Chapter III
A nightly colloquy
Cera lay by her secret place in the sedge. Not even to Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike or Petrie she had ever talked about this place, far from having ever showed it anyone. She was really the only who know of this hiding place and she was very glad about this in the moment, because here she could be lonely and absorbed in her thoughts. Since she had run away from him she hadn't been able to forget Littlefoot's look. First here when she had thought about it she had realized that she had hit Littlefoot's sore spot; his mother. She acknowledged how she had hurt his innermost feelings, and she thought that Littlefoot's mother had rescued her live back then. This was a pretty bad way to thank her. Fortunately Littlefoot hadn't seemed to be severely hurt by his fall down the slope, but after all he had been unconscious for some minutes. Cera had not at all meant to butt him down there. It had been an accident, but Littlefoot probably wouldn't believe that. And Ducky, Petrie and Spike? They would try not to intervene in the quarrel; they hadn't wanted it. But they seemed to comply with Littlefoot, especially after his fall. And the thought that were the hardest to accept for Cera: They were right! She had provoked Littlefoot and she had brought on the quarrel without a reason. Cera only hoped, that Ducky, Spike and Petrie would believe that she hadn't meant to throw Littlefoot down the slope. She wanted to be forgiven by Littlefoot, but she didn't know how displeased Littlefoot and the others were with her. She had no other choice than to ask one of them, but who? After short consideration Cera decided to wait for the night and then speak with Spike. Spike was good-natured and he wouldn't be able to tell the others anything, because he couldn't really speak. In this Moment Cera heard her father call for her. She realized that it had become evening and she hurried up home. On her way she considered if she should tell her father everything, but then she decided against that. This was a concern between Littlefoot and her. Her father would probably say that it was Littlefoot's whole fault and he would conjure a big quarrel between him and Littlefoot's grandparents. He would make everything worse. He and the other grownups had no business in this quarrel.
At the same time Littlefoot lay in his nest. He thought about the events of the last hours too. Why hadn't Cera been able to take back the offence of his mother simply? Littlefoot couldn't find an answer on this question. He thought of his mother and became furious again. He would never forgive Cera for that! His mother... tears started to glisten in the angles of his eyes. He really couldn't understand Cera, after all his mother had rescued her life too. His head was still hurting, and it had been difficult to hide this from his grandparents. Finally he turned round and shut his eyes, but it needed a long time till he really slept.
Cera had kept awake till now. Now, when she was sure that her father and also every other saurian in the Valley slept, she stood up silently and sneaked over to the small lake, where Ducky's family and Spike (who had been adopted by them) had their nests. Cera reached Spike's sleeping place, but Ducky lay only a few steps away. If Cera would try to wake up Spike (who was, in contrast to Ducky, a very sound sleeper) she would certainly wake up Ducky too. Cera looked helplessly around and then she had an idea. There was something, bigger in Spike than his sleep; and that was his appetite. Nearby was a small tree that bore very sappy treestars. Cera picked one of it and returned silently to Spike. She held the leaf in front of Spike's nose. Spike sniffed and began to snap at the bite without waking up. Cera drew back the leaf slowly and promptly Spike heaved up himself to follow the delicious smell, still snapping at the treestar, so Cera had to take care not to be bitten by him, and still with closed eyes. If the occasion hadn't been so earnest Cera would have burst into laughter, but now she denied herself. She led Spike a considerable distance away from his sleeping place before giving him the treestar. Cera watched how Spike swallowed the leaf enjoying and then she tried to wake him up. But it needed long time, till he was really awake. Spike blinked exhausted at her, but when he recognised Cera he became suddenly wide-awake. He raised his head and gave a surprised noise, which caused Cera to give a frightened twitch. "Hist!" she hissed and Spike nodded to show that he had understood that he should be quiet. Cera looked at him. And he looked at her again with such a look she couldn't stand. Spike didn't need to speak. Everything he thought or felt could read of from his face. After a few seconds had passed Cera began to ask: "How is Littlefoot?" Spike hummed some incomprehensible sounds and distorted his face. Cera understood, that she had to speak differently with Spike. "Is Littlefoot well?" she asked. Spike shook his head. "Has he hurt severely by the fall?" Cera asked horrified. She was very relieved when Spike shook his head again. "Is he very angry?" Cera asked carefully. Spike looked ad Cera as if she had asked something very stupid when he nodded lingering, and with a very sad face. Cera sighed and after some seconds she asked very silent: "Do you believe that Littlefoot would forgive me if I apologise to him?" Spike hesitated; he seemed to be very surprised, and in the same moment Cera realized, that she had admitted her wrong with her last question, and that Spike hadn't expected this admission. Spike made some helpless sounds and Cera understood that he didn't know the answer of her last question. First Cera wanted to ask Spike much more questions, but after the last question, in witch she had made more admissions than she had wanted she didn't want to risk prattling away again. "Thanks Spiky!" she said and had nearly turned round, when she noticed Spike's look again. Cera was sure, if Spike could have spoken, he would have asked her a lot. "I didn't want this!" said Cera sudden with slightly shaking voice. Spike's face changed to a smile. It was like a fantastic present to Cera and so she wasn't angry about the admissions she had made with her last words. But now she hurried up to come home before anybody would notice her missing.
