by L M Lacee
I know, do you happen to know what Keeper and Ella are doing?”
“I have not heard, but I am sure it will be spectacular.”
“No doubt.” She said as he kissed her right there under the hanging mistletoe.
CHAPTER NINE
K eeper stood in the middle of the library of his home with books opened on tables and chairs and scattered around the floor of the room.
Ella asked as she took in a breath and carefully picked her way through the mess. “Keeper what has happened, did we get robbed?”
Keeper whirled around his hair was wild, his eyes blood shot. She wondered what had happened in the three hours since she had left for the medical center.
“No ideas, not a one. I have searched and read, looked in all these books and found nothing, not a thing.”
Totally bemused Ella asked. “Whatever were you looking for?”
“A tale, a poem something. A story of Christmas. I thought each year I could find another and add it to the book and eventuality build a Christmas book for our family. I know the gift was meant for the whole of Dragon’s Gap, but there are many stories others can read. I wanted one, we or someone else of the family could read on Christmas Eve. I was going to propose that to Reighn and Sage. I felt it would be acceptable.” He looked at Ella his face wearing a sad expression. Ella, holding in the tears nodded. “It would be very special we need that.”
“I know but I cannot do it.”
Shocked she almost screeched. “Why…why can you not? It is a wonderful idea.”
“It is.” He ran his hand through his messed-up hair. “I cannot find one story about dragons. It is pathetic not a poem or tale of dragons and Christmas.”
“Oh dear.” Ella murmured as she started to pick up the books, making piles. When she reached for a book with a small picture of a kangaroo in a Santa suit, she asked. “Why can you not write one yourself?”
“What?”
Ella turned to him her voice firmer as she thought about what she was saying. Keeper was the perfect one to write a story. “Write a Christmas story. This year it can be a short one as we have little time but next year you can take longer to craft one for the family. I am sure you could do it.”
Keeper stood his hand reaching towards a book and stilled as his mind thought over her suggestion. When Ella was about to apologize for her idea, he grinned and gathered her in his arms. “My heart you are very… very clever, of course that is exactly what we shall do.”
“We?”
“Of course this is as much your gift as mine.”
“Oh, that is wonderful. I have never written a story before, have you?”
“No but together we can accomplish anything.”
“True.” Then with a wave of his hand, the library was put to rights. “Now tea and we will write our proposal for Reighn.”
Ella smiled. “This will be glorious, our own Christmas tale.”
“Yes, it will be.” He looked at her admiring. “I am glad I am bonded to you my love, you are my gift all year round.”
“Oh Keeper. I am so very glad you are my gift as well.”
CHAPTER TEN
W hen the family meeting had finally broken up Frankie, Ciana and Jacks decided quickly on what they wished to gift the town with. It was probably unfair as Frankie had been aware of what the meeting was to be about. So as soon as she entered the room, she had asked around to see if anyone was interested in working with her on her gift to the town. She was very happy with Ciana and Jacks who wanted to decorate the town with her.
She could not say the same for her shadow and his brother who were wearing glum expressions on their faces. When they made their way to where she was standing with Ciana and Jacks. She felt sorry for them and asked. “So you guys want to join our team?”
Johner’s eyes held hope as he asked her. “Frankie what are you doing?”
“Well, Jacks, Ciana and me are going to do decorations.”
Confused, Stanvis looked firstly at Johner, saw he had no idea either, then looked at his shadow. “Jacks what does that mean?”
“We will order decorations, then hang garlands and candy canes and stuff around the town.”
“I see!” He said slowly, not that he really did, it seemed strange to him, even more so when Frankie chimed in with. “You know, line the streets with joy.”
“Will she not be upset with that?” Johner asked, thinking poor Joy would have to run very fast to do so.
Frankie stood and looked blankly at him as Ciana shook her head at his question. Jacks put her head down so they could not see her smile. Ciana finally once she had herself under control told them. “No. Frankie does not mean our Joy.”
Shocked Frankie agreed. “Good Goddess no. I mean love and hope. The decorations do that. They make people feel happy.”
Stanvis sighed with relief. “Oh well, that makes sense. You want to do this?” He asked Jacks, who with a smile nodded. “It will be delightful as Frankie says bringing joy to people is the best medicine for loneliness.”
“You are lonely my love?” Asked a concerned Stanvis, he knew Jacks had her family here as well as him and his family, so her being lonely puzzled him. She hugged him. As she replied. “No my dragon, I mean for others who may feel lonely, not me, I have you and our families. How could I ever be lonely.”
Ciana softly told the two males. “No matter how happy people are to be here safe at Dragon’s Gap. They will miss their loved ones that have passed over.”
Jacks agreed. “It makes no difference how good their lives here are, they will feel sad and miss the ones who made up their lives before they came here. Christmas brings up many mixed feelings and not always happy ones.”
“Christmas sounds deplorable.” Johner shook his head “I do not like this!”
Frankie hugged him. “It is not like that for everyone. This is the best time of year.”
“How can you say that?” Stanvis asked.
“Because Christmas is the one time of year when all family should remember why we are here. On earth safe and happy or at least working towards it and what love is all about for everyone.”
