(Sorry, I don't know what happened to that 'quicker update' idea of mine; but a certain idea suggested by someone finally makes it in here
)
XII:Getting Through Through both the might of Cera's sister and her horns, and Chomper translating to the fast biters on the even bigger herd to come (a lie Ruby helped him with phrasing right for maximum intimidation factor) the predators were soon convinced that in weighting their options, this fight wasn't worth it.
"So, was I insane?" Ridge asked, after the reunion with Ducky and Ruby and the others, "or did I hear Lar's voice as we came up?".
"Oh no, he was with us, he was" Ducky answered, "We found them, and Harper was trying to, once again, get them to come back".
"Again?" Cera asked.
The two hatchlings were cut off as Harper quickly darted from the cave. She proved she heard the threehorn on her flap out. "It's about to be again again! Come on, they're getting away!".
She at least meant this towards Ducky and Ruby, and possibly all the other "kids" as well, but didn't specify, or get the chance at clarification.
"Harper...desist just a moment, please!" Pterano flapped over to cut the hatchling off in her flight path, "you are not charging head long anywhere". As shocked as he was that he, the proponent of adventurous wanderings, was saying this, Pterano was only more shocked by having to tell Harper this as well as the scowl on the child's beak.
Yet as he'd told Littlefoot, the two runners in question were an entirely different matter than others, and called for different actions.
Apparently, Harper agreed, as she got as close to a challenge as her uncle had ever heard.
Looking still nervous of what Pterano would say to her, after her sneaking off and everything, she nonetheless held her ground, especially as it was now apparent Veck and Lars had escaped her by this time.
"Why...did you do that?" she half demanded and sighed, "I was...so close to getting them to listen! And now it's...no good" her entire stance broke to looking defeated and she hung her head after saying this. After all that...the runner herd leaders were still going to just die and never get to see...
After allowing herself one break, it all seemed to come and she tried but couldn't hold back the slight sniffles that got worse.
"She...has been trying very hard for a hard goal" Ruby came to Harper's defense as she walked up and placed a hand on the young flyer's shoulders. The hatchling wiped at her beak.
As Pterano bent closer, Harper glanced up at him, "I guess I should have probably told you first, so you could have stopped me before I wasted all this time and caused everyone such worry and danger" she sighed again.
~~~~
The nine kids and two adults camped out nearby, but far enough away from where the fast biters had been known to frequent. It took until halfway through their meal that night for Harper to feel like talking about what had happened.
Even Ridge, who thought he had known what those runners were like, was shocked at how far Veck's immaturity stooped. Pterano's face set grim and he shook his head, the children were all entirely too lenient on Veck as they discussed the particulars amongst themselves. Even Ridge, who was the most harsh on them both. It was clear Veck had known how determined Harper was to her goal of getting them to go back, therefor he had to have known she would attempt his crazy stunt, and Ducky and Ruby with her. This was all still saying nothing of his walking off and leaving the three children near said dangerous canyon! Pterano sighed.
Coming to his feet, he began to pace, "Why of all the...! I'm half convinced to go give those two quite the lecture on common decencies!". It was mainly just something one said, and as Pterano glanced to the children and Topsy's oldest again, he saw hardly anyone believed he was serious, they just gave him half amused smiles.
Then, perceptive as she was, Harper frowned. "You...you actually mean that" it wasn't a question.
Pterano smiled to her, "Well I figure a bit of meeting halfway is in order, and that night before you left I did promise to continue helping anyway I could".
"That was listening" Harper pointed out, as she stood, "they...they caused alot of trouble, you...you might...hit them or something".
Pterano laughed, "I give my solemn promise to avoid such" he winked.
"Then...why talk to them?" Harper asked.
"Like I said, meeting halfway" Pterano answered, "we can't have you or the others walking into anymore sharptooth filled canyons, what ever would I tell your mother in explaining". Behind her uncle's criticism of her actions, Harper caught the pride in her selfless determination mixed with the slight reprimand. She never thought she'd be causing such, and glanced down again.
As he went on, Pterano looked a bit more serious, "and...perhaps curbing other lives from going down regrettable paths" he ended. No one had any comment on this, so silence just followed for a bit.
"It's my guess they've circled back to their cave by now. I shan't be long. Keep an eye on them?" Pterano asked of Topsy's oldest. She just nodded and everyone watched as the flyer flew up and off.
Cera's sister grimaced, for the sake of both Petrie and Harper she wouldn't say it out loud, but she was beginning to understand why her father kept talking about this flyer. Even with his good intentions in his actions, he was acting like he was the only one who could get through to the runners.
