TITLE: Snow Angels
CHALLENGE: Show me Mother Nature, at her best, her worst, the raw elements must figure into the storyline almost like a character unto itself. Whether it is heavy rain showers, twisters, flash floods, heat waves, hurricanes, mud slides, earthquakes, fish falls, plague of locust or even a blizzard the choice is yours.
UNIVERSE: Revolution
MAJOR CHARACTERS: Ezra, Vin and a Brit (Our dear Captain Murphy)
RATING: PG
ARCHIVE: Yes 
SPOILERS: None
NOTES:  This story is a sequel to "Broken", "Swallowing a Gift" and "The Portrait".  It takes place a few years later, later in the war.  I am just so fond of Captain Murphy that I had to bring the man back. I wrote much of this at my summer job, a National tourist attraction.  I stand at a simulator (a movie ride) for eight hours and become easily bored so I started writing this story on the back of refund and complimentary ride slips.  I guess summer jobs are good for something.  By the way, if you are a tourist this summer, do the people who work there a favor and read the map they give you.  They give it to you for a reason.  Grrrr.
AUTHOR: Lady Catherine Dunbar (Kelly)
EMAIL: kellyg49@hotmail.com

Captain Standish kept his head down, pulling his scarf further over his nose, trying to stave off the biting wind.  All he could see through the blinding snow was the back of Vin's horse, which he followed with blind confidence.

God he hoped Vin had some idea of where he was going.

The tracker and sometime spy had been out tracking the British's movements to make sure they were staying put when a blizzard had descended on the pair.  They were too far away from the regiment to head for camp, so Vin was leading them to a abandoned cabin he knew about.  The owners had left long ago, Loyalists fleeing for England. 

Lord, I hate the cold, Ezra thought for the hundredth time that evening.  Why in Hell am I up here, instead of the good ole South where it's warm, as it should be.

Finally, when he had begun to lose faith in the good tracker, a small dark figure took shape through the snow.  As they neared it, Ezra realized that it was indeed the cabin Vin had spoken of. They trudged through the snow, their feet dragging with weariness.

"We can put the horses in the stable!" Vin yelled above the wind. Ezra nodded, though he doubted Vin saw.  They led the tired animals into the stables, which luckily were still mostly dry.  The friends quickly saw to their mounts, feeding them straw they found left in the loft.  The two men then pulled their coats tightly around themselves and went back out into the blizzard, making sure to shut the stable door securely behind them.  They made their way to the cabin, the door banging open from the force of the wind.  They hurried inside, using their shoulders to shut the door.  With that done they both leaned heavily against the wall catching their breaths, glad to be out of the biting wind.

After a few moments Ezra said, "The next time Mr. Larabee sends us out in the dead of winter, let's just refuse and take the risk of being shot."

"I'm with yeah their Ez," Vin agreed, leaning his head back against the old wood.  After another moment he pulled away from the wall.

"Come on Ez, let's start a fire.  I don't want to freeze to death now, after all that."

"I concur Mr. Tanner," Ezra said, moving towards the fireplace at the end of the cabin.

Picking up a forgotten poker and pushed around the few coals and pieces of wood remaining in the fireplace.  "See if you can find some wood to start a decent fire, Mr. Tanner."

"Already lookin' Ez," Vin answered from the other side of the room. 

He picked up some broken table legs and walked over to a dark corner where a large piece of canvas covered a strange shape.  Pulling it back, Vin's eyes grew wide, his mouth falling open.

"Jesus," he whispered.

"Find anything Mr. Tanner?" Ezra asked, still analyzing the fire place.

"Ez, yeah might wanta come see this."

"Mr. Tanner, I have seen wood before so. . ."

"Now, Ez," Vin ordered as he kneeled.

Rolling his eyes, Ezra stood up and walked over to where Vin was kneeling in the corner.  "Now, what on earth is going on. . ."  Ezra's voice died as he saw what had startled Vin so.

Huddled in the corner, wrapped in a blanket was what appeared to be a British officer.  All that was visible of the sleeping officer's face were fever stained cheeks.  But what caught the patriots' attention the most was the pinned up left sleeve.  A missing limb was a rare sight among officers and the two just found themselves staring at the haunting empty sleeve.

"Dear Lord," Ezra said as he looked down at the stricken man.

"Deserter?" Vin asked.

Ezra shook his head.  "Doubtful.  Officers rarely desert."  He cocked his head in thought, an image of early that morning appearing in his mind, one he had hoped would be blocked out permanently.

"The regiment?" he asked.

Vin nodded solemnly.  "I was thinking the same thing."

That morning they had discovered part of a red coat regiment , dead and half buried in the snow.  They most likely had gotten caught in the snow storm of the evening before and, not prepared to spend a night in such weather, and had frozen to death.  Vin and Ezra had left the sad scene, knowing it would be impossible to dig graves in the frozen ground.  Now they had perhaps found its colonel.

"What do you think Mr. Tanner?"

Vin leaned forward and placed the back of his hand on the man's cheek.

"He's not freezing that's for damn sure.  Come on, let's get him out of this corner and near the fireplace."

"Vin."

The tracker looked up at him.

"You know that helping a redcoat is treason."

"I can live with that."

"Wonderful.  I just wanted to make sure we agreed on that point."

Vin just shook his head and smiled.  "Help me move him."  Together they lifted the man, Vin at his head, Ezra at his feet.  They placed him in front of the fireplace and while Vin went about starting a fire, Ezra starting unwrapping the man. 

He gently pulled away the scarf and completely blanched when he saw the man's face.  "Dear Lord," he said, staring at the flushed features that he had never thought he would see again.

"What is it, Ez?" Vin asked, turning around at the Southerner's exclamation. 

Ezra's face was completely white as he stared at the man in front of him.  "Captain Murphy," he said in almost awe.

Vin's eyes opened wide as his gaze shifted to the sleeping redcoat.  "That's Captain Murphy?" 

Ezra nodded dumbly.

Vin found himself staring at this man who had saved one of his closest friends.  Ezra had only spoken of the British captain once, right after Vin had found him on collapsed on the road and brought him back to camp.  That had been nearly three years ago, but Vin still remembered the name, probably always would.  The man has risked his life, worse his honor, to help Ezra.  Thanks to him Ezra had been reunited with his friends and his wounds had healed, without even a limp.  Except for the promotion, it seemed time had not been so kind to Captain Murphy.

After a few moments staring at the sleeping man's features, Ezra flew into action.  He quickly pulled off all of Murphy's wet clothes and bundled him in their warm blankets.  Around his neck Ezra spotted a locket.  Although propriety and his better judgment told
him to leave it be, his curiosity got the better of him.  The Southerner reached out and popped the piece open, revealing a small miniature of a lovely woman with large blue eyes and flaxen hair.  Mrs. Murphy, he thought, recalling their conversation of long ago.  He carefully closed the locket and tucked it under the blankets, away from prying eyes, including his own. 

Just as he was finishing settling Murphy, a fire began to roar in the long abandoned fireplace. 

Vin shifted over to wear he had left his saddlebags and began to dig around.  "How about some broth and dumplings, Ez?"

"You act as if I have a choice Mr. Tanner."

Vin grinned.  Ezra had a point.  "Broth and dumplings it is," he said, moving over to the fire.