Chapter 8: A new adventure awaits!
Many years later.
Bron was overlooking a lush and green land, speckled with gentle hills and occasional mountains, with vegetation that was much different than further north in the land where deserts reigned, in the land where he used to live. He had found this place eventually on his search for Littlefoot and his family. It had been several months after he had decided to look after Shorty and the little ones. The children had begun to trust him and soon they weren't the only ones who did. Their life was dangerous and Bron had to fight countless times to protect their lives as he passed through an area literally infested with sharpteeth of all kinds as well as the lives of some other longnecks he happened to come across. The scattered survivors of drought and predation quickly gathered around him and others decided to join soon.
Back when they had discovered the warm and rainy lands that stretched further than the eye could see, Bron had decided to settle down there and officially organize what had been a loose group of longnecks, merely following him out of the need for protection and guidance, both of which Bron was able to provide thanks to his combat abilities and the experience that travelling for years had taught him, into a permanent herd - with him as their indisputed leader.
These lands turned out to be very vast and evergreen. Seasons existed only in that during certain times of the year the rain was more frequent and more likely to cause flooding but neither was there a Cold Time or a hot and dry season - it was simply warm and wet all the time. They never had to worry about food and water and sharpteeth were at a significant disadvantage in such lands so they could be relatively careless, migrating through these lands at their own leasure, merging with many families and smaller herds over time which lead him to the situation as it was right now, over 200 longnecks following his gentle command, which was not even counting the numerous children.
Bron sighed. Even though his new life had been everything but terrible, the fact that he hadn't been able to find his family never ceased to cause utmost regret and pain during his lonely hours. No matter how nice his current life was, if he had to choose between now and 10 years ago, he'd choose his old life without a second worth of thought; a life with his mate; a life with Littlefoot…
"Perhaps I should have never agreed to Papa Longneck's idea…" he reflected as his thoughts lingered on that conversation so long ago…
It was in the middle of the night when Bron was woken up by an old longneck who looked like he had aged a lot in recent months. The ongoing drought was paying their everyone's tributes but specially from his parents in law whose bones had had to carry their bodies for much longer than his young and strong body did.
"Is it my turn for night duty?" Bron wondered sleepily as his heavy body raised.
"Yes, it is indeed, Bron, but before I join Grandma in her sleep, could I speak to you for a moment?"
"Sure, what's on your mind? Anything we need to worry about?"
Grandpa Longneck didn't reply but lead them a little distance away, away from the sleeping forms of his mate and Grandma Longneck resting underneath a single lone rotten tree in the middle of a deserted area which had likely been a lush grassland many years ago… before the drought had changed everything…
"Bron, I need to have your opinion on the idea that your mate - my daughter offered recently," the old longneck spoke with a tired voice that came from all the stress having to survive day after day brought along.
"About those rumors that are spreading far and wide?" Bron questioned while tilting his head.
"Indeed…" Grandpa sighed deeply. "Grandma and I aren't sure if those rumors are to be believed. Too much they sound like the voices of terrified souls such as ourselves who seek for the light in dark times like these; too much they sound like a mere rumor, a mere hope, a mere fantasy to help everyone keep moving, keep striving to survive no matter how hard these times are… because there might be this place, far far away… where there is still hope, where there is still food… I am honestly doubtful whether such a place still exists in our decaying world…"
Bron listened to his father in law intently. His great wisdom never failed to astonish him and he had helped him to finetune his combat skills over the last few years. It was this wisdom gained through many hardships in life that he was hearing most in his message. Bron could understand the appeal of such a rumor but he too had his doubts.
"I'm not sure what to make of these rumors myself, " he answered slowly. "There is no evidence of the existence of the Great Valley that everyone is trying to find now and there has never been to my knowledge."
"If it is such an amazing place as the legend describes it, then why has it not been known by anyone until recently?" Grandpa expanded his thoughts. "You do know how far I've come around in my life; how many dinosaurs I've had the pleasure to meet, to teach and to learn from… never in my life has anyone mentioned to me a place called "Great Valley". I have been to more places that own a name then I can recall and yet a "Great Valley" has never been among them."
