“Jukeni!” Kai snatched the handlebars just as the land runner begun to spin and dip down wildly. He twisted one of them forward, and the landrunner sped up. He risked a glance over his shoulder, hoping to see Jukeni safe and alive. Jukeni was nowhere in sight, but the second Pingouser certainly was. His landrunner was quickly gaining on Kai’s, buzzing loudly as it zipped closer and closer. In one of the man’s hands Kai caught a glimpse of what looked like some lightweight crossbow—no doubt the weapon used to on Jukeni—and the tip aiming at him. Kai knew it’d probably be impossible for the soldier to reload a regular crossbow driving like this and this speed, but being unfamiliar with this kind of weaponry, he couldn’t be sure. He ducked his head down and yanked the handlebars sharply to the left. Thankfully the rest of the vehicle followed, and Kai managed to steer it westwards until he was flying alongside Kaeden. The dog-man cast him an anxious look when he saw that Kai was alone. “Keep your head down! This guy’s armed!” Kai shouted over the hum of the engines and the wind whipping their faces. Kaeden’s gaze shot past Kai. “Kai, behind you—!” Something big slammed into Kai’s landrunner from behind. He felt himself fly off the deck and into the shrubbery. A loud crash of shrieking metal and a metallic boom shook the air behind him with a wave of heat. Then he was plummeting face-first into a thick wide bush and the muddy ground. Thorns, sticks, and rocks scraped against his face. The breath was knocked out of Kai when he slammed into the ground. Adrenaline numbed some of the sensation of the impact. The speed of his fall kept him going. He felt twigs and pebbles slash against his body. He bent his head down and kept his arms up in a feeble attempt to protect himself. He tumbled out of the thick shrubbery and down the side of a small ravine in the forest. His body somersaulted several times before he finally slid to a painful stop. When he stopped moving, it took him a second to confirm he was no longer falling before he allowed himself to relax. He fell limp against the ground with a low groan.
Dirt was in his mouth. He spat weakly. Carefully, he counted the limbs he could still feel; Two arms, two legs, one head, heart’s still going crazy… yup, OK, still alive. Kai opened his mouth and tried to take a gulp of air. For a second, his lungs refused to work. Kai waited. He’d had the breath knocked out of him before, though that’s not to say one ever got used to it. Then the air came like a blessed kiss, and he inhaled with a thankful gasp. “Haaaa!” A huge weight slammed down upon Kai’s exposed back. He jerked his head up to meet the gaze of the Pingsous soldier who had slammed his landrunner into Kai’s. The man snarled in Kai’s face. “Filthy Pawreleser!” Kai swiftly jerked his arm backwards and hit the man’s jaw with his elbow. The man grunted, and his weight shifted to the side. Kai quickly pushed himself off the ground and shoved the man off of him. Cursing, the soldier scrambled to his feet, glaring furiously at Kai. His crossbow was gone, but in its place a flash of silver glinted in the sunlight. He was brandishing a long dagger. Kai put up his fists when the man rushed at him, but his adversary sprung low and hit him square in the stomach, wrapping his arms tightly around the ninja’s torso. Kai was slammed back to the ground. He writhed and kicked wildly with a groan. Silver flashed by the edge of his vision. He raised his hand up and caught the Pingouser’s arm by the wrist, just seconds before the dagger could be plunged. The tip dangled dangerously close to his face while he strained against the soldier. The Pingouser was practically sitting on him, although Kai made it a challenge with his violent thrashing. The man grunted and fought wildly to gain the upper hand as they rolled on the dirt, but his struggle to bring the dagger down was sending him off balance. His and Kai’s strength rivaled against one another in the awkward arm-wrestling. Kai could feel his arm beginning to tremble against the strain already.
