Don't own ect... my word count is high enough so I'll leave it at that.
Diego woke to the sound of a particularly rumbly tummy located right above his ear. This was not a night mare, there really was a cub sleeping on his head. He was about to grumble about how he hated kids but remembered his herd was not here to hear him. With no one to impress Diego decided he would just lay here and feel sorry for himself, everyone had their own thing going on and he was not welcome to join his herd or the sabers.
He tried hard to focus on this rejection but found it imposable to generate the right amount of self pity as this cub blanket was just too damn warm and comforting. So instead he decided to think over recent events, maybe he could figure out what had been bothering him so much lately. This didn't take long it, was Snowball. Having him around was bringing out his old self, the person he thought he had left to die back at half peak. The deadly, severe, humourless tiger, for whom living only meant surviving. Diego wanted to survive to live, like Sid. Meeting the herd had opened his eyes to all life's possibilities, a real breath of fresh air compared to pack life. Fun and adventure had been the focus of this herd, now he was bogged down with responsibility and wasn't really enjoying it. Especially being bogged down all on his own with all this responsibility, no matter how cosy warm it was. Really wasn't enjoying it, much.
All too soon a gradual consciousness began to gather above as the cubs came back to the here and now with thoughts of food.
Diego pulled himself out from under them, his limbs were dead and the chill morning air intense, he shook himself awake and stretched. Eleven cubs copied, then followed Snowballs lead and stood staring at him, licking their lips suggestively.
Diego stared back, he needed help. Worse, he needed Sid, he never thought he would see the day when he would even entertain the thought, but right now a friend who liked damn kids and could sit still and be a pin cushion would be dead handy. Even if Sid could read his mind (unlikely) got up this early (very unlikely) and began waddling back right away (would never happen it was still before midday) that alone would take him the most part of the day. The cubs needed to be fed now. But he could not leave them here while he hunted as someone might come along and do away with the next generation of predators with one easy stamp. But if he took them with him they might get caught and trampled in the commotion of stampeding feet. Well at least with option two he would know for sure that they were squashed, with option one he would have to return with food only to find that they had been squashed. He then pondered another predator coming by, without any bodies he would not know what had happened, that would mean a lot of time wasted looking for them, so option two it was.
"So who's hungry?" Diego asked the cubs, dismissing the thought of their many possible demises.
"Me" The cubs responded eagerly, Snowball included despite the fact that he was still wearing yesterdays meal. Diego made a note to teach them to clean themselves; he was not lowering to that level, that really was a job for Sid. On the upside however scabby brown fur blended into the grass better than white ever did.
"Let's go get breakfast then." Diego said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, He led the way looking for clues as to what there was to eat nearby. "So, what do we fancy?" He asked to keep their minds off of any danger which lay ahead.
"I like Chicken" Came the obvious response from the following mini pack.
"Beef" Said Snowball, reveling in the fact that he had eaten something bigger than these cubs ever had, despite not having caught a thing himself.
"Horse" The largest tawny sabre cub responded, so as not to be completely out done by this wanna be tiger. His brother backed him up with "Antelope!"
"They are just tiny snacks compared to what I'm used to eating" Snowball returned, his fur bristling at the possible challenge imposed by this little upstart.
"Well I like Fawn" Said another cub with what seemed a very valid opinion "Far more succulent and tender"
"Baby ducks taste good, a more delicate taste all round" A tan female concluded.
"I want to try rhino"
Diego looked around to see where that answer had come from; of course it would have to be the smallest cub. "Ten points for ambition, but not today" Well it wasn't going to be hard imagining how that one was going to meet his end. Diego turned back and saw some movement up ahead "Who likes bacon?" He asked with a shameless grin, this was his favourite, since mammoth was now off the menu.
"Me!" Came eleven enthusiastic replies.
There was a group of wild boars up a head. Diego looked for somewhere safe to leave the cubs but there was nothing but flat open ground all round. He would just have to hope nothing went wrong and trust them to be able to run if something should. He crouched down ready to begin the hunt.
Snowball who had seen this all before began to explain to the others what was going on, being far larger he naturally took on a beta role. "We always go for the most evil looking one, as that will be the best challenge of strength".
"Any will do today" Diego quickly corrected, aware that he was teaching some bad habits, and ashamed that he was about to teach some irresponsibility as well, but hell these weren't his kids so why did he care. "O kaylisten up, I can't hide or protectyou all, so you're going to have to stay close" He checked the prey up a head before continuing in a whisper." I need you to stay as still as you can, only move when I move and as I move, unless there's trouble, then you scatter" The boars looked around Diego stopped talking and lay still for a while before continuing instruction." Try not to spook the prey we need to concentrate and become one". This could work he tried to convince himself as the cubs each furrowed their brows in concentration and nodded in appropriate places, all except Snowball that is. "Snowball are you listening?" Snowballs gaze was fixed on the targets, without his realising it his body was already inching clumsily forward for a better view.
"Yes" Snowball answered with a casualness that could only imply that this was clearly not the case.
"Then I won't be hearing you lift you paws more than an inch off of the ground or your jaunty skip coming up behind me because then it's game over, there is absolutely no room for error here got it?" Diego whispered hoarsely to quietly convey the shortness of his temper.
