Chapter 3: Sally and Daisy

Author's note: Some may have noticed that I've updated chapter 1 and 2 slightly- I hope they're now easier to read and that I corrected all the spelling mistakes! So, here's chapter number 3. I thought I'd introduce Sally and Daisy to the story, as I thought we needed more sloths in this thing. Also, knowing that Jennifer Lopez was the voice for Shira inspired the party scene- please no flames for the lyrics! Hope you enjoy it, and chapter 4 should be coming soon.

After a few more sparring matches in the training area, Marco's stomach began to grumble loudly. "I think it's time you had something to eat." Carmen commented smiling as Marco tried to avoid her gaze.

"You kids go ahead." Diego gestured toward the forest. "Good luck."

"You mean, we can hunt on our own?" Jasper was excited. This morning was their first family hunting trip, and already, they were allowed to hunt on their own!

"I'm sure, between the seven of you, you can catch a decent meal." Diego nodded. "Let's see how well you work together as a team."

"We'll be hunting later on in the day, so if anyone is still hungry, they can come with us." Shira added.

"Awesome!" Zane cheered. "Let's go!"

"But no possums, right?" Marco asked.

"Or sloths." Nita added.

"Just don't eat your Uncle Sid or Granny!" Diego warned after them as the young sabres ran enthusiastically into the forest, following the trail which Nita had Marco had travelled from the beach to the training area.

After running with excitement for a few minutes, the kids slowly calmed down and began to hunt in earnest.

Carmen sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of prey on the cool breeze.

Nita took to the trees, thinking that a higher view would help spot a likely target.

Jasper kept his eyes on the forest floor, scanning for the signs that his father had taught him to look for. Paw prints, tufts of fur, even bruised or flattened leaves could tell him if an animal had passed this way recently. However, this was the first time he'd tried tracking without his father's experienced eye, and Jasper realised that this hunting trip was going to be harder than they'd first thought.

Marco, on the other hand was moving silently through the trees like an expert. Being one of the lower sabres in his pack meant that he rarely got a decent meal. As a result, he'd taken to hunting on his own when he was able to get away from the others for a while.

Marco paused to examine a tree trunk. "Yes!" He hissed in triumph as he sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Kane asked, sniffing. The other sabres copied the action, but none could identify any of their usual prey on the breeze.

Up in a tree, Nita scanned the area, looking for what had caught the attention of their new herd member. A rustling berry bush caught her eye, and Nita got a glimpse of a berry-stained paw.

"Uh-oh." Nita jumped down. "Marco don't!"

Too late. With a growl, the black sabre pounced through a gap in the trees.

"Aaaaaah!"

Nita and the others quickly followed. Marco had two sloths cornered against a large tree trunk, a boulder and a thorny blackberry bush preventing their escape.

"Marco!" Nita admonished the black sabre. "What did I say about not hunting sloths?"

"Diego said your sloths were your 'Uncle Sid and Granny'. But these sloths aren't from the Island." Marco replied innocently. 'So I thought it was okay."

Nita turned to view the two cornered sloths. Marco was right. Nita had never seen these two before.

The older female sloth was holding tightly to a small girl-sloth who crouched fearfully behind her.

"Are you two alright?" Stepping forward slowly, Nita tried to calm the terrified pair. "Sorry, we have a rule against hunting sloths on the Island, but Marco's new too, so he's still learning."

The adult sloth relaxed slightly, but did not take her eyes off Marco. The little sloth, however, poked her head out from behind the older female's back.

"You're not gonna eat us?" The small sloth asked in a tiny voice.

"No, we're not." Nita reassured gently before looking over at Marco. "Are we?"

Marco's incredulous expression disappeared as he slumped his shoulders. "No." He agreed. "Guess I'm going hungry tonight." He muttered under his breath.

"There are lots of other animals on this island we can hunt." Carmen assured him "Don't worry, we'll find something."

Turning back to the two sloths, Nita gave a small smile. "My name's Nita." She introduced herself.

