Violet had taken herself off for a few moments of peaceful wanderings. She thought she had earned it after hours slaving away for an ungrateful boss and lecherous customers. She worked at one of only three public houses in her village. The other two establishments were definitely of a higher class but after talking to the girls that served there, she realised that the clientele were no less disgusting. Oh, she liked the attention. Some men were even worth the fingerprints left after a hard shift. There was some part of her that liked the attention but she wasn't one of the mouthy, blatant types, full of innuendos and false promises to secure an extra coin. She was herself, quiet and unassuming. She always smiled and backed away when some over drunken buffoon came onto her. Half the time, she thought that made them worse but she couldn't find it in her to act like a tart.
She had taken the dirt track that lead from the back door of the pub straight into the woods that surrounded the village. She had her mind set on walking the five minutes out to a small lake and just to sit and watch the fish jump and otters play before coming back to the stale smelling rooms that took over most of her waking life. Her own house was close to the lake, only about 200 yards away nestled in a glade. She shared it with her parents who were elderly and needed most of her spare time. Between them and her job, she had precious little time for herself. Now she had the added problem of some local business man trying to kick them out of their home, all in the name of progress. Oh yes, progressing his fat purse to a fat treasure chest no doubt. Her blood boiled when she thought of this and forced herself to calm down by imagining her perfect life. She looked forward to this small refuge everyday for a chance to daydream about that life. A life where she was happy and contented with a small house on the outskirts of village life. Happy to just look after 2 children and enough livestock to keep her and her husband self sufficient so that she could fall into his arms whenever she pleased. The sun always shone in her other world. The rain fell at night, when she was warm beside the man of her dreams.
She made her way to the shore of the lake, and started to walk away from her family home. After a while she heard the distant sound of chopping wood. It came from some distance around a bend in the lake. She never ventured that far due to the lack of time she had. But, intrigued by the noise that she had never heard in this part of the local area, she moved along the lake edge. Most of the men that lived in the village were drunks and layabouts who made there money after the discovery of a gold mine on the other side of the valley. The work was now done by slaves and they just spent most of their time drinking, gambling, fighting and womanising. They made her skin crawl but she needed to live.
Cautiously, she moved through the trees and eventually she saw a figure moving on the other side of the undergrowth. She stepped gingerly forward and peered through the foliage. She watched with increasing interest as a man, stripped to the waist, chopped firewood with such speed and ferocity that she was amazed he had time to aim his axe. He was muttering to himself as he slashed down with his axe, completely oblivious to the outside world. Violet watched in fascination as his muscles rippled with each movement. He was tall, clean shaven and if he took the scowl from his face, could be classed as quite handsome. She was surprised to see the makings of a house behind him. He was obviously new to the area as she hadn't seen him in the village but he acted like the whole world was his to own.
Violet then noticed a man approaching the axe man from the right. She recognised him as a local business man called Roland Crossley. The same one that was after her parent's house. A real sleaze. Someone who thought he owned half the area and most of the women who lived in it.
"Are you still here boy?" He shouted. "I thought I made it clear that this is no longer your land. You have no rights here anymore. All that was lost when that useless excuse of your father pissed his life up against the pub wall and gambled his deeds away."
The tall man crossed the 10 feet that separated the two with lightning speed and grabbed Crossley by the lapels.
"And I told you that you're a cheating, lying slug of a man. My father wasn't like that and this is still my land." He shoved Crossley away from him, making the round shaped oaf stumble and fall onto his ample backside.
"You'll regret crossing me Red," Roland said shakily as he rose and dusted himself down." I wouldn't spend much longer on this sorry excuse of a house. It won't be here much longer."
The Giant of a man, presumably Red, moved towards Crossley who backed away with hands held up in defence.
