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Wizards, Whiskey and Wonderful Things - Concluded
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2047461" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter Nine, “A Very Short Trip”, Friday, March 10th, 1882, 9:00 A.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Gonzales says, "We're pushing the weight limit of this spell at this point. I probably should have had you become Tex after we got there. Should still be okay though." He gets the brazier going and takes out some powder. He then adds, "And be ready to draw fast if you have to. There shouldn't be anyone where I'm taking us, but you never know." He drops the powder in and a cloud of pink smoke encircles them as he states the incantation and motions with his arms. </p><p></p><p>The four reappear elsewhere, in a spot that is not the Lucky Lady. They are in a small box canyon, with rock walls on three sides around them and an upward slope out on the other side. The canyon is twenty-feet from side to side and forty feet deep. There is light vegetation. Jake is the first to hear a rattling sound and sees the snake on the ground preparing to strike, around a foot behind 'Louise'.</p><p></p><p>Jake doesn't hesitate a moment or look around. He quick draws his Colt and fires at the snake until it's dead. Jake's second shot successfully kills the snake. Unfortunately his first shot goes through Ruby's leg, causing severe damage, and she falls to the ground. </p><p></p><p>Nanuet exclaims, "Damn it! I could have saved that animal. It was just startled, we bothered it by just showing up here is all." Ruby falls to the ground, cursing her head off. "OOOWWwwww, getting bit by a snake might have been better!" Ruby screamed</p><p></p><p>Nanuet exclaims, "Jake, what the hell did you do?" The brazier is still going and Manuel immediately casts his remaining teleport spell, bringing them all back to the Lucky Lady. </p><p></p><p>Gonzales stops Nanuet from casting the spell until he reaches over and removes the necktie, transforming the Indian back including his necklace. He does the same with Ruby's hairclip. He says, "Without you holy symbol it would have been less effective. We also need to see the real her." Ruby pulled her skirt up high, enough to see the wound. After seeing the wound Ruby turned pale and tried not to get sick. Nanuet casts his most powerful healing spell that he had memorized for the day. The broken bone, ruined muscle begin to heal, and some of the blood flows back into the wound. The wound seals over. A pool of blood remains on the floor.</p><p></p><p>Jake doesn't get in the way while Nanuet heals her, but watches intently without a word. As the spell begins to work, he walks over to the bar and grabs a bottle of whiskey. On the walk back he has a drink himself and puts the bottle on the table next to Ruby. "I'm sorry.” he says without meeting her eyes and walks a few feet away.</p><p></p><p>Ruby looks at her leg again, the wound healing partially, and calms down a bit. She reaches up from the floor to grab the bottle and she takes a very long gulp. She looks at Jake, "You know, if you wanted to look up my skirt you could have just asked." Ruby gives Jake a small smile. "It's ok, you probably just saved my life."</p><p></p><p>Gonzales removes the "Mr. Austin" glasses and takes the ring back from Jake. "Well, I guess scouting out Tombstone is out for today." He gestures to her leg and says "We had to get back to take care of that, plus we were near the town so the shots would have been heard." Nanuet comments, "Well if we aren't doing any more adventuring today then I can do a few more healing prayers to help your leg." "That's ok, Nanuet, save your spells. It's just sore now.” </p><p></p><p>Ruby says, “But, um, someone want to help me up? I don't like the view from the floor." Nanuet says, "Mr. Jake, I believe that is your duty. Don't want to be stepping on anybody's toes." Jake walks over towards Ruby and bends down. "Yes," he replies mirthlessly, "I would imagine she'd be pretty upset if you stepped on her toes after I shot her in the leg." He picks her up and places her gently on the nearest chair. He sits down behind her. Mr. Jake, you can find humor in any situation can't you?" Nanuet says with a chuckle. "So, Miss Ruby, should I try and use some more healing on you?"</p><p></p><p>Ruby sits for a few minutes quietly drinking. She turns to Nanuet. "Thank you, we're lucky to have you around. And you did a good job." She sees Jake sitting quietly and adds, "Look, I feel much better." She stands, cautiously at first but then with some confidence. "I can walk around just fine. I just need to rest it a bit. No dancing for me tonight." She walks over to Jake and sits in one of her favorite spots, on his lap and kisses him. "I guess we'll just have to find something to do where I'm off my feet instead," she smiles at him. "Any ideas?"