"Sally." The adult sloth said as she cautiously shuffled forward, keeping a wary eye on Marco. "This is my daughter, Daisy." Daisy shyly waved hello from behind her mother's back.

Now the two sloths were out of the shadows of the trees, Nita could finally get a good look at them.

Sally had fur the colour of dark honey, and curly brown hair which, while kept short, still managed to keep falling into her eyes.

Daisy's fur was a slightly lighter shade of her mother's, yet her wavy brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, kept in place by a band made with her signature flowers, daisies. Her paws, Nita noticed were still stained purple from the berries they had just been picking.

Noticing how Sally kept on eyeing Marco fearfully, Nita thought it best he left the scene. Especially when he was as hungry as he was.

"Uh, Carmen, why don't you and the guys take Marco out to finish his hunt?" Nita suggested. "I'll take Sally and Daisy to meet the herd."

"No problem, Sis." Carmen said, leading the group off.

"Yeah, we'll be able to cover more ground now anyway." Zane smirked at Nita, "now we don't have to wait for you to catch up."

Jasper gave him a cuff around the head to accompany Carmen, Sasha and Nita's glares.

Marco seemed hesitant to leave. "What about you?" he asked. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I'll go hunting with mum and dad later." Nita told him. "I'll be fine. Go get some food in you."

His hunger winning over his concern, Marco nodded before wandering after the others.

"We'll bring you back something, Nita!" Jasper called over his shoulder as he ran off.

Nita watched the others leave for a moment before turning back to the newcomers.

"Come on." She said gently. "I'll take you back to our herd. We have a couple of sloths as part of our family, so you should fit right in."

"Granny!" Sid called as he searched around their home tree. "Where are you?"

"Ow! Ouch! Aaah!"

Crash and Eddie emerged from a bush, pursued by an old female sloth, who was hitting them with a stick.

"You smart-mouth rodents!" Granny scolded them. "Can't a lady sleep in peace?"

"Granny!" Sid cried out in relief.

Crash and Eddie retreated to the safety of their sister's shadow. "Save us from the evil old lady, Ellie." Crash whimpered, hugging her leg tightly.

"What was that, rat?" Granny asked, waving her stick.

Sid stepped in quickly. "It's okay, Granny," he said soothingly. "Come have some fruit I just picked for you."

Sighing slightly as Sid led his Granny away, Diego noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Nita enter the scene, accompanied by two sloths.

"Hi guys!" Nita bounded forward. "I'd like you to met Sally and Daisy. They just arrived on the island."

"Hi there!" Ellie said, warmly, waving her trunk in greeting.

As introductions were done, Nita explained how they found the two sloths.

"It was lucky we didn't send Marco hunting on his own, then." Diego commented once Nita had finished.

"Oh, yes, I'm very thankful for that." Sally added. "If Nita hadn't been there that other sabre would have eaten us for dinner."

"Thank you, Nita, for saving us from being eaten." Daisy said politely.

"You're welcome." Nita chuckled. "That's what you do in herd."

At that moment, Sid reappeared, Granny at his side, messily slurping up berry pulp. Sighting Sally and Daisy, he paused.

"New neighbours?" Sid asked.

"New herd members." Ellie corrected. "Sid, Granny, this is Sally and her daughter Daisy."

"Hi, nice to meet you." Sally greeted as Daisy waved.

"You know, that's a nice girl." Granny said before poking Sid with her stick. "When're you gonna settle down, Sidney?"

"Well, Nita are you hungry?" Shira asked her daughter as Sid stammered a reply to his Granny.

"Starving." Nita replied quickly

"Let's go find some food."

The three sabres headed into the forest to hunt down something to eat.

Carmen and the others had travelled deeper into the forest, searching for suitable prey.

She had put forward her idea to Jasper, who agreed whole-heartedly, and they both led their mini pack of teen sabres to the planned hunting area.

"So let me get this straight." Marco whispered from Carmen's shoulder. "The family of Mammoths in your herd is half possum?"

