Author's Note: This is my first Ice age fic. I hope you like it. Also if anyone has any ideas for the name of the new sabre let me know in a review.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Diego had scouted ahead and found a place for the herd to rest. It was only vulnerable from attack from one side and he could easily cover that. The others were making good time and for once Sid wasn't slowing them down in the back but rather he was up front with Diego.
They heard a loud noise and Sid went running to hide behind Manny. To his untrained ears it sounded like the roar of a hungry predator but Diego could tell exactly what the sound was and took off towards it. A sabre was hurt and needed help.
Diego found the sabre in a clearing not far from the designated camp ground he picked and moved closer. The other sabre jumped when it saw him coming. Diego lowered his head so it was almost touching the ground hoping to show the other animal that he meant it no harm. He saw the sabre relax and moved in.
This sabre was different than any Diego had ever seen before and figured it must not be from around here. He was slightly larger than Diego and had black fur with white splotches. Diego's eyes drifted and found three long gashes in his side that looked like claw marks. When the sabre collapsed on the ground Diego rushed over to it. The gashes looked ten times worse up close and were bleeding quite a lot. Fuelled by instinct Diego leaned forward and started to lick them clean.
"Uh Diego?" Diego looked up at Manny and Sid and realized just how intimate what he was doing was. "He's hurt really badly. I think he passed out from blood loss." Manny moved closer to examine the sabre's wounds. He then turned to Sid and gave him a list of plants to go pick. Sid ran off in the direction they came tripped of a stone. Great, Diego thought, Sid is this sabre's only hope. Manny looked to Diego. "Try and wake him up." Diego nodded and moved to nudge the sabre's head with his paw, nothing.
Diego was starting to freak out what if this guy died. He leaned in closer and heard a pained sound come from the sabre. Without thinking Diego leaned forward and nuzzled his neck. When he heard another sound he licked along the side of his face. The sabre picked his head up slightly and opened his eyes a little. Diego smiled at him, he had amazingly bright yellow eyes, like Diego was looking into the sun. They broke eye contact when the sabre hissed in pain. Diego looked over and saw Sid was back and Manny was smearing his wounds in some green goo that smelled worse than Sid.
It didn't take long for the Sabre to pass out again this time from the pain. Manny explained to Diego that the green concoction was a mixture of different plants mashed together and that it would help him heal faster. But that since they didn't know what happened to him they couldn't be sure if he was out of the woods yet. Manny offered to carry him back to camp but Diego didn't know how the others would react to sabre they didn't know so he opted to stay in the small clearing with him, at least until he woke up. As Manny and Sid left Diego could here Sid asking Manny questions about how he knew all that medical stuff, not pausing long enough between breathes for Manny to be able to answer any of them.
Diego laid down across from the sabre. His eyes resting on his face watching for any sign of movement. Night fell and Diego was vaguely aware of someone coming and making a fire and trying to get Diego to eat. Diego remained motionless and ignored whoever it was completely. The sabre seemed so peaceful and Diego was mesmerized by it. Diego didn't remember falling asleep but when he woke up the fire had died out and the mysterious sabre was gone.