accustomed to that.”
“I just hope they’re running fast!” said Ali and cast a look up, through the bare treetops, that cambered above them, to the sky, where glowing volcano stones whizzed along.
“We mustn’t stay here, Ali!” said Littlefoot. Ali nodded: “You’re right. Everything here will be aflame soon.” “We must reach Chomper’s rock. There is nothing combustible on it; we’ll be safe there, I believe.” They ran back on the way they had come before. From behind they could hear the volcano’s cracking. Once a glowing shell of the volcano that was bigger than both of them together hit the ground so close beside them that it was pure luck that neither of them was hit by the embers that squirted around. Everywhere smaller lumps of glowing lava fell down through the leafless roof of the forest. The smallest extinguished sizzling in the snow but the bigger ones melted the snow and let it evaporate within few seconds.
The snow only delayed the fire but was unable to stop it. More and more often they passed places where bushes and trees had already caught fire.
Around the fires the snow had melted to water and the ground below had become muddy. They had to go some short detours as their way was repeatedly blocked by fires, but finally they reached Chomper’s rock. Hundreds of lava lumps lay on the snowy meadow in front of the rock and had melted some very big holes into the snow, but there was nothing combustible below the snow. Nothing but sand. So these lumps just glowed harmlessly.
It hailed further glowing volcano stones and rocks around Littlefoot and Ali. “We must go up there!” said Littlefoot and pointed at Chomper’s rock with his head.
“We are more safely up there.” Ali nodded and turned around. Again they had improbable luck not to be struck by one of the glowing rocks while they covered the distance back to the foot of the ramp of Chomper’s rock. When reached it they ascended as quickly as possible.
Chapter XXIV
Meanwhile Ducky, Spike, Chomper and Petrie ran respectively flew as fast as they could through the forest that had already caught fire at many spots around them. Chomper cast a short look up through the bare treetops and the wisps of smoke, that grew denser and denser, to the sun. “If we continue running in this direction we’ll reach the river. Maybe we are safe on the other bank”, he shouted to the others without stopping. “If you only can get over”, answered Petrie looking back shortly. “What do you mean? Why shouldn’t we get over?” asked Ducky alarmed from Spike’s back. “Hard water become normal water again when it get to warm from Burning Mountain”, answered Petrie this time without looking back.
“Gee you’re right!” shouted Chomper frightened. Spike howled up panicky and suddenly reached a speed that Chomper and even Petrie could hardly keep up with. Ducky had to cling to Spike’s backplates as fierce as she could, not to fall down. Chomper ran faster too now.
He felt the biting smell of the dense smoke in his nose. And suddenly he became dizzy again. He tried to fight against it, but it was in vain. He tripped tumbled down and remained lying on the ground. None of the others would have noted it in time had not the way in front of them been blocked by a fallen, burning trunk. Petrie cast a short look back and saw Chomper lying on the ground. “Stop! You no go on Spiky!” he shouted. “Chomper is no running on anymore! We get him!” Spike stopped immediately and jerked round so abruptly that Ducky had nearly fallen down from his back. With one leap he wanted to run off, but he skidded on the forest’s soil, that had been changed to mud by the melting slush, and fell down sprawling. He got up awkwardly, uttered a growl, that sounded surprisingly similar to an angry curse of one of his friends, and ran on. In the meantime Petrie had arrived by Chomper who hadn’t lost his consciousness. He crawled forward slowly and carefully.
“You are there?” he mumbled when he beheld Petrie. “Never again I’ll eat a treestar!”
Petrie nodded and looked out impatiently for Spike and Ducky, who arrived at last.
“Can you carry him little brother?” asked Ducky Spike when she jumped from his back.
Spike nodded hasty and Ducky and Petrie tried to the best of their ability to lift Chomper on Spike’s back. But he was pretty heavy and they wouldn’t have made it if Chomper himself hadn’t struggled as well as he could to get on Spike’s back too. Spike moaned under the weight and bowed his knees a bit, but when Ducky had taken seat on Spike’s back too and clung to Chomper to keep him on Spike’s back, he set in motion again slowly. Spike had done only a few steps when a big burning bough broke off from a tree and fell exactly on the spot where they all had been just a few moments ago. Petrie looked back frightened but Spike continued his way imperturbable although he sank down deep in the mud because of the heavy weight on his back.
Chapter XXV
Cera didn’t know how long she had already run through the forest, that burned at more and more places, without reaching its end. Everywhere around her sparks floated through the air and burning boughs fell down on the ground. She was alone and afraid.
Already shortly after she had run off she had regretted that she hadn’t stayed with the others, but when she had understood what kind of a hill it was on which they had been her only thought had been to get away from it. At first there had been only ashes, embers and big and small lumps of lava falling onto the ground here and there, but the forest had caught fire gradually at more and more places and now it seemed to be nearly completely aflame and there seemed to be no end to it. She stopped for a moment to fetch deep breath several times, but this was no relief because of the hot and smoky air. She thought about what to do next. The forest, she had seen it from Chomper’s rock, covered nearly the whole valley. It seemed hopeless to search for a treeless place by chance. She remembered the river whose drain out of the valley had been their original destination. Maybe she could make for safety on its other bank. She tried to estimate the direction she had to turn by the sun and ran on.
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I just got finished reading chapter 22, it think....but it's well written and I;m enjoying it! Keep'em coming! :yes
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Thank you very much for your reaction Great Valley Guardian! I appreciate it a lot :yes
Here are the next two chapters. They come with one picture:
Chapter XXVI
Petrie and Spike with Ducky and Chomper on his back had to avoid burning obstacles quite frequently meanwhile. They had lost their bearings and had not the slightest idea in which direction the river was. The sun was out of sight behind the flames, that had almost encircled them completely several times, and behind dense clouds of black smoke. “Where do we have to go?” asked Ducky Chomper uneasy, but the sharptooth made a helpless face.
“I’m sorry. I really don’t know.” The heat was nearly unbearable and the smoke threatened to smother them. “Petrie, fly up and look where we have to go!” shouted Ducky.
“Fly through that?” asked Petrie quiet and anxiously while he sat down aside Ducky and pointed upwards with one wing. The tree’s tops over them were a single sea of flames.
“No, nobody could come through that!” thought Ducky. Everything seemed lost.
With a loud crack a big burning bough fell down close beside Spike. He made a terrified leap forward and ran some further steps before he stopped. In this moment Ducky twitched as she smelled something else but the biting, dense smoke. Something she as a swimmer had a very sensitively nose for. Water. “This way Spiky!” she shouted and pointed in the direction from where the scent came. Ducky sounded so positively that Spike didn’t hesitate, but ran off at once. Already after a short distance the burning spots grew less and they felt a fresh, cool puff of wind. Spike made his way through a very dense shrub. And then they stood at the bank of the river that was still covered by a sheet of ice that had only some holes here and there, where glowing stones of the volcano had landed. Petrie was the first who started to cheer and he flew a sequence of loops and rolls. Ducky and Chomper, who meanwhile felt much better than before, joined in and so did Spike whereby he gamboled around with joy, so Ducky and Chomper on his back were shook thoroughly and finally fell down from his back. But they jumped up again immediately and hugged each other and Chomper lifted Ducky up whereby he shouted: “It’s a piece of luck that you have such a sensitive nose for water, even if it is hard water!” “Yes, we lucky! We safe!” called Petrie and Ducky blushed slightly.
Nobody seemed to bother that Chomper was a sharptooth.
“Not yet! Only when we are at the other bank”, he said, responding to Petrie’s last words when the first cheerfulness had faded away a bit. Ducky and Chomper climbed back on the back Spike offered them and he stepped on the ice, but jumped back immediately when it gave a threatening grate and numeral thin white cracks ran through the ice.
Bewildered and frightened Spike looked up to Ducky. But she laughed and said:
“Don’t worry Spiky! All together we are too heavy of course. Let us alight from your back!” and she asked Chomper: “Are you able to walk again?”
He nodded: “Yes, I’m much better than before.”
And he skidded down from Spike’s back carefully. Ducky landed aside him with one leap. “Let’s see who bee first over there!” shouted Petrie frolicsome and flew off as fast as he could. “Oh no, no, no!” Ducky shouted after him. “We can’t fly and I don’t want to run if I have to go on the hard water!”
When they had finally reached the other bank Chomper cast a look back. The fire had reached the brink or the forest on the other bank and began to melt the ice. Only a slight smooth breeze blew, but it drove the sparks in the other direction and prevented the fire from spreading over to the other bank where they were.
“And what about the others?” he asked frightened. All cheerfulness was gone at once without leaving a trace. Everybody became very pale. Petrie forgot to flap with his wings and precipitated. None of them said a word.
Chapter XXVII
Cera had been lucky till now. The part of the forest she had traversed on her way in direction of the river so far had, as luck would have it, been spared almost completely by the fire. Nevertheless she had been running as she didn’t know when the fire would break out here too. Moreover the fire could cut off her way to the river every instant and when this happened she would be lost. The very next moment she had to see that her apprehensions were founded, for she suddenly felt the biting, dense smoke in her nose and her eyes that began to water from this immediately. After a few more steps Cera could see the fire.
The breeze didn’t drive it towards, but neither away from her. It burned in both directions as far as Cera could and though Cera kept a respectful distance from the flames she could feel the nearly unbearable heat. After short hesitation Cera ran on following another direction along the fire hoping to find a spot where she could pass. But she memorized the direction she had kept so far because the river had to be somewhere in this direction. Maybe the dense smoke would block the sight at the sun that was the only point of reference about the direction for her. Suddenly she saw a gap in the high blazing wall of flames beside her. There lay a fallen trunk that, unlike the other trees in whose tops the fire spread extremely fast, hadn’t caught fire yet. Cera stopped and cast a worried look back. She was almost relieved to see that meanwhile even behind her great columns of smoke arose over the forest. The fire had started there too, so she was spared the possible choice to go back and to hope the fire would spare that part of the forest. But still Cera hesitated to climb over the fallen trunk into the flaming inferno behind. In that moment she noticed a tree that stood close to the fallen trunk. It was completely carbonized and wrapped up in flames from its roots to its top. It moaned, inclined to one side and was, Cera had no doubts about that, about to fall over and block the way she had just discovered. Now she didn’t hesitate any longer.
With a few leaps she was at the fallen trunk, pike dived over it and ran on to escape the horrible heat that could be felt even in a far distance to the fire. Cera heard the cracking of the tumbling tree behind and she knew that there was no more way back now. She followed the direction she had run to before the fire had blocked her way. Flames flared everywhere around and Cera had to pass very close to them very often. Several times she felt sparks falling on her back, but they extinguished at once. Cera was very thirsty and the heat and stuffy smoke were not exactly helping. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks for she had discovered something. Footprints. In the meanwhile dried up mud she could recognize distinctly the extraordinary deep footprints of spikedtailfeet. “Spike!” it flashed through her mind, and immediately she deviated from her way to follow the trail. While she ran she pondered frantically. Spike had certainly tried to reach the river too. Ducky had probably sat on his back and Petrie had flown. But what had happened with Chomper? Had he been separated from the others, or far worse, had something happened with him?
Suddenly Cera stopped.
The trail led directly into the fire. She couldn’t breath for a moment and hoped urgently that the fire had broken out here only when Spike had already been gone. But the fear for the others remained. Cera evaded the fire and ran on into the previous direction. The smoke became denser and denser. Cera had to cough and held her breath. She became very tired suddenly and recognized with fear that it had to be because of the dense smoke.
The heat was ever increasing and when Cera already feared not to be able to endure it anymore she recognized the river. She saw it only indistinctly and very vague blurred beyond a flaring wall of fire. For a moment Cera believed to have to cry with rage and disappointment. Her eyes watered anyway already from the heat and the biting smoke. But then Cera pulled herself together and whipped the tears off. The wall of flames couldn’t be very broad otherwise she wouldn’t have seen the river beyond so distinctly. She thought of a plan that would have seemed to be madness to her in every other situation. She had to go through the fire! She shivered by the mere thought of it, but the closing in crackling of the flames made certain that she would end up in the fire anyway if she wouldn’t try it.
That settled it. She took a short run during which her heart beat like a hammer, closed her eyes rushed forward and jumped. It was easier than Cera had dared to hope. She hadn’t even believed that she could really make it at all, but she felt the heat only for a very short moment and then a cool breeze. She took another leap not to feel the burning heat of the flames behind her so strong anymore and opened her eyes again. Right in front of her was the river, but many thin and thick cracks were running through the sheet of ice that lay over the water.
The ice broke to floes everywhere and began to drift downstream faster and faster. But Cera saw something more. On the other bank were Ducky, Petrie, Spike and Chomper looking very grievous. Cera was relieved about Chomper’s presence and shouted to the others:
“Ducky! Spike! Petrie! Chomper! I’m here!” They all looked up jerky. Spike saw her first, uttered a shout of joy and cut a joyful caper.
The next moment Ducky saw her too and shouted loud: “Cera!” She pointed at her with one hand. “There she is! It is her! Do you see her? It is her!” she shouted and hopped around fiercely with dither. Petrie and Chomper had seen her too now and Petrie flew towards her while Chomper shouted: “Hurry up! The river will soon be as it has been before. Then you can’t come across anymore!”
Cera agreed with him, for it was already perceptible that the stream of the river had to be very strong, and the ice grew less and less. One could see it melting. Close to the bank the ice had already thawed out. Cera sized up the distance to the next floe shortly and jumped. When she landed on the floe she cried out frightened for it inclined sideward immediately below her weight and only because she managed to shift her weight to the other side immediately she could prevent the floe from turning over and dropping her into the water.
Cera felt how the staggering floe set in motion below her feet and began to float downstream. She didn’t waste time, but jumped to the next floe nearby immediately.
Again Cera lost her balance and almost fell into the water. The next leap brought her on a bigger ice field, that didn’t stagger as much. But it grated loudly and for a moment Cera feared to break through the ice like Ducky had back then in the Great Valley. Cera didn’t brake in, but after a few moments the part of the ice she had landed on broke loose from the remaining ice field and she had to jump off again, before the floe drifted too far away from the rest of the ice field.
She landed safety on the big ice field, but slipped and clapped down so heavily that stars seemed to dance in front of her eyes.
“Cera you alright?” Cera looked up to Petrie who flapped in the air directly in front of her. She nodded and stood up slowly. “You hurry up Cera. Not much time is left.” Petrie was right; Cera felt how the ice melted away behind her. She ran over to the other end of the ice field hasty. Just the moment she arrived there a single floe floated past on the river that was otherwise nearly free of ice meanwhile.
Cera hesitated for a moment before she jumped. This time she didn’t land on the floe exactly but only near its edge. Because of her swing the floe drifted towards the bank, but it was even harder for Cera not to topple backwards into the water. She tried to get closer to the center of the floe with one leap, but she misjudged the distance this time and landed far on the opposite edge of the floe. It tilted forward and this time Cera couldn’t hold on to the smooth as mirror ice; with a short shriek she tumbled forward into the water.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/06Floejumping.jpg)
It was as if innumerable small pointed needles would prick at her when she dipped in the icy cold water. Strangely it didn’t even seem to be so unpleasant to Cera after the heat in the burning forest. A strong vortex pulled her into the deep, no matter how much she struggled against it, while the current pulled her downstream. Cera struggled as fierce as she could and suddenly she felt sandy ground below her feet. With all her might she pushed of and for her big surprise she broke through the water surface immediately. She swam towards the bank and then she felt the sandy ground again while her head was still above the water. She clawed firmly to the ground and leaned against the stream. She made to find save foothold and to approach the bank slowly step by step while the undertow still pulled on her legs. Completely out of breath Cera reached the bank where she was welcomed jubilantly by Chomper, Ducky, Spike and Petrie, who had stayed close to Cera while she had been in the water. Cera lay down and closed her eyes for a moment.
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Chapter XXVIII
Ali prepared the right words. She would address Littlefoot now. Since they were up here on Chomper’s rock Littlefoot hadn’t said a single word and Ali hadn’t dared to speak with him while Littlefoot stood nearby the edge of the rock looking down on the flaming inferno that raged below, with a petrified mien. Only now and then, when he believed to recognize a motion he looked up and strained his eyes. But every time he had to see that his eyes had cheated him. Ali on the other hand had walked in circles from one end of the rock to the other incessantly the whole time. Now and then she had cast a look down and after a while she had noticed that the ice sheet had disappeared from the river. The river streamed past along the rock as it had certainly done in previous, warmer days. When she listened carefully she could hear the murmuring of the river in spite of the cracking and crackling of the fire.
Ali stepped aside Littlefoot, who still sat motionless at the edge of the rock. It weight heavily upon Ali’s mind to see Littlefoot as he was now. At the first sight his face seemed to be completely blank but if she looked carefully Ali could see the despair in his eyes and when she glimpsed shy at him she noted that tears formed in the corners of his eyes. There were nearly no spots in the forest below that were not aflame. A giant black column of smoke ascended over the valley and somewhere in the midst of the valley the volcano that had at least tripled its size meanwhile still spat glowing rocks up into the sky occasionally. It was very hot up here. In the morning Ali would have considered the heat a pleasure, but along with the stuffy, smoky air it was nearly unbearable. White and gray ashes fell from the sky like snow and covered the valley and Chomper’s rock. Even Littlefoot’s head and his back were covered by a layer of ashes and Littlefoot didn’t seem to bother to shake it away. Fortunately the wind drove at least the densest clouds of smoke away from them.
Ali didn’t have the courage to address him and was very surprised when Littlefoot himself suddenly turned his head to her and said with a husky voice: “Down there they are somewhere, Cera... Ducky... Spike... Petrie... and Chomper.”
Ali shook her head slowly it was difficult for her to speak. “No Littlefoot. I don’t believe that. Why do you think they didn’t make to get out of danger?”
“Where should they have gone?” Littlefoot asked with a suffocated voice and made a far-reaching gesture that enclosed the whole burning forest. “The fire has spread so quickly.
It was everywhere immediately”, Littlefoot continued.
Ali didn’t know why, but she felt that Littlefoot was wrong. “They are in safety Littlefoot. Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike... and Chomper.” Strangely Ali still felt a shudder when she thought of the sharptooth.
“How could they possibly escape?” asked Littlefoot with a hopeless mien. “Nobody can survive in this”, said Littlefoot and pointed at the burning treetops again.
Ali just wanted to reply something when they heard a loud cracking from the ramp.
They looked in the direction surprised. Where the rocky ramp disappeared into the primeval forest the treetops quivered as if something big made its way up the ramp. Ali’s face lightened up, her inspiration seemed to prove right, and Littlefoot too stood up and looked down at the ramp expectantly. A big silhouette that was not exactly recognizable in front of the dazzling fire and the flickering air broke out between the treetops and stormed up the ramp. Littlefoot and Ali strained their eyes, but when they could recognize the stooped figure it had almost reached the top of Chomper’s rock already. Littlefoot and Ali cried out in the same moment, for it was a sharptooth, a huge grownup sharptooth. Only because of their horrified yells the sharptooth noted Ali and Littlefoot. It looked up, spotted them and began to run faster.
Its eyes flashed.
Ali had the presence of mind to jerk around, while Littlefoot stood there paralyzed with fear and starred at the sharptooth. Ali pushed him fiercely and cried: “Come on Littlefoot!”
Then she ran off. It was as if Littlefoot would awake from a dream. Nearly another second passed before he followed Ali, but he caught up with her soon. “Where shall we go Ali?” called Littlefoot drowning out the roaring of the sharptooth behind them.
“I don’t know!” Ali cried back after she had made sure with a hasty look around that here was no shelter, nor any safe place. Suddenly Ali skidded to a halt with an outcry. Littlefoot jumped aside not to run into Ali’s back. In the very last moment he too came to a standstill. In front of them was the abyss and far down the river meandered along. They both cast a look back over their shoulders. For a short moment Littlefoot’s look met the sharptooth’s. The sharptooth seemed to be surprised, but the next moment it continued to ran towards them with far reaching steps. Littlefoot and Ali exchanged a short look. And it was as if they would speak. They could see what the other one thought. They couldn’t run away anymore and they both had the same idea.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/07Beforethejump.jpg)
They jumped down the cliff in the very same instant yelling as loud as they could. The sharptooth was only few steps behind them. When it saw the two longnecks jump it uttered a short roar that didn’t sound threateningly at all for some reason. The sharptooth slowed down, stepped to the edge of the rock, bent forward and looked into the deepness that was dizzying even for the sharptooth. It saw how the two longnecks were swallowed by the water of the river. The sharptooth turned round just when a second sharptooth reached the top of the rock. The two sharpteeth ran to meet uttering relieved snarls and growls. But finally the first sharptooth led the second to the edge of the rock uttering a bloodcurdling roar and pointed with one of its thin claw armed arms into the deep. The second sharptooth looked at it very surprised.
Chapter XXIX
Littlefoot cried during the whole fall from the rock. Everything whirled around him. One moment he saw the river racing towards him the next he saw the rocky cliff getting farther and farther away. The last thing he saw was the silhouette of the sharptooth standing out against the smoky sky. “Hope it doesn’t jump after us”, Littlefoot thought and then he fell still crying into the icy cold water. The impacted on the water surface was so hard that his whole body seemed to burn and the next moment his far opened mouth filled with water. Littlefoot stopped crying, but he had already swallowed water and felt he had to cough. At the same time he felt he was sinking deeper and deeper while the water pressed stronger and stronger on him from every side. For a moment, just for a very short moment, the icy coldness was almost pleasant after the stuffy heat on the rock. Littlefoot felt how the stream tore him away. He was out of air.
He had to breath immediately! But he didn’t know which direction was above and which was below. He kicked fiercely, but didn’t find the water surface. He didn’t move for a moment and felt how he was carried into one certain direction by the water and somehow Littlefoot knew, that this direction had to be above. The water pressure diminished and he opened his eyes. In front he saw a bright gleaming. He did another stroke with all his legs and then he broke through the surface. Littlefoot sucked in the air and some spatters of water which made him cough convulsively.
He was sure he wouldn’t have endured it any longer. While he paddled fiercely and craned his neck to keep his head above the water he looked around for Ali. She was nowhere in sight.
A sudden undertow pulled him into the deep again, but this time he reemerged faster.
The very same moment Ali broke through the water surface, just a short distance away, and gasped for air. “Ali! Ali I’m he...”, again a wave dipped Littlefoot, but Ali had seen him and made her way towards him as good as she could. When Littlefoot emerged again she wasn’t far away from him anymore; the stream had floated her directly towards him. Ali seemed to have less problems than Littlefoot to keep herself at the surface. During the migrations with her herd she had crossed many rivers. Certainly none had been as wild and torrential as this one though. Littlefoot and Ali tried with all their might to swim over to the other bank, but the current made it almost impossible to swim into that direction.
Everywhere carbonized boughs and tree trunks drifted in the water.
“Littlefoot we must try to get on one of these trunks!” shouted Ali and pointed with a jerky movement of her head at a couple of carbonized trunks that drifted downstream close behind them.
“Okay”, Littlefoot choked out along with a mouthful of water and he began to struggle against the stream with all his might, very much intended not to be floated too far away from Ali.
“Look out...”, gasped Ali when they approached the tree trunks, “...that none of them hits you!” Littlefoot nodded as the thought, that the force of a collision with one of these trunks in this stream had to be more than painful, had just struck him too. Finally they had edged near to one of the trunks. “Go on!” called Ali and seized the trunk with her forelegs. Littlefoot did the same and tried instinctively to push off from the ground to get on the trunk, but of course there was no ground below his hind legs. They both tried to pull themselves onto the carbonized trunk, but this inclined far to the side. Suddenly the trunk lost its balance and rolled over towards Ali and Littlefoot.
They took distance from it hasty not to be submersed by it. A wave dipped Littlefoot shortly. When he emerged again Ali was by him and grasped one of his forelegs as if she was afraid that he could anew sub- but not emerge again. “We try again”, she gasped. “We take a broader trunk and you climb up first. When you’ve made it I’ll follow you.”
Littlefoot wanted to protest, but he realized that Ali’s words hadn’t been a suggestion, but an order. Ali seemed to notice his reluctance, for she explained hasty: “If we try it one by one the trunk maybe won’t roll over so easily.”
Littlefoot nodded. A relatively broad tree trunk drifted past so close to them they could get to it nearly without an effort. They grasped it and Ali gave Littlefoot an encouraging nod. Littlefoot began to pull himself up onto the trunk.
It inclined to the side, but not as far as the other one had done during their first attempt. Climbing up on the trunk Littlefoot besmeared himself all over with soot, but above all he had the unpleasant impression that the porous wood crumbled under his grip. He cast a hopeless look at Ali, and was being paralyzed with fright. Directly behind Ali a tree trunk drifted along at high speed. She hadn’t noticed it of course because her look was turned on him. The trunk would collide with the one he clung to, but above all it would hit Ali!
“Look out!” Littlefoot screamed and pushed off from the trunk. The moment he fell into the water he heard the nasty grating noise of the colliding trunks. He sank down in the water, but fought back to the surface immediately. The two trunks floated abreast now, but Ali was nowhere to be seen.
“Ali! Ali can you hear me?” Littlefoot cried and he looked desperately in every direction. “Everything alright. Could get away in time.”
Littlefoot uttered a sigh of relief and closed his eyes for a few split seconds when he heard Ali’s voice over the din of the water from behind the two tree trunks. A moment later Ali emerged from behind the trunks and headed towards Littlefoot. When she arrived by him she mumbled: “My goodness, that was narrow. It was a piece of luck you saw it in time. I guess we should forget about that idea about getting onto a trunk.”
Littlefoot nodded. “We better try to get to the other bank again”, he suggested before a vortex pulled him down again. Ali grasped at him and pulled him up again. Littlefoot felt a bit embarrassed about how poor a swimmer he was compared to Ali, but the lasting strain exhausted his legs. “We try”, Ali agreed and again they fought against the strong current that pushed them away from the bank.
Ali did her best to help Littlefoot swimming, but she had to trouble herself to stay at the surface of the fierce masses of water. A little vortex pulled her down for a moment. The last thing she saw before the water clapped together above her was a tiny figure that flapped high up in the air. “Petrie!” cried Littlefoot, who had seen the tiny flyer too, a moment before he was dipped again. When Ali and Littlefoot came to the surface again snorting and gasping for air the flyer was not to be seen anymore.
Chapter XXX
“Quick! You hurry!” cried Petrie as soon as Cera, Ducky, Spike and Chomper came in sight again. Quick as a greased lightning he shot through the air to reach them as soon as possible. He had flown off a short while ago to search for Littlefoot and Ali, but he hadn’t had much hope. He had flown aimless to and fro above the burning forest for a while and had tried to recognize anything through the dense smoke, flaring flames and the tree’s tops, which proved completely impossible of course. All he had obtained was that he was almost suffocated in the dense smoke and, shaken thorough by the turbulences of the burning hot air, had nearly precipitated down into the fire several times. But everything was better than the inactivity his friends at the other bank were condemned to. Nevertheless Petrie had found it stupid after a while to risk his life for absolutely nothing and he had been about to fly back to his friends, when suddenly a thought had come to his mind. Littlefoot and Ali were not stupid and he took it for very unlikely that they had wandered aimlessly through the burning forest during their flight. It was more likely that the two had tried to reach the other bank too. So he had decided to search there, as the other bank was probably more promising, but certainly safer than to continue flapping above the fire. While he was still flying along the river another thought had come to his mind. The direction Littlefoot and Ali had taken during their flight from the volcano was roughly the one in which Chomper’s rock was located. Perhaps the two longnecks had tried to make for safety there. Petrie hadn’t discovered them at the other bank so far, and so it was the last hope he could cling to. He had looked over to Chomper’s rock that towered high up above the sea of flames, but he had been unable to recognize if somebody was on top of the rock through smoke and flaring air. So he had been heading for the rock and suddenly he had spotted a movement in the water of the river during his flight. He had descended a bit to take a closer look and had recognized Littlefoot and Ali who were swept along by the water’s current. Petrie hadn’t hesitated for a second but had flown straight back to the others immediately. They had to rescue Littlefoot and Ali!
“What’s on Petrie?” asked Cera alarmed by Petrie’s call while she jumped up.
Chomper, Spike and Ducky prepared to hurry too, as Petrie had said, without knowing what they should hurry to do at all. Petrie had reached the others now and gasped with his last force: “Littlefoot! Ali! Are in the river! We must get them out!”
That was all Cera, Spike, Ducky and Chomper had to know. They ran to the bank as fast as they could and Petrie followed them after a few deep breathes. Cera looked around hasty to all directions sides when they had reached the bank. Littlefoot and Ali weren’t in sight yet, but the torrential river would float them past soon. The river was pretty broad here and its bed was very steep. It had been pure luck for Cera that she had been floated to a rare shallow spot after she had slipped of her ice floe a short while ago. The chances to rescue Ali and Littlefoot out of the water right here were very poor. But not far downstream the river made a sharp bend around a small peninsula and not far behind the peninsula it ran into the canyon that led out of the valley. At this bend the river narrowed and at the top of the peninsula grew a copse of trees from which some low boughs and roots hang far over the water; at this spot there would be the best chances to seize Littlefoot and Ali when they drifted past.
“Over there! Come on quick!” Cera shouted and ran off.
The others hesitated. The peninsula Cera was heading for seemed to be too near to the canyon. If the stream floated Ali and Littlefoot into the canyon, everything would be lost, as they would be unable to follow them in there. There was no bank in the canyon they could walk on.
“Come on!” Cera shouted impatiently back over her shoulder without slowing down.
It was Chomper who followed her first. Then Ducky ran off; on her own legs she was faster than on Spike’s back although her “little brother” was hard at her heels her. Petrie flew, as fast as he still could after the others with his tongue hanging out. When Cera had arrived at the tip of the peninsula she noted with some satisfaction, that the spot was even better than she had expected. The river had washed very much sand ashore at the end of the peninsula so the water was comparatively shallow even several steps far from the waterline. But for her discomfort she also had to notice, that the current here in the bend would drive Littlefoot and Ali over to the opposite bank. Impatiently Cera looked back for the others and was relieved to see that Chomper just arrived by her and the others were close behind him. When she saw Petrie she called to him already from a distance: “Petrie! Fly to meet Ali and Littlefoot!
Tell them we are waiting for them here. But return immediately and give us word when they are coming!”
The little flyer moaned, but flew off immediately. Cera pointed at the river with her head and waded into the cold water as the first. In the shelter of the peninsula the water was quite calm, but with every step Cera progressed farther into the water the undertow around her legs grew stronger. Cera felt how the sand below her feet gave way. There was no safe foothold provided by this ground. Cera heard a loud splashing from behind. When she looked back Spike stood behind her. Ducky had climbed on a bough of a big tree, that hung low above the water a few steps downstream. She clambered to its end carefully. Chomper didn’t seem to be completely sure whether he should follow Cera and Spike or Ducky, but finally he climbed after the little swimmer. The bough inclined deep down towards the water below their weight, but it seemed strong enough to bear their weight. Spike uttered an impatient mumbling and nudged Cera with his head. She went on some steps hasty and felt the ground lay deeper below the water surface, which reached up to her chin meanwhile, with every step she advanced further.
She tried to erect on her hind legs a bit to be able to advance further. But it was very difficult not to be swept along by the water in this posture. Cera felt Spike seizing her as firm as he could, and did another careful step. They wouldn’t be able to go any further; otherwise they would lose the ground below their feet and be swept along by the river. She cast and anxious look over to the canyon and implored Spike: “Hold me firmly! Please!”
Spike nodded; with his teeth he held Cera’s tail and made efforts to conjure a calming smile on his face, but he didn’t really succeeded while he felt how the sand below his feed was being washed away.
Cera felt the heat of the fire from the other bank that was fortunately driven away from them by the slight breeze. Cera saw big carbonized tree trunks drifting in the stream. “Look out that none of them hits us!” shouted Cera to Spike when an extraordinary big trunk drifted past right in front of them. “They come! They come!” shrieked Petrie out of breath long before he arrived by the others. “Do they know that we are here?” called Cera back over the rushing and gurgling noise of the water. “Me thinks so. But maybe they no understood what Petrie said”, Petrie replied. “Me had no more time no more.”
Cera nodded and called to the others: “Look out carefully! We must catch them!”
The next moment Littlefoot and Ali were there. They could barely keep themselves at the surface. “Come over here! Over here!” cried Cera at them nervously when she recognized they would drift past far off along the other bank. Ali and Littlefoot tried with all their might to crawl over to Cera and Spike.
A big trunk at the other bank, so carbonized already, that only a few flames still licked up on it suddenly inclined to the water with a loud creaking and fell into the river close to Littlefoot and Ali whereby even the last flames and sparks extinguished with a sizzling. The trunk lashed up waves that rolled away from it in every direction. Maybe it had been those waves that had given Littlefoot and Ali the decisive push; maybe the current had been diminished for a short moment for some reason; maybe it had been blocked by any obstacle below the water surface for a moment at the spot where they swam. Certain was only that it was incredible luck that Littlefoot reached Cera. Ali was close behind him; she had shoved him on as good as she could and in the water they had tried to hold on to each other as firm as they could not to be separated. When Ali saw that Littlefoot had reached Cera and that she, Spike and Petrie, who had landed on Cera’s head nearby her horn had seized him, she clung to Littlefoot and let herself be pulled along towards the bank by the others. Spike and Cera who at first had feared that the sand below them would be washed away, and they along with it, were already on safe ground in shallow water, Ducky and Chomper were about to climb down from their bough, Littlefoot too just reached the deposited sand and Ali was the only who was still in dangerously deep water when Petrie suddenly uttered a terrified warning cry.
He had seen something big drifting around the peninsula, but it was already too late.
The trunk grazed Ali’s head and tore her away from Littlefoot. She was floated towards the overhanging bough to which Chomper and Ducky clung paralyzed with the fright.
“Ali!” cried Littlefoot and Cera could only just keep him from jumping after Ali in a thoughtless rescue attempt. “Let me go!” raged Littlefoot, “You shall let me go!”
He kicked around fiercely and hit Cera in the face. “Ah!” she cried, but she didn’t let go. “You be calm Littlefoot”, croaked Petrie frightened, “Me hold Ali!” He flapped after her. Cera felt that Littlefoot didn’t struggle against her clutch anymore and finally she let go. “Come along!” she shouted and ran as fast as possible downstream along the bank.
Spike had a lead already and Littlefoot followed them. Ducky and Chomper climbed hasty as far as possible back to the end of their bought where Ali would drift past. The bought inclined deep down and gave an ominous crack. Petrie had reached Ali and tried, flapping fiercely with his wings to keep her head above the surface, he did it for the moment.
Ali hadn’t been knocked out senseless by the drifting tree trunk, but she was too dazed to swim all by herself.
“Help Petrie!” moaned the little flyer at Ducky and Chomper for he couldn’t hold Ali alone anymore. Worse even he was sopping wet himself already which made flying harder and harder for him. “Hold on to me!” called Ducky at Chomper just in the moment when Petrie and Ali floated past below the bough and she jumped so suddenly that Chomper barely managed to catch her feed when he bowed forward hasty. Ducky saw Petrie and snatched at him. Petrie himself still held Ali with the claws of his feet as firm as he could. The current pulled at all of them. Petrie felt weaker with every second, Ducky felt like she was elongated between the stream, that threatened to tear Ali and Petrie away, and Chomper’s hold; breathing was quite difficult for her. Chomper tried desperately not to loose his balance while at the same time he had to bent forward to hold, Ducky’s, Petrie’s and Ali’s weight. He and clawed firmly to the bough with the claws of his feet not to be dragged down from it.
But despite of all these toils it was none of them who gave in, but the bough on which Chomper stood. “Look out!” cried Littlefoot and Cera, who stood at the bank beside the trunk of the tree. For right there, the wood had begun to splinter. The bough was almost broken by the lasting heavy load. It inclined deeper and deeper and it seemed to be only a matter of seconds until it would snap in two completely. “Ducky the bough is breaking!”
called Chomper. “Let go! Maybe it’ll hold then. I’ll swim! We make it!”
“That will never do! I’ll come along!” “No Chomper! You’re no swimmer! You will drown!” Much as it displeased him, Chomper had to admit that Ducky was right. With his thin arms he would hardly be able to keep himself at the water surface, even for a short time and in this strong current he would have even less of a chance. But Chomper had no choice anymore, for there was no time left to climb back to the bank, although Littlefoot, Spike and Cera did everything possible to delay the breaking of the bough. “Come Chomper!” shouted Littlefoot, but he only shook his head for he had noted something. “Try to get us out further downstream!” he called back, let Ducky go and jumped with a wide leap over onto a broad carbonized trunk that floated past a short distance away. The bought broke when he jumped. Chomper landed sprawling on the shaky trunk. Carefully he stood up and had to lean to one side immediately to prevent the trunk from rolling over and throwing him off. Chomper sat down again to bring the trunk into a more stable position and let his legs dangling on both sides of the trunk. He clawed firmly into the sooty wood and doing so he realized that he was besmeared with soot all over his body. He cast a hasty look around. Cera, Spike and Littlefoot ran along the bank, but they had fallen far back; the current was much faster than they were. Chomper saw Ducky, Petrie and Ali emerging with the crest of a wave; they were a respectable distance behind him too. It was probably because Ducky, Petrie and the slowly recovering Ali fought against the stream to the best of their ability and also because the trunk drifted away with very high speed offering less resistance to the water than the swimmers did. The entrance of the canyon was not far away anymore; he had to hurry with whatever he was going to do, but he didn’t have a clue about what to do at all. Finally he tried to drive the trunk over to the bank.
He rowed with his legs, fidgeted to and fro, leaned to all sides and more than once he almost fell into the water. It was probably a vortex that seized the tree trunk suddenly and let it spin around like a top, so Chomper became really dizzy and closed his eyes firmly. Then suddenly a violent jolt ran through the trunk like it had hit on something solid. This jerk again almost hurled Chomper down from the trunk, but he managed to hold on and when he opened his eyes again the carbonized trunk lay motionless, laterally in the water so the stream of the water surface broke at one side of the trunk. It took Chomper a few seconds to recover from his surprise. The trunk had apparently been wedged in between any rocks below the water surface so firmly the stream didn’t sweep it along anymore. But Chomper heard the porous burned wood creaking from the strain. It wouldn’t stand the pressure for long. But for the moment the position of the trunk could mean the rescue, for its one end lay close to the bank, close enough to reach it from there. But Chomper stayed where he was. If there was a chance anywhere to catch Ducky, Petrie and Ali out of the water, then it was here. The three were just floated along. Ali swam mainly by herself now, but without Ducky’s support she would have probably foundered for she hadn’t yet recovered from the bump of the trunk against her head. Ducky as a swimmer got along with the water much better than any of the others, but she certainly had no chance to struggle against this current either. Though Petrie still pulled at Ali’s head to keep it at the water surface, it looked much more like he was sitting on the head rather than flying above it. Chomper saw Spike, Cera and Littlefoot running along the bank, but they were far behind and wouldn’t be here in time to help them. Ducky had seen the tree trunk and Chomper and had recognized the chance.
“There we must go!” snorted Ducky to Ali and Petrie. But they didn’t even have to struggle to reach the trunk, for they were floated straight towards it anyway. “Look out!” called Chomper and made ready to grasp at them as soon as they would hit upon the trunk. Ali held out her forelegs shielding to soften the collision with the trunk, for the current would throw her against it with quite a force. The wood creaked ominously when Ali bumped into it, but it stood the impact. Chomper bent forward and clutched Ali, who uttered a frightened outcry, at her long neck.
“Don’t worry! It’s just me”, called Chomper over the gargling and splashing of the water.
“Oh I see, this calms me”, shouted Ali who seemed to have recovered her senses completely from the fright. Chomper was not sure if Ali was being sarcastically, but at the moment it was really all the same to him. He erected and tried to drag Ali upon the tree trunk. But she was to heavy for him and gasped fiercely for breath when he tried it. “Let go! You’re choking me!” cried Ali. Chomper bent forward again, but he didn’t let her go.
“Come along this way Chomper!” shouted Ducky and began to pull Ali along the tree trunk over towards the bank. Again and again jolts ran through the trunk when drifting boughs hit into it, but they were too small to break it. Chomper cast a worried look at some big trunks drifting closely past his own. He pulled and Ducky pulled Ali over towards the bank.
Cera, Spike and Littlefoot just arrived there and waded carefully into the shallow close to the bank. They had almost reached the end of the trunk that pointed at the bank, when Ali shouted suddenly: “I’ve ground below my feet! I can stand here!” and a bit quieter she said to Chomper and Ducky: “Thanks! You can let me go now. I can get the last steps to the bank myself. Make for safety yourselves!”
Ali uttered a nearly inaudible sigh of relief when Chomper let go her neck. Having the sharp claws of the sharptooth clutched around it had been a quite unpleasant experience.
Petrie wanted to flap up into the air from her head, but he staggered with his sopping wet wings to and fro for only a few seconds and clapped into the water. Chomper jumped down from the trunk hasty and grasped the coughing and snorting flyer in the very last moment. Ducky reached the bank with some breaststrokes; Ali waded behind her and last in line came Chomper who held the completely exhausted Petrie in his arms. They heard the wood of the trunk breaking with and ugly grating. Littlefoot, Spike and Cera welcomed them exulting. When the first cheerfulness had faded away Ali mumbled:
“Oh dear! I’m completely worn out!”
She withdrew some more steps from the bank and then she lay down below a tree to rest for a moment. The strains since the flight from the volcano had taken their toll from the others too. Spike went in circles a few times, lay down then and fell asleep instantly. Ducky lumbered near, snuggled to her “little brother” and began to doze too. Petrie, who had almost fallen asleep in Chomper’s arms already, joined them after he had “wrung out” his wings scantily. Chomper let himself drop to the ground with far outstretched arms. And Cera too lay down where she was standing. They enjoyed it, for here, on the safe side of the river, the heat of the fire could be felt as a pleasant warmth that had even melted away the snow that had been laying close to the bank.
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I really enjoyed those chapters....and Im also glad Chomper was able to help Ali! Now they can all rest and relax...after all they deserve it! I look forward to more chapters!
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Very well written and quite an action scene. Thanks for posting it here.
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I've enjoyed reading this so far. If I remember correctly, you wrote this back in 2000 or 2001, right? Still, I think this is a great story. I think of you as a professional at writing pure LBT fanfics (non-crossovers). If you were this good back then, I'd like to see what you can write these days.
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Even more talented I bet.
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Thank you :)
Yes, I wrote "The Cold time" from 1999 to 2001 and translated it from 2001 to 2002. Some of the translation was done during my students exchange, so while there are some shortcomings in the language they are not as striking as in case of "The Big Quarrel". Sometimes I used (and I guess I still do sometimes) very un-LBT-like terms. For example in an earlier version of the story I had Cera talk of "insurmountable impediments" and somewhat dated terms such as "thus" may still be in there somewhere. :lol
One problem that is still there in The Cold Time is that I was using the past perfect ("he had done something") rather than the simple past ("he did something") way too often. The past perfect is more commonly used in German than in English and it shows that I was translating the story too literally.
As for what I'm writing these days I must admit that it is some time ago that I last wrote on an LBT story. I have been writing on "Old Threehorns" since 2002, but not really continued the work on it in the last two years. This is in part because the story sort of "outlived" itself as movies were released meanwhile which strongly contradict "Old Threehorns" (which tells a different story about Littlefoot's dad and features Cera's mother as a character). A problem about my writing is that I tend to write very long winded at times. I am putting in many details (sometimes I'm surprised at how often discussions start in the GOF about matters mentioned in "Old Threehorns"), but I'm afraid I'm putting so much stuff into it that I'm boring most readers (I don't think many ever read far beyond the nine pages prologue).
"Old Threehorns" by the way is written in English and translated to German. This way there shouldn't be any of the translation problems of the earlier stories ;)
Anyway, there is nothing as motivating as feedback (both positive and critical), maybe I get myself to continue the writing once I finish an essay I have to write for the university at the moment. Here are the next chapters of "The Cold Time":
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Chapter XXXI
Littlefoot, who had lain down as well just where he stood, watched the sparks that flew over to them now and then, when a gentle breeze blew over to them. He and Ali had been incredibly lucky. So had been the others of course, but he and Ali had not only escaped the volcano, the fire and the torrential river but also a grownup sharptooth the others didn’t even know about. “Maybe...”, thought Littlefoot, “...it is better if they don’t learn about the sharptooth at all. It would just worry them needlessly.”
Littlefoot got up quietly, not to disturb the others, and sneaked over to Ali.
She had nodded off and Littlefoot had to nudge her repeatedly to wake her up. “Littlefoot? What’s the matter?” asked Ali relatively loud, while she was blinking tiredly.
“Hist! Don’t speak too loud, so we don’t disturb the others!” answered Littlefoot whispering, while he looked around worried, if they had already attracted the attention of any of the others. Cera looked over to them shortly but turned away again immediately. “What’s on?” asked Ali, this time so quiet that only Littlefoot heard it. “It is because of this sharptooth;
I think it is better if we don’t tell the others about it.”
“What? But why? We sure have to warn them!” called Ali so loudly that Littlefoot jerked and looked back. But none of the others stirred.
“Be quiet! And what should we warn them off anyway?” Littlefoot shrugged. “The sharptooth is up on the rock and it can’t go down there before the fire has gone out and the ground has cooled down; and this will take some time for sure.”
“But the sharptooth just has to jump after us”, answered Ali, this time quieter again.
Littlefoot shock his head: “It won’t. Otherwise it would have done so already. The water is too shallow for a grownup sharptooth. It would break all its bones. So why should we frighten the others unnecessarily?”
“Because the sharptooth will come tomorrow!”
“It’ll probably take longer. And even by tomorrow we won’t be here anymore. And also, why would the sharptooth follow us? It certainly thinks the water has swept us away. I don’t believe that it can recover our trails. Our trails end in the water and those of the others have been deleted by the fire.”
Ali nodded: “That’s very well, but how do you want to get away from here? We can’t go through the canyon anymore. It will take quite a while until the water will be hard again. Certainly longer than it will take the sharptooth to get down that rock!”
Littlefoot thought about it. “I don’t know yet, but we’ll find a way to go on.”
There was a short break, then Littlefoot pointed over to the others with his head and said: “Come on! The sooner we begin to seek a way, the sooner we’ll find it.”
“I hope so”, said Ali setting in motion.
When they arrived by the others, who lay dispersed over a large area, Littlefoot called:
“Come on! We must think about what to do now.”
Ducky blinked shortly with one eye, but closed it again immediately. Cera grumbled quietly and the others didn’t show any reaction at all.
“Now come on!” Littlefoot shouted impatiently. Chomper stood up moaning and approached slowly. Petrie flapped over to them in an irregular zigzag. Ducky got up with a groan; she had to push Spike several times until he woke up and trudged after her tiredly. At last Cera, who seemed to be in a rather bad mood, came too. “What’s your problem?” she growled. And a little more conciliatory she asked: “Did anything happen you want to tell us about?”
