The Time of Wolves 2

Chapter 9: Reunion

Littlefoot had lost track of how long it has been. After the chaos that ensued on the ice path, Balto had given charge to Kemo lead Littlefoot, Cera, and Boris to safety while the wolfdog went out to rescue the rest of their friends, drifting away on a patch of ice. Kemo did as he was told, and now this small group was further down the ice path waiting. Waiting for Balto to show up with Ducky, Petrie, and Spike in tow. Still, it had been so long since then, and there was only so much time they could remain where they were. Whether it is the freezing touch of the ice or the path slowly breaking away, they couldn't stay here. What if something went wrong? What if Balto got lost or something? Littlefoot was starting to become worried.

But then, splashes could be heard in the coming towards them. Kemo went on guard in case it turned out to be another orca attack. But instead, he was met with a far more pleasant sight. Balto, swimming past the mist, swam up to his companions. He would require aid from Boris and Kemo to climb onto the ice, and when on, it wasn't hard to imagine why. Balto heaved, completely out of breath from his long swim. Everyone stood over the wolfdog to see if he was okay, but he wouldn't answer. Balto seemed beside himself. That wasn't all they noticed.

"Where's Ducky?" Cera asked, looking to the water, "And Petrie and Spike?"

A wheezing sound came from Balto. But it didn't sound of someone catching their breath, more of someone holding back their sadness.

"Balto?" Littlefoot, ever worried for his friends, spoke, "Balto, what happened?"

"I was... I was so close. But one of those whales threw me off course, and... and I saw them drifting... to the mist..." Balto tried to get the words out; he was too choked up over it.

"Well?" Cera was growing impatient, "Where are they?!"

"That's what I'm trying to say. I... I don't know!" he blurted out with tears forming in his eyes, "I lost them."

Silence fell on the group as they lament what Balto just told them. He lost them? How could such a thing be possible? Balto was supposed to be this great hero. He saved an entire town of children, rescued those lost in the forest, and protect the entirety of the Great Valley from the Horned Sharptooth. Balto was always there for his friends and those he cared for. But in this instant, he failed. Not just one, but failed to rescue three of their friends from being lost out into the sea. It was simply unreal to hear.

Needless to say, everyone was rocked by this news. Kemo, his heart went out to those kids, for the large wolf had found himself growing attached to those three. Littlefoot couldn't fathom the implications that his friends were lost but only hoped they would wind up someplace safe. Boris was saddened not just by the children but also by Balto, who was clearly shaken up by the whole ordeal. Balto was taking it the hardest of all. The wolfdog was just devastated by his own failure that wished he could curl up in a hole somewhere to drown away in his own sorrows.

One member of the group was not content to show sadness. Instead, Cera chose to react vocally, "This is all your fault!" she bellowed at Balto, who didn't even bother to defend himself against the angry threehorn, "If you had just listened to Jenna and stay with us at the boat, none of this would've happened!"

Not wanting her tears to be known, she ran off. Ran off through the ice path as fast as her legs would take her. Cera almost didn't notice her feet were no longer on ice until she rammed through an old broken-down log. The threehorn was already some pace away from the shore before she realized this fact. When Cera did notice this fact, she took in her new surroundings. They had completed their journey. They have crossed the Big Water. So what, Cera thought. With three of her friends lost to who-knows-where, what's the point?

What if they completed their task before being reunited with Ducky, Petrie, and Spike? Would Littlefoot and Cera be sent home without them? If so, how would either of them explain this to their parents? This had turned no shorter than a disaster.

Little did Cera know, someone was watching her. Someone lured by the sounds of the log that she rammed through. Someone that had more than enough reasons to be anxious about a strange creature such as her. Someone who was preparing to pounce on the unsuspecting threehorn.

Back on the ice path, Balto and the others were still reeling from realizing what had transpired earlier that day. To make matters worse, Cera had lost her temper at the wolfdog and verbally beaten him while he was down before running off. With emotions flaring high, no one was in sound mind to be acting rationally. Especially if one was a temperamental giant of a white wolf, who was fiercely protective of his brother.

"Why that little... she has no rights say such thing," Kemo growled in anger, "I'm going to find that kid and straighten her out!"

"No!" Balto blurted out, "Just leave her be."