“Frankie, that is lovely.” Ciana praised her as she wiped a tear from her eye.
Jacks quietly said. “It is a time to celebrate family, the ones of blood or of choice.”
Stanvis sighed and shook his head. “I find I like the thought of that. Although my heart I cannot do decorations. It makes no sense to me, the hanging of whatever you are to hang and I hope it is not some small animal that our mama would not like.”
Jacks laughed with the other two females thinking he was joking. When she realized he was not, she hurriedly assured him. It was not animals. Johner said. “I too find that decorating is too much for us, as males.”
Frankie mocked them both. “You both are sissies!”
Jacks and Ciana agreed with smiles tinged with a touch of relief as much as they loved the males, to have them underfoot while decorating would be rife with problems. Having to explain each and every decoration and what it was for or represented made them shudder. Outraged Stanvis’s eyes narrowed. “Sissies. I think not!”
Johner announced. “We are just discerning, now be gone females to your decorating. Leave us to do manly things.”
“Such sissies!” The three chorused as they laughingly left the room. Stanvis turned to Johner and asked. “Now what are we going to do?”
Johner looked at his brother then at Conor and Saul Towers. “Follow me I have an idea!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
C onor had never been to the Faerie Grove before. It was an amazing place, each room was round and connected to another much like a beehive. They passed waterfalls and grotto’s where people gathered, it was a place of calm and serenity.
Conor could feel himself relax and the more they traversed the moss covered floors the more relaxed he became. He looked down and Sparrow said softly. “It is a type of moss that grows only within the Groves.”
; Saul bent down and ran his hand over the surface. “It is like wool.”
Sparrow nodded and smiled a little as they passed small rooms carved from trees. Leaves decorated the walls and they had elaborate windows of colored glass or at least Conor thought it was glass. Whatever it was the colors lit up the rooms.
He, Johner as well as Stanvis and Saul had been invited to the Grove after Conor had approached Elijah with his idea. That was after Johner and Stanvis had surrounded him and Saul, when the family meeting finished. Effectively cutting them off from others in the family dining room and demanded to know what he and Saul were doing.
Because Johner had worked out and then told Stanvis as they listened to his shadow and Ciana and Frankie talk about Christmas. That the lions would know what Christmas was and what gift they were going to give to Dragon’s Gap. So when they had turned down Frankie’s offer, Johner had decided they needed to attach themselves to the lion brothers, who had lived in the outside world.
So an hour later after the meeting, they were being led through the hive of the Grove by Kai and Sparrow. They finally showed them into a dining room similar to the one at the castle.
Conor grinned when he entered to find Frankie, Jacks and Ciana sitting around the table waiting. Stanvis looked back at Johner and called out. “Johner our shadows are here.”
Johner asked as he entered. “Why are you here, this is not decorating?”
Frankie grinned. “Ahh yeah it is.”
He and Stanvis looked at Conor. “Trees are decorating. You did not make this clear.”
“Huh! I thought you knew, me bad.” Conor shrugged as he suggested. “You can always find another team to work with.”
Stanvis snarled. “No, we are here, we will do trees but no decorating.”
Conor smirked as he asked. “Well alright then. So ladies why are you here?”
“Decorating! The faeries are to do lights. It sort of goes hand in hand with us.” Jacks told him. Conor and Saul nodded but before they could say anything more Scarlett and Elijah the Queen and King of the Grove entered. The three females rose as Scarlett smiled and said. “Welcome all, to our home.”
“Thank you.” They all replied.
Scarlett said as she took her seat. “Please be seated so we can get this done. I do not know about you, but we have much to do and only a short amount of time to do it in.”
“That is true.” Frankie sighed as Ciana smiled and assured everyone there. “It is Christmas; we are meant to feel harassed and swamped.”
“Oh really, this is part of the Christmas tradition?” Elijah asked.
“I suppose, although it is good if there is planning and the feelings are kept to a minimum.” Jacks told them. “It is what happens when you want to accomplish the best Christmas ever.”
“Or when Christmas is sprung on you.” Sparrow murmured.
Saul nodded. “That too, this is our first one for our new home. Some of our young ones have never experienced Christmas, so it is on us the adults to make it good.” They all agreed. Conor looked around at the people in the room and stated. “We will. Which is why we are all here.”
Elijah nodded. “Alright, so you know, of course, we are going to do the lights for the town.”
Frankie said. “And we three are doing the towns decorations.”
“Have you thought...?” Conor asked as he leant back in his chair, when a young faerie placed a cup in front of him. “Thank you.”
Shyly she responded. “You are welcome Leo.”
Scarlet smiled at the young faerie. “Everyone, this is Breely, she has transferred here from a Southern Grove.”
They all said welcome to the young faerie, causing her to turn slightly pink. Conor after a sip of his tea continued with what he had been saying. “So I was going to ask if you ladies had any thoughts on selling decorations to people.”
“Oh not really.” Jacks said as she narrowed her eyes in thought. “Although we could quite easily.”
“Yeah, we could have like a temporary booth, like they do in malls.” Frankie mused. “But where?”
