A Parent's Choice

Longbeak=Liliensternus

The young fast runner's eyes widened as she saw the steep mountain rise before her. It seemed like one, massive rock sticking out of the never-ending plains, surrounded by a small ring of lower mounds. Even from here, she could some trails leading to the higher slopes of the central hill. In many ways, this sight reminded her of Hanging Rock but its surroundings broke that illusion. This range of mountains stood alone in the middle of endless plains and the mounds of white ground sparkles made that impression of loneliness even more profound. Yet, this was the new home of her family, the place she had heard her parents call the Desolate Rise.

Silence reigned over the small group as the shadow of the previous discussion still lingered over them greatly. However, none of them was more conflicted than Ruby who, despite her curiosity about this place, felt only overwhelming guilt for joining her family like this. Her father's reaction still hurt her deeply as not in her worst dreams had she dared to think her parents were actually sorry for her survival. Suddenly, the saddened gazes of Orchid and Arial and the confused gestures of the thinclaws seemed to become blaming and enraged ones which slowly drew Ruby's attention away from the slippery ground.

The group had just entered the hills surrounding the Rise when Ruby suddenly felt her right leg stepping over a sliver of hard water which made her fall towards the steep slope to a pass below the half teeth. The girl could already see herself falling to the depths but it was at the last possible moment that she managed to get a grip of a smaller rock which stopped her fall. Ruby panted in shock as she realized nobody could have helped her had she not have managed to stop her own slide. She was only starting to regain her breath when she heard Orchid's alarmed voice call to her.

"Ruby! Are you alright?" He cried as his sister slowly pulled herself up to the narrow path in the middle of two mighty cliffs reaching towards the white skies. She took a brief smile as she answered.

"I am, Orchid. Or at least I'm much better than if I fell because if I fell, I would not be alright at all. I just have to make sure I don't do that mistake again." She said with slight happiness at Orchid's genuine concern but it fell immediately as Pearl cast a deep frown towards Ruby. The younger female felt her heart drop again as she spoke to her.

"Please do that, Ruby. The Rise is an even more treacherous place than Hanging Rock ever was and I'd hate to see you being unable to learn from the past." She said, the implications clear for everyone. Ruby looked at her mother almost pleadingly even if she stuttered deeply as she attempted to speak.

"Mommy, I… I'm doing my…" She started but Pearl's sharp voice cut her short immediately.

"It isn't a long way anymore to our home but I have to ask you to wait for a while in the small opening this pass ends in. I have to have a long talk with your father and I'm sure it won't be something any of you want to hear." She said coldly, making Ruby cringe deeply. It was as if her mother had become ever more hostile during their walk which hardly raised her any more hopeful for her parents' conversation. Ruby glanced at her companions and each of them seemed just as concerned as she did. After a moment, Ruby nodded briefly to Pearl and spoke in a silent voice.

"I understand. I… I just hope daddy won't stay mad at me forever." Ruby crossed her arms and looked pleadingly at her mother's eyes. Pearl, however, crossed her arms as she answered.

"We'll see if there's anything we can do to make things better but eventually, it'll be up to you to do the hard part for all of us." The older female said, something in her tone making Ruby gulp audibly. She didn't like in the least what she heard but in the end, a new argument would solve nothing and it would make the situation only more toxic. She answered feebly as the rest of the group headed towards the central part of the Rise.


A deep sigh broke the absolute silence in the darkness of the deep cave. The halftooth's thoughts raced like a hundred fast runners escaping from a vicious herd of sharpteeth but to the aging dinosaur himself, it felt like his mind was completely frozen. Detras welcomed a cold breeze flying to the cave as he had always preferred the early Cold Time's winds against the burning heat that had so often reigned in the Hanging Rock. Yet, even his surroundings offered little comfort to the concerned father as he crossed his hands behind his back and headed towards the opening to his family's home.

The opening into the cave was located on a small plateau surrounded by a few higher hills but it still offered an impressive panorama of the surrounding lands even if it offered little relief to the fast runner right now. His eyes scoured the endless plains before finally locking his eyes on a wide, light blue spot far to the east. It was one of the largest lakes Detras had seen and it was the only break from the monotonous lands which surrounded his and his family's home. The lake had been a good spot to teach Orchid and Arial to catch scaly swimmers but the white ground sparkles would make the journey there too difficult during the Cold Times. The two were ever so happy to learn more from the world and from the ways of being a fast runner and their curiosity had been a source of great pride and joy to the aging male.

However, only thinking of his children made Detras' heart ache. During the past hour, he had fought hard to keep the sight of Dein and Terri tearing his two beautiful children to pieces as mere ghosts within his mind. Ruby was also within his thoughts but his feelings towards her were more complicated. Sooner or later, Dein and Terri would recover from their horrifying wounds and the fast runner knew without a doubt that next time they would return better prepared and probably accompanied by some of their allies. That time, there would be no salvation from their revenge and the two had proven that none of those whose scent they had caught could run from their wrath. And no matter how he hated that thought, he could blame only one dinosaur for his sickening thoughts.

Why did you have to do this to us, Ruby? I know you didn't do it on purpose but because of you, we are all in mortal danger! It… it would have been better for everyone if you had stayed with Chomper until…

"You are standing on the place where you can most easily see the whole Rise but still you allowed me to escape from your gaze, dear. I'd expect more vigilance from my mate." Detras twitched noticeably as he turned around to see Pearl standing behind him, looking at him with a mixture of saddened amusement and slight anger. The male was taken aback by her silent approach and immediately damned himself for letting himself be surprised like this. If she had been a fast biter, his concerns would now be over once and for all. Detras soon relaxed and answered to his mate with a deep sigh.

"As you should, Pearl. I should have known better than to forget my surroundings like this. But where did you leave the others?" He said simply, able to see full well that his mate was about to open the obvious conversation. Both of them knew it would be far from pleasant but it was of vital importance to the survival of their family.

