Hey guys, this is the chapter that follows the arrival of Chomper's parents. It is told from Britta, but one of Chomper's parents so something really important in the chapter. And it's the last of Britta's story, where she left off last time.
Fair warning: Some of the later part of the chapter is sad and hard to read. But it's important. We see Pterano's father again briefly. Here's a tissue. If you like Pterano/Britta, there are some cute moments in the chapter.
Again, please R&R if you have time. I hope you remember everything since it's been so long. Enjoy!
Chapter 23 A Spared Life
Britta
Britta carefully weaved the last bit of twigs together, attempting to form a miniature version of the design she wanted for what was to be the front of her and Pterano's new nest. This was one of those mornings where she'd love to be swamped with patients. She couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of sharpteeth coming to the valley. She'd secretly been hoping they'd be turned away. And, of course, everyone was just fine. Leaving her with nothing to do.
Pterano had noticed her agitation at breakfast, though she'd tried to hide it. He attempted to distract her by asking her about the front of the nest. As soon as his nieces and nephews found out they might disagree on the design, it quickly turned into a "competition." Pterano and Britta were to build their own miniature version of what they wanted their nest to look like on the outside. Whoever builds a steady design wins. If both are left standing, the "judges" choose their favorite. They quickly set to work by the watering hole.
And it worked. Britta was distracted. And irritated. Tess and Mama Swimmer were chatting, occasionally enjoying the competition. Nicolas and Heather were by the watering hole, only glancing over occasionally. Tria was taking a drink of water. It seemed everyone was a little nervous about the sharpteeth, so they'd decided to go out.
Britta managed to make the last weave necessary to make the pattern possible and held the ends together. Ella and Lexie were nearest to her. She turned and held it up.
"What do you think?"
Lexie tried to be nice, as usual. "Well, it's…umm…"
"It's what?" Britta huffed.
"Pretty," Lexie finished.
"Pterano's looks safer," Ella stated.
Pterano scoffed over his shoulder, turned, and sat his display on the ground for everyone to see. Everyone examined it, fairly impressed. Littlefoot took charge. "Okay, Britta. What have you got?"
Britta held up the piece that was being held together with her fingers. Cera raised an eyebrow. "Well, can it stand up by itself? That would be a start."
"I'm still working," Britta stated.
"Phhhfffttt…. Ha!" Pterano crossed his wings.
"Don't smirk at me, Pterano the Flyer. This isn't over yet…." Britta began fumbling with the ends in frustration. "Just one…more….twist…."
"You're going to need more than that," Nicolas mumbled.
Britta stopped working and made eye contact to let him know she'd heard. "Got any tips?"
"Give up," he said, unintimidated.
Britta sighed. "Oh, come on! You really don't think this can work? "
"No."
Britta gritted her teeth when all the kids started to giggle. She finally got as frustrated as she ever got.
"UGH! Tess! How do you put your nests together?"
This caught Tess off guard. "Uhh…. Not beautifully…."
Petrie laughed. "Mama just throw nest together."
Pterano laughed. "Oh, I know how your mother makes a nest…."
Tess glared at her brother a moment, then flew down to Britta. "This has got to work somehow…"
Pterano butted in. "Oh, no no no no no… You help her, that's cheating. And may I remind you that cheating entitles me to an automatic win? In fact, you owe me lunch. Remember which berries are my favorite, Britta, dear?"
When neither one of them answered, he smiled wittily. "I expect we'll begin work on my design after lunch."
"He's right. Cheating is cheating," Ruby chirped.
Britta kept working in determination when Tess backed off. "You just wait, Pterano. My design will win. You're going to be flying to all ends of the valley gathering medical supplies…."
Britta gasped when one of the ends stuck together. "I-It worked! Ha! It worked!"
She quickly did the same thing to the other end and sat it down triumphantly. "Done! Take a look!"
Littlefoot lowered his head so that he was eye level with both designs. "It's…very…."
"Delicate?" Pterano scoffed.
"Typical?" Britta retorted, indicated his steady design.
Petrie walked back and forth, carefully examining all of them. His brothers and sisters whispered amongst themselves as the rest of Littlefoot's friends took a look.
Ducky tilted her head. "Well, Britta's is pretty…"
Petrie crossed his wings. "Yeah, but… Uncle Pterano's steadier…"
Tria glanced at both designs. "Better safe than sorry, kids."
Suddenly, the end of Britta's design came unraveled, causing the whole thing to collapse all at once. Without warning.
Britta couldn't do anything but whimper. Everyone just stared at the tiny heap for a moment. The kids made their final decision.
"Pterano's wins," Littlefoot stated.
"Britta let us down," Amy teased.
She stiffened when Pterano wrapped his wings around her from behind. Britta narrowed her eyes. "Exactly which end of the Valley will I be flying to? Dear."
Pterano pretended to think. "Hmm… I've changed my mind. I want tree stars instead."
"M'kay," Britta mumbled.
Pterano chuckled and pulled her forward. "Oh, come on, dear…. You're not going to hold a grudge all day, are you? Surely my design isn't that bad."
Britta eyed his design a moment. Even she had to admit Pterano had good craftsmanship. His design was, in reality, steady and beautiful. She actually wouldn't mind having it outside of her home.
Britta decided to play along. "Um… Maybe I'll feel better about it when I eat. I don't like anything when I'm hungry."
