Katherine Pitchiner

Chapter 1

Elaine rushed up the frozen steps of the large work shop that she had admired for so long as a child. She looked around to make sure no one was watching her as she knocked on the huge wooden doors, keeping the baby she held close to her. The loud booming of the metal knockers on the wooden doors echoed around her, after a minute that seemed to last a year a giant brown and white haired yeti answered the door. The yeti looked puzzled at finding a woman with a baby in her arms standing at the doors. Elaine noticed his puzzled looked and quickly stated her business.

"I have come to see North, it's an emergency! Is he home?" Elaine stated making it sound urgent. The yeti said something that Elaine couldn't understand, but she knew enough of the yeti's language to understand that he was telling her to come inside. She steeped through the big doors, astonished at the size of the workshop. The yeti said something else in a gruff voice and walked off, Elaine guessed that it meant stay put. So she did, tending to the baby's blankets that it was wrapped in.

After a minute or two there came a loud bang of doors and someone talking. Elaine instantly recognized the voice as Nicholas St. North's. Her thoughts were soon confirmed as a tall, wide man with a long white beard turned the corner to see who was disturbing his work. North wore the typical cassock attire, just as he had done his entire life. Elaine felt a sudden weight lift from her shoulders when she saw the old cassock, it had been several decades since they had last meet.

"Know who could be coming here at this time of nigh-" North stopped in the middle of his sentence, beaming at who he saw in front of him. "Elaine! My darling it's been years, what are you doing here?" North inquired excitedly as he went to embrace the young woman who had once played in his home as a young child. But he stopped short once again, looking down at the tiny baby that was wrapped tight in Elaine's arms. "And who might this be?"

"This is Katherine… Katherine Pitchiner" Elaine answered, looking at her feet to avoid North's gaze.

"Elaine… what happened?" North sounded worried and scornful at the same time.

"Look, North, please let me explain. But first can we get by a fire or something? I'm freezing."

"Yes of course my dear. Phil, go get something warm to drink would you?" North shouted to the yeti named Phil as he escorted Elaine to the sitting room where there was already a fire ablaze. Elaine took off her jacket and wrapped Katherine in it, laying her on the couch so that she could continue to sleep.

Tiny elves clad in the most unusual cloths made up of worn out socks and bright red and greens came baring eggnog and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. They clumsily served Elaine and North, helping themselves as well to the refreshment.

"Thank you Dingle, you may go know" North waved off the tiny elves and they bowed to him, backing away while tripping over themselves. "Know, Elaine. Might you please explain to me how you came to bear the child of such a man" North asked as he made himself comfortable in the chair across from Elaine, giving her a quizzical look.

"North, I'm so sorry… but I fell in love with Pitch. I don't know how, I just did. But this is not the time to tell that story. I'm here on urgent business, it's about Katherine. She can't stay with me, it's to dangerous. Surly you understand, don't you?" Elaine searched for a sign that showed that North understood, and surly enough he did.

"Of course I understand Elaine, and I will be glad to do whatever I can to help you." North reached out and put her delicate hands in his.

"Thank you North" Elaine squeezed his hand, trying to hold back the tears that were about to trickle down her cheek. "I'm really sorry, but I couldn't let Pitch turn her soul black. He even told me he had plans for her, it was too much for me to handle. I thought that he had changed but I guess I was wrong…

"North please, I beg you with all of my heart to take care of Katherine. Let her grow up free, full of wonder, hope, and dreams. Let her grow up to learn how I did as a child. I just can't have her growing up around Pitch." Elaine sighed and let a tear trickle down her cheek. North wiped it away and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.

"Elaine, I would do anything for you. I will gladly keep Katherine safe. I am also a Guardian, it is my job. Besides, I'm sure the others would be equally happy to keep Katherine safe as well." North chuckled and went to the sleeping Katherine. He picked her up and held her in his arms, smiling at her and remembering the Katherine he knew so long ago.

"Thank you North, you have no idea how much this means to me" Elaine said as she came to stand beside North. "When the time is right, tell her all she needs to know. Including how much I love her. But please, don't ever let him take her." Another tear fell and she took Katherine in her arms for the last time. "I love you, Katherine" Elaine whispered in the ear of the baby, hugging her tight.

After another moment or two, Elaine handed Katherine back to North. Wiping her tears from her eyes and regaining her composure, she threw her jacket back on. "Pitch doesn't know I'm here, I have to get back before he finds out where I've been. Thank you so much North, is there any way I can repay you?"

"Elaine you are family, there is no need to repay me. Just be safe. I promise I will do everything I can to keep Katherine safe and away from Pitch" North hugged Elaine for the last time, and she was on her way.

Elaine used shadow travel that Pitch had taught her to get home so quickly. Pitch was waiting for Elaine once she got back from North's workshop, he knew something was wrong.

"Where did you go Elaine?" Pitch inquired as soon as she was out of the shadows. "Where is Katherine?".

"I was out visiting my family to show them Katherine, and they insisted she stay the night with them" Elaine tried to make herself sound confident, and as if the subject was un-important. But the confidence didn't last long, one of the fearlings had apparently followed Elaine and saw what she had done. The fearling told Pitch everything, and as soon as he had heard that Katherine was left to live with the Guardians he looked livid.

"You left Katherine with the Guardians!" Pitch raged, furiously grabbing Elaine and pinning her up against one of the cave walls.

I-I'm sorry, but I wasn't going to let my child grow up in such an environment" Elaine sobbed, trying to free herself from his grip. It was a useless struggle though.

"You took my daughter away from me." Pitch grabbed her neck, slowly squeezing the life out of her. "You betrayed me."

"Please! Pitch, I love you. But I just couldn't" Elaine managed to squeak.

"I will get her back" Pitch said with a deadly calmness, though Elaine could still see the anger growing in his eyes. Pitch squeezed even harder, Elaine couldn't take it anymore.

"Please… at least wait till she's old enough. Let her decide her own destiny" Elaine managed to say, sinking to the floor.

"… Fine, but only because I care for her. You, however, are dead to me" With that Pitch gave one last squeeze, and Elaine was gone.