"She is tempted to take us all there now that she's heard about it," Bron spoke uncomfortably.
"Yes, yes… I cannot blame her. In times like these you cling on to any good news. But one must try to keep a level head and look at a situation with rational thought."
"Yes, I agree." Bron looked into the distance thoughtfully, pondering.
"That being said, raising the eggs that she will have very soon in a land so poor… I'm not sure if we can raise any of them to the Time of Great Growing if things aren't changing for the better soon…"
"So what are you suggesting, Papa Longneck?" Bron prompted. "If both staying here and going on a journey completely blind is out of option, then what should we do? We might as well go anywhere if we're trying to find a new home…"
There was a lot of truth about Bron's words but Grandpa Longneck had spent the whole night thinking in search of a solution that ensured their survival best… and found something.
"Bron, there is no way of knowing what is the right decision here. Famine might get worse or the rain might return, making the food grow again. But either way, going on a perilous journey to find a place we don't even know if it exists is something you just cannot do with little hatchlings. They cannot go without food nearly as long as we can, it is a risk we must only take if there is no food left at all." Grandpa halted for a moment, drawing a big breath in. "Therefore, I have another favor to ask of you, Bron, a favor I can only ask for. Too grave and too perilous it is to demand you to do it…"
"What is it, Papa Longneck?" Bron inquired, agitated. "Do you want me to search for it?"
"That…" the old longneck let out a long sigh," that is precisely what I believe to be our best bet here. Bron, you are strong, much stronger than most I've ever known. If anyone can do it, then it is you!"
Bron looked around, unsure what to think of the request. Certainly, he was the only one of their small herd capable of shouldering such a perilous journey. It'd mean he'd be gone for many cycles of the Night Circle, if not longer; it'd mean he'd be separated from his family for a very long time… it'd mean he mightn't even witness the hatching of their offspring… if even one of the eggs survived the perilous time of hatching, that was…
"Could you allow me some time to think it through? I'd love to do it but… it is not an easy decision and-and a great responsibility!"
"We cannot blame you if you fail to find it for we know not if it exists at all!" Grandpa spoke soothingly. "Take as much time as you need to prepare your mind and body, Bron. If your answer to that request happens to be a decline, I completely understand. I, too, preferred that you stayed here with us - we'd lack our strongest to defend against sharpteeth for a long while and that is a serious risk by all means! However, if on your journey you happen to find this rumoured paradise or a similar place where it is safe to raise the hatchlings, we would have gained a lot and I figured that, considering the current magnification of the famine, there is more to gain than there is to lose!"
"I can't see any fault in that logic, Papa Longneck." Bron gave a slightly sheepish smile. "Alright, I'll do it. As soon as I've talked to my mate about it, I'll be off on a great adventure!"
"I knew that I could count on you!" Grandpa gave a light chuckle, clearly a huge weight had just fallen from his chest. "Some things just never change, huh?"
"Yeah, seems like it," Bron said, joining the chuckle of his father in law.
"Well, for now I wish you a good and quiet night, Bron," the old longneck spoke as light-hearted as he was rarely seen these days.
"Goodnight," Bron replied, his thoughts already in distant places, exploring deep valleys and endless caves filled with beautiful shiny stones…"
"Some things never change indeed, huh?" Bron mumbled to himself as his thoughts returned from the problems of the past to the problems of the present time. Did he do the right thing after all? He just didn't know. Too many things could have gone very wrong without doubt either way. As it was, Bron concluded, it was probably best to be grateful that he had survived many years of solitary travel and managed to acquire a life worth living even if it wasn't without regret.
A sudden rattle of leaves behind him alerted Bron for a moment but the suspected danger soon unveiled to be no less than Shorty emerging from the thick undergrowth which dominated much of the land. Bron gave a curt nod, inviting the boy to join him. The relationship between Shorty and him was a very healthy one although he had never formally adopted him as one of his own which made things complicated occasionally, part of which probably had to do with the unknown whereabouts of Littlefoot. Either way, nobody had taken it upon themselves to look after the green longneck with the bumpy head so Bron had always assumed some sort of responsibility for the boy which went beyond his responsibilities as a herd leader. Of course it hadn't quite been easy. Shorty, turned out, could be quite the troublemaker and bully but Bron found it very hard to be strict with him because of the complicated relationship between them and quite possibly because of how much he hated being lectured as a kid himself. Some things never changed after all, even after such a long time, Bron mused.
