Vince Vaan part 29

Barbara and Vince rounded the downstairs portion waking up her soldiers as they did so.

"Wake up you lazy bunch of oafs! The barbarians are back!"

"Sarganno! Wake up! Everyone grab your weapons!"

Tensely they waited. Steadily the horses drew near. Barbara's fighters were seasoned pros and stood ready.

"Steady, steady..."

Vince Vaan Part 28

Late at night Vince and Barbara sat atop the roof of their new house sipping out of a wine flask. Barbara looked up at the stars. She began to shake her head.

"Your twenty now. My god your a man already."

Vince chortled a bit. "Yeah, I've gotten bigger."

"I'll say...

"Hey Vince, do the ladies ever come around for yah?"

Vince swallowed his portion and looked to her. "Why do you ask?"

She snorted. "When I was your age, this was the last place I wanted to be. But maybe that's just me."

"Barbara... what is that?"

"What is... shit!"

Vince Vaan part 27

"So... she's your cousin?"

The red head jumped down and hugged Vince. "Yes. Meet Barbara Vaan. This is Sarganno."

"How do." She said curtly holding out her hand.

"So you still roam these parts?" Vince turned to her.

"Yes, me and the boys. What are you doing out here?"

"Ask uncle Matt." Was all Vince had to say. Barbara nodded a few times, her mouth puckering to one side.

"Just like him not to ask for our help." She said.

"Probably couldn't pay you." Vince said grinning. "Come on in, dinner's ready."

Vince Vaan part 26

"What the hell?" Sarganno muttered.

Vince put up his blade. He recognized those horns. "Relax." Was all he said.

Men on horseback road up, some of which he could clearly see from his window. A womans voice boomed loud through the air.

"Residents of the house come out now before we take the place by force!"

"What do we do?" Sarganno looked befuddled. "There are even more of them."

"Oblage her." Vince said smiling.

Vince Vaan Part 25

Vince held his blade point out at a window thinking for sure that would be the way they would come. He could see their grinning faces through the window. "What's the matter boy? Can't take a little pressure?"

Vince thought for a second. "I have an uncle who's powerful. If you spare me and move on I'll get him to give you whatever you want!"

The leader spat on the ground. "And I have an uncle too. He's got forty gold bars and fifty asses Ah-hahaha!"

His men laughed with him. One was about to chuck himself into the window when they heard it.

"Whazzat?" One of them said.

Listening intently they heard it again.

"Cagswallop. Let's get out of here!"

Vince Vaan part 24

He saw them coming long before they arrived.

"Sarg, get down here now!"

Sarganno came running, "What? What is it?"

"Barricade the doors! Marauders!"

Sarganno cursed but headed for the backdoor. Vince lifted the couch to the front.

A few moments passed and the sound of hooves came thundering up. Vince stood ready for anything.

"Ahoy in there! Got any food for some starving brothers?"

"We got nothing for yah, go away!"

"You here that boys?" The leader spat on the ground. "He doesn't have very many manners. Let's teach some to him."

Vince Vaan Part 23

"Here you go sir. Any requests?"

His uncle's worker dropped off food enough to last them until they made their own. Vince looked through the second bag and found all the necessary tools they needed.

"Sarganno."

He came forward out of the house toward them. Vince handed him the bag "Get to work making locks on the doors first."

"Right, hey what's for supper?"

Vince through him a pastry. "Keep the change."

Vince turned back to the servant. "Yeah, I could use a few things, namely..."

***

"Look boss, a house!"

"Well I'll be. Saddle up boys we getting ourselves a nice place to live."

His men gave a cheer.

Vince Vaan part 22

Vince awoke during the night. Flashes of his grandparents rolled through his mind...

He looked around. Sarganno was asleep in the corner. He hauled him roughly up by his collar.

"Huh, wha-"

"Your suppose to be on guard remember?"

"Oh yeah. I think it's your turn now." He said grinning.

