Moon Boxing

by Tipper

Pure story, complete with a jewel heist, a boxing match, an Australian blackguard and a radiant moon.

3. Part Three -- moon boxing

Moon Boxing

Part Three

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The three outlaws were easy to track, despite the late hour. The sun had fallen several hours before, but the full moon shone like a diamond in the sky, its white light brightening the dark landscape. The rain left behind a great deal of mud, which held onto the hoof prints of the men's horses as securely as if they'd put them there deliberately. That and the fact that these men were city bred meant they were sticking to those most obvious landmark to guide them home – the cliff edge.

Ezra dismounted Chaucer a few yards away from the edge of the clearing where Jake and his boys had set up camp. It was very similar to the one they'd left behind – three sides of trees and one of cliff. From beneath his cover, Ezra could make out Jake standing on the edge, staring out into space. Charlie was over by the large fire, feeding it wood. Sean…was nowhere to be seen.

The gambler stood still for a moment, weighing his options. He had no guns, not even his derringer, as the outlaws had taken all the lawmen's weapons with them as they left. That left only one other possibility. With a shrug, he cupped his hands to his mouth, about to call to the camp to announce his presence. He stopped when he felt the rifle barrel near his face.

"Don't even think about it," Sean demanded.

"Think about what?" the gambler returned innocently.

"Calling your friends."

Ezra smiled, his teeth glinting in the half light. "Young man, it may have escaped your notice, but I was about to call in the direction of the camp, not behind me." He dropped his hands, waiting for Sean to work out what he'd just been told.

Finally, with a grimace, Sean shrugged. "Whatever. Get moving," he commanded, pushing Ezra forward towards the clearing. "And, as far as I can tell, we're the same age, so don't go calling me 'young man,'" he hissed. Ezra smirked, and clasped his hands behind his back, trying to look as nonchalant as possible as Sean continued to push him forward. Behind him, Chaucer whinnied curiously, and tried to follow. Ezra turned to shake his head at the horse, who stopped.

"Looky here what I got!" Sean called, bringing both men's attention to him. Charlie stood up, his hand instinctively moving to his knife. Jake's face tensed, the vein on the side of his temple throbbing in annoyance, but he didn't move. Ezra never took his eyes off of the big Australian. He even nodded to him as if their meeting like this again was expected.

"Where are the others, Ezra?" Jake asked. Ezra shrugged.

"Josiah is dead, thanks to your friend Eli, and, last time I saw him, Mr. Wilmington was still lying facedown in the mud. I untied his bonds, but I doubt he is going anywhere for a while." He looked about the camp and smiled at Charlie. The huge man sneered in response. Jake watched Ezra silently for a minute, then turned away to gaze once more at the black valley floor below.

Sean kept his rifle on the gambler, but his eyes showed his confusion. Wasn't he going to shoot this bastard? Charlie stayed standing, waiting for the order to kill the interloper, or at least tie him up. Ezra sighed, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Jake?" The gambler queried, tilting his head.

"What are you doing here, boy," Jake asked in response.

"Well, as Buttons here can tell you, I was planning on joining your camp before he rudely stuck that poor excuse for a gun in my side."

"Buttons?" Sean whispered, knocking Ezra forward a few more steps. Ezra turned to glare at the blond man, who raised his rifle higher the puzzled look now even stronger on his face. Jake glanced over, a small smile on his face as he remembered the play Ezra had made him read all those years ago. He still kept a copy of it by his bed at home in San Francisco.

"He means you're an jackass, Sean." Straightening his shoulders, Jake turned to look down at Ezra, who was now only a few feet away. "Go on."

"Obviously, I am not here to take you in, Jake, as if I could. Three armed men against one unarmed one is not exactly good odds, and you know how much I detest having the deck stacked against me." He smiled. Jake just nodded. "Moreover, I do not expect you to simply give me the jewels, not after the treatment you gave my associates." His smile faltered a little, but he gamely slipped it back in place.

"Then you are here for revenge?" the Australian stated, not missing a beat.

Ezra's eyes widened in surprise, his eyebrows almost disappearing beneath the brim of his black hat. "What? Hell no, Jake. You know me better than that." His smile fell, and his expression hardened. "I'm here for my hundred dollars."

