Chapter 10: Tension Mounts
As dawn broke over an encampment near the Great Valley, a group of dinosaurs were gathered around a large sickleclaw with red skin and ruby-red eyes that seemed to glow like molten lava. This was Red-Eye, leader of black team. Near Red-Claw were some sharpteeth who were sparring with each other.
"Alright, from the previous squads we have learned that the Great Valley has unguarded entrances here, here and here." Red-Eye said, pointing to a sketch of the Great Valley he had drawn in the dirt, "We also learned that leader of blue team, Styracus, has been captured and is held here. We must rescue him first, as his herd will provide a substantial boost to our forces." he continued, pointing to a circle on the sketch.
"So how do we rescue him?" a male blue-green fast-biter asked.
"A small group is to rescue him in anyway possible. This means that you may kill the guards or distract them, it does not matter as long as Styracus is freed. In addition this rescue will take place when the Night Circle rises today." Red-Eye replied.
"What next?" a female purple sickleclaw asked.
Red-Eye sighed. "Styracus will meet up with Theta and Hasta and…" He was interrupted by a loud thud as a sickleclaw threw her sparring partner to the ground.
"As I was saying, Styracus, Theta, Hasta and I will meet together in this encampment once Styracus has been freed. We will then attack when the Bright Circle next rises. Styracus's herd has been instructed to attack as soon as I give the signal in Sharptooth." Red-Eye continued.
"Sharptooth? You're giving the signal in Sharptooth? But isn't that…" a male blue fast-biter began, giving Red-Eye a quizzical look.
"I did not ask for your opinion! Is that clear!?" Red-Eye shouted, cutting the fast-biter off. The fast-biter's feathers seemed to droop at Red-Eye's reprimand.
"Y…Yes, sir." The fast-biter stammered out.
"Alright, this meeting is finished. I would recommend you spar with green team, but don't hit them too hard." Red-Eye said with a grin.
In the Great Valley, training was also underway. The only dinosaurs that weren't at the Training Grounds were the patrol members and even they had to undergo training after the first group was done.
Near one of the one of the edges of the Training Ground, Mr. Bigmouth was instructing his trainees how to make sickle-claw paste and apply it. Ms. Flyer had already instructed them on how to bandage injuries with leaves.
"The proper sickle-claw pod is one that looks like this," Mr. Bigmouth said, holding up a sickle-claw pod, "It should be firm but yet give if you push it, it should also be a light brown and it should look like a sickleclaw foot claw, curved but not bent back on itself. The improper sickle-claw pod is one that is either straight, dark brown or soft; those are overripe and useless. Another improper sickle-claw pod is one that is hard, green or bent back on itself; those are under ripe and can actually make an injury worse. As for the green thorn leaves, they are found on the same plant. The key identifying feature of these plants is their size; they are very short; no other plant in this valley is the same size. In addition their leaves have thorns on their sides." Mr. Bigmouth lectured.
"Are the leaves useful?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, they are. In fact, they're a vital component of sickle-claw paste. But there are proper leaves to take. The leaves must be green, wilted or dried leaves are totally useless and will ruin a batch of sickle-claw paste if you mix them in. The leaves wilt very quickly, so they must be used quickly." Mr. Bigmouth replied.
"So how to we make sickle-claw paste?" a male green Runner asked.
"I'm just there. To make the paste, take two sickle-claw pods, you don't need to peel them, for every four thorn leaves and grind them together between two rocks, until a thick brown paste is formed, it's OK if it's a little gritty but you should not see pieces of the ingredients. In an emergency you may alter the ratio, but it is not recommended as it will weaken the mixture. However, there must ALWAYS be more thorn leaves than pods. Also, while you are grinding the ingredients, the mixture emits a smell that may cause you to feel sick. For obvious reasons, if you must throw up while making this mixture, please do it AWAY from the mixture. You'll get used to the smell eventually." Mr. Bigmouth replied.
"What if we don't have two rocks to grind it?" Hyp asked.
"If you have at least one rock, use a stick to grind it. It is more work to get a good mixture that way, but it's better than the alternative. If you don't have a rock, use your hands and two large leaves to grind the mixture, or if you can't find two leaves, just use your hands. It's not recommended you do this, because you'll get a low quality mixture and if you use your hands, it will be hard to apply the paste correctly. But it's better than nothing." Mr. Bigmouth replied, "And now I have the test, next to me are a pile of sickle-claw pods and thorn leaves, you are to pick the correct leaves and pods out of the pile. You will be tested one at a time, the rest of you are to stand at a distance. After all have been tested on this, you will all have to make a batch of sickle-claw paste; I will provide the ingredients and grinding stones." Mr. Bigmouth continued.