Pterano knelt before her fallen design and poked at it thoughtfully. "I see… Time to swallow your pride?"
Britta grabbed one of the twigs and snapped it in half, warning him not to push it.
"Enough with the puns. I'm confused," Ella said.
Pterano smirked at Britta. "You can get lunch now, dear. Hurry up, I can't work under these conditions."
Britta turned away, glad she had an excuse to take her leave. "I'm sure- Oh, my… KIDS, GET DOWN FROM THERE!"
She leapt into the air without waiting for anyone else to process the transition. She didn't know how, but Tricia and Mae had wandered over to a pile of fallen trees while they weren't paying attention. The two baby girls were climbing the pile, with no idea how much danger they were in. With one wrong step, the pile could collapse with them.
Britta heard Tria and Cera's reaction from behind her. "TRICIA!"
Ella and Amy were next. "MAE!"
Pterano was catching up with her. "Britta, wait!"
Britta didn't have to. He caught up anyway. Tricia and Mae wagged their tails as soon as they noticed them approaching. Both Britta and Pterano gasped when Mae's foot got wedged in one of the holes in the tree she was balancing on. Britta hovered above her when she started to struggle.
"Oh, no no no… Sshhh…."
Britta sighed in relief when Mae stopped whimpering. "Pterano, take Tricia down. I'll get Mae."
Pterano's eyes popped open in alarm. "What? No, Britta. It's too dangerous. You could fall-"
"Pterano, there's no time to argue! If you land, it'll collapse for sure. I can do it. Hurry and take Tricia down!"
Pterano gritted his teeth nervously, but managed to get Tricia to hop on his back without having to risk landing. While he was doing that, Britta chose the sturdiest looking log and landed carefully in front of Mae. When Pterano noticed that she'd landed, he descended to the ground with Tricia.
Britta carefully made her way to Mae and knelt down in front of her. When the little hatchling started to whimper again, she rubbed her back, speaking in a soft tone as she tried working her foot out of the hole with the other hand.
"Shh….shhh…. Mae, it's okay, sweetheart. We're going to get you out of here."
Pterano had dropped Tricia off and was now hovering above them. Finally, Britta managed to work Mae's foot out gently, without hurting her. Mae instinctively stepped away from it, causing the log they'd been standing on to make that horrible creaking noise Britta knew too well. Britta gasped when she felt the pile shake. She just managed to hold on to Mae and keep her balance at the same time.
Pterano must have seen what was happening.
"Britta," he gasped, "Hand. Her. To me. Carefully. As soon as I have her, you fly. Understand?"
Britta shook as she slowly picked Mae up and lifted her onto Pterano's back.
She heard Pterano's voice at the same time as that horrible cracking noise. "I've got-"
Britta screamed when the log she'd been standing on only a second ago fell out from under her feet. She tried to fly in midair, but was knocked down by another falling limb.
She heard Pterano's agonized cry over the crashing of the logs.
"NO!"
Britta felt as if the air had been knocked out of her when she hit the ground. Somehow, she managed to roll onto her stomach so she could see what was ahead. She spotted a patch of light and instinctively scrambled for it amidst all the dark space closing in around her.
Just as she reached it, something heavy pinned her to the ground. She couldn't move. It felt like she couldn't breathe.
The light was an open space. Pterano landed in front of her and immediately scrambled for her. Britta's vision was going in and out.
Pterano's voice sounded far away. "Britta…."
Britta tried to talk. "Pt-pt-pter-a-no. I. C-an't br-eathe….."
She felt Pterano grasp her free hand, begging her to stay with him. Britta made one last futile attempt to catch her breath and squeezed his hand. Suddenly, Pterano's head snapped sideways. Like he'd been startled.
Britta felt the weight that had been restricting her breathing being lifted off of her. She gasped for air as Pterano recovered from whatever shock he was in and dragged her away from the rubble. She held on to Pterano as she tried to catch her breath. Pterano was frantic, patting her back and asking if she was hurt. She didn't know yet. Vision and hearing gradually came back to her.
Britta looked around and clutched Pterano's wing. Thank goodness for him. She was shaking so badly, she doubted she would be sitting up without him.
Pterano nuzzled her, shaking himself. "Oh, Britta! Britta, darling…."
Britta gave him that "It's okay, I lived" smile and looked around. Tess had a hand on Pterano's shoulder, peering down at Britta with wide eyes. Petrie was crouched on his uncle's shoulder. "Britta, you okay!"
Tria was in front of her. "Oh, thank you, Britta! Both girls are safe!"
Hyp was also in front of her, holding Mae. When he saw she was okay, he sighed in relief. Wait. Hyp? He was supposed to be gone.
Mr. Threehorn ran to Cera, who was holding Tricia. Apparently, they'd returned just in time to see the whole thing. He nuzzled Tricia and, for a split second, looked at Pterano and Britta in disbelief. He knew they'd saved her. Then his next reaction threw her off completely. He looked up. In the opposite direction. It was a harsh look, like he was trying to figure out someone else's intentions.
What is he looking at now?
Britta tensed when Grandma Longneck lowered her head down and nudged her. "Goodness! Are you alright, Britta?"
Britta looked herself over, then tried to ask how they got her out of the pile.
"H-How…"
Grandma Longneck answered by raising her head and backing off to clear the way. Britta felt Pterano lift his head, too. He tightened his hold on her.