</p><p></p><p>Nanuet says, "I don't know where you two find the strength! I am glad I could help. The gift of healing is a great one and I am lucky to have been given the chance to use that gift. I only hope that I am around when you need me." "Strength?" Ruby says innocently, "Strength for what?" </p><p>"Yes, I hope you'll be around to keep saving our butts too. Why don't you move in here then so we can keep you close?"</p><p></p><p>He replies, "Well, I did buy into that ranch, but I am not sure how much of that is really mine any more since I spent most of my free time doing your construction while the others were building it up. You sure you still got room around here? Seems like this place might get a little crowded. Oh, and don't play coy, you know what the strength comment was all about." "Coy? Me? Never. Yes we have room for you or I wouldn't have asked. By the way, can you make coffee?" Ruby gives him a big grin.</p><p></p><p>Nanuet replies, “Thanks for your offer, I will consider it. Yes, I can make coffee, but based on what I found in the kitchen this morning someone else is having difficulty. That stuff damn near killed me! I'll go make a fresh pot and see if I can't clean up some of that mess while I am waiting for it to brew." Ruby says nothing, just keeps the angelic smile on.</p><p></p><p>Gonzales gets some water to put out the fire in the brazier and then repack his things in the box. He says, "You may want to talk to that halfling about information instead, he said he was heading back to Tombstone tonight." "What kind of information do you want us to get? Half Pint will tell us anything he knows." </p><p></p><p>Gonzales replies "Yeah, he has loose lips. That isn't the problem. We don't want him telling other people that we were asking. Basically, we need to find out things about Morgan's schedule if we want to ever get him alone without any of his brothers for them to have that conversation. And we have to do it in such a way that he doesn't suspect magic use, unless you're planning to kill him afterwards."</p><p></p><p>Ruby says, Well, I don't plan on killing Morgan Earp, I really feel like this is Kate's thing and she needs to make the decisions. But you know, Nanuet is right. Kate hasn't asked us to help her, maybe she doesn't want us to help her. And I thought she decided she was going to try getting over it." Ruby sighs, "But I can't stand to see her so angry and upset, just when she was moving on. I'll talk to Chumbley today and see what I can find out." </p><p></p><p>Ruby glances around the room. "You know, we'd better get that," she says pointing to the puddle of blood, "Cleaned up before it sets in. And now I definitely need a bath and a clean outfit." She turns back to Jake. "Will you come with me to the bathhouse?"</p><p></p><p>Jake hadn't answered Ruby so she figured she was on her own. She got off his lap and made her way back up to their room. She took off her dress and examined it, the hole and bloodstains. It had taken her and Kate a considerable amount of time and magic to repair her leather pants from the last time she got shot. But then again, they were both a little better now with controlling their skills with magic. Ruby threw the dress and her underclothes in the corner and started getting dressed again. </p><p></p><p>She stood in front of the mirror staring at the scabbed over bullet hole, the dried blood and she sighed. This was going to cause a bruise, probably worse than the last. She struggled with getting her corset on and she realized how tired she was. Staying up late, waking up early, getting shot? Who knew. She needed Mr. Gonzales tea. Instead of continuing to get dressed she laid on the bed and pushed her thoughts away. Maybe she wouldn't sleep but at least she would rest.</p><p></p><p>Ruby was talking to him but he didn't really hear her. He felt numb. He watched her get up and climb the stairs, favoring one leg. Jake sat there for a few minutes ignoring anybody else in the room. "I can't believe I shot her." The words come out of his mouth without expression. He gets up, kicks a chair over and walks out of the saloon. </p><p></p><p>Mechanically, he goes to see Mitchell Berg. He makes small talk with him and then gives him $100. "Will you take that as a retainer? You predicted that one of these days I'll need your services. I hope you are wrong, but if I'm going to be a good customer I should listen to my lawyer. Have that cover Miss West too." Before he goes he asks Berg, "Do you know who owned the Palace before Adair