Stories of the Valley

by Angelwriter84

Littlefoot and gang learn the stories of their loved ones and what they went through before finding the Great Valley. Hyp learns of his father's hardships and is affected by the story. Chomper's parents become the first sharpteeth in the valley, Pterano returns and finds his place in the valley, and more. But soon, old enemies arrive for revenge. Will they see a happy ending? Enjoy

11. Chapter 11: Old Wounds

Hey guys, here is another bit of Pterano's story. Sorry it took so long. I will say that I meant to put more in here, but divided it up again because there is already a lot to take in in this chapter. I will tell you guys that I had to put a lot in summary that I wanted to write out, and I felt that it was somewhat sloppy. I needed to tell this to bring together some upcoming events, though. I do intend to write some of these things out over the course of the story. I didn't want to do too much at one time. Anyway, here we go and I hope you enjoy reading!

Chapter 11: Old Wounds

Pterano

It can't be. It can't be. Another crashing sound as the new supply of sticks and grass he was using to build a nest was thrown to the ground. Now usually he could put together a suitable nest and have it roughly finished before the Bright Circle turned orange. Then after a few touches and tweaking here and there, it would be a masterpiece of a nest.

But today, it just wasn't meant to pass. Instead of the usual rhythm of gently maneuvering the dirt and sticks into shape and easily weaving them together with steady hands, every scrap of earth he managed to get his hands on were tossed to the ground and broken in two in a matter of seconds. He huffed in frustration and did it over, then tossed aside the last clump of dirt that had dispersed in his tight grasp and pushed every broken thing he had gathered over the edge. Now there was a mess of scattered leaves, dirt, limbs, and such beneath his nest. Grand.

He leaned with his forehead and forearm pressed against the wall to think. Apparently, he had lost the last couple of days due to some fever. The last thing he remembered for certain was leaving the gathering place and just managing to land of this ledge within the cliff across from Tess and her family. He woke up one morning feeling strangely calm and well rested, until Petrie let it slip he had been out for a few days and Tess was forced to explain that he had suffered a fever. They were distracted from conversation most of the day when his nieces and nephews found him awake, but they got to talk enough for Tess to confirm once more that the events of the meeting had been real.

He remembered seeing flashes of someone speaking to him in low gentle tones and stroking his back, as well. When he asked if that was real or hallucinations brought on by fever, Tess had confirmed that Britta had helped care for him. Or whoever it was that was claiming to be Britta.

But then again….

The touch he remembered had been hers. No other had beautiful, kind eyes like that. And he would recognize that charming, calm voice anywhere.

But it couldn't be her. She had been chased from sight. Tim's last words in reference to her had been "gone"…. If it really was Britta, it would mean she had left. And there was no way he could have missed her because he searched everywhere. There was no way she didn't hear him calling her name.

It couldn't be. Britta was always honest and straightforward. If she had been unhappy, she would have said something. Wouldn't she? He would have seen it. Right? The flyer who stood before him the other day couldn't be her. But the one who had cared for him….

"Oh, how could it be?" He flung the one stick that he hadn't been able to break out of his new home and left it bare once more as he leaned against the wall to push back the memories. Of biting, of tearing….fresh ones of his passed loved ones…. He didn't know when, but a tiny familiar voice brought him back to his senses within seconds.

"Uncle Pterano?"

The older flyer startled and inhaled a sharp breath through his nose. He whipped his wing aside to see his young nephew standing in the entrance of his home. The way that little Petrie looked at him with uncertainty reminded him of a little Tim.

"Petrie, how is my dear nephew?" It was amazing how quickly one could recover for the sake of someone else.

"Fine…" Petrie hesitated a moment, then pointed to the outside. "There a mess under your…"

"Home?" Pterano sighed. "I know."

Another hesitation. "Uncle Pterano, you see me snuggling stick? Me leave it here last. No can sleep."

Pterano stiffened when realization struck him. "I broke it." No…that wouldn't work.

He played dumb for a moment to buy some time. "Snuggling stick?"

Petrie looked confused that he didn't remember. "Yeah, stick I use for sleep?"

Somehow he didn't think the "it's not here" statement would work. "…. Right. What does it look like?"

Petrie stared at him a moment. "A stick."

If the circumstances were different, that would have been funny. Pterano worked his mind desperately. "Right. Your mother still encourages this?"

Now Petrie really looked confused. "Well, no. Me just keep it. You tell me about it as nestling. Say it help me sleep."

Pterano wanted to slap himself. That "snuggling stick" was just a midnight effort to try to get some sleep on his part. He and Tess had been traveling with her newborn hatchlings, and stopped for the night. Petrie had been convinced he couldn't sleep, and was determined that Pterano wouldn't either. He tried handing him to Tess, but he would lie still until she went back to sleep and then climb back onto his uncle's beak.

