Bear Witness

Thimble had raced up the side of the tree so he could be near an orc’s face should one come this close.

He was trying very hard to be be a hero. To be the Champion.

He would poke some orc with the Sword of Goddard. He was angry. He was frightened. His friends fought orcs all around him and he could not help them. He felt useless. Some Champion of the Autumn Woods he turned out to be. He couldn’t even get the sword to work.

He had pulled this sword from a dream. From a dream. He knew it was Magic. But he had recited the incantation and everything, exactly as he was supposed to and…nothing. Now he was parked in a tree–like Cassie told him to!— but he was going to slice an orc cheek if he could. Or pierce an orc ear. At least the sword was pointy.

Three of them were on Cassie and Stench, and they fought so hard.

“Sword of Goddard, hear my prayer,” he said, holding the sword up, “Foes surround us everywhere–” and the orc slammed his hammer against Cassie’s shoulder.

She wavered.

Another orc stabbed at her with a dagger, but it missed.

“KNOW THEIR WEAKNESS, THEIR DEFEAT/ AND GIVE ME NOW WHAT I MOST–”

And Cassie fell.

Stench’s arrows found their marks, but they pulled them out and turned to him. As Cassie lay on the ground. They turned to Stench. Three of them charged Stench as he ran from them. “—NEED!”

They charged at Stench.

“Need, need, need, need, need, need.” Thimble ran along the branch, his eyes on Cassie, and she wasn’t moving. “Need, need, need, need,” he cried. And he ran down the tree and crossed over the fallen leaves till he was beside her. “Give me now what I most need. Please!!”

The three orcs wouldn’t stop chasing Stench. He couldn’t load his bow.

“SWORD OF GODDARD I NEED YOU!!!”

He ran towards the orcs pursuing Stench —a hundred thousand miles away from his tiny feet.

“You said you would protect us!!” he said to the sword. “SO PROTECT US!”

Suddenly he was flying across the woods, or it seemed that way.

His head rose above the branches but his feet were still on the ground.

He’d become taller, and he ran faster. Faster to catch the orcs. And he gained on them and he roared. So loud he shook the trees. The orcs turned just as he got to them and he stabbed them and sliced them and ran his sword through them and he did it over and over again and he wouldn’t stop roaring and crying and impaling. Till all that was left was Stench standing there. Looking at him.

He fell to his gargantuan knees, sobbing, looking at all the bodies, the blood, and he was shaking and shaking.

“It’s okay,” Stench said, holding out his tiny hand, touching him on the shoulder. “You’re going to be okay, buddy.”

Stench ran to Cassie. She moved. Thimble cried even more. She moved. She got up and they limped towards him. “I tried to stay in the tree,” Thimble said. “But I couldn’t. I couldn’t do anything. I’m so sorry.”

Cassie said, “Thimble?” Her eyes were wide.

“The sword made me big,” he sobbed. All he wanted to do was to crawl up into her arms and hug her neck but he couldn’t.

“The sword,” Stench smiled, “made you a bear.”

Thimble looked at the orcs, what was left of them. He cried. He was shaking. Stench and Cassie put their arms around his neck.

“Big friend, we need to take you down the path so you can help out the others now. Can we do that? Can you do what you did here again?”

Thimble stood up, and Stench and Cassie were only as tall as his knees. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I did.”

“Well, you saved us, buddy. You saved us. That’s all I know. Let’s go save some more of our friends, okay?”

Thimble nodded.

They started walking as fast as Cassie could handle.

Then Stench turned to him, “Can you give some old friends a lift?”

And Thimble picked up Cassie with one arm, and Stench with the other, his sword still in hand. And Stench rested his head against Thimble’s chest.

“So this is what it feels like to be you,” he said, making Thimble smile.

And the bear, Thimble, with his friends in his arms, ran down the path.

Go to Chapter 31

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“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.

Oakwall, Summerpond and Firefly flew over the trees because of a lovely lift spell Garna gave them–able to glide longer, farther. They carried little bombs on strings. Bombs she made that may not do a lot of damage to such big orcs, but would be annoying. Their goal was to annoy the orcs.

