Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 10:56:41 -0600 Reply-To: Joshua A Reyer Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Joshua A Reyer Subject: Dragon's Luck, Part Five X-cc: Chandra Reyer Dragon's Luck Part Five By Joshua A. Reyer Daniel Crosby's adventures, the fifth time 'round (actually, ninth). This story has no movie or tv characters, and uses my interpretation of the movie universe rules. Hope you like it! ************************************************************************ China, two miles from Honjing Village 1608 A.D. Daniel regarded the house on the hill. It was still a ways off, but it was built on a small hill surrounded by trees. It was not very grand, but still, it maintained a dignity somehow, that Daniel's old manor-house in England never quite achieved. "Our journey's almost at the end, heya, Crosby?" Wei said, coming down from the rock they were standing on. "Just about, wo peng you." During the long journey, Daniel had begun to pick up Chinese phrases and words. Wei had taught him some basics, saying that in all likelihood, Ying would teach him in the Chinese language, even if he could speak English. They started off again. Daniel was in high spirits. At last his long journey, begun a year ago, was coming to an end. As they walked, Daniel sang a Chinese children's song that Wei had taught him. He didn't understand all of the Chinese, but knew it from rote memory. "Da xiang, da xiang," he sang. "Ni de bi zi zemne na me chang. Ma ma...." he trailed off as they neared the house. That feeling had seized him again. A feeling of tension, anxiety. Nervous energy. Just like when he'd met Grady Quaice. He stopped, looking around. Half expecting Grady to jump out of the nearest bushes. "Kuai, kuai!" Wei urged as they got closer to house. He seemed genuinely excited at the thought of meeting Ying Chen. Still looking around, Daniel followed. Eventually, they reached a porch like area. An old man was standing there. "Nin hao, Ying Shi fu," Wei said, bowing. Hello, Master Ying. Ying Chen nodded. "Nin gui xing?" he asked, and Daniel was surprised at how old his voice *didn't* sound. It was strong, and vibrant. "Wo xing Wei. Wo jiao Wei Lao Nan." Wei motioned Daniel to come forward. "Ta shi shei a?" Ying nodded at Daniel. Who is he? "Zhe shi wo de peng you. Ta jiao Daniel Crosby." This is my friend, Daniel Crosby. "Guo lai," Ying said to Daniel. Daniel recognized it as "come here". He came to the steps of the house. "You are as me, yet you are not a warrior," Ying stated, in English. Daniel was shocked. Ying's English was perfect, with only a slight accent. "Uh, yes. I came here to learn from you. McHenry sent me." "McHenry?" Ying took in the name, thinking for a moment. Then, without a word, he turned and entered the house. "Wha-?" Daniel began, confused. Wei grabbed his shoulder. "Come, Crosby. We return tomorrow." "What!!!!" It was that night, and Daniel and Wei were camped a little ways from Ying's house. "I said that I knew he would refuse." Daniel was livid. "And you still took me on this month long journey? God's Blood, Wei, I could have found some other master to teach me!" Wei tried to placate his young friend. "You do not understand, Crosby. This is the way of all great masters in China. You must show you have committment, determination. You must go to him until he believes you are serious about training." "Fine," Daniel replied, crossing his arms. "So how many times must I see him? Five times? Ten?" "Wo bu zhi dao. As many times as it takes. If you are persistent, he will teach you." Daniel set up the small tent in the small yard clearing in front of Ying Chen's house. Ying Chen frowned as he watched him. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I'm building a tent." "Why?" Daniel stopped for the moment. "Because I'm not leaving until l yo agree to teach me." Ying digested this for a moment. "Do not do this," he said finally. "Go back to your country. Find someone else to teach you. I do not teach foreign devils." "That's not what McHenry said." "McHenry is, was, and shall be a fool." "I'm not leaving." There was silence between them, with only the sound of tent poles being sharpened and stuck into the ground breaking the quiet. Then Ying Chen said, "Leave, or I'll have your head." Daniel stopped. He almost got up and left right there. The sound of committment in Ying's voice was too real. But he calmed himself, and continued his work, hoping Ying was bluffing. "You will believe me," Ying said, and Daniel felt the cold steel edge of a sword at his neck. Ying had been on the porch, but now he had moved to Daniel's back and put a sword on his neck without Daniel hearing the slightest rustle. Daniel stiffened, and stopped all movement, even his breathing. It was all he could do to retain control of his bodily functions. They stood like that for a full half-hour, neither moving an inch. Finally, the sword left Daniel's neck, and his breath came out in an audible whoosh. "Hao. Good. We will see, tomorrow." With that, Ying went back into his house. Daniel slept restlessly that night, unused as he was to sleeping so near to another Immortal. He could always feel Ying's Quickening, and once it was so overpowering, Daniel retched outside