Mist Rise backed away while Spark Pelt repeated his story. Everyone listened attentively; eyes widened in shock and horror, and whispers began to hiss through the throng of multi-colored cats. Mist Rise watched the survivors of the mining attack being led back into the caves for their wounds to be treated. He began making mental notes of how many wounded there were and how it would take for them to heal before they could be in combat again. Mist Rise started paying attention to the conversation when he heard Black Blood demand about the weapons. “Were they recovered?” she pressed. “The clearstone blades? Without them, all those cats will be suffering for nothing.” “We saved them,” Spark Pelt replied wearily. “We grabbed as many as we could and brought them with us. Good thing I added compartments into the bikes.” Black Blood’s gaze roved over the line of motorcycles parked unsteadily upon the rocky ground before them. Her tails twitched, but she responded, “You did what you could. Go get some rest now.” Spark Pelt nodded and started toward the cave entrance. He hesitated. “There— there’s one thing you might want to know…” His voice trailed off. Her head turned sharply to him. “Yes?” Spark Pelt faced her. His black and white tails twitched uneasily. “Well… umm… you see…” “Spit it out,” Raven Frost snapped. Spark Pelt grimaced. “We saw Eagle Talon there. He was fighting. With— with the ninja. He helped them.” Dead silence reigned the clearing. Black Blood’s green eyes widened. Mist Rise felt his blood freeze at the expression on her face. Spark Pelt’s fur bristled, and he crouched down slowly, flattening his ears to the back of his head. Other than him, not one cat moved. The silence was terrible. “Inside. Now.” Black Blood’s gaze whipped around at her fellow sorcerers before she seemed to be searching the crowd. Mist Rise swallowed when she finally set her eyes on him. “You, too.”
* * *
“How?! How could this have happened?” Black Blood’s voice rose shrilly against the walls of the dark cavern. “How could they have found out about the mines?”
The other five sorcerers fidgeted uncomfortably. Mist Rise himself felt his heart racing nervously, and not just because Black Blood had taken him into one of the deepest caverns where only the sorcerers and those cats closest to them were allowed. There was nothing extraordinary about this cavern in particular, but the mere fact that he had been ordered to join them was a sign that he was needed for something important and classified—not to mention, a sign that Black Blood may have been serious when she mentioned appointing him as her successor. Their queen paced back and forth before them in her bakeneko body—everyone else were in their bakeneko bodies, too. Mist Rise could see her sheathing and unsheathing her claws repeatedly. “The clearstone was one of our greatest secrets—it would protect us and help us attack the humans’ modern weapons. I didn’t even tell the whole tribe for the sake of its secrecy.” There was a brief pause before Broken Fang ventured, “It must have been Eagle Talon. He joined the ninja—he must have told them about the mines and its importance to us.” “Yes… yes…” Black Blood muttered. Her voice lowered. “My own brother…” Her gaze drifted away from the faces of the other cats. “Betrayal—it was so sudden. So unexpected.” “Not unexpected to me,” Lion Claw drawled. Black Blood stiffened. She rose her head and looked at the golden-furred tom icily. “Explain.” Lion Claw didn’t seem bothered by the dangerous note in her voice. “I’ve known for a while now that Eagle Talon’s loyalties had shifted elsewhere. Ever since he first returned with Little Leaf after they claimed being ‘captured’, I always had a sneaking suspicion something was up.” Rip Claw rolled his eyes. “Of course you did.” “Of course I did,” Lion Claw repeated with a smirk. “Because ever since the battle in the village a few days ago, I’ve been using a form of the Dark Sleep to peer into his head and uncover some of his secrets.” All the other cats stared at him. Mist Rise held his breath. The Dark Sleep? Against his own tribe-mate? He’s beetle-brained! That’s a huge crime!
