•Tombstone• Brothers Under The Sun

Prologue

Her breath caught in her throat as she turned the corner to see him standing there with his gun out, ready to shoot whatever came near him. She quickly turned back and hid behind the building, leaning out to watch as he whistled. He taunting her. She looked around the street to see people hiding in the nearby buildings and shops, they watched in silence as the man continued to call her name.

"Oh Ellanora, dear oh dear, Ella." His voice echoed off the buildings in the empty street.

She peeked her head out again and saw him facing away from her, he then quickly turned around and saw her peeking out from behind the building. He pulled his gun from his side and shot at her, just missing her and hitting the wood of the building next to her face. She pulled herself out from peeking into the street and heard him call again.

"Oh come now darlin', you can't hide from dear old Peter the Quick."

"What a pathetic name," she thought, grinning to herself. She knew he was walking closer as she heard the sand crunch under his boots, making her glance around the alleyway she was hiding in.

Peter slowly made his way towards the alleyway where the women hid, getting his gun ready he turned the corner and not a soul was there. He slumped his shoulders down as he peeked further into the dark alley, but no one was there. Suddenly a yell came from above and Ellanora jumped down on the older man, causing his gun to fall from his grasp. The women scrambled to her feet and he turned to lay on his back, groaning in pain.

Looking down at the man, now covered in dust, she put her boot on his chest and applied some pressure. "Not so quick now, eh Peter?" she smirked.

"Why you little-"

"Oh give it a rest, I won that game fair and square, just lay off." She took her boot off of his chest and turned to walk out into the street.

"This isn't over." He groaned out.

She laughed into the air and turned back around to meet the gaze of the barrel of Peter's gun. She looked at the gun and then up at Peter. "You wouldn't shoot me." She taunted.

"I could shoot a lady," Peter growled.

"You think I'm a lady? Well now, I think your ideas of a lady are wrong." she scuffed rolling her eyes.

Peter clicked his gun and pointed it closer to her head. She swallowed her anxiety and at the moment, pulled out her gun from her holster, pulled the trigger and watched the eyes of the man grow wide.  He fell to the ground and a puff of sand surrounded him and his breathing got heavy. A few men in black came running down the dirt road with guns out, they stopped once they saw Ella standing over the dead body of Peter.

"He's not dead, he'll be fine." She says putting her gun away and raising her hands in defence.

"Take him to Doctor Clarke." The tallest man said.

He looked at the young women and was surprised to see a woman in pants. Elle was used to this. Men always questioned her and said that "pants are not ladies, you should be wearing a bustle and some fancy dresses". She watched as the man in black put his gun away. She glanced at his chest and saw a silver star, he was a lawman. She sighed and waited for him to speak first.

"I'm gonna have to take you down to my office and ask you a few questions." His voice dripped in a southern accent.

She nodded and he led her down the road and into a small building. As they walked into the sheriff's building, she could see people coming out of stores and going about their day, as if Ella hadn't just shot a man in the middle of the street.  The building was old, probably older than what she was. Two small holding cells and one small desk with one chair on each side is what held it's place in the old wooden building. The man sat on the other side of his desk and offered Elle a seat, she choose to stand.

"Listen, Marshall -"

"Earp, Virgil Earp." he softly smiled at her.

She hesitated. Normally lawmen are nice to her so she was hesitant to continue this conversation. "I ain't done nothin' wrong."

"Why don't you tell me what happened." Virgil leaned back in his chair and lig a cigar. He shook his hand to extinguish the match in his hand. Flicked it to the ground and looked up at Elle so she could explain her story. Elle sighed. Rolling her eyes she explained.

"I was in a game of poker with Peter, he lost, I took his money. He went on a little rant, then got violent. He pulled a gun so I ran. I'm not one to start fights over a silly game of poker, Mr. Earp." Virgil nodded at her, Elle took that as her okay to continue. "Listen, Peter has been causin' trouble here, I know. He just couldn't handle having a woman beat him in a man's game."

"So you shot him?"

"But he shot first, in my defence, that's alright." Elle said putting her hands up.

Virgil stood up from his chair, Elle finally got a good look at him. He wore a dark brown trench coat which made him float like a ghost. He wore a dark grey vest under his coat, all to top it off, a dark hat covering his face. His face was long, wrinkled. He's definitely seen some stuff in his lifetime. His big moustache was starting to turn white with his older age.

"Alright," Virgil sighed, "I won't charge you, you seemed to be in the clear."

"What?" Elle questioned, kind of shocked.

"What's your name darling?" He suddenly asked.

"Ellanora Raycroft, why do you ask?" she squinted up at the man.

"Your fast with a gun, where did you learn to shot it?"

"Are you going to arrest me or somethin'?" Elle asked folding her arms over her chest.

"I want you to join my team."

"Team? As in, a man of the law?"

"Yes, a peacekeeper in this dragged town." Virgil stiffed a laugh.

"I can't, I'm a woman. Women don't work for the law." She said turning away from him.

"You could be the first." He offered.

Elle shook her head no. She couldn't. "I never meant to cause an uproar here, Mr. Earp. I just want to spend my days doing what I do."

"Which is what, if I may be so bold to ask?" Virgil leaned forward on his boots a little.

Elle turned back and looked at the man, her face soft, then sadness washed over her. "I'm merely a traveller sir, nothing more, nothing less. I do not belong in the world of law.

Virgil nodded, "Well, it was wonderful to meet you, Miss Raycroft." Virgil said putting his hand out for her to shake it. Elle looked at his hand and then back up at the man. Smiling she shook it, his big rough hand in her small soft one.

They let go and she nodded her head at him, she walked out of the building and walked down into the road. She turned back to see Virgil standing in the room way watching her. "Thank you," she said.

He nodded and smiled, "Until we met again Miss."

"Hopefully not too soon." She joked, he gave a hearty laugh.

But it wouldn't be too long until the two would soon cross paths again.