Littlefoot shook his head hasty. He hoped that Cera hadn’t overheard anything of his talk with Ali. “No, but we should think about how we continue now. We can’t walk on the river anymore.”
“And that’s all?” Cera roared up angrily. “That can wait. You should let us some time to rest!” Cera stepped forward pugnaciously while Littlefoot fell back one step.
“Take it easy!” said Ali mitigating and stepped between Littlefoot and Cera.
After a tensed moment Cera nodded and sat down.
“So, uhm...”, said Littlefoot nervously and searched for the right words. Cera’s outburst had rather confused him. For a moment he considered telling the others about the sharptooth after all, for at least Cera seemed to suspect that he and Ali kept something secret from them, but he decided against it. Actually Littlefoot thought it would be much easier to tell the others about the sharptooth. They would certainly not panic, but would understand his and Ali’s hurry. But something dissuaded him from telling the others.
“We must go on. Now there is really no food left around here”, Littlefoot said finally.
“But we can’t walk on the water of the river anymore, it is not hard anymore.”
Littlefoot heard Ducky utter a sigh of relief and cast a reproachful look at her.
“Does anyone have an idea, or a suggestion?” Nobody spoke for a while, but finally Petrie said almost like he would hardly dare to say it: “Petrie could fly out of the valley on his own and seek help.”
Littlefoot smiled at him. “That’s nice of you Petrie, and very brave, that you want to search for help on your own, but I don’t believe that you would find any. All saurian herds are in search of warmer regions and even if you did find one I don’t believe they would change their direction because of us. And also we don’t have enough time to wait.”
Petrie nodded with a mixture of regret because he couldn’t help his friends and relief that he didn’t have to fly on his own. “I cannot swim here for long and you cannot either”, said Ducky pointing at the river, “But do you remember how we tried to cross the Big Water on a trunk? The trunk swam excellently and there are plenty enough trunks around here.”
But Chomper objected: “The current is too strong. The water pushes the trunks wildly to and fro. I could hardly keep myself on that one tree trunk. We would all fall into the water and drown.”
Littlefoot and the others nodded agreeing. “We could try to hold several trunks together somehow, so they don’t turn over so easily”, mused Ducky and she seemed to like her idea more and more the longer she thought about it.
“Oh great! And how do you want to hold the trunks together?” asked Cera challenging.
“With vines!” answered Ducky eagerly and pointed at a copse of trees some distance away, nearby the rocky walls that enclosed the valley and that was especially high at this point. Everywhere between the leafless boughs hung snow covered vines and lianas. “Vines are everywhere around here. Oh yes, they are! Yep, yep, yep!” By her last words Ducky had started to hop around enraptured. She seemed to be really most enthusiastically about her plan. Finally she ran over to the copse of trees with the vines.
The others followed her hesitating. When they arrived at the copse of trees Ducky already tried to pull a vine that hung nearly down to the ground, out of one treetop.
“Now take it slowly Ducky!” said Littlefoot. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Ducky looked at him offended and asked: “Why not? Huh?”
“Firstly I don’t believe the vines would hold very long and secondly we wouldn’t be able to return. Who knows where this river runs.” Finally Ducky nodded and sighed.
“And moreover we don’t have enough time”, added Littlefoot.
“Not enough time?” asked Cera and looked at Littlefoot frowning, but she didn’t get an answer. “Does anyone have another suggestion?” asked Ali. After a long pause during which everyone thought intensely Spike got up and made a face as if he had an idea. He ran over to the rocky wall, looked around for a moment and seemed to find what he was looking for. He went over to a small boulder that lay nearby and rolled it over to the rocky wall. Then he searched anew, found another big stone and shoved it to the boulder. He repeated this again and again and the heap of stones that lay in front of the rocky wall grew. Spike’s doing was a riddle to the others until Ducky said finally: “I believe Spiky wants to pile up rocks so high that we can climb over them and out of the valley.”
Spike who had heard her words nodded eagerly, but made a somewhat mortified face when the others burst into laughter. Still laughing Ducky said: “Oh no little brother we really can’t do that. By the time we would be done with that, the cold time would be probably over.” Spike looked at her questioning; he didn’t see why that was so bad. “There is not enough left to eat for us over such a long time”, explained Ali; from the corner of her eyes she saw that Chomper nodded agreeing.
Spike understood that and he uttered a disappointed sigh.
“Moreover I don’t think that there are enough stones around here”, said Cera.
“And we must get away from here sooner”, added Littlefoot thinking of the sharptooth.
“Why do we have to go that soon?” asked Ducky.
“Yes, why are you in such a hurry?” Cera inquired distrustful.
“Be... because...”, stammered Littlefoot searching for a credible excuse, still not wanting to tell his friends about the sharptooth without knowing for sure what prevented him from doing so. He crossed his hind legs inconspicuously. “...here isn’t enough food.”
“But Ali had said just that already”, Cera stated with increasing mistrust.
Littlefoot blushed and tried to act as if he hadn’t remembered that before. But Littlefoot wasn’t a good actor. Ali stepped forward, pushing him a bit to the side. She too crossed her hind legs inconspicuously.
“We all want to return to our families as soon as possible, don’t we?” Petrie, Spike, Ducky and Chomper nodded and Cera didn’t say anything more. By Ali’s words a thought had come to Littlefoot’s mind for a moment, but before he had really grasped it, it was gone already.
For a moment he tried to remember the thought, but it didn’t come back and finally Littlefoot gave up on it. It certainly hadn’t been that important.
Finally Ali said: “We still haven’t found a possibility how to get out of here. I suggest that we check if there is yet any place where we can climb up the rocky walls.”
Littlefoot sighed; he didn’t seem to be very confident.
“Well, come on. What other choice do we have?”
They walked slowly along the rocky wall for a while inspecting it searching for a possible way out. Littlefoot cast an unsure look over to the other bank where the fire still blustered for his relief; so the sharptooth still had to stand inactively on top of Chomper’s rock.
Ali fell behind a bit, as she eyed the rocks most carefully. Cera realized that and went slower to let herself drop behind to Ali.
“Is there anything you and Littlefoot conceal from us?” asked Cera Ali so suddenly that Ali, who was completely absorbed in inspecting the rock twitched frightened. The others were too far ahead to hear them; they didn’t have to keep down their voices.
“What makes you think so?” answered Ali evasively and went on slowly not to attract the others’ attention. “You crossed your legs when we asked about Littlefoot hurry. And I believe Littlefoot hasn’t told us the whole truth either.”
Ali didn’t answer. She didn’t know at all what to reply. Cera had looked through them, and for a moment she was close to tell Cera about the sharptooth, but she remembered Littlefoot who didn’t want to tell the others about the sharptooth. Cera was looking at her impatient, almost grimly; she had to tell her anything.
“You’re right”, muttered Ali like she was afraid the others would hear her.
“And?” Cera asked apparently somewhat placated, “Did anything happen?”
“Ahem well, yes, but it’s a secret.” Cera looked at Ali expectantly.
“I mustn’t tell you”, Ali repeated. Angry Cera snorted, lifted her horn and ran after the others.
Ali stayed behind feeling quite dismayed. Cera seemed to be really mad. Finally Ali went on slowly and let her eye travel along the rocky wall.
“Here! Here it could be possible!” Ali shouted suddenly and looked up the rocky wall that rose aside her. The others, including Cera who hadn’t caught up with the others yet, turned back on the spot. For the moment she seemed to have forgotten about her anger because of Ali’s discovery. When everybody had arrived by Ali Ducky stepped towards her shaking her head. “Oh no I’ll never make it up there!”
And she made a helpless gesture up the steep rock. Spike nodded agreeing and uttered a hopeless moaning. The others too didn’t look exactly hopeful. The rocky wall was especially high here, but in different intervals shelves and ledges projected from the wall, some of which were even big large enough to offer room for all of them. The rocky wall cambered inwards several times, so it sloped nearly gently at some points to become steeper and steeper, almost perpendicular the farther you got.
“Do you honestly think that we can go up here?” asked Cera Ali unsure.
Ali shrugged. “I don’t know. But look around! The rest of the rocky wall around here looks even more difficult to me!” And Ali made a far-reaching gesture that enclosed the rocky walls all around.
“So we try?!” It was not really certain if Littlefoot’s words had been a question or a statement, but Ali nodded, took a few steps distance from the rocky wall, and then she rushed forward determined to make it.
She had gained a lot of impetus through the short run, and she needed it. Though the incline was gentle at first, it became steeper and steeper with every step. Suddenly Ali saw the first ledge in front of her, but at the same time she felt that their was none of the impetus left she had gained during the run so she would slide backwards the next moment. Once more she tensed every muscle, pushed off from the ground and caught the edge of the ledge with her forelegs. Moaning she pulled herself up and finally stood on the ledge. When she heard the others applauding she blushed a bit and called to them: “Come on! Now it is your turn!”
The others hesitated and finally it was Chomper who stepped forward first. A bad feeling overcame Ali when she saw how the little sharptooth took a long run in bowed pose and rushed towards the rocky wall with an astonishing speed.
Chomper too managed just barely to catch the edge of the ledge, and there was an ugly grating sound when his claws scratched over the stone leaving thin white lines behind.
Ali shuddered, but when she saw that Chomper wouldn’t manage to pull himself over the edge of the ledge with his scrawny arms she grasped at him instinctively and pulled him up. “Thanks!” gasped Chomper when he stood aside Ali on the ledge taking a deep breath.
She just nodded, but suddenly she couldn’t help smiling.
“Very well...”, Ducky interrupted the cheers of her friends below, “...but I would like to know how you think Spike and I shall go up there. Yes, I would like to know that.”
She pointed up to Chomper and Ali. “Climb on my back!” said Cera and Ducky took seat behind her neckshield. Slowly, but increasing her speed with every step Cera ran towards the rocky wall. Ducky clung to the neckshield tighter and tighter for the inclination became steeper and steeper with every step Cera took until so she finally dangled from the shield rather than she sat on Cera’s back. When Cera felt the impetus of her run was gone she jumped just like Ali and Chomper had done. But Cera didn’t reach the edge. Although she had jumped off from the ground with all her strength she didn’t come high enough. She lost her balance and tumbled over backwards down the rocky wall. Littlefoot, Spike, Petrie, Chomper and Ali cried out terrified and except for Chomper and Ali who had to watch inactively from the ledge everybody ran to the place where Cera had come to lie.
But before they had even reached her Cera stood up slowly and groaning. She didn’t seem to be hurt apart from some bumps and bruises and Ducky who had cowered down trembling behind Cera’s neckshield had gotten away with the fright. Once Ducky had more or less recovered from the fright Cera said: “That won’t do. Alone I would certainly make it, but Ducky is pretty heavy and...”
“I’m not that heavy at all!” Ducky interrupted Cera and she set her arms akimbo angrily. “Never mind Cera!” Littlefoot intervened hasty to prevent an imminent quarrel between Ducky and Cera, who seemed to be a bit embarrassed because of her fall.
“There must be another way for you Ducky.” Littlefoot pondered for a moment and then he turned to Petrie. “Do you think that you can carry Ducky up there?” Petrie looked first at Littlefoot, then at Ducky and then at the rocky wall. Finally he shook his head slightly.
“Way up to there? Too far! Me no make that!”
“And if...”, Littlefoot pondered on, “...Ducky runs up there as far as she can and you support her on the last part?”
Petrie eyed the rock thoughtfully again. “Maybe me make it. Me must try!”
“You really want to try it?” Littlefoot asked. “It could be dangerous, especially for you Ducky.”
Petrie nodded and looked at Ducky. She nipped her beak and nodded too then.
“Do I have a choice?” she asked and with an invidiously look at Cera she said: “I hope I’m not too heavy for Petrie. At all events everything is better than to try on Cera’s back again!” “Hey!” Cera cried angrily and made a threatening leap towards Ducky. But Littlefoot stepped between them and shouted: “Stop it! We don’t have enough time for that!”
Reminded of her previous anger Cera answered fiercely: “Oh my! Why not?”
Littlefoot looked at her surprised and cast a short glimpse to Ali. But for his relief Cera left it at that. Ducky took a run and asked Petrie who flew close above her: “Come when I call you!” “Petrie stays with you! Me’ll hold you tight!” Ducky smiled nervously and mumbled a short thanks, then she ran off. First it worked out quite well, but the steeper the rock became the slower became her steps. The fast run became a shaky clambering up. Ducky felt how small stones loosened from the rock below her feet. “Only some more steps”, she thought.
But then she lost her foothold and fell backwards. “Peeetrriiiieeeee!” she shrieked and waved wildly around in the air with her arms. She felt how she was snatched at the shoulders and what followed then resembled more to a very far jump than to a flight. They clapped heavily on the rock, but they had made it. Ali and Chomper helped them to get back to their feet and from below the cheers of Littlefoot, Spike and a bit restrained those from Cera sounded up to them. “And now it’s your turn Spike”, said Littlefoot. Spike looked at him with such a how-shall-I-possibly-make-that?-mien that Littlefoot added hasty: “Don’t worry! We help you. Won’t we Cera?”
“Of course”, Cera said with such an edgy voice that Littlefoot stared at her astonished for a moment. Spike ran off. Cera and Littlefoot heeled him. First Spike got on very well, but when the rock became steeper he began to skid backwards slowly, no matter how much he tried to get on. “Go Cera!” shouted Littlefoot and both pushed Spike forward with all their might. They succeeded to shove him on slowly. Petrie came flapping over to them and pulled on Spike’s back, without achieving anything though.
He and Cera wouldn’t be able to keep Spike up much longer thought Littlefoot. But suddenly the weight grew less. They had made it close enough to the ledge, so Ali and a moment later Chomper and Ducky could grasp Spike too. The next moment Spike made to reach the edge with his forelegs and with Ali’s, Chomper’s, Ducky’s and Petrie’s support he pulled himself up to them. Littlefoot and Cera skidded back down the rocky slope, but they didn’t tumble over and thus remained unscratched.
“Are you alright Cera?” asked Littlefoot while he shook his feet a bit to relax them after the effort, but Cera didn’t answer and just took a run again.
“What’s the matter with you Cera?” asked Littlefoot while he approached her.
“Nothing at all!” Cera answered with an angry voice that sounded far more as if she wanted to say: “There is a lot of matter with me and that is your fault!” Confused Littlefoot looked after Cera, who reached the ledge this time. Littlefoot followed her and made it too.
For hours they made their way up over the ledges. It was a strength consuming way.
On one ledge Littlefoot kept Ali back inconspicuously when she wanted to set off for the next ledge. He waited until the others, Spike and Ducky again with the other’s support, had arrived on the next ledge and then he asked Ali quietly: “Do you have and idea what’s the matter with Cera? Wasn’t she with you a short while ago?”
Ali nodded: “She noted that we’re concealing something from her and the others.
Shouldn’t we tell them everything? They won’t panic.”
Littlefoot considered for a moment and shook his head then. Ali shrugged.
“What are you waiting for?” Ducky called down to them. “Yes! While we have so little time!” Cera added grimly. Littlefoot and Ali followed the others hasty.
Chapter XXXII
The sun approached the horizon when they finally reached the last ledge before the edge of the crater-like valley. The air was very stuffy because of the smoke, for the fire still burned at many places in the valley. They all were very exhausted. And when Cera saw the last slope of the rocky wall, which was steeper and higher than most of the previous, she let herself drop sprawling and didn’t move anymore. Everybody looked at her for a while. Finally Littlefoot stepped forward and asked carefully: “Cera?”
“I can’t go on anymore! It was in vain”, Cera answered faintly.
“What do you mean?” Littlefoot asked worried.
“Go on! I stay here!”
“Here?” Petrie asked upset.
“Stop being silly! Get up Cera, and come on!” Littlefoot said beseeching.
“No, I’m done up.”
“Cera...”
“Leave her Littlefoot!” Chomper interrupted him and cast an imploring look at him and the others. “It is a simple fact that threehorns are weaker than other kinds and...”
“What?! Weaker?!” shouted Cera furiously and jumped up.
Chomper had intentionally hit a very sensitive nerve of Cera’s mind, and she reacted just like he had hoped. “I’ll show you if threehorns are weaker!”
Cera shouted angrily; stormed up the rocky wall and reached the edge of the crater. Triumphing she turned round looked down at the others and said to Chomper:
“So, do you still think that threehorns are weaker than others?”
Chomper shook his head and was all grins. “No Cera. And to be honest I never did. But it seems to me that at times they need some prodding before they show it. Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t get up there?” Cera looked around surprised and even she couldn’t help grinning when the others burst with laughter.
One by one the others too made to come up to Cera with their last strength. Up there they rested for a moment at the edge of the Valley. In front of them was the low snowy ridge of a hill that blocked their sight. Littlefoot looked back into the valley above, which dense columns of smoke rose up to the sky. Roughly in the center of the valley, that resembled to a huge meteoric crater, he recognized the volcano that had, still spiting embers now and then, assumed a multiple of its size in the morning. Littlefoot also saw Chomper’s rock, but he still couldn’t recognize through the smoke if the sharptooth was still on it. He noted that fires had broken out also at some spots places at this side of the river in the meantime. The valley offered a gloomy view. Cera got up and slowly went towards the low ridge to cast a look on the region they would have to cross during the next days. “Come on!” Littlefoot said to the others, “Lets search for a place we can spend the night. Perhaps we even find something to eat. I’m really very hungry.”
The others got up and followed Littlefoot who went after Cera who hadn’t yet reached the crest of the hill. When Cera arrived there she seemed to freeze in the motion.
The spirits were low and Littlefoot wanted to cheer the others up a bit. “We did it!”
he said, “We are out of this valley. Now we simply need to recover our families.”
Cera turned back to Littlefoot slowly and looked at him so angry as if he had said something nasty.
“I believe that this could take quite a while!” she said very earnest.
“Why? What’s the matter now?” he called angry about Cera disturbing his attempts to encourage the others. He ran towards Cera and wanted to say something more, but whatever it was, he never said it, for now he could look over the ridge of the hill too.
In front of him spread a landscape of the highest and most pathless mountains he had ever seen. Behind every of the giant mountains another one seemed to rise that was even higher. Most of the slopes were snow-covered, but others, which were probably leeward most of the time, or simply too steep, were entirely free of snow.
Like a crack in the earth the canyon, through which the river from the Valley ran, cut through the landscape. Some mountain slopes were covered with large coniferous forests.
Ali regained her speech first: “Maybe it is good that we couldn’t walk through the canyon. Who knows where it ends and when we would have found anything to eat again.”
Littlefoot nodded and pointed at one of the coniferous forests with his head.
“Yes. At least we won’t be starving.”
“You won’t”, said Chomper gloomy.
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I enjoyed reading this, the characters seem fleshed out well. Imagine if one of the movies had been a bit more like this. Though it would have to be more like a mini series likely also.
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This is in part because the story sort of "outlived" itself as movies were released meanwhile which strongly contradict "Old Threehorns" (which tells a different story about Littlefoot's dad and features Cera's mother as a character).
Malte, don't be discouraged by what the "official" LBT storyline has been. Imagination is one of only a few things in life one does not have limitations to. It is your dream, your story, your idea. Go for it, man. Keep on sticking to your fanfic :yes.
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^ It is a "moral conflict" of sorts ;)
I have always been one of the loudest advocates for the idea of keeping fanfictions in accordance with the movies. Therefore it would be kind of strange for me to write a story that does no longer comply with the movies. Then again I must say that at least in some respects the story is more in accordance with the earlier movies than LBT 10 and the later sequels are.
Here are the next chapters of the Cold Time:
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Chapter XXXIII
Not far away there was a cave in a mountain. It was on the usually leeward, and thus less snowy side of the mountain, so the inhabitants of the cave didn’t have to life with the fear that an avalanche could block the entrance of the cave.
Those inhabitants were Ozzy and Strut, two eggeaters. The very eggeaters from whom Littlefoot and his friends had saved Chomper back then when they had met for the first time, and from whom Chomper had saved them later. Chomper had been the wanted prey then, as the eggeaters didn’t hesitate to make a young hatchling their meal if they managed to catch one. During such an occasion Ozzy and Strut had been surprised by Chomper’s parents. Though they had escaped the furious sharpteeth then, they hadn’t ever dared to enter the vicinity of the Great Valley again. During the warm time dinosaur herds had often crossed the mountains or had even stayed here for a while, and Ozzy and Strut who knew nearly every square-centimeter of the nearby mountains in the meantime had made plenty enough prey. But now quite a while had passed already since a herd had come past the last time, and also the more settled saurians had moved on by and by, when the cold time hadn’t passed as usually.
Ozzy and Strut however still hadn’t made up their minds to move on, although there was hardly anything left to eat for them.
The mountains with their uncountable hiding places had been the best imaginable hunting ground they could find. Since then they had barely scraped by, by feeding on small lizards and other little animals whose burrows they located to surprise them in their winter sleep. Strut, who was not only far more simple than his brother, but also felt much less bound to eat just eggs and meat, had more ant more frequently satisfied his hunger at the numerous evergreen conifers, when he felt unobserved by his brother. And even Ozzy, who would have never tolerated his brother doing this, had sneaked to the conifers no and then to satisfy his hunger with this “nasty green stuff”, as he never got tired to call it with the uttermost scorn when his brother was around.
They had been sitting in the hindmost and warmest corner of the cave for the whole day and they hadn’t exchanged a single word so far. For many hours Ozzy killed the time with his favorite game, the only that was possible here at the time at all. He tried to hit stones with smaller stones he throw from ever increasing distances and as there hadn’t been any other occupation, except for sleeping and foraging for food, for what seemed like an eternity, it hardly ever happened that one of the stones missed its target.
Strut was struggling for a long time already to make up his mind and say something to his brother, but he didn’t really dare it, as he foresaw that one of Ozzy’s dreadful outbursts would be the result.
But Strut couldn’t stand the silence, that was interrupted only by the clicking of the stones, any longer. And so he took all his courage together and said: “Ozzy?”
Ozzy stopped throwing stones and turned his face to him.
“Ozzy I’m hungry”, wailed Strut who regretted it, almost the moment he uttered these words almost as quietly as he possibly could. But despite of that Ozzy had understood him very well. He whirled around furiously and shouted far louder than necessary: “And what do you expect me to do about it? I’m hungry too! I can’t conjure eggs you know!”
Even more discouraged than before Strut suggested: “We could go to the trees with the needles and...” Ozzy jumped at Strut, and Strut shrieked terrified.
“Like it wasn’t bad enough...”, thought Ozzy “...that he himself had already humiliated himself by eating this disgusting, nasty green stuff secretly. Why did his brother have to suggest that openly?”
“Shut up you grasseater! I’m really ashamed for having something like you in my family!” cried Ozzy angrily. Strut cowered up a bit and sighed quietly. “But what else can we eat?” Ozzy snorted furiously, but he didn’t give an answer. Finally he turned round and continued with his stone throwing game. Strut stood up quietly and went past Ozzy to the entrance of the cave. He had never really understood his brother’s abhorrence of plants.
No doubt an egg or a piece of meat was better, but Strut didn’t find the green stuff nearly as terrible as his brother always described it. And so long there was nothing else...
Strut walked a few steps out of the cave into the icy coldness. It was reviving to breathe fresh air again, for it was very stuffy in the cave, but it was also really chilly. Strut already wanted to turn back to return into the warmth of the cave, when he recognized some indistinct shapes climbing up a mountain not very far away.
“Ozzy come here!” called Strut into the cave.
“What’s up?” Ozzy asked irritated when he appeared in the cave’s entrance a few moments later. He still seemed to be angry.
“There are somebodies”, answered Strut and pointed at the shapes that stood out distinctly against the snowy slope of the mountain. Immediately Ozzy pushed past Strut.
“Where? Where is them?” Ozzy asked impatiently.
“Over there!” answered Strut pointing at the mountain slope.
Now Ozzy spotted them too. He shielded his eyes against the light with one hand and his eyes narrowed to thin slits.
“Those are very young”, he muttered. “Easy catches. But, but those are...” Ozzy whirled around to Strut. “It’s them!”
“Who?”
“This dreadful grasseaters we came across in that great valley and who nearly feed us to two sharpteeth!”
“Oh, are the sharpteeth with them?” Strut asked alarmed.
“Nope”, answered Ozzy, “Only the little one. And it appears that they got some addition.
It was only one longneck last time, wasn’t it?”
Strut nodded and said: “And when we wanted to throw him down the Great Wall the sharpteeth came.”
Ozzy gave an evil grin. “It may be time to finish the job today little brother! There are plenty enough steep walls around here. And who knows, perhaps the smaller of them are even edible.” Ozzy laughed and Strut joined in, though his laughter didn’t sound thoroughly convinced. Ozzy however became serious again quickly.
“Now come on Strut! They haven’t seen us so far, and sure enough they needn’t to.
They’re probably looking for a place to spend the night. From the mountain’s top they can certainly see our cave. They’ll come here, and we’ll be ready to give them a warm welcome!” Strut nodded eagerly.
“Now come on!” said Ozzy impatiently and ran off so quickly that Strut could hardly keep up with him.
Chapter XXXIV
The gloomy mood hadn’t passed. Littlefoot didn’t really understand the cause for it, but he noted that it had affected everyone. They were struggling up to the top of a very high mountain to, as Littlefoot had suggested, look out for a suitable sleeping place from up there. It was an exhausting climb through deep snow, although the mountain was not very steep. Ducky had taken seat on Spike’s back again, as the snow here lay higher than she could handle. Cera wasn’t exactly helping in terms of lifting their spirits.
“How do we know at all, that it is warmer in this direction? We are so long on the move since we’ve left the Great Valley, but still it is not any warmer.” Cera pulled a face.
“We’re nearly on the top”, said Littlefoot just to change the topic.
The sun was not far above the western horizon anymore, when they reached the rocky summit a short while later. The view from up there was great. The snowfields glistened and shone in blinding bright where the dwindling light of the sun fell onto them, while the every place in some mountain’s shade and the steep snow free slopes seemed to be very dark, almost black. If the mountains hadn’t blocked the sight in every direction Littlefoot had not been surprised if they had been able to see their parents from up here. Behind the mountains to their rear a column of black smoke rose to the sky and showed roughly the position of the valley they had left behind. Suddenly Ali jumped up and stared at the horizon. “What’s the matter Ali?” Littlefoot asked surprised. “Over there! Do you see it too?”
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/08Signofhope.jpg)
Nobody knew what Ali meant. “Do you mean the rainbow?” Ducky asked finally.
Far ahead in the direction in which the sun had its highest stand during the day, dark clouds had gathered and when they looked carefully they could recognize a colorful rainbow that vaulted from the clouds down to the earth.
Ali nodded. “Yes, of course I mean it.”
“And what’s so special about it?” Cera asked irritated.
“Did you ever see a rainbow without rain?”
“Yes! Two even, at the waterfall in front of the cave to the land of mists.”
Ali rolled her eyes impatiently. “Yes, but there was water in the air too.”
Chomper seemed to understand suddenly what Ali was aiming at.
“You mean...” Ali nodded again. “Exactly.”
“Would you mind telling us what’s up?” Cera required angrily.
“If you’ve never seen a rainbow without water in the air, and if you now see a rainbow over there, what does that mean to you?”
“That there’s bad weather ahead?” Cera asked bored.
Petrie suddenly jumped up and fell down from Littlefoot’s head where he had sat so far.
It seemed he too had picked up the point.
“That it is raining over there!” said Ali, and now it was her who sounded impatiently.
“And if there’s rain over there, then it means that it has to be warmer over there.”
Nobody spoke for a moment. Then Ducky uttered an exulting cry, jumped on a small boulder that towered out of the snow aside Spike and hugged her “little brother” as far as possible. Petrie made his way out of the snow into which he had dropped and flew in circles and loops on the sky until he was done up and landed on Littlefoot’s head again. Littlefoot embraced Ali and Cera romped wildly around in the snow with Spike, forgetting all about her previous defeatism. The low spirits were gone without leaving a trace. Ducky and Chomper formed snowballs out of the snow. “Didn’t you say you don’t believe that it is warmer over there”, called Ducky to Cera and the next moment her snowball burst asunder at Cera’s horn.
“Hey! Watch it!” called Cera and swept a charge of snow at Ducky and Chomper with a movement of one of her forelegs. Chomper lost his balance and fell. Standing up he hurled a snowball at Cera. But this time Cera was prepared. She stepped aside and Chomper’s snowball hit Spike. Spike wanted to sweep snow at Chomper like Cera had done, but he hit Littlefoot and Ali. The snowball fight was in full progress and it took a while until everybody was fed up with it and looked out for a resting place.
“There! Over there!” called Ducky and pointed at a shady place at the snow-free slope of a mountain nearby. When they looked carefully they recognized a dark hole in the rocky wall, the entrance of a cave. “Perfect!” called Littlefoot. “Could it possibly be any better?”
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Your writing is very good and the characters well portrayed.
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Thanks for posting these next few chapters. I enjoyed reading them. :yes
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Thank you for your responses :)
They are really encouraging. But please don't be shy to let me know if there is anything you want to criticize. I can stand constructive criticism.
Here is the next chapter:
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Chapter XXXV
A narrow rocky ledge that ran along an extremely steep slope seemed to be the only way to the cave. A short distance before the cave it made a bend around a high and steep ridge that blocked the sight ahead. They set off for the cave in good spirits and as their way ran along the almost free of snow leeward side of a steep mountain they got on quickly. The way made several turns around rocky projections and they hoped to see the cave every time they walked around a bend. Behind the big mountain ridge the rocky ledge, that had been so narrow so far, that only two of them could walk side by side, broadened. This sure was a benefit, as they had cast uneasy looks down the all too close steep slope to their right till now. Now the way broadened to a big open place. Big boulders lay around along on the left side that bordered to steep rocky walls. As they crossed the place Cera eyed the boulders worried and said:
“Look out. It seems that there falling rocks around here very often. That’s very dangerous.” “Here are some more things dangerous for you!” a voice said suddenly from behind a big boulder in front of them where the place narrowed to a thinner rocky ledge again.
They all startled and from behind the boulder Ozzy stepped forward laughing maliciously. “The eggeater!” shouted Ducky terrified pointing at Ozzy. They all whirled around, but Strut had appeared from behind a rock nearby the point where the way began to broaden.
He cut their only escape route.
“Oh no!” shrieked Petrie, “The eggeaters!”
“Are that...”, Ali asked Littlefoot quietly and he nodded already before she had finished.
“The eggeaters. The very same we met when we came to know Chomper.”
Not only Littlefoot, but also each of the others had become pale. Ozzy had understood Littlefoot’s words and nodded now. “So you recognize us after such a long time. By the way it is not very polite to let old acquaintances wait so long. I already thought that you had seen Strut and wouldn’t come anymore at all.”
He grinned spitefully and went slowly some steps towards Littlefoot and Ali, who fell back from him instinctively. The grinning in Ozzy’s face became even more maliciously, as far as this was possible at all. Suddenly Littlefoot bumped into Spike who had fallen back from Strut, who approached from the other side. Cera looked at Ozzy challenging and pawed over the ground with one of her hooves, but when Strut came nearer and nearer from the other side and when all of the others had already fallen back to the rocky wall she lost her courage too and retreated back to the others. Ozzy laughed sneering and Cera seemed to take this as a personal insult. Ali and Spike had to stop her from trying to attack Ozzy inconsiderately.
She wouldn’t have a chance against the eggeater who was more than thrice as tall as she was. The eggeaters still came nearer, while they couldn’t retreat any further, with the rocky wall in their back. Strut made an imitation of Ozzy’s grin, that seemed pitiable compared to his brother’s grin, but nothing less mean. Ozzy enjoyed the triumph. He let his eyes travel from one to the next and took pleasure in the fear he saw.
“Ozzy?” asked Strut. “What is it?” “What are we doing with them now?”
Ozzy gave him a look that seemed to say: “Is that not clear you fool?”
But still Ozzy deigned to spell it out for his brother.
“Didn’t you listened to me before? We had to flee from the valley because of them, from the valley where there would have been enough eggs to feed us forever. Because of them we nearly burned in a torrent of lava! They spoiled at least a dozen meals for us! They’ve nearly fed us to two grownup sharpteeth and because of this miniature of a sharptooth...”, he pointed at Chomper, “...or rather because of his mere shadow we’ve even jumped down a steep rock. Gee, I still haven’t forgotten about all the bumps and bruises it earned us. We’ll simply throw them down there.” He pointed over his shoulder at the abyss behind him. “Right here it is even higher and steeper than the Great Wall in the valley was.”
Littlefoot and his friends became even paler than they had been already.
“But who knows”, Ozzy continued and eyed Ducky and Petrie who tried to hide from his look behind their bigger friends. “Maybe some of them are even eatable.”
Petrie ducked down behind Cera’s neckshield and Ducky’s face became nearly white as snow. Ozzy looked at the others cursory. “Don’t you think that I let myself be eaten by you that easily you stinky eggrobber!” growled Cera. Littlefoot who had to strain already to breathe admired her courage. “You think we’re asking for your permission?” answered Ozzy and laughed shortly about his own joke. “But don’t you worry. We’ll just throw you down there.” He pointed at Cera, Littlefoot, Spike and Ali and then again over his shoulder at the abyss. “You’re already too big and too tough to be eaten. Me and Strut are no sharpteeth.”
By his last words he turned to Chomper. And he really became radiant with malicious joy when he stepped towards him. “Speaking of sharpteeth, you’ve grown since we met last time.”
“While you haven’t changed at all”, answered Chomper with bitter sarcasm. Ozzy guffawed before he answered: “And you’ve even got the hang of speaking! I never heard of a speaking sharptooth, but you seem to be half a grasseater anyway.”
“I am not!” said Chomper and it should sound threatening, but he spoke quietly and it sounded nearly sorrowfully. “Then you probably would like to be one”, answered Ozzy and cast a short look glimpse at Strut who stood behind him grinning silly and making sure that nobody could flee. “I think that you would get on well with my brother. Sometimes I’ve the impression that he would like to be a leafeater too.” Ozzy pulled a disgusted face and said scornfully: “You’ve simply no pride!”
“But Ozzy! How can you say that?” Strut asked insulted. Ozzy made only a disdainful movement with his hand and turned to Chomper again without deigning to look at his brother. “You...”, said Ozzy threatening, “...have nearly fed us to your parents! Usually I don’t eat anything of your size, but in your case I’ll make an exception!”
And Ozzy stepped directly to Chomper and bent down to him laughing.
What followed happened so quickly that everybody had only vague memories to these instants later. Two claws of one of Chomper’s hands flashed in the evening sun when he raised one arm and slashed at Ozzy’s nose within few split seconds. Ozzy had not expected this. Chomper’s claws left two deep, bleeding scratches on Ozzy’s nose and the eggeater jumped back howling, and pressing both hands firmly on his injured nose.
“Run!” cried Chomper and rushed past Ozzy who was completely busy with his nose for the moment. Cera reacted immediately. Uttering a shrill whoop and lowering her head threateningly, she rushed at Strut who seemed to be even more surprised than his brother.
Ali and Littlefoot followed right behind Cera. With an inelegant hop Strut avoided Cera and she ran past him. Petrie, who had fallen from Cera’s head when she had suddenly rushed forward, jumped up from the ground and soared vertically up into the air. “Stop them!” shrieked Ozzy at the top of his voice and glared over his hands, he still pressed onto his nose, at his brother furiously. Spike with Ducky on his back was trying to get past Strut.
Strut decided, that the fury of his brother was for sure worse than everything this little leafeaters could inflict on him, and he jumped into Spike’s way. Spike cried out frightened when Strut stood right in front of him suddenly, but he reacted with a presence of mind he didn’t show very often. With an adroitly turn he evaded Strut’s foot, slipped through between the eggeater’s legs before this could even react and ran on. But Ducky hadn’t been prepared for Spike’s sudden movement, had fallen down from his back and had tumbled onto the ground heavily. She propped up on her palms and cried after Spike in panic:
“Spiky! Wait for me! Spike!”
But he was already too far away to hear her. She was too slow to flee from the eggeaters, one of which stood directly above her. She ran forward as fast as she could, but she had barely done a few steps when two big hands closed around her and lifted her up from the ground. Ducky closed her eyes firmly. What would these eggeaters do with her now? She trembled but in spite of her fear she blinked carefully. The eggeater who had jumped into Spike’s way held her clenched in one hand, and the other one, the one whom Chomper had scratched the nose, approached. He nearly seemed to burst with fury and yelled at the other eggeater angrily. “Why did you let them escape?” The other eggeater answered audibly intimidated. “But Ozzy, they didn’t all escape.”
And he handed Ducky over to the eggeater with the bloody nose. Ducky thought her heart would stop beating when he snatched at her and held her with two fingers in front of his face eyeing her derogatory.
“And that’s all?” he scolded. “We had all this grasseaters in our hand and they escaped only because of you!” Ducky saw that the other eggeater twitched by his brother’s words as if he would beat him. The eggeater with the scratched nose dealt the other one a lash with his tail and focused his attention to Ducky again.
“That’s at most only a snack”, he growled. “Hardly enough for me alone.”
And he held Ducky only a tiny distance from his face. “I’ll faint”, thought Ducky.
But then she heard the eggeater, who had more or less found back to his malicious grinning, saying: “It seems like your friends forsook you.”
Ducky had mortal fear but the words of the eggeater drove her mad.
“That’s not true!” she cried. “They’ll never forsake me!”
And then she kicked, without thinking about it, against Ozzy’s bloody nose as violently as she could. The eggeater howled again and pressed his hands on his nose whereby he let Ducky simply drop. Ducky fell hard on the ground and she got a blackout for a moment.
“I must get away from here!” she thought. “Maybe I can escape. And if I don’t...”, she didn’t pursue the though to the end. Ducky got up and reeled some steps forward. But the next moment somebody dealt her a push, she fell forward and felt how the hand of one of the eggeaters closed around her again.
“I got her Ozzy!” the eggeater called to the one with the bleeding nose triumphing, “I caught her again!”
Ozzy rubbed over his nose with one hand and growled: “If you had let her escape too now...”
There was a throbbing feeling in Ducky’s head. Again and again a black veil seemed to lay over her eyes when she lost her consciousness for some seconds. She heard the words of the eggeaters only indistinctly and didn’t get the sense of the words. She tried with all her will to withstand the unconsciousness.
Strut knew that his brother would probably punish him for letting the kids escape. Strut didn’t think that it was only his fault, but he didn’t dare to say that, otherwise Ozzy would probably explode with rage. Now it was essential to get on good terms with his brother and suddenly Strut had an idea that would, if it worked, probably conciliate Ozzy.
“Give her to me! She is mine!” growled Ozzy and drove his palm over his aching nose again sucking air in between his teeth hissing.
“Wait Ozzy I have and idea.”
“What?” hissed Ozzy impatiently.
“Didn’t you hear what she just said?”
“That’s all the same to me!” said Ozzy furiously, “Hand her over!” He prepared to deal his brother another lash with his tail.
“She said her friends would never forsake her”, said Strut hasty.
“So what?” roared Ozzy and tried to snatch Ducky from his brother who could only just pull back his hands. “We just have to keep her and when the others come to free her...”
Strut didn’t have to say anything more. Ozzy’s mien brightened from one second to the next and he even seemed to forget about his aching nose.
“That’s it!” he shouted, “A great idea!” Ozzy ran towards his brother and seemed to want to embrace him. In the last moment he stopped and said with an severe tone again:
“Come! We go back!”
With that he turned round and went back the way to the cave. Strut, who held Ducky clutched in one hand, followed him. Ducky in her semiconscious state hadn’t understood the talk of the two eggsnatchers but when she looked up now to the darkening sky she saw a tiny shape that detached from the rocks and flapped away. Ducky looked after Petrie as long as possible and the serious her situation was, it was still a comforting thought that her friends would do everything to get her out.
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Quite well written and an interesting place to stop. If it were on tv that would be a good place for a commercial.
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I'm sorry, I forgot about the cliff hanging ;)
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter XXXVI
Spike had run as quick as he could. He didn’t dare to look back to revise check if he was pursued. The one eggeater had missed to catch him by a hair and Spike preferred not to think over what they would have done with him. After a while, he had reached a pretty narrow part of the way in the meantime, he listened back and didn’t hear anything, so he was probably not pursued. He ran some more steps, stopped then and turned round. There was really nobody behind him and Spike uttered a sigh of relief. Unfortunately there was nobody in front of him either; he had lost his friends out of sight already shortly after the beginning of their flight. Where might they be? Suddenly anything grasped him and pulled tore him back. Spike cried frightened and tried to run away but somebody held him firmly he felt how he was pulled over the edge of the rocky path, fell a surprisingly low distance and how a big hand lay over his mouth the next moment. “Quiet Spike! Be completely quiet!” Spike closed his eyes with relief for some seconds and breathed deeply when he heard Littlefoot’s voice. When he opened his eyes again he shuffled Cera’s hand from his mouth and then he looked around. Not only Littlefoot and Cera, but also Chomper and Ali were there. They stood on a small rocky projection that was just big enough for all of them. It was only a short distance below the rocky path and it was an ideal hiding place. “But if they would discover us nevertheless...”, Spike thought with discomfort, “...then we would have no possibility to flee anymore.”
“Are they after you?” Ali whispered worriedly. Spike shrugged and made a movement with his head that could mean nearly everything. “Chomper has discovered this hiding place on the way to the cave”, Littlefoot murmured to Spike. “Mum!” Cera hissed angry, “Or they’ll here us when they come.” Minutes passed without any noise. The sun cast her last beams over the mountain’s tops and the cutting coldness of the night set in when Littlefoot uttered a sigh of relief and said: “They don’t come. Not today.” He grinned to them confidently and to Chomper he said: “That was great Chomper! This repugnant eggeater surely hasn’t expected that. For sure his nose is still hurting.” But Chomper didn’t chime in the following laughter. Instead he starred at Spike and asked frightened: “Where is Ducky? Wasn’t she with you? And where’s Petrie?” Spike dislocated his head and looked at his back. First now he noted Ducky’s missing absence and he howled up loudly. “Hist!” hissed Cera and laid one hand over his mouth hasty again. “Maybe they are still nearby and they mustn’t hear us.” “Perhaps she has escaped too”, Littlefoot tried to console Spike whose eyes were full of tears. “When have you seen her the last time?” Spike shook only his head, shrugged, shoved Cera’s hand aside and sobbed on a bit quieter. “And if she hasn’t escaped?” Ali asked quietly. Uneasy silence that was only interrupted by Spikes sobbing was the answer. “And Petrie?” asked Chomper, “What’s about him?” “Petrie alright”, answered a croaking voice and the little flyer landed on Littlefoot’s head. “You’re there!” said Cera relieved. “A piece of luck!” “Yes, but what’s about Ducky? Have you seen her Petrie?” Littlefoot asked immediately. Petrie nodded slowly and moved to and fro with discomfort. The others could really read the bad news from his face. Spike who had stopped sobbing looked at Petrie imploring. “They’ve caught her?” Ali asked dull and Petrie nodded. “Have they eaten her?” asked Chomper and was minded by the others with disapproving looks when Spike’s sobbing restarted. But Petrie shook his head for everybody’s relief. “No, but they’ve taken her along”, croaked Petrie. Littlefoot groaned. “Have you seen where they’ve brought her?” he asked. “To the cave Petrie thinks.
Eggeaters dwell there probably.” Cera moaned. “And just there we wanted to stay over the night.” “And now these scoundrels have Ducky”, said Ali. Chomper quieted his voice a bit so Spike couldn’t hear him and said: “Why haven’t they eaten Ducky immediately? It is usually not their behaviour to trifle long when they have their prey.” “It’s all the same”, said Ali angrily. “We should be glad that they wait this time.” “It is to be hoped that they not only want into their cave to...”, Cera shivered and didn’t continue. “However”, said Littlefoot loudly, “We must her out there!” And he had spoken so confidently that even Spike stopped crying. “And how shall we get her out there?” asked Chomper who wasn’t inspired so much by Littlefoot’s enthusiasm. “There is some shaky about it. Why haven’t they immediately...” “Then stay here!” Ali called furiously. “If you don’t dare it we’ll free Ducky alone!” Chomper gritted his teeth. He had to gather all his willpower not to pounce at Ali.
Littlefoot stepped between them hasty. “For a while they’ve seemed to gotten on well with each other”, he thought sadly, but now the cleft between them had opened again.
Littlefoot changed the topic. “Petrie”, he made a short break. “We must know how it looks into the cave, where Ducky is and how she is.” “You don’t mean Petrie...”, gasped the tiny flyer. But Littlefoot nodded for Petrie’s big horror. “You are the smallest of us and won’t attract the eggeaters attention so much. Besides you can fly and so escape faster in an emergency.” Petrie opened and closed his beak as if he wanted to say anything but had struck dumb with horror suddenly. “Think of Ducky...”, said Cera, “...who sits in the cave of this stinky eggsnatchers now and doesn’t know what she shall do. If she sees you, then she knows that we’ll get her out there.”
“I hope so”, growled Chomper quietly.
Thinking of Ducky Petrie couldn’t do anything but nodding also his heart beat up to his throat. “Petrie is flys”, he said quietly and he already wanted to flap away when Littlefoot kept him back once more.
“Wait. We’ll stay here nearby, so you know where you can find us. Be back when the bright circle rises. If you get the possibility to speak with Ducky, then tell her that we’ll come.
And Petrie?”
“Yes?”
“Be careful! Please take care for yourself!” Petrie nodded, cast a short look at everybody and disappeared with a few quick flaps in the darkness that set in more and more now. The others looked after him in uncomfortable silence for a while until Cera said finally: “Come; we can’t do anything now. We should rest. Tomorrow might be tougher than today.”
“Even tougher?” Chomper gasped at this dreadful prospect.
“You’re right Cera. Come on!” said Littlefoot. They climbed up onto the rocky path again, lay down nearby at a spot where the path broadened a bit and where the rocky walls sheltered them against the cold winds on three sides. They all fell asleep within a few instants.
Chapter XXXVII
The sun just disappeared behind the mountains when the two eggeaters with Ducky reached the cave. That with the scratched nose was still in a bad mood and the other one didn’t seem to dare to utter a sound. Ducky had understood meanwhile who of them was the leader. She had recovered her senses completely in the meantime, but that had not bettered her mood. She had stomachaches and had to grit her teeth to prevent her bill chattering. She was hot although it was very cold and since before she had not offered resistance anymore. In the cave they entered now it was dim, stuffy and relatively warm. “Ozzy?” asked the eggeater who had carried Ducky all the time after, some moments of silence. The one with the scratched nose muttered anything what seemed to mean that he was listening. “What are we doing to prevent her running away?” He lifted the fist in which he held Ducky. “Hand her over!” “But you don’t want to eat her alone, do you?” “No! Not yet. But she is mine, for the others escaped only because of you. And now hand her over at once!” Strut didn’t dare to contradict and handed Ducky over to Ozzy who snatched her so crudely that she gasped for breath fiercely. Ozzy put her down roughly and seized a big stone that lay nearby. When Ducky felt that nobody held her anymore she jumped up and wanted to run away but Ozzy swept her from her feet with an incidentally movement of his hand whereby he uttered an unwillingly grunt. Ducky didn’t undertake another attempt to escape. Ozzy had put her down at one of the walls of the cave and now he pushed some big stones around her, so close together that she didn’t fit through between them and when he had laid stones all around Ducky he pat at last a big, heavy and flat stone like a roof atop the others so Ducky couldn’t climb over the stones. The stones were far too heavy for Ducky to shove them aside and even if she had been able to do so the big flagstone that lay atop would have fallen onto her. Pleased Ozzy eyed his work.
