CHAPTER 4

GREAT VALLEY COUNCIL

The next morning, they both awoke at first light. The two threehorn guards were lying on the grass nearby fast asleep. They must've dozed off a short time after WE went to sleep. Lesik thought to himself. I hope they were sleeping when Chomper went to go make potty last night. There would've been NO END to the argument as to which nearby bush Chomper had to go into. Lesik sighed inwardly as he rolled his eyes.

He had a light breakfast of some grass and yellow flowers. Chomper said he wasn't hungry. He was still digesting the big meal he had last night, and didn't need to go to the river to fish. Lesik just shrugged as they made their way to the plain where the Council meetings were always held.

Lesik sent flyers, including Petrie, to summon all of the Council members to the emergency meeting.

They all arrived shortly thereafter. Not only them, but a large number of the Great Valley residents. Cera showed up with her father, Councilor Topsy. Alaina showed up together with Petrie. It seemed like the whole Great Valley had showed up to attend this emergency meeting!

Councilor Topsy didn't waste any time. "What's this all about, Lesik? And what is that sharptooth doing here!" He said the word so hatefully that Chomper felt like ripping his guts out. He let loose a growl in the elder Councilor's direction.

Lesik came forward and placed his foot on the speaking rock. "I called this emergency meeting because a major crisis has been brought to my attention last night..."

"What sort of 'crisis'!" Concilor Topsy asked.

"I'm going to let the sharptooth Teek here tell us all about it..."

Lesik stepped off and motioned Chomper to take his place on the speaking rock to make his plea. There were a lot of uneasy whispers among those assembled in the plain. Some of the councilors felt like protesting against letting this sharptooth say his piece. Assuming he can speak at all! But they knew that Lesik, as Head of the Council, could defer speech to anybody he chooses, and there isn't anything anybody can do about it.

It didn't take long for Chomper to relate his story of the disease that is afflicting his people. Many were surprised at what was discovered to be the source of the sickness. Many more were surprised that the sharptooth could even speak at all! They've never heard of a sharptooth speaking the green eater language before. But there were a few who had heard the legend of how Little Foot had rescued a sharptooth from almost certain death and taught him their language, so they were not surprised to see here, before their very eyes, the legendary sharptooth of those many season ago.

When Chomper told the news that his kind was dying because of this disease, many heavy gasps erupted from the crowd.

Councilor Topsy cut through the noise. "What proof have you of this! What proof have you that it was one of our kind that caused your disease!"

"I do not need to show you proof for you to know that it is true. Why would I lie to you?"

"Well... there are many reasons a sharptooth would lie. Like getting us into your stomach, for one thing!"

Chomper roared and jumped off the rock towards the elder threehorn, who did not back down. "HEY! I swore an oath before I came into your valley not to lay a hand on any of you, and I have kept that promise! But if YOU'RE going to start INSULTING me, I may just have to-"

Lesik quickly intervened before things got any worse than they already were; for by this time, both of their foreheads were touching each other, and they both had an angry look on their facial features.

"Hey, hey, HEY! Gentlemales! GENTLEMALES!" He said as he separated the two. "Butting heads will accomplish nothing! Whatever differences you have amongst yourselves is your own business; but as long as I AM COUNCIL LEADER, there will be order!"

Chomper nodded. "Of course, Lesik."

"Understood." Councilor Topsy grumbled.

Cera, who was sitting in the crowd watching all this, noticed that while her father was standing forehead to forehead with Chomper, his hind legs were shaking. He had never done that before. It was a good thing that Little Foot intervened to separate the two. Otherwise, he would've collapsed right there in front of everybody. Maybe he really IS getting too old and weak. She was saddened by the thought that he may soon die, and that she'd never see him again.

"Please, continue..." Lesik motioned for Chomper to reassume his place on the speaking rock to go on with his story. This was where he made his plea to the Council to launch an expedition of mercy to his lands in order to find a cure for the disease.

This prompted a lot of screams of protest and cries of absolute madness from the crowd. There were arguments and counter arguments that soon ensued from the council members. Lesik had to assume his place on the speaking rock and let loose the biggest roar he had ever produced just to quiet everything down and restore order back to the proceedings. "Now... one at a time... I will hear your arguments..."

The deliberations continued as such for the rest of the morning. Councilor Topsy argued the most of all. Despite all of the arguments in favour of launching such an errand of mercy, he stuck fast to his opinion against it. But everyone could see that it was draining him. A few even felt that he needed to just drop dead right then and there in order for the council to reach a unanimous agreement.

One of the more poignant arguments he had had to do with the total annihilation of the sharptooth population.

"If they all died, we would no longer have to worry about wandering away from The Great Valley with the fear of getting eaten. We could go wherever we pleased!"

"But don`t you see! The disease will eventually spread from the sharptooth back to us, and then we will ALL die as well! Which is why we need to stop it before it's too late!" Was Lesik's counter argument.

"BAH! You're talking nonsense!"

"NO, I'M NOT! It's a plain and simple fact! ASK YOUR DAUGHTER! She'll tell you!"

Although Chomper was fuming inside at how ridiculous this all was, and as much as he wanted to just tear Cera's father to shreads, he had to keep his promise not to hurt or kill anybody.

It was not until midday, when the big bright circle was at its highest point in the sky, that all the arguments were completed. Lesik then took his place on the speaking rock once more. "I now put it to a Council vote! All those in favour of launching this mission of mercy into the sharptooth lands, please say 'Aye'"

There were ten members in all on the Council. Two for each species living in The Great Valley of Peace. The "aye"s echoed throughout the plain as each member in turn voiced their approval. When it came to the threehorns, although the junior Council member said his "aye" right away, Councilor Topsy hesitated. Mostly because he still felt that this was a foolish idea, and because he did not want to see his daughter leave for the sharptooth lands, never to be seen again. But he also knew that it was her duty, her solemn duty, as a healer, to protect and preserve all life, no matter what kind they are. She made this vow to the elder healer threehorn who taught her everything she needed to know about being a healer. Therefore, she was going to go, like it or not, want to or not.

He felt Lesik staring down at him. If he cast his vote against this endeavour, nobody will ever let him live it down. He finally sighed heavily and let loose a meek "aye".

"I'm sorry! What was that?" Lesik taunted.

He angrily looked up at Lesik and blurted out. "AAAAAAYE!"

Lesik beamed. "And an 'aye' from me, as well! It's unanimous! The mission of mercy to the sharptooth lands shall go forth!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd, Ducky and Petrie shared a joyous embrace, Cera bore a long face and let out a huge sigh saying "OOH, boy! Here we go again!" Chomper celebrated the most of all. He jumped with his fist in the air, screamed "YAHOOOOO!" let out a huge roar of joy and did a sharptooth happy dance.

When everything had calmed down, Lesik took his stance on the speaking rock again. "Myself, Cera Horn-our resident healer, Alaina Ducksworth, Petrie 'The Flyer', and Teekul 'Chomper' Sharpe, of course, will be the members for this expedition. We will leave at first light tomorrow."

"NO!" Teek interjected. "If we are to save all sharptooth still left alive, we must leave immediately!"

Lesik nodded. "Okay! We must make preparations, and we will leave as soon as we're ready."

There was a smattering of applause as the meeting was adjourned, and everybody went about their assigned duties. They still had a lot of work to do!