What is Christmas?
Snow covered the ground, and more fell lightly from the sky. For the citizens of Rekketown, this would be their first winter at the fissure. The dragon riders were spending most of their time indoors with their families, as the snow had gotten too deep that the hole to the cave was buried, the riders didn't want to risk stepping into it when they weren't expecting it. So they were all staying in their domes, where it was warm. Edelweiss was staying in the cave with the dragons, taking care of them. Since she had lived in the Dragon World her whole life, ICARIS had decided that the dragons were hers and thus said who could get close to them.
Tom sat at the window looking out at the snow, which was now falling faster. He hadn't seen Thunder for days. Even though he and the other dragons were safe, Tom still missed his friend. Suddenly the front door opened and Olivia came in, followed by a gust of cold air. Tom turned around to face her.
"Whew, it's turning into a blizzard out there," Olivia said as she pulled off her coat. She put the groceries she'd just bought on the table.
"Is it ever going to stop snowing?" Tom asked. Olivia could guess where his mind was.
"I'm sure Thunder's fine," she assured him. "It should stop by tomorrow, then we'll all go check on the dragons." Tom let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Olivia rummaged through the grocery bags and pulled out a tin of hot cocoa mix. "I could use a hot drink, how about you?" Tom got off the couch and ran to the counter. The snow grew thicker.
In the sleep cave; the dragons were huddled together. The cave was drafty, but not as cold as outside. Thunder heard Edelweiss tinkering with something in a smaller cave. He got to his feet and went to investigate. He walked in to find Edelweiss behind something big, and under a tarp.
"Edel?" Thunder asked. Edelweiss came out from behind the item.
"Hey Thunder," she said, as she adjusted the tarp. "How's everyone doing out there?"
"We're all fine," Thunder said. He sniffed at the covered item. "What's that?" He went to look under the tarp.
"No, can't look yet," Edelweiss said quickly. Thunder backed off. "Avalon brought it from home for me. I'm fixing it up, and I'll show everyone when it's ready." Thunder sat on his haunches.
"Can't I watch?" He asked. "We've been stuck in this cave without our riders for days." Edelweiss stroked his neck.
"I don't like being snowed in either," she said. "But hopefully tomorrow the sky will clear. Then I can clear the snow from that hole." She adjusted the tarp one last time. "In the meantime how about I teach you guys some songs. That's we do back home when it's too snowy to go outside." She led the way back to the group.
The next day was sunny. The riders and their parents rode the ICARIS snowmobiles out to the dragons' cave, the only parent not present was Director Wong. She had decided to stay behind and supervise the lab. They soon spotted a tall flag pole sticking out of the snow. There was a large red flag with a black dragon symbol flying from the top. At the base of the flag pole was the hole that led to the cave.
"Looks like Edelweiss put up a marker," Tom said.
"At least we won't have to worry about falling down that hole," said Chief Baker. They all got off the snowmobiles and headed into the cave. Once inside the riders called their dragons, and they came running. Edelweiss came up last, leaning slightly on her staff. She was bundled in a thick coat made of snow leopard fur, with matching hat, and boots.
"How are you guys doing down here?" Olivia asked.
"We're fine," Edelweiss said. "Though I think Feathers is catching a cold." No sooner had she said that then Feathers sneezed. Alex patted her neck. The dragon sneezed again.
"Oh poor thing," Carla said.
"Why don't you just move her down to the Crystal Realm?" D'Angelo asked. "It's much warmer down there."
"I tried that," Edelweiss said. "But she doesn't want to go." She gently stroked Feather's neck. "She wants to stay here with her friends. So we're just keeping her as warm as we can."
"I wish we could bring them all back," said Jun, patting Wei's head. "So they don't have to stay in this chilly cave." Feathers sneezed again.
"Your superiors don't want us on ICARIS grounds," Edelweiss reminded them. "There's no room for us." Just then everyone's phone chimed. They pulled them out.
