Chapter 21: Country Life

I watched as Ann and her new husband left and turned to Maria, “think she will be okay?”

She snorted, “yes.”

She slipped her hand into mine and glanced towards Ashton chasing one of the sheep, “him I am not so sure about.”

I grinned, “actually I was looking at that empty land beside ours. I think we can help him...”

Maria laughed as she pushed me towards the new barn I was building in one field, “get to work and finish the barn.”

I laughed and walked towards the thick beams reaching up into the air. Large supporting beams crossed to hold the upright beams in place. There would be plenty of room to store hay or animals during the winter. I was even planning to build a large chicken coop on one side. It was late afternoon before I straightened and glanced around.

I had one entire wall up, held in place with cord and rope while I worked on another. I looked away from the city and frowned as the three men stared over the stone wall at one of the cows. I followed the wall to the closest gate and saw another. I glanced at Ashton before I started towards the group of three men.

One of the first things that struck me was that their clothes were in good condition and they looked well fed. They were looking right at me as I walked towards them and one said something that made the others grin. I stopped by the wall, “you men are on my property.”

They stood and vaulted over the wall and one pulled a large knife, “we came to collect a few cows farmer.”

I smiled, “I think you should leave.”

They laughed as they surrounded me and I reached back and pulled my sticks. I lashed out and to the left as I jabbed towards the one in front of me. He jumped back but the one to the left was to slow and the stick slammed into the side of his head. I moved that way as he fell and the one on my right started to move in. He yelled and spun when the rock hit him.

I brought a stick down on the hand and wrist of the man facing me as he lunged and tried to stab me. He screamed as the knife was knocked from his hand. I jabbed the end of the other stick into his stomach and brought the other around and down on his head. I spun to see the last man stalking towards Ashton who kept throwing rocks.

I shook my head and looked towards the man by the gate but he was already running away. I knelt to tie the other two men as the one going after Ashton yelled and fell and sank into a deep mud pit. Ashton laughed as he moved closer and kept throwing rocks. I stood and walked towards the man, “go get a rope.”

Ashton nodded and turned to run towards the coils of rope by the new barn wall. The man continued to struggle until he was finally free which was when I struck the knife in his hand away. I growled and he sullenly turned and I yanked him back and down to his knees. I tied him and when Ashton returned I pulled him to the other two.

I pushed them to the barn and threw the rope up and over a cross beam. I tied the rope around the first man’s neck as he yelled and struggled. I stretched it tight and tied it before repeating it with the other two. They stood beside each other and I nodded to Ashton, “run to the gate and let the guard know we have three men that tried to rob us.”

He grinned and nodded before swaggering away. I ignored the men as I returned to working on the frame of the other wall. They shifted and muttered and cursed until the guards showed up. They started telling them I had attacked them on the road and pulled them here. I smiled as I gestured to the three knifes, “attempted theft, armed assault of a noble and...”

I gestured to the muddy one, “stupidity for chasing a boy in his own pasture.”

The guards grinned and started to take the rope off as I looked at Ashton, “go see if Maria has a parchment and a quill.”

He ran for the house and I looked at the three men, “if I were you I would find honest work.”

After I finished the citizens complaint they were pulled away. I looked at Ashton, “go find all those tiny bells you wanted to put on the chickens.”

I had him use string and set trip wires with the bells at the gates. Somehow I knew it was not over, the one that had ran away would be back and he would bring others. I took a nap after dinner and then slipped out and into the dark beside one of the stone walls. It was close to mid of the night when I heard the tinkle of bells.

I heard several men hiss and smiled as I stood and pulled my sticks. There were a dozen men in the group at the gate. In the moonlight I saw the clubs and long knives they were carrying. They opened the gate and started for the house and that was when I went after them. I struck without warning as I caught up to those in the rear.

I hit one on the head and lashed out into the side of another man’s head. They both went down as I kept going and struck the next man in the forehead when he turned to look back. I was not pulling my blows and he dropped as I swung to the side and hit another in the temple. The group slowed and several turned to look back.

I moved into them and jabbed into a gut and then brought a stick down on his head when he bent over. I stepped to the right and slashed out and into the face of another. He screamed as he went down and I started for the next as they finally realized I was attacking them. The next man slashed with a large butcher knife and I brought a stick down on his wrist.