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After the Second Fall - Part 3.3

by Simon Underfoot

Copyright 2020-2022, All Rights Reserved

Author's Note:

Welcome to the final piece of

After the Second Fall

. I hope you enjoy.

Cheers,

Simon

Chapter 19

It had taken some haggling, but the Executive Director finally caved and Esther had a bike. The truth was that Lilith's heart hadn't really been in the negotiation, probably because the machines reminded her too much of John; regardless, the statuesque blonde tore along on the appropriately tall race bike originally meant for an adolescent Adam.

The going had not been easy since she left the Vale. Her ride was a sleek machine meant for relatively smooth roads, not the rutted mess she had found to the North of Rieckenburg; nor was it equipped for stowage. Esther didn't really care: she had warm leathers, a good bag strapped to her back, and clear purpose of mind for the first time in months. So long as her coins held out so she could buy food and shelter, she'd catch up quickly.

She had started in the city itself when she first left the Vale, set up by Lilith in a small apartment in the Second Quarter. She had found the streets and the people equally drab, and being a spectacle wherever she went had grown weary quickly. There was a dalliance with a local carpenter a month into her stay that had helped for a short while, but they had so little in common that he didn't hold her interest; the size difference between them led to unexpected power dynamics that were also a challenge.

Next was a visit to see her brother at one of Rieckenburg's work farms. Bart wasn't exactly doing well, but like Esther, he was tall and strong and already used to gruelling manual labor; his biggest complaint was having to work in fields that were so much less productive than the ones in which he spent most of his childhood, but he explained some ideas on how to improve the yield. "Especially the carrots and potatoes," he had said almost enthusiastically.

Esther tried a town further South for a while, hoping that wholesome family values would help her fit in, but it was even worse than the city -- she found only small-minded bigotry.

After almost a year, and feeling very much like a failure, Esther returned to the Vale, not sure if she'd actually learned anything. She was, of course, welcomed with open arms, but not by the ones for which she had most hoped.

Finding that Pip's family had essentially dissolved was a shock that Esther felt to the marrow of her bones. For an entire day she walked in the fields, trying to organize thoughts that refused to cooperate. It was only upon meeting Maggie's daughter, Justina, with her beautiful red hair, that Esther truly came back to herself and realized she had learned something in her year away after all.

Esther contributed where she could, but her real effort went into learning about the events that had transpired in her absence. She spent time with Rosie and Maggie, then brushed off her silent speech and went to Anne. A week passed, then another.

Decision made, she went back to the Complex.

It took almost a month to acquire what she needed, and by the time Esther set out on her newly acquired bike, she was feeling more anxious than excited, afraid that delay after delay would mean she had already failed. Only a couple days into her trip she was held up again.

She had no intention of staying for longer than it took to determine if she was on the right trail, but as soon as Esther saw Bethany's fiery hair, she had to know more. As for the rest of the Crannerts, meeting someone who knew Pip and Rachel was an opportunity not to be missed. A quick stop turned into more than a month as Esther learned about the family, especially the recent marriages and pregnancies. In less time than she would have thought possible she became close with Mitsy, whose feisty personality couldn't be entirely dampened by her gradually growing stomach or the incessant needs of a baby daughter.

It was on Esther's last night, after more than a week of hints and glances and not-so-casual touches, that Mitsy grabbed her hand and dragged the much taller blonde toward the road. The woman's husband had been walking circles around a blanket as they approached and his cute awkwardness, combined with Mitsy's eagerness, made the next bell one of the most enjoyable of Esther's life to that point, punctuated by Jeremiah's orgasmic bellow as he erupted into her mouth. Esther was still smiling as she reached Fitzen the next day.

She knew from the Crannerts that Pip and Rachel had gone on to Figgerdy, so again, she had no intention of staying more than a night. As she stepped into the town's lone bar and hotel, conversation stopped. Standing more than a head taller than anyone in the room and dressed in her black riding gear, Esther knew she cut an imposing figure; the forearm length blade strapped to her thigh also helped. After rolling her eyes at the typical reaction, Esther spotted the oversized table in the corner and made her way directly to it; if anything, it was actually a bit big for her, which brought her a brief smile.

