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puzzlepromptsTitle: Readying the Sleigh
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Original
Character/Pairing: Missus Santa Claus, Jack, Reindeer, OFC
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
puzzleprompts November 2018: ALL:
Power Hour: Flight
Creature Feature: Wolf
Classifieds Section: Sleigh Driver
Mother Nature: Sun Set
Cosmic Constant: Fluid Resistance (Air)
Geology Rocks: Mountains
Random Object: Blade (the blade runners on the bottom of the sleigh)
Sense and Sensibilities: Hearing: Laughter
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 1,260
Date Written: 3 and 9 December 2018
Summary:
Disclaimer: This one's all mine, folks!
“Come on! Come on, baby!” she urged. The wolf at her feet picked her little, gray head up and whined softly. “Not you,” the Elf who’d rescued her months ago from murderous hunters who had left her for dead, and who had also later learned the hard way that no mere human should venture into Elves’ territory and harm anyone without their permission, clucked to her. “The sleigh,” she said in way of explanation.
Refocusing on the majestic, crimson red vehicle, the old Elf clucked her tongue again and cracked the reins. “GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT, BOYS!” she yelled to the reindeer, who were all straining against the North wind as it blew at them. “WE’VE ALMOST GOT IT! WE SHOULD HAVE IT!” And they only had one more week within which to get it right! She had to have the sleigh ready or the impossible would happen, and she’d never, in a million years, allow that to happen!
This was nothing in comparison to the year she’d done the job herself instead of her husband, who’d been too sick for his annual run. She could do this! The sleigh should be done now, but they had to be certain. That was exactly why Jack couldn’t let up the wind. They’d meet these blizzard-force winds and much worse on the annual, nighttime ride. She felt the sleigh rise, and Jack blew harder. Snowflakes swirled in her face. The freezing presence of tiny, glittering, almost invisible shards of ice stung her blue eyes.
“SORRY, MISSUS C!” the Elemental called.
“DON’T BE SORRY, JACK! WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE SLEIGH’S READY! GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!”
“ARE YOU SURE?” he called back hesitantly.
“YES! WE CAN’T HAVE SANTA FALLING OUT OF THE SKY ON HIS RUN! GO FOR IT, BOYS! EVERYONE, GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!”
The wind blew harder, but the deer also strained harder. “Come on, come on, come on!” Missus Claus muttered underneath her breath. She cracked the reins again and leaned further in her seat, trying to adjust the weight in the sleigh to slide against the force of the wind. She hit the controls again and tossed out another handful of magic, and then, suddenly, it happened! The sleigh shot high up, finally taking off above the trees.
Its blades caught the very tops of the trees as they pulled higher. “KEEP GOING, BOYS!” Layla roared, cracking the reins again. She heard the high-pitched, protesting squeals of the dryads. “OH, KEEP YOUR WOOD ON!” she called down to them. “WE’RE NOT GOING TO CRASH IN YOU! WE’RE JUST GOING TO TAKE A FEW LEEEEEEEEEEAVES -- “ She squealed as the sleigh leapt higher in the air. It did rake several of the tree tops, cutting leaves from their heads before seeming to leap toward the setting sun.
For a moment, Layla thought the sleigh might begin a nosedive. “UP! UP! UP!” she screamed. She could see Rudolph’s radiant nose twinkling at the end of the long line of reindeer. She felt the boys pulling with all their might. The wolf at her feet whined again, and she dropped one hand down to pet her head. “It’s okay, Jessica. We’re going to get this right this time! UP!” she screamed again.
Together, their muscles heaving, the reindeer pulled the sleigh on up into the sky. The timing could not have been more magical for it was just as the sun finished dipping below the horizon that the sleigh hurtled high into the darkened sky. The stars were not all out tonight, but they made a magnificent light all their own. The magical sleigh, its drivers, and riders lit the night with a blaze of red, silver, and gold. Magic sparkled all around them, and Missus Claus let rip a scream of joy.
She heard reindeer and Sprites laughing all around them with both relief and joy. Jack giggled, and the snow started to fall in a slightly thicker current. “LET IT COME!” Layla shouted. “LET IT ALL COME!” She was beaming, her face every bit as red as her thick jacket or as her husband’s face was after his long flights. “WE’VE GOT IT! WE’RE READY!”
Rudolph and the others took off chugging as happy laughter swirled around them. They darted through the clouds and around the stars. Rudolph even kicked his legs up over the rising moon. They flew together, their spirits flying even higher. He took off for the mountains at the very edge of their land. Layla held to the sleigh’s top bar and let the reins go. The cold, North wind whipped at her face, but she was smiling even as Jessica set to whining again.