"I left the children and Ruby's friends a bit further away from here. Especially Orchid and Arial don't deserve to listen to your raging, Detras! Get a hold of yourself before you make things any worse for all of us!" Pearl said, more than annoyed by Detras' earlier antics. She could understand his concern and fear but she wouldn't allow them to poison her and the lives of her children lives any further. Thus far, the two had provided Ruby, Arial and Orchid with a good place to grow up and learn the ways of life and even if the oldest one had made the duo's job much harder, Pearl wasn't going to let things change now. At first, Detras was about to counter his mate's point and to defend his actions but soon enough, he had to admit she was right. Simply fighting in front of the young ones would help nothing and after a deep sigh, Detras answered.

"I know, my darling, I know. It's just that… Orchid and Arial deserve much better than this. Than… what Ruby turned their future into." The male gulped audibly and to Pearl's surprise, he seemed to be on the verge of tears. Of course, she knew just as well the danger Chomper's parents posed but they had been already fought away once. And it was very unlikely that Dein and Terri would show themselves again before the Cold Time had passed. Pearl took a few steps forward and put her hand on her mate's cheek and answered to him softly.

"Their future is safe for now, Detras. It will be many cycles of the Night Circle before anything bad can happen to us." She spoke, trying to get Detras to calm down. The danger hung over their family but the imminent attack had been thwarted. However, her words failed to calm Detras down who gently lowered his mate's arm from his face.

"But what then? What happens the day after the Bright Circle wipes away the only thing that protects us from those two? I know we won them today but that was only because Terri was already wounded and they weren't careful enough to avoid the hard water. The next time they come, they'll know better than to leave anything up for a chance. Pearl, we will have no way to escape from them on that day." A haunted look radiated from Detras' face and it troubled the female greatly. She knew Detras was right as no fast runner in his or her right mind would attempt to fight against a two-footer sharptooth even once. She looked towards the pass where her children were waiting and shook her head as she thought about the horrors that were waiting for them in the future. With a bare whisper, she answered to her mate and tried to find a way out of this nightmare.

"Then we have to get away from here before those two get a chance to recover! They'll never…" She began but Detras saw no reason to let her continue as he had already went through this possibility many times in his mind.

"We cannot do that, Pearl! Dein and Terri found Ruby and us with ease and they'll do so again! And even if we somehow managed to hide our scent, they probably have eyes and ears everywhere! We can never escape their gaze by running away!" Detras said despairingly, doing his best to find a way to save his family from certain death. Pearl felt her own fears rise in her mind as she looked at her desperate mate try to calm his own nerves. For a moment, she thought one comment from Ruby would be the answer but she soon voiced her disappointment.

"Ruby proposed we could call one sailback she meant on her journey to help us. You, too, may remember hearing about Stealth but even then, he'll offer little help against Dein and Terri. A sailback could never stop even one two-footer, let alone two!" She said as she slowly sat down on the cliff overlooking the distant lake, following the example set by her mate. Detras looked at the cliffs and caves he had thought would serve as his family's shelter for many more Cold Times but right now, even they seemed threatening to the aging omnivore. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever as the two mates shared their concern together like they also did in times of joy, relief or pride. However, that moment was soon broken as Detras slowly turned his head towards his mate and spoke silently, knowing his words would spark a huge wave of confusion and rebuke.

"Our only option is to make peace with Dein and Terri. They protected us all those seasons and even now, they are the only ones who can save us from certain death." He said, prompting Pearl to gaze at him in utter shock. Had she heard right? Did her mate actually propose the unthinkable? She was forced to believe she had heard wrong as even her mate would realize it was impossible.

"Are you out of your mind, Detras? No dinosaur, especially a sharptooth, would ever forgive another who has caused the death of their only child! You know it as well as I do! And it's unlikely that, they will forget the way we humiliated them today!" The female said, expecting to hear a sigh of surrender and some kind of agreement from her mate but what she heard instead made her whole body tense up and her mind grow shocked in outrage.

"We can most likely forget what happened earlier but as for the first part… there is a way." Pearl could see a single tear fall from Detras' left eye but it did little to calm down her reaction. Was her mate actually proposing what she thought he was? Was he completely insane? She wasn't about to murder her eldest child to appease some pair of bloodthirsty predators! A pleading tone could be heard in her voice but she wasn't able to keep her voice down as she responded to her mate.

"Please, tell me you don't mean it! This might all be Ruby's fault but she doesn't deserve to be sacrificed like this! I won't allow it!" She cried, knowing that settling disputes between families like this wasn't unheard of among sharpteeth and halfteeth but she had always shook such traditions off as nothing more than sick aberrations of a few dinosaurs' minds. To hear her beloved mate propose something like this was a complete abomination for her and she prayed deeply Detras would realize it too. However, the male looked at her in apology and then spoke to her just as firmly. He felt his heart being torn apart by his own words but there simply were no real alternatives he could see. He finally rose from his sitting position and asked his mate silently.

"Then will you allow her, Orchid and Arial all die in the claws of those two? I'd want to take any other way out of this situation if we simply had one. You have my word of it." He said, already swelling in the thoughts of what would happen if he'd have his way. Pearl stared at the male in complete disarray, not knowing what to answer. All their time together, Detras had been a reasonable fast runner and a good father and Pearl knew he wasn't saying what he was because he merely wanted to upset her. But even then, sacrificing one of her own children because of this… she had been extremely lucky not to have been forced to lose any of her offspring yet and she certainly wasn't willing to start now. And she couldn't believe her mate hadn't considered more options before suggesting such a monstrous thing.

"But there are, Detras, and you know it! Even if we aren't able to escape those bastards, they are still terribly injured right now. If we got rid of them now, none of us would have to die because of that duo's yearn for revenge!" Her words were a slight surprise for Detras as he hadn't fully considered that possibility. Yet, it didn't raise his hopes a lot as even badly injured, Chomper's parents were still extremely dangerous. He turned to look into the white distance as he gave his heavy-hearted answer.