Black Blood stood absolutely still. Finally she asked in a very quiet voice. “You— you used the Dark Sleep… to spy on Eagle Talon?” “Of course.” Lion Claw sat up with his tails wrapped neatly over his paws. “Not the part when he’d be completely trapped in the sleep, of course, but I’ve been using nightmares to fuel his fear, which allowed me to discover some pretty interesting things. Do you know, he felt guilty about betraying the Sons and Daughters—” “Who gave you the authority to cast Eagle Talon in the Dark Sleep?” Black Blood asked in a voice as cold as ice. He blinked. “I gave myself authority.” There was a pause. “You did not notify me of this. You did not ask if you could do it,” she said. “You were busy,” he replied carelessly. “To use the Dark Sleep against another cat is one of the Forbidden Curses. You know that.” He shrugged. “I did what I had to.” Her eyes blazed. “Against my brother.” For the first time, fear flickered in Lion Claw’s eyes. “I— It was for the good of the tribe. He’s a traitor—” “You’re a liar. You’re an idiot,” she spat. “And now, you’re the omega of the sorcerers. You have been demoted of your rank and now answer to all of us.” He bristled. “I did the right thing! It doesn’t matter if he’s your brother! He betrayed us!” “It matters all the world!” “You are more concerned for your kin than you are for you tribe,” he sneered. “You are not fit to be leader.” He broke into a snarl. “I should be leader! I should have nine lives!” Enraged, Black Blood caterwauled and threw herself at Lion Claw. The other cats scattered as they fell into a tumbling, hissing, and yowling ball of flying fur across the floor. Mist Rise retreated with Sky Pelt to the back of the cave. He felt his fur bristling all over. This can’t be happening. “Lion Claw! Stand down!” Raven Frost hissed. Lion Claw didn’t seem to hear the older tom. He finally shoved Black Blood off of him. She flew through the air and slammed into the wall. He staggered to his paws and glared at her.
“You’re still weak,” he spat. “You know what else I learned from Eagle Talon’s memories? That your father was a human. And he went on to father the Son of Earth. Cole is your half-brother.” He cackled, “How long were you going to keep this little secret from us, half-breed?” Mist Rise felt his jaws drop open. Black Blood got to her paws and looked at him. A blood-curdling scream shattered from Lion Claw’s jaws. His pupils shrunk in astonishment and pain, yellow eyes widening. The big cat crumpled to the ground and writhed wildly. Mist Rise gaped. What in the name of—? Black Blood shifted into her human body. The young woman’s black fur disappeared into blue, purple, and forest-green robes as she walked calmly up to the cat caterwauling in pain. It was then Mist Rise saw that her hands were outstretched and that a faint, shimmering violet light circulated around her fingers. She was using some sort of spell—or curse. Lion Claw’s scream jumped, becoming more shrill. Something small and pale flashed by Mist Rise’s vision—a tiny white stone? A small bone? He began turning to look where it landed, but then another flew by. Then another, and another yet. Red caught his eye. He looked back at Lion Claw—his paws. Why were his paws becoming red? What was on—? A horrible feeling rose in Mist Rise’s throat. Lion Claw continued to scream and thrash in place. Another white thing flew from him and landed at Mist Rise’s paws. He lowered his head to peer at it. The stone was narrow and curved; wide at one end, narrow to a point at the other... Mist Rise recoiled. He bristled all over as horror restricted his breathing. His claws! She’s taking away his claws! The other sorcerers realized this as well. They stood as far away from the spectacle as possible with hunched backs and flattened ears. Meanwhile Black Blood’s face against the violet glimmer was grim yet impassive. She didn’t seem to react to Lion Claw’s screams.
-last edited on Sept 27, 2021 5:16:07 GMT by LordTigress
Post by LordTigress on Sept 27, 2021 3:12:06 GMT
More and more claws were taken. Mist Rise felt as if he spent an eternity rooted in place, haplessly witnessing the most horrifying spectacle in his life. Then, finally… it was over. Lion Claw’s cries faded into low whimpers. The violet shimmer disappeared from Black Blood’s hands while he collapsed and curled up into a ball. He trembled visibly, gasping for breath with the occasional ragged sob. Everyone watched him lie there in a pathetic heap. After a moment, Black Blood approached and crouched down in her human form by the cat. She grabbed Lion Claw’s face in one hand and forced him to look up at her. “That was for using the Dark Sleep on Eagle Talon.” Lion Claw looked at her wearily. “And this,” in a single motion she morphed her hand into a paw and slashed her claws across his face, “is for defying me.” He yowled in shock and pain. He reeled back. One of his eyes was now gone. Trembling from head to foot, he hunched over and lowered his head between his paws. Black Blood stood up. “From this moment on, this cat will no longer be known as Lion Claw. I name him No Claw, as a reminder of his punishment and the sins he committed against me and his tribe.” She looked upon him contemptuously. “I thought about being kind and ending you, until I realized that what with Twig Foot gone, we cannot afford to lose any more sorcerers—not while we need them, anyway.” She looked up and scanned the other sorcerers. “But if any of you do anything like this—use a Forbidden Curse without my permission, lie to me, or defy me—you will not have very long to live. I will find out, one way or another.” Her eyes narrowed. “And if one of you—any of you—mention the Son of Earth to me, I will not hesitate to end things right then and there. Is that clear?” “Yes, Black Blood,” came the weak response.
