It took a while for the human travelers to settle down and fall into an uneasy sleep around the smoking embers of the campfire. Eagle Talon lay away from them, still and silent as stone. His dark tabby stripes melted into the midnight shadows as one, and he was a single black silhouette, save for his glimmering feline eyes. His belly was full, he was relatively warm, and now that the humans were asleep he felt relatively safer and rather drowsy. He was snugly curled up among the long grasses, and he was preparing to drift off to sleep when his half-sister's scent wafted to his nose.
The tom lifted his head and watched the small calico approach from the forest. She was running her tongue over her muzzle, and from the scent of freshly-killed prey Eagle Talon knew that she had just finished eating. Little Leaf padded idly over to him and sat down beside him among the weeds. Wrapping her ginger and black-tipped tails neatly over her paws, she sat down on her haunches and began to wash herself.
Hearing her rasping her tongue over her paw and run it across her muzzle had a familiar, soothing effect on Eagle Talon. With a small sigh the tom rested his head on his paws and shut his eyes.
"I thought they knew about the Red Battle," Little Leaf's voice stirred him out of his drowsiness.
He blinked his eyes open blearily. "What?"
"Them. Lloyd and Cole and Nya and all the rest." He looked up to see Little Leaf wearing a thoughtful expression. "I thought they'd known about what their kin did."
"Whoa. Whoa, whoa." Eagle Talon shifted in his in seat, blinking away sleep. "You've already memorized their names?"
"I can't remember all of them, of course," she retorted. "But, yes. I mean, Lloyd and I traveled together for at least three days, so that's only natural, and I rather like saying their names. Because 'Cole' makes me think of 'coal', 'Wu' makes me think of 'whoo-hoo', 'Zane' makes me think of 'insane', and stuff like that. Why?"
Eagle Talon's two tails began to twitch slowly, back and forth. "Little Leaf," he said slowly. "You'd better not be becoming... attached to these humans."
Little Leaf swung her head and met his stern gaze. "What are you talking about? You're the one who guided them through the mountains and helped them rescue the Son of Lightning!"
"That wasn't my idea! That was because they caught me and forced me to do it!" He sputtered indignantly, "Look, we made a deal: I help them rescue the Son of Lightning, and they'll give me a moonstone."
"They have one of the moonstone pieces?" Little Leaf's ears pricked up.
"One of their friends do—at least, that's what the Daughter of Water says." His sentence ended in a growl. "She could be lying, the snake-tongued vixen—all of them."
Little Leaf shook her head. "They don't strike me as liars. At least, Lloyd doesn't."
"All right, again with the trusting thing." Eagle Talon's whiskers twitched irritably. "That's your problem, Leaf. You're way too gullible. Humans are natural liars. It's in their blood."
Before she could protest, Talon continued earnestly. "Little Leaf, listen to me, please. You're not safe here. We have no idea what these humans will do, and you could get hurt. Go back to the caves. Raven Frost told me about you running off. The whole tribe's worried sick about you! You can slip away tonight and get home safely before any of the humans can catch you."
"The tribe's not worried about me," Little Leaf muttered rebelliously, looking away from her half-brother. "They don't give a rat tail about what happens to me."
Eagle Talon paused and regarded her with concern. "Yellow Wing and Fox Bark don't still pick on you for being my sister, do they?"
Little Leaf didn't answer. She suddenly found the grass at her paws quite fascinating to scrutinize.
"Hey." He nuzzled her shoulder. "Those two have bees in their brains, and they can't tell a mouse from a bird. You shouldn't care what they say about you or me, whoever my father was."
"Why don't they pick on Black Blood?" Leaf muttered resentfully. "She'll show them."
"That's right, and they know it. They just pick on me more because I'm not leader, and because they know what she'll do if she ever hears those rumors again." He added seriously, "Leaf, what about Vine Pool? She raised you as of her own ever since Silver Mist left to walk among the stars. And Ice Fall's new litter? They'll have no one to play with. And your friends are probably frantic about you."
She hesitated at the mention of her tribe-mates, but she shook her head resolutely. "I don't care. All everyone ever talks about is the Sons and Daughters and how we're going to take revenge and all that. You should have heard the kits! They were arguing over who would play as the Sons and Daughters and who would be Katsu and Red Alder, and they were having mock battles imitating what happened!"
