Unclaimed

Chapter Five- Content

Walking through the rows of grape vines bathing in the sun. The dark opaque color of the grapes looked like a bundle of precious gems. Beside me was MaryAnne.

She was about the same age as my mother, maybe a little older. Her pale white hair tied into a neat bun, a light blue button up shirt and white pants with brown leather sandals. Walking silently behind me as I surveyed the goods.

"These four rows should be ready, you can tell them to start harvesting. How's the shipment going? Was it sent?" I ask.

"It's going well and it went out this morning. The wine was sold for nine hundred thousand at the auction, the whole crate!" She squeals clapping her hand together. "I suspected maybe only ten thousand."

"Who was the buyer? Did you see?" I ask.

"At the auction it was a woman, but she was on the phone." MaryAnne sighs. "It's a shame. I was hoping to give our thanks."

"Let's not worry about that. Since the auction went well let's give everyone a fifteen percent bonus on their next check. Divide the rest into rainy day savings for both the wine and cheese house, I feel a thunderstorm coming." I say as my eyes are nailed to the ground in contemplation.

"Literally or figuratively." She asks.

"Literally. How long has it been since we've watered the crops?"

"A few days. Maybe six."

"Let's not water it today. Get the word out to town for people to come harvest what they can. The storm might cause enough damage to set us back a few days, maybe a few weeks, so we should get some seedlings down in the green house."

"I will let the Green Staff know." She says. "There are also more rouges and lone wolves moving in. Some have set up further away from town. We found a family in a cave right down by the coast."

"There should be room in the guest house." I say looking at her.

"We don't know them." She shakes her head.

"They need help. We help each other MaryAnne, it's what we do." I say firmly.

"Of course." She mutters.

"Send some baskets to the outskirts. Our neighbors there won't know anything until it's too late, they shouldn't have to suffer." I say turning my attention to the path ahead of me.

"They'll never thank you for helping them, Beau." She sighs. "They'll never see your helping hand as anything more than deception. They think you're trying to manipulate them."

"I'm not a psychiatrist, I'm not here to mess with their heads. Im a farmer, and a wine maker, cheese maker, a carpenter, and I'm content. But everyone else isn't so lucky, not everyone can learn wood working or agriculture so easily. Same way it takes a lot of fucking work to be a doctor or lawyer. I'm just doing what everyone should do." I say as I make my way across the field to the Cheese house.

"Which is what?" MaryAnna still follows.

"Spread knowledge and guidance. Help where I can, and protect those who can't defend themselves. In the mean time if no one wants my help, then I have my own company, wine, and all the fresh air and solitude I want." I say, smirking over my shoulder at MaryAnne, who chuckles at me.

"There's still one more thing. The lycans." She says. "We all saw them come into town. Hovering in the tree lines and around the mountains. Everyone wants to know-"

"Why they're here?" I sigh.

"Well...yes."

"The prince and I made a trade. I give him what he wants and he offers protection against the rogues. The bad ones at least."