"Mei's calling a meeting," Olivia read. "To discuss our upcoming Christmas party."
"Hey, maybe Edelweiss would want to come help us?" Hazel suggested. She looked over at Edelweiss. "How about it, you want to help decorate for Christmas?" Edelweiss looked confused, she exchanged a glance with the dragons.
"Um, what is Christmas?" She asked. They all stared at her, this wasn't the answer they were expecting.
"You can fly a helicopter, but you've never heard of Christmas?" Tom asked.
"Sorry," Edelweiss said, shyly. "I've lived my whole life with dragons. I'm not that familiar with human stuff. So, what's Christmas?"
"It's a winter holiday," Jun explained. "We put up decorations, then on Christmas Eve presents are left under everyone's Christmas tree by Santa Claus." Edelweiss considered.
"I see," she said.
"Tell you what," said Hazel. "You can come to Rekketown and see for yourself." Edelweiss looked scared.
"You, sure?" She asked.
"It'll be okay," said Olivia. "I'll let Mei know you're coming." She sent a text on her phone. She got an answer a few seconds later. "She says you can come, but…"
"Yeah I know," Edelweiss said sadly. "The dragons have stay here." She considered for a very long time. Plowhorn came up beside her and gave her an encouraging nudge. Edelweiss and the dragons spoke to each other in their own language. Then Edelweiss turned to the humans. "All right I'll go. I'll come back here at the end of each day."
"Can you drive a snowmobile?" Chief Baker asked.
"Well no," Edelweiss said. "But I have driven motorcycles and jet skis." Thunder then let out a few croons and small growls. "The dragons want to fly their riders back to town, then they'll come right back here." The adults exchanged a glance.
"I guess it's all right," said Chief Baker. The riders all beamed.
Everyone headed back outside. The snow glittered in the sun as the riders mounted their dragons. Edelweiss strapped her silver staff to her back. The adults got on the snowmobiles. Olivia gave a few instructions to Edelweiss about how to drive a snowmobile, then they all headed back to town. Edelweiss quickly got the hang of the snowmobile, and was able to keep up with everyone else.
They all soon arrived at the ICARIS facility. The dragons landed and the riders dismounted. Everyone was talking excitedly about Christmas. Edelweiss listened as she pulled her snowmobile alongside the others. Director Wong was waiting for them, wearing her white hat and purple coat. She smiled, but then frowned when she saw the dragons.
"Ms. Dragonborn, I told you the dragons have to say in their cave," she said sternly. "We have no room for them here."
"Oh don't worry," Edelweiss said wearily, leaning on her staff. "They're leaving, they just wanted to fly their riders back." The rider each gave their dragons a hug, promising them that they'd go flying through the realms again as soon as Christmas was over. Then the dragons spread their wings and took off again. Once they were out of sight, Ms. Wong beamed again.
"Come, lets get this meeting out of the way then you can all go get warmed up," she said. She led the way inside. Edelweiss brought up the rear. They all put hats and coats in the closet.
They entered the visitor center, which was already decorated for Christmas. There was a large fur tree set up in a corner, covered in gold orbs and red bows. White paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling. Strings of lights bordered each window, they blinked red and green. Red and green tinsel garlands lined the walls. There was a large banner hung across the room that said MARRY CHRISTMAS! In shimmering gold letters.
Everyone found seats in the middle of the room. Edelweiss stayed standing, examining all the decorations. Ms. Wong called everyone's attention. The room fell silent.
"As you all know, Christmas is just two weeks away," said Ms. Wong. "There's much to do between now and then. I hope you all have something in mind to give as a gift. You have until the night of Christmas Eve. And festive attire is encouraged. With that, you're dismissed." Jun then spotted Edelweiss examining a gold wrapped pot full of fiery red flowers with emerald green leaves. It sat on a small table near the tree. Jun went over to her.
"What are these?" Edelweiss asked. "They're really pretty."