"Yep" Carmen whispered back. "Auntie Ellie was raised by possums, so she and her daughter Peaches often hang from their tails when they sleep."

Marco shook his head. This was certainly the weirdest family he'd ever heard of.

"And that's why we can't eat possums of any kind?" He continued.

"Right." Carmen answered. "A herd is a family. And we protect our family."

Marco paused. Noticing he had dropped back, Carmen looked over her shoulder at the black sabre.

"What is it?" She asked.

A smile tugged at the corners of Marco's mouth as he gazed at the white sabre. "Family means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"Of course." Carmen answered.

"That's nice." Marco's smile crept slowly across his face. "I think I'm gonna like living here." He said softly.

Though his eyes stayed focused ahead, Jasper's ear turned back toward the black sabre, curious at his tone of voice.

"So, what can we eat?" Marco asked as they continued on up a small hill.

"Well, our family caught an antelope this morning." Jasper answered, joining in the conversation.

"The three of us took down a gazelle on our own." Zane interjected, always trying out-do the others.

"It was a fawn." Sasha added, exasperated at her brother's constant need to compete.

Eventually, they crested a hill, and a large herd unfolded before them.

"But moose-deer," Carmen finished smugly, "is also on the menu."

Sally and Daisy watched curiously as Sid gathered wood, twigs and dried grass. Manny thought it was the most energetic Sid had been all day.

"What are you doing?" Sally asked.

"Making fire." Sid announced loftily, striking two rocks together. Sparks shot out. One went straight into Sid's face.

"Aah!" He yelped, rubbing his eye in pain.

"Ah, the Lord of the Flame strikes again." Manny muttered. Ellie shoved him lightly with her trunk.

Looking down, Sid saw Daisy helpfully holding out the rock he dropped, her brown eyes gazing shyly from under her long lashes.

"Thanks." Sid said, gently taking the rock back.

"You can make fire?"

Sid looked over to Sally and saw an unusual expression in her face. Respect.

"Why yes!" Sid answered importantly. "Yes, I can! Look, I'll show you."

Sid was extra careful as he struck the rocks close to the pile of dried grass and sticks he's made. Sparks flew, scattering themselves over the pile of tinder. Tiny flames caused the grass to shrivel and darken in the heat, and slowly the flames began to lick the wood.

"Oohh." Sally gazed in wonder at the flickering light as Daisy applauded. "I've only ever heard of humans being able to light fires."

"Well, I may not be a human." Sid said smugly. 'But, I'm no ordinary sloth, either."

"You got that right, lazy bones." Granny said, poking him with her stick as she passed.

Daisy crept closer, stretching a curious paw towards the magical, red and gold light.

"Daisy, don't!" Sally pulled her daughter away from the fire. "You'll burn yourself."

The little sloth looked beseechingly up at her mother. "But it's so pretty."

"Now, Daisy, you should listen to your mother." Sid instructed. "Fire safety is very important."

"You should know." Manny muttered, earning another shove from Ellie.

Looking around, Sid picked up a stray stick and drew a circle around the blaze. "There." He said. "Just keep your paws and claws behind the circle and you'll be fine."

Smiling, Daisy edged as close to the line as she could before sitting, gazing with wonder at the dancing flames.

Smiling at the awed look on her daughter's face, Sally turned to Sid. "Wow." She said. "It's been a while since I've seen her so content."

"Oh, it's no problem." Sid said casually. "I'm great with kids."

Manny began coughing suspiciously and Ellie had to shove him with her trunk again.

"Don't you say a word." She warned him.

Manny took a little while to recover from his 'coughing fit'. "I don't believe it." He admitted, shaking his head in bewilderment. "I think she actually likes him."

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Peaches asked. "You called Sid a hero yourself, dad."

"I think it's about time." Ellie added softly. "Sid's heart is always in the right place."

All the herd gathered together in the clearing as the sun began to set.

Marco looked around at all the animals surrounding the huge bonfire in the clearing. Sabres, mammoths, sloths, and all manner of other animals mingled together. Marco had never seen anything like it in his life.

