Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 52: A Narrow Escape

Eagle Talon had no idea what had become of Matilda and Lloyd. He certainly heard much commotion nearby the dark hall in which he hid, but he had fled and had no idea of the outcome of the battle between human and feline magic. He was no coward, but he wasn't a mouse-brain, either. He simply could not risk exposing himself to any of his tribe, even if Twig Foot had already made it clear he would gladly betray Talon to the clan. It would take a long time for him to explain everyone why he had been allied with the ninja for the past quarter moon, and even then he suspected the more suspicious and bitter members of the Moon Tribe would brand him a lying traitor and vote to cast him out... or worse.

That moonstone had better be worth it, Eagle Talon thought grimly. This was an awful lot of trouble to get one stupid little stone—but, of course, Black Blood had made it clear to do whatever it took to retrieve the ancient pieces of their sacred rock, and Talon was loyal to her orders as a warrior and her brother.

Now, all this wasn't to say that being stuck with the Sons and Daughters had been a terrible experience for young Talon. It could be interesting at times to see how they all worked together—not unlike the adventures he'd shared with his own feline tribe-mates. There was just as much heart in the human groups as there were in the tribe Talon knew so well.

Speaking of heart, he was rather startled and confused to realize that he genuinely felt a note of concern for Cole and Liana, for they had vanished without a trace. He would think they had been captured, but he had seen several patrols pass down the halls, and when he ducked and hid from them—usually behind a smelly plant or under a musty chair to hide his scent—they said nothing about any newly-captured prisoners. Talon couldn't help but nurse the flickering hope that Cole and Liana were still alive and free—as well as everyone else, of course. Especially Little Leaf.

He stopped. The dark tabby sniffed the air cautiously. He stood in one of the halls of the west wing of the fortress, where Moon Tribe activity was relatively calmer. Occasionally he heard angry voices shouting orders and mumbled responded followed by clattering feet and grumbling meows, leading Talon to believe that his clan was still looking for the escaping humans.

A new scent wafted up to his noise. He wrinkled it and flicked his tails in disgust. Ancestors above! What is that horrendous stench? It seemed to be coming from around the corner ahead of him.

He froze. He could hear footsteps and a low voice. Swiftly the cat ducked beneath a coffee table and watched the end of the hall. It wasn't long before he recognized the voices, and Cole and Liana stumbled into view.

"Liana! Cole!" Eagle Talon exclaimed, scampering into view. "What happened—? Oh my stars—!"

Talon's cry was louder than he meant for it to be. He couldn't help it—he stared in horror at Cole's face. It made him think of the time Moss Foot had been trying to catch a rabbit, and the sly hare had clawed its back feet in her face, straight up her eyes. It had taken her a long time to heal, and the scars stayed to this day. These wounds, however...

"Talon!" Liana exclaimed, recognizing his voice. "There you are!"

Talon stared at the two of them. They were both absolutely soaked to the bone. Their ripped, dirty clothes hung off their trembling frames like heavy rags and dripped water on the floor with little pit-pat, pit-pat sounds. Liana's blue dress was stained with dirt, and her hair fell in soaked locks around her white, fearful face. Cole's dark hair did a small part in partially hiding the grotesque wounds on his face from view, though allowed that bright green scar running down his head to shine through the black strands.

"W— what happened to you?" Eagle Talon breathed.

Liana opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment Cole's strength gave out. He stumbled forward, before Liana could catch him.