In the middle of it all, the Pingouser’s murderous eyes happened to glance at something that was behind Kai. Without warning, his face blanched. His eyes, once blazing with fury, now bulged out of their sockets. Abruptly, he stopped struggling. Kai shoved himself up and kicked the soldier away from him with a shout. He felt the dagger finally dip and pierce through his shirt. Kai swallowed back an ugly word and scrambled away, trying to ignore the stab of pain. He prepared for the man to come at him again. However, defeating Kai suddenly wasn’t on top of the soldier’s list of priorities. The Pingouser stayed at an awkward crouch on the ground, frozen in place as he stared. His sweaty lips trembled, but not a sound came out. He was gripping the dagger so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Kai hesitated, then risked a glance in the direction where the soldier was looking. An animal stood a few yards away; a small foal with a sand-colored coat and a black, fuzzy mane and tail. Upon its forehead was a pale spot that was somewhat star-shaped. Its large dark eyes gazed at the two humans inquisitively, ears pricked forward. The baby horse stood tensely, and its nostrils flared as it took in the scent. Finally, the soldier seemed to find his voice, although his terror was still evident. He staggered to his feet and waved the dagger in the foal’s direction. “Get out of here! Go on, get!” The foal elicited a high-pitched whinny. Its knobby little legs stumbled on the dirt for a moment before it managed to turn and dart away into the bushes—and beneath the protective shadow of a bigger animal. Kai inhaled sharply as his eyes adjusted to the darkness the trees cast over the tall creature. The two foot-long horn protruding from its forehead was a pretty distinct sign that it was not a horse. Kai stared at the mystical creature. It was much taller than he’d thought it’d be. He’d thought all unicorns were white, but this one had sand-colored coat and a dark mane and tail that matched the little foal’s. Thick muscles could be seen in the sunlight.
Huh. So this is a magic unicorn, Kai thought with a note of contempt. His graze traveled up the neck with its long dark mane, to the head from which the long white horn glistened in the sunlight— —And met the unicorn’s black-eyed glare of rage. The whites of its eyes could be seen as the animal snorted loudly and pawed the ground with cloven hooves, standing protectively over its little foal. The unicorn lowered its head at the humans. “Kai!” Kaeden’s terror-stricken cry echoed shrilly behind Kai, from the top of the ravine. “Get out of there!” For the first time since he found himself in Pawreles, Kai felt a true shiver of fear for his life. The massive unicorn threw its head up and let loose a flying scream—to the ninja, it sounded like a mix of the snake’s attacking hiss and the roar of a dragon, with only the mere echo of a horse’s whinny. The unicorn drew back the lips of its dark muzzle to reveal canine teeth gleaming—it had a couple of fangs as long as Kai’s fingers and twice as thick. Then it charged. Suddenly, Kai found more than enough energy to move. He scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the other side of the ravine, where Kaeden stood waiting at the top of the small cliff. He was aware of the Pingouser stumbling close behind him. “Hurry, hurry!” Kaeden cried shrilly, unable to contain his rising panic. Kai didn’t hesitate. He took a single flying leap and summoned a Spinjitzu vortex. The force carried him up like a merciful hand cradling him, and he flew up into the air before plummeting hard on the ground. Immediately, Kaden was upon him anxiously. “You all right?” he demanded. A long scream split the air. Kai whirled around to face the scene taking place in the ravine—and immediately wished he didn’t. The unicorn had gotten the soldier. At first, it looked like the man was being lifted up into the air by an invisible hand, with the unicorn jerking and lashing its tail behind him. Then he saw the horn—the tip of it, anyway. The man’s wail faded away. The unicorn whipped its head around and flung its victim away. It stood up, snorting and shaking its head.
The unicorn glanced up the ravine where Kaeden and Kai crouched. Kai felt his blood freeze when the creature’s dark gaze met his. Its nostrils flared for a few moments, sniffing the air. For a few, slow seconds, all the world seemed to go still. Kaeden was utterly motionless. Kai dared not move a muscle. The unicorn’s ears flattened against its head. It bared its fanged teeth again— —And snorted as it turned away, flicking its tail contemptuously. It lowered its head and nuzzled its young when the small foal came stumbling out. The tiny thing whinnied happily and wagged its fuzzy tail, sniffing and nuzzling its parent. The adult straightened and cantered away into the thick of the forest. The foal whinnied again and followed it, close behind. They left the fallen soldier where he was. For several long, aching moments, all was silent. Even the birds seemed to have quieted. Kai could still feel his heart hammering violently. Kaeden remained frozen in place. Finally, Kai summoned the courage to speak. “OK…” He licked his dry lips and heard his voice shaking. “… so that’s why we stay away from unicorns.”
