I survived the seamstresses. Barely. The ladies did not like having their fun interrupted. Even though they’d been at it for hours!
Halona seemed sad as well, but she came along all the same. With several new outfits as well, surprisingly. She was back to wearing her leather Indian tunic, but was apparently looking forward to walking around with the many new dresses and gowns she now had.
The photographer seemed like he was both sad, and thrilled. I could imagine he was sad at loosing such a rare subject as a female centaur, but probably thrilled to be done with the seamstresses. Best I could tell, he couldn’t decide whether to immediately develop his photographs, or to get a drink and some food.
I was betting that the food and drink would win out, personally.
“So, where are we traveling to?” Halona asked after we had loaded up her luggage as well, and we were now simply waiting for the train to leave at the train station. I checked my newly purchased watch with a smile. Plenty of time to leave on time.
The conductors had informed the growing crowd of people that they would begin loading the train soon.
“A major city on the eastern coast. New York.” I answered her with a shrug. “Don’t know much about it personally, other than it’s a major port city on the east.”
“Will we be staying there, or are we traveling past it?” Halona asked, curious as she waited to be loaded into her private cattle car. She’d been excited about that, and had thanked him for the trouble and expense on her behalf.
The price of an interview with a reporter woman didn’t seem to bother her over much. She honestly seemed to find the whole thing amusing more than anything.
“We might stay for a night or two.” I replied, thinking about it. “After that, I’ll look into passage on a steamship or maybe even one of those airships I’ve been hearing about. The new ones that let passengers on them.”
“Airships?” Halona asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she waved to several children who were staring at her in open mouthed wonder.
“Ships that fly through the sky.” I replied with a chuckle as I noticed the kids looking at us. “Saw some of them during the war. Even saw an air battle from far away. It was quite a sight.”
“How do they fly?” She asked, looking at me with fascination.
“No idea.” I replied with a shrug. “We can ask when we book passage on one, if one is available.”
“We must do so then!” Halona declared with a smile. “I wish to sail amongst the clouds!”
“Might not be a bad idea at that.” I muttered in agreement, noticing one boy staring at me intently, before looking at his book, and then looking back at me. I eyed him back with a raised eyebrow, before it slowly became a full on scowl as I finally noticed his book.
It was a thin book, that could be easily be read fairly quickly. And it had a orange colored cover on it.
A dime store novel.
The kind that were short and full of romantic adventures of the Wild West and the various frontiers men, outlaws, and other famous legends, real or imagined.
Oh no! I groaned in sudden, wary apprehension. Seriously, it’s been close to two years! Surely not!
Somehow, deep down, I knew I wasn’t that lucky. God had too much fun poking at humans to let a good joke like that go. The young boy approached me, after taking a moment to screw up his courage. He glanced at Halona with open curiosity, but I was his intended target, and he stayed focused on me the same way a mountain lion stayed focused to leap at its prey.
“Excuse me sir,” he asked as soon as he came up to me, his head craning up at me since he was so short.
“Hello young man,” I replied with a small smile, hoping against hope that he was going to ask about something else. “What can I do for you?”
“Are you the ‘Wild Ranger?”’ He asked, holding up his book, which was clearly a prized possession and pointing at the cover. The cover held an artists rendering of a picture of a man on horseback, rifle in one hand, and sword in the other, charging at snarling beastkin and a roaring giant.
The boy looked up at me hopefully. “Are you him? The one who fought giants and made peace between beastkins and humans?”
“What’s this now?” Halona asked, a huge grin growing on her face as she looked from the boy, to the book, to me. “Who is this Wild Ranger?”
“He’s a hero from the war!” The young man proclaimed excitedly, looking at Halona with excitement. “He’s a wild frontiersmen who joined up with the Union and fought the Coalition. His soldiers fought beastkin, and then he made peace with them!”
“Did he now?” Halona asked, her grin growing much more sinister as she glanced at me, and clearly noticed how rigid and uncomfortable I must have been standing.
Oh no. I groaned internally.
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“Then he led a big army of soldiers, beastkins, and even local towns people into battle with giants!” The boy continued, totally missing the look on Halona’s face. “The giants had come to eat people, human or beastkin, and everyone was fighting each other, so they called the Wild Ranger in to help. He came, got them all to fight together, and led them against a whole tribe of giants from the mountains!”
“My, how exciting!” Halona declared, grinning so sweetly at the boy, only for that grin to morph evilly when she glanced over at me. “And what makes you think this man is that famous hero?”
“The scars on his face.” The young boy said, now so excited he just pointed at my face. “The two scars he got from a beastkin tiger-man he fought in a duel! The duel he used to make the Beastkin agree to peace and to join the Union!”
“Oh my! And, why do they call him the Wild Ranger?” Halona asked the boy, even as she glanced at me, still with that evil grin on her face.
I just glared back silently. Sadly, that only made her grin even smugger, if that were possible.
“‘Cause he’s wild, from the wild frontier,” the boy explained, smiling and excited by someone taking an interest in his obviously favorite subject. “And ‘cause his last name is Ranger.”
“Is it now?” Halona asked, now obviously fighting an outright bought of laughter. I suspected it would be a very evil laugh indeed.
