“I'll see you and raise you $10,” Robin said as she tossed another $10 on the pile in the center of the table and she smiled confidently at the man sitting across from her.  He studied his hand for a few minutes then moved the cigar from one side of his mouth to the other and looked directly into Robin's eyes as he tried to determine if she were bluffing or not.

 
It had been six months of peace and quiet since Robin brought Duane Mattox back to town and five months since he had been found guilty by a jury of his peers and sent to the state penitentiary  Robin's days had been spent making the occasional rounds of the town and playing chess out in front of her office with Roger Wells, the owner of the General Store.  In the evenings, when she was in town, she could be found either playing poker in the Lucky Ace with Wells, Curtis Hudson, Ford's Prairie's only doctor and Daniel Evans, the town's mayor and owner of the Evans' Hotel and the Evans' Livery or in the lobby of the hotel playing backgammon with Fred, the night desk clerk.  When she wasn't in town she was at home, a cabin in a mountain meadow about 8 miles out of town, either working on the upkeep of her spacious three room cabin and small barn, tending her small garden of vegetables and herbs, fishing at her favorite pond about a mile from the meadow, working out, meditating by a waterfall in the forest not too far up the stream that cut the meadow in half or...on nice days and evenings...reading while lounging in her hammock out in front of the cabin...or on not so nice days and evenings...reading whiled curled up in front of a fire in the huge river rock fireplace that separated two of the cabin's rooms.

 
“I think you're bluffing,” Dr. Hudson said and tossed $10 into the pile.  “I see your ten and....because I'm sure that I'm right...,” he tossed $15 onto the pile and said, “I'll raise you fifteen more.”  Wells whistled and leaned forward with interest and the Mayor tossed his hand onto the table, folding.

 
Robin looked at her hand, then over at the doctor and back down at the cards she was holding in her hand.  Her luck had been fluctuating all night.  She would win a couple of hands...lose one...win one...lose three and so one.  The doctor had started out looking as though it would be an early night for him but his luck had turned around and he had won the last three hands with two powerful hands and a convincing bluff so Robin thought carefully about what she should do.  Should she take his confident bet as him holding some powerful cards or as another attempt to bluff?  All she had was $15 so if she wanted to see him and he did win the hand it would mean she was done for the night.  If she simply folded and gave him the pot she could play a few more hands before having to call it a night and maybe even come away from the table not completely broke.  She looked into Hudson's eyes one more time.

 
The doctor moved his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other and asked, meeting Robin's gaze, “So, Sheriff?  What's it going to be?”

 
Robin quickly reviewed the last few hands and she remembered seeing the good doctor move his cigar from one side of his mouth, coincidentally, whenever he was unsure how strong his hand was.  With a perfectly expressionless face, she slid her $15 into the pile in the center of the table and said, evenly, “call.  Let's see 'em, Doc.”

 
Dr. Hudson took his cigar out of his mouth and set it in the nearby ashtray then laid his cards on the table, face up, showing a full house of kings and jacks then he looked over at Robin as Evans gave the doctor a congratulatory pat on the back and Wells whistled and downed the shot of whiskey he had just poured.

 
Still expressionless, Robin slowly laid her cards, face up in a stack, on the table, then, with one hand, slowly spread them out showing first a ten of spades then a queen of hearts then a queen of diamonds then a queen of clubs and finally the queen of spades.

 
“Four queens!”  announced the Mayor.

 
“Nicely played, Sheriff,” Wells said, slapping Robin on the back with one hand and filling her shot glass with whiskey with the other.

 
“Damn!” Hudson exclaimed and slouched back in his chair, dejectedly.  “I thought for sure you were bluffing,” he added.

 
“You ought to know by now, Doc,” Robin said as she raked in her winnings,  “that I'm no good at bluffing so I very rarely...if ever...do it.”  She began to organize the different denominations of bills and coins that were now in front of her.

 
Evans leaned forward and scooped up the cards on the table into the pile he was holding and began to shuffle them.  “Anyone want to play another hand?”  He asked as he tossed a 50₵ piece into the center of the table.

 
“That's it for me,” the doctor said and picked up what little money he had left and stuffed into his pocket.  He downed his drink and got to his feet.  “As always,” he said with a slight bow as he took his hat off of the post on the back of his chair and put it on, “it's been a pleasure.”

 
Wells tossed a 50₵ piece into the center of the table and said, “see you next week, Curtis.”  He filled his glass and downed it.

 
“I'll see you at 11:00 tomorrow, Doc,” Robin said as she tossed her ante into the pile...referring to the doctor's and her monthly trek to a small village of Lakota Indians that was about fifteen miles in the mountains south of town to provide vaccinations for the children and to render whatever medical aid that might be needed (and accepted).

 
“Right,” Hudson waved without looking back as he made his way through the saloon to the doors and Evans began to deal out the cards.