won it in a card game?" </p><p></p><p>He replies, "Spencer Jordan, a card shark from California. He moved on after that." </p><p></p><p>After visiting with Berg, Jake goes to the El Parador barn and gets his horse. He rides him hard out of town to the area he normally does target practice. He ties off his horse, sets up a small target and quick draws several times. Miss. Miss. Miss. He notices that his hands are shaking. Jake leans his head back and looks at the sky for several long moments before he suddenly screams. He then stomps around abandoning his legendary cool, kicking stones and trees, cursing, and yelling. Panting, he finally stops. Leaning forward, his hands on his knees, his breathing slowly comes back to normal. </p><p></p><p>Jake spends the next few minutes collecting bits of wood to use as targets. He arrays them around him on rocks, trees and cactus. Then he stands motionless in the middle with the flap of the duster tucked behind his holster. Without any outward sign his hand flashes past his holster, his gun comes away in a fluid motion, his left hand meets the right, the hammer is fanned while trigger is squeezed, BANG, and the stick splinters. Again. Again. Again. This goes on until through several reloads. He misses a few times, but not many. </p><p></p><p>With one bullet left in the cylinder he stops and takes a silver dollar out of his pocket. He walks over to a mesquite tree and nestles it among the branches at eye level. He walks away from it steadily when without warning he spins. The duster flies open revealing his holster, the draw is a blur, hands meet gun, BANG, and a flicker of silver flees the tree to be lost in the desert. Silver Jake Cook looks out over that portion of desert for a while before he transfers the last of his bullets from the long barrel Colt to the fast draw Colt. </p><p></p><p>By the time Ruby makes it downstairs she is starving. She enters the kitchen to get herself some lunch and sees Maria cooking. "You're going to have to show me again how to make the coffee," Ruby sighs. Maria thinks to herself "Again? I never showed you before!" She grabs a plate and heads out to the main room. She takes a seat alone at the bar. "Niles, did you ever have one of those days?" Ruby doesn't look up at him as he gives her a whiskey. "Thanks," she says throwing it back.</p><p></p><p>Jake’s ride back to town is more leisurely. After dropping off his horse he walks back to the Lucky Lady. He stands outside looking at the sign for a moment. "I wonder if she was lucky today." He walks in and sees Ruby. "Hi. I really am sorry."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 2047461, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter Nine, “A Very Short Trip”, Friday, March 10th, 1882, 9:00 A.M.[/B] Gonzales says, "We're pushing the weight limit of this spell at this point. I probably should have had you become Tex after we got there. Should still be okay though." He gets the brazier going and takes out some powder. He then adds, "And be ready to draw fast if you have to. There shouldn't be anyone where I'm taking us, but you never know." He drops the powder in and a cloud of pink smoke encircles them as he states the incantation and motions with his arms. The four reappear elsewhere, in a spot that is not the Lucky Lady. They are in a small box canyon, with rock walls on three sides around them and an upward slope out on the other side. The canyon is twenty-feet from side to side and forty feet deep. There is light vegetation. Jake is the first to hear a rattling sound and sees the snake on the ground preparing to strike, around a foot behind 'Louise'. Jake doesn't hesitate a moment or look around. He quick draws his Colt and fires at the snake until it's dead. Jake's second shot successfully kills the snake. Unfortunately his first shot goes through Ruby's leg, causing severe damage, and she falls to the ground. Nanuet exclaims, "Damn it! I could have saved that animal. It was just startled, we bothered it by just showing up here is all." Ruby falls to the ground, cursing her head off. "OOOWWwwww, getting bit by a snake might have been better!" Ruby screamed Nanuet exclaims, "Jake, what the hell did you do?" The brazier is still going and Manuel immediately casts his remaining teleport spell, bringing them all back to the Lucky Lady. Gonzales stops Nanuet from casting the spell until he reaches over and removes the necktie, transforming the Indian back including his necklace. He does the same with Ruby's hairclip. He says, "Without you holy symbol it would have been less effective. We also need to see the real her." Ruby pulled her skirt up high, enough to see the wound. After seeing the wound Ruby turned pale and tried