Chapter 16: Leave Taking
Littlefoot along with his friends crowed around Sura at midday. They had evidently been told about Sculra's attack on Ducky the two days ago. Ducky was still unconscious but the bleeding had stopped and the wound was healing, she appeared to be well on her way to recovery. It had been two days since the attack and on the first day after it Sura had retreated herself to the Hidden Clearing for the whole day, in the morning however she returned home. Confident that the danger had passed.
Sura lifted her tail carefully at the friends request. Ducky lay next to her mother's body in the same sleep like manner that she had been in the day before. Petrie landed next to Ducky, he looked heart broken but relieved that his friend would be okay.
"How is Ducky" asked Ali.
Sura looked up at her "She'll be fine dear, she just needs time to recover" she said. She lowered her tail again and wrapped it around Ducky.
Cera was still fuming. When she had heard the news that Sculra had attacked Ducky she went completely berserk. She toppled trees and smashed large rocks to pebbles and shouted herself hoarse until she had no breath left. Her friends had stayed well away from her when they saw her get mad and did not approach her again for almost an hour until she was finally calm enough to approach. "I would not mind giving Sculra a piece of my mind" she hissed angrily.
Sura shook her head "Sculra is clever, she has already disappeared before anyone's come looking for her. She expects that the rest of the herds will know of her treachery by now so she probably won't show her face until the Trials" reasoned Sura "but that does not mean that she still is not capable of causing trouble" added Sura in a weary voice.
Cera stopped her foot angrily on the ground and growled. She really wanted to teach that fiend a lesson, but now that Sculra had hidden she could not which added to her temper which was still bubbling close to explosion point.
"Kids I want you to meet me at The Stone Circle tomorrow. A meeting will be held there and I would appreciate it if you all attended. Your father is asking the grown-up's to attend" said Sura. The children watched her curiously in the hope that they would hear her say more but all of a sudden there was a tired, painful groan from behind Sura's tail.
"Oh my head" came Ducky's tired voice.
Everyone looked delighted as Sura raised her tail again to find Ducky waking up. The children cheered, they had all been terribly afraid for Ducky but now she was back and well again.
"Oh Ducky" said Sura in a relieved voice as she placed her hand around her daughter and nuzzled her affectionately for some time. "We were all so worried but your all right now" said Sura.
"What happened?" groaned Ducky, she was awfully confused about the gavering of children around her but then her memory suddenly came back to her. Ducky gasped "the old Swimmer" she said in fright.
"Sculra attacked you" said her mother " we saw you on the ground bleeding, we all thought you were......." Sura could not finish her sentence so she continued her story "but when Sculra left we saw you were still alive, you've been out for two days".
"Two days!?" repeated Ducky in amazement.
"Your alright now dear" said her mother putting a comforting hand on Ducky's back "though there is going to be a meeting tomorrow about what we are going to do next about the Trail and Sculra".
Ducky nodded and rubbed her head, she felt awfully disorientated, there was a loud grumble as her stomach complained about the lack of food and water that it was receiving. Ducky groaned and her mother quickly pulled some tree stars down from the tree next to the nest and placed them next to Ducky, she filled three of them with water from the stream. "You best eat up dear, you will need your strength".
Ducky nodded and slowly reached a hand for a tree star, it now dawned on her just how exhausted and weak she was now. Just eating a tree star was a tough effort alone for her. So Petrie hand fed Ducky so that she wouldn't drain all her energy, he kept a supporting hand on her back at all times and talked about how happy he was that she was alright.
After Ducky had eaten a few tree stars she took small sips from the water in the three tree stars that her mom filled for her. When she finished drinking she gave long yawn and said in a tired voice "thank you everyone". Ducky then fell asleep on the spot. The children looked a little worried but Sura chuckled before wrapping her tail around her.
"It's alright" she said to the children "Ducky will be alright but right now she needs rest". The children nodded.
"Come on kids" said Merri quietly as she shunted the kids away from Sura.
Sura hummed softly over her little daughter as she slept, she was so glad that Ducky was alright now but she would now be asked something else of her but this time Sura thought that Ducky would successfully be able to handle it.
*
In the next day in the early evening the adults gathered at The Stone Circle, it included Grandma and Grandpa Longneck with Brace, Topsy and Tria along with Ariel, Mr Clubtail, Mrs Maia and a few other residents. Sura, Merri and Ruphus were the only Swimmers attending and so were their children and The Gang. When everyone was inside The Stone Circle and waiting. Grandpa cleared his throat.
