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The Flowers and the Bees
© 2022 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
DragonMelde, color by 
Major Matt Mason
“While we wait,” the giraffe said, “I am sorely remiss, Paladin Meredith. I am Lord Herbert, and welcome to Hillside Castle.”
The golden palomino mare smiled graciously. “I am pleased to meet you, my Lord. This is very nice place.”
“Thank you. My father had this place built,” Herbert said as he poured another goblet of wine. “Everyone thought he was daft as a brush for building a castle on the side of a hill, but he did it anyway, just to show them. You know what happened?”
“I – “
“It fell down the side of the hill. So he built another. It fell down the side of the hill. So he tried a third time,” and the giraffe took a long swallow of his drink, “and that caught fire, burned down, and then fell down the side of the hill – but the fourth one,” and he waved an expansive paw, “stayed up. My father was so pleased that he died.”
“Oh. I’m very sorry,” Meredith said.
Herbert smiled. “Don’t worry about it, my dear. He was dreadful. But he left the place to me, and I’ve had the whole place done up – Yes, Norbert?” he asked as the mouse made a reappearance.
“My Lord, Sir Gerhard of the Greenwood,” and Norbert stepped aside as a short mephit stepped in. The skunk wore trousers, shirt and jacket, all in green silk trimmed in green velvet, and he carried a small nosegay of flowers in one paw.
“Gerhard,” Herbert said as he got to his hooves, Meredith following suit.
“Herbert!” the skunk said in a reedy voice, “What have you been doing tonight? The forest is in a fine uproar.” He sniffed at the nosegay and did a double-take when he spotted Meredith. “Who’s this? I didn’t think you swung that way.”
The giraffe made a dismissive gesture. “Pish, Gerhard. This is Paladin Meredith.”
Meredith bowed. “Sir, I’m afraid that I and my companion were the ones in the forest.”
“Oh really? My, my, you are a brave sort,” the skunk said. “Companion, you say?”
“Yes, Sir. A mage.”
Gerhard suddenly gulped. “Oh, my goodness. I hope she didn’t stray too far.”
“’Too far?’” Meredith asked.
“If she blundered into the flowers, the bees might have gotten her.”
“’Bees?’”
“Hm?” The skunk nodded. “Pardon me, I meant to say BEES!”
“Don’t the bees – “
“BEES!”
The mare blinked. “All right. I thought that BEES! didn’t venture out at night.”
“They will, if your friend’s gotten into the flowers.” The skunk looked momentarily pensive, before nodding to himself. “Herbert, I’m afraid I must go.”
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out,” the giraffe said. “That’s my job, Gerhard.”
“Maybe later,” and the skunk winked. “Paladin, we’ll go to my home and wait for the morning.”
Meredith raised a paw. “I thought you said that she might be in danger from the BEES!”
“That’s right.”
“Then we should start looking now.”
Gerhard sniffed at his nosegay before saying, “Not at night – “ The point of Meredith’s sword suddenly brushed his chin, clipping a few hairs “ – but there’s no harm in looking, is there?”
***
“Hmm, that’s interesting,” Meredith said.
Fuji, having just returned from putting little Jinzi to bed, looked over her shoulder. “What’s interesting?”
“My character drew her sword, despite there being no threat or provocation,” the mare said to the bull, “and look at her eyes.”
“Hmm. Yes, that is unusual.”
***
“You didn’t have to be so rough,” Gerhard whined as he held the torch high overhead. Fanned out around him, his retainers were also searching by torchlight, picking around the carefully-tended beds of flowers.
“Be thankful that I all I did was trim your fur,” the paladin growled. “Now, where are these BEES!?”
“Their hive’s over there,” and the skunk pointed to his right. His and Meredith’s ears perked at a shout from one retainer, and the they converged on the marten, who pointed at the ground.
Varan’s staff was lying on the ground, surrounded by scattered footprints and small puddles of a waxy substance. “Well, that’s torn it,” Gerhard said, “the BEES! have her.” He turned to glare at Meredith. “And if you don’t want to wait till daylight, you can go get her yourself, so there,” and after he stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry, he and his retainers started to walk away.
Meredith watched them go, then adjusted her grip on her sword and headed for the BEES! hive.