"Those are Poinsettias," said Jun. "They're the traditional flower of Christmas. Mexican folklore tells about a young girl who was too poor to give a gift for Christmas. She was told by an angel to gather weeds from the side of road, and place them at the alter of the local church. So she did that on Christmas Eve, and the next morning the weeds bloomed with beautiful red flowers." Edelweiss looked more fondly at the red flowers. She gently touched their velvety red petals.
"They're very pretty," she said. "And I like that word, Poinsettia." Just then Olivia came over.
"We're going to head home and put up our Christmas tree," she said. "You're more than welcome to come help Edel." Edelweiss considered, but looked interested.
"Like that one?" She asked, pointing at the decorated fur tree.
"Yeah, like that one," Olivia confirmed.
"All right," Edelweiss said. "But I want to get back to the cave before it gets dark." She picked up her staff and followed the Kullersens out of the visitor center. They put their coats and hats back on and stepped out into the snow.
They headed for the Kullersen dome. Snow started to fall again as Olivia unlocked the door. They entered and Tom turned the lights on. Edelweiss looked around the dome as she took off her coat, hat and mittens. Viking artifacts hung on the wall. There was another fur tree set up in front of the windows near the tv, but this one had nothing on it. There were several boxes scattered around the room, filled with decorations.
"Okay, lets get started," Olivia said enthusiastically. She picked up one of the boxes. "Edel you can up with these lights." Edelweiss propped her staff against the wall. Tom turned the tv on to footage of a blazing fireplace. Then he, his mother, and Edelweiss helped put lights on the tree. While they worked, Tom and Olivia explained more about Christmas. Once all the lights were on the tree and lit up, they moved on to putting on the rest of the ornaments. Most of them were shiny orbs in red, green, blue, silver, and gold. There were also ornaments in the shape of snowflakes, snowmen, birds, and bows. Edelweiss picked up one that looked like a tiny red wooden sleigh filled with brightly colored packages.
"So this Santa Claus flies around the world in one of these?" She asked, examining it. "Pulled by reindeer."
"Or they could be dragons that look like reindeer," Tom said.
"That sounds more logical," Edelweiss agreed. "Dragons are better built for flying." She put the tiny sleigh onto a branch of the tree. "And what's this thing?" She pulled out a small wooden statue of a man that looked like a Viking and had a strange square shaped mouth.
"That's a nutcracker," said Olivia. "It doesn't go on the tree." Edelweiss spotted the large lever on the back of the statue. She moved it up and down, and that moved the statue's mouth.
"Does it actually open nuts?" She asked.
"No, it's too old," said Tom.
"Oh," Edelweiss said. She put the nutcracker on the coffee table.
Soon all the decorations were on the tree. It looked very colorful now with shiny ornaments and lights. Olivia then handed Edelweiss a large silver star that was very glittery.
"That goes on the very top," Olivia explained. Edelweiss looked up at the top of the tree. She reached up and carefully put the star on the highest branch. She made sure it was secure, before stepping back.
"Wow, that looks really nice," she said. "I see why you guys like it." Then she looked out the window. It was getting really dark, and snow was falling thickly. "It's getting pretty late. I should head back to the cave."
"You can borrow a snowmobile," Olivia said. "It'll be quicker."
"Thank you," Edelweiss said, as she pulled on her coat, hat, and gloves. "See you all tomorrow." She picked up her staff, and left the dome.
She went back to the snowmobile that she'd ridden in on. She fired it up and drove it out of town. She headed into the woods, the only light came from the snowmobile's headlight. Soon she reached the hole to the dragons' cave. She parked the snowmobile and turned it off. She climbed down into the cave. The dragons were all waiting for her. She greeted them each with hug.
"How are our riders doing?" Wei asked.
"They're all right," said Edelweiss. "They're just really busy with this Christmas thing." She went over to the item under the tarp. She worked on it while she told the dragons everything that had happened in town, and what she'd learned so far about Christmas. They were all interested.
"Wow, Christmas sounds fun," said Plowhorn. "Too bad we can't celebrate it with our riders."
