Frozen Resolve

Chapter 6 : Catnip

"Hey, Randy! Icy!" a familiar voice called from behind. "Hi guys" Randy greeted the two mons coming towards us while I tried to get on my paws. "Wow, you two look like crap...and you found a Deerling?" Kuro described, but his face and shirt looked very dirty, Duff who came from behind looked just like him.

"You two don't look any better" I described. "We just came back a few minutes ago, we didn't even have dinner," Duff said. "We didn't even have lunch," Randy said to them. "Randy, stop mentioning that!" I yelled as my stomach let out a fierce growl.

"There's a Sawsbuck waiting at the inn, she said that she got separated from her daughter and husband in a stampede, a Deerling, and..." Duff said. "A...Zebstrika" Randy muttered and gritted his teeth. "Did you see...oh..." Kuro said as his voice trailed off after seeing Della's face. "It's alright...we'll take you to your mother alright...?"

"Mom!" Della shouted and jumped off Randy's back as we entered the inn. "Della, where did you go? You got me worried sick!" the Sawsbuck said and touched noses with Della. "This is so sweet...I can't take it anymore..." I muttered as my eyes watered again. "Hey Icy, look who's also crying," Randy said with a smile. "Huh?"

"I...I'm not crying! I'm just...some sand got into my eyes" Kuro said and rubbed his eyes. "My eyes are so itchy now!" he said as he rubbed more dirt from his paws into his eyes. "I'll go order us some food, I'll be back after a few minutes," Duff said and bounced away. "Duff, for Arceus's sake, you need to pay your tab first!" Kuro yelled and went after him.

"Thank you for saving my daughter," the Sawsbuck said and walked toward us. "Sorry about your husband, we couldn't save him" I apologized. "We...we fully accepted the risk when traveled through the savannah...I'm already grateful that you saved my daughter" the Sawsbuck said with a few tears in her eyes.

"It was my friend here that came up with the idea of saving your daughter," Randy said all of a sudden. "Wha-what...I mean...who wouldn't have tried to save her?" I blurted out as my cheeks grew hot. "Thank you Vulpix, please have some of our favorite grass," the Sawsbuck said and took something out of the pouch of her bag, then put it in front of me, which appeared to be...grass...

"Um...thank you Mrs.Sawsbuck..." I blurted out, her act was so sudden I didn't even know what to say. "Icy, you have to eat it in front of her" Randy said with a grin, I then reluctantly took a small bite out of the grass...and immediately felt like puking. "Do you like it?" the Sawsbuck asked. "This is our favorite!" Della added. "Ugh...I mean...yeah...it tastes like grass...good grass..." I muttered. "Icy, your face looks green" Randy described. "If you like it, I still have plenty of it, you should have more"

"Thanks, Mrs.Sawsbuck, I'll...finish it later...I need to take a break first...my paws are so sore" I said to her. "Mom, can I go to school?" Della asked. "School...? But wasn't that the place you never wanted to go to?" the Sawsbuck asked. "Mom, I've changed, I'd like to go there! I'll learn lots of stuff there!" Della said to her mother as I slowly slipped away.

"So Icy, how was your trip to the restroom?" Randy said as I padded towards their table, and the three of them burst out laughing. "Frick you, Randy!" I tried to yell at him, but I was too tired to do it, only making out a small noise. "Your dinner has already been served, come and have it" Duff called out. "I don't even have the appetite for it now..." I muttered. "Duff, pay your stupid tab! I had to pay for tonight's dinner again!"

"What request did you two go on?" Duff asked. "Getting roasted by a Pyroar" Randy replied shortly. "And carrying something heavier than me on our way back" I added. "Della was twice as heavy as Derp, stop complaining, Icy. I even carried him for most of the trip" Randy said with a smile. "Frick you, Randy...frick you" I muttered under my breath. "Doesn't seem any better than ours, right Duff?"