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Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age
Shira's POV
After my first story, the rest of the herd had come back from their 'hunting' trip. They were all pretty surprised to see Solstice, but after I explained that she was my sister, they happily welcomed her with open arms. And trunks.
"Welcome to the herd Solstice!" Ellie said, ruffling the fur between her ears. Solstice smiled.
"Thanks you guys!" She was practically beaming with happiness as she bounced up and down on her paws, dispite what she had just learned about our brother.
"So what have you guys been up to?" Peaches asked, taking a spot beside Louis near the back.
I opened my mouth to answer, but Crash beat me to it. "Shira's telling us about what happened before she met us!" He blurted. "And it's sad!"
All eyes turned to me, brimming with curiosity, and I dipped my head. "Yes. My story isn't what you'd call 'happy'."
"Well. I for one would like to hear it. If you don't mind that is. It'd help us understand you better." Manny said, gesturing with his trunk for her to continue.
"Yeah. Come on Shira." Louis spoke up for the first time.
I sighed. "Alright. If you really wanna know." I quickly gave them a recap of what I told Solstice, Sid, Dieo, Crash, and Eddie before they came back. By the time I was finished, everyone was either crying or close to it.
"Well, that's, um. Quite the story." Ellie said, wiping away a tear. Manny nodded.
"But there's more." Solstice piped up. "That's just what happened after Bramble died. There's a whole lot more. Right, Shira?"
I sighed and nodded. Diego let me lean on his shoulder. "It's okay." He said softly. "We're all here for you."
I smiled and nuzzled him. Again.
"Alright. Here's the next story..."
It had been a month and a half since Bramble died, and the pack wasn't taking it well. No one more so then my mother, who was already going through depression. The loss of Bramble effected her more then anyone else, the depression altering even her very personality. She was no longer the sweet, gentle saber I once knew, but a greif striken savage who didn't even trust her successor, Cyclone. She beleived everyone was turning aginst her. That she could trust no one. Not even me.
She had also become violent, striking out at sabers whenever they annoyed her or ticked her off. Her downfall had caused many of the sabers to leave. And it left our once proud and loyal pack so small you'd think we were no more then a group of rouges. Which we might as well be. None of our former unity existed within the pack anymore. It was everyone for themselves. Cyclone had been the one running the pack, even though he wasn't officially leader. He tried to keep us motivated enoug to move on. To keep going. But it scarcely worked. In fact I think that me, and my friends Lilly and Glacier, were the only sane ones left.
I was laying on a ledge thathung out over our camp. We lived in a large crater that was origonally a sinkhole, and was hollowed out by years of wind and rain and such. There was a large stone ledge that jutted out over it. A good spot to adress the pack, or to just lounge on a sunny day. Being up here reminded me of the days when I was a tiny cub, coming out of the den for the first time with my siblings at my side. Back in the days when mother was back to her old self and back when the pack was strong. But it was all in the past. And It'd never be that way again. All I'd have was memories.
I'd gotton so lost in thought that I didn't even notice when one of the guards Cyclone put up for me had walked up. With mother so out-of-whack and the pack getting weaker, Father's rouges had attacked a couple times. We'd even seen their spies outside our camp. So Cyclone had ordered that a guard be with me at all times. It was a tad bit annoying.
Make that VERY annoying.
The guard positioned himself a few feet away and watched me. Just sat there and stared at me. Uhg. Why me.
I watched the sabers stir down in the camp below, some going into their dens as the sun sank below the horizon. By the time the moon had risen, the guard and I were the only ones awake. I must have dozed off at some point, because I was awakened by the sound of pawsteps. I looked down and saw my mother stumble groggily out of her den. Se was once a master hunter, but that all seemed to leave her body when she started to break down. She walked out of the camp without waking any of the others. I silently crept off the ledge, past the guard, who was sleeping, and down the slope, following her. She was on her way to the river.
I managed to stay unseen, hiding in bushes or behind rocks to make sure she didn't spot me. I don't know how she'd react if she found me following her, but I have a feeling it wouldn't end well.
She was sitting on the riverbank, staring out into the trees on the oppisite side. As if she was looking for something.
Or someone.