"You're just going to let her get away with what she said to you?" Kemo asked.

"It's no worse than what I've been saying to myself."

Kemo was left with no response and thus resided himself to silence. His anger subsiding as he knew now that his brother was hurting regardless of what Cera did. Right now, Balto needed him here more than ever.

"Mr. Boris, I'm worried about Cera," said Littlefoot, "I'm going to go find her and make sure she's okay."

"Of course, Boychik, go help your friend." Boris spoke in a calm – understanding manner.

"Thanks." but before Littlefoot left, he had something to say, "Balto?" the wolfdog did not answer, "I don't know what happened out there, but I know that it wasn't your fault."

Balto didn't even acknowledge what Littlefoot said. He couldn't even look at the little longneck; he was so ashamed. All he did was sulk while Littlefoot ran after Cera. What else could he do, he wondered. Balto failed at doing the thing he promised to do; to get these kids home safely as possible. But that was no longer a possibility. How could he live with himself knowing that he failed to protect three out of five of these kids?

"You know Boychik," Boris patted Balto on the head, "You should listen to the kid. He's got a good head on his shoulder. I can see why you like him so much."

"But he's wrong, Boris," Balto retort, "It is my fault."

"Boychik, you can't blame yourself for..."

"I was responsible for them, Boris!" Balto continued to exclaim, "I promised to look after them until they could return home. They were my responsibility! Anything that happens to them is entirely on me." The wolfdog they went back to sulking, "Why didn't I listen to Jenna? She originally wanted for me to remain in Nome and look after the kids there. The only reason she suggested that I take them was to try and satisfy both them and me. Why didn't I listen? Why didn't I just stay where it was safe for all of us?"

"You know something, brother?" Kemo stepped up to speak, "You're right. It would've been safer to stay in Nome. Bringing these kids out into a world beyond their own was dangerous. It was only a matter of time before something bad would happen."

Fearing Kemo's bluntness, Boris attempted to intervene less the wolf say anything to worsen Balto's emotional turmoil, "What Kemo is trying to say is... what are you trying to say?"

"That, even though it would be the safest choice, it wasn't the best decision." Kemo reiterated, "Those kids were brought here by a Great Spirit for an important task, and I doubt it was to lounge around a huge chunk of wood." Kemo moved in front of Balto and placed a paw on his shoulder to get the wolfdog to look at him, "Tell me, were those kids still alive when you last saw them?" Balto nodded, "Then there's still hope. With the amount of luck these kids seem to have, those three will hopefully drift back to our lands. However, we are needed here to help your daughter, but we'll go back and search for them when we're done here. I promise."

It didn't completely take away Balto's feelings of failure, but it did help him in seeing the bigger picture, "You're right, we need to stay focus on the task in front of us first and save my daughter. Then we'll find Ducky, Petrie, and Spike."

With Balto's resolve reinvigorated, Boris whispered to Kemo, "When did you become such an optimist?"

"No idea. Maybe hanging around you lot for so long has infected me with something."

Balto laughed at the two's antics. Even with the common goal of cheering him up, they would find some way to bicker about it. Regardless, nothing was going to get done with them simply sitting around on this patch of ice. Best to regroup with Littlefoot and Cera as soon as possible. But as they were walking, a high pitch scream was heard beyond the path ahead of them. Balto recognized that scream coming from Cera, and his heart fell. Quickly, he raced towards the scene as fast as his feet could carry. He was not going to lose another one of them today.

Back on land, Cera was beginning to feel on edge. She had this unnerving feeling that she was being watched. She had to keep it together. Threehorns were not meant to show fear; she had to remain brave like her dad taught her. That's what Cera thought until she heard ruffling in the bushes behind her. She faced the direction of the noise, but then the ruffling came again around the side. She turned there only for the ruffling to come from the other side. No matter where Cera turned, the noise would always pick up outside of her peripheral vision. It was beginning to freak her out until, all of a sudden, it stopped. Why did it stop? Cera was on high alert for anything.

A creature then pounced from behind and tackled the young threehorn. But Cera was no slouch to roughhousing and rolled with her attacker to throw them off. With her attacker off of her, Cera got a good look at them. The attacker was a, of all things, a wolf—a wolf whose appearance bears a striking resemblance to Balto in their fur color. Sure, there were some differences. This wolf's body was slimmer, and their features were like looking at a smaller version of Kemo, but it was still uncanny.