What…. Britta glanced up for answers. She went blank when she found the answer. She gasped in disbelief when a female sharptooth she knew too well took the end of her nose out from under the tree that had been pinning her to the ground. The earth under them shook when it landed.
The olive green sharptooth with glowing red eyes had saved her. She had been using the end of her nose to lift the tree. Britta briefly examined the scene. Her mate, a dark green sharptooth, seemed just as surprised as everyone else. In fact, he was standing slightly behind her with a wrinkled nose and slightly opened mouth, like he was a little that he disgusted that his mate had done such a thing….for something they would normally eat.
Britta put it together when Chomper ran up to her. "Britta, are you okay?!"
These were his parents. And the olive green sharptooth that had saved her, again, was his mother. Everyone tensed up when Chomper's mother lowered her head down to Britta's level. Britta was pretty sure she was holding Pterano's forearm so tight it would leave a bruise.
Chomper's mother tilted her head and made a low, purring sound that sounded like a question. Those terrible red eyes were wide and sincere, not angry and determined like other sharpteeth. Britta could feel her breath. She had never been so close to a grown sharptooth before. Normally, if a dinosaur got this close, they were already dead.
Britta should have been thanking her. And she was sure that was what everyone else was waiting for. But that wasn't what Chomper's mother wanted to know. When Britta looked into those red eyes, flashbacks she'd long pushed to the back of her mind made their way to the surface.
Suddenly, the injuries from the attack of the sharptooth flyers seemed fresh. All that pain, the broken egg shells she spent days staring at…and the female sharptooth that spared her life. All right there in front of her. The female sharptooth, Chomper's mother, even had that same look of worry in her eyes she had that day.
Everyone else around them tilted their head when Britta broke down into sobs instead of thanks. Britta covered her beak. "It was you…." she whimpered.
Chomper's mother seemed taken aback, then nodded slowly and carefully to confirm it. Britta broke away from Pterano's hold and scrambled back. She had to get out of there now.
Pterano's wings were spread apart in confusion. But the look on his face was slightly disapproving. When he said her name, it almost sounded like he was scolding her.
"Britta."
Britta looked at Chomper's mother one last time, then scrambled on all fours and hoisted herself into the air. Apparently, she wasn't hurt physically. Right now, she just wanted to get away. Tears were already clouding her vision.
Britta landed in her nest and quickly walked to the very back of the cavern where no one could see her. As soon as she landed, the sobs she'd been keeping so well under control racked her body so hard she had to remind herself to breathe.
Pterano wasn't two minutes behind her. She heard the soft swooping sound of his landing behind her. A second later, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her around to face him.
"Britta?" he gasped softly, "Are you alright? Are you…hurt, dear? You just…"
His voice was so gentle. That's how Pterano got to her. He was always so gentle. Even when she was angry.
He took her in his arms when she turned around and buried her face in his chest. "No…" she squeaked.
Pterano held her tight. "Then what's wrong, love? There's no need to be….afraid. Dear, she might have saved your life…."
That made it worse. Britta tried to explain herself, but just ended up blubbering. "She…oh….m'babies…." Britta sobbed.
She felt Pterano stiffen as soon as he heard "babies." He drew back a little and grasped her shoulders to make eye contact. "What?"
Britta hesitated, then jerked away from him without thinking about it. "She was there when I lost our hatchlings, okay?" she wailed. Britta turned her back for a moment when Pterano's face displayed a world of hurt. She tried to wipe away the tears and folded her wings, waiting for his response.
She inhaled a shaky breath when he hugged her from behind and gently nuzzled her under the beak. "Tell me," he whispered.
Britta was shaking. "I don't know if you want to hear this, Pterano. It won't do any good."
"Of course it will." Pterano grabbed her hand and gently spun her around to face him again. When she did, he took both her hands in his.
Britta stared at the ground. "Maybe for me, Pterano. But not you."
When she looked at his expression, she couldn't help but smile a little. "Or have you just been curious?"
He proved her hypothesis. "I've been…..wondering about it. And…given the circumstances, I think it's something I need to know."
Britta took his hand and sat down with him. After a few moments, she began to tell him about the sharptooth that spared her life twice.
….
Britta lay in that horrible, little brown cave in a world of pain. She didn't even remember how she got out of the water, or exactly when the sharptooth flyers stopped taking dives at her. The family of flyers had helped, dragged her, into this cave. The only shelter around. The father stopped at finding her shelter, eager to get a move on to keep up with their herd.
The mother of the family seemed overwhelmed, trying to get an answer out of her. "Where were you hit?"
The grandmother was the most helpful, gently dabbing at her face with wet moss and cleaning away the blood from her wounds. She quickly took in Britta's condition. Her eyes softened. "You're so young. I'm so sorry."
Britta squinted at her through the water from the wet moss. "Wh-what…." she gasped as a sharp pain shot across her abdomen. Britta had suffered a few injuries in her lifetime, but this was the worst pain she'd ever felt. She tried to suppress a small cry when she spotted a small hatchling clinging to his father's wing.
Suddenly, the incident that happened less than an hour ago replayed before her. Jen had suffered a terrible gash wound. Tim tried to protect her and urged Britta to fly while they were distracted. Britta didn't understand why she seemed to be their primary target. Britta dodged one of them when they dove for her and tried to get to her brother. One of them bit deep into his wing-arm. If it hadn't been for his wing, it would have been severed in half. Another bit deep into his throat at the same time . Right in front of her. Britta screamed and tried to get to him. Tried to get to Jen. But she only found herself surrounded by a mass of sharptooth flyers, all closing in on her. Britta backed off, barely managing to dodge the numerous dives they made for her.
