Chapter 4: Maria and Mountainstrong
Our young man found life in Sapling Grove to be a quiet repast from his previous experiences in the outside world. He spent several days continuing recovery from his kidnapping and unethical treatment. It was also a good chance to recuperate from his battle with himself.
During this time Silas and Tarq found many opportunities to instruct their new acquaintance with the norms of Dinotopian lifestyle. Though their young friend was usually in a melancholy mood, they did find him to be a quick study.
Tarq, in particular, was immensely interested in the young man's inherent ability to understand velociraptor. The young man was initially wary of letting the saurian part of himself surface. Eventually he and Tarq were able to have some small conversations in velociraptor. However, most of these conversations ended in disaster when the young man's raptor self got tired of conversing with what it considered to be a perfectly good meal.
When not appeasing Tarq with long conversations, the young man spent his days wandering the town. He would go from shop to shop, from tavern to tavern. The people of Sapling Grove were quite hospitable. Yet, they also found him to be a bit of a quandary. His status as a dolphinback made him an overnight celebrity, but his biological condition made him an object of even greater attention. For the most part, the young man was oblivious to this consideration. The conflict within himself often left him moody and brooding. So the townsfolk tended to let him be, though more than one household spoke of the strange new dolphinback with marked interest and curiosity over the dinner table.
For now, the young man and the other part of his mind seemed to have reached a temporary truce. The two minds tended to operate independent of one another. True, their physical existence was shared, but neither was willing to yet reopen a contest for supremacy. So for now all was quiet.
A few days later, he was in the middle of lunch at one of the local taverns when Silas and Tarq approached him with a proposition.
"My friend, you seem to have taken well to our humble village," said Silas.
"I guess," replied the youth.
"We think it is time for you to go on to Sauropolis. All new dolphinbacks go to Sauropolis. There you will be able to learn all you need to know about life on Dinotopia. They can help you find an occupation, perhaps even a saurian companion," explained Tarq.
The youth eyed them skeptically, then shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess I've got to go sometime."
"Oh, don't worry. You won't be travelling alone. There is a small brachiosaur convoy that will be travelling down to Sauropolis two days from now, old friends of ours. You can join them on your way. I'm sure they'd greatly enjoy your company."
The youth finished the last of his meal and stood up.
"So when do I meet these friends of yours?" he asked.
Silas chuckled kindly, "They're coming down the north road right now. See?"
Looking out across the patio, the young man could clearly see the massive form of a brachiosaurus and its rider making their way into town. The rider was decked out in a red and yellow checkerboard outfit. The braciosaur wore a scarf about his neck of identical pattern. The rider waved to the people below from her perch, and the brac gave a long trumpeting greeting. Though the young dolphinback had seen several dinosaurs in his time at Sapling Grove, this was the first to truly cause him to stand in awe. People from all over town were turning out to greet them. Silas and Tarq too, bringing their young friend with them.
The brachiosaur and rider stopped at the town square, and the rider deftly slid down a rope from her harness, catching herself just above the hard surface of the stone pavement. Silas approached her and shook her hand warmly.
"Maria, how good it is to see you and Mountainstrong again," he said. The wiry old lady smiled in return.
"I'd told you we'd be around," she replied, "Old Mountainstrong and I have still got some miles in us, don't we, Mountainstrong?"
The brac nodded his head and trumpeted in agreement. Maria smiled and patted the massive leg next to her.
"Now let's get some lunch, Silas. It's not like you to keep company waiting so long."
Silas laughed and led the way back to his house, locked in hearty conversation with Maria. Tarq and the young man followed. The four soon found themselves busy in conversation over a hot meal. The young man was quiet for the most part, and let Silas and Tarq do most of the talking. He watched in minor amazement as the brachiosaur rider put away a very large lunch, this old woman was spryer than she looked. As the meal drew to a close Maria pushed back her chair and began examining the young man across from her.
"So you're the new dolphinback everyone has been talking about," she said contemplatively.
"I wasn't aware I was subject to such far-reaching attention," the young man replied quietly.
Maria chuckled, "My boy, you're a dolphinback. That alone makes you a minor celebrity. The fact that you are so...well, unique, makes you doubly so."
The young man frowned at the mention of his condition.
"Oh, no offense. No offense, my young friend," Maria cajoled, "Silas and Tarq have told me enough about you to know that it's tough on you. That's no reason to roll over and play sour just yet."
"Well I know all about you, so it's only fair to introduce myself. Name's Maria Evencurl, just call me Maria. I've grown up my whole life here on Dinotopia; seven mothers Irish to be precise. I've been working with brachiosaur's since I was eight, and I've been serving as a convoy leader since I was twenty-one. That big fellow outside is my companion Mountainstrong. We both grew up in Treetown and have been travelling Dinotopia all our lives."
"Nice to meet you," the young man offered.
"Pleased to meet you too," she replied, "And glad to have you travelling with us. It'll be nice to have some company on the road to Saurapolis."
"Well, I'm not sure how good a company I make, but..."
"Nonsense," interrupted Maria, "I'm sure it will be splendid to have you along. Have you already got your things packed?"
"Well, honestly I haven't got much of anything to pack. Just a few pairs of clothes Silas had made for me."
"That'll do just fine. Now run along and go pack them in the cargo container on Mountainstrong's back. Then you can see about giving Mountaintop a good scrub, he needs it after travelling on dusty roads all day."
"But that could take all afternoon," the youth protested.
Maria raised an eyebrow.
"So? What else have you to do? Go on, shoo."
The young man reluctantly went out to pack his things and begin the monumental task of scrubbing the brachiosaur. Silas, Maria, and Tarq watched him go.
"So, Maria," offered Tarq, "What do you make of him?"
Maria picked up her mug and took a sip of her tea before responding.
"He's interesting, he is," said she, quietly. "But he's troubled, very troubled. That's no surprise, considering what's been done to him. Still, we'll have to wait and see, won't we?"
It was early the next morning when Tarq woke the young man from his sleep.
"Come on," said Tarq, "You don't want to be late on your first day of travels?"
The young man reluctantly arose, both his human and raptor minds grumbling at the being so unceremoniously awoken. Groggily, he made his way down to the square. Silas's family was there to see them off. The young man shook hands with Silas and his wife, and thanked them for their care of him during his recovery. The young man was about ready to leave when he felt a tug once more on he side of his breeches. It was Silas's daughter.
In her hands she held a small bracelet, hand-woven from the looks of it. In the center was a tiny little bead of some shining crystal the young man had never seen before. Tentatively, the young girl offered him the bracelet.
"What? You mean this is for me?" he asked her.
She nodded, her big blue eyes looking into his. Carefully, she wrapped the bracelet around his wrist and tied the cord in a little bow. It was such a simple gift, a simple act of love. Yet it touched the young man deeply.
"Thank you," he said.
With a final parting wave to his friends, the young man set out in the giant footsteps of Mountainstrong, on his way at last.
Silas watched as the convoy moved out across the morning horizon.
"Breath deep, my friend, and may you one day find peace."