Cole woke up late the next morning. He suspected Matilda’s healing potion had some sort of sleep-inducing ingredient—that, or yesterday had simply left him drained. Both options seemed plausible. Either way, he woke up feeling rested and a little more refreshed than the afternoon before. Finding himself alone in the ninja’s quarters, he got dressed quickly in his now-clean uniform—someone must have washed it last night, probably Misako—and wandered the interior of the Destiny’s Bounty in search of his friends. Down the hall he heard muffled noises coming from the lounge room. Quietly, he drifted to the door and opened it. In front of him was the couch facing the opposite wall. On the wall the TV was playing a “Starfarers” movie; characters in outlandish clothing were presently in the midst of a space battle on the surface of some remote planet. The lights were all out save for the TV, but in the dim lighting Cole recognized the backs of three heads: Lloyd, Jay, and Nya. All of them were watching the movie. The sound was on so loudly, nobody noticed Cole amble over to Jay, who sat on one end of the couch. Cole glanced between the TV screen and his friends. Then he poked Jay in the arm. “Nerd.” Jay swung around in his seat and faced Cole with happy surprise. “Hey! Took you long enough to wake up!” “What are you guys doing?” Cole hissed with incredulity. The Moon Tribe was still running around after having attacked a village and run off with Matilda, and everyone was sitting here watching movies? Jay snickered and grinned broadly. “Take a look!” He gestured to Nya, who sat beside him.
Perplexed, Cole looked. For the first time, he saw that Little Leaf, in her small bakeneko body, was sitting in Nya’s lap. The expression on the calico’s face was one of complete awe and fascination. Her eyes were nearly as wide as dinner plates and her jaw hung open by a few inches as her gaze remained solidly fixed upon the flashing TV screen. More than a few times she’d flinch and bristle at some explosion. In these moments she’d sometimes duck her head beneath Nya’s chin or bury herself in the human’s arms, trembling from head to paw. When this happened, Nya would grin mildly and give a reassuring pat on the back or stroke her around the ears. Yet in all this, the little Moon Tribe shapeshifter seemed to be having the time of her life. “Can you believe it?” Jay whispered, following Cole’s gaze. “Little Leaf’s never seen a movie before! A movie! I decided it was time to culture her.” He beamed up at Cole. “And what better way to introduce your little sister to the world of theater than getting her into the Starfarer fandom?” Cole gave Lloyd a quick glance. He was sitting at the other end of the couch, also watching the movie and occasionally giving Little Leaf an amused look. Cole figured he was sitting away from her so as not to inhale her fur and give himself an allergy attack. “She’s not my sister,” Cole muttered. “We have different sets of parents.” Jay shrugged indifferently. “Well, you both share a brother and a sister.” Cole felt a scowl trying to edge its way onto his face. Jay didn’t seem to notice his irritation, turning his gaze back to the movie. One of the main characters was in the middle of their death scene. Fritz Donnegan—the lead hero of the series, as Cole recalled—was crouching over them and desperately and dramatically exchanging final words with his friend (or his brother—Cole couldn’t really remember). “Oh, no!” Little Leaf’s stricken cry made Cole glance at her again. The little cat was bristling all over, and her ears were flat upon her head with horror. “What’s going to happen? Is there anything we can do?”
“It’s OK, Leaf, shh,” Nya soothed, stroking the little cat again. Cole could tell she was holding back the majority of her amusement for the werecat’s sake. “Remember, it’s just a story. None of this ever happened.” “But his brother’s passing away!” Leaf protested plaintively. “And he only just joined the good guy’s side again! Isn’t there anything we can do for them?” Lloyd chuckled gently and responded, but Cole was distracted by movement at the doorway. He looked up to see Lou peering in. His father’s large eyebrows arched when he caught sight of his son. He hesitated, then gestured for Cole to come over. Cole complied cautiously, not quite sure as to what his dad wanted. He left his friends to their movie and followed Lou out into the hallway. He shut the door quietly. “What’s up?” Anxiously Lou scanned Cole up and down. “How do you feel?” “I feel fine, Dad.” “Well, ah— good,” he mumbled. There was an awkward pause. “Where’s Skylor at?” asked Cole. Lou blinked. “Skylor?” “You know? Master of Amber? Red hair, wears that tangerine color a lot?” Lou wore a blank look. “The one Kai likes?” Cole sighed. “Oh! Sorry, yes. I mean, no.” His father looked flustered. “She left this morning. She got a call from that restaurant she works at—sounds like there’s been confusion and delay ever since she disappeared. She had to leave in a hurry.” “Huh. Figures,” Cole muttered dryly. “She promised she would be back.” “Sure.” After several long moments of silence, Cole decided that he didn’t have the patience for making meaningless small talk. He turned and headed for the kitchen down the hall. “Where are you going?” Lou asked in surprise. “To get some breakfast.” Lou followed him into the deserted kitchen and watched as Cole rummaged through the fridge and got out leftover fried noodles. He stood there uneasily, looking lost. Meanwhile Cole stuck his bowl of noodles into the microwave and turned it on. It was when the microwave hummed to life that Mr. Brookstone finally spoke up again. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Confused, Cole looked over at his father. “What?”