Jake blinked, his face blank. The next time he blinked, he broke out laughing, the hearty noise echoing across the quiet valley. In minutes, he was wiping his streaming eyes with the back of his hand, and trying desperately to get his breathing under control. Ezra watched him with an amused expression on his face.

"I fail to see what is so funny, Jake. You know I won that fight."

Jake shook his head, and stilled a cough. "My god, kid. You still have a one-track mind…." He reached into his vest pocket for his cash, then stopped.

"Oh, no." He dropped his hand, letting it rest on the gun at his belt, and his eyes narrowed. "The match was postponed, kid. You haven't earned this cash yet."

Ezra pursed his lips in annoyance. More relaxed now, Jake crossed his arms and regarded the man in front of him.

"What are you suggesting?" Ezra demanded.

"As I recall, you were about to enter the third round, right mate?" Jake grinned.

Sighing heavily, Ezra shook his head and began to remove his slightly muddy rain coat. Sean looked up, his eyes widening as he realized what was happening.

"Oh no, now, just you wait a minute, here." He looked at the gambler, who regarded him with raised eyebrows. Sean shook his head. "I ain't fighting him again, Jake. Damn near killed me last time."

"Stop exaggerating Sean," Jake remonstrated. Ezra quietly tucked the long jacket over his arm.

"Exaggerating? Look at the bruises on my stomach and then say that." The blond replied. He pointed the rifle to the ground, taking a defensive posture. "You ain't making me fight him again. I don't care what you say."

Jake turned to Ezra, and shrugged. "Well, kid, what do you say to that?"

"Forfeiture. My pot."

Jake considered this, then shook his head. "Nope, my money, my prerogative. I still want to see you fight." He looked over his shoulder at Charlie, who grinned back. Ezra followed the gaze, and gritted his teeth.

"Different player, and much bigger," the gambler intoned professionally. "Raises the stakes."

Jake nodded, and pulled out his wad, starting to count bills. "Name it."

"$500."

Jake paused, and looked up. "You know I don't carry that sort of cash around with me, kid."

"One of the blue sapphires should cover it," Ezra replied, eyeing the pouch that now sat around Jake's neck. The Australian regarded his old friend for a minute, then lowered his head in acknowledgement.

"And yourself?"

The gambler smiled, and reached down into his boot. Sean raised his rifle again, just in case. Within moments, Ezra pulled out a rolled up wad of bills, tied tightly with a piece of twine. This he tossed at Jake, who caught it deftly.

"No need to count it, Jake."

The Australian grinned, "I know, Ezzie." The Australian turned to Charlie, who still stood near the fire. The large man sighed, and spoke the first words that Ezra had heard since making his acquaintance. Up until this point, he'd just assumed the large man was mute.

"What are the rules, Jake?" The bald man asked, eyeing Ezra.

"No rules," Jake replied. "First man down. But I expect a clean fight. No cheating, Ez."

The gambler assented with a finger to his hat, then moved away to hang his coat carefully on a convenient branch. He followed this with his tie, then his waistcoat. Finally, he took off his hat and placed it on top. As he rolled up his sleeves, he turned to see that Charlie was already stripped to his waist, and was flexing a set of impossibly large muscles. He favored the smaller man with a large gap-toothed grin.

Willing his stomach to settle, Ezra quietly repeated a little mantra in his head as he finished his task. "The bigger they are, Ezra, the bigger they are…"

_________________________________

Buck was barely conscious when Nathan, Vin and Chris found the two men, flopping in their saddles like rag dolls only a couple of miles from the canyon. Fortunately, a few angry words from the black-clad gunslinger had him awake once more. Within moments, Nathan had Josiah on the ground, assessing his injuries, then turned to check Buck's head.

"Damn, Buck, you have to stop antagonizing people like you do," Nathan berated, to which Buck merely grunted. The healer looked over at Vin and Chris, nodding to tell them it was okay.

"I need to get them home and lying down, but they should be okay. You fellas go on ahead."

Chris nodded, and moved to get back on his horse. Nearby, Vin mimicked him. Buck looked up, placing a hand on Chris's thigh.

