Chapter XVII
An unexpected meeting
"Cera! Cera? Are you here?" Littlefoot hearkened for a moment, but he couldn't hear an answer. Petrie flapped in a zigzag to and fro between the trees. He tried to overlook an area as big as possible. He was in opposition to his friends able to do so to a certain extent despite of the brushwood. This was the advantage to be a flyer. Some times he flew a wide loop and returned to Littlefoot just to say him again and again: "I can't see her, nowhere!" Littlefoot sighed. Meanwhile he had stopped to count how often Petrie had returned without having found anything. He himself was not more successful. The thought struck him that Cera, if she was here, possibly wouldn't appear when she would hear or see him. Normally he couldn't imagine this. Cera was far too proud to hide from him, but what had she undergone in the last time? How had his mother said? She feels even worse than you. And Littlefoot had felt very bad. Littlefoot was a kind of afraid of the thought that Cera maybe wouldn't dare to come out. It was to be hopped that Ducky and Spike on the other side of the river were more successfully than Petrie and he self were here. He expelled all this thoughts and called for Cera again while Petrie flew forth anew.
Ali had just left the herd when she hesitated and skidded to a halt suddenly. She needed a moment to cost since she had run as fast as she could to reach Cera. Had she really heard something? There it was again, even more distinctly, she hadn't erred! Again she heard Littlefoot's calling: "Cera! Cera, where are you?" And a moment later Ali heard Petrie's lower croaking: "Where you are, Cera?" Ali made a joyful caper uttering a damped cheer. She hadn't been wrong about Littlefoot and the others neither. They were here to find Cera. But if they would continue to shout so loudly, the other saurians of her herd would hear them. She had to warn them of being so noisy. Ali made her way through a dense thicket and found herself on a plateau above a clear stripe of terrain Littlefoot would certainly use for his way. A moment later Ali spotted Petrie who flapped in the air directly in front of her, but in another direction so he hadn't seen her. Suddenly Petrie flew a narrow curve directly towards her. Petrie screamed in surprise and forgot to flap with his wings. He precipitated ungently at the bottom of the plateau on which Ali stood. He rubbed his head, looked up to her and muttered lowly: "Ali? You're here?" Alarmed by Petrie's scream Littlefoot came ran around the corner. He saw Petrie lying on the ground and asked frightened: "Petrie, what's the matter?" He hadn't noticed Ali yet, so he screamed surprised too when she suddenly stood in front of him after she had jumped down from the plateau. "Ali?!" "Pshhht! Don't be so loudly! The others of my herd mustn't hear you!" Littlefoot and Petrie complied immediately although they hadn't recovered from their surprise yet. "Come along. Let's go a bit farther where we can speak undisturbed", whispered Ali and ran of. Littlefoot and Petrie changed a disconcerted look before they followed her hasty. After they had covered a distance towards the river they stopped. Now, they were out of hearing for the herd and could recover the overdue hearty greeting. When the first happiness of the meet again had faded Ali told Littlefoot and Petrie what she had told Cera the day before. She hadn't mentioned Cera self when Petrie shouted: "I must tell the others you're here!" He swung himself into the air and flew away before Littlefoot or Ali could keep him back. "Wait, Petrie!" Ali shouted after him, but he was already out of hearing. For a moment he had forgotten Cera entirely. Ali looked after him shaking her head. Then she turned to Littlefoot: "Ducky and Spike are here to aren't they?" "Yes", answered Littlefoot, who was a bit surprised by Ali's lack of surprise about the presence of himself and the others, "And I believe it's my turn to tell you why we're here. Maybe you can even help us" "I think so. Shall I bring you to Cera?" "What?! You've seen Cera? She is here? Is she well?" Ali couldn't suppress a grin; she really hadn't erred about Littlefoot. His apprehension could be read from his