Ice Age: The Meltdown (Story of the Wolf continued)

Chapter Six: Race Against Time

"Food! Glorious Food!"
"SID!"
"What? It's catchy?" He defended against the whole herd. They crested the hill and everyone froze in awe. Just up a winding steep hill rested the boat the vulture had said would be here.
"We made it." Diego said.
"Yeah! We showed those scary vultures!" Sid joined in. Ellie, Crash and Eddie whooped for joy and Sassy heard Manny laugh. She turned to see the first real, genuine smile on his face since they had become a herd. She smiled when the mammoths came together, and then quickly moved apart like they had something to hide. She snickered and turned back to the pathway, only for a steam column to burst up in front of her. Ellie screamed and Diego knocked Sassy aside with his body, keeping her from getting burned. She shook her head to clear it and looked up at her friend.
"You alright?" He asked, shouldering her up.
"Other than my nose being a little singed I'm fine. Thanks." They looked out at the geyser field.
"Oh it's just a little hot water and steam how bad could it be?" Sid asked to no one in particular. A dodo walked across the field and was rocketed into the air by a geyser. It came down roasted. "I just did something involuntary.....and messy." Sid confessed. Manny stepped out.
      "Ok! Come on!" A geyser exploded right in front of him.
       "Manny! Get back! It's a mine field out there!" Diego yelled.
       "This is the only way to go! Straight through!"
"Straight through? We'd like to keep the fur on our bodies thank you." Ellie replied. "We'll head back and go around that's safer."
"No no there's no time. The dam will burst before we make it! We'll drown!" Manny said.
"We go through this we get blown to bits." Ellie argued.
"We go forward." Manny stated.
"We go back!"
"Forward!"
"Back!"
"Forward!"
"Back!"
"Can I say something?"
"NO!" Both mammoths yelled at the tiger. Diego scowled and Sassy pulled her ears back. If this kept up either the dam would break and they'd all drown, or Manny or Ellie would wind up hurt. Sassy didn't think she could bare to see that happen.
"You are so stubborn and hard headed!" Manny accused.
"Well then I guess that proves it! I am a mammoth!" Ellie turned and went back, picking up her brothers on the way.
"Fine." Manny marched off through the geyser field. Diego followed and Sassy looked at Sid.
"I dunno, drowning seemed like a much gentler way to go. Blown to bits seems so...sudden." The sloth shuddered. Sassy nudged him forward, picking up the rear. Manny stalked through the field, ignoring the explosions around him. Sassy and Sid caught up to Diego and watched Manny.
"He's gonna get himself killed." Sassy said and started running.
"Wait! Manny!" Sid called. Diego was hot on Sassy's heels, trying to reach the mammoth before something happened. But something did. The male wasn't watching where he was going, and a geyser exploded right in front of him, knocking the mammoth down. Sassy skidded to a halt and gasped. She looked at Diego and Sid and they took off.
"Manny!" Diego yelled in his face. The mammoths eyes were open but he looked confused, disoriented. "Let's go!" Diego tried again.
"Manny we gotta go!" Sassy yelled.
"Now!" The predators ordered. Seeming to return to his senses, Manny jumped up and let out a panic yell, starting to run in the wrong direction. Diego shoved him back on course.
"That way!" The herd ran as fast as they could through the field, narrowly escaping the geysers. A couple times Sassy swore she felt the steam burn off fur on her tail. They made it through, Diego and Sassy leaping across to safety. They made their way up the steep incline to the boat. They split up to search for Ellie, Crash and Eddie. Sassy scampered through the crowd, asking various mammals if they had seen a mammoth or a pair of opossums. All told her no. She sniffed the air. There were so many animals around it was difficult to identify certain scents. She found a mammoths. But it was Manny's. Suddenly a thunderous crack echoed through the valley and the roar of rushing water reached Sassy's ears. The dam had broken. They were out of time. She ran to find her herd.
"I don't see her anywhere!" Manny yelled, his voice panicked.
"Maybe she's already on board!" Diego offered. The ground shook and all animals froze, clutching their loved ones close as rock pillars tumbled down and crashed below them. Chaos ensued. Mammals screamed and thundered toward the boat.
"Come on this way let's move!" Manny urged the crowd faster, directing traffic. Sassy picked up the scent of opossum and she turned toward Manny. The opossum brothers were climbing over him now.
"Manny it's Ellie! She's trapped in a cave!" Eddie cried. Manny didn't hesitate, just set his jaw and turned around, moving against the crowd and back to the path. Sassy darted after them and soon felt Diego at her side, Sid on her other. They raced down a side path and stopped. The water was just over the horizon, and rising fast. They charged down the hill as the water slammed into the rocks, causing them to crack and shudder. The ground gave way and Manny, Crash and Eddie went flying into the water. Sassy, Diego and Sid came skidding to a halt at the edge and looked out for Manny when suddenly the ground gave way under Sassy's paws. She shoved Diego back out of the way, sending him colliding into Sid, backing up both of them. She plummeted down toward the rapids and took a deep breath, preparing for the icy chill. Her body plunged beneath the surface and she floated for a moment, getting her bearings. She looked around and nearly lost all her air. The two dinosaur-like water creatures were swimming quickly, toward what she thought was the direction of the cave. Sassy knew she couldn't take them under water, she was at a huge disadvantage...but she could lead them away and at least buy Manny some time. They would either reach her and chomp her to bits or she'd somehow outwit them and they'd tire of the chase. The risk was worth it. She swam to a tower of rocks under the water and shouldered them over, using all her strength. The tower tilted over, the rocks falling toward the ground. Some hit the creatures, just as she'd hoped they would and they turned toward her. She immediately swam off, clawing and kicking her way through the water as fast as she could. She didn't dare look behind her, she knew how close they were by the rush of water that flowed around her back paw as one snapped at her. She propelled herself up to the surface and gasped for much needed air before being dragged down again. She snapped at the purple creature and caught one of its fins in her maw. She clamped down hard, tasting the familiar metallic tang of blood. It roared, the sound vibrating under water and released her. She swam back up and broke the surface and dragged herself up to shore. She collapsed and barely found the energy to raise her head when she heard gasping. Just a few yards away, Diego broke the surface of the water and hoisted Sid to shore, the opossums jumping off his back. The tiger pulled himself up too and like Sassy, collapsed. She smiled despite the circumstances. So he had faced his fear to save Sid and the brothers. He had learned to swim. He looked up and over at her and the relief on his face was evident. Sassy hauled herself to her feet, her legs quivering with weakness and cold. She managed to hobble over to the other animals. Sid rushed at her, wrapping his arms around her neck, yelling that she was okay. Sassy laughed and stumbled under the sloths weight. He let go of her and the opossums jumped on her back, also happy she was alright. Diego nudged her head and she grinned at him.
"Good job. The water didn't stand a chance." He chuckled and she turned serious and looked back at the water. "Any sign of them?" Diego shook his head and they scanned the water before seeing Manny over near a rock outcropping.
"There he is!" Sid pointed excitedly. Suddenly he was pulled under water, disappearing from their sight. Sassy growled.
"Those creatures are here. They've got Manny. I tried to detain them for as long as I could and apparently it wasn't enough."
"You're a wolf, powerful and fierce....on land." Diego said, still searching the rapids. "Under water...those things are both twice your size and have the advantage of living in the water so they can swim much better than we ever could. There's only so much you could do Sassy." She didn't answer. She knew he was right, but it didn't make it any less painful. One of her best friends, her family, was trapped under water with those monsters, and there was literally nothing she could do about it.