Pterano grew desperate for sleep as the night wore on and handed the little hatchling a "snuggling stick", saying it would help him sleep as long as he had it with him. It had worked like a charm because both Pterano and Petrie were sleeping within minutes, but Tess had been furious with him when Petrie cried for his snuggling stick the next night and Pterano had to go out and find one that looked similar.

Oh, how he still suffered for those four hours of sleep. If there was one story he could take back, that would probably be it.

Pterano tried to last thing he knew might cover for him. "Oh, surely you don't need it anymore. After all, you are growing up to be a strong flyer. Surely you could go without it now?"

Petrie tilted his head and considered this a moment. Pterano knew what was coming when he shook his little head with a blank stare. "No."

"Right." I can't tell him. I can't tell him… "Um… This way."

He and Petrie glided down to that dreadful pile of mess below his home and stared down at it. Pterano thought it looked hopeless, but Petrie scanned the mess before shaking his head. "Not here."

I wish it weren't. "How do you know?"

"Every stick in this pile broke."

"Petrie, I…."

"Snuggling stick not break."

A light went off in Pterano's head. Not break… Not break! That's it! "Oh I just remembered Petrie! Come. I left it over this way…"

It didn't take long to locate the last stick he had hurled from the cliff. The one he couldn't manage to break. He snatched it off the ground when he spotted it and handed it to his nephew. "Here we are."

"Me snuggling stick!" Petrie gathered that dreadful thing in his arms before drawing back with a confused expression and looking up at Pterano. "Why it over here?"

Pterano let his eye wander a moment as he tried to think of an excuse. Suddenly, Tess called from her nest. "Petrie! Time to eat!"

Thank you, Tess. Pterano clapped his hands together and hustled his laughing nephew into the air. "Time for lunch! Let's hurry now. I'm hungry. Let's go! Get a move on. Come on now…"

The Bright Circle was turning the valley a beautiful orange by the time Pterano had managed to dispose of that awful mess and gather new supplies to make another attempt to build again.

The arranged the supplies so that they were ready to be used in the morning and set out to find the one he knew he must confront sooner or later. If it really was her, she wouldn't be hard to find because he had an idea where to look. Sure enough, as he had thought, she was lying on her stomach close to the river as she watched the sunset. How in the Circle of Life did all the pieces fit together to form Britta?

Usually this was the one time Britta preferred not to be disturbed, but he had to know now. He landed on the ground a few feet from her and slowly took the cautious steps needed to be close enough so he could speak to her. When no words came, he poked her lightly on the shoulder.

She startled at his touch, and sat up when she saw who it was. The hesitation in those blue eyes were as apparent as the orange sun as she found her voice. "Pterion, you look so much better."

He was in no mood for chit chat, so he got straight to the point. "Who are you?"

Her eyes grew sad as she sighed, then she looked up at him with those honest eyes. "I think you already know."

Already know. Ha. "How can I believe it is really you?"

Britta hugged her knees to her chest and wrapped her wings around them in the way he used to love. "Ask me anything," she said.

Pterano thought a while. It had to be something only Britta would know, not Tim or Tess or anyone who could have overheard. He had it. It was painful, but it was all he could think of.

"What did I ask you? The last night we were in our favorite spot alone, without Tim or Tess."

She sat there for a moment, and then her blue eyes welled with tears at the memory. Pterano knew it was her before she stood and answered.

"You brought me there one night, after the celebration everyone gave us when we were released. We went as a celebration, just you and me. And…you asked me to marry you, in the most loving way I could ever imagine anyone could. Pterano, I could never forget that."

Pterano nodded. "And what did you say?"

Britta lowered her eyes. "I…I was afraid. Afraid that our families wouldn't approve because they thought we were a distraction from each other. But…you spoke so lovingly, and I loved you so much. I would never have said no. I wanted that more than my healing career, Pterano. You have to know that. But… if it helps, we made a plan."

Pterano knew it was her, but decided to test her further to make sure. How can it be?

"And what was that?"

Britta drew a ragged sigh, and then finished their secret story. "We made our vows right then, and formed our union. We vowed we would keep it secret until you finished training under your father…and until I finished my healing practice. Then we would form our bond in an official ceremony before the herd. Everything was so…. perfect."

No one would have known that except the real Britta. Not even Tess. It was her and she was standing right here in front of him. He slowly reached out a hand, because he couldn't believe it. Maybe he was sitting here talking to no one. But when he reached out, she caught his hand in hers and pressed it against her cheek. Once she did this, she rubbed the palm of his hands with one of her fingers to massage out the tenseness.