"That may be, dear, but fighting against a two-footer would still be nearly a death sentence for any fast runner. We must certainly take that chance if we get it but if we don't… making peace with them must be our goal at any cost. Do you understand, Pearl?" He asked unusually directly, willing to hear that he and his mate were in agreement. His mate looked the male in his eyes, trying to find something to answer to his words. Solving disagreements between families was something she had heard of during her childhood and it had terrified her back then but in the end, she had also learned that survival of at least some of her children was her charge as a mother. Many fast runners wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice one of their own in the name of the common good. It was one of the ways of life she knew existed but it was one she had wanted to avoid. Tears suddenly appeared to her eyes as she suddenly moved to embrace her mate and stuttered to him, her voice completely broken with sorrow.

"Then we must give our all to killing the sharpteeth before they can recover! Because if that doesn't succeed, I can't… I can't bear to think of it… poor Ruby…" She sobbed as Detras put his hand at her back and took a deep sigh. How he hoped that option was an easy one but he knew full well that few half teeth had ever stood against a two-footer and lived to tell about it. Even worse, there was another thing his mate had overlooked. She let her panting wear off for a while before answering to her softly.

"Neither can I, Pearl. Neither can I. But the Circle of Life must live on even after we have joined our parents in the Great Beyond. And because of that, I'll go face Dein and Terri alone." He said, earning another unbelieving twitch from his mate who then broke the embrace. Pearl looked at her with still-teary eyes and snapped at him, her voice revealing nothing but deepening confusion.

"How can you even suggest that? Of course I'll come to ensure that Ruby will live a long and happy life!" She said, not able to comprehend how her mate would tell her to stay here. Detras took a more serious look which implied that his more emotional wave had passed. From now on, he'd do what he had to, for better or worse.

"We cannot leave the children to defend the Rise in case those cursed longbeaks return or we could find that we've lost our home once we return. You will need to keep the children safe until I return." He said simply, making Pearl want to start an argument but no matter what, she couldn't find a way how she could prove her mate wrong. The longbeaks had been a real nuisance for a long time and it wasn't unlikely that they'd make their next move soon enough. Immediately, the long scar in her left cheek started to ache as she remembered her last encounter with them. It had been a few weeks ago when she and her mate had tried to drive them out from the nearby lands for good but things had gotten more dangerous than the fast runners had expected. Pearl would have wanted nothing more than to accompany her mate on his quest to find Chomper's parents but she knew that she had to stay here. It had been Detras who had forged the alliance with the sharpteeth and they would listen to him more easily than his mate. After a while, Pearl nodded to the male and spoke silently.

"Very well. I'll keep them safe but please, promise me that you'll do your all to save our daughter. Promise me this, Detras." She said pleadingly, causing Detras' eyes to drop slightly as he knew that it would be far from easy at this point. Yet, he loved Ruby without an end and he would make sure to give his all to either kill the injured predators or try to rebuild his family's alliance with the predators without being forced to sacrifice Ruby for that cause. He knew it was unlikely but he wouldn't allow his weakness to become his eldest child's end.

"Of course I promise that much, dear. I'll try to return within two days as Dein and Terri most likely haven't had the time to get too far yet. Let us pray that I'll return with good news." He said, mentally preparing for the fateful meeting with the sharpteeth as he knew it would be one of the most difficult moments in his whole life. Deep heartbreak could be seen from Pearl's face but she knew this was the best option for the fast runner family as a whole. She cocked her head slightly as she prepared to address her mate again.

"I'll pray for you the whole time you're gone. But before you go, your antics hurt Ruby badly. We should go…" Pearl began as she suddenly felt the ground under her beginning to crumble slightly. At first, she thought an earthshake was about to begin but then she realized that voice was actually coming from the fast runners' home cave. It didn't take long before she realized what was happening and quickly, she spoke to Detras.

"Come! if those cursed longbeaks are at it again…" She started but decided against finishing her sentence. Detras didn't hesitate a minute following her as it wasn't the first time his family's secret tunnels would be under attack from their competitors in this harsh, cold land.


Greentail walked around the narrow pass, her mind doing its best to try to calm down after the long journey. She was slowly getting used to her limited sight and slow limping but it did little to change the fact that her hopes of any meaningful recovery had finally been crushed. She was able to tell hers hadn't been the first head injury Pearl had seen and that made it even harder for the girl to accept this would be her lot in life. The fact that the sharpteeth who had done this to her had also been terribly injured brought her slight solace but in the end, that knowledge did little to improve her situation. Moreover, being forced to wait in this pass for minutes on end did little to ease her mental torment. Even the earlier friendly banter with Ruby's siblings had stopped the moment Ruby's father had begun his verbal assault against Ruby.

The thought of the fast runner reminded Greentail of another issue. She and Yarel had now helped Ruby find her family and in the end, all the two had to show for it was a head injury and a temporary refuge virtually devoid of any food. In this moment, Greentail cursed the day she had decided to leave her former home forest even if she remembered nothing of it herself. Yarel followed his sister's steps in worry, full well knowing what thoughts most likely circled in her mind. He was deeply disappointed in the outcome of this journey himself. He was happy that he and his sister had at least some shelter for a few days but it was obvious neither he nor Greentail could stay here longer than a few days. Yet, maybe there could still be some help to be received from the fast runners. He soon addressed his sibling and tried to give at least a forced smile.

"It's alright, Greentail. We've made it this far and if Ruby's family can live out here, so can we." He said, hoping to calm his sister down instead of making her again mourn her own fate. Yet, he was happy to see that she was beginning to act a tiny bit more like herself instead of the incapacitated wreck she was earlier, whether she realized it herself or not. Even if she wouldn't be of much use in finding food any time soon, it would help just to have the old her by his side again. The female thinclaw, however, wasn't as confident about their situation as her brother.