Her lips curled. “Regardless of No Claw’s crime, Eagle Talon will pay for his betrayal.” Her hands rolled into fists. “But if any of you come across him, do not attack him. He is much too valuable to be ended. Only subdue, capture, and bring him to me. I will decide his ultimate punishment.” Mist Rise felt his blood freeze when she turned her cold gaze on him. “Tell the warriors this, Mist Rise. Tell them of Lion Claw’s new name, but not of his crime—only that he displeased me. And tell them what I just said about Eagle Talon. Any cat who ends him will be punished by me.” Mist Rise’s mouth was as dry as sand, yet he somehow forced himself to rasp, “Yes, Black Blood.” She held his gaze. “I trust you know how much of this meeting I want to remain in secrecy from the tribe.” He swallowed. “Yes, Black Blood.” She looked at him for a moment longer before flicking one hand at him. “You are dismissed.” Although his paws shook, he wasted no time in turning tail and fleeing the scene—escaping the sight of Lion Claw, escaping the dark smears staining the floor, escaping the stares of the other sorcerers, and escaping the dangerous eyes of Black Blood. He raced down the narrow tunnel and fled into the maze. He didn’t know how long he ran until he finally stumbled over some rock. He fell into a heap, then picked himself up slowly. He realized he was trembling from head to foot. His breath came out in short, quiet gasps. His fur was still bristling to its tips, and he couldn’t shake off that horrible feeling of danger. He glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting to see Black Blood pursuing him. Menacing shadows were all that met him in the quiet corridor. Finally, Mist Rise sighed, “This is getting way out of control.” His gaze drifted off. After a long moment, he muttered, “This has got to stop.”
Chapter 94: Fall of the Master of Lightning Snow lashed into Julia’s cheeks. Her entire body throbbed from walking in the dark for so long. The chill of Ninjago’s winter had settled into her bones like a parasite, but still she trudged on. She had to. If it weren’t for the precious bundle she clutched to her chest beneath the folds of her robes, she would have turned back long ago. Almost there… I’ve got to be. I swear, I’ve been walking for hours! Bright blond hair in flowing curls whipped around the young woman’s face while the wind howled in her ears. Of course this had to be the one winter where blizzards went on for a week straight. During the rest of the year, this place was a desert! She gritted her teeth and forced her legs to shove through the shin-deep snow. At least it wasn’t quite as bad as it had been in the north. It had made fighting much, much harder than she liked. For all the bone-chilling exhaustion she felt, however, Julia couldn’t help but grin wryly to herself. They wouldn’t find the moonstone—even those horrible werecat sorcerers wouldn’t guess where she left the moonstone that her friend Arianna—also known as Lilly—the Master of Earth, had given her a while back. Unbeknownst to them, it lay in the lavish mansion of Cliff Gordon—her husband. Even some of her fellow Elemental Masters hadn’t known about the marriage. If they wouldn’t know where the moonstone was, then the werecats definitely wouldn’t. Now I’ve just got to hide the secret that’s most precious to me. The small thrill of jubilance quailed at the thought. There was a good chance she would not be able to get her hands on this treasure for a very long time, if she wanted to protect it thoroughly. Still, she was willing to risk it. Colored lights flickered in the dark. Julia blinked through the rain of snowflakes. She could just barely make out the silhouette of what looked like small mountains—but, if she hadn’t gotten lost, she knew those weren’t mountains.