But Cera couldn't be distracted by such things. She was faced alone with a wolf baring its teeth at her. It was something that Cera was secretly afraid of since realizing what time period she was in. She would never admit it, but after seeing Balto handle the fast biter leader and the Horned Sharptooth, the idea of a pack of sharpteeth similar to him scared her. It was only by luck that Balto wished to be friends with them and that the other wolves they met thus far were friends with him. There was no telling what would happen if they met with others who weren't as friendly. At least, until now.

The wolf continued baring its teeth at Cera before finally deciding to charge. Scared out of her wits, the threehorn did the first thing that came to mind, she ran for her life. Ran in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry. However, she already used up all her stamina when she ran away from the group earlier, so she couldn't achieve her full speed. It was something the wolf took advantage of when it jumped on Cera's back only to immediately hop off in front of her snapping its fangs inches from the threehorn's face. Cera was so startled she leaped to her hind legs and fell to her back. Within moments of being belly up on the ground, the wolf had already climbed on top of her, growling with its teeth on full display inches of Cera's face.

Before anything else could occur, something slammed into the wolf knocking it off of Cera. When Cera looked up, she saw it was Littlefoot who had come to her rescue. The little longneck jumped over his friend whipped his tail right across the wolf's face causing it to yelp in pain before tumbling back. With the threat temporarily subdued, Littlefoot ran back to Cera and tried to help her up.

"Come on, Cera." he said, "We need to get back to the others."

But before Cera could get up, the wolf jumped in between the two and focused its sights on Littlefoot. This wasn't the first time Littlefoot was face-to-face with a ferocious sharptooth, so it was odd that this one didn't seem to be trying to hurt him. Sure, this wolf would occasionally snap at him, but it always deliberately inches away from his flesh as if it was merely a scare tactic. Littlefoot tested this by headbutting the wolf, and instead of attempting to bite him, the wolf pushed its head against his. The two were in a tense struggle against the other, but ultimately, Littlefoot broke the match to whip his tail again. However, the wolf saw it coming and ducked from the oncoming attack. With Littlefoot left wide open, the wolf leaped up onto its hind legs and pushed the longneck over with its front. With Littlefoot down, the wolf approached him, ready to pounce.

But once again, the wolf was interrupted by another charging forth between them. This time it was Cera who went on the offensive to protect Littlefoot. The wolf saw the charging threehorn with just enough to jump of the way for their own protection. With Cera by his side, Littlefoot got back to his feet, and both now face the wolf, who wasn't willing to back down despite being outnumbered.

"Littlefoot! Cera!"

A voice called out from behind the children, and even the wolf's expressions faltered by its sound. From behind, Balto appeared in a sprint. First, he checked on the children to see if they were injured or not. Then he faced their attacker, and he froze on the spot. The wolf did the same as the two were transfixed on each other.

"Aleu?" Balto said.

"Papa?"

After their shared daze, the two wolfdogs jumped for joy at seeing one another once again. Running around each other with nothing but laughter and not a care in the world. Littlefoot and Cera were left in confusion, completely forgotten by the two. So, this was Aleu. It actually made sense now that Littlefoot thought about it. Unlike other members of Balto's family, this was the only one who resembled him greatly. Still, it was quite the shock the wolf that attacked them was actually the one they came all this way for.

"Boychik, wait up!" came the voice of Boris, who had caught up with the gang.

Aleu stopped running around her father when she heard the old goose, "Uncle Boris!"

Boris stopped in his tracks when he saw her, "Puppy!" he excitedly held his wings out, "Come to Uncle Boris!"

And Aleu answered by tackling the old bird to the ground. It was clear that Boris regretted what he said as he trying to push her away while Aleu continued to nuzzle him. She only stopped when suddenly faced with the presence of a massive white wolf.

"Uncle Kemo?" Aleu was shocked to see another of her family here.

"It's been some time, Aleu." Kemo remarked, "You've grown since I last saw you."

Aleu couldn't believe it. Her father and uncles, who she thought she would never see again, were all out here. It was like something out of a dream, but this was no dream. This was real. This was instantly the happiest day of her life.