"They like to re-enact any battle from any story," he pointed out.
"Whatever. I'm sick and tired of the caves, Talon!" she complained. "This is the most fun I've had in moons, and I don't want to be sitting around like a useless kit while you're secretly working for the Sons and Daughter and going on these secret missions to get the moonstones we need!" Then she pleaded, "Please! I'll be good! You'll need me! What if the humans turn on you? You'll need someone to help you kick their furry tails!"
"They don't have tails."
"I know."
Eagle Talon gave his littermate a hard stare. "Do you promise to do exactly as I tell you?"
"I promise!" she chirped.
"If I tell you to follow me, you'll follow me?"
"I will!"
"If I tell you to hide, you'll hide?"
"I will!"
"If I tell you to run as fast as your paws can carry to back to the tunnels and leave me behind, no matter how badly outnumbered or wounded I am, will you?"
"Talon!"
"Will you?"
"All right, yes!" She rolled her eyes. "I will."
"Humph." His whiskers twitched. "I'll think about it."
"You'll think about it?!" she spluttered incredulously.
"Look, Leaf, I'm exhausted." Eagle Talon sighed wearily and curled up once more among the weeds that made his bed. "I've spent the entire day walking, walking, walking, with grumpy humans complaining, complaining, complaining, and right now I am very sleepy, sleepy, sleepy. We have about two more days of traveling ahead of us before ancestors-know-what will happen, and I have a feeling it's going to be a rocky trip.
"So, I don't want to wake up a slow slug tomorrow because I spent the entire night arguing with you. We'll continue this completely mouse-brained journey in the morning."
Little Leaf mewed hopefully, "So does that mean I don't have to go home?"
Eagle Talon shut his eyes. "Let—me—sleep."
"Grumpy old badger." When he didn't reply, she finished washing her face, then curled up beside him. Eagle Talon gave a small sigh of relief when he heard his sister's breathing slow. Her pelt was warm against his, and the faint calls of the night birds and the slight whisper of the trees soothed him. He soon found himself thankfully drifting off.
Until Raven Frost's voice made him jolt out of sleep. Eagle Talon.
Mouse dung! Eagle Talon cursed without thinking, greatly annoyed by the disruption of his sleep. What now?!
I wouldn't use that tone if I were you, the sorcerer's voice rumbled with a dangerous note.
Raven Frost! I— Eagle Talon felt his heart begin to race, and his fur bristled. He knew this was going to happen. There was no way the attack by the ninja would go unnoticed by the tribe, and those who knew of his mission would soon wonder how Talon had let that happen. If they discovered that he had taken part in that ambush...
The bristling tom took a deep breath and tried to make his mind feel relaxed. He knew someone would interrogate him sooner or later, so he had prepared an explanation. Despite his pounding heart, he forced himself to calm down and feign an act of cool, businesslike composure. The sorcerer will be more inclined to believe him if Talon seemed confident and sure of himself.
Thus he sat up in his bed of weeds and answered silently in his head, My apologies, Raven Frost. Although I must question why you choose this time of night to wake me and deprive me of well-earned sleep.
To question your knowledge of the attack that took place this day at Gooseneck Lake, Raven Frost retorted sharply. Care to explain how the Sons and Daughter not only somehow knew where the lake of our territory was and when our warriors would be taking the Son of Lightning there, but how they managed to defeat one of the Sorcerers and the warriors, sink the floating craft— At this his low growl grew to an unhappy screech. —and take off with the Son of Lightning's body unscathed?!
Indeed I do, Eagle Talon replied carelessly—or as much as he could fake it. I'll give it to you straight: the Sons and Daughter caught me, and I was forced to reveal my identity. They left me bound and gagged while they consulted a friend of theirs—a Son of No One whom they call Cyrus Borg, I believe—and using their strange, ah— Eagle Talon realized he had forgotten to human word for the things they use in this age. He continued nonetheless. Technoogilie, they located Gooseneck Lake and left just three days ago. I thought they were going to try to capture some of our warriors.
Raven Frost paused, then asked in a tone sounded similar to concern. They know where our territory is?