It was her! No other would do that. Flyers bent and flexed their hands a lot, including in flight. Britta used to do that for him all the time when the tense feeling made his hands feel stiff. He flinched a little, but couldn't pull away. It was her! His only love. The only one he had ever wanted the power to bring back. And she had come to him on her own in some way.

Slowly and gently, he caressed her face in both of his hands so he could look into the eyes he spent so many nights trying to remember. "I-It is you. Britta!" he whispered in shock.

She grabbed both of his wrists and held onto them as she drew in a deep breath and sniffed. "Yeah," she whispered.

Then…that means… Pterano felt tears welling in his eyes as realization welled inside him like a pool. "Then…how could you leave?" He was fairly certain that came out as a wail.

"Oh, Pterano. I didn't…" Britta looked around to consider their location, and then rubbed his wrists. "My home is right up there. Why don't you come inside? I could….explain, as long as you are ready."

As long as I'm ready! Ha! How could any flyer ever be ready to be told the logical side of why the only one he ever loved left him? Still, he nodded and they were off. In what little time it took them to fly up, sorrow turned to hurt and anger. A few moments later, they were on each other's case for the lost years.

"How could you leave without even telling me why? I loved you, Britta! Do you have any idea how many times I screamed your name? I cried every night for as long as one could and you didn't even know!"

Britta had tried saying his name to stop him at first, then resigned and listened as long as she could. Finally, she snapped because she had sat in silence as long as she could.

"I couldn't hear you because I was hurt, Pterano, okay?!"

Pterano stopped a moment to consider this, but was still steaming. Britta noticed the error of her anger and pulled his hands so that he would sit on the flat stone she had found inside the small cavern within the cliff. The home looked like her. Neat and homey, with stores upon stores of the rich herbs she had found in the Great Valley. The valley must be haven for a practiced healer.

He finally decided to cooperate and slowly sat down because of the grave look in her eyes. When he did, she held onto his hands and knelt down so that she could look up and into his eyes. She was still so beautiful. Except for years of wisdom in her eyes, she still looked the same.

As Pterano waited those few seconds for her to say something, one question overrode the many others in his mind. What happened to you?

Britta took a shaky breath. "Pterano, I know I have a lot to tell you. But I don't know if you're ready…"

The dangerous look he felt must have shown in his eyes, because she stopped to reconsider her words. "…. I don't know if you could bear it."

Pterano felt his eyes soften as his heart melted. She really did care, so much that she tears began to spill down her cheeks. But they both knew that one couldn't go without knowing the other's story, no matter how painful it was. He gently cupped her cheeks in his hands and lifted her face so that her tear-filled eyes met his vacant ones. "Tell me everything."

Britta sniffed and held onto his wrists for support as she began. And he sat silent as she shared that unbearable story

The weeks following Jen's recovery were the best of their lives. Jen's recovery had taken a very long time, with therapy and medical attention from many healers. For a while, they thought poor Jen had run out of time, but she pulled through once again and was flying like never before. Her parents had been furious with Sierra, blaming him for the cause of her spell in the first place. But Tim and the others had stood up for him because, quite honestly, if it hadn't been for him Jen might not be alive. They soon realized the error of their ways and at long last gave Sierra permission to officially see and be trusted with Jen, which he deserved. He might have a dangerous temper, but he would never hurt Jen. Sierra's father, more severe than his son and typically harsh in raising him, had caused a fight with Sierra for even seeing Jen. Sierra's mother got Pterano's father and several others to stop the fight, where a brutally injured Sierra screamed that he wanted to live independently from now on.

Young adults were usually not released until their teachers announced that they were prepared and ready to mate. But Pterano, with urging from Tim and some others, worked with his father so that an exception could be made. Soon, his father thought it better for the safety of the herd that Sierra live independently from his father especially, and got his parents to release him from their care under the condition that Sierra attend Mrs. Ria's sessions until she released them.

He and Jen recovered together under Britta and her mother's care, and soon got permission to live with one another under a union from her parents, who quickly grew fond of him once they got to know him. The only condition set by Britta's mother was that Jen couldn't risk bearing eggs. Jen had recovered beautifully, but would never be well unless a healer discovered a cure for her. As far as anyone knew, Sierra made sure to comply even when Jen mourned it. After all this, Pterano finally understood why Sierra was the way he was.

Britta, only the other hand, was guilt ridden at not having been able to find a cure for Jen and was ready to step down as an upcoming healer. Pterano, Tim, Tess, her family, Jen, her classmates, and even Sierra tried talking her out of it because she was a great healer. But she remained unsure.

At long last, Mrs. Ria announced a celebration to release their class.

She looked around at the stunned faces, then smiled at their uncertainty. "You are the best group of flyer I have ever taught, and I am proud to teach you. You are ready. Special assignments of positions will be announced at the celebration." And then she flew away.

