A shameless bit of fluff filler while I figure some plot out. Still own nothing.
Eddie finally reached the copse of trees where he had left Emma last night. He could not hear anything that might suggest anyone was about, but still he did not dare call out for fear of attracting attention to himself. He decided to check out the situation first just to play it safe.
Eddie quietly tiptoed up to a scene of total carnage in the glade which he had noted last night, just before he gave in to total exhaustion, for its beauty and untouched tranquillity even with Emma in it. Berry bomb blast debris play scattered everywhere, bits of red pulp with black seeds dripped off of the spring foliage and splattered on the pristine snow, arrows were imbedded in the trunks of trees. The air was tainted with the unmistakeable after math of stink bomb and a very pointy sword (called a foil I am told) lay discarded on the ground.
What had happened and where was everyone now? Foot prints were everywhere, including his own; in fact mostly his own as he had made it impossible for anyone, including Fleet, to follow him home last night. There was no way any of these tracks would now lead him to Crash, they were just too confused. Eddie relented and started to call out for his friends to come out, if indeed they were still here. "Crash, Emma! Where are you guys?"
There was no answer; Eddie was left with no choice but to continue searching for more clues.
By chance Eddie found or heard his first real clue; a rhythmic scraping sound was coming from behind a hedge. He was beyond caring who it was, he just wanted answers, so he marched over and pushed his way through "Hey what's going on... Crash?"
Crash sat crouched down in hiding sharpening twigs into darts with a lethal point whist muttering something like "Get the better of me huh, I'll get you, I'll get you good, you'll see"
"Crash what are you doing? Didn't you hear me calling? Why didn't you tell me you were hidden here in this thicket muttering to yourself and looking like a crazed hermit? How long have you been here anyway dude?"
Crash looked up, suddenly aware of the intrusion and jumped up into a martial arts defensive pose with arms raised as if to deliver a karate chop "I'm ready for ya toots, bring it on" he growled
"Wait!" Eddie jumped back in surprise and defensively held his hands up to show how unarmed he was "I come in peace bro"
"Oh it's you! Phew, I thought for a minute there that you were ...her"
"So you didn't answer because you thought I was Emma?"
"Yes, disguising her voice to deceive me, she is capable of anything bro, she is evil"
"Evil?"
"Yes, now let's head back; we need to get to safer ground while we still can"
"Are you kidding, she's totally boring but not evil"
"Dude I have got here just in time then, you are in way too deep to see the danger you're in, come on I'm going to rescue you"
"Rescue me? You're the one who needs rescuing, you're crazy"
"That is just so ungrateful, after I've fought right down to my last dirty trick for you! Well take this" Crash still worked up from his fight earlier launched into a slap attack on Eddie's cheeks
Eddie returned Crashes slaps with some kicks and soon the brothers were rolling around causing untold and totally unnecessary injuries to each other.
Emma heard the commotion. Cautiously she came out of hiding, picked up her sword, retrieved her arrows and wandered over to see what was going on. She soon discovered the twins and quickly readjusted her fur in a sexy manner and adopted a casual pose leaning on her sword before announcing her arrival "A-hem"
Both boys stopped their fighting to look.
"Back for round two huh?" Crash spat "Well I'm ready for you this time missus" Crash leapt back and grabbed his new darts and posed poised for action "Bring it on"
"A smarter idiot would have learnt his lesson the first time" Emma replied raising her sword "I see I will have to repeat myself till you learn not to mess with me boy"
"Hi Emma" Eddie said, feeling a little self conscious and guilty about his brother and leaving her the way he did.
"And where exactly did you go?" Emma asked while keeping her eyes fixed firmly on Crash "And did you set your brother on me?"
"No!" Eddie looked at Crash and whispered in a harsh voice "Crash, stop being dumb!"
"Never"
"Give me five minutes then"
"Fine" Crash dropped his guard, but counted down the five minutes vigilantly.
Eddie turned back to Emma giving her his full attention "Emma I'm going to be honest, I ran away. I don't want to live in a tree, but I don't want to be a crazy bachelor either, there are enough of those already. So I decided maybe we could meet half way, compromise on what we both want and work on finding something we can both agree on, some middle ground, what do you say?"
"Don't do it Eddie" Crash gasped
"Shh" Eddie returned.
Emma thought about this "I like secure homes" she offered knowing there would be no compromise there.
