Blackwood Flats Safari: Part 4

Gareth stood on the ridge that overlooked the small human encampment. A mass of people were now arguing or standing, looking dumbfounded at the bright scales of the various saurians that were trying to make themselves heard over the ruckus. As he watched, Mathaira was trying to decipher the three different languages being thrown at her. Though she could speak some English, it would have been a long time since she had used it, Gareth thought. He pondered going down to the camp to help her but thought better of it. The appearance of another native, especially one dripping with a variety of lethal weapons, might annoy or unnerve the dolphinbacks and Gareth had sworn to protect, not endanger the citizens of the island.

However it looked like the argument was being peacefully concluded without his aid. Mathaira had managed to make herself understood and was talking to the leader of the dolphinbacks who was looking more and more incredulous. A loud peal of thunder shook the air above them as the eye of the storm began to drift over the main part of the island and the other side began to cause large waves to spill onto the sand and buffet the plesiosaur who now vanished back into the ocean.

Gareth wrapped his cloak around himself once again and slid down the sandy dune, slipping and getting a mouthful of sand as he tripped on a matted root system of the dune grass. By the time he reached the mass of humans and saurians, fat drops of rain had began to make pock marks in the already wet beach and the wind was becoming stronger every moment.

“Mathaira! Tell these people to grab their belongings and get moving! We need to get everyone over that dune before the gale starts really blowing!”

The woman nodded and said a few words to the sailors who glanced furtively over their shoulders before dashing to the crates of food and supplies and beginning to lug them heavily up the sandy slope. Mathaira and Gareth began to free the bound Ava and Karua, to the great astonishment of the dolphinbacks, grabbed the heaviest box and easily walked up the dune, depositing their ninety kilogram cargo safely in the lee of the dune. By the time they had all hunkered down behind the wall of sand, the waves were crashing only a few feet away from where they had been standing scant moments before and the wind had picked up to at least eighty miles per hour. The lines of palms along the beach bent and swayed in the strong wind and rain spat fiercely in almost horizontal sheets. Gareth threw his long waterproof cloak over Dylan and the two huddled against the damp sand of the dune, sheltering from the wind and rain.

“Well, this has turned out to be some field trip hasn’t it!” yelled the boy over the roar of the wind, wrapping a ripped piece of fabric from his shirt firmly around the gash on Dylan’s forehead.

Gareth smiled

“Hey, don’t think it’s anywhere near over yet!”

Close to them, the sailors managed to extract a tarpaulin from one of the supply crates and were holding it cooperatively over each other as Mathaira treated the various cuts and grazes on her saurian companions; warm blooded as they were, they shivered in the wild wind. Lucas had also managed to procure some ships biscuits and several cooked fish, salvaged from the ship’s galley stores. Gareth nibbled on some of the snapper as Dylan almost broke his teeth trying to bite into a dry biscuit, not knowing that hard-tack needs to be wet before it is soft enough to chew.

Meanwhile Namir, Lucas’s pet tiger, was looking thoroughly dejected, sitting on his haunches, his beautiful orange and black coat lying matted against his skin.

Mathaira jogged over to where they lay.

“Gareth, you’d better come and have a look at this!”

He followed her to the top of the dune where he peeped out over the rim, salt spray and sand stinging his face.

“Una deruos leva aquanta,” said the woman as she peered out to the base of the dune. There were no more beaches. The sea had completely covered it.

“Verai, nac soh recain una myriad,” replied Gareth as Lucas crawled up behind them.

“What did you just say?” inquired the young sailor flattening himself against the steep wall of the dune.

Gareth looked around

“Oh, Just one raindrop may raise the sea, but we got a million!”


"No, I don't think it can be," answered Gareth as Tamith crawled up next to him. "I haven't seen storms like this for over two years now. If this storm gets any heavier we're going to have to risk moving again because this dune is going to collapse!"

As if in answer, a small section of the base of the dune fell into the waves. Lightning struck a palm only a few hundred meters down the beach.

"This is no good!" yelled Dylan over the roar of the wind and the waves. "We need to get back! Use the bigger dinosaurs as windbreaks and get into cover!"