The celebration was wonderful, all they had dreamed of since they were young hatchlings. Pterano had the best standing as a student and gave the speech to release the class, which went beautifully. The class had put together a surprise speech for Mrs. Ria, and he was also supposed to give that one for her as well. But after some more thought, he and Tim gave quite a humorous speech together with Pterano telling of all the hard work they had been through and Tim telling of "the good times". Everyone was still laughing as Tess, Jen, Britta, and Leah placed a lovely band of flowers made by the class over a tearful Mrs. Ria's head.

"And therefore, we thank Mrs. Ria, and release her as our teacher…to choose her future path." Pterano concluded the lovely speech and waited for Mrs. Ria to respond. With little hesitation, Mrs. Ria hugged all the girls who had brought the ring of flowers and walked into her mate's open wings. Everyone cheered for her decision to spend the rest of her days with her family. Mrs. Ria had taught many a class, and fully earned her choice.

Every member of their class was called up for Pterano's father to witness them being released by their families and into their positions if they chose to have one. If not, they had the right to mate under the herd's law.

When his time came, Pterano rose and accepted the role of leader in training upon being released. Everyone around him cheered wildly. But for a split second, he cast a sad look in the direction of a smiling Britta because he knew what that meant. He would have to reside under the rules of his father for another period of time until his father was sure he was ready. He would never be able to form his union with Britta until he was released from his duty and until his father was ready to resign. And his father would never give permission until he was ready to release him because he already viewed his relationship with Britta as a distraction. Pterano feared all he ever wanted would never come to pass. He snapped out of his thoughts enough to accept his position and smile at his future herd.

Pterano burned with jealousy when his parents released Tess to become an instructor for a future group of hatchlings and mate. As she smiled and hugged their parents tight, Pterano stole another glance at Britta, who was now elbowing Tim as a tease. He smiled at his now grown sister, who had been his dearest friend since birth aside from Tim. They made a vow with their eyes that it would stay that way, and gave each other a quick hug before walking away with their family to make way for the next one.

Friend after friend went, and were all hugged by teary eyed families. Finally, Britta and Tim stepped up to join their parents, who lovingly held out their wings for them to run into. Britta hugged her aging mother gently, and startled when Tim tackled their father to the ground. Everyone laughed as Pterano's father reclaimed his place to witness their release.

Tim, being the male and the eldest, went first. Tim was released to mate, and everyone looked around in confusion when Pterano's father called Tess back up. Tim knelt on one knee before his only love, and asked her to be his mate before the herd. As she cried her acceptance and he spun her in a circle of happiness, Pterano and Britta shared a sad smile before congratulating their siblings before the cheering herd. Their families looked proud enough, and for a while both Pterano and Britta were puzzled because they had not taken positions. Soon enough, Pterano's father offered Tess and Tim positions as guards of the herd, with Tess having the opportunity to turn it down to be an instructor.

"Yes!" Tim and Tess cried together as they embraced. It was quite an accomplishment to be deemed worthy for the position of guard, especially Tess. But once accomplished, this rank was an honor. Pterano and Britta burst with pride for their dearest friends as they embraced once more.

"And lastly, for Britta…" Pterano's father hardly encouraged their relationship by not paying attention to her, but now his eyes shone with pride. Britta looked confused, as right now she was only expecting to be released by her family to mate since she did not plan to pursue healing.

Pterano's father continued. "We have a special announcement on her behalf, as she has brought great pride to our herd. The healers of the neighboring territories have decided that they would like to come forward and offer her the opportunity to practice under the stewardship of the healer's council to practice in any region she chooses."

Everyone, including Britta, gasped because hardly anyone was given this opportunity. Hardly anyone at all was trusted to be a healer, and not even her mother had attained the right to practice in any region of her choice. Britta's family beamed as the healers of the neighboring territories stepped forward to offer her a ring of flowers as a welcoming gift.

Britta's heart stopped as they revealed themselves and stepped forward. She cried tears of joy and nodded as a confirmation that she would take the opportunity. This had been her lifelong dream. Ever since she was old enough to know what healing was.

Later on, Britta held tight to Pterano as everyone celebrated together. Many were singing while others were dancing. Tim and Tess had quite a crowd around them as Tim flipped his new mate. Their parents smiled as they watched the two twirl around happily. Jen was still stiff and unable to dance, so Sierra balanced her on his feet and shuffled their weight from one foot to the other so she could. Rinkus and Leah sang and urged Pterano and Britta into the center to lead the next dance, which was a beautiful love hymn sang to wish the new adults luck in their mating.