 
Later that night as Robin walked from the saloon, which was on one end of town, to Mrs. Porter's Boarding House where she stayed when she stayed in town, which was on the other end of town, she began to get the nagging suspicion that the peace and quiet she had been enjoying for the past six months was about to come to an end.  That suspicion became fact a few nights later when Robin walked to the Lucky Ace, as she or her deputy did every night when the Lucky Ace closed it doors for the night to make sure Victor Jacobs, the Lucky Ace's owner, closed up without incident  As usual, she leaned against a hitching rail across the street from the saloon and waited until all of the lights were extinguished, indicating that all of Victor's patrons had left the saloon and he had gone upstairs to his apartment above the saloon to retire for the night.  As she walked back to the Sheriff's Office and passed the alley between the General Store and the Barber's Shop she felt the presence of another Immortal.  She stopped and looked around.  There was no one to be seen on the main street so she, cautiously, ventured into the small alley.  A few yards into the alley she stopped and listened but heard nothing out of the ordinary. A few seconds later the feeling disappeared and, since she didn't have her sword with her, Robin didn't pursue the issue and returned to the main street and continued on her way to her office where she locked the door and slept in one of the two empty jail cells...her Goddess of the Sun Katana under the mattress...until Deputy Lewis relieved her in the morning.  Robin spent the rest of the day working out in her meadow.

 
When she relieved her deputy the following morning, Robin checked with Mr. Wells, Mayor Evans, Mrs. Porter and Paul Payne, the owner of the Ford's Prairie Bank and Trust to see if they had seen anyone new in town.  They hadn't but promised to let her know if they did.  A week later, upon returning from her and the doctor's monthly visit to the Lakota village, Harry Franklin, the town's blacksmith, informed Robin that a stranger had stopped in because his horse had thrown a shoe.

 
“He asked if this was the town with the lady sheriff,” Harry said.  “He didn't stay, though.  I fixed his horse's shoe and he left and rode right on out of town.”

 
“What did he look like?”  Robin asked Harry.

 
“He was tall....taller than me,” Harry said, holding his hand up to show the stranger's height.  “Large build....around 40...45 with short blond hair.”

 
Robin didn't recognize the description.  She thanked Harry for letting her know and for the next couple of days she wore her duster with a sheath for her sword sewn into the lining instead of her fringed jacket...just in case.

 
A week later Robin was dozing along side her favorite fishing pond, her line in the water awaiting a fish to grab the bait when she was jarred awake by an Immortal buzz.  She sat up and opened her eyes as her hand went for her sword that lay next to her in the sand and she looked around to see a man, who fit Harry's description, walking toward her, his sword cradled in his arms as if it were a child. Robin jumped to her feet, dropping her fishing pole on the ground.

 
“Sheriff Robin Scott, I presume,” the Immortal said as he slowly approached Robin.

 
“I am,” Robin said with a nod.  “And you are?”

 
“Brice Harris, at your service,” the Immortal said and bowed, gallantly. “I heard about you all the way down in Fresno, California and I had to see for myself.  It's not everyday one gets to meet a legend.”

 
“I'd hardly say I'm a legend,” Robin said as she positioned her feet so that her weight was evenly distributed and her feet had solid footing.

 
“The West's only lady sheriff who rode with the Earps when they were after the Thompson Gang and partnered with Marshall Maco in capturing William Tate puts you up there in the company of Calamity Jane and her crew,” Harris said.

 
“One time.  I rode with the Earps one time and there were 115 in that posse so I doubt they even knew I was there,” Robin said, shaking her head.

 
“Then I find out that you are an Immortal.  Well.....I just had to meet you,” Harris said, smugly.  “And now that I have....I just have to have...,” Harris suddenly swung his sword over his head as he quickly advanced towards Robin then lunged at her, slashing his sword downward towards her head, declaring, “...to have your Quickening.”

 
Robin caught Harris' blade with the side of her own forcing Harris to change his blade's position to the side and Robin used the opening to drop kick Harris in the chest which disarmed him. 


Harris reached out and quickly grabbed Robin's shoulders and pulled Robin to him.  He smashed his forehead into Robin's...letting Robin stagger backward a couple of steps then did a roundhouse kick...putting his weight behind the force of it...and connected with Robin's sword hand. 


At the same instant Robin heard the bones of her fingers snap...a searing pain shot up Robin's wrist to her arm and to her elbow and she cried out as she lost her grip on the hilt of her sword and it clattered to the ground. 


Harris rammed his knee into  Robin 's gut numerous times. 

Robin  fell to the ground, then leaped up and tackled Harris. They rolled across the dirt.


Harris was the first up and kicked  Robin  in the face. 


Robin  reared up and hurled dirt in Harris' face.


Harris stumbled back, clutching at his eyes.   