"Good idea, come on people, lets get out of here!" bawled Gareth, sprinting down the dune, cloak whipping in the gale. They had soon relocated back a few dunes but only just in time. With a sliding crash, the last of the dune they had been sheltering behind at first disappeared into the foaming saltwater.

"Damnit! That was close! Okay people, let's camp here and hunker out the storm. I'll be back in a second!"

Gareth dashed along the dune for about fifty meters and climbed up to the top. Quickly drawing his Katana, he thrust it hilt-first into the damp, concrete-like sand and rolled back down the dune. Hardly had he gone twenty steps back when lightning struck the sword, illuminating the blade and temporarily blinding Lucas as he looked on.

"Won’t that be a bit to much for her?" asked Mathaira, the only person there who knew the true value of the sword to the wandering teenager.

"No, I think she'll be able to stand it. Tok made her for me; finest titanium bonded stainless steel you know. I just hope she keeps the lightning off!"

"Well master Gareth, it seems as if we're going to be stuck with you for tonight," said Lucas. "But, tell me, is the weather always this terrible on your little island?"

"I should hope not!" grinned the swordsman, wrapping his cloak around himself even tighter

*****

With the sudden blowing in of the storm, Tamith ran by her partner’s side to the shelter on the inland vegetation. Following the coast, she eventually got to where both natives and dolphinbacks had made their new camp. Ignoring everyone else for a moment, she went directly to the place her injured friend and his partner rested. Upon seeing her, Dylan grinned despite the obvious pain he was in.

“I should have known you’d come after me at one point or the other,” he told her as she sat down next to him.

“Naturally, you always need somebody to save your tail,” Tamith replied.

“I’d call it socially dependant,” he said smiling. “Magnolia won’t be happy, will she?”

Tamith sighed. “I really don’t know, but you did do what you set out to do, just got a little sidetracked, again.” Now it was her turn to smile. “So how are you feeling?”

“I finally discovered what it feels like to have Karua sit on me without actually having to ask him to,” the older youth said. “I’ve had better days. Beautiful weather we are having, isn’t it?”

“Tell me about it,” Tamith replied. “This storm blew in really suddenly; this should really slow down the team from Waterfall City.”

“Waterfall City?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I sent Featherlight after them, but, with this weather, it could be days before they can set out, to say nothing about getting here.” She grinned. “I sent him after your brother.”

“You didn’t!” Dylan said, sitting up suddenly only to realize the sudden movement caused him pain and leaning back again. Karua laughed in a saurian manner. “Great, now my entire family is going to know the troubles I get in to.”

Now it was Tamith’s turn to laugh. “Serves you right. By the way, what is it that they are speaking? The dolphinbacks I mean.”

“I haven’t really been paying much attention, seeing that my head feels like it’s going to blow but…” He took a few moments to concentrate on what the group of men around them that were setting up the camp were saying. “Ha! It’s Irish… kinda. Sounds a bit different from the way granda spoke it, but I’m pretty sure that’s it.”

“Well, you figure out what’s different about it,” Tamith said getting up, “I’ll go thank that man over there for making sure you didn’t drown and see what I can do for this place.”

With that, she walked away from her friend, but not before Triforce and Karua made a wall around Dylan to keep him from the high winds and the rain. Tamith walked up to the dune where the dolphinback, Mathaira and the egotistical person that had helped Dylan were.

“Breath Deep, Seek Peace,” she told Gareth. “My name is Tamith Kai, Forest Habitat guardian. In my name as well as my partners’, I wanted to thank you for helping my friend and offer my help in any way that I could.” She then turned to Mathaira and smiled. “Nice to see a familiar face in this mess. Is it just luck that always gets us in these places?”

Her attention then drifted to what the group had been spying before her arrival and her face fell. “The ocean is coming into land,” she muttered. “This can’t be good.”


Not usually one to submit to wandering, Sharell, a lone Ornitholestes, was looking for discoveries and new things.

