Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 83: Retribution

"Where's Little Leaf?"

Eagle Talon found himself staring into the accusing face of Lightning Streak. Her white and ginger fur bristled uneasily while her forked tails twitched low. The pretty female stood before him anxiously, waiting for an answer.

Talon swallowed and forced himself to reply. It was the first time he'd spoken to anyone since the end of his and Black Blood's duel against Cole earlier that afternoon. His voice felt rough against his throat as he responded, "She's with the ninja."

Lightning Streak's ears pricked forward. "The ninja? Why?"

Talon scanned his surroundings uneasily. The Moon Tribe army were back in their underground home, arriving just as the pale moon was rising. Now the cats were dispersing among one another, melting into the crowd of elders, mothers, and young cats waiting for them. Mates purred and nuzzled each other happily while their kits squealed and wound about their parents' legs with excited mewling. More family members greeted one another with exclamations of relief and gladness. Several warriors shifted into their pale human forms and volunteered to take care of the weapons everyone had carried into battle, so that they'd be collected and returned to their respective caverns where the tribe kept their weaponry and supplies. The majority of the reunion took place in one of the larger main caverns near the entrance tunnel. It was there Eagle Talon, who had been intending to slip away from the crowd unnoticed to find something to eat, ran into Lightning Streak.

Talon double-checked the activity of the crowd around them. Satisfied that there were no eavesdroppers, he finally answered his tribe-mate's question. "Because she wanted to."

Lightning Streak looked startled. "You mean... she really did run away?"

Talon hesitated, trying to determine whether or not to confess Little Leaf's claim that Black Blood had attempted to murder her, which led to Little Leaf fleeing and joining the ninja for her own protection. He replied, "Kind of. I mean, yes— yeah. She— she decided that her place was with the Sons and Daughters."

Lightning Streak opened her mouth, but Talon stalled her. "Look, can we not talk about this now? Or at least right here? I don't want anyone else to hear this. And I'm hungry," he added.

"Of course," Streak murmured, lashing her tails. "You can tell me while you eat." She turned and led the way to the food pile.

He huffed. "Couldn't you wait until after I ate...?"

Reluctantly, he dragged a rabbit out of the shallow dip in the stone floor at one end of the cavern. He saw Lightning Streak crouch down at the the base of one large stalagmite away from the other cats, and he joined her. Sitting together with the rabbit behind the rock formation, the two cats were somewhat sheltered from any potential observers.

"Didn't you find her?" Lightning Streak demanded in a low hiss.

Talon gave her an irritable look. Deliberately, he held his rabbit between his claws, bent his head down and took a nice, long bite, pushing past the fur to get to the juicy meat and bones. He kept his eyes on her as he ate. She looked back at him, and he voiced a brief soft growl. The growl was more out of an eating habit than fear she was going to try to steal his food.

"Well?" she prompted again.

Talon swallowed his bite and voiced a small sigh of relief. It'd been a while since he'd eaten. He had no idea how hungry he was until now. "I did find her. She was with the ninja. She didn't want to come back. So I left her with them."

Streak's blue eyes widened in disbelief. "You just— left her?"

Talon forced himself to feign nonchalance. "I tried to persuade her to come home. But she insisted on staying. And the ninja probably wouldn't be very happy if I'd tried to take her by force. So I left her with them. She's happier that way—at least for now."