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.

Sir Asa Thornhidden was not used to company. He lived alone, and liked it. He didn’t like the constant chatter of his two companions on this journey east.

He was chosen to go on this mission–to make contact with the human settlement– because he was a very skilled diplomat. Carlotta was chosen to translate into Human everything he said. Able, dear gods, was just extra muscle, in case they got into trouble. Asa had muscle too, taut and sinewy, but he still had it.

Able’s voice tonight vibrated Asa’s ears very weirdly, such a very strong accent. Something southern and annoying. He’d never noticed it before.

Tonight he wanted them both to be quiet. But he didn’t stop them from chattering. And they did– about Able’s favorite games, tasty recipes, and Carlotta’s most striking impressions. She was good with voices. She did a very funny Ramsaur impression.

“I feel like being alone,” she said in a very bad Sir Asa voice.

He smiled to hide his annoyance.

He felt the weight of the mission on his own head. Able couldn’t do it. Carlotta just translated what she was told to. He alone must negotiate with an unpredictable group of humans who had probably never seen animals like them, or even knew what magic was. They were going to be primitive.

Able did backflips as Carlotta laughed. Three of them in a row. Sir Asa would be impressed if acrobatics were being called for. How about a nimble mind? Someone good with words? That mental dexterity mattered more now.

Who’s to say that the humans wouldn’t be as frightened of them as they would be of orcs? How do you calmly discuss a major threat to a people who might be too frightened to listen to you?

They had no choice though. A hare, a skunk, a magpie–they might be familiar enough to the humans to let them believe what Asa had to say. But would they take the threat seriously? Would they help?

Go to Chapter 21

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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.

Bedoulia Fairborne, Old Biddy to those of the Autumn Woods, was the current archivist and historian of the area, the daughter of Mother Dahlia, who was the daughter of Dearest, and on back for several generations of owls who kept the history preserved and written and cataloged for study and understanding of current events. Biddy had no offspring to carry on the good work, but she had a great staff (and isn’t that just as good!?)

Three flying squirrels kept everything carefully organized. Without Oakwall, Summerpond, and Firefly, Biddy would have had a very difficult time keeping the whole endeavor going. She had lost most of her eyesight, and had trouble ripping things with her beak and talons–very little strength for that.

She was lucky that her dear squirrels tenderized her food for her. (What she didn’t know is that the squirrels had completely taken over her dietary regimen and substituted artfully created veggie-mice made of chickpeas, walnuts, blackbeans, and spices all molded into the shapes of dead mice–easier for her to digest, for her to chew, and so much safer for the squirrels. “Job security and safety had to come first,” Oakwall whispered.)

Dame Brigitt had come to the Owl to join Emil in asking Biddy for information on the orcs, but the squirrels said Emil had never come. He was supposed to have been here by now. Ramsaur said Emil was going to free a wolf that had been held captive by the orcs. Could Emil have been attacked or taken by the orcs?

Biddy told her that the orcs weren’t the real threat to the Autumn Woods.

“They’re just passing through. You don’t think we are their main purpose do you? You must have seen their trails of destruction across the valley, Brigitt. What is a tiny community of furry creatures to them?” Biddy clucked at her.

The squirrels followed her lead and clucked and shook their heads at Brigitt.

“We are nothing,” Biddy went on. “Oh, they might eat us for a snack. But I’ve been watching their patterns. I know they’re at war. And I know the humans of the great cities to the west and the east lost that war. Already. Done. Only the human cities of the South remain. Now the orcs are going from village to village wiping out the humans. This is a much bigger problem than the woods.”

She lifted a wing to point to bookshelves full of red-bound books. “I’ve been watching this war. The whole bloody thing. (And what she meant was that they, the four of them had been watching). I’ve been recording the nations of humans and orcs for some time. And the bigger picture is that all of us will eventually be destroyed by this great orc army. These orcs in the autumn woods–this is a small raiding band. To clear the valley.” She blinked once and closed her eyes. “You cannot push the orcs out of the woods. You must keep them here. You must fight them yourselves. We have the largest group of magic users in the valley. All come here to retire, to find a more peaceful life. Yes yes yes. All well and good. But now, if we don’t fight them, and they destroy all the people large enough to fight them, then we will have no allies to defeat the larger army.”

Dame Brigitt threw her hands into the air. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? If you knew this was happening?”

The Owl ruffled her feathers making herself twice her natural size.

The squirrels clucked and clucked.

Biddy may not have her eyesight or her talon strength but making her angry was not a good idea. “The opportunity for us to do something just. presented. itself: the orcs entering the woods, you returning from a quest, Xini revealing she still had the cursed crown, and now a Champion has been chosen by the spirit of the Woods.”

How did she know about Thimble?

“All of these signs point to us doing something and not passing this problem onto others. It would be easier to give the orcs a way out of the woods. But it would be more beneficial to keep them here indefinitely. In whatever way that had to be. And then you must find a way to defeat the larger army that will come.”

Larger army? The Autumn Woodland community fighting this band of orcs–by themselves? “Not by themselves. You must contact the nearest human village to the East, and you must make allies. If you don’t, you doom them, and eventually all of us, to having nothing left at all. Go now. Take my good squirrel staff with you.”

She looked at them each with deep care and myopia.

“Old Biddy will be fine. I know where you keep the mice,” she winked.

Go to Chapter 20

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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.

Still asleep, Thimble grasped the Sword of Goddard.

When he awoke, he would be speechless.