She had been wandering the Blackwood Flats at this point in her adventure. She wanted to learn more about the island, the island that she had been brought into the world and brought up upon. She had a fascination with all life and found beauty in all living things. Always marveling at the flight of the pterosaurs, she had been watching and following a flock of them for the past few days when a storm began to make the day miserable. As she was on the flats, there was almost no shelter for her to hide behind. To her, even the lightening and freezing rain were beautiful and she watched the skies fury from the lee side of a boulder.


Kael O’Connor hurried up the steps to the Great Library, taking time to savor the pastry he was having for his dessert. He had taken a lunch break an hour earlier and he had used that time to wonder around the colorful streets of Waterfall City in search of an appetizing meal and to give his mind a rest from the books he had been translating. He took a moment to look up at the sky and noticed how cloudy it was. He grinned at his luck, knowing that it would rain soon and that he had finished his break without having to run for shelter.

Once inside the library, he smiled his greetings at Enit, Chief Librarian and headed straight to his office where his tasks awaited.

“Konnishiwa O’Connor-san!”

Kael started in surprise and then turned to find Hikari Sakamoto smiling at him. Hikari’s parents had come form Japan and had arrived to Dinotopia after a storm sank the boat they had been traveling on. Hikari and her twin sister Satsuki had survived, thanks to their parent’s superhuman efforts at keeping them alive on the small lifeboat they had arrived in for two days when they had only been a year old. Fourteen years later, Satsuki had decided on becoming a Savanna Habitat partner while her sister, Hikari, had come to the Great Library to learn language and philosophy in order to become a teacher. Kael had taken the young teenager under his wing and, for the last year and a half, had been teaching her all he knew in order for her to achieve her dream. She, on the other hand, had also taught him a great deal. Since both her parents had been born and raised in Japan, they had spoken to their children in Japanese as well as taught them their native costume. As a result of this, both the twins still had many mannerisms from their distant homeland.

“Good afternoon to you too, Hikari,” Kael replied smiling. “Had a nice lunch, I hope?”

“Hai,” she said. “I was just starting to translate some of the books Tossan and Cassan brought with them like you asked.”

“Ah yes,” he replied eyeing the Japanese script warily. Hikaru’s parents had donated what few books they had salvaged to the Library and it was now up to him to translate them, with Hikari’s help. Speaking Japanese was one thing, but reading it… He hadn’t had much practice up until now. He sat down and began studying the complex characters when a little Dimorphodon flew in through the window and landed before him.

“What is it?” he asked the little flying reptile assuming it was another massage from Sauropolis.

The Dimorphodon began squawking a message excitedly and Kael listened attentively to every word he said. When he was finished, Kael frowned thoughtfully.

“What is it?” Hikari asked him when she noticed his worried face.

“Dolphinbacks,” Kael replied. “But not entirely lost and helpless, apparently.”

“Nani?”

“This is a message from Tamith, do you remember her? She hangs around with Dylan. The curly-haired, girl Forest partner with the Triceratops?”

“Hai,” Hikari replied the affirmative.

“Well, apparently a group of them has landed in the Blackwood Flats area and they have brought with them firearms. So far, there have been no regrettable occurrences, but Featherlight here says that one of their animals attacked a saurian and that in an attempt to help, my brother was stunned, maybe injured,” he sighed. “Tamith sent him to ask us for a team of Ambassadors to greet the new comers.”

“That’s great,” the Japanese girl said. “After all, you are an ambassador. This is perfect!”

“Yes,” Kael agreed. ”But this is a very delicate situation. Tell you what, I’ll go talk to Nallab and see what he suggests and let you know.”

“Sounds good,” Hikari said. “I’ll take Featherlight to get some food; after all, he has had an exhausting flight! When I’m done, I’ll return here and pick the translating up.”

“Thank you,” Kael said standing. “Oh, one thing; after he’s eaten, could you please bring him to Nallab and me?”

“Sure thing! Good luck!”


As the party huddled behind the protective bulk of the sand dune, the wind and rain began to slack. Light grey clouds began to be visible on the horizon and tiny patches of blue sky appeared.

They had been sheltering from the storm for about a day now and it seemed like the tropical storm had finally blown itself away.

Gareth peeped over the lip of the dune, quickly ducking his head back as his face was barraged by stinging sand and seawater. Even under his cloak, the young man was soaked to the skin. His companions were as wet and miserable as he was. He slipped quickly back down to where Tamith was replacing the blood and water sodden bandage on Dylan's head.

