A/N: I'm back! (So soon?) Yes! I got inspired. I can't guarantee I'll have another chapter out by tomorrow, but who knows?

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age. I do own my OCs.

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Kara IA Fangirl: Oh you think your screaming now? Haha, oh I almost feel bad. Enjoy the chapter!

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A Wolf's Cry

Chapter 10

"He knows I'm alive?" She asked, mostly to herself. "How does he know I'm alive?" She was pacing now, movement was key in her vow not to faint. "One of his scouts overheard us talking about you. You were guarding the cheif's den, you were our only obstacle in reaching the baby. He promised an alliance between our and packs if we handed you over to him alive."

"Oh, and that was just too good of an offer to pass up, huh?"

"When your pack is starving and the entire herbivore population is migrating south? Yes. It is too good to pass up." Diego relented a little at the sight of her tears, angry or scared, he wasn't sure. "I was following orders."

"How do you know this Luca guy anyway?" Sid interrupted. "He was Head Alpha of my pack," she answered somewhat relunctantly. "He tried to kill me when I was a pup, and someone very dear to me sacrificed their life to save me." She bared her teeth at the saber, "and you made her final act a meaningless one."

"I'll get you out of this," Diego swore, "you and Roshan. Then you can both go back to the human pack where you'll be safe." There is no such thing as safe when Luca is on your trail, but Keeva didn't say that. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at the tiger. "And why should I believe you?" The question wasn't harsh, or condescending, just open and blunt. She was tired, and scared, and hurt in more ways than one, and she was about to walk into the biggest fight of her life.

"Because, I'm the only one who can."

The plan wasn't a good one, if Keeva was being honest, but it was the only one they had, so she hoped they could make it work.

Keeva walked alongside Diego, closer than what was strictly necessary, and shaking with nerves. Diego locked eyes with her, for just a moment, passing along a silent assurance. She had to gather her courage, be brave. She had to be an Alpha. She gave him a subtle nod and they both turned their attention to the scene before them.

Diego's pack, a group of tawny male tigers, were perched on the rocks, backs to them. Luca's pack was below in the snow, pacing and excitable. She recognized two of Luca's sons, older now, lounging in the snow. A she wolf, Aura, Keeva's puphood rival, and two more wolves that Keeva didn't recognize from this distance. Deep breath, it was time.

"Hello ladies," Diego purred as they approached, all eyes fell on him, and then her. "Hey, look who decided to show up," a brawny male tiger sneered. Keeva tried not to shrink. Her former pack mates were eyeing her with disdain, she half expected Aura, if not Luca himself, to lunge at her outright.

"Diego," Keeva's attention snapped to the sabers again as Diego's Alpha, Soto, spoke. "I was beginning to worry about you."

"No need to worry," Diego purred, "in about two minutes you'll be satisfying your taste for revenge."

"And you've brought the wolf," Soto acknowledged her with something of a sneer, "very nice."

Diego moved away from her, and while the action made her feel vulnerable and exposed, she did not hurry to replace the distance. Instead, she remained standing where the saber had left her, waiting for a member of the pack to acknowledge her. Finally, the temptation was too much for Aura to resist.

"Keeva," she crooned coldly, "how nice to see you again. It's been so long." Aura, for all her meanness was probably one of the prettiest wolves Keeva had ever seen. Tall and slim with silver fur accented by black points along the legs, tail, ears, and muzzle. She was definitely an Alpha's Alpha, but she was also petty, and rude, and with the temper about as docile as cobra's. unlike her puppy days, Keeva knew now, she could use this to her advantage. After all, she'd had plenty of practice on Diego.

"Hello, Aura," she greeted cordially. "My your looking thin, are you well?" Diego hadn't been exadurating, the migrating herds had left the more northern predators more than a little underfed. And a thin Alpha was a weak Alpha, it entailed that she couldn't provide for herself, let alone a pack. Didn't make for an ideal mate either. "Better be careful," Keeva went on, "someone might mistake you for an Omega before too long."

Laughter and humored "oooohh's!" Were had at Aura's expense, by the younger pack members at any rate. The older wolves, Luca's two sons, and a grey-brown female she didn't recognize had only moved to form a loose circle around her, to insure she didn't escape. Totally fine. Nothing to worry about. Aside from Aura, there were two other young males, ones Keeva recognized now that she saw them, but had no quarrel with. River and Duke, both grey, both half wits.

"Well, we couldn't all eat from Man's hand could we?" Aura sneered coldly "Why not?" Keeva boasted "it's a good gig, free room and board, and all you have to do is keep an eye on their cubs." She smiled at the female, "any wolf with half a brain can see the benifits. No struggling for food, no freezing your tail off in winter, no trouble from neighboring packs. It really doesn't get any better than that. Of course," Keeva amended, "beauty and brains would just be asking too much of you, I know."

Duke and River were rolling in the snow laughing instead of trying to maul Keeva for insulting one of her betters, but Keeva was fine with that honestly. Never before had she seen such a comical expression on Aura's face, her eyes bugging out and her jaw slackened, it was priceless.

"We'll se who's laughing when Luca gets done with you!" Aura swore heatedly, grabbing the dark female by the scruff of her neck, giving her a good shake, before dragging her along. Keeva didn't fight her, everything was going according to Diego's plan. She could only hope he and the others were doing just as well as she was dragged into the dark opening of a cave.

Aura dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor and promptly turned around and left. Scowling at the retreating female, Keeva pulled herself back onto her paws, she did not want to be caught in a downed position when-

"Well, the runaway pup has found her way home at last." Keeva froze, turning her head to meet the eyes of a wolf she thought she'd never see again.

"H-hello, Luca."

A/N: Haha! No, I've left you with another cliffhanger! *Dies lauging*. I am sorry, but I couldn't resist giving Keeva the opportunity to get back at her childhood rival. Besides, Omegas are known for their wit and sense of humor, so I figured slamming Aura in front of her fellow Alphas would be a good opportunity for her. I doubt she'll be as snarky with Luca. What do you think is going to happen? Please I'd love to hear your theories in why you think Luca would want Keeva alive...I assure you, its not what you think it is.

Also, as I watched, I could actually imagine the struggle Soto and his pack must be having with migration, and any other predators of the north for that matter. So, I gave a twist to allow both the bad guys to come together for mutual benefit.

The real battle kicks off next time, see you there!