"The trail up the canyon is really slick with mud. Be careful, I nearly lost it several times trying to come down." He paused, and let go. "And make sure you bring him back with you," he finished. A slight smile lit upon the older gunslinger's features, and he tapped a finger to his hat. Vin shook his head, and pushed off, his friend right behind.

With difficulty, Nathan got both injured men remounted, and they made their slow way back to town.

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The audible crack as Charlie's fist connected with Ezra's chin echoed across the small space, and the gambler stumbled back several steps. The big man smiled, moving to follow. He slammed another fist into Ezra's face, splitting the gambler's lip. They were the first real punches Charlie had landed, and they were powerful. Shaking his head to clear it, Ezra ducked quickly as Charlie came at him again, and delivered a blow of his own to the man's midsection.

Charlie didn't even flinch.

Instead, he shoved the gambler backwards onto his haunches. The gambler immediately jumped up into a crouch, and this time, as Charlie approached, he dove sideways around him and threw a blow into the small of the man's back with both hands. The huge man fell forward, and a hand went to his back as he slowly turned around.

Ezra, relying on his speed, jumped in again and, with his hands clasped together, put all his force into slamming them across Charlie's jaw before the other man thought to block him. This time Charlie staggered, in which time Ezra hit him again. Charlie fell back, one hand to his aching head, the other in front of him to ward another blow. Ezra used the opening to spin around and send a roundhouse kick to the man's stomach.

"Hey!" the bald man whooshed as the air left him. Ezra closed in, raining blows across the man's head and arms, until Charlie fell backwards onto his own rear. The gambler danced backwards, smiling. Charlie looked up, fixing a deadly glare on the younger man.

Ezra's smile fell.

With deliberate intensity, Charlie regained his feet and gripped his hands into fists. He didn't even looked fazed – merely angry. The gambler shook his head as the behemoth stepped towards him slowly, hands automatically coming up in a defensive posture. With a loud bellow, Charlie charged, and again Ezra ducked. But the big man was ready, and drove the gambler sideways with a well timed blow to the side.

Stumbling, Ezra stayed bent over as Charlie attacked again, trying to get his breath back. This time Charlie drove his fists into the gambler's back, driving the smaller man to the ground. Then he picked Ezra up in his arms and enveloped him in a bear hug, squeezing the air out of him. Black spots appeared in Ezra's vision as he struggled to inflate his lungs, while he fought to free himself. With an action born of desperation, he used his only free limbs, his legs, and kneed Charlie harshly in the groin.

The bald man screamed and dropped Ezra to the ground. In the background, Ezra heard Jake call his name in a reproachful manner. Ignoring him, the gambler struggled to his feet, panting heavily, and looked at Charlie's bent over form. The behemoth returned the angry look, and stood up himself, albeit with great care.

"You're dead," Charlie whispered, advancing slowly with an exaggerated bowlegged walk, arms outstretched. The gambler seemed to simply watch him, as if stunned. Then, at the last second, he dove between Charlie's long legs. As the giant yelled in frustration, his movements still slow from the ungentlemanly blow, Ezra spun around and jumped on his opponent's back, wrapping his arms around the thick neck.

Charlie gasped, his air cut off. Desperately, he clawed at the vice like arms, and spun around in an attempt to dislodge the monkey on his back. As Ezra had felt before, blackness started to impinge on the giant's vision, and his movements became more and more sluggish. Finally, with one last choked gasp, Charlie collapsed face first, unconscious, to the ground.

Ezra held on a few more seconds, just to make sure. Once he was certain Charlie was out, he let go and withdrew from off the man's prostrate form. Trembling slightly, Ezra managed to pull himself back to full height and turned to face Jake, wiping a hand across his split lip in a poor attempt to stop it from bleeding.

Off to the side, Sean stared at the downed Charlie with wide eyes. "Damn," the blond man muttered, absolutely amazed. Part of him wanted to clap. Then he looked over at Jake, and his hands tightened around the rifle at the sight of his master's obvious enmity.

"Well?" Ezra asked of the Australian, once he got his breath back, ignoring the other man's icy expression. He stretched slightly to take some of the ache out of the pain creeping up on him.

"What the hell was that?" came the abrupt reply.