Lou fiddled with the hem of his brown tweed jacket. He took a breath, looked up at his son, and said, “This— this conflict with the Moon Tribe. Eagle Talon and Black Blood. I didn’t want any of this to happen.” Cole let his father’s words echo pathetically around the room before responding. “Not sure why you would. Seems like kind of a weird thing for someone to plan deliberately.” He did little to hide the sarcasm in his voice. Mr. Brookstone shook his head helplessly. “I feel like I should try to explain.” “Yeah, I think you should try to explain, too,” Cole shot back. “Like—oh, I don’t know—that you’d been in a relationship before Mom? A heads-up for any potential half-brothers or sisters would’ve been nice—especially the evil, magical, cat-people kind!” Lou’s eyes flashed. “‘Howdy son, guess what? One time I fell in love with a shape-shifting cat woman!’ As if anyone would ever believe that.” “Fine.” Cole brushed off the defense angrily. “But—did you have to get with Silver Mist and just leave her hanging with two kids? You didn’t think that’d come back to bite you?” Lou’s face flushed bright pink, but his gaze was still hard. “Maybe if you’d calm down for a moment to listen, you might let me tell you just what happened.” The microwave beeped shrilly, demanding for attention. Cole opened it up and took the steaming bowl of noodles to the table. He grabbed a couple of chopsticks and slumped into a chair. “Fine.” Mr. Brookstone heaved a sigh and sat down carefully in the chair sitting opposite of Cole. He set his hands down on the table in front of himself and looked at them for a few moments, clearing trying to think of a way to begin. Finally he said, “I never abandoned anyone.” The experience of being plunged into Eagle Talon’s memories haunted Cole again, specifically the ones concerning Talon and Black Blood’s harsh upbringing and constant battles against their tribe-mates to prove their worth—all because of the rumors surrounding Silver Mist that she’d found a mate with a human. Now Cole that knew those rumors to be valid, the injustices done to Talon when he was a kitten seemed all the harsher and more tragic.
“Yeah, right.” He slouched over his bowl. “Are you going to listen or not?” Lou snapped. Some remnants of the strict and severe father Cole had grown up with were still there, and they were certainly showing themselves again now. This time, however, Cole wasn’t cowed. He only looked back at his dad coolly and nodded. Lou hesitated, clenched his fists, and dove into it. “We first met when we were children—or, teenagers, really. I was fifteen.” He spoke slowly. “She defended me from a group of neighborhood bullies. She was amazing. She knew so much about the woods and nature, and she could walk so quietly you couldn’t hear her until she was right beside your ear. She was a sweet girl,” he added quietly. “A very sweet girl.” Cole was pretending not to be overly interested. He shoved noodles into his mouth. “I had no idea she was… what she was,” Lou continued. “She told me she was part of some nomadic people who traveled often in the area where I grew up. She never liked to talk about it, and I respected her privacy. She, on the other hand, seemed fascinated with everything to do with my life; from the food I ate, to the holidays I celebrated, to the clothes I wore and the music I listened to. Especially the music. She loved music. Just like I did. “We always met in secret. I knew she was too strange and outlandish for my parents to have any good opinion of her, and the only family member of hers she ever introduced to me was her twin brother. He passed away a few years after we met. She told me he’d caught a fatal sickness—but now that I think about it, he probably died in some cat-people battle.” He hesitated. Looking awkward, he fiddled with a stray pencil that had been left abandoned on the tabletop. “We were just friends at first. After a couple of years, I told her how I felt about her, and then our more intimate relationship started. We visited each other more often. I had more freedom to be with her when my quartet formed and we made a habit of visiting neighboring villages and towns to perform. Those were good times.” He sighed. Cole didn’t care to hear the details of the lovey-dovey bits. “When did you find out she was a werecat?”
