DreamForge Anvil #23, March 2026
“The Indoor Prince” by Brandon Case
“Fifteen Silver” by Alexandra Wingo
“First Words” by Hap Aziz
“The Boy and the Turtle: a Fairy Tale” by Leo Rose Rodriguez
“A Guide to Helping Your House Elf: Etiquette, Cooperation, Commiseration” by Teresa Milbrodt
“The Ides of Mariachi” by Pete Lead
Reviewed by Mina
This issue has the subtitle “The Trauma of Connection.”
“The Indoor Prince” by Brandon Case tells the tale of a male house cat locked outdoors overnight. He is befriended by a stray cat. The tale is written from the perspective of the pompous and spoiled, but ultimately courageous, house cat, Geo. A bit of fluff.
“Fifteen Silver” by Alexandra Wingo begins with the bard, Gwen, being captured by a desperate man, Owen. He is taking her to be executed in exchange for fifteen silver. On the four-day journey, Gwen spins tales like a desperate Scheherazade. But do tales survive their spinner? With echoes of Fahrenheit 451.
In “First Words” by Hap Aziz, a new translation technology is developed that can translate communication between and with animals: not just wild animals but livestock as well. The technology shows that animals communicate meaning, intention and emotional states. Slowly, the world begins to change its treatment of “dumb animals.”
“The Boy and the Turtle: a Fairy Tale” by Leo Rose Rodriguez feels more like a fable than a fairy tale. We follow a boy and a turtle leaving the beach to go live in the city. Beautifully written, almost poetic, it’s a tale about loss; adapting to inhospitable places but hugging a kernel of magic inside. It has a bitter-sweet ending because we can never return to the same place as we ourselves are changed by time and our lived experiences. A paradise lost.
“A Guide to Helping Your House Elf: Etiquette, Cooperation, Commiseration” by Teresa Milbrodt is a sweet tale. Through the narrator’s relationships with her mother and the house elves, the author examines why we struggle to accept help, either because we are overworked or getting older, or both. Letting go of guilt and accepting that someone else may find pleasure in lending a helping hand is half the battle.
In “The Ides of Mariachi” by Pete Lead, Darren doesn’t die at his appointed time. The mariachi who were supposed to carry his spirit away with their music find themselves stuck and following Darren around. However, it becomes a welcome break for the band from accompanying the dead on their last journey. And Darren resolves to extend their break as long as possible by looking after himself. A very light tale, but I do wish authors checked any Spanish they use with a native Spanish speaker.