After a few minutes, a dark silver saber with black stripes rippling across his pelt stepped out of the trees. His pelt was criscrossed with scars, but the worst one was on his face. It led from a shredded right ear, over his eye, and all the way down to his shoulder, leaving a thick, pink tunnel where no fur would ever grow again. He also wore a leather collar around his neck. And yet. There was something oddly familliar...
He looked mother up and down, an unreadable expression on his face. "So Amathyst." He started. His voice was low and gravely. "Have you considered my proposition?"
Mother, whose name was apparently Amathyst, looked up at him. "You had to know I'd never accept that, Trevor." The saber let out a booming laugh so loud I bet Solstice could hear it. "Trevor? Who's this Trevor you speak of? A new interest, I presume?" He gave a sly smile.
"Don't play games with me, Trevor." Mother warned. "I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I'd happily reopen that scar anyday." Trevor laughed again. "If you say so, Amathyst. Anywho. Time to get back on topic. You know the thing we discussed last time we were here. Don't you?"
I nearly gasped. She'd been visiting this saber BEFORE?!
Mother glared at him. "Yes. I do."
"And do you have your side of the bargin?"
"No."
"What?" Trevor snarled and leaped on Mother, pinning her down. I wanted to rush out and help, but I even I knew I couldn't tackle him, even with mother's help.
"I have held back from wiping out your entire pack for almost a year because you promised me them! Now. Hand tem over, or I'll be forced to make you watch as my warriors take out every single one of your precious packmates. One. By. One."
"You wouldn't dare!" Mother snarled, writhing in vain under his grip. It only made him hold her tighter, his razor sharp claws sinking into her pale gray-brown fur and piercing her skin, causing a tiny trickle of blood to run out.
Trevor smirked. "Now, are you reconsidering?"
"I CAN'T!" Mother screamed, trying to throw him off or roll out from under him. "There's only one left! The other two are dead!"
Trevor froze for a second, his eyes dying from all emotion before it was replaced by rage. "WHAT!" He bellowed, dragging his paws all the way down to her legs, leaving fresh, deep gashes. Blood poured from them and spilled onto the ground below. Mother let out a high-pithced wail of terror and pain as Trevor stepped off of her, kicking some dust over her bleeding form as if he were burying his dirt.
Mother finally sat up after a few minutes, glaring Trevor. "You heard me." She snarled. "Two of them died. The oldest fell off a cliff, and the youngest died in a hunting accident. The only one left is the middle cub."
Huh? That kinda sounds like. Oh wait...
I know why this saber looks so familliar now.
He's my father.
Trevor just stood there, glaring daggers at her for several minutes. Then he finally spoke in a low, quiet tone that made his words all the more frightening.
"You have failed me, Amathyst. You have gone back on our deal by letting them die. Those cubs were destined for greatness! They could have saved us all! But no. You had to go and let them die. You have sealed your fate, Amathyst. As well as sealed the fate for every saber in the world. Ya hear me? Every. Other. Saber. We are all. Impendingly. DOOMED! And you'll be the first to feel the wrath of it all."
A split second after he finished, Trevor leaped at Mother, dragging her down to the ground and digging deep gashes down her side. Her attempts to defend herself were getting weaker by the second, not like they did any good in the first place. She finally just stopped struggling and let the larger saber practically rip her apart, smiling with joy and bloodlust as he tore into her, ripping away the skin and flesh. He listened to her screams of terror and dove for her throat, sinking his large fangs in and digging. Deeper, and deeper. Even after she stopped struggling and even breathing, he continued to fight, ripping away whatever her could. When she finally lay unrecodnizable, He licked the blood from his muzzle and chest. Then he pried open her mouth and ripped one of her long saber fangs out of her mouth. He dipped it in her dark crimson blood, staining the tip before shoving it through the thick leather on his collar.
After that, he smirked one last time at his latest victim before shoving her remnents in the river. He jumped in for a few moments as well, to wash the scent and look of blood from his fur. When he got back out, he shook his pelt and strode back into the trees, like nothing ever happaned.
Unable to proccess what I'd just seen, I turned tail and ran. Ran and ran on blindly. I didn't care where I ended up, It just couldn't be here. Or anywhere near here.
And it never could be. Ever again.
A/N: Wow. That was more fun to write then the previous chapter. I actually enjoyed it. Is that bad...?
Sianii out!
Peace!