“She won’t run away Strut”, he said. “We can grab some shut eye for a while.” “But I’m hungry Ozzy!” Strut prattled away, but the conniption he expected the next moment stayed away. “The meal will come early enough Strut. Good night.” And with that he lay down.
Strut did the same and soon after the loud snorting of the both two raptors filled the cave. Ducky however couldn’t sleep in her narrow prison. Not only the loud rising and going down snorting prevent her from sleeping, but also the angst. Along with her friends she was never unsure what to do in dangerous situations, but now she was alone and completely helpless. She sat drew her legs, clasped her knees, lay her head on her knee and felt how tears were running down her face.
Chapter XXXVIII
Petrie’s heart beat so fiercely that he nearly wondered not to be precipitated during the flight to the cave. He circled for a moment above the caves entrance and looked round for the eggeaters, but they were nowhere in sight. As quietly as he could Petrie landed in front of the cave and listened. Loud snorting was audible from the cave, which could actually come only from the eggeaters, but still it didn’t calm Petrie at all. He hesitated long. What if it was a trap? If the eggeaters would suddenly pounce upon him in the cave, then he would probably not be able to fly away in time. Petrie heard his own heart beating so loudly that he wondered that the eggeaters hadn’t aroused by it already for long. Finally it was the thought of Ducky that propelled him to go on. Ducked he sneaked forward, ready to fly away at the slightest movement in the darkness. A warm puff touched him slightly but this was rather unpleasant in the stuffy air here; he didn’t take notice of it. Petrie’s eyes accustomed only slowly to the gloomy twilight in the cave and when he was finally able to recognize something his heart seemed to stop beating with fear. Petrie had nearly screamed with fright, but fortunately he was like being paralyzed for the moment. Directly in front of him lay one of the eggeaters.
If he had advanced only one or two steps further into the darkness then he would have run directly into his nose that had two deep scratches. Only slowly the feeling returned to Petrie’s body and he breathed the stuffy air only as quietly as possible. The warm puff he had felt before had been the breathing out of this eggeater. Petrie felt as if his legs would gave in below him the next moment. He went some steps backwards without letting the eggeater out of sight, turned round then and ran as fast and as quietly as he could back to the cave’s entrance. There he leaned at against the wall and let himself sink down along it until he sat on the ground. Petrie wiped with one of his wings over his face and fetched deep breath of the cutting cold night-air that was very pleasant after the stuffy air in the cave. Then Ducky came to his mind again. He hadn’t discovered her anywhere, but he also hadn’t looked around carefully in the cave. The much it displeased him, he had to go back into the cave and check it more carefully. He got up reluctantly and sneaked back even more carefully than before. Avoiding the eggeater he had nearly run into before Petrie discovered the other one.
But Ducky was nowhere in sight. Petrie superseded the terrible thoughts that came to his mind as good as he could. At least the eggeaters seemed to have a very sound sleep, thought Petrie. Their snorting drowned out his heart beating for sure. Petrie listened for a moment and suddenly he heard something in addition to the snorting. A quiet sobbing was audible from the other cave-wall. For a moment Petrie forgot all prudence. He ran as fast as he could to the other cave-wall, tripped midway over a stone and could hardly suppress a cry of pain. But nevertheless Petrie had made too much noise for his own liking. Fortunately the eggeaters slept on calmly, but the sobbing Petrie had heard had fallen silent. Petrie stood up quietly and looked around, but nowhere he could discover Ducky. Had he erred and only imagined the sobbing? Quietly he fumbled to the cave-wall, but without discovering anything. Gathering all his courage Petrie whispered: “Ducky?” For a moment everything was quiet but then somebody answered: “Petrie. Is that you?” The answer had been so loudly that Petrie looked back to the eggeaters worried. “Yes” he whispered back accented quiet.
“Where are you?” “Here Petrie. Behind the stones.” Petrie had followed Ducky’s voice and now he stood in front of some big stones that lay in front of the cave-wall in a narrow semicircle and above which a big flagstone lay. “Ducky?” asked Petrie quietly, “Are you in there?” And he stepped in front of one of the narrow gaps between the stones. Ducky’s face appeared the next moment from the darkness behind the stones. She was a bit pale, thought Petrie, but apart from that everything seemed to be all right with her and she was visibly glad to see him. “Petrie!” Ducky called so loud that Petrie jerked frightened. “You don’t speak so loudly Ducky!” whispered Petrie. “Or the eggeaters wake up!” Petrie had hardly finished when that eggeater with the scratched nose, whose outline stood out clearly against the moonlight that fell in through the cave’s entrance, began to stir. Petrie couldn’t suppress a quiet cry of fright when he jerked round and fell back while he looked around for a hiding place feverishly. Suddenly he touched the stones behind which Ducky was, with his back. Immediately Ducky grasped Petrie and pulled him, who only just fit through between the stones, inside to herself. Both kept their breath, but the eggeater didn’t stir anymore. Apparently he hadn’t woken up, but had only turned round in his sleep. After a while Ducky uttered a sigh of relief: “He has not woken up”, she said this time very quietly. Then she cast a long look at Petrie and hugged him so fiercely that he nearly couldn’t breathe anymore. “You are there! Oh yes, you are!” said Ducky. “You’re real friends, you and the others. Are they there too?” Petrie freed himself with gentle violence out of Ducky’s hug and shook his head slightly. “Not yet Ducky. We are going to get you out here tomorrow.” Ducky who apparently could hardly await it nodded slightly grieved. “Those bad guys haven’t hurt you Ducky?” Petrie inquired concerned. Ducky shook her head. “No, no, no. Not really”, she said. “And I don’t know why. They simply could have eaten me, oh yes”, she said shuddering. “Strangely”, said Petrie reflecting. “They are usually supposed to be greedy.” “Well, I do not object this, no, no, no”, Ducky said slightly offended and more anxiously again she continued.
“Maybe they were just not hungry. Please hurry tomorrow!” “Of course! Me now fly back to Littlefoot and the others. We’ll come!” Petrie already wanted to press through the gap between the stones when Ducky kept him back. “Wait Petrie! Stay here! Please!” Petrie looked at her asking. “I... I’m afraid alone with them!” Ducky said quietly. Petrie hesitated. He would have preferred to do anything than to stay longer in this creepily cave with the eggeaters, but the thought of Ducky who would have to stay the whole night alone here, if he wouldn’t stay, made him a bad conscience. He nodded and turned away from the gap between the stones. “Me stay here till you sleep”, he said. “And tomorrow me will come back with the others and we’ll get you out there!” Ducky smiled. She was not as confidently as Petrie, but his words encouraged her. She lay down and Petrie sat aside her.
He watched Ducky carefully to see when she had fallen asleep. While he sat there without anything to do the whole tiredness of the strenuous day came over him and before he could prevent it he had sitting, without sinking down fallen into a pleasant sleep.
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Read it a day or so ago, forgot to post a reply.
It does seem well written, though a word here or there does seem an odd choice. It is nice to read something it is pure LBT.
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I'm sorry I forgot to continue posting the next chapters. Sometimes it feels strange rereading what I wrote back then, and even stuff I wrote much more recently. The language always seems to change and at the time I wrote this story very often I translated German phrases way too literal which I'm afraid may cause some confusion. Please don't be shy to ask if there is anything that is not understandable. You are really helping me by spotting such passages. I always meant to reread the whole story and correct the mistakes, but due to their number this would mean pretty much rewriting the story ;)
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter IXL
Petrie was aroused when somebody shook him out of his sleep fierce and roughly. Even before he had opened his eyes he had grasped that he had to be fallen asleep in the eggeaters cave and that those who shook his shoulder had to be one of them who had just discovered him. With a frightened outcry he cast his eyes open and looked for his boundless relief into Ducky’s face. “Be quiet!” ordered Ducky and looked at him dismayed. “What are you still doing here? You wanted to fly back to the others.” Petrie made a helpless gesture, shuffled Ducky’s hand from his shoulder, jumped up and said quietly: “Me must fly! Maybe it’s not to late yet!” And he ran towards one gap between the stones. But Ducky kept him back: “Stop! They’re already awake, oh yes they are!” “Petrie must sneak out very silent. Maybe they’ll me no see!” Because of his dither Petrie spoke nearly even more wrong than usually. In this moment instant they heard the voice of the eggeater with the scratched nose saying: “I’ll take a look what our little grasseater is doing!” Ducky’s and Petrie’s hearts stopped beating when they heard the approaching steps of the eggeater. They held their breath and when the hands of the eggeater seized the flagstone Ducky saw how every muscle in Petrie’s little body strained. Bright sunlight fell from the cave entrance in to them when the eggeater shove the flagstone aside. But in the next instant the eggeater’s shadow lay above them. Petrie seemed to have waited for that moment when the face of the eggeater with the scratched nose appeared over them. Like being shot from a sling Petrie pounced vertically up into the air and inflicted a fierce strong beak peck on the scratched nose when he flew past it. The eggeater howled up, began to hop wildly around and waved his arms wildly around in the air, before he pressed both hands on his nose. It was a funny sight. “Stop him Strut!” cried the eggeater, but Petrie had already flown past the other eggeater and had reached the cave entrance.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/09Petriesnarrowescape.jpg)
Ducky didn’t dare to imagine what the eggeaters would do with her when they would have recovered from their surprise. She had to escape as long as the eggeaters paid no attention to her. With one leap she was on one of the stones that lay around her. But Ozzy pushed her back with one of his fingers and she landed so heavily on her back that she couldn’t breathe for a while. She didn’t dare attempt another escape, when she had regained her breath. Ozzy blasted because of his nose and although she hardly dared to stir with angst Ducky felt malicious joy. But then Ozzy did something that bewildered Ducky completely. He laughed. Ozzy laughed with might and main and didn’t seem to be able to stop at all. Whatever Ducky might have expected, it was not that. This eggeater had to be annoyed and not happy. Ducky’s fear ceased and instead of it she became angry. Had this eggeater become crazy? Also the other eggeater looked at his brother as if he would have doubts about his reason. “Ozzy he has escaped”, he said finally low spirited and seemed to expect any punishment, but Ozzy laughed even more. “Is everything okay with you Ozzy?” Strut asked even more dejected. “Of course!” Ozzy called happily. “Everything goes according to our plan. Apart from that...”, he added yet with an angry voice, “...I haven’t planed to let this flying mini grasseater peck at my nose.”
Strut looked at Ozzy as if he had gone completely mad now. “You just don’t want to admit that Petrie has escaped you!” shouted Ducky angrily without knowing wherefrom she had taken the courage for it. It was the first time Ducky spoke with the eggeaters at all.
Ozzy bent down to her whereupon she fell back to the rocky wall again. Ozzy grinned whereby his sharp teeth glittered. He wiped with the back of one hand over the bleeding nose again and said then: “This flying grasseater, you call him Petrie?, has escaped us, but maybe we didn’t want to catch him at all.” “We didn’t Ozzy?” asked Strut bewildered, but audibly relieved from the background. Ozzy turned his head to him shortly and said irritated:
“You seem to have forgotten why we haven’t already eaten her on the spot.” He pointed at Ducky and turned to her again then. “He sounded a bit worried when he asked Ducky:
“And you haven’t got it too yesterday?” Ducky shook her head wordlessly without understanding what Ozzy meant actually. “Very well!” Ozzy said relived. Ducky looked at Ozzy expectantly she had almost forgotten that she talked to somebody who just explained her why he hadn’t already eaten her for long. “What do you think...”, he pondered and asked finally: “How did you call the flyer?” “His name is Petrie.” “Exactly. What do you think Petrie will do now?” “He’ll fly to the others and tell them what he has seen here”, answered Ducky after short pondering. She became more and more uneasy for Ozzy’s mean grinning let her conclude that he was very pleased with this answer. “And that’s exactly what I’ve hoped!” he said. “And what will your friends do then?” “They’ll try to get me out here”, said Ducky quietly and while she spoke her face lost more and more its color. “Oh no, oh no, oh no!” She stammered. Because now she knew what Ozzy drove at. “And Strut and me will hide outside and wait for them”, Ozzy continued pitiless. Ducky’s fear delivered him visibly pleasure. “And when your friends come...”, Ozzy’s grinning became even more maliciously, “...then we’ll catch them!” Ozzy enjoyed the effect his words had on Ducky and then he laid the big flagstone back on its previous place so Ducky couldn’t flee. Ozzy turned round and went to the cave entrance with wide steps. When he had nearly reached it he turned round to Strut who hadn’t moved from the spot. “Now come on!” he snarled and made an impatiently gesture. “We must have found a good hiding place before the meal comes!” Hasty Strut ran after Ozzy out of the cave. They left Ducky behind, who nearly became sick in her jail when she thought of that Ozzy had termed her friends as meal.
Chapter XL
“Petrie! Finally you’re there. We were already worried! What took you so long?” Littlefoot asked a bit enraged when Petrie landed in front of him gasping. The sun stood already a respectable distance above the mountains tops and it already drove away the cutting cold morning air. Cera came run along, closely followed by Chomper and she seemed to be a bit angry too. Ali trotted tired afterwards, apparently she had kept the last watch together with Spike who had fallen into an unsteady sleep. “You no be mad with Petrie!” he gasped. He had covered the flight from the cave of the eggeaters in record time. Hasty Petrie told his friends everything he had experienced since he had left them the evening before. And he also didn’t keep it from them that he was very worried about Ducky, especially after the eggeaters had surprised him with her. When Petrie had finished his report Spike, who had approached in the meantime uttered a furious growling and prepared to run off immediately. The peace loving and good-natured he was, for Ducky he seemed to be even ready to encounter the eggeaters. “Stop!” called Littlefoot. “Whatever we do now, we mustn’t act rashly unless we don’t want to make everything worse than it already is. So shortly after the eggeaters have seen Petrie they’ll pay double the attention. We must wait! Anyway, as long as the eggeaters are by her we can’t do anything anyway. We must wait till the eggeaters will leave her alone.” “Do you really think they are so stupid to do that?” Chomper asked doubtingly. Littlefoot shrugged.
“I fear they aren’t. But in an emergency some of us could try to lure them away. And even the eggeaters have to leave their cave sometimes to eat and to drink.” Nobody risked the objection that the eggeaters could maybe fall back on Ducky first concerning that. “And we should do that too now.” He pointed at a small grove of conifers in some distance with his head. “We can’t free Ducky when our tummies are rumbling with hunger.” Even Spike recognized that. “Yes okay, but we should hurry nevertheless. Who knows what those eggsnatchers will do with Ducky otherwise”, Ali said worried. Then they went. Chomper separated from the others inconspicuously. For his relief nobody seemed to take notice of that.
Chapter XLI
“How long do they need?” Ozzy grumbled impatiently and cast a look up to the sun. He sat with Strut in good coverage behind a big boulder above the cave. It had lasted for long to find that hiding place and a hard way had led there. At first they had looked at the slope in front of the cave for a hiding place. The narrow rocky ledge that led to the cave broadened here and flew over into the steep, further down below covered with a leafless forest, slope. If Ozzy and Strut had found a suitable hiding place there, every newcomer would have been trapped between them on the one and the steep rocky wall on the other side. But the numerous big and small boulders that towered from the snow dispersed over the whole slope that was not on the lee of the mountain anymore were not a good camouflage. Who came along the rocky ledge could overlook the whole slope and moreover Ozzy expected that the leafeaters would premise the small flyer to watch for him and Strut. They were not stupid, he had to grant that to them reluctantly. Strut had suggested to hide at the brink of the forest; and they had gone down there. There at the brink of the forest they couldn’t be seen from above indeed, but until they would have been run back up to the cave, whereby they would have been visible of course, the little leafeaters could go into the cave at peace get Ducky (that was how the little grasseaters called her, wasn’t it?) out and escape without even being forced to hurry very much. Ozzy’s mood even got worse when he surprised Strut by munching a grass tuft he had found below the snow blanket. Ozzy annoyed so much the more he had grown weak himself too and had, of course unseen by Strut eaten something of this disgusting green stuff. When they had ran athwart through the forest and up their mountain at another slope Ozzy was close to despair. Meanwhile the grasseaters had fetched Ducky out of the cave for sure. But when they controlled checked that still gasping panting of the running Ducky was still in her jail behind the stones for their relief. Consequently they ran to a point not far away, from where they could achieve a plateau close above their cave. Up here they had at last found a suitable hiding place. But Ozzy became impatiently now and he began to doubt if the grasseater kids would really come, Strut played the whole time with a piece of a liana, he had taken along from the forest and knotted it very much in the meantime, while Ozzy threw stones at a boulder nearby again. But Ozzy was nervous, missed his target often, looked out for the leafeaters and stopped throwing stones after he had hit Strut by accident. Again he cast a look over the boulder behind which they sat. After all there was at least one advantage of their walk down to the forest for the trails they had left behind in the snow on the slope were impossible to overlook and this little leafsuckers would probably infer from them that he and Strut were not in the cave for a slight snowfall during the night and the cold wind had covered up every other track trail on the slope. Ozzy just wanted to start to abuse Strut because the leafeaters didn’t come (eventually it was all his fault!) when he suddenly noted something.
He cowered deeper behind the rock and peered only carefully over it. The flyer the leafeaters called Petrie flew past close below them. With a hasty waving he ordered Strut to come closer behind the rock too and to be completely silent. “Have you seen anything Ozzy?” Strut asked stupid. “Shut up!” Ozzy hissed furiously as quietly as he could. But for his relief the flyer seemingly hadn’t heard them, for he flew his circles unperturbed. It was a strange feeling thought Ozzy to look on a flyer’s back while he was flying. One time Petrie came so near to them that Ozzy, whose nose still smarted could hardly restrain his temper not to throw a stone at him. Apparently Petrie had discovered the trails for he followed them with his eyes to the brink of the forest. Finally he landed and cast a searching look into the cave. Scared Ozzy occurred that Ducky would warn Petrie if he went into the cave. But assuaged he saw that the flyer didn’t go further into the cave. Petrie had convinced himself that neither he nor Strut were nearby for now he flew away as fast as he could. For sure surely he flew back to his friends, for he headed determined in one certain direction. Ozzy breathed deeply and nodded at Strut who looked at him asking. “Yes. Now we won’t have to wait for long anymore.”
He grinned viciously and Strut who had understood grinned back just as viciously.
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I find I am liking this story more and more as I read it...another three great chapters Malte! Keep them coming!
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Another good bit of writing with the characters handled well and the plot moving at a good natural pace. Also nice to have it still be pure LBT.
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Thank you a lot for your comments :yes
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter XLII
Ozzy had guessed right. Petrie had really flown directly back to the others who already waited nearby. He had hastened very much for the eggeaters were obviously not in the immediate nearness of the cave. Now they had to seize the opportunity. Littlefoot, Cera, Spike and Ali thought that too. Only Chomper didn’t seem to be that convinced. He made a merely thoughtful and suspicious face. “So let’s go!” Cera called enthusiastically. “If the eggsnatchers are really not there than it’ll be a trifle to get Ducky out of the cave!” “We’ve to hurry!” said Littlefoot. “Come on!” “Wait!” shouted Chomper when the others set already in motion. “What’s the matter?” asked Ali, who had been inspired by the general enthusiasm too, impatiently. “Don’t you think that this is strange? Do you really think that this eggeaters are stupid enough to go simply away without watching Ducky? I admit that the both are not the smartest but...” “What do you mean?” asked Cera thoughtfully. “That this is probably a trap!” For a moment nobody spoke, then Petrie said: “But Petrie has seen tracks of eggeaters leading away from the cave.” Chomper didn’t say anything. “And eventually the eggeaters have to eat too. They’re probably looking for something eatable”, said Littlefoot. “Why should they when they’ve something eatable in their cave?” asked Chomper. For some seconds nobody said anything but then Ali noted sharply: “Maybe they don’t see Ducky as something eatable.” Chomper fetched deep breath and prepared for an angry answer, but in the last moment Littlefoot stepped between him and Ali and said with a voice as if nothing had happened: “Let’s go to the cave first. Then we’ll decide what to do.” They set in motion silently, but the tension between Chomper and Ali could be felt almost physically.
Chapter XLIII
At the cave everything looked exactly as Petrie had described it and also the eggeaters were nowhere in sight. “They’re really away. You’ve erred Chomper”, said Littlefoot as friendly as possible not to annoy Chomper when they stood in front of the cave. But the little sharptooth shook his head. “There’s something shaky about it! It is a trap!”
Behind the rocks above the cave Strut asked Ozzy quietly: “Do we snatch them now?”
“Not yet! We wait until they’re all in the cave. Otherwise they’ll see us to early.” Ozzy looked over the boulder and frowned. “For what do they wait?” he thought a bit worried. He would have liked to be able to understand what they were talking about down there, but they were to far away.
“Where should they hide here?” Cera asked meanwhile slightly irritated. “From here everything can be overlooked and the rocky walls are to steep to climb up.” “Still I won’t go in there”, Chomper said quietly. “Are you afraid?” Ali asked jeering. “Yes!” snarled Chomper back angry. “I don’t want to know what the eggeater whose nose I’ve scratched yesterday will do with me if he catches me.” “Oh, Petrie neither!” croaked the little flyer and flapped a bit nervous to and fro. “Alright Chomper”, said Littlefoot. “But Ducky is in there and we won’t let her here! Maybe it is even good if you stay out here. Then you can warn us if the eggsnatchers come back.” With that he turned round and went towards the cave entrance, closely followed by Cera, Spike and Ali and not that closely followed by the pretty unsure Petrie. Ozzy clenched his fists furiously. “One of them has stayed outside!” he growled.
“Who is it?” asked Strut. “The sharptooth. Oh I want to get him in my fingers!” said Ozzy and rubbed over his ill treated nose. “And what are we doing now Ozzy?” Strut asked helpless. “We snatch them nevertheless, but we’ve to hurry!” said Ozzy determined and jumped forth from behind the boulder.
“Where is Ducky?” asked Littlefoot Petrie after they had advanced a short distance into the cave. “There between the stones”, croaked Petrie and flew over there. The others hurried after him. “Run away! It’s a trap! Oh yes it is!” shrieked Ducky from behind the stones when she noted her friends. “What?” asked Littlefoot bewildered and frightened. Spike jerked round uttering a panicky yell. “The eggeaters! Come out! It was a trap yet!” they heard Chomper crying at the top of his voice from the cave’s entrance. Cera was with one leap at Ducky’s stony jail and removed with a skilful movement of her head the flagstone with her horn.
With one leap Ducky had jumped in one of the other stones and with a second leap on Littlefoot’s back. She clung to his neck and cried: “Run Littlefoot! Run everybody!”
She didn’t need to tell it twice. As fast as they could they ran respectively flew towards the cave entrance.
Chapter XLIV
Chomper had had a bad feeling when the others went into the cave. He didn’t know if he found it worse that they were alone in there or that he was alone out here. He couldn’t explain to himself wherefrom he took the hunch, yes even nearly the certainty that the eggeaters wanted to trap them. Surely that they should be stupid enough to leave Ducky alone behind in the cave caused his mistrust, but mainly and instinct seemed to have warned him that was not as distinctively by his herbivorous friends. He nearly hoped that it was an ambush for otherwise he would have to listen to an amount of derogatory remarks, especially from Ali. But somehow he knew that he didn’t err. His nervousness increased with every instant and then he saw his fears confirmed. He perceived a motion with the upper corner of his eye and looked up jerky. The eggeater with the scratched nose stepped just forth from the coverage of a big boulder on a plateau above the cave. The other eggeater followed him closely. Chomper uttered a loud warning cry that made the eggeater with the scratched nose running down the steep rocky wall as fast as he could. But he had run too fast, had paid too less attention to his balance and was unable to stop now. He tripped, tumbled over and impacted with a dull sound directly in front of Chomper’s feed; just in the instant when Petrie, followed by Spike, Ali and Cera, flapped out of the cave. Chomper didn’t ponder long, but lashed Ozzy with spread claws over his nose, jerked round and ran off, down the slope whereby he shouted at the others over his shoulder: “Hurry up! Run as fast as you can!” Just Littlefoot with Ducky on his back rushed past Ozzy who erected with a yell of fury. Ozzy drove with one hand over his nose and yelled on and on. He cast an angry and contemptuous look at Strut who climbed down the rock slowly and carefully. Then he stooped hasty picked up a stone that lay on the ground in front of his feed and hurled it at Littlefoot. The stone hit its target.
Littlefoot felt a violent blow against his head and he became dizzy immediately. Everything turned around him when he stumbled on. Suddenly the slope he reeled down seemed to be far steeper than before. He heard, as if she was far away, Ducky crying when he tumbled forward and fell over whereby Ducky was catapulted down from his back. Littlefoot remained lying in the snow, but he nearly didn’t feel its coldness. He had to be unconscious for a moment for it was as if he would awake from a deep sleep when Ducky bent down to him, called him and shook him slightly whereupon he opened his eyes laboriously. “Littlefoot we must get away from here!” urged Ducky and jogged at his head slightly what entailed a shooting pain ache. “Stand up Littlefoot! Stand up!” He couldn’t. Littlefoot tried to say something, but if he uttered anything at all it was only senseless mumbling. He closed his eyes a bit for the sun that already reached this part of the slope blinded him and caused a painful stinging in his head. There a shadow lay in front of the sun and Littlefoot opened his eyes a bit wider again. Above him stood the eggeater with the unscratched nose and grinned. Littlefoot lost his conscience at last.
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THis is getting worse...now they have littlefoot and Ducky...although Chomper can gloat now...as he was right...it was indeed a trap!
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Well written with the story ending in a cliffhanger. Makes sense that younger kids may fall into such a trap as they set. Would be less likely for an adult to do so. Maybe next time they'll listen to Chomper a bit more.
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Chapter XLV
It took a while until Cera felt save enough to slow down. She looked back carefully, but couldn’t discover any of the eggeaters behind her. They had rushed down the whole slope and had run a respectable distance through the valley that was bordered by the mountain in which the eggeaters’ cave was, on the one side.
“They aren’t behind after us anymore”, called Cera. “I think we can stop.”
She didn’t need to say that twice. With a loud panting Spike let himself drop down into the snow, not to stir anymore. Petrie landed with a deep sigh on Spike’s back and leaned, breathing heavily, against one horn plate of Spike’s back crest. Ali and Chomper came, trembling with exertion, towards Cera who fetched breath heavily and jangling.
“And it was a trap!” Chomper groaned finally.
“You were right Chomper”, Ali admitted reluctantly. “I’m sorry because of…”
Chomper nodded curtly and let himself drop into the snow that was a welcome cooling now. “Where is Littlefoot?” asked Cera.
“And where is Ducky?” Ali jerked round. “They... they aren’t with us?” she called. Chomper set up bolt upright in the snow staring alternately at Cera and Ali. Petrie and Spike startled too, when they noted Littlefoot’s and Ducky’s absence. “
They didn’t make it out of the cave anymore?” Cera asked distraught.
“Yes, they did. I’m very sure they did”, said Chomper. “I saw them coming out of the cave, shortly before I ran off myself.”
“But where are they now then?” asked Ali quietly; everybody anticipated the answer. “Maybe they fled other way?”, croaked Petrie.
“We must make sure about it!” said Cera. “Petrie, if you’ve rested you must fly back and find out what has happened.”
Petrie nodded. “Me flies and sees!” he croaked and flew away without allowing himself another second of rest.
Chapter XLVI
The eggeaters had brought Littlefoot and Ducky back into the cave. Ducky hadn’t undertaken an attempt to escape, for she simply had to know how Littlefoot was. He was still without consciousness and the eggeaters had to carry him up into the cave. An ugly bump arose on Littlefoot’s head where Ozzy’s stone had hit. Ducky tried since they had arrived up here vainly to arouse Littlefoot while Ozzy tried all the time to give Strut the sole fault for the escaping of the other “leafdevourers”. Finally Ozzy went out of the cave to, as he said, check if the other leafeaters weren’t still nearby. In truth he wanted, what didn’t better his mood, to set about the conifers clandestinely. The much it displeased him, it was better than starving. But Strut hadn’t to surprise him by no means, for he wouldn’t have endured the infamy.
“You stay here and watch the both and woe is your if only one of them escapes!” Ozzy said threatening and went away. That was all right with Strut. For a while he watched the vainly tries of Ducky to arouse the longneck she called Littlefoot. Finally he bent forward shoved Ducky aside and began to examine the longneck. “He’ll wake up soon”, he said calming to Ducky. “Are you sure?” asked Ducky who had forgotten every abhorrence against the eggeater because of her worry for Littlefoot. Strut nodded quietly. If Ozzy would be here, thought Strut he would hit me for I’m too nice to the leafeater. He didn’t know himself, why he was so nearly friendly to the leafeater, but maybe it was because she didn’t bellowed at him unswerving and that was something completely new for him. But he hadn’t to be too nice to her, he was an eggeater! Ducky was by the longneck again. Strut turned away and went to the cave entrance to cast a look out, where a slight snowfall had set in. Suddenly he heard a quiet rumbling out of the cave. “What was that?” he asked Strut and tried thereby to imitate Ozzy’s stern voice. “Nothing”, answered Ducky surprised by Strut’s suddenly so maliciously voice. “But I’ve heard something!” growled Strut but he let it by it. Ozzy should have no reason to inveigh when he would come back so Strut snatched Ducky to imprison her behind the stones again. “No!” squeaked Ducky shrill. “Please let me stay with Littlefoot!” Strut was pleased. That was meanness that could have come from Ozzy. While he set the struggling Ducky between the stones he heard the quiet rumbling again he had heard before. And it came from Ducky’s tummy. Strut looked at her affected and let her loose. “Are you hungry?” he asked compassionate forgetting his resolution to be wicked. Ducky nodded very slightly.
“I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.” “When... when Ozzy is back I can ask him if I may fetch something for you”, said Strut ignoring the inner voice that sounded like Ozzy and ordered him not to be so friendly to leafeaters. “Thanks”, said Ducky surprised by the nearly friendliness of the so detestable eggeater. “Thank you...” she tried to remember how those with the scratched nose called this eggeater always, “...Strut?” Strut nodded a bit surprised when she addressed him with his name and he would have almost smiled but he could deny himself from that yet. “Why are you here at all and not in your valley?” he asked finally. Ducky looked at him for a moment as if the answer on his question would be completely obviously. “We’ve migrated away to find warmer regions, oh yes!” began Ducky. “But then there was this storm. We couldn’t see anything anymore and were separated from our families. Yep, yep, yep!” Strut nodded slightly, although he hadn’t understood everything the leafeaterkid tried to explain him with so few words. But one thing he had heard out distinctly. The leafeaters were in quest of warmer regions. Did they know more than Ozzy and himself? A bit surprised and bewildered he asked: “Where... where shall it be warmer here?” For a moment Ducky hesitated to say it to him, but then she answered: “All herds migrate in the direction where the bright circle stands the highest during the day, oh yes, they do. There shall the warmer regions be.” Strut who had listened mindfully became suddenly aware that he, an eggeater, spoke with a grasseater. If Ozzy would have seen him, he would have beaten him, and he would have done that rightly. With a contemptuous snorting Strut turned away and withdrew some steps towards the cave entrance. Ducky was simultaneously amazed and a bit disappointed, but then she asked herself what she had expected at all from an eggeater.
He and his brother had then, by their first encounter nearly eaten one of her unborn siblings! And she didn’t dare to think of what he and his brother intended to do now with her and Littlefoot.
Chapter XLVII
Suddenly a movement she perceived from the corner of her eye startled her from her thoughts. She ran hasty over to Littlefoot who opened his eyes and lifted his head slowly. “Ducky?” he mumbled quietly, “What has happened?” Even before Ducky could answer he looked around and seemed to remember to everything again. “They’ve caught us?” he asked. Ducky nodded. “Alas!” moaned Littlefoot. “Are you okay?” asked Ducky. Littlefoot tried to stand up but distorted his face a bit and let himself relapse. He shook his head and distorted his face again. “I’ve a headache”, he moaned. “That’s no wonder, oh no!” said Ducky with a wry and joyless grinning. “Those with the scratched nose has thrown a stone at you and he has hit you at the head, oh yes, he has.” Littlefoot nodded very carefully. “Yes, I remember”, he said and added after a short pause break: “And the others?” Ducky shrugged and spread out her hands.
“They are away; escaped.” “A piece of luck”, said Littlefoot relieved and stood up slowly. Carefully he looked around. “Where are the eggeaters?” “Strut is there.” Ducky pointed in the direction of the entrance of the cave. Littlefoot frowned bewildered. “Those with the unhurt nose”, said Ducky. “His name is Strut.” Littlefoot looked nearly even more bewildered, but he nodded wordlessly, what caused an unpleasant knocking in his head in his head again.
“Ah you’re up?” it was Ozzy’s ignobly voice. He stood suddenly in front of them, Strut behind him. Littlefoot and Ducky hadn’t noted his return. Littlefoot didn’t know if he should answer Ozzy, but he didn’t seem to expect an answer. Wordless he snatched at Ducky and set her down roughly between the stones that had served as jail already during the night. He put the flagstone back on its original place and turned to Littlefoot intimidating then: “You won’t touch this stones!” he growled. “And you’ll stay here!” Littlefoot had fallen back some steps and nodded silent. The mood of the eggeater didn’t seem to be the best and Littlefoot didn’t intend to annoy him additionally. For Littlefoot’s relief the eggeater turned round and went followed by his brother towards the cave entrance. Littlefoot sneaked quietly back to the stones behind which Ducky sat. He wouldn’t touch them, but the eggeater hadn’t forbidden them to speak with each other.
Chapter XLVIII
Strut watched Ozzy carefully out of the corner of his eyes. He hadn’t started restarted with his stone-throw-game again but walked in circles uninterrupted and seemed to be very thoughtful and worried. Strut didn’t dare to address him, but when he heard his brother mumbling quietly and unintelligible he asked: “Have you said anything Ozzy?” Ozzy seemed to be startled from deep thoughts and looked at Strut angry. Strut expected already one of Ozzy’s feared fits of rage, but his face relaxed and suddenly he appeared to be pretty downcast. With a deep sigh he sat down aside Strut. “I’ve no idea how this shall go on.” Strut actually didn’t like his brother very much for he was very domineering, but he had great respect before him and it was unpleasant for him to see Ozzy so downcast. “How what shall go on?” he asked gently. “Everything!” snarled Ozzy angry only to relapse into his previous melancholy the next moment. Strut decided not to ask again and it was not at all necessary for Ozzy continued depressed: “I am itching to show it to those two leafeaters! But I won’t. At least not now, for I want the others too! And above all I want the sharptooth!” Ozzy’s voice had become increasingly furious and by his last words he rubbed with one hand over his scratched nose carefully. After a short pause he continued quieter again: “But even if we catch them; how shall it go on after that? There is simply nothing to eat anymore and it also doesn’t become warmer.” Ozzy sighed again. Strut suddenly occurred what Ducky had told him. “Ozzy I’ve spoken with one of the two leafeaters and...” “You have what?” Ozzy flared up and Strut ducked as if Ozzy had dealt him a blow. But Ozzy relapsed into his depression again.
He propped his head into his hands and murmured quietly: “I’m spared nothing at all.”
Strut took it for better not to continue, not to exasperate Ozzy even more. But finally it was Ozzy who asked: “And what has the leafeater said?” A bit confused and intended on not annoying Ozzy anymore Strut said: “Well, why they’re here, where the leafeater herds migrate where it shall be warmer and...” “What?!” again Ozzy interrupted Strut, but this time not with a furious roaring. He beamed all over his face and his depression had disappeared without leaving a trace. “The, the grasseater has really told you where the herds have gone and where it is warmer?” “Yes.” Strut nodded unsure. “And you tell that first now to me? Where?” “What were?” asked Strut now completely unsure because of Ozzy’s sudden change of mind. “Where it is warmer! Where they’ve gone of course!” said Ozzy now already audibly impatiently. “Err she..., she has said something of the direction in which the bright circle stands the highest during the day and...” “Very well! Then we’ll set out immediately too!” “Set out to what place?” Strut asked completely confused. So much obtuseness made Ozzy furiously, despite his momentary euphoria. “To where it is warmer, where the herds are and their eggs. To any place where is something to eat you blockhead!” “But Ozzy what’s with those two leafeaters?” asked Strut timidly. Ozzy made a thoughtful face: “We take them along!” he said determined. “Take them along?” asked Strut incredulously. “But how Ozzy?” After a short pause he said further: “They’ll flee.” “They won’t if you don’t let them escape!” hissed Ozzy and it sounded like a warning. Strut took it for better not to say anything more. “We set off immediately! Strut?” “Yes Ozzy?” “Go down to the forest and fetch a vine. A long one!” Strut had already turned round when Ozzy added hesitating: “And bring some green stuff for the both grasseaters along! They’ll need it.” Strut nodded eagerly and set out. Now he had the occasion to eat himself without Ozzy remembering him very directly how immorally the eating of green stuff was.
Chapter IL
Strut was back soon. He had brought everything along Ozzy had demanded. He carried some branches of conifers and he had even made to find some long frozen grasses for Ducky and Littlefoot and not to eat all of them himself. He had also brought a vine along without having an idea what Ozzy actually intended with it. Ozzy eyed him distrustful when he came back, but he didn’t say anything. Ozzy knew very well that Strut had probably eaten as much green stuff himself as he carried now, but maybe it was even better so, for they had probably a very long way walk impending. Ozzy took the vine and pointed into the inside of the cave:
“Bring the grasseaters their food! And say them that we’ll set out soon.” Ducky seemed to be very hungry for when Strut had brought her out from behind the stones she nearly pounced upon the green stuff he had brought along. The longneck there against was very cautious. “You better eat something!” recommended him Strut. “We’ll go away from here after that!” “Go away from here?” asked the longneck forgetting his obvious antipathy with surprise, “Where do we go?” “Same way you wanted to go too. To warmer regions.” Ducky looked up surprised from her meal. “Then we’ll move to where the bright circle stands the highest during the day?” she asked. Strut nodded. “And what about us?” asked Littlefoot with a touch of fear in his voice. “We’ll take you along”, answered Strut and went back to Ozzy. Turning around Strut noted that the longneck did not only seem to be relieved but even looked as if he could hardly suppress a great pleasure. Strut anticipated wherefrom this pleasure came.
“Ozzy, if we go then it’ll be far easier for the leafeaters to flee”, Strut demurred once more when he returned to his brother. Ozzy shook his head. “You’ll always watch over the swimmer and I’ll over the longneck. The swimmer is to slow to flee and I’ll make sure that the longneck won’t run away!” First now Strut noted that Ozzy had knotted the vine, he still held in his hands, to a noose that tightened when he pulled at the other end of the vine. “Besides...”, Ozzy continued, “...none of the two both will flee without the other one.”
Ozzy shrugged. “So these leafeaters are.” Strut felt uncomfortable. He could imagine very well that Ozzy wouldn’t act that way in such a situation and neither would he himself. “Have the grasseaters eaten?” asked Ozzy. Strut nodded: “I guess so.” “Well, then we’ll set off immediately!” With that Ozzy went deeper into the cave where Littlefoot and Ducky were. “Strut has already told you everything?” he asked. Littlefoot and Ducky nodded wordless, but Ozzy didn’t seem to be interested in that answer at all for he had already beckoned Strut, who had followed him, to approach. “You take the swimmer”, said Ozzy and continued in commanding voice: “You’ll carry her for she’s to slow on foot. And don’t let her escape!” Ozzy’s last words had sounded very menacingly and Strut nodded hasty. He preferred not to picture Ozzy’s fit of rage if Ducky should really escape. Rashly he snatched Ducky.
She wanted to evade to the side, but she was to slowly. Ignoring her protests Strut clinched his fist around her and lifted her up. “And I...” said Ozzy suddenly with a sound of big satisfaction in his voice and his filthiest grinning on his face to Littlefoot, “...will care for you.” Unsure Littlefoot fell back. What had the eggeater meant with his last words? Nervous he looked up to him and jumped hasty aside when the eggeater made a sudden movement with his arms. Littlefoot saw something in the hands of the eggeater, then he felt how something lay around his neck and the next moment something choked him. What the eggeater held in his hand, that recognized Littlefoot now, was one end of a vine. The other end was winded around his neck. He pulled as strong as he could, but the stronger he pulled the less breath he got. The vine began to carve his neck. Ozzy smiled. “I’d let that be”, he said with pretended kindness. “Otherwise your neck will become even longer than it is anyway.” Ozzy guffawed about the own joke and Strut chimed in timidly although he didn’t seem to have understood anything. Littlefoot stopped to fend against the pull and felt how the choking feeling diminished. Carefully he went one step towards Ozzy and felt how the pull of the vine diminished further. “A little precautionary measure I’ve thought out so you don’t take off.” Ducky had meanwhile started to drum onto Strut’s hand with her both fists furiously and when he not even reacted upon that she bit his hand with her bill firmly. “Ah!” screamed Strut and shook and turned his hand over so Ducky became completely dizzy.
And he clinched his hand tighter around Ducky so she couldn’t breath. She stopped to fend and gasped for breath when Strut slackened his snatch again. Littlefoot approached Ducky as near as the vine allowed it to him and said loudly: “Let it be Ducky”, and so quietly that the eggeaters didn’t hear it he added: “For the moment at least.”
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Chapter L
Petrie trembled with coldness in his coverage behind the rocks above the cave. To go into the cave itself he didn’t dare anymore. He wasn’t here for very long, for the slight snowfall, that had stopped meanwhile had hindered him. On his way he had seen nothing of Littlefoot or Ducky and he had already given up the hope that they could have escaped. The eggeater who had just returned into the cave carrying some boughs of conifers and some frozen grasses had dispelled even his last doubts concerning that. But at least he knew now that Littlefoot and Ducky were still alive; for whom else should the eggeater have fetched the green food?
Petrie knew actually what he had wanted to find out, but he stayed there nevertheless.
Before he would fly back to the others he wanted to wait in the, as he had to confess to himself, probably vainly hope to set his eyes upon Ducky and Littlefoot yet.
He waited vainly for a while and became colder and colder. He was already nearly about to fly back to report the others what he had seen when he was startled by the sound of steps.
The next instant the eggeater with the scratched nose came out of the cave closely followed by Littlefoot. First at the second sight Petrie recognized that the eggeater had tied one end of a vine around Littlefoot’s neck. The eggeater held the other end firmly in one hand.
On Littlefoot’s head flaunted an ugly bump, but apart from that he seemed to be well according to the circumstances. Now also the second eggeater came out of the cave and he clinched Ducky in one hand. It appeared as if the eggeaters wanted to go a long distance. Petrie was surprised that they let Littlefoot and Ducky out of the cave at all. Littlefoot and Ducky should know that he and the others were nearby thought Petrie. It would surely encourage them a bit. He loosed from the shadow of the rocky wall and let himself drop. Immediately he spread his wings and set on to a glide above the heads of the eggeaters.
Not only Ducky and Littlefoot but also the eggeaters would see him surely, but what should they do? They couldn’t fly. Ducky in Strut’s fist saw Petrie first. She uttered a surprised yell that directed the attention of Littlefoot and the eggeaters on Petrie too. Ozzy reacted quickly as lightning. He bent down and snatched up some stones with his free hand. Littlefoot recognized immediately what Ozzy intended and that he wanted to hit Petrie with a stone in the air. And that he was able to hit him was out of question for Littlefoot. He had experienced Ozzy’s accurateness by himself. “Look out Petrie! Fly away!” Petrie hadn’t recognized the danger himself, but he reacted at once. He began to climb steep upwards. That way he gained highness, but he became slower and was an easy target. A stone whizzed closely past his beak. If he would have started to climb only fractions of a second later, then the stone would have hit him and he would have precipitated surely. Petrie flapped quicker with his wings to come out of range. Ozzy had already lifted his arm for the next fling and he simply couldn’t miss Petrie who hung seemingly motionless in the air. Littlefoot threw himself to the side violently and felt how the noose around his neck tightened smarting and tied off his breath, but Littlefoot had gained the wished success. Ozzy stumbled. Only very slightly, but the stone he had hurled in that moment whizzed past Petrie’s wing.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/10Ozzysnarrowmiss.jpg)
A stone thrown by Strut couldn’t have missed further and then Petrie was too high to hit him. “Petrie! We go where the bright circle stands the highest!” cried Littlefoot as loud as he could before Ozzy silenced him by pulling violently at the vine. Petrie saw this with apprehension, but he knew that he alone couldn’t do anything for Littlefoot and Ducky at the moment. He nodded at Littlefoot, as a sign that he had understood, and disappeared in a wide bow behind the next mountain’s ridge. Ducky and Littlefoot looked after him as long as he was recognizable without paying attention to the eggeaters. Littlefoot didn’t listen to Ozzy’s now following tirades and he nearly didn’t notice how he pulled violently at the vine several times. He smiled slightly at Ducky. The eggeaters hadn’t caught Petrie. That was everything that mattered.
Chapter LI
Cera, Ali, Spike and Chomper had listened to Petrie’s report with great interest and they kept quiet for some more seconds after he had ended. For Petrie’s surprise the others hadn’t stayed where he had left them, but had approached the cave of the eggeaters. Shortly after he had come out of the eggeater’s sight behind the mountain’s ridge he had already spotted them. “That’s good!” said Ali finally with a slight smiling. “If they are not in the cave anymore it will be far easier to come up to Littlefoot; and to Ducky of course!” Cera nodded. “I think so too. Moreover we proceed that way too. I don’t feel like staying here forever. I’m really fed up with the snow!” She said and shook. It was all right with Ali to proceed for she had to think of the sharptooth she and Littlefoot had seen. Maybe they were already pursued by it. “But whatever we’ll do now, we must be more careful now!” continued Cera.
She turned to Chomper who stood a bit aloofly: “You have been right, those eggeaters are mean, but not stupid. They won’t make it easy for us surely and won’t let Littlefoot and Ducky out of sight for a moment.” “Nevertheless we should hurry now!” said Chomper.
We shouldn’t let them a too big avail, for we have to be always ready if an occasion offers to free Ducky and Littlefoot. Petrie?” “Yes?” “Could you fly after them and tell us if anything important happens?” Petrie sighed slightly, but he nodded. He would have given a lot for the possibility to rest for a while. With some strong flaps he flapped away. Spike uttered a noise as if he wanted to call after Petrie: “Take care and come back soon Petrie!” For a moment everybody looked after him, then Cera cleared her throat and said: “Well, here we go!” with that they continued their previous way. “I hope Littlefoot and Ducky are... well.” Spike nodded and Cera and Chomper too, but nobody said a word. They could imagine that neither Littlefoot nor Ducky were especially well.