Stopping in his movements, Ezra stared at Jake, his brow furrowing. "That…Jake…was me winning a sapphire from that pouch on your neck."

"I'm not giving you bull crap, kid. You call the a fight? That was a joke!"

Moving to wrap a protective arm around his irritated ribs, Ezra moved forward to glare at the tall man before him. "What are you suggesting, sir?"

"I am suggesting, Ezzie, that what I just had the distaste to witness was more akin to a barroom brawl between some two-bit cheat and his mark than a real fight. Hell, if that is what you've been degraded to, I'm glad I don't own you anymore. You wouldn't last five minutes in a clean fight."

"Oh really?" the gambler retorted, his eyebrows raised. "And what would you know of clean fights, Jake? I took more dives for you than I can remember. And don't think I've forgotten the killings you made off of my hide when you would put me in the ring with freaks twice my size. You'd them rail on me for a couple of rounds, then dope their water. How many fights did I win simply by learning to stay standing longer?" He shook his head, and watched as Jake's face reddened even more deeply with anger. "Only difference now, Jake, is that I have simply learnt how to win without drugging them first. I save more teeth that way." He finished, tapping his gold tooth for emphasis.

"Why you ungrateful little…."

"Ungrateful? Oh that's rich. I'm supposed to be thanking you for how you used me? Tell me something, old friend, how was it possible for me to get Moira pregnant when the closest I ever got to her was a kiss on the cheek?" the gambler demanded sarcastically.

"What?"

"She told me, Jake. She was in love with you. I took the fall for you with her father, let him chase me out of town, so that you could be with her. I should have known you'd fail her."

Jake stood stunned. "You never…?"

Ezra laughed sadly, shaking his head. "I thought you knew me, Jake. I do not take advantage of women, especially when they are in love with my best friend. I thought I was doing a favor for a good man. Well, I know what good men look like now, Jake, and believe me…you are not even in the same category."

"Is that right?" the Australian replied darkly.

"You're not even good enough to clean up after my horse, you odious piece of sewer scum." The gambler punctuated the insult by spitting a mixture of blood and saliva at the man's foot.

Jake's face shut down, his black eyes glittering in the bright firelight. "You always did talk to much Standish….It is Standish now, isn't it?" he mocked. Ezra merely raised an eyebrow in response. Jake smiled nastily, "Well, If I'm sewer scum, I suppose that makes you the sewer rat that I'm about to teach a much deserved lesson in humility." With deliberate intensity, The Australian took off his long oiled duster.

Ezra and Sean watched quietly as Jake folded the coat on a nearby rock. He followed this with the pouch of jewels around his neck, tucking it under the coat, then his guns and belt. Last, he rolled up his sleeves, just as Ezra had done earlier. The whole time, the gambler just watched him, not blinking. Above, the moon held her breath in anticipation.

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Vin plucked the ace of diamonds from the knot in the pine, and dismounted. He could see the light from the blazing fire not far ahead. Chris followed suit, and silently the two men crept forward, leaving their mounts behind. Within minutes, they stood in the same place Ezra had stood in over an hour ago. Vin sucked in a surprised breath.

They saw the blond man called Sean standing off to one side, vaguely pointing a rifle in the direction of the gambler. The huge bald man lay unconscious on the ground near the cliff edge. A muddied and battered looking Ezra stood facing Jake, the two men circling each other in an attempt to size each other up. It was clear what was about to happen.

Vin raised his Winchester up to point at Sean, but Chris laid a stilling hand upon his arm. The black-clad gunslinger shook his head in the half light.

"I'm guessing he planned this. We should let him play the hand out," the leader whispered. "This is his catharsis. Just be ready in case it goes wrong."

Vin nodded once, but didn't lower his bead on the blond man. Chris indicated with a tilt of his head that he was going to creep around to the other side of the clearing, and moved off stealthily. Before long, he was hidden behind the trees near where Ezra and his old master paced.

_____________________________

Jake stopped his movements, and Ezra stopped with him. The Australian shook his head, and grinned. This was going to be fun.

"Tell me, Ezzie, those men you work with, do they trust you?" he asked innocently.