"Yeah, we have to wait 'til it's all over before they can ride us again," said Feathers.
"Well, I'm sure something can be worked out," Edelweiss said. "Christmas isn't for a few more weeks. I'll go to town each day, learn what I can, come back and tell you, and we'll see what happens." The dragons looked a bit more hopeful.
"That sounds like a plan," Thunder said. "When are you going to show us what's under that tarp?"
"When it's finished," Edelweiss said. "It's almost done though." She vanished under the tarp.
The next day; Edelweiss rode the snowmobile back to Rekketown. She was going to head to the main facility, but she passed Hazel and Carla out in their yard building something out of snow. Edelweiss pulled the snowmobile to a stop.
"What are you guys doing?" She asked.
"Good morning Ms. Dragonborn," said Hazel. "We're building a snowman." Edelweiss turned off the snowmobile. She dismounted it, then sat sideways on the seat.
"Is that another Christmas thing?" She asked.
"Yes, come help," said Carla. Edelweiss pulled out her staff and got off the snowmobile.
"Where's Alex?" Edelweiss asked.
"She's inside," said Hazel. "She's not a fan of the cold."
"Hmm, something she has in common with Feathers," Edelweiss said. She pitched in with putting the finishing touches on the snowman. The day was nice and sunny, but cold.
"So what do dragons do during the winter?" Hazel asked.
"Depends on the dragon," said Edelweiss. "My dragons are hibernating in the realms. I usually go with them, but this time I'm staying in that cave with Thunder and his friends." She scratched an itch on her scaly cheek.
"Say, what do you plan on bringing to the party as a gift for someone?" Carla asked, casually.
"Oh dear, I don't know," Edelweiss said nervously. "I don't have a whole lot with me." She put stones down the front of the snowman's chest for buttons.
"I'm sure you'll think of something," said Hazel, beaming.
They finished up the snowman, talking about the dragons and their world. Edelweiss told them all that she was permitted to say. When they were satisfied with the snowman, it had started to snow again. A strong, cold wind blew making them all shiver. Edelweiss blinked, and suddenly one of her third eyelids froze shut. She growled in irritation and rubbed her eye.
"Your eyes have a third eyelid," said Hazel, interested.
"Yes, all apart of my mutation," Edelwiess said. "If it's cold enough, my third eyelids freeze shut sometimes."
"Well lets head inside," said Carla. They all headed inside where it was much warmer. Edelweiss's eyelid opened again. Alex was sitting on the couch playing on her tablet. Beside her was another Christmas tree, decorated with strings of popcorn, and cranberries. More poinsettia flowers were set up on the dinner table. Edelweiss sniffed the air, which was filled with a warm sugary smell.
"What's that smell?" She asked.
"Oh, we're making batches of Christmas cookies," Hazel explained. Carla opened the oven and pulled out sheets of star shaped sugar cookies. She put them on cooling racks. Edelweiss propped her staff against the wall and removed her gloves, and hat.
Carla turned on Christmas music, and everyone helped decorate the cookies once they cooled. The snow outside soon stopped. When half of the cookies were decorated the sun was starting to set. The wind howled outside.
"Feathers must be freezing out in that cave," Alex said.
"She'll be okay," Edelweiss said. "The other dragons are keeping an eye on her."
"I'm curious Ms. Dragonborn, does having dragon DNA make you cold blooded?" Hazel asked.
"Yes," said Edelweiss. "But my skin is hard and tough enough to keep me warm. I can be out in the cold for a while, but not forever and I can't go out in the cold if I'm soaking wet. But being cold blooded also keeps me from overheating in places like the Fire Realm."
When the cookies were all finished, the sky was getting dark. Hazel put a few of the cookies into a small tin, and handed them to Edelweiss.
"Here, you can take these back to the cave and share them with the dragons," she said. Edelweiss took them, and Hazel felt her skin which felt like concrete.
