Chapter 8: In Search for Bron
The situation of the Longnecks didn't change over the next few days. Ash didn't stop raining down on them. It smelled terrible and everyone could hear the rumbling from the Great Valley the whole time which was quite loud.
On the sixth day the rumbling finally muted and the raining down of the ash decreased. Nevertheless, it was still strong enough to prevent the Longnecks from continuing their journey.
Finally, on the seventh day, they could continue to wander to the oasis. However, they needed to dig through the masses of ash which was quite difficult so they progressed slowly and laboriously.
"Grandpa, Grandma, where's Dad?" Littlefoot asked his Grandparents.
They exchanged stares wrinkledly, thinking hard about how to tell it their grandson.
"Well, I don't know, little one," Grandma started. "We are in search for him and he might be in search for us, too..."
"Don't worry, Littlefoot," his mother added.
"Yeah," Grandpa said sanguinely, "The meeting place is a little oasis at the Big Water, your father is aware of that," he said, smiling.
"What's the Big Water?" Littlefoot questioned.
"You'll see, my dear," his mother answered.
"But Mother!" Littlefoot whined, "I wanna know! I'm hungry and thirsty as well!"
"Same here, sweetheart.." his mother replied.
"We are as well," Grandma chimed in. Grandpa nodded in agreement.
"So let's hurry up," Grandpa recommended, taking up the top. With that he took place of
Littlefoot's Mother in leading them away, changing their path towards the direction of the Big Water. Thankfully, they soon passed the area where the ash was especially high. The ash was only about half a metre high, so the grown-ups could easily step over it.
The Longnecks moved some ash away to have a place to rest for the night, and they lay down and instantly fell into a deep sleep due to the exhaustion of their travelling...
Throughout the next days, nothing important happened. Between the now non-existent Great Valley and the Big Water, was a vast and monotonous wasteland. Hunger and thirst plagued the Longnecks. Thankfully, Littlefoot's relatives knew where they had to wander quite well since it was very difficult for them to orientate in such a monotonous landscape.
Littlefoot whined again and again when they would finally be there. Though he always got the same reply from his mother.
"We are there if we are there, little one."
After wandering through the desert for ten days, the Longnecks eventually arrived at a high sand dune.
"Do you smell that, Littlefoot?" Grandpa questioned.
"My sniffer's completely dried up," the little Longneck responded. "I can't smell anything."
"Well, you didn't even try!" Grandma, who was now carrying the little one, critisized.
"Right, you can't say 'I can't do that' if you haven't even tried it," his mother confirmed caringly but not reproachfully.
"Remember that!" Grandma ordered. She was kind of harsh due to the exhaustion caused by their long travel and being plagued by hunger, thirst and pain.
"Okay," Littlefoot answered cowardly.
"It's alright, little one," his mother calmed him down.
"Right behind this sand dune is the Big Water, Littlefoot," Grandpa told.
"Yay!" the little Longneck celebrated.
"Though you mustn't drink from this water in any case, alright?" his mother reminded.
"Why?! I'M THIRSTY!" he cried.
"The Big Water tastes awful," Grandma explained. "And it makes you even thirstier."
"I'll drink it," Littlefoot told determinedly.
"You'll spit it out, trust me," Grandma said as determined as her grandson.
Littlefoot ran away. His mother and his grandparents didn't try to stop him. They knew he would learn his lesson. As Littlefoot eventually arrived at the highest point of the dune, his mouth hung open. He hadn't seen so much water in his short life so far. It made those funny movements: First towards him, then away from him, then towards him again, away... The little Longneck ran to the Big Water... and jumped into it. Immediately, he lost his footing due to the movements of the water. He swallowed a huge amount of water which tasted terrible, just as his Grandma had told him. He coughed, swallowed even more water, coughed again, and was pulled under the surface, using his last strenghs to stay above the surface and coughing his guts out.
"Littlefoot!" his mother, who just arrived the top of the dune, called. "I'm coming, hang on!"
Littlefoot tried not to sink desperately, but he was swallowing a lot of water.
Suddenly, he perished.
"LITTLEFOOT!" his mother screamed. She ran to the coast, diving her head under the surface. She spotted Littlefoot lying on the ground of the Big Water and not moving anymore.
'Fortunately, the water isn't deep here!' she thought. She grabbed her son's tail and pulled him out of the water.
Meanwhile, Grandpa had arrived, and he took the motionless Littlefoot from her. Carefully, he placed him on the ground. He hit him on the back with his tail softly, hoping it would work.
Littlefoot started coughing, and a lot of water came out of his mouth. He was alive!