Eagle Talon shook his head, even though he knew that Raven Frost couldn't see him. Gooseneck was just a lucky guess. I believe a few human travelers had stumbled upon it and seen a few of our kind there once, and later reported it. It didn't take long for those fox-faces to figure out at least some of us might be there. They left me imprisoned here, on their flying craft. He held his breath, hoping that the sorcerer would accept the lie.
Slowly Raven Frost inquired, How in the name of our ancestors did they catch you? Not one human living today should know about us!
It was a Sister of Darkness. Eagle Talon knew bits and pieces of the truth would make his deception a little more convincing. An old female who knows about how we transform. She told them how to identify us in our taken forms, which is how they caught me. I think she's the one who fought against us in the Red Battle all those seasons ago.
Eagle Talon felt astonishment pulse in the connection linking the two minds together. Impossible...! the old tom gasped.
The sorcerer didn't speak again for so long that Talon began to think that the he had forgotten him. Then his voice growled again, How could you let this happen? A note of barely suppressed fury sent a chill down Talon's spine. Black Blood trusted you. You had the perfect position. You were the perfect actor. Now it's all for naught!
I led you and the others to the Sons and Daughter to get those moonstones, didn't I? Eagle Talon tried to sound mildly irritated rather than frightened out of his fur. Without me, the humans would probably have them, and it would be twice as difficult to regain them.
However, there's no chance of using that same trick twice, and they now have the Son of Lightning's body! Raven Frost exclaimed irascibly.
Relax, Talon replied, making himself seem nonchalant. I'll handle it. They can't keep me trapped forever, and I've got a plan. Black Blood trusts me, and so should you. The Sons and Daughter will get exactly what's coming for them, one way or another.
But they have the Son of Lightning! Raven Frost angrily repeated.
But they don't have the Lifesource, Eagle Talon pointed out. Unless it breaks, the Son of Lightning is nothing but a weeping, pitiful pile of bones stuck in the Dark Sleep. He's utterly useless to them, and to be honest, he's now utterly useless to us, too. Let him go.
Raven Frost hesitated, then spat, Fine. The fact that they managed to retrieve him is disturbing, though. We're going to have to work twice as quickly in order to collect all the moonstones.
Don't worry. I'll take care of the ninja and keep them out of our fur.
I hope so, for your sake—what did you just call them?
Eagle Talon said uneasily, Oh, ah, "ninja"—that's what they call themselves.
Raven Frost sounded mildly surprised. I thought they call themselves the Elemental Masters.
I think they kind of call themselves that, too, but they really go by ninja. Times change, I suppose.
I suppose.
Knowing that it might look suspicious if he didn't inquire, Eagle Talon asked, Any news of Little Leaf?
None, was the curt response. We're still keeping an eye out for her. We'll contact you if we find anything.
Thank you.
Farewell for now, Eagle Talon.You'd better know what you're doing.
Oh, I do.
Raven Frost's unnerving presence left Eagle Talon's mind like a throbbing headache, and the tom breathed a sigh of relief. The confrontation had left him shaken, but he realized beneath his fear he felt only determination to keep up this little charade and to gain the moonstone Nya had promised him—all the while keeping his little sister safe.
Raven Frost's right, he thought grimly to himself. I'd better know what I'm doing.
For a minute he tried to lick his bristling fur smooth, but then, feeling quite exhausted and fairly aching for rest, the cat finally settled down in the bed of soft grasses and curled up beside his slumbering sister. With a deep sigh of relief, he closed his eyes, laid his head atop the calico's warm back, and fell thankfully to sleep.
* * *
Nya tilted her head back and squinted in the glare of the sun's rays. The sky stretched above the surrounding mountains bright and blue. There was a serene hush enveloping the sloping land. The only inhabitants of the colorless terrain were dusty boulders scattered here and there. While this valley was devoid of plant or animal life, miles up ahead, dark and blurred against the horizon, mountains signaled warm forests, which led back to the Bounty. It looked so far away, though, and they probably wouldn't arrive until the next afternoon.
