Snowy Wishes

by Sue Bentley

  “Will it take long to get to where you live?” Mrs. Parsons asked Krista.

  “Not long at all.” Krista looked at Robyn and her lips curved in another of her mysterious smiles.

  Robyn was puzzled. What could Krista be planning?

  Ten minutes later, when she and Storm were getting off the ship, Robyn gave a cry of delight. A beautiful wooden sleigh, pulled by two reindeer in brightly colored harnesses with woolen tassels stood waiting.

  “Wow! This is fantastic,” Robyn enthused.

  “What a wonderful surprise,” her dad said.

  Krista smiled. “I thought you would like it. This is Morten, my cousin,” she said, introducing the tall young sleigh driver.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Robyn said, smiling.

  Robyn’s mom and dad greeted him, and then Morten helped them climb aboard the sleigh, before helping to load the supplies.

  Robyn settled Storm on her lap and they nestled beneath the warmth of the thick furs. Krista sat next to her. Once everyone was settled, Morten twitched the reins and the reindeer sped off across the snow in a jingle of sleigh bells.

  “This reminds me of that “Winter Wonderland” song!” Robyn’s dad said. “In the lane, snow is glistening. Can’t you hear, logs are blistering…,” he began, singing all the wrong words.

  Robyn saw her mom give him one of her looks and poke him in the ribs.

  Robyn stifled a giggle as her dad fell silent. Krista glanced at her mom, and they both burst out laughing.

  Storm sat upright on Robyn’s lap, looking around at the thick blanket of white snow. More flakes began to fall, dancing in the glow of the sleigh lanterns.

  Soon lights were visible in the gloom ahead. Robyn saw buildings with grass poking up through the snow on their roofs. Tall, cone-shaped tents were dotted around. She could smell wood smoke on the frosty air.

  As Morten brought the sleigh to a halt, people hurried out to welcome back Krista and her aunt and uncle. Robyn smiled and shook hands as she was introduced to Krista’s parents, her brothers and sisters, and countless aunts and uncles and cousins. She knew she’d never remember all of their names.

  “My grandparents would like to welcome you to their lavvo,” Krista explained. Robyn, Storm, and the adults were shown inside one of the tents.

  Colorful wall hangings and a crackling log fire inside the lavvo made it very warm and cozy. Delicious smells came from a metal cooking pot hanging over the flames. Robyn sat down close to the fire, and Storm came and curled up beside her.

  Krista’s grandparents made them very welcome with food and hot drinks. Afterward, a woman entertained them with traditional chanting and storytelling, while playing on a skin drum covered with drawings.

  “We call this joik,” Krista told Robyn. “Storytelling is an old tradition of my people.”

  Storm sat up and pricked his ears, enjoying the entertainment. “I like this place,” he woofed.

  Robyn reached down to pat him, to show that she did too. But she didn’t dare risk whispering to him with all the people around.

  Krista showed Robyn around her house, too. It was similar to the houses back home, with a modern TV and a computer, but there was a large wooden hut and a wooden pen for reindeer attached to the side of it. Krista’s mom made fabulous jewelry with silver wire.

  Time passed all too quickly and soon they had to return to Sea Princess.

  There were many good-byes and hugs all around. Morten drove the reindeer sleigh back to the harbor, and Krista insisted on coming along with Robyn to keep her company.

  As the sleigh drew to a halt at the harbor beside the huge bulk of Sea Princess, Krista slipped something into Robyn’s hand.

  “I made this. It is for you,” she said.

  Robyn looked down to see that it was a tiny reindeer-horn carving of an arctic wolf. The tiny wolf looked just like Storm as his real self. It even had chips of some glittery dark-blue material for eyes.

  “Oh, it’s beautiful. Thank you,” she said warmly, giving Krista a hug.

  “I am glad that you like it,” Krista said, her tilted dark eyes moist.

  “I love it so much,” Robyn said with a catch in her voice. “Good-bye, Krista. And thanks for letting me meet your family. I had the best time ever. I’ll send you an e-mail when I get back home.”

  Krista’s face brightened. “Oh yes, please do. And maybe we can talk online. It will be wonderful to keep in touch with each other.”