Excited at first, but realizing how suddenly important it was to know what to do.

Later he would show it to Stench, to Xini, to Fenestra, to Aunt Pokey. None of them would be able to tell him anything about it. Only that they had never seen it and who were they to cast doubt on a dream that delivers a sword.

Thimble had worked for Aunt Pokey, the seamstress, since he was young, which, most folks reminded him, was not that long ago. He was still very young.

He helped Aunt Pokey thread her needles.

Many times he would pre-thread them for her. He had precision. “You have a good eye,” she would tell him. And very tiny paws. “Tiny is very good.”

He knew that size did not matter in many areas– including being heroic. One of his heroes was Dame Brigitt, whom he shared one glorious afternoon with several months ago when she took him for a ride on Fade and he saw the wide world below him and how small the woods, his previous world, was.

They had had lunch on the top of a mountain!!

She had shown him some moves of a swordswielder, fighting an invisible foe. She was not much bigger than he was, only twice his size. And she was a great knight, a Paladin who had fought in many battles. He imagined one day fighting by her side in his own armor. Sometimes he wore Aunt Pokey’s thimble as a helmet, brandished a needle and fought giant menacing yarn balls. She filled him with hope.

As soon as he could, he would ask her about the Sword of Goddard. He would recount the snake, the heraldry of a coat of arms faded against a wall. She would know something. He was frightened a little. He only got one chance to use the magic and no time to practice or know what might happen when he spoke the words. How do you prepare for that? He would be called on to fight.

Now someone—the very Autumn Woods–had high expectations of him.

The sword felt heavier and heavier in his hands and he realized how unready he was to fight.

Shouldn’t someone else have the sword? He would offer it to Dame Brigitt. She would use it well.

But Dame Brigitt refused the sword, much to his fear. “I didn’t have the dream, Thimble. It came to you. This sword, this task, is yours. It must know that you are the right Champion of the Autumn Woods. Even if you don’t.”

She climbed up on Fade, but called down to him. “Don’t worry, brave hearted friend. I will give you more training. And you will not fight alone. The whole battle is not up to you alone, okay? There will be plenty battle for all of us if we don’t get the orcs out of the woods soon. Then everyone will have to be a Champion.”

Go to Chapter 19

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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.

After being a wandering bow-for-hire, Stench had finally settled down in the Autumn Woods. Mostly for Cassie, but he was surprised how much he really wanted to settle down for himself.

The life of a Ranger typically involved a lot of moving around, staying on your feet, working with dirty bands of thugs and adventurers crawling through ancient cities and dungeons in far off places.

Not a baaad life. No. It could be a great one! It was a great one. Just not a stable one. Not one that you fight to protect–as he did now.

Now he had a beautiful home with Cassie (fellow adventurer–they’d fought side-by-side in his last three quests!) and they were attempting a family, even. Not one of his bucket list items–but love makes you really excited about doing all sorts of new things. Now he had a home to protect, a life to protect that involved a future, and his neighbors were their new band of adventurers that needed saving and protecting. He’d fought orcs before–and he trusted that they had enough magic users and clever minds to get the orcs out of the woods.

They didn’t have a lot of tanks, a lot of muscle, though (though Cassie would bring down her hammer hard on them, he was sure), so taking on 30 orcs would not be prudent, or effective. But he kept his skills up anyway. In case there was battle.

“I want to be in the battle,” said Thimble from his pocket.

Thimble was a small mouse neighbor who worked for a local tailor, keeping Stench company at the shooting range.

“My tiny friend,” Stench said, adding, “with the very big heart. You have plenty of people who will protect you from the orcs, and you are well looked-after. You don’t need to do the fighting.”

But the mouse was insistent, claiming that he had practiced with one of Aunt Pokey’s needles–and that he was ready to stab an orc in the eye.

Stench didn’t doubt that. But he also didn’t underestimate the sheer crushing power of an orc, let alone 30 of them.

“You need to stay out of sight. Remember we talked about that. Head up, but hunkered down.”

The mouse sighed, “When will it be time for me to hunker up?”

The raccoon shot an arrow through three apples balanced on three stumps. “When the villains are more your size, I’m sure you’ll come through with a needle, and do mega damage!”

The mouse yelled, “MEGADAMAGE!”

But it was still such a small squeak.

How do you convince folks to understand their worth is not tied to their ability to help? That maybe just existing was what they contributed to life and happiness.

Protectors needed something to protect. And the protected did more to hold together a community than they could wielding a sword to slice an enemy.

“Cassie said I could fight,” Thimble said.

“No, she didn’t. Cassie agrees with me.”

The mouse sighed.

Stench hoped, for Thimble’s sake, that he could learn to use the skills he had, the body he had, the size he had, and be happy with what he could offer his neighbors.

“Not everyone has to wield a bow to be a hero,” Stench said, rubbing the top of Thimble’s head with a finger.

Thimble reached out and climbed on his finger. “That’s what heroes say,” he said. “And then they go out and save people.”

The mouse wanted to have a snooze in a tree hollow now, and so Stench placed him down inside the nearest tree opening.

“I’m going to practice a little longer. Then I’ll take you back to the village.” He looked at the little shallow hollow in the tree. “Be careful,” Stench told him. “The tree looks ominous.”

The mouse didn’t even turn around to laugh at his joke.

Stench thought, you do more to encourage me, little friend, to stay alive, to be strong, to be the hero I need to be, than a hundred quests. That is your power. He hoped one day Thimble would understand.

Go to Chapter 17

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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.