Chapter 20
With Robert now at his side as well as Timbo, Cassie and Kado, Croco made great progress over the next several months. He felt he was ready to make the journey to Treetown, even though Cassie was waiting for the next Habitat Conference which would be in six months. However, they did take the time to head up to Deep Lake, which was to the north of Treetown for the Festival of Air Creatures and the Skybax stunt shows over the lake. Croco was amazed by the stunts and maneuvers that the Master pilots executed and kept repeating to himself that he would be in those shows. When the Festival ended, it was time to head back, but not before Cassie visited her mother who lived near Canyon City.
They were all delighted to visit Cassie's mother, but she had eyes for only one, and that was Croco.
"Breathe deep, seek peace Croco Hallaway," she said, "Or should I say...fly high, seek peace." Everybody laughed at the elder protoceratops' joke as she reared up at Croco. He got down on a knee while Cassie made the introduction.
"Croco, this is Bix, my mother.....Ma, this is Croco, the young man whom I've been working with in Waterfall City." They embraced as Bix started to tell him tales of her adventures with another American dolphinback 140 years earlier, an explorer and scientist named Arthur Denison and his son Will, who was one of the pilots in the Skybax show just days before. When asked if he wanted to see Canyon City, Croco balked at the idea until the time was right for him.
"I'd love to see Canyon City," he said finally, "but not until I am ready to start Skybax training." They all understood, but Bix tried to plead with him one last time. Again Croco said no and they all went back to preparing for the night.
When it came time to head back to Waterfall City, Bix accompanied them through the Basin and back to civilization. Cassie led them to her house, where Nalypta bowled Croco over on sight. At two summers, he was already as long as his mother and weighed close to five hundred pounds. Croco giggled like a little boy when he stood over him.
"Take it easy Lippy...save your ferocity for the Basin!" he said, laughing. Cassie called him over to see Bix and he raced over to nuzzle his grandmother. When Croco looked out at the sky, it was getting dark and pleaded to them that he get back to his room at the Haven. Timbo and Robert had already left, but Cassie begged him to spend the night with her. He accepted and a few moments later, he was fast asleep with a tail drooped around his neck. The tail belonged to Bix as she wanted to sleep in the guest room as well, but Kalrix forgot to put out the extra bed and the next morning, he received a scolding from Cassie before they made their way to the library.
Bix stayed with Cassie and Croco over the next couple months, with Cassie teaching him and Bix monitoring his progress. She was surprised by his ability to read and write at the level he was at after only eighteen months of study, excluding the one month they went up to Deep Lake.
"I feel that you are more than ready," Bix said joyfully. Croco was puzzled. Bix said that he was more than ready, but he didn't know exactly what he was ready for. Cassie led him aside.
"Well," she said, "it appears that you are ready to make the trip to Treetown so you can learn to live in the fellowship of the dinosaurs. However, I don't think that now's a good time to go because it's the middle of the rainy season there." Croco raised his hand to object.
"But isn't the Rainy Basin a jungle?" he asked. "And in the outside world, jungle is another word for rainforest, where it rains constantly and..."
"...And it looks like you got a letter, m'lad." It was Robert and he was holding a letter for Croco. He walked over and handed to him. It was a short one and Croco started to read it to himself:
Dear Croco,
Cassie tells me that you are finally ready to go to Treetown! I am so proud of you Croco, you don't know how much this means to me. It seems like ages since Kaala found you on the shore, all cut up and almost to the point of death, but to see you come so far brings me joy that words cannot explain. I wish you luck in your journey.
When you get there, I know you will wonder where the buildings are. I have been to Treetown before and it is a most extraordinary village. The whole village is in the canopy of the great forest there...all the houses, all the buildings save a few sauropod barns, everything is in the trees. I just hope you are not afraid of high places, but seeing as how you want to become a Skybax rider, I know you are not. Just don't try to sneak out and make tyrannosaur growls while spinning baskets...I heard someone did that a few years back and they got banished from Treetown. It was during a highly sensitive time and they were just coming off an attack by a lone tyrannosaur, but I will warn you only once. You should enjoy meeting people your age and I hear your great with the dinosaurs, so it should be a walk in the park.
As I wrap this up, I want to tell you that I love you like the son I never had. Remember this...I will be waiting right here for the day where I will see you fly.
Breathe Deep, Seek Peace
Nobella
Croco was surprised to find out that Nobby knew that he was ready to make the trip and asked Cassie how she told her. She explained to him that she sent a message to her via a Dimorphodon messenger. Croco knew about the dimorphodons and wasn't surprised one bit at the fact that they can "speak" like a parrot and fly great lengths while still remembering what its message rider told it. Just then, they stepped outside where a Skybax rider was waiting for them. He bent down to address Cassie.
"Castra," he said, "they're waiting for you and Bix over at the sauropod barn. We are ready." Cassie bellowed in excitement as she knew that the brachiosaurus that they were preparing for their journey through the Rainy Basin was ready. She had Croco go back in and say goodbye to everyone that he had gotten to know over the past year and a half. When that was finished a couple hours later, they made their way over to where they were preparing the sauropod that would take them through the foreboding Rainy Basin.