Ezra started slightly, but shook his head. He would not be baited into making the first move. Jake smiled nastily.

"I mean, I certainly never did. You ever wonder why you used to feel a little dizzy whenever I asked you to take a dive? Its because I poured a little opium in your water to make sure you fell when I wanted. Worked pretty well, too, wouldn't you say?"

Ezra shook his head, and willed himself to ignore the taunting. "I thought you were going to fight me, Jake, not blather inanely," he replied menacingly. Jake ignored him.

"Maybe those men don't know you as well as I do, huh, Ezzie? If I were them, I would have guessed you'd planned this little escapade with me. Did they even question you?"

In his hiding place, Chris winced.

"It isn't going to work Jake," Ezra retorted.

"Tell me Ez, didn't it even cross your mind? There is at least $30,000 in that little bag with that Moondrop pendant. All that money, and all you had to do was catch that fool leader of your unawares behind the tavern…." Jake's eyes narrowed. Ezra gritted his teeth.

"Tell me, Ez, what would that preacher man of yours have said had he known what a base man you are?"

This time Ezra visibly flinched. He'd been deliberately trying not to think of Josiah…maybe dying…without him there. Jake smiled, seeing the naked anger on the younger man's face.

"Did he die in your arms, kid? Did you sing him softly to sleep with that sweet voice of yours? Or did you just leave him there to bleed to death?"

"Shut up, Jake!"

Jake grinned. The Australian crouched lower in readiness. Chris licked his lips, and unholstered his gun. This was not going well.

Just one more push, Ezzie, Jake thought. Out loud, he fairly spat his next words. "You left him. Good thing he didn't live long enough to see your true colors after all, huh, Standish? He never even knew you're real name. Lied to, to the end."

"Shut UP!" Ezra yelled, launching himself at the bigger man. Jake deftly stepped aside, slamming Ezra with a two fisted punch to the side identical to the one the gambler had used earlier. Ezra fell instantly to the ground and rolled, groaning. The Australian managed to hit him in almost the same place Charlie had pounded.

Suddenly, Jake was standing over him, kicking him in the stomach, ignoring the gambler's cries as each blow landed. Desperately, Ezra tried to roll away, and almost went over the edge. Jake laughed as the younger man realized his predicament, and somehow managed to dive away, his fingers scrabbling at the mud encrusted earth. As Ezra got back up, Jake charged him, slamming his sideways into the ground again. This time, Ezra landed in the direction of the fire.

Looking up, Ezra reached and picked up a thin log sticking out of the bonfire. As Jake came at him, he climbed to his feet and started swinging it in front of himself, forcing the other man back. With shaking limbs, he looked at the Australian's sinister appearance beyond the edge of the torch as Jake sneered at him. It was like looking at the devil.

"Always a cheater, Ezra," the Australian taunted.

Still hypersensitive, Ezra took the bait. He backed up and dropped the brand back into the fire pit. Jake didn't move, patiently letting the gambler regain his stance. It was obvious from the way he held himself that Ezra was not going to last much longer. Jake was surprised the man was still standing.

"You're still as stubborn as hell, though, aren't you, Ezzie?" Jake credited, amused. Ezra didn't answer. Instead, he crouched down and readied himself for the next attack.

"Give it up, gambler," Sean snapped, his gun pointed towards the ground now. The young blond was getting tired of this game.

"Listen to the kid, Ezra," Jake agreed. "Leave while you still have all your teeth."

Ezra tilted his head, his grin widening until the gold tooth flashed in the firelight. "At least I still have all my balls," he whispered crudely through sore lips.

Jake's eyes widened. "Oh, that's it!" the Australian cried, and came in swinging. Ezra blocked the first punch, but his injuries and all the fights he'd been in today had slowed him down. The Australian landed three solid blows to the gambler's midsection. With a cry, Ezra bent in two and staggered back, again towards the cliff edge. Jake wound up for the final punch, muttering darkly about a waste of good talent. Chris raised his gun.