Vince rolled his eyes. Just because they were in a house did not mean they were safe. Vince shouldered over to the couch he had been sleeping on and sat, taking his turn at guard duty.

Vince Vaan part 21

"... he said you would know what to do."

Matt nodded. Thank you Toque, your dismissed.

"Just a minute, your not going to call me to do this again are you?" Toque said before leaving.

"If I feel that your needed for the job." Came the reply.

Toque soured at the prospect but said nothing. He did have a debt to pay.

"Oh, and Toque."

Toque stopped at the door.

"Tell the prep cook to come up when his shift is finished. I'll need him to deliver the next load."

Vince Vaan part 20

Toque soldiered up to the shabby looking house cautiously. When Vince emerged some time later he sighed a breath of relief.

"Ah, Toque, right on time."

Toque looked at him incredulously. "You mean you knew he was going to send me on this dangerous mission?"

"Not you necessarily, but I knew someone was."

"Here's your food. Got anything for me?" Toque threw down the pack full of seven days of food.

"Yeah, tell my uncle I've acquired skilled help. He'll know what to do."

Vince Vaan part 19

Toque cursed his luck. " 'Want to keep your job?' He says. 'Then you'd better do it.' Like I'm any kind of survivalist. I might owe this kid some money but risking my life? I must be crazy."

Toque rummaged through the underbrush weary of anything and anything that might be coming. He willfully wanted to come via night so that whatever wanted to ambush him was asleep.

"He'd better be there, that's about all I can say."

Vince Vaan part 18

"So let me get this straight." Sarganno said. "You want to make a flat top roof so you can harvest tea up there?"

"Yes." Vince didn't mince words.

Sarganno tilted his head in a sideways nod, looking to the ceiling. "Well, that'll be a hell of a job. It'll take me a month give or take working alone."

"Just do it." Vince said.

"Hey. Hey!" Sarganno wasn't about to let him go that easily. "You said there'd be food. Well where's the food?"

Vince patted his knapsack. "Right here, just got to grow it."

Sarganno looked him through and through. Vince's smile widened. If only he knew what I know. Vince thought.

Vince Vaan part 17

"Can I take your order?"

Marie couldn't believe herself. Being a waitress was a young woman's vocation and here she was taking orders and getting tips.

"Thank, it will be right out shortly."

Marie moved to the kitchen window and met Toque's gaze for the first time. "Well well well, if it isn't Marie Ollon. A little old to be doing this line of work eh?"

Marie gave him a short glare and pieced off a pie. She didn't bother responding to him as she walked off.

Vince Vaan part 16

"Whew, this place stinks!"

Sarganno had a knack for stating the obvious. Vince was finding this out more and more.

"Start cleaning."

"What?"

Sarganno was beside himself. "We're going to be living here. Start cleaning."

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm a man, we don't clean."

Vince just looked at him.

"Look, I'm a builder. Give me something to build and I'll do it for you."

Vince rolled his eyes. Then an idea formed in his mind. "Can you reshape the roof?"

Sarganno looked at the structure. "Yeah, probably. Why?"

"I have a plan..."

Vince Vaan part 15

Vince was in luck. The farm that was on his uncle's map was intact. Whoever had built it moved on long ago.

"Wait here." He told Sarganno.

Just because the original occupants had moved on didn't mean that the place was empty. Blade in hand, he slowly moved up to the side of the building. Listening close, he heard nothing. Vince moved along the side of the wall. Upon reaching the entrance he slowly turned the nob. The house was old and in need of repair. Vince opened the door and made his way inside.

It looked to be empty at first. No one came out to see him and no noise could be heard. Then he heard it; snoring. Moving from what must have been the livingroom to a bedroom he looked in. A huge bald man nearly seven feet tall slept uncovered snoring loudly. It was the work of a moment for Vince. His blade across the man's throat, he woke him.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" He cursed.

"Get out, now." Vince said.

"You don't have any right to this property." His anger was palpable.

"Neither do you, I wager. And I'm the one holding the blade. Now get out."