After a Thousand Years
Knowing

Chalk squeaked suddenly against the chalkboard resulting in squeaks of dismay from the young elves. She stood there staring, the feeling of dread still sinking in as she felt the tips of her ears start to turn red from the alarm of such a feeling rearing its head at that particular moment.

"Ms. Lusleaf?"

Patty turned at that moment, putting a smile on her face despite knowing something terrible happened at the North Pole, her mind rushing to ask why she'd left, why she thought teaching at the Christmas division would, in fact, result in having more experience. "Yes, Ms. Firestone?"

"Is something the matter?" the young elf asked, still holding her arm up, likely having called out when she realized Patty hadn't noticed her raise her hand despite there being a sure instinct for those who worked in the administrative part of Santa's workshop to have eyes in the back of their head.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say there wasn't anything wrong, but then a thought occurred to her, and she tilted her head. "I'm going to go and talk to George, our head elf, right now. Can you behave while I'm gone?"

She watched them nod their head and head to George's classroom, letting out a sigh the moment she left the classroom. Part of her wanted to go straight to the academy's mock Santa rather than turning to George, knowing how George felt towards Bernard given all the trouble a certain elf's magic caused while he was at the academy. Yet, in the back of her head, she knew George's classroom was where she needed to go at that moment. She knocked on the door.

Through the small window on the classroom door, she saw George startle, turning his head to look at her, blinking a pair of dark eyes. He then came to the door and opened it. "Ms. Lusleaf?"

She spoke low, catching sight of the young elf she was worried about chatting to her two friends as if nothing terrible had just occurred, but then Patty knew the young elf didn't yet know. "George. You need to pull Mindy from class now."

"Whatever for?"

"Because something just happened to Bernard Elfbright at the Northpole."

George's dark eyes blinked and without thinking. "What do you mean something bad happened to Bernard Elfbright?" Patty winced, watching as Mindy looked up from her friends, horrified, meaning George, in his usual clumsiness, said those words out loud. "Wouldn't Santa be the one coming to my class, Patty, if this really were the case?"

"Aside, George," Patty said. "And not so loud."

George glanced back into the classroom before stepping out and closing the door behind him. "Really, Patty. Our Santa would be the first person to receive information, and if he'd gone to your class by mistake, which he does not make mistakes…."

"George, Bernard's the one," Patty said. "So please…."

"The one. What does," And the look of realization dawned on his face. "Oh. The one? Are you sure? I mean…."

"George, please," Patty said. "You've got to pull Mindy from class."

"I can't just pull her from class based on your instinct because you think Bernard Elfbright is the one. And wouldn't, you know, still, be there? At the North Pole?" George asked.

"George, you know how oblivious he can be."

"No, I don't. He didn't last very long here, given those magical mishaps with his magic. We're lucky we've none of that with Mindy," George said, puffing out his chest slightly. "I'd much rather deal with her mischievous pranks than those magical explosions and accidental teleportations any day!"

"George! Will you," Patty said, stiffening upon seeing their department head, the one everyone called Santa, heading in their direction, yet the academy's Santa wasn't his usual jolly self.

"George! Patty!" the elf who played the role of Santa said, to the point everyone had forgotten his real name. "You need to pull Mindy from class. Her aunt will be coming here to pick her up and take her to the elf hospital."

George stared, then turned his head to look at Patty, his jaw-dropping. "Wait. You were…."

"I told you to pull her from class," Patty said. "I told you something happened to Bernard.

George's eyes blinked, turning his head to look at their Santa. "Wait. It must be dire if they've transferred him from the North Pole, right?"

Their Santa frowned. "Is it serious?" There came a pause. "Well, I wouldn't say it's life-threatening, but perhaps more has to do with Bernard's magic? But honestly, Elder Windthrope didn't give much detail beyond wanting Mindy pulled from class so that her aunt could come and get her."

"But if the elf elder in charge of healing has been called in," George said, shaking his head. "It must be serious?"

"Well," Santa said. "Remember, George; we weren't equipped to deal with Bernard, which was why Santa and the current head elf finished his training to be a Christmas Elf."

"Yes, but," George frowned, shaking his head. "As much as Elfbright drove me up the wall, accidentally teleporting into other students' projects and the like, nor did he ever socialize with any of the students here…." He then paused. "Wait. He did, though, hang out with Patty Lusleaf and Clarice Firestone. Or more of they hung out with him." George sucked in his breath, looking at Patty. "And despite everything, I don't hate him, Patty."

"Mindy," Patty said, nodding her head. "I told you that you needed to pull her."

George turned to look at their Santa. "See. She knew before you even told me. It must be serious, right?"

"Except Patty always knew when Bernard had one of his mishaps, even when she wasn't in the room," the current Santa said. "And those were only ever minor issues."

"Minor?" George said, shaking his head before turning to the door and sighing. "I'll go get Mindy." The door opened and closed behind him.

Patty grimaced. "Should George be doing it? He's not the one known for having the best tact."

Their Santa chuckled. "Well, can you blame him? Your century was the first century he'd taught, and he had Bernard as a student. And nobody knew what to do with an elf-child with a magical gift as rare as teleportation magic and a power level as off the charts as Bernard's was." The Santa tilted his head. "I do believe they're calling it juice now? The power level an elf has?"

"Well," Patty said as the door to the classroom stepped out, and George ushered Mindy out. The young elf was pale, looking quite ill. Patty held her hands in front of her. "Sorry to hear about your older brother, Mindy."

Mindy glanced away, letting out a sigh. Their Santa noticed. "Whatever is the matter, beyond the fact your older brother is at the elf hospital?"

"I haven't heard from Bernie in forever," Mindy said. "And I really don't like talking about him." Her fingers twisted into the front of her uniform. "And now the entire class is asking who he is."

"Are you ashamed of your older brother?"

"What?" Patty asked. "Why?"

"Bernie's not a toymaker elf," Mindy muttered.

"And?" Patty shook her head. She watched Mindy look at her, eyes wide.

Mindy opened her mouth, only for their aunt to call out, which resulted in Mindy rushing over to be wrapped into a warm hug from her aunt before her aunt nodded her head, saying they were off to the elf hospital. Their Santa waved, smiling as he did so.

Patty sighed. "I didn't ask if I could stop by and see him. Elder Windthrope tends to be quite strict with her patients."

"She is because she tends to take on the most serious cases, but she's always been in charge of Bernard Elfbright when he's not being cared for at the North Pole because of the uniqueness of his magic, among other things, so you never know."

"Yeah. But this was also a powerful feeling," Patty sighed. "I guess I should also let Clarice know, as he'll want to know."

"That's definitely a good idea," their Santa said."