Chapter LII
Littlefoot breathed heavily. It was a big exertion for him to keep Ozzy’s pace. For Ozzy on his two legs it was far easier to progress on the rough, rugged rock on which they walked now. Several times he had already lagged behind some steps and the noose around his neck had tightened painfully narrow then. Ducky was better at least as far as she didn’t have to walk herself, but being shaken thoroughly head over and pell-mell in Strut’s fist by every step and every jump was surely not very pleasant either. Littlefoot noted that at some slopes broad gaps gapped into the thick blanket of snow, in which the snow lay only very thin. Avalanches had to be thundered down to the valley there, huge avalanches that had torn everything along that had been in their way. Their way was dangerous.
Some of the snow-covered slopes were so steep that they had to be very careful not to fall down. Even without the slippery snow it would have been hard enough not to loose the foothold on the rugged rock by the strong and cutting cold wind that blew from one side. The slopes were mostly not that steep that they would have injured really serious, but Littlefoot didn’t want to try it. And sometimes they passed also places where the slopes led so steep into the deep that a precipice would have meant the certain dead. At this places even the eggeaters slowed down utmost intended on not loosing their balance and Littlefoot clawed as firmly as he could to the snow then and hardly dared to set one foot in front of the other while Ducky simply pressed her hands in front of her eyes and ears. But finally the slopes became easier. So the way became less and less dangerous. Also the cold wind diminished and they felt the shine of the bright circle that would soon disappear behind the mountains again pleasantly on their skin. Now and then clouds passed like thick veils of mist. “Further we have never gone Ozzy”, said Strut with an a bit uneasy voice when they crossed a narrow frozen stream. Ozzy answered with an indistinct agreeing murmuring and went on pulling Littlefoot on the vine forcing him to follow. Littlefoot smiled slightly. Strut had just given away that he and his brother were not familiar with the region from now on. Maybe this would make an escape easier.
Chapter LIII
Petrie slept sound and profound in the lee of Cera’s neckshield. After he had flown to and fro between his friends and the eggeaters several times but had never had to report anything but that the eggeaters went on and on, on their normal Cera had suggested that he should better rest repose now since he would maybe have to fly to Littlefoot and Ducky again during the night. Petrie had accepted this offer very willingly, way all the more as none of the others had any objections. They followed the traces of the eggeaters. Since they could survey everything from here they were also safe of any ambush of the eggeaters the trails in the snow were so distinctly that it was impossible to overlook them and loose the contact to the eggeaters as long as it wouldn’t snow anew and the new snow would cover up the trails. Several times they had even been able to recognize the eggeaters and Ducky and Littlefoot a long distance ahead on the slope, but most time they had disappeared already soon in the clouds again that hung up here in the air like small but tight fog banks. It was very cold and moist in the clouds, so it was not very pleasant to traverse them. But now the slopes became more and more rocky and some of the rocks had the size of small mountain summits. Behind every rock the eggeaters could lurk. This was not a very calming thought. It became already dark when Ali broke the silence and said: “I think it’s time to wake Petrie. Maybe the eggeaters are lurking anywhere ahead in the darkness and I don’t want to run into them.” Cera nodded and shook her head the next moment to wake Petrie. This nearly lost his hold and could only just cling to Cera’s neckshield. A bit bewildered by the sudden way to be torn back to reality he looked around and tried to orientate. Spike greeted him with a good-natured grumbling and Chomper asked politely: “Have you slept well Petrie?” The little flyer who had found back to his surroundings nodded, stretched and mumbled still a bit sleepy: “Again there is something to do for Petrie?” Cera nodded. “The eggeaters have to be somewhere ahead and we don’t know where. Please fly ahead and let us know when you see them.” “Moreover it becomes dark”, added Chomper. “And we should lookout for a place to spend the night.” “It becomes dark early…”, said Ali thereupon, “…far earlier than then when it was still war. But still we should go on not to let the eggeaters a to big lead. If we loose track of them we’ll perhaps never see Littlefoot and Ducky again.” “The eggeaters will take care themselves that we won’t lose their tracks”, said Chomper. “Why?” asked Cera bewildered and also the others didn’t seem to understand. “Do you still have not understood this?” asked Chomper. “This eggthieves want to catch us too, that’s the only reason why they haven’t hurt Littlefoot and Ducky yet. They want us to try to free Ducky and Littlefoot so they have the possibility to catch us too by that. Thus they won’t try to leave us behind.” “Are you completely sure?” asked Cera and she didn’t sound very convinced. “Not completely sure”, admitted Chomper after short hesitating. “We’ll se it”, Ali intervened slightly impatiently. “If you’re right they’ll stop soon. Please fly Petrie. We come after you, so warn us in time when you see them!” Petrie nodded, swung himself up into the air and flew off while the others began with the descent.
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Getting suspensful quickly :yes. Keep it up!
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Very suspenseful indeed and well done characterizations and plot development, with some odd word choices here and there, but overall excellent.
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Malte, I remembered reading this fanfic long ago when you used to send it to me to read it. I love the drawings. :yes
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I just read these latest chapters, I am enjoying this...and it is getting better by the chapter!
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Thank you for your responses! I really appreciate them :yes
Here are the next two chapters:
Chapter LIV
Chomper had apparently guessed right; Petrie recognized that very soon. He hadn’t flown far when he already discovered the eggeaters. He had been pretty lucky by this for it was difficult to find anything between the numeral big and small rocks, especially as occasionally passing clouds blocked the sight again and again. One of the eggeaters , those with the unhurt nose, sat at the base of a very big rock in front of a dent that looked like the entrance of a very narrow ravine, but it was only a deep cleft without a second way out. Petrie supposed that Littlefoot and Ducky were there for the walls of this cleft were too steep to climb them up and the entrance was narrow. The eggeaters only had to guard it. But where was the other eggeater? Petrie flew some narrow circles and considered if he should fly into the rocky cleft to make sure if he was right and to speak with Littlefoot and Ducky. But maybe the second eggeater was in the rocky cleft too and Petrie didn’t want to be seen. In this instant the eggeater with the scratched nose stepped out of the rocky cleft and started to walk in circles restless. Petrie was very afraid but it seemed as if the eggeaters would start to talk and maybe he could eavesdrop something important. Now in the darkness he was nearly safe from being discovered. He landed quietly behind a boulder nearby the eggeaters and listened strained. “Are they sleeping Ozzy?” asked the eggeater with the unhurt nose in his customary a bit naÔve voice. “Mmh yes!” answered the other. “We can talk Strut.” Strut looked at Ozzy expectantly as if he had not the slightest idea what about he wanted to talk. “We will watch alternately that they don’t flee or their friends try to free them tonight.” “And if they try?” “Then we’ll catch them!” The tone of Ozzy let no doubt how serious it was for him. And if they don’t come, then we’ll do something ourselves tomorrow. I’m sick of waiting for them to do anything.” “And what shall we do?” Ozzy sighed grated and stepped for Petrie’s great scare directly towards the boulder behind which he squatted. With a movement of his hand Ozzy wiped the snow from the boulder and sat down on it. Petrie forgot to breathe with fear for a moment, and he hardly dared to whip off the snow Ozzy had wiped down from the boulder directly onto him. He ducked so deep behind the boulder as if he wanted to creep under it. Ozzy’s words sounded suddenly uncustomary loud in his ears. “We waylay them you dunce! Here are enough hiding places where we just have to wait for them. All we have to do is finding the right hiding place and make sure that the two grasseaters won’t warn their friends.” “And if they warn them and we don’t get the others?” “Shut up!” thundered Ozzy, now really angry and jumped furiously up from the boulder, so fiercely that the boulder shifted a bit and jammed in one of Petrie’s wings. He could hardly suppress a cry of pain and tried desperately but vainly to pull his wing out under the stone. “We’ll catch them!” cried Ozzy. “And if we won’t…”, Ozzy lowered his voice to a threatening quiet and hollow tone, “…then I’m fed up with it. If we won’t have caught the others tomorrow in the evening, then I’ll eat the swimmer and we’ll throw the longneck down a cliff!” Strut looked a bit bewildered and unhappy. He couldn’t fail to notice that his brother had said I when he spoke of the eating of the swimmer. Strangely this didn’t seem to be the only thing that didn’t suit him, for anywhere deep inside the thought of Ducky being eaten was repugnant to him suddenly. Petrie’s blood had frozen in his veins by Ozzy’s words. He had heard enough and wanted to disappear as quickly as possible. But his one wing sat fast and he couldn’t move the boulder. But Petrie hardly tried a real attempt for he feared that the eggeaters would notice him. He had to wait until at least one of the eggeaters slept. Maybe he could risk it then. But suddenly another horrible thought struck Petrie. The others were on the way to this place and meanwhile so much time had passed that they could actually arrive here every instant. If they wouldn’t notice the eggeaters in time because they expected to be warned by him in time…
Petrie fetched deep breath, threw himself with all his weight to the side and pulled at his wing with might and main.
“Did you hear that?” asked Ozzy and Strut nodded. He had heard a quiet sound too, as if a stone would be dragged over another one. Ozzy believed moreover to have recognized a movement in the darkness behind the boulder on which he had just sat. With one leap he was there. But there was nothing. Only the snow seemed to be a bit rooted up, probably because of the snow he had wiped from the boulder before.
Petrie flew as fast as he could with a hurting wing back to the others.
Chapter LV
Already after a few flaps Petrie had reached the others. “Petrie!” called Cera to him. “Hist!” hissed Petrie and tried to land on Spike’s back. But he staggered a bit to and fro in the air and precipitated close aside Spike. Ali grabbed him, pulled him out of the snow and set him down on her back. “Petrie! What have you done with your wing?” she asked with a low voice. “Jammed” answered Petrie and cast first time a look at his wing that had fortunately suffered only a few scratches. “Have the eggeaters seen you? Are they nearby?” murmured Chomper. “They directly are behind the rock”, croaked Petrie quietly and pointed with his unhurt wing at the rock that towered up in a short distance. “What?!” Cera flared up in a sort of bawled whisper. “And you tell us that now? Had you waited just a bit longer we would have run right into them!” “Hist!” hissed Petrie for whose taste Cera’s voice had become to loud. He pointed in one direction, away from the rock behind which the eggeaters sat and flew off carefully. The others followed him quietly. Petrie’s wing still hurt pretty much and so he landed on Spike’s back and let himself carry. When he believed that they were far enough from the eggeaters not to be heard by them anymore he croaked: “Petrie is sorry for me not fly back earlier, but it was impossible. Petrie has heard the eggeaters talking. They nearly me have caught!” “They have seen you?” Cera said terrified. “Have they ill treated your wing like this?” asked Chomper. “And what have you heard?” asked Ali impatiently. Petrie couldn’t answer all questions at the same time and shook only his head. “They no see Petrie”, he calmed Cera and explained afterwards what had happened to his wing and how he had escaped only narrowly. “You couldn’t see Littlefoot and Ducky?” asked Ali. “No, Petrie has said that already.” “But what have you heard actually?” Petrie told them what he had heard, that Chomper had been right and about the plan of the eggeaters to waylay them tomorrow. Cera grinned pleased when Petrie informed them about the secret plans of the eggeaters. When Petrie told what the eggeater with the scratched nose had announced if he and his brother wouldn’t catch them tomorrow Spike howled up. Ali had become a bit paler and bit herself nervously on the lower lip. Chomper and Cera tried to stay calm, but they trembled too. “This means…”, said Chomper finally slowly. “…that we have to free them in any case tomorrow!” Cera completed the sentence. “But how?” wailed Ali despaired. “They watch Littlefoot and Ducky as if they would be their own eggs.” “If they wouldn’t eat them too”, Chomper interjected jejunely. “We have tried to free her once before and they have nearly caught all of us. And they have caught Littlefoot while we couldn’t free Ducky.” There was gloomy silence for a moment. “See it once from the different view”, said Cera finally. “We have nearly all escaped them although they had set a trap for us and Littlefoot and Ducky had nearly made it too.” Chomper couldn’t deny himself a slightly self-satisfied smiling for it had been not at least his owing that the eggeater’s trap hadn’t been successful. “Yeah, yeah, I know!” said Ali and composed herself a bit. “We have to make it tomorrow!” she said suddenly with a determination that should let no doubts possible. “But how?” asked Chomper slightly irritated and he drawled out the “how” provocative as if he wanted to explain a small child that didn’t understand at all what was about at all that the question was not if, but what they had to do. She had understood the provocation very well and had to force herself not to give a sharp answer. “I don’t know”, admitted Ali. “Then your nice speeches won’t help us either!” said Chomper with an angry tone. In her interior she boiled with rage, but still Ali tried to ignore Chomper. “Cera is right we have nearly all escaped them the last time and…”, Ali began, but Chomper interrupted her: “…and that was not your owing!” Now Ali couldn’t suppress her fury anymore. “So do you have an idea?” she hissed. And Chomper fell silent embarrassed. “You know as less as I do what we can do and acts as if you would be smarter than all of us.” Ali hoped to bring the others on her side by saying “All of us”. “No!” snarled Chomper who saw his position threatened. “But if I would have followed your words at the eggeater’s cave, then we all would be nothing but eggeaterfood by this time!” “Fie! Eating a sharptooth, that must disorder every stomach!” called Ali and cut a disgusted face. Cera, Spike, and Petrie listened to the both with increasing worry and exchanged alarmed looks. “Stop it!” croaked Petrie sternly, but neither Chomper nor Ali paid attention to him. “What a luck that Littlefoot and Cera were there in time otherwise my stomach would have been disordered by you the day before yesterday!” roared Chomper. “Oh yeah!” cried Ali back. “What a luck for you that Littlefoot has been there, otherwise you wouldn’t be with us anymore for long!” Chomper twitched and the others saw with great discomfort that he spread his claws. He seemed to be about to pounce upon Ali. “Hush! The eggeaters will hear us otherwise!” croaked Petrie warning and flew courageous between the two quarrelling. But with movements of their arms respectively their head Chomper and Ali drove him off like an undesirable insect. “Seems to please you that Littlefoot is away so he can’t take me under his protection before you anymore!” cried Chomper. The fury about Ali’s words drove tears into his eyes. Chomper’s words struck directly to Ali’s heart. She rose on her hind legs threatening for a moment and seemed to be about to pounce upon Chomper too. Petrie cast imploring looks at Cera and Spike. Since the eggeaters had caught Littlefoot they had never needed his help as urgently as now. It had been Littlefoot’s influence that had kept Ali and Chomper peaceable moreover he was also generally a good calmer what couldn’t be said of Cera and she knew that. And now the sharptooth and the longneckgirl seemed to be about to fall upon each other. Cera jumped into Ali’s way and Spike did the same in the same second with Chomper. Petrie flapped in spite of his hurting wing from one to the other and tried to help Spike and Cera as good as he could. “Stop it!” said Cera with such a commanding voice that she really hushed as well Chomper as Ali. “That is really not the right instant for such things!” she said sternly and sought feverishly for more words to calm the both. “Chomper it…”, she ceased for the hostile, cold look with which Chomper looked at her upset her completely. “Ali we…”, she began, but Ali’s look silenced her too. Cera felt ridiculous and there was nothing she hated more than to made a fool of herself: “We want to free Littlefoot and Ducky and if you want to assist us by that then you are probably a big help to us. But if you prefer to kill each other then do it please so far away that at least the eggeaters won’t hear you!” That were harsh words and Cera feared to be implicated into the quarrel herself because of them, but for her surprise Ali and Chomper both fell silent. They looked first at Cera then at each other. “If looks could kill…”, thought Cera. Some very tensed moments passed. “What shall we do Cera?” asked Chomper finally. His voice sounded very raucous and hoarse of the bawling, but he spoke with normal loudness, what sounded after, the row he and Ali had just made, like music in Cera’s ears, especially as she had nearly uttered a deep sigh of relief because of Chomper’s words. “we free Littlefoot and Ducky!” said Ali. Her voice was shaking and she gulped through it so it was hard to understand her. “We have at least some advantages”, said Cera now likewise calm again and her eyes travelled over the faces of the others, who starred at her like being enchanted. From one of Chomper’s eyes a tear ran down and dropped into the snow. He didn’t seem to notice it. Ali sobbed quietly. This and the close attention made Cera nervous and embarrassed but she made to speak on calmly. “The eggeaters don’t know that we’re here if they haven’t heard us.” Cera said the last words hasty not to cause Chomper’s or Ali’s anger. Both said nothing and listened on. “And they don’t know either that we know their plans. At all events they can’t simply waylay us anymore. They think moreover that we are behind them, but if we go on a short distance then we are in ahead of them and…”, suddenly an idea struck Cera. “I’ve got it!” caked she with hardly lowered voice and made an enthusiastically caper. “I think I know how we can free Littlefoot and Ducky tomorrow”, she said now a bit quieter. The banned attention on her even increased. “We know that they want to waylay us tomorrow”, she explained and fetched deep breath. “Yes. And?” asked Chomper impatiently. “they can’t keep Littlefoot and Ducky nearby by this for they would betray the ambush for sure”, Cera continued. “So one of the eggeaters will go on with them while the other will lurk for us.” “You don’t mean…”, Petrie began. “But of course!” interrupted Cera. “…that we’ll waylay those who goes ahead with Ducky and Littlefoot?” Ali finished Petrie’s question with some doubt in her voice. “Why not asked Cera a bit disappointed about the reserved reaction of the others. “That will be difficult”, said Chomper considering. “That’s true”, admitted Cera, “But if you have a better idea that is not difficult to commit, then please say it.” Chomper nodded and the others knew that they couldn’t gain anything without a certain risk. “This way it will be at all events easier than if we would have to encounter both of them. And moreover I think that we’ll have to deal with those with the unhurt nose and he can hardly set one foot in front of the other without the other one saying him to do so.” “And why do you think that we’ll have to deal with him?” inquired Ali. “Because those with the scratched nose is the leader and because he certainly doesn’t want to slip the occasion to catch us himself, and moreover…”, Cera cast a careful side look at Chomper. “Yet I don’t know how eggeaters think, but I could imagine, that he wants to revenge for his nose on you Chomper.” Chomper nodded slightly and tried to conceal the uneasy feeling he had. “That may be”, he said earnest. “But we not do know where he will wait for us”, croaked Petrie. This time it was Chomper who answered:
“The eggeaters are surely impatiently and they think that we still follow their tracks. I think that those with the scratched nose won’t wait, but will take the first place he finds for an ambush. Maybe he’ll even lurk behind the rock where they rest now tomorrow.” “Do you think so?” asked Cera who hoped very much that Chomper was right. Chomper nodded:
“I guess so.” “Well, let’s hope so”, said Ali, “For then we can also choose the first place to waylay the eggeater with Littlefoot and Ducky.” “That’s right”, agreed Cera. “And we should hurry to find that place for I’m tired to drop.” Cera looked over to Petrie who had leaned against one of the horn plates on Spike’s back and began to doze away. Initially Cera had wanted to ask him if he could fly ahead again to look out for a fitting place, but then she saw Petrie’s wing. If she would ask Petrie for that he would fly everywhere, all the same how strenuous it would be for him and he wouldn’t loose a word about his wing. But Cera had seen Petrie’s unsure and tottering flight before. She knew that it hurt him to have to flu with this wing and moreover she could see how tired he was so she didn’t say anything. “Come!” she said drowning out a loud yawning of Spike and set in motion into the direction where the bright circle stood the highest during the day, but at the moment there was only the big silver full moon. Spike on whose back Petrie had finally fallen asleep troubled to keep up with Cera.
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I can't wait to read more! :D
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An interesting read. Though some word choices were unusual, and it is easier to read if the dialog is given it's own sentence, likely minor things. The characters seem well portrayed and portrayed well. I also especially like the fact that it seems to be pure lbt and not crossed over with other stuff or magic added in. Also it seems to have the feel of the first movie and early sequels.
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Thank you for your reactions! I appreciate them a lot :yes
Sadly my English was much poorer by the time I translated the story. To this day my English is not that of a native speaker, but if I translated the story today, I'm quite sure I would not make such a "peculiar" choice of words anymore ;)
I often thought about editing the whole translation but I never mustered the enthusiasm to pick up the "concluded" project again while there are so many projects in planing which ought to be begun :(
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter LVI
Cera noticed that Ali and Chomper kept the widest possible distance from each other during the walk. At the moment Ali went close aside Cera. “It is not true!” said Ali suddenly with a shaking voice. She spoke so quietly that only Cera could hear it at all. “What?” Cera asked bewildered, “What’s not true?” “What the sharptooth said. I would be pleased that Littlefoot by the eggeaters…” Ali snivelled quietly. “But nobody here has thought that yet”, Cera hurried to assure. “Really?” asked Ali sobbing quietly. “No, of course not Ali”, repeated Cera. Her words seemed to comfort Ali. For a while they went on without any of them saying anything until something came back to Cera’s mind she had already almost forgotten. “Say Ali…”, she began slowly, “Your and Littlefoot’s sudden hurry when we’ve left the valley; had it to do with the eggeaters? Had you already seen them and was it that what you’ve kept secret from us?” Ali needed some seconds to remember what Cera meant at all. Since then so much had happened that she had almost forgotten the sharptooth Littlefoot and she had seen, she would have taken it simply for impossible to forget something like that at different circumstances. Ali moaned quietly by the thought that now there was maybe also a hungry grownup sharptooth on their tracks. As if the little sharptooth wouldn’t be terrible enough. But Ali took it for so unlikely that the big sharptooth was really after them that she didn’t take it for necessary to burden Cera, who had already plenty enough problems for her opinion, with that too. “No Cera, it had really nothing to do with the eggeaters”, said Ali. “It… it was not important. It had no meaning at all.” “Aha”, said Cera with a so incredulous tone that Ali became a really bad conscience. But Cera didn’t want to urge Ali further. She looked out for a fitting place for the ambush tomorrow. They went currently high up along a very steep slope. To their right rose steep snow covered rocky walls; too steep to be climbed up. To their left was the slope through whose upper part a narrow plain stripe of ground led like a comfortable way along the otherwise pretty steep slope. Probably the eggeater would come on the stripe tomorrow, for there would be no reason for him to go on the uncomfortable inclined slope. Therefore Cera avoided this way, for if the eggeater would find their tracks tomorrow he would be warned. Along distance behind them Cera could recognize the dark outline of the rock where according to Petrie the eggeaters rested. The dark shadows of this and the other rocks that lay separately scattered stood out gloomy against the bright, in the moonlight glittering blanket of snow. A respectable distance ahead was a long rocky wall that cut their way. Despite the darkness Cera could recognize the gloomy entrances of several gorges. But Cera couldn’t recognize much of this threatening appearing terrain. “Is it true?” one voice asked Cera suddenly. Cera startled from her thoughts. It was Chomper who had spoken and Cera looked at him surprised. Ali was meanwhile at the end of their file. “What?” asked Cera bewildered. “If it is true. I mean what Ali has said.” Anyhow this seemed to be strangely familiar to Cera. “What do you mean Chomper?” “That I wouldn’t be here with you for long if Littlefoot wouldn’t be there.” For an instant Cera considered Chomper’s question seriously, but then she shook her head determinedly. Sharptooth or not, Chomper was their friend, not only Littlefoot’s. The hard this might be to understand for Ali who, Cera had to understand that too of course, had all reason to mistrust Chomper. “No Chomper”, said Cera determined. “You would also be with us if Littlefoot would have been in the Great Valley for the whole time.” “Really?” Chomper asked and tried to suppress a sobbing.
“Yeah!” said Cera again with a certainty that left no room for doubts. Chomper cast a thankful look at her. Suddenly somebody nudged Cera. She looked back surprised. It was Spike on whose back Petrie slept sound and profound. Spike prattled something in his very own language and pointed with his head down the slope. Cera followed the movement of his head with her look and discovered what Spike had seen too. Directly above the plain stripe of ground, on which the eggeater would probably come the next morning rose a low rocky wall that merged with the slope farther up and thus could be reached by them without any problem. From there they would have an ideal survey without being seen themselves and if the eggeater would really come on the plain stripe of ground, then they would only have to throw down some well aimed stones and the rest would probably be a trifle. “Spiky that is splendid!” called Cera enthusiastically and turned round to Chomper and Ali. “There we’ll wait!” shouted Cera. “And there, I’m sure about that, we’ll free Littlefoot and Ducky!” They ran for the place and when they had arrived Cera liked it even more. Some boulders offered good cover and also some smaller rocks lay around like being created to bomb an eggeater with them. “I think we can finally rest now”, said Cera. “Who keeps watching first?” “Petrie.” Surprised Cera looked at Spike’s back. It had been Petrie himself who had spoken. Cera was a bit embarrassed for she could fancy that it had been her shouts that had woken Petrie. “Petrie, are you really sure? You had a hard day and tomorrow…” “Petrie has slept long enough. Now it’s your turn!” croaked the flyer truehearted and flapped over to one of the bigger boulders. “Well Petrie”, said Cera. “But wake us immediately if anything is up.” Spike had found some blades of grass below the snow, which he chewed, enjoy fully and afterwards he fell asleep. Chomper nestled close to him for it was very cold. Cera joined them and even Ali forgot her aversion against Chomper although she moved as far away from him as she could. Cera couldn’t fell asleep for long. So much could go awry tomorrow. Cera’s optimism from before vanished quickly. What if the eggeaters wanted to waylay them anywhere else and if both of them would come. Or if only one would come, but not on the way that would lead him so directly in the trap. And if they wouldn’t make to free Littlefoot and Ducky? She shuddered by the thought of what Petrie had eavesdropped. But finally she expelled all this thoughts for at the moment she really couldn’t do anything at all. She looked up to the full moon that shone marvellous on the starry sky and she wondered how Ducky and Littlefoot might be at the moment.
Chapter LVII
Ducky and Littlefoot couldn’t really sleep either. Again and again they were startled by nightmares. The loud snorting of the eggeater with the scratched nose made it even harder to fall asleep. Ozzy slept in the cleft too and he blocked the only way out. It was impossible to come out without waking the eggeater. Meanwhile Ducky was close to despair and even Littlefoot’s confidence was not as unshakable anymore as he pretended. But he made a brave effort at this pretence so as not to increase Ducky’s fears. His head still hurt from Ozzy’s stone throw, although the pain had grown less intense in the meantime. “How shall we ever escape?” asked Ducky discouraged. Littlefoot cast a regretting look at the liana whose noose still lay around his neck, although nobody held the other end at the moment. “Alone we don’t make it”, admitted Littlefoot. “But we have seen Petrie. I know the others are nearby too.” “When we’ve seen him the last time we had just set off. Maybe they’ve lost our tracks!” “No, the tracks are far to distinctly to miss them.” Ducky shivered and she nestled closer to Littlefoot’s shoulder. “What do you think are the eggeaters going to do with us?” “I don’t know”, said Littlefoot after short hesitating. It was a plain lie. A short while ago Littlefoot had only dozed while Ducky, maybe the only time in this night had slept really until a nightmare had woken her again. Littlefoot had snapped up some words when the eggeaters had talked. He had understood nearly nothing, but what he had understood was enough for him. Tomorrow evening they would be free… or dead. The patience of the eggeater with the scratched nose was over. At least Littlefoot knew that they would have to flee tomorrow. They had no other choice. Littlefoot hoped that the others would try to undertake anything for their deliverance too, for alone Ducky and he wouldn’t have the slightest trace of a chance if they would be watched carefully by the eggeaters. Actually Littlefoot didn’t doubt that the others would undertake anything, but Ducky’s words had roused doubts in him yet. Maybe something had happened with the others and they didn’t even know it. Littlefoot hadn’t told Ducky anything of what he had heard for he could hardly stay calm himself because of the heard. Littlefoot and Ducky looked up to the full moon that shone directly into the cleft and there suddenly Littlefoot noticed a star that twinkled brighter than all the others. Far brighter. Ducky didn’t seem to notice the star. Maybe she was too occupied with her thoughts. “But maybe…”, thought Littlefoot, “This star appears different for me than for her.” And suddenly it was as if he could hear a voice. Not with his ears, but with his heart. “Don’t be afraid Littlefoot. I’m always with you. Wherever you are. But be careful! And now you should better sleep. Tomorrow will probably be a very hard day.” Littlefoot didn’t hear anything more and he didn’t need to hear anything more. Suddenly he felt far more safety and he smiled up to the bright twinkling star. Ducky who hadn’t heard anything asked dejectedly: “Do you think that we’ll ever see the others again; Littlefoot?” Littlefoot’s “Yes!” sounded so firmly and confidently that also Ducky’s angst diminished a bit. “You should better sleep now”, said Littlefoot. “Tomorrow will certainly a very hard day.” “Why?” asked Ducky surprised by Littlefoot’s sudden confidence. “Somebody I know very well has told me that.” Ducky looked at Littlefoot with wide opened eyes. How could anybody have told Littlefoot that? But she knew that he spoke the truth and didn’t ask anything more. “Have a good night Ducky”, said Littlefoot. “You too”, said Ducky and fell asleep. Littlefoot’s words had calmed her very much although she hadn’t understood everything. Littlefoot smiled once more up to the star. “Good night mother he said and then he fell asleep too.
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I don't really see that many errors in your translation. There are, however, some spelling/grammatical errors that I want to point out):
Chapter LVI:
In the second sentence, "shacking" should be "shaking."
There is also a verb agreement error in the fourth sentence of Chapter LVI -- I feel that it should be "What the Sharptooth had said," since Ali is talking about what Chomper said in the past.
"“Yeah!” said Cera again with a certainty that let no doubts possible anymore." -- Were you trying to say that she said it with a certainty that assured the others of no possible doubts? (sorry, I got confused after reading this line).
Chapter LVII:
"Ducky who hadn’t heard anything asked dejected..." -- dejected should be dejectedly, since it would be an adverb in this case.
"...although the pain had diminished in the meantime." -- it should be have diminished.
"...and there suddenly Littlefoot noted a star..." -- "noted" should be "noticed."
"...and also Littlefoot began to loose his courage..." -- "loose" should be "lose." You could replace it with "let go of."
Sorry if it seems like I'm picking on you. I just want to help. Overall, you're doing great with the story! :)
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Another fun read. I guess this isn't something that you are writing currently but something you wrote some time ago? Your English is very good currently. I'm sure many here look forward to your future projects that you choose to show here.
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Thank you for your corrections Timehopper :yes
By the way, may I call you by the name which I know from our emails?
I made the corrections you suggested and replaced the two chapters with their corrected version. The problem is that the entire text is really full of mistakes of word order etc. I guess to really make up for it I would have to type the entire story again. However, these chapters certainly go to prove my claim that my English was far worse at age 16 / 17 than it is for many of our non-native speaker members of the same age, or even younger. I translated the story in 2001 / 2002 Kor. Getting the hang of the language was not always easy for me as demonstrated by this story :lol
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter LVIII
Ozzy awoke shortly after and since he had the feeling not to be able to fall asleep anymore he went out to relieve Strut. Strut seemed to doze a bit, but he was startled immediately when Ozzy stepped out of the cleft. “Alright Strut, it’s me”, said Ozzy pleasantly surprised not to find his brother sleeping. Strut tiredly nodded. “May I…”, he troubled to suppress a yawn, “…lie down now?” Ozzy nodded. “Has anything happened?” asked Ozzy when this was already about to disappear in the cleft. “No”, mumbled Strut. “Nothing but…” “What?” Ozzy interrupted him, again in his usual stern tone. “Well, some time ago I’ve heard something, but I may err.” “What have you heard?” “It sounded as if somebody would cry, far away.” “A cry?” “No, it sounded merely as if somebody would bellow at somebody else. But it was so quietly, I think I have…” Strut ceased frightened. He had nearly said that he believed to have dreamt it. But Ozzy mustn’t know that. But for Strut’s relief Ozzy didn’t seem to have heard the last words at all. He appeared to be pretty thoughtful. “May… may I go now Ozzy?” Ozzy startled. “What? Oh err yes, yes! Sleep well!” “Thanks.” Bewildered went Strut into the cleft. If his brother wished him to sleep well, thought Strut, then he had to be really somewhere completely else with his thoughts. Ozzy pondered. He remembered the noise he and Strut had heard during their talk. The snow behind the boulder from where the noise had come had been rooted up. Strut believed to have heard cries and if Ozzy now minded that here was simply no being anymore that could have made noises, save the leafeater kids, then all this seemed to be too much to be chance. He had to make sure. Ozzy ran past the boulder from behind which they had heard the noise during their talk, into the darkness. Ozzy didn’t have to run far for already after a few steps he recognized footprints in the snow that was lightened by the moonlight. Footprints of a threehorn, a spikedtail, a longneck and a sharptooth. No doubt, the kids had been here and that their tracks changed the direction here so suddenly and led up instead of along the slope. Was the proof for Ozzy that he and Strut had been eavesdropped by the flyer, this wretched flying pest. For a moment Ozzy believed that he would explode with rage. Strut would have to pay for that, for it was all his fault, wasn’t it? But suddenly Ozzy had an idea. If the flyer had really eavesdropped Strut and him, then the little leafeaters knew now that they had to hurry to free their friends otherwise it would be too late for them. So they probably wouldn’t wait for long, but would try to free their friends as soon as possible. That was just all right with Ozzy. But he was not even forced to let the leafeaters the whole initiative for the tracks in the snow would lead Ozzy directly to the leafeaters. Ozzy cast an examining look up to the sky. Not a single cloud was in sight, so there was no snowfall impending that could have covered up the tracks, at least not during the next few hours. Ozzy grinned maliciously. Tomorrow the grasseaters would experience an unpleasant surprise.
It was dawning already when Ozzy woke up Strut quietly and told him about the tracks. “So you’ll go on slowly with these two grasseaters over there…” Ozzy pointed with his head at Littlefoot and Ducky who still slept sound and profound, “…while I’ll follow the tracks as fast as I can. With a bit of luck I can surprise the other grasseaters and then we’ll have them. But be careful Strut. They’ll probably try to free those over there”, again he nodded in the direction of Littlefoot and Ducky. “Don’t admit that or you be badly off!” Strut nodded hasty and purposed not to let any of them escape, whatever might happen. “Okay Strut”, said Ozzy. “And if the leafeaters ask any questions, then ignore them!” “Yes Ozzy!” “Good, then I’ll set off now. Wake up the grasseaters and go the way we would have taken usually.” With that Ozzy turned around and ran back to the point where he had found the tracks. Strut sighed quietly and woke Littlefoot and Ducky then.
Chapter LIX
“Here he comes!” called Cera quietly to the others and he is really all alone with Ducky and Littlefoot. Just as I have hoped. The others too peered carefully over the boulders behind which they were concealing. Cera’s call also woke Petrie who had lain down once more after he had kept watching during most of the night. One eggeater came along the slope and aside him went Littlefoot. Around his neck lay the liana of which Petrie had told yesterday. The eggeater, whose nose showed no scratches as they recognized when they looked carefully, held the other end of the liana in his hand. Ducky sat on Littlefoot’s back. Apparently the eggeater was of the opinion that she would on the one hand be to slowly to flee and on the other hand wouldn’t flee without Littlefoot. He was right in both respects. The dusk had given way for the still a bit dull, yellowish light of the sun that rose behind the mountains in the east. The sky was vaporous and in the deeper dales of the mountains a slight ground fog had accumulated. It was a very cold morning and Cera, Spike, Petrie, Ali and Chomper shivered. For her big satisfaction Cera saw that the eggeater was not only alone, but also went on the narrow plain stripe of ground that would lead him directly into the trap, just as she had supposed and hoped. “Get ready!” said Cera and everybody took position behind the boulders they had placed providently at the edge of the shelf. When the eggeater would arrive there down below, then a real hail of boulders and stones would patter down on him. Cera looked again over to the eggeater who went on slowly, but purposively. “He probably doesn’t want to get a too big start his brother”, thought Cera, Littlefoot went, just as if he would anticipate anything as far apart from the eggeater as the liana allowed. So he and Ducky wouldn’t be in danger to be hurt by the “hail of stones” they had earmarked for the eggeater.
“Just perfect!” thought Cera satisfied. The time and with it also the eggeater seemed to advance plainly as slow as a snail. Finally only a short piece of way separated the eggeater from the rocky ledge. Chomper grinned and whispered quietly to Cera: “That’s great. That with the scratched nose waits probably already impatiently for us.” “Or he is getting hungry now”, whispered Cera back quietly grinning likewise. “Or maybe he is wondering already if we might have taken another way that doesn’t lead into his ambush”, whispered Ali chuckling. “Or maybe he is already wondering whom of you he shall eat first!” Cera’s, Spike’s, Petrie’s, Ali’s and Chomper’s hearts stopped beating for a moment. Their blood seemed to freeze in their veins and they could neither breathe nor speak and it cost all their strength to turn round. It had been Ozzy who had spoken and his face appeared not only because of the scratched nose, but far more because of the bestial triumphing grinning sheer disfigured. “How…?” gasped Cera and tried to regain her breath. “You should better not be so loud if you eavesdrop on us at night”, said Ozzy and sparkle maliciously at Petrie who starred back like being paralyzed. “And if you’ve to cry around, then you shouldn’t do that when we are nearby and can hear you. Especially if you leave so distinct tracks behind, but why do I give you advices anyway? You won’t be able to follow them anymore!” Ozzy guffawed and waved at Strut. “I got them Strut! They’re up here”, called Ozzy. “No!” cried Littlefoot and Ducky desperately like out of one mouth. Ozzy stepped towards his victims whose only way of escape was cut. They couldn’t do anything but screaming. Screaming at the tops of their voices as loud as they could. They screamed so loudly that it resounded dull from the mountains. And for their surprise this seemed to impress Ozzy anyhow, for he stopped and snapped: “Be quiet! Shut up! Stop crying or there’ll be an avalanche!” But it was to late. A loud pealing and rumbling like of distant thunder sounded and then the snow above on the steep slope set in motion. A giant snow slab detached from the blanket of snow and slid, driving a big cloud of drizzling powdery snow ahead, down the slope and towards the shelf on which Ozzy, Ali, Chomper, Petrie, Spike and Cera were.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/11Theavalanche.jpg)
“Ozzy look out!” called Strut and starred terrified at the snow banks that slid towards his big brother. Strut had let the liana go with fear, but it didn’t occur to Littlefoot at all to run away while an avalanche slid towards his friends. He himself, Ducky and Strut were safe for they weren’t in the way of the avalanche. “Behind the rock!” shouted Ali and ducked behind a small rocky cone that was tightly connected with the shelf below. Cera, Spike and Chomper followed her. “Fly!” cried Cera at Petrie who still starred at the eggeater and the snow banks that tumbled at them behind him like being hypnotized. Petrie began to flap fiercely with his wings, but he came maybe because of his hurt wing, maybe because of the fright not as fast away from the ground as usually. Ozzy jerked round and looked out for a cover feverishly, but nowhere was a rock or anything else that would have been big enough to offer him cover at least nothing that was near enough to reach it before the avalanche was there. And then it was there. With huge force the avalanche swept Ozzy from his feet, down the shelf and buried him below snows. Petrie had only just escaped the most violent scope of the avalanche, but the force of the drizzling cloud of powdery snow that crimpled in front of and above the avalanche was enough to tear Petrie along and to hurl him on the ground, fortunately not into the way of the avalanche. Chomper felt unpleasantly remembered to the tidal wave, that had them separated him from his parents when the snow tore him from his feet. The snow swept on both sides around the rocky cone that had taken away the force of the first impact, but offered no cover now anymore. Cera, Chomper, Spike and Ali were simply swept along. They fell some meters, but then their bounce was softened by the snow that had slid over the edge of the shelf shortly before them. Further snow banks buried them below. But despite its effect it had been a comparatively small avalanche. The snow slab that had detached from the upper steep slope had decomposed to a mass of loose snow that stopped sliding on the plain stripe of ground already after a few meters and came to a standstill.
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You're welcome, and sure you can call me by my name. I don't mind at all. :)
It's not your fault that you have grammatical/spelling errors in your story. I understand since I'm not a native speaker of English too. Plus, it didn't affect your storytelling which is spectacular. :)
In order to be a writer one has to write their pieces over and over again until all their errors have been corrected -- I learned that in my Creative Writing class last year.
I love the drawing you posted. It vividly demonstrates the scene with the avalance. :yes
Chapter LVIII:
- In the first paragraph: " “Everything goes like clockwork”, thought Cera satisfied" I don't think what Cera said in her mind makes sense since she's living during the Prehistoric times.
- In the second sentence: "...but he startled immediately" there should be was between he and startled.
- In the third sentence: "Alright" should be all right (unless it was your intention to use it for the dialogue -- in that case it's fine).
- In the fourth sentence: "Strut nodded tired" it should be Strut tiredly nodded due to verb agreement.
- In the last paragraph: "With that Ozzy turned round..." round should be around.
- Also in the last paragraph: "Ozzy grinned malicious" should be Ozzy maliciously grinned.
There's also a small error that I found in some sentences: to should too, like "too much."
Chapter LIX:
- In the first sentence: "There he comes!" should be "Here he comes!" Otherwise, it would seem as though Cera is implying that Ozzy is not really coming near them.
- In the third sentence: "...the boulders behind which they concealed too" there should be have between they and concealed.
- In the fourth sentence: "Cera’s call woke also Petrie who had lain down..." it should be also woke Petrie who have lain down.
I hope that helps. :)
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Interesting development and stopping place. A cliffhanger can be interesting and well done, especially if not over done, though some genres lend themselves to having cliffhangers.
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Darn me! :bang
Sometimes I just forget about a threat and remember more or less by accident. I'm sorry I kept you waiting :(
Thank you very much for your corrections Daly! :)
I applied them to the text and edited the last message so it now contains the corrected version. Clockwork... gee, today I would smack myself if I came up with that anachronistic formulation again :lol:
Thanks again for your help :)
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter LX
Littlefoot, Ducky and Strut starred like being paralyzed at the huge heap of snow that towered now below the shelf above which still drizzling powdery snow rose and was blown in every direction by a gentle breeze and in which Ozzy, Ali, Chomper, Spike and Cera were buried. “Ozzy!” cried Strut desperately and ran towards the heap of snow. Littlefoot looked after him a bit amazed, then he followed him whereby he made a roundabout to the spot where Petrie lay. When Littlefoot approached him Petrie stood already up slowly. “Petrie! Is everything alright?” called Ducky already from a far distance with a squeaking voice. And she bent so far forward on Littlefoot’s back that she almost fell forward. Petrie nodded only and looked with vitreous eyes up to the snow heap where Strut had already started to dig like a madman. “We have to see what’s about the others!” said Littlefoot and his voice trembled. “Yes, but what about the eggeater?” croaked Petrie exhausted. “He won’t inflict anything on us”, said Ducky. “Oh no. He searches for the other eggeater, oh yes he does.” Littlefoot set Petrie on his back and trotted despite Ducky’s words a bit hesitating towards the heap of snow too now. But suddenly he rushed of so suddenly that as well Ducky as Petrie tumbled down from his back. They clung to the liana that dangled from Littlefoot’s neck, but after they had been dragged along some meters through the snow they preferred to let it go. Bewildered they looked up and now they could recognize the reason for Littlefoot’s sudden hurry. Strut had dug somebody out of the snow, but it was not Ozzy. It was Ali. “Let her alone!” cried Littlefoot and rushed with bowed head at Strut, up the heap of snow. Strut however paid no attention to him at all, nor did he pay attention to Ali. Instead he simply dug on and called: “Ozzy! Ozzy can you hear me?” Littlefoot slowed his rush down a bit. He raised his head and ran towards Ali who dug herself further out of the snow. “Ali is everything okay with you?” asked Littlefoot a bit clamed as he saw that Ali had obviously not been hurt very much; and he helped her to come free of the snow completely. Ali nudged Littlefoot’s head with her own and she sobbed: “Yes with me, but what about the others?” Littlefoot gulped: “We must dig them out Ali! And we must hurry!” Petrie and Ducky reached the top of the heap of snow just when Ali had freed herself out of the snow completely. “Where…”, gasped Ducky, “…are they?” Littlefoot looked around helpless and desperately when the snow aside Ducky set in motion and a horned head made its way to the surface. Cera fetched deep breath and doubled her efforts to come out. Immediately the others surrounded her and helped her as good as they could. “Cera, everything is…?” Petrie began, but Cera interrupted him: “Of course! I’m okay!” She wheezed with exertion and levered herself up, out of the snow. “Spiky must be directly here too”, panted Cera who was more weakened than she wanted to admit. They found Spike shortly after. He trembled all over, either because of the coldness or because of the exertion, but he seemed to be well according to the circumstances. “Now only Chomper is still missing”, wheezed Littlefoot of whom the strains had also demanded their tribute. “Has any of you roughly an idea where he has to be?” everybody shook affected his or her heads. “I’m not even sure if he has made it behind the rock”, said Cera contritely. “I’m not either”, admitted Ali. “I haven’t paid attention to it anymore.” Spike shook his head and uttered some wretched noises. “But where shall we seek then?” asked Littlefoot desperately. “It lasts to long to dig all this up”, said Ducky, “Far, far to long!” “Ozzy?” shouted Strut suddenly. Nobody had paid attention to him and Spike got a dreadful scare, as he had not even noted him so far. Strut had meanwhile dug a notable big hole into the snow and had chanced upon a claw-armed hand. “Ozzy? Is that you?” asked Strut while he exposed a whole arm. For a grownup eggeater was the arm far to small, but Strut didn’t seem to notice that in his agitation. Also that the arm began to slash wildly at Strut was not a sure sign that it was not Ozzy. “That’s Chomper!” called Littlefoot relieved. Strut avoided a new slash of the arm, cast a disappointed look at him and began to dig a few steps away. Littlefoot jumped, followed by the others into the pit Strut had dug. Littlefoot ran to the arm that towered out of the snow and escaped within hair’s bread a new slash that would have surely left painfully scratches behind. “Chomper, it’s us. We get you out”, called Littlefoot, but the arm thrashed still wildly around in the air. “Sharpteeth!” hissed Ali angry and said so quietly that Littlefoot didn’t hear it: “Maybe he prefers to stay down there.” “Help me Petrie!” shouted Ducky suddenly without any further explanations and was with a few leaps, skilfully avoiding the slashes by the arm that she pressed down now with her whole weight. Petrie landed aside Ducky and together they made to tame the refractory arm. “Great!” called Littlefoot and began with Cera’s, Spike’s and Ali’s support to dig out Chomper. Chomper was not unconscious, but he was not really in his senses either. He slashed around himself and prattled incoherent words, soon Ducky and Petrie had to tame more than one arm; the digging out assumed really perilous dispositions and Ali began to protest loudly. Littlefoot had already learned about the quarrel between Ali and Chomper from Cera and Petrie and suddenly he said: “Ali?” “Yes?” “I want you to promise me something.” “And what?” “If things become dangerous, then behave against him…”, he pointed at Chomper with his head, “…exactly like you would behave against me.” “What?” “Do you promise that?” Ali hesitated shortly, then she nodded. “I promise it.” “No! The water! Where are you? They come! Mummy, where are you? Daddy I’m hungry!” called Chomper and it was really uncanny to listen to him and in his eyes flared an even more uncanny savageness. Spike had meanwhile stopped digging and helped Petrie and Ducky as well as he could. Chomper was anyway nearly completely exposed. Littlefoot bent down to him and said with a calm voice: “Chomper, wake up!” “No, no it is to hot!” cried Chomper like being mad. “Well, that is something we really can’t complain about”, said Cera jejunely and expired a big cloud of exhalation. Her words draw a grinning from everybody but Littlefoot who was abundantly occupied with Chomper. “Chomper!” he murmured. “Chomper, recover your senses!” It was as if Littlefoot’s voice would have a calming effect on Chomper, for his resistance weakened and his look cleared slowly. “Li… Littlefoot?” aspirated Chomper. “Yes, can you hear me?” Chomper nodded. With every instant he seemed to become more conscious and more and more the wild uncanny sharptooth diminished from him. “What has happened?” asked Chomper still pretty bewildered. “Don’t you remember?” asked Littlefoot. “You…”, he hesitated as he remembered that he himself didn’t know what the others had experienced since yesterday morning. “Cera you tell better.” Cera told short and to the point more for Littlefoot and Ducky than for Chomper who seemed to remember to everything meanwhile. She had just ended when they suddenly heard Strut calling again. “Ozzy!” Chomper jerked frightened, but Ducky calmed him hasty: “It is those with the unhurt nose and he is busy with digging out the other one at the moment.” Cera turned slowly round and went hesitating a few steps towards Strut. The others followed her doubtfully too. This time Strut had really found Ozzy. He still seemed to be a bit numbed, but he troubled with all his might to shovel himself out of the snow. Finally Ozzy stood up and shook himself. Instinctively Littlefoot fell back one step. He was not sure if Ozzy was a danger at the instant. Ozzy answered this question in his own way. “They’ve escaped you?” he hissed at Strut and he seemed to want to pounce upon him. “No!” shouted Strut hasty and pointed at Littlefoot and the others who stood up at the edge of the pit he had dug. “There they are!” Of course Strut had just now thought of that for before he had been entirely busied with the search for Ozzy. The ungrateful behaviour of his brother disappointed Strut a bit, although he was almost accustomed to it. Ozzy jerked round and became aware of the leafeaterkids first now. It flashed threatening in his eyes when he beheld Chomper too. “Snap them!” he cried and rushed off. Littlefoot, Cera, Spike, Ducky, Ali and Chomper jerked round and took flight. Petrie swung himself high up into the air to come out of range of the eggeaters. Ozzy stopped for a short moment and searched the ground hasty for stones, but he didn’t find any in the snow heap of the avalanche. Then he had to let the flyer fly and catch the others himself. He stormed on.
