(Author's notes: Be warned. I have a lot of chapter and author's notes (as well as what I thought about the fourth movie), but they will be saved until the end of this chapter, since many of you have been waiting a long time for me to update. Also, I'm putting the last scene of the last chapter up as a review because the scene is very important for this chapter. I apologize for the long wait, and I hope you enjoy.)
Love Makes You Crazy
Chapter 9: You're Not Listening to Me
By Hatashi Kitty AKA Emilou
You're building a case against me, prosecutor, judge and jury
We've had this conversation in your head
Because I wasn't there you made up what I said
Or what I would have said
You know me so well
You've heard how I am and how I'm going to
Heaven knows we've never had this conversation
Should I be calling it a condemnation
Because you're not listening to me
So na na na na na
That's all I'm gonna say
Na na na na na
You've made up your mind anyway
Na na na na na
There's nothing I can do
So na na na na na
Couldn't we be friends if not for you
I feel like the teacher from Charlie Brown
All you hear is that wah wah wah sound
Maybe I'm a pokemon pikachu
That's what comes out when I'm talking to you
You're a crusader, you've made me your fight
Your superhero name is Mr. Right
Instead of trying to understand
You tell all your friends how wrong I am
Your not listening to me
So na na na na na
That's all I'm gonna say
Na na na na na
You've made up your mind anyway
Na na na na na
There's nothing I can do
So na na na na na
Couldn't we be friends if not for you
Can't we be friends
Why doesn't it end before a word is even heard
I look at you, your attitude
Why can't you see that it's not me
Oops, I did it again, I see
The person I'm talking about is me
Assuming you're the enemy in the crosshairs of my verbal Uzi
No matter who wins, we both lose
No matter who starts, we both choose
To keep it going on, and on and on:
But lets start listening and see
La la la la la
La la la la la
Sorry that it got this way
La la la la la
Next time I won't let it stew
La la la la la
Couldn't we start over me and you
-Na Na Na performed by Superchick
It was strange being back in the land of the ice. She never realized how cold ice was until she had something to compare it to. She couldn't deny that the white landscape wasn't beautiful, and she loved how the snow muffled all sound. It brought back memories of playing around with Frost when they were just pups, but it also felt stifling. It made her think of loneliness.
"So, what are you going to tell your mom?" Frost asked once Buck, the opossums and mammoths were out of sight.
"Well, definitely not anything close to the truth," Tundra replied flatly.
"Oh, so no mentioning that you've been lost in a tropical wonderland with a wild weasel that you have the hots for?" Frost queried with an innocent look on her face.
Tundra grimaced humorlessly. "Frost, I really need your help. Please, no more joking around."
Frost just shrugged, her face showing indifference. "I thought you'd be happy that Buck followed you."
"No, I'm not. I guess, I sort of am. But I just said good-bye to him," Tundra said while rubbing her arm. The feelings that were going through her heart seemed to be more complicated than she could put into words. The "good-bye" she gave Buck was a line she crossed; that line being a decision of forgetting her feelings for the weasel. And Buck just pulled her back over that line.
Frost, despite her rough nature, could sense her more gentle cousin was having issues with the weasel. However, she couldn't quite comprehend the complicated feelings of wanting to see someone, and not see them at the same time. The white mink didn't understand love at the best of times, and decided not to strain herself by thinking about it too much.
"Then tell me what you want me to do," Frost delegated. "Perhaps it would be best to keep Buck away from the fam."
"No, once Buck has an idea in his head, it's not coming out," Tundra said knowingly. "I'll have to prep mom as much as possible. Thank goodness, it'll just be my parents and the neighbors to worry about."
Frost's eyes widened at that. "Uh. . . Tundra. They're all still here."
"Who?"
"All of them."
"What?! They haven't gone home yet?"
"Well, they did. But they came back for the funeral."
"Whose?"
"Yours."
"Oh."
Tundra was suddenly up against a whole new dilemma. She would have to introduce an unstable weasel to countless aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc. It was going to be a nightmare. Not to mention that Buck was acting a bit more unstable than usual, another mystery about the enigmatic mammal. Just when she was thinking she had the weasel all figured out, he threw her for another loop.
No, this wasn't just one of Buck's quirks, this was something else. The change was too drastic. She could see it in his eyes; he was tottering on an edge.
His last words to her after they parted came to her mind. He said he needed to see a marriage therapist. Was this a cry for help? Was he actually asking her to find him a therapist to talk to?
No, more likely he really wanted to fix his marriage. No doubt her parent's therapist would find it unusual, and may not take on Buck's case. Not to mention the embarrassment of explaining the weasel's strange nuptial situation. She could almost feel her cheeks getting redder at the thought. What to do?
I'm not his mother, nor am I a doctor. I am his friend, she told herself. And if he asked me to get him a marriage counselor, than that is what I'm going to do. And I'm going to introduce him to every member of my family. I just have to do it in a way where they don't all wig out.
"Okay, Frost. This is what we're going to do," Tundra started, once she had organized her thoughts. "We have to do some damage control. Once the news that I'm alive dies down, we'll take a few of my family aside and explain about Buck. Pop-Pop and Grammie should be first. They'll be more understanding and supporting our relationship."
"Relationship?" Frost asked, lifting an eye ridge up in suggestive questioning.
"Our friendship," Tundra said slowly, pronouncing the last word very carefully. "I don't know how my father will react, but we should tell him first anyway. As for my mother, she's probably going to go berserk about me coming back. I don't know if she can handle Buck soon after that."
"Really? I'd like to see how Buck will handle her," Frost muttered with a chuckle.
Tundra let her cousin have her fun, but couldn't see the humor in it. That was when the wind picked up and ruffled through her thin fur. She shivered, suddenly realizing that her body was very cold. She guessed that her mind was so preoccupied she didn't notice that her body was trembling uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered like a wood pecker looking for a particularly tasty grub.
"Let's hurry up. I'm freezing."
"Really? Today's pretty warm."
Tundra nearly hit her paw to her head. "I'm so stupid. I shed a few months ago. I don't have a winter coat any more!"
"What? Are you crazy? You'll freeze to death."
"Well, it's not like I had a choice. It was really warm down there," Tundra snapped, her mood getting darker by the minute.
Frost grumbled something inaudible, but relented. "Okay, let's run. That should warm you up."
Tundra was grateful it did. Her mood, also, improved immeasurably when she found out Frost was in no condition to keep up with her. All through their childhood, it had been the other way around. It was only then that Tundra realized how much she had changed, inside and out. Had it been that drastic? What would her family think of her? How would they react?
Tundra felt a knot of dread claw into her heart, and she had an instinctual desire not to return home. The stem of it came from questions that raced through her mind. Would her family like the changes she'd been through? Would they accept her as she is now? Or would they want her to return to what she was before she ran away?
Tundra recalled a feeling of waking up from a night's worth of fitful dreams and little sleep. Her brain was sluggish, and it felt like ice was melting off of it. It caused her eyes to go slightly unfocused, and it was hard to think about anything other than the basic needs.
That's what it felt like going home again.
Everything was familiar, yet it wasn't. Everything was just as it was when she left, but it was different. No, that wasn't right. She was different. She was a stranger in a familiar land. She wasn't sure if she should cry or run away. But she did neither since her body felt sluggish from the cold. She needed to get somewhere warm.
But all thoughts left her when she saw a mink's head slowly rising through the burrow entrance. She stopped as she recognized the face. She couldn't move as the mink's countenance slowly changed from disbelief, then broke out in a smile.
Tundra couldn't help herself; tears came unbidden to her eyes as she ran toward the mink.
"Daddy!" she cried out, realizing how much she missed being home.
When her body collided with her father's, she suddenly felt the anxiety and the feeling of not belonging melting away like the cold away from the heat of his fur. His arms wrapped around her protectively, and they made no sound as they sat in reverent silence.
Tundra couldn't think of a better way of coming home. This is how it is suppose to be, the feeling love and peace enveloping her. It wasn't something she experienced very often, so she cherished it above all.
"Honey, is someone there?" a female voice called from the tunnel.
Father and daughter both opened their eyes at the same time and turned their heads to the opening.
Tundra's mother moved slowly and backwards as if she were dragging something outside. Because of this, she didn't immediately see who her husband had in his arms.
"Honey? Are you alright?" she asked again, and turned her head to look at the two minks. "Who is-?"
Tundra smiled timidly as her mother stopped in mid-sentence and stared at her. "Hi mother," she said softly.
Tundra's mother dropped whatever she was dragging, and stumbled out into the snow with a look of disbelief. Once she was in front of her daughter, she stopped. With a trembling hand, she reached up and cupped Tundra's cheek. "Tundra?" she asked, a slight laugh in her voice.
"Yes, mother. It's me," Tundra said, feeling more tears come down her face. Tundra then grunted as her mom pulled her face into a bosom hug fiercely. She felt like she was a young pup again.
But the tearful reunion didn't last long. Her mother let go with a look of amazement on her face. "You're not dead," she stated with wide eyes.
"No, I'm not," Tundra said, suddenly uncomfortable. She expected her mother to demand an explanation.
"You're not dead!" her mother said again. Then she turned around and ran through the snow without an explanation.
"Mother?" Tundra said as she felt reality leaving with her mother. What was that about?
"Where is your mom going?" Frost asked as she joined the two minks.
Both Tundra and her father shrugged as they watched the running mink disappear.
