Chapter 10: The threat isn't over
The Fastbiters who had kept the Longnecks and Mr. Clubtail at bay suddenly let go of the leafeaters and those, who were still able to, ran to the Sharptooth calling them.
The battle was over... the leafeaters had lost! Utterly decimated, the surviving dinosaurs retreated, away from the corpses of their friends and relatives, away from all the blood that some of them still shed from numerous injuries.
One of them was Grandma Longneck. Although she had to stand and had suffered many severe cuts and deep bites, fortunately the oozing slowly petered out. Nonetheless, she collapsed, her view became blurred.
Grandpa, who had also suffered numerous injuries - including many bruises due to his crashlanding on the Fastbiters which killed all of them without an exception, worryingly glanced at his love. Grandpa then looked to the carnivores who had meanwhile formed a circle around a big body that lay on the ground, motionless. He instantly knew whom this body belonged to. Tears built up in his eyes because this body belonged to his very own flesh and blood... his daughter...
Grandma must have had twigged that her daughter had passed because she too shed large Longneck-tears.
The little Flyer crawled dazily off his father's back. He eyed the horrendous puddle of blood on the ground and instantly knew that the eyes of his father would remain closed forever. His head hanging, the little Flyer, who was the only one of his siblings not yet able to fly, scurried away. Tears flew down his beak. He tried to find his siblings but he walked the wrong way...
"DUCKY! Ducky, where are you little one?" the mother of the missing Swimmer girl called out as loud as she could. "Where are you!?" she whined. Ducky she especially loved because she was so vivacious and smart, and her 'yep, yep, yep' and her 'no, no, no' made her special.
"Ducky, come here! It's dangerous out there!" she continued to call. No answer again. She began to search for her daughter, sighing...
Ducky, happy and light-hearted, jumped after the butterfly. She didn't realise that she was getting dangerously close to the battlefield.
A Fastbiter saw the little Swimmer creeping up...
Mama Flyer and Pterano flew to the cave they slept in last night. There, they would pick up the little ones later. They landed so that Littlefoot and the Threehorn girl could dismount. Both were totally exhausted; shocked from the Sharptooth attack. The Threehorn girl quietly wept for her two sisters and for her mother who were killed by the beasts.
"We'll be back soon!" Pterano affirmed. The two flew back to the other adults. They chatted on the way.
"Where is Petrie by the way? I thought that his father led him and the others in the cave?!"
Petrie's Mother began to fret as well, "I hope they're alright! We ought to hurry!"
"Agreed! Let's fly faster!" Pterano suggested.
Grandpa lay down next to his mate, downhearted.
"Are you awake?" he asked quietly.
"Yes!" she replied, her voice weak.
"How are you? Your injuries sure look nasty!" He was worried that Grandma may not recover from her injuries - she was quite elderly after all.
"It... hurts!" she replied in pain, "I'm not sure if I will ever get on my feet again..."
"I'm confident that you'll make it, dear," Grandpa said trying to cheer her up although he doubted that himself. "Can I be of help? Somehow?"
"Yes... I'm thirsty," Grandma answered. "I'm not sure though if I can make it to the watering hole.."
"Of course you'll make it!" Grandpa shouted sanguinely. He tried to heave his mate onto her weary feet and succeeded.
"Just lean on me. Slowly... now put one foot in front of the other," he instructed. She did as Grandpa told her.
That way the Longnecks made their way to the watering hole where they rested at night, step by step. Once there, Grandma carefully let herself fall, supported by her mate. The two drank until their stomachs were full. Grandma soon fell asleep while Grandpa protected her watchfully. After all, the beasts were still around having their lunch.