Jack Chang and Charlie Bear Scratcher were sitting out in Jack's yard behind his cabin.
None of Jack's family living in the yurts that surrounded the yard at some distance could see them, or hear them, mostly due to not being at home, but off in various activities.
After arriving at the cabin, Jack had grabbed a jug of his homemade ale, and two mugs
and they vacated the premises quickly.
Because they knew that Magnolia was coming back soon after, and Jack knew she would be in a mood. And he wanted to laugh with Charlie, just like old times.
He and Charlie were each twenty years old when they first met. Jack had been traveling along towards the old city of Reno, still a wild place, and Charlie had too, but from a different direction.
Son of a Medicine woman, he was just tired of the high holy talk and attempts to get him to immerse himself into the Medicine way. He just wanted out, see the world , have some fun, sow some oats, then after some time maybe find himself a good woman and have some kids.
The rest would fall into place.
The first time he saw Jack Chang was outside Reno, on the old highway from the west.
Jack was holding off some bandits, well quite literally holding them up and off the ground.
Charlie stood and laughed at the improbable small young man with a long pigtail, outrageous long silk robe with long sleeves who was smoking a pipe with one hand and carrying on a conversation with the five men he had suspended in mid-air.
"If I let you down, unless you leave quickly and do not bother me again, this -with a wave of his pipe holding hand- will chase you down and eat you!" And there was a giant red
dragon standing there glaring at the men.
Even Charlie was impressed, and amused. He chuckled and saw that Jack nodded
slightly in his direction.
Jack had lowered the men down and they ran fast and hard in different directions
vanishing in just a matter of minutes.
So did the dragon. Jack turned to Charlie, "Now good sir, how can I help you?"
Charlie grinned,"Pretty good trick, you a magician from some show?"
Jack grinned back, "No, I come from a long line of Chinese magicians, wizards to be exact, I am formerly of the old San Francisco city to the west, and am off to see the known
world and find my fortune. And search for other magical folk here and there."
"I am the reknown Jack Chang."
Charlie grinned, I am the not so famous son of a Medicine Woman, Willow Weaver, and come from the Northeast area of here, still in the desert, mostly known as the sticks, and I too am off to see what is out there and find my fortune, and maybe a woman too someday."
"I have some whiskey in my stuff, want some?"
After that day, they traveled together, inseparable, finding adventures, some fortune, but not enough to ever last long, and eventually women they came to love. And families.
Both Jack and Charlie had many children and grandchildren, and great grand
children.
Now they sat smiling after a second mug of ale, and Jack spoke of his beloved
wife, Sheila, and his regrets at leaving her alone with the kids so often. And how his mother
May-Ling had come to help out in her later years. And of course his great-granddaughter,
May-ling, who was the village beauty. He shook his head, "May-Ling of course has gotten a swelled head about her looks, Soledad has at least a bit more sense. She will marry well."
Charlie mused, "All my daughters did pretty well. Took after their mother, my
Alma Golden Moon, found good husbands, and then I have the grandsons. Charles is a good boy, though he tends to be very sensitive, and not so hot in the social skills department. If I remember that summer he spent here, May-Ling was pretty merciless on him. Leading him on
then shutting him down."
"Now how about this youngest one, she is pretty young, but I tell you what, you and me(this accompanied by a swing of the mug) should maybe think of a betrothal.
None of Jack's family living in the yurts that surrounded the yard at some distance could see them, or hear them, mostly due to not being at home, but off in various activities.
After arriving at the cabin, Jack had grabbed a jug of his homemade ale, and two mugs
and they vacated the premises quickly.
Because they knew that Magnolia was coming back soon after, and Jack knew she would be in a mood. And he wanted to laugh with Charlie, just like old times.
He and Charlie were each twenty years old when they first met. Jack had been traveling along towards the old city of Reno, still a wild place, and Charlie had too, but from a different direction.
Son of a Medicine woman, he was just tired of the high holy talk and attempts to get him to immerse himself into the Medicine way. He just wanted out, see the world , have some fun, sow some oats, then after some time maybe find himself a good woman and have some kids.
The rest would fall into place.
The first time he saw Jack Chang was outside Reno, on the old highway from the west.
Jack was holding off some bandits, well quite literally holding them up and off the ground.
Charlie stood and laughed at the improbable small young man with a long pigtail, outrageous long silk robe with long sleeves who was smoking a pipe with one hand and carrying on a conversation with the five men he had suspended in mid-air.
"If I let you down, unless you leave quickly and do not bother me again, this -with a wave of his pipe holding hand- will chase you down and eat you!" And there was a giant red
dragon standing there glaring at the men.
Even Charlie was impressed, and amused. He chuckled and saw that Jack nodded
slightly in his direction.
Jack had lowered the men down and they ran fast and hard in different directions
vanishing in just a matter of minutes.
So did the dragon. Jack turned to Charlie, "Now good sir, how can I help you?"
Charlie grinned,"Pretty good trick, you a magician from some show?"
Jack grinned back, "No, I come from a long line of Chinese magicians, wizards to be exact, I am formerly of the old San Francisco city to the west, and am off to see the known
world and find my fortune. And search for other magical folk here and there."
"I am the reknown Jack Chang."
Charlie grinned, I am the not so famous son of a Medicine Woman, Willow Weaver, and come from the Northeast area of here, still in the desert, mostly known as the sticks, and I too am off to see what is out there and find my fortune, and maybe a woman too someday."
"I have some whiskey in my stuff, want some?"
After that day, they traveled together, inseparable, finding adventures, some fortune, but not enough to ever last long, and eventually women they came to love. And families.
Both Jack and Charlie had many children and grandchildren, and great grand
children.
Now they sat smiling after a second mug of ale, and Jack spoke of his beloved
wife, Sheila, and his regrets at leaving her alone with the kids so often. And how his mother
May-Ling had come to help out in her later years. And of course his great-granddaughter,
May-ling, who was the village beauty. He shook his head, "May-Ling of course has gotten a swelled head about her looks, Soledad has at least a bit more sense. She will marry well."
Charlie mused, "All my daughters did pretty well. Took after their mother, my
Alma Golden Moon, found good husbands, and then I have the grandsons. Charles is a good boy, though he tends to be very sensitive, and not so hot in the social skills department. If I remember that summer he spent here, May-Ling was pretty merciless on him. Leading him on
then shutting him down."
"Now how about this youngest one, she is pretty young, but I tell you what, you and me(this accompanied by a swing of the mug) should maybe think of a betrothal.
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