"Thanks," Edel said. Then Carla handed her two books.
"And you can read these," she said. "They're our favorite Christmas stories." Edelweiss looked at the first book which showed a picture of Santa Claus flying through the sky with his sleigh and reindeer, the title read: The Night Before Christmas. The other book was smaller. It had a green cover that showed a small boy leaning on a crutch but looking happy. Over the boy's head was the title and author's name; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
"Wow, thank you," Edelweiss said. "I'm sure the dragons will love them." She put her gloves and hat back on, and picked up her staff. She bid the Gonzales good night, and headed out to her snowmobile.
She got back to the cave and showed the dragons the cookies and books. They all tried the cookies which were delicious. Then Edelweiss read them the two books. She first read The Night Before Christmas. The dragons looked over her shoulder at the illustrations. When she finished, she started on A Christmas Carol. This one they all liked a bit better. It took a bit longer to finish it, soon they did. Edelweiss closed the book and set it aside.
"Wow, I like that story," said Wu. "Very suspenseful."
"I like the contrast between rich and poor," said Edelweiss. "I personally rather be penniless and have all my friends and family like Mr. Cratchet, then rich and all myself like Mr. Scrooge." She patted Webbmaster on his head.
"Seems Christmas has a way of showing that family and friend are more valuable than gold," Thunder said. Everyone nodded in agreement. Edelweiss got to her feet and went over to the item under the tarp, and the dragons all settled down for the night.
The next day Edelweiss rode back into Rekketown. She passed a few people out doing various things. Then she spotted Chief Baker walking towards his dome, carrying a wreath made of pine boughs and holly branches. Edelweiss was about go passed him, when Angela came out of the Baker dome on her wheelchair, which was equipped to handle snow.
"Good morning Ms. Dragonborn," she said. "Where are you off to today?"
"No where," said Edelweiss. "Might just explore this place, see what other things humans do for Christmas."
"Why don't you come in for some fresh gingerbread pancakes," said Angela. Edelweiss considered, then her stomach rumbled. She could smell the gingerbread coming from inside the dome.
"Well, okay," she said. She steered the snowmobile over to the dome and turned it off.
"Maybe you can get your own snowmobile," Chief Baker suggested. Edelweiss got off and pulled out her staff.
"Well, if Ms. Wong won't let me ride my dragon here," she said, thoughtfully. "Maybe I should." She followed the Bakers inside. She looked around as she took off her coat. The Bakers had their Christmas tree up, and decorated with large chains made of red and green paper, and garlands of silver tinsel. White paper snowflakes were taped to the windows. D'Angelo was sitting at the counter with a big stack of pancakes in front of him.
"Hey Edel," he said between mouthfuls.
"Morning," Edelweiss answered. She just spotted a painting hanging on the wall near the door. She went to get a closer look at it. It showed soldiers on a snow covered field. A few of the soldiers were kicking a ball around, while more stood on the sidelines cheering. Guns lay as though forgotten in the snow. The caption beneath the picture read; Christmas Eve 1914. Edelweiss noticed that all the soldiers wore different uniforms. "What's this?" She asked. They all looked over at what she was talking about.
"Oh, that's the night of the Christmas Truce," D'Angelo explained. "It's our favorite story about Christmas."
"Are you familiar with WWI?" Chief Baker asked.
"Yes, and WWII," said Edelweiss. "Not very much though, I just know they happened and they were ugly."
"Have a seat, and we'll tell you all about it," said Angela, placing a plate of gingerbread pancakes on the counter. Edelweiss at on a stool to eat and listen.
"Well," Chief Baker began. "It happened in 1914. The German, Scottish, and French had been fighting on the western front for several months. Many soldiers fought and killed each other, living in their trenches in really horrible conditions. Then on the night of Christmas Eve, all the soldiers took a break from fighting to celebrate the holiday in their trenches. But when they all heard the other sides also celebrating Christmas, they all came out of their trenches and agreed to a ceasefire in honor of the holiday. They laid down their weapons and treated each other like brothers. They exchanged small gifts, sang songs, played ball games, told stories, and buried their dead." Edelweiss stared in amazement.