"Maybe she wanted to tell everyone I'm still alive," Tundra guessed, thinking how much her mom liked to spread news, even if it wasn't always good.
Tundra felt pressure on her paw, and saw that her father had picked it up in his own. She smiled up at him lovingly as he led her to the burrow. That was when she realized how thin he was. His red-brown fur that was so like her own wasn't as shiny as it should be. She felt guilty knowing that her absence was the cause.
"Is Pop-Pop and Grammie still around?" she asked as they entered the tunnels.
Her father nodded with a small smile.
"Good, I have a great story to tell them," Tundra said.
Frost snorted. "You're grandmother isn't going to be happy. She was sure that she had predicted your death correctly."
They all laughed at that as they moved as one down the tunnels.
"Oh, you should see how big Peaches is. She's grown up so much," Ellie gushed continually.
Eddie and Crash both acted like they wanted to throw up when she wasn't looking.
"She's so cute when you play peek-a-boo with her. She laughs so much. And she just loves her uncle Diego so much," Ellie added, talking more to Buck than to her brothers. "She even has a cute little nickname for him. Digo! Isn't that adorable?"
Buck rode on one of Ellie's tusks, the pineapple cradled in his arms. His facial features seemed very bizarre. One minute he'll act like he was paying attention to what Ellie was saying, the next his eyes would wander the white landscape with hunched shoulders and clenched paws. Other times he'd stare off into space, a crazed look in his one eye as if he were looking at something afar off. The opossum twins (who sat on Ellie's other tusk) found this a little more disturbing than the usual Buck. Ellie didn't seem to notice.
"Wait, Peaches is talking?" Eddie asked, looking appalled. "We missed her first words."
"Yep. That's what you get for running out on us," Ellie said with narrowed eyes. "She has names for all of us. She calls Sid Poo-poo."
"That's a no brainer," Eddie mumbled.
"Hey, I think I can see her," Crash said, and stood up on Ellie's trunk, paw up to block out the sun.
They all peered to the horizon, and could see something puffy bouncing around in the powdery snow. When the wind died down a bit, they could hear faint giggling.
"That's my girl," Ellie said warmly. "Hold on, boys. This momma wants her baby." Without further ado, Ellie charged up the icy slope to where the unusual herd's home was.
Once in sight, Peaches squealed at the sight of her mother and rushed downward to meet her.
"Peaches!" Crash and Eddie shouted and jumped from Ellie's tusk to the ground to go greet their niece. However, it wasn't the welcome they expected.
Peaches, at the sight of the two long bodies running toward her, stopped in her tracks and started to whine as a baby only can.
"Huh? What's wrong, Peaches?" Eddie asked, stopping as well.
"It's Uncle Eddie and Crash," Crash said, his arms opened in front of him as if expecting a hug.
Peaches only sidled around them, and ran to hide behind her mother.
"Is she alright?" Crash asked, concern all over his face.
Ellie patted her daughter on the head with her trunk. "She's fine. But she did cry an awful lot when you left, and I guess she hasn't forgiven you."
Eddie's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry, Peaches. I'll never leave you again."
Crash rolled his eyes. "Dude, we live with our sister. No wonder we never get dates."
Ellie looked around, expecting to see a larger body nearby. Instead, the round waddling body of a sloth approached her. "Hey, Sid. Where's Manny?"
"He went to go get more fruit," Sid said with his lisp. "Peaches just loves melons."
"Wait, Peaches is eating solid food," Eddie said with moist large eyes. "Did we miss everything in the past two days?"
"Yep. And she has a tooth now, too," Ellie said proudly, yet reproachfully at her brothers.
"Those precious memories. Gone so quickly," Eddie said emotionally, and sniffed sadly.
During the bantering and while Eddie started crying into his tail for missing some of Peaches moments, Buck had slipped off of Ellie's tusk to go take a look at the young mammoth. He poked and prodded the young babe, looking up her trunk, and checking her eyes and ears. Peaches found this to no ends amusing, and giggled at the gruff looking weasel.
"Buck, what are you doing?" Ellie asked, one eyebrow raised.
Buck squeezed Peaches's foreleg experimentally. "She round an' flabby, an' doesn't have a single killer instinct. She won' last long in this world."
"Of course she is. She's just a baby," Ellie said with amusement and reproach. She hugged Peaches to her leg. "And you forgot she's just the cutest thing in the world."
"Cute won't prevent you from getting eat'n," Buck said with a wild look. "An' stop mother-coddlin' her."
Ellie looked as if she were going to give the weasel an earful (as well as a trunkful), when she spied her daughter pushing something around in the snow. "Ah, don't do that honey. That's not yours."
Peaches looked up with wide eyes, but pushed the pineapple around a little more.
Ellie was going to reach down and pull the fruit away from her daughter's reach, but Buck stopped her.
"Oh, let 'em be. My wife loves children. She'll make sure yer precious mini-mammoth isn't harmed," Buck said with affection toward the pineapple.
"You have a wife?" Sid asked, ready to make friends with the new mammal. He had been quiet so far since he was trying to remember who the weasel was. "I would never have guessed you'd find anyone down there. It was hard enough being a single parent with three children."
"Nah, we met at one o' those speed datin' things," Buck said with a shrug. "An' after a night hittin' some fermented fruit, BAM, we was married. Couldn't be happier."
Ellie and her brothers made eye contact. All three of them were thinking the same thing. Reality was seriously bent around these two.
"So, where's the little woman?" Sid asked expectantly.
Buck frowned. "Are ya blind, mammal? She's right there," Buck said, pointing with both paws to Peaches and the pineapple.
Sid straightened his back a little as if looking for someone beyond Peaches. "I don't see her."
"Rough brown skin. Green leaves on top," Buck said obviously. "Can't ya see her?"
"What? The pineapple? You're married to the pineapple?" Sid asked in disbelief. He narrowed his eyes at the fruit Peaches was playing with. "That has got to be the most hideous fruit in existence. And I know hideous."
Faster than a saber, Buck had knocked Sid to the snow, his tooth knife at the sloth's throat. "Watch wha ya say about someone's wife. You got that, mate?" Buck said in a dangerous growl.
Sid tried to sink further into the snow. After a while, he managed to squeak out, "Got it."
Buck jumped up, and tossed his knife back into the sheaf with a jovial look. "Glad we got that sorted out," he told Sid. He patted the sloth on the back. "We'll be great pals."
"Yeah, we will," Sid said nervously, and slowly scooted away.
At that moment, two dots appeared over the snow hill. One was a dark brown with a little red mixed in. The other dot was smaller, and a tan color.
"Oh, it looks like Daddy is home," Ellie told her daughter, but Peaches was too preoccupied with kicking the pineapple around.
The herd waited for the last two members to approach. Manny had a half dozen melons in his trunk while Diego prowled nearby with one clamped in his jaws. Diego looked very uncomfortable since his teeth weren't made for such work.
"I can't believe you left Peaches alone with Sid," Ellie said with a silly grin on her face once her mate was nearby.
Manny tried to look stoic. "Diego said he saw some melons when he went hunting, and I didn't want to run out."
"Really?" Ellie asked, and looked toward their stock of melons. It was twice as tall as Peaches.
The male mammoth grinned sheepishly, but shrugged it off. "You know how much she eats. And we were only gone a couple of minutes."
"Yeah, you're a real boy scout," Diego muttered as he dropped the melon he had clenched in his jaws. He put a paw up to his lower jaw, and rubbed it as he opened and shut his mouth experimentally. "That's the last time I'm doing that. I think I dislocated something."
"Well, thank you for taking care of the baby," Ellie said, putting her trunk onto Manny's. "You've certainly earned that father of the year award."
Manny smiled warmly at his wife, but pulled away when he saw Sid looking up at him with a gushy look. "What? Finding melons in the middle of the Ice Age? That is nothing," he tried to say modestly. "Anything for my little Princess. Where is she? Come to Da- WHAT is that thing in her mouth!?"
Manny nearly jumped when he saw that Peaches was gumming some hideous, and obviously mutated object that couldn't be from this Earth. He reached down with his trunk, and cautiously pulled it out of his daughter's mouth.
"Who gave her this. . . whatever it is?" Manny asked, skeptically eying the object.
"That's me wife," Buck said as he jumped onto Manny's tusk.
The appearance of the weasel startled the mammoth once more, and he dropped the saliva covered pineapple.
Buck deftly caught his pineapple wife while still keeping his balance. "Jumpy as usual," he commented, giving Manny a wild grin.
"Hey, Buck!" Diego called out, excited by the appearance of the wild mammal. "You're still alive, you sonnofa beaver."
"Rudy ain't got me yet," Buck growled happily. He jumped down from Manny's tusk onto Diego's back. "I thought I'd come up, an' check on my favorite mammals."
"I didn't think you'd ever leave Rudy," Diego told him. "There's nothing up here that comes close to that adrenaline rush."
"You got that right, mate," Buck said, and sniffed loudly. "But me an' the missus decided we needed a vacation, if you don' mind us bunkin' with ya."
"Not on your life, psycho," Manny muttered.
Ellie quickly hushed him with a glare.
"He saved all our lives," Ellie told him with a hiss. "You even wanted him to join the herd."
"Yeah, that was before I was a responsible parent," Manny told his wife. "I don't want him near my daughter."
"You let Sid watch Peaches," Ellie argued.
