Fragments Gallery
A Reminder
Snow swirled all around the rickety cart and its lone passenger. The old man, his head bowed against the wind, watched the road ahead with uninterested eyes. He'd travelled this path for many moons. After all this time it no longer held any surprises for him.
The man’s name was Baldric. He was of middling height and in his prime he had been a powerful man, but age had affected him badly. Too many old injuries took their toll leaving him bent and stiff. However that did nothing to dampen his spirit.
Baldric's clothing was like he was, plain and functional; it was made of rough homespun fabric. It did its job, kept him warm and provided some protection from the wind, and that was enough for him.
Although in years long past he had lived an… adventurous life, now he was content to look after his farm. Normally he avoided venturing out into the cold but this was his last chance to get into town with his harvest before the snow began to fall in earnest.
Staring out at the white landscape before him he cursed the snow. The snow was early this year. He had initially hoped to be back in his warm cabin before the snow began to fly. Even after he had noticed the first flakes falling he had still hoped that it would not last. That had been hours ago. By now he had resigned himself to the cold and snow.
However the first part of his journey was nearing its end. He was almost there.
Baldric lifted his eyes from the road before him to glance around. The snow still fell from the white sky, changing the world from vibrant colour to shades of grey and washed out dye. The road before him only had a light layer of snow, and underneath that the packed dirt was marred by the tracks of other carts. Trees lined either edge of the road and beyond the trees to his right he could see a farm, the fire light flickering in the windows.
Upon seeing those lights how he wished he were back home. No help for that though, he would be back there soon.
He returned his eyes to the road before him. The horse calmly plodded along, uncaringly dragging the man and the cart behind it. Baldric idly glanced back to check the heavy canvas covering the oats in the back of the cart. The canvas was still in place. Not surprising but still reassuring. His hard work this past season was still safe.
A sound from his left pulled his attention back to his surroundings. Laughter. He just heard laughter. He turned to the left, trying to locate the source of the sound.
He caught sight of some movement in the trees. He squinted trying to see it through the moving snow. The laughter continued and it seemed to be moving closer. It sounded like children's laughter.
There they were. His eyes fastened to a path leading through the trees. He could see a pair of children running through the snow, laughing as they went. They were each wrapped in dark coats with grey hats upon their heads. They likely lived at that house he had noticed earlier.
As he watched one of them tripped and fell to the ground amidst the snow and leaves. The other, laughing once again, pulled them back to their feet.
There was a nagging suspicion that the scene was familiar to him. The pair of them reminded him of himself and his own brother. They hadn't talked in years, he mused, and there was no particular reason for it; they had just fallen out of touch.
The children darted out in front of his cart startling him out of his reflections. His horse drew to a stop but the children were already across the road.
A bemused look on his face Baldric urged the horse to carry on.
Already the meeting was fading from his mind and he was thinking of the warm inn that awaited him in town. He also wondered where his brother had gone. It would be nice to see him again.
Behind him the children stared after him in silence before fading into the snow.