Sorry it took so long to update, but here is a wee insight to North and his reindeer :)

Enjoy!

Blemish, n.
- a mark that spoils the appearance of something

North was a proud man, and one of the many things he loved was his sleigh. It was one of the only things in the world that if it was mentioned in passing to a child they would think of him and that joy and wonder would return to them as they thought about what they'd gotten last Christmas or what they wanted this year. Even some adults would become nostalgic and recall their youth where they wrote their Christmas lists and stayed up late Christmas Eve to try and catch a glimpse of him.

His sleigh was his pride and joy. And some stupid pigeon had flown into the side of it one one of his test runs, and there was a huge dusty print on the side of the damn thing.

It needed a wash anyway, and the best way to do that would be to do it himself. The elves were useless when it came to actual work, and the Yeti already had their hands full. Carrying through a bucket of hot soapy water, a few rags and a tub of wax, North locked the door behind him and stared at the sleigh in the launch pad.

"Vremya dlya raboty," he grumbled, rolling his sleeves up as he set into cleaning.

He had to admit though, it was somewhat therapeutic. Just some time away from the noise and the bustle of the workshop, tucking himself away in a corner of the Pole that his helpers wouldn't really think to look for him in because he seldom came down here unless he needed to. There wouldn't be anyone barging in, even less chance of one of the Yeti accidentally breaking something if on the off chance they did, and the elves would more than likely stay in the kitchens eating the cookies he'd had made for later than bother him down here.

He was a proud man, and as he polished the sleigh up, he grinned to himself, climbing in and sitting down behind the reins to relax for a moment now he'd finished. It hadn't taken him long, he'd grown up with a strong work ethic in his youth and he'd carried that with him his entire life. Jobs didn't take him long, and sometimes it was a bit disappointing because he'd like to spend more than an hour on something before he finished and took in all his efforts.

Now the sleigh was all polished and clean and he'd have to go back to the workshop and deal with the rabble... and even though it was November he didn't feel like it just yet. He wanted a little break.

Smirking to himself, he climbed back out of the sleigh and wandered through to the stables where his reindeer were kept, and walked around them, petting their noses.

"Dimitri," he said gently, hushing the most agitated of the beasts. He went around slowly, greeting each one of them like old friends. "Viktor, Orrel, Kostya, Luka, Tasha."

The snorted and looked at him expectantly, and slowly he pulled the reins down from the shelves and let Kostya out of his pen, reining him up, before pulling Luka out and putting him alongside Kostya. They were his lead reindeer, purely for the meanings of their names. Constant and Light. Together he thought they worked well, and they were the best as leading.

Orrel and Dimitri came next. Dimitri preferred staying grounded, whereas Orrel would fly forever if he had the chance. Earth Lover, and Eagle. Together, they balanced one another out. Orrel would encourage Dimitri and Dimitri would keep Orrel in check. The two bumped their noses together, and North smiled slightly at them, knowing the brothers cared deeply for one another.

Turning, North opened the last pen, where his last two reindeer were kept. Tasha was his only girl, and his favourite. Tasha meant Born on Christmas, and she had been. She was a loving girl, and calmed her mate Viktor down who would be wild without her. His name meant, quite obviously, Victor and he would on more occasions than not stand by it, trying to prove himself dominant to the other reindeer. If North put him at the lead then it would only inflate the creatures ego, so putting him at the back was the only way to keep him under thumb. North loved his spirit, but sometimes the animal could be too much.

He led them out to the sleigh, putting Victor and Tasha at the back and closest to him as his wheels, Orrel and Dimitri in the middle as the swing reindeer, and Kostya and Luka up front as the lead. Once everything was fixed up and they were ready, North pulled his coat on, took his place at the reins and snapped them, and they were off.

In minutes, the sleigh was soaring through the skies, and in a matter of hours they were crossing down over Canada and flying over Quebec.

Laughing to himself, North almost missed the thump on the side of the sleigh, but turned his head just in time to see a very confused goose flap about in the air before catching up to the rest of the geese and finding its place in the formation. Sighing, the Russian glanced over the side and saw another dusty print of the bird, and shaking his head he realised he had to clean the sleigh again.

But really, it wasn't such a bad thing. He liked the time to himself.