"So," Nita began as she sat next him," How are you finding herd life so far?"

A smile pulled at a corner of his mouth as the black sabre gazed out across the clearing.

"It's...definitely different." He commented. "But, in a good way."

Shira smiled knowingly at her smallest daughter. She could tell Nita was fascinated by this new, exotic black sabre.

So could Diego. "Are you sure I shouldn't be worried?" He asked Shira. Before finding his mate, Diego had always been a proud bachelor. And while he was now a proud father, he was still unsure of how to handle his daughters at times, and he needed Shira's help to know what to do. His son was easier to understand.

"I'm sure." Shira said, reassuring her mate. "Nita needs to stand on her own feet sometimes, too. If you get overprotective, she'll either rebel, or be too scared to do anything."

"But-"

"No buts, Alpha dad." Shira said firmly. "You can't protect Nita forever. Let her learn to handle things herself. If she does need our help, we will, but until then, try to stay out of it."

Diego lowered his eyes. It was his job to protect his family, and he couldn't understand why his mate would ask him to go against his instincts like this.

Shira nuzzled him. "It's okay, Diego." She said her voice soft and soothing. "Our cubs will always have us to ask for help if they need it, but they need to know that they can do things on their own too."

Diego nodded slowly, reluctantly. "Right." He said.

"Come on, this is a time to celebrate." Shira encouraged. "Our kids are learning how to hunt for themselves, we have a new sabre and two new sloths in our herd. Life is pretty good right now."

Diego nodded again, this time he was smiling. He was proud of the progress his cubs had made.

"Yeah, you're right again." Diego said. "I am proud of them."

Shira smiled. "Definitely worth celebrating."

The full moon shone brightly, lighting up the clearing as Shira stood atop a pile of boulders, watching the kids around the fire.
"It's a new generation" she began "...of party people."

"Oh! Mum's gonna sing!" Nita called out. "Come on everybody!"

All the young animals in the clearing got gleefully to their feet, except Marco, who had no idea what was going on.
"Get on the floor, dance." Jasper encouraged, getting reluctant people on their feet. "Get on the floor. "
"Let me introduce you to my party people in the herd" Shira sang as the hyraxes beat a fast rhythm on some hollow logs.
"Come on, Marco!" Nita nudged the new guy forward, but he backed off quickly.

"No way, I do not dance." He said stubbornly.

"Oh, come on." Carmen said as she danced past. "Show us your footwork!"

"Is this a herd thing?" Marco asked, unsure. "I'm not doing it."

"Okay." Nita didn't want to force him to join in if he didn't want to. "But feel free to join in whenever you want." She stepped up next to Sasha and began dancing to her mother's beautiful voice.

"If you go hard you gotta make sure you roar

If you're a predator, then step up and roar

If you're an animal then tear it up and roar

Break a sweat when you roar, yeah lets work up a roar"

All the animals in the herd were dancing. Ellie dragged a reluctant Manny forward, Peaches and her friends were dancing in a group, Crash and Eddie were doing some crazy moves of their own, Sid was dancing with Sally, Daisy riding on his shoulders, while Diego, who wasn't much of a dancer, stayed close to Shira as she sang and danced around him.

"Don't stop, keep it moving put your paws up

Pick your body up and drop it with a roar

Let the rush change your world, make you roar

You know we're running hard tonight, now roar"

The drumming of the hyrax and Shira's voice seemed to fill up the whole clearing.
Nita looked over to where Carmen was dancing, both Kane and Zane around her vying for her attention. Nita thought she'd help her sister out.

"Carmen, up here!" she called, jumping on a boulder, just below where her mother was singing, leaving Jasper and Sasha dancing together.

Carmen jumped up and they began dancing together, circling each other on the boulder, Carmen's slower, graceful moves complimenting Nita's more energetic footwork.

"Dance the night away Live your life and stay young in your roar

Dance the night away Grab somebody, eat a little more
Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar

Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar "

The twins were now right below them, leaping and spinning, trying to out dance each other.

