Category: Land before Time
Rating: T
Couples: none
Warnings: Blood, Character Death
Chapter: 3
Copyright: © characters and places by United Pictures; © Plot and OC by me
Author's note: Merry Christmas! Or the appropriate equivalent of your belief-system. :D
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He glared lightly as he approached the abandoned bodies. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and he shook his head as the sharp smell of burned flesh filled them instead. He snarled as he heard something small shift. He stepped over the Swimmer he had been leaning over, feeling the ground shake under his feet as he honed in on the dead Threehorn the sound had come from.
He could tell that it was a she, killed by wounds she had suffered from the fire rather than the Fast Biters. A soft meep sounded as he stopped in front of her.
With the Leaf-eater not resisting and being a dead weight – literally even – it didn't take him much effort to move her unmoving body. The small hatchling froze as it came face to face with the massive Sharptooth. It was a lighter shade than her mother. It drew some disturbing parallels for him when he realized it was a girl.
He rose back up again, knowing that she wouldn't try to run with him standing inches from her. He roared, calling for his family. The Fast Biters ran, not wishing to risk having to face a family worth of their big cousins.
The herd a short distance away got just a bit closer to a panic, the only thing keeping them there their lack of strength to move much.
Soon three silhouettes appeared in the sky overhead, circling the group. The smallest of them came down, landing a short distance from the corpses.
"These are all?" The brown Flyer asked, pointing at the survivors. The Sharptooth nodded and he took off again, joining the other two flying overhead. One of them left the way they had come, but the brown male Flyer and a dark-blue female landed again, nearer to the herd of survivors again.
"There is a hatchling here." The deep voice of the Sharptooth sounded, shell-shocking the small herd of survivors. They never had heard a Sharptooth speak before! "A little Threehorn."
"Tria will no doubt adopt it." The dark-blue Flyer moved up to him, starting to coax the young one out from where she was hiding under her dead mother. He left, moving into the direction where most of the Fast Biters had disappeared to.
The brown Flyer did not move from his spot, keeping a look-out. The female finally managed to coax the little one out, holding her in her arms. She walked over to the small herd, seemingly counting them.
"Who are you?" A weary Swimmer-mother asked, her throat parched and two hatchlings searching shelter in her shade.
"We are from the Great Valley, a day in that direction." The Flyer pointed with her wing from where they had come. "We saw the smoke of the fire and came to see if anyone had survived. We send Chomper ahead because he was the best choice to go alone." Here she pointed to the Sharptooth who was returning again. "He and his family live just outside our valley and are friends of many inside."
"He is…?" The Swimmer breathed, looking in disbelief at the massive dinosaur.
"Yes." The Flyer answered. "Are you all that are left of your herds?"
"That we know off." Another Flyer answered, a nasty burn on his wing hindering his movements.
"Petrie!" She called out to the other Flyer she had arrived with. "See if you find any others."
He nodded, taking to the skies again.
The Sharptooth stopped at a safe distance. "The Fast Biters are gone. I seem to have scared them away."
"Well, you are huge and dangerous-looking." She chuckled. "Can you keep guard to ensure they do not come back?"
He nodded, turning to walk away once more.
Forms appeared on the horizon. Chomper quickly returned, roaring at them. Another roar answered him and he nodded to the Flyer.
"Those are residents of our Valley who volunteered to come here." She told the small group.
"Are there Sharptooth with them?" A small Swimmer asked fearfully, referring to the answer-roar.
"No, but some of us can speak Sharptooth, just like Chomper can speak Flattooth." The Flyer answered softly, smiling gently. "That was who we call 'Grandma Longneck': she is the mate of the leader of the Valley - or at least the one who has quite the authority, it's a bit complicated to explain right now - and the best friend of the Sharpteeth living outside it."
Soon enough they could see the group heading for them: several Longnecks and a few Threehorns. A flyer flew ahead of the group: it was the same the other two had arrived with.
"Where is Petrie?" The Longneck in the lead called out once she was close enough.
"Seeing if there are other pockets of survivors." The Flyer answered her. "Is Tria with you?"
"Yes." A dark-pink Threehorn answered her, jogging over. "What is it?"
"I have someone who needs you." The Flyer looked down at the hatchling in her arms, showing her to the Threehorn. The little one had fallen asleep in exhaustion. "Her parents are among the dead."
"Put her on my back." The one who was apparently Tria stated.
The rest of the arrivals reached them now. "This is all?" The Longneck asked incredulously.
"At least as far as we know." The Swimmer answered. "Are you Grandma Longneck?"
"Yes." The old female nodded. "And you are…?"
"I am Hadria, I was the herd-leader of the Swimmer-herd who lived here." She said. "We lost many in the flames."
"I can see that." Grandma Longneck answered softly. "The Council in charge of our valley has decided to offer you sanctuary, if you want it."
Hadria looked at the rest of her group. All of them nodded. "Very much, thank you."