I do not own Ice age or any of its characters.
Chapter 1 Reminisce and discover
Roshan was kneeling in front of the adequate-sized fire she had constructed, in the space between her and the fire was a flat stone tablet that she had placed her newly caught salmon as she scaled it. As she pressed her stone knife against the now dead flesh of her catch, her green eyes lazily wandered over to the right, towards the cave wall, her heavily lashed eyes searched the wall for one painting in particular, her very first painting.
(15 years previous)
"Roshan?" A soft female voice travelled to Roshans new, young ears. The small 2 year old whirled around on her heel causing her long silky bangs to fall to the side of her smiling face. Her gaze was set towards the woman standing in front of her, her name was Ulma and she was her tribes' spiritual leader. She talked to the animal spirits and spirits of their ancestors.
The slightly greying middle aged woman was at the cave entrance, her gracefully aged face was smiling at Roshans youthful one. "Who are you talking too my little one?", Ulma walked towards the girl, her long fur dress swaying back and forth from her leg movements, she stopped to kneel beside the toddler.
"I was talking to da spirits" Roshan was looking at the elder with playful innocence. "Were you talking to your mother and father little Roshan?" Ulma asked with an even softer voice than before, she had a look of pity in her pale green eyes. Roshans smile faded and the child gave the woman two quick nods of her head. Ulma embraced the girl, comforting her.
Time passed and the elder broke the hug and said "I made something for you young one", Ulma shot up and out of the warm cave, leaving the child confused and in wonder of what her friend had for her. Ulma re-entered the cave and quickly scuttled over to the 2 year old carrying a small bowl that she had carved out of an old un-earthed stump she had found. The woman carefully placed the bowl on the ground, so it was between the girl and herself. "Sit", Ulma gently requested. Roshan did so, after some sounds of shuffling of dirt and clothing, both were seated. The young girls eyebrows furrowed "What's dat stuff?"she asked, clearly confused. Ulma let out a low chuckle, "That, dear child, is paint", Roshan looked up from the bowl and at Ulmas' eyes, "What's paint?", the girl asked. The elder hid her smile with her words, "This is paint", Ulma dipped a finger into the thick, black liquid then raised her hand towards the wall. Roshans' eyes followed her friends hand as her finger slid against the rock, leaving a long black line where her finger had just been. "Can I twy it?" Roshan spoke with enthusiasm in her sweet voice. "Of course you can my dear, it's your paint after all" the middle aged woman chuckled as the young girl stood up and plunged her fist into the small bowl, her small hand was at the caves wall in seconds, SMACK!, Roshan removed her hand and stared at the round black mark it had left. The young girls' face turned blank as the memories suddenly came back to her.
"Roshan?, are you alright child?" Ulma had asked after a long pause from the girl. The girl suddenly turned and plunged both hands into the bowl, her fingers were fast and precise as she made more shapes on the wall, there were cicles, straight lines and curvy ones. After some time Roshan was finished, as she walked backwards to view her painting, Ulma saw it clearly, there on the cave wall was a mammoth, a sabre and a sloth.
(Back to the present)
The pain shot up the young woman's hand. "Ow", Roshan looked back towards her half scaled fish that was covered in blood, some of which was her own. "Argh, Ow". Ulmas' raspy voice sounded then, "Did you cut your hand again dear?", the now much older and greyer woman walked over to Roshan and sat down with a strained groan as she asked "The painting again?". With a sigh, Roshan nodded and let the woman dress her wound with the small cloth she was holding.
Ulma took the girls silence as an opportunity to speak, "Your father had told me the story of your return. It's understandable that you feel that way, I'm only one person, I'm not exactly a whole family, and I suppose they were the next best thing to a family you have had, they did care for you after all, not like the rest of the clan after your fathers' death". Ulma said with a crease between her brow as she tied the knot on the piece of fabric so that it was wrapped around Roshans' hand quite tightly.
The old woman suddenly broke out in chesty coughs that seemed to vibrate the air around her. Roshan broke out of her confusion at her friends' previous words and stood to help Ulma lay back down on her fur blankets. After Ulma had stopped coughing, Roshan spoke, "What do you mean Ulma?", Roshan was kneeling over the woman as she tucked in the largest of the fur blankets.
"I am dying Roshan, the spirits are calling me to their world, and when they do chief Atka will have the power to banish you because you will no longer be under my protection, but you will still be under the protection and guidance of the great spirits, and my spirit child". A drop of moisture fell from Roshans' cheek, "Why do they hate me Ulma?", the young woman whispered as more tears began to fall from her eyes. With a cough Ulmas laboured voice answered, "After you were returned to your father by those three, uh... very strange mammals, after some years, you changed".
Roshan was confused, 'I changed, what does she mean by changed, is there something wrong with me?, is that why the rest of the clan hates me?'. Sensing the girls confusion Ulma continued, "Your eye colour changed, they used to be gray, we thought nothing of it until we realised that you are the only other person, besides me, to have that colour in their eyes, now they are green, hmph, they are beautiful ", the elder coughed slightly at the strain on her lungs from talking. Roshans' white cheeks pinkened slightly at the compliment, but she was still curious, "What do...?", but Ulma cut her off, "It means you have been blessed by the spirits, they have given you a gift," Ulma smiled up at the girl, "or gifts, if you're lucky", she finished with a cheeky wink of her eye.
