Chapter 17
The morning sun rose over the great falls and Croco was already up and in the dining hall for breakfast. Cassie and a friend of hers, a stenonychosaurus, were there to greet him. The stenonychosaur, named Kubora, extended a clawed hand out to greet the young man and told him that he was visiting from Pooktook, a city on the northwest coast. Kubora had gotten word of Croco's rescue and since he was an acquaintance of Cassie's, decided to make the nine-day trip to Waterfall City to meet him. As usual, Croco was humbled by the fact that someone wanted to meet him.
But then, someone caught Croco's eyes...someone that he thought he knew. It was a woman who was a bit older than him and she had midnight-black hair. He couldn't quite make out her face accurately enough to put a name to it. However, when she approached someone in the interest of finding something, Croco had a hunch that it was Mira Hornaday, the woman who nursed him back to health before sending him on his way. He watched very carefully as she walked up to a woman who was many years older than she was herself.
"Excuse me, but can you please direct me to the dolphinback quarters?" she asked. Croco was within earshot and he now knew that it was indeed Mira. He rushed over to where she was and Mira barely had enough time to brace herself before Croco threw his arms around her. They were both laughing like a child who was reunited with a friend that had moved out of town. After about three full minutes, they broke away and Croco, still smiling, walked toward the outside door.
"So where's everybody else?" he asked. Mira told them that they were outside and they were waiting for him. Croco rushed out the door with Cassie and Kubora not to far behind, and sure enough they were. As soon as Nobby saw the young man come out into the sunlight, she stood on he back legs and bellowed in excitement. When Croco saw and heard her, he raced to where she was and threw his arms around the triceratops. Soon Brock and Kaala joined her in embracing Croco and somewhere Riojay came out to nuzzle him as well. When Mira came back, they all sat around him.
"So...how's Waterfall City?" Brock asked. Croco told them about his adventures with Cassie and Kado. He also told them about Sirius and the chasmosaur hatchling that fell into the canal, and they were still listening to sayings that Timbo had taught him as they proceeded to his room where they all sat around his bed, with Nobby standing outside and poking her head into the door. When Croco was finished, he led them back out into the courtyard where Kubora was waiting for him.
"Cassie's in the library right now," he announced, "I don't know if your friends have met her, but you guys should come and see her anyway." Brock came up to him and told him that they would love to meet the protoceratops and so Kubora led them on the short walk to the library where Kado had just come back from a short walk himself. He didn't know anyone was behind him until he felt his tail get pulled. Kado yelped and turned to see Croco and Kaala laughing aloud.
"All right...which one of you just did that?" he asked sternly.
"Did what?" was their simutanious response. Kado sighed as he exchanged greetings with Croco. He asked him about the visitors that were with him.
"You remember Brock and Mira Hornaday, do you?" The troodon's mouth opened slightly as to let out a sigh, but the sound never came out as he hugged Mira and told them how good it was to see them again. Kaala was off and looking through the library for the scroll she was reading last time...the very one that Kado had taken away from her the last time they were in the library. When she couldn't find it, she walked up to him with a disgusted look on her face.
"Where's that scroll?!?" she demanded. Kado didn't know what Kaala was talking about and she was all too glad to remind him. Her parents were wondering what she was talking about as they didn't accompany her the last time.
"She's talking about this joke scroll she found last time," Croco said. "It's called 'Humor for Predatory Species' and Kado ended up taking it away from her." They were shocked that she was interested in something like that as Brock knew a lot about the carnivorous species of Dinotopia, both tame and wild.
"Castra told me about your visit and I decided to take it out of circulation temporarily," Kado announced and told them of the library policy concerning children and certain scrolls. He looked down to see Croco talking to the protoceratops and motioned him to introduce her to Brock and his family.
"Oh, sorry," he said when he saw Kado. Croco had an hunch that he wanted him to introduce them to Cassie. "Brock...Mira...Nobella...this is Castra, my good friend and teacher, but everybody around here knows her as 'Cassie.' Cassie, this is Brock and Mira Hornaday and the triceratops is Nobella, better known as 'Nobby' to us." They took turns embracing Cassie and when this was completed, Nobby led her aside and engaged her in a conversation in her native tongue.
-So how's Croco doing?- Nobby asked.
-Croco? Oh, he's doing excellent...better than I thought he would,- Cassie informed her. -He's picked up saurian with relatively no problems and loves to read about pterosaurs and guides for Skybax riders. Kado tells me that in his mind he's obsessed.- She was speaking to Nobby in protoceratopsian and the difference between that and triceratopsian was somewhat distinguishable. But Nobby was fluent in all ceratopsian dialects.
-Kado thinks he's obsessed, huh? Typical troodon characteristic if you ask me,- she said in protoceratopsian. Cassie backed up, slightly surprised.
-You...speak protoceratops?- she asked and Nobby nodded her humongous head. They continued to have their discussion...mostly about Croco and his progress, but did occasionally talk about other things. When they came back to the main section of the library, they found the Hornadays and Riojay but no sign of Croco.
-Where did Croco go?- Nobby asked. Nobody answered, but it was because she spoke in her language. She asked again and Brock said something about him and Kado going to eat somewhere along the Grand Promenade.
"I know exactly where they went...follow me!" Cassie bellowed and they left the library. It took them about fifteen minutes for them to reach the Riverwalk Café. They were able to find Kado and Croco easily and sat down to eat. After their meal was finished, it was almost dark so they managed to head back to the Haven. They did have guest quarters for Brock and Mira, so they took a room while Kaala, Riojay and Nobby went into a separate room nearby. Croco wished them a good night and made his way back to his own room.