The squirrels had annoyed old Biddy for years being too playful among the stacks of books, but now it would be fun to let loose!

If they lived, that is.

The orcs had the woodland warriors cornered and stalled too far up the path. Cassie and Stench and Fenestra, and possibly the Champion of the Autumn Woods was somewhere here. They did see a big orc who was wreaking havoc on the raiding band of fellow orcs, so Fenestra was doing pretty well.

The others were holding their own, barely.

All their allies waited at the end of the path. They could see a large dome of light on the ground near them and they didn’t know what it was, but a shadow of a bird was inside.

“Try not to miss with the bombs. They will burn and they will flash, and be painful to the orcs, but if they are dropped on the ground that won’t mean much,” the Badger had told them. “Remember,” and he’d breathed in and paused, “we need them to see you and chase you.”

They whizzed through several orcs and dropped three bombs. One missed. Two exploded on an ear and a foot. Firefly dropped his second one, which burned an orc’s neck. Then they flew so close to them to get their attention. But the orcs didn’t even consider them of interest.

The orcs looked at them, but went back to attacking.

Some of them went after Cassie. Two tried to break into the dome of light. Several were trying to stop Fenestra’s orc puppet. Others were chasing something small. About ten seemed like they could barely see.

All around them the squirrels heard a song in the woods, “Wake, Wake!”

They tried again to get the attention of the orcs. To move them. To be enticing. To be chased. But the orcs were too involved in battle. Then a shout in the woods ahead!

A big orc voice! All the orcs turned! They bellowed in response. They raced down the path! The squirrels flew ahead of them! The orc voice got louder. Like orders. Was there another orc band ahead of them? No! What had happened to their allies?

The squirrels flew just out of reach of many of the orcs, speeding, gliding, as the orc voice got louder in front of them. Then the ground below the orcs in front collapsed–all the leaves that covered the path fell and revealed a freshly dug pit. From the bushes, a magical pink light blasted the orcs teetering on the edge. The Hare and the Salamander both raised their hands and blasted the orcs with light and illusion.

Human allies came out of the bushes armed with shovels. Some of the orcs fell. Many of them did not. The pit covered itself over again, as Xini put her illusion back in place.

They saw Fade and Dame Brigitt flying towards them and over their heads.

The sound of the big orc voice called the orcs forward towards the hidden pit!

They spotted Carlotta in the trees puffed up and doing her best Orc!

They turned and saw that they had not gotten all the orcs here. Half the orcs were here and still half the orcs where they had been. So the squirrels raced back to try and bring the rest of them to the pit.

Their only hope was to let the pit do its work. To push the orcs in.

They flew back over the fight, the rest of their bombs ready.

Go to Chapter 30

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“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.

Fenestra had one big trick. A very big trick. Her powers of sorcery could not swallow the orcs in mire like the Druid Madrijolopur or frighten them with illusion like Xini the Warlock. But she could levitate objects, small creatures, and she could ensorcell one soul to her will. She wished she was powerful enough to control them all. But she wasn’t. They had so much will of their own.

But one of them, with a flick of her tongue, was hers.

Hers.

Lift that axe. (Lifted). Attack the orcs around you. (The axe swung on a fellow orc.)

She flew beside the orc, keeping within six feet of him, important for the control to work. She’d have to dodge the battle, but it would work better than trying to steady herself on his moving orc body.

Few questers came to find Fenestra anymore, promising her adventure or treasures, if she would grant them success or bless their blades or tell them where to find magical falderall. The pond had become quiet. She waited. No one came.

She did not feel needed. Or searched for.

When Madge, as she called the turtle druid, first came to her pond, he was a rival! So much water, and rain, and waterspouts tossing the lily pads! But also so smart and fun to talk to. And they created a beautiful little magical pond full of mystery and weirdness…and it made her very happy over the last many years here. She didn’t feel like she had a purpose any longer to being magical until Madge challenged her to use her sorcery for fun now. She used it for herself and her friends.

Now she used it to save them.