"Even I could see there is no more green food anywhere and living by ground fuzzies and dead dinosaurs will be extremely hard, especially for me. But now that we are here, we don't really have much choice. We could never make it back to our home before the arrival of spring. It's simply too difficult to walk in the ground sparkles for long." Greentail said, while kicking a pile of the sparkles to emphasize her point. However, it was at this point a new voice joined the conversation.

"There are many places around here where there should be some green food left, Greentail! Mommy and daddy showed us a lot of places around here but why can't you just stay here, with us?" The rather high-pitched voice of Arial spoke, more than eager to speak of anything else than her sister's situation. Ruby, however, decided to answer before the thinclaws could, chuckling slightly as she spoke.

"They most likely will for a while but they can't stay forever, forever they can't stay. It simply isn't how our kind does things. But I'm sure you're welcome to live with us for a while." Ruby said at the two siblings, earning a slight frown from Yarel. He had expected this much but he already knew that neither he or his sister wanted to live as a burden for Ruby's family in a harsh time like this. Yarel looked at Arial with some amusement and his voice was equally friendly as he gave his answer to both fast runners.

"Your sister is right. We are used to living on our own and we have learned a lot during our journey here. If we simply can, we'll likely be on our way in a few days but until the Cold Time comes to an end, we won't be going too far. You never know when Ruby needs our help with something again." He smirked slightly, trying to lighten the situation to some degree. He still regretted the way the fast runner had acted during their journey but there was simply no reason to hold that against her anymore. What was done was done and in the end, Ruby had kept her word. He and Greentail had known the risks of following her but in the end, both of them were still alive. That was what mattered the most. Ruby frowned playfully as she answered to Yarel's words.

"Hey, I didn't need saving so often! I was about to get even only a few times!" She said with fake chagrin, earning a slightly concerned but simultaneously amused look from Arial. However, it was at this moment that they heard another voice call further from the distance.

"Ruby, Orchid, Arial, Yarel and Greentail! You may now come out from there!" Ruby twitched with shock as she heard her mother's call. She had feared meeting her parents again after Pearl had left to speak with her mate as Ruby knew it was unlikely that it would be any more pleasant than the previous one. At the very best, she could hope for them to forgive her in the coming weeks. Her face immediately fell as she turned around and headed for the inevitable conversation with her parents.


A terrible pain crept to Detras' chest as she saw Ruby walk towards the small opening between the hills surrounding the Desolate Rise, standing just under the majestic mountain containing the fast runners' home. His discussion with his mate had been sickening enough but facing his daughter he had been so willing to sacrifice for the good of the family was even worse than he had expected. He could feel a similar but even stronger sentiment within his mate but there was no turning back now. He would do what he had to with Dein and Terri but this reunion with his daughter only made him feel more miserable than nearly any time before in his life which hadn't been exactly easy either. Especially as he had to lie to Ruby this whole meeting if he wanted to keep the cover for his upcoming journey up. He out his hands on his hips and took a partially genuine look of anger on his face as he was still more than bitter to Ruby for putting their family to this situation in the first place.

"Ruby, I'm… I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier but you have to understand what kind of curse you have brought upon us. Chomper's parents won't forgive this easily." He said, the anger still apparent in his voice. Pearl did her best to look as natural as possible even if her gestures revealed her inner anxiety. Ruby, on the other hand, felt too miserable to pay her mother much heed right now. She only crossed her arms and looked at the ground with eyes filled with utter sadness.

"I know, daddy. I wanted to warn you but in the end, it was clear all along I would only bring the trouble to you and if I only brought you trouble, maybe I shouldn't have come here after all." She said, partially knowing she was right. She was more than happy to see Orchid and Arial again but those feelings of happiness were largely overshadowed by the girl's guilt. Detras, on the other hand, didn't want to prolong this crushing moment any longer as he wanted to get over this as soon as possible. He quickly bowed towards Ruby and put his hand on her shoulder and spoke to her silently, hating himself as he did it.

"Don't say that, Ruby. We have missed you greatly and we are more than thankful you came for us. But as long as Chomper's parents threaten us, none of us can feel truly safe. That's why I'll go after them to see how we can best defend ourselves when they return next time." The older fast runner said, hoping Ruby wouldn't realize his lie. She wasn't stupid and it was clear that there was very little he could actually do against the sharpteeth except perhaps find out their condition. Ruby's eyes widened as she heard about her father's plans, not expecting her parents to act this quickly but… it made sense that this threat had to be dealt with quickly. She was too mentally burdened, however, to question her father's motives right now.

"You will? But… but what if they see you first? Even now, they are far too dangerous for a single fast runner to face. And won't mommy come with you?" She asked in confusion, not expecting these kinds of news right now. The girl looked with some unease as her mother cleared her throat as she attempted to hide her own horror at the situation.

"You should know your father is more than capable of hiding his presence when he wants to. He'll be just fine. As for why I'm not going with him, there is another issue we will need to deal with. Something that just reminded us of itself." Pearl said, breathing deeply to keep her voice natural. She was more than grateful that she could turn the subject to an easier one as this another issue was something which was not a lie at all. Ruby, cocked her head deeply, noticing that Orchid and Arial were whispering to each other something which brought her some bother. Yet, none of them seemed nearly as concerned as they did with Chomper's parents. Her voice was a highly wondering and curious one as she asked the obvious question.

"And what is that, mommy? What's the problem?" She asked but the answer didn't come from the dinosaur she had expected. Instead, it came from Orchid who looked at his mother with some frown.

"It's those longbeaks again, aren't they mommy? Didn't they get enough last time when daddy beat them up?" He asked with a slight smirk, remembering that day two weeks ago. He chuckled slightly as he remembered that fight's ending but his laugh was soon ended by a stern look from his father.