"Yes, got it" Still Snowball watched the prey, His bottom wiggled as if screwing tight a spring in his hind legs ready for an almighty pounce. With one heavy paw Diego held Snowball's bottom down until he could feel all the cubs enthusiasm die away from his eager limbs and his young questioning eyes turned up to his own "Why'd you do that? Are we not going to eat?"
"Never mind the prey over there you just watch and copy me and prepare to be so bored that your limbs ache, that is what is called stalking and that is what we, including you are going to be doing" Diego corrected.
"But, the fun? The, the chase?" Snowball began bewildered.
"It's not a game, no fun, just work." Diego could tell he was destroying the kid's soul purpose for existing "After this is done I will find you some butterflies to prance after IF you behave. Now only watch and do as I do, got it?"
"Got it" Snowball furrowed his brow with stroppy impatience and stared at Diego's paws as if he could kill them if only he was a little bigger.
With snowball's concentration firmly fixed, Diego decided it was now or never and trusted the kid to try. "Let's do this then" He carried his body as low to the ground as possible, and pain stacking slowly, so as not to make any sound, he crept forwards.
Snowball turned to the smaller cubs "You all copy him, don't any of you even look at the prey, you just watch and copy him. If I hear one of you kids step out of line then you will get it later, got it? Now let's do this" And with that little speech Snowball crept reasonably successfully forwards, a line of cubs followed behind him.
Diego could hear the rustle of them creeping along, more importantly he could hear their strained breathing as they struggled to hold their poses every time he paused. Like with yoga this took its toll on your limbs, but the boars kept looking around.
One cub fell with an "oomph!" his balance giving way under a long hard pose, but with them now slightly behind, it was as good a time as any to go for the chase. Diego broke out with long freeing strides, pulling the ground beneath him with his claws to gain as much speed as quickly as he could. With a great sigh of relief the cubs released their bodies and bounced forwards, they were just ecstatic that they were allowed to move again and ran gaily, as cubs do after Diego.
The boars scattered. Diego focused on the one that had reacted last, zigzagging as it did in an effort to lose him, Diego still gained on it. Now he was close enough to taste its scent, it smelt (to him) like hot bacon, a smell so good that it could break the most devout vegetarian. It was just inches away, within striking distance, when Sid's voice suddenly screamed from inside Diego's head "But it's only a baby!" Diego's pace involuntarily slowed allowing the young boar to escape into a thorny thicket. Diego cursed himself for going soft, Sid was not here, he's opinion on who deserved to get eaten really did not matter this time.
As he slowed his pace he shook his head in irritation at his own failure. At least however the cubs had had a chance to try prowling, and been alright at it. Plus no one got trampled. All in all it was not so bad, he would just have to try again. With his anger quelled Diego looked up just in time to see the boars father rearing up seemingly from nowhere (they live in burrows) and charge at him straight on. Of course he had been talking to Snowball not watching the damn prey! He had not been concentrating and now he barely turned in time to miss the oncoming rage of the boar as it caught his side with its tusks and a pain like white hot lightening struck him throwing him ungracefully to one side. The boar came to a stop with a triumphant snort and turned to face his enemy for another blow pawing the ground with powerful sweeps of his trotter; his family looked on and broke out in a cheer as their foe fell crashing to the ground.
Snowball heard the cheer and stopped running, ten cubs came bumping to a halt behind him. "What's happening?" Came the question; they assumed Snowball knew what to do, after all he had done this before.
"I don't know" He answered honestly. He felt horribly uncertain, why would someone else cheer over his meal?
"Do we find Diego?" Asked one, "Or scatter?" Said another. "Or just stay here? He will find us right?" Too many options, Snowball was confused, there was more to leading than just being the biggest.
Diego pulled himself up, the tusk had glanced off of his ribs missing anything vital but it hurt, so did the scrapes and bruises of his bumpy landing. He hissed and spat blue murder like a true villain as he pulled his aching body up to look at who had jumped out and hit him. The boar stood a short distance away pawing the ground. Diego began to circle assessing the size and strength of his foe while easing sore muscles to a useable state and calming his temper so to think straight. The audience of onlookers lost their nerve and left the scene, the saber was not hit as hard as they would have liked.
Fearless, the boar charged again, Diego dodged clumsily and the boar turned and ran again, this time without pause. Again Diego dodged, the lethal tusks just missing him, this was good, this was an even fight, Diego liked the challenge.
The boar swung around yet again, he wasn't giving up.
Diego timed his dodge to this now predictable charge and struck out this time tripping his leg out from under him. As the boar fell stunned for an instant Diego attacked getting to the exposed throat as his victim rolled just seconds before sharp defending trotters connected with his brow. A moment sooner and those sharp trotters would have fended him off, but as it was he felt the boars fight slip away from between his teeth. The throb of pain all over was all that he could hear and sense, he started to pull his prize to a more concealed spot where he could gather himself and assess his wounds.
