Hi guys! So I know it's been forever since my last update. I deeply apologize. I've been thinking a lot of this story lately, and I found some free time to finish up this chapter. Sorry if there are any spelling errors at the end, but I thought an update was way overdue!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this side of the story from a more familiar character's point of view. For the next chapter, I can't decide if I want to do a short campfire storytelling chapter or go ahead and finish the next chapter I've been working on featuring more of Sierra's backstory. Maybe y'all can vote?

Anyway, enjoy and send feedback if you get a chance. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!

Chapter 25 Just By Saying Hi

Grandma Longneck

"Wake up, Little One. It's a new day."

Mariam nudged her grandson awake. Since he was getting older, she didn't get to do this very often. She missed it. This was the second child she and Kenneth would watch grow into an adult. And the missthem being little didn't go away the second time. Actually, it was worse with grandchildren.

Littlefoot yawned and stretched like he normally did. Then he nearly jumped out of his nest. "Grandma! I slept in!"

Mariam and Kenneth chuckled. "It's alright, Littlefoot. We just don't want you to miss so much of the day you're not ready for bedtime!" Kenneth said. "We're too old to be kept up late, you know."

Littlefoot chuckled. "I know, Grandpa!"

Mariam was about to ask Littlefoot if he wanted breakfast when Petrie flew over and landed in front of Littlefoot.

Mariam smiled. "Good morning, Petrie!"

Petrie waved. "Morning, Grandma Longneck!"

"What are you doing here so early?" Littlefoot asked.

"Chomper want us to visit his family," Petrie said.

Mariam and Kenneth exchanged alarmed glances.

Littlefoot stood up and yawned. "Why?"

"He say… he want us to try to teach them plant eater language," Petrie said uncertainly.

Littlefoot and both grandparents tilted their heads. "Is that possible?" he asked.

Kenneth looked at Mariam. She bent her long neck to look the kids in the face.

"Littlefoot…Petrie….are you sure Chomper's family up for this? That's a lot of work, Young One, and they've made such a long journey…."

They looked at each other. "We don't know…"

"Uhrm…Littlefoot. Remember what we told you?" Kenneth asked.

He knew. Their grandson looked at Petrie. "I'm sorry, Petrie, but my grandparents said we shouldn't cross their border without permission…or…an adult with us."

"That the thing!" Petrie leapt into the air. "Chomper say he ask Mom…and we gonna try to get Britta to take us."

"Why Britta?" Littlefoot asked.

"All other adults say no. But Uncle Pterano say she go see them already last night!"

Mariam and Kenneth exchanged glances.

"Britta went to see them? Why?" Kenneth asked.

"Uncle Pterano say she want to apologize for running away when Chomper's mom save her," Petrie said.

"How good of her," Mariam smiled.

"And…did Pterano specifically say Britta would take you?" Kenneth questioned.

"Uhh…he say it up to her…" Petrie said.

"And what does Britta say?" Mariam teased. She'd spent a little time with Britta. And, if there was one thing she knew about that little flyer, it was that Britta was usually the last one in the whole Valley to wake up.

"Well…she not awake yet," Petrie stammered. "But…she will be!"

"Okay, well I'm going to make sure you don't pester the poor dear. She works hard enough already," Mariam said.

"And…she was nearly killed by a pile of rubble yesterday," Kenneth said. He stood up. "Why don't we see if she feels up to it? If not, I'll take you. I would like to speak to Chomper's Father."

"What for?" Littlefoot asked.

"I think Mr. Threehorn was too harsh on them. It seems he feels…poorly welcomed," Grandpa Longneck explained.

"Oh, okay. Hey, Grandpa! Are you still telling stories tonight?" their grandson asked.

"Mmmhmm, well, let's go to the watering hole for breakfast first," Grandma Longneck said. She ushered Petrie and Littlefoot forward.

"Oh! Breakfast!" Petrie said. "Me mom fly and get berries for us. We have extra if you want any."