Britta's wings swirled around her as Pterano twirled and lifted her into the air before gracefully setting her on her feet again and taking her in his arms. The others took their cue and joined in when the dance started over. Pterano and Britta just shifted their weight from one foot to the other after a while and smiled at one another with sad eyes. They had just gotten the two highest honors a flyer could wish for, a future leader and a healer to be, but they had paid dearly by giving up what they wanted most. Time. Possibly a few years lost before they could unite as one.

Pterano watched his father out of the corner of his eye. His cold eyes bore straight into his with a piercing, restraining stare. Thankfully, their mother saw him and lay a hand on his shoulder to tell him that this was their night, and he turned away.

Pterano lifted Britta's face under the beak so he could meet her eyes and took her hands in his. "Why don't we fly to our spot tonight, just you and me?"

Britta glanced at her family, who were happily occupied with Tim and Tess, and squeezed Pterano's hand gently. "Okay," she whispered.

Later when everyone was talking and getting ready to head home, Pterano and Britta quietly spoke with Tim and Tess and were able to sneak away. The night air was calm and peaceful, so they flew in silence for most of the way as the stars brightened the night sky.

When they landed on their ledge, Pterano picked one of the white flowers blooming nearby and handed it to Britta, who had settled down with her feet dangling over the edge.

"I'm so proud of you." Tears brimmed his eyes as he spoke because he really was. Britta had wanted this since she was only a hatchling.

"Oh, Pterano!" Britta gently fingered one of the delicate white petals and took it from him. She cradled the sides of his face in both of her hands and looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm proud of you, too."

Pterano couldn't hold back what he had been thinking all night anymore. He took her hands in his. "Britta, I wanted to ask you something. I was going to ask the last time we were here, but… with all that happened with Jen… well, I thought it would be best to wait. And now it's too late, I fear."

Britta searched his eyes. "What is it?" she asked timidly.

Pterano nearly burst with emotion. "I was going to ask you to marry me regardless of our families before our release. We would have been able to stay together then, but now I fear it shall never come to pass!"

He heard Britta's sharp intake of breath when he covered both eyes with his hands. She took his hands so she could look into his face. "Oh, Pterano. Really, dear?" she asked breathlessly. Pterano realized she looked as if she didn't believe it.

Pterano spread his hands. "Of course I was. I love you, Britta. But now I fear all is ruined!"

Britta spoke in that calm, charming voice as he felt his world falling apart. "I would have accepted, Pterano. And all is not ruined. If we can…earn our families approval when we have finished our training, we could raise a family with a good life."

Pterano searched his love's face out the corner of his eyes sadly. "If they approve."

Britta lowered her eyes because she knew what that meant. If Pterano's father had the say, which he now did, Pterano and Britta would never unite or marry at all. Lately, his father hardly allowed them to see one another. When Pterano would try to reason with him, all he would say was that unions were a distraction for a young leader and that he would never reach his full potential.

When inquired about if anything was wrong on Britta's behalf, he would answer that she was perfect in every way except that her path was that of an accomplished healer, and that she would travel for practice, while Pterano was required to stay with his herd. The two had been shaken a bit when Pterano told Britta, so they asked her mother about it one day. Her mother had doubt in her eyes even though she tried to give an optimistic response.

Britta set the white flower aside and looked him in the eyes. "If we don't follow the terms for our positions, Pterano, we could lose our standing with the herd."

"I know," he whimpered. That was just it.

Britta sighed because the two were at a standstill. "For all it's worth, I would marry you under any conditions Pterano, because I love you too."

Pterano startled. He hadn't expected that. Britta was always so careful. Still, he heart leapt with joy all the same. "Oh, Britta, dear! Truly you would?"

Her eyes were sincere. "Of course I would, but…I don't want to lose our families. Our herd, Pterano. All we worked for. It isn't fair…"

"I don't care as long as I have you." Pterano knelt on one knee and took one of her tiny hands in both of his. "Britta the Flyer, will you marry me?"

Britta gasped with an astounded smile. Usually, if two individuals wanted to mate in a herd, they formed a simple union. Only when they knew they wanted to stay with one another unconditionally did they ever marry. Most couples did not marry after their union for a very long time. For a young flyer to ask another meant exactly what marriage was, unconditional love.

Britta brought a hand to her beak and sobbed, her blue eyes shone with happiness as she answered. "Of course I'll marry you, Pterano."

Pterano pulled her into a strong embrace for quite some time before she pulled back with a doubtful expression. "What about…our work? Our positions….our families? We shouldn't have to lose all we have just to be together, Pterion. It's not fair."

"No," he said thoughtfully, "it isn't."

When Britta lowered her eyes in lost hope, Pterano took her hands in both of his and made eye contact with her so she would know he meant what he said. "Maybe we could have both."

Now Britta looked baffled and confused. "You mean… Form a secret union now and marry after we are released from practice? But Pterano! How could…?"