The junkyard, she thought with relief. Ha! So I didn’t get lost! That’ll show Lilly, the know-it-all. A new sound entered the howl of the wind. The Elemental Master of Lightning stopped. She strained her ears to listen. There. She heard it again. Was that the hunting growl of a nekomata? Though her body already shivered in the snow, her blood felt as if it’d suddenly ran cold. I hope I’m wrong. Please be wrong. Please be wrong. She quickened her pace. Maybe I’m just hearing things. They couldn’t have caught up with me that quickly… they should have lost my scent… The short figure of the girl stumbled her way beneath the sign of flickering lights that read “Ed and Edna’s Scrapyard”. The lights of a small trailer glowed like a golden flame through the darkness. Julia’s heart hammered against her chest. She ran harder, trying to reach the door as fast as she could. She was gasping by the time she made it. She kept her head down, in case any of the occupants happened to glance out a window. When she pressed her ear against the ice-cold metal exterior of the trailer, she could just barely make out the voices of a man and a woman; both spoke in happy, relaxed tones. Matilda had better have been right about these people. She made them sound loving and kind. If she’s wrong, I’ll never forgive her. Julia took a few moments to catch her breath. She sat at the foot of the snow-covered wooden steps that led to the door. Though snowflakes still fell, she was sheltered from the worst of the wind here. She took her hood down, allowing her hair to fall loose around her flushed face. She swallowed and, with trembling hands, lifted up the bundle she had been carrying all these miles. The tiny figure wrapped thick blankets wriggled uncomfortably. Big electric-blue eyes blinked up at her through the darkness. A shaft of light from the trailer fell upon the tiny tuft of auburn hair upon his head. She lifted the infant up so that she could press her lips tenderly against his forehead. “You’ll be taken care of here. I’ll come back for you one day. I promise.”
Cliff hadn’t wanted her to do this. He’d wanted her to hide with him, to take her son with them as they traveled the continent, never staying in one place for too long. That was before they separated, however. Things were different now, though she still loved him. The baby boy was placed carefully on the steps, after some of the snow had been cleared away. The key and note were still tucked snugly into the folds of the blankets. She made sure to lay him in a shaft of light, so that it would be hard to miss him should anyone look outside. The infant’s eyes grew wider when his mother released her grasp on him. He seemed to sense what was going on, although he was only a few months old. His bottom lip quivered. That single quiver felt like a dagger through Julia’s heart. Nearly choking, she knelt in the snow and bent over the bundled-up baby lying on the wooden steps. Her son whimpered quietly when she took his tiny, chubby fist and kissed it. “I love you.” Her voice trembled, though she spoke in only a whisper. “I love you so much, my little boy. I’ll come back for you one day. Just wait for me. Wait for Mommy.” The tiny fist grabbed onto her thumb and hung on tightly. A choked sob tried to force its way out of her throat as she forced the fragile fist to let go of her. The boy’s eyes filled with tears, and his face twisted. “I’ll come back. Just wait.” She stood, flipping the hood back over her head. Leaning forward, she rapped the flat of her hand against the trailer. Startled murmurs came from the interior. Tears rolled down the baby’s cheeks. A small, thin wail rose. “Mama!” Julia slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing. She turned and stumbled away as fast as she could—away from the sound of the baby boy crying for his mother. The light faded away quickly, and she disappeared into the shadows. As she kicked her way through the snow, however, she could just barely hear a man’s voice cry out in astonishment. “Edna! Would you look at this! Someone left a baby here!” “Ed, now, don’t you tease—! Stars above, you’re right! There is a baby…!”
Their voices drifted away into the wind. Julia fled from the junkyard and into the surrounding shadows and snow. She didn’t know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away, as far as she could. The farther she was from her son, the better. It was an empty wasteland of wind and snow. The girl left the last trace of human civilization behind her as she fled. The storm quickly swallowed her tracks. Julia gritted her teeth and clutched the folds of her robes around herself as she trudged onward. Suddenly, a low growl sounded from behind her, loud enough to reach her even through the screaming wind. She froze in place. “Where is the moonstone, Daughter of Lightning?” A pair of cold amber eyes blinked at her through the darkness, right in front of her. An enormous dark gray cat the size of a lion stalked up to her, ears flat on his head. “Where is it?” he repeated. The Master of Lightning swallowed back her grief. She forced herself to respond nonchalantly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Rip Claw.” Two more nekomata crept out of the shadows into her line of vision. They surrounded her on three sides. Rip Claw leaned forward and sniffed. “Where’s your kit? You smell of milk.” “I don’t have any kids, idiot. I’m not even married. And why would you care?” Sarcasm edged into her voice. She was good at sarcasm. She loved sarcasm. It was a great mask for fear. “We wouldn’t want another Daughter or Son of Lightning running around after we get rid of you.” All three cats purred menacingly at that. They crept closer. Julia’s pulse skipped a beat. Yet, almost out of habit, she reached behind her and unsheathed the katana she had strapped to her back. “Why? Would that be a catastrophe?” The cats groaned in unison. “Would you stop it with the dumb puns!” one of them exclaimed. Silent tears rolled down Julia’s cheeks. She raised her sword and giggled, “Hey, if I’m going down, I might as well go down laughing!” Rip Claw and the other two Moon Tribe warriors hissed and lunged for the Master of Lighting. She never did fulfill her promise.
