HI :D. Thanks for my reviews KaylaDestroyer and WybiE'z KidNapPer. (I hope I got your names correct)
I have actually had this written for a few days, I just haven't really had the time to upload it :(
Someone pm'd me and asked me Scarlett's age – not 100% why? Anyway Chinchillasarecool,I suppose she's (in human years) somewhere between 15 and 20. Going on my notion that Diego's around 25? Harris is about the same age as Diego. Bentley is about forty I guess and Liliano the same as Sid. Maybe a year or so younger.
And I don't know about the eagel :P
Hopefully this chapter is a little better than the last. I sort of got carried away with the BuckxOC thing. I thought I could add it in, but this story seems to be heading in a different direction now. So I shall at some point write Buck his own story, but not at this moment – but do keep your eyes peeled, Buck fans :D
So anyhow, here is chapter two. Allies or not?
"Ouch!" Sid the sloth was babysitting his twelve year old niece, Peaches. He looked around desperately, the mammoth calf was nowhere to be seen. Sid shuffled quickly along, panicking.
Where had she gone?! Was she OK, had she been taken by predators? Had she been abducted by vicious birds, had she-
"Hi Uncle Sid!" A big shape tackled the sloth to the ground. Peached giggled, then wrinkled her nose with a unappealing gesture.
"Urgh! Urm, maybe you should have a bath, Uncle Sid?" She suggested, subtly referring to his overpowering stench.
Sid clambered to his feet and looked down proudly. "This, my elephantine friend, is a natural replant!" He smiled self-importantly."You'll note that I'm still alive! I'm still here, talking to you at this very moment. I'm the best fighter in all the valley! That's what the ladies say-"
With a roll of her pretty eyes, Peaches tossed a impatient gaze over her Uncle. "No, Uncle Sid", she corrected with a sigh. "What they say is, Uncle Diego's the best fighter in the valley!"
"Phah!" Sid waved a paw dismissively. "They say that as to not embarrass mwa! But! It's me they really mean, note how they-"
He was cut off abruptly, as a loud scream emanated from above him and into his arms fell a light brown shape.
Sid and Peaches screamed. The brown thing screamed. The eagle that had been carrying the brown thing back for it's lunch, screamed.
"Argh!" The brown thing, a female sloth, hugged Sid around his scrawny neck. "Well help me!" she shrieked in a southern accent. "Don't let him eat me, you moron!"
"Right, right!" Sid began to follow Peaches, who was already dashing to a nearby cave, carrying the female sloth in his arms.
Peaches skidded to a halt inside the cave. "Hurry, Uncle Sid!" she cried, seeing the eagle close in.
Thinking on impulse, she seized a rock and hurled it. It hit the eagle on his massive head and stunned him enough to let Sid and the lady-sloth run into the safety of the cave.
The female sloth smacked his face. "OK, put me down, you perv!" she screeched, when they were safe. "You stink!"
"Sheesh! OK, OK!" Sid let go of her and she frantically dusted herself down. "Urgh! Don't you ever wash?!" She complained, sniffing herself in disdain.
"Nope!" Sid replied, rather proudly.
"Eeeowwww!" She gagged, then she turned to Peaches. "How'd you get this mammoth then? Eh? What's it doing here! I don't trust mammoths! Even young ones! She's taking up my air!"
Peaches was indignant. "Hey, lady!" She retorted, stamping her foot on the stone floor. "I dunno who you think you are! But my Uncle Sid just saved you! And you're taking up my air!"
The female sloth was stunned, then her face grew crimson. "Fine!" She shrieked, angrily. "Then I'm outta here!" She flounced to the exit. Only to be almost snatched by the giant eagle again.
She screamed and raced back behind Sid. She shuddered.
"OK, look, I was a little hasty. Just keep me safe, alright". She said, grudgingly.
A look of delight lit up Sid's face. He beamed. "OK! Well I'm Sid and this is Peaches". He pointed at his niece.
Weirdos! Thought the slothette. "Liliona", she muttered.
"Ow, my head!" Scarlett moaned. She sat up and rubbed her head with a paw,. Then she sat up and looked around. She was in a large cave, she glanced up. Stalagmites, sharper than razorblades dangled precariously from the roof.
Scarlett shivered, she climbed to her feet and began to sniff around.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Growled a deep voice from behind her.
Scarlett whipped around, she raised her hackles and bared her teeth as the tiger she'd seen before came into view. He was about the same height and age as as Harris, with green eyes and a dark brown spiky strip down his back.
"Well?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. He began to stride towards her.
Scarlett took a step back. "Leave me alone!" She growled, her voice small. "I'm going home! Go away, whoever you are! My brother's looking for me, he'll get mad if anything happens to me!"
The older cat sat down. "I won't hurt you, and you can't go home", he licked his paw nonchalantly.
"Why not?! Scarlett cried, inside she was frightened. She'd never fought before, and this tiger was bigger than her. She extended her claws. "Why not!"
The other tiger looked at her. "Do you even know how to get home, eh sweetheart?!" He was mocking her.