Chapter LXI
“I really don’t know if I shall abominate how evil he is or admire how much he can suffer”, gasped Littlefoot to Cera while he was running. “Yeah”, she agreed. “He has just been dug out and thinks of nothing but to do us in.” “Do us in?” panted Ducky down from Littlefoot’s back. She had swung up there again and clung as firm as she could to Littlefoot’s neck and the liana that still dangled down from it. She didn’t like the way Cera spoke at all. They all rushed down the steep slope now to come on faster. Littlefoot had nearly the impression that he braked more, not to loose the hold completely on the slope, than he ran. “Are they…”, gasped Ali, “…after us Ducky?” Ducky looked back and had to recognize for her big fright that the eggeaters were not only after them, but had even closed up a big distance. “Yep!” cried Ducky panicky. “They come nearer! They catch us!” Littlefoot cast a short look back too and recognized the seriousness of the situation. “We have on other choice”, combed Littlefoot. “We have to separate!” “Oh no! Not again”, moaned Ali. “Why?” “Maybe we win a lead if they can’t decide quickly whom of us they shall follow”, wheezed Littlefoot as an answer and turned sharp off to the left. Spike who was the last made barely the curve and followed Littlefoot. “Hey!” called Ali after them surprised and slowed down. She would have preferred to stay with Littlefoot. “Forward!” ordered Cera harshly and Ali ran on. Chomper ran aside Cera too and kept up with them saliently; despite of his only two legs. Apparently he had completely recovered from the avalanche. Nobody knew where Petrie was, but they didn’t worry about him. He circled high up in the air and observed the happenings from above.
Ozzy reached, with Strut at his heels, the spot where the leafeaters had separated. He braked and hissed furiously. The longneck with the swimmer on his back and the spikedtail ran on to the left towards a long rocky wall in which the narrow entrances of several gorges gapped like deep cracks. The threehorn, the other longneck and the sharptooth ran straight on, down the slope. He had to decide quickly which group he should follow otherwise their lead would become to big. His nose itched and convinced him that he had to revenge it on the sharptooth. “This way Strut!” ordered Ozzy morosely and pointed after the longneck, the spikedtail and the swimmer. “I’ll snap the others!” “But…” “Go on Strut! And don’t let them escape!” with that Ozzy rushed down the slope while Strut took a bit hesitating the pursuit of Littlefoot, Ducky and Spike; he would have preferred to stay with his brother.
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Here are the next two chapters:
Chapter LXII
“Are they…”, moaned Chomper, “…still after us?” Cera almost sprained her neck by the try to continue running and cast a look back simultaneously. “Only one”, wheezed Cera, “But he comes nearer!” “Those with the scratched nose?” panted Ali. “I guess so”, answered Cera and tried to recognize the eggeater clearly. “Look out!” cried Chomper suddenly, but his warning came to late. A small snow covered boulder towered up in front of Cera and nobody had recognized it in time. Cera cast her look forward again, recognized the danger and tried simultaneously to brake and to avoid, but she couldn’t prevent the collision anymore. A splinting pain flashed along up her left foreleg that had hit the boulder. Cera tripped and was hurled forward by the swing of her run. She flew through the air for a few split seconds, then she bounced on the slope and began to roll down it unstable. Vainly she tried to find hold anywhere. There was none. She heard Chomper and Ali calling from the distance. It was as if hundreds of blows would patter on her when she tumbled down the stony slope tumbling over again and again. Only the blanket of snow softened her fall a little bit. She couldn’t do anything but cowering up as close as she could to protect as much of her body as possible. Meanwhile she was far to fast for breaking without injuring by it and moreover she had lost her bearings completely. She didn’t know anymore where was above and where was below and she was so dizzy that she got a headache and became sick. Just when she believed not to be able to suffer it anymore she bounced on hard stony ground, what took her breath away for a moment. Then she came at last to lay still.
Chomper hesitated only for a few seconds when Cera tumbled down the slope. Then he pointed to the left at the rocky wall with the many gorges. In one of it Littlefoot, Ducky and Spike had disappeared, pursued by Strut. “This way!” called Chomper and ran of towards one of the gorges. Ali hesitated shortly before she followed Chomper and then she followed him only because the eggeater approached dangerously again. Ali made to catch up with Chomper and she called angrily: “Why this way? We must help Cera!” “Yeah!” hissed Chomper. “We will be a great help to her if we lead the eggeater directly to her. But if you know how to stop Cera; now’s the time to do it!” Ali swallowed a sharp response for she had to see that Chomper was right. If the eggeater continued pursuing them at least Cera would be safe of him now. Ali hoped that Cera hadn’t injured severely during the tumble. Chomper worried too and simultaneously he regretted his harsh answer when he saw Ali’s anxious face. “I’m sorry”, said Chomper quietly and Ali nodded curtly.
Ozzy braked his run, pondered feverishly and looked hasty alternately after the threehorn and the longneck and the sharptooth. Whom should he pursuit? The threehorn was sure pray to him if he followed it, for after this tumble it surely wouldn’t be able to flee anymore. But he would have to climb down the whole slope to catch up with it. Moreover his nose itched because of the cutting cold wind that howled along the slope. He had to catch this sharptooth, and he had to hurry for the sharptooth and the longneck had reached the entrance of one gorge. Ozzy turned to the left and rushed on.
Chapter LXIII
“I think we’ve escaped them”, said Littlefoot and began to slow down. Spike did the same with a relieved sigh. “When have you seen the eggeaters for the last time Ducky?” inquired Littlefoot and stopped completely now. “Shortly after we had reached the gorge”, answered Ducky and jumped down from Littlefoot’s back. “But it was only Strut, those with the unscratched nose. I guess the other one pursuits Cera, Ali and Chomper.” Littlefoot looked around. During their flight they had traversed numeral narrow gorges. Some of them had been so narrow that there hadn’t been any snow on the ground. Of course this could only be all right with them, for so they hadn’t left such a clear track behind. Several times their way had forked and they had decided spontaneously for one of the possible ways. It would be very difficult for the eggeaters to find them here. They were now on a narrow rocky ledge to whose side the rocky wall rose perpendicularly. To their left was a deep narrow canyon. Ducky seized the liana noose around Littlefoot’s neck. Littlefoot bent his head down and Ducky stripped the liana off over Littlefoot’s head and threw it aside inattentive. “If the others were as lucky as we are?” asked Littlefoot worried. “I hope so!” answered Ducky and nodded by it to lay more stress upon her words. “What about Petrie?” “About him you don’t need to worry, oh no. He has surely escaped. I’ve seen how he flew high up.” “Well, let’s hope the best. At the moment we can’t do anything but waiting.” “Waiting? Upon what?” Littlefoot shrugged. “For anything to happen. I hope that Petrie will find us soon. Maybe he knows also what has happened with the others.” Spike uttered an uneasy whimpering. He stood close to the brink of the canyon and looked into the deep. Littlefoot and Ducky followed his example. They shuddered for the canyon was so deep that they could hardly recognize its ground in the darkness, but finally they recognized that the ground of the canyon was covered by a broad, frozen river. “Probably it is the river on which we wanted to walk on first.” “It was probably a luck for us that we couldn’t do that anymore”, murmured Ducky. “Who knows where this giant canyon ends.” “Maybe where it is warmer”, said Littlefoot musing and let his eyes travel along the canyon in the direction where the sun had just reached its highest stand. “Look out!” Petrie’s warning cry let all of them jerk round and avoid instinctively. Behind them stood Strut and he seemed to be about to pounce upon them. Littlefoot threw himself to the side and Strut missed him by a hairs breadth. The swing with which he had wanted to pounce upon Littlefoot let Strut loose his balance. He fell down, slid on on the slippery snow, over the edge of the rocky ledge. Ducky’s jaw sagged down and Spike let a short cry of fright here. For some moments there was absolute silence. Petrie flapped along. Apparently he had found them in the same instant like Strut and it was only because of his warning cry that Strut hadn’t surprised them completely. Petrie staggered in his fly and that was surely not only because of his hurt wing. Littlefoot starred like being paralyzed at the edge of the rocky ledge. Ducky awoke first from her torpidity. With two quick steps she went to the edge of the canyon and looked down. She uttered an amazed yell that rose the others from their numbness and made them following Ducky’s example. Strut hadn’t precipitated. But still his situation was anything but enviable. Falling he had made to claw to a rocky edge only a tiny distance below the ledge. There he hung now and his eyes twitched restlessly from one corner on his eyes to the other as if he would look out desperately for anything. The rocky edge to which Strut clawed didn’t make a very stable impression and it began already to crumble below his weight. “We must get him up here!” said Ducky hasty and very determined. “But…”, croaked Petrie frightened, “…he’ll tear us to pieces yet.” “If we rescue him?” asked Ducky unbelieving. “Remember the other one after he had just been dug out after the avalanche“, interjected Littlefoot. “Put yourselves into his place!” called Ducky angry and added when Petrie didn’t seem to be very impressed: “I mean if you wouldn’t be a flyer. We must get him!” “But how?” asked Littlefoot. Strut hung to deep down to reach him. Suddenly Spike drew the attention on himself by uttering some noises. In his mouth he held the liana that had hung as a noose around Littlefoot’s neck few minutes ago. “You’re full genius Spiky!” rejoiced Ducky, snapped the liana and let it down to Strut. Spike held the other end of the liana between his teeth and also Littlefoot grasped at the liana with his teeth. “Hold on to it!” called Ducky to Strut who didn’t need to be told that twice and gripped the liana between his teeth too, since he didn’t dare to let the crumbling rocky edge go from his hands. “Now pull!” ordered Ducky and began to tug the liana with all her strength too. Petrie mumbled something unintelligible, landed on Spike’s head and pulled at the liana as strong as he could. “We are so stupid!” said Littlefoot through gritted teeth. “That’s stupid!”
“Yep, yep, yep! It is!” panted Ducky and tugged even firmer. “But imagine yourself in his place.”
“Pshaw!” growled Littlefoot. “He surely wouldn’t help us. And if he would…” In this moment the rocky edge to which Strut had clawed broke away. With a vehement wrench Ducky was torn over the canyon-edge too now, uttering a frightened yell. But she clung to the liana as firm as she could. Littlefoot and Spike had to lean with all their might against the pull that dragged them towards the mortal abyss. For an eternity, it appeared to Littlefoot, that the liana didn’t move an inch. He bit so firmly on the liana that his teeth hurt and he nearly wondered that the liana wasn’t crunched. And then, very slowly the liana moved piece by piece back upwards. At the edge of the rocky ledge the liana scoured so firmly along that single fibres tore apart. But the liana held. Littlefoot sweated, despite the coldness, from all pores. An indescribably relief came over him when Ducky was again on the level of the canyon brink and climbed upon the ledge by her own strength, to grasp at the liana again immediately and pull with all her might. “And if he would help us…” Littlefoot picked up their dispute again, “…then only to eat us after that or to bring us to his brother.” Ducky didn’t answer for a long while. “Put yourself in his place!” she moaned finally again. “I can do that very well!” answered Littlefoot immediately through a corner of his mouth. “When we’ve met them the first time…”, he gasped for breath shortly, “…then when we’ve come to know Chomper, he wanted to throw me down the Great Wall and if Chomper’s parents wouldn’t have appeared… he would have done it!” Ducky didn’t answer anymore but pulled only obstinately at the liana, that was meanwhile so far up that they all could fall back some steps from the canyon. Ducky didn’t know herself why she stood up for the behalf of this mean eggeater so much, but simultaneously she knew that everything else would have been wrong. Suddenly the strong pull slackened. Strut’s arms had found hold up at the ledge and he just propped up himself over the brink of the canyon, breathing heavily. “Run!” called Littlefoot and let the liana go by that. Ducky was with a few wide leaps by Spike who was still completely out of breath and swung herself up on his back. Petrie flatted over to Littlefoot’s head and Spike and Littlefoot fled as fast as they still could despite their exhaustion. Strut had now levered his whole body up on the ledge. Every muscle in him seemed to tremble and he breathed only stagnantly and by jerks. He kneeled on the ground and tried to come on his feet again, what however was pretty difficult for him. He raised his head troublesome and looked after the leafeaters now who had just saved his life and who fled of him now. Strut raised one arm and tried to wave after the leafeaters. “Wait! Wait I don’t want to do anything to you!” he wanted to call after the leafeaters, but the words passed his lips too quietly for any of the leafeaters to hear.
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Sorry, I sort of forgot about this thread for a while :bang
The next chapter is accompanied by a picture which an aunt of mine once pointed out to look suggestive. It is certainly not meant to be, but I can't deny that I see where she was coming from. The picture looks out of proportion with Ozzy appearing to be smaller than Ali.
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Here are the next two chapters:
Chapter LXIV
Chomper and Ali hadn’t gone far into the labyrinth of gorges when they suddenly couldn’t go on anymore. Every time where the gorge had forked they had taken the left way since Littlefoot, Spike and Ducky had to be anywhere in this direction. And now the gorge they just traversed ended, after there hadn’t been any branches already for a while in an impasse without any way leading out. They hadn’t seen the eggeater for a long while, but they knew that he was upon their tracks and sometimes they had been able to hear him during their flight since the reverberation in this narrow gorges made every quiet sound far off audible. “Oh no!” gasped Chomper. “Here it does not go on.” Both stopped and listened. Apart from their own rustling breath they could hear the quiet, scratching sound of claw armed feet on rocky ground. “He is after us!” moaned Ali. “We can’t go back anymore.” Chomper looked around feverishly. Everywhere lay boulders of different seizes scattered. Some meters above the ground, unattainable for him or Ali was a rocky ledge that seemed to lead back through the gorge above the way on which they had come. There was no other issue and this one was too high to reach for Chomper or Ali. Suddenly a thought struck Chomper. For him or Ali the ledge was unattainable, but was it also for him and Ali? “Come along!” ordered Chomper and ran to one place where some poked up boulders lay and climbed upon them. Ali followed him in respectful distance. The scratching noise of Ozzy’s steps had become louder. Even on the boulders still a respectable distance separated Chomper from the edge of the ledge. “Come over!” he called to Ali. She came only very hesitating. “Now come on! Hurry up!” When Ali had arrived by him he approached one step towards her and said hasty and very quiet lest that the eggeater could hear them: “Lift me up there!” and he pointed with his head up to the ledge. Ali had fallen back some steps from Chomper as if she feared that Chomper was going to assail her. “Why should I?” she asked irritated. “You want to beat it.” “No I don’t!” answered Chomper angry. Ozzy’s steps were already very near. “What else?” Suddenly Chomper approached Ali with a quick step so she had no occasion to fall back from him, lay her his claw armed hands on the shoulders and looked at her urgently, nearly imploring. “Ali”, he said hasty but simultaneously with a great persuasive power in his voice. “You don’t like me and I don’t like you very much either, but if we want to come out here again, then we simply have to stick together now and to trust each other!” For some moments they looked each other firmly in the eyes; then Ali nodded. With a few steps she was at the rocky wall and stood up on the hind legs while she while she propped against the rocky wall with her forelegs. Chomper followed her hasty and began to climb on her back.
Ali crept when she felt the claws on her back. Chomper climbed on her head and Ali felt as if her neck would break below the weight, but still she made with all her strength to crane her neck far up to whereby she had nearly lost her balance. Chomper made to grasp the edge of the ledge, but with his thin arms he had big difficulties to pull himself up. Ali shoved him on as well as she could, then she let herself down on her four legs. Chomper had made it. Ali ducked behind the boulders that were of course not approximately big enough to conceal her. When Ozzy reached the end of the gorge a few seconds later he discovered Ali immediately. A malicious grinning was on his face when he approached exaggerated slowly towards Ali who had no chance to escape. But when Ozzy stood in front of her and looked around searching the grinning made room for a furious, hateful and threatening look. Slowly he bent down to Ali, who fell back even closer to the rocky wall upon that, and hissed: “Where is the other one?” Ali believed to hear a dragging sound as if stones would be dragged over another. “Who?” she stuttered and tried desperately not to look up to the rocky ledge. Every muscle in her body seemed to astringe convulsively and it was an effort for her to breathe. “Don’t pretend to be so stupid!” snarled Ozzy and made a leap towards Ali so she thought in the first instant that he would assault; she receded even closer to the wall. “Of course I mean the sharptooth”, growled Ozzy. “Besides I can really be only ceaselessly speechless that you associate with this dregs.” He wiped over his nose with the back of his hand. Ali remained quiet. Again she believed to hear the dragging noise, but Ozzy didn’t seem to notice anything. Whereat did Chomper wait? And did he wait at all? What was he going to do? Was he going to do anything at all? Thousands of questions flashed through Ali’s mind and prevented her from conceiving a clear thought. “Where is he?” The tone of Ozzy’s question let Ali understand undoubted that Ozzy would make short work of her if she wouldn’t answer at all. “He is gone”, she said elusively and since her answer obviously didn’t satisfy Ozzy she added hasty: “We have separated.” Ozzy sighed quietly, shook his head and advanced another step towards Ali. Ali touched the rocky wall with her back when she tried to fall back one step. “No”, said Ozzy calmly. “That’s not true. We eggeaters don’t have as shrivelled senses as you leafeaters. I know the sharptooth is nearby. I could smell him if my nose wouldn’t be so injured at the moment.” Ali gulped. She shuddered. Again she believed to hear the dragging sound. The eggeater would kill her. What would Littlefoot say and the others? Why did Chomper nothing? Or… wasn’t he nearby at all anymore? “It appears that the sharptooth has forsaken you?” said Ozzy and his voice sounded pretended compassionate. “That’s how sharpteeth are. You’re only useful as food for him or to help him to reach warmer regions or…”, now Ozzy grinned again, “…to scarify yourselves for him while he flees.” “That’s not true”, said Ali very quietly. She hardly dared to admit to herself that she nearly believed what the eggeater said. Simultaneously she didn’t want to give up the last hope and admit that
Chomper had really fled. “You know it’s true”, said Ozzy who was sure now to have found a sore spot by Ali. Ali kept quiet. “But now about you”, said Ozzy suddenly with a completely different tone. Ali thought her heart would stop beating when Ozzy began to click with his claws threatening. Ali’s stomach seemed to change to a heavy stone suddenly. “I make you an offer”, said Ozzy and advanced another step. Ali leaned against the rocky wall as if she would hope that the rocky wall would give in behind her. Of course the rocky wall didn’t give in, but Ali lost her balance and fell hard on her back; Ozzy was over her immediately. She closed her eyes. Ozzy sniggered. “Don’t you want to listen to my offer at all?” Ali opened her eyes again. Ozzy stood over her and bent over her. His face with the injured nose was only a tiny distance from Ali. Again she heard a dragging from a seemingly endless distance. “Do you see my nose?” asked Ozzy. Ali became sick of his bad breath. She nodded only. “The sharptooth shall rue for it. And that is for the instant more important to me than to kill you.” Ali didn’t say anything. Did the eggeater mean what she thought what he meant? “Tell me where the sharptooth is, then I’ll let you go for this time.”
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/12Ozzysoffer.jpg)
Ali opened her mouth to say anything, she didn’t know what. She thought of the promise she had give to Littlefoot. Chomper hadn’t done anything to help her, it would be no more but fair if she would betray him to survive herself. Them she would be able to go back to go back to the others, to Littlefoot. But would the eggeater keep his word at all? And would she be able to look Littlefoot ever into the eyes again? Would he understand if she would tell him what had happened into this gorge? And had Chomper really forsaken her? “No!” answered Ali all this questions to herself and only a moment later she became aware of that she had called out this answer loudly. Also good. Every trace of a smiling or grinning disappeared from Ozzy’s face that suddenly looked like being petrified. “Well”, he said and his voice sounded cold and cutting. “Then say goodbye!” Ozzy rose his head and lowered his arms instead. He spread the claws and moved his hands towards Ali’s neck. Ali closed her eyes. “Littlefoot that’s it”, she thought when she felt Ozzy’s claws at her neck, “I’ve kept my promise.” She heard a hollow knock and opened her eyes. Was it already over? But Ozzy stood still over her. His arms sank down strangely slack, without the claw grating her neck. His face had lost every feature. He reeled. Ali rolled herself to the side with a surprised outcry and made barely to come away in time before Ozzy’s heavy body impacted on the ground. Down from his head slid a big boulder that had obviously hit Ozzy with its full weight. Ali looked at it with wide opened eyes. Then she looked up to the rocky ledge where Chomper just spitted in his hands grinning broad. “So much concerning better senses”, said Chomper. “I already feared that he would hear how I have shoved this pebble there in position.” With these words he Chomper pointed at the boulder that lay aside Ozzy and for which “pebble” was a boundless understatement. “I’ve heard it”, said Ali and she sounded pretty tired. “But I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know that it was you.” Chomper looked at her surprised and jumped down from the rocky ledge onto the highest boulder. He bent in his knees slightly and climbed down to Ali then. “So…”, he said and smiled by it, “…you didn’t betray me although you didn’t know if I would do anything for you?” Ali nodded. Chomper became a bit more earnest: “So you did not believe me before?” Ali shrugged. “I don’t know”, she admitted. Chomper nodded. “Chomper. I want to apologize for some things I said.” Chomper nodded again. “Yes. I want too.” And suddenly the ice was broken. Both had to laugh. “What about him?” asked Ali and pointed with her head at Ozzy who still lay there unconsciously. Chomper went over to him with a few steps. “He’ll recover”, said Chomper after he had examined Ozzy shortly. “We should make that we come away from here.” “Yeah”, mumbled Ali still a bit faint and turned to go. What they had experienced had worn her out pretty much yet. “Wait!” called Chomper after her. Ali stopped and looked back. Chomper grinned a bit sly. “I want to give him a lesson!” with that he lifted one of his arms, spread the claws and slashed at Ozzy’s nose. Ali shuddered a bit by that view but she shared Chomper’s malicious joy too. Now they hurried to go in search of the others.
From there Ali and Chomper were friends. There are some things you can’t experience together without becoming friends. And what they had just experienced is surely one of these.
Chapter LXV
The rocky ledge at the brink of the canyon became more and more narrow. Littlefoot watched with apprehension that the way they walked became narrower and narrower. “We should have gone to the left at the last branching, away from the canyon”, thought Littlefoot. But they didn’t dare to go back for they still knew the eggeater behind them and he had meanwhile surely reached the last branching they had passed. So they had no other choice but to run on. But they didn’t run anymore, they nearly ambled for nobody wanted to risk to make a careless step and to fall down into the canyon. For long they walked one after the other since the way was not broad enough anymore to be able to go abreast. Littlefoot hoped the way would broaden again and he had sent Petrie ahead to scout if this hope was founded. He didn’t interpret it as a good sign that Petrie already returned now. He didn’t err. Petrie looked very worried and shook his head while he flapped in the air. Fortunately there was nearly nothing left to see of his injury. “The way stops!” croaked Petrie shortly. “Not even Ducky will fit through there.” “Oh no, no, no!” sighed Ducky and shook her head. Littlefoot fetched deep breath. “We must go back!” “But there’s the eggeater”, said Petrie with a tone as if he thought that Littlefoot had forgotten that. “We don’t know if he has continued following us. Maybe he is sick of it after what had happened”, said Littlefoot but he didn’t sound less discouraged than the others. “What choice do we have but to try it?” Spike uttered a low-spirited grumbling and began to turn round. This was not an easy venture for him and Littlefoot on the narrow path, but they made it. The broader the way became while they went back the more they hurried hoping yet to reach the branching before the eggeater. Soon Littlefoot and Spike could go side by side again and now they ran. All their hope vanished when they reached the branching. Strut had already arrived there and looked irresolute once at the one and then at the other way as if he didn’t know for which way he should decide. Littlefoot coursed inwardly. Probably the eggeater had arrived here only few moments before. If they would have come only a little bit earlier… Strut looked up and beheld them. He did not even seem to be very surprised. “Doesn’t it go on this way?” he asked as if he would speak with his brother. Littlefoot gnashed. He knew why he liked eggeaters even less than the horrible sharpteeth. They made at least no fun of their victims. Littlefoot didn’t answer, but Ducky shook her head. “Then go this way!” said Strut and pointed with one arm at the other way of the branching. Littlefoot looked up and also Spike, who had thrown himself on to the ground and concealed his eyes behind his forefeet, raised his head surprised. “You mean…”, asked Ducky carefully, “…that you’ll let us simply go?” Strut nodded. “But why?” asked Littlefoot disconcerted. Strut looked at him surprised. “You don’t know that?” he asked. “But I know what you’ve done before. And this is the least I can do to thank you.” “But you’re an eggeater!” said Littlefoot incredulous. “I know”, answered Strut melancholy and the next moment he answered irritated: “Do you want to be eaten?” Littlefoot shook his head hasty. “Then go now! And hurry!” “But what about your brother?” asked Ducky. “When he learns of this, what will he do with you?” Ducky got angry looks from Littlefoot, Spike and Petrie. It was crazy, but it seemed as if they wanted to persuade the eggeater not to let them escape yet. “I don’t know what he would do with me”, answered Strut. “But he does not have to learn it.” “And what about our friends?” asked Littlefoot sadly. “I don’t know”, answered Strut and he sounded compassionate. “But I can’t do anything for them. Go now and hurry!” “Thank you!” “Go before I change my mind! And don’t expect me to let you go another time.” Without any further word Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike and Petrie ran, respectively flew past Strut and disappeared in the other way of the branching. Strut looked after them and sighed quietly. Not even to himself he dared to admit that he would have favored to go with them. He turned round slowly and went back the way he had come before, thinking frantically about excuses for Ozzy.
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Sorry, it has been a while since I posted the last time. Not sure if this ancient story is read anyway.
Here are the next two chapters, one of which with a picture:
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Chapter LXVI
Cera didn’t know how long she had already simply lain there. Now and then she had fallen asleep but startled shortly after since she remembered even in her dreams the grownups’ warnings never to fall asleep by this coldness as long as she was alone. After her fall there had been nearly no spot at her body that hadn’t hurt, but meanwhile the pain had diminished a bit. All in all she seemed to have been lucky for she didn’t seem to have gotten a lot of damage apart from an amount of abrasions and scratches and small black and blue marks. She hadn’t seen the eggeater anymore; apparently he had given up her pursuit and had hunted Chomper and Ali instead. Cera hoped that they and Littlefoot, Spike and Ducky too had escaped. For Petrie she worried the least; she had seen how he had flown high up out of the eggeaters range. Cera noted suddenly her burning thirst and looked around. Surprised she noted that there lay nowhere snow nearby. She stood up, jerked like being struck by a lightning, uttered a suppressed cry of pain and let herself drop again. A horrible pain had flashed up her left foreleg with which she had tripped over the boulder at the mountain’s slope. Cera didn’t stir for some instants until the pain had diminished a bit. With her right forefeet she wiped carefully the tears away that had spouted into her eyes, then she looked at her left foreleg. Below the knee it was swollen and it seemed to stand off in a quite strange angle. Apparently she hadn’t gotten off with such a trifling loss as she had thought fist, thought Cera anxiously. Very carefully she tried to draw her leg near to herself and she made it. Cera tried anew to stand up, but this time without burdening her left foreleg at all. She made this too. First time since her fall she looked around carefully. She was at the bottom of the slope, she had fallen down, in a kind of groove. The ground around was covered with small stones that had seemingly grinded round by water. It had to be the bed of a river that yet had no water at the moment. Above on the slope Cera could recognize snow, but down here was now snow anywhere. Now when she paid attention to it she noticed also that it was here so warm like she hadn’t experienced it for long. This didn’t mean much yet and it was still very cold, but Cera saw it as a new proof that they were on the right way. Suddenly she perceived a rippling she hadn’t noticed so far. She recognized that the riverbed, in which she was, was not completely dried up. In the middle of it was still a small stream. And this stream was not frozen. The very sight of it made Cera even thirstier, but the stream was to far away to reach it from where she was. She had to she had to try to go to the stream. Very carefully she lowered her left foreleg and tried to burden it. Immediately the pain flashed up again and Cera drew her leg on hasty. Dejected Cera looked at her leg. If she was unable to move at all then she would perish here. Her right foreleg began to tremble below the unaccustomed permanent load. Carefully she lay down again. She thought of the others. If they sought her? The eggeaters would probably not let them any occasion to do that. And even if they would find her, how would they be able to help her? Suddenly Cera became angry on herself. It was not her manner to give up so simply. She pulled herself together and tried to creep over to the stream, but again terrible pains flashed up her leg when it dragged over the ground. Then she remembered the many two legged dinosaurs, Ducky for example. It had to be possible for her too to move that way. With one jerk she erected on her hind legs to full size and she made to stagger one clumsy step forward. But then she fell forward and made barely to prop her fall with the right foreleg. Seemingly her body was simply not made to move on two legs. But considered carefully she had come nearer to her purpose and this small success encouraged her. Again she stood up on her hind legs, but this time she didn’t try to take the carriage of a bipod, but made a leap forward just like she would have done under normal circumstances, only that she could prop only with one leg while she still held the other pulled on closely. It worked amazingly well and she made the next leap and then another one. It was as if she would have had learned anew how to walk. In the long run this way of locomotion was surely very strenuous, especially for her right foreleg, but at least she could move at all. She wouldn’t die here! Cera made another leap and arrived by the stream. It was only a small streamlet but just at the point where she was now the stream broadened to a small strangely shaped pond, roughly about the size of Cera. She bent down, whereby she leaned on her right knee, and began to drink greedy. The water was icy cold, but just because of that very refreshing. After she had quenched her thirst she cast a look up to the bright circle to orientate. It had not reached its very highest point yet, but Cera recognized that her way would lead towards the rocky wall with the many gorges in which also Littlefoot, Spike and Ducky and maybe also Ali and Chomper had already disappeared. A bit helpless Cera looked up the mountains slope. Anywhere up there were the others probably, but how should she come to them? Even under normal circumstances it would have been a strenuous ascend, but with her injured leg it was nearly a task of impossibility. Cera looked over to the gorge in the rocky wall in which the stream disappeared. First she would follow this way and then, well, then… Cera didn’t know what to do then. She would probably have to wait for whatever would happen. The others would surely send Petrie out to search for her. If he would find her, and despite the terrain that could hardly be overlooked Cera had big confidence in Petrie in this regard, then he would lead her to the others. All in all her prospects where not as gloomy as they had appeared initially at all. Cera drew a deep breath and wanted to set out when she froze in motion all of a sudden. Along with the air she had sucked in a strange smell as well. Cera knew this smell. She has had it in her nose often enough. And then there was this pond in front of which she stood. Looking more carefully she noted again the strange longish shape of the deepening in which the water had gathered. The one side was round shaped while the other tapered in three points. Her whole optimism vanished without leaving a trace when Cera discovered the rows of deepenings that that all looked exactly like this one and that led along the river bed to the gorge through which her further way should have led. She was afraid for in her present condition she wouldn’t be able to shake off a sharptooth if it hunted her and that the deepenings were sharptooth tracks was out of question for Cera, although the footprints were not very deep in the stony ground. Although the smell that seemed to be mere distinctly in the air with every second came doubtlessly from a sharptooth. Cera knew this smell really well enough. Suddenly she felt a slight shook running through the ground and she saw the vibration on the water surface in the footprint in front of her. Another shock ran through the ground, a bit more distinctly this time than the first and Cera could hear the clacking that was caused by small stones vibrating from the shock.
The sharptooth came back!
Cera jumped up as fast as she could and tried to bring with her strange “hop gait” as much distance as possible between herself and the gorge from where the sharptooth had to come. Cera’s fright could not be expressed when the sharptooth appeared instead in front of her between the rocks. A giant dark green beast that seemed to be as surprised at Cera’s view as Cera herself, but of course it was not in the least frightened. Cera uttered a shrill yell, jerked round and leaped away with a speed she would have taken for impossible few instants ago; still she was of course considerably slower than usually and her closely drawn left foreleg began anew to hurt; Cera ignored it. She could hear how the sharptooth behind her started the pursuit with rumpling steps. But she made to reach the entrance of the gorge, maybe she had a tiny chance to shake off the sharptooth there. Within seconds she brought her new gait to a perfection as if she would have never walked differently. In the gorge were several branching and Cera soon left the broad riverbed and ran instead through the narrowest chasms she could find, to make the pursuit as difficult as possible for the huge sharptooth. Nevertheless she still heard its steps behind. With the time she heard them more and more quietly and when she didn’t hear them anymore at all she dared to stop and to rest for an instant. She had hardly any feeling in her overstrained right foreleg. Breathing heavily Cera looked around. She was at the moment in an a bit broader gorge whose ground was sandy. At warmer times a river floated here too probably and had deposited the sand. Suddenly Cera felt again a slight trembling of the ground. The sharptooth closed up. Cera jumped onto her three legs and ran off as fast as she could. But for Cera’s surprise the trembling of the ground seemed to become fiercer the further she ran. And then she got after Ozzy and the sharptooth a third time a shock she wouldn’t forget so soon. Again a sharptooth appeared in front of her although she had expected it behind herself. It was not the same like before. That one that appeared now in front of her was far brighter than the other. Probably it had been tracks of this sharptooth she had discovered before at the stream. Nearly mechanically, without thinking Cera jerked round and leaped away. She panted and her heard beat up to her throat while she ran back through the gorge through which she had come before.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/13Cerafleeswithabrokenleg.jpg)
But Cera’s run of ill luck didn’t end. She had not even the energy left to scream when the other, the darker sharptooth appeared now in front of her. In the corner of her eyes she saw a side gorge. It was the last, the only loophole for in front of her was the darker and behind her the brighter sharptooth. Cera rushed into the side gorge. “Maybe…”, she hoped, “…the two sharpteeth will go at each other and fight for the prey.” Then she would at least win a lead once more. But there were days on which everything went awry. The side gorge ended in a small box-canyon without any way out. The walls rose perpendicularly on all sides; Cera had run into a dead-end. In spite of everything Cera traversed the box-canyon up to the opposite wall before she stopped. Very slowly Cera turned round. The sharpteeth, far from fighting for the prey, pressed through the gorge into the box-canyon. Cera gritted her teeth and tried to keep her poise. But then she felt suddenly stupid. She had not the slightest chance to escape and she would be lacerated by two sharpteeth; what was the use of squaring her shoulders. This defiance would not have the slightest use for her. She let herself drop, stretched her left foreleg far away from herself while she pressed the right in front of her eyes not to have to see the sharpteeth at least. Thousands of thoughts flashed through her mind without any order. Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike and Petrie, herng or r, the Great Valley, Dinah and Dana. Cera heard the sharpteeth hissing and snarling and she would have like to stop her ears too. Probably these two monsters just came to terms who would get how much of her. Cera waited and waited, but the claw slash or bite on which she waited didn’t come. Finally she peered carefully out under her leg. Maybe the sharpteeth began yet to argue about the prey and she could sneak off unnoticed. The sharpteeth growled and hissed at each other, but from Chomper Cera new that this didn’t have to mean that they were arguing. Suddenly they seemed to calm down and one of them bent down to Cera. Cera didn’t even make to hide her eyes behind her leg; she simply closed them firmly. But the sharptooth didn’t bite her, but only sniffed at her whereupon it erected again. “I’m not sure. It doesn’t smell like then, far better”, let the sharptooth the other one know in the tongue of the sharpteeth. “But the boy had told us that he had hid them between the stinky green stuff then. No wonder it smells different now.” “However, I’m hungry. Aren’t you?” “I am, but if this threehorn is the same like then the boy would never forgive us that. And moreover, maybe the threehorn knows where he is.” “But what makes you think that this threehorn is the same like then?” “Have you forgotten that I’ve already seen the longneck of then during the fire in the valley the day before yesterday? Where he is, the boy has told us that, there are the others not far either.” “You’ve told that it had been two longnecks.” “Yes of course. But that does not make any difference.” “And wherefrom do you know that it was the longneck? If I’ve understood you right, you have seen it only for a few seconds.” “Still. I’m nearly sure to have recognized him.” “And how? For me all the leafeaters look the same anyway. And if it has been the longneck, why should he have fled from you?” “Maybe because we sharpteeth look all the same for them anyway”, answered the other sharptooth pointed. “And don’t forget that it is not advisable for them to look at one of us to long in a case of doubt.” The first sharptooth growled anything incomprehensible, then he nodded. “Well, we’ll see if this is the same threehorn like then. But if it is not…” “…then we have found at least a small snack”, the other sharptooth added jejunely. “The threehorn seems to have sprained one leg pretty much.” “Yea, I’m surprised that it could still flee so quickly.” “We’ll get it fixed.” “What are you doing?” “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt a hair of her, at most a leg. I’ve once seen how my father has done it with one of my brothers.” Cera had observed the sharpteeth with increasing astonishment. They seemed to be abundantly sunk in a kind of discussion. She looked at the sharpteeth more carefully and she noted that the brighter one had a distinctly scar on one upper thigh, like from the claw of another sharptooth. Could that, Cera held her breath, be Chomper’s parents? If so, then she still had a chance. Suddenly one of the sharpteeth bent down to her again and stretched his thin, claw armed arms out for her left foreleg. Immediately Cera closed her eyes again. The next instant she screamed. A pain that let her nearly go out of her mind flashed up her left leg. “He has torn it out!” thought Cera, as far as she thought at all, desperately. “The sharptooth has torn my leg out!” Seemingly endless seconds passed and very slowly the pain diminished. Cera opened her eyes. Her leg was not torn out, it did not even bleed. But now it looked far straighter than before. Cera looked amazed up to the sharptooth on whose face appeared something that might be a smile, but looked very threatening with the many glittering and sharp teeth. He had not torn her leg out, he had set it right. Cera let some seconds pass until the pain in her leg had disappeared nearly completely, then she stood up carefully. Cera uttered a surprised call. It still hurt, but not nearly as much as before and she could step on her left foreleg carefully now. “Thanks!” mumbled Cera bewildered, she knew nothing more original to say. She forced herself to a smile that looked probably very tormented. But suddenly a boundless relief came over her. She didn’t doubt anymore that it were Chomper’s parents, what other sharptooth would have cared for her leg. At least for the moment she was in safety.
Chapter LXVII
Ali rejoiced and pointed with her head at the sky. Chomper looked up. “It’s him!” called Ali, “That’s Petrie!” Chomper had recognized the tiny flyer high up above the gorge too. “Petrie!” he called at the top of his voice and Ali chimed in. the flyer seemed to stop amidst the air and to tilt forward. Then he dashed in a steep dive towards Ali and Chomper, flattened out with far spread wings and landed on Ali’s back. “Petrie!” called Chomper. “Hello. Where are the others?” Petrie looked at the both a bit disconcerted, but he didn’t answer but asked for his part: “Where are Cera?” Ali gulped. The relief to have escaped the eggeater themselves had let them forget Cera for a moment. “Don’t you have seen her?” asked Ali. “She has lost her hold at the slope and has tumbled down.” “We’ve run this way after that to divert the eggeater from her track”, added Chomper. “Oh no!” sighed Petrie. “The eggeater was then after us”, continued Ali. “And he had cornered us.” “But we’ve outwitted him, together”, Chomper finished the report. Petrie was astonished. Anyhow the both seemed to come along with each other far better than in the morning. But that the two had made to escape the eggeater astonished Petrie even more. “How have you outwitted him?” asked Petrie. “Not now”, averted Chomper. “We have to know what has happened with Cera. Please Petrie fly back to the slope and look out for her.” Petrie nodded. “We’ll try meanwhile to rejoin with the others”, said Ali. “Where are they Petrie?” “Not far if you fly, but farer when you walk”, said the flyer. “They’ve promised Petrie always to go straight on so me find them faster when me return. You go the best on the way you’ve gone so far. Then you’ll reach a deep crack with paths on both sides. The others will come on the path on the other side of the crack.” “That’s of no use for us”, Chomper interrupted Petrie impatiently. “Is there no way around the crack?” “You let Petrie finish. The crack ends after a while and the two paths run together to one path.” “Great”, said Ali. “Then we can meet the others there.” “Wait there for Petrie.” Chomper nodded: “Lead Cera that way when you’ve found her.” He preferred not to take the possibility into consideration that he might not find Cera. “And look out if the eggeaters gallivant around anywhere. I don’t think that they give up. What’s actually about the eggeater who has hunted the others?” “Let the others explain you that. You must hurry or you’ll miss them at the crack.” Ali nodded. “Let’s go!” she said to Chomper and set in motion. Chomper exchanged another short, grateful look with Petrie, who rendered them so many precious services, then he went too and the tiny flyer flapped away in the opposite direction.
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Upon the risk of repeating myself: Sorry, it has been a while since I posted the last time. Here are the next three chapters (remember my English did have some serious shortcomings by the time I translated this):
Chapter LXVIII
Meanwhile Cera had tried everything to communicate with Chomper’s parents, but neither with her tries with gestures nor her with a pretty wretched and desultory imitation of the roaring of the sharpteeth had earned her more than bewildered looks. Yet Cera could understand the sharpteeth as less, but it was easy to conclude from their faces that the both took her for crazy and their conversation of growling seemed to be about that too. Cera could easy imagine that her chances to get off wouldn’t become better when she was not even able to communicate with them. She knew where Chomper was, at least she knew that he was there, anywhere nearby and this would surely interest the two sharpteeth. “I know where Chomper is!” said Cera certainly for the hundreds time. “So you understand that? Chomper! Chomper, Chomper, Chomper!” she said impatiently without obtaining more than to increase the confusion in the looks of the sharpteeth further. “Completely crazy!” snarled the sharptooth. “Yet it is probably not the same threehorn like then. Seems as if we haven’t found more than a small snack.” The other sharptooth didn’t answer, but nodded very slightly. Cera became increasingly nervous. She didn’t like the talking of the sharpteeth. She was nearly sure that whatever the both said it could not mean anything good for her. She became a bit angry. Why were these… these beasts not able to understand, that she was talking of their son when she rehearsed his name hundred times. Half angry, half nervous Cera pawed a small tray into the sandy ground. What should she do? Suddenly she hesitated and looked at the small hole she had dug. Of course! It was s time w Why hadn’t she thought of that before? With some quick steps she hobbled over to one place where the sand was still completely smooth. Surprised the sharpteeth looked at her. Cera concentrated and tried to visualize Chomper as good as she could. Then she drew with one foot, she used the recently reset leg for she had to stand on the other one, an undulated line into the sand. Cera worked on, watched by the curious sharpteeth until she had drawn a picture into the sand that resembled at least a bit to Chomper. But the sharpteeth still didn’t seem to understand. “Chomper!” said Cera once more, pointed at the picture in the sand and felt pretty silly by it. Desperately Cera looked first at the bewildered faces of the sharpteeth and then at her picture of which she had to admit to herself that it was difficult to recognize. Cera ran around the picture to the spot where Chomper’s head was and drew with a swift zigzag movement of her foot two rows of sharp teeth where Chomper’s mouth had to be. If that didn’t help, thought Cera, then she didn’t know on either anymore.” Suddenly the eyes of the one sharptooth widened. The sharptooth bent down over Cera’s drawing, looked then at Cera and uttered a growling that didn’t sound threatening, far more questioning, even in Cera’s ears. Cera smiled embarrassed and tried to imitate the growling of the sharptooth, what however sounded simply ridiculous. “Chomper!” she said once again. She couldn’t think of anything better. The sharptooth uttered once more the same, nearly gentle growling, pointed at the drawing and looked at Cera. And then she understood. This strangely gently growling had to be Chomper’s name in the tongue of the sharpteeth. Cera nodded fiercely and tried to imitate the grumbling as good as she could; it worked amazingly well and the sharpteeth seemed to understand. “Chomper!” said Cera and pointed with her head at the drawing, then she repeated the growling of the sharpteeth once more. Suddenly the sharpteeth uttered a roaring that let Cera first think that she would be done, but some instants later she recognized for her relief, by the behaviour of the sharpteeth that it had to be rejoicing. When the sharpteeth had cooled down a bit again Cera said what was of course pretty senseless: “Come along! I’ll lead you to Chomper!” Cera grinned slightly when she saw the bewildered faces of the sharpteeth. During her whole live she had never looked at a sharptooth, save Chomper, long enough to recognize that their miming hardly differed from those of the leafeaters. Cera made an unequivocal gesture to invite the sharpteeth to follow her and she imitated again the gentle growling. It still sounded a bit hoarse and stumbling, but it was distinctly enough. The sharpteeth seemed to have understood and followed her immediately. Suddenly Cera felt despite or maybe even because of the two sharpteeth so safety like she hadn’t felt for long. High-spirited she began to whistle a short melody while she tried not to put to much weight on her injured leg.