the tent. But it got easier. When Daniel rose the next day, he noticed Ying Chen standing before the porch, Wei Lao Nan standing next to him. Both men were solemn, regarding Daniel with cool expressions. "What's going on--" Daniel was interrupted as three youths, about eighteen years old, attacked from no where, and four more joined them once the battle began. The first youth grabbed Daniel around the neck, trying to get him a choke hold. Daniel threw all his weight forward, bending over, and the youth fell to the ground. Another youth threw a punch at him, but Daniel dodged, his fencers reflexes coming back to him. He threw a counter punch, a jab, that bloodied the young man's nose. "Hao bu hao?" Wei asked Ying Chen. But Ying was silent. The next youth dived at Daniel, knocking him over. They struggled, but Daniel came out on top, and delivered a punch that put the youth's wits out. "Hao..." Ying answered Wei, cautiously. Another youth came, kicking high into Daniel's face. Daniel fell back, but used his momentum to roll on his back and came back up to his feet. The kid threw another kick, but Daniel dodged and delivered a hard punch to the solar plexus. The next kid had a knife. He came at Daniel, who dodged the first swing. Daniel dived for the tent, and came up with a sharp wooden tent stake. The young man stabbed with his knife, and Daniel parried. The stake was broken in the process, but Daniel continued the forward movement he had begun with his parry, smashing what was left of the stake into the young man's face. "Hen hao...." Ying said, thoughtfully. The next youth readied to attack, but Daniel took the initiative, charging him. He smashed his forearm into young man's collar bone and shoved him into a tree. The kid hit his head on the tree and fell unconcious. The last young man came at Daniel, swinging a long stick. Daniel dodged, and swung. The youth blocked with the stick, and Daniel retreated, cursing and holding his bruised arm. The youth attacked, charging and thrusting the stick out like a lance. Daniel sidestepped, grabbed the long staff, and swung it around him. The youth, holding on to the stick followed along until he, too, smashed into a tree. As Daniel's back was turned, Ying Chen brought out a large, curved sword from his robes. Stepping forward, he hurled it at Daniel. Daniel, turned, regarding his fallen foes and saw the sword, coming end over end, straight at him. Full of adrenalin, not having time to even think about it, he instinctively put his hand out. The hilt smacked into his palm. "Fen chang hao!" Ying exclaimed. Daniel looked at the sword, his eyes wide with shock, finally realizing what he had just done. "He is strong, and quick, but incredibly uncontrolled," Ying told Wei as they walked over to Daniel. "However, he has excellent instincts, fighter's instincts. I will teach him." "That is very good news, Ying Shi fu," Wei beamed. He looked at Daniel, who was still too shaken by what he had just done to say anything. Wei nudged him, and Daniel came back to life, saying, "Oh! Xie, xie, Ying Shi fu! Thank you." The young men Daniel had defeated were rising, and Ying went off to address them, handing out small pouches of money. Wei took Daniel aside. "Crosby, I am afraid I must leave, now," he said. "I understand, Wei. Your family must be missing you by now. I can't thank you enough for what you did for me." "Do not try then. Ying Chen will teach you never to start something you cannot do at the beginning of it." "I still don't know why you came with me on this long journey. Nobody would have done such a thing in my country." Wei smiled again. "Not many in my country, either. But, I am a follower of the Way. It is the Way to do such things." "Crosby!" Daniel heard Ying Chen say, "It is time to begin the training." "Yes, sir." Daniel turned back to Wei. "Well, I guess this is good-bye." "Zaijian, peng you," Wei said, bowing. "Zaijian, Wei," Daniel bowed back. "I'll write to you, I'll tell how things go." Wei nodded, turned and began to go back down the road to Honjing. Daniel turned and entered the house. The training had begun. **************************************************************************** Please e-mail comments! Chinese Glossary- kuai (kwai)- hurry hao (how)- good hen hao (hen how)- very good fen chang hao (fay chung how)- excellent Other phrases are translated in the text. Again, remember that the pronunciations are approximations. In actual practice, they sound a little bit different. With regards to my future stories, I got an almost unanimous vote for "You're writing a great story, Josh. Do whatever you feel like doing." While I appreciate the feedback, it didn't exactly help me choose which option :-). So, I've decided to go with the longer, continuous story line. Hope you're in for the long haul. Thank you to all who responded, I really do appreciate it. One final clarification, something that occured to me. While this uses my *interpretation* of the movie rules, it is not the movie universe. Connor isn't guaranteed to win the prize in '85. Anything can happen. :-) Thanks, Joshua A. Reyer reye0011@maroon.tc.umn.edu alternate universes are a wonderful thing. =========================================================================