“Oh, it’s okay,” she coaxed. She reached down and pulled the wolf up into her lap. She stroked her until she began to settle, but suddenly Rudolph and the rest of the gang took off over the top of the mountain. Jessica squealed and buried her face in Missus Claus’ coat. Layla just shook her white head and laughed and laughed. They were ready; they’d done their part completely! Nothing would keep her husband from his annual ride this year, and very soon, all the children of the world would know again, if only for just one night and no matter what their own, personal lives held, that they were loved.
She thought of the children, and her heart ached. The world was not as it should be, or even as it had been when she and Santa had first started this business of delivering toys all around the world. Too many children were being forced to grow up too fast, and too many were suffering at far too young an age, like Jessica, who was still buried and whimpering in her coat. Parents were often not what they should be, and there were many Layla would love to take across her ample knees and beat some good sense into.
But that was not their place, she remembered, looking up at the night sky. It was not their place to discipline or to judge. That was up to the Greatest One of all, and like Santa, who He had blessed with a truly worldly vision, He knew everything that everyone did. He knew rather they were nice or naughty, and He repaid all the naughty ones in time far greater than she and her husband ever could. No, their place wasn’t to discipline. It was to show the world love, and again this year, every child would remember they were loved.
Layla’s strong voice boomed out with glee as she called, “NOW, DASHER! NOW, DANCER! NOW, PRANCER AND VIXEN!” Each reindeer lifted his regal head as Missus Claus called his name and pushed his muscles even harder against the freezing wind. “ON, COMET! ON, CUPID! ON, THUNDER AND BLITZEN!”
“LEAD US STRAIGHT, RUDOLPH!” she ordered, taking the reins again and leaning with them in the direction she wanted the deer to fly. The reins never touched the reindeer’s backs, but they could feel their movements guiding them. “NOW DASH AWAY! DASH AWAY! DASH AWAY, ALL!” With a huge, triumphant grin on her face, Layla leaned back and enjoyed the ride. A warm glow filling her, she thought it was far better to give and love than anything else the cruel world would ever have to offer. She had done her part again this year and was quite well satisfied with the sleigh -- and she still had time to finish frosting her gingerbread cake when she got back home!
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Original
Character/Pairing: Missus Santa Claus, Jack, Reindeer, OFC
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt:
puzzleprompts November 2018: ALL: Power Hour: Flight
Creature Feature: Wolf
Classifieds Section: Sleigh Driver
Mother Nature: Sun Set
Cosmic Constant: Fluid Resistance (Air)
Geology Rocks: Mountains
Random Object: Blade (the blade runners on the bottom of the sleigh)
Sense and Sensibilities: Hearing: Laughter
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 1,260
Date Written: 3 and 9 December 2018
Summary:
Disclaimer: This one's all mine, folks!
“Come on! Come on, baby!” she urged. The wolf at her feet picked her little, gray head up and whined softly. “Not you,” the Elf who’d rescued her months ago from murderous hunters who had left her for dead, and who had also later learned the hard way that no mere human should venture into Elves’ territory and harm anyone without their permission, clucked to her. “The sleigh,” she said in way of explanation.
Refocusing on the majestic, crimson red vehicle, the old Elf clucked her tongue again and cracked the reins. “GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT, BOYS!” she yelled to the reindeer, who were all straining against the North wind as it blew at them. “WE’VE ALMOST GOT IT! WE SHOULD HAVE IT!” And they only had one more week within which to get it right! She had to have the sleigh ready or the impossible would happen, and she’d never, in a million years, allow that to happen!
This was nothing in comparison to the year she’d done the job herself instead of her husband, who’d been too sick for his annual run. She could do this! The sleigh should be done now, but they had to be certain. That was exactly why Jack couldn’t let up the wind. They’d meet these blizzard-force winds and much worse on the annual, nighttime ride. She felt the sleigh rise, and Jack blew harder. Snowflakes swirled in her face. The freezing presence of tiny, glittering, almost invisible shards of ice stung her blue eyes.
“SORRY, MISSUS C!” the Elemental called.
“DON’T BE SORRY, JACK! WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE SLEIGH’S READY! GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!”
“ARE YOU SURE?” he called back hesitantly.
“YES! WE CAN’T HAVE SANTA FALLING OUT OF THE SKY ON HIS RUN! GO FOR IT, BOYS! EVERYONE, GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!”
