Reply To: The Land Before Time XXI: Hunter Valley
CHAPTER ONE: GOING INTO THE MYSTERIOUS BEYOND
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Thirteen years later, Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Ptero, and Guido were in the Great Valley together. Ptero had been adopted by Petrie’s family after the death of his evil mother. He was half-Sharptooth and half-Flattooth. Guido, meanwhile, was a Glider. He was kind of dorky but was pleasant to be around.
The group of them had agreed to go to the Desert Oasis, an area that was surrounded by many canyons and was in the dessert area of the Mysterious Beyond between the Great Valley and the Land of Mists. It wasn’t too far out. It had a special kind of Tree Sweet that the Great Valley didn’t have. Grandpa Longneck had gotten them some a while back and they loved it and wanted to get some for themselves.
Littlefoot realized that today was the 13th anniversary to the day that they had found Chomper. They didn’t know what he was like now and could only hope for the best. It had been exactly 13 cold times ago that he and his four main friends had found the young Sharptooth and hatched him.
Chomper was out in the Mysterious Beyond in an area that, over the last several cold times, had seen an increase in dangerous Sharpteeth. As Chomper appeared to be content to be in that area, it seemed too risky to go visit him for his thirteenth Hatch Day.
“Littlefoot, are you sure you want to go out there? You could be hurt by Sharpteeth.” asked Grandma Longneck.
“I’m now old enough to go out there on my own. You said I could after my 18th Hatch Day.” said Littlefoot. He didn’t come of age till his 25th Hatch Day, but finally the grown-ups were treating him more grown up.
“Ok, be safe.” said Grandpa Longneck.
She watched them leave. “Think they’ll be safe?” she asked Grandpa Longneck.
“They are now old enough to head out there on their own for the day. We promised them, remember?” Grandpa Longneck reminded her.
“Yes dear, but I still worry about them.” replied Grandma Longneck.
“I do too, but I have to let them grow up.” said Grandpa Longneck. The two nodded.
“I love you.” said Grandma Longneck to him. She smiled and kissed her.
“I love you too.” he replied.
The group of teens, meanwhile, left the Great Valley and went out into the Mysterious Beyond. It was about midday by this point and it was muggy. The group had drank water before leaving so that they wouldn’t be thirsty in the desert.
“I’m glad the grownups let us go on our own out here finally. It’s great to not be treated like a baby.” Cera commented.
“I hope we don’t meet any Sharpteeth. It would be just our luck.” said Guido.
“Well, we do have one guard against that.” said Ptero, flying beside Guido.
“What?” asked Guido.
“I can speak Sharptooth. I can misdirect them.” answered Ptero.
“I really hope we do not meet any. Oh no, no, no.” said Ducky.
“We’re safer together than apart. Sharpteeth love to go for lone targets.” said Ptero, who had seen that firsthand when he had lived with Sharp Beaks for years.
They went out and traveled without hassle for a few hours. About an hour from the Desert Oasis, however, they ran into a bit of trouble. Ptero saw it first. “Two Claws.” he whispered.
It was a Tarborsaurus Pack. They began sniffing for the kids. “Hide, I’ll misdirect them.” Ptero told the others. The group moved behind some boulders. They hoped Ptero could mislead the Sharpteeth as they were quite vulnerable out here in the desert.
Were you looking for a bunch of Flatteeth? Ptero asked them in Sharptooth.
Yes, I smell Longneck, Swimmer, Threehorn, Spiketail, Flyer, and Glider. said the Tarborsaurus leader, which was reddish-orange colored and had scary yellow eyes. What do you know about it, Sharp Beak? he asked rather contemptuously. Ptero realized that he was for pack segregation and since Ptero wasn’t a Two Claw, the leader thought him inferior.
I saw them head that way. They were here a few minutes ago. You might be able to catch them. lied Ptero, pointing away from where Littlefoot and his friends were hiding.
Come on. Let’s get ourselves a snack. said the Tarborsaurus leader to his pack. They left.
“That should deal with them.” said Ptero.
“Thanks Ptero.” said the group.
“I get extra Tree Sweets for that.” replied Ptero. The group laughed.
Sometime later, they came to the Desert Oasis. They had their fill of the special Tree Sweets. Indeed, they probably had too much. They were feeling a bit sleepy. It was now getting later in the day.
“Let’s go back. We promised to be back by dark.” said Littlefoot. Overheard, the sun got blocked out by clouds.
“At least it is cooler.” said Cera, who had gotten really hot and sweaty from her travels to the Desert Oasis.
The wind picked up. “I hope this doesn’t stay like this long. I prefer less wind when I fly.” Guido commented.
As they left, more and more clouds came. The clouds were at first light grey, but soon turned darker. They didn’t know it yet, but the weather was going to turn for the worse, as was their luck.