face, so she hurried to calm him: "She is well" "Where is she?" "I'll lead you to her. Come on!" Ali set in motion and Littlefoot followed her. Ali had forgotten her hurry; Littlefoot's and the other's presence had wiped it out of her mind completely. "I've brought Cera to a hiding place at the other end of the valley, since she didn't want to be discovered by the other members of my herd." "Maybe Ducky and Spike have already found her then", Littlefoot said, "They're searching on the other side of the river" "I don't believe they've found her yet. The hiding place is really sheltering. Cera will be very, very surprised to see you", Ali said grinning thinking of her dissent with Cera, if Littlefoot and the others would come, the eve before. First a moment later Ali realized what she had just said and she would have liked best to bit on her tongue. Littlefoot's joy seemed vanish immediately and his face became very sad when he asked: "Do you really believe that she'll be so surprised? And don't you believe that she'll show herself to Ducky and Spike?" Ali sighed. She had prattled away thoughtlessly and grieved Littlefoot very much. "She'll be far more happy than surprised to see you!" Ali noticed relieved that something similar to a smile came to Littlefoot's face. "What has Cera told you why she is here?" Littlefoot asked suddenly. Ali repeated pretty literally what Cera had told her about the quarrel the last evening. When she had finished Littlefoot nodded without batting an eye. He looked very earnest again and Ali considered how to change the subject to divert Littlefoot's thoughts. Then she remembered what would cheer Littlefoot up. "We are going to leave this valley tomorrow. Give a guess what's our next purpose!" Littlefoot stopped and looked at Ali with wide eyes. The good news must have been readable from her face although she had tried not to beam with joy. "The Great Valley?!" Littlefoot burst out the face turning radiant with joy. Ali nodded and her smiling became broader. "Hoorah!" Littlefoot cheered so loudly that Ali feared the others from her herd could hear it. But then she thought about it; now it seemed to be all the same after all since Littlefoot and the others would certainly join the herd for their return to the Great Valley. "And how long are you going to stay?" "Dunno", answered Ali. Suddenly Littlefoot frowned a bit and asked Ali: "Why are you actually leaving this valley already tomorrow? You've told that the herd has arrived here but the day before yesterday, haven't you?" Ali nodded. "It's because we found tracks of a sharptooth and..." "What, here? And what if Ducky, Spike, Petrie or Cera run into it?" Ali frightened too: "Cera would see the sharptooth in time from her hiding place and take shelter. But the others... Come on Littlefoot!" And Ali started to run through the shallow of the lake they had just reached, that the water splashed around her feet. Littlefoot followed her hastily. He had no good feeling.
An unexpected meeting
"Cera! Cera? Are you here?" Littlefoot hearkened for a moment, but he couldn't hear an answer. Petrie flapped in a zigzag to and fro between the trees. He tried to overlook an area as big as possible. He was in opposition to his friends able to do so to a certain extent despite of the brushwood. This was the advantage to be a flyer. Some times he flew a wide loop and returned to Littlefoot just to say him again and again: "I can't see her, nowhere!" Littlefoot sighed. Meanwhile he had stopped to count how often Petrie had returned without having found anything. He himself was not more successful. The thought struck him that Cera, if she was here, possibly wouldn't appear when she would hear or see him. Normally he couldn't imagine this. Cera was far too proud to hide from him, but what had she undergone in the last time? How had his mother said? She feels even worse than you. And Littlefoot had felt very bad. Littlefoot was a kind of afraid of the thought that Cera maybe wouldn't dare to come out. It was to be hopped that Ducky and Spike on the other side of the river were more successfully than Petrie and he self were here. He expelled all this thoughts and called for Cera again while Petrie flew forth anew.