Suddenly, Ezra grabbed a handful of mud from the ground and slung it into Jake's face, stopping the Australian's advance and causing him to instinctively raise his hands to uncover his eyes. Quickly, the gambler followed the move by falling to the ground and sweeping the older man's feet. Taken completely by surprise, Jake fell backwards bodily into the mud. Ezra was on his feet in seconds, jumping over the older man, and grabbing him by the shirt collar. Still working the mud out of his eyes, Jake growled and tried to release the other man's hold on his shirt, but the grip was like iron. With strength born of pure adrenaline, the gambler heaved Jake up and threw him harshly on his side, causing the older man to skid several feet.

When Jake looked up again, it was to see Ezra standing over him, his bloodied lips curled in derision. The kid didn't even look fazed.

"Get up," Ezra demanded, never blinking.

For the first time, Jake felt fear. He scrambled backwards towards the fire on his rear away from the advancing gambler, and tried to regain his feet. Breathing hard, the Australian licked his lips, stood and threw back his right arm for the punch. Without skipping a step, Ezra threw up his left arm to block the throw, deftly knocking it aside as he drove his own right into the older man's face.

The Australian fell backwards, not even noticing as Ezra clasped both hands together and slammed them across the older man's jaw, once to the left, then to the right, effectively spinning the older man around. The gambler then placed all his weight on his left leg and delivered a solid sideways kick to Jake's exposed back. The Australian staggered away towards the fire, his streaming eyes searching for the same firebrand Ezra had used. But he wasn't fast enough. Ezra grabbed him from behind and threw him sideways. Jake landed face first in the mud, gasping for air.

"You taught me very well, Jake," the gambler heckled, advancing towards his old mentor. "It's amazing how much use I've gotten from being able to stay standing longer." He chuckled slightly at this echo of his earlier statement, and came to a stop a few feet from the downed Australian, his back to the cliff edge, his body back lit by the proud moon.

Jake lifted himself unsteadily onto his arms and knees to get out of the mire, and turned his mud covered face to stare incredulously at the now stick straight gambler. The Australian was shaking as he finally stood up, his arms now wrapped tightly around his stomach. Sensing that the Australian was on the verge of capitulation, Ezra took a couple of steps backwards towards the edge in order to give him some room. Jake shook his head as Ezra moved, seemingly without any of the discomfort the match should have caused him. When the hell had he gotten so fast? With a grin, Ezra raised his fists in an implicit threat.

"No, no more," the Australian gasped, waving a hand in front of him. "You win." He stood up a little straighter, using the same hand to wipe the mud from his face. Ezra backed up another step, his fists unclenching, and dropped the grin. When Jake looked over at him again, the Australian's mouth was set in a thin line, his eyes like granite. Ezra's eyes widened at the unfamiliar gaze.

"Kill him, Sean."

The blond man jerked awake, and suddenly grinned. "Finally!" he shouted, raising the rifle just as Ezra's mouth fell open in disappointment at Jake's betrayal. For all this, the gambler had still not believed that the Australian could kill him. Shutting his eyes, Ezra flinched as a shot echoed across the clearing, then grinned with relief as he heard Sean scream and drop the weapon, his left arm covered in blood.

At the same time, Chris and Vin entered the clearing, both men's guns trained on the blond. Yelling bloody murder, Sean reached for his sidearm, and was blown away by dual shots from the gunslingers.

"What took you!" Ezra laughed, his relief clear on his face, no longer looking at Jake. The Australian wheeled round with wild eyes to stare at the gambler.

"Bastard!" Jake shouted, suddenly charging the younger man. Before either of the others could react, the Australian slammed himself into the con man, driving them both over the edge with a roar.

Dropping his gun, Chris ran to the edge, diving on his belly to catch the men, but he was too slow. Somehow, though, Ezra had managed to fling himself at the wall as he fell, his desperate fingers catching an exposed tree root. Below him, Jake hung from where he clung desperately to the younger man's right leg.

"Ezra!" The Australian shouted from where he hung on desperately. "Help!"

"Vin, rope!" Chris yelled behind him.

Vin ran to Chaucer, who had charged into the clearing at the sound of his master's scream, Ezra's rope tied to his saddle. Nearby, Charlie was waking up groggily, revived by the gunshots. Unthinkingly, the huge bald man grabbed for the tracker that darted past, bringing them both to the ground. Hearing the grunt, Chris turned and drew himself from the edge. Quickly, he pulled out his other Colt and ran to aid Vin. Ezra's eyes widened as he saw Chris disappear. Where…?

