The Herd's Growing Family (Ice Age)

Volcano Trouble

Deep in the glacial valley, Runar (the human tribe's leader) led his hunters across a snowy plain. Their wolves pulled on their leashes, sniffing the ground like hunting dogs. The humans stopped beside a set of footprints to examine them, but then they shook their heads sadly. They weren't tiger tracks. The wolves sniffed around, digging their noses in the snow, but they seemed confused.

Runar tightened his grip on one wolf's leash—he had to admit that the wolves had lost the scent. One of the hunters came over and took the leash from Runar's grip. With a deep sigh, the chief looked down at his son's broken necklace in his hand. He shook his head, giving up hope. He had to lead his people through Glacier Pass to their settlement on the other side before the snow made that trip impossible. With a heavy heart, Runar followed his hunters back toward the rest of the tribe.

*Meanwhile*

The herd was only a few miles away from their destination. Diego was still curious about what happened with Avery ever since they left the cave, but whatever it was that made her upset, she was really good at hiding how much it bothered her. But Diego was snapped out of his thoughts when Manny started speaking.

"Well, would you look at that? The tiger actually did it. There's Half Peak. Next stop, Glacier Pass".

"How could we have ever doubted you?" Avery said sarcastically with a smirk on her face.

"Did you hear that, little fella? You're almost home!" Sid tells the baby before turning to Redwood. "And you're going to have a new home". Sid then paused as he felt his feet getting warmer. "My feet are sweating".

"Do we have to get a newsflash every time your body does something?" Diego complains.

"He's doing it for attention," Manny says.

"Yeah, just ignore him". Avery agrees.

"Seriously! My feet are really hot!" Sid ran up to the group saying "ow" every time he stepped forward.

Suddenly, the herd froze as a loud rumbling sound was heard.

"Tell me that was your stomach". Manny said.

"I'm not sure if it was," Avery told him.

Diego shushed them as Sid tried to reassure them what the sound was. "I'm sure it was just thunder... from... under... ground?"

Suddenly, lava explodes out of the ground and causes everyone to scream and run away. More lava comes out of the ground eventually the lava has destroyed most of the ice around them, including some on their path. Which separates Diego from the group.

"Come on, keep up with me!" Sid says while running, although he is running in one place.

"I would if you were moving!" Manny yells at him.

Diego catches up with them by jumping from his ice to theirs.

"Wow, I wish I could jump like that". Sid says.

"Wish granted!" Manny kicks Sid so hard that it launches him in the air and he lands on the other side of the volcano, which is a safe area that continues their path.

"Come on, move faster!" Diego tells the remaining group.

"Have you noticed that there's a river of lava?" Avery yells back at him. She climbs onto one of Manny's tusks as he takes a look at the lava, and then at the baby, who is whimpering in fear. Making his choice, he jumps to the other side with the baby and Avery.

Meanwhile, Diego is about to jump but looks to his side to see Redwood about to cry from fear.

"You have to jump!" he tells her.

"I can't!" Tears slowly fall from her eyes.

"You need to!"

"NO!"

"Listen to me, I'm not moving until you jump, and if you don't go now, it'll be too late for both of us!" He tries to convince the child, but she still won't budge. Diego then tries a different tactic. "Jump on my back and whatever you do, do not let go!"

Redwood listened this time and climbed onto the saber's back, holding him tight. He tries to make the jump, but Redwood's weight stopped him from making it. The two were now dangling over the lava, with Diego hanging on to the ice's ledge and Redwood still hanging on to him for dear life.

Manny looked behind him and saw the two in trouble. He then gave the baby to Sid and placed Avery next to them. "Hold Pinky! And you three stay here!"

Avery was about to protest but Sid stopped her and made sure she stood with him and the baby.

Manny slowly stepped close to reach them, but not too close so that the ice won't break. As he and Diego were reaching for each other, the ice's ledge started slowly breaking. The part of the ice Diego and Redwood was on broke, and Manny managed to catch them before they fell.

Realizing that the ice won't hold them for long, Manny threw the two to where the others were at. Once they were safe, the ice Manny was on broke completely and he fell along with it into the lava.

"Manny!"

"NO!"

Both Sid and Redwood yelled while Avery and Diego looked shocked at what just happened. However, by some miracle, large steam coming from the lava launched Manny into the air and he landed in the safe area near the rest of the herd.

Everyone looked up to see Manny and both Sid and Avery ran to check if their friend was okay.

"Manny, Manny, Manny, you okay?" Sid places the baby down for a second.

"Come on, come on, say something. Anything!" Avery nudges him a bit.

Manny started mumbling but nobody understood what he said.

"What? What? We can't hear you!" Sid tells him.

"You're standing on my trunk".

Sid realizes and moves his foot so Manny could breathe. "Oh, you're okay! You're okay!"

Avery sighs in relief and goes to check on Redwood, whose tears finally stopped falling from her eyes. As for Diego, he had one question for Manny. "Why did you do that? You could have died, trying to save us".

"That's what you do in a herd". Manny answers. "You look out for each other".

"Well, thanks" Deigo then turns Redwood. "Are you okay, kid?"

Redwood wipes her tears away before answering. "That was really scary. But you didn't leave me behind. You helped me".

"Huh, I guess you're not as bad as we thought, Diego. You too, Manny". Avery tells them. "Looks like I made the right choice choosing this herd".

"Hey, I don't know about you guys, but we are the weirdest herd I've ever seen". Sid comments.

END CHAPTER
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A/N: As epic as this scene was, it honestly came out of nowhere, (not that I'm complaining). Also, it's funny how Redwood didn't like Diego and Manny from the beginning because they were animals she feared, and yet they saved her life for this part.

Please comment and tell me what you think of the chapter.