Chapter LXIX
Strut ran to meet his brother when he saw him coming through the gorge he just traversed himself in the opposite direction. It was probably more luck that brains to find each other again in this labyrinth. Ozzy reeled slightly and pressed one hand against his head. Strut stopped frightened when he noted Ozzy’s face. Strut was used to a lot from his brother, but so full of hate and rage he had never seen him before. “They’ve escaped you?” asked Ozzy and his voice sounded icy-cold and cutting. “You too, aren’t they?” asked Strut. He didn’t want to be questioned by Ozzy concerning the escape of the leafeaters and inwardly he prepared for the thunderstorm Ozzy would let come over him after this, for him impertinent answer. But for Strut’s big surprise the thunderstorm stayed away. Ozzy nodded only ashamed and took the hand away from his head whereby he uncovered a big, ugly bump. “How…?” snapped Strut surprised, but Ozzy warned off vigorously. “Never you mind!” he answered morose and fetched deep breath. “They’ve escaped you!” repeated Ozzy and in his eyes was a flashing that alarmed Strut very much. It looked as if Ozzy would get out of his mind. “It was not my fault”, said Strut hasty and got a bad conscience immediately, for he had lied. It had been his fault. He could have presented Ozzy all the leafeaters he had hunted here. What a triumph would it have been. But Strut knew that he would have had a bad conscience then too. The leafeaters had saved his life. For a moment it looked as if Ozzy wanted to pounce upon Strut. But then, very suddenly he sighed deeply and in the same moment the flashing vanished out of his eyes. Ozzy sat down on a boulder so abruptly that Strut jumped over to him hasty, since he thought that Ozzy would collapse. Ozzy made tiredly a calming gesture, lifted the head very slightly and looked at Strut out of deep dark eyes that looked like being extinguished suddenly. “Alright Strut”, he mumbled and let his head sink again. Strut waited, but Ozzy didn’t stir. The time seemed to pass endless slowly and finally Strut dared to approach his brother one step and lay one hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Ozzy?” Ozzy rubbed with one hand first over his head and then over the scratched nose that, as Strut noted first now, had two new, bloody scratches. Then he jumped suddenly up to jerky, that Strut uttered a surprised yell. Ozzy lay Strut both hands on the shoulders and looked at him penetrating. In his eyes was again a manic gleaming and he said completely convinced: “We’ll get them nevertheless! Won’t we Strut?” Strut noted a slight smiling around the corners of Ozzy’s mouth and he nodded but thereby he felt terribly wretched. “So here we go!” called Ozzy with sudden enthusiasm and rushed on through the gorge. Strut had problems to keep his pace. None of them had noted the tiny flyer at the sky.
Chapter LXX
Ali and Chomper had meanwhile reached the crack of which Petrie had told. It hadn’t been very far. While they followed its brink they looked unceasingly over to the other side hoping to see Littlefoot, Spike and Ducky. But they were nowhere in sight and Ali and Chomper became more anxiously with every step they made. When finally the point came in sight where the two side ledges of the crack ran together to form a new, broader way Chomper shook his head. “We must have missed them. They’ve probably come here before us.” Suddenly a smile appeared on Ali’s face. “No”, she pointed over to the other side. “Look!” Littlefoot stepped just followed by Spike with Ducky on his back out of a side gorge on the other side of the crack that separated them from each other. Ducky saw Ali and Chomper first. Enthusiastically she jumped up, pointed at the both and began to hop around on Spike’s back. Spike and Littlefoot chimed in in Ducky’s rejoice just like Chomper and Ali. Simultaneously they ran on to the point where the paths ran together and the crack ended. They reached the point at the same moment and embraced each other. “You’ve escaped him too?” called Littlefoot enthusiastically. “Yea!” called Chomper back high spirited. “And his nose looks even more ill than before now!” he grinned, rose one arm and spread his claws. Littlefoot noted that Ali neither started back nor screw up by this movement like she had always done before by these occasions. This even increased his joy and he just wanted to ask how they had made it to escape the eggeater anew when suddenly every trace of a smile disappeared from his face. “And Cera?” he asked spiritless. Immediately everybody became very silent and also Spike and Ducky looked at Chomper and Ali with wide opened eyes. Ali fetched deep breath, “She has fallen down the mountain’s slope shortly after we had separated.” Ducky cast her moutthat appeared now in front of homper got start of her. “We’ve run on in another direction not to lead the eggeater to her.” “It has worked”, said Ali. “The eggeater was after us after that.” “But we don’t know what has happened with Cera.” “When we’ve searched you we met Petrie. He has told us where we could meet you, and he has promised to look out for Cera. We shall wait for him here.” Affected silent followed Ali’s and Chomper’s explanations. “How long ago was that?” asked Littlefoot finally, “I mean when has Petrie flown away?” “It’s not so long ago”, answered Chomper. “It will certainly last for a while until he returns.” “I hope…”, began Littlefoot, but Ducky interrupted him: “No, no, no. It won’t last for a while until he returns. No while at all.” “What?” asked Ali. “Why?” “Because he already comes there.” She pointed at the sky above the crack. “Yep, yep, yep! There he comes!” Indeed Petrie had appeared there and judging by the speed with which he flew towards them he brought important news. “Have you found her?” Ali called at Petrie already from the distance. “How is she?” asked Chomper. Petrie staggered a bit in the air and tried to land on Littlefoot’s head, but he bounced directly into his face and fell down. Maybe it was because of his hurt wing, but looking at Petrie it seemed to be more likely that he had simply exhausted to his performance. Ducky jumped to him, but Petrie sat up with his own strength before she reached him. “My goodness Petrie!” called Littlefoot. “What on earth has happened?” Petrie set on to say something, but for he fetched deep breath simultaneously he swallowed the wrong way and coughed fiercely several times. “Let him regain his breath first!” said Ducky and cast a rebuking look at Littlefoot. But Petrie made a gesture of refusal. “They comes. Quick…” “Cera?” asked Chomper swiftly. “She comes? Is she well?” But Petrie shook his head. “Not Cera! Away here!” “Now cool down Petrie”, said Littlefoot and set the exhausted flyer on his back. “What’s up? Have you seen Cera? Why are you already here?” “Petrie hasn’t seen Cera. Haven’t searched her. But have found the eggeaters. And they comes here!” Littlefoot nodded slowly. “They comes quick!” shrieked Petrie and jumped at Littlefoot’s neck. “You must get away from here!” Only now they seemed to understand his warning. “Come on!” called Littlefoot. Ducky swung herself up to Petrie on Littlefoot’s back and he ran off, the others close behind him.
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I just started reading this story not long ago and i really liked reading it, i hope to read more soon! :)
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Thank you very much babidikrakenguard :)
I was kind of afraid that there was no more interest in the story or that the shortcomings of my English by the time I wrote that story would frighten readers away. Here come the next three chapters (no Aquarelle pictures for those chapters, but one very rough sketch for a scene I never turned into an Aquarelle):
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Chapter LXXI
While they fled Petrie recovered pretty quick on Littlefoot’s back and now he told more accurate what he had seen. Shortly after he had left Chomper and Ali he had discovered the both eggeaters in a broad gorge, but he hadn’t been able to approach them close enough to eavesdrop them. Then suddenly the both had rushed off, exactly into the direction where they, as Petrie knew would meet the others. They had run so fast, explained Petrie, that he had already feared not to be able to warn them in time. The canyon they traversed now was broad and led in gentle turns into the direction where the bright circle stood the highest. Meanwhile however the sun had already passed its highest point. The ground of the gorge was covered with snow and Petrie looked with anxiousness at the tracks they left behind that were impossible to overlook. Finally when he had recovered completely he flew back to look for the eggeaters, while the others ran on. But he returned soon, what the others interpreted not as a good sign. They didn’t err. “You’ve to hurry!” called Petrie with a distinct touch of panic in his voice. “They comes nearer!” “Even faster?” gasped Littlefoot. “I can’t faster!” panted Chomper who struggled only troublesome forward. He was the youngest of all, had the shortest legs and big problems to keep up with the others. Ali pressed her lips together; Littlefoot carried already Ducky and although he had shown an admirable endurance today Ali didn’t believe that Spike was able to carry somebody above that. “Mount!” she called to Chomper, stopped and bent the knees of her forelegs. “Ali?” called Littlefoot amazed. Although he had happily noted that the both came along better and better he hadn’t expected that. “I’m far to heavy!” said Chomper. “It will work for a while”, said Ali gentle; and a bit more forcible she said: “And now come on! We don’t have enough time to stand around here longer. Those with the scratched nose aims at you and I don’t want to know what he will do with you if he gets you in his dirty fingers, you don’t want that either, do you?” With that there was nothing left to say. Chomper climbed carefully on Ali’s back. But Petrie made a very anxious face and looked back again and again, as if he would expect that the eggeaters would appear any moment on the path behind them. “They are after Chomper?” asked Petrie Ali suddenly. She nodded and Chomper on her back said. “At all events those with the scratched nose.” Suddenly the trace of a grinning appeared on Petrie’s face. “Go this way!” he ordered and pointed at a narrow side chasm that branched off from the broad way, but seemed to lead roughly in the same direction. Littlefoot uttered a surprised shout. Neither he nor any of the others had discovered that chasm at all so far. Marrow as it was it was not difficult to miss it on the dark rocky wall. Probably Petrie had only spotted it from above too. “Petrie will take care that the eggeaters won’t loose Chomper’s tracks. “I don’t understand”, said Ducky. “No, not at all. What do you have in mind?” Petrie just wanted to set on to an explanation when he changes his mind. He looked back on the way and said hasty: “No time to explain! Not yet. Go!” Spike eyed the narrow chasm distrustful. It let him and the others not much room and it was so narrow that nearly no daylight fell into it. But then he pulled himself together and entered it followed by Ali; Littlefoot went at last. He and Ducky on his back looked back once more. Petrie had landed, smoothed the snow around him and seemed to draw something into it. Suddenly Littlefoot understood and Ducky began to grin too. Sometimes Petrie had great ideas.
Chapter LXXII
“How long…”, wheezed Strut, “…do we still have to run like this, Ozzy?” “Until we have this grasseaters and especially the sharptooth”, answered Ozzy and gasping, but far from gasping as much as Strut. Suddenly he stopped surprised so suddenly that Strut couldn’t stop anymore and ran into him. “Ozzy, what’s the matter?” Wordless Ozzy pointed at the ground. The traces of the leafeaters they were following led now into a very narrow and dark side chasm, but the tracks of the little sharptooth led straight on like before. Ozzy sighed and scraped his head. “I’ve not expected that. I’m surprised at them. They’ve really done it.” “What Ozzy?” “It appears as if they have send the sharptooth away. Or for what other reason he should go on alone?” “Hmmm.” “Nearly a bit sad”, said Ozzy with pretended grief. “I’ve credited them for more loyalty among each other”, he paused shortly before he continued grimly: “And what is far more annoying is that we’ve to decide between the sharptooth and others.” “And now?” “We follow the sharptooth!” answered Ozzy after short hesitating so determined that Strut looked at him astonished and set on to a question, but Ozzy forestalled him with the answer: “The sharptooth has ill-treated my nose like this and he shall regret it and besides, do you feel like going through there?” Ozzy pointed at the chasm whose merely sight caused already a feeling of agoraphobia by Strut and let him shook his head hasty. “So come on!” called Ozzy and they ran on.
Chapter LXXIII
Petrie worked hasty and simultaneously listened intensely, always ready to fly away immediately if he would hear the steps of the eggeaters. He wiped through the snow with one wing and with three quick zigzag movements of his other wing he completed his work. He jumped up and made a long leap he elongated with one flap of his nearly frozen wings. Where he had landed he started anew. Meanwhile he had developed a certain routine in drawing small sharptooth-footprints into the snow and it was no unfounded self content that he was highly pleased with the result.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/rawscetch-Petrielaysawrongtrack.jpg)
The tracks looked really very real. Suddenly Petrie heard what he had expected to hear already for a long while; hasty steps and panting breathing. He had to see to come away for if the eggeaters would catch him then those with the scratched nose would surely tear him to pieces. Petrie looked up, spread his wings and froze in the motion… he had been so busy with the drawing to the trace that he hadn’t paid any attention to the surroundings. What had terrified him so much was the very narrow and easy to miss exit of a chasm that remembered Petrie for his horror very much to those chasm in which the others had disappeared. If he wasn’t wrong and if the others would just now reach the end of the chasm then they would run directly into the eggeaters. The growing louder steps arouse Petrie from his motionlessness. He swung himself up into the air and began to flap fiercely with his under cooled wings to bring a bit feeling back into them. Petrie flew high up to make sure. One look showed him that he hadn’t erred. The thin black line between the racks as which the chasm was recognizable here from above led nearly throughout the whole distance parallel to the broader canyon up to the point where he had separated from the others and had begun to draw the traces. The eggeaters who appeared just on the way below hadn’t to notice the exit of the chasm on no account. Despite his worries Petrie was amused by the sight of the puzzled faces the eggeaters made when the traces they had followed ended suddenly. Maybe Ozzy had come upon the right thought immediately, maybe he pondered if Chomper could belong to an unknown species of flying sharpteeth, at all events he looked up promptly and discovered Petrie. This was just alright with Petrie for he had to prevent the eggeaters from looking around and discovering the chasm, for as stupid as they could be, it didn’t require much intelligence to come upon the thought that this exit belonged to the very chasm in which the tracks of the others had disappeared. Petrie flew in a slightly sinking flight directly into the direction from where the eggeaters had come. Petrie heard the stones whizzing past Ozzy threw at him in fierce furry, but Petrie had taken care to stay out of range. Ozzy fumed with rage and Strut had the impression as if the snow close around his brother would melt. As soon as the flyer had disappeared he shrieked with a shrill voice: “They make fun of us! Back Strut! We must follow them through the chasm we’ve seen before!” “But Ozzy, it is so narrow and…” Ozzy lifted his arm for a stroke and Strut ducked, but Ozzy didn’t strike out. “Come on!” he hissed, jerked round and rushed back the way they had just come. Strut hesitated a short moment and looked over to the narrow chasm he had discovered and on which he had wanted to call Ozzy’s attention. Then he sighed and hastened after his brother.
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Once more, another great chapter. :)
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Thank you very much :)
Here come the next with one picture:
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Chapter LXXIV
Petrie flew a turn when he was sure to be out of sight of the eggeaters and flew back whereby he stayed close to the rocky wall not to be discovered. Already after a short time the eggeaters came towards him and he landed on the rock to be out of sight. Those with the scratched nose ran ahead and coursed so rude over the “leafeaterchickens” that Petrie grinned with satisfaction. How would the eggeater course in a few hours when he and his brother would have pressed through the narrow chasm and would have reached its end? When the eggeaters were out of sight Petrie soared up again, flew over to the narrow chasm and followed it until he finally found Littlefoot, Ali, Spike, Ducky and Chomper, who had meanwhile dismounted from Ali’s back again, shortly before its end. “Petrie. Have they been taken in by your trick? Where are they now?” asked Littlefoot and his words resounded from the rocky walls. Petrie nodded only and asked highly interested: “Was the chasm very narrowly?” “Well”, said Ali, “We’ve come through, but Spike would have nearly stuck fast two times. Does it continue like this for long?” “Well, very well”, mumbled Petrie ignoring Ali’s last question. Spike wailed. He was pretty pale, seemed to suffer from an acute fit of agoraphobia and not to find anything well in the narrowness of this chasm. “Oh don’t worry Spiky!” Petrie calmed him hasty. “It’s not far anymore than you’ll reach the broad canyon again.” “And why on earth is it so well that it is so narrow here that we’ve nearly been stuck fast?” asked Chomper slightly irritated. Although he was smaller than Spike and couldn’t have real problems with the narrowness he seemed to feel very uneasy between the rocky walls. “You can imagine eggeaters try to go through the chasm?” answered Petrie and began to narrate. Petrie finished his report, just when they reached, for especially Spike’s relief, the end of the chasm, with big laughter of his friends. “Not so loud!” ordered Littlefoot suddenly. Everybody became silent and looked at him surprised. Only the resound of their laughter could still be heard. “If the eggeaters are in the chasm too then they’ll hear that”, explained Littlefoot. They fell silent and suddenly they heard the resound of loud and unrestrained cursing. “That must be them!” said Ali shuddering. “Sounds really as if they would have problems”, said Chomper with a malicious grinning. Petrie giggled and said with a quiet voice: “Petrie flies back to look at that!” “Alright Petrie, but be careful. They don’t need to see you. We go on along the broad canyon. Don’t stay away too long!” Petrie nodded and flew away while the others continued their way whereby Chomper stopped once more and compared under the hardly suppressed laughter of his friends his footprints with those Petrie had drawn into the snow. The similarity was really amazing.
Chapter LXXV
Petrie returned soon just as Littlefoot had asked him to. Meanwhile the canyon began to ascend ever steeper. “Eggeaters really in troubles”, Petrie proclaimed. “The one with scratched nose is sticking fast again and again and the other one must push. Petrie really must keep words in mind the eggeater used for next time when Hyp’s mean again. They have heard us laughing and think now we made fun of them and… what?” Petrie’s words didn’t cause the general outburst of laughter he had obviously expected. The others looked at him with grieved looks while they plodded on. “Cera”, said Ducky simply quite contrary to her usual talkativeness. “Oh”, sighed Petrie conscious of his guilt and landed on Littlefoot’s back.
“Me completely forgeted about her”, he mumbled down-spirited.
“We all have Petrie”, Littlefoot consoled him. “We had many other worries”, added Chomper sadly. “But now we finally have to know what has happened with her!” said Ali. “You mean…”, Petrie set on, but suddenly Ducky uttered a surprised call from Spike’s back at the head of the column. “What’s the matter Ducky?” asked Littlefoot immediately. “Come on, come on!” called Ducky and waved at them. “Look at this!” The others followed her invitation curiously. Spike had reached the highest point of the gap that was at the same time the end of the rocky labyrinth through which they had erred since the morning. In front of them lay a long snowy slope that led down into a pretty big valley whose ground was largely covered with a dense mixed forest of conifers and bare deciduous trees. At the ground of the valley lay distinctly less snow than up here and at some spots they could even see the withered grass. A small stream came forth from the mountain. For their surprise it was not frozen. “Finally!” sighed Ali relieved. “I began to fear we would never come out of this awful rocky solitude.”
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/14Theendofthecoldlands.jpg)
“Don’t be unfair Ali”, rebuked Littlefoot gently. “Had it not been for this rocky solitude the eggeaters surely would have caught us.” Spike starred like being hypnotized at the green conifers and the others too noticed now that they could hardly remember their last meal. “There is water!” called Ducky charmed when she noted the small stream. “I can even swim there!”
“You no be silly!” croaked Petrie. “Water certainly far too cold for that.”
“We are on the right way”, mumbled Littlefoot dreamy.
“Not all of us”, Chomper reminded him gloomy. “Don’t forget Cera again!”
“We sure will not!” called Ducky. “No, no, no, we will not!”
“Petrie”, said Littlefoot gently, “I know you’ve already done very much and…”
“Petrie shall fly back finding Cera?” “It would be really wonderful”, said Ali. “But if you’re too tired, then we understand.” Petrie nodded. “Where will you wait for Petrie?” “Do you really think that this is good?” asked Ducky sympathetic. “Petrie has really done enough today and…” “No, Petrie too wants to know what has happened to his friend Cera.” “Alright Petrie”, said Littlefoot. “But if anything happens then return immediately, will you?” Petrie nodded. “We’ll go straight on and wait for you nearby the edge of the forest.” “Probably nearby the stream”, added Ducky eagerly nodding. “Please be careful Petrie, it will be dark soon”, said Ali. Petrie couldn’t help grinning. Anyhow the way the others talked reminded him very much of his mother, but Ali was doubtlessly right. The bright circle sank already towards the ground and had taken an orange-red glowing color. Then he flew away.
Chapter LXXVI
Littlefoot, Ali, Spike, Ducky and Chomper began with the descent. Ducky on Spike’s back could obviously not await finally to reach the stream and she kicked him her heels slightly in the flanks to drive him on. This was however pretty senseless since Spike ran anyway, the look firmly fixed on the trees, so fast that he merely slid down the slope instead of going. The both reached the edge of the forest long before the others caught up with them. Spike tackled immediately the first conifer he reached and Ducky followed his example forgetting apparently even the stream over her hunger. Also the others ate vigorously when they reached the trees. Meanwhile they had accustomed to the conifers, managed to eat without pricking themselves and they even made to ignore the bitter taste. But they even found a few trees that still bore sporadic leafs that didn’t taste very well but where by far much to prefer from the needles. Below some trees grew even green plants with pretty broad leaves that didn’t seem to be harmed by the coldness, but they tasted so strange that they preferred not to eat them. Chomper had separated from the others as inconspicuously as possible. Yet they had noted it nevertheless but nobody said anything. Eventually Chomper had to eat too. When they were full they went over to the stream. “Who is in the water first wins!” called Ducky in high spirits and rushed towards the stream when they had nearly reached it. “Stop Ducky!” called Littlefoot frightened. “The water is far too cold!” But obviously Ducky didn’t hear him. She reached the bank, jumped with a wide leap into the stream and disappeared below the water surface. She remerged a moment later, the eyes opened wide and sucking in air convulsively, then she sank down again. The water was so icy cold that it paralyzed her nearly completely and the current of the little stream, extraordinary strong, tore her along. “Ducky!” cried Littlefoot terrified and ran along the back whereby he tried not to loose Ducky out of sight and to catch up with her. Spike even made to overtake Littlefoot, but the current was far to fast to catch up with Ducky. “We don’t make it!” cried Ali desperately. “The current is too fast!” The next moment there was a loud cracking and Chomper broke forth from the embankment some distance downstream, just the moment when Ducky emerged with the crest of a wave. Instinctively Chomper threw himself forward, the arms stretched out. He got hold of Ducky, but now fell into the stream himself. He barley made to stay near the bank and to gain foothold at the shallow point. He struggled fiercely towards the bank where Spike received him and helped him out of the water. Ducky had turned slightly blue and she shivered all over when Littlefoot and Ali arrived. “My goodness Ducky!” called Littlefoot. “Have you forgotten what has happened during your last bath in the Great Valley? Or how cold the water was when we’ve fled from the fire?” Ducky didn’t answer, but Littlefoot didn’t expect an answer. “We must keep her warm!” called Ali. She seized Ducky and began to rub her carefully between her forefeet. Littlefoot, Spike and Chomper looked at her surprised. “This warms a bit”, she explained while she took care not to rub Duchy to fiercely not to hurt her. “We had one incident in the herd, shortly before I’ve been separated from the others. Then somebody had broken in a lake. The grownups have done the same then and it helped.” Spike suddenly turned away and ran into the forest. “Spike!” called Ali. “You can’t…” But Littlefoot interrupted her: “Keep cool. I don’t think that Spike wants to leave us alone. Certainly he has an idea.” Littlefoot didn’t err for Spike returned already soon with a triumphing smiling that was yet hard to recognize since his mouth was stuffed with fern leaves. It was exactly the same sort of leaves Ducky’s mother had used then in the Great Valley to keep Ducky warm after she had broken in into the river. “Great Spike!” called Littlefoot. “Wherefrom have you known that this stuff grows here too?” Spike lay down the leaves, grinned even broader and sucked in air audibly through his nostrils. “Therefore you must have a fine nose”, said Chomper grinning too. Ducky had gained visibly color by Ali’s treatment and when Ali stopped to rub her between her forefeet she grasped one of the leaves, Spike had brought along, and wrapped herself up in it whereby she sneezed loudly. Her cold that had ceased completely temporary seemed to break out again. “How are you now?” Littlefoot asked concerned. Ducky sighed and coughed fiercely: “I want to reach the warmer regions finally!” “Well, if that’s all”, sighed Littlefoot with partly real partly pretended relief. “Didn’t you hear Littlefoot calling?” asked Ali slightly reproachful. “And couldn’t you imagine that the water is to cold to swim?” “I haven’t heard Littlefoot”, answered Ducky, “No I haven’t.” And a bit injured she added: “I am a swimmer. And I could not swim for ages, no, not at all. It is as if Petrie would be forbidden to fly!” “Well”, said Littlefoot and held his head a little declined. “Petrie has come out very well without flying very long.” Ducky sep on to an angry answer that however remained unspoken on the one hand for Ducky got an anew fit of coughs and on the other hand as Chomper intervened hasty to prevent an impending quarrel: “It has turned out well.” “Yes”, answered Ali who regretted her a bit stern previous words and who wanted a quarrel as less as everybody else. “What a luck you were there.” Chomper stepped uneasy from one foot on the other. He was a bit embarrassed for that he had been just at the right time at the right place was on the one hand owed to the chance and on the other hand to the circumstance that he had hunted successfully his supper. But that didn’t seem to interest the others for his relief. Spike voiced his gratefulness for Ducky’s rescue his own way and stopped to drove his tongue through Chomper’s face only when he asked him therefore laughing. After that they drunk apart from Ducky who had enough of the water for this evening and lay down for rest at the edge of the forest nearby the stream. Littlefoot kept watching first and while the others, Ducky coughing again and again, fell gradually asleep he began to wait for Petrie impatiently.
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I hope Ducky gets warmed up again soon.
You might want to fix in Chapter LXXV, near the end
Anyhow the way the others talked remembered him very much to his mother
to
Anyhow the way the others talked reminded him very much of his mother
Still the chapters were very good to read. Great Work! :)
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Thank you very much :yes
The correction is done. I'm sorry I'm late with the continuation of that story posting, but I tend to forget about these threads when they are a couple of pages back. Anyway, here are the next chapters:
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Chapter LXXVII
The sun disappeared faster behind the horizon than Petrie had expected. The shadows became longer and longer and even, or maybe even especially from above this was a pretty uncanny view. Petrie felt uncomfortable by the thought to have to fly back in the darkness and so he hurried and didn’t waste any time to look out for the eggeaters again. Fortunately the distance they had covered today was as the Pterosaurs flew comparatively short and so not much time had passed when Petrienfinally hovered over the slope on which still a gap yawned in the blanket of snow where the avalanche had gone down. Yet the bright circle was out of sight now, the moon stood at the darkening sky and numerable stars twinkled already there, but a slight bright shine, where the bright circle had disappeared lighted up the slope the slope still a bit so Petrie could recognize the landscape below. No new snow had fallen this day thus their tracks from the morning were still distinctively visible. He flew over the point where the traces of Cera, Ali and Chomper disjoined from those of Littlefoot and Spike and followed them further down the slope. Petrie noted that he flew instinctively lower, for the more the light diminished, the more difficult it became to recognize the tracks from above. When he reached the place where Ali’s and Chomper’s tracks turned left only the moonlight shone on the slope. But the ride Cera had left behind during her fall was broad, like those of a small avalanche, and impossible to miss, even in the darkness. Petrie followed the ride. It ended by the nearly dried up bed of a river where no snow lay anymore. Only a small stream rippled still in the middle of the riverbed and glistened in the silver moonlight. “Probably…”, thought Petrie, “…this is the same stream where the others wait for me now.” He sighed relieved. If he followed the stream, then he could at least not fly wrong in the darkness. But at the point where Cera must have landed was nobody. Petrie looked around in every direction and when he was sure that nobody else was nearby he landed. At the end of the ride was a deepening in the stony ground. There Cera must have landed, but where was she now? “Ce… Cera?” called Petrie as quietly as he could. He didn’t want that whatever might lurk in the darkness heard him. Petrie listened, but he didn’t get an answer and he had to admit that Cera, even if she was nearby could have hardly heard him. The much it displeased him, he had to call louder. Taking all his courage together Petrie fetched deep breath and called then as loud as he could: “Cera are you here anywhere?” He listened again, but again he didn’t get an answer. Instead he heard suddenly a strange scraping and rustling. Petrie didn’t ponder long. With an outcry he swung himself up into the air and flew away as fast as he could, following the glittering band of the stream.
It lasted for some minutes until the little rat at the riverbed dared to put her trembling whiskers out of her hiding place again and to sniff. Whatever had just made this row, it seemed to have disappeared.
Chapter LXXVIII
Cera was displeased. Since she had met Chomper’s parents they had hardly progressed. On the one hand it might be because many of the narrow gorges were simply impassable for the huge sharpteeth, but on the other hand Cera had to admit that her leg caused her very much trouble, even after the treatment of the sharpteeth. It would certainly last for a while until she would really be able to walk normal again. Till then she had problems to keep up with the sharpteeth’s pace and that although the sharpteeth went regardful slowly. Cera did not like just this regard anyhow. Probably these sharpteeth would take her, a threehorn for weak; a thought she could hardly bear. Shortly before dusk they had finally found the traces of Chomper, Ali and one eggeater again. Yet the sharpteeth had seemed to be overjoyed about the sight of Chomper’s track, but the eggeater’s traces had put them into sheer agitation. Cera had again earned a lot of bewildered looks when she had tried to tell the sharpteeth about the eggeaters. Cera had again begun to draw pictures into the snow and had by this occasion not confined to the eggeaters. Instead she had drawn nearly everything they had experienced since their meeting with Chomper neatly into the snow. By that she had tried to teach the sharpteeth at least the names of her friends and some important terms by pointing at the fitting pictures into the snow and say the words loudly several times. The sharpteeth at least seemed to have understood it. It was obvious that the sharpteeth were worried about Chomper as well as Cera worried about him and the others. Cera tried not to give up the hope, but all she knew was that the others had been hunted by the eggeaters. Anything must have happened, for otherwise the others would have surely send Petrie to search for her, but she hadn’t seen him during the whole day. Cera did not even know if Chomper and Ali had made to find back to the others again. They had finally when it became dark stopped at a point where the gorge through which they followed the tracks of Chomper, Ali and the eggeater broadened a bit. Cera felt very uneasy when the sharpteeth lay down on both sides around her. Maybe the sharpteeth only wanted to protect her from possible dangers and the cold wind that whistled through the gorges, but nevertheless Cera had the impression that the sharpteeth’s main intention was to prevent her from sneaking away unnoticed during the night.
Chapter LXXIX
Littlefoot looked up when he heard a quiet flapping and cracking in the branches above him. A small shadow swooped down at him from the darkness. Littlefoot uttered a quiet, surprised cry and ducked. But the shadow bounced against his nose, slid down it to the neck and clung to it so firmly that Littlefoot could hardly breathe. Some moments passed until Littlefoot understood that it was Petrie. He trembled all over and his beak chattered with fear. “My goodness Petrie!” gasped Littlefoot. “Stop it! You’re chocking me!” Petrie let go immediately and fell down; but he jumped up again at once and clung to one of Littlefoot’s legs. “What’s the matter Petrie?” asked Littlefoot alarmed and prepared for all terrible news Petrie might bring. The little flyer stopped trembling and Littlefoot stripped him with gentle force off from his leg. Then he bent his head down to him and said: “Calm down Petrie! What have you seen?” Petrie looked up to him, opened his beak but closed it again immediately without having said anything. Suddenly, in Littlefoot’s presence Petrie felt very silly, as he had, when he thought about it now, seen or heard nothing that would have founded his panic. “Nothing”, admitted Petrie low-spirited and lowered his look. Littlefoot looked at him bewildered. “What?” “Nothing at all. Petrie has seen nothing at all.” “I see”, said Littlefoot and nodded while he didn’t understand anything. “Petrie is coward!” wailed the little flyer suddenly and covered his eyes with his wings. “Me have not even seen anything. Only a noise was there in the darkness and me have flown away!” Littlefoot understood only the half, but that was enough. “You are not a coward Petrie he sad sternly. And with a more gentle voice he continued: “I guess all of us would be afraid so alone there in the darkness.” Petrie was very grateful to Littlefoot for this words, but mournful he asked: “Cera too?” Littlefoot ignored Petrie’s question and asked instead himself: “You have not seen her?” “No”, he sobbed. “Me have already said that.” “Alright Petrie”, said Littlefoot very gentle. “Then we’ve to look for Cera tomorrow.” Littlefoot made to conceal his worries about Cera and his disappointment that Petrie had found nothing. Petrie had done really enough during the last hours. “Have you seen the eggeaters?” Petrie shook only his head and Littlefoot nodded slightly. A coughing could be heard in the darkness. Petrie, who obviously still didn’t feel completely safety jerked. “Ducky”, murmured Littlefoot quietly not to arouse the others while he lifted Petrie up on his back and carried him over to the others. “She had jumped into the stream yet and seems to have caught a bad cold.” Littlefoot took it for unnecessary to worry Petrie by telling him that Ducky had nearly drowned. “Oh, poor Ducky!” croaked Petrie while he climbed down from Littlefoot’s back and groped over to the others. “Now sleep Petrie! It was a hard day and maybe it will be similar tomorrow.” Petrie moaned and prattled anything unintelligible while he lay down aside Ducky, Spike, Ali and Chomper. Littlefoot smiled slightly and began to walk in circles to keep himself at least a bit warmer. Now and then he cast a look up to the moon to look if it was already time to wake Ali whose turn it was to keep watching next. Usually it would have been Cera’s turn. How might she be? Littlefoot was very worried about Cera although he tried to appear calm not to worry the others unnecessarily. The night was very quiet. Only now and then a cracking could be heard in the branches when a gentle breeze swept through it. It was anyhow uncanny. All beings seemed to have left this valley when it had become to cold for them. Littlefoot was glad that Ducky’s coughing interrupted the silence now and then. There it was again, a quiet whooping and rustling coughing. Littlefoot startled. This time the coughing had sounded completely different than before and it had been quieter as if Ducky had withdrawn. Littlefoot held his breath and listened into the darkness. There was the coughing again and it had become louder. The originator of the coughing, and Littlefoot was sure that it was not Ducky, approached. Littlefoot shuddered and he got a cold perspiration when he sneaked over to the others hasty and shook Ali out of her sleep. She blinked sleepy and wanted to say something, probably she wanted to protest that it was not her time to keep watching already, but Littlefoot hissed quietly, shook his head and was about to stop her mouth. Ali shove Littlefoot’s arm aside, stood up quietly and whispered into his ear: “What’s the matter?” Littlefoot didn’t need to answer, for just that moment the coughing could be heard a third time and it was distinctly more rustling than Ducky’s. It sounded really creepy. The next moment they heard somebody speak. Yet they couldn’t understand his words, but they recognized Ozzy’s voice immediately. He seemed to scold Strut. Ali cast her eyes open and bit herself on the lower lip. “It’s them!” aspirated Littlefoot. “Help me to wake the others, but quiet!” Ali nodded hasty. It was already usually difficult to wake Spike, but without making any noise it was nearly impossible. Moreover Spike snorted so loudly that Littlefoot was astonished that the eggeaters and whatever else might lurk in the dark hadn’t become aware of them for long. But when Spike finally blinked sleepy he became promptly wide-awake when he heard the voices of the eggeaters and kept completely quiet. To wake Ducky, Petrie and Chomper was far easier. Ducky clung frantically to the fern-leaf she had still wrapped around herself and Petrie clasped his own beak to prevent to from chattering and causing a noise the eggeaters could have heard. When they were finally ready to sneak away as quiet as possible they could already understand what the eggeaters said. “…needed hours until we were through that damned chasm”, coursed Ozzy. “And that although we had already reached its end. The brats have a huge lead we have to close up if they shall not escape us and there you think of sleeping?” “Sorry Ozzy”, mumbled Strut sleepy. “But don’t we have closed up their lead far enough?” “We will have closed up far enough only when we will have caught them. Remember that!” hissed Ozzy furiously and Strut fell silent not to enrage his brother even more. Littlefoot and the others made hasty steps to get on quickly, but they took care not to step on a branch or anything similar that could have betrayed them. The eggeaters kept quiet now for the big displease of Littlefoot and the others for now the two could of course concentrate to other noises, while they themselves could hear only the breathing and the steps of the eggeaters as well as the occasionally coughing of Strut. They deviated from their usual direction to avoid the eggeaters and for their big relief it seemed to work as they heard the eggeaters quieter and quieter. Littlefoot already wanted to smile confidently when he suddenly heard a noise that let his breath stop. Ducky fetched deep breath and that not voluntarily. Her face became a vexed grimace and she pressed both hands against her nose, but neither that nor Petrie and Chomper who jumped along to stop her mouth and nose could prevent it anymore. Ducky sneezed loud and audible.
Everybody held the breath and Ducky whispered hardly audible with a face conscious of guilt: “I’m sorry! I couldn’t suppress it.” They listened for the eggeaters and hoped urgently that that they hadn’t heard it. But just that moment Ozzy growled: “Damned Strut! Can’t you stop coughing and sneezing? When they’re nearby they’ll hear you!” “It wasn’t me Ozzy!” said Strut hurt. “Certainly not Strut!” snorted Ozzy angry. “Now stop it. You only want to…”, Ozzy hesitated. “It was not you? Really not?” Apparently Strut had shaken his head or otherwise assured that he hadn’t been the originator of the sneezing for Ozzy called, and he didn’t bother to be quiet anymore: “Then it was one of them! Forward Strut! We snap them!” Ozzy’s call was like a signal to all of them to run off as fast as they could. Behind themselves they heard the steps and the panting of the eggeaters. Ducky noted that she lagged behind the others and she wished to be on Spike’s, Littlefoot’s or Ali’s back. Usually she could despite her little size keep the others pace to a certain extend, but her cold made it difficult for her to breathe. Her neck throat itched terribly because of the fast breathing and several times she got fits of coughing during which she nearly had to stop. Soon her breath came only by jerks, irregular and rustling. She had the feeling to choke and felt how her legs trembled. The others had such a bug lead that they were recognizable only as shadowy figures in the darkness ahead. Ducky didn’t dare to call them. They would surely return to get her but by that they would expose themselves to big danger. Moreover she would draw the eggeater’s attention on herself if she called now loudly. But Ducky couldn’t go on anymore. Panting she stopped and looked back. Panic came over her when she recognized the figure of one eggeater in the dim light that fell through the bare branches, not far behind her. Ducky staggered some more steps and pulled the fern-leaf around herself so firmly that it impeded the breathing additionally. And very suddenly an idea struck her that could, maybe, mean the rescue. With some more steps she had arrived at the base of a big tree. There she cowered up, striped the fern-leaf from her shoulders and held it over herself so she was completely covered by the leaf. Actually she had to gasp for breath, but she forced herself to breath very calmly although a fierce stitching in the side vexed her. And when the steps of the eggeater came nearer and nearer she even made to stop breathing completely. She trembled all over and made hardly to hold the leaf still. Now everything depended on whether the eggeater had already seen her before or not. The steps became louder and louder. The eggeater came so close to her that she felt the ground vibrating below his feet. And just when Ducky wanted to jump up and run away as she was sure that eggeater had seen her and came now directly towards her hiding place, she heard how the steps retired and felt how the vibration of the ground diminished. For some more seconds Ducky held her breath until the steps of the eggeaters had died away, then she sucked in the cool night air greedy. Finally Ducky shoved the leaf aside and looked around. She was all alone. She looked around into every direction. Nowhere the figure of anybody could be seen, but for Ducky could see here in the dark forest only a few meters anyway this didn’t have to mean much. Ducky’s big relief not to know one of the eggeaters nearby gave already after a few moments room for an increasing fear. Ducky didn’t know herself what she was actually afraid of but suddenly the gloomy forest around seemed to be hostile and threatening and the longer she stood there the more creepy sounds reached her ear. Cracking and rustling as if whole hordes of eggeaters and other enemies would lurk in the darkness around. Moreover it seemed to her as if something would move in the darkness and as if this something would come nearer. With a yell she ran off, roughly in the direction in which they all had run before. While she ran she had the feeling of being pursued and she strained to run even faster. Already soon it itched again in her throat and breathing became harder for her. Ducky struggled for a while through a dense brushwood whereby she ran so fast that again and again thin branches whipped into her face and when she held her arms protecting in front of her face she got a painful scratch at one forearm. Finally she came out of the brushwood and ran on through the dark forest. Running she looked back to see if her pursuer had come nearer. But she saw nobody. Suddenly she tripped over something and fell down lengthwise. Ducky could barely soften her fall with her hands. Exhausted and breathing heavily she remained lying on the ground, rolled on her back and looked back. She had fallen over the long root of a tree that stood nearby, but she couldn’t see a pursuer. Suddenly the big disenchantment came for Ducky. Actually she hadn’t seen or heard anything she really needed to be afraid of. The being alone in this dark forest had along with the usual sounds of the night and the wind already been enough to put her in panic. Ducky was a little bit ashamed, but when she looked around in every direction she couldn’t deny yet that everything here appeared to be very uncanny. Not to make herself crazy again she didn’t attend to it anymore. The cold night air let her shiver and she wanted to wrap the leaf around her shoulders again. It was not there anymore. She must have lost it during the flight. With a sigh Ducky looked around and tried to orientate, but she had not the slightest idea where she was and in which direction she had to go. As she had no better idea and didn’t want to stand still like being paralyzed she simply went on into the direction in which she had run at last. Ducky had gone only a few steps when a well-known let her bloods freeze in her veins. “Strut where are you?” It was the voice of Ozzy the eggeater and it came not only from the direction in which she ran, but seemed also to be very near. Ducky cast her mouth open as if she wanted to cry out but she didn’t do that. One second she was motionless, then she jerked round on the spot and rushed into the opposite direction than before. “I’m here Ozzy!” Ducky’s heart stopped. Strut’s answer came also directly from ahead and from the nearest nearness. She was exactly between the two eggeaters who approached from both sides. Sometimes when the danger is the biggest you rescue yourself without pondering. Still thinking of the leaf she had lost and that would have concealed her now her feet carried Ducky already with long steps to the trunk of a low tree that stood nearby and between whose roots some of the broad leafed plants grew that were not harmed by the coldness. With one leap Ducky had disappeared behind them. There she heard already the steps of one of the eggeaters. Once more an icy fright stroke Ducky when it came to her mind that the eggeaters could find her tracks. But she became soon aware that this worry was nonsensically for firstly there lay snow only so isolated on the ground of the forest below the dense branches of the trees that she couldn’t have left a track especially as she had avoided the snowy spots not to get so cold feet, and secondly her traces would have hardly been recognizable at night in the darkness of this forest. “Ah Strut there you are!” Ozzy’s voice sounded from a short distance. Ducky dared very carefully to peek out between the leaves. In front of her, only a short distance away stood Strut and a moment later Ducky discovered Ozzy who approached with hasty steps. “You haven’t gotten them?” asked Ozzy and Ducky could recognize that Strut shook his head. For an instant it looked as if Ozzy would get a fit of rage, but then he nodded only. “Well, we won’t find them again soon.”
He sighed. Ducky would have liked to utter a sigh of relief, but she was too afraid to betray herself by doing that. So the others had escaped the eggeaters. “I had hoped to surprise them sleeping”, Ozzy continued oppressed. “But at least we’ve covered their lead and they can’t walk on during the whole night. Any time they’ve to sleep too. Tomorrow Strut we’ll catch up with them and then…” Even in the darkness Ducky believed to see Ozzy’s teeth flashing in a malicious grinning. “But now we make a break. You keep watching first!” Ducky believed to hear Strut moaning quietly, but he didn’t dare to complain. Ozzy lay down on the ground and already after a few instants he began to snort audibly. Ducky’s interior seemed to contract. The eggeaters would spend the whole night here and one of them would always watch. She had no chance to come away undiscovered. But if the stayed here during the whole night, would she be able to catch up with the others, who probably rested too anywhere now, tomorrow? Or did they try to walk all through the night? Maybe they still fled. If they had already noted her missing at all? Of what would happen if the eggeaters would discover her in her hiding place Ducky preferred not to think. Suddenly she had the feeling of having to sneeze again. She pressed both hands in front of her nose and didn’t know if she should breathe deeply or stop her breath. If she sneezed now, then she could be sure to be discovered. But this time Ducky was lucky. The tickling in her nose passed and moreover Strut coughed several times so loudly that it was questionable if he would have heard Ducky’s sneezing at all. She stopped watching the eggeater and creped deeper below the leaves to be saver from discovery.
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Yay the next chapter is up :)
I sure hope Ducky will be okay. -Offers Ducky a cough drop-
I cant wait to read the next chapter :)
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Here comes the next chapter with another picture (excuse if the chapter is a bit corny and Ducky is undersized in that picture ;)):
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Chapter LXXX
Strut began to walk in circles not to fall simply asleep with weariness. Soon he didn’t know anymore how many circles he had already walked, but at all events he had become dizzy of it. He was very hungry and nearly regretted that he had let the leafeaters escape today. If Ozzy would ever learn of that, then Strut didn’t want to know what he would do with him. By the memory of the leafeaters a thought struck Strut suddenly. He had already noticed that there was still green stuff here in the valley. Yet it was very sparsely sown, but he was so hungry that he was glad about every bite he could get. Ozzy slept and wouldn’t notice it. But on the other hand, what if Ozzy would wake up while he would seek for green stuff in the surroundings? He would get huge aggravation if he wouldn’t continue watching. And then Strut suddenly discovered some broadleaved plants between the roots of a nearby tree. “Great!” he thought. “Then I don’t even have to go away at all.” And he went with long steps over to the plant whose leaves trembled in the wind. Strut thought that this was a bit strange for there was no wind blowing at all, but he didn’t want to loose time with so useless thoughts. So he went simply over, bent down and plucked off some of the leaves. Something jumped up with a huge leap, as soon as he had touched the leaves and tried to escape. But although Strut didn’t dislike green stuff he had still preserved the swift reflexes of an eggeater and with a quick as lightning snatch he had caught the tiny, fiercely struggling something and clasped it so firmly in his fist that it could neither stir nor cry. Carefully Strut loosed his grip a bit to take a look at what he had caught. Dismayed he recognized that it was Ducky, the tiny swimmer he had caught once before. She fetched deep breath, for she hadn’t gotten breath in his firm grip and then she cast her mouth open to cry. Hasty Strut closed his grip again so only a suffocated sound was audible that had surely not reached Ozzy’s ears. Strut loosened his grip again not to squeeze Ducky to death, but still pressed his hand so firmly against her mouth that Ducky couldn’t utter a sound. Strut pondered feverishly. Ducky was surely a delicious mouthful and he was very hungry. If he would wake Ozzy and presented him his prey, then he would maybe be placated a bit for he was in a markedly miserable mood and pretty displeased with him. But it was Ducky, not any saurian. Oh, if only it would have been any of the other leafeaterkids, he would have had no scruple. But Ducky…
He had spoken with her and it had been her who had saved him when he had nearly fallen down the canyon. The others of the leafeaters would have maybe simply gone on. But hadn’t he let her and the others escape already once before? They were quits! But still…
Strut moaned, not only because of his conscientious doubt, but also because Ducky had made to bit firmly into his hand. He clinched his fist firmly. Her bite slackened and she stopped struggling in his hand. Tomorrow Ozzy and he would catch up with the leafeater children anyway, so what difference did it make what he would do now? At the latest tomorrow Ducky would be caught again anyway and if he would let her go again now, then he really wouldn’t have to have a bad conscience tomorrow. With a swift turn he turned away from the resting place and ran with wide steps some distance into the forest, in the direction Ozzy and he had run before until they had stopped. When he was sure to be out of earshot of the resting place he stopped and slackened his grip again. Internally he had prepared for one of Ducky’s shrill screams, but she kept silent. Amazed Strut looked at her. Ducky didn’t stir and her head had dropped forward. Strut’s hand began to tremble and Ducky’s head oscillated unsteady to and fro. Should he have closed his fist too firmly? Strut lay Ducky on the ground hoping that Ducky simulated to flee then as soon as he let her loose. But Ducky didn’t jump up and tried to run away. She simply remained lying; her eyes were closed. And suddenly something came over Strut he had never felt before. He wouldn’t have eaten Ducky, neither today, nor tomorrow nor at any other time and he would have tried to protect her from his brother. Ducky simply didn’t deserve to die; she was too good therefore. And now he had killed her himself. He nearly hadn’t known Ducky, exchanged only a few words with her but still he had liked her more than he had known so far. Strut liked his brother Ozzy very much although he scolded him nearly uninterrupted, gave him the fault for everything and simply despised him for his inclination to eat green stuff now and then. Still not even Ozzy could conceal always that he liked Strut anyhow too, and although Strut bewared of directing Ozzy to that, Ozzy made now and then notes in which he betrayed that. But Ducky had been completely different. He couldn’t express in words himself why he liked Ducky so much. What should he do? He had to hide Ducky, otherwise Ozzy would find and eat her tomorrow. But why actually not? He had caught and killed Ducky himself. She was his pray and now where she was already dead anyway it made no difference anymore whether he would eat her or not, apart from that he would finally once be full again if he did it.
