𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓪 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓽, 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓮. 𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓱.
Elle looks up and sees the three men in front of her. She bit her lower lip while trying to stay calm. Ike, leans over the table next to Morgan, Elle can smell the alcohol radiating off of him.
"Listen now, Mr. Kansas Law Dog." Ike started, leaning closer to Wyatt. "Law don't go around here. Savvy?"
"I'm retired." Wyatt spoke with no hesitation. Johnny Ringo eyed Elle and she did the same. They both knew, it had clicked for both of them.
Elle walked behind Wyatt and stood next to Doc Holliday, who on his left, was Kate holding a drink in her black laced hands. Doc stood there unamused himself, drinking the alcohol Kate had given him. Ike then threatened Wyatt again, telling him that law did not work in Tombstone. While this was happening, Wyatt was dealing the cards of which Curly Bill had played.
"Yeah, I heard you the first time. " Wyatt flipped some cards, "Winner to the king. Five hundred dollars."
Curly Bill's mouth hung open for a moment and he chuckled. "Shut up Ike." Morgan placed the money on the table and Curly Bill took it. Bill then looked up and caught the eyes of Elle.
Gasping to himself then laughing he spoke, "Well, it's the boy from saloon yesterday."
"Or should we say, lady!" Ike chimed in. Elle stuck her nose up at the men, with no expression on her face.
"Well who knew such a wild thing could turn out to be such a-" Curly Bill gestured to her all dressed up. "beautiful flower."
"You clean up good minx." Ringo said smirking at her. The three men laughed at the women.
Elle felt rage build up in here, she wanted to jump the table and shoot the men in their boots. But she didn't, she stood there, a burning need to kill the men. Doc Holliday and Wyatt exchanged a glance and then looked at Ellanora, as if steam was coming out of her ears. The girl stayed silent, she wanted to say something, but words escaped her in the middle of her anger.
"And you must be Doc Holliday." Ringo said looking at Doc.
The drunk man coughed and before taking a sip of his drink said "That's the rumour."
"You retired too?" Ringo asked, almost as if to mock the ill man.
"Not me," Doc put his glass down from his face and gave Ringo a wide eyed look, "I'm in my prime." He coughed again.
"Yeah, you look it." Ringo mumbled. He looked over at Elle who had fire in her eyes.
"Uh you must be Ringo, look Darlin'," Doc turned to Elle first, then saw she wasn't Kate and turned to the dark haired women. "It's Johnny Ringo." He drunkenly said.
"The deadliest pistoleer since Wild Bill, What do you think, darlin', should I hate him?" He hazily looked at Kate who smirked at her lover.
"You don't even know him." She spoke slyly.
"No. but... I don't know, there's just somethin' about him." Doc said eyeing Ringo, whom had glanced at Elle again.
Elle at this point was reaching, slowly but carefully, to her small purse. She had placed her gun in it before she had left with Virgil and Allie to the show. Thankful she did, she slowly placed it in her hand, covering it with the multitude of fabrics from her dress.
"Somethin' 'round the eyes. I don't know." Doc narrowed his eyes at Ringo, "Reminds me of... me." The air became thick with tension, Doc watching Ringo, Wyatt reaching for the gun under the faro table, Elle holding her gun behind her puffy dress, everyone waited. Everyone watched.
"No. I'm sure of it," Doc said breaking the silence, "I hate him."
"He's drunk." Wyatt said leaning his arm out on the table.
"In vino veritas." Doc mumbled in a language Elle vaguely recognized. He put his cup to his lips and took another sip.
"Age quod agis." Johnny Ringo spoke in return. Doc looked up from his drink and paused, he then spoke another few words in Latin and Ringo replied the same way.
At this point Fred White had stood next to Morgan Earp, watching the red sashes carefully. "Come on, boys, we don't want any trouble in here, not in any language." He said trying to cool the air.
"That's Latin, darlin'." Doc said looking at Kate, "Evidently, Mr. Ringo's an educated man." Doc coughed again, and before taking another sip he said, "Now I really hate him."
In a whirlwind Ringo pulled out his silver gun, and Elle matched him. Ringo pointed the gun at Holliday's head, while Elle aimed hers at Ringo's. He looked at Elle for a second, watching as he eyes never left his, she was ready to shoot, ready to kill.
Doc Holliday on the other hand, seemed unfazed. The only people who seemed worried was the crowd in the bar, who gasped as the two pulled their guns out. Doc shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked at Elle, who dare not take her eyes off the man in front of her.
"Easy Johnny." Bill said patting his back.
Ringo took his gaze away from Doc, now locking with the crystal blue ones, her expression hard as the cold ground in winter, she didn't flinch a muscle.
"I hear he's real fast." Curly Bill said again, not referring to Ellanora, but Doc Holliday.
Ringo slowly put his gun down as Elle kept hers aimed for his head. "Ellanora." Wyatt whispered from his seat. She hesitated for a moment, before lowering her gun to her side.
Ringo then started to flip his gun around, showing off his tricks with death in his hands. The saloon whooped and cheered as he flipped the silver gun around. Finally putting it away, he smirked and looked at Doc Holliday, as if to rub in his face that he was a better guns man then Holliday.
Doc swallowed the last bit of alcohol from his small tin cup and started twirling it around like Ringo. His eyes grew wide as if to make fun of the cowboy. Moving it between his fingers, he finally finished earning a laugh from Wyatt and Morgan, and the rest of the crowd. Curly Bill then laughed himself and patted Ringo to follow him, Ike followed close behind.
Before turning to follow Bill, Ringo locked eyes with the women again, her face still, but her eyes held anger. Ringo clenched his jaw before turning where Curly Bill threw his money up and yelled "Drinks on me!" Which sent the crowd into a roar.
Elle finally breathed, not realizing she was hiding her breath. She closed her eyes and then rolled her shoulders, realizing how tense she had gotten. She looked over at Holliday who looked as his he was analyzing her. He had watched her sigh and close her eyes. But he was more impressed at the fact that she pulled a gun on Johnny Ringo without hesitation. Elle caught his eye and turned away as Fred White spoke.
"Gettin' kinda spooky around here." He said leaning towards Wyatt.
"Curly Bill, huh?" Morgan questioned. Fred nodded to the boy.
Wyatt started to mix cards, "who was that other idiot?"
"Ike Clanton." Fred said. Wyatt nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Elle suddenly felt tired, she was tired of this dress, tired of the atmosphere, tired of this town. Rubbing her temple, she excused herself from the table. Brushing past Doc and Kate, she made her way into the dark street, the moon lighting her path.
"Miss Raycroft!" A voice yelled from behind. Running up to her was Wyatt Earp. He stopped in front of her. "Listen, I know you don't want to stay in Tombstone any longer then you have too," he gave a sigh, as if to catch his breath, "But I was talking with Virgil and Morgan, and we'd like you to stay."
"Wyatt-" she groaned.
"We could use your help with the faro game, we can cut the earns so you can get some of the cash." Wyatt said, trying to convince her to stay.
"I can't." She said plainly.
"Why not, this town has everything. Money, a home, friends who care for you. Why leave it all?" Wyatt begged.
Elle looked at the man. She didn't have an answer, she didn't have a home, any friends. She couldn't get attached to anyone. Not again. "I'm sorry Mr. Warp. I can't." She said frowning.
Elle then turned away and walked back to the Grand Hotel, leaving Wyatt in the middle of the street to wonder what this woman was running from.