So, this is another chapter I already had written, which means I no longer have a fall-back plan for this story. But it's okay; I think I can handle it, since it's not 3000-word-chapters like A Second Chance was.

Oh, and Bombina? I have neither died nor quit fanfiction, and I don't plan on doing either any time soon ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age, though if anyone's offering, I would very much like to :P

Chapter 2 – Rats = Not Good!

As they had a new member in the crew, Captain Gutt decided to let the kids sleep in an extra hour, but he was still going to make them do training afterwards. Although he didn't wake them up with his normal yelling routine, he shook them roughly by the shoulders instead.

"Eep!" Shira squeaked in surprise, but soon realising it was just her new Captain. "Oh, I'm sor- I mean, I didn't mean to... I just, uhm, forgot about..."

Gutt half-smiled at her. "It's okay, you're still new around here. Just get used to things."

Shira nodded eagerly. Gutt went to shake Raz too, but Shira stopped him. "Oh, don't worry Captain Gutt, sir; I'll wake the others," she said, smiling, before gently tapping Raz's shoulder and calling. "Razzy, wake up!"

The kangaroo's golden eyes shot open instantly, and she smiled to see her new sister standing beside her. "Hey Sheila, Ah wasn't sure if Ah'd dreamed ya or no'!"

"You didn't dream me," replied Shira with a grin. "Hang on, I gotta go wake the others."

Leaving a very confused Raz behind, Shira ran over and calmly woke the others. She was back beside her new captain in record time, and the crew were more awake and ready for training than ever, pleased with the kind awakening for once. Gutt just stood there, thoroughly impressed and greatly surprised at how much his crew already listened to Shira, despite her being the newest and youngest member, having not long turned four and only joining yesterday.

And yet, she already had the whole crew awake and alert, even Flynn, who despite being one of the oldest, was far from the brightest and often argued with sleeping times more than the others. He wasn't really rebellious, just dumb, and he was only speaking his mind. They'd all done it at first, but Flynn was the only one who never learned, despite being one of the first to join the crew.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Gutt cleared his throat and began to talk. "Alright, you can all talk later. Even though we have a new little friend," he gestured to Shira, who blushed, "our schedule has not changed. Training will ensue as per usual."

There were a few groans and grumbles, but Shira didn't dare, for fear of irritating the Captain, whom she was rather afraid of. Plus, they'd been sailing quite fast, so she couldn't even see her old home anymore, and the thought of being kicked off the crew frightened the poor sabre drastically.

"C'mon, Shira!" called Raz, waving her over to where the others had moved to get their breakfast.

She followed hesitantly, suddenly feeling awkward, wishing she had eaten before she climbed aboard the crew's ship, as her eating habits would obviously be, uhm... different, to the others on board.

"Vhat's vrong?" asked Gupta quietly, noticing how distant she was.

"Hm? Oh, nothing..." she dismissed it, but he didn't, and neither did the others. They knew something was wrong, but they didn't bring it up again.

Shira stood uncomfortably as the other young animals dug into their fruit, wondering what she was going to do. She could go without breakfast today, and maybe without lunch, but eventually she would need to eat. And she ate meat. Hunger, she could deal with. After all, since her mother passed her father had rarely fed her, and she was too small to really find food herself. But starvation… That was a different matter entirely. She feared she would go slightly crazy and turn cannibal on one of her new crewmates at some point, which was a thought that scared her more than Gutt.

"Shira," came a voice behind her. The young cub turned, and saw Captain Gutt. "Come into my Captain's Quarters for a moment, I have something for you."

Fearfully, she glanced at Raz, who looked as scared as the sabre felt, before following the ape into the forbidden area. She was very new, but she'd picked up instantly that no-one went into the Captain's Quarters. Ever.

Gutt slid the ice door closed, so that the crew couldn't hear them, and then pulled across a curtain of leaves, so that they couldn't be seen either. Then, he went to the corner of the room, picked up something, before tossing it down in front of the confused little cub. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was a rat, most likely a dead one.

She looked up at the Captain questioningly. "W-What, am I, s-supposed to do with it?" she whispered, just being in the forbidden part of the ship terrified her, and the Captain's presence scared her further.

He shrugged. "You're a sabretooth. You need meat. Eat it."

Shira's eyes widened. Eat a rat?! How could she be expected to eat a rat?! But he was right; she did need meat, and apparently this was her only option (except on a raid, which she'd heard great stories about). Reluctantly, she leaned down and took a tiny bite of the rat. She shuddered. The rotten taste made her want to retch.

Gutt noticed this, but didn't take pity on her. She may have been a cub, but she was still the newest member of his crew, and she needed to learn she wasn't going to get any special treatment for being young and cute. The only reason she was allowed in the Captain's Quarters was because the rest of the crew would most likely vomit at the sight of her eating a rat. The Captain himself felt slightly queasy, but the sabre's disgusted expression didn't help much.

Finally, Shira finished eating the repulsive rat, smiling proudly at the Captain, forgetting the blood in her fur. "All done!" she declared, happy that she'd managed to finish it without puking.

"Good," Gutt grinned at her. "Want another?"

He knew she didn't – he was just teasing her. But the sabre didn't see this, and actually clutched her stomach, afraid she would be sick in the Captain's Quarters. Hurriedly, Gutt moved her out of the room and to the side of the deck, not wanting her to be sick on his ship. Thankfully, she wasn't sick at all, but Gutt still wiped her face with a large leaf, to get rid of her kill's blood.

"I'll get some fish later," he muttered, not wanting a repeat of the rats.

Shira thanked him, before running to Raz, nuzzling her marsupial friend. Raz hugged the sabre back, thinking she'd just gotten sea-sick.

"Don't worry Sheila, all of us ge' sea-sick ev'ry now an' then," Raz comforted her. Deciding to just go with it, Shira nodded.

"Thanks, Raz..." she murmured into the kangaroo's shoulder.

Gupta gently patted her back, while Squint just scowled. He hated all the special attention Shira was getting; so she got sea-sick, he'd been sea-sick tons of times, and the most he got from Raz was a warning not to be sick on her, if he valued his life.

And now this newbie came along and got cuddles and pets and sympathy, all because she was a little girl.

He hated her… mostly.

So... Review? *puppy dog eyes* Also, thanks for reading :P