"We could go from place to place changing homes but always finding good secure ones to stay in"
Emma cussed, good answer, she liked the idea of having a summer house ect. Still she would get him with this "I like furniture" She said knowing Eddie was not going to carry all that from house to house.
"We could renew each season, after all styles change"
"Grrr; well I like big families"
"We could work on that, after we've got to know each other and after we have spent some quality time playing together"
"But I don't like this one bit" Crash whinged
"No one's asking you" Emma taunted Crash wickedly
"Crash" Eddie looked deep into Crashes eyes and appealed to his soul, he did not want to be like Sid, he really, really did not want that at all "Do this for me!"
Crash saw the sincerity, the desperation in his brother's soul searching plea. But ultimately he knew that Eddie was probably under Emma's twisted grow up spell. He would have to do this creatively so not to lose Eddie completely to her "You can't just invite anyone to join our herd bro, we should all vote first"
"Why? When it's our herd! Ellie never asked us if Manny and his friends could join. They just invited themselves and never left! Now some times I don't mind but seriously other times they can all be so irritating"
"Well you still need my approval"
"No I don't"
"You do if you ever want to sleep safely at night again" Crash wiggled his eyebrows to indicate that he was implying to the threat Emma posed; the threat he would have to guard against day and night if she were to join the herd.
Alas, Eddie didn't get it "What you going to do?" he was angry at his own brother threatening him like that, so turned to insults to get one up on Crash "Dump a load of water on me? Because you already do that most nights anyway and you know what I'm referring to"
"I've out grown that, it was just a phase!"
"Uh huh, I think I hear the thousands of disbelieving voices disagreeing with you on that"
"Take that back!" Crash jumped at Eddie ready for another fight
Emma stepped in and broke them up, then stood between the brothers with her back to Eddie and her sword pointed to Crash "I would love to join your herd" She crooned smiling evilly at Crash "I'm sure we can find a good compromise that suits us all"
"Great let's go then" Eddie smiled amazed at his own diplomacy skills
Crash smiled too, over there Emma would not have her tricks and traps, at least they would be on equal ground with only what weaponry they carried "Fine but don't say I didn't warn you when this doesn't work out"
"How is it not going to work?" Eddie sighed
"When you see how evil she is" Crash replied
"Crash grow up" Eddie snapped back
"Yeah I'm hurt by that" Emma said while wiping away a false tear
"You'll be more than a little emotionally hurt soon enough" Crash growled
"Not by you wimp"
"Stop it!" Eddie jumped between them "You're going to have to get on if this is to work"
"Imposable! She is evil"
"Me evil, look in the mirror that's evil"
"I never went for you with a sword"
"You used bombs; I lost my wolf because of you"
"I lost my brother; and you had a long bow"
"Self defence! You fight dirty with those stink bombs"
"Hang on it sounds like you guys had a whale of a time while I was gone!" Eddie said realising he had missed out on something big here "Swords, long bows! I couldn't get a game of snap out of you, but for him you your all pirates and Robin Hood role play! What's that all about?"
"You left me!" Emma snapped
"I needed space!" Eddie snapped back
"You never said a thing! Was I supposed to wait forever?"
"No, just don't hit on my brother in the first five minutes of by absents"
"He attacked me!"
"Only after I heard your evil plan to make Eddie grow up and take him away from me!"
"It was what he wanted!" Emma shreaked
"I wanted to play pirates and Robin Hood! I would have been happy with snap!"
"I would have played that with you" Crash said in a glum voice
"Right after you were through playing with her right?" Eddie snapped back at him.
"I couldn't find you"
"So with me missing you thought, how shall I pass the time? I know I will make a move on his girl friend"
"I was waiting to make a move on you, wait I mean make a move to save you! I just wanted her out of the picture"
"So get rid of her and hold me back from growing up forever. Well was it fun the sword fight? Huh did you enjoy the Robin Hood role play? Because she is still here and it was me that had to come find you"
"It was certainly more fun than waiting for you to come back from your nights out with her!" Crash said, his voice full of resentment.
Eddie launched himself at Crash at the same time Crash jumped at him and they fell to the ground wrestling each other. Emma tried to break them up -again "Stop it, this is so immature! Ow! Which one of you just hit me?" She slapped them both back to be sure and then carried on fighting for the hell of it.
