It had taken all morning, but Steel had rounded up all of the Storm Riders and got them settled in at the Old One’s place. Todd had watched from a distance and decided he’d wait before talking to them. They didn’t look like they were going anywhere anytime soon, so there was time enough for talking tomorrow. Besides, The Boss was out of town today, so there shouldn’t be any trouble yet. The Riders spent all afternoon helping the Old One get the place straight. You could see she’s been struggling to cope for a while and she was glad of the help.
As promised, at six the Old One rang the chow bell and they all gathered in the barn for the best meal they’d had in a long time. They were hungry from their exertions and didn’t talk much until the plates were clean. They sat back on the straw, completely sated and blessed the angel that had sent them to the Old One’s place. Steel suddenly remembered the whisky she’d picked up in the store earlier and started to pass it round.
“Howdy Ma” came a voice from the barn door. One of the Old One’s large brood had ridden in from an outlying farm. She sauntered in, saying “I see you’ve got company. I’m glad I bought my banjo.” She took a shot of whisky and started to play. This was a song they were all familiar with and one by one they started to sing. That felt good and they all felt the connection that had been blossoming between them was growing stronger with each new tune.
By the time darkness had come, the mood was lively and some began to dance. It was getting hot in the barn and Riviera decided she needed some air. She stepped outside to the yard and made her way over to the trough. She removed her ‘kerchief from her neck and dunked it in the cool water. As she straightened up, she heard the click of a pistol being cocked and felt the cool steel against her neck. She froze and a voice said,
“What are you lot doing in this town?”
“Just passing through.” said Riviera “On our way back to Normality, but the pass is blocked, so we’ve got to wait awhile before we can move on.”
“The Boss don’t like strangers” said the voice.
Just then, Steel took a peek out of the barn door and saw what was happening. Two more young men moved out of the shadows. Steel snuck back into the barn and grabbed the others. As they came out of the barn The Boss’s boys turned on them. These boys were big, but they were no match for the Storm Riders. Casey grabbed a shovel that was lying against the barn. She grinned, she’d been shovelling coal into her engine for 10 years and she and that shovel felt like old friends. Steel still had the whisky bottle in her hand, PonchoCat was carrying a large heavy pan and Mule and Blackjack found themselves a couple of pick axe handles.
It didn’t take long to see off The Boss’s boys. They were kids after all, out to try and impress The Boss. The Riders stood in the yard, panting. Fighting on a stomach full of food and whisky wasn’t easy!
Mule looked over at Riviera, who was just getting to her feet, and grinned. She nudged Steel and jerked her head towards Riviera. Now Riviera is a stylish kinda gal, but right now, she was covered in dirt and her hair was all over the place. They’d never seen her like that.
“You’re not looking your usual perfect self there Riviera” said Steel.
They all rushed over and started dusting her off. Casey grabbed her hat and dunked it in the trough. Soaking wet, she plonked it on Riviera’s head. Riviera pushed them away grumpily.
“You took your time” she said. “Now where’s the mirror? I need to fix myself up.”
