Hey-O! Welcome to my first Ice Age fic! Before anyone says anything, I wrote this long before Continental Drift came out, so Shira won't exist in my fics, not yet at least. This series will go through all of the movies and Shira will appear eventually. I own nothing except Frida.

Frida meowed as she playfully batted her mother's nose. Tasha smiled and licked her three-month-old daughter. She watched the sun shine over her dark black fur and twinkle in her blue eyes. It was Frida's first day outside her cave and she was loving every minute of it. She ran around her mother's legs as she looked at everything new around her. Tasha chuckled as she watched Frida trip, her baby fangs digging into the dirt.

"Be careful", Tasha said. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"I won't, Mommy", Frida said.

Tasha was very paranoid when it came to her only daughter. They were the last of their pack, after the death of Frida's father, whom she never even had the chance to see. Tasha didn't want to lose the last thing she had in this world. She nuzzled her and playfully growled, chasing Frida.

"Mommy!" Frida giggled.

Tasha smiled. Her smile faded as her ear twitched. She heard faint voices in the air. Tasha raised her nose to the air and smelled. There was the scent of smoke in the air. That could only mean one thing…humans were close by.

"Mommy?"

"Come on, Frida", Tasha said, picking up her daughter by the back of her neck. "We're going home."

"But, why?" Frida asked.

"It's not safe here."

Tasha carried Frida to their cave. She set her daughter down in the back corner before turning back. The voices could still be heard and the smoke was coming closer. The humans were coming.

"Frida, I need you to stay here", Tasha said. "Mommy will be back."

"Are you going hunting?" Frida asked.

"I'm just going to keep you safe."

Tasha licked her daughter's face before turning away. Frida curled up in the cave as she watched her mother run off. She looked around waiting for her to come back, hopefully with something to eat.

The sun was beginning to set. Frida laid curled, shivering as the wind blew into the cave. She looked around wondering where Tasha was. Her stomach growled loud. Frida got up and stuck her head outside the cave.

"Mommy?" she called out. "Mommy!"

Frida stepped out and looked around.

"Mommy, where are you?" she called out.

She walked further away from the cave looking for Tasha. Frida wandered around the woods as she called out for her mother. As the sky grew dark, she could see a trail of smoke as well as a glow. She ran toward the glow, hoping she'd find Tasha.

"Mommy?"

Frida gasped as she reached the opening of the woods. In front of her was a herd of humans. They were sitting around a fire, eating freshly cooked meat. A few wolves sat around the fire eating as well. A few humans sat as they picked up a large tiger pelt.

"Mommy", Frida gasped.

She meowed weakly as she stepped forward. The wolves turned and growled. The humans turned and picked up their spears. Frida cried as she crouched and covered her eyes. The humans ran toward her with the spear. Frida uncovered her eyes as she saw a female human stop them. The female human knelt down and gently touched her head. Frida pressed her head into her head. The gentle touch felt so nice.

The human picked her up and began petting her fur. Frida began to purr. The human smiled as she held her close and carried her to her hut.

This may not be home with Mommy, but what choice to I have? Frida thought. I guess I'll have to make the best of this.