"We could!" Pterano felt his heart rise with his new plan. "We wouldn't be disobeying our laws. Couples do not have to call a witness for a union if they chose. Only a marriage, Britta, don't you see!"

Britta was unconvinced. "We need approval."

"We've been released, dearest."

Britta blinked in thought. Pterano lifted her off the ground and pulled her into his lap. "We could form a union here, dear. And then once we finish our practices, we could have everything we ever dreamed of with our family's perfect approval. And…we won't lose one another. Britta, we could have the same right as Tim, Tess, and the others. We would only have to keep it to ourselves and live apart for some time."

Britta looked doubtful. "Pterano…"

Pterano nuzzled her under the jaw then. She hesitated a moment to think, and gave her answer with a hug.

They said the simple words of their union there, under the stars, and spent what could be their last night alone for a while together. Everything seemed so perfect. Pterano was finally able to devote himself to a new level of training under his father, thinking of a life to make for Britta all the while. Britta quickly finished what remained of the practice she had to complete under her mother, and began studying under the Fast Runner healer in one of the neighboring territories. It was close enough so she could fly back and forth every day. Sometimes he, Tim, and Tess would fly with her and he would sneak away with her for just a while before returning for his training.

Days went by. His father was pleased, and Britta had regained her confidence again. Tess and Tim had settled in one of the caverns within the mountain where their herd lived. Everyone was happy, and so were Pterano and Britta for now. He felt like the luckiest flyer in the world.

One morning, they were all out shaking tree stars from a nearby tree as they waited on an assignment from his father. Everyone laughed when Sierra and Tim grappled for the last one. It felt like they were young flyers again. Jen was finally well and Sierra's cold nature had partially disappeared once he was out from under his father. Leah snapped a branch from above and accidentally hit Rinkus on the head, while Tess swatted Tim's shoulder for something he said. Pterano came up behind Britta and scared her. She startled and nearly curled into a ball. When Pterano guffawed, she threw a pile of leaves in his face.

He drew her into an embrace and pulled back to search her face. "You've been very quiet this morning, dear. Are you alright?"

"Oh…yes. Yeah, I'm fine." She was lying.

They didn't have time for further discussion because Pterano's father landed on one of the branches and announced that some debris from the last sky storm needed to be cleared on two ends of their water sources. Some of the older adults and little ones had already taken their turn, so now they needed to finish it up.

Little did he know that by the end of that dreadful day half of the ones he loved would be gone, Britta would have vanished, and the herd would be divided forever.

He, Tess, and Sierra had stayed behind with his father to clear away the rubble because there was only a small amount left at their end. While, everyone else had gone to help with the bigger mess at the other end after Britta and Tim assured Sierra they would make sure Jen took it easy.

They made good progress, and were just discussing joining the others when a distraught Rinkus landed on his stomach before them, looking beaten and tattered.

He looked like he had given up, by began babbling when he saw Pterano's father approach first. One glance at Sierra and Tess and he could tell that, like himself, their hearts had missed a beat. Britta!

"S-s-s-sir….there's been an accident….a terrible, terrible accident! The sharptooth flyers…the others!"

Nothing more needed to be said. Every one of them scuffled to get into the air. Pterano flapped his wings at maximum speed and used the wind. No!

The majority of the flyers were distinguished lead eaters, but there were a fair few that were wild flyers with sharpteeth that everyone struggled to avoid. Like the sharpteeth, they spoke their own language, and were in some ways worse than the typical sharpteeth. They tore at their prey in flocks until they were unable to defend themselves. Sometimes the flyers would eat what they killed, but since they often targeted large groups and killed more than their fill, they left some stiff in the grass. And, worst of all, they made no exception for others of their kind. Many of the young members of the group were already gone.

They arrived to a dusty, rocky, silent, despicable, terrifying bloodbath. The sharpteeth flyer had already gone, and had taken all they wanted because half of the group was gone. The rest lay still in the dust. Most of what had been his classmates….gone. He scanned the landscape with wild eyes, looking and looking.

Tess was the first to scream. "TIIIIIM!"

If there hadn't been that disturbing silence, they would never have heard that terrible rasp. "Tess…."

"Tim?!" They all pounced for the pile of rocks the voice had come from, and found Tim sprawled within the pile. Jen lay in a corner near him, gasping with the pain of the deep gash that ran from her left shoulder and across her chest.

"JEN!" Sierra bolted for her and pulled her into his wings. He rocked her back and forth, refusing to accept the inevitable. "You're okay….you're okay….."