“One night, when we met in the woods, she showed me.” A rueful smile eased the harsh lines of Mr. Brookstone’s face. “I was… quite shocked, to say the least. It took me a little while to get over it. But,” he said, shrugging, “it didn’t change the way I cared for her. And she apologized for lying to me for so long. She was so scared. I forgave her as soon I as I could wrap my mind around the whole idea of shape-shifting cats. From then on… we were as close as anything.” The dreamy, far-off look in his dark green eyes clouded over. “Then the Serpentine Wars began. “Villages started to get attacked. People were destroyed in their own beds. No one knew where the snakes came from or what they wanted. No one knew how it started. They just did. There was fear and discord everywhere. Many people left their homes in order to escape the war zones. Most of them fled west, where Ninjago City is now.” Quietly he added, “My father passed away then. It wasn’t because of the war. He was simply old and sick. I’m sorry you never got to meet your grandfather.” Cole’s chewing slowed. “Silver Mist never told me too much about how her tribe—the Moon Tribe—were involved,” Lou went on. “But she did confess that the shape-shifters were involved in the war, and they were on the snakes’ side. There were a few times when she’d have to leave for months to join her clan in the war, traveling to far-off places to fight soldiers and Elemental Masters. I always begged for her to stay, to keep away from danger. But she was a warrior. She wanted to go. “Finally, my mother pleaded for me to move west with her. I wanted to keep her safe, so I agreed to leave our hometown. But I didn’t want to leave Silver Mist.” His face contorted with painful reflection. “I asked her to come with me. I offered to take care of her, to help her blend in with the human world, so we’d always be together.”
He spread his hands in defeat. “But she refused. The Moon Tribe was her home. She loved me… but not enough to stay.” His words fell to a hush. “I offered to stay where I was. My mother had friends who would have taken care of her in the safe haven that would become Ninjago City. I would have stayed in the war zone for Silver Mist. But she left me.” His voice broke bitterly. “The war was getting too intense, and she took too many risks to come see me. It had to be one way or the other—and she chose to stay in her own world. “So she left.” He now spoke the words matter-of-factly. “She gave me one last ‘goodbye’, turned around, and left. And I never saw her again.” The room became very quiet. Cole could hear the wall clock ticking softly from the other end of the kitchen. He dared not continue sticking noodles into his mouth, for fear of disrupting the wretched silence. “I hoped she had a good life after the war,” Mr. Brookstone murmured quietly. He gazed into space. “I even hoped she found a good man who’d take care of her, so they could have their own family. But now…” He shook his head. “Turns out she’s gone. I’ll never get the chance to ever see her again.” Cole hesitated. Then he said gently, “After Silver Mist had Talon and Black Blood, she got together with a guy named Bracken Stripe. They were happy together. He was Little Leaf’s dad.” He decided to leave out the part about their other two children they had who had passed away of starvation. If Mr. Brookstone wondered at how Cole knew that information, he didn’t show it. He only pursed his lips, nodded once and said, “I’m glad.” They fell quiet again. Cole could feel the ship rocking ever-so-slightly with a low sigh of creaking wood. The wall clock continued to make the silence feel louder with its incessant ticking. Lou stared down at the tabletop and fiddled with the pencil again. Eventually, Cole dipped his chopsticks back into the bowl of noodles and slurped them up as softly as he could.