Stifling a sigh, Nya returned her gaze to her fellow travelers. It had been a long time since any of the ninja had traversed on foot, having relied most of their transportation on technology or elemental powers, and it was obvious the long journey was taking its toll. Her feet were sore and throbbing with each step. She saw Cole and Liana slightly limping, and Lloyd and Zane were beginning to stagger under Jay's weight. Wu gave soft grunts once in a while as he used his staff for support up the rocky slopes, and a few paces behind him Little Leaf walked unsteadily.
Even Eagle Talon's gait was slower than usual, although he pressed on as silently and stoically as ever ahead of them. Matilda was oddly the only one out of all of them who didn't seem winded by the seemingly never-ending trek. The middle-aged woman clambered the mountainside alongside the rest as vigorously as any energetic teenager, and once in a while she would pause in her stride to realize that everyone else was trailing behind. At this she would say impatiently, "Get a move on, you lazy lot! Corpus bones, I've seen snails move faster than that. Chop-chop!"
The irascible old hag intrigued Nya. Despite her odd curses and frequent mutterings, Cole seemed to hold Matilda in rough, almost begrudging affection. Matilda didn't seem to treat him much differently from the other ninja, but there was an air of warm familiarity whenever the two shared words. It was a bit funny, actually—a peculiar connection between a robust teenager and a surly hag twice his age was something one didn't see every day.
Liana shared this connection, although it was less obvious to the casual observer now that she treated Cole with cool formality. Nya could tell Liana's attitude was driving him nuts, but neither one was stepping forward to mend their previous friendship, and Matilda seemed to be attempting to ignore it. Cole and Liana walked on opposite sides of the group.
Now Matilda was walking a few paces ahead of Wu, behind Eagle Talon. On impulse Nya quickened her pace and caught up with her. Matilda seemed to take no notice of the girl's presence. Her midnight-blue cloak flapped slightly in her movement, flashing the sight of little bottles and her wand strapped in leather sheathes on the belt around her waist.
Nya hesitated before venturing to ask, "Was that story true?"
Matilda grunted, "What story?"
"You know, the one Eagle Talon told us. About the Red Battle and all the things the Elemental Masters did. Was— was it true?"
"Of course it was," was the curt response. "If your historians actually did their job and collected research once in a while, your generation might know a thing or two about the world thirty years ago."
"So..." Nya struggled to find the words to express her confusion and dismay. "Does that mean— I mean, is everything we've been told a lie? Was that what the Alliance was really like back then?"
Matilda finally looked at her. "You're afraid your parents and their friends weren't actually heroes who saved Ninjago, but were cold-blooded assassins who wiped out over half a tribe of hapless people?"
"Well—I, uh— I mean, if you put it like that—" Nya stammered uneasily. "Of course I wasn't— but that would ridiculous for me to think... Were they?"
Matilda snorted in mild amusement. "Listen to me, kid. I was there when that all happened. I was the so-called 'Sister of Darkness' who helped them fight in the war and defeat the cats, which is how the sorcerers Raven Frost, Broken Fang, Sky Pelt, and Rip Claw know me. Being a veteran, I can tell you first-hand what happened then."
Nya stared at her as Matilda said, "Now, I'm not saying that Eagle Talon is a liar, or that whoever told him that story as a kitten was one, but you have to realize that as time passes and stories are handed down through generations, some details are enhanced or changed, many times unintentionally. It just happens, especially when the ones telling the story have bitterness, grief, and hate still fresh in their minds, and they want their audience to feel just as they do, to understand the true injustice of it all. It's natural.
"For instance: Eagle Talon made it sound as if the entire Alliance had deliberately assembled themselves against Katsu and Red Alder when the tribes joined the Serpentine Wars. I suspect his ancestors were too ashamed to admit that it was only a small band of Masters that took them down—most of the others didn't even know about the werecats until after it'd happened."
Nya opened her mouth to speak, but Matilda interjected. "If you're wondering if your parents were involved, Nya, rest assured they weren't. I never even met your father, although I think I shared a few words with Maya once."
Nya blinked, a little unnerved by how the witch had second-guessed her question.
"The ones that were there were... mm, let me think..." Matilda paused. "The Masters of Poison, Nature, Sound, Lightning, Mind, Form, Light, and Earth. That lot was sent on a private mission to take care of the Fangpyre coming in from the north, and they basically took on the werecats by themselves. They didn't know this new enemy, so they thought they could take care of it, and they didn't even consult Wu or Garmadon on the subject until much later. Humph. Look what happened then."