Scarlett growled, her temper flaring. How dare this pig taunt her! Harris would...would...She inwardly felt queasy.. She didn't know how to get home.
The other tiger's face softened. He stood up and came over to her. "Diego", he announced his name, checking her out.
"Scarlett", Scarlett replied, warily. She stole a chance to look at Diego. He was muscular, despite his tough appearance, his eyes were kind. Handsome. She thought, quickly pushing that notion away.
"How did you end up in the river?" Diego was interrogating her.
"Huh-" Scarlett paused, suddenly remembering the humans and her brother. She didn't reply. Oh my god! She thought, frantically. Is he alive? He has to be, he has to be! That'll I do without him?! She gasped, she felt sick. The floor moved under her.
She heard Diego say her name. "Scarlett?"
She uttered a cry and sank to the ground, her stomach churning. "Harris", she whispered..
"Hey, what's wrong?" Diego asked, worriedly. He stared down at her, a look of deep concern.
"M...my brother", she gasped out. "We got attacked by some some humans, I fell into the river, I don't know what happened to Harris. I don't even know if he's-" She broke off, a tear trickling down her face.
Diego looked slightly uncomfortable. "Come on, kid. I bet he's OK. Are you alright?"
Scarlett nodded, she sat up. "Yes. And please don't call me kid. I'm not a cub!"
"Sorry".
Suddenly a huge bull mammoth stuck his head into the cave. Scarlett screamed and fell over, she scrambled back.
Diego chuckled at her. "Hi, Manny". He greeted the large creature as a friend.. Scarlett was intrigued, she nervously kept an eye on the giant animal's mighty tusks.
"I see she's woken up", Manny remarked, glancing at the honey-coloured tigress, who was looking rather confused.
"Yeah, she's lost".
"Is she alright?"
"I think so".
"Diego, have you seen Peaches?" the mammoth asked, a crease appearing on hi brow. A clear sign of worry. "She was out with Sid. Oh my god, I should have known better!"
Diego rolled his eyes, "Ah, I bet she's fine. Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll go look for them!"
He turned to Scarlett. . "You any good at tracking, kid? Looks like you're stuck with us until brother finds you-" He didn't have the heart to add, If he's still alive.
Scarlett wasn't sure whouswhere, she was finding it all a little hard to take in.
"I told you! don't call me kid!"
"Sure – munchkin!"
Scarlett narrowed her eyes. "Stop it! I'm only a year or so younger than you!" She paused. "Hick!"
"Oooohhhh!" whistled the mammoth. Obviously enjoying this.
Diego slowly got up, the cave walls encasing his face in shadows. "What?!"
Scarlett cowered back, her heart pounding. Big-mouth! She cried inside her head. "I...I...I!" she stammered. She stopped. Harris was always on at her to stand up for herself more. She wasn't going taking this! She wasn't!
"I said Hick!" The words were out before she could think. Suddenly she couldn't stop. "You know what a Hick is! Someone who is thick and uneducated! Some like you!" She stared at Diego, her heart in her mouth.
He pressed his face against hers, his fangs bared. Scarlett drew back.
Diego growled, his face angry. Then his lip twitched and curled into a smile. He backed off, trying to still look threatening.
"Alright-" He sniggered. "You any good at tracking? Scarlett?"
Sid warily looked around outside the cave. The eagle had gone. He glanced back and motioned for Liliano and and Peaches to follow.
They walked for about half an hour before entering a large woods, thick green leaves blotted out the sun. All around, animals cried and a icy wind howled through the trunks and the daylight began to fade into darkness.
"I'm...cold!" complained Liliano, hugging herself as her fur blew around.
"Me too". Peaches added, shuddering. She rolled her eyes as the two sloths sheltered under her for protection..
Above, in the drab sky, black clouds banked. Sending sheets of rain lashing like whips down, and lightning flashed, lighting up the tree's with an eerie glow.
Twisted faces appeared on the bark, figments of over-stimulated imaginations and night-time fears. Petty, but powerful.
"Come on", whispered Peaches, carefully making her way off the sloths. She wandered over to large, hollow tree-trunk. "In here".
Sid and Liliano scuttled after her.
Inside the hollow, Peaches shook the rainwater off her fur and settled down in a corner. She watched Liliano sit by herself in the furthest area.
Sid slid under his niece's trunk. He stared intently at his special counterpart.
"She's so ignorant". Peaches heaved a sigh. "Invite her over here, Uncle Sid".
"I heard that! And I won't!" Liliano snapped, moodily. "Just wait until my friends find I'm gone! There'll be heck! I'm tellin' you now!"
She slowly turned her head.
Rain pattered on the outside of the tree.
Peaches was sound asleep. Sid was snoring loudly.
Liliano was cradled in his arms.
OK, so how was that. I will start to add more action in the next chapter, so don't dispair. I was trying to introduce the characters (the others will come in, I promise) which is my Achilles heel. So sorry if it was slightly boring. See you soon :D
ps The eagle could be a relation of Shadow's (the bird from the live stage show) Although he kind of looks like Nigel from Rio...
Buttercupfoxxxxxxxx