"Hey Bron, I'm bored," Shorty declared bluntly as he halted in his movement next to the huge grown-up. Shorty had evolved to be a very fine and strong boy, boasting and pretending to be cool a lot when really he was a big goof. His antics hadn't really been received well by the other kids in the herd (and the fact that Shorty liked to bully those weaker than him hardly helped) so Bron had to put up with the boy more often than he'd like to sometimes. Although he had just been pondering about a lot of things, having Shorty around might just be the respite that he needed right now to get his thoughts back on track, back to the matter which actually needed to be addressed.
"I can tell," Bron chuckled, mildly amused.
"What'cha been doing up here, Bron?" Shorty inquired." Making some important decisions, are we?"
"Sort of…" Bron hesitated. "Shorty, while you're here, you might as well hear me out, right?"
"Yeah, sure," the boy replied with a shrug. Bron decided to lay down so their heads would be on eye level.
"I don't think we've ever spoken much about it but I'm sure that you've noticed it too, Shorty…"
"Noticed what?"
"The sleepstories…"
Lately, his whole herd had suddenly seen itself confronted with recurring nightmares and a highly strange and unusual feeling of restlessness and wanderlust which even Bron, perhaps the most passionate adventurer there was, couldn't explain.
"Oh… yeah those! They are bloody annoying!" Shorty yelled in a burst of outrage. "Every damn night they wake me up, what's up with that?!"
Bron had to stifle a laughter at the rant Shorty was performing; after all it coincided with how he felt about them quite well.
"Ever since the recent cycle of the Night Circle concluded with its fully illuminated version, I've been having this same sleepstory night after night and when I wake up I feel like I need to go somewhere immediately, or otherwise I'd go mad. I thought this was simply a relict of my adventures when I was your age but it seems my lust for adventure isn't the cause… you can affirm, right? You've been feeling the same, Shorty."
"Yeah, it's mighty weird, like something is messing with us…" the child offered, which made Bron laugh for real this time.
"Haha, well who knows?" Though his light moment didn't last very long. "That being said, Shorty, this is a situation I need to act on as the leader of this herd. It's not just the two of us but everyone here who suffers from the recent night terror. I thoroughly believe that it's a message. What kind of message? No idea! But it tells us to go somewhere. There'll be a great event, a once-in-a-lifetime event which our whole herd, maybe even all dinosaurs get to see if they go to the place where it happens."
"Isn't that a bit of a gamble, Bron?" Shorty argued and Bron nodded approvingly.
"Everyone I've talked to in recent days confessed to me that they feel the same, Shorty. I don't think I can ignore this yearning to go into the unknown any longer than I did. I'll call a meeting before the Great Circle goes beyond the great mountains in the west. Make sure to be there, okay?"
Shorty nodded, he didn't have anything better to do anyway and a quick look at the sky confirmed that the meeting would be soon.
"I'll see you around then!" Bron called before getting back to his feet and walking off the scene.
About an hour later, Bron found himself standing in midst of a crowd of longnecks as far as the eye could see. It was a pain to find a place in these lands where such meetings could be held and that being said, Bron tried to keep them to a minimum, relying on the spread of word by mouth whenever possible.
"Well, looks like we're all gathered here!" Bron opened the meeting, raising his deep voice over the last scattered conversations that hadn't died down when he had entered the center of the crowd in order to speak what he had to announce.
"As you all know, I hate these meetings so let's make it brief so we can all sleep with our loved ones, alright?" This seemed to resonate well with the herd. It had always been his utmost priority to address the needs of his followers and make sure that a fair solution for everyone could be found. He didn't make a lot of rules because there was frankly no need to. Dinosaurs followed him because he was such a fair and kind leader yet he was strong when times were rough. One could hardly find a leader better suited than someone like Bron who never asked for such a position in the first place yet he had taken it with honour and lived up to the expectations and responsibilities masterfully.
