Reflections
By Aislinn
The stars shone like diamonds on the black velvet sky and a gibbous moon hung low over the mountains. Ezra looked up into the sky and marveled at the display. "Ah, Lord God, truly marvelous are the works of thy hands," he murmured. A cold breeze flowed down the mountains and over the desert; he shivered and drew his coat closer. He tucked his feet close to Chaucer's side in a vain attempt to warm them. Despite the cold, he smiled as he urged his horse on into the night. With luck he would make it home tonight in time to spend Christmas with his family.
He chuckled, funny how a few years and a lot of bullets can change a man's perspective. When he stopped in Four Corners all those years ago he had no intention of staying longer than it took to win enough money to move on to San Francisco. But destiny would not be denied and neither would his friends. Much had changed in the last few years, but Ezra felt that he had changed the most. As Josiah said, he was not the man he was back then. True he still loved a good con, a good poker game, fine clothes and fine bourbon, but deep down, where it mattered, he was definitely not the same man. He had been refined by fire and blood, sweat and tears, and the love of his six brothers. He frowned, thinking how close he had come to losing them all. He still wasn't sure exactly why he had turned back after he was free and clear of the conflict in the Seminole village. It was illogical and completely out of character, but it had been the right decision, the point of no return. Chris had glared and said, "Don't ever run out on me again!" Ezra had promised he wouldn't and now, a decade later he could say he had kept that promise.
The promise and the keeping of it had been the first of the changes. Before that day, he would have broken it without a second thought but the look of challenge in Chris's green eyes and the second chance he had been offered had stunned him. So he grabbed that second chance and he stayed. Even when Maude and all she had taught him screamed in his ear to run, hide, keep the walls up so no one could hurt him, he stayed, and watched and learned.
Each of them had taught him something and given him not only the opportunity to learn but also an example to follow. From Chris he had learned respect and honor, Josiah had taught him faith and wisdom. From Nathan he had learned tenacity and tolerance. Vin had taught him peace and courage, JD passion and gentleness, and Buck had taught him joy and an unrestrained zest for life, but most importantly from all of then he had learned the blessings of family. Unrelated by birth, they were his brothers by the blood they shed together and by choice.
He smiled wondering what he had taught them. When he got back he would have to ask them. A flash of light in the distance where a door opened and shut and a faint glow of the watch fires told him that he was almost there. He stopped for a moment, enjoying the feeling of homecoming. He checked the stars once more, almost midnight, almost Christmas morning, almost there. "Let's go Chaucer, home is waiting."
~finis
I would like to thank my beta readers, Aroldo and Maven. Ladies as always, thank you for your encouragement and corrections. I could not do this without you.! :D
Disclaimer: The seven are not mine, they belong to the alphabet people who quite frankly cannot be trusted with them, and so I am sneaking them out the back door to my place. If they where mine they would still be riding across our TV screens every week, except for Ezra and you don't want to know what he would be doing. ::wicked grin ;) ::