The bumblebees really came through for them.
Most of the orcs were suffering from partial blindness as their eyes started swelling shut from the stings. Cassie could tell because of how wildly and widely they were swinging their weapons. (Thank Aunt Pokey and Garna for some pretty damn good armor, she thought.)
Nope, not at all the orc precision they encountered near the Old Scopic Ruins even last year.
But what they didn’t have in precision right now, they more than made up for in size and numbers and strength. Every member of her group was small, and she was one of the largest of them. But she barely came to half the size of small orcs. Their hammers and axes would still wreak damage to the community even if they couldn’t see well. But given time, their eyes would swell shut, she hoped.
Cassie never prayed for advantage.
She had skill. Skill and strength were always enough for her even when the numbers were against her. Orcs, kobold, undead, demons–she’d fought hordes like this before and it was the passion of the few who could defeat the strength of an army. Numbers were not as important as skill and passion. Before she retired, Cassie was in demand by every small band of adventurers. Her sword. Her hammer. Her fearlessness. There was nothing that could deter her.
“Watch out, Thimble!” she said. Her sword struck an orc’s arm, cutting it deeply. “I told you to stay in the tree!”
“I’m trying to make the sword work! I’ve been reciting the spell, but nothing is happening! I’m a champion. A champion!” he said, bouncing on a branch. “Sword of Goddard, hear my prayer, foes surround us everywhere…”
Three orcs rushed her, and Cassie dodged them, as they couldn’t quite see where she was. Okay she was grateful for advantage of being small. Yes.
“Get back in the tree!” she yelled.
“Foes don’t surround me in the tree!!” Thimble yelled back.
Three arrows came over her shoulder, two of them finding orc flesh to pierce. Stench was getting rusty, she thought. It did no good for them to retire and then have to fight again if he wasnt going to keep his skillset high.
Of course, who knew this would happen? Cassie give your Sweet Bread a little slack, she thought. She ran her sword through an orc. “TO THE TREE!” she growled at Thimble. “Until your sword does its part, keep your head up…”
“…and hunker down,” Thimble ran back up the branch to the tree.
The orcs weren’t yet where they had planned to fight them. “We have to push them down the path!” she called out to her team.
Astrati the General was at her side in an instant with his daggers, leaping on the orcs and shoving his black furred arms, dagger deep, into their necks. “Oh how I’d like to take them all now.”
“We just need to have thirty of you, General.”
“I AM thirty of me!” he cried out.
But then he was grabbed by an orc, a hand twice his size. His chainmail would stop a knife, but not a crushing grip. The orc slammed the black cat general onto the ground as hard as he could and looked right into Cassie’s eyes as he did it.
He was not blinded by the bees. His eye told her exactly what he was planning to do. She was not afraid. She leapt at him with her sword, and he threw dirt and leaves into her face, yelling something in orc. She could barely see, but swung her sword wide, hoping to cut him. She hit nothing. She wiped her face quickly. He was nearly on top of her.
SWIP an arrow appeared on his face, right to the left of his eye and buried itself there. He winced, then stopped, then shook, and then fell.
“PRETTY GOOD!” she called out.
“You’re welcome!” Stench said.
She ran over to Astrati, lying still on the ground. He was still warm, and heart still beating. “Get them moved down the path!” She yelled. She had nothing to help Astrati with. She hoped someone else might.
She prayed for advantage. She ran towards the orcs to guide them to their doom.
Go to Chapter 28
“Protect the Autumn Woods!” is an illustrated story by Jerome Stueart in 33 short flash fiction chapters. The story features D&D-inspired magic-using forest animals who fight to protect their homes. This story was at first a response to a prompt list created by Jenn Reese and Deva Fagan for an October Art Challenge in 2021. You can now read all 33 parts of the story, “Protect the Autumn Woods” with the search term, #AutumnWoods. “Protect the Autumn Woods!” Art Show at the Dayton Society of Artists (48 High Street, Dayton, OH) from November 1 — December 15 2024.
“Protect the Autumn Woods!” is adjacent to a larger show of amazing Dayton Artists, “Small, but Mighty.” Come see all of the art, any weekend, Friday 12-5, Saturday 12-5 to experience the art yourself.
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