"Sid is stupid, not INSANE," Manny hissed back.
"Buck, you're welcome to stay with us as long as you want," Ellie said as she turned away from the male mammoth. "We're happy to have you."
Manny rolled his eyes skyward, but knew there was nothing he could do to change his wife mind. He just had to roll with the punches. It didn't mean he had to like it or support it. However, a death glare from Ellie made him speak up as well. "Yeah, yeah. Mi casa, su casa," he mumbled and stomped away broodingly.
In a thicket not too far away from where the unusual herd stayed, and also not far away from Tundra and her family's tunnels, a group of minks had gathered together in a grand group. All were brushed and groomed very nicely, with pretty flowers adorning their fur. Most of them were sitting on rocks or logs that were placed in rows. In the middle of the sitting minks was a cleared pathway lined with flower petals. At the front were a group of male minks on one side, and a group of female minks on the other, all standing to attention and facing the audience.
This was obviously a wedding, and they were waiting for the bride to arrive.
Instead, Tundra's mother came running down the isle, yelling that they have to stop the wedding. The minks burst into a clatter of voices as the female mink interrupted the ceremony. Already, those who recognized her were whispering about the latest gossip involving her daughter. Soon, everyone knew that Tundra had been the groom's earlier fiance, and that she had died a few months ago. There was a smattering of rumors being spread; stories and surmises of all kinds jumped from mink to mink. One was that the groom hadn't waited long to find someone else to marry, which told of his sensitivity. Some thought that Tundra's mother was so grieved that she thought that this was her daughter's wedding. A few stood up after a small rumor spread that the groom had murdered Tundra, and the mother was coming for revenge.
The rumors grew bigger once Tundra's mother stopped by the elderly mink at the very pinnacle of the wedding who would wed the two minks together. Tundra's mother talked to him, and then started to talk to the groom. Soon the grooms' and bride's parents came up to the group, and they were all discussing something in whispers. The audience hushed their rumor-mongering and strained to hear what was being exchanged.
After a while, the elderly mink stepped forward and raised his paws in the air for silence, which didn't take long. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I'm afraid that I have some news that some of you may have guessed the nature of. Under certain circumstances, I am obliged to call this wedding off. It appears that this good mink," he gestured to Tundra's mother before continuing on, "had arranged with the groom's parents that their son should marry her daughter. It was called off because the daughter was reported dead. That appears to be a misleading lie now. She, in fact, was only missing. She has now returned, and this mink demands the groom's parents to uphold their bargain. I am inclined to agree. I'm sorry that you have gathered here for nothing."
Once more the audience burst into a cacophony of voices, this time louder than before. The only other noise came from a young female mink in the back that was holding a bouquet of white roses. She dropped the bouquet and ran off sobbing as loudly as she could.
Tundra's mother stood in the front, accepting a few congratulations of a few minks she knew or was related to. She looked as smug as a saber that just cornered a helpless infant gazelle.
Down in the ground, away from the chilling air and snow, a group of minks sat in a hollowed room. It was the biggest room Tundra's family had dug out, and if it wasn't for a tree's roots, they wouldn't have been able to make such a big den. A normal room usually had room for two minks to move around comfortably, but this one could fit a dozen or more if they didn't mind bumping into each other. Right now, Tundra's grandparents, her father, Frost, two uncles, one aunt and a pawful of cousins sat around Tundra as she told her story.
She wasn't planning on telling anyone the full story until they had met Buck, but a few of the cousins were very young and they spotted the knife she kept tied to her back. That started more than a few questions being pushed at her. Tundra tried to give them simple answers, but soon she had been encouraged to tell the whole story. Everyone was engaged as the tale was spun. There was gasping, sighing and laughter all at the right parts, and question after question fired at her from everyone until they realized she'll get to the answers eventually. Of course, she left out a few personal details, but every other danger-filled moment was retailed with dramatic reenactment.
She was to the part where she and Buck were rescuing the baby T-Rex from the killer plants when another mink came into the tunnel. Her presence caused a wave of quiet that started with those who spotted her and spread quickly until it ended with Tundra.
"Mother!" Tundra squeaked out in surprise, standing up quickly. With nothing more to say, she just popped out the question that was on her mind. "Where did you go?"
"Mmmm? Oh, I had an errand to run," the older mink said as she went to her daughter. She rubbed her daughter's shoulders and then started patting down a tuft of fur on her head. "Darling, your fur is so dry. You know you should condition it after washing. And you look so thin. You should eat more, and keep up your strength."
Tundra starred at her mother in disbelief. "Mother, I came back after being missing for months, and, your first action is to run errands and criticize my appearance."
"Tundra, you know I love you," her mother said as she cupped Tundra's chin. "I truly missed you. Besides, my little side trip was for you, sweetheart."
Tundra raised an eyebrow. I almost forgot how much of a confusing female my mother is, she thought to herself.
"That's enough," Tundra's grandpa said grumpily. "Clarissa, you can talk to your daughter later. Tundra was in the middle of a great story."
"Story?" Tundra's mother asked. She looked around and looked as if she didn't realize there were more minks in the room.
"Tundra's telling how she found dinosaurs," one of the little cousins chirped up. He was bouncing on his seat excitedly."
"Dinosaurs," Tundra's mother said with a smile that said she didn't believe it. "Well, I'm sure she can finish her fairy tale tomorrow."
"It's not fairy tale," a younger cousin said who had her tail in her mouth. "She fell through the ice, and a big terra-duck-tile caught her and took her to a nest."
"Yeah. They were going to eated her," the first cousin said with wide eyes.
"Tundra, please don't tell your cousins wild stories," Tundra's mother ordered with a glare. "You'll keep them up all night."
"Buck isn't a wild story. And neither is Rudy," a third cousin shouted. He was older, and quite captivated by Tundra's adventure.
The female mink narrowed her eyes. "Buck and Rudy? Are they dinosaurs?"
"No, Buck's a weasel. He saved Tundra, and taught her how to fight dinosaurs," the older cousin said, and bared his teeth like Rudy.
"Well, he didn't exactly," Tundra said, wilting under the gaze of her mother. When she concentrated on her younger cousins, her confidence came back. "He taught me how to survive in that savage jungle. Because if you don't – CHOMP – and you're somebody's dinner." She also pulled out her knife to scare them a little more.
The cousins laughed at her scary voice and the actions she used.
"Oh, for glacier's sake, Tundra. Do you want them to have nightmares?" the older mink said with a wave of her paw. She glared down at the knife. "And where did you get such a dangerous thing? Put that away."
Tundra did so timidly, feeling small under her mother's look.
"And as for these silly tales of Buddy and Ruck. . ."
"Buck and Rudy," the little minks corrected their aunt in unison.
"Whatever. If you tell strange stories like these, who knows what the neighbors will think of you," Tundra's mother said, looking worried.
"Mother, they're all true. I'm telling them what happened to me while I was gone," Tundra said, trying to smile. "I really did see dinosaurs and my friend, Buck, he saved me so many times. It was so much fun. An adventure. An actual adventure."
"I knew those silly pirate stories would give you ideas," Tundra's mother muttered and glared at the elderly male mink that was waiting patiently for the story to continue. "Dear, nobody will believe you saw dinosaurs. We all know they are extinct."
Tundra looked around the room at everyone's faces. Her little cousins looked up with bright eyes, pure belief in their faces. But as for the adults, they looked sheepishly at her as if her mother's words were true. Even her father looked skeptical in his own quiet way. The only ones who were on her side, beside the little ones, were her grandparents.
"I saw them, too," Frost said in her usual devil-may-care attitude. "I went looking for her a few days ago, not that any of you cared that I disappeared too."
Tundra's mother didn't seem all that impressed. "I'm sure you sound terribly convincing. But it's now time to put away these fantasies, and start living in the real world."
Tundra's ears had slowly lowered to her head until she looked cowed, and she slightly curled up into herself. The only one who noticed this was her cousin, Frost.
The white mink knew the kind of influence Tundra's mother had on her entire family. She had been witness to what it did to her cousin all her life. Frost was the only one who knew the real Tundra Growing up, Tundra was timid, and allowed herself to be bullied by her mother. Frost never persuaded her too much, knowing it was hard for Tundra to stand up to her mother. However, Frost was hoping that a few months with Buck had strengthened her self-esteem, and given her courage enough to lead her own life. But in a matter of minutes, the toughened, bright-eyed Tundra that had burst out of a hardened shell, had disappeared. The white mink couldn't believe the transformation.
It broke Frost's heart to see the real Tundra was fading away. She had a feeling that unless she did something, Tundra wouldn't recover.
"I'm not as convincing as Buck," Frost said smugly. "He's coming over tomorrow."
A few of the adults gasped at that, and the young minks went into a frenzy.
"You mean, he came with you?"
"Can we meet him?"
"Did he bring Rudy?"
Frost gave her aunt a cheerful smile as she felt a cold stare. "Yeah, he'll meet all of you. Tundra wants to introduce him to the family."
Tundra slapped a paw over her face. This was not how she wanted to break the news to her mother about Buck. She could already feel her mother's glare shift from Frost to her. She looked up to confirm it.
"Tundra. . . ?"
The thought of Buck emboldened her. She straightened her back to look her mother straight in the face. "If you hadn't run off, mother, I would have told you earlier," Tundra said in a firm but quiet voice. "Buck has done a lot for me, and he came all this way to make sure I came home safely. The least I could offer him was invite him to see our home and entertain him for a time. He's my friend." The last sentence was said tentatively. Tundra knew what her mother would think if she were friends with a weasel.