Robin  slammed her foot into Harris' chest, knocking him down.  As Harris lay there,  Robin  ran at him.   

Harris lifted his legs up and monkey-flipped Robin  over. They jumped to their feet at the same time. Harris blocked a punch and slammed his fist into  Robin 's jaw.   


Robin punched Harris back, driving him into the wall.   


Harris roundhouse kicked Robin to the ground.  Harris had Robin on her back and was crouching over her as he punched her repeatedly in the face.


Robin reached  up with her left arm and grasped Harris' right forearm.  At the same time she rolled back and swung her left leg up and over Harris' right arm (and her left) and hooked her knee around the left side of Harris' head.  She pushed her left leg down toward the floor and brought herself almost to a sitting position, using the momentum of her upper body to add strength to her left leg.  When she had forced Harris almost to the floor she released her hold on Harris and scooted herself back a bit then struggled to her feet.   


Harris reached up and grabbed Robin's hand and pulled her toward him as he turned on his right side so that when he pulled Robin all the way to the floor he wouldn't be underneath her.   


As Robin got closer to the floor she tucked her chin into her chest and bent her back so when she got to the floor she would be able to do a forward somersault..which she did...the force of which wrenched her hands out of Harris', freeing her.   


Harris got up and crawled over to Robin and grabbed her right shoulder with his left hand and used his weight to pin Robin to the floor while he pummeled Robin's face with his right fist.   


Robin threw her legs upward and used their momentum to do a backward somersault (simply reversing her previous move).  When she was able to put her feet on the floor she jumped into a modified crouch, grabbed Harris' right upper arm with her right hand and pulled toward herself.  At the same time she pivoted on the ball of her right foot and reached around the back of Harris' neck with her left arm, crooking her elbow so that her left arm wrapped around Harris' throat.   


Harris  spun out of Robin's grasp and kicked Robin in the face, sending her sprawling backward and her sword flying.  Robin  caught her balance just before stumbling to the ground and jump-kicked  Harris  to send him backward.   Harris  grabbed Robin's foot and pushed Robin back.   


Robin punched Harris in the side of his head which caused Harris to drop Robin's foot.   


Harris retaliated while Robin was trying to regain her balance with several quick punches to her face.   


Robin  blocked a punch, kneed Harris in the gut, and slammed her elbow into Harris' face.   


Harris  rammed his shoulder into  Robin then curled his leg around behind Robin's legs and simultaneously shoved with his shoulder and pulled his leg in tight against the back of Robin's causing Robin to tumble backwards and fall to the ground.   


As Robin rolled on the ground and attempted to stand back up she saw her sword.   


Harris positioned himself over Robin and lifted his foot in preparation of driving it into Robin. 


As Harris brought his foot down, Robin  rolled and grabbed her sword. She rose from the ground, spun her sword so she could plunge it into Harris.   


Harris blocked Robin's attack and the air was filled with the song of blade against blade.  The battle reached more rocky ground and Harris...being unfamiliar with the terrain..stepped against the side of a rock half buried in the ground.  It threw him off balance for only a couple of seconds.   


Robin seized the opportunity and spun her blade around in several directions so swiftly that it appeared to be whirling like an out of control fan blade.   


The whirling blade forced the off balance Harris backward, unrelentingly, until Harris could no longer maintain his footing and he stumbled to one knee....doing his best to block Robin's blade with his own.   


Robin saw that Harris' concentration was divided between trying to stay upright while blocking Robin's slashes, slices, thrusts and parries so, when she was close enough, Robin did a modified roundhouse kick and connected squarely with the side of Harris' head.   


Harris was completely caught off guard by the sudden kick and, as bells rang in his head and he began to see stars, Harris dropped his sword and fell backward.   


Robin raised her sword up and sliced downward, cutting Harris' head off.  It rolled to a stop a few feet away and it's eyes stared blankly up at the sky.  Suddenly, a swarm of blue and red lights emerged from the headless neck and began to swirl around Robin's feet.  Slowly they swirled from her feet to her head then exploded into bright bolts of lightening.  Robin  threw her head back and let out a howl of both severe pain and intense pleasure as she was overcome by Harris' Quickening.  When it was over she dropped to her hands and knees, exhausted.


Once the strength returned to her limbs, Robin struggled to her feet and walked back to the pond where she had been fishing.  She went over and knelt down at the water's edge. Leaning over, she cupped her hands together and scooped up some of the cold water and splashed it over her face.  She got up and went over to where she had been dozing earlier and picked up her canteen and drank its contents of cold spring water, thirstily.  When the canteen was empty Robin set about burying Harris' dismembered body and head...making sure to camouflage the newly dug grave.  She gathered her fishing gear and headed back to her cabin.


“So much for the peace and quiet,” Robin grumbled as she put her fishing gear away and changed out of her tattered clothes.