This story is now the 3rd of its series, Tales of the Valley is 2nd and explains . . . stuff.
Part 4
Alleria and Tri sat together in the darkness; their eyes adjusted, granting them some field of vision, but nowhere near as good as those of the sharp teeth.
She could see Slash and Ravener curled up next to Thorny, Pteras already sound asleep atop of Alleria's head. She could see Dark Eye standing not at all far away, still awake, his eyes peeled.
But she could not see the pack of sharp teeth that had taken them prisoner, could not see them resting all around them. Nonetheless she knew they were there, knew that that wicked female, Maim, would not let them sneak off into the night, or anything like that.
"Alleria," Tri whispered, "Are you scared?"
"No." Alleria said honestly. "I'm not. Are you?"
"Of course not!" Tri said, though Alleria could tell he was not being as honest as she. "But I was thinking, if we get eaten . . . maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, it'd beat going home and getting in trouble!"
The two giggled despite the incredible danger of their situation. Tri was only joking of course, but it was funny because Alleria feared the lecture her mother would give her far more than Maim and her hunters. But at the same time she wanted to be scolded, wanted to be able to go home to her mother and say "sorry" a billion times before she was confined to her nest for the rest of her life! She wanted to see her mother again, she wanted to see Littlefoot again . . . she wanted to see her valley again.
No, she wasn't scared. She was just homesick, and she wished she could be with the people she loved.
Nonetheless this was it! This was her adventure, Maybe one of many, maybe the first, last and only, either way every moment that passed would never come again and Alleria wanted to enjoy it!
She found the Sharp Teeth fascinating, beautiful creatures. She found their way of life frightening, but interesting as well, and she thought that if she'd only been born one of them . . . oh the adventures she might know!
Her mother had been on many adventures in her day, why her mother had even gone with Littlefoot on an adventure into the mysterious beyond when they were no older than Alleria! Now Alleria was here, having her own adventure, and she wouldn't trade it for all the tree stars in the great valley and mysterious beyond put together!
She smiled at Thorny, and told him, "No matter what happens, remember that this time the legend is ours," She whispered.
Neckbiter loathed having to keep pace with the others, he and Quetzal could catch up to the children, could maybe have done so before they were ambushed by this disgusting mixed pack!
But Quetzal had said to remain with the others, which was a mistake anyone might make, Neckbiter didn't blame her. He blamed the weaklings with them!
"We've got to catch them up, no matter what it takes . . . they'd better not be harmed." Neckbiter said.
"Dark Eye is with them, and he's obviously the one who killed this creature." Quetzal pointed out, "The lack of further corpses shows that some kind of agreement was made, they're not in immediate danger."
"My teeth they're not!" Neckbiter snapped, making sure his ire was directed towards One Claw, not Quetzal, though for some reason this seemed to annoy Quetzal anyway.
"They walked away," Quetzal said coolly, "Dark Eye with them. They are headed for Bone Valley," she granted, "but slowly, we can catch them, Neckbiter."
Neckbiter grinned viciously, that was good news. "Very good." He said in a far more polite tone. He'd catch up all right, and he'd save his son! And if Ravener was already . . . well, if the worst had happened, Dark Eye would pay for his ineptitude.
Either way, once Neckbiter found them someone would have to die.
Dark Eye glared around at the gathering of enemies.
Enemies large and small, from Deinonychus pack hunters like himself, to great bone crunchers that Dark Eye had never seen before, there were six that resembled two fingers, though they were smaller with huge heads and shorter bodies (Albertosaurus), two predators as large as a two finger, but with large fans or fins on their backs (Spinosaurus), the sight was simply overwhelming!
Dark Eye had fought larger predators most of his adult life, from Long Jaw and his clan, to the occasional rogues wandering into his territory. Always the pack had come out on top due to superior numbers, or pure ferocity.
Looking at this motley assortment of dinosaurs however, Dark Eye could see that they outnumbered his pack by more than a few, and possessed of a ferocity that might even make Neckbiter think twice before picking a fight with one of them!
Maim had assured him—after he'd killed another of her hunters—that the children would not be harmed, but so far several smaller dinosaurs, Red Pack Hunters mostly, had tried to take a bite out of the leaf eating children, and each time Dark Eye had had to scare them off.
Maim obviously wasn't the one running the show around here, Dark Eye intended to find out who that was . . . and if necessary . . . kill them.