"Ezra, help me!" Jake screamed in fear, his hold slipping because of all the mud on his hands and on the gambler's clothes.

"Hold on, Jake!" Ezra yelled back, wrapping the fingers of his left hand more tightly around the root. Letting go with his right, he reached with that hand for the Australian, who tried to catch it with his own. The sound of a gunshot from Chris's colt echoed across the valley, followed by the sound of Charlie bellowing in agony.

"Chris, hurry!" the gambler shouted, as he felt his hold on the root slip. He was forced to grab for it again with his right to keep his purchase.

"NO, EZZIE!" Jake screamed, as he saw the hand go away. "Ezra, please! Don't let me die like this! Please! Not in the middle of nowhere, not like this!" he begged. His fingers gripped the leg more tightly, but it was to no avail. His slipped down until his hands were only holding onto the gambler's boot, and Ezra tried to keep his foot bent inside it. A second gunshot was heard from above, this time from the Winchester, then silence.

"Jake!" Ezra tried to get a better grip with his left, so he could reach down again. "Chris!" he called up. "Hold on, Jake! Please!" His eyes saw the fear on the older man's face, and the tears shining in the moonlight. All at once the Australian's hands slipped, taking Ezra's boot with him.

"NOOOOO!" Ezra howled, instinctively letting go with his right hand again to reach out after his old friend as Jake disappeared screaming into the blackness below. Just then, he felt his left hand begin to lose its purchase as the root pulled out from the earth. "CHRIS!!!!!"

Instantly, the rope was there. He wrapped it around his right wrist just as the root gave away under his left, and held on to the coarse material for all his worth. Chris and Vin pulled him back up to the edge in three great jerks. By the time they got him up, Ezra was shaking so much he could do little more than curl up into a ball. Vin knelt next to him, placing a hand on the gambler's trembling shoulder.

"You okay, pard?" he whispered urgently. He could see Ezra's eyes were tightly closed, and was surprised to see that the gambler was crying. Tears rolled rapidly down his cheeks from beneath his lids, leaving crooked lines through the mud on the normally impeccably clean face.

"Ezra?" Vin tried again, tensing his jaw in worry.

"Please, Mr. Tanner…"Ezra replied so quietly, Vin almost missed it. "Just…give me a minute." Nodding, Vin stood up and looked over at Chris. The gunslinger was by the fire, wiping the blood from his face where Charlie had hit him.

"He okay?" Chris asked. Vin just shrugged and nodded as he wiped some of the blood away from his swelling nose. He was amazed Charlie hadn't broken it. Sighing, Chris looked around him at the two dead outlaws, then to the pile of clothes by the fire. He moved slowly to it and began sifting through, throwing aside the duster disgustedly. Finally, he found his reward, and held up the pouch, still tied with Vin's twine. Silently, he hung the jewels back around his neck. When he looked back up, it was to see Vin still watching the gambler.

"Vin?" The gunslinger asked quietly.

"He's asleep, Chris. Out cold." The tracker looked out across the moonlit expanse of the valley, and sighed. Chris shook his head, and looked at the fire.

"We'll camp here tonight. Take him home in the morning." Whistling, Chris watched as Solon entered the small clearing, followed by Peso. Chaucer whinnied a hello. The gunslinger wandered across to his horse, and pulled out his bedroll and blanket. Tossing them to Vin, he then moved to Peso and pulled out Vin's blanket. Vin had already wrapped Ezra in Chris's blanket when his leader approached with the second. Without a word, Vin took it and repeated the motion. Then the two men gently carried the cocooned gambler over to the fire and laid him down onto Chris's bedroll.

Afterwards, they moved around to clean up the garbage.

__________________________

It was perhaps three a.m. when Ezra jolted awake, feeling extremely disoriented and confused. Vin looked over from where he sat on watch. Ezra looked at him, then seemed to look past him, an odd smile forming on his features. The tracker frowned at the strange expression.

"What?" he asked quietly.

"Behind you. Isn't she beautiful?" came the whispered reply.