"Alright!" Littlefoot ran ahead with his friend while Mariam and Kenneth trailed behind. Soon, they reached the watering hole. Petrie's family was flying around and the rest of Littlefoot's friends (they'd probably pre-planned the whole thing, knowing them) were waiting on them. Britta, it seemed, had at least moved from her nest and was now sleeping by the watering hole.

Grandma Longneck chuckled and went to talk with Tess, Petrie's mother.

She tilted her head toward Britta. "How is she doing?"

Tess sighed and looked over at her. "Just worn out, I think. She sent Pterano out to get more supplies for her because she doesn't feel like flying. I think it's a good idea."

"Probably so. Is she awake? The kids want her to take them to see Chomper's parents, but…"

Tess stood up from cleaning the berries off. "Oh, I told them to wait."

"Grandpa will take them if she doesn't."

Tess rubbed her shoulder. "Maybe it would be a good idea if…we all went…. I'm sure they feel isolated."

"We think so too," Mariam said. "Kenneth thinks the Council will have a change of heart eventually. I think, as long as they have access to the Mysterious Beyond, they won't harm anyone in the Valley."

Tess smirked a little. "A good play on Nicolas' part, wasn't it?"

"Oh yes. I think that's what made the decision," Mariam said.

They both looked over to see that Britta was now sitting up talking to the children. Mariam and Tess shook their heads. Mariam went over to where they were.

"Kiiiids, did you wake her up?" Mariam scolded teasingly.

They all hesitated.

"Not really," Ducky answered innocently.

"They hesitated," Britta teased, sitting up slowly.

"Britta!" they all said at once.

Britta laughed and pulled Ducky into a hug. "You want to do what, now, kids?"

They all looked at Chomper, so he forced a shy smile and explained. "Well, we want to try to teach my parents to communicate…you know. Plant eater language."

Mariam exchanged looks with Britta. "Are your parents willing to do that?" Britta asked.

"Well, we were going to ask. I thought Littlefoot and Ruby and everyone else might be able to help?" he tried.

"Except…the rest of us need a grown up…" Ducky explained.

Cera sighed. "This is so stupid…"

Spike took a bite out of a nearby bush.

Britta sat up. "Hmm… Children, I've only worked with one Healer of Speech for a short time…and I'm not saying it can't be done. But having your parents learn our language might prove to be…well…difficult."

"Why?" Chomper asked.

She sighed. "Chomper, you're young. Therefore, you are able to learn new words and sounds and remember them well. But, as we get older, our ability to learn language sort of…fades. Your parents might could do it, but I think they'll have a hard time and end up getting frustrated. Instead, why not think of easier ways to communicate? I'm sure you'll find something. Your mother understood me yesterday, and was able to make me understand what she wanted, for instance."

"But…we can try?" Chomper asked.

Britta, Mariam, and Tess all chuckled. Britta sighed and gave up. "Why not?"

"Then you'll take us?" Littlefoot asked.

Britta looked exasperated. "Oh, children, I…"

Kenneth walked up to them and smiled. "I think I've decided to go regardless. How about it, Britta? Are you coming or staying behind?"

Britta caught on. "Oh, by all means, I don't want to intrude. You can take them. I'll stay."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Kenneth teased.

"No, I don't mind!" Britta said hurriedly.

"Well, let's go, kids."

Before they went off, Ruby waved to Britta. "Hope you feel better soon, Britta!"

"Thank you," Britta waved. She looked confused when Cera didn't follow. "Are you not going, Cera?"

Cera, as usual, didn't seem as excited to go. She stood up slowly and stretched. "I guess…. Come on, Spike! Stop eating!"

Kenneth lowered his head to Britta's. "Are you sure the sharptooth family won't mind?"

"I don't think so. They won't hurt you. Or the kids," she said.

Kenneth nodded and smiled at Mariam. "See you later, dear."

They watched the kids go away. Grandma lay down under the shade next to Britta as Tess came and sat down by them.

"Wonder how that's going to go," Tess said.

Britta shrugged and stretched. "Should be fun…"

"Oh, I'm sorry you got woke up Britta," Mariam said.

Britta yawned. "Oh no no no no. They didn't." Another yawn. "I've been up for hours…"

"It looks like it!" Mariam teased.

