Chapter VI
Out of the Valley
Cera waited all through the night and forced herself to stay awake. Finally, when she was sure, that everybody slept she stood up and stole away. She looked back once more. There lay her father, Daddy Topps sleeping soundly. A tear began to glitter in one of her eyes. She wiped it off, turned round hastily and hurried up to go on. On her way to the tunnel she had to sneak past the nests of Ducky and her family. In doing so she kicked a small stone. Cera herself didn't even notice it, but the rebounded of a tree trunk and hit Ducky. She blinked drowsy but became wide-awake when she noticed Cera. First she wanted to address Cera, but then she noticed that Cera went on her way unswervingly. She seemed to have not even noticed her. But when Cera wasn't here to speak with her, what did she want, now in the midst of night? Cera had such a strange determined-sad look and she seemed to have a concrete objective. Ducky stood up silently and pursued Cera quietly, always hiding behind trees or bushes. After a while they reached the play-meadow. There was no place to hide on the meadow itself, so Ducky stayed behind a small boulder at the border of the wood that bordered to the meadow. Ducky watched Cera, who had just crossed the meadow, and started to climb up the way that led up to the tunnel. What did she want there? A terrible foreboding arose in Ducky. But that was impossible!
Cera hadn't noticed Ducky and so she went on till she reached the place where the narrow rocky path led into the tunnel that led to the mysterious beyond. Here the path broadened to a wide rocky projection, from which nearly the whole Great Valley could be seen. Cera let her eyes rove over the Valley. From here she and the others had seen the Great Valley for the first time. A short distance below was the place where Littlefoot had fallen down the slope. And here she would leave the Valley in which she had lived for such a long time. Cera hesitated. Should she really go? Here was enough foot and water. Out there she wouldn't be able to rely on this. She had also no idea where she should go. And moreover she was protected here. Out there in the mysterious beyond lived the sharpteeth. But then she banished her doubts, posed, turned round and cantered through the tunnel.
Ducky fearfully cried out when she saw Cera leaving the Great Valley. Her most terrible apprehension had been right after all! But Cera couldn't hear her, Ducky's voice was far to low. First Ducky wanted to run speedily behind Cera, but while she crossed the play-meadow she recognised that she was far to slow to catch up with Cera. Her advantage was far to far and she would also have little chance to find Cera if she tried it alone. She needed help to find Cera, bring her first to reason and then back in the Valley. She had to hurry up because Cera was in danger too, alone out there. So Ducky jerked round and ran back to her nest as fast as she could. Very close by slept Spike. Ducky knew how difficult it was to wake him up, but now every second counted, so she couldn't be considerate. With both fists she drummed on Spike's nose violently. Spike started up with a terrified cry. Ducky tried to hold to Spike's mouth with her both arms. Of course this didn't work, but Spike had understood that he should be quiet. He starred furiously at Ducky. He wasn't accustomed to be woken up so ungently. But he forgot his furry when he noticed how upset and confused Ducky was. She told him what she had seen in a few short sentences. Spike became wide- awake immediately. Ducky jumped upon his back and he ran over to Petrie's nest as fast and as silently as he could. "It seems as if the catastrophe you've wished is now there", said Ducky to Petrie with a tormented smile when they were on their way to Littlefoot's nest after they had woken up Petrie. Petrie nodded absent-mindedly. He as well as Ducky reflected upon how Littlefoot would respond and they decided to lead him to the play- meadow first to prevent anybody else being woken up. Ducky jogged at Littlefoot's shoulder carefully. She didn't want to put Littlefoot in bad mood immediately by waking him up the rude way. Littlefoot blinked tiredly. "Wake up, Littlefoot!" Ducky whispered. "We must talk over something very, very important! Oh yes we must!" "What? ...now?" Littlefoot mumbled sleepy. "Yes, now! We must hurry up!" whispered Petrie and Ducky chattered her, "Yep, yep, yep!" quietly afterwards to gave Petries words more emphasis. Littlefoot laboriously straightened up, but he had to hurry up, because the others had already cantered of. Littlefoot ran after them discontented. On the way he thought over what could be important enough to talk about now, in the midst of night. He felt that it would have to do with Cera. Ducky, Petrie and as good as he could Spike had talked of nothing else because of this during the last days, a fact that didn't even contribute to improve his mood. They stopped on the play-meadow below