He saw few of his own kind compared to the number of reds, though the number of pack hunters in the valley was easily five to one compared to the larger predators.
There were egg snatchers, and dinosaurs Dark Eye had never seen before. Anyone of them could be the leader for all he knew!
But when the crowds parted—quickly, as if they were afraid—the one for whom they'd parted was . . . Neckbiter!
No, this one was too young to be Neckbiter, and he lacked the claw marks torn into Neckbiter's flank. This one was someone else.
"The Reaver!" Maim explained loudly, to a chorus of loud roars and even louder stomping on the part of the crowd of Bone Crunchers. Dark Eye was impressed, but did not allow it to show. Reaver glared at him and sneered.
"Welcome to my dominion." The young deinonychus said, and Dark Eye glared into his eyes, not at all afraid.
The Reaver gazed back, seeming amused, still not breaking eye contact he said, "I know you."
"Do you?" Dark Eye scoffed, "Doesn't seem likely, I tend to remember my inferiors." Dark Eye said, scowling.
"Yes, well that would be your problem wouldn't it? Wouldn't remember me, I'm your superior." Reaver said, still sounding amused. "And what are these? An offering? I am sorry . . . whomever you are,"
"I thought you said you knew me?" Dark Eye scoffed, but Reaver carried on, ignoring him.
"If you want to join us you have to bring a somewhat more impressive contribution . . . you do have a more impressive contribution, do you not?"
"No." Said Dark Eye easily, "'Less you count your life, which I'll be letting you keep if you let me and these children go."
Raver's eyes narrowed, but his voice was still amused, it was growing quite annoying, "The morsels you mean? Barely a meal. None-the-less I'll not deny my loyal subjects fresh meat when it comes willingly to them."
Dark Eye looked around menacingly, a velociraptor, unable to control itself lunged forward for the children, Dark Eye rushed forward and struck it with his tail, it fell back, then got to it's feet, charged again and this time the little three horn lunged out and struck it in the knee with his horns, causing it to trip, Dark Eye lunged on it, breaking it's neck with his powerful jaws immediately, ending the fight.
But there were more! Dark Eye realized with no small amount of horror that others were coming to them, the larger predators seemed content to watch, but several smallerones were shifting anxiously, and a few even charged!
Dark Eye lunged for the greatest threat by his estimation, a fellow deinonychus, a large female.
She leapt towards Slash, who didn't seem interested in moving, just watched intently, Dark Eye leapt as well, knocking the female out of the air, landing on her and ripping her throat away, then he sprang from that position—not even waiting for the female to finish dying—and barreled into an oviraptor, with a swipe of his clawed hand he cut the back of it's neck, getting it's attention, it lunged forward snapping for his neck, Dark Eye threw himself backwards and kicked up with his killing claws, punching two deep gashes in it's stomach!
The oviraptor stumbled and staggered and tried to flee, Dark Eye let it, leaping immediately to the next opponent, a fan back!
Crawling on all fours the fan back hardly presented a challenge, Dark Eye just leapt onto it's back! Because of it's great frill it was reluctant to roll, as most four legged prey species would have, and so Dark Eye took an extra second to search for the next best target before stomping on it's head, and slamming one of his killing claws into it's skull!
Reaver becan to laugh and stomp his feet in applauds, two more velociraptors were coming on, together this time, Dark Eye leapt out, meaning to land on one of them but they both leapt back then lunged for him.
Quickly he understood that his success until now was because the enemy had been focusing on the children, now they'd figured out that killing him first would leave the children undefended, Dark Eye rolled to his feet before the two red hunters could get him!
Turning and looking at the children to make sure they were all still there, Dark Eye lunged again, this time aiming for the first hunter, missing intentionally, and whipping around, letting his tail strike the second who had meant to leap onto him, and would have, had he continued his attack on the first.
These two were clever, Dark Eye would give them that, but that did not change the fact that he was going to kill them.
He ignored the one on it's back, delivering the killing blow would only leave him vulnerable to the first, he lunged instead for the first, which lunged for him as well, meaning to save its mate.
Dark Eye coiled as if to leap, but hit the ground instead, the red hunter tripped over him, he felt one of its toe claws cut into his shoulder but ignored the pain and the scent of his own blood, instead he leapt towards the first opponent and bit the back of it's neck, breaking the bones!
He turned to the second, and leapt for it, claws ready for the kill as the staggered velociraptor slowly brought itself to it's feet!