O blessed night the stars fell from the sky into the pond…when she was young…the night she embodied magic, and it lived within her. She’d like to think the whole world had benefited from the things she’d ensorcelled. She may not have fought in the battles. She may not have gone on the rest of the quests. But she put little stars in everything she touched. And she gave them a new purpose.

And those stars turned all the battles.

Just like this Warrior.

See how he cleaves his fellow orcs, his axe lodging in their arms.

See how they fight him, give him all their attention.

How they stop fighting her friends, and give them a chance to fight without reciprocal attack.

Look at how good her Big Orc is at what he does.

Oh, he has stars in him.

Go to Chapter 29

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“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.

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

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“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.

Essemunde had been told to move her children to safety. Seven growing chicks, all just getting their grey down, all moving in different directions, exploring the world of the pond and the woods, but always close to mother or father–she had to move them all quickly along the path to safety.

But she and her mate, Fernlove, had found themselves crossing the path of the orcs…who were traveling now to the heart of the woods.

Why?

Hadn’t they been on their way out of the woods?

This was supposed to be a safe path. She’d barely been able to get up a shield to stop them. She didn’t know how long she could hold it.

She heard her children crying behind her, under her mate’s wings. But her shields would hold. They had to. She’d been a shield swan for Lady Allarae once in the East Kingdom of Faull. She’d held the foes back for many battles. But when she met Fernlove she realized she wanted to bring more shield swans into the world and her Lady gave her permission to leave and start a family. This was her first and only brood. It might now be her last.

But then the wolf came to help. And the fox. The wolf had fallen, and if she were to help him, to open her shield to cover him, she would endanger her family. She couldn’t drop her shield. The orcs pounded on it with their hammers, their axes. She couldn’t help the wolf.

And then she heard a great buzz in the air.

Voices cried out, “COMMUNITY!”

A whole swarm of bumblebees flew out of the trees and attacked the orcs in ways she’d never seen bumblebees do. They were vicious! Usually they were so contemplative. Now they stung the eyes of the orcs and the orcs flailed their arms, wildly swatting at the air.

They were distracted. She called to the fox to drag his companion into her shield. She ran to him and she extended her shield around around wolf, the fox, her mate, and her young ones. And she would hold it as long as she could.

Her children gathered round the wolf, and Fernlove put his wings over the fox. And she pulled her shield in close, made it stronger. Harder than steel. The orcs were in chaos and didn’t notice, but they would eventually. With the wolf down, she couldn’t move her group out of harm’s way. She hoped the orcs would leave. But instead it got noisier!

She heard other battle cries, and a song, a powerful, strengthening song, “Wake! Wake! The Blaze is almost on us!” as figures rushed out of the trees.

Go to Chapter 27

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“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.

Roth could no longer wait for a plan. He already had one.

He’d had one for months, since the moment the orcs had captured him and killed his pack. Since the moment they muzzled and gagged him so he couldn’t speak or bite. They forced him to follow human paths to help them find and eradicate all the human villages in the Greater Valley. They said it was important that all the vermin be cleared to make way for the new kingdom of orcs. They were not interested in human hostages or captives. Only ridding the valley of human presence.

The valley was extensive. It flowed from the edges of the Northern Kingdom of Brightsun, to the tip of the Eastern Kingdom of Faull, both of which the orc armies had conquered.

Now the armies were “revitalizing” lands between. Slaughtering innocents.

Roth had guided them into the Autumn Woods on purpose. He knew magic lived here. There were stories. Legends. This was an enchanted forest. They didn’t know this. So he led them into the forest to get them lost. Let the forest destroy them.

Except he discovered that it wasn’t an enchanted forest so much as a gathering of magic users. Emil the Fabulous had told him as much after he freed him from the chains and trappings of the orcs. Emil had rescued him and fed him and helped him heal, even when the fox was needed elsewhere.

“Oh, it is fine,” the fox had said, “I saw Fade, the hawk of a great warrior, pass by overhead, flying to the Owl, no doubt. What’s important is that you get healed and you tell us everything you know about these orcs.”

After hearing all of Roth’s horrors, Emil said he had to bring Roth back into their encampment right away. He could help them come up with a plan. This was important for everyone to know.

