When Shira returned to the riverside shelter, the wind had already whipped up, and her short silver and white fur was dusted with fresh snowfall. Gamely she pulled her catch along though, until she spotted the shelter - with Diego standing, leaning to one side to compensate for his wounded shoulder, outside.

"What are you doing?" She dropped the deer to snarl. Diego preformed half a shrug and looked a little sheepish. "Just checking to see if you'd be back soon." He replied a lamely. Shira snorted. "I told you to look after Sasha!" She barked, placing a paw on his nose and shoving. She timed it just right for Diego to shift his weight and find himself propelled back inside, making a very undignified landing on his back. "Hey!" He protested. "I only stepped outside for a- ugh!" Shira stepped on him as she came inside, pulling her catch in after her. Sasha had waken up and sleepily blinked at the adults, but she giggled when Shira trampled Diego.

"Oh, you think that's funny, huh?" Diego snorted, rolling back to all fours then swooping on the cub. Her laughter filled the air while the much bigger sabre pretended to wrestle with her. Shira watched silently, feeling her heart melt just a little. He did care about the cub. He wasn't so bad...

"Let's get some food into the two of you." She offered, and Sasha bounded over at once, purring and nuzzling agaist the white tigress.

"Er, thanks." Diego sat up, fur ruffled after the play session. His male pride was kicking back in now and he was a little embarrassed at Shira having to catch him a meal.

I didn't do it for you, Shira thought, but somehow, she couldn't bring herself to say the words aloud. Once they were all snacking on the fresh meat, Shira cast a brief glance at the male sabre. "So, what made you do it? Do you know her?" She nodded at the cub, who was trying to fit her still-short canines around a leg bone and giggling to herself.

"No, I just heard her calling for help in the river." Diego explained. "Couldn't just leave her to drown." He looked back at their meal, getting embarrassed again.

"Do all tigers around here swim?" Asked Shira next. Diego pricked up his ears. I knew it - she's not from around here. No tiger I've ever seen has fur like hers, with those pretty silver stripes and... Diego cut off midthought. What was that?

"Uh - no. I don't think so." He admitted, feeling self conscious now. Shira had finished her meal now and had her sapphire gaze fixed intently upon him. Diego felt like he imagined prey would under the eye of a predator. "So why can you?" She had a direct, refreshing way of speaking, one that went with the blue fire of her eyes.

"That's a bit of a long story. Our valley flooded, it was... sort of a sink or swim situation."

Shira's tail swished thoughtfully. "Our valley?" she questioned, her voice tough to hide the flash of disappointment she felt. She wouldn't let herself admit that she had sort of been starting to hope that he was a lone tiger, like herself.

Diego shifted his paws nervously and then began to groom his fur clean after his meal. This was the first one of his own kind he'd had contact with since leaving Soto's pack. He didn't know how another tiger would react to the news he lived in an inter-species herd. Sasha was still half-playing, half-eating her meal, paying little attention to the boring adult conversation.

"My herd." Diego bit the bullet. Shira tilted her head. "Herd? Tigers here live in herds?" Diego shook his head, growing more uncomfortable by the minute. "No... just me." He muttered. "It's another long story." His mind flashed back to the human child who had led him to his herd. Why was it he was always saving kids? He wasn't exactly the best example of 'father figure' he could think of.

Outside, the wind suddenly rose and shrieked through the trees, making Sasha jump. Having finished eating, she crept over to Diego and Shira, whiskers drooping in fright. Diego placed a paw on her head and ruffled her ears gently. "Don't worry kid. It's just a little storm." He said kindly. Shira picked up the remains of the deer. "I'd better take this outside." She decided, and Diego felt a faint pang of worry. "Be careful." He spoke without thinking, and Shira flashed him an annoyed glance. "I've been taking care of myself for a long time, buddy. I don't need you telling me how to live my life." She snapped, and effortlessly hauled the leftovers outside.

Oops.

A/N Hope you guys enjoyed this one! Diego and Shira snowed in to a romantic hideaway, ooooh ;) thanks to all my reviewers, keep it up and you'll see more soon!