© 2022 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
DragonMelde, color by 
Major Matt Mason“While we wait,” the giraffe said, “I am sorely remiss, Paladin Meredith. I am Lord Herbert, and welcome to Hillside Castle.”
The golden palomino mare smiled graciously. “I am pleased to meet you, my Lord. This is very nice place.”
“Thank you. My father had this place built,” Herbert said as he poured another goblet of wine. “Everyone thought he was daft as a brush for building a castle on the side of a hill, but he did it anyway, just to show them. You know what happened?”
“I – “
“It fell down the side of the hill. So he built another. It fell down the side of the hill. So he tried a third time,” and the giraffe took a long swallow of his drink, “and that caught fire, burned down, and then fell down the side of the hill – but the fourth one,” and he waved an expansive paw, “stayed up. My father was so pleased that he died.”
“Oh. I’m very sorry,” Meredith said.
Herbert smiled. “Don’t worry about it, my dear. He was dreadful. But he left the place to me, and I’ve had the whole place done up – Yes, Norbert?” he asked as the mouse made a reappearance.
“My Lord, Sir Gerhard of the Greenwood,” and Norbert stepped aside as a short mephit stepped in. The skunk wore trousers, shirt and jacket, all in green silk trimmed in green velvet, and he carried a small nosegay of flowers in one paw.
“Gerhard,” Herbert said as he got to his hooves, Meredith following suit.
“Herbert!” the skunk said in a reedy voice, “What have you been doing tonight? The forest is in a fine uproar.” He sniffed at the nosegay and did a double-take when he spotted Meredith. “Who’s this? I didn’t think you swung that way.”
The giraffe made a dismissive gesture. “Pish, Gerhard. This is Paladin Meredith.”
Meredith bowed. “Sir, I’m afraid that I and my companion were the ones in the forest.”
“Oh really? My, my, you are a brave sort,” the skunk said. “Companion, you say?”
“Yes, Sir. A mage.”
Gerhard suddenly gulped. “Oh, my goodness. I hope she didn’t stray too far.”
“’Too far?’” Meredith asked.
“If she blundered into the flowers, the bees might have gotten her.”
“’Bees?’”
“Hm?” The skunk nodded. “Pardon me, I meant to say BEES!”
“Don’t the bees – “
“BEES!”
The mare blinked. “All right. I thought that BEES! didn’t venture out at night.”
“They will, if your friend’s gotten into the flowers.” The skunk looked momentarily pensive, before nodding to himself. “Herbert, I’m afraid I must go.”
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out,” the giraffe said. “That’s my job, Gerhard.”
“Maybe later,” and the skunk winked. “Paladin, we’ll go to my home and wait for the morning.”
Meredith raised a paw. “I thought you said that she might be in danger from the BEES!”
“That’s right.”
“Then we should start looking now.”
Gerhard sniffed at his nosegay before saying, “Not at night – “ The point of Meredith’s sword suddenly brushed his chin, clipping a few hairs “ – but there’s no harm in looking, is there?”
***
“Hmm, that’s interesting,” Meredith said.
Fuji, having just returned from putting little Jinzi to bed, looked over her shoulder. “What’s interesting?”
“My character drew her sword, despite there being no threat or provocation,” the mare said to the bull, “and look at her eyes.”
“Hmm. Yes, that is unusual.”
***
“You didn’t have to be so rough,” Gerhard whined as he held the torch high overhead. Fanned out around him, his retainers were also searching by torchlight, picking around the carefully-tended beds of flowers.
“Be thankful that I all I did was trim your fur,” the paladin growled. “Now, where are these BEES!?”
“Their hive’s over there,” and the skunk pointed to his right. His and Meredith’s ears perked at a shout from one retainer, and the they converged on the marten, who pointed at the ground.
Varan’s staff was lying on the ground, surrounded by scattered footprints and small puddles of a waxy substance. “Well, that’s torn it,” Gerhard said, “the BEES! have her.” He turned to glare at Meredith. “And if you don’t want to wait till daylight, you can go get her yourself, so there,” and after he stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry, he and his retainers started to walk away.
Meredith watched them go, then adjusted her grip on her sword and headed for the BEES! hive.
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Horse
Size 93 x 120px
File Size 36.7 kB
Listed in Folders
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