Chapter 4: Portentous Omen
The next days and weeks didn't bring dramatic changes in the Valley. The watering place was still spitting boiling water that was still stinking in a harassing way several times a day, more or less weak earthskakes were still happening every now and then and the temperature in the Great Valley was still being higher than usual. The recently born children of the Flyers, the Threehorns, the Swimmers and the Longnecks learned how to speak and they were slowly getting curious since there was so much exciting stuff to be experienced. Littlefoot was exactly like that. The little Longneck was pretty smart for his tender age. He observed that his herd was worried almost all the time, especially, if the ground was shaking or if the watering place was spitting water, thus, one day, he decided to ask his mother.
"Mother?"
"Yes, my dear, what do you want to ask me?"
"Well... I just noticed that you, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma are often worried when the ground is shaking. That's normal so you don't have to worry. It's actually quite funny." He chuckled, then listened to his mother answering his question.
"Oh Littlefoot! By no means the many earthshakes are normal. Currently, they are happening very often and the watering place is drying up and stinks awful, too. You don't know it any other way since you were born only recently. The Valley changes from time to time, everything in this world changes from time to time and now we are confronted with it." She sighed and started to walk towards the Thundering Falls because a bath was overdue for Littlefoot since he had been splashing around in the Mud Pool with his father. "Come on, little one."
Littlefoot followed his mother and asked further questions.
"But mother, why does everything change? And why does the water do these odd things?" Littlefoot's Mother thought about how to explain her son. Since she couldn't even explain these changes to herself, she replied as followed.
"No one here in the Valley knows why the watering place has dried up and why it does these odd things, not even the wise Mr. Thicknose... Things change. It's a fact."
"The world we live in is full of secrets and dangers," Littlefoot's Father, who had been following them, added.
"Where did you come from?" Littlefoot's Mother asked her mate.
"I've been at the watering place again... I have to announce bad news," he answered.
"What's going on, dad?" the little, curious longneck questioned.
"Follow me. The Threehorn has announced a meeting, then you can see it yourself."
So the Longnecks walked to the meeting point, which was at a big meadow since it would be too dangerous at the watering place as Littlefoot's father had told them. Littlefoot was obviously happy because he didn't have to take the bath.
The herd did not walk to the meeting point directly though, because they needed to see the changes at the watering place with their own eyes...
Where originally was water, a hole gaped. Strange vapors were emitted. Severe cracks spread out into all directions.
"We have to talk to the others," Littlefoot's Grandpa said, so they finally walked to the meeting point.
When the herd arrived, it seemed as if all of the residents were already gathered.
"Are we the last to arrive?" Littlefoot's Grandma thus asked. "We were just taking a look at the degree of the catastrophy."
"No, Mr. Thicknose is missing, too!" a Spiketail answered. "But I'm sure he'll come soon."
"I'm sure he'll appear soon!" the Mama Swimmer piped up. "You know that he's quite old... Probably, he wanted to see the changes at the watering place with his own eyes to make the right decision
with his wisdom."
The Threehorn grumbled something, which sounded like 'sure' in a sarcastic way.
The residents chattered quietly and in little groups, whereas the Threehorn observed the dried up watering place alertly.
Though Mr. Thicknose didn't appear... The dinosaurs were getting uneasy.
"Where the hell is this swindler?" Mr Threehorn shouted. He may have made some mistakes, but he wouldn't let us down..."
"Let's search for him, perhaps something bad happened to him," Littlefoot's father suggested. The majority of the group agreed so the herds dispersed and combed through the Great Valley. The Longnecks were the only ones who were brave enough to look around the watering place so Littlefoot walked back there with his parents and grandparents.
There, a horrible sight was awaiting them...