Suddenly, Rinkus managed to pull himself out from under a pile of rocks. "Britta!"
Britta's eyes quickly flashed in his direction. Some of the herd was still alive. At that moment, Britta scrambled away and took flight, with the rest of the sharptooth flyers right on her tail.
With this memory haunting her, Britta burst into tears, begging for help. "Please, please….m-my family will come for me if they know I'm alive. If they know where I am… Please-"
Britta tensed up, clutching her abdomen. Her eyes squeezed shut and her beak opened slightly, but she managed to stay silent. Britta took a deep breath, fresh tears in her eyes. "Wh-what's happening…?" she panted.
The grandmother seemed hesitant. "It seems…your injuries as causing you to lay your eggs prematurely."
Britta froze. "Eggs?! N-no…."
She clenched her fists together to bear another stab of pain. The mother, who'd been arguing with her mate, gasped. "Oh, you didn't know. Oh….dear….please."
Her husband sighed and turned on Britta. "Do you have a herd nearby?" he asked roughly.
Britta gushed at the thought of her mother and father. "Y-yes… Just a little ways north of here in the canyon…. Please, please…. My mother's a healer. I beg you, just tell them I'm here."
The father turned away abruptly. "Come on, son. Let's make this quick."
Britta couldn't tell how long they were gone because pain overrules time. The mother and grandmother did what little they could for her. The grandmother helped her through it, even holding her hand. "It's going to hurt, dear. But try to get it over with."
Britta tried, but passed out from pain. She startled when she felt a splash of water in her face. When she opened her eyes, the father was there.
"The leader turned you away. We're leaving," he said sharply.
"Wh-what?" Britta gasped. "Why?"
The father shrugged. "You should know yourself."
He turned to his mother. "We're flying. Now."
The grandmother glanced at Britta, then back at her son. "You've grown selfish," she scolded.
The mother had already turned away to tend to her son. Britta was petrified. "W-wait. My mother…..father….please tell me they know I'm alive."
The father's shoulders stiffened, but his eyes softened when he looked into hers. "The leader knows where you are. I'd suggest you not make much noise if you don't want to be found by anything else."
With that, he turned away and took flight with his family. Only the grandmother was left. And her choice was between a hopeless lost flyer and her family. Her eyes were sincere when she talked to Britta for the last time.
"There is a ravine not far from this cave. We've rested here for a day. You should be safe here…. I'm sorry."
And with that, she flew away. Britta was left all alone, with nothing but darkness and pain and haunting memories. Pterano's face flashed before her as she winced from another sharp pain. If what the old flyer said was true…. He'd be devastated. Within the next few moments, she wanted her own mother. They probably knew Tim was dead by now, and were probably told she was. They were going to be heartbroken. Pterano thought she was dead….
Britta tried to stand. She had to get to them. She gasped and slumped back against the wall. It hurt so much. She tried to remember what her mother taught her about….egg-laying, but ended up with nothing. It really wasn't supposed to be that difficult. Most females managed on their own without a healer.
The thing about it was, one just kind of had to…get it over with. Britta tried doing the math….counting the odds that at least one hatchling would survive. There were none. She cried at first because it was just too much all at once. Then she took a deep breath. It was step one to getting back to her family.
Hours, maybe even a day for all Britta knew, passed. She passed out at some point. When she opened her eyes, orange light shone into the cave. She was shaking and dizzy. It seemed like everything hurt. She gradually focused her vision, prepared herself, and looked down to assess what damages were done to her body, and what she would have to do to fix them.
She started with her own body. She was a bruised, dirty, bloody mess. She couldn't even see her natural pink color. Now she understood why the little flyer had been so afraid. She felt of the gash where that flyer had hit her right in the abdomen. It was still wet with blood, but most of the wound had clotted over. But…if she got hit that badly….
Britta tried shifting one of her legs and gasped at the pain movement caused. She exhaled in horror when she looked down. The cave floor was now a trail of blood and broken egg shell pieces. Britta slowly followed the trail with her eyes. At the end of the trail, four eggs, almost every single one cracked and broken and covered in an orange-red tint, lay a few feet away from her. Her eggs.
Britta covered her beak when a mournful cry escaped her throat. She sobbed and looked at her hands, mostly a mass of dried blood themselves. Britta began scrubbing at them in a quick, mad fashion. She began to cry when it didn't all come off. She gave up and used her good wing-arm to pull herself toward her eggs.
When she got there, she gently lifted the one with the top missing. There was nothing there. All the fluids inside that were supposed to nourish her lost baby had long drained out. Their babies hadn't even had the chance to develop yet. Britta gently set the shell aside and checked two more. One had a gaping hole in the side, suffering the same fate as the first one. The other was too badly dented.
"I'm so sorry…." Britta whimpered. And there was still one more.
She hesitated when she saw the last one and frantically pushed herself forward. It was shaped…like an egg. She couldn't find any cracks. Britta stared at it from all angles. Maybe…
She didn't want to pick it up at first. But her doubts about the bottom got the best of her. She cupped her hands together and gently scooped it up. No cracks. No liquids running out of the bottom. Just solid. Britta gasped and, partially by instinct, used what little the family of flyers had left her to eat to cover it. Britta stared at it and cried until it got dark. The egg probably wouldn't even hatch. Or worse. It might, but that could take all the energy her baby had. The odds were he or she would probably die if that wasn't already the case.
