Chapter 38
Alynna was the first one up as the sun peeked over the mountaintops, announcing the arrival of the new day. She commented on how beautiful the morning sun was, which seemed to awake Croco and Katya from their slumber. The young woman, who at twenty-eight summers old was just older than Croco, made her way to the barn to get Skytusk ready for their trip while Croco made his way out to a balcony so he could take in the late winter air with Alynna. A period of silence ensued before the young man sighed.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Croco. "Reminds me of wintertime in my hometown. The snow sure is a welcome sight to me." Alynna looked over at him. Although she would be considered old by outside world standards, she looked like she was in her forties or fifties.
"I know," was her reply. "So where exactly did you come from?" Croco took a breath and started to describe the area he lived in...a town in New York called Webster, which was close to Lake Ontario. He also told her about New York City, which Alynna was amazed by all the buildings and lights and other things the city possessed. He was about to go on about the United States when Katya's voice startled them.
"Skytusk is getting rather impatient, so if we're gonna go, we'd better go now." she said. Alynna nodded and Croco made his way back through the living quarters. Skytusk trumpted when she saw the three humans enter the barn and started to pace about. Katya beckoned the mammoth over to a platform, where she waited while they climbed on her back, Katya taking her place at the front. With a click, Skytusk exited the mammoth house and was in the streets, heading eastward.
Exiting Thermala was not a problem, it was the terrain outside the city that was a problem. Fortunately, Skytusk had good footing on the ice and snow as they made their way in a northeast direction towards Sky City. She was making a good pace, although a couple obstacles slowed them down a little bit, they were halfway to Sky City. Just then, a roar pierced the air, echoing back and scared Croco half to death. Terrified, he asked what that was.
"Sabertooths," was the response Alynna gave him. A couple paces later and Skytusk stopped dead in her tracks as a Smilodon leaped out into the path. Katya perked up, as she knew this particular animal really well. It was a large male, and he snarled at the mammoth, dagger-like fangs bared. Two more cats appeared as Katya slid off Skytusk's back. Croco couldn't believe his eyes as the smilodon stopped and sat down while she approached him. Then Katya beckoned him to come down and approach the cat. Hesitant at first, Croco disembarked and walked up to Katya and the smilodon.
"Croco, this is Icepick." she said as Icepick lifted a front paw out in front of him. Instinctively, Croco extended his arm out to greet him as Katya continued her story.
"Icepick saved me from an avalanche when I was a little girl, and his pack led me back to Thermala after I got lost. I have lived there since birth, but love to visit Sky City as we are doing now." Icepick approached Croco, who jumped back at first, and rumbled something to him. 'I wish Cassie was here right now,' was his first thought but then he looked into the cat's blue eyes as Katya translated for him.
"He says that a friend of mine will be a friend of his forever." she said. "Breathe deep, seek peace Icepick...we have to go." Icepick nuzzled her and took off, returning to the icy wilderness to which he and his pack call home. Then with a little help from Alynna, they were back on board Skytusk and on their way.
They were slowed greatly by the steep climb and boulders, now larger and more numerous than there were on the path to Thermala. Patience wearing thin, Croco started to move about in his seat when Skytusk trumpeted ecstatically. Katya called out in excitement while Alynna breathed a sigh of relief. They could see a settlement in the distance, and Croco could only assume that this was Sky City. It had taken them a half a day to get to where they were and they were less than a mile away when they were greeted by two men, a Moropus and a Chalicothere. The chalicothere rumbled what could only be interpreted as a greeting, then one of the men walked up to Katya to translate for her.
"He says that we've been expecting your arrival Katya and Skytusk," said the translator, "and to your friends from Canyon City, welcome to Sky City, the highest settlement in all of Dinotopia." Short of breath because of the altitude, Croco slid down the mammoth's back and landed face-first in the snow to the delight of a giggling Katya.
"How high are we?" he asked. The second man calmly walked over to Croco, as had Alynna. The Master Rider helped Croco pick himself off the powder-covered ground while the other guide stood in front of him, helping to brush the snow off.
"You must be the Dolphinback known as Croco, correct?" he asked. Before Croco could do anything, he had a firm grip on his hand and they shook. "Very honored to be your guide. My name is Espen and over there is my brother Kjell...we are of Norwegian descent, so we're quite at home in the cold mountains. Ah, the altitude you say? We're close to 400 necks above sea level right here." Kjell was attending to his Moropus named Broadfoot, while Espen led the group composed of himself, Croco, Alynna, Katya and Skytusk into the city. The chalicothere, which he had named Thor, was not too far behind. Soon, they had arrived at a chalet-like building in the center of town. Kjell explained to Croco that it was the inn that their family runs and they get a lot of business from people in Canyon City journeying to the Tentpole like himself and Alynna.
The brothers led them each to their rooms separately, the first being Alynna. Croco sat in the lobby and was talking to a Tibetan who had just finished a stay at the Tentpole. He asked him what it was like, but refused when he found out that he was a dolphinback going for the very first time. Croco let out a disappointed grunt as Espen came out to lead him to his room. It was two doors down from Alynna's but the room itself was very similar to the Rainbow Ridge Inn back in Canyon City. He smiled and approved of his surroundings while Espen stood by the door.
"If there's anything you need, let one of us know. You can ask either me, my brother, Andre or Essa." he told him. "Breathe deep Croco..."
"...Seek peace Espen," and the door was shut behind Croco as he threw his backpack off in relief and fell face-down on the bed. Dusk was just beginning when he fell asleep for the night, tired but ready for the next day's adventures.