Soon the fighting all stopped and they stood panting and wheezing hard in an effort to catch their breath. No one it seemed was as young as they remembered.
"I swore" Emma wheezed "to my dying mother (pant) I would only play (pant) with my one true love (pant) So I was waiting till I was wed (cough, pant) before I trusted anyone enough to enjoy a game with them" She stood bent over but defiant.
"You were very (pant) well practiced for someone (pant) who never plays at archery (pant) and sword fighting" Crash tried to snap. "Perhaps your lying skills (pant) are just as well developed"
"Crash!" Eddie gasped for breath "Ok I'm sorry (pant) Pirates and Robin hood are my favourite games (pant) so I thought for a minute there you guys were..."
"There mine too!" Emma gasped through pants "We already have so much in common"
"She has a lot in common with (pant) a snake in the grass too; doesn't mean one should have to marry her"
"Crash, Stop it!"
"Love is truly blind! If you survive till next week I will officially apologise, but I bet my sling shot you don't"
"You're on!" Eddie said with some enthusiasm "My innovative one of a kind joke book, signed by me the author, says we will last at least a week"
"This serious relationship hasn't just turned into a bet right?" Emma asked a little concerned
"Yes" Crash replied in answer to both 'the bet' and the, 'this is not a bet' questions.
"Right" Eddie said happy that together they had reached a compromise "Now we are agreed let's go home" With a quick high five Crash and Eddie headed off as if nothing had ever happened between them, leaving Emma a little bemused to follow behind.
Meanwhile back at camp, while Manny and Ellie enjoyed some peaceful alone time by the fire watching a lovely sunset, Sid was gathering food for his new vegetarian family.
"This is lettuce," Sid announced holding up the small green leaf for all to observe "We can eat that. That is broccoli, high in calcium and iron, we can eat that. Deadly night shade! We leave that one out, no touching kids, just listen to the name; it's a bad sounding plant therefore a bad eating plant. Ah rocket! Sounds good, sounds fun, cause it is" He popped some into a leaf basket which he was carrying to hold all the gathered food in.
"It looks the same stupid green colour as everything else, how're we meant to tell one weed from another?" Ari moaned as he was totally missing the thrill of hunting already.
"Practice!" Sid said with added emphasis, "Oh look beans, you can't go wrong with those, this one you can eat with the pod! Double the calorie and vitamin intake!" Sid carried on finding and enthusing over all sorts of herbs, veg and legumes. "Okay we almost have enough" He announced after what seemed like hours of picking.
"We almost have a pile of leaves" Muttered Isla, disappointed that after all that work she was still hungry.
"A good start to a composed heap" Tala, her sister, whispered back trying to lighten the mood.
"We could use it to lure some real food" Breezy said thoughtfully "Then all of us pounce on it"
"This is good food" Sid announced with pride as he hefted up his bowl of salad. The three girls suddenly saw him as a large steak and nodded their heads in agreement while their mouths watered. Sid was glad to have their attention still as gathering these leaves had taken longer than expected "and this stuff will make you grow strong like an ox, or a mammoth, or even (he flexed a bicep for effect) -a sloth!"
The cubs jaws collectively dropped.
"So that's how they get so big!" Breezy said trying to put two and two together and ending up with twenty two "If we eat the same food as mammoths then we will become as big and strong as mammoths!"
"And sloths" Sid added glad that vegetarianism was going down so well after all the fun of gathering.
"So why has no one ever thought of that before?" Tala said a little suspiciously
"Because it doesn't work" Steve said "I tried once and just got sick"
"But you're still bigger than us" Aden said joining in after over hearing the fantastical possibilities vegetarianism may indeed offer. These possibilities soon spread like wildfire through the imaginations of all the cubs.
"We better get more leaves!" Zan said before Steve could point out that cave lions were bigger and better than sabers with or without weed food. Steve growled with frustration as the other kids started to hurry around trying to figure one leaf from another; they were so dim these sabers. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse Peaches appeared with copious amounts of salad veg and even wild rice gathered on a big leaf laid across her back. Steve growled low and deep 'She is so... so... got to be the best at everything. One day I am so going to get her' He cussed
"Wow" Sid said stunned the amount of food Peaches had gathered; his own bowlful was really sad in comparison. He brightened up as he thought about the eating soon to come "Well let's start learning to cook and prepare this meal!" He said brightly and led them all back to camp where he boiled, stir fried, souped and baked the ingredients gathered over a fire.