Britta leaned back against the wall of the cave to think. Sometime in the middle of the night, she dozed off. She startled awake when a familiar voice called her name. Pterano's voice.
Britta jolted upright and cried when it hurt. Something was wrong. If she was still hurting, she had internal damage. Britta clutched her sides and listened again.
Somewhere in the distance, Pterano called her from the air. But…he was too far. He'd already passed the cave. NO!
"Pterano!"
Her call sounded more like a squeak. She listened. All she heard in response was, "Brittaaaaa!"
Pterano was frantic. And it sounded like he was crying. If he was crying….he was losing hope.
No, love. Please. I'm still alive….
She was about to call again when the ground shook. She froze. Everything was still. Too still. It was like…dead silence. Suddenly, Britta was terrified.
Another shake. Then another getting closer. It was a sharptooth. Britta drew a sharp, shaky intake of breath and tried to get back against the cave wall without making a dragging noise. When she spotted all the blood, she froze cold. She felt the sharptooth stop, heard it take a sniff of the air, and waited for seconds that seemed like hours.
Suddenly, with a high-pitched screech, a large sharptooth poked her head in the entrance of the cave. Britta screamed and flung herself against the wall. The sudden movement sent a thousand stabs of pain through her body all at once. Her vision began to blur in and out, though she never blinked.
The sharptooth was olive green with the most aggressive looking red eyes Britta had ever seen. Right now, its nose was wrinkled. Almost like she'd been hoping for something more than a flyer. Britta worked up her courage, and gave her a nod to go ahead.
But then the sharptooth did something Britta had never seen before. Its expression changed from aggression, to disgust, then to confusion, then realization, and then….sympathy.
Britta watched as the sharptooth scanned the little cave with her eyes. Somehow, Britta got the feeling she was female. Britta took shaky breaths as the sharptooth's eyes focused on the one egg she'd tried to make bedding for earlier.
Britta gasped in horror when another loud roar sounded from behind the other sharptooth. There were two… and they were a pair. Britta closed her eyes, preparing herself as the female sharptooth narrowed her eyes in thought and tried to make a decision. Suddenly, the female's face grew determined. She snapped her head to the side and answered with a short grunt as she drew her head out of the cave.
Britta was shaking uncontrollably. It couldn't be. That sharptooth's mate was coming for her within seconds. But instead of being snatched out of the cave, she found herself listening in on a sharptooth conversation that she didn't understand.
The female had moved on past the cave, purring her response. Her mate took another step toward the cave, suspicious. Britta could see his foot, a much darker green than his mate's. His response was a grunt that sounded something like, "huh?"
The female answered whatever question he had, sharper than before. The male was quiet for a moment, then answered in a quick, sharp roar that confirmed he was going to check it out himself.
Britta listened as the female hesitated, took a few steps toward her mate. Then she heard….a kind of purring noise. It sounded like they really….loved each other. Just when Britta began to think she was crazy, the female began walking away, still talking. The male, distracted, dropped the issue and followed her.
Britta didn't breathe until she couldn't hear their footsteps anymore. That sharptooth had….spared her life. Before Britta could run that through her mind one more time, her body gave way without her control.
She was startled awake in the middle of that same night. She cried out when something roughly jabbed her in the side. A harsh whisper that sounded a little like Pterano, but still different, made her jump.
"Britta! Quiet. Do you understand me?"
Britta began to tremble as she slowly lifted her head to look into the harsh eyes of their leader. And, sure enough, Pterano's father was right there in front of her, cold eyes staring directly into hers.
Despite all the pain she was in, Britta could feel the flames of fury starting to burn in her eyes. She remained quiet, but brought her wings out in front of her and pushed him away, as a warning not to come any closer. Pterano's father backed away, waiting to see what she'd do. Britta gasped in pain, clutched her abdomen, and took deep breaths. Never letting her eyes leave her former leader.
Pterano's father shook his head at her condition and disappeared in the darkness. A few minutes later, he came back with a leaf full of water and passively handed it to her.
"Here."
Britta eyed the water, longing to clench her thirst. But she shook her head because she didn't trust it. Pterano's father sighed. "If you won't drink, I will."
And with that, he took a small sip of the water and offered it to her. Britta slowly took the leaf, and downed the water within seconds. She sighed in relief as the coolness replaced the heat of dehydration. She leaned against the cave wall as Pterano's father examined the broken remains of the eggs.
"It…seems my prediction was right, after all."
Britta shook her head. "No. We…had every intention of fulfilling our purpose…."
"Don't be stupid. If that was your first priority, this wouldn't have happened," Pterano's father snapped, indicating the broken eggs lying at his feet.
When Britta didn't answer, he raised his head to get a look at the egg she'd hid in the corner. "You isolated one."
"Don't….go anywhere…..near it," Britta spat.
Pterano's father raised his hands to show he meant no harm to the egg. He stepped away and walked across the cave, taking in the scenery and speaking slowly.
"How is it….that half my herd is dead….and you're still alive?"
Britta tried to piece what he said together in her mind. Suddenly, everything she'd hoped wasn't true turned out to be a real living nightmare. She felt her face crumple as tears of sorrow streamed down her face.