Snowball finally decided what to do "We should take a look, see what is happening then hide, maybe." He bravely stood up peering over the grassy cover which was doing nothing to camouflage his dirty white coat and saw with relief Diego trip and take breakfast. There was nothing to fear, they were going to eat again. He forgot why he ever doubted this outcome. "Let's go!" He ambled off toward Diego and food triumphantly.
Diego left the cub's too it, he was still good from yesterdays meal. He was amazed that Snowball managed to put away just as much again and the sabers were like they had never seen food before. While they ate he brooded over his mistakes and licked his well deserved wounds. The scratches were not so bad, just stupid like his mistake of not studying the prey for long enough before jumping in. It wasn't long before Snowball was sitting back beside him, not long enough anyway; they had all picked their meal clean and now sat dirty awaiting instructions.
"So wash up then" Diego said. All he received was a lot of blank looks. "Well you better learn fast because I am not your mum, I have my limits" At least that should teach them not to climb inside their food in future; he sat down and waited, guarding against any danger.
After ten minutes the cubs were again looking expectantly at him, each cub now sported clean paws, shoulders, noses and bibs, the rest of their bodies however remained untouched. Diego rolled his eyes irritated that he even had to say it "Now help each other to get the bits you can't reach clean." Ages later they were still filthy. "That will have to do" This was so trying! Maybe someone from the herd would be back at the meet spot Diego thought, maybe someone crazy enough to look after them for a bit. It was the best plan he could think of. "OK kids, we head back via the river, you will practice prowling all the way, only then can you relax."
"But" Snowball began remembering the playtime he was promised earlier.
"I wasn't black and blue then now I'm just plain crabby, live with it" Diego snapped, honestly the 'wants' never stopped. The cubs followed, prowling silently.
Snowball practiced hard at his prowl sticking his tongue out for extra concentration, he felt he had it nailed. Maybe even improved on it! By lifting his feet higher and adding a little bounce between steps, he was able to clear a lot more distance while still keeping the noise down. He decided to take it to the next level; he crept up closer behind Diego and executed his new trick 'the trip' as observed on the boar earlier. Diego went down like a sack of potatoes aggravating swelling bruises. He looked around at the triumphant Snowball who had been stood waiting for his praise, but now flinched at the miss timing of this his most fantastic feat.
"Practice on each other not on the only provider in the pack" Diego snapped as if it should be obvious that the provider's preservation was paramount. "I get spared, from all games!"
"Got it, but it was good wasn't it?" Snowball asked proud but uncertain.
"It was alright" Diego replied reluctantly, well it couldn't hurt to encourage him sometimes.
"So can I help next time?"
Apparently it could."No" Diego said as bluntly as possible, if only he could be giving Snowball to Sara with the rest of them in a few days time, Ah to be a bachelor again!
Meanwhile over at the mammoth herd Ellie, with the help of her brothers had skilfully broken free from the 'mothers club' and was enjoying teaching the teenage vagrants the fine art of skiing. This was something Sid excelled at; however he was busy today holding Manny's hand for support. Manny had not escaped the 'men's meeting' to discuss strategies to neutralise the sabre threat to all that grazed. Many options had been put forward but only one was really being considered.
"We must think like the enemy!" Said a very thoughtful, small mammoth.
"How so?" Manny asked dryly, this didn't sound good, nor did it sound like a solution.
Undeterred by Manny's tone the smaller mammoth continued, "Well they ambush prey as they find chasing too hard, so they sneak and ambush. So we could lure them somewhere with no escape, and ambush them, and trample them."
"Fire with fire! I like that" Big Mick mused. "We could even make a day of it! Could make an ideal sporting event for the calendar. Call it 'The big cat clean out' maybe".
"That's ridicules" Manny put in quickly, it could work! How was he going to keep his saber out of it? Not only now but every time they happened on a crazy herd of mammoths?
"Hush Manfred" Mick snapped," no one shares your opinions so take heed of ours, the right opinions."
Manny scowled at being chastised, it might have been his imagination but he thought he heard a muffled snicker from somewhere around his ankles. Regardless of this he was going to speak up again. "How would you even lure all the pack into a trap?"
A few mammoths went to say something but hesitated as the element of danger to anyone playing dead around a pack of predators in a dead end trap made this indeed a silly idea. Many wished now that this idea had not been mentioned as if Mick came up with what everyone else was thinking he would certainly volunteer one of them for the horrible task.
"We could use uhh a umm..." Mick pondered hard. As the cogs slowly turned a few of the smaller mammoths who often got 'volunteered' for nasty tasks shuffled back slowly so to disappear unnoticed behind larger members of the herd, including, Manny noted, the mammoth who had had this particular brainwave. "A gazelle! Or something like that!" Mick finally finished. A sigh of relief was released from all around him.
"And where are you going to find a gazelle stupid enough to pose for this trap?" Manny's voice went from confident to squeak as a herd of frowns and tusks turned to regard him and his constant questions. He could read on their faces that they didn't care where this gazelle was coming from so long as it wasn't a mammoth. Again a muffled snicker sounded from somewhere below.
Mick, keeping his calm and oblivious to the glares directed at Manny tried to explain as if to a small calf. "I'm not saying it will be easy, but it is for the greater good that we at least try to do this, do you understand?"
