Gressler reminded them that Orcs were not dumb, but they had tendencies that could be taken advantage of.
Orcs, because of their size, and the size of their people in relation to every other creature, tended to believe that size and strength were all that mattered. Because they got what they wanted with size and strength.
So they to believe that they could conquer and overcome any group, no matter how many, because of their size, strength and stamina. Small things posed no threat to them, ever.
“How is that helping us?” The Beaver brothers asked. “We are small things.”
Gressler pointed out that along with their belief that they could win any strategy that favored strength and size, they tended to discount cleverness, trickery, intelligence. The Bix were taken by surprise, he reminded them. Bix are clever, and if they had known–as we know–that the orcs are coming, they could have prepared.
Other things to know about orcs: They had good eyes and ears. But that lead them to depend on them too much. They tended to trust what they saw and heard.
“Also, when in armies, orcs are often overworked by their commanders. It stems from the belief that orcs are strong and strength and stamina are the very nature of an orc. So they don’t give them breaks. This means they can be more exhausted than they will ever mention,” Gressler said.
He turned to a map of the Autumn Woods, a large detailed map where he had already marked where they were, according to Craek, the paths they were taking–and the ones they were avoiding.
“I believe,” Gressler said, “we can reroute them using natural barriers, distractions, and detours to move them quickly out of the woods.” He gave them all marking tools. “Now, let’s come to the map and see what we can do to guide them away.”
They would not be taken by surprise. They had the advantage. They just all had to come together and do it.
Go to Chapter 7
“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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