Over by the far corner of the Training Grounds, Pterano was training some dinosaurs in ranged combat. The target range consisted of a large field with several rocks placed at a distance from one end of the field. The dinosaurs were arranged in a row distant from the rocks with Pterano pacing in front of them.
"Alright, ranged combat is the recommended style of combat, as you can kill your opponent before they can reach you. There are three weapons that are preferred; throwing sticks, rocks and the hollow reed. However, anything that can be thrown can be used in an emergency. Today, we will train with the throwing stick." Pterano said, holding up a stick with a slight bend at one end. "The main advantages of the throwing stick are that it can travel farther and faster, fly straighter, and can be used in close-quarters combat. The main disadvantages of the throwing stick are that it doesn't hit as hard as a rock, it is easier to dodge or deflect, it is harder to find, you can't carry as much and it's hard to throw them over obstacles." He continued.
The dinosaurs picked up the sticks that were placed by their side and wielded them. Pterano walked among the dinosaurs and critiqued their stance.
"Nice stance, Ducky. Hadros, hold the stick towards one end, not in the middle. Mutt, place the leg on the same side of your throwing arm behind your body." Pterano said. Mutt and Hadros, a Swimmer who could have passed for Ducky's brother save for his storm-cloud grey eyes, corrected the errors that Pterano had pointed out.
"Alright, now we practice throwing. We aim at those targets." Pterano said, gesturing towards the rocks downrange from him. He saw Ovius draw his arm back. "Damn it, Ovius! Wait until I'm out of the target range before you fire!" he shouted, leaping into the air and flying behind the dinosaurs.
"Alright, there are important safety rules I forgot. First rule is until I give the order; no one is to enter the range, under any circumstances. Second rule is if a dinosaur wanders into the range, you are to cease fire immediately. Third rule is you are not to fire any projectile unless I give the go-ahead. Any violation of these rules will result in the offender having to face Mr. Longneck. Are we clear?" Pterano asked from the air.
"Yes, sir." came the concerted reply.
"Good. Commence firing!" Pterano shouted.
At his command, the dinosaurs drew their arms back and hurled their sticks at the targets. The cracks and thuds of sticks striking rocks and the dirt ground split the air.
"Remember, step forward with the foot on the same side as the arm that you are throwing with. Place as much force as you can behind the throw." Pterano instructed.
Suddenly, a light reddish flyer who Pterano recognized as one of the valley messenger flew next to Pterano and said something to him.
"Cease fire!" Pterano shouted, turning towards the dinosaurs below him. The dinosaurs immediately dropped their sticks.
"Not a moment too soon." Mutt said, rubbing his sore right arm.
"Quiet." Pterano scolded, "We have to cut practice short today because Mr. Longneck has convened an emergency meeting."
With that being said, the dinosaurs gathered at the target range headed to the Thundering Falls Lakes.
At the Thundering Falls Lake all the Great Valley Dinosaurs were gathered. Grandpa Longneck alone occupied the position normally occupied by Mr. Threehorn, himself and Blue-Scale.
"What is going on?" Nod asked.
"Me no know." Petrie replied, "Me just come from distance flight."
The dinosaurs chattered nervously. "I hear that an attack is coming soon." A voice came from the crowd. "I heard that someone in this valley is attacking our herd." A Far-Walker said.
"Quiet." Grandpa Longneck said. His booming voice echoed around the dinosaurs and quickly silenced them.
"Apparently, when the Night Circle was last in the sky, Ms. Maia and her patrol caught an Egg-Stealer who had apparently eaten an egg from a nest." He continued.
"Hmph. They probably caught random Egg-Stealer. How exciting." Cera whispered with barely disguised sarcasm.
"Quiet." Littlefoot ordered. Cera immediately became quiet.
Ms. Maia and her patrol, along with Strut with his beak and arms still bound, soon moved next to Grandpa Longneck. When Strut refused to move, the Spike-Tail pushed Strut with her head. After Grandpa Longneck looked at the prisoner, he soon had a shocked expression on his face.
"Ms. Maia, are you sure you caught the right Egg-Stealer? He looks a lot like Strut." Grandpa Longneck asked, turning towards Ms. Maia and away from the crowd.
"There is no question about it. Look, he has evidence of his meal on him." Ms. Maia said, seizing Strut and roughly turning him around so he faced Grandpa Longneck.
Grandpa Longneck looked at Strut and the remains of the egg on Strut's chest.