"Look out!" The little long neck screamed, and Dark Eye ignored her, whatever the problem was it would have to wait, he'd already leapt for the enemy and his landing could be severely hampered if he wasting paying attention to it.
He landed perfectly, cutting the raptor's side open, it screamed in pain and died, Dark Eye turned now and his eyes widened in terror to see a third velociraptor already airborn and coming down for the kill!
There was no way to dodge it, Dark Eye realized, he braced himself and glared at his enemy, ready to die with his eyes open, like a true hunter!
But that death didn't come, something struck the raptor at the last second, knocking it just far enough off it's course for Dark Eye to escape certain death and suffer instead a minor injury as a killing claw lightly scratched his side, he looked down and saw that Ravener had leapt onto the raptor and was now viciously swiping at it with his claws.
Still too small and weak to actually break the raptor's tough hide, Ravener had not actually managed to damage the enemy, but Dark Eye remodied that quickly enough, lunging forward and ripping it's throat out!
Now, covered in blood—some of it his own—and thirsting for more, Dark Eye stood over his latest victim, glaring around at his foes waiting, hoping, that someone else would step forward.
And someone did, it was Maim.
She and four other deinonychus stepped out of the throng of watchers and slowly began to encircle Dark Eye, he grinned wickedly and sent Maim a look that should have told her clearly which of her little gang would be dying first.
But before the five could attack, Reaver shouted, "Stop!"
Dark Eye's head snapped around to Reaver, who, though still looking amused, certainly didn't sound it.
His eyes darted from Dark Eye, to Maim, to Dark Eye again, then finally to Ravener on whom they remained.
"Spare them." Reaver said calmly, "I am most intrigued by this newcomer. I told you that I knew you, and this was a half truth, for you see," Raver looked around dramatically, and said loudly, "I have met you before; in a vision."
Dark Eye was taken aback, before he could say a very sarcastic "Oh, how could I have forgotten meeting you there?" the crowd of bone crunchers whipped up into a chorus of roars and stomping, frenzied screams of approval at their Reaver's bogus claim.
Reaver leapt down from the rock on which he had stood to watch Dark Eye's battle and approached, he looked at all the dead and grinned at Dark Eye, "Truly one worth an entire pack," He said, and Dark Eye scoffed.
But nobody heard it since the roars and stomps were too loud, though some in the crowd—perhaps friends of the fallen—gave Dark Eye contemptuous looks most of them accepted the rather friendly attitude their Reaver was now taking with him to mean that he was not to be killed.
Dark Eye glared at Reaver, who held up his hands, inducing a surprisingly instant silence, and said "Take them to my lair, I will meet with them . . . alone."
The very idea that their Reaver would meet the vicious Dark Eye alone seemed to throw the bone crunchers into an even greater frenzy, Dark Eye scoffed, this young one, barely even as old has Dark Eye had been during his first hunt, had taken control of the entire valley, and by the looks of it his followers were something beyond merely loyal, they seemed almost pious!
Dark Eye took one last look at the children to make sure they were all alive, then, satisfied that they were, he motioned for them to follow the Reaver, he himself taking up the rear where he could keep an eye on all of them.
Littlefoot moved slowly through the Mysterious Beyond, cautious, wary, he hadn't been here since he was a child, and then it had been much easier to hide.
Petrie's aerial reports had kept him from danger so far, but it was difficult to really tell what might already be lurking on the path.
He looked around, took in the array of odd smells and wished that he had the nose of a sharp tooth. He had even, briefly, considered sending Petrie to the lair of his old sharp teeth friends and asking them for help, but he had no idea where that lair might be, and didn't want to risk sending Petrie on a wild quest that would only result in him getting lost, or worse.
He followed the path Petrie dictated and soon found to his astonishment, tracks!
"Petrie, I can see tracks!" Littlefoot reported, and Petrie zoomed down and landed atop his head.
"Petrie see too, not understand. These not children's tracks."
Littlefoot had deduced that much on his own, but it was the kind of tracks that these were that concerned him. They were large and belonged to something with three toes.
He knew them, had seen them too many times in his young life to want to see them now, and there wasn't just one of them either, as far as he could tell there were at least three different two-fingers, maybe four.
A chill came to him as he considered the prospect of four of the monstrous predators lurking around. His own mother had been hard-matched against just one, what chance did he have against four?