"No, I have! Someone brought in an injured baby very early this morning and then as soon as I get back to sleep Pterano wakes me up to see if I want breakfast and then the kids came, and…"

"A hurt baby?" Mariam asked.

Britta nodded gravely. "A baby clubtail."

"Oh, Grandma Longneck, it was terrible," Tess said.

"What happened?" Mariam asked.

Britta sighed. "Well…we don't know. The poor mother was panicked. But, from what I could tell, she cut her back leg open while she was playing somehow."

"Is she alright?" Mariam asked.

"For now. I'll have to check on her every day until I'm sure there's no infection. Then I'll see what else I can do. I finally got the bleeding to stop around sunrise."

"Did you not…close the wound?" Mariam asked.

"No…" Britta confessed. "I'd have liked to, but the little one couldn't take much more. It hurt her a lot when I had to clean it out. The mother was not happy with me."

"I still don't think she looked good," Tess said.

"She looked better to me," Britta said, "cleaner is always better."

Suddenly, Britta snickered. "I think the worst part was Pterano's reaction."

Tess chuckled too. "I just don't think he was prepared to see that when you called up and asked him for herbs, Britta."

Britta nodded to Mariam and laughed. "He was almost as green as a Tree Star."

Mariam smiled. "And what is he going to do when he marries you?"

Britta giggled. "Learn to deal with it? Separate nests? I don't know."

When their laugher died down, Mariam looked at Britta.

"Britta, dear, did why did you fly away when that sharptooth saved you? Petrie told us you…went to see her afterwards."

Britta frowned and sat up. "I…well….you could say she….spared my life before."

Tess didn't know the story either. "She DID? What happened?"

Britta didn't seem to know how to answer. "I-I…uh….was…attacked by sharptooth flyers, and…the attack caused me to….lose the eggs I had been carrying and get separated from our herd…"

Tess and Mariam both gasped. "What?" Tess asked.

"She saw me lying there and…she could have hunted me then and there, but…she didn't."

"Britta, you and my brother…had children?" Tess whispered.

"No, they…they never got to hatch."

"And Pterano never told me?"

"No, he only just found out….yesterday."

Tess and Mariam both cringed a little.

"I'm so sorry dear," Mariam said.

"No, no…it's…" Britta managed a shaky breath. "Sometimes I just wonder…that…if I hadn't missed the signs or…if I would have done one thing different, could I have saved them? And, if I had been able to have them, what they would have been like. I….I thought…one might survive for a short time. And I always imagined that it would be like Pterano…only stubborn like me."

Mariam used her tail to pat Britta's back when she cried a little.

"What happened to them?" Tess asked. For some reason, Britta didn't answer. Tess answered herself and shocked Mariam altogether. "It was our Father, wasn't it?"

Britta nodded slowly. "He…buried them. How did you know?"

Tess sighed and rubbed her shoulder. "He…left for a while one night after the attack. And, when he came back, he…wasn't the same. It was like he felt so guilty that it was eating away at him inside. I begged him to stay behind and wait a while longer, but he never would. He died shortly after. I…Britta, I can't believe what he did."

Britta sighed. "Don't. He was…kind, for once….when he buried the eggs."

"What does Pterano think?" Tess asked. Mariam turned her head.

Britta sighed. "I…don't really know. He talked to me a little, but…he doesn't show me how he feels often. I think it's still bothering him, though."

Both flyers were silent. Britta sighed and wrapped her wings around her knees. Mariam broke the silence. "He will eventually show you in his own time, dear. Men do that sometimes."

Suddenly, as if speaking of a ghost, Pterano's voice sounded from above them. "Men do what?"

He landed in front of them with a leaf full of what must have been the supplies he retrieved for Britta with an attempt at a cheerful smile. They all noticed that the smile did not touch his eyes. Of course, to Mariam, she couldn't think of many times where she had actually seen Pterano give someone a sincere smile. It was usually for show. And now, the show was to reassure Britta.

He gently sat the leaf in front of Britta, who nuzzled him and peeked into it. Britta smirked as she gave him a witty answer to his question.

