When Fear Turns Into Courage | Glimmerwood Episode 5

In this episode of Beneath the Quiet in Glimmerwood, Ember follows a trail of glowing paw prints into the quiet depths of the forest, searching for answers—and for the one he loves.

But the deeper he goes, the more uncertain things become. Tension grows among the animals, and the forest no longer feels as calm as it once did.

As fear begins to rise, Ember must find the courage to keep going—even when he doesn’t fully understand what lies ahead.

A loud commotion jolted Ember awake. He sat up on his bed listening to the howling sounds coming from deep within the forest. Glimmerwood was still dark. The moon’s silvery beams cast a dim glow over its dense foliage. Ember rubbed his eyes as he watched the shadows. Nothing moved. He scratched his wild bedhead and let out a long, squeaky yawn before turning back to bed.

There it was again! Ember almost fell, startled by the deep, groaning sounds. The tiny hairs on his neck stood up and an eerie chill covered his body. He wasn’t cold… he was afraid.

The deep-throated howling grew closer. Ember peeked in the other room to see if his parents were awake. He wondered if they heard it, but the house was quiet. He walked to his window again and listened. He didn’t hear anything, but he saw something. Small glowing paw prints were gradually fading into the forest. Ember ran quickly out of the house trying to follow the paw prints before they completely disappeared. He forgot what Ivan said. He also forgot about the noises he heard. He was only concerned about finding the little puppy who made those paw prints. He was only concerned about finding Spark.

The deeper he ran into the forest the darker it became. The thick foliage blocked out the moon’s light making it difficult to see. When the last paw print disappeared, Ember realized he was lost. Not only was he lost, but he was now cold. He forgot his jacket and shoes when he quickly ran after the paw prints.

 Ember saw a thick bush growing at the base of a large Oak Tree. He crawled under it trying to get warm. The sounds were back. They were getting louder, so he held his breath. He watched as a group of animals followed closely behind some dragonflies. They were grunting and howling, walking in a single line—just like the animals the previous morning. But they were angry.

As they passed, the animals got angrier. Ember wanted to know why so he stayed quiet.  He followed them from a distance, hoping they would lead him back to the edge of the forest. They didn’t.

They led him to a clearing where a large group of animals were gathered, separated by a small creek. Three fairies fluttered around a decaying tree stump guarding a relic that lay at its base. The fairies were trying to calm the animals because each group believed the relic belonged to them… and neither side was willing to listen to the other—or let it go.

That must be the relic Ivan told me about. Ember thought. Maybe it can calm all the animals and make the forest peaceful again and help me find Spark.

Ember gasped when a gruff deer stood on its hind hooves. The deer was very irate and charged at a bunny who quickly scurried down a nearby burrow.

“Monty! Stop it!” shouted a fairy. “Think about what you’re doing.”

Another fairy flew behind his antlers to stroke his nape, trying to soothe him. It didn’t help. The deer stomped his left hoof and scratched the ground in defiance, demanding a confrontation. He looked at the animals across from him with fury. His red eyes glared at them as he thrust his huge antlers up and down.

The forest erupted. Tension grew between the animals and exploded into loud, bellowing roars. No one saw the little bunny when he snuck out and took the relic down into the hole with him.

The uproar was intense.  None of the animals noticed the fairies sprinkling pixie dust above them. The fairies didn’t like using pixie dust on the animals, but they were uncontrollable. The dust temporarily calmed them until the fairies could decide what to do.

Ember watched the chaos. His eyes followed the fairies’ every movement as they huddled together discussing the angry animals.

“Pssst!”

Ember looked around.

“Pssst…down here!”

Ember looked down. Among the leaves was a bunny. Sitting between his ears was Ivan.

“Hi Ivan!” said Ember. Ember’s voice softened as he greeted his friend.

“I saw you hiding,” said Ivan. “My friend Powder Puff has something that may help you find your puppy.”

The little bunny moved revealing the relic under him. Ember’s eyes brightened with excitement. He picked it up and it began to glow as a paw print gradually appeared on its surface.

“What’s happening?” asked Ember.

“I’m not sure…but look!” said Ivan pointing to a trail of glowing paw prints.

Ember’s eyes followed the prints as they began to glow, each one going further into the forest. The prints followed the edge of the creek, and some were glowing beneath the water.

“Thank you!” said Ember smiling through tears. “Now, I can find Spark.”

“Be careful, Ember. The path goes between the animals, and they will only be calm for a short time.”

Ember looked at the danger around him. His love for Spark was greater than what he was facing. The sharp pricks hurting his feet couldn’t stop him. Not even a group of angry animals could stop him. Nothing could stand in his way!

The tightness in his chest had changed. It was no longer the fear of loss... it was courage. The kind that rises when something matters more than being afraid. Ember was determined to see where the paw prints led... and overcome any obstacle. 

 

Ember found the courage to take the next step… but the journey ahead was still unknown, and the forest held more than he could yet understand. Continue the adventure through Glimmerwood as Ember’s journey unfolds…

— Written with care by W. L. Shaw, creator of Fanciful Tales