The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 14: The Soldiers Depart

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

In this chapter, I gave Zane a new last name than the two I've usually seen given to him. He couldn't have the surname of Julien because in this story, he's not related to the town doctor. I've seen the surname of Roberts given to him, too, but I decided to go a different route. I believe I selected one that suits him well, and I hope you do, too.

Relating to Zane, I included a brief flashback to Chapter 24 of The Fire Within a Ninjago Cowboy.

This chapter introduces a few new OCs, mainly cowboys from the Double S Ranch who are friends with the Garmadon Ranch hands. They all are going to war together, so the OCs will appear in future chapters.

So, without further ado...

Chapter 14 - The Soldiers Depart

Kai was the third ranch hand to arrive at the tailor shop. He saw that Zane was sitting on the porch railing. Cole was leaning against a porch pillar. Miss Gayle and Misako Julien sat on plain wooden chairs temporarily located to the porch from the inside of the shop, and Kai tipped his hat to the ladies.

Mr. Wu stood up straight in the center of them all, his arms folded across his chest. The older man with the weathered skin and the white beard was shorter than his male employees, but his piercing blue eyes and his tough-as-nails demeanor commanded respect. He nodded to Kai in acknowledgment of the brown-haired cowboy's arrival.

"Sam taking it hard?" Cole asked Kai as the new arrival stepped on to the tailor shop porch.

"Yep. Brooke, too?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Jay rushed up to them.

"Sorry for being a little late," he apologized, tipping his hat to the ladies. "Nya was pretty emotional. Fortunately Sam walked by and could take her to the hotel."

"That was good," Mr. Wu stated as he unfolded his arms and rested his hands on his hips. "Listen, boys, I want to tell you something before you vamoose. You all are the best ranch hands in the county, and I'm proud to call you my employees. And I'm proud of you for answering the call to defend the freedom of Ninjago, so that future generations" - he gestured toward future father Jay - "can enjoy the same high quality of life that we enjoy now."

"And there's one more thing that I'm proud of." The ranch owner cleared his throat. "Boys, I'm proud to consider you all to be my honorary sons."

"So do the Garmadon Ranch proud and whup some Purples!" he concluded with a grin.

Mr. Wu's admonition was greeted with enthusiastic responses from his honorary sons as each of them went up to their boss and shook his hand vigorously.

Miss Gayle and Mrs. Julien stood up to give out hugs.

"I'm so glad I got to see you all before you left," Mrs. Julien exclaimed. "I've been so busy helping Doc process all the last-minute medical examinations, and we didn't get finished until a few minutes ago!" she explained, speaking of the overloaded morning schedule of her physician husband, who she had just recently married. "Good luck to you all!"

"Adh mor," Miss Gayle told them, wishing them good luck in the language of the faraway land of her birth. "Get those sleeveens!"

And please come back home, she silently implored them.

The cowboys stepped off the porch of the tailor shop. One last wave of goodbye, and then they walked to the livery stable.

Sam and Nya found Brooke at the hotel. Brooke's eyes looked as bleary as Nya's. Sam had no doubt her own eyes looked bleary, too. She felt drained of energy and just wanted to take a nap. The carriage ride on the way back to Garmadon Ranch, however, would likely be the only opportunity to nap today. Once they returned to the the ranch, Mr. Wu and Sam, Nya, and Brooke were planning to switch from the carriage to the wagon and visit each ladies' cottage to pick up their essential belongings, for all three wives had decided that they would live at the main house while their husbands were away at war.