Mosslight Fen
Mosslight Fen spreads out in low, wet layers — spongy cushions of green moss, black reed water, and the slow drip of everything into everything else. Pale mushrooms cluster under the cattail stalks, their caps giving off a faint blue-green glow when the light fades, as if they borrowed the moon and forgot to return it. The air carries rain on mud, crushed mint, and something darker underneath — the smell of places that have been wet for a very long time. Pools of still water hold the reflections of reeds like careful drawings, and moon-pale dragonflies hover and vanish. The ground gives a little underfoot, then more than a little. Fallen branches are furred with moss to the tips, and a wooden post leans at the edge of the deepest channel, rope ring rusted orange from old use. Sound travels strangely through the reeds, paths that look firm may sink at the edges, and dusk makes the glowing mushrooms useful markers for anyone trying to find the safe way back.
6
Stories
10
Cast
Who you'll meet here
See all 10 characters →
Brindle Brack
Brindle Brack is a wide, patient marsh heron who stands as tall as a doorway and likes to stand very still until someone needs him. He speaks softly and moves with careful steps, but he carries a quiet worry that others only notice him when he is useful.
Juniper Jell
Juniper Jell is a curious fen-skipper who stands as tall as a teacup and bounces from reed to reed like a dropped pebble on water. She loves being part of plans with friends, but she carries a quiet worry that she will be left behind if she does not keep up.
Mallow
Mallow is a fen eel who is as long as a child is tall, with a smooth body that slips through the black water and mossy channels like a ribbon. He loves the strange hush of Mosslight Fen and is always drawn toward anything mysterious, especially when others tell him not to poke at it.
Mara Mudbuckle
Mara is an otter who fits in a child’s backpack and carries herself like the fen belongs to her. She loves feeling sure of herself and hates being treated like she is only good for one thing.
Nell Nettlewing
Nell is a reed bird who stands as tall as a bread loaf and sings in a thin, sweet voice. She cares deeply about keeping promises to friends, even when she is nervous.
Pip Petalwhisk
Pip is a tiny marsh mouse who fits in a teacup and loves the feeling of belonging in the soft, damp places of the fen. He worries that if he is not useful right away, others will forget he is there.
Sedge Quilltip
Sedge Quilltip is a spindly marsh crane who stands as tall as a small tree and steps as quietly as a falling leaf. He loves being the one who notices what others miss, but he can get so wrapped up in looking for the next clue that he forgets to share what he knows right away.
Tansy Tiddlefizz
Tansy Tiddlefizz is a lively fen tinkerer who fits in a child’s palm and keeps tiny notes tucked into her sleeve. She loves being taken seriously for her clever ideas, but she can be prickly when others skip past her or act as if her thinking does not matter.
Tilda Thimblecap
Tilda is a careful little marsh beetle who fits inside a teacup and never likes to feel rushed. She speaks in a tiny, steady voice and notices the small things other creatures miss, but she can become so afraid of making the wrong move that she hesitates too long.
Wick Willowcap
Wick is a tiny fen lantern-maker who fits in a soup bowl and treats every bright thing like it has a name. He loves helping friends feel less lonely, but he gets so eager to please that he sometimes agrees before he understands the full plan.
6 stories from this world
The Bubble in the Mud
A deep bubble starts rising from the mud in the middle of the fen, bigger and bigger, until the surface shivers like it is hiding a secret underneath. Everyone wonders whether to poke it, listen to it, or run from it.
When the Frogs Fall Silent
The quiet frogs in the marsh all go silent at once, and the usual chorus that tells everyone what time it is simply stops. Without the frog-song, the fen feels oddly unsteady, like something important has gone missing.
Puddles of Many Skies
A rainstorm leaves behind dozens of identical little puddles that all reflect different skies: dawn, thunder, moonlight, and sunset. The fen now looks like it contains more than one day at once, and every puddle seems to invite a different choice.
Cattails Point the Way
The cattails begin leaning in the same direction, pointing like a thousand tiny arrows toward a place no one normally goes. Their sudden warning makes the fen feel like it is trying to tell a secret before the weather changes.
The Island with a Door
A tiny island in the middle of the wetlands appears overnight, complete with a single crooked sign and a door built into nothing at all. The new island is impossible, inviting, and a little bit baffling all at once.
The Mixed-Up Firefly Signals
All around the fen, the fireflies begin blinking out of time with one another, so the nighttime signals no longer match. Friends who depend on the flashes to meet, guide, or count one another are suddenly confused.