"What? They were the ones that won, didn't they?" Nya asked.
"Oh, sure," Matilda replied bitterly. "Doesn't matter the cost of what it takes, just as long as you win, right? Ha! Solaris was killed, Tex took a bad wound that killed him later, and Nemo's mind was fairly destroyed after an insane mind battle with the Seven Sorcerers! Don't get me started on what war does to a simple human, kid. It—" She heaved a quick sigh. "It changes people. Shatters them, really. If they were still alive today they still would be trying to recover from the damage. Terrible things are done on both sides, and each side is broken and hurt because of the other."
Nya was quiet for a moment. "So not all the Masters were involved."
"Most didn't know of it," Matilda confirmed. "I must say, those of us that did fight against them were startled by their brutality and cleverness. You think Spinjitzu is a cute little trick of yours? Those feline warriors have the strangest yet disturbingly effective tactics and strategies in battle, and that's not even talking about the sorcerers! They were a hard opponent to beat, and they showed no little amount of cruelty on their side."
"But— but the kittens... all those babies and moms and old cats... Did the Masters really kill those, or was that a myth, too?"
There was minute of silence. Matilda's face was unreadable, and her gaze drifted off to the horizon, and her pace slowed. Nya waited for a reply, not without a feeling of anxiety.
The witch spoke slowly, thoughtfully. "Picture this: you're an Elemental Master defending your home alongside your team, and you're chasing an enemy back to their hideout after they seized a village. These enemies have allied themselves with the lowest of the low creatures—the Serpentine—and they have murdered and tortured many of your kind ruthlessly. You witnessed them in battle, shared blows with them, and saw them take down some of your friends right in front of you. You're determined to avenge your fallen comrades and tormented villagers, so you follow the werecats right up to their home.
"There you find yourself suddenly surrounded by hundreds of cats: warriors, elderly, mothers, and kittens alike. The team jumps into action, and you waste no time flinging yourself into the mob and fight to once for all defeat the werecats.
"Have you ever had a hundred and fifty-two cats on your back, clawing and screeching something awful and tearing your clothes and skin into pieces?" Matilda chuckled dryly. "Living nightmare, that's what it was. You couldn't tell if a cat was two months or forty years old under all that chaos, and with all those creatures screaming and slashing at you like they've got a hundred miniature swords piercing your hide, you suddenly realize that you're fighting for your life.
"So you try to put down anything furry that comes your way, because you know that if you hesitate for just one second, you'll immediately be overwhelmed by the caterwauling mass of teeth and claws, and then it's curtains for you." Her gruff voice grew a little quieter. "You don't have time to notice if the cat you're chucking at the wall is a huge angry tomcat trying to claw your throat, or if it's just a tiny scared kitten just trying to find its mother in all that chaos. If a helpless elder or kitten fell beneath your swords, you would have barely noticed under the storm of fur."
She paused. "We did kill a lot of cats. Many of us looked at what we had done and were horrified. I believe while we were proud of finishing off so dangerous and cunning an enemy, we all deeply regretted hurting so many innocents in order to get what we wanted."
Grimly she looked to Nya again. "So. Were I and the rest of the Masters were cold-blooded murderers, or were we courageous heroes? I suppose it all depends on one's point of view and morals." She arched her eyebrows. "That's where you've got to be careful. To be firm in one's beliefs is a great and admirable attribute, but don't be so close-minded that you can't see the other party's story. Be careful where you hear your stories from, beware your sources, and guard your mind. If you can be open-minded about both sides of the debate and consider them carefully before coming to a firm conclusion, you'll do all right." With that, Matilda turned away and fell silent, obviously feeling that the matter was closed.
Nya looked at her thoughtfully, and her gaze drifted away as she considered the witch's words. Then she glanced up to realize that Eagle Talon was looking over his shoulder back at her. He had been watching the two talk.
Nya stiffened when their eyes met. "What?" she snapped.
Eagle Talon didn't reply. He only narrowed his eyes and turned away.
Nya wondered how long he had been listening to that conversation.