"Hey!" Cera's shrill voice broke this happy reunion, "What's going on here?"

"Sorry." Balto was so focused on seeing Aleu again that he forgot the young dinosaurs, "Guys, this is my daughter, Aleu."

"We met," Cera said in irritation, "She tried to eat us!"

Aleu looked to everyone with embarrassment written on her face. Clearly realizing that these creatures she attacked were friends of her father, "I wouldn't say that I was trying."

"Uh-huh." Cera sarcastically responded.

"I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding," Balto said, trying to ease the tension, "Aleu, this is Littlefoot and Cera. They're dinosaurs."

Aleu had to make sure she heard her father right, "Dinosaur? But... what... how?"

"It's a long story, Aleu." Balto answered, "Perhaps one told as we move somewhere safer."

Aleu nodded, "I'll take you to the clan. Follow me."

So, they walked on behind Alue. After what they've all been through in the past hours, it was a welcome change of pace. But still, it was a solemn walk for the youngest members of this party. The two dinosaurs were still reeling over the loss of their friends. All the while, Balto relayed the story of the Great Valley to his daughter. Everything up to before the dinosaurs came to this time period.

"Wow," Aleu said in response, "That is quite the amazing story, papa."

"Yeah, amazing." Cera said with snark and annoyance that everyone picked up on.

"Should I..." Aleu, again feeling embarrassed over what happened earlier, "Should I apologize? I can't help feels she's angry with me."

"It's not you, I promise." Balto assured her, "There were three others with us when crossing the sea, and we-I lost them."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Aleu could hear the sorrow in her father's voice.

"Aleu?" Littlefoot spoke up, "Sorry about whipping you with my tail."

"It's quite alright," Aleu said with renewed pep in her voice, "I earned it for attacking you both. It was a solid hit, though. I think I lost a tooth."

The fact that Aleu was so cheerful after the whole ordeal did a lot to lift Littlefoot's spirits. It had become clear to the young longneck that Aleu shared more traits with Balto than just her looks. Hearing how she spoke, looking into her amber eyes, he saw the same kind nature he saw in Balto. All be it, with the added benefit of a younger – peppier step to her. Littlefoot knew that Aleu never meant any harm. In fact, it did feel that she was holding back when snapping at him and Cera like it was merely out of intimidation than anything else. So, that left the question, why would she feel the need to intimidate the two of them as if they were a possible threat?

"Speaking of which, why did you attack Littlefoot and Cera? It's not like you start fights without cause." Balto stole the words right out of Littlefoot's mouth.

"It's complicated."

"We're not going anywhere else." Kemo retort.

Aleu took a deep breath, "Nava was right. We did find the caribou that crossed the great water. Life was good in these new land for a time, but now, things have changed." her voice was shaken, "One day, a few months ago, a scouting party was sent out so we can plan our next hunt. They... they didn't return. We sent a small search party to go look for them, only for them to disappear as well. The clan has been on edge since then. It was only recently when three others volunteer to search again." there was hesitation in Aleu's voice when she mentioned the volunteers, "I hope they return safely. For the clan's sake, and mine. Anyway, when I saw your two friends, I thought they would be involved because, well, it's not like dinosaurs are common around here. I see now that I was wrong."

There was silence among the group. So, it wasn't just Balto and his company who were suffering some awful luck. It was clear that these disappearances were the reason why they were here. Now, they would have to figure out what was causing these horrible things to happen before it was too late before whatever it was descended upon Aleu and the rest of her pack. Then, the kids can go home, or the kids who were still with them.

"We're here." Aleu announced.

The gang stopped in their tracks to come into view of a small valley filled with a pack of wolves. Their numbers and assortments of appearance were great. At least twenty if not more of different fur colors and body types. It sure was a bit nerve-racking for the two herbivores that they were met with so many sharpteeth that they would walk among for who know how long. Aleu did not notice their anxiety about the situation, or if she did, she chose to put on a brave face for them before leading them into the thick of it.

