The prompt for week three is: "Myth" The story is original but, well, take a look and see...

In the Woods

Artemis, she who drives the chariot of the moon across the night sky hovered near the horizon. The first light of day streamed down into the valley, warming the lands. A soft summer breeze wafted through the trees. Birds sang their praises to the new day, bees hummed their own songs, and everything was right with the world.

Deep in the heart of the forest, a babbling brook tripped along by the side of a narrow path. The other side of the path was thick with brambles, leaving only a narrow passage. As a large brown bear ambled along the path, the sound of thundering hooves heralded the approach of a large snow-white stallion from the opposite direction.

When the stallion saw the bear, it screeched to a halt, throwing up gouts of dirt with its hooves. “Out of my way, bear," said the horse. "I'm on a mission for the great Lord Poseidon himself.”

The animals nearby stopped their singing, foraging, and whatever else they were doing to watch.

'What do I care for the god of the sea?” The bear growled low in its throat. “This is my forest and you are a trespasser here. You get out of my way.”

A squirrel scampered across the path behind the bear and ran up a nearby tree. When it reached the top, it turned to look down and watch the confrontation below.

The horse stamped its front hoof and shook its fine mane as it said, “The lovely Alcyone gives birth to Lord Poseidon's child and I must run to the shores of the mighty sea and retrieve him. I tell you for the last time, get out of my way.”

This only angered the bear further. It reared up on its hind legs and said, “Step aside. I will pass now. The berries are ripe in the north meadow and I am hungry.”

A burst of light flashed on the path between the two animals. They both fell back as the smoke cleared and a tall woman appeared. She had long flowing hair, dark as the sky at midnight and stormy gray eyes.

The bear was the first to recover. It took a step forward, waving its front paws in a menacing fashion.

The lovely Artemis, for it was she, herself, who had appeared, smiled gently at the bear and said, “I'm asking you nicely to step aside and let this horse pass so that it may give its happy news to my uncle.”

She waited.

When the bear only growled in reply, she waved her hand at the creature. The bear shrank until it was less than six inches tall.

“Never mind,” it said to the horse in a high squeaky voice as it moved to the side of the path, “You go first.”

Which just goes to show, when you act too much like an angry bear, you might suddenly find you're barely there.