the tunnel and Ducky said again hastily, what she had observed. "We must follow her, and bring her back, before anything befalls to her!" she concluded. Littlefoot had heard Ducky silently and with growing apprehension. He didn't know what he should think of this, but he wasn't convinced when Ducky had finished. Tormenting thoughts prevent him from being convinced. "No!" he said low, but determined. "What do you mean with no?" Petrie asked worriedly. He, Spike and Ducky knew exactly what Littlefoot meant, but they couldn't believe this, they didn't want to believe this. "No! I won't run after her!" said Littlefoot louder, and even more determined. Ducky, Spike and Petrie looked at him like they would have usually only looked at a sharptooth. Littlefoot couldn't stand these looks and so he continued hastily: "She doesn't really want to run away from the Valley! Does she?" Littlefoot had only thought the last sentence instead of speaking it out. "She will wait for us somewhere close by. She thinks that everything will be forgiven and forgotten if we search and find her. But she's wrong!" It hurt Littlefoot himself to speak these words. He wasn't sure if his supposition was right, but he could not at all imagine that Cera really wanted to leave the Great Valley forever. Ducky who had composed herself somewhat said imploring: "You can't really believe what you've just said! You know how... proud Cera is. And after everything that has happened... She really wants to go! She has reasons enough!" Everybody was silence for some moments. Littlefoot seemed to fight an inward battle. Then he mumbled: "I won't come along!" Petrie flapped over to Littlefoot, clung to his nose, looked firmly in his eyes and croaked with one last hope: "That is not in earnest Littlefoot." But Littlefoot nodded, so Petrie lost his balance and fell down and answered nearly whispering: "I am being earnest Petrie!" and he continued a bit louder: "Good luck! But I don't believe that you will need it. Cera will wait for you outside!" "And if? Shall this quarrel never end Littlefoot?" Ducky asked reproachfully. "Cera has insulted my mother. I can't forgive her! Mother would have to do that." And silently Littlefoot added: "But she can't where she is now." Ducky looked at Littlefoot sadly. He wouldn't change his mind, and they had not enough time to waste it. Cera's avail grew with every second. Ducky shook her head very slightly, turned round and climbed on Spike's back. Spike gave Littlefoot an angry look; then he went off on the path that led up to the tunnel. Petrie sighed. He gave Littlefoot a long disappointed and sad look; then he nodded to say goodbye and hurried up to flap after Spike and Ducky.
Out of the Valley
Cera waited all through the night and forced herself to stay awake. Finally, when she was sure, that everybody slept she stood up and stole away. She looked back once more. There lay her father, Daddy Topps sleeping soundly. A tear began to glitter in one of her eyes. She wiped it off, turned round hastily and hurried up to go on. On her way to the tunnel she had to sneak past the nests of Ducky and her family. In doing so she kicked a small stone. Cera herself didn't even notice it, but the rebounded of a tree trunk and hit Ducky. She blinked drowsy but became wide-awake when she noticed Cera. First she wanted to address Cera, but then she noticed that Cera went on her way unswervingly. She seemed to have not even noticed her. But when Cera wasn't here to speak with her, what did she want, now in the midst of night? Cera had such a strange determined-sad look and she seemed to have a concrete objective. Ducky stood up silently and pursued Cera quietly, always hiding behind trees or bushes. After a while they reached the play-meadow. There was no place to hide on the meadow itself, so Ducky stayed behind a small boulder at the border of the wood that bordered to the meadow. Ducky watched Cera, who had just crossed the meadow, and started to climb up the way that led up to the tunnel. What did she want there? A terrible foreboding arose in Ducky. But that was impossible!
Cera hadn't noticed Ducky and so she went on till she reached the place where the narrow rocky path led into the tunnel that led to the mysterious beyond. Here the path broadened to a wide rocky projection, from which nearly the whole Great Valley could be seen. Cera let her eyes rove over the Valley. From here she and the others had seen the Great Valley for the first time. A short distance below was the place where Littlefoot had fallen down the slope. And here she would leave the Valley in which she had lived for such a long time. Cera hesitated. Should she really go? Here was enough foot and water. Out there she wouldn't be able to rely on this. She had also no idea where she should go. And moreover she was protected here. Out there in the mysterious beyond lived the sharpteeth. But then she banished her doubts, posed, turned round and cantered through the tunnel.
