Leave the World to Darkness by Graculus (mature)

[farad.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Magnificent Seven
Pairing: none
Length: 1o00 Words
Author on LJ: graculus 
Author's website: Graculus on AO3

Why this must be read:

Graculus is a wonderful author, her style rich and atmospheric.  She also writes from the point of view and about one of the characters who doesn't get as much attention as he deserves in the stories, Nathan Jackson, the man who inadvertently starts the process of bringing the Seven together.  It is Nathan, the former slave, who is the group's healer and often its conscience, and who is often, because of canon, portrayed with a striking lack of depth or dimensionality. 

Graculus is among the small group of writers who sees the nuance of the character, the depth of his trust in the other six men, the dynamics of his relationships with them.  In "Leave the World to Darkness", she does a role reversal: it is Nathan who is sick and the others who tend him, and it is Ezra, the person with whom he has, canonically, the biggest differences, who is sitting at his bedside when he awakens.

An Excerpt:

He'd been right, it had been Ezra's voice the first time he woke, that all-too-familiar accent winding words around Nathan's brain. Talking though he couldn't be certain of an audience, the way his voice croaked less familiar. How long had he been reading out loud to make that sound?

Nathan turned his head slightly on the pillow, eyes intent on Ezra's sleeping face. He knew from patrols together Ezra slept lightly, the slightest noise enough to wake him, his hand on his pistol or derringer springing into his palm; this time he didn't stir. There was darkness under Ezra's eyes, unmistakeable even in the light of the oil lamp. He moved a little as Nathan watched, wondering if Ezra felt the weight of his gaze, knowing somehow even in his sleep he was being watched.

Nothing would surprise him about Ezra. Not any more. Once he'd thought he knew the measure of the man, that where he came from and the accent with which he spoke were enough to tell him everything. Nathan knew better now.

 

I encourage reading everything by Graculus, but this is a lovely introduction to her Nathan.

"Leave the World to Darkness"