"That wasn't funny, Orchid! Your mother was badly hurt! I only did what I had to prevent them from wounding her further!" He snapped back, making Orchid's face fall slightly. Ruby looked at the older male questioningly and was just about to ask what he meant until she realized the scar in Pearl's cheek. She was surprised she hadn't noticed it before as it was still red and the area around it was still featherless. She cringed slightly as she spoke.

"What happened? What did the longbeaks do?" Ruby asked, her knowledge of their kind highly limited. She knew they were some kind of rather large sharpteeth but in terms of speed and agility they were no match for the fast runners. But it was rather worrying if their kind really was stalking her family around here. Pearl's eyes took a faraway look to them even if she didn't feel like telling the whole story right would be necessary. Instead, she gave a simple answer that would hopefully give her daughter a basic idea of what was happening.

"The longbeaks appeared here a about a month ago and ever since then they have tried to fight us for food and a few times, they have succeeded. We tried to make an agreement with them a few weeks ago but it didn't… go too well." She said while lowering her hand from her cheek. She was about to continue before Yarel took a step forward and asked with slight confusion.

"But… we shouldn't be able to face a longbeak and live to tell about it! They're much bigger than we are and they're sharpteeth!" He said, earning a slight nod from Detras. The latter took a brief moment before answering and when he did, his voice was still tense but his anger was slowly wearing off.

"You're right and normally, we would have had to flee before them but out here, we have one thing our favor we usually don't have. And they are the tunnels penetrating this whole plain." Detras began, allowing his mate to continue from his remark.

"We use them to get close to them and then attack them briefly and then retreat back underground. They aren't too smart and they've never been able to find their way through that maze of tunnels. That has been the only way we have been able to keep them at bay. However, they have since started to destroy those tunnels by beating the walls of the frailest of them until they finally come crushing down. We just heard another of them collapsing which alerted us a short while ago." Pearl finished, earning a slight frown from Yarel whose mind returned to the tunnel he and Ruby had left Greentail in during their fight with Ruby's parents. It would have been unlikely that it had been the only one in this plain so these news made a lot of sense. His thoughts, however, were cut short by Ruby's answer to her mother's words.

"Then we have to get rid of them soon enough! It must be bad enough to find food out here without being forced to fight for it with some longbeaks!" She said, not giving yet much thought to the question why her parents hadn't done so before. Detras snorted briefly before answering to that comment, his answer as dry as could be expected.

"Believe me, Ruby, when I say that we've tried that more than once already. Those longbeaks may be stupid but they are also very persistent and neither do they seem to have other place to go. It's unlikely that we could fight or scare them away but Pearl will stay here to make sure they won't get the upper hand either. Yet, we have to make a move against them soon before they think we've given up completely." He said, knowing that territorial disputes like these could take a long time to solve but right now, they were largely swept away from his mind by his upcoming search for the two sharpteeth. He looked with weary eyes as Arial spoke with an expectant voice.

"And when they and Chomper's parents are gone, everything will be well here! I can't wait for it!" She said, causing Detras to simultaneously cringe and smile inside. On one hand, he was happy that his younger daughter could still see things in that optimistic light but if he and Pearl couldn't fulfill those expectations, there would be even more heartbreak on the way. Pearl tried to smile at Arial too but those efforts were still doomed to fail despite her best efforts. Still, her voice was largely normal as she answered to Arial.

"Neither can I, Arial. But that won't be happening today. I'd say we've had enough fighting and danger for one day, don't you think?" She said, more than ready to rest a while after the already horrifying fight against Dein and Terri. None of the younger halfteeth seemed to mind her words but to Detras, they were an implication he should get on his way soon enough. After all, the more time he wasted here, the colder the predators' trail would become. He cleared his throat before again addressing his daughter, still feeling sick by his dishonesty in this conversation. Yet, he had to complete his act or risk raising any unnecessary doubts within Ruby.

"I hope to be back before the Bright Circle rises to the sky on the day after tomorrow. For your sake, Ruby, I hope I'll find some way to prepare us for Dein and Terri's next move." He said, his earlier annoyance returning to his voice. Ruby's face once again darkened as she saw her father's angered face but she knew she deserved it completely. Her voice was but a whisper as she answered.

"So do I. But whatever you do, daddy, please stay safe." Ruby decided against adding anything more to her remark, knowing that Detras hardly was going to embark on a journey like this without a real plan. The older fast runner felt himself even more miserable than before after hearing his daughter's heartfelt words and he could only barely hold back his emotions. He took a brief moment before answering and when he did, his earlier tone was replaced by an unsure, even guilty voice.

"I'll do my best, Ruby. Everyone, I'll return as soon as I can. Take care until then." He said as he waited for the inevitable farewells. He didn't have to wait them for long.

"See you soon, daddy!

"Make sure those sharpteeth won't haunt us again anytime soon!"

Arial and Orchid cried, finally prompting the older male to turn around and begin his quest. Ruby looked at him in deep worry, knowing the risks associated with a journey like that but she knew she could only hope the best for him. She even considered asking to join him but she knew she'd only slow him down as she knew she was nowhere near as good at hiding or scouting as her father was. Still, she felt more than guilty as she knew full well none of this would have happened if it weren't for her mistakes. However, this short moment of silence was soon ended by Pearl who decided that it was time to end this conversation.

"We are all grateful to your father for doing this, Ruby. It won't be easy but if anyone can succeed today, it's him. But I'm hardly mistaken if I say you and your companions will want to rest a while after your journey, Ruby." She said, willing to allow things to settle down at least somewhat before her mate's return. Because that could be the most disastrous day in the whole family's history and Ruby deserved at least some time to calm down before then. The younger fast runner glanced at Yarel and Greentail and only now realized herself the toll forcing her way through the ground sparkles had taken for her.

"You're right, mommy. We started our journey today right after the dawn so a small time to rest would be a good idea now." She said, earning an understanding look for Pearl. She spoke one last time to her daughter before taking off.