Roth also told him that he had a gift: he blessed others. His blessings had power. They nudged events, they strengthened, they helped. He wasn’t allowed to curse. But he could bless. He could help them take down the orcs.

On their way back to the encampment, though, they encountered the orcs again, and Roth’s blood boiled.

All the cruelties, the memories of what they had done to everyone he loved, came back in a rush.

These orcs crowded around a path they couldn’t take…some wall of light raised against them as they swung their axes to get through. Nothing would stop them, though. He knew that. Then Roth saw through the trees, through the light, a swan, her wings wide, blocking the path. And another swan beyond her, his wings folded on the ground covering something. The standing swan, her wings straining to block the orcs from moving forward, a glowing shield of light holding them back.

“That’s Essemunde, a shield swan, and Fernlove, her mate, guarding their summer children,” Emil whispered.

And then Roth knew he could not wait for a plan. Something had to be done now.

No one else should die.

He felt stronger. He believed it. He ran at the group from behind them, aiming at an axe-swinging orc’s heel to snap his tendon. And he bit. Clean through. “May the ground be blessed by your axe heads!” he shouted in Orc.

The orcs turned at the sound of his voice and the shout of their fallen one.

“May the road rise to meet your face!” He bellowed.

The orcs swung their axes but missed him striking the blessed ground. Some of them tripped and their blessed faces met the wolf-blessed earth.

Emil was beside him throwing blades, small tiny blades.

“May your blades TAKE OUT THEIR EYES!” Roth shouted.

And the fox’s blades, each one, found their grip in the eyes of the orcs.

Roth leapt on an orc and tore through his throat and vengeance felt warm and smelled rich. “MAY YOU FIND PEACE AT THE–“

Suddenly, he felt a blow on the side of his head and he was on the ground. He heard Emil shout, but his ears were fuzzy with a buzz and he could not hear anything else as he passed out.

Go to Chapter 26

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“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.

Aunt Pokey was a bit frustrated.

Her assistant, Thimble, was late to work. Having been chosen by the Autumn Woods to wield some magic sword, he was off training with a Knight now. Well, he needed to be here with her, wielding this needle and threading it. Now she was alone with such a big job to do!

Someone decided that Aunt Pokey would become an armorer. She. Is. A. Seamstress. She sews. She makes clothes. She makes hats. She tries to wear some of them herself, but it’s difficult with her spikes. But she’s still fascinated by clothes. She likes their cascading mysterious folds! Their delightful patterns! Their colors! How many ways there are for others to wear them. Some of it is envy. But most of it, most of her love of clothing is fascination.

She is not fascinated by armor nor does she work in metal. Find a blacksmith!

But ohhhh, Garna has a potion for strengthening cloth into a kind of chain mail strength fiber. Why not just pour it on clothes already made?

Because. Blink, blink. Sigh.

So Cassie needed a new body armor that still breathes but is as strong as metal. So she is going to make some full body armor out of her best starry blue cloth. And she must protect Thimble. So she will make a tiny outfit for him as well. Something that will protect his little body.

So he can stay alive.

Even if she doesn’t understand all the woo woo magic of it all, she knows that what she is making today and tomorrow and the next day will keep her friends alive.

And maybe one of them will come back and keep her company.

Go to Chapter 25

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“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.

Up until that fateful day, Oof Roothollow had been merely an exceptional glassblower. He created vials and flasks and baubles –the practical, the decorative–and Garna, the alchemist, had been one of his biggest customers. Now, after her mishap with a potion created to cure her eyesight that instead accidentally splashed him in the face, he was a bloomin’ Oracle.

Immediately, he could see possible futures reflected in every glass surface. From what folks were going to do, to what might happen, to where he might go in the next few years, to the condition of his home next week–all of it was there. All of it was probable.

How were negotiations going with the human village? Where was Emil? How would his friends fare in this battle?

Oof became obsessed with the images— because many of them contained his friends, dying at the hands of orcs, their homes crushed, their forest in flames–this time real flames.