Half an hour later they had a three course feast prepared of veg soup, three bean and lentil salad and stuffed vine leaves. Even Manny was impressed but didn't ask for any because he knew Sid had not washed his hands before he made any of it. Instead he and Ellie stayed quietly out of the way so not to be used as bouncy castles again.
"Well eat up" Sid said as his kids stared at the feast prepared.
Steve looked at the other cubs and waited for them to try it first. Peaches and Sid were just shovelling it down so breezy took a chance on the green stuff. She picked up a stuffed leaf and swallowed it. She started chocking instantly as it lodged in her throat to dry to go down.
"Told ya so" Steve said as Breezy tried hacking it up like so much fur ball. Sid leapt over picked her up by her short tail and slapped her back till it flew out.
Sid felt a bit bad but was determined to carry on "You got to chew it..." Sid realised he didn't know their names and made a mental note to ask Peaches later.
"Chew it?" Breezy asked
"Chew?" the other cubs repeated chewing this new word over trying to make sense of it
"Yeah chew it, you know, mash it up with your teeth"
"Slice it up?"
"No. Look" Sid demonstrated chewing with slow exaggerated chomps.
Breezy being ever curious stood up on her hind legs and peered right into his mouth fascinated. Sid felt a bit self conscious at how daft this looked especially as she pointed a paw in his gob to point out her findings to the others "It has flat teeth!"
Even Steve had to see this; they all tried to look in. Sid swallowed his over chewed food in time for the questions to start
"Why are they flat like that?"
"Did you bite a rock when you were little and squash them?"
"Are they broken?"
"They don't even line up right look"
"Did some one punch you in the face?"
"What exactly is so different about your teeth?" Sid said exasperated
"Ours are sharp" Aida said logically, "look"
"Whoa!" Sid said looking into what looked like a bear trap of nasty points "how exactly do you guys eat with those?"
"These grip" Breezy said pointing to Aida's small front teeth "When we get these" She indicated a gap awaiting for her big adult teeth to come through "They do the killing. Then" she pointed the mountainous triangular ones at the back, "these slice food off of the bone and then you swallow" She pointed to the throat section.
"No molars at all then?" Sid said as he realised all those teeth were quite useless for chewing vegetable matter. "Okay we need to rethink this dinner"
Sid chopped up the veg, mashed the beans, mixed in the soup and created a mush much like what baby food looks like. "Now try eating" He instructed. Breezy found she could just lap it up it was so soft and gooey. After five minutes of her not chocking the others tried and found it was good, maybe better than real food, but only maybe.
Peaches could not believe how much Sid had had to ruin the food she gathered for them to eat. She was hoping to eat with everyone else but didn't like this new slop. Still there was some salad left so she and Sid ate that; she was defiantly breakfasting with her parents tomorrow though.
Everyone in the end ate well. Sid felt quite satisfied with himself. "Ok bath then bed everyone" He announced as the last chap, the start of this day, had taken so long it was now getting late.
The cubs whinged, they hated washing, reluctantly they started to lick themselves clean.
"Oh yuck! What are you doing?" Sid said appalled.
"Cleaning?" Steve offered
"With your tongue?" Sid said even more horrified "That is disgusting! No, no, no! We wash in clean water!"
"blind leading the blind" Manny muttered half amused at the thought of Sid actually washing let alone teaching someone else to.
Sid passed a glare in his direction "Ignore him kids, come on I will show you proper bathing"
"Better get someone to explain how as this will be a first for you too Sid" Manny said after they had wandered off a fair distance
"Whatever Manny" Sid called back
"Can I go too?" Peaches asked her mum
"Well someone better show them how it's done" Ellie giggled, "Just promise not to wander away from Sid!"
"I won't!" Peaches called back as she was already racing off
"Have we really forgiven her already?" Manny asked trying to remember if Peaches was ever actually sorry for wandering off so much lately.
"Yep" Ellie replied confident that whatever they did Peaches, like her father, would always do what she thought best regardless.
Sid led the cubs down to a big rock pool "This will do" He said as he broke the ice. The cubs line up on the shore and grimaced both at the cold and the water.