"I thought so, Ruby. Our nest is on a cave up there. I'll go investigate the damage the longbeaks caused to the caves before I'll join you children but I promise I'll stay safe out there. See you all later." She said as she turned around rather quickly, earning a slightly surprised look from Ruby. However, she was more than ready to have a moment of peace and to explore her new home.


A small smile crept to her face as Ruby left another of the paths leading to the central plain of the Desolate Rise. She could see why her parents had chosen a place like this as their new home as it was extremely safe from most enemies due to the narrow passes leading to the omnivores' nest but it also resembled Hanging Rock in many ways. If the situation had been any easier, she could have felt home out here already. However, her eyes got a curious look as she looked at the mountain in the middle of the range of sloping hills, willing to finally see whether her family's nest was anything like their old one.

She cringed slightly as she stepped on the small ramp leading higher to the hill, remembering her earlier slip and near-fall into the deep pass. The drop would soon become a deadly one which made climbing the path a bit worrisome for the young girl. Yet, she trusted in herself enough to swallow those fears and to simply head forward. It didn't take long before the path joined the summit of the mountain, surrounded only by a few lower hills here and there. And in one of them, Ruby could see an opening into the cave which could be nothing else but the entrance to her new home. She was just about to go see it when her eyes caught something which stopped her immediately. At first, she thought she was mistaken but soon enough she realized that she could still see her father in the distance, apparently trying to locate the trail of the sharpteeth.

Ruby sighed as she saw him, the older dinosaur's actions proving how much she had hurt her family by coming here. Right now, she would have wanted to simply sink into the rock and to swipe away herself and her actions and with them, the threat she had brought here with her. Not even realizing it herself, she sat down on the cliff overlooking the plains just like his father had done earlier. She buried her head in her hands while trying to find at least some comfort in this brief moment of silence. For the first time since her departure from the Valley, she felt slightly as ease as now there were no sharpteeth threatening her nor was she under pressure to continue any journey.

Sure, that was only one side of the fast runner's mind. Despite the slight reprieve from dangers, she would have to face the longbeaks tomorrow and the next showdown with Chomper's parents hung above the Desolate Rise. Ruby's eyes drifted dreamily through the white landscape, exploring the hills and gorges that could be seen here and there. The surrounding lands felt even more monotonic over here and it did in the morning but at least the sky stars had stopped falling. Even if it was unlikely they'd melt away before the spring, it would take at least more time until walking through these lands would become too challenging.

But she couldn't simply bury her fears under the sleeping landscape as the implications of her return manifested themselves in the back of her mind. Even from now on, she'd do her all to defend her family from the furious sharpteeth but even with her and her father's efforts, would it be enough? The fast runner would do all in her might to undo her mistakes but she knew there were some things she couldn't make right no matter what: hopefully there wouldn't come any more of those. As for her friends, Ruby cringed as she thought about their situation. They would live here for a while but it wasn't usual for strangers to live with another halftooth family for long. Would they find their place in these lands or had she led them a dead end, with one of them irrevocably maimed? Most likely that was another thing that would come to haunt her in the…

"You can't stay the whole evening here, Ruby. We noticed you're thinking too much bad things today." Ruby twitched noticeably as she heard the voice and immediately she turned to look at the newcomer. Her eyes immediately met those of Arial's who looked at her in a mixture of concern and expectant smile. Ruby saw Orchid by her side and she tried to give them an approving smile but it fell far short of what she had tried. She then looked at her siblings wearily as she spoke.

"I'm sorry for that, Arial, but things are a complete mess, a complete mess they are. I was just trying to clear my thoughts here." She sighed, knowing she was far from pleasant company right now, especially to her young siblings she hadn't met in many Cold Times. She turned her gaze back to the distance as she heard Orchid's voice speak to her.

"Out here, completely alone? That isn't what you used to do before." He said, remembering the days when Ruby had shared nearly all her concerns and joys with her siblings. She had never been one to spend time alone back then. Ruby's eyes widened slightly as she realized that detail herself. Her times away from her family had changed her in more ways than she'd realized and it was more than logical that her siblings would realize it before Ruby herself. The older fast runner looked at the boy, her eyes half closed.

"Now that I think of it, you're right. I guess that's because when I first arrived into the Valley, I had a really hard time fit in despite Chomper introducing me to his friends who welcomed me without second thoughts. I guess I was just too different from them in the beginning and many others in the Valley never saw me as one of them, something I learned later. After those long and stressful days I often went to sit alone on a hill much like this one to try to find the good things that had happened on those days. After a while I noticed they helped me a lot so I figured they'd help me here as well." A slight smile rose to Ruby's mind as she spoke. Speaking of her friends still hurt her but the overwhelming, crushing pain associated with those memories were slowly drifting away. The younger omnivores looked at their sister in slight sympathy, not fully understanding what she had gone through in the Valley but her answer confirmed not all had been well even before Ruby's journey back to her family. Orchid crossed his arms briefly before glancing at the opening below him where he could see his mother finally returning from her investigations. After that, he answered to Ruby again.

"Those days must have been real difficult to get through but… maybe there are other things that could help you have some fun after all that's happened." The male fast runner said, prompting an asking look from Ruby. If she was paying the situation any more thought, she would have told what Orchid meant but now, she only stared into nothingness and asked absentmindedly.

"And what is that, Orchid?" She said in a voice that fully revealed her lack of interest in his words but the younger fast runners didn't let that dampen their excitement any.

"Aww, you know what we mean, Ruby! Hide and Seek has never been the same without you!" Arial said in a high-pitched and happy voice which widened her sister's eyes immediately. Of course that's what the two were after but even then, she was far from the right mood for playing anything. She turned slowly to face Arial and spoke to her softly.

