Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 107: "Death, be not Proud"

Someone was at the door.

Her head jerked up, suddenly awake. Heart hammering, her eyes slid over the kitchen table to the rickety door. It had only one built-in lock to protect the family. It'd been months since the last time someone had attempted to break in, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen again...

The lock was being jiggled by whatever was on the other side. The sound felt loud and threatening in the quiet of the afternoon. Her mind raced, trying to decide what to do.

Then the lock clicked and the door swung open.

"Li!" She bolted up from the chair, relieved, and buried her husband in a hug. "Thank the First Spinjitzu Master—I thought it was a robber!"

The tall man practically picked her up to embrace her, brushing the straw hat out of the way to deliver a kiss. "Sorry to disappoint, Martha. It's just me." Letting a bulky bag slide down from his shoulder, he added, "And I've got presents."

Martha wrung her hands as she inspected him. His skin looked dark, tanned from days in the desert. His clothes were weatherbeaten, the plain colors faded. A permanent sweat stain stood out against his straw hat. These were not unusual appearances, but Li's wife noticed that the more trips he took, the older he looked upon his return home.

"Stop worrying," he teased, noticing the haunted look. "See, I'm all right. And this is one of the last trips I'm taking. I'll be getting a new job soon, one that won't take me away from you." Despite the faint wrinkles at his eyes, his smile matched by his still-dark hair gave him a young, boyish look.

Suddenly feeling old herself, Martha released her curly hair from the bandana and ran a hand through it hurriedly, as if that would turn back the hands of time. "What have you got, then?"

Still grinning, Li rummaged through the bulky bag and took out a small leather pouch. He handed it to her with a theatrical flourish. "For you, my love."

Determined to remain unimpressed, she took it and unraveled the string. As it opened up a small weight fell into her hand. She gasped, "Ohh, Li—! Where did you get this?"

"We passed by some thie— eh, traders from the north. We exchanged some things. I met a man carrying a couple of stones like these." His grin broadened at his wife's shocked expression. "Beauty, right? Thankfully I was able to find someone who made necklaces out of things like these, and—well, it cost me a lunch and dinner, but I got it carved, too. Y'know, to look like the shells from the beach we used to play in."

Martha stared at the pendant glimmering in the candlelight. It was attached to a dainty silver chain, and indeed it resembled one of the many seashells that lined the shores of her childhood home. Her voice caught in her throat. "Li..."

"Daddy's home!" With an excited squeal, a little brown-haired boy came racing downstairs and threw himself at Lee. "Daddy!"

"Hey, Philip, how you doing, kiddo?" Laughingly the father snatched up the boy and hugged him. "Where's your sister?"

As if on cue, another "Daddy!" shrieked through the house. A toddler with hair the same color as her mother's came racing into the kitchen. Li stooped and scooped her up with one arm.

"How's my little princess?"

Liana giggled and pressed her cheek against his, feeling his scratchy whiskers. Beside her Philip sat up and fairly screamed into Li's ear, "I caught a frog today!"

"Shh, not so loud!" their mother reprimanded. "Your father's been traveling all day. Inside voices, please."

"I am using my inside voice!" Philip yelled.