He shook his head slowly, dispelling the thought and accidentally dislodging Petrie who flew back into the air with a slightly annoyed look on his face until Littlefoot apologized.
He could only think of why his mother had fought that particular sharp tooth, and the answer was to protect him. He had to do what ever it took to protect Alleria and her friends, to bring them back alive, to bring Alleria back to Ali.
Nothing mattered more than making sure Alleria was safe, and that, Littlefoot decided, was easily worth his own life if that were the price.
He looked at Petrie, "Try to lead us away from them, Petrie!"
"But they move on path to children!" Petrie complaind, and Littlefoot nearly fell over for shock and fear, "Petrie not see sharp teeth, it safe."
Littlefoot nodded and followed the tracks again, a little faster now. He knew that Petrie would keep him informed of any danger, but it wasn't his life he was worried about, he just didn't know what he'd do if Alleria were . . .
Without realizing it he had broken into a flat out run, throwing all cautious stealth to the wind he ran flat out and let Petrie lead the way!
Petrie, whose daughter was also lost with the others, made no complaint about the amount of noise Littlefoot was making now, and flew on, barking down directions whenever Littlefoot strayed too far from the path!
Quetzal dashed madly, following the tracks of the children. She was trying her best to follow her own instructions and keep pace with the others, but like Neckbiter someone important to her was in danger as well, and if something happened to him before she could . . .
She threw those thoughts out of her mind, noticing that she had accidentally increased her pace, looking back at the others she slowed down.
Her heart raced, memories flooded her mind of all the hunts she'd ever been on, all the dangers she'd faced in her life, all of that seemed dwarfed by this moment, this situation which seemed to consume her entire being!
How she wished that this were just another simple, uncomplicated hunt, the kind that she hoped desperately to enjoy once again as soon as Dark Eye and the others were safe. If they all lived through this that is, and for the first time Quetzal was very aware of the fact that they might not.
Leopard sprinted on, followed by Halla and a few others, he looked about wildly, seeking any sign that they were catching up, but found none.
He wouldn't let Dark Eye and the others face this challenge alone, he'd never been to Bone Valley, but he didn't expect it to be the sort of place where children belonged, and besides it was clear that Dark Eye had chosen his hunting party the best fighters, rather than the best trackers, this suggested to Leopard that he expected to face trouble in Bone Valley.
The tackers that Dark Eye left behind however were having minimal difficulty following his head though, especially with Halla leading the way, doubly determined as not only a member of the pride, but also as a mother of one of the lost, to return them all safely home.
Leopard admired her determination, and couldn't have been happier to see her out and about as she was. Though she still seemed sluggish she had already gainted some of her old color.
But such thoughts, happy as they were, could not detract from the grim atmosphere among the pack, they all knew that many of their fellows were in danger, and Leopard was aware that he was himself overstepping his bounds—and severely—in taking even more of the clan out to follow Dark Eye in what might be nothing more than a minor negotiation, or a quest that might not even take Dark Eye all the way to Bone Valley, however one look at Halla, once again her old competent self told Leopard whatever trouble he faced later, the here and now was worth it.
Long Jaw sniffed the multitude of tracks and snarled, this was Dark Eye's scent, Dark Eye was far out of his own territory, either working together with, or chasing a mixed pack, Long Jaw did not know or care.
Dark Eye was exposed, and without him the entire pride would be a much smaller threat than it was now, Long Jaw was sure.
He glanced at Blue Back, who grinned in agreement with the unspoken question, the two turned to their mates, who hadn't quite caught on to the situation yet, but it didn't matter, one growl from Long Jaw told the females that they were on the hunt, and their prey was close.
Chomper and Short Tail meanwhile had found their own way to Bone Valley following the scent of the preadator that had killed Chomper's child.
Chomper scowled at the mere thought! Anko . . . that infant had been all he'd had left of his beloved.
Now he understood her dying message about the fan, and though she had always been the strong one, Chomper would no longer allow himself to be weak, he would carry the strength of his love within him now and avenge her and their child.
He would kill the unknown enemy, and any who stood in his path. A look at the youth, Short Tail told Chomper that though he did not seem like much, he would be enough, all he was needed for after all, was to help Chomper with any extra opponents, if he died it didn't matter as long as he lasted long enough to give Chomper time to rip the spinosaur's throat out.
"Hurry up, muck head!" Chomper scowled at the other rogue.