Manny could not believe that he was still going to protest, so for the sake of self preservation edged back away from the pointy tusks facing him as he spoke "Another pack of something else will turn up you know, so long as we are all part of the food chain we are going to be prey to some predator or another." A comforting clawed pat to his leg told him he was not alone facing this herd, he stood his ground albeit weakly, then that snicker sounded again.
"Your speaking now like we're already dead" Big Mick sighed. "I don't like your defeatist attitude. Anyone who is not in favour of at least exploring this idea, or anyone interested in just feeding themselves without a fight to the tigers please go stand with the ladies group over there"
Now it wasn't just Manny's imagination as all the bulls snickered. He gritted his teeth, he was going to make them see the stupidity of all this "Oh come on a willing sacrifice who would tempt all the pack, without getting caught, into a trap, possibly fain death in order to get them all together, and then hope beyond hope that when you guys come stampeding out from whatever your hiding behind, and seriously what can a herd of mammoths really hide behind? Anyway and skip away scott free without a scratch! No mammal in their right mind would entertain the thought"
"Ideally yes!" Wow! Mick had to admit Mammy did paint a good picture of a good day's fun there, shame he had to be so crazy "But realistically, the cute little critter might not make it, we are prepared to lose the bait if need be" Mick finished solemnly. That did mar the whole thing slightly.
Manny felt Sid pulling his fur for attention"Turn the tables! You got a pack vs. a herd in one place!" Sid whispered making Manny think hard about a new approach to this argument.
"Let's say that all happens, won't the sabres just attack us back? Would everyone here stand their ground if a pack of sabres targeted them as the weakest link in the trap" Manny saw the expressions change on the herd, although they were not the bait it was still dangerous.
"Manfred you are very negative, we have here an excellent suggestion, with a bit of planning it is the best idea so far." Mick bellowed, more than half the assembled herd nodded agreement.
Manny desperately added "But aren't we all migrating on in a week or two anyway? I mean why even bother?"
"Yes, but we will be back next year, and then they will be waiting wont they! Never put off for tomorrow what can be done today" Big Mick finished with a snort of laughter from Sid. He was beginning to like that sloth, it added emphasis to his speeches with its appropriately placed chuckles, maybe he could get a sidekick?
Manny could not take it anymore he looked down around his ankles to where Sid sat giggling to himself. "What exactly is so funny?" He growled down to the sloth "This might end up involving certain uh ...badger that we both know getting squashed!" Manny hoped Sid remembered the reference he was making.
"It's just..." Sid realised he was likely to get pummelled when Manny was in a temper. "Oh nothing"
"Then shut up!"
"But I didn't say a word" Sid protested.
"You know what I mean!" Manny finished, any more from him he might find himself being volunteered for bait duty.
Sid saw the murderous look in Manny's eye "Boy you mammoths are a morose bunch"
"IF you have ANY helpful suggestions don't be afraid to speak up as we are ALL in danger of being eaten here!" Manny was so beyond irritated now.
"I will, when there's a problem." Sid retorted sticking his lack of chin out as stubbornly as a chinless sloth could.
"What? The Sabres are the problem, there is a pack of them out in the valley taking anything in their path large or small, which means I can't protect you this time, which means we need a plan if we are too beat..." Manny stopped suddenly the memory of half peak flashed into his mind. Of holding Diego between his tusk and a hard rock wall ready to stop the threat to his and his friend's lives. He remembered how even then he had hesitated, hesitated long enough for Diego to talk his way out, luckily.
"Pessimistim is the problem here Manny, plain old miserable mammoths" Sid was saying unaware of Manny's memory lane moment.
"Got something to add Manny?" Asked Mick who was now aware of and distracted by the off shoot conversation happening.
"Nothing just explaining to Sid here..."
"Your little friend there, ah he doesn't understand huh? Why don't you pop him in the nursery with the kids his size, we got things to discuss here and I need everyone's concentration if I'm to get to a conclusion! I can't do this on my own; we are a herd Manny everyone needs to put in"
"Right, come on Sid" Manny scooped Sid up and left the bulls with a sigh of both relief and frustration in one weighted breath. "Go play with the kids Sid you don't know what you're talking about this is about mammoths you you're a sloth, you wouldn't understand" After all what had Sid ever needed to protect? He just needed protecting, mostly from himself but still protecting all the same.
"Fine by me kids talk far more sense"
"True, but something does need to be done."
"Yes the bullies need to be stopped!" Said Sid.
"Oh their just doing what comes natural in a way, it's not really bulling as such" Manny presumed Sid had meant the sabers.
Sid however had meant the mammoths "It's NATURAL for you guys to be mean, pushy, stubborn, moody, overly aggressive, overly hairy, and possibly overly poofy, control freaks?" He paused for breath "Wow I've been fighting a lost cause trying to mellow you out all this time"
"What? Are you trying to say that I bully?"
"If I say yes will you pummel or (Gulp) Sit on me?"
Manny was taken aback, he only ever nudged Sid in the right direction every so often in a fatherly kind of way, blimey that sloth exaggerated. Just then he spotted Ellie, he decided to ask her opinion on the matter. When he noticed however what she was up to both he and Sid stopped in their tracks.