"Alright, so what do you propose the punishment be?" Grandpa Longneck asked.
"I'd like to break his neck." Ms. Maia said, with a hint of sadistic joy in her voice.
"I'd like to throw him off the Great Rock Wall." The gold Spike-Tail said, her glee barely disguised.
"I say hang him from a tree." The blue-green Fast-Runner said, trying his hardest to conceal a sadistic smile.
Some of the dinosaurs nearest to Grandpa Longneck heard the comments of the three patrol members. Their expression was best described as pure horror and shock.
Grandpa Longneck looked at the expressions of the dinosaurs nearest him. He then turned back to Ms. Maia and her patrol. "We never use death as a punishment except in special cases. And Ms. Maia, if I may be so blunt, the desire for violence that you and your fellow patrol members displayed right now is disgusting and totally unnecessary." Grandpa Longneck scolded, frowning at the patrol.
"He stole and ate an egg!" Ms. Maia seethed, glaring at Strut.
"Calm down, Ms. Maia, anger will not get you anywhere right now." Grandpa Longneck said.
"What do we do then, let him go and have more eggs eaten?" Ms. Maia shouted.
"Ms. Maia, calm down! We will handle this." Grandpa Longneck said.
Ms. Maia and her patrol, fuming, stepped away from the front of the stage.
Grandpa Longneck and Mr. Thicknose then conferred in an area separate from the crowd of dinosaurs. After a moment, they again stood in front of the gathered crowd.
"Strut, you are sentenced to banishment from the Great Valley, for ten cold times." Grandpa Longneck said.
Ms. Maia and her patrol escorted Strut outside of the Great Valley and left him there.
The gathered dinosaurs then dispersed. Some showed relief at Strut's banishment, some showed disappointment.
Littlefoot and his friends headed to the Airfield to meet Pterano, Grey-Wing, Ptyrax and Long-Wing and Raptix. The flyers and the ground crew were chatting about Strut's banishment
"So is Strut guilty?" Ducky asked.
"I don't think Strut would do something like that." Pterano said.
"So wanna sneak him back into the valley?" Raptix suggested.
"And get banished ourselves?" Ptyrax countered.
"Hmm, maybe Strut can live in that cave that Deimos and I lived in when we first came into the valley? It's empty now that Blue-Scale, Deimos and I are more accepted among the valley inhabitants." Raptix offered.
"Is it concealed?" Pterano asked.
"It is very difficult to find. It is in a forest near the Bubbling Muds and the cave is in a clearing that is accessible only through a clearing concealed by a clump of bushes." Raptix answered.
"That will be perfect, now all we need to do is find Strut." Pterano said.
"I think we better get moving; I don't want to think about what would happen if Ozzie or a sharptooth or Styracus's herd found him." Long-Wing said.
Littlefoot, Pterano, Long-Wing, Deimos, Raptix, Ducky, Cera and Hyp left the Great Valley and explored the area just outside the Great Valley. They found Strut near the entrance to the Gravel Fields just as the sun was starting to set.
"Wow, Ms. Maia really did a number on you." Pterano said, pointing to Strut's bruised ribs and arms.
"Mmmf." Strut said.
"Deimos, can you cut the vines on Strut?" Littlefoot asked.
Deimos then used the claws on his hand to cut the vines that bound Strut's arms and beak.
"Ugh! What is wrong with Ms. Maia?!" Strut shouted, grabbing the remnant of the vine that bound his beak and throwing it to the side.
"We should get back to the Great Valley." Ducky said, pointing to the sky, the sunlight gradually fading.
The group then entered through the Gravel Fields, taking care to stay away from the cave where Styracus was held.
The group eventually made its way to the cave that Deimos mentioned.
"Strut, I how you feel about missing practice, but you'll have to stay here until we can clean this mess up." Pterano said.
"Why don't you tell us what happened?" said Littlefoot.
"Well, I was doing a patrol when the Night Circle had last risen with a Runner and a dinosaur of Nod's kind. And I encountered Ozzie who had found a nest. I confronted him, he attacked me and I fell on the egg. Then, I ran into Ms. Maia and her patrol. Later, I was brought before Mr. Longneck and sentenced to banishment. Finally, Ms. Maia and her patrol beat me and left me, tied up, outside the Great Valley." Strut said.
"I agree with Mr. Longneck, Ms. Maia's behavior was disgusting, especially how she beat Strut." Pterano added, a frown forming on his face.
"How about we catch Ozzie and make him confess?" suggested Ducky.