He couldn’t do it. Vainly the instincts of a raptor tried to carry through by him. The thought of eating Ducky made him sick. He wanted to bring her in safety, hide her from Ozzy and might it be ever so senseless. Carefully he took Ducky in both hands. When he saw her face, her eyes closed as if to sleep and also the mouth completely expressionless, there the sight blurred suddenly in front of his eyes. Now he could weep. Ozzy was not nearby to reprove him therefore. A big tear ran down Strut’s nose and dropped on Ducky’s face since he had bent over her. Ducky twitched when the tear hit her and she mumbled without opening her eyes: “Ah, the water is not cold anymore. No, no, no! How lovely, then I can go swimming! Yep, yep, yep!” Strut could barely suppress a shout of joy that would have maybe reached Ozzy’s ears. He shook Ducky carefully and stroked her cheek gently with one finger. Ducky opened her eyes and looked around disconcerted, apparently she had dreamed anything nice so the waking up was a pretty disillusion for her. When she saw Strut’s face above herself she cast her mouth open as if she wanted to cry, but uttered nothing and seemed to be about to faint again. Strut shook Ducky slightly to keep her awake, so she became pretty dizzy and he said again and again enthusiastically: “You life! You life! You still life!” And with a sudden grinning he added: “Yep, yep, yep!” Now Ducky was far to amazed to faint. The eggeater’s behavior was a single big riddle to her, but it also took away nearly all of her fear. Nevertheless she didn’t dear to speak until the eggeater himself addressed her and answered her most important question immediately: “I won’t hurt you! You don’t have to be afraid!” “Where is your brother?”
“Over there.” Strut pointed back over his shoulder. “He’s sleeping. Are you alright? I thought already that you would be…” Ducky shook her head. Not only that this eggeater wasn’t going to hurt her, he even seemed to be sincerely worried about her. “It was only the fright”, she said. “Your brother”, said Ducky. “If he finds me…” “You must flee!” Strut interrupted her determinedly. The imagination that Ozzy could find her, maybe even find out that he helped her was terrible. “Where are the others?” asked Ducky to know in which direction she should flee. Strut didn’t answer and didn’t look at her. “I mean my friends”, insisted Ducky, who didn’t understand what was the matter with the eggeater. “In which direction should they be?” Strut didn’t answer. “You have not caught them!?” cried Ducky suddenly. “Oh no, no, no, no, no!” And she seemed to be about to burst into tears. Strut calmed her hasty: “We haven’t caught them! Haven’t you heard us talking before?” Ducky remembered too now that she had eavesdropped herself that the eggeaters hadn’t caught her friends. “They should be anywhere this way”, said Strut and made a far-reaching movement in one direction with his arm. “At least that’s what I think. But Ducky…”, Strut hesitated for a moment and Ducky looked at him asking. “…don’t go to them!” Strut finished his sentence with a nearly imploring voice. “What?!” asked Ducky, for who Strut’s request was probably the most impossible on the world, frightened. It was visibly unpleasant for Strut to speak on, but he continued nevertheless without looking at Ducky: “Tomorrow we’ll catch up with your friends. They can’t escape us any longer. Tonight we nearly caught them, but even if they escaped us once more, tomorrow we’ll catch up with them. We are faster than you are, and there is no labyrinth of rocks in front of us anymore in which you can hide.” Ducky looked at Strut with big, dark eyes but she didn’t answer. He said the truth. “If you are with your friends tomorrow, then neither I nor anybody else can rescue you once more.” Strut gulped. “Ozzy is very furious.” Ducky breathed deeply. This eggeater, she felt that, was really sincere about her. But what he requested was completely impossible. Ducky shook her head. “No!” she said and shook her head again. “Oh no, no, no, no, no! I will go to them! I must go to them! Oh yes I must!” “Why?” asked Strut with deeply grieved voice. “They can’t escape us! If you go to them, then you are lost too!” Ducky kept quiet.
“Do you want to die?” asked Strut and he sounded nearly angry. How should he save this swimmer if she seemed so keen on not being saved. Ducky shook her head. “Of course not, no, no, no! But they are my friends, they are! And if you catch them and I would have to life knowing I did not do anything that might have saved them, to survive myself… Oh no, no, no!” Ducky fell silent and looked down. Strut fell silent too and for a long while nothing could be heard apart from the usual sounds of the nightly forest which had frightened Ducky so much before but that were in a strange way calming now. At last Strut sighed and shook his head slightly, but when he spoke then his voice sounded not only sad, but almost reverently. There was a kind of melancholy enthusiasm in his voice. “You want to scarify yourself for your friends? Die together with them?” Ducky shook her head again. “No I do not want that. But what makes you actually so sure that you’ll really catch us tomorrow? So far we have always outwitted you!" Strut looked at Ducky, who managed something like a sardonic grin, disconcerted. He didn’t really know if he should laugh about Ducky’s words and finally he tried to look offended, but he didn’t make that either. From where the little swimmer took her optimism was beyond him.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/15Duckysdecision.jpg)
“Why are you doing that?” asked Strut again sadly, but this time she didn’t answer but only smiled slightly tired and shrugged her shoulders. “Do you never do anything without really knowing why?” Strut shook his head. “Then tell me why you help me!” Strut opened his mouth, but he couldn’t think of an answer. He shrugged only with his shoulders and when he noticed how similar his “answer” was to Ducky’s he put on a broad grinning that had certainly only few likeness with Ducky’s smiling. Ducky cast a look up and recognized for her relief through the sparsely leafy branches of the trees that the sky was still completely dark. Nevertheless she had to hurry to reach her friends before dawn. “I have to go now, oh yes, I have to!” said Ducky and looked up to Strut. He answered with gloomy mine: “Good luck!” “For you too!” answered Ducky and she felt pretty silly. Sure enough Strut was not the one in need of luck at the moment. “Thanks for everything said Ducky, and with that she turned round and disappeared in the darkness in the direction in which Strut supposed her friends to be. Strut sighed deeply, turned round then too and returned to the resting place where Ozzy still slept sound and profound.
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It not cheesy, nope nope nope! Again, i cant wait to read more :)
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I'm sorry I continuously forget posting the next chapters in this thread. Thanks to you Pangea for reminding me :yes
Here are the next two chapters.
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Chapter LXXXI
Ali startled when she perceived a quiet cracking and rustling in the undergrowth and she made ready to wake the others immediately if the originator of the noises should turn out to be dangerous. Since their flight, that had led them up to the nearness of the edge of the forest at the end of the valley Ali had kept watching while the others had fallen into and outermost unsound sleep. Their spirits were very low for, yet they had escaped the eggeaters, but first here they had noted tat Ducky was missing. After Cera of whom they still had no idea what had happened to her, Ducky was now already the second of them to be lost. They had all been pretty exhausted and have had no idea what they could do. If they would have run back they wouldn’t have maybe run directly into the eggeaters and moreover such a search would have had a very low chance to succeed since they would have not even been able to call Ducky in the dense forest without calling the attention of the eggeaters on themselves so they had decided to rest, on the one hand as they really needed a brake urgently and on the other hand not to distance to far from Ducky so she wouldn’t be able to beat her way to them easier in the case that the eggeaters hadn’t caught her and of that they didn’t want to think at all. Ali uttered a sigh of relief when she heard the well known coughing. So it was Ducky who made her way through the undergrowth, pretty exhausted and breathing heavily. Probably the others had only dozed or at least they had slept very unsound, for the actually not very loud coughing of Ducky was enough to startle all of them, even Spike. Ducky sighed relieved when she stepped forth from the undergrowth and saw her friends. Exhausted she sat down on the ground where she just stood to stop for breath. But the others didn’t let her any time for that anymore. Immediately they surrounded Ducky and snowed her under with welcomes and questions. With a tired movement of her hand Ducky made to make them silent for a moment and when they started to ask again they didn’t talk all at the same time at least. “My goodness Ducky, am I glad that you are here!” called Littlefoot. “How have you escaped the eggeaters?” Ducky shook her head and made a disparaging movement with her hand. “I am not! Oh no, no, no! We are not!” The others looked pretty bewildered. “What do you mean Ducky?” asked Ali frowning. “Strut has caught me, yes, he has!” “What?” Chomper looked at Ducky with bulging eyes. “And he has let you escape again?” Ali and Chomper had meanwhile learned from the others what had happened during the flight at the canyon. Chomper had hardly been able to believe that an eggeater had let his prey escape. Ducky nodded. “Yes, he has, he has!” “What about the other one; those with the scratched nose? What was his name?” asked Ali. “Ozzy!” Littlefoot answered Ali’s second question and then he repeated the first: “What about him?” Ducky fetched deep breath, for so far she had hardly found an occasion to regain her breath; the she answered: “He knows nothing of that of course, no, no. He has slept while Strut had to watch. He has! I don’t want to know what he would do with poor Strut if he would ever find that out.” “I can hardly believe it!” said Littlefoot shaking his head. “The eggeater had really caught you and has let you go again?” Ducky nodded and began to tell more detailed what she had experienced. She also repeated the talk she had had with Strut partly literally and tried to make plain to the others by that in what a danger they were. Littlefoot bit on his lower lip when Ducky had finished. For a while he kept quiet just like everybody else, then he said: “When the eggeaters start their pursuit again tomorrow, then we have to be as far away as possible! Down here we have no chance to escape them anyhow. We must come out of the valley and into the mountains. Maybe we can shake them off there again.” “You do really think so Littlefoot?” Petrie inquired doubting and resigned. “At least we have to try it or do you have a better idea?” the little flyer shook his head. “And moreover, who knows…” Littlefoot looked suddenly very thoughtful. “What do you mean?” asked Ducky. “Maybe…”, began Littlefoot, “…we have still a chance even when the eggeaters catch up with us.” “What of do you think?” asked Ali. “You have heard what Ducky has said. If Ozzy would find out that Strut has helped us and if we would say it to him just when the two have caught up with us, then…” “Oh no, no, no, no, no!” Ducky jumped up and shook her forefinger angrily against Littlefoot. “Strut has helped me, helped us very much. He has! And we won’t betray him to his brother! No, no, no!” Ducky sounded really indignant. “But if it is the only possibility for us to divert the eggeaters to escape them?” asked Ali, but before Ducky could reply anything Littlefoot shook his head himself and said: “No, Ducky is right! It wouldn’t be fair to do that!” “Alright ”, said Chomper. “But then we should hurry now and go on to get a bigger lead before the eggeaters.” Everybody nodded agreeing although they all felt far too tired to walk on now. “And Cera?” asked Petrie sadly. Littlefoot bit himself on the lower lip again and said then: “ We haven’t heard or seen anything of her since she has fallen down the slope. But you have not found her there. So Cera must have gotten over the precipice.” Littlefoot gulped. “We can’t go back now to search for her, otherwise we’ll run directly into the eggeaters, but…”, he hesitated for a moment, “…as it looks I could imagine that she is better then we are.” “I hope so!” said Ali nodding. “I fear at the moment we really can’t do the slightest for her”, said Littlefoot and everybody had to see that it was really as he said. “We have to hurry!” said Chomper with a look to the sky at whose eastern horizon a bright stripe announced the impending dawn. Littlefoot nodded. “Let’s go!” And he set in motion.
Chapter LXXXII
A gentle push woke Cera far too early for her taste and she kept her eyes closed. But the moment after she was pushed anew, yet still gentle, but already with a perceptible impatience. Cera opened her eyes and startled back with an outcry. She had remembered to everything that had happened yesterday, also to Chomper’s parents while she had kept her eyes closed, but even if you were prepared for it the sight of a sharptooth was enough to give a dreadful scare. And Cera had at least not been prepared to have the huge eye of one of the two sharpteeth so close in front of herself. It was still pitch dark and in the darkness the huge silhouette of the sharptooth-head with the two eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness appeared to be even uncannier. Cera moaned painfully, for by the instinctively startling back from the sharptooth she had forgotten her injured leg and burdened it so much that a burning pain flashed up from her knee. Cera closed her eyes firmly and fought against the tears as good as she could, and that she couldn’t stop them completely made her furious. “What are you doing?” she bawled out at the sharptooth angrily and in the same moment she was frightened about her own boldness. Yet the sharptooth could not understand her words, but her tone had been unmistakable. For Cera’s relief the sharptooth seemed to take her outburst with humour. He grinned broad, just like Chomper did some times whereby the sight of the teeth flashing in the moonlight sent a cold shudder down Cera’s back. Cera cast a doubting look up to the star-sky, but the second sharptooth came along and snarled anything. The other sharptooth roared an answer and Cera understood that the first sharptooth urged to march off. While she set in motion, taking very much care to burden her injured leg as less as possible, she wondered if sharpteeth always got up so early and slept always so short. But then she remembered Chomper. He didn’t sleep more or less than any of them. Probably the worry about Chomper was the only reason for the sudden haste of the sharpteeth and that remembered Cera anyhow very much to her own father. Moreover she wanted to know herself, the tired she was what has happened with the others, eventually she knew nothing but that the eggeaters had pursued them and that was reason enough to be worried. So Cera followed Ali’s and Chomper’s tracks and the sharpteeth followed her. They hadn’t gone far when they came to a place where a deep crack gapped to their left. On the other side of the crack Cera could recognize a rocky ledge that looked similar to those on which she herself and the sharpteeth walked at the moment, indistinctly in the moonlight. The sharpteeth didn’t seem to like the way and Cera couldn’t take it amiss, for the way was hardly broad enough to offer their feet abreast enough room and the crack to their left was so deep that a fall down there would have been fatal, even for a grownup sharptooth. But for the relief of the sharpteeth the crack became more and more narrow and finally ended whereby the rocky ledges from both sides of the crack ran together to one single broader way to whose sides high rocky walls rose. Cera’s relief when they reached the point where the ways ran together became the bigger as that from the other ledge the tracks of Littlefoot and Spike joined Ali’s and Chomper’s. There were no traces of Ducky and Petrie, but the both had probably ridden on the back of Littlefoot and Spike or, concerning Petrie, flown. Apparently Ali and Chomper had really met the others here for the tracks led criss-cross at the point where the rocky ledges ran together as if they had stayed here for a longer time. But what worried Cera and Chomper’s parents were not only the tracks of the eggeaters, that traversed the point too, coming from the ledge they had used as a way themselves, but above all the fact that the tracks of Chomper, Ali, Littlefoot and Spike looked as if they had run. Their footprints lay wide apart from each other as if they had run with swift and long steps. Also from the tracks of the eggeaters you could conclude that the both had run, but not first from the point where the rocky ledges united, but already for a longer time. Had the eggeaters caught up with the others and had a race for life and death started here? Cera ignored the pains in her leg as well as she could and ran on as fast as possible and the sharpteeth followed her hasty. Cera could read the highest apprehension in their faces as distinctly as from a leafeater’s face. For the first time Cera thought of what would be if really something had befallen the others. This imagination in itself was already horrible enough, but Cera realized that her own life would depend completely on the temper of Chomper’s parents if the eggeaters should have caught him. Suddenly Cera stopped abruptly and uttered a surprised shout. When the sharpteeth approached hasty and bent down to her to see the reason for her surprise Cera’s heart was in her mouth and she was sure that her life was not worth a fig anymore. The tracks of Littlefoot, Ali and Spike led into a very narrow side chasm, far to narrow for Chomper’s parents as Cera recognized with one look. For a moment she thought of fleeing into the side chasm with some quick leaps not to have to feel the wrath of Chomper’s parents. But firstly one of Chomper’s parents was between Cera and the side chasm and secondly she would have hardly been able to make some quick leaps with her injured leg. What terrified Cera so much and what had to cause the rage of Chomper’s parents was the fact that Chomper’s tracks didn’t disappear in the side chasm but led straight on. Had Littlefoot, Ali, Spike, Ducky and Petrie quarrelled, so he had continued his way alone? Or had they send him in another direction since they knew that the eggeater with the scratched nose, who was a kind of leader, was especially after him? One possibility sounded more unlikely than the other. Littlefoot and also the others would have never allowed that Chomper exposed himself to such a danger. Cera wouldn’t have believed it if she wouldn’t have seen it with her own eyes. She became really sick with angst. And the wild snarling and growling that had begun between Chomper’s parents let Cera’s worst fears become nearly certainty. The longer Cera looked on the snow that was only slightly enlightened by the moonlight the more details she recognized and these details meant nothing good. The tracks of the eggeaters led past the side chasm, thus followed Chomper’s traces, what had to intensify the impression of Chomper’s parents that their son had been send in a different direction as a bait by the leafeaters. But what worried Cera even more was the fact that the tracks of the eggeaters returned from the direction where Chomper’s traces led and disappeared in the chasm. That could only mean that the eggeaters had gotten Chomper and started the pursuit of the others after that. Cera stopped resigned to think over her chances of survival in view of the sharpteeth. Suddenly one of the sharpteeth bent forward and Cera avoided it as well as she could. But the sharptooth didn’t seem to be interested in Cera, but eyed the footprints sceptically and growled anything. After that the other sharptooth bent down to the traces too. Cera pondered for an instant if she should flee in the side chasm while the sharpteeth were engaged with the traces. But anything kept her back. The sharpteeth seemed to debate intensively about the traces and one of them gesticulated fiercely with his tow short arms. Instinctively Cera approached and tried to understand what they were talking about. The one sharptooth seemed to measure the distance between Chomper’s footprints. Cera looked carefully and suddenly she believed to understand. The distance between the two footprints was unusually long. Even if Chomper would have jumped Cera could hardly imagine that he was able to make such a long leap. Also the snow would have had to be especially stamped down in the next footprint if Chomper would have jumped, but the contrary seemed to take place. Cera got new hope suddenly, for she had recognized too what Chomper’s parents seemed to talk about. The track of Chomper looked convincing at the first sight, but the longer Cera looked the surer she became that the track was not real. It was a fraud, a wrong track! Cera gathered all her courage and called the attention of Chomper’s parents on herself again. She went to one of the footprints of which she thought that it was not real and wiped with one of her hooves through it. The snow was loose and powdery and appeared absolutely not as if a dinosaur of Chomper’s weight had stood on it recently. After that Cera went, becoming more confident with every second pas Chomper’s parents to one of the footprints she took for real. The snow in that footprint was fast and when Cera wiped through it with one of her hooves she could scratch the snow from the ground only with some effort. The snow had pasted and it was obviously that the originator of this footprint had to be far heavier than those of the other one. For Cera’s big relief Chomper’s parents seemed to understand too what Cera wanted to say them and both bent down to the track again and sniffed at them whereupon they began again a chat consisting of snarling and growling. Cera sniffed at the tracks too. Her sense organs were probably not as developed as those of the grownup sharpteeth, but she believed to perceive a difference between the tracks. Finally Cera discovered even a print of one of Petrie’s claw armed feet in one of the footprints, so Cera believed to understand how the wrong track had been made. Petrie had lain out the track carefully and apart form some details Petrie hadn’t been able to imitate, the trace was perfect. Apart from the first footprint after Chomper’s real track the distances between the footprints were correct too. They were surely real enough to deceive one or two eggeaters who pursued their victims and thus wouldn’t take the time to examine the track carefully. Cera uttered a sigh of relief for the danger of Chomper’s parents seemed to be turned away for the moment. The both continued talking with roaring, hissing and growling and it were above all their looks that let Cera realize that the matter was the question in which direction they should go on. The side chasm through which all, including Chomper, had obviously gone, was far too narrow for Chomper’s parents. So they could only either follow the wrong track, in a direction where Chomper and the others were probably not, or they could go back and seek a different way. Chomper’s parents agreed pretty fast to follow the wrong track. To go back would have apart from that it would have had probably no sense, cost too much time. Cera noted a bit affected that Chomper’s parents despite of everything didn’t seem to be completely convinced that the track was really wrong. At all events they didn’t let Cera lead the way anymore, but took her between them so every possible attempt to escape would be doomed to fail beforehand. Cera believed to notice that the sky began to enlighten when the wrong track ended. Whatever had happened here, it was impossible to conclude it completely from the tracks. The wrong track ended here and the tracks of the eggeaters turned back and led now into the opposite direction than before. Only few steps ahead gapped the exit of a narrow side chasm in the rocky wall. It had to be the exit of those side chasm through which Chomper, Littlefoot, Ali, Spike and most likely also Ducky had gone for their tracks, apart from Ducky’s led out of the chasm and further along the way on which Cera and Chomper’s parents had followed the wrong track so far. But out of the side chasm led also the tracks of the eggeaters and prints in the snow testified of that one of the eggeaters had thrown himself down here and had hammered with his fists on the ground. After that the eggeaters seemed to have resumed the pursuit. Yet Cera and Chomper’s parents couldn’t conclude everything that had happened here, but now they had a real track again to follow and especially the reappear of Chomper’s real track seemed to dispel the mistrust Chomper’s parents seemed to have had against Cera temporary. At all events she might go ahead again and one of the sharpteeth nudged Cera with his nose what was surely meant friendly but let Cera shiver a bit. They went straight on and the way began to slope steeper and steeper what was pretty troublesome for Cera with her injured leg. But already after a short time they had reached the highest point of the gap, where the labyrinth of rocks ended. An exceedingly beautiful sight presented to them. Here where the rocks dispersed they could first time see the whole sky and the sunrise had colored the sky there in innumerable red-, orange-, yellow- and violet tones while the sky was still pitch black and starry in the west and dark blue in the zenith. Also the big nearly round silver circle of the moon stood still on the sky. The snow that covered the valley and the forest in front of them glittered in the light of the beginning day. The view remembered Cera very much to the morning when they had left the Great Valley. But Cera and Chomper’s parents didn’t have the time to enjoy the sight long. They had to reach Chomper, Littlefoot, Ali, Ducky, Petrie and Spike before the eggeaters, assuming that they hadn’t already caught up with them for a long time. Cera began to hobble down the slope into the valley, but her leg caused a lot of trouble for her. She progressed only slowly. There one of the sharpteeth shook his head and snarled something to the other one. Then they rushed after Cera and before she could even react one of them had grasped her with the teeth. Cera shrieked, struggled and tried to free from the sharptooth’s bite. What had she done wrong? Why wanted Chomper’s parents eat her now? Where they simply so hungry? Cera noticed in her panic that the sharptooth hadn’t bitten really only when the sharptooth had set her down on the other sharptooth’s back. A bit dumbfounded and with tearing hard beat Cera starred at the sharptooth who had set her on the back of the other. The sharptooth grinned, but it lasted long until Cera had calmed a bit and her panic gave way for insulted pride. But in spite of everything Cera had to admit that she progressed on the back of a running sharptooth far faster than on foot with an injured leg. But she had to cling very strong not to fall down from the back of the sharptooth by the enormous speed.
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Once again, another great chapter :) Cant wait to read more :)
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A Deep and impassioned piece of work - I can't believe its been 5 years since you began writing it.
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I'm sorry I continuously forget posting the next chapters in this thread. Thanks to you Pangea for reminding me :yes
You’re very welcome. :smile
Sorry that I haven’t been posting long enough to have mentioned this earlier, but I love the concept of Cera being separated from the others and forced to travel with Chomper’s parents.
Cera noticed in her panic that the sharptooth hadn’t bitten really only when the sharptooth had set her down on the other sharptooth’s back. A bit dumbfounded and with tearing hard beat Cera starred at the sharptooth who had set her on the back of the other. The sharptooth grinned, but it lasted long until Cera had calmed a bit and her panic gave way for insulted pride.
I can just imagine the change in Cera’s expression if this were a movie. :lol It’s such a Cera-like reaction.
One question, though:
Had the eggeaters cauhere she heard alrears here and had a life and death pursuit begun here?
What exactly does this mean? :confused I think a slight bit of editing may be in order, if you don’t mind me saying. (If and when you do edit it, I will obligingly delete this part of the post.)
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Had the eggeaters cauhere she heard alrears here and had a life and death pursuit begun here?
Oh my goodness :lol
Really, I always say for good reason that my English was rather... peculiar by the time I translated it, but when I actually have to look up the German original text (where by the way I found another spelling mistake) to make sure what on earth I may have meant with that translation things become really creepy ;)
If I ever was to edit the translation (which I admit I kind of lack the enthusiasm to) I suppose nine out of ten sentences would be changed.
I changed the sentence to:
"Had the eggeaters caught up with the others and had a race for life and death started here?"
But I prey you don't delete this part from your post Pangaea, it was a helpful feedback and there is no need to strike it from the history books once it was put into effect ;)
By the way, I received an email from you without any word in it, was it sent accidentally?
Here come the next two chapters:
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Chapter LXXXIII
“Wake up Strut! Today we’ll get them!” Strut blinked sleepy and looked up to the dawning sky. He could have continued sleeping for long, but he didn’t want to complain for at least Ozzy had watched voluntarily and Strut had not even had to awake him. Ozzy had woken up by himself and had explained Strut patronizing that he would watch for the rest of the night and that Strut should sleep. Strut, who had shuddered first by the thought that Ozzy could have woken up earlier and could have surprised him with Ducky, had followed this offer very willingly, the much the more as his brother had been really unusually polite. Strut had gotten a bad conscience since he had, concerning the leafeaters really deceived his brother, but the thought of Ducky had calmed his conscience. Strut got up hasty not to enrage his brother. Ozzy smiled. “Today we’ll get them!” he repeated and with a nearly dreamy look he continued: “And who knows, maybe we’ll soon have so much to eat again that we won’t need to pursue any brats anymore.” “What do you mean?” asked Strut and began to run after his brother who had set in motion during his last words. Ozzy stopped for a moment and looked back to his brother: “Haven’t you noted too yet that it becomes warmer here? The swimmer seems to have told you the truth. It is warmer in this direction. It will be nearly a bit ungrateful when we’ll eat the swimmer.” If there wouldn’t have been a distinctly ironical tone in his voice Strut would have hardly believed that it was his brother who spoke the last words. They ran swiftly, but didn’t exhaust themselves completely. Strut guessed that his brother wanted to save their strength for the last hunt. “I can’t wait to get the sharptooth in my hands. He won’t have anything to laugh about. For nothing on earth I want to be in his skin now!” That sounded far more like his brother thought Strut. They reached a bigger snowy glade, when Ozzy uttered suddenly a joyful call and pointed at the ground. “Look Strut! There are their tracks. Looks as if they have run during the whole night. Fools! They’ll be far to exhausted to flee from us when we’ll catch up with them.” Strut looked. In the snow he could distinctly recognize the tracks of the two longnecks, the spikedtail and the sharptooth. He didn’t see Ducky’s tracks and he hoped that this meant that she hadn’t reached the others, but he wasn’t in much hope, for he had seen that Ducky had the habit to ride on the back of one of her friends. Probably one of the others had carried her. Ozzy bent down to the tracks, eyed them critically and wiped with his hand through one of them. Then he erected and smiled. “This time the tracks are real.” And with a laughing he added: “Probably the flyer would have needed the whole night to draw all the tracks here.” They changed their direction a bit and followed the tracks. Ozzy seemed to be really in an extraordinary good mood for after a while he said: “I demand the sharptooth for me, but you shall not either go away empty. Which of the leafeaters do you want to have for yourself?” “Ducky!” Strut burst out immediately. Ozzy looked at him astonished and Strut blushed. “I…I mean the swimmer”, stammered Strut who was sure to have caused the suspicion of his brother, but Ozzy grinned suddenly.
“There you’ve probably chosen the best bite. The sharptooth is certainly tough, there is not much at the flyer and the others, well I fear they are already to big to be eaten. Eventually we are no sharpteeth. But it’s alright with me. The swimmer is yours!” Strut smiled. Maybe he had found a possibility to rescue Ducky yet. The sun had meanwhile risen completely and the thin morning mists began to disappear quickly. The way on which they ran became steeper and steeper and when they finally reached the edge of the forest they were already high up on the slope of one of the mountains that bounded the valley. Ozzy frowned. “They’ve made it into the mountains.” He shook his head grimly. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll get them nevertheless!” and they ran on, following the tracks that couldn’t be overlooked here at the non-wooded and snowy slope.
Chapter LXXXIV
Littlefoot’s, Spike’s, Ali’s and Chomper’s eyes were itching. They could hardly keep them open and their movements ran off nearly mechanically. Now and then they really closed their eyes and fell into a pleasant semiconscious state that however found always an abrupt end when they tripped over a boulder or a similar obstacle they hadn’t seen with closed eyes. One time Chomper had even fallen down lengthwise. Ducky and Petrie slept sound and profound on Spike’s respectively Littlefoot’s back. Their steadily snorting contributed to lull Littlefoot, Ali, Chomper and Spike. They had overcome the first mountain chain and reached a terrain that was drawn through by gorges and rocky walls but did not nearly offer as much cover as the rocky labyrinth they had traversed the day before. They had chosen one of the gorges by chance and traversed it to its end. The gorge broadened to a small box-canyon here whose back wall rose steeply like all its other walls, but was possible to be climbed up. “Oh no!” moaned Ali when she saw the steep rocky wall. “Miserable clambering!” cursed Chomper faintly. “I can’t anymore!” “Neither can I!” admitted Littlefoot. He was absolutely not in a condition to be able to encourage his friends anyhow. Spike grumbled anything that would have had certainly a similar meaning like the words of his friends if he had been able to speak. “Maybe the eggeaters have lost our track in the meantime”, guessed Ali. Chomper smiled only tired and looked at the tracks they had left behind in the snow. They simply couldn’t be overlooked. Littlefoot nudged Petrie on his back to wage him and said: Petrie, could you fly back and look where the eggeaters are? We…”, Littlefoot yawned deeply, “…we wait here for you.” Petrie nodded wordless and flapped away. Contrary to his friends he was really dewy fresh, just like Ducky who just awoke on Spike’s back, maybe because she didn’t feel the equally swinging anymore Spike’s steps caused on his back. “What’s the mater?” asked Ducky. Why do we stop?” “We wait here for Petrie”, answered Littlefoot tired. “He flies back to check where the eggeaters are.” Ducky answered with a significant “Oh!” It was nonsense to wait for Petrie here. He would have found back to them easily if they would have gone on, but Ducky had understood that her friends were at the end. Spike simply lay down where he stood and fell asleep. Ducky climbed down from his back and went towards Littlefoot. Ali and Chomper fell asleep side-by-side even before Ducky had arrived by Littlefoot. Littlefoot smiled nearly wistfully at this sight. Few days ago the both had nearly been enemies. “Littlefoot”, said Ducky with a husky voice. “We don’t give up now, do we? No, no, no?” Littlefoot smiled, but his smile looked bitter in a way Ducky had never seen before by him like this. “No Ducky. Not really”, murmured Littlefoot feebly and lay down too. Ducky looked at the others one after another affected. Suddenly Strut’s word seemed to resound gloomy in her memory: “They can’t escape us! If you go to them, then you are lost too!” Suddenly a terrible fear came up in Ducky that let her shudder more than the coldness. Had Strut been right? Had she maybe not risked but sacrificed her life with the return to the others? But then Ducky pulled herself together and she thought of her own words: “So far we have always outwitted you! Yes, they had! And they would do again! Ducky pondered what she should do. She had to do anything! The eggeaters would certainly catch up with them; she couldn’t change that. Petrie wouldn’t tell them if, but when. Maybe they would await the eggeaters here and then she had to ponder how to welcome the eggeaters the best. Ducky looked at the surroundings and discovered at the steep slope opposite the entrance of the gulch a shelf, broad enough to offer room for all of them. Ducky climbed up there. From up there she had a great outlook over the box-canyon and the gorge that however made already after a short distance a turn and so fled from the onlooker’s view. Although Ducky still doubted that her doing had a sense she began to carry stones from the near surroundings onto the shelf and when there seemed to be only stones left that were to big to carry for Ducky she began, what seemed to be really senseless to her now, to form snowballs and to place them in preparation on the shelf. That way she had already carried a respectable amount of “ammo” together on the shelf when Petrie came flapped back. He woke Littlefoot, Ali and Chomper and together with Ducky who had climbed down from the shelf again they made to wake Spike too. Although short, the sleep seemed to have been really a comfort to Littlefoot, Ali, Spike and Chomper. “And Petrie? Where are they?” asked Littlefoot impatiently. “They already are out of the valley and over the first mountain.” “And how fast are they? When will they be here?” asked Chomper now. “Soon”, answered Petrie. “They’re pretty swift!” None of them spoke and they could have stood there for hours without saying anything, but it was Ducky who started to speak suddenly with unusual objective voice. “So we can do two things. Either we try to run on and hope that the eggeaters won’t catch up with us…” “Or?” Ali, who didn’t seem to think a lot of this possibility, just like the others, especially Spike, interrupted impatiently. “Or we wait for the eggeaters and do what we can to keep them off!” Littlefoot was probably because of Ducky’s earnest voice relieved that she added her usual "Yep, yep, yep!” to her last words. “But what can we do?” asked Chomper discouraged. “Well”, said Ali. “You can probably do at least more than we. When I think of the one eggeater’s nose.” It should be a compliment, but Chomper seemed to feel neither flattered nor calmed, for he said gloomy: “That’s just the point. I fear the eggeater will think of that too.” A cold shudder ran down not only Chomper’s but also the other’s backs, but then Littlefoot gulped and said: “However, we can’t escape them. They are to fast. Thus I think Ducky’s suggestion is better than to do nothing.” Again everybody fell silent for a while. Littlefoot pressed his lips together. Chomper clenched his hands again and again to fists and opened them again. Ali stepped nervously from one leg on the other. Petrie seemed to shiver suddenly for he landed on Littlefoot’s head and wrapped himself up in his wings and Spike uttered a sort of quiet whimpering. Ducky went over to him and caressed gently over his head what seemed to calm him a bit. “Up there is certainly the best place to wait for the eggeaters”, said Ducky and pointed at the shelf. “I have err… already prepared something.” Littlefoot and the others looked at Ducky surprised, but they followed her up to the shelf. Littlefoot smiled when he saw the stones and snowballs Ducky had brought there. “Maybe…”, he said, “…we still have a chance.”
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I cant wait to read what happens next, great chapters once again :)
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“I demand the sharptooth for me, but you shall not either go away empty. Which of the leafeaters do you want to have for yourself?” “Ducky!” Strut burst out immediately. Ozzy looked at him astonished and Strut blushed. “I…I mean the swimmer”, stammered Strut
:lol :lol :lol
Another hilarious moment that is so believably instrumented!
I prey you don't delete this part from your post Pangaea, it was a helpful feedback and there is no need to strike it from the history books once it was put into effect ;)
If you say so, Malte. ;)
As for that (accidentally) wordless e-mail, I have re-sent it (in case you haven't found out already).
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Thanks to both of you very much for your feedback and also especially for the feedback you emailed me about "Old Threehorns" Pangea. It is really very helpful and I appreciate it a lot :yes
Here are the next chapters:
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Chapter LXXXV
“There they come!” whispered Chomper so loudly that everybody else heard it. Ali, Littlefoot and Spike had brought additional stones and boulders on the shelf that had been simply to big and to heavy for Ducky before. Chomper had brought more snow there together with Ducky and Petrie and meanwhile the shelf was so full of snow, stones and boulders that they found hardly enough room for themselves anymore. Littlefoot had come upon the thought if it would be possible to cause an avalanche here in the right moment, but after they had eyed the slope critically and had carelessly even cried all together on trial they had come to the conclusion that the slope was not steep and the snow here not plenty enough. Anyway it was it was impossible to start an avalanche here. Littlefoot had considered if he should ask Petrie to fly up the slope to look what was behind it, but he had decided against it, for what could be interesting there? The common work had torn Littlefoot, Ali, Chomper and even Spike out of their sleepy state and after there was just no room anymore for stones, boulders or more snow on the shelf they had lain in wait there and a nervous tension had taken possession of all of them during the waiting. But they didn’t have to wait for long and after Chomper’s announcement Littlefoot tried to calculate roughly how far they would have come if they wouldn’t have stopped here, but would have gone on straight. He couldn’t say it with certainty as he didn’t know exactly how long he, Ali, Chomper and Spike had slept. Certainly not long; but however, in their previous state they would have made it up the slope maybe a bit farer depending on what was lying beyond the slope but the eggeaters would have caught up with them soon at all events. Strangely this thought calmed Littlefoot anyhow. The next moment he and the others could hear too what Chomper’s quick ears had perceived already an instant earlier. Gasping breath and hasty steps that resounded from the opposite gorge. Ducky, Petrie and Chomper straightened and they all grasped for snowballs and smaller stones they had prepared for this moment. Whilst Spike, Ali and Littlefoot ducked instinctively a bit as if the didn’t want to be discovered by the eggeaters too early, but they made ready to push bigger boulders down on the eggeaters with their feet and tails. Some of them had their hearts in their mouths, while a strange calmness that appeared almost completely out of place came over the others. Some of them shivered while others sweated and hardly perceived the coldness anymore. But all of them felt as if the time would pass slower and as if the steps would knock unusually loud. Littlefoot thought of Cera and suddenly he regretted that he would perhaps never learn what had happened with her. And what about his grandparents and the rest of the herd? If they had reached the warmer regions, or would reach them? Probably, for they themselves seemed to have already come so near to them. He thought of his mother and if he would see her again soon. Also the looks of the others, which were fixed on the gorge on the opposite, appeared strangely empty. Surely they thought also of their parents, families and of Cera.
Chapter LXXXVI
Ozzy looked up shortly and saw pleased that the gorge Strut and he traversed ended here in a box-canyon whose back wall was a steep slope that was, unfortunately, possible to be climbed up. His look fell already on the tracks of the leafeaters and the sharptooth again when he noted something in the corner of his eyes that let him stop so abruptly that Strut couldn’t stop in time anymore and ran into his brother whereby he had nearly run his brother over. The next moment a small stone landed close in front of Ozzy in the snow and split seconds later a snowball burst asunder at his knee. Ozzy rose his look again and saw now distinctly what he had perceived only flighty in the corner of his eyes before. Directly opposite on a shelf of the steep slope were the leafeaters and the odious sharptooth and just that moment the little flyer threw and extremely little amount of snow at him that fell moreover far to early on the ground. Ozzy smiled for an instant. The leafeaters and the sharptooth stood up against them, so the pursuit, that had already started to bore him very much, came finally to an end. Ozzy heard a voice, probably those of the sharptooth: “Wait till they have approached Petrie!” That could they get thought Ozzy and grinned again about the stupidity of his victims. What were a few pebbles and snowballs to him, especially when he considered that he would finally reach his goal and get the sharptooth between his claws if he would put up with them? “Forward Strut! Let’s get them!” called Ozzy and rushed frontal towards the shelf. Merely unconscious he heard Strut crying behind him: “Ouch!” And then he felt suddenly how seemingly innumerable small stones pattered onto him and the small the stones might be, they were thrown with such vim that it hurt pretty much to be hit by them. Ozzy protected his head with his arms and ran on. A snowball that would have otherwise hit his hurt nose, burst asunder at the back of his hand. Ozzy took the hands from his face shortly to see where he was. He was at the very base of the shelf, so he only had to run past at the side of it and to climb a short distance up the slope to trap these chickens without any chance for them to escape. With a loud cracking a big boulder landed close in front of his feet and Ozzy felt how splinters, which burst of from the boulder, hit his legs and feet. Ozzy looked at the boulder frightened. It was so big that it would have hurt him seriously if it had hit. Ozzy looked up, only just in time to see how one of the longnecks shove another as big boulder over the edge of the shelf. Ozzy jumped back terrified. It was a not elegant hop, but it saved him from coming under a rock that seemed to be even bigger than the first. Ozzy forgot to with fright to cover his head with his arms and a stone hit him at the temple with such a force that he believed to see stars for a moment. Instinctively he turned round and ran back to the gorge and while he ran he felt several stones and snowballs impacting on his back. Only when he was sure to be out of range, he had already run some steps into the gorge, he stopped and took his hands from his head. His skull sounded of the stone that had hit his temple, there were at least a dozen partly bloody scratches at his legs and he would have betted that his back and his arms would be stewed with black and blue marks soon. Furiously he looked around for Strut to blame him. Strut came towards him and pressed both hands against his nose. “Where have you been?” hissed Ozzy at him. “Why haven’t you come along?” Instead of answering Strut took his hands from his nose that had obviously got a direct hit, for he had strong nose bleeding and Ozzy noted that Strut’s eyes watered. Ozzy felt his fury at Strut unwillingly cooling down, for he knew by own experience how sensitive the nose of an eggeater was. “Alright Strut!” snarled Ozzy grimly. “You go left, I go right around. Try to stay as far away from the shelf as possible. If we come up the slope then they have no chance anymore!” Strut nodded and they stepped side by side out of the gorge. Ozzy made an impatient movement to the left and Strut ran off. Ozzy nodded pleased and ran off himself whereby he kept as far to the right as the rocky wall permitted. But Ozzy had to find out that the box-canyon narrowed towards the slope, so he and Strut had to approach the shelf inevitably. Already the hail of stones and snowballs set in again. When Ozzy reached the slope a snowball hit him directly in the face and while he still wiped the snow out of his eyes to be able to see clearly again a stone hit with huge force his hurt nose. Ozzy howled up but he staggered on up the slope. A bigger boulder hit him at the foot and made him fall with a yell. Strut who had reached the slope on the other side of the box-canyon without being hit seriously by anything saw that. Immediately he stopped climbing and ran transversal past below the shelf through the tightest hail of stones and snowballs over to his brother. “What are you doing here?” hissed Ozzy when Strut bent over him. But Strut didn’t answer but tore Ozzy not very gently on his feet and dragged him back to the way out of the box-canyon. Split seconds after he had torn him back a boulder, bigger than all previous landed at the spot where Ozzy had just lain. Ozzy starred at the boulder while his brother dragged him back. The block would have broken all of his bones. Probably at least two of the bigger leafeaters had been necessary to shove it over the edge of the shelf. Unwillingly Ozzy had to admit to himself that Strut had maybe just saved his life. Only when they were in the gorge Strut let go Ozzy who nearly lost his balance by that. Relieved Ozzy felt that he could step on the foot that had been hit by the boulder. Yet it hurt, but it worked. Strut looked at Ozzy contrite. “I’m sorry that I have not run on. But you lay there and…” Ozzy interrupted him with a fierce movement of his hand. “Strut it is alright.” And after Ozzy had bitten himself firmly on the lower lip he mumbled: “Thanks.” Strut looked at him amazed.
Chapter LXXXVII
“Did you see where I have hit him?” Chomper asked triumphing. “Right on the nose once again!” “I got his foot boasted Ali. “Yes”, mumbled Ducky and you could hear that she felt very uneasy. “Now they’ll be really mad. Very, very, very mad!” “They have already been before”, said Littlefoot shaking his head. “What worries me far more…”, he continued gloomy, “…is that we’ll soon have no stones anymore if it continues like this. Once or twice more, then we won’t have anything left to throw.” “What have you expected?” asked Ali suddenly very earnest again. “I guess we are about to miscalculate very much what we obtain with this or what we want to obtain.” Petrie gulped and Spike whimpered quietly. “However”, said Littlefoot. “I wouldn’t have thought that we can keep them in check so long. But when they return then throw only when you are sure that you can’t miss them anymore. If they make it to come up the slope, then everything is over.
“They come!” called Ducky and everybody jerked round. Obviously the eggeaters had changed their tactic for they rushed close aside directly towards the shelf and they could hear Ozzy calling with squeaking voice: “Remember Strut! Take the shortest way! The shortest way and run simply on, don’t stop at any case!” Chomper darted a flat stone that hit Strut directly on the forehead, but Strut obeyed the orders of his brother to the letter. Yet he reeled a bit, but he reeled forward. Ducky hurled a stone that bounced against one of Ozzy’s knees without being able to stop the dreadful eggeater. So far Ducky had not thrown a single stone at Strut but she had hit Ozzy many times. Petrie hurled alternately small stones and snowballs, but he couldn’t throw very far and although he tried to the best of his ability he was the only who had hit none of the eggeaters yet. Spike hurled a comparatively big stone at the eggeaters with his tail. It was nearly impossible to aim by that, but the stone hit Strut so fiercely in the stomach that he gasped for breath convulsively and his rush became distinctly slower. Ozzy had reached the slope and began to climb up hasty. By every step he slid a bit backwards together with the snow below his feet so he progressed only very slowly. That was the moment for which Littlefoot and Ali had waited. Littlefoot pushed his boulder over the edge of the shelf first. It landed close in front of Ozzy’s feet and slid down the slope, but Ozzy avoided it with a quick step. Ali’s rock impacted only a few split seconds later a tiny distance behind Ozzy. Ozzy cast a short look up and rushed on with a triumphing grinning when he saw that no further boulder lay at the edge. Littlefoot and Ali looked back frightened too and saw for their consternation that there lay no more boulders behind them anymore. Spike called their attention with an impatient grumbling on himself. He leaned with all his strength against the very last big boulder they still had. It was bigger than all others and that was probably also the reason why they hadn’t used it yet. Spike could hardly move it from the spot. Ali and Littlefoot jumped over immediately to help him, but even for the three of them it was difficult. Instinctively Littlefoot felt remembered to the rock with which they had then pushed the sharptooth who had killed his mother into a deep pond. That rock had even been considerably bigger. “Oh Cera where are you?” thought Littlefoot. “Now we could use your help very much.” Ozzy had nearly reached the level of the shelf on the slope when they threw the boulder over its edge. They hadn’t found any time to aim. “If only this one hits…”, thought Littlefoot imploring. “The block is so big. Maybe we have a tiny chance then!”
