Ice Age: The Next Generation

The Challenge

         Sassy smiled as Brooke and Sid fawned over Peaches. The herd had finally put together a baby shower for the young mammoth and she was just soaking it all in. Jullian was right by her side, supporting her up and  grinning from ear to ear as Peaches opened the various gifts for the baby. There were rattles made of pebbles placed in hollowed gords; Buck's knife had finally found a practical use, much to the weasel's despair; Brooke made her 2 baby blankets made of moss, large supplies of berries of all sorts, and many, many other trinkets for the new family.
        Sassy and Denali had personally given her the gift of their own kids, meaning Peaches could call on any of the wolf pups at any time to watch her baby or babies whenever she needed a break. Laila and Ylva were thrilled at the idea of baby sitting, but even they were rather annoyed at being volunteered by their parents. Rorik and Freya were downright livid, even though they would never tell Peaches.
        "Here Peach!" Crash and Eddie handed her their gift wrapped in bark. She unrolled it and came up with two sharp sticks. She looked at them a moment, confusion written all over her face.
        "Um...thanks Uncle Crash, Uncle Eddie. They're...um...,"
        "They're swords! That way your kids can fight each other like we do!" Peaches swallowed a grimace.
       "Right that's...that's just what I want." She smiled and wrapped them both in her trunk for a hug.
        "Bah! Ya want your kids ta learn ta fight, they're going ta need real weapons!" Buck swung in from the top of the willow tree the herd was under. He kneeled and bowed his head as he reverently presented Peaches and Jullian with two handmade knifes, about a fourth smaller than his own. Peaches and Jullian's eyes grew wide and they looked first at Buck and they at each other. Shira and Sassy looked at each other and hurried to their niece's side.
        "Just thank him and we'll put them out of reach." Sassy murmured. Peaches nodded and quickly thanked Buck. He beamed proudly, no doubt looking forward to when he could show the new additions how to fight dinosaurs. Peaches slyly handed them to Sassy and the wolf took them in her mouth as Shira distracted Buck. Sassy quickly ran to place them in her cave where she could save them for later. She then returned to her husband's side. Denali tucked her into him and nuzzled the top of her head.
        "Feeling any better today?" He asked. She shrugged against his chest.
        "The party is a nice distraction." She looked around at her herd, smiling to herself at their antics. Denali nudged her and she looked towards his line of sight. Rorik and Rose were engaged in a mock battle, her son grinning like an arrogant idiot and the fur on Rose's forehead creasing in frustration at not being able to pin the large wolf. Sassy chuckled.
       "Should we speak to Diego and Shira about those two?" Denali asked, humor in his tone. Sassy looked up.
        "Why?" Her husband looked down at her, disbelief in his eyes.
        "Don't tell me you can't see it." Her brow ruffled in confusion and she focused more intently on the young predators. Rorik got the better of Rose again and pushed her solidly into the ground. He hovered over her, saying something to make the young sabress's eyes widen and the skin under her fur flush such a bright pink, Sassy could see it from where she sat. Suddenly it struck her.
        "He's in love with her." She mumbled, almost in disbelief. It wasn't that she didn't approve, but she hadn't seen that one coming. That was so unlike her. Denali nodded and Sassy looked back up at him.
        "How did I not see that before now?" Denali seemed to pull her closer.
        "Well, they typically try to act like they despise each other but the attraction is perfectly obvious. Maybe you didn't see it cause it's your son and niece." Sassy gave a pretend shudder.
        "That makes them seem like cousins!"
        "But not by blood." Sassy gave a small smirk and looked over to where her best friend sat. He was watching Rorik with his daughter as well. Diego looked over at her, smiled and winked. Denali chuckled as did Sassy.
        "I think Rose's parents are aware of the situation." She smiled as she watched Rorik. Then her focus was drawn to Haken emerging from the woods, a semi guilty look on his face. Worry niggled in her heart. Her youngest had been gone a lot lately, disappearing for hours at a time almost every single day. He always said he was going to fish or to look at the sunset. He always had some excuse. A weasel suddenly flew through her vision, catching Sassy's attention. Buck had taken to disappearing almost around the exact same times Haken did. She narrowed her eyes.
       "I'm going to go talk with Buck for a minute." Sassy told Denali. He smiled and licked her muzzle.
       "Don't be gone too long. I've missed you." A chord plucked in her heart. She knew what he meant. She'd been present in body but not in mind and spirit. He missed her, missed her smile and her love. She vowed to make it up to him later that night. She trotted over to Buck who had perched himself in a tree at the edge of the gathering.
       "Buck? Can we talk?" He looked down at her, smiling at her fondly. He quickly swung down and landed on her head. She laughed and shook him off.
       "It's good ta hear ya laughin' again Sassy girl." She nodded solemnly.
       "That's part of what I wanted to talk with you about. Do you know where Haken has been disappearing to lately? It seems almost every time I turn around he's gone." Buck's jovial face fell and was replaced by one of guilt. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
       "About that...," he looked around at the rest of the herd then motioned her closer. She lowered her head so they could talk more quietly. "A few weeks ago, that night at the campfire, Haken went off and ran inta that female first mate of that scoundrel." Sassy stiffened.