"I dare you to go in Zan" whispered Ari
"No way, the leader should go first" Zan whispered back
"Breezy" Ari whispered "You like new stuff you go"
"Uh, I went first with the food, someone else should try this"
Steve wanted to be the best at this before Peaches came along but his feet froze at the water's edge.
"Come on kids you're not going to get clean by just looking at it" Sid said as he tried hard to make his own foot go into the freezing water. Why didn't he do this earlier when the sun was still high? Oh yeah he was still tied up and awaiting rescue. Finally he got into the water and stepped away from the shore "Come on its lovely" he lied through chattering teeth
Eleven sets of eyes stared back totally unconvinced.
Peaches rushed over, after searching a few rock pools and glad to finally find everyone, and dive bombed in to join Sid. Thanks to her thick coat she was protected from the cold so playfully she filled her trunk with water and showered Sid in a bid to get this bath time started.
"Ahhh" Sid screamed
The cubs laughed.
Peaches looked at the cubs lined up on the shore. She was suddenly hit by a very cheeky idea; she filled her trunk up again and squirted Steve right in the face.
The cubs laughed harder.
Steve however fumed; he launched himself into the water after her causing a huge wave that splashed the other cubs and submerged Sid completely. Peaches giggled and ran to deeper water where she had to swim to keep float. The cold water finally got the better of Steve's temper and he slowed to a stop before he got to deep. With a final glare at Peaches he walked back to Sid looking and feeling a bit yucky and dismal.
"Now calm down kids!" Sid said as he knocked some water out of his ear "let's not get carried away with the bath fun, washing needs to be taken seriously"
"Can you teach me to swim?" Steve asked Sid
Sid was flattered; finally someone actually wanted his help "Sure tomorrow we can all learn to swim"
"But I want to learn now" Steve growled as he looked back to Peaches just out of his reach
"Patience, first we must learn to bath! Come on the sooner we start the sooner we play! Now use your paws to scrub behind your ears like this. And now you need to get this bit and work your way all round" Sid said loving every minute despite the cold.
Steve quickly scrubbed all over and got out as fast as he could, it was so cold. He was shivering when he got out and shook himself all over the other cubs. Then he remembered them laughing at him and decided now was payback time "Come on it's your turn babies!" He taunted and stalked closer to where they stood forcing them all into the water. "The sooner you're clean the sooner we get to go, so move it!" He growled and pounced on any who tried to make a dash past him. "In you go" he threw a struggling Aida in. She shrieked before she realised that other than being cold and nasty feeling, the water didn't actually hurt.
They all reluctantly washed with the horrible wet water, Sid was in his element, but Peaches could tell he was the only one enjoying it.
"Keep moving and you won't get so cold" Peaches advised the miserable cubs. "Come on run around a bit, its fun!"
One by one they started to copy. Breezy smiled as she realised the water made her quite weightless so jumping up and out only to land softly with a big splash was great fun. "Guy's this really is fun, try it!"
Soon they were all running and jumping around after and on each other. Now Sid could not tell one cub from another so could not tell if they had all washed or not. He tried desperately hard against the odds to wash them all anyway.
Twenty minutes later and Sid had had enough "Ok kids home time!" He called from the shore; he was freezing and very much looked forward to his fire back at camp. The cubs were not listening however. "Don't make me come in and get you!" He threatened; to no avail. He needed a better threat "You will shrivel up like raisins if you stay in there too long! You too Peaches! They will all say look there goes that mammoth sized raisin see how wrinkly and funny she looks! Now come on out!"
Reluctantly Peaches lead them out; she didn't really believe Sid but better safe than sorry she thought as she imagined herself all wrinkled up and old looking.
Sid led them back and they all dried off around the fire eating pop corn and listening to the further tales of 'Super sloth', a humble mild mannered guy by day and super awesome hero at a bit before bed time.
"Ah Sid truly looks happy doesn't he" Ellie said to Manny as she watched from there safe distance well out of the way.
"Now if only he could find a nice girl have a family of his own and be happy somewhere else" Manny replied in his usual tone "She wouldn't even have to be nice, or real"
"Shh Peaches is coming over and she will hear you. Is it time for bed baby?"
"yep" Peaches said as she snuggled up to her parents warm embrace. She could not get settled however, she had liked sleeping in a pile with the cubs last night. Her mind started to work as she thought up ideas of how she could be a mammoth and a cub at the same time.