"They get the wrong kind of leaves," she said casually.

This got Pterano's attention. "WHAT? Darling, you can't be serious. Do you know how far I went to-"

Britta gathered the leaf so that it was closed once again. "Darling it was a joke," she countered, setting the leaf aside. "Thank you. You did well. You're truly amazing."

Pterano nudged Britta playfully with his beak. "Don't tease me right now, woman. I just flew to the Bright Circle and back for that."

He went to the edge of the water and splashed water on his face. "What are you three doing, anyway? Britta, you haven't made it past this tree all day, have you?"

Britta avoided eye contact that revealed the fact that she hadn't. "Maybe," she said innocently. "And not much." She brightened with an idea. "Girl talk."

Pterano narrowed his eyes. "Ah."

Tess spread her wings. "Care to join in?"

Pterano began backing up. "Oh, no thank you. I have thingsto do."

"Really?" Britta smiled like someone who was trying to make it seem like it was a shame someone had to go, but it was really what they were after all along. "Okay, have fun."

Pterano didn't bother to make a witty comeback. He simply smirked and gently cupped Britta's cheek in one of his hands as he passed. Britta occupied herself by opening the leaf and sorting through the herbs and leaves, but she was really watching him go.

After he was out of sight. Britta began grinding the leaves and herbs together. Tess crossed her wings. "Aw, something is bothering him, Britta."

Britta turned in the direction he'd left in, a little doubt in her eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Nonsense Britta," Mariam said.

"Exactly when were you planning on telling him?" Tess asked.

Britta sighed and worked the herbs in her hands a few seconds before answering. "I don't know. Never. It's a story I can't seem to share. And I have no comfort to offer him because I don't have any myself," she confessed, nearly in tears.

"The truth would have come out at some point. And it's always better to hear it from each other directly." Britta looked up when Mariam spoke. "If you two are going to be married, then one lesson to keep in mind is that sometimes neither of you will know how to handle something. That is where you stay strong and work together."

Britta sniffed and smiled. "That's right," she said. "We will get through it. He's just so sad."

"I would think that a flyer would be sad learning the news of his children and their deaths all in a few days, even if they didn't know them. We will make sure he spends extra time with his nieces and nephews this evening," Tess said.

"I think he would like that." Britta resumed work on the medicine she was making. "Thank you both so much."

After a few moments, Mariam was surprised by the next question Britta asked her. "Grandma Longneck, you and Grandpa Longneck seem to know and work so well together. But I've always wondered… What is your story?"

Mariam was baffled by this question. People always asked Kenneth, but they never asked her their story. Britta asked so casually.

"My story?" Mariam repeated.

"Yes. Just anything. I haven't had much time to learn much about you…or anyone," Britta said.

"What do you want to know? There's a lot to that story by now," Mariam joked. "We'd be here for days."

"Anything," Britta said. "How did you meet Grandpa Longneck?"

Mariam smiled. That was actually something she might could tell. The memories came to her mind as she told her story like they had happened yesterday.

…

Young Mariam gathered around the rock with the rest of her herd. She had always been with the same herd. Her father had a great leadership position in the herd and her family was well-respected. But, as a young adult, she came on her own to the gathering. Today, a Story Speaker was to speak to their herd about the Origin of the Longnecks. This was their job, and the few longnecks who could endure the task of traveling the land to tell these stories became legends. Some speakers were so intriguing no one wanted to leave, and others not so much.

Mariam and the friends she'd grown up with chatted about this next one. They were excited because this longneck was very young, and was said to have talent as a Story Speaker. Many longnecks who heard him speak were just convinced he would be a living legend because of his natural ability to tell stories.

"How exciting would it be to travel with him?" her best friend asked her.

Mariam kept glancing at the rock. It took her a moment to realize the other longneck had spoken. "Hmm? Oh. I've…never really wanted to travel, Elaine."

They never finished their conversation because the long-awaited Story Speaker had taken his place on the mounted rock.