  “Definitely!” Robyn promised. She wished this Christmas could last forever.

  Robyn stood on board Sea Princess with Storm in her arms. They were looking down at the harbor, where Morten was turning the sleigh around. The reindeer and Krista, huddled in the sleigh among the furs, looked tiny now.

  Krista waved one small mitten as the reindeer plunged forward and the sleigh moved smoothly away on wooden runners.

  “Good-bye. Safe journey!” she called.

  “Good-bye!” Robyn cried, waving.

  She and Storm waited until they could no longer hear the sound of sleigh bells before going inside the ship.

  Robyn’s mom walked beside her. “Well, that was wonderful, wasn’t it? Krista’s family was so hospitable. You must get me their address. I’d love to send them something from home when we get back.”

  Robyn thought that was a great idea.

  “Well, shall we go and see if anything’s happening in the lounge yet? I feel like singing a few carols,” her dad said.

  “Sounds great. I’ll just be a minute. I want to get something from the cabin,” Robyn replied.

  She was going to grab the gloves and wallet, which were hidden at the end of her bunk. She wanted to wrap them and then sneak them under the enormous Christmas tree, so her mom and dad would be able to open them later.

  Storm padded beside Robyn at her heel as she went belowdecks. They had just stepped into the corridor leading to their cabin when Storm gave a yelp of terror and shot forward.

  “What’s wrong?” Robyn said, frowning.

  Storm stood beside the cabin door, pawing frantically at it. She could see that he was trembling from head to foot.

  Suddenly, Robyn heard fierce growling. Whipping around, she saw the shadows of two large dogs coming down the stairwell on the wall behind her.

  Robyn’s heart missed a beat. Shadow must have found Storm when they were on land and sent his dogs onto the ship after him! The puppy was in terrible danger.

  Robyn didn’t think twice. She hurtled down the corridor and unlocked the cabin door with shaking fingers. She and Storm dashed inside, just as a fierce snapping and growling sounded right behind them.

  “Oh!” Robyn shielded her eyes with her hand as a dazzling flash lit up the entire cabin.

  Storm stood before her, a tiny fluffy white puppy no longer, but a majestic young silver-gray wolf. Hundreds of tiny diamond-bright lights glowed from his thick neck-ruff. Beside him stood a larger wolf with a gentle expression and large golden eyes.

  And then Robyn knew that Storm was leaving for real.

  She went forward and threw her arms around the wolf’s neck. “I’ll never forget you, Storm,” she said.

  Storm allowed her to hug him for a moment and then gently pulled away. “You have been a good friend, Robyn. Be of strong heart,” he rumbled in a deep, velvety growl.

  Robyn nodded, unable to speak as she felt a tear run down her cheek. She remembered that she hadn’t been able to get Storm a Christmas present. It seemed wrong not to give him something.

  She had a sudden thought. “Please, wait!” Reaching into her pocket, she took out Krista’s gift. She held it out to Storm. “This is for you. To remind you that, one day, you’ll be a great leader of the Moon-claw pack,” she murmured.

  Storm reached out and closed his huge paw over the tiny carved wolf. “Thank you, Robyn. You are very kind.”

  There was a final burst of intense gold light and a great shower of gold sparks exploded silently into the air and drifted harmlessly
down around her. Storm and his mother faded and were gone.

  The fierce growling outside the cabin stopped and silence fell.

  Robyn felt a deep ache. She would never forget Storm, but she would always have her memories of the incredible Christmas vacation she had shared with the magic puppy.

  The cabin door opened and her dad stood there. “Oh, there you are, honey. Are you coming up to the lounge? There’s a carol service on, and afterward Santa Claus is going to hand out presents.”

  Robyn quickly wiped away a tear and smiled. “Just coming!”

  Sue Bentley’s books for children often include animals or fairies. She lives in Northampton, England, and enjoys reading, going to the movies, and sitting watching the frogs and newts in her garden pond. If she hadn’t been a writer, she would probably have been a skydiver or brain surgeon. The main reason she writes is that she can drink cups and cups of tea while she’s typing. She has met and owned many cats and dogs, and each one has brought a special sort of magic to her life.