“Well, I happen to know that there is a team who is designing and building a life size gingerbread house, so maybe somewhere close to that.” Ciana suggested.
“Oh wow, that would be great.” Frankie agreed.
“Frankie my shadow, do you mean the position of the gingerbread house. You know you cannot eat it?”
“Or can you?” Stanvis asked thinking of a giant house that could be eaten. Laughing Frankie spluttered. “Johner I know that, I was thinking of the position, it would be great for the trees too.”
“What trees?” Scarlett asked.
Conor smiled at the Queen. “We, which is the four of us have decided to supply Christmas trees for every house and the town and castle.”
Confused Sparrow asked. “What?”
Saul explained. “It is traditional that Christmas has trees, decorated trees.”
“Oh, I see.”
Horrified Stanvis asked. “We have to decorate them as well?”
Johner rumbled. “No one said anything about that, trees yes… this tinsel no.”
Saul shook his head in disgust. “Man up dragons, and no we do not decorate them. Families do that themselves. Ocean has said we are to have a decorating party at our home. The girls are very excited.”
Conor looked at his brother and thought maybe the girls were not the only ones excited about the tree party. He would make sure the older dragons Adam and Ian as well as Kai and Birdy were also invited.
Scarlett asked. “When does this normally happen?”
Ciana said. “Some families decorate as soon as they have their trees. Some between the first of December and Christmas Day. Some Christmas Eve. It is up to the families to make the tradition for themselves.”
“Oh, I see. I think we will be at the castle for Christmas Eve.”
Frankie nodded. “You are family, so yes.”
Scarlett smiled at her, then frowned. “Will you cut the trees down?”
Conor once again shook his head as he leant back in his chair to several ominous creaks. “No Queen Scarlett we will not, that is why we came to you. We were hoping to ask you to help us to negotiate with the tree faeries for living trees.”
“I am sorry living trees. What does this mean?”
Saul explained. “In the human world, people grow trees in pots that can be replanted on their properties after Christmas, therefore not wasting trees by killing them.”
Conor asked quietly. “We wanted to know if we could do something similar.”
Kai said. “Basically, you wish to borrow the trees.”
“Yes then return them and negotiate to do so each Christmas. I am willing to fund this.” Conor told them.
“By yourself?” Elijah asked, Conor smiled. “Yes, part of Christmas is to give. I have young ones this year to enjoy and laugh and snuggle with, and to teach about the gift of giving. My girls are very excited about Christmas with us and also sad, this will be their first Christmas without their grandfather. I wish to give them a new memory.”
All the females dabbed at their eyes as Elijah once again asked. “And trees will do this.”
“Partly, also, we as their new family will make it less sad.”
Scarlett wiped the tears from her eyes. “Well, I am very willing to do so, do you know what kind of trees make good Christmas trees?”
Conor pulled a picture that Kadee had given him from his inside pocket. “My Kadee gave me this, after we were summoned to the meeting. She assured me this was what we needed.” Scarlett took the picture and nodded as she passed it to Elijah, he murmured. “Ahh I see!” Just as the faerie Breely, leaning over to pick up his cup said. “Oh my, the Grove I just left have those.”
Everyone looked at her, causing her to go bright pink and duck her head. “Breely dear your Grove grew trees?”
“Yes Queen Scarlett.”
“Well there you are, we will talk to the Queen of Breely’s old
Grove and see if we can arrange trees.”
Elijah looked at the picture. “It is intriguing, do you really think the Grove needs a tree my light, they are rather plain and we have plain trees already.”
Conor produced another picture. “Kadee said this is what a tree looks like all decorated.” A glistening bedecked tree filled with ornaments and lights graced the picture. All the faeries sighed in delight. Johner looked over at Stanvis and said. “I think they like it.”
Finally Scarlett looked up. “If I can negotiate trees, will you go and retrieve them?”
“Yes, Reighn will open a portal for us to receive the trees.”
Ciana smiled. “You have talked to him already.”
“Me… oh no!” Conor shook his head as they all smiled thinking of the Dragon Lords response when Conor had asked him. “However Paige, Kadee and Joy, they apparently had a few words with the Dragon Lord.”
Laughing Elijah sighed as he thought of the three girls and hoped his little one was as bold and brave as they were, he told Conor. “They are adorable!”
Conor sighed as he agreed pride reflected in his eyes and tone of voice as he said. “They are, each one of them.”
“Well, we will supply the lights for the trees and will light the town and castle trees. Ladies may we give our lights away in your booth?”
Jacks asked. “You will not sell them?”
“No, we will not, they are a gift to the people, from us.”
“Lovely.” Ciana told them. Scarlett turned her attention back to Conor to clarify precisely what he wanted. She held the picture of the plain unadorned tree in her hand. “So the trees are to look like this?”
“Yes as close to that as possible.”
“Alright, may I keep this to show the Queen?”
“Of course, if it will help.”
“I am sure it will.”
Ciana asked. “Have you all written your proposals for Reighn and Sage.”
“We have.” Saul assured her as he was the one to do so after Conor had assigned him the duty. Sparrow nodded. “I had written our proposal for the Grove before we left the castle.”