"Good evening, everyone. I would like to start by thanking you for having me here this evening…"

His name was Kenneth. That was literally all the heard, except maybe "The longnecks have a long, proud history from…" That was it. She could only watch, and listen to the sound of his soothing voice. At some point, it was nightfall. And he thanked everyone for listening.

"Mariam? Mariam?" Her friend's voice called to her back to reality. "Are you ready to go?"

"Hmm? Is that it?" Mariam asked.

"Yes…" Elaine trailed. "He spoke at least an hour."

She peeked in his direction again. He was still on the rock. "Did he say when he's leaving?"

"No."

"I'll be right back."

Mariam made her way opposite the crowd walking away from the rock mound and soon found herself the only longneck standing in front of the Story Speaker.

"Hi," was all she could come up with. "I admired your story."

…

"That's how I met him," Mariam finished. "By just saying hi."

Britta and Tess gasped.

"So did you travel with him?" Tess asked.

Mariam smiled. "No. He never left. He stayed with me. We had our daughter there."

"Littlefoot's mother," Britta finished quietly.

"Yes." Mariam felt a pang of sadness at the memory of their lost daughter, but she managed to smile. "She was everything to Kenneth. And to me. We never had to travel until she was grown. Our land changed, and our herd fell on hard times. Those that weren't lost to hunger or thirst divided, for the sake of survival. Kenneth and I took our daughter and her mate at the time, Bron. He left to find a suitable place for us. We never saw him again, until Littlefoot found him when we migrated a while back. And our daughter…well…we lost her on the way."

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry," Britta finally said. "But you've done so well with Littlefoot. He's a wonderful kid."

"For a while we thought we'd lost him, too," Mariam said. "And I'm so glad we didn't. He keeps me and Kenneth going."

"All that…just by you saying hi," Britta said.

Before they could talk more, the young mother clubtail brought her injured baby back to Britta. "She won't stop crying," she said. "I don't know what to do."

Britta excused herself and gently untied the leaf around the young clubtail's leg. Mariam and Tess watched as Britta soothed the young clubtail. She had a gift. Mariam couldn't help but wonder how Britta got any rest. She noticed the poor flyer still looked a little beat up from her accident the day before.

Britta peeked at the wound. Mariam felt sick herself when she got a glimpse of it. The gash was so wide and deep it had yet to dry, and the flesh around it was red and puffy.

"I've just made the medicine that will soothe this," Britta informed the mother quietly. "But I need to clean it again first. I want this mixture to stay on the wound as long as possible."

When the mother nodded, Britta took a grinded herb and sprinkled it on the baby's wound. The baby clubtail squealed and curled into a ball, like it burned. Britta soothed her until the herbs did their job, then applied the medicine she'd been working on. This didn't seem to phase the baby much. The little one seemed relieved, actually.

When the baby clubtail was still, Britta gave the mother a few stiff leaves bundled in a bigger leaf. "Put one of these in her water if she can't sleep. I know she will start to get restless, but try not to use them too much."

The mother nuzzled her baby. "Thank you, Britta. I don't know what we'd have done if…"

"I'm happy to help," Britta replied.

After they left, she sighed and washed her hands in the water. Just as they were about to resume their conversation, Mariam spotted Kenneth on the horizon with the kids.

They waited patiently for all the kids to tell the all about their visit.

"How did it go?" Britta asked Chomper.

"Mommy can't do it. Daddy won't even try. But he listened to Littelfoot's grandpa!" the young sharptooth answered.

"You'll find another way," Mariam answered.

"Who wants lunch before we get ready for the story I have for you tonight?" Kenneth asked cheerfully.

"Fine by me," Tess said. "Petrie, why don't you get your brothers and sisters?"

Britta waved them off. "Go ahead. Pterano and I will meet everyone later. I need a nap," she yawned.

"Get some rest dear," Mariam answered, walking alongside Kenneth.

As they searched for food, Mariam smiled at her husband. "How did it go?"

Kenneth thought a moment. "Ehrm… He might not want to learn our language, but I don't think Saban is a sharptooth of few words," he laughed.

Mariam chuckled and kept pace with him, like she always had. She thought of the statement that pretty much summed up her happy life as she went about her day. "Just by saying hi."