“It’s OK. I think I just pulled a muscle or something,” Nya muttered. Aside from a bruise and a skinned knee, Nya’s leg didn’t appear to be too injured, despite her limping. Still, Jay knew she often downplayed her condition in order to appear stronger than she was. It was a dumb, vain habit of hers, but Jay knew better than to press her about it. He only replied mildly, “I bet Misako brought a first-aid kit with her. C’mon—let me help you to the Bounty.” He felt another pang of concern when Nya didn’t strike up her usual bluster about not needing the help of a man and being able to take care of herself. Of course, she was typically gentler with him, anyway, but the small wince she gave as she nodded wordlessly made him want to sweep her into his arms and get her out of that miserable warehouse as fast as he could. Instead, he let her lean on his shoulder and helped her limp out. Dazed and wounded miners, excited villagers, and armed police officers leading bakeneko and nekomata alike on thick muzzles and leashes made the entrance area of the enormous warehouse a loud, buzzing hive of activity. Through all the hubbub, Jay could pick out a member of the ninja team here and there: Lloyd, eyes watering and nose stuffy because of his allergic reaction to cat fur, was talking to the Commissioner. Misako stood with him, occasionally laying a hand on his shoulder as if to reassure herself her son was still there. Master Wu and Zane were standing over an old man sitting on a bench, the man looking overwhelmed and confused as medics inspected him.
Meanwhile, Cole— Jay felt his mood darken as his gaze landed on the small group that stood huddled together, further away from the crowd. Cole stood with his father, his werecat half-brother, and that brother’s half-sister. Mr. Brookstone was dabbing at his eyes every once in a while as he talked. Eagle Talon, in his human body, wore a small, uncertain smile while Cole grinned—he looked stupidly happy, in Jay’s opinion. Little Leaf was smiling and giggling while she had her arms seemingly glued around Talon’s torso, as if afraid her big brother would disappear again. All in all, the group looked shockingly happy, considering all of the hurt and betrayal they had all done to each other previously. Should we trust Talon? Jay thought incredulously to himself. After everything he did? He’s a huge jerk! He’s probably just here to end us all in our sleep! Or worse… He shuddered at the mere thought of the Dark Sleep. What if one of those cat wizards used one of those spells and put him in the Dark Sleep again? Would he be able to stand it next time? “Do you think Eagle Talon really wants to be on our side?” For a second he thought that it was Nya that had spoken. Then Jay looked to his left and realized Liana was still with them; she’d been so quiet, he’d forgotten she was with him and Nya. Though blind, she walked close beside Jay. Her scarred face was unreadable. “I doubt it,” Nya replied in disgust. “He’s nothing but a liar. I can’t believe he’d show his face again—and I can’t believe Master Wu would trust him! I get that whole ‘defeat your enemy by making him your friend’ thing, but for crying out loud—! Some people just don’t change, no matter what you do.” “What do you think, Jay?” Liana pressed. She’d grown quieter after her outburst at Cole a minute ago. Jay hesitated. “I trust Cole… but it’s gonna take a lot for me to trust that slimy hairball-hacker again.” Nya agreed with a small humph! Liana made no reply.
Or any werecat, for that matter, Jay thought darkly to himself. Little Leaf’s all right, but she’s still kind of a kid. It’s the grown-up ones I don’t like. Once again, he felt the shadow of the memory of the Dark Sleep taint his train of thought. Only a creature of pure evil could concoct such horrible tortures as the ones he experienced. It took something very twisted in a person to make something like that, and there could be no shred of good in anyone who thought torturing people like that was fun. “I’ll never trust a werecat,” he said out loud. “Never.”
