Chapter 11

I do not own 'Ice Age'. I only own the characters you don't recognize from the movies.

"I don't understand" Roshan said, "What do you mean you were there? You couldn't have been."

"There's a lot you still don't know about me, kid." Diego replied.

"Like what?"

Diego sighed as he took a moment to think of the best way to say this to the boy, "I was there when the sabers attacked your village. And I was part of it."

"W-what?"

"Half of our pack was slaughtered by your father and many other hunters and they used the slaughtered sabers fur to keep warm. The remainder of our pack wanted revenge on your father and the other hunters."

"But they were only trying to survive just the same way as every other animal was trying to do at the time. You can't blame them for that."

"It's difficult to explain… there's more to it than you think. My job in the attack was to kidnap you while the other sabers distracted the hunters. But your mother disturbed our plans."

"My mother? She was alive then?"

"She got to you before I did and took off running to protect you and I ran after her trying to get to you. She tried to get away but I cornered her at a cliff's edge by the waterfall."

"But that doesn't make sense! You're not like that at all. It couldn't have been you… It couldn't."

"Diego" Manny said, "Maybe this isn't the place and time to-"

"No" Diego replied, "This is the perfect place and time… I gave your mother the choice to face me and die or jump the waterfall and die. She chose to jump and died, protecting you in the process."

"But, that would mean…"

"I technically killed your mother."

Roshan didn't know what to do. He stood almost frozen in place, not wanting to believe what he was just told. He stared at Diego in shock, shaking his head and muttering "no… no… no…" as he slowly stepped back away from Diego.

"N-no… it's not true" Roshan said, "It can't be…"

"Roshan, listen to me-"

"NO!"

Roshan turned and suddenly ran down the stone tunnel as tears began to burn his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

"Roshan!" Peaches called.

"Come back!" Sid cried but nothing seemed to work as Roshan continued to run, not looking back at the dreaded past behind him as he spotted a light indicating an exit and he ran for it.

Roshan bolted out of the cave opening as the sun shone down on him. The storm had passed long ago leaving behind a few feet of snow but Roshan continued to run as he headed for a neighboring forest nearby. Once he reached the edge of the forest, he slowed down to a walk as he looked behind him and he could just barely see the cave opening as a few figures stepped out. Roshan turned back to the forest as one small tear escaped and he quickly wiped it away before heading into the forest.

Back at the cave, the herd watched Roshan run off and once he was out of sight, Manny turned to Diego.

"I told you it wasn't the right time." Manny said.

"I don't care" Diego replied, "He had to know."

"C'mon, let's just go look for him. He can't get that far."

The others had to agree as many was already heading for the exit and the rest of the herd followed behind. As they exited the cave, Manny looked towards the neighboring forest just in time to see Roshan disappear inside and the mammoth sighed as the group headed towards the forest in hopes of finding the boy. Manny, Ellie, Peaches, and Sid began calling and searching through the forest while Crash and Eddie scurried through the trees also searching. Diego had taken to searching around the edge of the forest in case Roshan decided to sneak out of the forest without the others knowing. After some time of searching, Diego soon returned to the others.

"He's nowhere along the edge of the forest" Diego reported, "I can't smell his scent anywhere."

Ellie sighed, "Manny, maybe we should let Roshan have some time alone." Ellie suggested, "We don't want to crowd the poor boy."

"I know" Manny replied, "I just don't want him to be alone out here for too long. Who knows what could happen to him?"

"I'm sure he'll be just fine." Sid said as he picked up a nearby twig and fiddled with it, "He can take care of himself."

Right after Sid said that, the twig he was holding poked him in the eye making the sloth yelp and he grumbled as he tossed the twig to the ground.

"Stupid twig." Sid muttered.

"Mom's right" Peaches said, "Who knows what's going through his head right now?"

Manny thought for a moment, "Fine. But if he's not back within a few hours, I will literally shake every tree in this forest until he is found."

"No need to do that!" Eddie called from up in a tree.

"He's up here!" Crash called as well.

The group on the group glanced at each other before heading over to the tree Crash and Eddie were in and they all looked up. Crash and Eddie were perched on one branch and seated higher up on another branch was Roshan as he leaned his back against the tree trunk with his eyes closed, as if lost in his own world.