Sid pulled up a good bit of bark to sleep on and eventually settled down. Steve waited for him to get comfortable then flopped across his stomach squishing the breath out of him with a whoosh.
"Getting bigger huh Snowball"
"Yep, and stronger"
"I better keep up, these abs of steel are suffering a bit under here"
Steve pretended not to understand, there was no way he was sleeping on the cold ground. He left no room for the other cubs, Breezy prodded Sid's nose to see if she could make enough space to lie down while Zan and Lars tried manoeuvring Sid's feet to make a bed. Sid started giggling as his feet were very sensitive. "Ok, ok I will find more beds just wait" He got up and started yawning as he looked for more bark.
The cubs looked at Peaches curled up warm with her parents enviously
Peaches remembered her secret! She had not told her parents about the sabers stuck in the pit! She looked away feeling guilty for doing it and extra guilty for forgetting. She so wished she never snuck off; tomorrow when no one else was around she would tell her parents and they would make everything right.
Sid returned with a long thin bit of bark "Ok enough room for every one! Night kids. Good night Manny, Ellie Peaches, everyone who is not here and dearly missed unless they've upset me lately" He dropped into instant sleep
Manny huffed, he had forgotten about the missing possums, and Diego had been gone a long time now. Still they were all old enough to look out for themselves, he would worry about them tomorrow. "Night Sid, don't let the bed bugs bite" He replied dryly
"The what? Where?" Sid snapped up out of his slumber
"Figure of speech, just go to sleep" Manny said a bit amused, he wished Diego was here, he would have enjoyed that. Instead he got a look from Ellie that said 'Don't be so naughty!'
"Easy for you to say" Sid muttered as he checked for creepy crawlies before falling to sleep instantly again.
Manny tutted at the ease Sid fell asleep with while he struggled to relax and then he too dropped off instantly.
Peaches finally thought of a good solution, not to her trapped sabers problem, but to her wanting to sleep both in a pile and with her parent's problem. She crept over to Sid and pulled the piece of bark with everyone on it over to her bed, she liked sleeping in a pile. Ellie grinned she liked it too and helped Peaches lift Sid and company up and tipped them to fall between Manny and herself. She then tossed the bark far over her shoulder and lifted Peaches up to sleep on top.
Ellie watched the last of Sid's fire died away hopping that her brothers might show up, It had been a while now since the three of them were all together, something they vowed as kids would never happen. Still things change and some promises are hard to keep. She missed them but knew she had to give them space to try and mature, if they could. After what seemed like ages she eventually fell asleep too.
Elsewhere the possums were all very tired and had not gotten very far at all.
"Guys I'm tired!" Crash whined
"Me too" Eddie agreed "Let's stop for a bit"
"We would be there by now if someone hadn't of chased off my wolf!" Emma snapped
"Well if someone had kept her hands off of my brother someone else would not have chased off her wolf!"
"Guys stop arguing!" Eddie said "Look this tree looks like a safe place to sleep"
"Good enough to sleep in but wouldn't want to live in one huh?" Emma said spitefully.
"Too tired to care right now" Eddie said dismissing her complaints completely as he and his brother looked for a good sheltered branch from which to sleep.
"Well good night Crash"
"Good night Eddie"
They hung from their tails, stretched yawned and settled to sleep. Eddie could not ignore a tap, tap, tapping noise coming from below. He cracked open an eye and saw Emma glaring up at them and tapping her foot furiously.
"Do you think you could keep it down?"
"I like to sleep on Fleet. I like the feeling of security, that I have a protector when I'm at my most vulnerable!"
Eddie gave a great dramatic sigh "Ill protect you, come up"
Crash imitated him in a childish manner but was ignored as Emma climbed up anyway and lay in the nook of the branch. She hated it instantly; it was too hard, too cold, too windy and way too high. She struggled to stay balanced.
"Hang like us" Eddie said seeing her struggle
Emma gave it a try but her tail was never used like that and didn't have the strength to hold her up anymore. She fell to a branch below catching herself with her arms and climbed back up unscathed but miserable.
Crash giggled at her. Emma jumped up and snatched a berry bomb from the stash behind his back.
"Hey!" Crash cried thinking she was going to hit him
Emma looked like she was going to throw the bomb at him but instead she marched along her branch back to the tree's trunk and launched it there to create a neat hole. "I like houses thanks! I will see you guy's in the morning; if you're still hanging there that is, you look like perfect snacks for owls"
The boys looked at each other; gulp "owls!"
