Chapter XXVIII
"Come on, come on, come on!"
Ducky was nearly at the end of her strength when she suddenly scented something that could promise the rescue; water! As a swimmer Ducky could move very fast in the water and plunge so the sharptooth wouldn't be able to scent her anymore. In the meanwhile it had nearly caught up with Ducky although it went nearly ambling not to overstrain itself. Suddenly she heard voices calling her name, her friends! But she was far too much engaged with running to answer. The sharptooth had heard the callings too and seemed to have come to the resolution to put an end to the hunt. It began to run faster again. Ducky slipped through a small, but dense bush and then she saw the water ahead. It was the lake where she and Spike had separated from Littlefoot and Petrie in the morning to search for Cera. Between her and the water was a riparian stripe of grass and on this stripe were Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Spike and Ali running towards the lake as fast as they could. They fled before the sharptooth, whose booming she heard from behind too. With a few far reaching steps Ducky crossed the riparian stripe and reached the watermark. A very strong tremor ran through the ground and Ducky cast a glimpse over her shoulder. The sharptooth stood behind her and its head twitched down, the mouth opened wide. Ducky felt the hot breath of the sharptooth in her back when she jumped forward. The next moment she was surrounded by the pleasant coolness of the water and Ducky started to swim without cropping up. Ducky was whirled around when the sharptooth ran into the water setting it in wild movement. But she worked her way through the vortexes; when she reached the calm water she was in her element and shot towards the other shore like an arrow below the water surface.
Ali had taken the lead again. She, Littlefoot, Cera and Spike ran as fast as they could through the shallow water so it splashed up around their legs. Petrie flew aside them. In the air he progressed far faster than his friends in the shallow water below. So Petrie took the time to cast a look back. The sharptooth had started to follow them through the lake. Suddenly Petrie noticed something that swam towards the other shore below the water surface at a high speed. Even before Ali the "something" reached the shore; it emerged and crawled out of the water. The "something" was Ducky. She shook of the water, fetched deep breath and jumped upon a small rock that stood in the shallow water near the shoreline. "Hurry up! Come on, come on, come on!" she shouted beckoning at the others without turning her look away from the sharptooth. "Ducky!" Ali shouted with boundless relief when she reached the shore. She stopped to let the others catch up with her. "You're back!" shouted Littlefoot and Cera lifted Ducky upon her back. Petrie landed aside Ducky. "Where you've been?" he asked but Ducky was still to exhausted to tell and the sharptooth who had traversed already the half of the lake wouldn't let them the time for a narrative. Now Spike had reached the shoreline too. When he saw Ducky he smiled in a way nobody else could smile. There was no time for more. Ali ran of again and Littlefoot, Cera and Spike didn't budge from her side.
"Come on, come on, come on!"
Ducky was nearly at the end of her strength when she suddenly scented something that could promise the rescue; water! As a swimmer Ducky could move very fast in the water and plunge so the sharptooth wouldn't be able to scent her anymore. In the meanwhile it had nearly caught up with Ducky although it went nearly ambling not to overstrain itself. Suddenly she heard voices calling her name, her friends! But she was far too much engaged with running to answer. The sharptooth had heard the callings too and seemed to have come to the resolution to put an end to the hunt. It began to run faster again. Ducky slipped through a small, but dense bush and then she saw the water ahead. It was the lake where she and Spike had separated from Littlefoot and Petrie in the morning to search for Cera. Between her and the water was a riparian stripe of grass and on this stripe were Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Spike and Ali running towards the lake as fast as they could. They fled before the sharptooth, whose booming she heard from behind too. With a few far reaching steps Ducky crossed the riparian stripe and reached the watermark. A very strong tremor ran through the ground and Ducky cast a glimpse over her shoulder. The sharptooth stood behind her and its head twitched down, the mouth opened wide. Ducky felt the hot breath of the sharptooth in her back when she jumped forward. The next moment she was surrounded by the pleasant coolness of the water and Ducky started to swim without cropping up. Ducky was whirled around when the sharptooth ran into the water setting it in wild movement. But she worked her way through the vortexes; when she reached the calm water she was in her element and shot towards the other shore like an arrow below the water surface.
Ali had taken the lead again. She, Littlefoot, Cera and Spike ran as fast as they could through the shallow water so it splashed up around their legs. Petrie flew aside them. In the air he progressed far faster than his friends in the shallow water below. So Petrie took the time to cast a look back. The sharptooth had started to follow them through the lake. Suddenly Petrie noticed something that swam towards the other shore below the water surface at a high speed. Even before Ali the "something" reached the shore; it emerged and crawled out of the water. The "something" was Ducky. She shook of the water, fetched deep breath and jumped upon a small rock that stood in the shallow water near the shoreline. "Hurry up! Come on, come on, come on!" she shouted beckoning at the others without turning her look away from the sharptooth. "Ducky!" Ali shouted with boundless relief when she reached the shore. She stopped to let the others catch up with her. "You're back!" shouted Littlefoot and Cera lifted Ducky upon her back. Petrie landed aside Ducky. "Where you've been?" he asked but Ducky was still to exhausted to tell and the sharptooth who had traversed already the half of the lake wouldn't let them the time for a narrative. Now Spike had reached the shoreline too. When he saw Ducky he smiled in a way nobody else could smile. There was no time for more. Ali ran of again and Littlefoot, Cera and Spike didn't budge from her side.