She seemed to have both invented and perfected to Olympic standard a cross ski track. She was using two saplings lashed together as a sling shot to propel herself forward at a greater speed than could be otherwise achieved on already near vertical slope. Manny's eyes followed Ellie's intended downward path, tracks from previous runs suggested the aim was to get as much air as possible before hitting a tight slalom course into the tree line and out of sight before reappearing off in the distance still dodging rocks and obstacles. Manny looked at Ellie who teetered in case he needed her attention before committing to her launch.
"Ellie do I aah..."what was a good word for it? Oppress? No too dramatic, intimidate, coerce! All too strong! He just kind of persuaded his herd with his fantastic diplomatic skills, didn't he?
"Yes you can be a bit daunting and sometimes I think your mean, but it's just the way you are. Anything else?" She said a little too easily and defiantly more cheerfully than Manny would have otherwise liked. Manny put that to one side to dwell on later as the slope had again distracted him.
"So having fun love?" Manny observed Ellie's crowd, although they were not the biggest mammoths in the herd by far, they were certainly the most intimidating to look at. Dark staring eyes and hair perfected in to punk spikes all over their bodies, all they lacked was some heavy silver jewellery stuck anywhere that could be pierced, hair dye and maybe some tight black leather if that wasn't pushing it all too far. Crash and Eddie looked the part with their stripes and cool dude poses, they had mini skis and waited their turn with the other competitors.
"Great time thanks, you?"
"Oh yeah, real wease, I'm um..." He needed his space all of a sudden, he needed out of this crowd! "Going to check on Diego, tell him whats going on, want to come?" He felt like the nerdiest kid asking the top bad girl out, he looked at his feet mentally preparing for rejection"
"Uh gee, I'm kind of in the middle of a tournament here, next time, alright?"
"Yeah sure." Well at least she had let him down gently. Manny walked away to the sound of the twang of young trees catapulting his beloved off of a slope he was sure was too steep but said nothing, she knew what she was doing, she always did. It was he who was at a loss right now and needed space to think. Sid followed at his heel.
Together they passed through the herd, until Sid spotted Peaches in a group of similar young mammoths playing. Well it had been a while since Sid had spent time with Peaches, and never had he spent time with a whole creche of baby mammoths! This was a once in a life time opportunity he could just feel it. He patted Manny reassuredly on the leg before waddling off towards the kids. Manny felt the reassuring pat and felt touched at the sloths Company during this time of confusion. "Thanks Sid I appreciate you sticking by..." Manny looked around in time to see Sid waddling off.
"Sid!"
"What?" Sid looked around dumb folded at the mammoth for calling him back.
Manny suppressed the urge to whack the sloth, after all this was Sid why had he expected him to stick by him during this moody moment, that was what Diego did, back in the day, when he had moody moments now and then. "You're not coming?" Manny's tone was one of a cool kid ordering a follower along.
"No." Sid was secretly hurting that hunting was taking over from play in his own little family. "Diego's fine, independent and stuff, say 'hi' for me though!" He turned abruptly on his heel and headed off.
"Touchy, Just me then huh?" Manny said to himself. Well at least this strange situation between Sid and Diego had taken his mind off of his own problems. He would have to find out what was going on between them.
Peaches was ecstatic to have her uncle Sid come play with her. The other kids were beginning to freak her out. She was used to everyone being so different in her herd; she just couldn't get her head around all these identical kids. And they all did the same thing! She was a big hit in the group from the start yesterday with her new and quirky ways, and she did enjoy that. Today however the kids expected her to amuse them again with her strange new antics, which they copied! Maybe not right away, well some did then soon all of them would imitate her every move, every trick! Sure it was fun at first, but now it was just plain freaky, as they followed her around copying all her best moves and skills. And they had nothing new to share! Well now they could copy Sid! Like she did! Ah! No! Like she sometimes did! Because sometimes she would copy mum, or her uncle's that was different, that was OK! She looked expectantly at Sid, as did the other kids wanting to know what Peaches was waiting for.
Sid saw the small herd of impressionable baby mammoths all turn to greet him at once.
Peaches waved her trunk at him, as did the others in unison, Sid felt finally he belonged, and embraced them all.
Manny walked slowly down hill back to the meet spot. It was a quiet thoughtful walk. After a few hours the ground finally levelled out, boulders were randomly scattered all around, the largest of these was whale shaped and marked clearly the meet spot. Manny had come to no obvious conclusion as to what to do, he never was any good at politics. With less light falling down to this sheltered corner of the valley floor everything seemed very dark and gloomy very quickly. The ground was wet from snow melt and cold frosty air hung thick around the boulders.
This would be a good place for something evil to jump out on a guy! Thought Manny as the cold sent shivers down his spine. He listened hard for movement and set his sights on the upturned tail of the whale rock which caught the last ray of warm sun drifting down and beckoned him on. The ground rose slightly up to meet the huge rock allowing a vantage point over those who approached it, Manny had expected to see Diego watching for him there, he hadn't expected to see four tawny cubs sitting in plain view watching his approach. He froze instinctively as did they, both watched each other.