"I'd say we should be able to move in about an hour and a half, so you might want to get ready. Dylan, saddle up Kaura and ask him if he might be able to carry one of the sailors. Ask Mathaira to help you. See you in a minute." Gareth jumped down from his position into the trough and walked quickly along to the bedraggled sailors.

“Bossy little thing, isn’t he?” Tamith joked to Dylan. “You stay here and I’ll get Karua ready for you.”

Lucas, Rico and McGreggor where talking quietly to each other.

"Well, gentlemen. It seems as if this storm is almost over, so I have come with a proposal. This Island welcomes all newcomers to it and gives them a chance to start a new life. I give you two choices: you can stay here until more, um, 'convenient' transport can be arranged or you can come with us when we return to Chandara today. I leave your decision to you, but please hurry. It is my duty to aid these people and two of our number have been injured by your antics, though no doubt unintentional. I'm afraid at least Dylan, the boy, needs serious medical attention and, in this weather, a skybax paramedic won't be able to fly down here. All up to you now gents!

Lucas nodded. "I agree about the boy. It would be the wisest thing to get him out of this hellish weather as soon as possible."

He paused for a moment and looked around. "Though I personally would love to see more of this charming little place we find ourselves temporarily stranded on, I'm afraid that sadly, we've only just arrive and the men you see before you are the ones that came within two of the three life boats that left our ship. There is still a chance that some of our shipmates came to shore and leaving without a proper search would not be truly advisable. However, I will stand with my shipmates, whatever decision they may take."

He now turned to the others that came with him. "Lieutenant? Captain? Good Jebar? What would you propose we do?"


Water dripping on his face woke Tony. He groaned and spat out the beaches sand that filled his mouth. His whole body hurt and his throat burned from the sea water he had swallowed.

Looking up, the marooned trapper glared at the dark clouds. Rain drops splattered on the already damp sand.

Grumbling to himself, Tony retreated to the cliffs lining the beach. The beach was no place to be in a storm and he hoped a shelter could be found. None could, and the man huddled against the stone face, nursing his hatred for Rico. If that Mexican hadn’t pulled that prank with the lifeboats, his boat wouldn't have been overflowing and so many lives wouldn't have been swallowed by the sea.


Kael watched as the elderly Dinotopian furrowed his brow in thought and sat down. There was silence for a few moments while the information sank in.

"Things like this have happened before," Nallab said suddenly. "We should be thankful that your friends are there. Both habitat partners will be an excellent example of how we Dinotopians are. Yet I do agree with the girl, Tamith you called her; it would be wise to send a team from here that knows their language and can help with the culture shock."

Kael nodded. "Should I send a rider to find Bix? She left for Sauropolis a few weeks back, but I'm sure she'd come for this. I can think of no one else that would do a better job than her."

"I would want her to be on the team, but with the storm it'd be suicide to send a Skybax to the Capital. I can, however, think of someone for the job," Nallab smiled making his wise eyes twinkle. "You, my young friend, have been her best student. Before you say anything, hear me out. You are fluent in eight major outside languages, understand the major saurian dialects, and you have a gift with people. If I knew nothing more about you I'd say that was more than enough, but I do know more. Besides, your brother is there and I can tell you are worried about his well being. So I say this, gather a few people together both human and saurian, and go welcome these newcomers."

Kael was speechless for a moment but then nodded.

"I'll see about getting talking to Standtall to give you a lift," Nallab continued. "There’s a few people you must have, though." He stood up and paced around the office. "Take Ressa; he, being your partner, is the only person I've seen that can out guess you! And you should take Hikari as well; her resourcefulness and inventive is truly admirable. Plus, she arrived here as a babe and is not a native. That should bring them confidence. Old Irontail is too grumpy, forget him. That friend of yours, the Skybax Rider what's his name again?"

"Allen?"

"Yes, him. He'd be perfect to," Nallab said. "Someone from Canyon City would be adequate, and a Rider can deliver messages because I think poor Featherlight has had a long trip."