Ali had just left the herd when she hesitated and skidded to a halt suddenly. She needed a moment to cost since she had run as fast as she could to reach Cera. Had she really heard something? There it was again, even more distinctly, she hadn't erred! Again she heard Littlefoot's calling: "Cera! Cera, where are you?" And a moment later Ali heard Petrie's lower croaking: "Where you are, Cera?" Ali made a joyful caper uttering a damped cheer. She hadn't been wrong about Littlefoot and the others neither. They were here to find Cera. But if they would continue to shout so loudly, the other saurians of her herd would hear them. She had to warn them of being so noisy. Ali made her way through a dense thicket and found herself on a plateau above a clear stripe of terrain Littlefoot would certainly use for his way. A moment later Ali spotted Petrie who flapped in the air directly in front of her, but in another direction so he hadn't seen her. Suddenly Petrie flew a narrow curve directly towards her. Petrie screamed in surprise and forgot to flap with his wings. He precipitated ungently at the bottom of the plateau on which Ali stood. He rubbed his head, looked up to her and muttered lowly: "Ali? You're here?" Alarmed by Petrie's scream Littlefoot came ran around the corner. He saw Petrie lying on the ground and asked frightened: "Petrie, what's the matter?" He hadn't noticed Ali yet, so he screamed surprised too when she suddenly stood in front of him after she had jumped down from the plateau. "Ali?!" "Pshhht! Don't be so loudly! The others of my herd mustn't hear you!" Littlefoot and Petrie complied immediately although they hadn't recovered from their surprise yet. "Come along. Let's go a bit farther where we can speak undisturbed", whispered Ali and ran of. Littlefoot and Petrie changed a disconcerted look before they followed her hasty. After they had covered a distance towards the river they stopped. Now, they were out of hearing for the herd and could recover the overdue hearty greeting. When the first happiness of the meet again had faded Ali told Littlefoot and Petrie what she had told Cera the day before. She hadn't mentioned Cera self when Petrie shouted: "I must tell the others you're here!" He swung himself into the air and flew away before Littlefoot or Ali could keep him back. "Wait, Petrie!" Ali shouted after him, but he was already out of hearing. For a moment he had forgotten Cera entirely. Ali looked after him shaking her head. Then she turned to Littlefoot: "Ducky and Spike are here to aren't they?" "Yes", answered Littlefoot, who was a bit surprised by Ali's lack of surprise about the presence of himself and the others, "And I believe it's my turn to tell you why we're here. Maybe you can even help us" "I think so. Shall I bring you to Cera?" "What?! You've seen Cera? She is here? Is she well?" Ali couldn't suppress a grin; she really hadn't erred about Littlefoot. His apprehension could be read from his face, so she hurried to calm him: "She is well" "Where is she?" "I'll lead you to her. Come on!" Ali set in motion and Littlefoot followed her. Ali had forgotten her hurry; Littlefoot's and the other's presence had wiped it out of her mind completely. "I've brought Cera to a hiding place at the other end of the valley, since she didn't want to be discovered by the other members of my herd." "Maybe Ducky and Spike have already found her then", Littlefoot said, "They're searching on the other side of the river" "I don't believe they've found her yet. The hiding place is really sheltering. Cera will be very, very surprised to see you", Ali said grinning thinking of her dissent with Cera, if Littlefoot and the others would come, the eve before. First a moment later Ali realized what she had just said and she would have liked best to bit on her tongue. Littlefoot's joy seemed vanish immediately and his face became very sad when he asked: "Do you really believe that she'll be so surprised? And don't you believe that she'll show herself to Ducky and Spike?" Ali sighed. She had prattled away thoughtlessly and grieved Littlefoot very much. "She'll be far more happy than surprised to see you!" Ali noticed relieved that something similar to a smile came to Littlefoot's face. "What has Cera told you why she is here?" Littlefoot asked suddenly. Ali repeated pretty literally what Cera had told her about the quarrel the last evening. When she had finished Littlefoot nodded without batting an eye. He looked very earnest again and Ali considered how to change the subject to divert Littlefoot's thoughts. Then she remembered what would cheer Littlefoot up. "We are going to leave this valley tomorrow. Give a guess what's our next purpose!" Littlefoot stopped and looked at Ali with wide eyes. The good news must have been readable from her face although she had tried not to beam with joy. "The Great Valley?!" Littlefoot burst out the face turning radiant with joy. Ali nodded and her smiling became broader. "Hoorah!" Littlefoot cheered so loudly that Ali feared the others from her herd could hear it. But then she thought about it; now it seemed to be all the same after all since Littlefoot and the others would certainly join the herd for their return to the Great Valley. "And how long are you going to stay?" "Dunno", answered Ali. Suddenly Littlefoot frowned a bit and asked Ali: "Why are you actually leaving this valley already tomorrow? You've told that the herd has arrived here but the day before yesterday, haven't you?" Ali nodded. "It's because we found tracks of a sharptooth and..." "What, here? And what if Ducky, Spike, Petrie or Cera run into it?" Ali frightened too: "Cera would see the sharptooth in time from her hiding place and take shelter. But the others... Come on Littlefoot!" And Ali started to run through the shallow of the lake they had just reached, that the water splashed around her feet. Littlefoot followed her hastily. He had no good feeling.