The morning sun rose over the great falls and Croco was already up and in the dining hall for breakfast. Cassie and a friend of hers, a stenonychosaurus, were there to greet him. The stenonychosaur, named Kubora, extended a clawed hand out to greet the young man and told him that he was visiting from Pooktook, a city on the northwest coast. Kubora had gotten word of Croco's rescue and since he was an acquaintance of Cassie's, decided to make the nine-day trip to Waterfall City to meet him. As usual, Croco was humbled by the fact that someone wanted to meet him.
But then, someone caught Croco's eyes...someone that he thought he knew. It was a woman who was a bit older than him and she had midnight-black hair. He couldn't quite make out her face accurately enough to put a name to it. However, when she approached someone in the interest of finding something, Croco had a hunch that it was Mira Hornaday, the woman who nursed him back to health before sending him on his way. He watched very carefully as she walked up to a woman who was many years older than she was herself.
"Excuse me, but can you please direct me to the dolphinback quarters?" she asked. Croco was within earshot and he now knew that it was indeed Mira. He rushed over to where she was and Mira barely had enough time to brace herself before Croco threw his arms around her. They were both laughing like a child who was reunited with a friend that had moved out of town. After about three full minutes, they broke away and Croco, still smiling, walked toward the outside door.
"So where's everybody else?" he asked. Mira told them that they were outside and they were waiting for him. Croco rushed out the door with Cassie and Kubora not to far behind, and sure enough they were. As soon as Nobby saw the young man come out into the sunlight, she stood on he back legs and bellowed in excitement. When Croco saw and heard her, he raced to where she was and threw his arms around the triceratops. Soon Brock and Kaala joined her in embracing Croco and somewhere Riojay came out to nuzzle him as well. When Mira came back, they all sat around him.
"So...how's Waterfall City?" Brock asked. Croco told them about his adventures with Cassie and Kado. He also told them about Sirius and the chasmosaur hatchling that fell into the canal, and they were still listening to sayings that Timbo had taught him as they proceeded to his room where they all sat around his bed, with Nobby standing outside and poking her head into the door. When Croco was finished, he led them back out into the courtyard where Kubora was waiting for him.
"Cassie's in the library right now," he announced, "I don't know if your friends have met her, but you guys should come and see her anyway." Brock came up to him and told him that they would love to meet the protoceratops and so Kubora led them on the short walk to the library where Kado had just come back from a short walk himself. He didn't know anyone was behind him until he felt his tail get pulled. Kado yelped and turned to see Croco and Kaala laughing aloud.
"All right...which one of you just did that?" he asked sternly.
"Did what?" was their simutanious response. Kado sighed as he exchanged greetings with Croco. He asked him about the visitors that were with him.
"You remember Brock and Mira Hornaday, do you?" The troodon's mouth opened slightly as to let out a sigh, but the sound never came out as he hugged Mira and told them how good it was to see them again. Kaala was off and looking through the library for the scroll she was reading last time...the very one that Kado had taken away from her the last time they were in the library. When she couldn't find it, she walked up to him with a disgusted look on her face.
"Where's that scroll?!?" she demanded. Kado didn't know what Kaala was talking about and she was all too glad to remind him. Her parents were wondering what she was talking about as they didn't accompany her the last time.
"She's talking about this joke scroll she found last time," Croco said. "It's called 'Humor for Predatory Species' and Kado ended up taking it away from her." They were shocked that she was interested in something like that as Brock knew a lot about the carnivorous species of Dinotopia, both tame and wild.
"Castra told me about your visit and I decided to take it out of circulation temporarily," Kado announced and told them of the library policy concerning children and certain scrolls. He looked down to see Croco talking to the protoceratops and motioned him to introduce her to Brock and his family.
"Oh, sorry," he said when he saw Kado. Croco had an hunch that he wanted him to introduce them to Cassie. "Brock...Mira...Nobella...this is Castra, my good friend and teacher, but everybody around here knows her as 'Cassie.' Cassie, this is Brock and Mira Hornaday and the triceratops is Nobella, better known as 'Nobby' to us." They took turns embracing Cassie and when this was completed, Nobby led her aside and engaged her in a conversation in her native tongue.
-So how's Croco doing?- Nobby asked.
-Croco? Oh, he's doing excellent...better than I thought he would,- Cassie informed her. -He's picked up saurian with relatively no problems and loves to read about pterosaurs and guides for Skybax riders. Kado tells me that in his mind he's obsessed.- She was speaking to Nobby in protoceratopsian and the difference between that and triceratopsian was somewhat distinguishable. But Nobby was fluent in all ceratopsian dialects.
-Kado thinks he's obsessed, huh? Typical troodon characteristic if you ask me,- she said in protoceratopsian. Cassie backed up, slightly surprised.
-You...speak protoceratops?- she asked and Nobby nodded her humongous head. They continued to have their discussion...mostly about Croco and his progress, but did occasionally talk about other things. When they came back to the main section of the library, they found the Hornadays and Riojay but no sign of Croco.
-Where did Croco go?- Nobby asked. Nobody answered, but it was because she spoke in her language. She asked again and Brock said something about him and Kado going to eat somewhere along the Grand Promenade.
"I know exactly where they went...follow me!" Cassie bellowed and they left the library. It took them about fifteen minutes for them to reach the Riverwalk Café. They were able to find Kado and Croco easily and sat down to eat. After their meal was finished, it was almost dark so they managed to head back to the Haven. They did have guest quarters for Brock and Mira, so they took a room while Kaala, Riojay and Nobby went into a separate room nearby. Croco wished them a good night and made his way back to his own room.