"Speaking of sleep, I'm sure I've talked to a lot of you already but I figured this needed to be addressed publically after all. The sleepstories."
Just mentioning that, a ruckus broke out which took a moment to silence down. It was a fine indicator of how right Bron was to address the matter at last.
"Let's be frank, this has been very annoying. It's making us restless at night as well as during daylight and it has disturbed our sleep and peace! It is not in my realm of power to stop sleepstories from occurring but I believe that quite a few of us already know what they are trying to tell us. I thoroughly believe that they're trying to guide us. We all feel it if we listen to this feeling, if we dedicate ourselves to it. I can feel a rough direction; I feel that we should follow it and go on an adventure!" Bron took a short break in order for the dramatic effect of his speech to fully reach everyone. "I've thought a lot about the meaning of these sleepstories and what I keep thinking is that something great is going to happen. Far, far away, who knows where. Something that happens only once… something special. Maybe it has to do with the Night Circle who keeps appearing to me and many others in their sleepstories but, really, we will only truly know if we go on a journey!"
"Here comes the tedious part…" Bron mused as the meeting moved into the next stage… voting.
"Alright, it's that time! Those who would like to follow their instincts to go on a great adventure may rest their legs for a moment, those who would rather stay here please make sure your long necks are being seen!"
The herd didn't take long to perform the vote and it was strikingly obvious. Hardly a minute had passed and everyone but a handful of longnecks was crouching down on the floor. It was decided.
"I shall take on the challenge as your leader to get you all there well fed and in one piece!" Bron announced enthusiastically, quickly meeting Shorty's gaze who was sitting on an elevated rock - he too had voted to go on the adventure. "Well, at least in one piece, who knows what lands we'll have to cross…"
A few dinosaurs laughed at that. When they were travelling with Bron, anything seemed possible as long as he was leading them with the confidence that they trusted him without a doubt.
"Those who voted against going, will you accept the voice of the majority?" Bron asked for fairness sake but he already knew that the herd was acting as one unit, as one big family who was helping each other wherever possible. No objections were being made, many seemed excited and happy about the coming drastic change in their rather dull everyday lives.
"Alright everyone, now that this is settled it's time to rest with our loved ones and feed ourselves as much food as we can, while we can. In two days at dawn, we'll be leaving the Land of Many Skywater for a destination unknown. I'm thrilled to find out where the journey is going to take us! Well, goodnight!"
With that, Bron closed the meeting which had gone just as smooth and quick as he'd hoped it would. A childlike surge of excitement overcame him - they'd really go on a big adventure, the whole herd. A dream of his childhood finally coming true! Some things never changed after all…
Soon, Bron found himself back on that hill where he'd talked to Shorty earlier.
"Are you excited, Shorty?"
"You bet!" the boy answered immediately. "I bet it'll be cool, nothing like the journey back then…"
"Count on it," Bron said with a smile, giving Shorty a rare nuzzle which the boy endured with a bit of embarrassment. "How about we sleep up here tonight?"
"I don't mind it, if it happens to rain tonight we can still run for the forest," Shorty deduced, shrugging. There was always a possibility that it rained - at any time of the day. Though that night they would remain dry.
"Sounds like a plan!" Bron agreed, both sounding and looking like children about to explore an unknown cavern. And in a way it wasn't much different than that, was it?
"Night Shorty!"
"G'night!"
They were asleep before they knew it, it had been a rather eventful day after all and also a certain event had made sure that they hadn't been getting a good night rest for a while.
That night, both Shorty and Bron slept with a smile on their faces, that was until the sleepstories came to pay them a visit of course but both of them knew that they'd be getting closer to the core of these soon… when their great adventure would finally commence!