Ducky fearfully cried out when she saw Cera leaving the Great Valley. Her most terrible apprehension had been right after all! But Cera couldn't hear her, Ducky's voice was far to low. First Ducky wanted to run speedily behind Cera, but while she crossed the play-meadow she recognised that she was far to slow to catch up with Cera. Her advantage was far to far and she would also have little chance to find Cera if she tried it alone. She needed help to find Cera, bring her first to reason and then back in the Valley. She had to hurry up because Cera was in danger too, alone out there. So Ducky jerked round and ran back to her nest as fast as she could. Very close by slept Spike. Ducky knew how difficult it was to wake him up, but now every second counted, so she couldn't be considerate. With both fists she drummed on Spike's nose violently. Spike started up with a terrified cry. Ducky tried to hold to Spike's mouth with her both arms. Of course this didn't work, but Spike had understood that he should be quiet. He starred furiously at Ducky. He wasn't accustomed to be woken up so ungently. But he forgot his furry when he noticed how upset and confused Ducky was. She told him what she had seen in a few short sentences. Spike became wide- awake immediately. Ducky jumped upon his back and he ran over to Petrie's nest as fast and as silently as he could. "It seems as if the catastrophe you've wished is now there", said Ducky to Petrie with a tormented smile when they were on their way to Littlefoot's nest after they had woken up Petrie. Petrie nodded absent-mindedly. He as well as Ducky reflected upon how Littlefoot would respond and they decided to lead him to the play- meadow first to prevent anybody else being woken up. Ducky jogged at Littlefoot's shoulder carefully. She didn't want to put Littlefoot in bad mood immediately by waking him up the rude way. Littlefoot blinked tiredly. "Wake up, Littlefoot!" Ducky whispered. "We must talk over something very, very important! Oh yes we must!" "What? ...now?" Littlefoot mumbled sleepy. "Yes, now! We must hurry up!" whispered Petrie and Ducky chattered her, "Yep, yep, yep!" quietly afterwards to gave Petries words more emphasis. Littlefoot laboriously straightened up, but he had to hurry up, because the others had already cantered of. Littlefoot ran after them discontented. On the way he thought over what could be important enough to talk about now, in the midst of night. He felt that it would have to do with Cera. Ducky, Petrie and as good as he could Spike had talked of nothing else because of this during the last days, a fact that didn't even contribute to improve his mood. They stopped on the play-meadow below the tunnel and Ducky said again hastily, what she had observed. "We must follow her, and bring her back, before anything befalls to her!" she concluded. Littlefoot had heard Ducky silently and with growing apprehension. He didn't know what he should think of this, but he wasn't convinced when Ducky had finished. Tormenting thoughts prevent him from being convinced. "No!" he said low, but determined. "What do you mean with no?" Petrie asked worriedly. He, Spike and Ducky knew exactly what Littlefoot meant, but they couldn't believe this, they didn't want to believe this. "No! I won't run after her!" said Littlefoot louder, and even more determined. Ducky, Spike and Petrie looked at him like they would have usually only looked at a sharptooth. Littlefoot couldn't stand these looks and so he continued hastily: "She doesn't really want to run away from the Valley! Does she?" Littlefoot had only thought the last sentence instead of speaking it out. "She will wait for us somewhere close by. She thinks that everything will be forgiven and forgotten if we search and find her. But she's wrong!" It hurt Littlefoot himself to speak these words. He wasn't sure if his supposition was right, but he could not at all imagine that Cera really wanted to leave the Great Valley forever. Ducky who had composed herself somewhat said imploring: "You can't really believe what you've just said! You know how... proud Cera is. And after everything that has happened... She really wants to go! She has reasons enough!" Everybody was silence for some moments. Littlefoot seemed to fight an inward battle. Then he mumbled: "I won't come along!" Petrie flapped over to Littlefoot, clung to his nose, looked firmly in his eyes and croaked with one last hope: "That is not in earnest Littlefoot." But Littlefoot nodded, so Petrie lost his balance and fell down and answered nearly whispering: "I am being earnest Petrie!" and he continued a bit louder: "Good luck! But I don't believe that you will need it. Cera will wait for you outside!" "And if? Shall this quarrel never end Littlefoot?" Ducky asked reproachfully. "Cera has insulted my mother. I can't forgive her! Mother would have to do that." And silently Littlefoot added: "But she can't where she is now." Ducky looked at Littlefoot sadly. He wouldn't change his mind, and they had not enough time to waste it. Cera's avail grew with every second. Ducky shook her head very slightly, turned round and climbed on Spike's back. Spike gave Littlefoot an angry look; then he went off on the path that led up to the tunnel. Petrie sighed. He gave Littlefoot a long disappointed and sad look; then he nodded to say goodbye and hurried up to flap after Spike and Ducky.