The wolves noticed the gang's arrival instantly. They all stared at the company that followed their leader with intense curiosity. Of course, the wolves recognized Balto as the wolfdog also aided them to salvation before Aleu took up the leadership role. However, they did not know these other strangers with him. They didn't know this intimidating white wolf that towered over them, nor the goose who showed no fear when trailing with wolves. But what really caught their attention were the young dinosaurs. They were nothing that these wolves have ever seen before, and with recent events, it was hard to know if they were friends or foes.

"They don't look happy to see us." Cera observed.

"Forgive them," Aleu answered, "Things haven't been good in some time. With the disappearances, they all now believe these lands are cursed."

The group made it to the far side of the valley, where a cave made from stones lay. This cave was Aleu's den, and it was where she could overlook the entire clan. Speaking of, the wolves had also joined up everyone, for they wished to know exactly what was going on. Sensing her pack's confusion, Aleu climb to the stone platform on the top of her cave so that she may address the clan.

"Everyone, listen!" Aleu called, but the wolves were too busy murmuring to one another to hear, "Listen to me!" now, she got their attention, "I know there a lot of confusion going around, but as you can see, we have guests from beyond the great water."

"Yes, we can see this." one wolf said, "We recognize Balto, but who are the others with him?"

"And what of these abominable creatures?" another wolf address the young dinosaurs, "What are they?"

"Are they responsible for the disappearance of our brothers and sister?" said another.

"If so, then we deserve justice for what they did!"

"Yes, justice for our lost comrades!"

An uproar was stewing within the crowd of wolves. Cera, usually so rash, could not bring herself to fight back against their accusations. She couldn't act because out of fear of the pack of wolves that surrounded them. Fear of what would happen if she made the wrong move, then these wolves would be on her like fast biters in a feeding frenzy. Littlefoot, though nervous, tried to remain calm under these circumstances. He trusted that neither Balto nor Aleu would allow harm to befall him or Cera.

"Enough!" Aleu bellowed, "The wolf and goose are Kemo and Boris. They are family to me and should be treated as such. As for the two new creatures, they are children and friends of my father. As such, they are friends of the clan. They are here to help us with our troubles."

"Balto and that giant wolf might help us," one wolf said, "But what are a goose and two children to do."

"We relied on hope already, and none has it been answered."

"We should've listened to Niju. We should've never come to these lands!"

"I've heard enough!" Balto shouted before climbing on top of the cave alongside his daughter, "We didn't come here on a whim. We were told to come here under the advice of Nava." murmurs grew again of hearing the name of their previous leader, "As for the children, they were instructed to come here by the Great Spirits, and even though they're young, I've seen their courage in action against beast bigger than them. Whatever is occurring here, I promise we will help you all."

The wolves seemed satisfied by Balto's words. The wolves revered the Great Spirits; if it was by their will that Balto and these dinosaurs were to aid them like Aleu once did, then who were they to question. The wolves then decided to cease any more arguing, so they dispersed and go on with their day. In the meantime, Aleu ran off so she may secure a spot in the valley where the gang could rest, leaving the group by their lonesome. Alone to converse in private.

Balto jump of the top of the cave to rejoin his friends, "Well, at least the clan will be off your tail for now."

"Shouldn't we have told them that it was actually Wendigo that told us to come here?" Littlefoot asked even though the mere mention of that name sent shivers down his spine.

"Best we didn't," Kemo retort, "These wolves have been through enough hardship without knowing that a mad spirit is also pulling the strings."

"Well, let's fix whatever's wrong with this place and get out of here." Cera said abrasively.

"Patience, Cera." Balto replied, "I know you don't like being around so many meat-eaters, but we can't just run headfirst into trouble. Let's at least know what we're dealing with."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cera said, not even bothering to hide the rudeness in her voice when addressing Balto, "I'm not afraid of these wolves. I just think that the sooner we get done here, the sooner we can look for our friends that you lost."

"If being here isn't that big of an issue for you, then stop your whining!" Kemo came to Balto's defense, "Instead of harping on what happened, maybe you can be strong for those three until we can look for them instead of becoming a burden to us all."

With Kemo's rant over with, the white wolf prepared to go off to aid in Aleu finding a place for them to rest. Cera, on the other hand, was taken aback by his words. They dug into her unlike anything ever said, even by her own father. No, she couldn't let this wolf get away with insulting her in such a fashion. But, in her anger, frustration, and sadness, the threehorn would say something she would live to regret.

