4. Am I seeing the dead?
''I was almost eaten,'' Sid said dramatically to Manny, Crash and Eddie when he arrived at the cave.
''Really?'' asked Manny shocked.
''Yeah. I saved him again,'' said Diego.
''Why do you sound like you are accusing me. It's not my fault that the nasty saber decided to try and eat me, '' said Sid. ''It isn't my fault I'm so delicious.''
''Whose fault is it then? '' asked Diego. Sid didn't know how to answer that so he changed the subject.
''At least I wasn't beaten up,'' said Sid slyly as Diego glared at him.
''What?'' asked Manny looking at Diego who snarled.
Diego was too proud to admit he had lost to another saber especially a female. Crash and Eddie would never drop it if he said he had got beaten up by a girl.
''I did not get beaten,'' lied Diego.
''Yes you did,'' said Sid. He really wanted Diego to admit his defeat.
''How were you supposed to see the fight anyway. You were with your eyes closed,'' said Diego giving Sid the evil eye but Sid knew that with Manny there, he would not get hurt. Or at least he thought so.
''I saw it. I did,'' said Sid. Diego whacked Sid hard almost knocking him out.
''Ouch, what was that for?''
''You are annoying me,'' said Diego. Crash and Eddie who had been listening to everything were both smirking.
''What are you smiling about,'' snarled Diego but Crash and Eddie just ignored him and looked at each other sniggering. Diego was about to get up when Ellie stopped him. He lowered himself to the ground calmly but was still glaring furiously. Ellie was like a peacemaker at these times because only she could control her brothers or at least try to. Ellie glared at the twins who looked away innocently.
''Awww. You had to lose sometime,'' said Eddie patting Diego on the head trying to look like he was being nice to him not mocking him.
''I didn't lose,'' said Diego heatedly.
''To bad it had to be by a female,'' added Crash. Eddie and Crash sniggered. Diego glared at them and they jumped back.
''What's wrong with females,'' asked Ellie raising her eyebrows.
''They are weaker…'' answered Crash.
''…and not as smart,'' finished Eddie.
''I would have expected better from you ...,'' Ellie started.
Diego smiled. Once you got Ellie angry it would be hard to get out of it, Manny knew that the best.
Diego rested his head on his paws and fell asleep with the sweet sound of Ellie arguing with Crash and Eddie. This was the life.
-
Next morning Diego woke up early like always. He looked around and saw Manny and Ellie. He smiled. It had taken his friend a lot of courage to ask Ellie to be his mate, especially after what had happened to him. He saw Sid with his mouth hanging open and snoring. Diego rolled his eyes, he was still amazed that Sid's snoring hadn't caused an avalanche yet. There was no Crash and Eddie hanging off a tree though. He hadn't even had time to think about where they could be when he heard them yelling. He rolled his eyes and ran to the sound.
-
She was chasing two little possums, when she looked up and saw a saber. Her eyes narrowed when she recognized him. He didn't seem to have seen her, so she jumped on him.
-
Diego was caught by surprise. He could see Crash and Eddie next to a tree hugging each other. It would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. He focused back on the tiger that had attacked him. Diego didn't like it when someone attacked the herd and now that she had done it twice that would put her definitely on his bad list. Which, trust me, you would not want to be in.
''Why are you trying to take my meal again,'' she snarled.''Isn't there anything else you could hunt? You got the sloth.''
''I didn't eat him. They are actually my friends,'' Diego snarled back.
''Yeah right,''said the saber. ''Do you think I'm an idiot.''
''You are acting like one. So yes,'' said Diego. They were about to start fighting again when Sid walked in sleepily.
''What's all the noise abo…,'' Sid saw the female saber and his eyes widened with shock. He ran trying to get behind Crash and Eddie. Sid obviously remembered their last meeting and was not looking forward to repeating it.
The female saber looked shocked. She was so surprised that Diego took this opportunity to push her off him and pin her down.
''I'm telling the truth,'' snarled Diego.
''Oh.'' The female saber blushed.
Diego decided he could get off the saber, she didn't look that dangerous now. As soon as she was free, she peered around Diego at Crash, Eddie and Sid. They all jumped backwards and started struggling to get behind each other. Diego snarled a warning.
''I'm not going to hurt them,'' she said.
Diego glared at the female but backed down. He examined her properly. She was quite pretty actually and quite brave. He liked that. He shook his head trying to get those thoughts out, she had just tried to eat his friends, he couldn't go soft.
''We'd better go guys, it's going to rain,'' he told Sid, Crash and Eddie ignoring the other saber that was looking curiously at them.
''You'd better not try to eat them again,'' snarled Diego before he left. The saber's eyes narrowed.
''I told you I wasn't going to hurt them,'' she snarled back.
''I'm only protecting my herd,'' replied Diego.
-
When they arrived back at the cave, they saw Ellie pacing around muttering worriedly. When she saw them, she ran up to them.
''Do you plan on giving me a heart attack or something. I've been worried sick.''
''Don't worry Ellie, they are okay,'' said Diego as he layed down on his spot next to the entrance of the cave.
''What happened though?'' asked Manny.
''We almost got eaten again. It's not fair,'' answered Sid.
''I wasn't afraid not a bit,'' said Crash posing.
''Me neither,'' said Eddie standing by his brother.
''Yeah hugging a tree is real brave,'' said Diego.
''Well, you should have got rid of that saber. Why was she back? Isn't she afraid of you?''said Sid.
''Tiger, you are losing your touch,'' said Eddie and Crash mockingly.
''Or maybe you don't want to hurt her,'' suggested Sid slyly. Diego glared at Sid who looked away innocently.
--
Will this saber be a future love interest for Diego? Find out in the next chapters.