Having drunk its fill of water, the large-horned one dared not linger and quickly caught up with the herd. There were predators in the water too, and bad luck could mean being dragged away by them.
As soon as it ran off, a commotion erupted behind it. A large-headed fish with a mouth full of sharp teeth emerged from the waterhole and snatched a thin cub, dragging it into the water to be devoured before it could even cry for help.
Terrified, the other cubs no longer dared to drink and bolted!
The thin cub that had previously snatched its waterhole, whether due to the water being too shallow or extreme thirst, had continued drinking until the predator appeared, only then realizing it needed to escape. But its luck ran out, and it was unable to flee in time, its hind leg caught by the predator.
The predator was not as large as the first one. Its bite did not sever the leg, and the thin cub struggled desperately, its eyes burning with an intense will to survive!
The large-horned one glanced back, finding the thin cub somewhat familiar. It slowed its pace. The thin cub fought with all its might against the predator, its left hind leg held fast. It could only use its front legs to scramble forward, but for every two steps it took, the predator dragged it back a few, and after much struggle, it remained in the same spot.
The bitten leg had already exposed bone, causing the tribesmen who saw it to run even faster, all knowing in their hearts that this cub was beyond saving.
As the tribe fled, despair crept into the thin cub's eyes, but its will to survive did not diminish. It desperately wanted to escape!
Touched by its gaze, the large-horned one turned back. To the thin cub's astonished eyes, it used its horn to pry open the predator's jaws. One push wasn't enough, so it pushed again until the predator released its grip. The two cubs turned and fled!
The thin cub, still surprised, limped along. Once they were out of danger, it asked curiously, "Why did you help me?"
The large-horned one replied, "There was only one predator left, and I could help you."
The thin cub insisted, "Why did you help me? We don't even know each other."
The large-horned one couldn't explain its impulsive action. "I don't know why either. I just helped. Don't ask so many questions."
The thin cub fell silent, trailing behind the herd with a limp. The bleeding had stopped, but it grew more and more difficult to walk. It was still just a cub, and the pain was unbearable.
The thin cub thought to itself, even if it was helped, what good would it do? With its injured leg, it wouldn't live much longer…
The herd stopped to feed and replenish their strength. The thin cub also collapsed on the ground, eating the grass around it, its injured leg as still as if it were a foreign object.
Suddenly, a familiar Triceratops appeared within its sight. It was running and chewing. When it reached the cub's side, it spat something onto its wound.
The thin cub flinched in pain. "What are you doing?"
The large-horned one said, "This is healing grass. It will help you recover faster." With that, it ran off again, needing to fill its belly quickly.
It wasn't helping the female Triceratops specifically because she was female!
As it ran away, it didn't realize that a pair of eyes were watching it intently…
For the next few days, the large-horned one would, after filling its belly, tend to the sick thin cub. Sometimes it would bring healing herbs, and sometimes it would leave some food for it.
Fueled by an intense will to survive, the thin cub miraculously healed. New flesh grew on its leg, and it considered it a miracle!
But after its injury healed, the large-horned one stopped visiting, much to the thin cub's disappointment.
One day, the thin cub saw the large-horned one fighting with some other cubs and, without a second thought, rushed over. In the end, the two dragons teamed up and drove away all five of the other cubs!
Although they sustained minor injuries, they were insignificant compared to the victory!
It was then that the large-horned one learned the thin cub's name: Weng Weng.
Weng Weng said that its mother said that when it hatched, its cries sounded like a small insect, so it was given that name.
It was one of many children of its parents, who, after casually naming it, rarely paid it any mind. Because it was so thin and weak, but with the care of its parents, it lived slightly better than other parentless cubs. However, it was not fortunate. Recently, its parents were eaten by carnivorous beasts, and it too fell to the bottom. Fortunately, all its siblings died, and only it survived.
After that battle, the large-horned one gained a good friend in Weng Weng. The two dragons became inseparable. Weng Weng was a tomboy, never losing to males in fights or snatching food.
With a companion, life in the herd became less arduous for the two. Through hard work and strength, they managed to push their way into the inner circle. Although not yet in the central circle, life in the inner circle was much better than before.
Spring turned to autumn, and the vegetation's growth slowed. The herd had to migrate again, crossing mountains and seas, traversing dense forests and swamps, and returning to a familiar place. The large-horned one saw the familiar city walls from afar within the herd and was so excited it couldn't help but gallop towards them!
Father! Mother! I'm back!
Weng Weng didn't know what was happening. It only saw its good friend running off like a madwoman, leaving the migration group and heading towards danger. Without a second thought, it followed.
"Da Jiao, come back quickly, it's dangerous there!"
The large-horned one excitedly replied, "Weng Weng! I'll take you to meet my family!"
Weng Weng: ???
…
The guards at the city saw two herbivorous cubs galloping towards the city gate from a distance. Their speed was like they were rushing to their deaths!
The beasts were still marveling when a sharp-eyed one noticed the brand on the ear of one of the herbivorous cubs. Its eyes widened in surprise, and it nudged its companion, "Am I seeing things correctly? Isn't that Vente's Da Jiao?"
The companion took a closer look and indeed it was. Good heavens! The herbivorous cub, sent back to the herd, not only survived but was found alive!
"Open the city gates and let them in!" Well, well, they even brought a little friend.
Ever since Da Jiao was sent away last year, Vente had instructed everyone in the city that herbivorous Triceratops cubs with a mark on their ears were their family's children and were not to be hunted. As a result, the tribesmen now refrained from killing young Triceratops cubs. Da Jiao was someone they had watched grow up.
Beasts were sentimental. Even if they didn't treat them as cubs, they wouldn't eat them as food. They also wanted to see how long a cub raised by its natural enemy could survive.
Da Jiao roared and charged into the city, heading straight home. Weng Weng also ran, but in its heart, it thought, "It's over, it's over. But dying with Da Jiao is better than returning to that cold herd!"
The happiness of reuniting with family was evident in Da Jiao's body, which had gained a noticeable amount of weight in just a few days. Not only Da Jiao, but Weng Weng had also fattened up considerably. With nothing else to do, they ate, consuming various juicy and fresh plants until their bellies were full.
Shu Yue treated Weng Weng like a daughter-in-law, providing the best water and plants. It would have been strange if she hadn't gained weight.
However, the time together was brief. Da Jiao and Weng Weng were sent back to the herd, the same herd. But the other tribesmen had no idea they had been missing for days.
The familiar cubs were just surprised, wondering when they had gotten so fat. It truly made the dragons envious!
Da Jiao and Weng Weng continued their migration. But this departure was different from the last. Da Jiao now had hope and a goal.
And in the herd, it was no longer a solitary dragon. With a good friend accompanying it, it could go even further…