"Easy for you to say. You never cared about them! I doubt you ever cared about anyone in your life!"

The air went still after that. In her outburst, Cera had no idea what she had just said until after it left her mouth, and she wishes she hadn't lost control when seeing everyone's reactions. Boris had his wings covering his mouth to hide the shock expression behind them. The goose slowly stepped back as if he knew what was to come. Balto stood there in disbelief, slack-jawed as he looked back in forth between Cera and Kemo. There was genuine fear in the wolfdog's eyes while he mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen.

Kemo. Kemo stopped dead in his tracks the very second Cera finished that sentence. His head dropped low, and all that could be heard was what could be mistaken as holding back the will to cry, but that was far from the case. The fur on Kemo's back stinking up, and the wolf was shaking like crazy. Only when he faced the group was his true feelings known, Kemo was mad. No, mad didn't justify the look in those eyes. This wasn't just anger, but there lay the fires of unbridled rage behind those eyes. Rage that they had not seen except for when Wendigo taunted him. Cera had done it this time; she really hit a nerve on the white wolf that should never be touched if you knew what's good for you. Along with Littlefoot and Boris, Cera recoiled when Kemo began to approach. His teeth bared like a rabid animal.

"Kemo, no!" Balto, the only one brave enough to face his brother in such a state, jumped in-between them, "Stand down!"

"No!" Kemo roared, "I have had it with this brat and her attitude! It's about time someone taught her some respect!"

"She is not yours to punish!" Balto hunched in preparation to pounce, "This is your only warning, take one more step, and I'll throw you to the ground."

Kemo weighed his options. He wanted to teach that threehorn a lesson she would never forget. However, that would mean going through his brother. Balto, the only one who was able to beat Kemo in a fight despite his massive size. Because of this, the wolfdog was not only Kemo's brother, but he was also Kemo's superior. Fighting him would lead to nothing but further humiliation for the white wolf. Instead, Kemo chose to leave and alleviate his anger elsewhere. Once Kemo was gone, everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Cera," Balto spoke with a voice, even though calmer than earlier, was still miffed, "Do you know why Kemo reacted the way he did?"

Cera was hesitant to answer, "Because of what happened to his pack?"

"It's more than that," Balto looked to where his brother left as he told this story, "While Kemo was leading his pack to look for me, they ran into a she-wolf. A she-wolf named Jem. In time, Kemo and her fell in love and became mates."

"And then the poacher attacked his pack?" Littlefoot interrupted.

"No. Something else happened before that." Littlefoot and Cera were hanging on to Balto's words wanting to know what else there could be, "The two had children together. Three, in fact. Only after that was his pack massacred, and... and if you can remember, he was the only one who survived." an audible gasp could be heard from Cera, "That was almost three years ago. He never really recovered from losing them. So, I understand that you're upset about your friends, Cera. But please, it was my fault, so take it out on me. I deserve it. Leave him out of it."

Cera was lost for words. She knew of his loss but didn't fully understand just how much he actually suffered. Her pride and stubbornness to prove herself better than the larger-than-life white wolf was what was always secretly on her mind. But instead, she reverted to a state of herself that hasn't been since unknowingly insulting Littlefoot's dead mother, an action that Cera was deeply ashamed of. Now, the threehorn had done it again, and worse, she couldn't bring herself to face Kemo for more than just that one reason. Instead, Cera wished to be alone in her own thoughts.

Thanks to the help of Littlefoot, Cera was able to walk off to her lonesome without Balto or Boris following her. Cera would also find herself lucky to not run into any wolves on her little walk, though she hardly would've noticed given the state of mind she was in. In time, Cera found herself at a stream whose calm flowing water help soothe her thoughts.

But still, Kemo's words before Cera blew up at him lingered. Was it true? Was Cera becoming a burden on everybody? Looking back, Cern couldn't help but think how certain incidents were her fault. She provoked a cougar into attacking. She led her friends into Hallow Mountain. Now, Cera provoked Kemo into a rage. As much as the threehorn didn't want to admit, Kemo made a good point against her. Maybe she was just a burden. Maybe she had no right to be here. Perhaps she should've been lost at sea instead of Ducky, Petrie, and Spike.