The cubs had been told to stay put and not to move even a hair on pain of death while Diego retrieved the other cubs including Snowball, who had become lost playing 'chase and pounce' among the smaller boulders. But if that mammoth came any closer they would surely be allowed to scatter.
Manny was listening for the parents of the cubs to come sneaking out from where ever they were concealed. Maybe if he just backed up the cubs would forget they saw him and he could just creep off.
Too late! His hair stood on end, there was a movement to his right and it was close! Manny lowered his tusks to ground level ready to swing in a defensive ark should the enemy jump out at him. He let out a low guttural growl, he was ready for attack.
The cubs considered backing away and hiding now the mammoth had released them from his gaze, but froze in fear at the deep growl .They cowered defensively' but before they could get too frightened they spotted Diego directly behind the mammoth!
"Hey Manny" Diego said casually as he herded the rest of the cubs at a subdued pace back to the shelter of the whales nose.
Manny jumped rather than attacked and had to take a minute to calm his heart down. He hadn't expected to be approached from behind, he hadn't heard a thing! Well it was his own fault worrying about nasty predators too much, made himself paranoid.
The cubs looked from Diego to Manny in confusion "Why is it still breathing?" asked one. (They will get names when I get a decent name book)
"Can we still eat it?" Enquired another.
Diego had to look; of course it was that little one with the suicidal taste for rhino! "No eating that one"
"Why?" They coursed together.
"Just do as told, no questions" Diego couldn't really explain it so didn't waste time trying; instead he rounded on Manny with his own question "Where the hell is Sid?"
Manny felt that it was a good thing Sid was safe elsewhere "He's still with the mammoths, I left him with the kids actually, where he belongs no doubt" Manny joked while taking in his friends unusually poor looking composure.
"Having a nice time I hope" Diego's tone implied the exact opposite to be true.
"Is everything alright with you guys?"
"Course, aside from the fact that he has left me high and dry here"
"You didn't have so many then though, where did these all come from? There not yours are they?" Manny could not help the suspicious tone that crept into his voice.
"I'm a bit more responsible than that!" Diego sniped back, then aware of how catty he was sounding he added "They don't even look like me" Diego sat down, he looked as far from his usual poised dignified self as Manny could imagine.
"You're not coping too well" Manny observed. He also observed that a manly punch on the shoulder was not going to help things this time.
Diego just glared, he wanted a break, a nap, a good wash and the hope that tomorrow would be child free. He wanted Sid and got Manny with his bad jokes to add to his list of unneeded problems.
Without Ellie telling him to shut up Manny decided to try improve the situation "So you've got your own pack now huh? Just don't turn against them this time, there only little, you might make them cry!" Manny laughed.
"So long as you don't find yourself being eaten by them, actually no, even if you do I think I'll stick by them this time at least till you beg for mercy, there tougher than they look you know" Diego gestured to his new scrapes in a joking manner but noticed the atmosphere between them tense considerably.
Manny Looked hard at the wounds, they looked like the kind of scrapes you'd get when wrestling big game "You weren't out hunting at all yesterday were you?"
"Me? No. You know I only", he struggled for something acceptable "scavenge, and eat fish" no one likes fish so that was ok.
Snowball decided to correct Diego, the kill he made yesterday was way worth boasting about "No you got that really big nasty looking..." He was cut short by a heavy paw coming down on his head.
"Fish! That really big fish and it was real good! Wasn't it?" Diego snarled at the cub.
"Yes" Snowball managed to squeeze out.
The other cubs looked around from there cute play. There leader and beta seemed to be having a disagreement in front of lunch.
Manny took in their ever hungry stares and tried hard to ignore them "Only there is this pack led by a saber called 'old Dave' out in the valley and he's been causing a bit of trouble lately.."
"Really? Never heard of him."
"That's my dad" (Kid's like to help)
"You're not hanging out with a bad gang are you?"
"No, I'm just looking after his kids because a girl in his pack needed some help; I don't have anything to do with them otherwise, bad bunch, except her"
"Oh, well that's very noble of you. So why do you guys (predators) have so many anyway?" Manny could not help it Mick's words had hit home earlier, thrown his usual live and let live attitude.
Diego turned to address the cubs for a moment "Cover your ears guy's bad grown up words taking place here" The cubs obediently compiled and placed their paws tightly over their ears,"Only a few at most will be still here next year, less the year after and less after that to breed, survival of the fittest and all that" Diego concluded quickly. It was sad to think when you go through all that you end up betraying and deserting your pack.
"That's quite sad" Manny reflected, maybe a prey species lot wasn't so bad after all.
"Just the way it is, can't all live there just isn't enough fish in the sea" Diego said dismissively.
"River don't you mean" Manny hated to be so punctual but they had never been to the sea side. Manny also began to wonder if Diego had actually ever tasted fish, his fear of water until recently suggested not. Diego just went off and came back, what he ate never really came up in conversation.
"They live there too? No more long hunting trips for me then, I shall have to tell their mum when she returns" Diego and Manny stared hard at each other. It was very clear that white lies weren't washing anymore. This could become a stalemate.