Within half a hundred beats a man in an apron limped closer. "Uh... hello, Miss. Can I help you?"

She took in his rotund, slightly sloppy appearance and the way he couldn't seem to meet her eyes. "I'm looking for some friends of mine," she said flatly. "An Adam from the city named Piper and his companion, a woman with dark hair. I was told they came through here some months back."

The man twitched, then steadied himself with a long exhale. "That's right. He and Miss Rachel went North to Figgerdy. Nobody here's heard anything since."

"Nothing?" she asked pointedly, not sure if he was being entirely forthright.

"No, nothing," he said defensively, taking a half step back. "The Sheriff from Figgerdy stopped by for a night on his way to marry Lucille Crannert. He told me they kept going after they dropped off Tilly."

"Who is Tilly?"

"I'm Tilly," said a frail looking woman as she pushed through the door. "Are you a friend of Piper?"

Esther took in the newcomer's appearance: the sunken eyes, missing teeth, and the awkward way she held her left arm. "Yes. How do you know them?"

The woman made her way slowly to stand in front of Esther, a turned-in foot slowing her progress. Seeing the table empty, she looked to the man. "Two meals, Raleigh." With some difficulty, she extracted two plastic pieces from a small clutch and set them in his hand, then looked at the height of the remaining empty seat. "And please bring over one of the shorter chairs."

While the proprietor made himself busy, the woman waited with a quiet dignity. Eventually situated, she looked up at Esther. "My name is Mathilda," she said with the same poise. "I never really met them, but Piper and Rachel saved my life."

"That's quite a statement," Esther replied, "so there must be quite a story behind it." Nodding, Tilly recounted the tale -- not just of the fight with her late husband, but the history of Fitzen and it's people. She spoke honestly about her role in driving Piper away, despite the positive things that he and Rachel had done for the town, and the burning shame she felt most days for being the spark behind the flames of hatred.

"And despite it all, they took care of me when no one else would," she finished. Esther nodded and wiped again at her eyes; the story was heartbreaking and not so different from her own, save that Esther had found Pip while Mathilda had settled for Little Joe.

"And now?"

Mathilda shook her head hopelessly. "I have enough chits to last another year or so, but I can't work," she said, partially lifting her damaged arm. "I asked several of the kids to come get me if they ever saw another... I'm sorry, I don't know what to call someone like you that's so much bigger than me."

"You can call me Esther, if you like." For the first time, Tilly smiled, just a little so as not to showcase her missing teeth. "In the town where I am from, they call men like Pip giants."

"Are there many of them?"

"There were," responded Esther, stepping into her own history and that of the Vale. At some point Raleigh brought the food, then lingered close enough to listen; neither Esther nor Tilly paid him any mind.

"So you're going after him?" Tilly asked, more than a little awed.

Esther nodded. "Even if it's not to be with him like I want, I know my future is tied to his somehow. If nothing else, I can be his friend in a world that only wants to use him. Or hate him." Tilly looked down in shame, so Esther slid off her seat and kneeled next to the now crying woman. "Do you want to come with me?"

Looking up through her tears, Tilly shook her head. "I'm no use to anybody."

"Maybe not right now," Esther responded kindly, wiping the smaller woman's hair out of her eyes, "but if what you said is true, there's a strong woman locked away inside, scared of the world -- you just need to get her to show herself again."

"You just met me," Tilly protested while wiping at her eyes with her good arm. "What could possibly be in it for you?"

"Well," Esther started, leaning back on her heels, "I don't know where my road is going to take me, and I think maybe I could use a friend, too.

"Plus, what do you have to lose?"

Tilly looked up to see Esther smiling broadly. "I just wanted to know more about him, to maybe say 'Thank you.'"

"And now you're going on an adventure."

"I guess I am," confirmed Tilly with the first true smile Esther had seen.

The next several days saw dramatic swings in emotion from Esther's to-be companion as the woman sold or gave away nearly all of her possessions. Together they were able to pay several local women to put together a leather riding outfit lined with sheepskin to keep Tilly warm, although the snug fit meant that she was unable to don or doff the garments without help due to her damaged arm. Completing her ensemble were leather boots and a satchel made to be worn across the chest so that she could carry her own wool blanket and a few small personal items.

