Chapter 39: Storytelling, investigation and philosophy

While the Flyers combed through the caves, Grandpa lead the whole group to a suitable place for storytelling. The little ones made themselves comfortable on a big, flat rock that stood out of the monotonous plateau, the grown-ups gathered around that rock in a semi-circle.

Grandma joined her mate to support him like in their younger days.

"Okay, so many listeners?" Grandpa wondered in surprise, he hardly ever had such a big audience listening to what he was telling in his life before and that considering his advanced age!

"I'm glad that so many joined the story telling event," he let them know proudly. "I know a wide variety of stories and those who lived in the Great Valley probably know some of them, especially the tales about the Valley itself." He paused to give his mate the say.

"I suppose those of us who weren't living in the Valley with us don't know them," Grandma smiled warmly.

"Therefore, I suggest to start with the story of the Lone Dinosaur who is said to watch over the Valley and keep bad luck away," Grandpa heralded.

"What do you think?" Grandma questioned pointing at the children.

"Yay!" they cheered and applauded. The grown-ups showed their willingness to hear the story too by nodding eagerly.

"I always thought this Great Valley was only a mystery and didn't exist," one of the recently joined dinosaurs piped up.

"It did exist but now it's gone just like this cursed oasis..." the Threehorn whined.

"How come?" he asked.

"I will explain this later," Grandpa promised. "Now listen to the tale of the Lone Dinosaur."

He cleared his throat and started storytelling...

Meanwhile, Pterano and his sister had checked the cave in again only to admit that it couldn't be passed anymore. The blood trails were to be seen here and there so they tried to trace back the events during the earthshake that with near certainty was the reason for the cave to collapse.

"They must have been almost hit by the rock slide, one of them was possibly hit by a sharp rock or even a Stonetooth..." Pterano told his sister and mother of his nephews and nieces.

"Yeah, considering the amount of blood on the ground, it could've only been the Longneck or the Threehorn that got hit by an unknown object," Mama Flyer observed.

"Or both..." Pterano muttered.

"But that's unlikely," she retorted. "The one that got injured must've been seriously hurt considering all the blood."

"If you say so..." Pterano sighed. He was still upset about not finding the opening at his first try.

"Wonder what the unfortunate one was struck by..." the female Flyer considered loudly.

"Me too," Pterano replied quickly. He was now viewing the obstacles on the ground hoping to catch any signs of a blood mark that would reveal the object the injured kid was hit by. It didn't take him long until he discovered the blood-smeared Stonetooth that apparently was responsible for the injury of one of the missing children.

"It was a Stonetooth!" Pterano called his sister who came to him instantly. "It probably landed on the unfortunate one's back and got stuck there but the other kid pulled it out."

"Right, we'd better go find them instead of observing unneccessary details," she proposed.

"Yeah, okay!" Pterano sighed frustrated. "There must be a system of paths over there." The elderly Flyer pointed at the path the Gang had indeed taken.

"What makes you so sure of that it'll be a whole system of paths?" she countered.

"Well, every bloody cave I discovered when I was still young branched into several paths so why wouldn't this one be like that, too?"

"Yeah, this is logical," Mama Flyer admitted.

"Look! There's a small crevice." Pterano glanced at her his face expressing 'told ya!'

"I see, you think we fit through it?"

"Not trying won't help," he joked. "You're thinner than me so you gonna comb through what ever lies behind this crevice."

"I guess so," she merely replied and squeezed past it. "I passed it, here it is not as narrow."

"Good, just go as far as you can, you probably know what to do anyway, right sis?"

"Sure, seeya bro!"

"Seeya!"

With that Pterano turned around and took the path that would lead him to the Gang eventually...

Littlefoot, Petrie and Ducky tried to keep back their many worries, Cera's wellbeing being just one of them. Eventually, Littlefoot suggested to get to know each other better. They talked about their families and their life before everything they knew got destroyed for good, talked about their time between the doom of their home and the arrival at the now also destroyed oasis including the time they spent under the ash cloud and about just anything they could think of. But eventually, they didn't have anything to talk about so the worries came back to them.

"I would like to ask you something..." Ducky piped up shyly.

"Go ahead," Littlefoot answered.

"Well, I-I thought a lot about... where our loved ones go when... it's time for them to pass on..." Ducky tried to fight back the tears that were about to flow down her cheeks, she needed to remain sturdy, for the time being, that was.

"I remember a story my Grandpa told me when I was still a hatchling," Littlefoot responded. He didn't like the direction the conversation took but he just couldn't refuse to try helping the Swimmer girl.

"When a dinosaur dies, he leaves his body behind but his spirit continues to exist. He becomes one of the many blinky lights we see every night but only those who are connected to them by heart will see them. My Grandpa told me that he could still sorta talk to his parents for a few years until they finally moved on to a place nobody knows of. Maybe they reincarnate, but nobody knows it. I just do know that my mother watches me from up there. I do miss her terribly, but I know that she's in my heart and therefore always with me. That's what he told me at least..."

"That was a cool story, it was, it was," Ducky sobbed slightly, still fighting a silent battle against the tears.

"Me no know that," Petrie replied, speechless.

"Do you believe this? That our folks are still watching us from up there?" Littlefoot questioned them.

"Petrie not sure..." the Flyer responded elusively.

"I do not know whether I believe this but I wish it was true, I do, I do," Ducky answered.

"We could try to talk to them this night," Littlefoot proposed.

"YEAH! Can we do it, pleeaase?" Ducky begged making a puppy face.

"Me think me will go, too," Petrie spoke.

"Then it's a deal, we'll need to get some food anyway."

That being set, they took a little nap and soon the day was almost over...