Manny had had enough of 'tense' today however and dismissively played along, after all this was Diego so the cubs and maybe their mum were probably alright, kind of, for predators. "Good you tell her, I bet she'll be much relieved" Manny lay down to emphasize that he was comfortable regardless. OK so Diego had predator friends, so they were the same pack causing trouble, they weren't going to fight and that was that. He came here to relax with his friend.
Diego followed suit.
They lay quietly for a while. Diego expected Manny to go as there was nothing here for him, then cottoned on that maybe his friend was in fact reluctant to return. Well he needed rid of Manny as the cubs needed to settle soon and he was embarrassed by the sleeping habits he was getting very used to, king of 'touch me and you are dead' that he was. A nudge was definitely needed here "Shouldn't you head back? Your family remember?"
"Na it's peaceful here" Manny had to admit he would rather be surrounded by sabers than arguing with mammoths any more today.
Right, Manny wasn't going to get comfortable here, Diego decided to make him talk about it "Are you not enjoying it, tough not being the biggest with the baldest weapons in the herd huh?"
"Have you been talking to Sid?" Manny snapped suspiciously.
' Ooo defensive, touched on something there' Diego thought, but felt irritated by the mention of the ever absent Sid "No, lucky guess it seems"
Manny noted the suppressed curl of anger to Diego's lip at the mention of the sloth. He was about to ask what was going on when a cub spoke before he asked.
"Can we take our paws off of our ears yet?"
"Oh yeah sure." Diego turned back to Manny "Well if you are staying they are playing, I need help wearing them out"
'Well how hard can it be? Playing with kittens fools game surly!' "Yeah why not!"
"Bouncy castle is open kids" Diego announced so even the cubs who were still covering their ears could hear "last one to get shattered is tomorrow's dinner!" He relaxed finally, for the first time that day and watched the crazy cubs jump all over the helpless mammoth. That would wear them out, see Manny off and solve this stalemate situation which was rising at a most inopportune time. Somehow even his scrapes and bruises didn't seem to hurt so much. It had all worked out after all, who really needed Sid?
Manny held as still as he could as the cubs went wild. It kind of tickled but every now and then it really hurt as well. The worst part was however staying still because he thought it would be such bad etiquette to squash one by accident rolling around in pain from unexpected nips. Thank goodness peaches didn't have claws! Finally Manny could take no more and had to stand up and as carefully as possible shake them all off before batting off the more persistent ones.
"Did we nearly kill it?" Asked one cub breathlessly to Diego.
"Yeah very nearly"
"Should we try again?"
"No that's enough we will let that one go"
"Oh" they sat down reluctantly, still not tired. "Can we get a story before bed?"
"No"
Manny had been contemplating leaving changed his mind at this; he liked stories so settled back down. "You don't make a very good parent if you don't tell stories. I can tell them one if you like, give you the idea of how it's done"
They turned to sit facing Manny expectantly.
"Once upon a time there was a young burrow" He began.
"Oh please no, not that stupid ass story again. Once is enough! OK I will tell a story but no interruptions I tell it you go, and you guys go to sleep" Diego paused while Manny and the cubs nodded in agreement before beginning. "One day there was this cub who never did as it was told..."
"That's not a story, you're still angry at us from earlier!"
"Mum always says 'Do something properly or not at all'" A very bright cub put in.
"Funny I'd say the same to her" Diego grumbled, "OK how about the tigress who always stole other sabers food..."
"She didn't get big hips did she?" Snowball just had to ask he was catching on to Sid's smart mouth.
"You've heard that one it would seem" Diego smiled, Sid might have said something like that if he was here. "Once upon a time" He began finally as these kids were not going to let him off with anything less than a proper story "there was this sabre family, Snowball you can replace sabre with lion as it's really not going to make much difference what they are. So there was this family
"Wait is a saber family like a mammoth family? You know mum, dad and well we wouldn't have ten kids"
"No in a Saber family you would have for example, dad the leader, as many mums as he can guard and all the kids of various ages making up the rest of the pack."
"How many mums are we talking about here?"
"Well four would be an average number." Having grown up in a commune like environment this was nothing short of natural for Diego.
"Four wives? Really? Don't they hate sharing?"
"No they don't mind, usually they are really close friends or sisters."
"That is so not right"
"You've just never tried it. Anyway so their was this family with just two wives, six grown up children and six new little cubs. Now one of these little cubs was inevitably smaller than the rest."
"But there is only ever one father? Couldn't one lady say have four guys?"
"OK some times there is two guys, I've even heard of three, but it doesn't matter because the males time leading, unless he's good, only lasts a few years then he gets toppled by a new man or men and the girls get a new husband. Now no more questions! Back to the story. It was a hard year for predators as the grass and stuff had grown exceptionally well making all prey species strong and healthy and this little cub, who was called Diavolo suffered for it, as did everyone in his pack."
"Is this a true story?" Manny couldn't help it, he liked details.
"Right cover ears again kids. Supposedly it is, Diavolo is like a really important historical figure to sabers, but it is probably more of a made up folklore kind of thing. Manny this story might be a bit grown up for you; maybe you should take a walk while I tell it. Or take a walk and give me a chance to tell it."