Perched in front of Esther on the now cramped race bike with the woman's strong arms around her own, Tilly waved timidly at the townspeople that had gathered to see them off. Nearly everyone had turned out, and despite her cynical nature, she had a strong impression that most were sincere in wishing her good luck, and not just happy that the town's worst gossip was leaving.

Former gossip, she reminded herself.

"Hold on," Esther said into her ear, and a moment later the bike sped out of town, throwing up a tail of dust and debris, much to the delight of the onlookers.

Miraculously, the stop in Figgerdy lasted only a single night since no one seemed to actually know the giant or his woman, but they had watched them leave on the road that wound its way toward Marbelo.

As they sped along it was too loud to hear over the wind, so Esther slowed their progress. It meant doubling the time of the journey, but they would still arrive before nightfall. In the bells that passed, Esther and Tilly talked at length about their hopes for the trip, as well as their concerns. They shared old dreams and new fears. They recounted their own hard-fought victories and soul tearing tragedies. By the time Marbelo came into view, just as the Eastern sky began to fade to its early evening hues, there was very little doubt their budding friendship would last.

Moreover, the Mathilda that was helped off the bike in front of the city guards was not the same that had left Figgerdy in the morning. Stiff and sore, yes, but also much closer to whole than she had been in years.

It didn't take long for the women to meet with their first functionary, a little bald man who kept staring wide eyed at Esther, but it wasn't until the third day that they were finally able to get an audience with the mayor.

"It's just that no Marbellan woman would ever think about procreating with a Mod," he explained calmly; Esther folded her leather encased arms and glared at him while Mathilda did the same. "You don't understand," he urged reasonably, using his politician voice. "It's a taboo that goes back more than a hundred years."

"So you think I'm some kind of freak," Esther stated coldly.

"No," he said, shaking his head vehemently. "Far from it." Mayor Harryx paused. "You're a friend of Piper, and I would like to think that he would at least speak of me with some positive words. Besides, I've known Meister Schultz for years. In fact, I've known several... uh, people like you. Listen, may I speak frankly?"

"Always," Esther answered flatly, glare still firmly fixed.

He nodded his appreciation and when he spoke again, his voice had lost its eager, overly friendly affectation. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Esther's eyes flared so he hastily held up his hand. "Please, give me a moment to explain. I am being honest, but that's only important because without even knowing it you're attacking beliefs ingrained since I was a child.

"As I said, I've known Cassidy for quite a while, and she's always been shrewd: she'd have to be to serve as Meister and head of your Mod program. Even so, I always saw her as an exception."

The mayor took a deep breath an exhaled slowly, his eyes looking off for a moment before landing on the blonde once again. "Your friend Rachel was the one that started chipping away, asking her pointed questions, highlighting logical fallacies... making me wonder if maybe Mods aren't so different than I am. She got me thinking that maybe there is something to integration after all. And then I see you and there's no question in my mind anymore."

"Because you think I'm pretty," snapped Esther with a scowl.

"Because every part of me wanted to know you instantly -- to be around you, even if just for a moment -- and I don't give two shits about who knows it. I realize I'm talking about a physical reaction, but here in Marbelo it means so much more than that. You may think this whole thing is utterly ridiculous, but I can't overstate what you being you means."

"So we should just go?" Mathilda asked Esther timidly.

"No!" Harryx almost shouted, surprising even himself. "No, please don't go, either of you." He looked at the smaller woman. "I don't know the full story, but my staff told me that you were badly injured -- we have the best surgeons in the world here because of our Mod program -- I can arrange for you to see them tomorrow."

Mathilda's eyes widened and she gripped Esther's hand with her own. "They can really help?" she asked in a small voice.

"I can't honestly say," Harryx responded while holding up his hands, "but if something can be done, they are the ones to do it."

Mathilda's grip tightened further, but Esther's displeasure deepened. "I don't like it when people use my friends to get to me."

"You're right," Harryx agreed immediately, shamelessly, "I do want you to stay, but not for the reason you might think. I want our Councilors to see you; to meet you. You will do more in a day to change perceptions than any of Rieckenburg's leaders could do in a decade of threatening.

