"The Stable Master's Tale," by Rachel Swirsky

Fantasy Magazine has posted Mandolin’s short story “The Stable Master’s Tale” on their website. Here’s how it begins:

I was born a baron’s daughter in a kingdom that no longer exists.

My father’s stables were the most important part of his holdings. By the time I had ten summers, I could soothe a panicked stallion and help birth a breech foal.

By the time I was fifteen, I’d realized I didn’t want to marry into some tedious house where I’d be expected to dedicate my life to child-rearing and embroidery. I knew this fate would inevitably befall me if I stayed, and so I packed a few things and snuck away in the night.

Head over to Fantasy Magazine’s site to read the entire story! And they also have a brief interview with Mandolin about the story.

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1. Rachel Swirsky's Short Story Nebula Reccommendations, 2009
2. New Fiction: "The Memory of Wind," by Rachel Swirsky
3. Rachel Swirsky giving a reading at Borderlands in San Francisco, July 23 7:30
4. New Guest Blogger on "Alas": Rachel of Rachel's Tavern
5. The Tale of the Other Protest