Author's note- Okay people I just want to note that Updates may slow down a bit- but not too much. It depends, though. the longer time passes the longer the updates may get because I've got important things coming up and I may not have time.
But, for now, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 14: Cave Collapsing and Rescue.
Roshan limped through the tunnel with exhausting effort. He'd tied the end of the torch to a discarded branch he'd found in a river, probably washed in from the surface, together to lengthen it into a crutch. He bit his lip, doing his best to ignore the stabbing pain the sped up his leg whenever he put any weight on it.
He'd regained consciousness a while ago now, and he didn't seem to be getting any better health-wise. He had escaped a fever by an inch, for the wound had been slightly infected by the time he'd woken up. Roshan had applied some herbs quickly and had managed to stop the infecting before it could spread.
Roshan felt a sinking feeling in his chest with ever step. The chances that his son could still be alive seemed near impossible yet he clung to a fool's belief that he'd avoided the reoccurring cave-ins. That hope was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment, as was the thought of his wife back home.
Panting, he continued on.
"Dad!"
Peaches and Louis hurried out of the cave at full speed towards the herd. When the mammoth's parents reached her they bundled her into a hug, wrapping their trunks around her tight.
"Oh my baby I though I'd never see you again!" Ellie wept.
"I know Mom, I'm real sorry it's just-"
"Don't you ever do this again young lady!"
"But Dad We were-"
"No buts!" Manny said. Now that his Daughter was safe, it was time for a good old fashioned lecture. But Peaches wasn't having it just yet.
"But Dad, Look!"
Suddenly something incredibly familiar was thrust towards his face by Peaches. Shorty babbled happily, reached out for the older mammoth gleefully.
"Oh..." Was all he could manage. He'd completely forgotten about this.
"Oh My gosh!" Sid set Granny down and came running full speed over to were they were. "He looks just like Pinky! can I hold him, can I, can I?"
"Peaches..." Manny said slowly as Peaches handed Shorty to a very happy Sid "Where exactly did you find him?"
"When we were exploring the caves, he came wandering in from another tunnel." Louis explained, walking up beside Peaches "We figured he came in from the other side of the cave, and we were gonna return him to his heard, only...we got lost."
"Brilliant."
"Aw, he's so cute!" Sid cooed. Then he stared. The baby covered his eyes, then uncovered them, gurgling. Sid's eyes widened at a sudden memory.
"That's right, were's the baby!"
"We've been playing peek-a-boo with him to keep him occupied." Louis explained to the baffled sloth. Sid smiled a little, sadly.
"Yeah. We used to play 'were's the baby' with Pinky. Diego first tried it to stop him crying- but HEended up scarin' him, right Diego?"
"Yeah..." The tiger said quietly. "Good times."
Shira rose a brow at the gurgling creature. "So that's a human? Doesn't look like he'll grow up into a fearless hunter..."
"Trust me, he will." Diego muttered.
"So whaddawe do with him?" Crash Asked as he and Eddie jumped up on Ellie's tusks to get a better look at the small human.
"We should return him!" Sid said. The sentence almost floored Manny it was so familiar.
"How? we don't exactly know the way outa here never mind which way it is to the kid's herd.." Diego put in. Peaches replied:
"Well, maybe we should just concentrate on getting out of here, then we'll find a way to get Shorty back home."
Manny rose a brow "Shorty?"
"Yeah...that's what we called him. Y'know?"
"Aw..." Ellie cooed, tickling Shorty under the chin with her trunk, making him giggle, "He's such a sweetie!"
"C'mon buddy, for old times' sake? Can we find his herd?" Sid gave him a big-eyed look. Manny rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright. We'll find Shorty's parents once we get he heck out of here. Now, let's try this way-"
CRA-ACK!
The ground gave a sudden lurch, jerking the mammals into a state of shock. Manny looked over his shoulder and saw the ledge above, that Peaches and Louis had stood on, was breaking off the wall.
"Quick! into the tunnel!" he yelled, and the herd began hurrying over to the left tunnel.
"Wait!" Sid yelled, holding Shorty in his arms "Granny!"
Granny sloth was still standing in the cavern behind them. Shira doubled back, ignoring Diego's protest, and snatched Granny up by the scruff with her teeth just before a boulder hit the ground where she had stood and hurried back over to them. She ignored the old sloth saying:
"Hey! I can walk you know!" She seemed completely unaware that she was about to be crushed just a few seconds before.
She jumped into the cave just before the ceiling collapsed, sending dust hurtling over the herd.
After a few moments of harsh coughing passed.
When the herd gathered itself up again, Manny stood up and began moving down the tunnel.
"Alight, we have to move before any more tunnels collapse- We're going to end up stuck in here if we don't move fast."
"He's right." Diego said "We'd better get going..."
The herd moved down the tunnel away from the rubble, unaware about what was happening somewhere outside the caves.
Nida watched with a heavy heart as Roshan's group re-entered the cave for a second time, carrying rope, torches and supplies, but not too much hope.
Clasping her shaking hands together, she prayed again and again for her husband and son's safe return.
How could she have let her son just wander off like that? she should have been more carefully. Now, because of her foolishness, both of them were trapped somewhere under the mountain.
Nida sighed, placing her head in her hands as the group of men vanished into the tunnels, and into the hopeless dark.
Roshan raised his head upon hearing some odd sounds below the ground. It seemed there was another tunnel below the one he was walking through, or maybe another cavern. Whatever it was, something was down there.
He stumbled towards another opening, but stopped short when he saw it led to a sheer drop. He was about to turn away when he saw that along the rocky wall on the other side was what seemed to left of a ledge. Looking down he saw a large amount of ruble. Obviously, there had been a ledge here before the cave-in just a few moments ago, and it had fallen down with the ceiling.
The rubble was blocking most of another cave entrance below. Roshan frowned when he heard another noise behind the rocks- a sound that sounded a bit like an echo of his son's laugh.
His eyes widened and his heart filled with a bright hope. His son was somewhere in those tunnels!
Smiling, Roshan went back, promising himself that he'd figure out a way to get down. As he was thinking this he spotted something on the wall of a tunnel to his right.
An arrow pointing downwards.
He frowned, tracing a hand over the drawing. It was no mistake- this had been drawn on purpose. Did that mean someone else was down here?
Still cautious, Roshan limped down the tunnel that the arrow pointed to, and found to his great surprise and joy that it led down into the very cavern he was trying to get to.
Silently, he thanked whoever had left the arrow there and made his way towards the half-buried tunnel, fully intending on finding a way in.
CHAPTER 14 IS UP.
Review please.