Nita also noticed that Marco was watching her and Carmen, too. Slowly, he stood up and tentatively began to join in.

Marco was dancing!

"I know you got it, sabres lets hear you roar

And keep on rockin', rock it up on the floor

If you're a predator, kill it with a roar

Steal it quick and then roar, and then roar"

"That's it, Marco!" Nita congratulated, jumping down from the boulder. "You've got it!"

Marco paused, embarrassed. "I've never done this before." He admitted.

"Just relax and let the rhythm carry you." Carmen encouraged, jumping down as well.

"Don't stop keep it moving, put your paws up

It's never dull, it's getting sharp with our roar

We never quit, we never rest when we roar

If I ain't wrong we'll probably die with a roar"

Nita found herself dancing with Peaches and Luis. Looking up, she noticed that Marco had stopped dancing.

He was watching Carmen instead.

"Dance the night away Live your life and stay young in your roar"

Nita stumbled to a stop. She couldn't believe it. Carmen had both Kane and Zane at her beck and call, and now Marco had become her third admirer?

Nita felt her chest tighten, but didn't understand why this realization hurt so much. She should be used to it by now.

'I guess I'm just invisible, next to Carmen' she thought.

"Dance the night away Grab somebody, eat a little more"

"Nita? You okay?" Peaches asked, concerned.

"Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar

Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar "

"Yeah, just thirsty from dancing." Nita said quickly. "I'm gonna go down to the pond."

She turned and ran out of the clearing before Peaches could comment, her mother's voice fading as she got further away.

"Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar

Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar

Tonight we gon' feel it in our roar"

The sound of drums and singing faded as Nita ran to the nearby pond, the full moon reflecting silver light on the clear, still water.

Nita walked over to the edge of the pond and stared at her reflection critically. She knew that her sister was beautiful, and that she couldn't help being good at everything she did. And if Carmen had been arrogant or bragging about it, it would've been easier to resent her sister, but no, Carmen was genuinely nice, for a fierce sabre-tooth cat.

I wasn't Carmen's fault she was wonderful, she just was. And Nita knew she couldn't hate anyone who liked her as a result.

Nita looked at her reflection again. "So what's wrong with me?" She asked herself, feeling her chest tighten again.

Nita looked closer at her reflection, considering. "I don't think it's about how I look." She said thoughtfully. "I mean, I'm always hearing Zane and Kane go over how beautiful Carmen's fur is, but what's wrong with my fur?" She asked, examining her pale, champagne coloured coat.

"I have beautiful fur." Nita was sure of that. "It's the same colour as the soft sand on the beach. None of the other sabres has fur like mine."

Nita turned her head so she could see her profile in the still water. "Okay, my sabre-teeth are small, but I'm the runt in the family, everything about me is small." After all, she was far smaller than her sister, and they were the same age. "Even my voice is small, I can't even roar." She mumbled. Her family and the rest of the herd was used to her quiet, cub-like voice, but strangers usually thought that she was, at best, far younger than she was, and at worst, asking concernedly if she was sick. "But," she sighed, "there's nothing I can do about that."

Gazing into the water again, Nita smiled. "My eyes are my favourite." No one else in her family had such brilliant green eyes, though her mother's were bright blue. Carmen, however, had the usual hazel eyes, like their father's.

She stood up. "Okay. So I don't think it has anything to do with how I look, so... It must be something to do with how I act?"

Nita's brow furrowed slightly as she considered this different angle. "Well, Carmen is definitely more confident than me. She always has a witty comment to make, and in a fight, she's always able to come up with the perfect thing to either intimidate or insult her opponent." Nita sighed again, "Whereas I can never think of what to say, until about an hour afterward."

Nita tried to think of what else there was. "Carmen also walks differently to me." She walked a few steps in a circle, trying to copy the slow, fluid grace that her sister showed whenever she moved. But instead of feeling graceful, she felt stiff and strange. Shaking herself, Nita tried to relax. "Think slow and graceful, Nita. Gracefuuuu!"