With Robert now at his side as well as Timbo, Cassie and Kado, Croco made great progress over the next several months. He felt he was ready to make the journey to Treetown, even though Cassie was waiting for the next Habitat Conference which would be in six months. However, they did take the time to head up to Deep Lake, which was to the north of Treetown for the Festival of Air Creatures and the Skybax stunt shows over the lake. Croco was amazed by the stunts and maneuvers that the Master pilots executed and kept repeating to himself that he would be in those shows. When the Festival ended, it was time to head back, but not before Cassie visited her mother who lived near Canyon City.
They were all delighted to visit Cassie's mother, but she had eyes for only one, and that was Croco.
"Breathe deep, seek peace Croco Hallaway," she said, "Or should I say...fly high, seek peace." Everybody laughed at the elder protoceratops' joke as she reared up at Croco. He got down on a knee while Cassie made the introduction.
"Croco, this is Bix, my mother.....Ma, this is Croco, the young man whom I've been working with in Waterfall City." They embraced as Bix started to tell him tales of her adventures with another American dolphinback 140 years earlier, an explorer and scientist named Arthur Denison and his son Will, who was one of the pilots in the Skybax show just days before. When asked if he wanted to see Canyon City, Croco balked at the idea until the time was right for him.
"I'd love to see Canyon City," he said finally, "but not until I am ready to start Skybax training." They all understood, but Bix tried to plead with him one last time. Again Croco said no and they all went back to preparing for the night.
When it came time to head back to Waterfall City, Bix accompanied them through the Basin and back to civilization. Cassie led them to her house, where Nalypta bowled Croco over on sight. At two summers, he was already as long as his mother and weighed close to five hundred pounds. Croco giggled like a little boy when he stood over him.
"Take it easy Lippy...save your ferocity for the Basin!" he said, laughing. Cassie called him over to see Bix and he raced over to nuzzle his grandmother. When Croco looked out at the sky, it was getting dark and pleaded to them that he get back to his room at the Haven. Timbo and Robert had already left, but Cassie begged him to spend the night with her. He accepted and a few moments later, he was fast asleep with a tail drooped around his neck. The tail belonged to Bix as she wanted to sleep in the guest room as well, but Kalrix forgot to put out the extra bed and the next morning, he received a scolding from Cassie before they made their way to the library.
Bix stayed with Cassie and Croco over the next couple months, with Cassie teaching him and Bix monitoring his progress. She was surprised by his ability to read and write at the level he was at after only eighteen months of study, excluding the one month they went up to Deep Lake.
"I feel that you are more than ready," Bix said joyfully. Croco was puzzled. Bix said that he was more than ready, but he didn't know exactly what he was ready for. Cassie led him aside.
"Well," she said, "it appears that you are ready to make the trip to Treetown so you can learn to live in the fellowship of the dinosaurs. However, I don't think that now's a good time to go because it's the middle of the rainy season there." Croco raised his hand to object.
"But isn't the Rainy Basin a jungle?" he asked. "And in the outside world, jungle is another word for rainforest, where it rains constantly and..."
"...And it looks like you got a letter, m'lad." It was Robert and he was holding a letter for Croco. He walked over and handed to him. It was a short one and Croco started to read it to himself:
Dear Croco,
Cassie tells me that you are finally ready to go to Treetown! I am so proud of you Croco, you don't know how much this means to me. It seems like ages since Kaala found you on the shore, all cut up and almost to the point of death, but to see you come so far brings me joy that words cannot explain. I wish you luck in your journey.
When you get there, I know you will wonder where the buildings are. I have been to Treetown before and it is a most extraordinary village. The whole village is in the canopy of the great forest there...all the houses, all the buildings save a few sauropod barns, everything is in the trees. I just hope you are not afraid of high places, but seeing as how you want to become a Skybax rider, I know you are not. Just don't try to sneak out and make tyrannosaur growls while spinning baskets...I heard someone did that a few years back and they got banished from Treetown. It was during a highly sensitive time and they were just coming off an attack by a lone tyrannosaur, but I will warn you only once. You should enjoy meeting people your age and I hear your great with the dinosaurs, so it should be a walk in the park.
As I wrap this up, I want to tell you that I love you like the son I never had. Remember this...I will be waiting right here for the day where I will see you fly.
Breathe Deep, Seek Peace
Nobella
Croco was surprised to find out that Nobby knew that he was ready to make the trip and asked Cassie how she told her. She explained to him that she sent a message to her via a Dimorphodon messenger. Croco knew about the dimorphodons and wasn't surprised one bit at the fact that they can "speak" like a parrot and fly great lengths while still remembering what its message rider told it. Just then, they stepped outside where a Skybax rider was waiting for them. He bent down to address Cassie.
"Castra," he said, "they're waiting for you and Bix over at the sauropod barn. We are ready." Cassie bellowed in excitement as she knew that the brachiosaurus that they were preparing for their journey through the Rainy Basin was ready. She had Croco go back in and say goodbye to everyone that he had gotten to know over the past year and a half. When that was finished a couple hours later, they made their way over to where they were preparing the sauropod that would take them through the foreboding Rainy Basin.