Shira and Diego led the way this time, both carefully scanning for any clue to the whereabouts of Sasha and Sam's parents. Sasha was happily riding on Ellie's neck, playing with Eddie and Crash, while Sam insisted on walking by himself. Manny tolerated the tough little cub's attitude since he could move faster than Sid, who was typically the one slowing them down. Every so often Sam would dart underfoot of Manny or Ellie, bringing forth annoyed snorts from the former and chuckles from the latter. Manny thought he was just being annoying, but Ellie had the cub pegged. He felt the need to proove how tough he was in the face of all these strangers. (She could picture Diego doing exactly the same thing at Sam's age).

"Any sign of them?" Diego glanced over to Shira to ask. She appeared more ill at ease the further they travelled, her short tail twitching, her neck fur bristling at the slightest crack of a twig or rustle of a leaf, and she was even more silent than usual, giving nothing away. Diego found his gaze straying to her often, but she was barely meeting his eyes when she did get around to looking back at him.

"No." Mumbled Shira shortly. "Keep looking - I'll catch up in a minute." She turned tail and bounded back past the mammoths and Sid, leaving a confused Diego at the head of the search party.

Sid was bringing up the rear - it made sense, he told himself, to have the most capable and resourceful herd member - ie himself - at the back to watch for danger. When Shira brushed passed him and vanished through the forest undergrowth, Sid cast a quick glance at the others. The mammoths were talking softly to one another, and Diego had just turned back to face the front with his muzzle wrinkled and his ears flattened in a frown.

This called for a Touch Of Sid! As subtly as he was able to with his pear-shaped body, Sid slipped after Shira. She wasn't easy to follow, leaving no tracks in the soft loam and leaf litter. Sid was impressed. She's nearly as good as me, he told himself loftily.

She hadn't gone too far, luckily, or Sid certainly would have gotten lost. She was sitting by a small pool of water, staring at her reflection silently. "Oh, hey Shira. Fancy meeting you oof!" Sid tripped on a protruding root and fell facefirst into the water. "Help, I'm drowning!" He yelled in panic, forgetting that he could in fact swim and had even survived a flood in times recently passed.

"Oh, for the love of-" Shira fished him out by the neck and sat him on dry ground. "It's only knee-deep, Sid." She sighed, and Sid patted himself down carefully then cast her a beaming smile. "You know, Diego saved me from lighting myself on fire once." He began, and Shira rolled her turquoise eyes. "I'll contain my amazement at that revelation." She replied dryly.

"He likes you, you know." Sid wrung out his tail. Shira snorted. "Yeah, so what? He likes everyone, from the mammoths to the cubs to those irritating travel snacks. He's pretty soft, for a sabre."

"Not when me and Manny first met him. He was going to kill us." Sid told her matter-of-factly. Shira sighed again. "That's what predators do, Sid." she pointed out to him, at the same time realizing she was sitting here carrying on a conversation with a prey animal. Lucky her brothers couldn't see her now. She'd never live it down.

"Not Diego. Manny saved his life and he realized how amazing it was to be a part of a family like this one. He protected his from his old pack." Sid said earnestly. Shira had no reply at first, she just looked down into the pool and flicked her ears. She might be the wrong colour - from her fur to the ominous dark stripes to her pale, washed-out eyes, but she knew she still looked a lot like her father in her facial structure. "How much difference does saving a life really make?" She asked, closing her eyes and remembering her grandfather, lying on his deathbed. Why couldn't he have lived? She could have stayed with the pack and everything would be normal again.

Except... except it never really had been normal for her, she thought sadly. Was fighting your own brothers normal? Was struggling to find acceptance because your fur was the wrong colour normal? Was your own father barely able to talk to you because of the shame of your existence normal?

And then here was Diego and his odd assortment of a herd. She could see how easily she would fit in with them. How simple life would be if she stood at Diego's side for every sunset from today until her last. They had all of them accepted her in their midst with ease.

And that was what scared her. The promise of the future she might have, reflected in a pair of shining green eyes. It was why she had kept her distance and become even more moody. She was afraid.

You're being stupid. He doesn't even like you. And it's your own fault because every time he's spoken to you you've clawed his ears off! Shira scolded herself silently. She closed her eyes against the reflection in the pool. Why would Diego ever think about a freak of nature like her that way anyway?

"Come on Sid. We're going to fall too far behind." She nudged the sloth and led him after the rest of his herd.

A/N

Earthpatriot, as and ye shall receive - here is some Sid and Shira interaction for you :)

Thanks to Tomboy, Lady Chel, Lou, Carmina, and all my reviewers :)

Isanimes and Kayla you two are such loyal reviewers, and it makes me really happy to hear how much you're enjoying this! (Isanimes, I'm the type of person who re-reads things over and over too :D)

Kayla Sam is actually from the same litter as Sasha, she's just little for her size :)