Did Mom know about Silver Mist? he suddenly wondered. The idea of his father loving a woman before Lilly, the previous Master of Earth, felt strange to him. I wonder what she would have thought about all this. “Wu would like for you to join him in the bridge once you’re done,” Mr. Brookstone broke the silence. “He wanted you to have some time to wake up and eat first.” Cole granted him a nod. “Thanks. I guess we’ll be dropping you off at home soon.” Lou’s next sentence made Cole start. “Oh, I’m not leaving. I’m staying with you.” Cole stared incredulously at him. “Wait— what?” “I’m staying here,” his father repeated. “I nearly lost you yesterday. If you’re still going to face the Moon Tribe, I want to be there with you, even if only to watch and make sure you’re safe.” For several moments, Cole lost his voice. One of the ninja’s parents—aside from Misako, of course—tagging along on their sons’ missions was a pretty big no-no from Master Wu. The rule was mainly meant for Jay’s overly-affectionate parents, but having Cole’s father join the team on their mission against their enemies was a startling prospect—not to mention a worrying one. Mr. Brookstone was many things, but a fighter was not one of them. “Yeah, right,” he scoffed before he could stop himself. “I’m serious,” Lou protested earnestly. “I can tell how worried everyone is here, and that this will all be very dangerous. After yesterday, I certainly don’t want to be relaxing in my cozy home by the fire while you’re out fighting such horrible creatures.” “Dad. You’ve let me go on I-don’t-even-know-how-many missions for years now without overreacting like this.” Cole felt himself stiffen when a thought occurred to him. “Is this because of Eagle Talon and Black Blood?” Was Lou going to try to stop another battle between his children from taking place? He knew how much Black Blood hated him! “Even if they weren’t your brother and sister—” Lou began. “Half-brother and half-sister,” Cole growled with a vehemence that surprised himself.
“—I’d still be as worried about you as I am now,” Lou ignored the interruption. “If you’d seen yourself then, after they were through with you, you’d understand—!” Cole tried to force himself to be patient. Funnily, some small part of him was touched by his father’s concern, although that didn’t stop his protest. “Dad, I appreciate you wanting to stay with me, really. But this is ridiculous. You just need to stay home where you’ll be safe and let me do my job—I’m sure Wu will agree with me.”
* * *
To Cole’s surprise and dismay, Wu did not agree with him on the subject. “We know Black Blood wants to take revenge on your father. Leaving him behind in the town the Moon Tribe has already so easily attacked would be practically offering him up to them,” he explained in the bridge. He stroked his beard as he spoke. “He is welcome to stay for as long as he likes. Misako and I will enjoy the company, in any case.” He gave Mr. Brookstone a smile that matched Misako’s as she stood beside him. Cole’s father returned the smile a little uncertainly. Cole knew he couldn’t argue, especially when he looked back at his teammates—Lloyd, Nya, Jay, Zane, plus Liana and Little Leaf—and saw by their expressions that they had few qualms about letting his father join them. Only Lloyd seemed to be concerned, but at his query as to how long Mr. Brookstone would stay with them and how they’d be able to protect him should they find themselves in a bad spot, Wu assured him that their guest would be safe enough in the Bounty with Misako. By the tone of Wu’s voice, Cole could tell that he and his dad had talked about it earlier, because the faint furrow between his bushy eyebrows betrayed Wu’s lingering reluctance. Mr. Brookstone must have been quite adamant if he’d been able to persuade the typically-resolute ninja master. Once again, Cole wondered at the true motive behind his father’s decision. “Well, hopefully we won’t meet too many Moon Tribe warriors where we’re going,” Lloyd said, clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Or, at least, where we might be going. Zane has a suggestion to make.”
At this all eyes except Liana’s turned to Zane. The nindoid nodded thanks to Lloyd and stepped into the center of the room. “Nya?” Nya, leaning by the computers, clicked a button. A black and white image appeared upon the massive screen: an inked drawing of the northeastern coastline of Ninjago, with several inlets carving into the land and creating small islands at the rim. This area of Ninjago was so sparsely populated, few locations were marked. Up north from where the Wailing Alps would be, some area beside one of the inlets was marked by red ink along with the words, Clearstone here! “This was on the back of a letter I found in my father’s old workshop in the Birchwood Forest,” Zane announced. “I’ve already told you how I found it, the references to a man named Tyler in it, and my personal suspicions surrounding it.” There was an ever-so-faint note of satisfaction in his voice. Cole guessed that Zane couldn’t felt but feel some sense of triumph that everyone was finally paying some attention to him after brushing aside his demands to look for the clearstone mine. “While you were asleep, Cole,” Zane gestured briefly to him, “we have been discussing our next move. Here are the facts: the Moon Tribe now possess six of the seven moonstones that will help Black Blood visit her ancestral spirits and become gifted with nine lives. We know that their territory lies within northern Ninjago, and there’s a chance that the tribe could have by now stretched their borders as far as the coastline, seeing that there are so few villages of people there.” “Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?” Liana pointed out. “We know one of the things they complain about is that the place they live in is so small, too small for them to get enough food. Would they complain about that if they can hunt as far as the coastline?”
