Chapter 3

Icy rain had ruined the possums' goal to take Peaches to their secret place. Snow and rain made everything colder and more difficult.

Peaches was disappointed to not get very far after hearing her father call for her to come home. The little mammoth had almost forgotten about the molehog she met, especially when she got a scolding from her father.

"You're not supposed to wander off before we wake!" Manny the mammoth said, his father instincts kicking in. He was more than disappointed with his daughter.

Ellie, Manny's wife, was more calm about the situation. "Get inside the den, Peaches," she said. She shot her brothers a glare after Peaches went inside.

"Hey, we told her if she wanted to go, we would have to take her," Crash said in defense.

"Yeah," Eddie added, "it's not like she was alone.

"Everyone just got inside," Mammoth demanded, "it's getting very wet and cold, more than usual."

Sid the sloth not once attempted to leave the den, and instantly kept Peaches distracted as he sat down and offered to play a game of Rocks and Leaves. "I bet you can't beat this old sloth," he said proudly.

Peaches tried to stay positive, so she smiled, and accepted the sloth's challenge.

Manny and Ellie nuzzled up together to keep warm as Diego kept a lookout on the weather. "It's raining hard."

"Yeah, looks like nobody is out there because they know better than to wander off so early," Manny said, hoping his daughter would hear to learn the lesson.

If Peaches did hear, she didn't reply, and instead attempted to beat Sid at their game. "Mom," Peaches started as she watched Sid take his turn, "can I go out after the storm?"

"It depends how icy it gets," Ellie answered, "but I'm sure we can find a place safe for you."

"Maybe the playground," Manny suggested.

Peaches huffed at her father's comment. "That's for babies, I'm an older kid now."

Eddie yawned tiredly as he stretched out his arms. "Maybe you could go ice skating if the creek freezes up."

Peaches thought about that and found it a great idea. She eagerly turned to her parents after she took her turn on the Rocks and Leaves game. "Can I?"

"Sure thing," Ellie said with no hesitation.

"Alright," Manny said, "but only if it's solid enough to hold on. We don't want you sinking in."

"It's a creek, Dad, not a lake," Peaches said with a tone. She was getting annoyed with her father's overprotective behavior, but her eagerness to get out and explore overpowered that. Okay, she thought, when the rain stops.