"Friends, children and other residents of the Great Valley" he stated "we have gathered here today at the request of the Swimmer family to discuss a troubling issue". Grandpa finished and stepped back while Sura and Ruphus stepped forward.
Sura began "My friends we asked you here today in the gravest of circumstances" said Sura in a loud, clear voice so that everyone would have no trouble hearing her. "As you all know my daughter, Ducky has been chosen to partake in The Trial of Destiny". There was a little murmuring of concern from the assembled adults. Sura continued "I have asked you here because I trust all of you, I know that you will help me in my moment of need".
Everyone waited silently for her to continue.
Ruphus spoke next "I will tell you now that Sura has attempted to teach our daughter the Wisdoms of our race". Many of the adults gave gasps of shock "And as you all know those wisdoms are forbidden to all but the elders".
"That was a silly thing to do, trying to teach a young one those Wisdoms" said Topps.
"We know" replied Ruphus "we pushed Ducky way to hard but at the time it seemed like the only action that was right. Many of you have children so I think you can understand that the choices were either the Wisdoms or send our little daughter to her death. We have tried to forsake this tradition but Sculra has kept it in play and refuses to give it up".
There were nods around the assembled crowd, nearly all of them could relate to keeping there children safe no matter what that meant and many had done it before.
Sura then told the meeting about Sculra's demands and threats which degenerated the meeting into a confusing halo off furious shouting and cursing and a furious stomping from Mr Threehorn.
"Of all the nerve!" bellowed Tria, she was just as mad as the rest of them.
"She asked WHAT!?" yelled Ariel in disbelief.
The confusion continued until Grandpa called for order. "Everyone please. Calm down! he called loudly. Everyone turned to him. "Thank you" said Grandpa and stood back so Sura could resume speaking.
"Sculra has caused me a lot of trouble, but it was yesterday that it reached a new height when she attacked my dear Ducky". Sura then gave the adults the details about the attack. When she finished the meeting had completely dissolved into chaos. There was furious shouting and stomping.
Mr Threehorn gave a loud bellow that silenced everyone. "Any attack on our children is an attack on us all!" he said to which everyone unanimously agreed.
"I agree" said Merri "but Sculra has already disappeared in preparation for our wrath".
"What will we do then?, only she can stop the Trial" said Ariel.
"Now we get to what I wanted to tell you all" said Sura "I am going to take Ducky and leave The Great Valley".
Sura's announcement shocked all the assembled dinosaurs into silence, everyone stared at her in numb shock as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard.
"Sura" began Grandma.
"I will search for the one who has survived the Trial" continued Sura. This earned a confused stare from the gathered members.
"Sura" said Ariel slowly "no one has survived the Trial".
"No one has survived the Trial in the Great Valley" corrected Sura. "But when the Trial was held in the Mysterious Beyond a few Swimmers managed to survive it though that was all a long time ago I believe that one Swimmer who survived that Trial, a Swimmer called Cyrest can help prepare Ducky for the Trial".
Everyone stared at Sura. Ducky looked like she had been slapped in the face, her mother surely wasn't serious about this? Her siblings looked like someone had stolen there tree stars they were totally stunned while The Gang had each of their mouths open in amazement. The grown-ups looked just as astonished as the children.
"Sura, this is a long shot and The Mysterious Beyond is a dangerous place" said Grandpa.
"With Sculra around, this place is as dangerous to my daughter as the Mysterious Beyond" retorted Sura "I will not sit back while my daughter competes in a Trial that no one has survived" she said firmly.
Tria spoke next "what about the rest of you children?".
"My children will be in the care of my family and the longnecks" Sura gestured to the longnecks who gave firm nods.
""I don't believe you guys are serious about this" came Cera's voice "You don't even know if this Swimmer is alive or where he is".
Ali's mother, Brace stepped forward and addressed Sura directly "I have heard of a old Swimmer who might be Cyrest, he lives in a cave on the shores of a stream that runs into the Big Water" she said slowly.
Sura nodded "thank you" she said in a grateful voice. "I will start there".
No one was quite sure about what to do, Sura's mind was made up and their seemed no stopping her and it also appeared to be the only option left.
"Mama" said Ducky.
Sura turned to her daughter. "I know you don't want to do this, but I will be there with you and I swear by the shells of my eggs that I will not let any harm come to you" she said in a resolved voice.
