Sheri Yutzy - Speculative Fiction Author

  • About
  • Stories
  • Contact
  • Magic Forest Proofreading
You are here: Home / All Posts / THE SMELL OF NORTH – #flashfictionmagic

THE SMELL OF NORTH – #flashfictionmagic

March 6, 2021 by Sheri

Lux made a disgusted sound as his boot sank ankle deep in Bayou mud. “We should have stayed in the northlands.”
“And let the Empress track us through the snow? I don’t think so.” Autumn picked her way around the small bog he was still wading through.
Lux’s mutters turned to a prolonged grumble, one Autumn had learned to ignore. “We’ll be out of the Bayou tomorrow, at the latest.”
He eyed her. Mud smeared his chiseled jaw, and he appeared to have a muddy leaf dried onto his forehead. “And you promise the rest of your homeland isn’t like this?” He swept a narrowed gaze over her face and throat. “Does your skin repel mud or something?”
“It’s just mud, Lux.” Mud that smelled like green life and heady flowers and…a crisp wind?
Autumn froze and Lux’s knee hit her midstride. She would have fallen in a muddy tangle if he hadn’t grabbed her waist. “Give me your knife,” she whispered.
“The orange one you’ve mocked since we met?” His words were careless murmurs, but she felt his muscles tighten as he scanned the low hanging branches around them.
“Do you have another?”
He handed it to her slowly. “Is it a snake? Are you going to stab it with six inch blade?”
She sighed and edged away from him. “You’re going to wish it was.”
His frown loosened the leaf and it fluttered away. “What are you doing?”
She raised her voice. “You can come out, North. He’s unarmed.”
A lithe, dark skinned man flowed from behind a tree, bringing a chill with him. His curls hung impeccably against his shoulders. Six silver knives hung from a belt that hugged narrow hips. His black tilted eyes scraped over Lux.

Lux’s confusion vanished and he slid into his usual languid stance. “I’m beginning to understand why you didn’t want to marry me, Autumn.”

She glared at him while he studied North’s sculpted arms. “I thought we were never speaking of that again.”

He flicked mud from his fingers. “This negates any agreement. You know how I feel about people who are prettier than me.” He frowned.

North cocked a brow at her.

She flushed, fighting a wave of defensiveness. Yes, Lux’s vanity was the size of the sky, but she’d gotten used to it. It was part of him. She cleared her throat. “This is my brother North, Lux. He’s here to escort us to my Grandmere.”

Lux’s frown turned sulk. “You’re bad enough, but two of you at once?”

“Are you admitting I’m prettier than you?” She couldn’t help a grin, though North was icier by the second.

“I’ll take my knife back now.”

 

Let me know what you thought of this story! Find new flash fiction here every Friday.

Filed Under: All Posts

Want free stories, discounts, and other forest magic?Join my newsletter!

I like sending free stories to my friends.
Join the list and get a free ebook copy of Stories of the Stars, my speculative short story collection!

About Sheri

Here Goes Something New!

Hi, I'm Sheri Yutzy. I love forests under the night sky, trying new foods, and drinking Irish tea.
I'm married to a musician who looks good in black, mama to two toddlers who love to eat, and happy resident of a Cape Cod cottage in Ohio.
I write YA fantasy and am acquisitions editor at sparkflashfiction.com.
Join my email list for free fiction!

Follow Along

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Find some magic with me!

sheriyutzyauthor

One thing I love about Ohio yards: no matter where One thing I love about Ohio yards: no matter where I go, I can always find a little patch of whimsical greenery somewhere that whispers spring is here. My yard right now is strewn with little branches and dried plants from the flowerbeds and old, brown leaves. But soon the grass will grow tall and we’ll gather the branches and everything will be lush and green again.
Fairy tales always seem like a spring thing. The curses end in spring, the eggs hatch in spring, the weddings happen in spring. But I love to see the magic woven into each season, each so different, preparing the earth for the next phase.

What whimsically green corners have you found this week?

#whimsicalwednesday #sheriyutzy #whimsicalgreen #whimsicalcottage #whimsicalspring #whimsicalgarden #yafantasyauthor #hanschristianandersen #bestlovedfairytales #fairytales #springfairytale #magicalspring #magicalcottage #booksoutside #slowliving #changingseasons #marchgreens
🌿✨🌿 Enough words in the world Enough bulbs 🌿✨🌿
Enough words in the world
Enough bulbs budding 
And stretching their hearty arms
Like solid poems, fragrant poems
The world outside is living poetry.
🌿✨🌿

#twentywordtuesday #poetsofinstagram #springpoetry #ednastvincentmillay #springinthegarden #poetryoutside #moodycottage #sheriyutzy #shortpoems
Mondays do odd things for me as an introvert. (By Mondays do odd things for me as an introvert. (By introvert I mean I need solitude to recharge.) 
🌿🌿🌿
Here’s what I mean. By the end of every week I’m ready to see my people, engage in my church community. And by the end of Sunday? I’m ready to be alone again. My kids usually are too, so they spend Monday playing pretend together and I lurk around catching up on housework, reading a book, and gazing out the window, enjoying my own inner silence. (It’s not super silent outside of me, but that’s okay.)
Monday is just lovely, because I’m filled up and rich with community, and I have a whole day to be home and ponder that fullness.
Yes, sometimes I want to be with adults after hearing children chatter all day, but most of the time their conversation is refreshing.

How do you find Mondays? Do you like to get started on the week, or would you like to stay in the weekend?
The wisteria is budding, and will soon be spreadin The wisteria is budding, and will soon be spreading its sunshine across the yard. Our bush was here when we moved and I’ve been so grateful for it. It blooms so early, the brightest thing around.
This weekend was a bit crazy. I did some new things, like make meatballs for a crowd, and juggle three Airbnb guests’ requests at once, and change a car key battery while away from home (thank God for the extra battery in the glove box) but here I am at Sunday afternoon, my time to take a look at the week before, and everything worked out.
I know it doesn’t always, but for today, I am grateful.

What made you grateful this weekend?

#wisteria #buddingwisteria #sheriyutzy #gratefulsunday #kingdomofashandbriars #hannahwest #yafantasyauthor #booksoutside #slowliving #gratefulliving #moodycottage #cottagegarden #intentionalliving #gratefulthoughts #springtimeblooms #timeforspring
Load More... Follow on Instagram

My Book Progress

Spiraldown
Phase:Writing
31.8%
MyBookProgress by Author Media

Goodreads

Let’s keep in touch!

You'll be the first to know about new discounts, free stories just for subscribers, and beta reader openings. Feel free to sign up!

© 2023 Sheri Yutzy | Site by EY-PHOTO-WEB

 

Loading Comments...