Alynna was the first one up as the sun peeked over the mountaintops, announcing the arrival of the new day. She commented on how beautiful the morning sun was, which seemed to awake Croco and Katya from their slumber. The young woman, who at twenty-eight summers old was just older than Croco, made her way to the barn to get Skytusk ready for their trip while Croco made his way out to a balcony so he could take in the late winter air with Alynna. A period of silence ensued before the young man sighed.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Croco. "Reminds me of wintertime in my hometown. The snow sure is a welcome sight to me." Alynna looked over at him. Although she would be considered old by outside world standards, she looked like she was in her forties or fifties.
"I know," was her reply. "So where exactly did you come from?" Croco took a breath and started to describe the area he lived in...a town in New York called Webster, which was close to Lake Ontario. He also told her about New York City, which Alynna was amazed by all the buildings and lights and other things the city possessed. He was about to go on about the United States when Katya's voice startled them.
"Skytusk is getting rather impatient, so if we're gonna go, we'd better go now." she said. Alynna nodded and Croco made his way back through the living quarters. Skytusk trumpted when she saw the three humans enter the barn and started to pace about. Katya beckoned the mammoth over to a platform, where she waited while they climbed on her back, Katya taking her place at the front. With a click, Skytusk exited the mammoth house and was in the streets, heading eastward.
Exiting Thermala was not a problem, it was the terrain outside the city that was a problem. Fortunately, Skytusk had good footing on the ice and snow as they made their way in a northeast direction towards Sky City. She was making a good pace, although a couple obstacles slowed them down a little bit, they were halfway to Sky City. Just then, a roar pierced the air, echoing back and scared Croco half to death. Terrified, he asked what that was.
"Sabertooths," was the response Alynna gave him. A couple paces later and Skytusk stopped dead in her tracks as a Smilodon leaped out into the path. Katya perked up, as she knew this particular animal really well. It was a large male, and he snarled at the mammoth, dagger-like fangs bared. Two more cats appeared as Katya slid off Skytusk's back. Croco couldn't believe his eyes as the smilodon stopped and sat down while she approached him. Then Katya beckoned him to come down and approach the cat. Hesitant at first, Croco disembarked and walked up to Katya and the smilodon.
"Croco, this is Icepick." she said as Icepick lifted a front paw out in front of him. Instinctively, Croco extended his arm out to greet him as Katya continued her story.
"Icepick saved me from an avalanche when I was a little girl, and his pack led me back to Thermala after I got lost. I have lived there since birth, but love to visit Sky City as we are doing now." Icepick approached Croco, who jumped back at first, and rumbled something to him. 'I wish Cassie was here right now,' was his first thought but then he looked into the cat's blue eyes as Katya translated for him.
"He says that a friend of mine will be a friend of his forever." she said. "Breathe deep, seek peace Icepick...we have to go." Icepick nuzzled her and took off, returning to the icy wilderness to which he and his pack call home. Then with a little help from Alynna, they were back on board Skytusk and on their way.
They were slowed greatly by the steep climb and boulders, now larger and more numerous than there were on the path to Thermala. Patience wearing thin, Croco started to move about in his seat when Skytusk trumpeted ecstatically. Katya called out in excitement while Alynna breathed a sigh of relief. They could see a settlement in the distance, and Croco could only assume that this was Sky City. It had taken them a half a day to get to where they were and they were less than a mile away when they were greeted by two men, a Moropus and a Chalicothere. The chalicothere rumbled what could only be interpreted as a greeting, then one of the men walked up to Katya to translate for her.
"He says that we've been expecting your arrival Katya and Skytusk," said the translator, "and to your friends from Canyon City, welcome to Sky City, the highest settlement in all of Dinotopia." Short of breath because of the altitude, Croco slid down the mammoth's back and landed face-first in the snow to the delight of a giggling Katya.
"How high are we?" he asked. The second man calmly walked over to Croco, as had Alynna. The Master Rider helped Croco pick himself off the powder-covered ground while the other guide stood in front of him, helping to brush the snow off.
"You must be the Dolphinback known as Croco, correct?" he asked. Before Croco could do anything, he had a firm grip on his hand and they shook. "Very honored to be your guide. My name is Espen and over there is my brother Kjell...we are of Norwegian descent, so we're quite at home in the cold mountains. Ah, the altitude you say? We're close to 400 necks above sea level right here." Kjell was attending to his Moropus named Broadfoot, while Espen led the group composed of himself, Croco, Alynna, Katya and Skytusk into the city. The chalicothere, which he had named Thor, was not too far behind. Soon, they had arrived at a chalet-like building in the center of town. Kjell explained to Croco that it was the inn that their family runs and they get a lot of business from people in Canyon City journeying to the Tentpole like himself and Alynna.
The brothers led them each to their rooms separately, the first being Alynna. Croco sat in the lobby and was talking to a Tibetan who had just finished a stay at the Tentpole. He asked him what it was like, but refused when he found out that he was a dolphinback going for the very first time. Croco let out a disappointed grunt as Espen came out to lead him to his room. It was two doors down from Alynna's but the room itself was very similar to the Rainbow Ridge Inn back in Canyon City. He smiled and approved of his surroundings while Espen stood by the door.
"If there's anything you need, let one of us know. You can ask either me, my brother, Andre or Essa." he told him. "Breathe deep Croco..."
"...Seek peace Espen," and the door was shut behind Croco as he threw his backpack off in relief and fell face-down on the bed. Dusk was just beginning when he fell asleep for the night, tired but ready for the next day's adventures.