Short Tail scowled and said something like, "I'm not th' muck head, you big fat, flat toothed, old female in disguise!" but said it quietly enough that Chomper didn't feel it necessary to punish him.
Besides, he'd need him to be as healthy and as strong as possible, if there were very many of these mixed packs where this enemy was headed, Chomper would need Short Tail to be, in fact, ten times healthier than he was now, it would be best not to make matters worse.
Dark Eye and the children all rested in a small cave which seemed to belong to the Reaver. Maim was there, having an argument with Reaver about something, Alleria guessed—correctly—that Maim thought that Reaver's choice to end the exhibition being put on by Dark Eye killing all their friends—for want of a better word, Alleria didn't think anyone would just let their friends die like that, it had been disturbing—as an offense. She seemed to think that he didn't believe her capable of winning, or at least that was the impression that Alleria got when Maim, angrier than Alleria ever wanted to see a sharp tooth, left.
"Just remember, Rend, that I don't need you to protect me, I can take care of myself!" Maim snapped as she stormed out of the cave.
Reaver just let out a benevolent sigh, then shook his head and smiled benevolently at Alleria and the others, "Sisters." He said, as if that explained everything.
Alleria didn't say anything to him, she was too nervous.
Not afraid—well okay, now she was a maybe just a "little" afraid—but very nervous. She looked at Slash, who had begun investigating the cave, looking at everything, Alleria looked around too, wondering if there were something important that Slash were looking for, something that might help them.
If the skull lying on the floor that Slash began to move about and gaze intently at was the answer, Alleria wasn't sure how the young sharp tooth had reached such a daring conclusion, but after much observation Slash looked up at them all and said without any shadow of doubt, "This belonged to a two finger."
Alleria looked at it, she wasn't sure how Slash could tell, it was too small to be a two finger, it looked more like a pack hunter's skull.
"That is correct," Reaver said, sounding mildly impressed, "A very young one we lured in here some time ago. Picked clean. Of course this was when they were still bringing me the heads from all their kills, I've since informed them that I dislike heads." Reaver leaned against a comfortable looking rock and said, "How did you know?"
"The teeth." Was all Slash said, and went back to looking around.
Reaver looked at Dark Eye and said, "A clever one."
"No, she's just loony." Ravener said, obviously without thinking because he cringed in fear as if he expected Reaver to eat him just for talking.
But Ravener smiled and said "I don't expect a simple one like you to notice genius when you see it. I too enjoyed investigating things when I was young, and look at me now? I am the Reaver of this entire valley, foes that would normally think themselves superior to me in all regards now know better than to challenge me, young one, and this is all due, in no small part, to my brains."
"How did you come into control?" Alleria blurted, and Reaver glared at her. Obviously not as indulgent towards her as he was towards the sharp tooth children he snarled, "I proved myself to them all!"
"And how did you do that?" Dark Eye demanded, taking a step, placing himself between Alleria and Reaver.
Reaver's composure returned instantly, "That would be a long story, and one for another time. Now is what we must focus on." Reaver looked at the children and then said to Dark Eye, "You are no ordinary find, unwanted rogues wander into my valley all the time, but you . . . Maim was right to bring you to me alive."
"All she did in choosing not to attack me was save her own skin." Dark Eye said casually, and Alleria felt just a little safer, remembering how many sharp teeth Dark Eye had . . . well she found she didn't like to think about the killing.
Neither, it seemed, did Thorny, he hadn't spoken at all, or stopped shaking since the exhibition.
"I agree." Reaver said, "I believe you would have slaughtered her and those five others, and that is something I could not allow."
Dark Eye scoffed, Reaver held up a claw and said, "Our kind are rather the minority here. There re more of us now that I've become Reaver, but still very few of us are left in the valley. Still I know that one of my own kind is more easily trusted than, say, a two-finger."
Dark Eye gave Reaver a confusing look, Alleria wasn't sure what to call it, but if she had to guess she would guess that what Reaver had just said had caught Dark Eye off guard, and she thought she knew why, she blurted it out quickly, "You lead all these different kinds of dinosaurs, but you don't trust anyone who isn't a pack hunter like you?"
"Should I?" Reaver hissed, "I grew up hiding from or fighting over half the different tribes out there, just because they've accepted my superiority doesn't mean I've forgotten!"
He turned back to Dark Eye and said calmly, in a friendly tone even, "As I was saying, I know that, given reason to be so, you would prove trustworthy, I can tell by your eyes."
