Dinosaurs on Earth

Part one: Sagemho's Prophecy

Prologue:

The question always stands: What would happen if humans lived with dinosaurs? "We would be killed." Some would answer. Or "They'd eat us and we'd go extinct." But would someone answer "we'd tame the herbivores and ride on their backs, and hunt the carnivores for food, and us and the herbivores would thrive."?

Ch. 1-1750, Middle of Present-Day America

"Shieila! Shieila!" 7-year-old Shimal called early in the morning,"Shimioni's egg hatched! Shimioni ankylosaurus's egg hatched!"

" Hu... What?" Shieila mumbled as she woke up, "Wait, Shimioni's egg hatched? Let's go! C'mon, I want to see her! Her? Him?"

"Don't know." Shimal answered, dashing ahead of Shieila outside Shieila's ha'te, her house-tent. Shieila ran quickly, grabbing the red-and-blue blanket she had made for when Shimioni's egg hatched. Shieila dashed out the door-flap, sprinted past her parent's ha'te, and vaulted over the stone wall that marked the edge of Shimioni's sm'pa, her small pasture. Shieila's father was already there, moving his hands slowly over the baby's body. "A girl or a boy, Father?" Asked Shieila with wonder.

"Another girl sa'mum, Shieila! Shimioni's family must be strong on the girl's side!" At that moment, Shieila's mother walked out, already wearing her dre'coa, her day-cloths.

"Himoson, is the little sa'mum al'aka'we? Are YOU al'aka'we? Is Shimioni al'aka'we? And the children- they look al'aka'we!" Mother finished. Father chuckled.

" We're all al'aka'we! Especially the little sa'mum here, she's doing more than al'aka'we! Oh, come in, come in, the fence isn't that tall! Shieila, what are you going to name her?" Shieila walked toward the tiny baby, looking at her eyes. Her tribe, the Zil'Marou, named by the eyes. The first two letters of a name were given by the parents's first letter. The rest was decided by the eyes. "Hello, little sa'mum. What will I name you?" Shieila looked into the baby's eyes, and saw love, hope, and generosity. "Little sa'mum, you are Shagemho." Shieila whispered. "Shagemho!" Shieila said louder. "She is Sagemho!"

"Sagemho! Sagemho! Sagemho!" Everyone called, "Sagemho, Sagemho! Welcome to the Zil'Marou!" The sa'mum ankylosaurus grunted gleefully, circled Shieila once, and ran to Shimioni.

"Shieila, take a kosmoceratops, maybe Shiengey, and tell the tribe Sagemho hatched!" Father said.

"Yes, Father," Shieila answered, and ran through the stony ditch that was between Shimioni's sm'pa, and the kosmoceratops's field. Shieila slid between the tall, wooden fence rails into the kosmoceratops's field. "Shiengey," Shieila sang. Shiengey galloped toward Shieila full-pelt. Shieila, having done this many times, stood calmly where she was. Three feet away from Shieila, Shiengey stopped short. "Good boy, Shiengey," Shieila sang. She leapt on the kosmoceratops, and held the sloping plate on the back of Shiengey's head. Shieila pressed lightly, aiming for the fence. Shiengey caught on, and gathered speed. Soon they were flying at the fence. Shieila took a deep breath, and held on tight, arms and legs alike. They leapt into the air, and slammed down to earth. Shieila breathed a sigh of relief, and sat up straighter. "Good job Shiengey." Shieila breathed melodically, and pet him in front of her right leg. Shiengey turned right, and galloped parallel to the ditch. At the first ha'te, Shieila began to sing the Wel'Soc'Mar, the Welcoming Song:

This morning, this morning,

A light has been found,

An eye has been named,

'Tis morning, 'tis morning,

And welcoming day,

Is a new sa'mum,

Sa'mum, sa'mum,

Is eye-named today!

Shieila sang the Wel'Soc'Mar over and over, everyone came out, even little children. "It's name, what's is it's name?" Everyone yelled. On the way back, Shieila sang the Na'sho'sam, the Naming-Telling Song:

The name, the name,

Morning, 'tis morning,

Shagemho, Shagemho,

Generous hope!

Sagemho, Sagemho,

The girl sa'mum,

Girl sa'mum,

Is Sagemho!

"Sagemho! Sagemho!" Yelled the Zil'Marou, "Sagemho, Sagemho!"

Shieila galloped at the fence, looking, looking, and, just about, "Shiengey!" Shieila cried, as Shiengey jumped. Shiengey landed, twirled, and bucked."Shiengey! Shiengey!" Shieila yelled again.

"Shiengey! Stop this nonsense! Shiengey, stop!" Father was speaking now. "Shimal, grab the ran'du, Shieila, hold tight!" Father scaled the fence, and sat on top. Shimal dashed from Mother and Father's ha'te with a strip of Dino-skin in a coil. The ran'du, Shieila thought. Father grabbed the ran'du and uncoiled it, showing it to Shiengey. "Shieila, sing! Sing, tell him what to do!" Father called. Shieila took a deep breath, and sang:

Shiengey, Shiengey,

Stop bucking,

Please do!

I mean you no harm,

And ask you to stop.

Calm, calm,

Calm calm!

Let slow your legs,

And de-wild your eyes.

Shiengey kicked once, and became still. He then shimmied around the pasture and nudged the fence. Shieila dismounted the kosmoceratops, and sat on the fence, breathing heavily. Goodness knows how I stayed on Shiengey, Shieila thought, she bucked like Mrou'hou. "I suppose I have a song to sing too." Mother announced

"Simrona?" Father asked,

"As it goes..." Mother said, and began to sing the Wi'bre'fre, the Song of Welcoming the Third Child in a Family:

A child, a child,

Third in my family,

Strength will be mine,

New baby, new baby,

How lucky,

Be I!

A girl,

A girl!

A boy,

A boy!

'Tis either,

Is either,

No one does know!

As Mother's beautiful voice left the air, other voices arose. "Congratulations!" "By goodness, a third?" "Be protected from Mrou'hou" "Goodness' sake, yes! Protect thy by Mrou'hou!" In the mix of babbling voices, Mistali, the Zil'Marou's pre'dum, Predictor Person, called softly, "Shieila." Shieila turned. "Mistali!" "Shieila. Dark times are ahead for Shagemho. Protect her with your life. She is the strand holding us together. Protecting her with your life will keep you alive, whilst not doing will kill us all. Sagemho is a Ga'he, do you understand?"

"Sagemho's... A Ga'he?" A Ga'he... A Gem in H-Swear. A Hero-Shine. A Savior of the Zil'Marou. Shieila's mind was swirling.

"Mother, may I see Sagemho?" Shieila asked

"Most cirtainly, Shieila. You deserve it." Shieila ran to Shimioni's sm'pa. "Sagemho! Shimioni!" Shieila called. Shieila crouched beside the sa'mum."Sagemho," Shieila whispered,"I know and understand if you do not understand me. If you know and understand what I am saying, than it is so. Sagemho-..." Shieila's voice faltered "Sagemho, I... I am to protect you with my life, little... Little Ga'he." Shieila hugged Sagemho, and thought, I will protect you with my life from everything, especially Mrou'hou. Shieila shuddered at the thought of every one of her people dyeing because of her."Oh!" Shieila exclaimed, "I completely forgot!" It was true- Shieila had completely forgotten Sagemho's blanket! "Here, Sagemho," Shieila said, placing the blanket on Sagemho, "you'll want it when winter comes. Happy birthday, little sa'mum."