Chapter 13: More Tears
The old Threehorn stormed through the whole oasis, letting out his frustration by kicking stones and uprooting trees. Eventually, he came back to the battlefield where two Fastbiters had just eaten his mate. In a fit of rage, he charged at them, skewering one with his horns. The Fastbiter collapsed to the ground and quickly died due to the loss of blood. The other one, however, was able to dodge in time.
After it had recovered from the shock, it roared savagely and tried jumping on the Threehorn. However, the great Threehorn caught it as it was sailing through the air and threw it high into the air. The Fastbiter crashed into a thick, old tree with a terrible thud, causing the Treestars to rain down.
Dimly, the Fastbiter tried to pick himself up but the Threehorn was already on top of him.
It couldn't defend itself. Cera's father speared the second Fastbiter as well, pinning him to the old tree.
Covered in blood, he leaned on another tree. His grief was now stronger than his anger so he started crying. Thick Threehorn-tears floated down his cheeks until eventually, his anger took possesion of his mind.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Petrie's Mother flew above the battlefield in order to collect information of the kids' relatives. The area was stained with blood. Half eaten corpses lay everywhere; some of their allies but some Fastbiters who also paid for their victory with their lives. Most of them either showed severe head wounds by the Longnecks and the Flyers or were stabbed by the Threehorns. Amused, she spectated the Threehorn's vengeance. 'Good!' she spured him on mentally. At least she could tell the Threehorn's girl that her father was alright. Then she eyed a huge, red nugget of flesh; the head still undamaged. She recognized the mother of the little Longneck whose father went missing after the catastrophy in the Great Valley. He would be very sad, of that she was sure.
A few moments later, she also found that what was left of the father of the little Swimmer. The little one would be heartbroken since she was pretty whiny as her mother once told her.
Still, not having heard or seen any life signs of her mate, she flew back. She didn't want to keep the children wait any longer.
Before she brought the remaíning kids to the cave she had had a little talk with Littlefoot's Grandparents.
"Everything alright?" she asked as she saw Grandma.
"Grandma is quite weak and I'm quite elderly, too," Grandpa sighed.
"I really hope that she'll recover from that... if not, you'd have to take care of your grandson all alone!"
"Yeah... His mother..." he interrupted bursting into tears.
"I know... I just saw her from above, my heart is broken... And his father seems to have disappeared..."
"Yes, we lost each other during the escape from the ash cloud. He didn't want to accept that it was impossible so he tried to flee while we had waited, keeping our heads low to be safe of the ash rain. We haven't heard of him since then."
"Poor you. The Threehorn lost his whole family except for one of his daughters. He's just 'hunting'!"
"Yeah, he's always been that way..."
"Anyway, have you seen my mate?"
"I suppose he didn't make it. The big Sharptooth must have caught him, otherwise he would have returned. He helped my d... " he interrupted again.
"Oh no... th-that's ... horrible!" she whined.
"My condolences..." Grandma whispered just having woken up.
"Same goes to you, my dears. Hold on valiantly! I need to fly some kids to safety until we all have recovered."
"Yeah. See you," Grandpa replied.
She flapped to Pterano.
"He didn't make it," she shouted from the distance. Pterano did the only right thing namely hugging her.
"Children..." she called quietly. "Your daddy has... passed on..."
Instantly, Petrie's siblings began to cry..
"You carry them to the cave as soon as they're able to head there!" she ordered Pterano. "I'll carry the Swimmer's children."
"Agreed. It's alright my little ones. Uncle Pterano is here..."
Petrie's Mother just bandied for some time with Ducky's Mother. As she eventually told her kids that their father wouldn't ever return, a terrible chorus of crying started. It needed a lot of effort to persuade the little ones to come along.
Finally, when all were aboard, Petrie's Mother flew off, carrying the weeping children to the others in the safe cave.
As Ducky heard her siblings, she already assumed what must have happened. Littlefoot and Petrie were visibly tense.
"I've got bad news for you three," she told them glumly.
"Petrie, your father..." she began to sob, "your father, little one; and your mother, little one..."
Ducky threw herself on the floor starting to cry like a little baby.
Littlefoot shouted, "NO!" in disbelief, again and again. He curled up and started to cry, notably quieter than Ducky.
"Me already know..." Petrie whispered hugging his mother.
"Petrie... I gotta go! I'm very sorry!" she sobbed, flying off.
"Your uncle will bring the others later!" she shouted from far away, then she disappeared...