Ducky gaped at her mother, she then looked at the rest of her family. All eyes seemed to be on her as if her voice would decide the fate of this meeting. Ducky considered her options carefully, she knew that she needed to prepare for the Trial but she also did not want to leave her friends and family or The Great Valley behind. She searched her heart for the right path to chose.
Meanwhile Ducky's siblings along with her friends tensed they all wondered what Ducky was going to say. Spike ran forward and nuzzled her with his snout he gave a soft whimper, it was almost as if he was asking Ducky to stay. Ducky felt a tear fall down her cheek as her eyes began to water. It was at that moment that she knew what she would do.
Ducky stepped forward to the centre of the circle. A small child who had the attention of giants, all waiting for her decision. Ducky took a deep breath and said in a loud clear voice: "I do not want to leave The Great Valley or my friends and family oh no no no". She shook her head and there was a sigh of relief from the children. Ducky looked at her friends and family. Tears were now falling swiftly down her face as she said her final words. "But I will go and search for this Swimmer with my mom I will I will". Everyone remained silent, the children were too stunned to speak at Ducky's announcement.
"Well that sorts things out" said Sura in a slow, quiet voice "we will leave tonight when Sculra won't find us".
"I think this means that the meeting is over" said Grandpa longneck quietly.
The adults started to leave, each of them wished Sura good luck as they left. Finally only Sura, Merri, Ruphus and the children remained. It would soon be time for Ducky to leave as it was already late evening. Ducky was still standing in the middle of The Stone Circle, she cried in silence. Her friends and siblings came to meet her, they all had downcast expressions and many had tears in their eyes.
Ducky looked at Petrie who had landed beside her. He was also in tears. "You no have to go Ducky" he said in a broken voice.
"Oh Petrie I am so so so so sorry" replied Ducky, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before the two embraced each other in a warm hug which was repeated for each one of her siblings.
When she moved to Echo, Opal and Ray she embraced them all in a group hug "Look after Spike for me" said Ducky mournfully to which all three Swimmers nodded.
When Ducky came to Spike, his face was drenched with tears. "Oh Spike" said Ducky and hugged him tightly. "I will come back Spike I will I will" she said.
Spike nodded solemnly and gave a quiet groan. He licked Ducky once before she was approached by Ruby and Chomper who both hugged her.
"Look after yourself please Ducky" said Ruby when they disengaged.
"Your the best friend a Sharptooth could have" sobbed Chomper as he hugged his dear friend. Ducky nodded before she was nuzzled shortly by Cera, she broke off faster then the others but she also had tears in her eyes. Littlefoot and Ali then nuzzled her and exchanged their good byes.
"Good bye and good luck Ducky" said Littlefoot in a small voice that he was unaccustomed to using.
Ruphus then bent down to Ducky so they were at eye level with each other. He smiled. "I know you'll make me proud dear" he said before giving her a quick nuzzle which was followed by Merri.
By now Ducky was overwhelmed by her parting that she could not stand it anymore. "I will miss you all" she said in a trembling voice.
Sura was chocking back sobs as she watched this emotional parting, Ducky had made a very hard choice and Sura could not have been more proud of her now. Sura sniffed and looked at the sky which was now dotted with stars, it was now time to leave.
"Come Ducky, it's time to go" she said, it was almost the same wording as she used when calling Ducky home except without the 'home' at the end. Ducky looked one last time at her friends and family, she gave a long sniff and dried her tears before she turned to leave with her mother. How this journey would end, she did not know but she sincerely hoped that it would be a happy one.
*
Sura and Ducky walked through the quiet Valley alone, everyone was turning in for sleep only the calls of the night crawlers could be heard along with their slow footfalls. Ducky savoured every moment she had in the Valley. As she past places of significance to her she would recall her memories of that place. They passed the water hole and Ducky remembered how much fun she had swimming and playing there with her friends and family here. Ducky smiled at the memory and in the back of her mind she wondered if she would ever come back to this happy life that had belonged to her for so long.
Sura and Ducky stood at the entrance to The Mysterious Beyond and before Ducky left with her mother she looked back into the Valley, her home and said "Good bye, I will be back soon yep yep yep".
Ducky remembered what Swayer had said in her dreams "never give up hope Ducky".
Ducky knew that she would never let him or her mother or anyone in the Valley down as she turned and Ducky along with her mother finally left the Great Valley to search for the only hope that Ducky had left now for the Trail of Destiny.
Now that was a very big chapter. Hope you like it.