"A friend?" her mother repeated with a raised eyebrow.
Everyone in the room watched the drama unfold with wide eyes and ears. This was good stuff. There hadn't been any new gossip for a while from Clarissa's family. However, the tone of voice and facial expression of the female mink was unreadable, yet it gave everyone chills.
Tundra's mother smiled warmly, but there seemed to be an underlying emotion that said she wasn't happy. "And he saved your life," she said with her fake smile. "Then I guess I should show my appreciation as well. He did save my only child, and brought her back to me."
"From dinosaurs," Frost reiterated stubbornly.
Tundra's mother's smile broadened. "Well, then that does call for a celebration. My daughter's life spared, and the existence of dinosaurs," she looked at Tundra. "Let's have a party then. Everyone will want to know that you are alive. And they can meet you're charming friend."
Tundra's face appeared long. "Everyone? No, that's alright. Just a small dinner. He's not a very social mammal."
"Come on. Let me do this," Tundra's mother pleaded, looking more sincere. "I haven't seen my daughter in moons. That's cause for celebration. We'll invite the neighbors, and it's a good thing all the family is still on this side of the woods."
Tundra opened her mouth to protest, but didn't have the energy after talking with her mother. She nodded softly, and looked away from her mother.
"Then it's settled. We'll throw it tomorrow night," Tundra's mother said, clasping her paws together. "I have so much to do, so much planning. You can return to you're little story, dear. I'll get out of the way." With that, just as sudden as her arrival, the female mink was gone.
"Weird!" Frost whispered to her cousin. "I don't trust that mammal, Tundra."
Tundra was rubbing her forehead in frustration. It felt good to be back home until her mother came home. And now she had to deal with family craziness along side with whatever Buck was going through. She was going to need serious therapy.
Therapist!
Tundra suddenly remembered some of the last words Buck said to her. She needed to find him a marriage counselor. Without thinking further, she ran after her mother without a word to Frost.
"Hey, Mother, wait up," Tundra called down the tunnel so she could catch up with the mink.
"Hmmm. Oh, what is it, sweetie?"
"Um," she stuttered, realizing that popping the question out of nowhere would be strange. "Hey, thanks for the party-thing. I'm sure Buck will feel welcomed by it."
That was so lame, she thought to herself.
"Anything for you, Tundra," her mother said with a modest pose. "After all, we need to show others how proper mammals should act."
The underlying insult stung at Tundra's pride, but her heart wasn't in for another argument. Instead, she just wanted to get away from the female. "Um, Mom. Is that badger therapist still around?" she just blurted out without explanation.
"Dr. Honeybee? That sweet doctor that saved your father's marriage?" Tundra's mother asked sweetly. "Why yes? He just helped my sister get through a bitter divorce. It was too bad he couldn't salvage that wreck, but what can you do? Not everyone is as solid as my marriage."
Tundra's heart fell even further. Was it just because she'd been gone so long and wasn't used to it, or was her mother a little more backbiting than usual? Maybe the news of Buck aggravated her mother more than usual, and she was just lashing out to relieve stress.
"Um, yes. I need to talk to him. Where's his office?"
"But he's a marriage councilor, darling," her mother scoffed. "Don't you think it's a little too early to think about that?"
"Huh?" Tundra asked in confusion.
"Well, if you need to see a therapist, then let's find someone else. From what I heard from your story telling and about this Buck character, you probably do need one."
Tundra was about to tell her mother that the therapist wasn't for her, but for Buck. But then she thought of what her mother would say about Buck with a rocky marriage, not to mention that his wife was a pineapple. Sure, Buck was eccentric, but she had a feeling her mother would drag his name through the mud. Tundra had an overwhelming desire to protect Buck from any besmirching, even if he wasn't there to witness it.
"It's none of your business, mother," Tundra pronounced firmly. She then turned her tail to the other mink, and left. She'd get the information somewhere else.
Ice pirates lead a horrible, and dangerous life. Not only do they have to protect themselves from the elements of nature, predators and anyone who wants revenge for some misdeed they committed, but they also have to watch out for their fellow pirates. There's a pecking order to an ice ship of brigands, and each is looking for an opening to move upward. But at the same time, they have to watch out for those lower on the totem pole.
It wasn't any different on the Blight, which was the name of Red Claw's ice ship.
Captain Red Claw had done some despicable things to get where he was, and each one he was proud of. He bragged and brayed about each and everyone of them. Except one.
Everyone knew that long ago, there was one mammal that had gotten the best of Captain Red Claw. This mammal had given it back plus more to Red Claw, and had gotten away with it.
That mammal was Buck. And every pirate knew that anyone who managed to mutter the weasel's name would loose a limb at best. Which was why nobody dared to breathe once the Captain growled out that forbidden name.
And now, at the behest of their leader, the dire wolves and sabers were working overtime to travel night and day and night once more. Everyone was tired, but nobody was willing to say anything to their leader. The insane gleam in the pack rat's eyes spoke of death to those who stood in his way.
"I think we should take a break."
The crew swung their heads as one to see who dared tell the Captain what to do.
"It would do no good to kill the crew," Glacier said in a calm tone.
Every animal on the ice ship, worked frantically while keeping ears open to the conversation. Glacier had often reasoned with Captain Red Claw on occasion, but that was usually when the pack rat wasn't in one of his moods. This could only end in blood. The question was: Whose?
Captain Red Claw had proved his ability in combat, often in front of the crew. He preferred to fight to an audience. His front teeth had been filed down in a sharp point which he used to end his fights, and he also kept daggers made from the bones of his victims. But his favorite weapon were his claws, which was where he earned his name. There was no doubt that Red Claw was a violent and dangerous mammal.
But Glacier was another matter. Where Red Claw was savage and hot-blooded, Glacier was cool and calculating. Nobody had ever seen the ferret fight, but he held himself with a murderer's confidence. Those of the crew that stood in the way of his agenda had mysteriously disappeared, including Red Claw's previous first mate. In a way, the crew was more terrified of Glacier than their captain. Red Claw will at least give an animal a warning before he'll kill them. But you never know when a knife will appear in the dark or poison in your food if you ever cross paths with Glacier.
Red Claw turned his attention onto his first mate with a deadly glare from his red eyes. "I didn't ask ya what ya thought. I said we're not stoppin' until we find Buck, an' that's just what this crew will do until they do as they're told, or they die," the pack rat hissed.
Glacier wasn't fazed by Red Claw's words. "I realized that you're priorities have changed on a whim, but I just think that we need to consider different tactics."
"Don't use yer fancy words 'round me," Red Claw shouted at the ferret. "Are ya challengin' me?"
"Hardly," Glacier said in a stoic tone. "I trust that your tracking skills know an approximate location of your ex-companion, but I doubt that you could pinpoint his exact location. Nor can you determine how far away his is. Am I correct?"
Red Claw's fiery demeanor cooled a bit at the question. "Well. . .I guess."
"Then perhaps we should send out a scouting party to determine where Buck is, while the crew rests for a few hours. Once we're rested, I would also suggest we travel at a more conservative pace so we don't miss our quarry," Glacier quickly explained, his cold blue eyes staring down at his captain in a way that made everyone uncomfortable. "That way, it will also give you time to plan out your revenge, since I believe that is your goal."
"Plan my revenge? Yes, that I do," Red Claw said softly. "Perhaps, we can rest for a piece. Tell the crew that we'll stop until the sun rises. An' wake the birds. It's time they earned their gruel."
The pack rat and ferret moved away from each other, each to do their own thing. Neither of them noticed a small mouse creeping around among the icicles. He was small for a mouse, which made it easier for him to eavesdrop without being seen. Once the two malicious mammals were busy, the mouse sat up and twitched his whiskers.
Without another word, the mouse scrambled against the ice of the ship, his tiny claws helping him navigate the vehicle. From what he heard, he had to reach the aviary before Glacier. If that chilly-eyed ferret found out what he was going to do, nothing would save his hide.
It was only because Glacier went to talk to the crew first that saved the small mouse, and he arrived to the aviary first.
The aviary was a small room carved out of the ice ship to accommodate a few dozen birds. There were crude branches shoved into ice walls for perches, and the floor was covered in the occupants droppings. It was a usual punishment to clean up the aviary, and most of the crew avoided causing trouble just so they wouldn't have to.
Most of the birds were scavengers: crows, ravens and buzzards. However, once in a while, a bird of prey or even a seed-eater joined up. There was a couple of owls, a eagle that lost one leg, three magpies and a few song birds that looked like their song would make anyone sour.
The little mouse stayed hidden, not wanting any of the birds to see that he was there, especially the owls. There was no punishment for eating a member of the crew. After much scrambling, and careful climbing, he finally reached the perched he wanted.
An old female raven sat on the perch snoring loudly.
The little mouse crawled up the raven's feathers until he sitting on her neck, right behind her head.
"Gilda! Glida!" the mouse shouted in a whisper in the raven's ears.
Having lived with pirates all her life, Gilda knew not to panic when she heard someone whispering her name in a warning tone. Slowly, she lifted her head as if she were naturally waking up.