"Wow, so Christmas is celebrated in different countries?" She said. "And because of that, it had the power to stop a war."
"It didn't stop it for good," said Angela. "But it did for a short time."
"That is incredible," said Edelweiss. "I guess there's more soldiers then I originally thought. I always thought they were loud, scary thugs that caused a lot of death and destruction, and never thought for themselves."
"No, soldiers are people who work together as teams to fight for those who can't fight for themselves," said D'Angelo.
"They might seem scary at first," said Chief Baker. "But as that story shows, they do often show love and kindness when it counts." Edelweiss thought about that.
"Your dragons will do anything to protect their homes," said Angela. "Soldiers do the same."
"That's true," Edelweiss admitted. She admired the painting again, as she finished the plate of pancakes.
Later that evening, Edelweiss went back to the cave and told the dragons about the Christmas Truce. They were all just as amazed as she had been.
"So humans will even celebrate Christmas with their enemies?" Webbmaster asked. "Who knew one holiday could have such an impact on so many."
"I wish they were like that all the time," said Plowhorn. They all murmured in agreement.
"I wish we could give our riders and their parents something for Christmas," said Feathers. "But we're still stuck down here." Edelweiss noticed the book, The Night Before Christmas out of the corner of her eye. She picked it up and glanced at the cover.
"I think I know something we can do," she said. She put the book down and got to her feet. She went over to the tarp covered item. The dragons all gathered around. Edelweiss pulled the tarp off and showed them what she'd been working on. "Let's get started."
Over the next several days Edelweiss went into Rekketown to learn anything else she could about Christmas, as they were preparing for their upcoming party. Edelweiss helped out wherever she could. At the end of each day she went back to the cave to tell the dragons all that she'd learned, while they got ready for the party as well.
Soon it was Christmas Eve. Edelweiss returned the snowmobile, then flew back to the cave on Wu and Wei. The people of Rekketown spent the whole day cooking and wrapping presents. As dusk approached everyone brought food and wrapped presents to the visitor center. They were all wearing Santa or elf hats, reindeer antlers, and colorful Christmas sweaters. They were all excited. Inside; food was set up on tables that were covered in red and green table cloths. A large pile of wrapped presents were under the large Christmas tree. Festive music was played over the loudspeakers. Director Wong glanced around, pleased. But she noticed someone was missing. Then the Edelweiss came through the doors, clutching her staff. She looked excited as she took off her coat.
"Good you made it Ms. Dragonborn," said Ms. Wong.
"Sorry I'm late," Edelweiss said. She put her coat, hat, and gloves on the coat rack. She then picked up her staff, which had a red ribbon wrapped around it. She joined the rest of the party, though shyly.
She watched the people of Rekketown mingling with each other, and eating their way through all the food on the table. The sky outside grew darker, but the sky was clear and the moon outside was full. It was perfect for what Edelweiss and the dragons had in mind. She made herself as comfortable as she could as she waited for the gift exchange.
Soon everyone gathered around the tree, and passed out gifts. Edelweiss watched as Tom unwrapped a new state of the art drone, D'Angelo got his own veterinary kit, Alex got a new pair of wireless headphones, Jun got a book on cryptids, and Eugene got a new jacket and boots. Everyone was thrilled with their new gifts. Olivia then turned to Edelweiss.
"Did you bring a gift Edel?" She asked.
"Um, yes," Edelweiss answered. "It's outside." This peaked everyone's interest. "Come out and see when you're ready." She picked up staff, put on her layers, and headed outside. The others followed suite.
Outside, Edelweiss stood next to a beautiful sleigh the size of a large van. It was made of polished deep red mahogany wood, with gold chrome trim that matched the sparkly gold runners. Hitched to the front of the sleigh was Thunder and Feathers, each with sliver sleigh bells attached to their dark leather harnesses. Wu, Wei, Plowhorn, and Webbmaster were positioned around the back of the sleigh, wearing no harnesses. All the dragons roared happily at the sight of their riders.