Vin turned around, and looked out over the landscape. The moon had fallen in the sky so that she was close to the horizon, and she looked huge in the distorted light. Glowing warmly, she was near to twice her size, and she seemed to be watching the little campfire almost protectively. Vin smiled himself, amazed that someone like Ezra would notice such things as the moon. The he realized that, considering the man's past time, the moon was probably one of his best friends.

When he looked back, Ezra was watching him again, his face creased with sadness.

"Vin…I don't want him to just waste away down there, or end up…a prize for vultures," he coughed, earning him some pangs from his bruised torso.

"Ez…" Vin started.

"Please, Vin. Promise me you'll take care of him for me. Please. You're the only one I trust to do it besides…besides Josiah…." Ezra shut his eyes as pain washed over him again, both physically and mentally. Vin came to crouch next to the gambler, brushing the man's hair out of his face. Ezra looked up, tears in his eyes again. "How…?" he asked.

"Nathan said Josiah should be fine. Buck too. And so will you."

Ezra merely nodded, blinking the irritating wetness away. Vin watched protectively as his friend succumbed again to the blackness of sleep.

___________________________

Josiah tossed fitfully in the clinic, mostly delirious and calling worriedly for Ezra, the fever from the infected wound keeping complete consciousness at bay for almost two days. Finally, the fever broke, and he awakened slowly to the sound of quiet voices, complemented by soft snoring from something warm lying on his chest. Blinking, he lifted his left arm to his face and found Ezra sleeping slumped forward in a chair, his head resting near the preacher's heart.

"Josiah?" Nathan whispered, smiling as he approached the bed. Chris came up behind him, sporting a huge bruise at his mouth.

"How do you feel?" the gunslinger asked, quietly.

"Terrible," the preacher rumbled back, also whispering. "But better for seeing him here," he added, bringing the hand to rest lightly on the gambler's head. When the gambler didn't stir at the touch, Josiah looked questioningly at Nathan, who shrugged.

"He needed to sleep, so I slipped him a little something. He got pretty beat up by those men, but he's healing." He stepped away, and came back with a tin cup of water. Josiah drank the few drops Nathan allowed him greedily, licking his parched lips.

"Thank you, Brother," Josiah smiled slightly, "from both of us." He was stroking Ezra's head, and the gambler nestled his head closer to the preacher.

___________________________

Several days later, the Judge arrived in town on the late afternoon stage to find all seven men waiting for him. He noted Josiah sitting in a rocking chair in front of the saloon, wrapped in a heavy blanket and nursing a large glass of water. Ezra stood next to him, leaning against a post with his arms crossed, his face tired and bruised. Buck leaned against the hitching post, the white bandage around his head obvious under the large buckskin hat. Vin stood over by the jail with a swollen nose, his Winchester cradled in his arm, and Mary by his side. Chris and JD stood in the street near the stage, the boy's arm in a sling. Chris sported a nasty red bruise near his mouth. Only Nathan, standing on the other side of Josiah, appeared unscathed.

"Quiet week?" Orrin asked.

Chris merely shook his head, a crooked smile on his face. With deliberate care, he lifted the bag of jewels from around his neck and handed them over. The Judge smiled, thanking him. Then, as Chris turned to walk away, the judge stopped him.

"Oh, wait, Mr. Larabee. I'll need an escort to Bitter Creek, where a small regiment of cavalry will meet me to get me back to the territorial seat," he explained. In the background, the others shared a pained look. JD just groaned.

Chris turned back to face his boss, his expression blank.

"Well, then," he nodded solemnly, "I wish you luck on finding someone, Judge," and turned to head back to the saloon where Ezra, Nathan and Josiah had already gone. The Judge's face fell, and he turned to look at JD, but the boy was gone, jogging over to join Buck as the ladies man walked slowly towards the boarding house. Vin had disappeared into the jail, leaving only Mary. The judge's daughter-in-law giggled uncontrollably where she still stood, a huge grin on her face as she witnessed his flabbergasted expression.

Above them, the sun blazed brightly, proudly. She winked at his sister moon near the horizon, and the white lady winked back from her hiding place, awaiting her moment to rise again. The clouds sighed in exasperation at their childishness, and floated stately on.

And so it goes.

End.