"Who's there?" she cawed softly, shifting her head around slowly. She had to swivel her head more than others since she was blind in one eye. It was milky from a cataract that inflicted her a year ago. But that still didn't stop her from flying when the need came, although nobody expected her to. Everyone on the ship treated her like a grandmother. She was the oldest member of the ship, and a lot of the crew had been mothered by her at one point or another.
"It's me, Longtail," the little mouse whispered back.
"Ah, Longtail. Have you come to. . ."
"I didn't come to chat. We don't have time," Longtail interrupted. "Red Claw is in a fenzy. He's scented Buck!"
"Buck. I haven't heard that rascal's name in so long," Gilda cackled from her memories. "So, Red Claw is finally after his revenge."
"He's sending out the birds. Glacier will be here in no time with the order," Longtail hissed. "I need you to fly with the flock. I have to warn Buck before Red Claw gets to him."
Gilda's eyes widened. "Dangerous words, little mouse. Are you sure you want to go against Red Claw?"
Longtail knew what happened to traitors and deserters. They were all hunted down and fed to the wolves and sabers. Nobody had gotten away with that kind of treason from Red Claw. Nobody, except one.
"It doesn't matter. I owe Buck my life," Longtail said to Gilda. "If it means keeping Buck out of Red Claw's bloody grip, than so help me, I'll do it."
Gilda stretched her wings stiffly. "Then so be it. I also owe much to that pesky weasel. It'll be good to see him."
A few of the birds on lower perches stirred.
"That must be Glacier. Quick, hide in my feathers," Gilda whispered softly, acting as if she were preening.
Longtail did as he told, trembling a little as he heard Glacier's words ordering the flock to find Buck, leave a few behind to watch over the weasel while the rest return to report. It was said in such a cold way, Longtail shivered despite being cozy in Gilda's feathers.
Soon after Glacier spoke, the flock took to wing. They flew in a messy formation out of the small opening in the aviary, and circled around the mast of the ice ship to gain height before flying in the heading Red Claw had given them. The bird at the apex of the formation was a crow, one who knew Buck.
Longtail knew he'd never be allowed back on the ship and he was flying to a death sentence. His only problem now was staying alive long enough to save a life.
It had been a hard night for Tundra, being back in her old room. Frost had stayed over because it was too late for her to go home, and Frost made the excuse that she didn't want to be alone right now. But even with Frost's company, Tundra couldn't sleep. She lay in her bed listening to her cousin's breathing.
It wasn't the same room for her anymore. It wasn't her room anymore. It was a room that belonged to a mink that disappeared months ago. She couldn't help getting a feeling of homesickness, but couldn't admit to herself that all she wanted to do was go back down into that dangerous jungle.
The cold of the tunnel wasn't as biting as outside, but it still clawed through Tundra's thin fur. Even huddled up against her cousin's backside didn't keep out the chill. But that wasn't what was keeping her awake. It was the worry of what the next day would bring.
There were so many worries that scrambled across her brain. It was torment to her as she tried to think of why Buck was acting strangely. And then there were the many scenarios of what would happen once she introduced Buck to the family. What would Buck do? What would her family say? How was her mother going to react? Tundra could feel all the muscles in her body tense up more and more as she kept thinking about everything.
Finally, after tossing and turning, Tundra sat up and left her cousin sleeping soundly to walk up and down the tunnels. She did that until the opening of the tunnel started to lighten up. The reddish brown mink didn't wait any further. She decided to leave before anyone else woke up. It was too early to deal with any of her relatives.
The night before, she had asked an aunt about Dr. Honeybee, and had gotten instructions on where his burrow was. Tundra went straight to that burrow to make the appointment for Buck. It was her goal and hope that once Buck received some counseling like he wanted, he'd return home and give her some space to let her feelings for him die out. She just wanted Buck to be normal and happy. It was her opinion that it was her own presence that was messing up his life, and that needed to be rectified.
When Tundra arrived at the burrow, she hesitated to knock on a crude wooden plank that blocked the entry way. For one, it was still a little dark outside. The sun hadn't even peaked over the horizon. Would the badger even be up at this hour? For another thing, weren't badgers grumpy and carnivorous?
Suddenly, this didn't seem like a good idea to her. Tundra's body was trembling from the cold and at the thought of confronting an angry badger. Should she turn around and come back later?
What? Are you afriad of a little badger? He ain't no Rudy.
The voice suddenly popped into her head as if the weasel himself was standing right beside her. That was all Tundra needed to remember that she had faced off with dinosaurs, giant fish and flesh eating plants. What was one badger to all she accomplished?
Without further hesitation, she knocked boldly on the plank of wood, and waited patiently.
After a while, she heard scraping around in the burrow, and then claws pushing away the plank of wood. On the other side was a frazzled looking badger with a calm look on his face.
"I'm sorry if I woke you," Tundra said with a straight back.
"No, no. I've been awake for hours. Insomnia, and all that," Dr. Honeybee grumbled with a shake of his head. "Ironic. A therapist with insomnia. The only patient I haven't been able to help is myself."
Tundra smiled, which made the badger smile as well. She determined that if all badgers were ill-tempered, she found the exception to the rule.
"What can I do for you, m'dear?" Dr. Honeybee asked kindly. "Would you come in for some breakfast?"
Tundra accepted the polite invitation, but felt nervous about what kind of breakfast the badger would be having. To her surprise, the badger's table was set with mostly things minks would eat like nuts, fruit, fish and eggs, although there were also roots, tubors, and a pile of insects. It was only then that Tundra remembered that badger's like to eat the occasional frog or bird, but it the meantime, preferred not to eat anybody.
"Please, help yourself," the badger waved a clawed paw slowly as he settled down himself. "You have the look of someone with much on their mind."
Tundra gave him a thankful smile, and sat down gracefully. She took a few bites of the nutrition before speaking. "Actually, I'm here on behalf of a friend of mine. He's having marriage problems."
The badger looked surprised and disappointed at the same time, but didn't say anything.
"He's from. . .a far off, and asked me to find a therapist for him," Tundra explained further. "I know it's short notice, but I would appreciate it if you could see him and his pi. . .er. . .wife as soon as you could."
The badger ate in silence for a moment and then spoke. "You are quite a friend to be willing to do this for him. I, however, sense there is more to the story than the usual martial differences. I wouldn't usually ask for information before a session, and especially not from a third party, but I'd like you to tell me more about your friend."
Dr. Honeybee's eyes locked onto hers, and Tundra had the feeling that he knew more about her feelings for her friend than she was willing to admit to a stranger.
"His name is Buck, and he's a weasel," Tundra said, wondering if she should stay ambiguous or if she should just blurt everything out. In the end, she realized he was going to find out sooner or later, so might as well get it over with. "And he's married to a pineapple."
This last sentence was said right before the badger took a bite of food, and he promptly coughed as it went down the wrong tube. After composing himself, he admitted, "Never in all my years would I have expected anything like that. If you would, please elaborate. Tell me everything about Buck."
And Tundra did. She told him everything from the beginning, including her running away from her marriage. She, of course, left out all the violent and gory details, sticking with what she knew about Buck. She didn't end until she told the badger about leaving Buck, and how strangely he was acting. At the end of her tale, Dr. Honeybee asked about Buck's past, how he arrived at the dinosaur's land, and how he ended up as the husband to a piece of fruit. Tundra, ashamed, admitted she didn't know anything like that about Buck. It was then that she wondered if she really knew the real Buck. Perhaps he was acting strangely around her, and he had now reverted back to his old self.
The doctor had left the silence hang for minutes. He was scratching his chin with a large claw in thought. After a while, he turned back to Tundra with caring eyes. "I believe I will see Buck this afternoon. Tell him to bring his 'wife' for his appointment."
"Sir?" Tundra asked confused. "But you're a marriage counselor."
"Out of necessity. Marriage therapy pays much more than anything else," the badger said with humor. "I usually do other counseling pro bono, but its been a while since I've taken on a case this interesting."
Tundra realized what the badger was saying. "So you're going to pretend its a marriage therapy session?" she asked, feeling dread in her chest. "But I don't want Buck to change. At least, I want him to be his old, happy self. Please, don't change him. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." Tundra was about to bolt out of the den when the badger tenderly stopped her with a careful claw.
"You misunderstand me. My goal isn't to change him, but to help him through whatever issues he's going through," Dr. Honeybee explained. "You're friend seems to be suffering from being isolated for far too long, and has made the pineapple anthropomorphic to deal with the loneliness. That has nothing to do with the personality that you know. I'm sure of it."
Tundra looked at him with a sad face. "I don't even care if he still thinks he's married to that stupid pineapple. He wasn't happy yesterday. That wasn't Buck. He needs to be Buck again."
"Then let me see him just once. Perhaps by pretending to help his marriage, I can find out what is really bothering him," the badger told her. "And to be honest, I don't change people. Mostly I ask questions and listen. It is the patients that have to choose if they want to change."
That explanation seemed to calm Tundra down, and she nodded. "I'll bring him this afternoon. Right before the party."
"A party? Yes, that is good," the badger told her. "Social interaction is good for those who have been isolated."
Tundra thanked Dr. Honeybee for the meal, and said her good-byes before leaving for home.
Out of an old instinct that Tundra hadn't felt for a while, she avoided her family. She didn't do this to stave off questions and comments about her missing months and the gossip about Buck. She did it because she worried about seeing Buck once more, and about his appointment with Dr. Honeybee. It was irrational for her to be nervous about all this, but she couldn't help herself.