"Is it going to be too adult for them?"
"No, they can handle grown up issues, you however, I don't think you can"
"I'm staying, if they can, I can"
"Don't say I didn't warn you! OK uncover. Well they were all close to starving, it was only a matter of days before this little cub would, you know, head off, and thoughts turned to speeding up the process so to feed the others sooner rather than later. Well Diavolo was furious for although small his anger was equal to that of a full grown bear. He said to his hungry litter mates and to his pack that he was leaving to find his fortunes elsewhere and that he would return one day to wreak revenge on them all for treating him like prey! So despite being small and weak he stumbled off with as much dignity as he could"
"Just like that they let him go?" Wow this was nothing at all like a mammoth family!
"Yes, I just said they did! In the snow small and alone and full of hate he left to find his fortunes elsewhere"
"That is so sad"
"Manny you are worse than those possums, just zip it please. But they did give him a sporting head start to get away before they began to hunt him down. Well as chance would have it he found a nook in a rock wall that was so small only a half starved cub could possibly wriggle through, so he escaped before the larger cats could catch him. However his litter mates saw him and followed him through but struggled to move being bigger than he was, and so became stuck often. When they managed to emerge on the other side eventually one by one, head first from a tight gap, they did not expect little Diavolo to be waiting for them. Diavolo killed each of his litter mates one by one as they came out slicing open their uh.... quickly dispatching them so they didn't see or feel a thing till it was too late. Then he ate them and with a full stomach he headed off stronger than he had been in weeks to find his destiny.
Well soon he came across another pack who alas were also struggling to survive against the odds, but luckily whose young were as small and as malnourished as he had once been. So before they could realise that he was indeed an intruder, he slew what cubs he could eating them up completely before their parents could figure out what had happened. That made him stronger still and he threatened the remaining cubs to stay quiet. The parents fed him more before they realised cubs were missing, then he ran. But not before killing any cubs left behind so they could not avenge themselves and he ate them too.
Now he was all alone again. He ate worms and bugs which discussed him but kept him alive when many perished. Slowly he grew until he was big enough to kill baby rabbits in their burrows and fawns hiding in the field. He hid in their homes disguised under their skins and ate their parents when they returned to feed them. He was truly sneaky cunning and remorseless and he survived that terrible year when grasses grew bountifully and prey became too strong for any other cats to catch.
Well the year after was not so good for prey and predators at last could eat again. Diavolo returned home to his pack mostly to gloat but also to keep his promise. His pack were only just holding on to enjoy this time of bounty as grazers dropped left right and centre from lack of grass.
He laughed at them struggling to get to food before the vultures took it away and said "Aren't you the ones that called me little and weak?", and they said "It's you? You have returned! Teach us how you have managed to survive out on your own so long so we too might become strong once more. To which he replied "By the sheer strength of my determination I have survived against all odds!" and they realised how great his anger and determination was just before he ate them.
So great was his anger, so deep his bitterness, so cunning his plans, and ruthless his appetite that it spread to even his cubs, that is when he at last found a female strong enough not to be eaten by him to father some with. So it is said that all great alphas everywhere have somewhere within them his bitterness gene, his stubbornness streak his hatefulness, albeit very dilute in comparison. But in all cats his fiery fury can be seen in the raw through their fiery colouring hence tawny is and always shall be revered among felines everywhere. The end, now go sleep"
"I'm Tawny do you think I have some of that strength?" Asked the littlest cub in the group
"Yep somewhere, buried deep"
"But what about me!" Snowball looked desperately at his dirty white coat.
"All lions are bitter evil and twisted you'll get there I'm sure"
"That was a horrible story!" Manny decided out load.
"That is a hero tale of how even the smallest cub can muster enough cunning to win through, and I did say it was not for you."
"But what about the end? That was not a nice end"
"He was strong, revenged and fruitful, what more is there to say? It's not what I like either, it is the way it is. If I were to tell them my thinking that we should not be led by the strongest but by the wisest or by voting system that would give them nightmares."
"That sounds a fairer way to organise a pack and win the respect of your team mates"
"You think? So how do mammoths decide who leads?"
"I'll head back it's getting late!" There was no way Manny was admitting it was the biggest oldest bully there too.
"Tell Sid to come back, I need help with his kid, and the rest, but mostly HIS kid!"
"Sure I'll tell him. Look after yourself Diego!"
Diego waited till Manny was out of sight. "OK kids this is the reason we have a mammoth in this herd" He got up and lay down in the space Manny had just vacated, the ground was warmer than a warm sunbeam. He stretched out on his back to absorb as much heat as possible before settling comfortably so sleep. The cubs followed his lead and purred contentedly. Every pack should have a mammoth sized bed warmer.
Yes names are needed but i'm still cringing at my 'Lisa leopard' ocso will wait till I find some good ones rather than use the first thing that comes to mind. Also 'Big Mick' sounds a bit suspect and 'Old Bill" who appears briefly again soon is slang I now realise for well UN-PG stuff, so I had better think before I name any one else or else I will have to up my K rating for implied profanity!!