"You sent them….for me?" she choked.
Pterano's father turned to face her. "Don't look so surprised, Britta. I'd already warned you before."
"They killed Tim!" Britta cried.
"I know who they killed!" Their leader spoke, words running together. Voice rising in anger, from a whisper to a harsh pitch that made her cringe.
"I know who they killed…. Tim. Leah… Half the herd. Jen…dying! They died in….vain. Was all that really necessary, Britta? You and my son….was it truly too much to ask for you to….control yourselves for just a few more years?"
"No!" Britta cried through her tears. She took a deep breath. "Jen's dying?"
Pterano's father sighed sadly. "Yes," he finally replied.
Britta whimpered, then slowly began to cry as she begged. "Please… please tell my mother and father I'm here. I need them and they need me… They think they've lost both of us… please…"
Pterano's father faced her again. When he did, his black eyes were dangerous. "They can't know," he stated.
"Why?" Britta cried. "How could you do this? To my parents, to Tess….Sierra…. And… Pterano. Those were our children!"
Pterano's father turned around. But instead of anger, she saw something else. Something she didn't expect to see. Regret and sorrow. And, right now, it disgusted her. Britta exhaled in disbelief as he knelt down in front of her.
"Why did you really come?" she whispered.
Pterano's father didn't really answer that directly.
"Britta, you must understand I never meant for this to go so far. I only wanted what was best for my son…and for you. I wanted you both to be….great. You are destined to be a healer, Britta. And Pterano…well…I wanted him to be better than I. It was never anything against you, except for when I noticed Pterano's love for you getting in the way of his better judgment. That is why I warned you before.
When you graduated your class, we were so proud of you both. However, I had my suspicions, the night you and Pterano went off. That's when I knew it was…useless…to reason with you. So I decided to do what I thought was best for my son. Yes, I sent those sharptooth flyers for you. But, Britta, they turned on me. They weren't supposed to kill Jen, or your brother…."
He hesitated a moment and took a shaky breath. "And now… I've destroyed everything around me. My own mate can't even look at me the same. Pterano hasn't even spoken since. Britta, I never dreamed it would go this far. I never dreamed you would…suffer so much."
"Well, I did!" Britta lashed out, nearly in tears. "Why do you hate me so much?"
"I never hated you," he said flatly. Something about his tone actually made Britta believe him long enough to listen. "I never hated you. You always had so much potential, Britta. You were so bright. I couldn't have asked for anyone better for my son to love. But love sometimes gets in the way, doesn't it?"
He was turning back to his old, harsh self for just a split second. And Britta was terrified.
"It was an accident," she whispered, "I never meant to defy you. I-I didn't know."
Pterano's father sighed and pointed at the eggs. "It was around graduation, wasn't it? If I'm right, the one in the corner won't hatch. There hasn't been enough time yet. Britta, I'm truly sorry."
Britta focused on the only intact egg she had left alone in the corner. "No, there's still a chance. It isn't broken. I-I have to try…"
Pterano's father knelt directly in front of her, face to face. His voice was so firm Britta had no choice but to believe him.
"Britta, it won't hatch."
Britta took a moment to take this in, then realized he might be right. She covered her beak and quietly sobbed into her hands. "How do you know?" she whispered.
"My wife and I…we've raised children. We've lost some along the way."
He wandered over to the egg. "May I?"
Britta thought hard a moment before nodding. "Please. Please be careful," she whispered.
Pterano's father closed his eyes and delicately picked up the tiny egg in one hand. Almost as carefully as he might if it were one of his own.
He brought it over to her and sat it down so that the moonlight was shining on it. "Look," he said softly.
Britta flinched, but managed to glance at the egg. When she did, Pterano's father pointed at the shadow outline within the egg. "You see the shadow inside? It should have a form by now. Do you understand?"
Britta looked at it for a moment, then her face crumpled when she realized he was right. In reality, there was nothing but liquid inside her egg. She'd lost all her children. And would probably never be able to have any ever again.
Britta broke down into overwhelming sobs that racked her body then. She cried until Pterano's father lifted her face to make her look up at him. His own eyes were a little moist.
"Britta, permit me. We may not have known, but these were Pterano's children. And they…would have been my grandchildren. They deserve to be buried. It's the least I could do."
Britta glanced at her eggs one last time. All she could do was nod. As soon as Pterano's father found a spot outside the cave and began digging, she knew she couldn't watch.
"I want a bath," she whimpered.
Pterano's father chuckled and turned around. "Now?"
"I don't want to be this way anymore," she squeaked.
He stood. "Well, you do look a mess."
He hesitated for a moment, then offered Britta his hand. "I'll help you stand."
"I-I can't," Britta said.
"Why?"
"It hurts."
Pterano's father sighed. "Eventually, you have to if you want to survive. You have to be strong enough to find help. I say a bath is the best place to start."
Britta hesitated a moment, then took his hands and tried to stand. She cried out when pain shot through her abdomen once again.
Pterano's father helped her pull her wing around his shoulders so that she was leaning on him. It seemed he was carrying most of her weight.
"Come on," he said.
Walking those few steps to the water was one of the most painful moments of Britta's life. She didn't really remember getting there. She opened her eyes when she felt something cool on her feet. Pterano's father helped her sit down in the water. As soon as he did, all the dried blood and dirt that had been caked on her scales clouded the water around her.