not to get sick. Nanuet casts his most powerful healing spell that he had memorized for the day. The broken bone, ruined muscle begin to heal, and some of the blood flows back into the wound. The wound seals over. A pool of blood remains on the floor. Jake doesn't get in the way while Nanuet heals her, but watches intently without a word. As the spell begins to work, he walks over to the bar and grabs a bottle of whiskey. On the walk back he has a drink himself and puts the bottle on the table next to Ruby. "I'm sorry.” he says without meeting her eyes and walks a few feet away. Ruby looks at her leg again, the wound healing partially, and calms down a bit. She reaches up from the floor to grab the bottle and she takes a very long gulp. She looks at Jake, "You know, if you wanted to look up my skirt you could have just asked." Ruby gives Jake a small smile. "It's ok, you probably just saved my life." Gonzales removes the "Mr. Austin" glasses and takes the ring back from Jake. "Well, I guess scouting out Tombstone is out for today." He gestures to her leg and says "We had to get back to take care of that, plus we were near the town so the shots would have been heard." Nanuet comments, "Well if we aren't doing any more adventuring today then I can do a few more healing prayers to help your leg." "That's ok, Nanuet, save your spells. It's just sore now.” Ruby says, “But, um, someone want to help me up? I don't like the view from the floor." Nanuet says, "Mr. Jake, I believe that is your duty. Don't want to be stepping on anybody's toes." Jake walks over towards Ruby and bends down. "Yes," he replies mirthlessly, "I would imagine she'd be pretty upset if you stepped on her toes after I shot her in the leg." He picks her up and places her gently on the nearest chair. He sits down behind her. Mr. Jake, you can find humor in any situation can't you?" Nanuet says with a chuckle. "So, Miss Ruby, should I try and use some more healing on you?" Ruby sits for a few minutes quietly drinking. She turns to Nanuet. "Thank you, we're lucky to have you around. And you did a good job." She sees Jake sitting quietly and adds, "Look, I feel much better." She stands, cautiously at first but then with some confidence. "I can walk around just fine. I just need to rest it a bit. No dancing for me tonight." She walks over to Jake and sits in one of her favorite spots, on his lap and kisses him. "I guess we'll just have to find something to do where I'm off my feet instead," she smiles at him. "Any ideas?" Nanuet says, "I don't know where you two find the strength! I am glad I could help. The gift of healing is a great one and I am lucky to have been given the chance to use that gift. I only hope that I am around when you need me." "Strength?" Ruby says innocently, "Strength for what?" "Yes, I hope you'll be around to keep saving our butts too. Why don't you move in here then so we can keep you close?" He replies, "Well, I did buy into that ranch, but I am not sure how much of that is really mine any more since I spent most of my free time doing your construction while the others were building it up. You sure you still got room around here? Seems like this place might get a little crowded. Oh, and don't play coy, you know what the strength comment was all about." "Coy? Me? Never. Yes we have room for you or I wouldn't have asked. By the way, can you make coffee?" Ruby gives him a big grin. Nanuet replies, “Thanks for your offer, I will consider it. Yes, I can make coffee, but based on what I found in the kitchen this morning someone else is having difficulty. That stuff damn near killed me! I'll go make a fresh pot and see if I can't clean up some of that mess while I am waiting for it to brew." Ruby says nothing, just keeps the angelic smile on. Gonzales gets some water to put out the fire in the brazier and then repack his things in the box. He says, "You may want to talk to that halfling about information instead, he said he was heading back to Tombstone tonight." "What kind of information do you want us to get? Half Pint will tell us anything he knows." Gonzales replies "Yeah, he has loose lips. That isn't the problem. We don't want him telling other people that we were asking. Basically, we need to find out things about Morgan's schedule if we want to ever get him alone without any of his brothers for them to have that conversation. And we have to do it in such a way that he doesn't suspect magic use, unless you're planning to kill him afterwards." Ruby says, Well, I don't plan on killing Morgan Earp, I really feel like this is Kate's thing and she needs to make the decisions. But you know, Nanuet is right. Kate hasn't asked us to help her, maybe she doesn't want us to help her. And I