However, when the time came to go get Buck for his counseling, Tundra had an inane desire for everyone's company and to procrastinate the moment. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to go alone, and sought Frost's presence. After asking around after the white mink, Tundra learned that her cousin went home.
Frost, always the black sheep, had left home as soon as she was old enough to take care of herself. She had found a dead oak log that was hollowed out, and took possession of it as her own. It was an independent life that Tundra was always envious of, and, until she had run away, she never had the guts to do likewise.
The hollow tree was like a second home to Tundra, and she didn't even think twice about letting herself in. When she found the front of Frost's home empty, she called out her cousin's name and went in deeper. Tundra didn't hear an answer to her calling, but after a while, she could hear the rustling of dry leaves and bark.
"Frost?"
"Tundra? What are you doing here?"
The reddish brown mink hurried toward the voice, thinking that Frost sounded frantic.
"Are you okay?" Tundra asked, turning into another room.
"I'm fine," Frost shouted a bit too loudly, and rushed to her cousin. There were more sounds of rustling as she ran. Frost met her cousin at the entry into the room, and pushed her back with a big smile. "I didn't know you were coming over."
Tundra raised an eyebrow at Frost's nervous talk, but ignored it. Frost's business was mysterious, and often best left unknown. "I was going to get Buck for his therapy session, but I don't want to go alone. Will you come with me?"
Frost seemed relieved with what Tundra said, and readily agreed. Soon the two females were walking toward Ellie and Manny's home.
"Really? Therapy?" Frost asked once Tundra explained everything. "Finally that weasel is going to get some help. I hope that doctor puts him on something, because he's nuts."
"He is not," Tundra defended.
Frost gave her a look that said "Yeah right. And if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you."
"Okay, so he's a little eccentric. But I don't want to him to change. And I don't think he wants to either," Tundra told Frost. "I think he's unhappy right now."
Frost rolled her eyes. "And you think that fixin' his marriage is going to make him happy? Or is it you want the doc to tell him that he can't be married to a pineapple?"
Tundra felt her cheeks heat up out of shame. She had been carrying the guilt that she might have talked to Dr. Honeybee for her own selfish desires. She shook her head to answer herself as well as Frost's questions. "I want whatever is best for Buck."
"Even if that means that he goes back to 'dinotopia' with his tropical love, and you never see him again," Frost said, her voice exaggerating.
Tundra wanted so much to shout out "NO", to say how she really felt, but she didn't want to sound selfish. Instead, she hung her head, accepting that Frost spoke a prediction that was bound to come true.
The white mink frowned at her cousin's reaction. This wasn't what she had hoped for in the shyer mink. She had been looking for certain ideas and answers from Tundra that her questioning should have brought out. But instead, they had the opposite effect. Frost opened her mouth to say something else, but was stopped when Tundra stepped in front of her.
"There's a saber," Tundra whispered and pulled out her knife smoothly. "You run to the trees. I'll make sure he doesn't follow."
Fear stabbed into Frost's instincts, and she was about to spring away to safety, but the saber was strangely familiar.
"I think that's Diego," Frost whispered, not entirely sure of herself.
"Who?"
"One of Ellie's friends."
"A saber and a mammoth are friends?"
"You don't know Ellie. She thinks everyone should be friends."
"Well, are you sure its this Diego tiger?"
"Maybe. Let's check. HEY DIEGO!"
The two minks cowered together with wide eyes to see what the saber-toothed tiger would do. To Tundra's surprise, he pricked up his ears at the noise, looked their way and slowly sauntered toward them.
"Oh, hey. You're Ellie's friend," the saber said in a calm voice. Then his eyes went to Tundra, and he looked a little more interested. "And you're Tundra, right?"
"Yes?" Tundra said suspiciously. "How do you know me?"
"Eddie and Crash talk about you none stop, especially with Buck telling about your escapades," Diego said with a smile. "I gotta say, that was pretty cool how you escaped from Rudy."
"Yeah?" Tundra said, feeling good about being complimented by a saber. "Just don't ask me to do it again for you."
Diego chuckled.
"And speaking of Buck, we're looking for him," Frost hinted that they were looking for directions.
Diego gestured with his head. "I haven't seen him for a while. Why don't you ask the opossums? They've been jumping all over him."
"Kids," Frost said with a smug shrug.
Diego repeated the gesture knowingly.
Before they headed off after Buck, Tundra stopped Diego for a quiet word. "Hey, you knew Buck before I did. Is he acting a little. . . stranger than usual?"
Diego thought about it, and then shook his head. "Naw, same old Buck. Except for that creepy pineapple. That's weird, even for Buck."
Tundra nodded, and let the feline off to do his own thing.
A few more minutes of trudging through drifts of snow brought them to a frequently trampled area. It was soon apparent that the snow had been flattened by very young mammoth feet. Both Tundra and Frost had to dive out of the way as a baby mammoth stampeded passed them, trumpeting and giggling as she went.
"Peaches," Frost explained to Tundra. "She's not even a year old yet. She didn't mean to almost kill us."
"That's comforting," Tundra muttered.
"Peaches! Get back here and eat your lunch," a lisping voice called out. "Oh, hey Frost."
"Hey Sid," Frost called back with a wave.
Tundra held her breath as the sloth went by, not quite believing the awful smell that came from a single living mammal.
"You'll get used to the smell," Frost told her with a shrug.
"I hope not," Tundra muttered. "What's a saber, and a sloth doing in a mammoth herd?"
"The same thing a couple of oppossums are doing in it," Frost said, gesturing to the two racing figures coming toward him.
"Hey, Frost. Tundra," the marsupials called out as they ran by.
"Hey, guys. What are you doing?" Tundra asked, wondering where two goofballs like them were going in such a hurry.
"We're on baby-sitting duty," Eddie shouted at her.
"But I thought Sid was baby-sitting Peaches," Frost yelled back.
Crash answered, "We're baby-sitting Sid as he baby-sits Peaches."
The two females watches as the baby mammoth led the sloth and two opossums on a twisting chase around and around until Sid collapsed from exhaustion, and Eddie and Crash flopped down next to him panting. From there, Peaches heard her pursuers stop, and went back to investigate. She slowly crept up on the tired three, and poked them with her trunk. It was such an intriguing view, the minks went closer to look.
"Do you guys know where Buck is?" Frost asked, walking up to the males.
Sid moved his mouth, but only gasping came out. Finally, he lifted a claw to indicate he needed a moment.
At that same minute, Peaches spotted Frost. Acquainted with the mink on occasion, Peaches wasn't afraid of Frost and walked closer. Jerkily, yet softly, Peaches slowly patted the mink down her back with the tip of her trunk.
"Hey, Peaches," Frost growled as she hunched her shoulders.
Tundra suppressed a laugh, but she couldn't stop her expression from showing. "She really likes you, doesn't she?"
"Is is my fault that I'm softer than any of these morons," Frost grumbled, but patiently allowed the baby mammoth to stroke her fur. Then an evil grin appeared on her face. "Hey, Peaches. Tundra is soft too."
Tundra was given little time to react before Peaches' trunk ran down her back. Even though the little mammoth was trying to be as soft as she could, it still was very strong for a little mink.
However, after a while, Peaches looked disappointed with Tundra, and went back to Frost.
"Ha," Tundra grinned at her cousin. "I'm missing my winter coat. That makes you softer by far."
"At least I'm not cold," Frost growled, and took the rest of her abuse in silence.
"If you're still looking for Buck, he, Manny and Ellie went on a double date," Sid explained, sitting up now that he was rested.
"Well, that's gotta be. . .nice," Tundra said with a fake smile. "When will they be back?"
"Anytime now," Eddie answered. He was now trying to distract Peaches from mauling Frost to death.
"Anytime" to Eddie was a lot longer than any of them thought. They kept busy by taking turns playing with Peaches. The female young mammoth proved to have more energy than all of them. Crash commented that the only one who actually wore out Peaches by himself was Buck, which was very impressive to everyone in the strange herd. However, Tundra came close to keeping up with the little mammoth.
It was only a few minutes after Peaches fell asleep from exhaustion that two large figures in the distance appeared.
"Finally," Frost said, trying to push down her fur from being patted all day by a trunk. "I swear I will never have children, so help me."
Once she saw that they had guests, Ellie walked faster to the group, leaving Manny behind. Careful not to wake her daughter, Ellie spoke in a hushed tone. "I'm so glad you came to see us. Tundra, I've been meaning to ask you about your wedding. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I sure do love weddings. I hope that you'll invite us to it. I'm so excited for you."
"Huh?" Tundra said, not quite grasping the subject of Ellie's words. "Oh, that. I don't think there's going to be a wedding."
"Ah, why not?" Ellie asked, her face full of concern. "Are you two having problems?"
"Did not my cousin explain to you my situation?" Tundra ask, giving the white mink the evil eye.
"Excuse me for thinking you dead," Frost said with a huff.
Tundra rolled her eyes. "Ellie, if and when I get married, I'll make sure you're one of the guests," Tundra said graciously. Then she added under her breath, "Not that that's likely to happen anytime soon."
"Yay," Ellie cheered in a small voice and lifted her trunk happily.
"Yay what?" Manny asked once he was side by side with his mate.
"Oh, nothing. Just girl talk," she answered.