"Thank goodness he's alright" Ellie said.

Crash and Eddie scurried up the tree and onto the branch Roshan was seated on and the boy silently groaned, knowing he had been found.

"Seriously, guys?" Roshan said as he opened his eyes and glared at the two possums, "Can't you two just leave me alone?"

"Sorry, buddy" Crash said, "There's no hiding from us."

"We can go wherever you go." Eddie added.

"Okay then" Roshan said and his voice rose slightly in annoyance and anger, "So if I suddenly decide to become a fish, you two are going to follow me to deep water and drown?"

"Uh…"

"Thought so."

"Roshan" Ellie called up to the boy, "What are you doing up there?"

"I-I don't know" Roshan replied as his voice calmed, "I… I felt like it, I guess."

"Can you please come down? I'm worried you're going to fall."

"I won't fall; I just wanted to be alone for a little while. Or is that too much for all of you to handle?"

Diego growled, "Watch that mouth of yours, Roshan!"

"What are you going to do about it? Kill me like you did my mother?"

"I said watch it!"

"Enough!" Manny shouted as his voice echoed through the forest and everyone quieted. "I've had enough of this arguing! Either you both don't dare utter a word to each other or you'll apologize and make amends. Either way, I don't want to hear any more arguments out of any of you."

It was silent between everyone for a moment and Manny turned and began walking away and Diego followed soon after, not really wanting to say anything at the moment. Roshan quietly sighed as he carefully climbed down the tree and jumped down onto the ground in front of Ellie as he straightened. Roshan looked up at Ellie and now that he was close enough, Ellie could see that his eyes were slightly red and his cheeks pink from crying though the boy tried to hide it as best as he could but Ellie clearly saw it. It was still silent between them but no words needed to be said as Ellie stepped forward, wrapping her trunk around Roshan and pulling him close to her. Roshan accepted it as he buried his face in the fur of her trunk as a few final small tears escaped and he let them.

"Ellie, I-I'm so sorry" Roshan managed to say, "I-I shouldn't have snapped at you or anyone like that."

"It's okay, sweetie" Ellie replied, "We understand, it's going to be okay. Take a deep breath."

Roshan did as he was told as he managed to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down and after a few moments, Ellie released him as Roshan wiped the remainder of his tears away.

Now that everyone was calmed down, the rest of the group headed off to find Manny and Diego. It didn't take long as they spotted Manny by the edge of a creek getting a drink while Diego lay not to far away by a cliff's edge. Roshan spotted Diego and he turned and looked at Ellie for a brief moment as if asking permission if he should or not and Ellie simply nodded. Roshan lightly smiled as he turned back and began heading towards Diego. Diego didn't hear or see the boy until he was only a few feet away and that's where Roshan stopped as Diego raised his head and spotted him.

"Um… hey." Roshan said.

"Hey, kid." Diego replied and Roshan stepped a little closer.

"I'm… sorry for running away and all… I just wasn't expecting it. Especially from you."

"No problem, I understand. I sort of half expected you to do something anyways. I can't get let off that easy."

Roshan lightly laughed as he moved to sit next to Diego, "So… friends again?"

"I think so."

The two began to laugh as they stood and made their way towards the rest of the herd. Now that everyone was back together and accounted for, the group decided to remain where they were for awhile to rest and Roshan and Diego took this opportunity to get some hunting in. The two headed off into the forest traveling silently so as not to spook any possible prey they might come across. And just as Diego had taught him, Roshan extended his human abilities and his sense of smell and hearing grew slightly stronger like that of a predator. The two slowed down to a walk as Diego sniffed the ground and air for any nearby scent of prey and Roshan listened carefully for the sound of animal footprints. Sure enough, after waiting patiently and quietly, the scent of a deer reached Diego's nose and the two silently began making their way towards the nearby scent. Diego and Roshan stopped behind a few bushes as a deer casually grazed on patches of grass and tree leaves with no idea as to how much danger it was in. Diego and Roshan glanced at each other as if understanding what the other was thinking.

