a/n: I am fascinated by that first meeting of John Watson and Sherlock Holmes, in "A Study in Scarlet". This poem is heavily influenced by the work of John Masefield.

Holmes and companions do not belong to me.

Dedicated to MapleleafCameo, mattsloved1 and johnsarmylady.

Many thanks to Zaydee for helping me fix the last 2 verses.

Legacies

Battle weary soldier on a half pay pension,

Limping into London from a far flung land;

With a legacy of fever,

Bullet wounds and nightmares.

Haunted by the havoc of a brave last stand.

~0~

Solitary student in a scorch marked lab coat,

Staring down a microscope for long, lone days;

With a legacy of logic,

Science and deduction;

Blithely unaware of his eccentric ways.

~0~

Battle weary soldier takes a walk through London,

Meeting an acquaintance from the wards long past;

Promise of a flat share,

Cheap accomodation;

Restful, ordered residence and peace at last.

~0~

Solitary student stuck in dismal quarters,

Hoping to afford a more inviting place;

Promise of the rent halved;

Quiet fellow lodger,

Room to greet the clients who begin each case

~0~

Solitary student faces weary soldier,

Knowing he has suffered in the Empire's name;

Promises are altered,

Legacies confounded;

Neither life, of course, will ever be the same.

~0~