Chapter XIV
Bad and good news
Ali ran as fast as she could. Her mother would certainly slate her. Now she crossed the river at the lake where she had met Cera, and soon after she reached the herd's resting place. It was not only one of the rare glades that existed here, but also one of the very few plain places in the valley, without the customary plateaus. The ground was rocky and some narrow lava vents bestowed light and warmness. Here and there were some irregular placed rocks. It was a good resting Place. Her mother ran towards Ali immediately and far away from slating she seemed to be very relieved. "Ali! Thank god you're back." And a bit more reproachful she asked: "Where on earth have you been all the time? You haven't heard me calling, haven't you?" Ali endeavored to contrive a partway-credible excuse. "I've only reconnoitred the Valley, Mum. Eventually we are going to stay here for a while, don't we?" "No, Ali! The old one has decided that we'll rest tomorrow and leave the valley the day after." Ali twitched. "What? But why?" "The trails we've found, there is no doubt possible anymore that they are from a sharptooth. Moreover we've found more tracks of it, and they were pretty new. It's just luck we haven't met the sharptooth yet. The old one is of opinion we should do everything to avoid an encounter with the sharptooth." Many thoughts passed through Ali's mind. What if Littlefoot and the others wouldn't be arrived till then? That they would come Ali didn't call in question for a second. But what if they wouldn't be there when she would have to leave the valley, the day after tomorrow? She couldn't leave Cera alone here, and moreover she didn't want to let the uniquely chance slip to meet Littlefoot and the others again. Wouldn't it be the best and easiest to tell her mother everything? But Ali decided to wait with that and to speak with Cera again first. "It is unnecessary to tell you that you'll have to stay with the herd tomorrow, isn't it?" Ali's mother said very earnest. "But Mum..." "It is far too dangerous, Ali!" a voice said suddenly behind her. Ali jerked round and looked into the puckered face of the old one. "You'll stay here." Ali receded reverentially a few steps and nodded, while she couldn't turn her eyes away from the venerable figure. It was impossible to contradict the old one although she would have liked to do so. She couldn't resist the old ones look, like nobody else could. The old one was the undisputed leader of the herd. Her word was law, since she was the wisest member of the herd. She gave Ali another piercingly look and for a moment Ali had the impression that the old one could read her thoughts, then she turned away. Ali had never had such an inner conflict. On the one hand she was educate in the strong herd rules and contravening against the old one's word was certainly the highest wrongdoing she was able to do, but on the other hand she couldn't forsake Cera. Once before she had contravened against the rules; then when she had helped the others to find the night flower. Then she hadn't got to bear any consequences, but she was sure that the grownups had overlooked it only because of their success. And now the old one herself had ordered her to stay here. Ali's desperation seemed to have been readable from her face for her mother asked suddenly while they were going to their nests: "You like this valley?" Ali simply nodded because she wasn't in mood to think of another excuse. "But you see we shouldn't risk an encounter with the sharptooth?" Ali's mother questioned further. Ali nodded again. "The only reason to stay here tomorrow is that some of us still haven't recovered from our last migration." "Well", thought Ali, "Then it had a sense after all still." She had their last migration in bad memory. They had erred through an aridly wasteland for weeks. Ali's mother eyed Ali's absent face and suddenly she smiled when she continued:
"Maybe it will cheer you up to hear what is our next destination." Ali looked up. "Remember the Great Valley?" "What?" Ali startled up in sudden joy. Her mother's smile became even broader. "Actually I wanted to surprise you with that later, but you looked so downhearted that I thought it would be good to give you something you can look forward to." Indeed this was something she could look forward to, and moreover she would perhaps been able to persuade Cera to come along. But at all events she would have to go against the grown up's forbiddance to distance from the herd and that was an intent that didn't let her sleep well.
Bad and good news
Ali ran as fast as she could. Her mother would certainly slate her. Now she crossed the river at the lake where she had met Cera, and soon after she reached the herd's resting place. It was not only one of the rare glades that existed here, but also one of the very few plain places in the valley, without the customary plateaus. The ground was rocky and some narrow lava vents bestowed light and warmness. Here and there were some irregular placed rocks. It was a good resting Place. Her mother ran towards Ali immediately and far away from slating she seemed to be very relieved. "Ali! Thank god you're back." And a bit more reproachful she asked: "Where on earth have you been all the time? You haven't heard me calling, haven't you?" Ali endeavored to contrive a partway-credible excuse. "I've only reconnoitred the Valley, Mum. Eventually we are going to stay here for a while, don't we?" "No, Ali! The old one has decided that we'll rest tomorrow and leave the valley the day after." Ali twitched. "What? But why?" "The trails we've found, there is no doubt possible anymore that they are from a sharptooth. Moreover we've found more tracks of it, and they were pretty new. It's just luck we haven't met the sharptooth yet. The old one is of opinion we should do everything to avoid an encounter with the sharptooth." Many thoughts passed through Ali's mind. What if Littlefoot and the others wouldn't be arrived till then? That they would come Ali didn't call in question for a second. But what if they wouldn't be there when she would have to leave the valley, the day after tomorrow? She couldn't leave Cera alone here, and moreover she didn't want to let the uniquely chance slip to meet Littlefoot and the others again. Wouldn't it be the best and easiest to tell her mother everything? But Ali decided to wait with that and to speak with Cera again first. "It is unnecessary to tell you that you'll have to stay with the herd tomorrow, isn't it?" Ali's mother said very earnest. "But Mum..." "It is far too dangerous, Ali!" a voice said suddenly behind her. Ali jerked round and looked into the puckered face of the old one. "You'll stay here." Ali receded reverentially a few steps and nodded, while she couldn't turn her eyes away from the venerable figure. It was impossible to contradict the old one although she would have liked to do so. She couldn't resist the old ones look, like nobody else could. The old one was the undisputed leader of the herd. Her word was law, since she was the wisest member of the herd. She gave Ali another piercingly look and for a moment Ali had the impression that the old one could read her thoughts, then she turned away. Ali had never had such an inner conflict. On the one hand she was educate in the strong herd rules and contravening against the old one's word was certainly the highest wrongdoing she was able to do, but on the other hand she couldn't forsake Cera. Once before she had contravened against the rules; then when she had helped the others to find the night flower. Then she hadn't got to bear any consequences, but she was sure that the grownups had overlooked it only because of their success. And now the old one herself had ordered her to stay here. Ali's desperation seemed to have been readable from her face for her mother asked suddenly while they were going to their nests: "You like this valley?" Ali simply nodded because she wasn't in mood to think of another excuse. "But you see we shouldn't risk an encounter with the sharptooth?" Ali's mother questioned further. Ali nodded again. "The only reason to stay here tomorrow is that some of us still haven't recovered from our last migration." "Well", thought Ali, "Then it had a sense after all still." She had their last migration in bad memory. They had erred through an aridly wasteland for weeks. Ali's mother eyed Ali's absent face and suddenly she smiled when she continued:
"Maybe it will cheer you up to hear what is our next destination." Ali looked up. "Remember the Great Valley?" "What?" Ali startled up in sudden joy. Her mother's smile became even broader. "Actually I wanted to surprise you with that later, but you looked so downhearted that I thought it would be good to give you something you can look forward to." Indeed this was something she could look forward to, and moreover she would perhaps been able to persuade Cera to come along. But at all events she would have to go against the grown up's forbiddance to distance from the herd and that was an intent that didn't let her sleep well.