Manny let it be, not wanting to get into girly issues. He merely looked down at the two minks and gave them a polite nod. Unlike most of their friends, Frost was independent and preferred not to hang around for very long. Manny liked her. As for the other mink, if she was related to Frost, how bad could she be?
"Thanks for the ride, mammal," Buck said as he slid down Manny's trunk, pineapple in arm. "Oh, there's some familiar faces."
"Hey, Buck," Tundra said, trying not to sound nervous. "How's the vacation going?"
"Boring," Buck said with a look of disgust. "I haven't had one single life or death experience since comin' up here."
"I'm so sorry to disappoint you," Manny told him drolly.
"'S not your fault, mate," Buck told him graciously. "You've been a great host."
Tundra grinned at Buck's antics. Oh, how she missed him. After realizing she was wearing a goofy smile, she straightened up. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take away your guest for tonight, Manny."
"Ah, that's too bad," Manny said, a twinkle of humor in his eye. "Any chance you could take a few more free-loaders with you? Permanently."
There were three protests issued to Manny's response.
"Hmmmm, I think we could handle one or two," Frost said. "Hey, marsupials. You want to go to a mink party."
Crash and Eddie sat up immediately, ears erect as their attention was focused on Frost.
"You mean the kind of party with snobs and hoity-toity food?" Crash asked, looking hopeful.
"The kind of party where we're sure to be kicked out of?" Eddie asked, his eyes bright.
Frost snapped her digits together. "That sounds like the kind of party Aunt Clarissa would throw," she said with a laugh. "And, yes, you two are invited."
"Sweet!"
Tundra thought about the worries she was going through just thinking about Buck meeting her family. Throwing Crash and Eddie into the mix was enough to give her an ulcer. Yet, the other side of her said, "Might as well, the night is most likely to be a disaster."
"I'm not sure what kind of party it will be, considering my mother is throwing it," Tundra added more information. "It's to celebrate my coming back from the dead. And also to thank Buck for taking care of me."
The weasel perked up at that, and a large wild grin appeared on his face. "A party? For me?" he said in an excited voice, paws on his chest. "Well, I hope your mother puts out a pretty good spread, 'cause I'm ready for some excitement."
Tundra flinched at that. While she was siding with Buck, she knew it was very unlikely that it was going to be true. How at home would Buck be with her family?
"Well, I'm sure whatever my mother is planning, it'll be a surprise," Tundra told him honestly. "But that's not the only reason I came to get you." The mink whispered "marriage counselor" to Buck discretely.
Buck seemed speechless, but expressed his appreciation by slapping her on the back vigorously. "Well, mammals, it seems I must leave you for a while," he told company of odd animals. "But I shall be back this evenin'."
"Stay out as late as you want," Manny told him stoicly. "In fact, feel free to stay there."
"Manny!" Ellie hissed at her grumpy husband before waving them off cheerfully.
"Come on, honey," Buck told the pineapple as he tightened his grip on the fruit before following the two minks.
Frost eyed the tropical fruit with a discerning eye, and could see a few baby mammoth teeth marks on the rough skin. "Sooooo, Buck. How's everyone getting along with your 'wife'?" Frost asked conversationally, her sarcasm lost upon the weasel.
Buck shrugged. "For some reason, nobody seems t' connect with her. Only Ellie's made an effort to make friends with her," Buck said with a grin. "Oh, why am I tellin' you about it? She can tell ya herself. Here." Buck, then, dumped the pineapple into Frost's paws.
Frost, surprised at the turn of events, cringed at the presence of the pineapple. Was it glaring at her? Frost glared back until she realized she was intimidating an inanimate object.
"So, how's it back home, mammal?" Buck addressed Tundra with a jostle of the elbow. "Good to be back?"
"More or less," Tundra answered vaguely. More of less than of more, Tundra told herself with a sigh.
"Back to civilization. I'm sure that you've been looking forward to it for a while," Buck said in his usual Buck way. "I bet your family was surprised with how you've changed, huh mammal?" Buck laughed out loud jovially.
Tundra's heart ached, and she was missing Buck even though he was right there beside her. Wondering if she could help the weasel on her own, she asked a prying question quietly. "Um, Buck. Is there something wrong?"
"What's that?"
"Well, I've noticed that. . .you've been acting. . .different. I was wondering if there's something wrong. Is something bothering you?" Tundra asked, her eyes wide as she stared at Buck for any reaction.
Not once did Buck look her in the eye. Instead, he coolly step around her question. "Different? What are you talkin' about, mammal? I don't have a care in the world," Buck told her, and flashed a wild smile. Once again, this smile wasn't the daring, bold smile of the weasel she knew. This was a glassy-eyed grin, one that showed the owner was slowly leaving reality.
"Please, Buck. You can tell me anything," Tundra almost pleaded.
"Now, stop that," Buck told her, once more, avoiding eye contact. "There's nothin' wrong with me. So quit askin'."
Tundra was surprised by the sharp reprimand. Buck only spoke to her in that tone when she was in danger of something. Did this mean she was at the end of Buck's patience, and he was trying to push her away to put some distance between them? Or was she truly in danger, but this time, the danger was Buck? The thought that Buck threatening her brought chills running down her skin, and her fur stood on end. She didn't say a word, but dropped a few steps behind the others, her head hanging lower than before.
"Hurry up, mammals," Buck called to the minks as he marched ahead. "I don't know where we're goin', and I don' want to be late. We shouldn't keep a doc waitin'."
With the avian part of the crew gone and the Blight at a complete standstill, the crew of Captain Red Claw's took a much needed rest. Most dropped where they stood, while a few others crawled inside for a much more comfortable bed. Everyone's sleep was the sleep of the exhausted.
However, Red Claw's desire to act on his revenge wasn't stifled for long. After a few hours of rest, he awoke a few members of the crew and ordered them into his cabin. It was time to plot his revenge. And out of the goodness of his heart, he was letting those who knew Buck to join in on the fun.
"Quit that yawnin'. Wake up an' listen," Red Claw ordered in a growl, slapping and kicking a few of his crew that were starting to droop. "And stop mewlin' that you're tired, or I'll give ya something to whine about."
It took only one violent act from the large rat for the rest to pay attention.
"Now open those stuffed up ears of ya, an' listen up. All of ya knew Buck when he was still aboard this ship, an' ya know what he's done to us," Red Claw shouted, his words being used to rally his crew to blood lust. However, the others didn't seem half as excited as the large rat was.
"No. So you've forgotten your hate for him," Red Claw said in almost a whisper. "Then let me remind ya of it."
He walked up to a otter that kept a pair of saber's canine teeth daggers kept around her waist. She was a sleek character, one that felt she had much to prove in a male dominated ship. She acted tough, but was one of the first to make new recruits at home.
"Shadow, you remember how Buck left us when we really needed him," Red Claw tantalized with his darkening words. "Remember how Captain Snarl was going crazy, an' Buck abandoned us to deal with him. Remember how he broke the pirates rule about leaving."
The captain's words spread through her like a plague, her expression turning uglier as each syllable reached her ears. Finally, she pulled out a dagger, and brandished it at thin air.
"Blood in, and blood out," Shadow growled, hatred all over her whiskered face.
Red Claw smirked at his work, and turned on yet another crewman. "An' Fray, who was suppose to be captain after Snarl?" Red Claw asked a wildcat with one eye covered with a patch.
Fray pushed back his torn ears and snarled, "Buck."
"That's right. Buck should have been leadin' us. Instead, he shirked his duties, an' left us to fend for ourselves," Red Claw preached louder. "We were relyin' on him, an' what did he do to his only family? Abandonment.!"
This caused an uproar that shook the ice all around them. They started to pound their paws on the floor and walls, taking out weapons and waving them as they shouted for blood.
"What does Buck deserve, after all he's done to us?" Red Claw finally shouted over the yelling.
One word reverberated throughout the ship from all mouths.
"DEATH!"
Red Claw grinned devilishly as he got the response he wanted. With his crew by his side, Buck wouldn't escape him again.
"Achoo!"
"Are you okay?" Tundra asked, looking with concern at her weasel friend.
"Sure I am," Buck brushed off her question.
"It's just that you've been sneezing a lot," Tundra said. "You probably haven't had a winter coat for years."
Buck rounded on Tundra with snarl. "I said I'm fine," he growled at her, and walked away from her faster than before.
This made Tundra stop entirely, her eyes wide as she looked at Buck's stalking backside. And deep inside of her, she was starting to become afraid of her friend.
"Tundra!"
The reddish-brown mink jumped when Frost touched her shoulder.
"You alright?" Frost asked.
Tundra shook her head as if her body instinctively answered the question correctly, but her mouth lied. "Yes, I am. I just . . . thought I heard something. Come on." And before her cousin could say another word, Tundra was marching ahead just as fast as Buck.
Frost, gave her cousin a cold stare, but then her ears pricked forward. "Hey, I hear something too."
"No, it must have been my imagination," Tundra insisted, not wanting to talk more about the lie she just said.
"Then your imagination is calling your name," Frost said.
"Huh?"
The two females stopped so the crunching of the snow didn't drown out anything else. And immediately they heard Tundra's name on the cool, soft breeze. The two turned in circles, looking in all directions for the source of the voice.
"It sounds a bit like Aunty Clarissa," Frost commented.
Tundra stiffened, and told her cousin, "That's not funny, Frost."
"Well, we are by your house."
"Hey, mammal. There's a mink comin' our way callin' for ya," Buck called back, a considerable ways ahead of them.