~~~~
"Veck, what if they just come back here?" Lars asked, squeezing once more into his and his brother's cave by the back entrance now that the coast was clear of both sharptooth and possible vigilante adults. They weren't taking a chance on being seen though.
"Will you relax" Veck answered his brother, "Even that little hatchling isn't gonna come back this soon after the sharpteeth have left. We've got at least a full night circle of peace anyway from the yapping".
As Pterano landed just outside the cave, he was half tempted to interrupt here, but Lar's next words paused him.
"What if...she was right? What if mom is...doing bad?".
"Then she brought it on herself!" Veck snapped.
His brother stared at him, then frowned, "Come on, I know you don't mean that".
"Of course he doesn't" Pterano stepped into the cave and dim lighting provided by the pockets in the ceiling, "but foolish pride will make you say anything", his look would have been smug if remorse didn't tinge it.
Veck backed up, "N-Now look if you're here on some kind of revenge mission..." he began, pointing defiantly.
"Oh no doubt, I'd have quite the case if I were" Pterano stepped forward, causing both runners to start ever back, "but I'm not".
"Y-you're not?" Lars asked.
The flyer shook his head. "No, I'm here to insight reason".
"Come again?!" Veck asked.
Pterano shook his head as he stared at the runner, "My goodness, it's like turn about of a different kind seeing such bottled pride from the outside, and from the both of you, though your brother can just hold his tongue better" he indicated Lars.
"Now see here!" Veck now started towards the flyer.
"You know the running won't last forever, don't you, even for your kind who takes their name from it" Pterano interrupted yet again' "I should know, I tried it".
"So you're gonna start up on us too now, huh?" Lars asked and sighed.
"No" Pterano surprised both runners with his answer as he walked over to a rock along the wall big enough for reclining against, which he did, "All I'm asking of you two is that you be patient enough to hear me out on a little...well, why not call it what it is, story" he smiled.
"Story?" Veck crossed his arms, this flyer was making less sense the more he talked!
"It all really starts back in my own hatchling-hood, but I know you're patience is strained even now, so let's just skip to my traveling with a herd bound for the Great Valley, shall we? It was my sister who spotted the herd first, with a longneck and threehorn in lead, though I dare say she regretted later ever telling me of it...".
Veck's defiant and bored look gave way to intrigue and then shock not long into the flyer's story. There had been other, less disastrous, actions before the big "split". Warning signs the herd leaders had noticed but had no justifiable cause to act on.
O-Ok, Lars thought, as he listened as well, so he was guilty of discrediting their herd leaders to others, that was't so bad. Then the leading astray entered, Ok, but surly after that...it kept coming! Just when he thought the flyer had to be finished, because he didn't strike him as a criminal or anything, he kept going. The flyer's misdeeds finally ended on a relatable note of kidnapping.
"I'd say you boys got off easy" Pterano looked and sounded drained. He hadn't anticipated how hard relating everything yet again would be, yet he went on, "That and your parents obviously still have quite a bit of faith, to banish you until you felt you were better. It shows they think you can handle that and come back after being better. I...well it's no fault of the Valley herd or my own family, my sentence".
Pterano glanced down, "I know what I would have done with such a decree. Come back next night circle cycle or sooner claiming change and not changing one bit".
As Pterano finished with everything, silence fell for a bit.
"B-but..." Lars, finally letting a few of the tears of fear show, yet holding them from falling, stuttered.
"How can we go back" Veck finished for him, not defiantly, but with true fear flecking his voice too. He sighed, leaning his head back against the cave wall, "I just wanted them to see how great we were, how we could be all they wanted us to be...all my father had spoken of since I was hatched".
"It just looks different to them than it does to what your idea of great is" Pterano answered, though without a hint of chiding as he met the youth's gaze and gave a small smile, "trust me that one took majority of my sentence to realize".
He held out a hand and helped both runners to their feet, "Feats of impression aren't how you get there, trust me if you two just walk back fully repentive and just be there for your parents it will go a long way towards what you want".
The two runners frowned, glancing to each other unsurely, then slowly, as one, they turned back to Pterano. "I guess...we can at least see if we're allowed to walk back up to the herd..." Veck said. Lars nodded.
The flyer smiled "You're doing the right thing, trust me" he clapped either of them on the shoulder, beginning the walk out of the cave with them and over to where the bright circle was already rising, "I only wish someone had halted me in my path when I was your age".