thought she decided she was going to try getting over it." Ruby sighs, "But I can't stand to see her so angry and upset, just when she was moving on. I'll talk to Chumbley today and see what I can find out." Ruby glances around the room. "You know, we'd better get that," she says pointing to the puddle of blood, "Cleaned up before it sets in. And now I definitely need a bath and a clean outfit." She turns back to Jake. "Will you come with me to the bathhouse?" Jake hadn't answered Ruby so she figured she was on her own. She got off his lap and made her way back up to their room. She took off her dress and examined it, the hole and bloodstains. It had taken her and Kate a considerable amount of time and magic to repair her leather pants from the last time she got shot. But then again, they were both a little better now with controlling their skills with magic. Ruby threw the dress and her underclothes in the corner and started getting dressed again. She stood in front of the mirror staring at the scabbed over bullet hole, the dried blood and she sighed. This was going to cause a bruise, probably worse than the last. She struggled with getting her corset on and she realized how tired she was. Staying up late, waking up early, getting shot? Who knew. She needed Mr. Gonzales tea. Instead of continuing to get dressed she laid on the bed and pushed her thoughts away. Maybe she wouldn't sleep but at least she would rest. Ruby was talking to him but he didn't really hear her. He felt numb. He watched her get up and climb the stairs, favoring one leg. Jake sat there for a few minutes ignoring anybody else in the room. "I can't believe I shot her." The words come out of his mouth without expression. He gets up, kicks a chair over and walks out of the saloon. Mechanically, he goes to see Mitchell Berg. He makes small talk with him and then gives him $100. "Will you take that as a retainer? You predicted that one of these days I'll need your services. I hope you are wrong, but if I'm going to be a good customer I should listen to my lawyer. Have that cover Miss West too." Before he goes he asks Berg, "Do you know who owned the Palace before Adair won it in a card game?" He replies, "Spencer Jordan, a card shark from California. He moved on after that." After visiting with Berg, Jake goes to the El Parador barn and gets his horse. He rides him hard out of town to the area he normally does target practice. He ties off his horse, sets up a small target and quick draws several times. Miss. Miss. Miss. He notices that his hands are shaking. Jake leans his head back and looks at the sky for several long moments before he suddenly screams. He then stomps around abandoning his legendary cool, kicking stones and trees, cursing, and yelling. Panting, he finally stops. Leaning forward, his hands on his knees, his breathing slowly comes back to normal. Jake spends the next few minutes collecting bits of wood to use as targets. He arrays them around him on rocks, trees and cactus. Then he stands motionless in the middle with the flap of the duster tucked behind his holster. Without any outward sign his hand flashes past his holster, his gun comes away in a fluid motion, his left hand meets the right, the hammer is fanned while trigger is squeezed, BANG, and the stick splinters. Again. Again. Again. This goes on until through several reloads. He misses a few times, but not many. With one bullet left in the cylinder he stops and takes a silver dollar out of his pocket. He walks over to a mesquite tree and nestles it among the branches at eye level. He walks away from it steadily when without warning he spins. The duster flies open revealing his holster, the draw is a blur, hands meet gun, BANG, and a flicker of silver flees the tree to be lost in the desert. Silver Jake Cook looks out over that portion of desert for a while before he transfers the last of his bullets from the long barrel Colt to the fast draw Colt. By the time Ruby makes it downstairs she is starving. She enters the kitchen to get herself some lunch and sees Maria cooking. "You're going to have to show me again how to make the coffee," Ruby sighs. Maria thinks to herself "Again? I never showed you before!" She grabs a plate and heads out to the main room. She takes a seat alone at the bar. "Niles, did you ever have one of those days?" Ruby doesn't look up at him as he gives her a whiskey. "Thanks," she says throwing it back. Jake’s ride back to town is more leisurely. After dropping off his horse he walks back to the Lucky Lady. He stands outside looking at the sign for a moment. "I wonder if she was lucky today." He walks in and sees Ruby. "Hi. I really am sorry." [/QUOTE]
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