“And what, pray tell, is his first name?”
I closed my eyes to stifle a groan from what I knew was coming.
“Jake!” The young boy declared, even flipping to the front of the book to point at a part that had the full name of the so-called Wild Ranger. “Jake Ranger! The Wild Ranger of the Frontier!”
And there it was, in black and white.
My name.
Jake Ranger.
Damn. Was all I could think.
“Well now, Master Ranger, I think you have a fan.” Halona said sweetly , turning to look at me. “I had no idea you were so very famous, Wild Ranger.”
“Shut up!” I muttered darkly, still glaring at her, which again only caused her to smile more.
“So you really are him?” The boy asked, sounding even more excited. By now we had drawn something of a crowd, with everyone, including the boys curious parents standing around in a semicircle, watching the little drama play out.
Oh how I hated that damn book! And the other ones written by that damn woman! Still, best not to cause a scene, especially with a young boy who just liked good stories. I sighed as I glanced back down to him, trying to smile like I was enjoying any of this situation.
“Wild Ranger is what other people like to call me. Like the, woman, who wrote that book. My name is Jake Ranger. It’s a good name. One I like. I don’t need a, fantastical, nickname to get by in life, son.” I answered him, somewhat stilted, but trying to relax as I knelt down in front of him. “Jake Ranger is my name. And it’s a pleasure to meet you, young mister?”
“Andrew! Andrew Gale! Golly jee-whiz! The Wild Ranger! I love your adventures!” The boy all but babbled with excitement.
Despite my utter hatred of the books, and the general situation, I couldn’t help but smile a real smile at the boys honest excitement.
“I’m glad you enjoy them. But they weren’t exactly a ton of fun when they were happening at the time.” I told him, smiling as I stayed eye level with him. “It’s a scary thing to face down a beastkin in a duel, or to fight giants.”
“You were scared?” He asked, sounding stunned. I actually laughed.
“Oh, I was terrified! The giants were as tall as trees! And they were there to eat people. It was terrifying. But we had a job to do, so we did it.” I locked eyes with him, figuring I could try and do some good. “Remember Andrew; being brave doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. It means that you face your fear, and do what must be done anyway, even though you are afraid. Feeling fear for something dangerous is normal, and healthy.”
“It is?” He asked, looking confused, but also riveted.
“Absolutely!” I smiled at him. “It’s a warning. It’s like a big sign that says: ‘Be careful. Be cautious. This is dangerous.’ However, if you keep your wits about you, and keep your resolve strong, then you can overcome that fear, and do what it is that needs doing. Other people call that brave. I just call it doing the work, whatever that work happens to be. And after that, I go back to living my life, and doing all the other work that I need to do.”
“Wow.” He said, looking lost and amazed at the same time. I smiled and patted him on the head before standing back up. It’s hard to believe I was ever that small. I thought with a smile.
“Thank you sir.” His mother said as she and her husband came forward to collect young Andrew.
“It was my pleasure miss.” I tipped my hat to her and her husband, and he smiled and returned the gesture before they began leading young Andrew away. Before they got too far however, Andrew whirled around and focused back on me.
“Mr. Wild Ranger! Are you going on new adventures?” He called out, looking curious, hopeful, and wildly excited.
“Why yes, he is!” Halona answered for me, catching me by surprise. “His latest adventure is how he got me as a traveling companion. He battled a bunch of evil Furwraiths!”
“Really?!” Andrew asked, his eyes alight in excitement.
“Really!” Halona all but cooed as she called back to him, her evil grin in full display now. “And now he and I are off on another grand adventure!”
“Wow!” Andrew all but gulped. “I can’t wait to read about it! Could I come?”
“Mind your parents and finish school first.” I replied instantly, much to the obvious relief of his parents. “There will be plenty of adventures to be had once you’re old enough. Don’t worry about that.”
“Okay.” He nodded, turning back to his parents. “I’ll adventure with you soon!”
“Can’t wait, young Mr. Gale.” I called back, chuckling despite myself. Once they’d led their son away, and the crowd had largely dispersed, I all but whirled on the smugly grinning centaur woman.
“Damn flea bitten cow of a woman!” I snapped quietly, glaring at her. “The hell you trying to pull?!”
“Was that the best insult you could muster?” She replied with a raised eyebrow and an even smugger grin. “I expected better of the legendary Wild Ranger.”
I all but shuddered at that cursed nickname.
“I hate that ridiculous nickname!” I hissed at her.
“Oh, I can tell. It’s glorious.” She replied, laughing at me. “And I fully expect to hear the whole story behind how you got it, and why you’re an inspiring hero to young boys you’ve never even met.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” A voice suddenly rang out, cutting off my angry retort to her still smug face. “The train is now boarding. We will be steaming away from here in fifteen minutes! Last call is ten minutes from now. Welcome aboard!”
“Oops, no time to chat. We have a train to board!” Halona laughed at me and my indignant anger. “Aren’t you coming? You wouldn’t want to be late.”
So saying, she turned and clomped off, swishing her tail practically in my face as she did so.
“Women!” I muttered, using the word as a curse before I turned and headed to my own train car, as a well dressed conductor came out and led Halona to hers.