Really? All Alleria saw when she looked into those dark red eyes was a sort of promise of death that made her nervous.
"Join me, I could use a hunter like you," Reaver said calmly, "Join us, and you be my right claw, no one will be above you except for myself. I will allow you to keep them," Reaver said, waving towards the children, "Give you remarkable freedom when choosing your hunting parties, I will even give you Maim as a mate."
Dark Eye snorted, and Reaver, misunderstanding quickly said, "Really, she's normally quite agreeable, this is just a phase, she has those every now and then."
"I don't want some assigned mate," Dark Eye scoffed, "in fact I don't much care for the whole offer! I don't care what you do with Bone Valley, or the dinosaurs in it, all I want is to leave with all of these children, once I'm out of your territory I'd rather like never to see or hear from you and your cronies again. Best of luck to you with these "visions" of yours though."
Reaver smiled darkly and said, "You're not thinking clearly. I will let you rest on it for a night and return tomorrow for your favorable response." He said, then looking at the children, added "It would be a shame you know, if your inability to see reason resulted in someone getting . . . hurt." He looked directly at Alleria as he said the last word.
Then he left, and Dark Eye scowled.
"Quick, let's get out of here!" Ravener said.
"There are two horn brows (Carnatorus) outside this cave, and the entire valley is filled with enemies, how far do you think we'll get?" Dark Eye asked with none of the coldness Reaver had had towards Alleria, but a definite edge in his voice none the less.
"My dad would have done it." Ravener scowled behind Dark Eye's back.
Dark Eye said softly, "Yes, he'd try," but his tone was thoughtful, as if he were trying to determine how that attempt would work, and not loud enough for Ravener to hear it and assume it was criticism of the father he obviously idolized.
Eventually Dark Eye came away from the exit of the cave and lay down against a wall, Alleria wondered if he'd slept at all since he'd joined them.
She couldn't think of when he might have had a chance to do so, as he'd stayed awake all last night guarding them.
And it seemed tonight he would do the same thing, though he was lying down as if he meant to go to sleep.
Alleria and the others curled up near him, Tri was talking to Ravener, the two seemed to be becoming fast friends, and Slash, refusing to simply sleep when everyone else did was investigating a rather ugly insect crawling around on what Alleria hoped wasn't a piece of rotting flesh.
"You're from the great valley." Dark Eye said suddenly to Alleria.
Alleria looked at him and said, "Yes," though she was almost certain he hadn't been asking her, but firmly stating that he knew.
"I knew your father." Dark Eye said easily.
"How can you tell?" Alleria asked.
Dark Eye gave the faint hints of what might have been a smile, and said, "Because you look just like him, and this nose always knows."
Alleria frowned, she'd never met her father. She wondered if maybe . . . "C-could you tell me about him?"
Dark Eye looked surprised for the first time, "Why? You don't believe me?"
"N-no sir!" Alleria said quickly, "It's just . . . I don't know my father." She said.
The father she had always imagined was brave and kind. Stood up for his beliefs but was always willing to listen to others speak theirs as well. Her father, in her mind, would never yell or speak to her too harshly, but scold her with a severe or disappointed look when she deserved it.
Littlefoot had always been just like her ideal father, so really she'd never bothered to ask her mother where her real one was. Dreading hearing that he was as terrible as uncle Nicolai, but dreading even more, the idea of passing up the chance to learn more, Alleria asked, Dark Eye, "Would you tell me a little bit about him? What was he like?"
Dark Eye was quiet for a while, then he said, "He wasn't bad for a leaf eater. He was brave, braver than most of the others anyway. He was open to new ideas, even the idea that a sharp tooth and a leaf eater might be friends. He even helped a close friend of mine even though she was a sharp tooth—why that's what led to our meeting in fact." Dark Eye was definitely grinning when he said, "Long Jaw still carries scars from that one."
Dark Eye looked at her, as if suddenly realizing something surprising, "As a mater of fact, your mother had a part in some of those adventures as well, doesn't she ever tell you about them?"
"Uh . . . well no." Alleria admitted, "Not really. She's afraid I'll follow in her footstepts."
"What an unfounded fear." Dark Eye said with a sarcastic smirk.