'Gift? Gifts? I'm normal, aren't I? Roshans' mind was racing through past events, past conversations and past thoughts. 'I've always had these eyes, right?' "I don't have gifts like you do Ulma", Roshan was breathing heavily. The old woman smiled, "Gifts don't always come in the same form as other peoples gifts child, you probably haven't discovered them yet, I had suspected that they were bestowed upon you when you were a baby and have remained dormant. I was actually hoping that when you had matured you would be able to use it, or them", she quickly added the last part. The two women just looked at each other not speaking, Roshans' tears had dried on her cheeks, she could not break down and be afraid, she was her fathers' daughter and her father was the best chief her clan had ever had.
When she was young, Ulma had told her that her father had been brave, responsible and that he never gave up on anything, 'or anyone', she thought, and she couldn't give up on herself, even if she was basically shunned into non-existence by her clan, her relatives, her so-called family. 'Family', Roshan had known family before, but couldn't remember them fully because they had been taken from her early in her years. It was true that Ulma was one person, but Roshan loved her like a mother and a friend, they considered each other family. 'Then there was those mammals Ulma was talking about, I suppose if we can befriend and live with wolves then I suppose we can call them family, Ulma said that the wolves had fought sabres to protect the clan once,' Roshan considered this for a moment as she knelt beside Ulma, 'Those mammals, yes,' she thought firmly, 'they are family.'
The silence was broken by Roshan, "Is that the only reason I was excluded, how come you weren't if you and I have the same kind of eyes?" the girl knew there was something else to the story. Ulma spoke, "After your fathers passing, the other clan members decided to give you to me because of what your eye colour meant, you were just a toddler then". The old woman smiled at the memory of Roshans' youthful face, then continued her story. "Chief Atka was now in control of the clan, he had always wanted power, which is why he was your fathers' second in command I guess. He was and has always been obsessed with order and disposed of anything that was a threat to the clan in his eyes.", Ulma paused to look at the young woman kneeling beside her, "I watched you as you grew up Roshan, and I noticed that you were always uninvolved with the other children". Roshan thought to herself sadly, 'they had families Ulma, I couldn't stand there happy faces'.
Ulma continued her explanation, "The only person you talked to was me, and I am still the only person you talk to", Ulma said with a weak laugh which was followed by another episode of deep coughs. Roshan stood to fetch Ulma some water but was stopped by a hand clasped tightly around her wrist, Roshan sat back down to listen to the wise old woman. "You were always off in the woods hunting or simply walking around, you were still doing your part by providing food to the clan and helping to erect the tents, build fires, skin the animals and cook them, making and washing clothes, but you were always away most of the time," Ulma was looking at Roshans' eyes trying to see if the girl was understanding, she continued, "you were gone physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You still are, hence the cut on your hand, you're simply in a different place, in a world of your own making".
Roshan understood, now that Ulma had explained her behaviour, she did notice how different it was. "Atka noticed your sudden personality change, he mentioned it in one of the tribal meetings, but the elders dismissed his claim that you might be a threat to the clan when you matured and that you would use your gift, or gifts against them". Ulma smiled, and so did Roshan, but only for a moment. "What should I do Ulma, when they come for me, where should I go when you leave for the spirit world?" Roshan whispered, her head was tilted in question as she looked down at the old woman that she had known for so long.
Roshans' long hair fell from behind her ears, clouding her face from the light of the fire. Ulmas hand rose from her side to gently stroke Roshans cheek and then to push her hair back behind her ears again. "Your hair changed to, it was black, now it is a burgundy- auburn colour, just like your mothers, when she washed it of coarse" Roshan could not hide the smile that was pulling on her lips. "What will happen Ulma?" Roshan was now serious. The elders face turned blank as she made a huge effort to sit up, Ulma and Roshan, mother and daughter, they looked into each others' eyes as Ulma spoke "The will come, they will come the moment I have passed on and they will drive you out of here and into the wilderness," Ulma leaned closer to Roshan and said her next words slowly, emphasizing each word, "by-any-way-necessary".
That meant they will use force, and Roshan knew that they were going to use it even if it wasn't necessary, bastards. Ulmas' voice took on a demanding tone "Use the shadows and arm yourself, make a weapon for protection, I can't protect you if I'm in the spirit world child, which is why I need to give this to you" Ulmas voice went back to normal as she took something out of her pocket and held it in front of Roshans' chest. "The great animal spirits spoke to me earlier, and told me to give you this". It was a length of leather string, a round blue diamond pendant had been tied on the end of it. "The spirits only gave me the diamond, the string is all mine" the old woman said sarcastically as she smiled. "Thank you Ulma, I'll wear it all the time, only because you gave it to me, and not because of the spirits" Roshan stated as she finished tying a knot at the back of her neck, it was a small piece of string so the pendant lay just above the middle of her chest. "It looks beautiful on you my dear" the old women gently concluded, followed by a yawn and another chesty cough. "Sleep Ulma, and thank you for everything you've done for me" Roshan smiled at the woman once more. "I love you my child" the gentle elder said as they embraced each other in a tight hug. In a whisper, Roshan answered, "I love you too, mother".
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