The wind blew harder, but the deer also strained harder. “Come on, come on, come on!” Missus Claus muttered underneath her breath. She cracked the reins again and leaned further in her seat, trying to adjust the weight in the sleigh to slide against the force of the wind. She hit the controls again and tossed out another handful of magic, and then, suddenly, it happened! The sleigh shot high up, finally taking off above the trees.
Its blades caught the very tops of the trees as they pulled higher. “KEEP GOING, BOYS!” Layla roared, cracking the reins again. She heard the high-pitched, protesting squeals of the dryads. “OH, KEEP YOUR WOOD ON!” she called down to them. “WE’RE NOT GOING TO CRASH IN YOU! WE’RE JUST GOING TO TAKE A FEW LEEEEEEEEEEAVES -- “ She squealed as the sleigh leapt higher in the air. It did rake several of the tree tops, cutting leaves from their heads before seeming to leap toward the setting sun.
For a moment, Layla thought the sleigh might begin a nosedive. “UP! UP! UP!” she screamed. She could see Rudolph’s radiant nose twinkling at the end of the long line of reindeer. She felt the boys pulling with all their might. The wolf at her feet whined again, and she dropped one hand down to pet her head. “It’s okay, Jessica. We’re going to get this right this time! UP!” she screamed again.
Together, their muscles heaving, the reindeer pulled the sleigh on up into the sky. The timing could not have been more magical for it was just as the sun finished dipping below the horizon that the sleigh hurtled high into the darkened sky. The stars were not all out tonight, but they made a magnificent light all their own. The magical sleigh, its drivers, and riders lit the night with a blaze of red, silver, and gold. Magic sparkled all around them, and Missus Claus let rip a scream of joy.
She heard reindeer and Sprites laughing all around them with both relief and joy. Jack giggled, and the snow started to fall in a slightly thicker current. “LET IT COME!” Layla shouted. “LET IT ALL COME!” She was beaming, her face every bit as red as her thick jacket or as her husband’s face was after his long flights. “WE’VE GOT IT! WE’RE READY!”
Rudolph and the others took off chugging as happy laughter swirled around them. They darted through the clouds and around the stars. Rudolph even kicked his legs up over the rising moon. They flew together, their spirits flying even higher. He took off for the mountains at the very edge of their land. Layla held to the sleigh’s top bar and let the reins go. The cold, North wind whipped at her face, but she was smiling even as Jessica set to whining again.
“Oh, it’s okay,” she coaxed. She reached down and pulled the wolf up into her lap. She stroked her until she began to settle, but suddenly Rudolph and the rest of the gang took off over the top of the mountain. Jessica squealed and buried her face in Missus Claus’ coat. Layla just shook her white head and laughed and laughed. They were ready; they’d done their part completely! Nothing would keep her husband from his annual ride this year, and very soon, all the children of the world would know again, if only for just one night and no matter what their own, personal lives held, that they were loved.
She thought of the children, and her heart ached. The world was not as it should be, or even as it had been when she and Santa had first started this business of delivering toys all around the world. Too many children were being forced to grow up too fast, and too many were suffering at far too young an age, like Jessica, who was still buried and whimpering in her coat. Parents were often not what they should be, and there were many Layla would love to take across her ample knees and beat some good sense into.
But that was not their place, she remembered, looking up at the night sky. It was not their place to discipline or to judge. That was up to the Greatest One of all, and like Santa, who He had blessed with a truly worldly vision, He knew everything that everyone did. He knew rather they were nice or naughty, and He repaid all the naughty ones in time far greater than she and her husband ever could. No, their place wasn’t to discipline. It was to show the world love, and again this year, every child would remember they were loved.
Layla’s strong voice boomed out with glee as she called, “NOW, DASHER! NOW, DANCER! NOW, PRANCER AND VIXEN!” Each reindeer lifted his regal head as Missus Claus called his name and pushed his muscles even harder against the freezing wind. “ON, COMET! ON, CUPID! ON, THUNDER AND BLITZEN!”
“LEAD US STRAIGHT, RUDOLPH!” she ordered, taking the reins again and leaning with them in the direction she wanted the deer to fly. The reins never touched the reindeer’s backs, but they could feel their movements guiding them. “NOW DASH AWAY! DASH AWAY! DASH AWAY, ALL!” With a huge, triumphant grin on her face, Layla leaned back and enjoyed the ride. A warm glow filling her, she thought it was far better to give and love than anything else the cruel world would ever have to offer. She had done her part again this year and was quite well satisfied with the sleigh -- and she still had time to finish frosting her gingerbread cake when she got back home!
The End
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