"Thank you for asking me but I have too many things in mind and if I have too many things in my mind, I can't play very well." She said but the two younger omnivores weren't about to give up that easily as they had never expected Ruby to agree immediately due to her apparent fatigue. However, neither of the younger dinosaurs wanted to see their long-lost sister like this. The three had enjoyed so many good times together and Orchid and Arial knew this would cheer Ruby up at least to some degree. Orchid stepped forward and gazed at the older fast runner with a pleading look.

"But maybe if you tried it, you would feel much better! The Rise has far better hiding places than the Hanging Rock ever did! I'm sure you'll like it!" He said, prompting a slight frown from Ruby who was just about to rebuke her brother's comment when Arial continued from where the boy had stopped.

"We saw how badly mommy and daddy treated you earlier but we've missed you for a long time, Ruby. We want our first day together end better than this."

"Please, Ruby?!"

Orchid joined his sister's plea which immediately earned a brief look of displeasure from Ruby but when she saw the sad smiles on her siblings' faces, her annoyance disappeared immediately. She could see that the duo truly meant what they were saying which warmed the older omnivore even more than she had expected. Their pleading and loving faces forced Ruby to return a deeper smile than anytime before on this day. She took a sigh and she clearly hesitated for a few seconds but soon enough, she gave her answer.

"Arial, Orchid… you know I cannot say no to those faces. But remember that it'll be only be a few rounds, okay?" She said while putting her hands upon her siblings' crests and brushing them slightly. Ruby's heart swelled as she saw her siblings' faces brighten up in a second as they realized they had been successful. Both of them swept Ruby's hands away as they started to head towards the ramp leading into the plain below the mountain.

"You're the best, Ruby! We knew we could count on you! Come on, we promise we won't make it too hard for you in the beginning!" Orchid cried while running the narrow path down with a speed that made Ruby cringe slightly. She followed the two with a much slower pace which made the two look at her with some puzzlement. However, she soon learned the solid spots on the path and she didn't even lose that much to her siblings in the end. Arial chuckled slightly at Ruby's carefulness before speaking to her again.

"We usually start here. The best places to hide are the caves and the many cliffs on the passes leading here but for now, we promise to stay near this opening. We know you don't know the Rise very well yet so you're it first. But don't worry, we'll make it easy for you today!" She said while Orchid finished her instructions.

"You know the rest but make sure you won't cheat! You always had a bad habit for it!" He said with a smirk which earned an amused smile from Ruby who poked the boy in his chest playfully.

"Says the king of all cheaters! I always had a hard time believing in the Valley that they played fair and square after my experiences with you, Orchid!" She said which earned a look of mock chagrin from Orchid. It warmed all three of them to know that despite the three Cold Times that had passed, the siblings themselves had still remained largely the same. Ruby turned to look at the nearby rock of wall to show she was ready to begin.

"Well then, be on your way you little pests! I'll show you I don't even need to know this place to outsmart you two!" She said while hearing the two younger fast runners to force their way through the ground sparkles, wondering how the two planned to hide their tracks. Otherwise, finding them would be far too easy. Ruby kept her curiosity bay and counted all the way to the hundred before finally turning around, more than ready to let the thrill of the search override at least some of her most morbid thoughts.

She frowned somewhat as she could easily see her siblings' tracks in the ground sparkles but a bit further from her they seemed to grow less profound. Apparently the two had headed towards an area where there was a thinner layer of the sparkles and thus it would be easier for them to find some place to hide. Yet, even these footsteps told Ruby the area where her siblings had most likely hidden themselves. It was a rather small and sheltered part of the central part of the Rise, overlooked by the high hills steeper than in other parts of the small range of lonely hills. There were small cracks everywhere in the hills and it didn't seem to be too difficult to climb them even for her siblings.

That realization alongside the sight of a long-dead pile of dried grass immediately raised some old memories within Ruby's mind. Suddenly she remembered Orchid and Arial's most usual spots in the Hanging Rock and noticed how similar spots she could see around herself. Arial had often went to hiding in some of the most verdant of bushes as she knew she could quite easily slip from the seeker's gaze if she was nimble enough. An expectant smile rose to Ruby's mind as she walked towards the large group of dead bushes, more than eager to see if her guess had been the correct one. The leaves had fallen off long since from the bushes but their mere size prevented anyone from seeing what lurked within them. It didn't take long until Ruby saw a familiar hue of pink flash among the vegetation. Before Arial got any new ideas, Ruby called after her with slight chuckles.

"I saw you already, Arial. It was fair that you decided to use the same kinds of shelters you always did. I guess Orchid has climbed to some of the hills around us, then?" She asked, remembering well how Orchid had often climbed to the most difficult of cliffs which bordered on being outright dangerous. However, she hoped he had received some more sense during her time in the Valley. Ruby looked triumphantly as Arial crawled to her sight in slight chagrin.

"You were even faster than we thought! Maybe we made it too easy for you after all, Ruby!" She said, trying to put her disappointment behind her. Ruby started to already scour the hills surrounding her, quickly spotting one path upwards which seemed rather promising. The older fast runner grinned at Arial before taking off.

"It was nicely done, Arial, but next time you may already do your best. It shouldn't take long to find your brother if he took a similar spot you did…" Ruby said as she headed towards the path leading to one of the hills surrounding the center of the Desolate Rise. An expectant smile rose to her mind a she remembered one of Orchid's worst faults in this game: his nerves. He would often reveal himself if the seeker got too close simply by trying to desperately flee further. Ruby stopped for a moment as she reached the small hilltop overlooking the surrounding plains. It was barely a third of a longneck's full height over Arial's hiding place but it was very easy to climb to, prompting Ruby t be sure that Orchid was somewhere around here.

