Chapter 12: Comfort Ducky!
Littlefoot walked over to the fresh, cool water and drank from it. Cera, however, cried quietly for her deceased family members; feeling neither her hunger nor her thirst.
"Don't you wanna drink some too?" he asked politely. Cera just turned around showing him her back.
Disappointed, the little Longneck sat down on the ledge and looked out at the view of the surroundings. The place looked like the Great Valley. Everything was green, there was plenty of water and food and it was pleasantly warm. The only problem was that Sharpteeth were also able to enter the area. Littlefoot sighed. He was worried about his Grandma. After all she was severely injured...
Now the little one became startled. And where was his mother? He could see his grandparents in the distance, but his mother was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he saw something else that instantly enhanced his mood.
The Flyer, who had carried him to this place earlier, was flying towards him.
"Hopefully she'll say that everything is alright," Littlefoot thought.
As the Flyer approached, Littlefoot also saw that she was carrying two more kids on her back.
"Maybe they'll be more talkative than the Threehorn!" he thought. The two seemed to be completely distraught. The Flyer was disheveled; his whole body shaking nervously. The Swimmer girl had tears in her eyes. She was totally pale-faced and her breathing was fitful. She didn't seem all there, her mind wasn't really around..
"Well, you two," Petrie's Mother said with a calming voice. "We've arrived." She landed on the ledge. Petrie and Ducky climbed off her and lay down, clearly exhausted.
"What happened?" Littlefoot questioned. Meanwhile Cera withdrew deeper into the cave.
"They had almost been devoured by a Fastbiter," Petrie's Mother told him. "The beast already had them in its mouth as I threw a boulder on its head saving them from certain death."
"Geez!" Littlefoot exclaimed looking worried. "What about my family? What are they doing? Are they alright?"
"I don't know, little Longneck, but I'm gonna try and find out," she promised. "I don't have a clue about what happened to my mate either. Terrible thing..."
"Okay, thank you," Littlefoot thanked her but couldn't help but feel a little saddened.
"You get me siblings here now?" Petrie croaked.
"Yes! As well as the little Swimmers. I'll be right back and try to get some news about your families."
She flew back to pick up the other kids.
After a short while, the Swimmer girl started crying again. Littlefoot took pity on her. She had clearly been traumatised by her ordeal so he slowly walked over to the little girl.
"Hey! What's wrong? You're safe here," he said to her gently. Ducky, for the moment, didn't react. Her mind had started playing over the horrific event again.
Littlefoot considered how to calm her down. His family used to nuzzle him when he had been upset or weeping. 'Perhaps it'll work,' he thought. It was definitely worth a try - there was nothing else to do after all.
"It's alright, I'm here..." he whispered softly, nuzzling her. After a few minutes, Petrie joined them.
"What your name?" he stuttered.
"Me? My name's Littlefoot. What's yours?"
"My name Petrie."
"What happened to you?"
"Dad fought a Sharptooth! Sharptooth finish him off! Then Petrie search for me family! Then Petrie hear laughter! Me go to laughter but then me hear Sh-sh-sharpt-t-tooth! Me and little Swimmer girl run away! Then Sharptooth eat us but Mama saved us!"
Littlefoot was stunned. "Geez! You were lucky! That must've been horrible!"
"It was," the Swimmer sobbed.
"Well, you're safe now," Littlefoot said calming them down.
"What your name?" Petrie asked the Swimmer.
After short hesitation, she quietly whispered, "Ducky..."
"You don't have to cry Ducky. We're safe here," Littlefoot said to her.
"Yeah! No Sharptooth make it up here," Petrie added.
"I... I was so scared!" she weeped.
"Now everything's right again," Littlefoot said calmly.
"You need hug?" Petrie asked and Ducky nodded.
Littlefoot helped Ducky to get up using his tail and she hugged Petrie tightly.
"Thank you for warning me earlier," she sobbed quietly.
"Ah! You welcome!" the Flyer croaked.
Ducky slowly calmed down.
After a few minutes, she whispered quietly, "Thank you..." She hugged both of them again lovingly.
Then Littlefoot saw Petrie's Mother returning...