CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN


Along the way they meet a herd of Flatteeth. Every single one of them are asleep.

Rhett, meanwhile, wanders the Land of Mists. He still has a grudge against the Longneck he hates most of all: Littlefoot. Ali had chosen Littlefoot over him. Rhett had made a scene over the rejection and been banished from Ali's herd over it. So Rehtt lived her alone, mateless, and angry. What he wouldn't do to get rid of Littlefoot and make Ali his.

"Just think Chomper, when we first went into that cave, I could have sworn it was still morning. Where had all the time gone?" Tiny says playfully. Suddenly Tiny stops, pointing at Rhett whispering "Chomper, an awake one, if the herd wakes up the pack might hear it. Lets try not to raise alarm."

"Tiny, should we wake them up? I mean, we don't want anymore Flatteeth killed. If we get rid of Shredder, then we won't have to play along anymore, unless you think the pack will carry on for him." said Chomper. "Do you think the pack will back him or do you think they'd turn on him?" Chomper asked.

"I don't know, can't read their minds, but they do seem pretty miserable having him in power to make them work so hard to kill out side the need to simply eat."

"So, should we wake these Longnecks? I, er, had a bad encounter with Longnecks when I was younger. I was chased by them. It wasn't fun." said Chomper.

"What happened?" asked Tiny.

"Well, there was this Longneck whose name was Rhett. He was lying to Ali, Littlefoot's then friend, who is now his mate. He was pretending to have fought off all these Sharpteeth and Ali was believing him. Ali would only play games with Rhett. Littlefoot wanted to get a real Sharptooth to call Rhett's bluff and suggested me. I played along and it worked and scared Rhett. However, Rhett got Ali's herd and they chased me and nearly stomped me to death. What is kinda scary is that they were going to still kill me just for being a Sharptooth, even though I begged them, in Leaf Eater, which shocked them by the way, not to kill me. It was Littlefoot and his friends who convinced them that I was safe. However, I don't think Rhett has ever forgiven me."

"Pity for him, you're really nice. Unlike him, you'd never deceive anyone, at least unless someone's life was in danger."

"Um, Tiny, there is something I should tell you. I HAVE been lying to you about something."

"What? Is it another woman? If it is, I'm going to rip you apart and spread you across the Land of Mists!"

"No, not that. It's about Flatteeth. I HAVE killed them before I met you. You see, my mom and dad taught me that it was ok. They gave me Flattooth meat and I ate it, thinking it was ok. At first, I was uneasy about hunting Flatteeth , as I had met them, and wouldn't do it, but, eventually, to please Mom and Dad, I tried. I went for Flattooth kids. I had told you earlier that they had all gotten away from me. That wasn't true. Mom and Dad had killed some of their parents. I find the orphans. They were rather young. About a year old or less. I didn't think they'd make it on their own, so well, I killed them and ate them. I started to want to be a regular Sharptooth, figuring that I'd never see my friends again. When I was in the Mysterious Beyond, Flatteeth looked at me like I was evil and few tried to kill me and would have, had not my parents intervened. I was ready one day to just go after kids, not even orphans. I found Littlefoot and his friends and dind't recognize them. I chased them and they cowered, the very Flatteeth who almost beat Shredder, and just hid their faces and shook. I came so close to doing it, to giving Shredder EXACTLY what he wanted. But then I recognized Littlefoot and spared them. It haunts me, that I almost took the lives of those who have been so good to me. I felt so guilty. So that is why I now protect Flattooth children in the Mysterious Beyond, to make up for the ones that I now can't bring back. You see, Flatteeth view us as evil. Yes, we only, well, most of us, kill for food. However, they see us as taking their loved ones. I wanted to show that Sharpteeth DID care about them."

Tiny replied"Yeah it sucks that the Flatteeth either don't know or don't care that we only want to eat, and won't survive if we don't, but we must focus on our mission at hand. Look over there." She points to a cliff edge 840ft high. "Now, let's get up there follow my lead, we will wake them up, and they won't know what woke them."

"What do you have in mind? Are we going to roar and wake them up? Or are we going to throw rocks at them?" Chomper asked.

"Not at them, into the marsh. They will hear a splash, think it was a land slide, and as their curiosity drives them in their moment awake they will find Two Claw footprints and decide to move somewhere safer. Then we clean up the Two Claw footprints so it appears we has nothing to do with it, return to the cave to sleep and play innocent." replied Tiny.

Chomper does as Tiny asks. The Longnecks wake up, startled, and spot the Sharptooth footprints. "We'd better move someplace else. Somewhere else away from here." said the herd leader. The group moves away, heading further into the Land of Mists.

"We'll they are still here, but at least it is harder to find them. Should we go after them and ask them to leave?" asked Chomper.

"Not a good idea. They might attack us." said Tiny.

The two return to the cave, for they are tired anyway. They soon fall asleep, hugging each other.