"Well, I'll come get you when you're ready," Pterano's father huffed.
As soon as he was out of sight, Britta left him to the task of burying the eggs and rinsed the filth from her scales. Eventually, she began to cry silently. Whenever she felt hot tears on her face, she used water to cool it off.
Britta deliberately took a while, splashing water on her scales even though they were clean as ever. She tried dragging herself to the shore. In the distance, she could see the dark figure of Pterano's father as he worked.
Having the dirt and dried blood washed away helped so much, physically and psychologically. But the pain in her abdomen made itself known again when she tried to move. Britta cried out, then covered her beak with her wing to muffle it. When she looked down, fresh red clouds were floating around her. She had to find help. Soon. She had no idea what was wrong with her, and couldn't gather the resources to treat herself even if she knew.
Britta managed to scoot to the edge of the water, then waited for Pterano's father to come back because she just couldn't watch. A while later, she heard soft footsteps coming up behind her. He waited a moment before speaking.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
When Britta nodded, he took a few more steps toward her, but didn't pick her up.
"Can you stand alone?"
Britta shook her head. "I don't even know how I'm going to find help right now, in all honestly."
Pterano's father crossed his wings. "Stand."
Britta gaped at him for a moment, then grabbed onto the short ledge by the water and tried to pull herself to her feet. She fell down once, and had to try again. Each time, the pain made her vision blur. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out again.
Finally, she was standing with her claws digging into the ledge for support. She was breathing like she had just finished one of those exercise routines Mrs. Ria used to make them do.
Her eyes were wide as she looked back over at Pterano's father. "How am I supposed to find help like this?"
"Are your wings injured?" he asked indifferently.
"No," she answered.
"And you can stand on your own," he said.
She looked up at her hands, still clawing at the wall for support, wondering if he considered this standing.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Then you can fly." He answered triumphantly. As if he'd just solved a problem. Just like Pterano when he was being sarcastic.
"Oh, you bitter man," Britta gasped.
Pterano's father got it. And, for the first time, after all the failed attempts at conversation before, Britta made him laugh. When he smiled, he looked just like Pterano. His laughter could fill a cave. Despite everything, Britta had to crack a smile too.
Pterano's father was still smiling a little when he held out his wing. "Come on, you arrogant child. I'll take you back."
"Home?" Britta asked hopefully.
Britta remembered when that smile quickly gave way to a grimace.
"Right," she said, wanting to cry all over again.
She nearly fell when she tried to lean on Pterano's father. After a few miserable steps, she didn't even remember the rest. All she knew was that, somehow, her former leader managed to drag her back into the cave. Britta rested against the cave wall, suddenly feeling numb again.
"I'm tired," she whispered.
Pterano's father stood. "Me too."
After a long silence, his voice snapped her out of dozing off. "Britta."
When Britta made eye contact, his eyes were stern. "Don't come back. Fly to the next herd. The healer there will help you. But heed my warning. Pterano doesn't see you. No one else sees you. Are we clear?"
Britta's face crumpled, but she forced herself to nod.
"Thank you…" she whispered, "for burying them."
Pterano's father hesitated a moment, then gently tapped her cheek as a sign of encouragement. As a goodbye. Britta watched as he turned and flew away. She cried until she fell asleep.
She didn't know when she woke up, but it was night. Still. Again. She didn't know. Suddenly, the cave felt haunted. She wanted to see sunlight again. She had to get out of there. Gradually, she made the decision to try flying.
She pulled herself to the exit of the cave, then scrambled back when she heard a familiar screech in the distance. Pterano!
Her first instinct was to scramble out of the cave and try to get to him. Then, his father's warning sounded through her mind. Like he was still standing there. She quickly scrambled back into the shadows and tried to see. Pterano's family was flying off into the moonlight. The small shadows of Tess and her mother looked sad, but kept flying. The silhouettes of Pterano and his father were in some kind of physical alteration. It looked like Pterano didn't want to leave.
Suddenly, Pterano's father slammed him into the nearest ledge and pinned him against the mountain wall as soon as he landed. Britta gasped and covered her mouth. It didn't look like things were going so well. None of the other herd members were with them.
Britta watched in horror as Pterano continued to struggle. They didn't stop fighting until his mother landed and scolded Pterano's father. His father softened when she spoke, then let Pterano go and walked away. Pterano's mother gently cupped his face in both of her hands, probably asking him to go with them. Trying to persuade him that there was nothing left there.
Pterano sadly ducked his head and covered his mother's hands with his. He was going to go. When his mother hugged him, Britta could see him searching the horizon. Tess grabbed his hand for strength. Britta cried when they flew away, wondering if it was the last time she'd ever see him again.
…...
When she finished telling Pterano the part about his father, his whole face seemed to go blank for a moment. Then his eyes burned with fury, giving him the same look his father had. Britta cringed when he stood, paced back and forth a few times, then knocked over the empty halves of shells she'd been using to store medicine with one strong swipe.
Britta gasped and scrambled back against the cave wall. Pterano stood still for a moment with his back to her, shaking.
"He didn't tell me," he whispered.
With the memories of everything they'd lost still fresh in her mind, she couldn't help him. "Pterano, I know you're angry. But…"
"Angry?" Pterano whispered. When he turned around, he was crying. "Yes, I am angry. He buried our children and left you for dead. I fought him every day because, deep down, I knew you were alive. And, all that time, he never once told me. He killed our children, and our family. And still, never told me. I could have gone back for you…. I should've been the one to-"
Britta grabbed his hands to let him know she knew. She was still feeling numb. "Pterano?"