"Because you think I'm pretty," Esther said again, still glaring.

"Give me one week and you'll see," Harryx replied. "I just need one week."

Next to her, still hand in hand, Mathilda was pointedly not looking up at Esther, but her shoulders were tight and her good hand still gripped tightly. 'Good hand,' thought Esther to herself, and immediately knew she would go along. "One week."

"One week," he confirmed.

Two days later, Esther was waiting with one of Mayor Harryx's aids for his signal. His goal was to shock the assembled Judges badly enough that he would be able to steer discussion in the direction he wanted to go. Even after working directly for Lilith at the Complex, the level of scheming Harryx seemed to expect was galling.

The signal arrived and Esther walked around a corner, down a short hallway, and through an open door, ducking her head just a little to pass under. In less than five beats all conversation stopped abruptly.

"Judges," Harryx intoned, seizing his moment, "I present to you Esther Walter from Rieckenburg."

Twelve seasoned politicians immediately lost their composure. There were shrieks, curses, and threats, most of which were directed at the mayor; rather than look ashamed, abashed, or otherwise kowtowed, he instead adopted a righteously smug demeanor. 'I told you' he mouthed toward Esther when he saw her looking at him, then flashed a smile that made it clear he was enjoying the chaos she had caused.

It was more than a bell before the assembly was calm enough for discourse; fortunately, there was no need for Esther to stay that long, her entrance having been the entire extent of her obligations.

Back at her temporary lodging, Esther sat by the window and stared at the river rolling rapidly by. She had been asked to stay indoors until the Judges had time to fully consider the great and terrible ramifications of her presence -- her existence, really -- and since Mathilda continued to see new doctors every day, Esther had very little to do but sit and worry.

'What a ridiculous waste,' she thought to herself, 'chasing after Pip, who had made his intentions entirely clear.'

She closed her eyes and thought back to past interactions. Most of the images floating by were aggregated recollections, often abstract, and always embellished. Esther didn't care that she had drifted toward fancy, especially when Pip's smirk popped into her mind's eye, clear as if he was standing in front of her.

The fantasy expanded, the setting filled in and the details sharpened; they were back in the Vale.

Pip walked toward her, casually, with a confident swagger that caused her to inhale sharply, then exhale with a soft, low moan. He began to speak, not in words, but in emotions that Esther innately understood. Warmth blossomed in her chest, then spread outward -- soon she was flushed from her beautiful face to her clenching toes.

A hand tweaked her nipple and her breath became ragged.

A finger tickled her clit and she began to tremble.

Pip's smirk became a smile and he reached for her.

Esther's stomach clenched and she fell to her knees, her forehead dropping to the floor while her orgasm peaked, and then slowly trailed off. Unable to stand, Esther rolled to her side, breathing rapidly with the sudden exertion.

Shortly before sunset, Mathilda returned to find her travelling companion crumpled on the floor. A moment of desperate panic turned into embarrassment as the smaller woman realized her new friend's hand was still between her ridiculously long legs. Quickly turning back to her escort, she practically shoved him out the door, despite his much larger frame, before moving to cover Esther.

The blonde awoke as the blanket was dragged across her legs and sat up abruptly, startling Mathilda in the process. "Hi, Tilly," she offered, still disoriented. "Come lay with me for a bit."

Mathilda's eyes got big, but her mind went to the good news she had just received and how grateful she was to Esther, and she accepted the offered hand. She soon found herself fully enclosed within Esther's strong arms, much like on the bike that had brought them to Marbelo, and she was surprised at how much she had apparently missed the feeling.

Several bells later Mathilda woke to find herself still on the floor, but now alone. Sore from the hard surface, she sat up gingerly and saw Esther moving quietly across the room. The motion caught Esther's eye and she smiled. "They just dropped off our dinner -- give me a hundred beats and I'll have the table set."

Nodding bashfully, Mathilda managed to get to her feet without help, although it was more of a struggle than she would have liked. As she sat down she couldn't make herself look at Esther; she wasn't so much embarrassed that they had slept next to each other, but she was finding it hard to reconcile the unexpected emotions that she had experienced with her self image.