Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 33: The Ambush

Eagle Talon flicked his ears irritably. "I'm sure you could, but can Jay?" He gestured to him with a dark-furred paw. "Can you protect him and fight over a dozen humans at the same time? And what about Little Leaf?" His eyes flashed. "She's too young! They have boom-sticks, and she's never fought them before! She's only ten and five seasons old, and she hasn't even earned her full name!"

"Hey!" Little Leaf exclaimed indignantly. "Excuse me, but I've fought bandits before! Remember when I told you how Lloyd and I—?"

"You scared the fur off of like, six tired men after they thought they were going to steal a couple of ordinary human kits. This is different," he snapped. "I recognize them, Leaf, I know these humans. They are very dangerous, and I don't want getting yourself killed just trying to be a hero. Cats who've gone to walk the stars don't earn their full names, you know."

Little Leaf glared at him, whiskers quivering angrily, and opened her mouth to protest. Wu, however, interrupted her. "Eagle Talon is right. It would be better for us to stay out of trouble. Even if Jay and Little Leaf weren't with us, it would still be dangerous, considering the fact that all of us are exhausted by this trip and are not in the mood to fight."

"Speak for yourself," Cole muttered rebelliously under his breath, but he saw the wisdom in his master's words, and reluctantly consented.

"They're coming down the valley west of the way we are," said Eagle Talon. "If we try to escape up the slope we were originally heading toward, they'll spot us and use their boom-sticks to take us down. We're sure to avoid them if we climb up there." At this he gestured up the slope to their right, where several large boulders sat at the top in a jumbled cluster. "We can hide behind that outcrop and wait for them to pass by."

Incredulous, Cole interjected. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—Now we're hiding?"

"What did you think we'd be doing, lounging in the sun and wave at them all when they come by?"

"No, but I thought we'd at least—!"

"Oh, shut your pie holes and for once act like a ninja and make yourself unseen!" Matilda whirled around on them with a fierce scowl. "Do you think we have time to argue?! Get up there, chop-chop!" She clapped her hands together. "You, Frosty, Water-sprite. Get Lightning Bug up there and make sure he doesn't give us away when those robbers come by. Liana, two paces to your right there's a rough ledge you can grab—follow Lloyd, he's right in front of you. Move it or lose it, people!"

Under Matilda's curt directions the group scrambled as quietly as they could up the rocky slope and ducked behind the outcrop, huddling down uncomfortably by the cool boulders. Zane crouched in the very back with Jay slung over his shoulder, and Nya and Wu sat on either side of him. In front of them sat Matilda, Cole, and Lloyd, with Little Leaf—still in her cat form—at the forefront. Eagle Talon was the last to join them, having made sure everyone was together.

Instead of squeezing himself in the others, however, the tom stopped.

"Talon, get in," Lloyd hissed.

The cat looked at him and shook his head resolutely. "I'm going to see if I can lead the bandits away from you. It's too risky, even with all of us hiding. I'll be back."

"What?!" Little Leaf squeaked. "Talon, wait—!"

"Stay here." The tabby tom cast his sister a hard look before flicking his tails and bounding down the slope.

"Talon!" Little Leaf sprang forward, but Lloyd snatched her by the scruff of her neck and gripped her firmly. She nipped at his gloved hands indignantly, tails lashing. "Let me go!"