I'm really happy with how this turned out. My plan for this chapter had been very vague so I had to improvise more than usual while writing this (and the chapter in the old story wasn't of much use so I didn't rely on it at all!). I'm most happy about the flashback, I must admit. It just came to me as I introduced Bron and the new situation he found himself in and now the things revealed in this flashback actually contain a lot of information which would have done LBT 10 a good deal if it had included them! Attempting to write grandpa in very formal speech was also a lot of fun and in a way a great practice to hone my style and vocabulary :D
I'm not sure if you notice it but I have tried to distinguish Bron's leadership from that of Old One for good reasons.
So Bron's group is soon to be headed off, being the second party now to make the decision of embarking on a big adventure. The pieces are slowly coming together, yep yep yep :)
Please tell me what you think about the new developments and about this chapter!
PS: The next upload will be my december prompt from the Gang of Five forum's monthly fanfiction prompt writing challenge and let me tell you one thing:
It'll be related to this story ;)
The Rhombus chapter 8 . Jan 3
"Though this chapter was a bit on the short side it did present us with a good inner view of Ali's thought process and inner turmoil. We get to see how the small taste of relative freedom and happiness in the valley has put her herd life into a very unflattering light. With this being combined with a lack of companionship from many kids her age, hormones, and what looks like a budding mental breakdown, it really puts her motivations into perspective and into a much more sympathetic light than what we were presented with in the previous incarnation of this tale. Though in this case her youthful and hopeful dreams have overpowered her logical mind, we do see that she is thinking about things with some sense of rationality as shown by her stocking up on food for the long journey ahead. I eagerly look forward to what the coming confrontation will lead to, and how Ali's journey will proceed."
Thank you very much, rhombus :)
As I already said before, making sure to emphasize her inner turmoil was my primary goal and it's what the previous adaption lacked so terribly And yes good point hormones might very well play a small role here too although the Time of Great Growing is still but a mysterious phenomenon to the main characters of this story :P
Although I did make sure to show that she isn't chasing her dreams blindly and without questioning, her mind could not give in to the opportunity. Under normal circumstances, she may have been able to resist (I'm guessing this hasn't been the first time Ali has been pondering about how to escape her poor life) but with the strain of the instincts the sleepstories have bestowed upon all longnecks, she is unable to resist the adventure. :P
Guest chapter 8 . Jan 4
"Her indecision towards whether or not to leave her herd in conjunction with how emotionally distraught she is being around them greatly aids the resonance of this chapter. Given my own experiences with severe anxiety in the past, I have to say you've depicted it very accurately and it made Ali's internal conflict not only more sympathetic but also relatable to an extent.
This development also feels like a natural extension of what little we know about her herd from the film. For example, upon learning about grandpa longneck's illness, both Old One and Ali's mother seemed content to let him die. Ali was the only member of her herd to show compassion by helping to look for a cure. Given their rather cold portrayal in the film, I can only imagine what it must be like for Ali dealing with that on a regular basis. In a similar vein, I appreciated that Ali recognized she wasn't acting normally, and having her repressed personality traits be connected with the dispare she's feeling over the current state of her life. There's certainly a stark contrast between how she's been having to conceal her emotions in the herd as opposed to truly being herself like we saw when she was in the valley. This chapter also did a great job of showing her intelligence. Although she ultimately decided to follow her heart, she recognized the dangers of the upcoming journey and planned for it to the best of her ability. If only we'd seen more of this on screen. I look forward to seeing more of her as the story progresses as well as how her journey turns out."
Thank you very much as always for your thorough review and analysis! I am very glad that you liked the way I portrayed Ali and her herd, yep yep yep!
OwlsCantRead chapter 8 . Jan 10
"Forgive me for snickering, but that "talk to own reflection in body of water" was so Disney-esque I laughed.
In all seriousness, mirror-Ali (and Littlefoot) is basically her inner rebellious consciousnesses telling her to rebel in a angel-and-devil-on-shoulder scenario. In by the end, it's pretty clear which side won out. :P"
Glad you liked it Owls, it was one of those spontaneous ideas which just came up suddenly and I thought "Yes, I've gotta do this!" Sometimes it backfires to rely on spontaneous ideas but I think in this case it was okay :D
The next chapter is going to continue Littlefoot's storyline, stay tuned :)