"I told the dragons everything you guys told me about Christmas, and they didn't want to be left out," Edelweiss explained. "So we figured we'd take all you guys on a flying sleigh ride." The dragons roared in agreement.
"Why not," said Hazel.
"Is it safe?" Ms. Wong asked.
"Yes," Edelweiss confirmed. "I took a few test runs with these dragons to make sure. But these dragons will fly around us in case of any emergencies." She gestured to Wu, Wei, Plowhorn, and Webbmaster. They flexed their wings. "You guys hop in and make yourselves comfortable, while I double check the harnesses." She went over to the two dragons in front of the sleigh, while everyone piled into the sleigh's leather seats. Edelweiss tightened the harnesses and made sure nothing was loose. Thunder pranced in place eagerly, the bells on his harness jingled.
"Let's go already," he said.
"Easy Thunder," Edelweiss said. "Safety first." Once she was satisfied with the harnesses, she hopped onto the driver's seat. "Is everyone secure?" They all gave a thumbs up. Edelweiss settled herself in her seat and picked up the reins. She gave them a sharp shake. Thunder and Feathers spread their wings and took off, pulling the sleigh into the sky.
They arched high over the fissure and flew over the hills and trees. Edelweiss could hear everyone behind her talking excitedly, but she zoned them out. She let her mind go back to when her parents owned this sleigh. Long before the dragons went underground; every winter when the moon was full and the sky was clear, her parents would hitch their dragons to the sleigh and go for a ride. When she was born, they took her along as well. She remembered snuggling warmly on her mother's lap, listening to the quiet beating of the dragons' wings. She'd look over the side of the sleigh to see the mountains and snow sailing far below.
The sleigh rides were something no one else knew about, not even their allies. It was a special thing they kept just for the three of them and their dragons. However, it all had to come to an end when dragons went into hiding and humans began building airplanes. It had become too dangerous to fly the sleigh, so they had to put into storage where it gathered dust and deteriorated over the years. Edelweiss leaned back in her seat. She wished her parents were there, flying with her. This was the first time she'd flown the sleigh without them. She knew they would have loved learning about Christmas too.
Edelweiss steered the sleigh over the landscape around ICARIS, then down into the fissure. They flew between the lava falls, the fiery light made the sleigh's runners glow. They flew back out of the fissure. By now clouds were rolling in and it was getting colder. Edelweiss came back to the present.
"Take us back guys," she said in dragontongue to Thunder and Feathers, shaking one side of the reins. The dragons headed back to Rekketown. They landed on a clean patch of snow near the domes, and the sleigh slid smoothly to a stop. Edelweiss put the reins down as all the passengers filed out. The riders all ran to their dragons. Edelweiss got down from the sleigh last.
"Thank you for that wonderful ride Ms. Dragonborn," said Ms. Wong. All the adults thanked her as well.
"You're welcome," Edelweiss said. "It felt good to fly this old sleigh again." She patted the side of the sleigh. "And thank you guys for inviting me to share Christmas." Then she yawned, and it started to snow again. "Well, it's getting late. We should get back to the cave." The riders and their dragons looked reluctant to separate. "I'll bring them back in the morning."
"Why don't you spend the night in the drone hanger," said Chief Baker. "Just the one night."
"As long as the dragons don't break anything," said Ms. Wong.
"Deal," said Edelweiss. "We'll to a spectacular fly over before heading back to the cave tomorrow." She climbed back into the sleigh and clicked the reins. The dragons pulled the sleigh back into the night.
On Christmas morning, the people of Rekketown woke up and came outside to fresh glittering snow. Suddenly the dragon pulled sleigh soared over the town. Edelweiss and the riders all waved.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Everyone shouted at each other. The sleigh circled the town twice, then they headed off towards the fissure.