"What?"
"Could you just…stay with me tonight? I-I don't want to be alone."
Pterano turned and smiled at her. He sat down beside her and gently cradled her cheek in his hand.
"Of course," he whispered.
Britta smiled and rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his wings around her.
"How did you find help?" he asked after a long silence.
Britta looked up so she could meet his gaze. "I left that same night, hoping to at least find my parents. Instead of flying to the neighboring healer, I…I went back to our old home."
"There was no one there," Pterano said quietly. He sighed and wrapped his wings tighter around her. "If only I'd known…"
Britta sighed and quietly answered the rest of his question. "I stayed there for a while, looking for something of yours to keep with me. Looking for something Tim's... When I found that my parents were gone. I eventually made it to the healer, but it took forever. I…had to take a lot of flight breaks."
Pterano managed a small smile. "Did you find anything?"
"No, but… A few years later, I found my father. I never got to see my mother again, but… I at least got to talk to him. Just before he died."
"I'm sorry, dear," Pterano sighed.
Britta nodded, then slowly held up her lucky pebble. "This is yours, dear."
Pterano instantly recognized it. "Where did you get that?!" he whispered.
"My father," she teased.
Pterano snatched the pebble from her fingers. "You sneaky thing."
After a few moments, he squeezed her hand. "What happened when you found the healer?"
"He was…shocked. By the time I got there, I had lost a lot of blood. He took care of me."
"Did he find what was wrong?"
Britta winced. She didn't really want to talk about it. "He…said that when I was hit, the egg shells broke inside of me. The broken pieces of the shells caused the internal damage."
Pterano sighed sadly and held her hand. "Can you…still have children?"
"I don't know," she whispered in tears. "I doubt it."
Pterano held Britta's hand, gently nuzzling her to sleep. She knew he'd be saddened by that, but he was supporting her. And she loved him for that. Just before she dozed off, he gently whispered in her ear. "I think you should thank the little sharptooth's mother. Dear, I thought I'd lost you again."
Britta nodded just as she dozed off. Sometime later, the sound of whispers woke her. She listened, but never opened her eyes.
"Are you sure she's alright?" Tess whispered.
Pterano hesitated. Britta felt him look down at her. He was still holding her. "I believe so," he said quietly.
"Are….you alright?" she asked.
"Why….wouldn't I be?" Pterano asked. He didn't sound very convincing.
"Pterano, please tell me. What happened back there? I-I just want to help," she said.
Pterano sighed, indicating he would eventually tell her. Britta felt him start to move, then he stopped and sighed.
"I promised her," he said. She felt him move his head to look down at her.
"It's okay. You'll tell me later?"
"Of course," Pterano whispered sincerely.
"Just promise me you two are…okay," Tess whispered.
Pterano sighed as if he didn't know. He probably didn't. "I think so," he said quietly.
Just then, Petrie's voice sounded from the entrance of the cave. "Uncle Ptera- Oh. Hi….Mom…."
"Petrie!" Tess scolded. "You are supposed to be asleep."
"Me want to make sure Britta and Uncle Pterano okay," he confessed.
"Oh, Petrie…" Tess scolded.
"It's alright, Tess. Come here, my clever nephew."
She felt Pterano move to pick Petrie up, and pretended to wake up, lifting her head from Pterano's shoulder.
Pterano smiled and handed Petrie to her. "Look who came to check on you, dear."
Britta smiled and gave Petrie a gentle hug. "Thank you, Petrie. I'm okay."
"You sure?" Petrie asked sweetly.
Britta just had to giggle. "Yes I am," she said quietly, meeting Tess' gaze.
Tess waited a moment, admiring Petrie's sincerity before reaching out for him. "Alright. Come on, Petrie. Let's let them rest."
"Me wanna stay," Petrie stated.
Tess sighed. "Your uncle and Britta might need some more time. Why don't you come home tonight?"
"It's okay," Britta said, still cupping Petrie in her hands. "He can stay."
Tess still seemed unsure. She looked at Pterano. "Are you…sure?"
And of course, Pterano nodded. "Um hm."
"It will help," Britta said quietly.
Tess got it. "Okay then…"
Petrie smiled at his uncle. "You mean… I help you watch Britta?"
Britta, Pterano, and Tess all chuckled a little.
"Ah… yes, dear nephew. That's exactly it."
Tess crossed her wings. "Alright. Goodnight, Petrie. Try to be home for breakfast."
"Okay. Night, mom," Petrie said.
Shortly after Tess left, Britta rested her head back on Pterano's chest. Petrie was curled into a ball between them, fast asleep. Britta smiled up at Pterano one last time.
"Thank you for helping me through this," she whispered.
Pterano squeezed her hand and nuzzled her. "My dear, how are you still sane?" he whispered.
"A lot of work," she grumbled.
Pterano chuckled quietly, making Britta smile.
"You're my world, love. I can't lose you again," he whispered.
"You won't," Britta said, gently touching his cheek.
Pterano squeezed her hand. Soon enough, he fell asleep. Suddenly, Britta felt so much better. She officially decided to apologize to the olive green sharptooth that saved her life. Because, in reality, she'd saved so much more than that.