Chapter XXX
The herd
"Mum!" Ali said lowly when she arrived at her and speaking seemed to be very difficult for her suddenly. Her mother looked at her relieved, but above all her look was severe and similar to Ali's own look worriedly. "Is everything alright with you Ali?" Ali nodded silently while her mother eyed her examining as if she wanted to check if Ali was really uninjured. Littlefoot felt somehow as if he was out of place. Every longneck seemed to be so earnest and reserved. When Ali's mother saw him, Cera and farther back Spike, something like a smile seemed to scamper over her face for a moment. It was such a short instant that Littlefoot was nearly sure to have deluded, but there was no doubt that Ali's mother had recognized them. "We are rid of that sharptooth for a while." The old one growled and turned to Ali and Littlefoot then. Cera had remained a short distance to the rear; patently the many big longnecks made her fell discomforted and Spike still hadn't arrived. Ali seemed to shrink under the old one's look and seemingly against her will she fall back a few steps and lowered her head. The usually nearly meek eyes of the old one seemed to blaze and she pressed her lips so firmly together in fury, that her mouth was only discernable as a very thin line. She seemed to recognize Littlefoot, Cera and Spike too. The old one's look had an intimidating effect on Littlefoot too, but by no means as intensive as on Ali who seemed to have at least as much fear of the grownup's anger as she had of the sharptooth. This made Littlefoot angry himself and he forced himself defiantly not to fall back from the old one like Ali. He hadn't liked the old one very much since he had seen her the first time. Because of her coldness, but also because of the worship Ali and the other members of the herd carried on around her. But before the old one or anyone else was able to say anything Cera suddenly felt a strong push. She turned round. Spike stood behind her. He passed her to call also Littlefoot's attention on him. After that he ran over to the edge brink border of the undergrowth uttering some pitiable noises. The grownups had observed the spikedtail bewildered, but Littlefoot, Cera and Ali jerked. "Ducky! Petrie!" shouted Littlefoot and ran closely followed by Cera and Ali over to Spike. The grownups changed amazed and partly annoyed looks. "I believe that Ali must answer us some questions!" mumbled one of the longnecks irritated. "She will!" Ali's mother replied pacifying, but with a worry in her voice that could not be overheard. Spike looked at his friends desperately, but suddenly he listened up. A low cracking was audible from the thicket and then Ducky appeared out of it. She held Petrie in her arms. Relieved Spike drove his tongue through Ducky's face several times. Ducky laughed. "Spiky! Stop it; I'm well! Really!" Littlefoot and even Ali had to laugh, but Cera damped their joy: "What's the matter with Petrie?" All cheerfulness vanished as fast as it has come. Petrie was unconscious. "I've found him so." muttered Ducky. They all bowed over him anxiously and also Ali's mother, the old one and some of the other longnecks who had approached in the meantime lowered their heads down to the kids. There Petrie opened his eyes. "Petrie! How are you? Is everything alright?" "Sharptooth me not eaten up?" "No Petrie of course not! No, no, no!" answered Ducky. "Then Petrie is alright!" he answered and set up. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike and even Ali laughed relieved and vent, for the evident reluctance of some of the grownup longnecks, their joyfulness about their escape from the sharptooth for the first time.
The herd
"Mum!" Ali said lowly when she arrived at her and speaking seemed to be very difficult for her suddenly. Her mother looked at her relieved, but above all her look was severe and similar to Ali's own look worriedly. "Is everything alright with you Ali?" Ali nodded silently while her mother eyed her examining as if she wanted to check if Ali was really uninjured. Littlefoot felt somehow as if he was out of place. Every longneck seemed to be so earnest and reserved. When Ali's mother saw him, Cera and farther back Spike, something like a smile seemed to scamper over her face for a moment. It was such a short instant that Littlefoot was nearly sure to have deluded, but there was no doubt that Ali's mother had recognized them. "We are rid of that sharptooth for a while." The old one growled and turned to Ali and Littlefoot then. Cera had remained a short distance to the rear; patently the many big longnecks made her fell discomforted and Spike still hadn't arrived. Ali seemed to shrink under the old one's look and seemingly against her will she fall back a few steps and lowered her head. The usually nearly meek eyes of the old one seemed to blaze and she pressed her lips so firmly together in fury, that her mouth was only discernable as a very thin line. She seemed to recognize Littlefoot, Cera and Spike too. The old one's look had an intimidating effect on Littlefoot too, but by no means as intensive as on Ali who seemed to have at least as much fear of the grownup's anger as she had of the sharptooth. This made Littlefoot angry himself and he forced himself defiantly not to fall back from the old one like Ali. He hadn't liked the old one very much since he had seen her the first time. Because of her coldness, but also because of the worship Ali and the other members of the herd carried on around her. But before the old one or anyone else was able to say anything Cera suddenly felt a strong push. She turned round. Spike stood behind her. He passed her to call also Littlefoot's attention on him. After that he ran over to the edge brink border of the undergrowth uttering some pitiable noises. The grownups had observed the spikedtail bewildered, but Littlefoot, Cera and Ali jerked. "Ducky! Petrie!" shouted Littlefoot and ran closely followed by Cera and Ali over to Spike. The grownups changed amazed and partly annoyed looks. "I believe that Ali must answer us some questions!" mumbled one of the longnecks irritated. "She will!" Ali's mother replied pacifying, but with a worry in her voice that could not be overheard. Spike looked at his friends desperately, but suddenly he listened up. A low cracking was audible from the thicket and then Ducky appeared out of it. She held Petrie in her arms. Relieved Spike drove his tongue through Ducky's face several times. Ducky laughed. "Spiky! Stop it; I'm well! Really!" Littlefoot and even Ali had to laugh, but Cera damped their joy: "What's the matter with Petrie?" All cheerfulness vanished as fast as it has come. Petrie was unconscious. "I've found him so." muttered Ducky. They all bowed over him anxiously and also Ali's mother, the old one and some of the other longnecks who had approached in the meantime lowered their heads down to the kids. There Petrie opened his eyes. "Petrie! How are you? Is everything alright?" "Sharptooth me not eaten up?" "No Petrie of course not! No, no, no!" answered Ducky. "Then Petrie is alright!" he answered and set up. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike and even Ali laughed relieved and vent, for the evident reluctance of some of the grownup longnecks, their joyfulness about their escape from the sharptooth for the first time.