"I see where you are going, we wait until Ozzie comes in to the Great Valley to get some eggs to eat, then we take him down and extract a confession out of him." Deimos said.
"How?" asked Ducky.
"I've got to think." Deimos said.
"I've got it!" Littlefoot exclaimed.
"That was fast." Raptix interjected.
"Raptix, quiet." Littlefoot commanded. Raptix obeyed and became silent. "Alright, I'm fairly certain that Ozzie will try and steal eggs from the remotest nest, which happens to be in the Bubbling Muds. What we will do is arm the two-footers with throwing sticks –sticks are more accurate and accuracy is vital in this operation - and hide them in bushes near the nest. When he comes with in range, the two-footers will throw them at Ozzie. Try and aim for the back of the head or the side of the head. Once he is knocked out, take him to a concealed area, wait for him to revive and then we extract the confession from him. Once it is extracted, we take him to Grandpa Longneck and have him repeat the confession." Littlefoot continued.
"So who's coming?" asked Hyp.
"I'm not forcing anyone to come; whoever wants to volunteer is welcome." Littlefoot said.
"I'm coming! I haven't any action in a while." Cera said.
"I'll come." Deimos said.
"Count me in too!" Ducky said, "Ozzie cannot get away with this. Oh no, no, no!"
"Hey! Don't forget about me! I wanna get Ozzie back for what he did to me!" Strut said.
"I'll come as back up." Raptix said, albeit with less enthusiasm as the previous volunteers.
"I don't like it when a member of the Great Valley Air Corps is wronged. I'm coming!" Pterano said
Later, as night fell and the Great Valley was bathed in the cool white light of the Night Circle, Ozzie entered the Great Valley in search for eggs.
"I hope I don't run into any patrols now. I haven't had a good meal of eggs in a while." Ozzie said to himself.
Ozzie wandered through the valley until he came upon a nest located in a clearing in the Bubbling Muds.
Unbeknownst to him, Ducky, Strut and Deimos were hidden behind a large hedge near the nest. Pterano, Raptix, Cera and Littlefoot backed them up, concealed in a small grove near the nest.
"Alright, he's going for the egg." Deimos whispered, watching as Ozzie approached the nest.
Strut hefted his throwing stick and prepared to throw it, but Ducky held his arm back. "Wait until you can get a clear shot." Ducky whispered. She also held a throwing stick. In addition, there was a pile of about twelve throwing sticks between her and Strut.
Their opportunity soon came when Ozzie passed by the shrubs that concealed Strut and Deimos.
Strut and Deimos stuck their heads over the shrub and hurled their sticks at Ozzie, causing him to double over in pain as the two thrown sticks simultaneously struck him in the stomach and groin. He spun around looking for his assailants but only saw shrubs. Another stick caught him in the back, causing him to stumble. Yet another stick embedded itself in front of him.
"Damn it! I knew they were planning something!" he whispered has he dashed away from the nest. He passed Ducky's hiding spot and saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. But he could not react fast enough; Ducky leapt out of her hiding spot, swung her throwing stick and struck Ozzie in the back of the head, causing him to slump to the ground, unconscious.
Deimos beckoned towards the grove as soon as he heard the thud of Ozzie's body hitting the ground. Littlefoot, Raptix, Pterano and Cera dashed from their hiding place.
"Hee. We got him!" Cera said, grinning.
"Nice swing Ducky." Deimos said; looking at Ozzie's unconscious form and Ducky's throwing stick, which had broken from the powerful blow.
"Alright, now to tie him up. Raptix, Strut, get some vines from that grove." Littlefoot ordered.
Strut and Raptix did as they were told; they entered the grove and soon returned with armfuls of vines.
"Good, now we tie him up." Littlefoot said.
In short order all the two-footers quickly bound Ozzie's arms and his beak.
Deimos placed the unconscious form of Ozzie on Littlefoot's back and the whole party soon departed the site
Meanwhile at the Gravel Fields, Blue-Scale, Mr. Clubtail, a dark blue male Fast-Runner, a green male Threehorn and a flyer who served as one of the valley messengers had resumed their guard duties. They replaced a patrol consisting of a Clubtail, a Threehorn and two Spike-Tails, which guarded Styracus during the day.
"How long do we keep Styracus in here?" asked Mr. Clubtail
"As long as Mr. Longneck says so." Blue-Scale replied.
"Uh, guys I hear something." The Fast-Runner said.
"It might be the wind." The Threehorn said.
"I'll go check it out." Mr. Clubtail said, lumbering away from the group.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Blue-Scale said.