"He's in the city right now; it shouldn't be hard to find him."

"Perfect! You do that, and this is what you'll tell him to do first...."

*****

Kael made his way to the only place in the entire city where he knew his childhood friend coul be. He had spoken to Hikari a few minutes later and had been content with the enthusiastic response from the Asian youth. Ressa, his Fabrosaur partner, had also been too happy to agree in tagging along such an important mission. Nallab had gone to find the young Camarasaurus from Treetown and that left for only another two members of the welcoming committee to be informed. One was Allen, and the other would be up to the young Skybax to notify.

As expected, the young rider was up in the rookery looking after his mount, Highwind. Allen, like Kael, was in his mid-twenties. His build was the typical one amongst most Riders but he was unusually tall. His blonde hair, which he normally kept barely under control, was tied back in a brisk pony tail. Upon seeing him, Allen jumped down from the steps he was using to groom Highwind and jogged to greet him.

"Nice to see the moths haven't gotten to you yet," Allen said smiling.

"Yeah," Kael replied grinning. "Too bad lack of oxygen due to high altitudes fried what was left of your brains, Allen."

Allen laughed. "How's your life, old friend? It's been a while."

"Good," Kael replied walking past him towards Highwind. "Moths and all, how is all with you?"

"Perfect," Allen replied. "I was going to fly down to Chandara for the rest of the week, but the storm has us stranded up here. It wouldn't be to smart to go alone, so Highwind and I are waiting it out."

Kael walked towards the golden Skybax and patted his neck fondly. The great reptile turned its head towards him and acknowledged him by resting his beak on his shoulder.

"You know, I still have no idea how you do that," Allen said amazed. "No one can approach a Skybax but the rider, but you never seen to have a problem. Highwind even lets you ride him! I still think you should have come to Canyon City."

"I know," Kael said. "But I truly feel like I am needed here. Besides, you and I would have gotten kicked out. It was for the best that I decided to come here."

Allen nodded. "You are good at what you do. But tell me," at this he grinned. "What is a good librarian doing here, with the rouge rider?"

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in including yourself and Highwind in a welcoming committee for some newly arrived dolphinbacks," Kael said, his gray eyes twinkling. "I'd be like old times."

Allen's face light up. "You bet we would! Wouldn't we, Highwind?" The great flyer squawked in agreement.

"Great," Kael said, "Could you do something for us, though? Another member of the party needs to know and we were wondering if you could go tell her."

"Sure," Allen told him. "Where to?"

"The Basin."

"The Basin!" he exclaimed. "Who would we get there?"

"Ok," Kael started, "Let me explain the entire situation..."


The last clouds had now passed overhead and a warm summer sun was shining down over the bedraggled party of dolphinbacks and Dinotopians.

As Dylan tightened the final straps on Karua's back, Gareth walked over to where the sailors were stripping off their shirts and hanging them on a crudely constructed clothesline in the full glare of the sun.

"Well, it seems like you sailors are going to stay here. I cannot tell how long it will take a rescue party to arrive here, but I should say it won't take any longer than forty-eight hours. The rest of my companions and I shall journey as quickly as we can to Chandara and requisition aid for you and your comrades. That is all; unless, any of you still wish to accompany us?" Gareth looked over the bunch of ragtag trappers and sailors. Namir shook himself and let out a long purr as his fur stood straight up making him look as he had accidentally fallen into a clothes drier.

Tates looked up from his work. "Most of us will be staying here, but Rico and myself have volunteered to come with you to the city and make inquiries in town. If there’s room for us, that is." Rico appeared on cue, nibbling on a rockmelon, the juice dribbling down his tanned neck. Gareth grinned.

"You don't need to ask me whether you are acceptable. Ask them!" He pointed to where Kaura, Ava and Triforce were lying down to enable the humans and smaller dinosaurs to scramble onto their backs and cling onto the pebbly or scaly skin.

"Do you mean, we are going to ride those?" asked Tates incredulously

"Uh-huh, and you had better hurry before they stand up, too!"

With that, the two dolphinbacks dashed over and, with a quick helping hand from the Dinotopians already in the saddle, swung themselves awkwardly onto the behemoths backs.

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