       "He met Lone Star's beta?" Buck nodded. "What happened?"
        "Nothin'. That's just it. That girl didn't do a thing to the lad, they just talked."
       "Talked??" Sassy asked indignantly, her voice rising slightly. Buck put his paws out in a gesture to calm her.
       "Talked. That's it. Then they parted peacefully. I followed that girl back ta her pack and observed what she did. That's where Haken's been. They've been meetin' an' talkin' about her pack and the herd and many things. I follow her every time, expectin' her ta give a report ta her alpha like a spy. She never says one little word about it." Sassy stood frozen. Her son had been secretly meeting with her enemy's right hand for weeks now?
       "Do you hear their conversations?" Buck shrugged a shoulder.
       "Bits an' pieces. I can't get too close or that son of yours or both of them'll sniff me out."
       "What does-,"
       "Mom?" Sassy whirled around at Haken's voice. He stood behind her, his eyes earnest and guilty, ears back and head lowered like he was afraid.
        "Haken, what is it?" Her children rarely displayed any signs of fear. His eyes moved to the ground and his head lowered.
        "I heard what Uncle Buck told you, but I was going to tell you and dad anyway today because...because Nikita told me something that you both need to know." Sassy felt her fur bristle just at the ideas that entered her head at what Haken could tell her. He looked up at her warily. "Lone Star is planning to challenge not only you and dad, but the entire herd for claim on this territory." Sassy reflexively growled and Haken cowered slightly. Sassy felt her blood boil, what little was left of her composure snapped. Lone Star was determined to make her life hell, as if he hadn't already done so once before. Well, he wasn't getting away with it this time.
      "Let's get your father. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone right now, not before we sort this whole mess out." She turned a glare on both her son and her weasel friend. Buck saluted her and Haken nodded meekly. After they told Denali and rounded up the rest of the children, questions began to be thrown at Haken.
       "She's the enemy! What possessed you to even so much as look at her!? You should've killed her that first time you encountered her!" Freya yelled. Haken's defenses started to rise.
       "She's not the enemy!" This caught everyone's attention. "Lone Star and his lackeys are who we have to be careful of, not Nikita. She's not like him." Sassy arched her brow but allowed her son to explain himself. Rorik's words were almost a growl.
       "She's his beta, Haken. How much different could she be?" Haken glared at him.
       "Like night and day." He looked at his mom, compassion and love filling his eyes. "Nikita found out what happened from an elder wolf in the pack. Lone Star never told the whole story....and neither did you." Sassy's chest clenched.
         "I...I didn't even tell the herd until I was pregnant with all of you. I was going to tell you later, after you'd been adults for a while. I didn't want to burden you with this so young, and when he showed up, I didn't want Rorik or even you getting angry enough to do something foolish." Haken's gaze softened. The others looked confused and Sassy quickly filled in her children on what had happened to her.
       "Oh momma." The twins were near tears as they both snuggled into her. Freya's eyes were glossy and Rorik and Haken stood in silence.
       "When will the challenge be issued?" Denali asked. Haken shook his head.
       "That's what Nikita didn't know. The past couple days it's been harder for her to sneak away because Lone Star is getting suspicious of her. Nikita isn't necessarily ready to betray her pack, but she has no more loyalty to Lone Star after learning the truth and getting to know me."
      "It could come at any time. But by pack tradition, the beta must come issue the challenge for the alpha." Denali studied his son for a long moment. "Do you trust this female?" Haken held his father's stare.
       "Yes. With my life."
       "That's good. Because here she is." Rorik said. Everyone turned to see the midnight black wolf walk into camp, her fur shiny in the sun, her eyes searching the now silent herd for the wolves. When her eyes landed on Haken, Sassy saw them soften, but not enough to be noticeable. She approached the wolves and stood at attention, her ears high and alert, her back straight.
       "I have come on behalf of my alpha. He wishes to issue the challenge to you, Denali, mate of Saskia, as well as your two sons." Sassy's jaw dropped as a fire rolled up inside of her. How dare Lone Star challenge her husband and sons and not settle this with her personally. He was always condescending of females, believing them to be much lower than males, but this...this was made specifically to cause her to see red. "Exactly one week from today, at dusk down by the river, you three must come to meet the challengers. The fight, for right of territory, is to the death." Nikita paused. "Do you accept?" She asked, her voice softer. Denali stepped forward, placing himself in front of his wife.
       "I accept." Rorik stepped up beside him.
       "As do I." Nikita's blue eyes flitted to Haken's. The two stared at each other before Haken too, stepped forward on the other side of his father.
        "I accept as well." Nikita's ears flicked back ever so slightly, signaling to all the wolves her distress. She bowed her head.
       "I will tell my alpha." She looked back at Haken, then turned and walked calmly to the adge of the woods. Once she was in the brush however, she took off running.