Pterano was distracted from the scene by a moan from Tim as Tess grabbed his hand, and gasped when he took in his best friend's condition. Part of Tim's left arm above his wing was hopelessly chewed until it was nearly severed, a gaping wound left his right leg limp beneath the hip, and he had multiple cuts all over him. But worst of all, one of those terrible flyers had skewered him through the chest. Tim may have survived if he hadn't fought, but he was dying fast, and both he and his mate knew it.

"Tim…." Tess wailed as tears began welling in her eyes.

Pterano and his father pulled him up so that he was propped against one of the stones.

Tim squeezed Tess' hand. "T-Tess…is….is it true….." He was breathless.

Tess nodded with a small smile. "Yes."

When Tim managed a smile, Pterano wondered what they could possibly smile about. Tim pressed Tess' hand to his cheek. "Ta….take care of them. Name the oldest….boy….Petrie….as we discussed."

Hatchlings! They had been expecting to make a nest for hatchlings. Pterano clung to Tim, desperately wanting him to cling to life, but he could feel the life slipping out of him.

Tess nodded through her tears. "I promise, Tim."

Pterano felt tears from the loss of Tim already welling in his eyes, but he had to ask. "Tim. Wh-where is Britta?"

A distant look of awareness came across the dying flyer's face. "G-gone. They…they chased her away…"

Pterano went numb to the world as Tim and Tess exchanged their final words of love for one another. Reality and sound set back in when the life slipped out of Tim. Tess sat stunned for a moment, then burst into tears, begging Tim not to leave her. As their father tried to pull her away, Pterano burst into tears and leapt into the air.

"BRITTA! Answer me, my love!"

He circled around the terrible scene when there was no answer. "Britta!"

His father called out to him from somewhere far away. "Come back here, Pterano!"

Pterano didn't listen. He left the scene and flew around the land like mad, screaming for his mate. He looked in the surrounding areas, the places where they used to hide from danger, their favorite spots. Nothing. He didn't know how long it was until he landed on the ground and burst into tears. He didn't know how he got back to his home, either.

All he knew was that he woke up next a sleeping Tess in their parents' home. One look at the strain In her face as she slept reminded him, and he leapt from his spots and started to fly from his home to search again. She couldn't be gone. He had to be missing something. This had to be a dream. Something. Just before he could leap from the ledge and into the air, someone tackled him to the ground. Pterion struggled, but his wings were pinned.

"Pterano, stop. She's dead!"

Pterano froze at the sound of his father's voice uttering the words he never wanted to hear. Pterano turned to meet his father's cold eyes with tears welling in his own. His father got off of him and repeated the sentence to drill it in his mind. "They're dead."

Pterano stared at his father, still not able to react because the truth was too much to bear. His mother, so like Tess, hurried forward and cupped the side of his face with her hands. "You flew the entire area, Pterion. And so did everyone else as they looked for their missing loved ones. We found no trace. She and Tim are gone, dear."

Pterano felt as if his insides would erupt and covered his eyes when he burst into a fit of tears. His mother was so much smaller than he was, but she wrapped her arms around him as best as she could. Later, their father heard Tess cry and left them alone to go to her. After that dreadful day, everything just went downhill from there for the herd. That was only the beginning of a trying story.

Pterano remembered the story like it was yesterday as Britta summarized the entire story over again in a matter of moments. When it came time to give him the answer to his question, she drew a deep breath. He waited for her to gather her words, struggling for patience.

Britta looked him in the eyes. " When you asked what was bothering me that morning, I didn't answer because I was afraid…of your father."

Pterano spoke for the first time since she began because he wasn't quite making sense of this. "My father?"

Britta nodded. "Pterano….he…..figured it out."

Pterano blinked. "Britta, he…he couldn't have known. We were alone."

Britta shook her head. "I don't know if he knew that much, but he sensed a strengthening in our relationship, and…he pulled me aside."

Pterano buried his face in his hands as she finished. "He threatened me. He said that if I didn't end things with you, he would banish us."

Pterano let his hands drop. "Why didn't you tell me, Britta?"

Britta's eyes dropped. "I was going to. I begged him to reconsider, but he wouldn't. I agreed to his terms at first, but I couldn't go through with it. He gave me many days, but…we had a union. I was going to tell you after the clearing, but…I was too late, Pterano. Do you understand?"

He was stunned. "You think he arranged that attack, Britta? How could you say that? He would never have hurt anyone like…."

Britta put up a hand to calm him down. "I'm not saying he meant to kill everyone, Pterano. But he wanted me gone one way or the other because I didn't do what he said. And it just…got out of control when they attacked."

Pterano searched her face, then drew in a sharp breath and ran a hand over his face. Britta went to him. "I'm so sorry, Pterano. I should have told you…"

"You had the chance even after the attack, Britta! I roamed the landscape screaming for you. There was no way they could have chased you so far. How in the Circle of Life could you not have heard?!"

