The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 23 - The Summer Continues

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

In the chapter you are about to read, the first part focuses on Zane and includes the explanation of how he came to be a cowboy at Garmadon Ranch. In the second part of the chapter, the soldiers are receiving mail from home...

Chapter 23 - The Summer Continues

With his one available eye, Zane was managing to read a book which was propped up on his chest with a pillow as he lay in his hospital bed. The book had been loaned to him from Celeste's bookshelf. It was simply called "The History of Cefran." Despite the ever-present discomfort caused by his cheek, he was getting some enjoyment out of reading the book.

Every now and then, as Celeste attended to patients in the ward, her voice would waft through the large room and reach his ears, distracting him from his reading. He was not irritated when that happened, however. Far from it.

As Zane read about the construction of one of Cefran's famous bridges, the close proximity of Celeste's voice got his attention.

"Corporal Falk, you have a visitor," she smiled.

Zane's unbandaged eye widened at the shock and delight of seeing the unexpected visitor. His boss, Mr. Wu, was standing there with his hat in his hand. The platinum-haired cowboy's mind immediately traveled back to another time in the past when the white-bearded man with the weathered skin and piercing blue eyes stood by his bed as he lay in a hospital...

Zane Falk's family lived in a faraway land. They were fairly well-to-do and lived on a property of several acres outside the capital city of their country. Though they were not in the highest echelon of society, they were still able to afford some luxuries such as horse riding lessons for the platinum-haired child and his older sister. For themselves, they were able to indulge in their love of horticulture, procuring plants and creating gardens that became locally known for their beauty.

Life for the Falk family was pleasant. The older sister found love and moved into a small apartment in the capital city with her new husband so that he could attend the university. Young Zane excelled in school. He especially enjoyed reading about different cultures. Outside the classroom, he exhibited equestrian skill and began to enter competitions.

Unfortunately, when Zane was about 13 years old, an economic downturn in their home country caused his father to lose all their money. Already in his middle aged years, the elder Falk was in despair about his ability to provide for himself, his wife, and their son.

It was Zane who approached his parents about moving to a faraway country he had read about: Ninjago. In this nation, a family could have a decent life if they were willing to put in hard work, particularly in the western region. Also in the west, good horsemen were admired.

Aside from giving up relative proximity to their married daughter and her husband, Herr and Fru Falk had nothing else to lose, so they boarded a ship with their son and eventually found themselves in Ninjago Town, ready to do what they needed to do to find success in the new land.

Zane had a rudimentary knowledge of the language of Ninjago, having studied it on the ship voyage, so once they exited the stagecoach, he led his parents to the hotel to arrange for lodging for the night.

The next morning, they went in search of a church, to ask the pastor for his recommendation of which people to talk to about finding work. In Pastor Neuro's office, Zane did his best to act as the translator between his parents and the clergyman.

A knock on the pastor's door interrupted their conversation. It was a white-bearded gentleman. He had come to discuss a matter with Pastor Neuro and said that from the other side of the door, he had heard the plight of the family. It turned out that the bearded man, whose name was Mr. Wu, had just taken ownership of a ranch from the widow of his late brother. The brother's murder had understandably traumatized the family, and for the past few months after the tragedy, upkeep of certain aspects of the ranch had fallen by the wayside.