The Samurai and the Snake (NINJAGO)

Chapter 1

"Do you really have to go?" Nya mumbled softly to her brother.

The sun was beginning to rise over the distant hills. The little town began to wake, merchants opening their shops and chatting amongst themselves. Families were rising out of their less-than-comfortable beds, sending their sleepy children out to do their morning chores, their parents dressing warmly to work for their daily bread. The children that were old enough followed the adults, their small hands already calloused from the hard labor.

Many of them were sickly, malnourished and in need of money. Nya and her brother were among those that were lucky enough to own a shop, but with the demand for weapons decreasing, they were beginning to go hungry for a few nights. The shop was all they had left of their parents' legacy; lose it and they lost their heritage.

That was why Kai was riding into the next town over to advertise their wares and see if they could relocate. Jamanakai Village was a town notorious for its crime rate and demand for weapons; it was the perfect spot for a blacksmith's shop.

"It just doesn't seem morally right." Nya sighed, loading Kai's bags onto their stallion, Flame. "I mean, selling weapons to criminals? Are we really going to be the cause of rising crime in that poor village?"

"Nya..." Her brother began, tired of her asking the same questions.

"I know, I know. We need to eat and we need to keep them alive, somehow." She closed her eyes, sighing. "But is it really keeping their legacy alive if we build an entirely new shop? And what if it gets defaced?"

"It's better than it closing entirely." Kai huffed, closing the bags and attaching the cart of wares to Flame. "I don't want to make a mockery of our family name, Nya. Ever since they died, the whole village has been watching our every move, waiting for us to fail."

Nya faced him, pursing her lips. "We would be making a mockery of our family's name if we supplied thieves and murderers!"

"Hey, what's so bad about thieves?" A casual voice popped up from behind her.

Nya sighed heavily and turned around. "Good morning, Ronin."

"Morning." He mumbled, his mouth full of food. Most likely stolen pastries. Nya thought. It is a Monday, after all.

Sure enough, he held out a small bag full of sweet breads, offering its contents to the siblings. "Want some?"

"No thanks, Ronin." Kai sighed, tightening the buckles on the cart. "That should do it." He glanced at the sunrise and groaned. "I should've left an hour ago."

Ronin wiped the sugar off of his face with one sleeve, eyeing Flame. "So you're really doing it. You've got guts, kid. I'd never travel through those woods. They're haunted, you know."

"Shut up!" Nya groaned, elbowing the thief, causing him to laugh. "Kai, please... I just don't think going out there is a good idea. I mean, it's a two-day's journey through the woods, at least, it's beginning to snow, and Jamanakai is dangerous by itself. Please."

"Nya, you know as well as I do, we can't wait another season." He held her hands. "We're going to lose the shop and starve. Please, just trust me on this."