"Hey there," a voice startled Cern from her train of thought and jumped up to find Aleu approaching from behind, "Whoa there, I'm not here to fight you again." Aleu said as she marched forward and took some laps of water from the stream.

Cera was too proud to admit it, but she glad that Aleu walked in when she did. The threehorn was almost on the verge of tears, which was the last thing she wants her friends to catch her doing. Aleu sneaking up on her solved this problem without the wolfdog even knowing it.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to muster up her tough exterior.

"It's a funny story," Alue said once she had her fill with water, "I found a nice little spot for you guys to sleep, but stumbled on my Uncle Kemo ranting and raving something about a 'disrespectful little brat' as he puts it. Went back to the others, saw that you weren't there, put two-and-two together, and here we are. You want to talk about it?"

"Why?" Cera asked, all annoyed, "What's there to talk about?"

"Don't worry, it's just the two of us." said Aleu, "If you're afraid I'll go straight to my papa about this, I promise this will be strictly between us."

"Really?"

Aleu couldn't help but laugh, "I love my papa, but he still a dad at heart. I'm sure you know that there are just some things dads just don't understand. Trust me, whatever's said here will just be between us."

Thus, Cera confessed to everything that has had occurred ever since she met Kemo. For whatever reason, Cera did feel confident in confiding in Aleu about her problems. Hearing the quarter-breed speak of her dad in a way that was of annoyance reminded Cera of her father. Yes, she loved him, of course, but even he had moments where Cera wished he would stop acting like a dad at times. In a way, it helped her find some form of common ground with Aleu. It made it easier for them to talk to one another.

"I'll admit, you're in a real rough position right now," said Aleu, which only caused Cera to feel more ashamed, "Honestly, I can't think of any course of action besides trying to apologize to him."

"I can't!" Cera exclaimed, "I'm… he scares me."

"I know the feeling."

Cera was surprised by this, "But, he's your uncle."

"Yeah, but I didn't know that when I first met him!" Aleu clarified, "The first time I met him, papa was taking me and my brothers and sisters to meet what called a 'distant uncle.' When we did meet him, my first thoughts when meeting that giant of a wolf was, 'Oh my God! This guy's going to beat-up papa and eat us all up!'" Aleu laughed when recalling said memory, "But I came to found out that he was nice. Despite his demeanor, he's always showed compassion for those he cares for. In fact, you two share a lot in common."

"What!?" Cera was surprised by such a notion

"I'm serious," Aleu could sense Cera's unease about this, "From what I heard, you're both rash, stubborn, and ill-tempered. Maybe that's why you two don't like each other so much. But I also know that you also care about your friends from what papa's told me, just like Uncle Kemo does. I think you two could be excellent friends if you simply tried."

Cera sat there in contemplation. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Aleu was speaking some sense, "You really think so?"

"Positive. Just give him a moment to cool down before trying to talk to him again." Aleu and Cera shared a laugh together. It was clear that through this talk, the two were becoming fast friends, "Anyway, after such a stressful day, you all must be tired. Come on, I'll show you this nice spot I picked out for you guys."

With a smile on her face, Cera gladly took Aleu up on her offer. The threehorn mood now lifted thanks to her new friend. A boost of enthusiasm allowed Cera to rethink her doom and gloom thoughts involving her lost friends. She could now hope that Ducky, Petrie, and Spike round-up somewhere safe, wherever they might be.

Three young dinosaurs were drifting on a patch of ice from the far-off north of an unknown land. The long - boring - uneventful ride throughout the sea did little to stir the young ones into becoming active. Utterly exhausted from drifting around for so long, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike didn't even register when their patch of ice made landfall. Instead, the three remained asleep, unaware of their new surroundings. But that wasn't all they should've been aware of.

Unbeknownst to the sleeping dinosaurs, they were not alone. Others had found out the trio had just arrived. Deep in the forest by the shorelines, three figures stalked to the edge of the tree-line watching the three lost dinosaur children. Their intent was unknown. All that was known was that children were going to be in for a rude awakening.

End of Chapter 9

A/N: Thus, we reach closer to the halfway point and closer to the danger that will plague our heroes. Hope everyone enjoyed and review. Till next time.