A nightly colloquy
Cera lay by her secret place in the sedge. Not even to Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike or Petrie she had ever talked about this place, far from having ever showed it anyone. She was really the only who know of this hiding place and she was very glad about this in the moment, because here she could be lonely and absorbed in her thoughts. Since she had run away from him she hadn't been able to forget Littlefoot's look. First here when she had thought about it she had realized that she had hit Littlefoot's sore spot; his mother. She acknowledged how she had hurt his innermost feelings, and she thought that Littlefoot's mother had rescued her live back then. This was a pretty bad way to thank her. Fortunately Littlefoot hadn't seemed to be severely hurt by his fall down the slope, but after all he had been unconscious for some minutes. Cera had not at all meant to butt him down there. It had been an accident, but Littlefoot probably wouldn't believe that. And Ducky, Petrie and Spike? They would try not to intervene in the quarrel; they hadn't wanted it. But they seemed to comply with Littlefoot, especially after his fall. And the thought that were the hardest to accept for Cera: They were right! She had provoked Littlefoot and she had brought on the quarrel without a reason. Cera only hoped, that Ducky, Spike and Petrie would believe that she hadn't meant to throw Littlefoot down the slope. She wanted to be forgiven by Littlefoot, but she didn't know how displeased Littlefoot and the others were with her. She had no other choice than to ask one of them, but who? After short consideration Cera decided to wait for the night and then speak with Spike. Spike was good-natured and he wouldn't be able to tell the others anything, because he couldn't really speak. In this Moment Cera heard her father call for her. She realized that it had become evening and she hurried up home. On her way she considered if she should tell her father everything, but then she decided against that. This was a concern between Littlefoot and her. Her father would probably say that it was Littlefoot's whole fault and he would conjure a big quarrel between him and Littlefoot's grandparents. He would make everything worse. He and the other grownups had no business in this quarrel.
At the same time Littlefoot lay in his nest. He thought about the events of the last hours too. Why hadn't Cera been able to take back the offence of his mother simply? Littlefoot couldn't find an answer on this question. He thought of his mother and became furious again. He would never forgive Cera for that! His mother... tears started to glisten in the angles of his eyes. He really couldn't understand Cera, after all his mother had rescued her life too. His head was still hurting, and it had been difficult to hide this from his grandparents. Finally he turned round and shut his eyes, but it needed a long time till he really slept.
Cera had kept awake till now. Now, when she was sure that her father and also every other saurian in the Valley slept, she stood up silently and sneaked over to the small lake, where Ducky's family and Spike (who had been adopted by them) had their nests. Cera reached Spike's sleeping place, but Ducky lay only a few steps away. If Cera would try to wake up Spike (who was, in contrast to Ducky, a very sound sleeper) she would certainly wake up Ducky too. Cera looked helplessly around and then she had an idea. There was something, bigger in Spike than his sleep; and that was his appetite. Nearby was a small tree that bore very sappy treestars. Cera picked one of it and returned silently to Spike. She held the leaf in front of Spike's nose. Spike sniffed and began to snap at the bite without waking up. Cera drew back the leaf slowly and promptly Spike heaved up himself to follow the delicious smell, still snapping at the treestar, so Cera had to take care not to be bitten by him, and still with closed eyes. If the occasion hadn't been so earnest Cera would have burst into laughter, but now she denied herself. She led Spike a considerable distance away from his sleeping place before giving him the treestar. Cera watched how Spike swallowed the leaf enjoying and then she tried to wake him up. But it needed long time, till he was really awake. Spike blinked exhausted at her, but when he recognised Cera he became suddenly wide-awake. He raised his head and gave a surprised noise, which caused Cera to give a frightened twitch. "Hist!" she hissed and Spike nodded to show that he had understood that he should be quiet. Cera looked at him. And he looked at her again with such a look she couldn't stand. Spike didn't need to speak. Everything he thought or felt could read of from his face. After a few seconds had passed Cera began to ask: "How is Littlefoot?" Spike hummed some incomprehensible sounds and distorted his face. Cera understood, that she had to speak differently with Spike. "Is Littlefoot well?" she asked. Spike shook his head. "Has he hurt severely by the fall?" Cera asked horrified. She was very relieved when Spike shook his head again. "Is he very angry?" Cera asked carefully. Spike looked ad Cera as if she had asked something very stupid when he nodded lingering, and with a very sad face. Cera sighed and after some seconds she asked very silent: "Do you believe that Littlefoot would forgive me if I apologise to him?" Spike hesitated; he seemed to be very surprised, and in the same moment Cera realized, that she had admitted her wrong with her last question, and that Spike hadn't expected this admission. Spike made some helpless sounds and Cera understood that he didn't know the answer of her last question. First Cera wanted to ask Spike much more questions, but after the last question, in witch she had made more admissions than she had wanted she didn't want to risk prattling away again. "Thanks Spiky!" she said and had nearly turned round, when she noticed Spike's look again. Cera was sure, if Spike could have spoken, he would have asked her a lot. "I didn't want this!" said Cera sudden with slightly shaking voice. Spike's face changed to a smile. It was like a fantastic present to Cera and so she wasn't angry about the admissions she had made with her last words. But now she hurried up to come home before anybody would notice her missing.