Blue-Scale's premonitions were confirmed when he heard a thud at his feet. He bent down to discover, to his horror, that the thud was the body of a valley messenger. It was obvious the flyer died from a fractured skull. Blue-Scale wondered how dinosaurs could get to the cliff where the messenger usually perched. His answer was found in the form of rocks, some blood stained, scattered near the perch and a trail of fresh blood down the side of the cliff where the flyer's body was scraped by the rocks, as it tumbled down the cliff to its resting place.
Suddenly, a large rock hurtled out of the shrubs, aimed at the Fast-Runner. The Fast-Runner leapt out of the path of the rock with mere seconds to spare. As the clouds parted, the moonlight revealed the attackers, five sickleclaws and three fast-biters.
"Looks like we're in for a fight." The Threehorn said, looking at the attackers.
"Remember, stand your ground." Blue-Scale said, tensing up in anticipation for the fight
The sharpteeth made the first strike, a fast-biter leapt at the Fast-Runner who grabbed it and slammed it to the ground, dazing it.
The Threehorn countered a charging sickleclaw with a charge of his own that left the sickleclaw with a large hole in its chest due to his horns. He threw the mutilated corpse aside and prepared to charge once again.
Blue-Scale busied himself with two sickle-claws, grabbing one and killing it by slamming its head into a rock and tail whipping the other one into a tree, which he then pushed down, crushing two fast-biters and the sickleclaw he threw into the tree.
The Fast-Runner dodged a leaping sickleclaw, grabbed it in a chokehold and snapped its neck. He then threw the dead sickleclaw aside.
The lone sickleclaw had fled and the dazed fast-biter had also fled.
"Where's Mr. Clubtail?" The Threehorn asked.
"More pressing, where's Styracus?!" the Fast-Runner asked, looking into the now empty cave.
"Damn it! That attack was a diversion so Styracus could escape!" Blue-Scale said, with a brief flash of anger.
Mr. Clubtail then lumbered back to his post.
"I couldn't find anything that caused that noise." Mr. Clubtail said.
"Too late we found out it was, it was an attack so Styracus could escape." The Fast-Runner said, looking at the ground.
"Send the valley messenger out." Mr. Clubtail commanded.
"You mean this messenger?" The Threehorn asked, gesturing to the dead flyer.
"Well, someone's gonna have to deliver the message." Blue-Scale said.
"I'll go, no offense, but I'm faster than all of you." The Fast-Runner said.
"Ok. The rest of us shall search for Styracus." Blue-Scale said.
The Fast-Runner headed off to the Thundering Falls Lakes, where Grandpa Longneck and some of the dinosaurs slept. The rest of the dinosaurs at the post scattered to search for their fugitive.
Meanwhile, Styracus, the sickleclaw and the fast-biter left through the exit near the Gravel Fields.
"I'd say this was successful." Red-Eye said. Behind him were gathered Theta, Hasta and the commanders of the two divisions of green team, the grey sickleclaw who commanded division one and the dull green sickleclaw who commanded division two.
The sickleclaw spat onto the ground. "Yeah, we managed to rescue Styracus. But we got attacked by a Threehorn, a Fast-Runner and a sharptooth. And this fast-biter and I are the only survivors." He said.
"Shall we attack now?" Stormwing said, clearly getting impatient. He angrily kicked a small stone that narrowly missed Theta.
"No! I don't know what is taking yellow team so damned long. But we need them." Red-Eye said.
"For what!?" demanded the dull green sickleclaw.
"Saber, if we don't have yellow team, we run a high risk of the valley dinosaurs fleeing and thus prolonging the war. A prolonged war equals dead sharpteeth, got that?" Red-Eye said, addressing the dull green sickleclaw.
"Where is Ozzie?" Sierra suddenly shouted, "He was supposed to be foraging, not getting lost!"
Rinkus looked around. "You don't suppose Ozzie got caught by the same patrol that guards Styracus?" he asked.
"It's possible." Saber said.
"So do we rescue him?" asked Rinkus.
"Yes, but not now. He is a vital asset; he supplements red squadron along with you and Sierra." Red-Eye said, addressing Rinkus.
Suddenly, a smaller red flyer landed in front of Red-Eye.
"Well what do we have here?" Saber asked.
"I'm here to tell you that yellow team is on their way; they shall be here today at the time when the Bright Circle is at its highest." The flyer said.
"Hmm. Looks like we might get some action today." Stormwing said, grinning.
The rays of the rising sun were soon veiled by a mass of grey storm clouds, giving everything a dark overcast aura. Distant thunder rumbled, adding an aura of menace.