The Handmaid: A Short Story

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Pages: 3
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The forest began to thin out, and the trail began sloping downward as dusk crept upon the Grimwahld. Larah and Riasean had made significant progress, now they would not have to make camp in the leafy labyrinth.
Ahead, the trail made a sharp turn and disappeared into a gap in the trees. A short time later, they looked upon the tepid waters of the Black River.
The trail continued over a raised embankment and ran onto rotted and gnarled planks before stopping. Beyond the drop-off, short blackened pilings traced the outline of where the bridge once stood. On the tree lined river bank opposite them, a similar decrepit bridge landing squatted. Yet, beyond it stood the outer buildings of Malodier, a few dim lights giving evidence of life.
"How …show more content…
"The bridge has been out for as long as I can remember." He turned his horse down the embankment, towards the shoreline.
Larah followed. Near the base of the bridge landing stood a short shabby looking dock, covered with irregular and gnarled planks. It had a small barge tied to it. The barge master sat on one of the pier posts, a scruffy looking man leaning on his push pole, a roughhewn pipe dangling from his lips. Larah shivered at the similarity of his appearance to that of the Hod and Vinn, and pulled the hood of her riding cloak close around her …show more content…
“Nah. Good enough then," he grunted. Looking at Larah he growled, "And you?"
She proffered a small silver piece which he accepted with a semi-satisfied grunt. After giving it a reassuring bite between his tabac stained teeth, he pocketed it. "Hurry up then," he growled. "I ain't got all night."
After they had led their horses onto the barge, the barge master untied it from the pier. With quiet determination, he began poling the barge across the river.
Larah leaned toward Riasean, "He's not very curious as to why we're traveling from the south?"
"Around here it’s best not knowing what people are up to," Riasean whispered back. "You'll find people in these parts don't care much for questions; it draws attention to yourself."
How unfortunate, because that's what I came here to do. Shortly, the barge bumped against the pier on the other shore. They led their horses off and started up the slope towards Malodier.
Larah looked back at the barge master, but his attention focused on filling his pipe with Riasean's tabac.
Riasean leaned towards her. "Word of advice: be careful with your money – no one around here has any, better not to let on how much you have. Be frugal even when you don't need
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