-last edited on Oct 19, 2021 0:29:14 GMT by LordTigress
Post by LordTigress on Oct 19, 2021 0:28:45 GMT
Chapter 95: Garagan of Jëmlen
“Timeouttimeouttimeout!” Kai squalled. “My arms are falling off!” Kaeden and Jukeni had been helping Kai learn drills with a traditional Pawreles broadsword all afternoon. For the most part, they had the massive courtyard of the castle to themselves, so there was plenty of space for practice. The hot sun combined with the hours of physical exertion left all three boys sweating and staggering about in drenched shirts. Kai had adapted to the broadsword well enough, but now both his arms felt like hot wet noodles. The weapon trembled in his hands. “Y— yeah,” Jukeni gasped. “That’s what I was about to say.” Kaeden chuckled wearily and lay with his back on the cobblestones, just beneath the shade of the single tree. The other two joined him, panting and dropping their swords. “Not bad, rookie,” Jukeni said. “But you still fight like a one-legged chicken.” “At least I have a leg. You fight like a rock,” Kai retorted breathlessly. “Rocks can’t fight,” Jukeni protested. “Neither can chickens, especially ones missing a leg!” Kaeden sighed. “Please don’t start.” “Exactly my point!” Jukeni crowed. “You wouldn’t last five minutes against a legion of Pingousers!” “Um, did I knock my head too hard, or did you forget about the other day when I blew up that massive Pingous war balloon?” Kai demanded. “I was the only one who could finish those guys off.” “Pfft, yeah! Only because you used your ‘Spin-mitts-yoo’ as a crutch,” Jukeni scoffed. “It’s ‘Spinjitzu’, and for your information, it’s a very difficult and complicated martial art to learn! Only the best of the best ninja use it!” “Then how come you get to use it?” Jukeni grinned cheekily. “Guys,” Kaeden said, ears twitching. “That’s it, you skinny, freckle-faced twerp!” Kai pushed himself up and snatched at Jukeni’s shirt. “Just because Tinny Bird assigned you to train me doesn’t mean you get to act like my sensei!” Laughing, Jukeni wrestled with Kai’s flailing arms before yanking on his spiky hair. Kai yelped. He suddenly grabbed both Jukeni’s wrists. “No one,” he growled. “Messes—with—my—hair.”
“If you two are quite finished,” Kaeden interjected, exasperated. “You might notice we have company.” Jukeni and Kai finally paused long enough to follow Kaeden’s gaze pointed to the front gates. The cloaked guardsmen were opening the massive wooden doors to let in a single rider on a lathering bay horse. The rider let the reins loose so that the horse held its head low to the ground, snorting as it gasped for breath. Jukeni peered across the courtyard, then muttered, “Garagan… he’s looked better.” The three boys got to their feet and joined the guardsmen at the doors. As the rider urged his horse further within the confines of the castle walls, Kai got a closer look at this “Garagan”. He was a tall, imposing figure who, despite the exhaustion evident in his sweating face and bleeding lip, sat up straight in the saddle. Bright, shaggy blond hair reached his shoulders, matching a thin beard that clung to his square chin. He was dressed in a tunic and sleeveless coat of dark blue, set off by faint gold outlines and the leather boots reaching up to his knees. A double wrap belt carried a sword in a scabbard that bumped against his legs as the horse trod along. His clothes looked worn, and Kai could see a few tears here and there where scratched flesh showed through. “Garagan!” Kaeden called. “What happened? We didn’t think you would return for another fortnight!” “Neither did I.” Garagan’s voice reminded Kai of sandpaper being rubbed together. The horse halted, and he slid off the saddle, boots landing firmly on the cobblestones. “Plans changed.” “I can tell.” Kaeden strode up to him. A quick glance around the courtyard told Kai that the other rebels were peeking out of doorways and windows and realizing the newcomer’s arrival. Surprised voices began to rise. “You all right?” Kaeden’s ears pricked forward in concern. Smiling wryly, Garagan wiped at his bloody lip and met Kaeden, clapping his shoulder with one hand. “Ehh, no’in I couldn’t handle. Had to take down a few blokes along the way, though. Security’s gettin’ too tight in the countryside.”