Britta grabbed his hands. "I was writhing in pain for days trying to pass the eggs that the attack forced from me, Pterano."

Pterano froze with his beak agape, so Britta squeezed his hands and told him of what had become of her after the attack as he regained his hearing.

Like Tim said, Britta had been chased away. Most of the sharptooth flyers gave up the chase and went back to their feast, but one or two persisted. Britta made it all the way to the river until one of them flew under her and tackled her hard in the stomach. The pain barely stabbed her body before another hit was made on her back, which caused her to fall in the river. The pursuers gave up the chase. Flyers were not very good swimmers, after all. But Britta somehow managed to make it to the surface of the rushing waves use her arms to scoot along until she reached a shore. Even though a swimming predator had not gotten her, she thought she would die of the wound in her stomach.

She crawled along, quickly losing consciousness and crying from the pain. But she knew she had to find some kind of shelter to have any hope of surviving. Luckily, a lone family of flyers had stopped to take a drink, and gasped at the sight of Britta. The grandmother stooped to help her, but her son was in a hurry to get back into the air with his family.

They at least helped Britta to the hidden vacant cave they had rested in the night before. Britta tried to tell them anything, but couldn't do anything but gasp for breath. The grandmother stayed with her as long as she could before her son gave a final warning, and only told Britta that they should pass before she had to fly with her family. Britta lost consciousness trying to figure out what she meant.

In the middle of the night, she said she thought she heard someone calling, but she wasn't for sure and couldn't fully wake up to answer. The next day, she had to hold a hand over her beak to keep from screaming from the pain. She eventually passed an underdeveloped egg that would never hatch, and cried because she finally knew what the older flyer had meant. The next few days were spent in the same kind of agony. Britta tried to do everything she knew to do, but couldn't do anything but try to speed up the process. She still didn't know how long it was until the pain finally subsided.

Even though the eggs had been passed, she still had the pain of the hits she had taken to overcome. She was in no condition to gather supplies or travel, and there were sharpteeth at every corner. Flyers were considered done for if they revealed themselves while grounded. Britta could do nothing but rest beside the children she would never know.

Pterano had no idea how much time Britta had spent in this kind of state, but she didn't know. If only he had found her… If only she had been able to call out…

The great flyer felt his voice quivering with his beak when he saw the truth of the story in her eyes. "We were….to have children?"

Britta stifled a sob, and then made eye contact with him. "Yeah." She choked out the word. "I didn't know, Pterion."

Pterano sniffed and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, aching for what would have been his children. "I don't understand. What kept you away so long? Did you not pursue the Great Valley?"

"Pterano!" It wasn't until she said his name that he realized how unreasonable that had come out to sound. "There was never any mention of the valley before. When I was finally well enough to fly, I expected to find you and my family. When I got there, I found nothing. No one was there, Pterano. No one came back. I was so scared, and alone, and in need of someone to talk to. I had no idea where any of you had gone, or…what happened…."

Pterano stood and held her in his wings for some time because he didn't know what to say. If there was anything left to comfort the pain she had been through that he never even imagined. Britta wiped away a stray tear from her face and looked up at him. "I stayed there until one of the neighboring healers made the journey to see what was keeping me away. So I decided to go with him to practice as I searched for you, Tess, and my family?"

He squeezed her hands. "Did you find your family?"

Britta's eyes welled with tears again. "I gave up for a while, then I found father just in time. I was too late for our mother."

Pterano stifled a sob that erupted from the back of his throat and pulled her into his wings. Britta gradually returned his embrace. "Oh, Britta. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

He rubbed her back as she dried her tears and pulled back from her so he could see her face. "I can't believe I have finally found you, after years of hoping…"

Britta cupped his face in her hands a moment, then let go. "Well, now you know."

They sat together a while, watching the stars as they recovered from the reopening of the oldest of wounds. Soon, Britta asked him the inevitable. "Pterano, I want you to be able to make a home here and live in peace. The closest thing I could get for you to achieve that right now is to see if you let me help you."

Pterano sighed, still feeling a little humiliated at getting "help". From Britta. "Right. Well, maybe I need it anyway. But how do you intend to achieve this. I am a "mess," you know."

Britta shook her head. "No, you're not. And I think I can help a lot just by listening. I still don't know the story of how you and Tess came to venture to the valley," she prompted.

Dread crawled up his spine. The events that led up to that and that whole journey was a tragedy in itself, and….he had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life on that road. "You will never forgive me," he whispered.

Britta hesitated. "You don't know that."

Pterano must have looked desperate for time, because she touched his face as a comfort. "You can tell me when you are ready, okay?"

When Pterano nodded, he caught her hand and held it as the two exchanged sad, but hopeful glances of the life they had dreamt of, after all.