It did not hit.
Yet Ozzy had nearly lost his balance when he avoided the rock with a real jack-knife, but the rock rolled past ineffectual. Never had Ozzy grinned as evil as now when he saw the despaired faces of the two longnecks and the spikedtail. Something whizzed along and hit Ozzy in the left eye. He howled up; his face distorted to a painful grimace and he clapped both hands over the eye Chomper had hit with a little stone. There Petrie flapped along. He had given up to throw with snow and stones; he simply hit nothing and couldn’t throw far enough. But instead he pounced now with spread claws on Ozzy’s head, the beak ready to peck. Ozzy hadn’t seen Petrie coming as he still pressed both hands against the left eye and so the attack come completely surprisingly for him. Petrie pecked with his beak and slashed with his claws fiercely at Ozzy’s other eye and his suffering nose. That was too much, even for the hardened eggeater. With a yell he jerked round and rushed down the slope whereby he waved with his arms wildly around in the air and tried simultaneously not to loose his balance. When Strut, who had recovered meanwhile and climbed up the slope, saw his brother rushing past him courage left him too. He turned round and ran after his brother who stopped only deep in the gorge, although Petrie hadn’t pursued him at all. Strut didn’t even note that not a single stone or snowball was thrown after him.
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Yay more chapters :) cant wait to read more, as usual ^_^
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Now that was a snowball fight I would have liked to have seen in a movie. :yes I also loved the reference to the first movie in which Cera saves the day by helping the gang move the heavy boulder (it serves as a reminder of the surprisingly easy-to-forget fact that she currently is not with them). Great chapters, as usual. Now to proffer my obligatory dose of constructive (I hope) criticism:
He was at the very base of the shelf, so he only had to run past at the side of it and to climb a short distance up the slope to trap these chickens without any chance for them to escape.
I'm almost hesitant to say this, seeing as the word "chickens" made me laugh so much, :lol but might I suggest "cowards" as a less anachronistic alternative term?
Yet Ozzy had nearly lost his balance when he avoided the rock with a real jack-knife
:huh:
What exactly did you mean to say there? (I'm guessing that "jack-knife" wasn't the expression you would have chosen had you translated the story today.)
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Wow I can hardly believe that you have written 87 chapters to this story already - talk about commitment, its taken me nearly a week to get through the entire thing and I can say that it is quite the adventure.
One thing bothers me a bit though... are you working towards the end soon? It doesn't seem like the chapters are leading anywhere.
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Darn me! :bang
For this delay I have absolutely no better apology to offer than the admission of having messed up, been lazy... you name it.
He was at the very base of the shelf, so he only had to run past at the side of it and to climb a short distance up the slope to trap these chickens without any chance for them to escape.
Oh my goodness! There you see what happens when someone who at that time didn't know English sufficiently consults a dictionary. It should have been "hatchling" but "chickens" is what I must have gotten when I looked up the word "K¸ken" which usually describes a recently hatched bird but could have been used with a kind of derogatory air by Ozzy in this context. In English that translation is of course absolutely off track :slap
Oh and by the way this criticism IS very constructive. I don't think I'll ever make a total remake of this story (for no less would be necessary with all it's language shortcomings), but I can get rid of some of these worst of blunders thanks to you drawing my attention to it. Thank you for that :yes
Yet Ozzy had nearly lost his balance when he avoided the rock with a real jack-knife
Now that is another case of trying to translate something literally with a dictionary. I remember this word sounded odd to me even then (what on earth did a knife have to do here?) but I did not question the dictionary too much. The German word that was translated there was a "Hechtsprung" which describes a kind of leap where you really just try to get as far from where you are as fast as you can with little regard for such details as landing on your feet. A kind of leap where you just hurl your whole body into one direction maybe the English words "dive" or "header" would give a similar idea but I think they are both inseparably linked to swimming / leaping into water, aren't they?
One thing bothers me a bit though... are you working towards the end soon? It doesn't seem like the chapters are leading anywhere.
Yes, the end is nigh ;)
Already they have been reaching regions where there is less snow. After this showdown fight with Ozzy and Strut there is to be one more kind of adventure and then just an end which I must admit has become too long winded (now I'm panning parts of the story I haven't even shown you yet, but alas I think I am doing so for good reason).
Anyway, here are the next chapters:
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Chapter LXXXVIII
“Tell me again you would be a coward!” called Littlefoot to Petrie. “That was splendid Petrie!” First now after the eggeater had fled the fear seemed to come up in Petrie, for he trembled all over, appeared pretty pale and his knees were so soft that he had to sit down as soon as he had landed on Littlefoot’s back. “Goodness my!” he stammered and had to trouble to breathe calmly. “But your throw was splendid too Chomper!” praised Ali. Chomper looked down abashed. “We have repulsed them!” he mumbled quietly. “Once more”, said Ducky earnest. “For now we have nothing left to throw.” She was right. On the whole shelf laid only a handful of stones and some snowballs, which wouldn’t have been enough to stop the eggeaters, even if they would have had more of them. “Maybe we should try to flee up the slope swiftly”, said Ali. “Or at least get new stones and boulders”, suggested Chomper. “Do you think the both will let us enough time?” asked Littlefoot doubtfully. “Maybe”, answered Chomper shrugging. “It depends on how bad it has hurt the one eggeater. Who knows how long they’ll stay in there”, said Ali and pointed with her head at the gorge. “Not bad enough! Not long enough!” said Ducky shaking her head. “Oh no, no, no, no, no! There they come!” Indeed Ozzy stepped just closely followed by Strut out of the gorge. His left eye watered, he blinked very frequently with it and his whole face looked evilly scratched. Ducky and Chomper snatched the last remaining stones immediately, Petrie jumped up and made ready to fly. He seemed to have forgotten his fear with the fright. And Littlefoot, Ali and Spike felt very useless since they couldn’t do anything at all. But for their surprise Ozzy and Strut stopped after a few steps in a safe distance and Ozzy called: “Ho there, can you hear me?” They exchanged a very amazed look among each other, then Littlefoot answered: “Distinctly.” “What does he want?” asked Ducky Chomper quietly, but he shrugged and answered: “No idea, but we should at all events be careful and keep our eyes on him.” “Good”, answered Ozzy Littlefoot. “Then listen carefully, for make you an offer. You can save your lives. Everything you…” “No further step!” cried Ducky and lifted one arm to throw. Ozzy had while he had spoken advanced some steps nearly imperceptible. He made a disconcerted face and the next moment he laughed, made an allaying gesture with both hands and fell back some steps. “You have become very carefully, haven’t you? Alright , calm down!” They weren’t sure if Ozzy had tried to divert their attention and to approach them then or if he had stepped forward unconscious himself, but at all events they kept a sharp eye on him and Strut who stood further back. Ozzy continued: “I admit that we have undervalued you; several times. If that wouldn’t be so, then none of you would still be alive. But I take you also for judicious enough to assess your situation rightly. You can’t escape us anymore. We are faster than you and you are trapped.” “Be quiet!” hissed Chomper at him, but Ozzy gave him a scornful look and said: “Afraid to face the truth?” Chomper prepared for an angry answer, but Ducky said: “Hist. Let us hear what he wants to say.” Chomper obeyed not at least for everything the eggeater has said so far was the truth. Ozzy continued: “Anytime you’ll run short of stones up there.” Littlefoot thought relieved that the eggeaters down there could apparently not see how hopeless their situation already was now. Ozzy’s voice sounded nearly patronizing when he continued: “Still I and Strut are not keen on more scratches and bumps. Therefore we make you an offer. You may go. The warmer regions can’t be far away anymore. So we are not dependant on eating you anymore. A gleam of hope enlightened their faces, but Ali asked mistrustfully: “And what do you demand to have therefore?” “The sharptooth!” answered Ozzy jejunely. Littlefoot cast his mouth open to reply anything, but Ozzy was faster and said hasty: “I want to revenge for my nose and you shouldn’t refuse my offer flatly. Consider, you are all practically in our hand. Basically I renounce something I have already from which I’m separated by only a few more scratches. I don’t take the live of the sharptooth, but I offer it to you five.” Everybody on the shelf fell into affected silent.
“He is right!” mumbled finally the only one who dared to pronounce that. Chomper himself. “No Chomper, that doesn’t work!” said Ducky. “They’ll kill you or even worse.” “But they’ll anyway even if you refuse their offer.” Nobody knew really what to reply up on that. “I do it!” said Chomper quietly but determined, but his voice trembled a bit. “No Chomper!” said Littlefoot. “But why not?” asked Ozzy to whom the consultation of the leafeaters and the sharptooth couldn’t go fast enough and advanced a step. Then he looked at Ali and asked: “What about you? Are you really ready to throw your live away and those of all of your friends? And now seriously…”, said Ozzy and winked at her, but maybe it was only because of his hurt eye, “…can a leafeater really be a sharptooth’s friend?” Everybody expected Ali’s answer and this came immediately. “Of course! You bet! You won’t get him!” Chomper seemed to want to raise objections but Littlefoot called: “Apart from that you wouldn’t keep your word anyway!” “Chomper stays with us!” croaked Petrie and swung himself up into the air. “And us stays with Chomper!” “Come and get your scratches and bumps!” called Ducky and raised one fist with a stone in it. Spike grumbled agreeing and pawed with one of his feet over the ground just like Cera would have done at such an occasion and also Chomper raised just like Ducky a fist with a stone and he grinned suddenly so broad that his teeth blinked in the sun. Seemingly Littlefoot’s words had convinced him that there was no use to go to the eggeaters. Ozzy acted as if he hadn’t heard their words and asked threatening: “My patience it at its end! Do I get the sharptooth now? Yes or no?” Strut gesticulated already all the time fiercely behind Ozzy’s back, cut faces, tried to call Ducky’s attention at himself and to make her accepting Ozzy’s offer. “No!” called Littlefoot, Ali, Petrie and Ducky like out of one mouth and Spike stamped determined. Strut sighed, stopped gesticulating and let his arms and his head hang. “How touching!” said Ozzy with feigned sentimentality and a smiling curled his mouth. Nevertheless he couldn’t conceal that he was surprised. “So I’ve undervalued you the last time. But why do I actually ask if I get the sharptooth? Yet I have him already. And don’t believe that you can frighten me away with a few stones. I can throw with stones too!” while he spoke he had slowly gone down on his knees and with his last words he had snatched up a stone, had jumped up and had hurled it before they had found time to take cover. Chomper at whom the throw was aimed jumped to the side but nevertheless the stone hit him so forcefully at the shoulder that it tore him from his feet. “Forward Strut!” cried Ozzy and rushed off. Ducky threw hasty the two stones she held in her hands, both missed their target, while the others flocked around Chomper worried. “It is alright ”, he moaned, set up and grasped at the stones he had held until Ozzy’s stone had torn him from his feet. Ozzy and Strut had reached the slope and rushed up to the left and right of the shelf. Littlefoot looked around feverishly for anything he could throw at the eggeaters. He found nothing because there was nothing anymore.
“Halt!” cried a voice that was well known to them, from the gorge. Everybody including the eggeaters was so amazed that they obeyed to that order immediately and stopped in their movements. “Cera!?” She came run through the gorge whereby she limbed very much, but she struggled visibly to make a good figure and she succeeded in that despite the limping. “Cera!” snapped Petrie. “How you’ve come here?”
Cera didn’t seem to have heard his question, at all event she didn’t answer, but went with threatening lowered head and grimly look towards the eggeaters. “Scram!” she snarled. “Scram and don’t show up again or you’ll feel very sorry!” For some instants Ozzy was far too amazed to speak, but then he burst in guffaw and slapped on his thighs. Cera stared at him grimly but didn’t say anything and Strut didn’t seem to have the slightest idea what to do. It lasted for long until Ozzy had calmed down so far that he could say: “About you I can be only speechless continuously!” We had already forgotten you, but you can’t do better but hobbling after us and you even seem to believe that you could stop us. You are all crazy or megalomaniac!” By his last words every trace of a laughing had vanished from his face and he sounded very angry when he said: “I hate that!” By all respect for her self confident and brave appearance Cera’s friends up on the shelf couldn’t conceal that Ozzy was right. How could Cera expect to frighten the eggeaters off all alone? How could she assume to threat them? And how had she made to catch up with them despite her obviously injured leg? Cera stepped menacingly towards the eggeaters and hissed: “I advice you the nice way. Run! Get away or…” “Or you’ll become really mad! Won’t you?” said Ozzy and concealed with feigned fright his face behind his hands and stepped around Cera so she was now between her friends on the shelf and the eggeaters while the eggeaters had the gorge in their back now. Strut followed Ozzy but seemed to be completely irresolute. Cera stood in front of the shelf as if she alone could prevent the eggeaters from getting near it. Ozzy eyed her scornfully and said, now with an angry voice: “There is no need to square your shoulders like this! We’ll see if it will be of any use for you or your friends!” While he spoke Ozzy stepped towards Cera, who fell back going backwards until she touched the rocky wall of the shelf with her back. Cera cast a short glimpse back. Ozzy made use of that short inattention immediately. With one leap he stood aside Cera and before she could react he had given her such a kick in the side that she tumbled and landed on her back. Ozzy was immediately over her so she didn’t find any time to stand up again. “Cera!” cried Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie, Ali and Chomper frightened while Spike howled up loudly. With a malicious grinning Ozzy bent down to Cera and set his claws to her neck. “Anything left you have to say?” asked Ozzy spitefully and he didn’t see that Strut behind him covered his eyes with his hands. Petrie swung himself up into the air and wanted to dive down upon Ozzy to maybe rescue Cera, but then she did something that surprised himself and everybody else, including the eggeaters, so much that he forgot to dive down. Cera bawled. But it was no usual bawl but far more a roaring like of a sharptooth. But although the roaring was very loud it didn’t really sound threatening, but nearly gentle. It was probably mere surprise that let Ozzy jerk back. Her friends on the shelf looked at Cera open mouthed, but nobody seemed nearly as surprised as Chomper whose name Cera had uttered in the tongue of the sharpteeth. “Cera?” he stammered completely amazed. But Ozzy grinned already again. “How cute!” he said ironically. “Am I expected to be scared now?” Suddenly they felt a slight trembling of the ground. Then Littlefoot, Spike, Ali, Ducky and Petrie cried out loudly, up on the shelf. Strut looked back and shrieked: “Oooozzzyyyy!” Ozzy jerked round and grew pale. Two sharpteeth had appeared from behind the turn of the gorge and now rushed with long steps towards them.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/16Mightyallies.jpg)
Chomper snarled something that sounded very pleased. Both eggeaters shrieked and rushed up the slope leaving Cera simply behind. Chomper threw his last stones after the eggeaters without hitting either of them. Within a few moments they were past the rocky shelf and rushed on up the slope. Now the two sharpteeth had left the gorge behind and ran after the eggeaters past the shelf up the slope. Chomper snarled something after them. Then he looked at the others and burst with laughter by the sight of their horrified looks.
Chapter IXC
Yet Littlefoot and Ducky seemed to have concluded the right immediately from Chomper’s reaction, namely that the two sharpteeth were Chomper’s parents, but by the sight of two assaulting sharpteeth they were still like being paralyzed with fright too, gritted their teeth and starred with wide opened eyes at the ravine from where the sharpteeth had come. Petrie had forgotten to flap with his wings and had precipitated. Ali concealed her head below her feet and hardly dared to breathe and Spike had dug his head as deep as possible in the very last rest of snow that still lay here on the shelf. “That are only my parents”, said Chomper finally with exaggerated equanimity. “You know them already. Only you don’t Ali.” And then Chomper rejoiced: “We are saved!” “What an idiot I am!” called Littlefoot and slapped with one of his forefeet against his forehead. “What’s the matter?” Chomper asked surprised. “I… I mean Ali and I have seen your father; or was it you mother?; already three days ago.” “What? When?” Chomper asked surprised. “When it had burned in the valley Ali and I have fled on your rock and when one of them appeared we’ve jumped from up there into the water.” “Why that?” asked Chomper now completely bewildered. “Well”, said Littlefoot. “We hadn’t… I hadn’t recognized him or her. And we had already so many problems that I didn’t want to frighten you additionally with that. I haven’t thought that the sharptooth Ali and I had seen could catch up with us, when we hurried.” “Pshaw frighten!” called Cera up to them. “Who is frightened of sharpteeth? So that was your secret you never wanted to give away. And that was why you were suddenly in such a hurry Littlefoot?” “My goodness Cera!” called Littlefoot. “Are you hurt?” And he ran followed by the others as fast as he could down the slope. Cera just stood up when they arrived down there. Her left foreleg trembled. “Has the eggeater hurt you?” asked Ali this time. “Nonsense!” growled Cera a bit rough. Everybody looked at her doubting and eyed her many scratches, black and blue marks and above all her left foreleg. “Oh that…”, said Cera and tried to give her voice an incidental tone. “That has happened yesterday when I’ve tumbled down the slope.” “Does it hurt very much?” asked Ducky pitiful. “Bosh!” snarled Cera. Ducky fell back some steps and looked at Cera insulted. Cera fetched deep breath, swallowed then and said: “Sorry. No, it doesn’t hurt.” Cera shook her head, distorted her face and sucked air in between her teeth hissing. “Well, maybe a bit”, she admitted with repressed voice. “Why haven’t you searched for me at all?” asked Cera. “The eggeaters were after us and had almost gotten us. Moreover we’ve send Petrie out to search for you”, answered Littlefoot defending himself and the others. “Yes”, croaked Petrie. “But me no found you. Was dark, far too dark. And very, very creepy!” he added quietly. Cera felt first unwillingly, then nearly gladdened how the fury that had come up in her during the last few hours cooled down. During her ride on the back of the sharptooth she had asked herself again and again why the others seemed to do nothing at all and if they had had forgotten her completely. And then finally they embraced and greeted each other exuberantly, not only because of the reunion, but also because of their anew rescue. Ducky cast a look up the slope and saw relieved that the sharpteeth wouldn’t catch up with the eggeaters. The eggeaters had nearly reached the crest while the sharpteeth had lagged behind already a respectable distance. Might the sharpteeth be faster than the eggeaters in plain terrain, certainly they weren’t uphill. Maybe it was also because the snow below the sharpteeth’s feet slid away and they themselves slid a half step down for nearly every step they made up. They began their ascend themselves now, but progressed even far slower since it was really hard for Cera to deal with her leg uphill. But she refused all of her friends’ offers of help determinedly. Ducky continued watching the sharpteeth and the eggeaters. When the eggeaters reached the crest they stopped for a moment before they ran on and disappeared behind the crest. “Farewell Strut”, thought Ducky. “And thank you for everything”. On their way first Littlefoot, Ali, Chomper and Petrie told Cera alternately what they and then Cera told them what she had experienced in the meantime.
Chomper was fascinated when Cera told how she had made to communicate with his parents. “You say my name already very well”, he remarked. “Yet with a slight accent, but distinctly to understand. If you want I’ll teach you a bit more.” The others laughed, but Cera didn’t submit to Chomper’s offer. Instead she said a bit reproachful to Littlefoot and Ali: “I still can’t grasp that you haven’t told us about the sharptooth you have seen. If we would have met Chomper’s parents earlier then a lot would have been spared to us.” Chomper bit himself carefully on the lower lip and said then hesitating: “No, I don’t think so. It is well as it has happened. For my parents… well, they are grownup sharpteeth and they can’t very long err… nourish on lizards and insects and if so many…”, he looked at the others, didn’t find a word for what he wanted to say and began anew. “I’m not sure if I would have been able to keep them back the whole time.” The others shivered. “And now?” Ali dared to ask finally. “Aren’t they dangerous for us now?” Also Cera had become a bit pale and looked at Cera expectantly. Chomper pondered for a moment and looked up to his parents who had stopped on the ridgeline. Obviously they had given up the pursuit of the eggeaters. “No, I don’t think so”, he said finally. “It can’t last long anymore until we reach the warmer regions. They can surely be patient till then. But…” “But?” asked Petrie anxiously when Chomper didn’t continue. Chomper sighed. “But still I think that we have to part now or at least soon.” “What? But why?” asked Ali with sincere regret. “If we go on together to the warmer regions we would lead my parents directly to your herds and families and after the long time of hunger I really can’t forbid them then…” Chomper sighed again. Littlefoot nodded sadly: “You’re right Chomper. But until the warmer regions come in sight we’ll stay together, won’t we? I mean who knows what is still lurking on the way.” Chomper nodded. Meanwhile they had nearly reached the crest too and Chomper’s parents turned round to them and uttered a roaring that let all save Chomper and Cera start back and the two sharpteeth gesticulated fiercely.
“We shall come up quickly”, translated Chomper for his friends’ relief. “Seemingly up there is anything interesting.” “Probably the highest and steepest mountain you parents have ever seen”, sighed Cera and the others laughed, but all of them went faster now, whereby they however went slower than they would have been able to, with regard for Cera. When they finally climbed slowly atop the crest it took away their breath. The rocky ridge stretched to both sides as far as they could see and to their right and left the pretty steep rocky walls vaulted into the direction in which they had travelled since they had left the Great Valley. Huge snow banks had accumulated between the rocky walls to their left and right, had turned to smooth ice below the pressure of the own weight and had formed a huge glacier that stretched nearly up to the horizon. Nearly, because the sun that had just reached its highest point shone not only on the broad, sparkling and exceedingly beautiful ice-rink of the glacier, but also on a stripe of green landscape at the horizon. For minutes during which no one uttered a sound everybody was absorbed in the view. “We’ve made it”, mumbled Littlefoot and he couldn’t take his eyes from the green stripe at the horizon. “Beautiful, really beautiful”, mumbled Ducky and it was not sure if she meant the green stripe at the horizon or the glittering ice-rink in front of them. Chomper sounded a bit sad when he said: “Well, it appears that we have to divide even earlier than I’ve feared. Where will you go?” Littlefoot made a gesture down the glacier. “We don’t know exactly where our parents are, but after they have reached the regions that are warm enough for green food to grow there they will certainly not have gone far farer. Because any time when it’ll be warmer again, then we are going to return to the Great Valley.” Littlefoot sighed quietly by the thought of the Great Valley. “Then I know at least where I can find you if my parents and I want to visit you.” Littlefoot and the others looked at him embarrassed and Chomper burst in laughter. He had only make a joke for he knew very well that his parents would have been a merely less welcome visit beyond the Great Wall. Also the others chimed gradually in in his laughter until Chomper became suddenly earnest, nearly sad again and asked quietly: “But we’ll meet again, won’t we?” “We will!” said Littlefoot. “Yep, yep, yep! Certainly!” corroborated Ducky. “Yes”, croaked Petrie. “Who knows what catastrophe will bring us together the next time.” “Oh no!” moaned Cera. “I’m fed up with any imaginable catastrophe!” With that she went over to Chomper’s parents and stroke around their feet after short hesitating. Obviously the sharpteeth were glad about that. They looked at Chomper and snarled anything. Apparently they had asked something, for Chomper answered with a roaring that sounded pretty threatening. Upon that the sharpteeth bent down to Cera and said anything of which Cera could perceive only the threatening roaring with which Chomper had answered his parents before. A bit unsure Cera asked: “What have they said Chomper?” “They have asked me for your name and say you farewell now and…”, Chomper listened for a moment to the snarling, growling and roaring, “…that they are really glad to have met you and hope…”, Chomper grinned calm and serene as he knew how much the next words would annoy Cera, “…that they haven scarred you too much and that your leg will heal soon.”
“Say them that I’m a threehorn and that I’m not scarred of anything or anybody!” said Cera grimly. Chomper snarled something in the sharptooth tongue that sounded far too less threatening for Cera’s taste and as soon as he had finished Chomper’s parents laughed unmistakable. “They say…”, translated Chomper grinning, “…that they don’t believe you but that you are still a very brave and valiant threehorn.” The others laughed and Cera admitted finally placated by the sharpteeth’s last words: “Well I feared a little bit, I admit that.” Chomper translated Cera’s words and then the promptly following answer of his parents: “They say that it would have been very foolish of you not to fear at all and that they have never taken you for foolish.” Cera didn’t really know what to answer upon that. These sharpteeth seemed to have in several respects completely different ideas than threehorns, but anyhow they were not completely wrong. Finally Cera imitated the, so threatening sounding, roaring with which Chomper had answered his parents before and asked: “This means Cera?” Chomper nodded. Cera repeated the roaring and it sounded more threatening than ever. Cera let it really melt on her tongue and said then: “I like your tongue! I like it really!” Again the others laughed. “And in which direction are you going to go?” asked Littlefoot. Chomper looked around shortly and discovered the eggeaters who had meanwhile stopped running on a slope far away to their left. He pointed at them and said grinning: “I guess that we’ll go that way. My parents have certainly no objections.” Ducky stepped towards Chomper and the both hugged each other. “See you Chomper!” called Ducky and quieter she whispered into his ear: “Please take anyhow care that your parents won’t get the eggeaters. I don’t want that anything happens to Strut.” Chomper nodded slightly and whispered back: “I’ll do what I can. You know Ducky, sometimes I wonder how somebody can be so good.” Ducky smiled grateful and flattered when she loosened the hug and stepped back. Petrie flapped over and embraced Chomper. “See you! Me’ll miss you many much.” “I’ll miss you too Petrie! Very, very much!” called Chomper and threw Petrie a short distance up into the air when he loosened his embrace Chomper drove with the back of one hand stealthy over one eye to wipe a tear away that had formed there. There Spike was already aside him and drove his tongue so exuberantly through his face that Chomper had to sit down not to fall down. There Chomper’s parents snarled suddenly and everybody looked at Chomper expectantly. He grinned: They ask if Spike has any instincts of a sharptooth?” Ducky burst out with laughter: “You can say them that he eats only plants. But of that certainly more than both of your parents could eat up of meat at once.” Chomper had trouble with laughter to translate and his parents chimed in the laughter. These sharpteeth appeared so harmless when they were laughing thought Ali while she stepped forth carefully. She had taken Ducky’s joke a bit vexed and receipted it only with a fleet smiling. “When you…”, Ali hesitated, “…hunt a longneck the next time then please ask before if…” Chomper nodded with earnest mien: “I will. I promise you. But…”, now it was Chomper who hesitated, “…that may still last very long, for actually I hunt only lizards and insects so far, but when I saw you standing there that morning I was really hungry and you…”, Chomper grinned suddenly, “…looked simply good enough to be eaten!” Even Ali who blushed flattered had to laugh and then she hugged Chomper too and it lasted long until she let him out of her hug. There suddenly a loud rumbling and growling could be heard and Chomper looked worried back to his parents. Doubtlessly the stomach of one of the both had growled. “I think it is better when we go now”, he mumbled, turned round and went to his parents of whom one took him carefully by the scruff of his neck with the teeth and set him on the offered back of the other one. “Do well!” he called and his parents uttered a last gentle growling. Then they turned round and ran of in the direction of the slope the eggeaters had crossed in the meantime. Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky, Spike and Ali looked after them for long and waved when Chomper looked back to them. But they couldn’t look after them until they had also disappeared behind the next slope for that would have probably last very long. So they turned away after a while. Nobody spoke for long, but finally Littlefoot turned to Ali and asked sadly: “What about you Ali? Will you leave us too now?” “Of course not!” answered Ali immediately. “I’ll stay with you.” I know as less as you where my herd is, but thinking of the fact that we met each other on the way I wouldn’t be surprised when your families and my herd are close together. Littlefoot smiled gladly. “But I feat that we have still a very long way ahead, Oh yes!” said Ducky and pointed at the sheer endless glacier. All had to agree.
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Two excellent chapters. :yes Great illustration, too. I saw the picture of Chomper’s parents charging towards Strut and Ozzy and as a result, my heart was pounding the whole time I was reading the chapter. Thank you enormously for not letting Chomper’s parents eat my favorite egg stealers (nice to hear that Ducky has similar sentiments :DD).
I loved the scene where each member of the gang is saying goodbye to Chomper, particularly when it’s Cera’s turn and she learns to say her name in Sharptooth. I suppose that’s how she’s going to introduce herself from now on to dinosaurs she doesn’t like. :p :lol
I’m a little sad to hear that the story is winding down. You’re a wonderful writer, and I like long fanfics. :smile Whenever I read something really engaging, I’m constantly in anticipation of what’s coming up, and once I reach the conclusion, I can’t help but feel a bit of disappointed. Oh well. All good things must come to an end, I guess. :rolleyes
Oh, and don’t worry about the delay. I’ve been keeping myself busy reviewing Caustizer’s fanfic, “Rise of Storm Tide.” (For a while now I’ve been the only one doing so; if you ever have time to read it, I’m sure he’d appreciate your input. ;)) As for this story, here’s what I have to offer in terms of constructive criticism for these two chapters:
My patience it at its end!
This is a minor nitpick, but since it’s a typo rather than a translation error, I thought I’d point it out.
“I… I mean Ali and I have seen your father; or was it you mother?; already three days ago.”
I think those semicolons should be dashes (ó), and you’re missing an “r” at the end of the underlined word. :p
“We don’t know exactly where our parents are, but after they have reached the regions that are warm enough for green food to grow there they will certainly not have gone far farer.
I think “further” is the word you’re looking for.
“…that they haven scarred you too much and that your leg will heal soon.” <paragraph> “Say them that I’m a threehorn and that I’m not scarred of anything or anybody!”
Suggested corrected version:
“…that they haven’t scared you too much and that your leg will heal soon.” <paragraph> “Tell them that I’m a threehorn and that I’m not scared of anything or anybody!”
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The story is almost over? it feels like i just started reading this story just yesterday! :( Once again, great chapter :)
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Sorry, double-post. you can ignore this one ^^
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Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it a lot and I did apply the corrections to the last chapter :yes
Thank you also for the reminder to update this thread; I continuously forget about it :bang
Here come the next two chapters (including the last image of the story):
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Chapter XC
It was an especially for Cera exerting and dangerous climbing down to the glacier for the rocky walls were very steep and you could slop very easy on the snow. Still they reached the brink of the ice-rink without any incident. They stand above the glacier on a large snowfield. Nearby stood some conifers, but the glacier itself consisted only of smooth as mirror ice. Arrived at the brink of the glacier they hesitated. Ducky looked at the ice-rink with big reluctance. “That looks like hard water that is moreover oblique!” “And probably also just as smooth!” said Littlefoot whereby he brought a flat stone with a fierce kick onto the ice-rink. The stone slid away and didn’t come to a standstill anymore until it was out of sight. “My goodness!” said Cera terrified. “Don’t go on there! If once you come to slide there, then you won’t come to a standstill anymore and if you do yet then you’ll brake all of your bones before.” “And there is no other way”, said Littlefoot and pointed at the steep rocky walls that rose directly aside the glacier. “It’s no use”, said Littlefoot. “I fear we have to climb up the rocks again and search for another war.” “Up again?” asked Cera incredulously and lifter up her injured leg. “No, wait!” called Ali. She had looked over to the conifers all the time. “Come along!” she called and ran over to the trees. “Do you want to eat now?” asked Littlefoot bewildered. “A good idea!” called Ducky. “Yep, yep, yep! A good idea! We haven’t breakfasted at all!” “Neither have I!” called Cera and followed Ali as fast as her injured leg permitted. Also Littlefoot to whom the idea to eat now seemed to be very reasonable too suddenly followed Ali together with the others and said with an ironical smiling: “Enjoy it! Maybe we don’t won’t have to eat needles for a long while.” But Ali didn’t seem to think of eating at all for she had headed for a trunk that lay on the ground. The trunk seemed to lie here already for long, for all branches that had to have been at the trunk had rotten off, the wood was decayed and slippery and the bark had apart from a few pieces loosened from the trunk. “What do you intend Ali?” asked Littlefoot frowning. “I have an idea how we can maybe come down here unhurt.” “Aha. Maybe”, said Cera sourish. “And moreover very fast”, said Ali with increasing enthusiasm in her voice. “You mean…”, said Littlefoot who seemed to guess Ali’s idea with a look at the rotten tree-trunk. “Yea!” Ali interrupted him. “When we all set onto this trunk and slid down this smooth slope on it then we are down right away and we don’t even have to footsore.” “Do you really think that works?” asked Ducky doubting. “Why should it not?” asked Ali. “Well, I don’t know…”, mumbled Littlefoot and bit himself on the lower lip. “We don’t have made good experiences concerning the travelling on tree-trunks”, said Cera. “When we wanted to flee from Chomper’s island over the Big Water on a tree-trunk we were attacked by a swimming sharptooth.” “Do you see a swimming sharptooth anywhere around here?” asked Ali slightly offended. Nobody answered, but Ali continued finally: “Otherwise we can only walk down there on foot.” Ali pointed with her head at the glacier. “What I take for even less save or we can climb back up the rock to search for another way.” Cera moaned: “Everything but that! You have convinced me!” Ducky shrugged the next. “Everything seems to be better to me than to walk on foot on the hard water.” Petrie and Spike nodded quietly and also Littlefoot agreed after short hesitating. “Alright, let’s try it!” together they shove the tree-trunk to the brink of the ice-rink where the slope began to become steeper. “And now?” asked Littlefoot Ali unsure. “Now we’ll all sit on the down on the trunk, push off and then we’ll slid down the slope on the trunk”, explained Ali impatiently. “Well”, said Littlefoot. Nobody did anything. Nobody seemed to scramble for sitting at the head of the tree-trunk. Finally Ali saw that that it rested with her to do anything, eventually she had persuaded her friends to do this. So she sat down at the head of the trunk and clung to it with her forefeet as well as she could. Littlefoot sat down behind her and held on as well as he could too. Cera didn’t want to appear as if she would be afraid, although she had to admit to herself that she had a very uneasy feeling by this whole thing, and so she took hasty the next place behind Littlefoot. She could only with difficulties hold on to it as she could hardly burden her left foreleg. Spike set Petrie and Ducky carefully behind Cera, took seat himself on the tree-trunk then and tried to hold on not only himself but also Petrie and Ducky as good as he could. The place at the end of the tree-trunk seemed to be as little desirable to him as those at the head. “Are you ready?” asked Ali with a look back. Littlefoot nodded. His face looked strangely cramped. Apparently he gritted his teeth convulsively. “I hope so”, mumbled Cera and tried to let her anxiety appear as grumpiness, but Ali heard the slight trembling of her voice. “Yep, yep, yep”, mumbled Ducky without a trace of her usual enthusiasm in her voice. “Petrie ready”, answered the little flyer who seemed to be far less worried than the others. Ali could see neither Ducky nor Petrie since they were completely covered by Cera. Spike grumbled anything and nodded. “Okay”, said Ali. “Then push all off with your hind legs by three. One…”, Ali turned her eyes forward again. “Two…”, strange, a short while ago the slope had appeared far less steep. Ali felt as if she would jump in an abyss instead of just sliding down a slope by three. “Three!” she counted on without thinking and she was completely unprepared when the tree-trunk slid forward suddenly. She uttered a surprised cry, but the trunk came already after a short distance to a standstill again. “Is everything alright Ali?” asked Littlefoot worried. “Yes, everything is perfect”, answered Ali and heard herself how much her voice shook. But then she took herself together, concentrated only on the tree-trunk and not on the slope ahead of it and called: “Once more!” One, two, three!” This time Ali pushed off with her feet too and the trunk made a start forward, but it became slower again quickly and seemed to come to a standstill again. But then Ali noted that the tree-trunk ceased suddenly to become slower, kept its speed and glided down the slope lightly.
Chapter XCI
Ali looked back and smiled at the others encouraging, just not to have to look ahead anymore. Suddenly Spike howled up. “What’s the matter Spike?” asked Ali frightened. Ducky answered for him: “We have forgotten to eat something up there.” Ali sighed relieved. “Well if that is Spike’s only worry…” There ran suddenly a so fierce shook through the trunk that Ali had almost lost her hold and would have fallen down. Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie and Spike shrieked frightened and Ali looked jerky forward again. The trunk must have slid over any bump or another obstacle. Frightened Ali noted that the trunk had become faster and still became faster and faster. “Slow down! Slow down!” Ali heard Littlefoot cry behind her. “How?” she called back without turning round. Littlefoot moaned quietly and looked back. Cera was the only whom hadn’t cried but Littlefoot recognized with one look that it was not because she was not afraid. Her eyes were as big as plates; she gritted her teeth convulsively and seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. “Cera, breathe deep!” called Littlefoot. In every other situation Cera had certainly given an angry or offended answer, but now she simply starred at Littlefoot and gasped by jerks for breath. Spike seemed to be vacillated between the desire to press his hands against his eyes and to cling to the trunk as firmly as possible. They became faster and faster and Petrie, who clung to Cera as firmly as he could, recognized that he could not even in a dive reach such a speed. But the worst was still to come.
“Look out, hold on!” cried Ali. Everybody followed that order there and then. And Littlefoot cast his head forward again. An icy-cold wind caused by their huge speed hit him in the face, made it impossible to breathe and drove tears in his eyes so he couldn’t recognize what of Ali had warned. Even before his eyes had accustomed to the wind the loud crunching that had been audible uninterruptedly during the whole glissade so far, fell silent suddenly. Littlefoot felt how they became even faster, suddenly he felt extremely light and perceived a pretty pleasant crawling in his belly. Only a split second later he became aware that they were flying. They had to have slid with huge speed over a ground wave or something similar and been catapulted into the air along with the tree-trunk. Littlefoot cried out and so did everybody else including Cera. It was strangely lightening to cry now, as if they would have a lot of surplus energy. But also apart from that they had all reason to cry for the tree-trunk inclined again and towards the earth, in unusual steep angle as it appeared to Ali, and they had the feeling that the tree-trunk sagged away under them while they themselves flew on through the air. Cera had to claw with all might to the tree-trunk not to be hurled down from it. She ignored the pains the huge burden caused in her left foreleg and she felt how the rotten wood gave in a bit below her hooves. Ducky couldn’t hold herself, was hurled back, bounced heavily into Spike and clung immediately as firm to him as she could. Petrie’s claws dug deep into the wood. Then came the bounce. The tremendous impact took the breath away from all of them and they hit the wood painfully. Fortunately the tree-trunk had at least lost some of its speed by the bounce and it took it up again only slowly. “Are you all still there?” pressed Ali out. “Yes”, gasped Littlefoot. “I am!” snapped Cera. “Petrie not is so sure”, moaned the little flyer. “Neither am I! No, no, no!” answered Ducky. And Spike, on whose neck Ducky hung, whereby she nearly chocked him, howled up. “Anybody hurt?” asked Ali curtly. She didn’t look back since she didn’t want to risk noting any obstacle to late to prepare the others for it. “I guess not”, answered Littlefoot. “Not yet!” called Cera. “Not really”, lamented Ducky. Ali uttered a sigh of relief, but already the next moment her breath stopped. Directly in front of them was a big snowdrift from which for Ali’s fright the sharp edged peak of a rock towered. Probably there was a bigger rock below the snow and when they would collide with it, then they wouldn’t get off with an adrenalin shook and some black and blue marks. She had to find out within the next few seconds how to drive the tree-trunk or they would bounce frontal against the rock and all would be lost. Ali did the only thing that occurred her, leaned to the side and called to the others: “Leaning to the side! Lean to the side!” “What?” called Cera amazed. “Do it!” cried Ali. The tree-trunk lurched a bit, but it kept its direction and would hit the rock in a few seconds. Desperately Ali looked back and saw for her amazement that everybody leaned in a different direction. “Lean all in one direction!” cried Ali nearly hysteric, leaned to the right and looked forward again. Obviously the others had followed her order for only a few seconds later the head of the tree-trunk turned sluggish to the right. But Ali recognized immediately that it was to slow and that they would bounce against the rock nevertheless. “Other direction! And draw on your legs!” shrieked Ali, leaned to the left and drew her legs on. She would have liked to close her eyes firmly, but she had to see what happened. Surprisingly fast the tree-trunk swung around and raced now to the left. Still they didn’t come past the snowdrift completely. The tree-trunk sank some centimeters down into the snow and was slowed down a bit by it. The next moment Ali heard a hideous scratching and felt a trembling that ran through the trunk and out of the corner of her eyes she saw something dark that grazed along the right side of the trunk. She heard an outcry and prayed that it didn’t mean what she feared. The tree-trunk still turned left and suddenly she heard a loud bursting cracking and such a shook ran through the tree-trunk that she would have fallen to the right down from it if she wouldn’t have leaned instinctively against the impulse to the left. Apparently at least some of the others had done the same for the tree-trunk made a jerk leftwards. In the snowdrift the trunk had lost much of its speed and Ali hoped already that it would come to a standstill, there the snowdrift ended. Directly in front of them it went for a short distance almost vertically downwards. “Everybody hold on firmly! Hold on!” cried Ali. Cera wanted to give and irritated answer, as they didn’t do anything else since the tree-trunk set in motion, but she didn’t find the time for it. For the next moment the tree-trunk tilted forward and darted with polyphonic shrieking nearly vertically down a short distance before it came slowly into a more horizontal state again.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh475/Malte279/The%20Land%20before%20Time/The%20Cold%20Time/17Downtheglacier.jpg)
In front of them was now a long, pretty smooth slope and Ali risked a look back. The rock they had just passed was not completely covered by snow on this side and it was far bigger than Ali had feared. The almost vertical part they had so to speak fallen down from the rock. “Is everybody there? Are you unhurt?” asked Ali panicky. “I guess so”, stammered Cera finally. She and everybody else had lost the pleasure of jokingly or cynical answers. Ali’s jar sagged down when she saw the tree-trunk behind Spike for there was no tree-trunk anymore! The end of the tree-trunk mast have hit the rock yet and been shaved off by the huge impetus of the bounce for behind Spike was only a tiny morsel of completely splintered wood. And when Ali looked down at the right side of the tree-trunk she recognized a deep crevice that drew along the whole length of the trunk where the rock had scratched past. Everybody had followed her instinctive inspiration to draw on the legs in time; otherwise they would have been simply torn off. Ali looked forward again. “You can let your legs hang again”, she said and let her own legs dangle again she had drawn on so far. Everybody had already sat upright again to the tree-trunk slid down the slope straight again. “Thanks!” said Ali. First now she realized that they had maybe just been nearer to the end than ever during the passed days.
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What struck me most about this chapter is the incredible amount of detail you used to describe the gang’s downhill slide. If this were a movie, I’m guessing that whole scene would only last a couple of minutes, but you took the time to give it such a vivid description that I could visualize almost the whole thing as if it were a movie. (I enormously appreciate stories that give such attention to detail, given my rather visually-oriented mind.)
Speaking of visuals, the illustrations you have included with the chapters have not only been excellent, but also immensely helpful in telling the story. I was sad to hear that this was the last one. :p Looking back at the previous chapters, I counted seventeen other pictures (one of which, albeit, was only a sketch): that’s an astonishing amount of work you went to to illustrate your fanfic. (Oh, and this chapter’s image itself is very good. :yes)
Also, this part...
Suddenly Spike howled up. “What’s the matter Spike?” asked Ali frightened. Ducky answered for him: “We have forgotten to eat something up there.”
...I found very funny. :lol
As for my proofreading feedback for this chapter, I just have a few observations (involving sentences that I found confusing at first) that probably don't matter much whether you address them or not. The first deals with the numerous instances in which you reference the gang “drawing on their legs”. Whatever convoluted section of my brain I used to interpret that sentence at first assumed it to mean that they are pressing their feet against the ground in an attempt to brake or steer the log. Then I reread the following sentence:
Everybody had followed her instinctive inspiration to draw on the legs in time; otherwise they would have been simply torn off.
...and realized that you meant the opposite; that the gang were pulling their legs onto the log to reduce their chances of hitting the rock. If you were to change it, I would recommend “drawing in” or “tucking in” in place of "drawing on".
“That looks like hard water that is moreover oblique!”
Having consulted a dictionary, I think I understand what Ducky’s saying there (that the snowy slope looks both slippery and steep), but if she said that in the English version of an LBT film, all the others would look at her like: :blink: :huh: :confused.
One more minor thing:
Ali’s jar sagged down when she saw the tree-trunk behind Spike
I’m reasonably sure the word you meant to use was “jaw”. :lol
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Thank you very much for your feedback Pangea :)
I made the corrections in the version saved on my computer.
I am quite sure Ali would have been unfamiliar with any pottery and in case of the "oblique" (another one of those cases where the words really weren't very LBT like (once I had Cera talk of "insurmountable impediments")) I changed the phrase to:
“That looks like hard water that makes a slope!”
Maybe I will try to find something better for that one as though slope may not be beyond the LBT characters there may be more fitting, more describtive, more duckyish terms ;)
Here comes the end of the story. It is very longwinded and I am really not happy with it, but that's all the more a reason not to split it up further:
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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.
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Fantastic. I hardly expected the concluding chapters of this story to be so momentous. :yes
The scene where Petrie almost drowns is, to sum up my opinion, a masterpiece. Everything about itóthe gang’s struggle to get him out of the water, Ducky’s attempts to wake him up, and Ali administering the dinosaur version of CPR to himówas outstandingly written, exhilarating to read, and felt exactly as such a scene in LBT should feel. I found it evocative of the part in the first movie where the gang assumed Petrie to have drowned, but thought it completely original. I regret to say that my sentimental emotions are less easily stirred by this kind of writing than most people, but for individuals whose tear ducts are less stingy than mine, I would be amazed if some of them didn’t cry at that part.
The final chapter is also excellent. I love how you decided to write it so that the dinosaurs are uncertain of the condition of the Great Valley, thereby making the emotional impact of the return all the more significant. I would have loved to see an LBT movie (V or VIII, perhaps) conclude in such a way.
Of course, I have plenty of constructive criticism for these chapters as well. For starters, I would suggest dividing the text into smaller paragraphs (particularly Chapter XCII), making it easier to read.
Second, just a couple of minor typos I noticed:
“But how shall wee come down the last part of the slope now?”
You only need one “e” in that word. :p
“I guess so Littlefoot. Provided that it had become warmer there too already.
You’re missing a quotation mark at the end of that line.
Finally, there are a few lines that appear to have suffered some speedbumps on the road of German-to-English translation, :p causing them to sound rather confusing.
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.
This was a sentence I had to read a couple of times before I comprehended the meaning. If I have interpreted it correctly, Spike realizes that the log has stopped, and sort of rears up in a cheering posture (inadvertently jostling the log and setting it in motion again).
“Of course everything is alright! I even amuse kinglike! Would you please nevertheless think of something how we can stop or…”
It’s something of an understatement to say that the underlined portion of this line sounds strange. :lol What does Cera actually mean? :confused
This was truly an exceptional LBT fanfic. Hopefully, someday, we’ll see more stories like this from you. :yes