Dave & Vinny: Storm Eowyn and the Ghosts of the Rampant Horse

The Rampant Horse had seen its fair share of chaos over the years, from scuffles over games of darts to someone once trying to steal the fruit machine with a wheelbarrow. But tonight, it was the storm raging outside that had Ken, the perpetually grumpy barman, glaring at the windows as though they’d personally offended him.

“I said it this morning,” Ken muttered, wiping the same glass for the third time, “bloody storm’s going to knock a tree down on the car park. Mark my words.”

“You’ve said worse than that today,” Dave said, leaning against the bar and taking a sip of his pint.

Vinny, perched on the barstool beside him, chimed in helpfully. “You say worse than that every day, Ken.”

Ken grunted, muttering something unintelligible about idiots, then stalked off to the other end of the bar, where Sandra was busy serving Lecherous Lee. True to his nickname, Lee was shamelessly trying to flirt with Sandra, who was ignoring him with the ease of someone who’d spent years dodging similar advances.

Outside, the wind howled, rattling the windows, and the rain lashed down like it was trying to break through. Scraps, Vinny’s scruffy terrier, was curled up under the table near the fire, unimpressed by both the storm and the ongoing discussion.

“Well,” Dave said, glancing at his watch, “I’d best be heading back before Carol starts calling to check if I’ve been swept into the next village.”

“You’re not going anywhere in this,” Vinny said, gesturing towards the window, where the rain was coming down horizontally. “You’ll end…