Her paw slipped on a patch of mud by the water's edge and she fell into the shallows with a splash.

Gritting her teeth, Nita stood and shook herself free of as much of the now muddy water as possible.

"Okay, I'm the world's only clumsy cat." Nita extended the claws on her front paws, raking the damp soil and trying to loosen the tension that had built up in her shoulders.

Turning away from the pond, Nita jumped onto a pile of nearby boulders and lay down for the still-warm rock to dry her damp fur.

"I'll never be like Carmen." Nita said resignedly.

The fire was beginning to die in the party clearing, and Sid was showing Daisy how to use a flaming stick to draw a picture in air. "It's so sparkly, see?" Sid commented. As he waved the fire-stick over his head, he dropped the stick and the burning wood landed on his tail.

"Aaah!" He screamed, running around the clearing in a panic as his tail left a trail of smoke behind him.

Nonchalantly, Diego grabbed his friend and sat him in a pile of snow.

"Oh, thank you, Diego." Sid said gratefully. "Bit of déjà vu, there, huh?" Diego raised an eyebrow, and Sid laughed nervously.

"Remember Sid, fire safety is important." Manny told him.

"Are you alright, Sid?" Sally asked, concerned.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." Sid tried not to wince as he stood back up. "It happens all the time."

"Not your best recovery, Sid." Diego commented.

Carmen laughed at the bemused look on Marco's face. "Don't worry," she told him. "This is normal, for Uncle Sid."

"Are you guys gonna stay up for a while?" Shira asked the teenagers. "Or call it a night?"

"I'm actually still wide awake." Marco admitted.

"Me too." Carmen added, stretching her muscles. "Fancy a run, Marco?" She asked.

"Sure." He agreed, stretching as well. "I've rested, I've eaten, and I'm energized. I'm ready to beat you."

"You'll try." Carmen challenged confidently.

"Be back in an hour." Shira called

"Sure thing!" Carmen called back over her shoulder as she ran off, Marco close behind.

Kane and Zane remained in the clearing, staring dumbly after Carmen.

"I don't believe it." Zane mumbled.

"What just happened?" Kane asked.

"That's what I'd like to know." Diego frowned. Carmen had never shown an interest in either of the twins, and suddenly this Marco guy turns up, and grabs the attention of his daughter in a day?

"Relax, Alpha dad," Shira reassured her mate.

"Relax?" Diego repeated. "I am relaxed. In fact I'm so relaxed I'd quite happily give Marco a proper training session tomorrow."

"It's just 'cute new guy' syndrome" Shira said. "There's no need to beat him up."

"Yes there is." Diego argued. "After all, testing whether Marco would fit in on the island was one thing. Testing whether he'd be good enough for my daughter is an entirely different matter."

"Carmen can take care of herself, and you know it." Shira told him. "Let her make her own decisions."

Growling slightly in frustration, Diego turned reluctantly and lay down next to the smouldering fire, gazing pensively into the flames.

Shira lowered her eyes in thought. Nita had seemed fascinated by the black sabre as well. She'd seen her smallest daughter leave the party and thought that she might need to talk when she came home. Clearly though, Nita wanted some time alone. As for Carmen, Shira wondered if her interest was serious or not. But, she wouldn't know for sure until she had spoken to her, too. Shira settled herself next to her mate. She would be there for both of her daughters when they were ready.

Kane and Zane had listened to the exchange numbly.

"So, what now?" Kane asked. They'd lost. After living with Carmen's family for as long as they could remember, they had lost their chance to win Carmen in a day, thanks to the 'cute new guy.'

"I'm with Diego," Zane growled. "The new guy needs to be taught a lesson."

"Oh, come on." Kane sighed. "You've gotta admit, it's not his fault."

"But what did he do that we didn't?" Zane demanded.

"I have no idea." Kane admitted. "But whatever it was, it got Carmen's attention."

Zane turned away, eyes roaming the forest as if searching for an answer.

Then suddenly, he remembered...