But he had lit a fire of excitement, Alleria had now a dazzling image of her mother and father, romantically adventuring side by side, falling in love with one another, then tragically giving up that life in order to raise her . . . or perhaps her father adventured still and that was why she'd never met him! "She never tells me anything about my father, just her adventures with Littlefoot, and their other childhood friends!"
"Those are the tales of her and your father . . ." Dark Eye said, as if he were looking at something obvious and wondered why Alleria couldn't see it too.
"Well then she's left him out, she never tells me anything about my father!" Alleria gasped in excitement! Maybe her father had been killed by a predator! Maybe that was why mother never spoke about him!
Dark Eye seemed surprised for the second time, and he was quiet for a moment. He gave Alleria a searching look, and then said very softly, "The resemblance is uncanny, the scent is undeniable, and even your personalities seem similar. Little long neck, it seems to me that your mother has told you all about your father."
Alleria blinked . . . what male long necks had been in mama's stories? There was Cole, but he was mama's cousin so he couldn't be it! Had it been Stomp?
Well Stomp had left the valley long ago on an adventure with Uncle Cole, so . . . maybe! Yes, maybe Stomp was her father! It all made perfect sense . . . well, not really, and it was a bit of a disappointment, but nonetheless she was thrilled to have unraveled the mystery!
Just then there was a gentle cough at the entrance of the cave.
A slender young female pack hunter entered, Alleria quickly recognized her as Maim.
She seemed annoyed, and Alleria unconciosuly moved closer to Dark Eye, who stood ready for battle.
"I am . . . I suppose . . . here to entice you to rethink my brother's generous offer." She said with obvious disdain. "I was told to come here and flatter you, lie about the glories of the clan, and of course suggest that I would be your ideal mate." She kicked a rock that Slash had been investigating, revealing several insects, which she crushed under foot.
"But I don't want to!" Maim snapped, "I'd rather you and your snack bar in miniature escaped! Then brother would have no advisor but me! I will not be second to some new comer who did nothing to climb the ranks but slaughter some mangy, half starved oafs, and I certainly will not be a stranger's mate!"
Her eyes were blazing with a crazed inner fire that Alleria found quite alarming, but not quite frightening. But no matter how hard she glared, Dark Eye just looked right back, calm and collected.
"Are you offering to help us escape?" He asked.
"In a manner of speaking." Maim admitted, looking around, "I . . . enjoy being useful to brother. You see those who are not useful to him . . . end up on dangerous hunts. I had . . . displeased him. That was why I was on the hunt that found you."
"I see . . ." Dark Eye said calmly.
"I thought I could regain his favor by brining live food back! It did not work, obviously if he does not even trust me enough to let me kill you!" Maim hissed.
"Or maybe he just cares more about you than the others, and didn't want to see you get hurt?" Alleria blurted.
"What?" Maim roared, lunging towards Alleria, "Are you implying that I need his—"
She was cut off as she bumped into Dark Eye, who, despite not ripping her throat out, was growling threateningly.
". . . protection." Maim finished, collecting herself. "No my little meal, he kept me back to keep your guardian from getting hurt! I would have won, I always win! I'm strong enough by myself, and I had lots of help!"
"I'd have gotten you first." Dark Eye said. It wasn't a threat, it was a statement.
"I would have made sure to come in from behind, let one of the others take your front!" Maim said.
"I'd have gotten you first." Dark Eye repeated. "He ordered you off right as I was preparing to spring."
This revelation seemed to roll off of Maim's hide. "Nevertheless," she hissed, "one cannot ignore the fact that your continued presence here is a danger to my standing, and even, it would seem my freedom to chose my own mates! Appealing as you may be, I cannot approve of this."
"He wasn't going to choose you as a mate anyway!" Slash blurted, and Ravener whispered something to her that Alleria didn't hear that made her look terribly embarrassed and suddenly become interested in a bone at the far end of the cave.
"I can kill you," Maim went on, "but that would only arouse brother's anger. If I help you escape in the still and quiet of the night, oh he'll be angry, but no one ever needs to know that it was me who did it, and we'll both get what we want: you and your tasty entourage will be free to go—assuming you escape the initial pursuit of course—and I remain my brother's closest counsel and most trusted captain."
Alleria expected Dark Eye to laugh and call Maim's request a silly thing, it was crazy to think that she could get them out of a valley jammed pack full of carnivores with senses of smell and night vision that were far superior to half the dinosaurs in this cave.
But Dark Eye just said, "What are we waiting for?"
To Be Continued . . .