"I'll go around to the other side" Diego said, "Once I get it close enough to you, you shoot it."

Roshan nodded in understanding and Diego silently made his way around the trees and bushes always keeping out of sight and sound of the deer. Roshan waited anxiously as Diego sneaked up on the deer and once he was close enough, Diego roared as he leaped out of the bushes startling the deer as it began to run away. Diego ran after it, blocking it's every path to escape so the only way it could go was towards the boy hidden in the bushes. Roshan readied his bow as the deer began to get closer and closer until…

Just when Roshan fired his arrow, a sudden blood curling scream echoed through the forest making Roshan misjudge his angle and the arrow flew right past the deer. The deer then instantly spotted Roshan in the bushes and finally made its escape through the trees making Diego unable to go after it. Roshan bolted from his hiding spot as he headed over to Diego.

"What was that?" Roshan asked.

Diego was unable to reply as the same scream was heard again but this time cries of "Help me! Somebody, please!" followed immediately after the scream. This time, Roshan could somewhat depict where the screaming was coming from as he ran through the forest with Diego right beside him. Roshan broke through the trees and skidded to a stop just outside the other side of the forest where a cliff's edge rested nearby.

"Please, help me!" somebody cried and it was coming from just over the side of the cliff.

Roshan rushed towards the edge of the cliff as he fell to his knees and looked over the edge and he gasped. There, hanging on for life, was a girl about the same age as Roshan gripping onto a branch sticking out of the cliff's side as the rocks she was currently trying to stand on constantly threatened to collapse under her feet as a few small rocks crumbled and fell down towards the ground hundreds of feet below.

"Hang on!" Roshan called down to her, "We'll get you out!"

"Please hurry!" the girl cried, "The rocks will collapse at any second!"

Roshan turned to Diego, "Get the others, quick!"

Diego instantly dashed off through the forest at the fastest speed he could possibly go. Roshan turned back to the girl as fearful tears streamed down her face and she held a frightened death grip on the branch she was holding, praying that she wouldn't fall to her death. Roshan guessed that she must have fallen to be able to get down there as he spotted a small scrape on her cheek and her arm was slightly bleeding from being scratched by the rocks. Fortunately, the others arrived very soon and Roshan quickly explained the situation to them.

"Do you have any rope in your bag?" Manny asked Roshan.

"It's not very long though." Roshan replied as he quickly rummaged through his bag and pulled out a few feet of rope.

"It'll do."

Manny quickly told them what the plan was and the others all agreed with the plan. Roshan tied a secure loop at one end of the rope and tied the other end to one of Manny's tusks. Once the rope was all secure Manny carefully made his way towards the edge of the cliff knowing that if he got too close to the edge, it would surely crumble and collapse. He managed to get just close enough to let the rope drop down over the edge of the cliff and it was only just long enough for the girl to reach it.

"Grab onto the rope!" Roshan called down to her.

The girl looked at the rope for a short moment before slowly taking one hand off of the branch and moving to grab the rope but only a few seconds after she let go, a few more small rocks began to crumble and she quickly took hold of the branch once more. "I-I can't!" she cried, "I'll fall."

"You must take the rope. It's the only way."

"I can't!"

"You have to!"

The girl quieted except for her crying as she tried to take a few deep breaths and she tried again to reach for the rope. She hesitated for a short moment as a small rock threatened to crumble but Roshan continued to constantly encourage her and the girl found the courage to finally take hold of the rope. The girl slowly and cautiously attempted to put the rope somewhat around her but it was difficult as the rocks beneath her feet would slightly shift if she moved. After a few difficult tries, the rope was finally secure around her and Roshan instructed Manny to pull her up. The girl gripped onto the rope with both hands as Manny and the others managed to pull the girl up and Roshan remained at the edge to grab her as she came up.

As soon as she was close enough, Roshan took hold of the girl as he pulled her up the rest of the way onto the cliff's edge and the girl fell exhausted in Roshan's arms as her tears continued to fall and Roshan let her take her time in calming down. Once she was able, the girl lifted her head and looked up at Roshan.

"Th-thank you" she managed to say right before passing out from exhaustion and fear in Roshan's arms.