Tundra gritted her teeth, nerves standing out across her skin like needles. Please don't let it be mother. Please don't let it be mother.
"Tundra, darling. I've been looking all over for you."
"Mother," Tundra said once she spotted the mink. She ran over to her mother with a fake smile. "Mother, what are you doing here?"
"I just need to ask you a few questions before tonight's party. They're very important," Tundra's mother said, her face almost in a pout as if anticipating a scolding.
"I'm assumin' this is yer mother, mammal," Buck said gruffly, coming up from behind.
Tundra's mother turned around, and jumped back with a squeak at the sight of Buck.
Dreading every second of her life at this moment, Tundra prepared for anything. "Yes, this is my mother. Mother, this is Buck, who saved my life." Tundra added the last part for insurance, in case her mother was going to make a scene.
"I can see where Tundra gets her good looks," Buck said as he grabbed Tundra's mother's paw for a firm and vigorous shake.
Tundra's mother looked the weasel up and down before saying, "Flattery is unnecessary, Mr. Buck," she said in a stoic voice and pulled her paw away. "Now please excuse me, I have to talk to my daughter. But I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about at the party."
In a very rude way, Tundra's mother turned her back to Buck to address her daughter. "Now, dear, this is very important. What do you prefer, white roses or lilies?"
"Roses. Mother, can't this wait until later? We need to get Buck to . . ."
"No, it can't. I'm on a schedule," Tundra's mother snapped. "For dinner, what would you prefer? Salmon or trout?"
"Trout. This doesn't make sense. What is this for?" Tundra asked, feeling her temper shorten very quickly.
Tundra's mother smiled sweetly. "Why, it's for your wedding dear. Rocky has waited for you all this time to marry you."
Tundra stopped breathing while her heart sped up. Her muscles and nerves tightened, and she felt a twitch around her left eye. Yet, all she could do was look to Buck for a reaction. At the moment, he was unreadable. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, and he didn't move or change his expression.
"I thought Rocky was marrying cousin Petunia," Frost argued, stepping in front of Tundra. "After all, everyone thought Tundra was dead."
"But once he found out you were alive and well, he just couldn't go through with that sham of a wedding," Tundra's mother said dramatically. "After all, he's very lucky to have a second chance with you."
"But I just got back," Tundra said quietly, keeping one eye on Buck.
"I know it's quick, but long engagements can get so messy," Tundra's mother rattled on. "I was hoping the two of you could pick up where you left off."
"But mother," Tundra hissed between teeth, "I ran away so I wouldn't have to get married."
"And now you're back," Tundra's mother said, touching her daughter's chin. "That should tell you that you are now ready to get married, now isn't it?"
"No, it isn't," Tundra said firmly. "Not to mention, I don't know one iota about Rocky."
"That's what being married is all about, finding out who the other person is," Tundra's mother said with a shrug. "That's half the fun."
"I'm not going to marry a complete stranger."
"You're getting married. . ."
Tundra was feeling her anger boil hotter and hotter, but Buck's words cooled them down quickly as she looked to him for a reaction. Still, there was nothing.
"Buck, you don't understand. I should have told you earlier."
". . .Yes, you should have," Buck said, his voice dark. But then his countenance lite up. "Now we really have cause to celebrate. You'll put us on the front row, right?"
Tundra's blood froze at Buck words. This wasn't the reaction she expected, and she didn't know how to react. She couldn't talk, she couldn't move. Something seemed to be stopping her from telling Buck and her mother that they were wrong. Her jaw wouldn't open up, and her voice was stilled by shock.
". . .no. . . .wait. . ." she managed to squeak among the noise coming from both Buck and her mother.
"Would you prefer the reception inside or out?"
"Way to go, mammal. You work fast. I'm impressed."
Why aren't they listening to me?
End of Chapter 9
Chapter and Author's notes:
Usually, I would some cute dialogue here, but I got tired of people commenting on the silly play acting rather on the story that I spent a lot of time on.
First off, thank you everyone for the comments you gave me, especially the random person who occasionally chews me out for not updating when I totally deserve it. I didn't realize that it had been seven months since I put up a new chapter, so thank you random person for telling me. A lot has happened to me in the past seven months, so I have excuses, but most of them are very personal. To sum things up, I AM NOT DEAD. The random person who wrote to me before saying that some people have been thinking I'm dead. No, I'm very much alive.
The thing that prevented this chapter from being put up onto sooner was that it was very difficult for me to write. There were many things I don't like about the chapter and that I still don't like. The biggest thing was that this chapter concentrated a lot on Tundra and her family. I'm not happy how little Buck is in this chapter, but I hope putting in the entire herd made it up. I also wasn't happy about introducing too many new characters. I'm not a fan of when writers put in a lot of characters into their story, so it hurt me to put so many in this chapter. But I felt they were all necessary.
When I started this story, I didn't intend to do much with the pirates, but after thinking more and more of what I was doing, I felt that a few of the pirates (besides the captain and first mate) needed names and personalities. Gilda and Longtail were a last minute inspiration, but are necessary for the plot to continue on. All of them will play only small parts in the chapters to come. As for Dr. Honeybee, he is very necessary to what I want to do with Buck. I often feel that people don't go much into Buck's mind when they write fanfiction about him. There's a method to his madness after all.
As for Tundra's family, I've been trying to make things easy for the readers by address all the minks by their relation to Frost and Tundra. For the most part, Tundra's Mother is referred to as Tundra's Mother, and not by her name. After a while, I felt I couldn't write a few scenes the way I wanted unless I gave her a name. But even so, I still use Tundra's Mother to describe her, and Clarissa will only be used in dialogue to prevent confusion later on.
Because I have introduced so many new characters, I would like to post the last three chapters very quickly. Here are my goals:
Chapter 10 release date: Nov 1
Chapter 11 release date: Dec 1
Chapter 12 release date: Jan 1
Yes, I want to finish this story this year. And here's how you can help. You have my permission to heckle and harass me (with no profanity or threats please) if I haven't posted a week after my goal date. I hope you won't have to, but if you feel like yelling at someone, then it might as well be me. It's a great motivator.
I also have thought of a fun way of getting me to write. For every review I receive, I will write a page of the next chapter the day I read it.
If in your review you mention what your favorite part of my fanfic has been so far, I will write a second page of the next chapter the same day I read it.
I am also asking my readers to submit questions. The questions can either be directed to me, or to any character that is in my fanfic. Questions for the characters will be answered at the end of Chapter 10, but questions to me will be held until the end of the story. If you add a question to your review, I will write a third page of the next chapter the same day I read it.
So, you have a chance to make me write three pages a day (I'll only read one review a day). Make me write. I dare you.
The paragraphs after this is me ranting about Ice Age 4. If you don't care what I think of the movie, you can skip it, and I'll see you next chapter. If you want to know what I think of the movie, be very prepared.
Now, I would like to tell everyone of my opinion of the fourth movie, because I need to rant about it. But first off, I want to tell everyone that I didn't see it until this chapter was finished. I wrote the last few pages yesterday, and then went to see the movie (yes, I waited that long DX) and today I proof read the chapter. I was determined not to see it until the chapter was complete.
Anyway, about the fourth movie, I was sadly disappointed in it. I really wanted it to be good, and a part of me died when I was let down. It was still okay, but I expected more. I thought the plot wasn't very well thought out, I didn't like how many new characters were in it which took away screen time from my favorites, I thought there were too many cliche elements in it, and the characters that I love so much, weren't as funny as past films. The only thing that saved the film (in my opinion) was Granny.
My biggest issue of the film was how many new characters were in the film. I felt that the pirates took up way too much screen time, and they weren't all that funny or interesting in my opinion. Even the captain, while suppose to be charismatic and manipulative, just made me shake my head as I thought "Was this the best villian they could come up with?"
The only pirate that I cared for was Shira. I liked her personality and her character design. I was disappointed that they hinted to her past history, but there was no other explanation. I felt there was a lot they could have done with her, but they failed miserably. I also felt that there was no chemistry between her and Diego, although I wish they were. It felt like Diego was thinking to himself "She's the first female Sabor I've seen in years. I could do worse."
I wished they had done more with Sid's family. It was funny what they did, but if felt kind of useless to bring in three characters for that purpose.
As for Peaches, I liked her teenage design, but the whole subplot of her wanting to impress a boy and dissing her friend in the process was very cliche, and horribly done. I hate that plot, and I wish it would just die. And because of that stupid subplot, I felt that character interaction between Peaches and her family was sadly low. I wanted to see interaction between her and Sid, Diego, Crash and Eddie. It's the uncles that make it fun!
There wasn't enough Crash and Eddie, and what I saw, it felt like their personalities were put on the back burner and slowly boiled away. It was like the writers wrote the story and then said, "Oh, wait. Doesn't Ellie have opossum brothers? Yeah, she does. Let's throw them in, just so the fans don't complain." Well, guess what writers. I'm on to you.
That brings me to Lewis. I didn't mind him, but I felt like his personality was washed away with everything going on. Again, if there were fewer new characters, they could have actually made Lewis a good character. One thing I didn't like about him was that he obviously has a crush on Peaches, yet another teenage cliche. Why Fox? Why did you do this to me?
One more thing, those tiny little rodents that did the whole Braveheart spoof, they were freakin' cute. So cubby XD.
Okay, I'm done. Now review!