Suddenly, the fast runner stopped to investigate the rather narrow area around her. There were a few cracks in the higher cliffs around her, making them more than sound places to hide. Ruby stood completely silent, trying to hear any hints but to her slight disappointment, she heard nothing but her own breath and the weak whistle of the Cold Time's breeze. Slowly, she walked towards one of the crevices but there was nothing to be seen there. Only a few hues of twilight hung in the dark air and there was no trace of her brother. Ruby frowned somewhat and then walked towards the next crack. This one was larger and it had several massive boulders, some of which leaned towards each other. Yes, this was the ideal place to hide…

Ruby advanced very slowly, not even allowing her own footsteps to disturb the perfect silence. Avoiding the stones in the darkness was far from easy but by no means impossible. She stopped once in a while to allow her eyes get used to the lack of light in the hill's narrow crevice. Just as she was reaching halfway to the looking wall, she could suddenly hear the slightest sound of the ground sparkles moving aside under somebody's foot. She immediately narrowed her eyes and moved towards the direction of the sound which had come from behind a boulder twice her own height. She increased her speed and as she did so, she could hear the other dinosaur's footsteps again and in that moment, she knew she had caught her younger brother. In order to tease him a bit further, Ruby decided not to voice that she had found him but allowed Orchid to trip himself on a stone in the ground as he tried to escape from his sister's gaze. However, he knew it was all over the moment he saw Ruby appear above him, her hands on her hops as she spoke.

"Well, well, if it isn't my dearest brother. I guess this was an improvement from some of the places you found back at the Hanging Rock." She said while offering her hand to help Orchid back on his feet. The boy, to Ruby's surprise, didn't seem disappointed in the least as he seemed pretty excited by Ruby's good memory of their old games together.

"This was nothing, Ruby, and you'll see it wouldn't be that easy the next time! Uhh, if you want to have another round, that is." He asked, suddenly remembering his sister's earlier misgivings. Ruby looked surprised for a short while before answering the boy.

"Why, sure I want, Orchid. This is much better than simply dwelling in my own fears. There will be enough time for that anyway." She said, forcing the fearful thoughts from her mind as she spoke. She could see Orchid's eyes widening with joy as he waved to his sister.

"Well, let's go then! Arial must be waiting already. It's great to have you back here, Ruby." Orchid said almost under his breath which prompted Ruby to twitch slightly. She couldn't completely agree with him yet but at least she was happy to be able to spend time with her siblings yet. For now, that was all that mattered.

"It is, Orchid. I've waited for this ever since I left the Valley." She said, her vague tone confusing Orchid slightly. Yet, the two fast runners headed back towards the opening spreading below them, ready to finish this momentous day with numerous games filled with happiness and joy.


The darkness seemed to attempt to swallow the sparkling white cover of the earth as the night began to fall upon the world. The day's death was accompanied by a rising wind which every now and then seemed to fight their way under the aging fast runner's plumage. Detras shuddered slightly as he looked at the plains around him, knowing that the weather would get even much colder than this which hardly raised his spirits but he wasn't about to let that hinder his most important of quests.

He frowned slightly as he realized that most traces of today's fight had been cleaned away by the day's winds. However, it would do little to slow him down as he still knew just where the small lake on which they had outsmarted Dein and Terri was located and that was where he'd pick up their trail. He panted slightly as he saw the frozen body of water appear from the endless shadows, the hard water glimmering magically under the brilliant star-filled sky. Even now, Detras couldn't completely ignore the majestic sight but he didn't waste a second heading towards the small pond.

Now, where did it happen? I guess it was about there and… aha! There it is!

The fast runner thought as he wiped away a layer of the ground sparkles to reveal a massive splotch of Dein's blood, frozen into the hard water for the remainder of the Cold Time. The overwhelming smell of blood flowed into the fast runner's nose, the dinosaur smelling the sharptooth's presence as if he was with him right now. Detras smiled as he had just found the point from where to begin searching for the two sharpteeth but it would get more difficult from now on. The fast runners had an excellent sense of smell compared to most other dinosaurs but they weren't sharpteeth and they most often weren't supposed to follow their prey for a long time. Without drops of blood, the points where Detras could without mistake identify either of the sharpteeth would be far and between. He would have to use their resting and relieving spots as his guide but even then, the terribly injured sharpteeth could not be far and with any luck, he could finish them off without them knowing it. And if he couldn't…

A horrible cringe rose to Detras' mind as he tried to fight off the potential outcome of his quest out of his mind. He would do what he could but he was a father of three children and he'd do anything in his power to keep them safe. But he also had to think of the future and it was his duty for all members of his family that drove him forward. Detras took a deep sigh as he prepared to start his chase for his former allies. He put his hands on his knees as he panted slightly, raising his gaze towards the countless small lights of the cloudless night.

A brief glimmer of the stars' light flashed within Detras' eyes before he finally tensed his muscles in preparation for the rest of his chase. Suddenly he forced himself into a swift sprint and in a few seconds, he had disappeared into the all-penetrating night.


And so Detras has embarked on a quest which will not only decide the safety of his family, but the very survival of his own daughter. Trying to stand against the sharpteeth could well be his end but is the alternative something he's willing to go through? And will the fast runners be able to prevent further bloodshed with their coming standoff with the invading predators? Next, I'll write my last short story of the year as the GOF prompt challenge will go to a hiatus until January after that. As for this chapter, let me know what you think of it and see you next time!

The Rhombus: I'm glad that you found the structure of the chapter successful as I knew that it could get a bit confusing due to all the stuff that was happening. There were a few scenes I thought of adding but that installment was already too long for that. As for Petrie, you're right that he decided to finally listen to "reason" in the worst possible time and that will undoubtedly haunt him in the future.

I can't say I disagree with you about Pterano's death. I can easily see that the scene might not have been as good as the character deserved but I tried to do create a sense of utter shock for that scene but apparently it wasn't good enough. Personally I feared that this momentous scene would disappear under the other action but I hope to avoid such mistakes in the future. Yet, in the end, I'm happy you found the rest of this chapter successful as it was one of the most important ones thus far. Thanks for the review, as always!