"I'm coming in" Eddie screamed "Crash there's room for three!"
"I know it's my bomb, and I'm staying here thanks; even eagle owls are safer than that snake in the ...tree trunk"
"Night then" Eddie said disappointed.
"What! You're choosing her over me!"
"No! I'm choosing a safe warm bed over a cold exposed restless night being eaten by owls"
"Nothing safe and warm about that bed there, just remember you made the bed you sleep in tonight, if anything happens like her putting a knife in your back it's your own fault I tried to warn you"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, gosh you sound like Manny"
"You look like Sid"
That hit a sore spot as Eddie so didn't want to be a crazy bachelor "Take that back!" Eddie stamped back clenching his fists.
"Are we sleeping tonight or what!" Emma screamed wanting to settle down already.
Both boys shuddered as her voice grated right through them.
"Only some of us are dead tired and getting quite frustrated with all this stupidness!"
"Um, ok" Eddie said timidly hoping his hearing wasn't permanently damaged. "This isn't over!" He snapped at Crash before he trailed back to the hole to sleep. He felt weaker with each step. It had been a long time now since he last slept properly; maybe things would seem different in the morning. He hoped so he hated warring with his brother constantly like this
Crash glowered, she was already killing the rebellion in Eddie, when had they ever done as told like that? Never! Still he had to admit he was pretty damn beat himself and was not going to kick up any kind of decent fight right now about it. Maybe tomorrow, yes defiantly tomorrow he would be up to protesting against being told to stop fighting and go to sleep! Just she dare try telling him to do that in the morning! Just she (yawn) dare. With a few precautionary checks, because he didn't trust her one bit Crash fell asleep.
Elsewhere down a pit four Sabers still argued.
"So if anyone asks, what are we to say?" Dave asked his pack
"We were attacked by fifty rattle snakes" The three girls chanted
"Damn right! No one beats a rattle snake, sneaky little... Now why haven't one of you gotten out of this pit yet?"
"We need one more tiger to stand on for Jess to be able to jump out" Sara said for the millionth time "If Dave you were to allow me to stand on your back while Tammy stands on mine, then Jess could jump out from on top easy"
"Only as leader I am not going to be at the bottom of any such formation as I have said before. My place is at the top"
"We tried that already and you are way too big and heavy for us to hold up" Jess said "And anyway I can jump so much higher than you it makes sense..."
"No the leader is never at the bottom, I can see no sense in that. Maybe if we had you Sara and Tammy holding me up I could hold Jess on my back for a millisecond"
"Won't be high enough" Said Jess
"It will if I say it will" Dave growled stubbornly, he just couldn't risk anyone seeing him ranking bottom of a pack of girls even if it was to get out of a pit, his pride just couldn't stand for it.
"It won't because we already tried and it didn't" Sara said
"Then let's sleep on it and try again in the morning" Dave snapped.
"Fine" the three ladies sighed utterly defeated by their all too heavy leader. They settled in the most sheltered corner as the clouds above looked like they would snow any time soon
"Why did you have to let the calf push you in?" Dave asked Sara for the umpteenth time
"She was a tricky calf" Sara snapped
"Watch your tone" Dave growled but didn't get up
"Sorry must have been the catnip still making me think funny" Sara said all low and respectful.
"It was the catnip that made us all unable to balance on the branches to climb out in the first place" Jess sighed." Still it can't stay in the system forever, and up until we met that calf it had been a wonderful trip"
"Tomorrow we will get out of this mess, find that calf and have our revenge" Sara growled
"I make the plans remember" Dave snarled
"Ah sorry, Catnip again I think" Sara murmured
"Better be, if you were male I...well it's a good thing you're not this pack's small enough, just don't forget your place. Tomorrow we get the cubs back, I miss them"
"Aw" Sighed Tammy at Dave's sentimental side
"Of course Dave" Sara sighed he was a strong leader with a good commanding roar but old Dave didn't necessarily lead where she wanted to go. Still he could fight and Sara admired him for that if not his thinking. She would have to rethink getting out of this pit tomorrow. Maybe using the branches that lay scattered on the floor, maybe she could pile them up again. Tomorrow she told her over active brain as the others curled up together to sleep, tomorrow we will get out no matter what and then that calf is mine!