One glass sphere in particular seemed to feel clearer, more detailed than others…and it showed a plan. Something to do. Something to try. In this glass ball, there was hope. He saw his friends winning this battle. He saw the orcs defeated. But he also saw frightening things. Lengths they might have to go to to win. He saw surprises.

The images were hopeful but seemed contradictory. Showing two paths at once: the orcs defeated and the orcs ultimately powerful. What did it mean?

They both fell and stood strong.

His friends both cheered in victory and stood agape in fright.

Both could not be inevitable.

How to get one over the other… Oof gazed in deep into the glass… every day. Every night. Every hour. To see the future. The future they needed. He needed to stretch out, in the heat of the images, a clear path to victory and safety.

Go to Chapter 24

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“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.

Ordinarily the Contemplative Order of the Sacred Fuzz never received guests. But this time an exception was made for Brother Fenzel, a fellow follower of faith. While their two practices were not similar, they both cared for their communities. They both followed a higher calling.

He came to them asking for a favor and he relayed a threat to his community. He seemed anxious.

The bees, enrobed in their sacred fuzz, gathered round him to try and calm him.

He told them about an invading band of raiders coming through the woods.

Now, the contemplative order rarely saw anyone but each other. They needed the isolation to practice their rites, their prayers, their aerial mazes. So most invaders or wanderers or anyone else were far away from the mystics’ underground chapels. It was pre-ordained, part of their faith. They were asked by their deity to eschew the pathways of others. They were led to declare a vow of noninterference, a separation from the world. It was the only way to stay true to their faith.

So, when Brother Fenzel asked them to help, they were sympathetic. They understood that his community must be anxious. But, as he told them, they already had warriors and magic users so why should they–a small group of mystics lend their small support? Why should they get involved? They had vows of noninterference. With all likelihood, the orcs would leave the woods in a day–then the problem would be solved.

But no, the good Brother explained, the problem would come back and all their potential allies to stop the bigger threat would be gone. “We must join together as one community to save each other.”

The Sacred Fuzz mystics buzzed to each other for a few moments, considering the situation –and weighing the dangerous part their members were being asked to play—and decided unanimously that they would not participate.

The risks were too great to their Order and the risks of not participating were so low.

They wished the good brother well. But in the end their communities lived in two separate worlds. The mystics had found peace by leaving the world alone. Perhaps Brother Fenzel should encourage his community to do the same.

Go to Chapter 23

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“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.

The envoy to the humans did not start off well, but it got better.

Someone smarter than everyone else had underestimated the sheer fright a dapper hare with a cane, a buff skunk, and a magpie who spoke Human might be.

They walked right into the little village and the humans scattered back into their buildings. And not all the Hellos and Don’t Be Afraids and We’ve Come to Warn Yous would bring them out again.

It was up to Able to bridge the uncanny valley.

He looked around and gathered a few hastily dropped items and began juggling and balancing them, sometimes ten objects high. He whistled while he did it. Carlotta picked up on his cues and began singing. Sir Asa stood dumbfounded.

Able, admittedly, came from the Southern Woods. He had two brothers, Ready and Willing, who both followed the family tradition of security and protection. Able had a bit of wanderlust and found himself at several subsequent taverns playing bouncer. But also training as a fighter and as an acrobat at a small monastery. He got bored just doing the same things. He could entertain you or flip you in the air if he wanted.

His tricks caught the eye of children in the human village and sensing that the envoy meant no harm, the humans slowly came out to see the great acrobat and juggler skunk. Soon humans were clapping for him. And he kept making it more and more challenging —to build the crowd up to care if he could do it or not.

Acrobats and jugglers are good at building empathy, you know? You care if they can do it. You are with them in the balance. You are with them in the scary moments.

Sir Asa found the perfect opening to talk with them–and because of Carlotta’s brilliant ability to reflect regional accent and dialect, she made Asa’s words sound compelling and familiar.

And Able, when he saw the children balancing tea cups on their heads, knew he had done his job well, and he quietly taught them to juggle as the adults talked about orcs and danger and strategy, the concepts remaining a little over the children’s heads, flying quickly, much less entertaining than a salt shaker perilously balanced on a wooden spoon.

Go to Chapter 22

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“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.