The Grotto Under the Tree

by John A. Theo, Jr.

  All three of them knelt before the open hatch. The whale popped his head above the water and rested it on the open trap door. He smiled and clicked a few times.

  Capri eased into the water. "Sebastian, do you remember how to open the trap door?"

  Sebastian nodded, and Capri dove below the surface. Burber smiled at the children one final time and dropped his head under the water. The whale remained a few feet below the surface, gazing up at his two new friends.

  Sebastian turned to Sara. "It's time."

  "I know. I just wish we knew how to say goodbye in whale language."

  A moment later, Sebastian pulled the lever. The ship sank a few feet and then shifted to the port side before righting itself. The dark shadow of the whale swam out one of the holes in the side.

  A moment later, Capri surfaced, closing the lever and hatch door behind him. "When next we surface above the waves, we can drain the holding pen," he said. "Until then, Telestar should be fine. The time has come to rest and eat."

  He served their breakfast on the grass carpet, which he'd placed back over the trap door. It was strange for them to have a meal without some friendly whale noises either above or below the water. Capri gave out the same kelp bread, along with hot tea he'd brewed.

  "This tea was made from the leaves of a mint carcarion plant where I grew up," he said. "It will help keep you warm on our short journey today. When you are ready, please gather your belongings and follow me."

  An hour later they stood on Telestar's deck. The wind was light, and the water was cold and grey, with specks of glittering starlight reflected on its surface. Capri lowered a plank from the starboard rail over the Arctic water and down onto the base of the iceberg.

  "Don't you need to drop the anchor or something?" Sebastian asked. "Won't the ship float away?"

  "Nay, child. Telestar is a living ship and will stay close by. Be careful coming down. Once you step foot off the deck, you are no longer protected by Telestar's power. The wind bites, and the water is quite cold. Although the cloak will keep you warm, we cannot remain out in the open for long."

  Sara didn't fully realize what Capri meant until she took her first step onto the plank. The breeze struck her face like a hundred icicles and forced her back a step or two. She wrapped the cloak tightly around herself and felt the warmth of her body heat the thin material and radiate all over her.

  Sebastian stepped from the ship's protection and almost fell off the plank as a gust of wind hit him. Sara ran back up the plank to help him down. They held hands and made it to the bottom but did not let go of each other. Capri wrapped his cloak around himself and started moving on without a word.

  The wind growled as it wove in and out of the deep canyons along the base of the iceberg. The elf tapped his staff on the ice to remind them to follow him.

  Capri proceeded along a thin path above the waterline and made his way toward a small cave. The crystal hanging from his staff sparked to life when they entered the cave. It was a shallow space and offered little protection from the frigid Arctic wind.

  Sara and Sebastian huddled together to keep warm. "Where are we?" Sebastian shivered.

  "One moment, child." The elf crouched down and placed his ear to the ice floor. "Epigale!" he yelled. "Epigale, we have arrived."

  No one responded. The waves lapping at the cave entrance increased in size and intensity. There was a rumble, and both Sara and Sebastian lost their balance and fell face-down on the cold floor. Sara gasped at what she saw through the clear ice. A large eye stared up at them.

  "Capri, there's something in the water beneath us!" Sara shouted, pulling Sebastian off the ice floor.

  "Wow," is all Sebastian said.

  "'Tis Epigale, who has come to let us into the All Father's home. Stand back toward the entrance of the cave so he can complete his work."

  All three took a few steps back as the rumbling increased. A large shadow passed under the ice beneath their feet. Sara huddled closer to Sebastian, her fear doubling when she felt his heart beating as fast as hers.

  There was enough light to see what appeared to be a whale swimming under the ice. It was shaped somewhat like Burber, but instead of pallid skin, this whale had white-and-greenish skin with brown spots. It was about twelve feet in length with a long white horn that stuck out from its head. They could hear the whale squeal, trill, click, and whistle as it chipped away at the ice beneath them with its horn.

  "What is that thing?" Sara yelled.

  "Do not worry," Capri said. "Burber is not the only friend I have in the animal world."

  "I know what it is," Sebastian said. "It's a narwhal. Remember, Miss Storm referred to them as unicorns of the sea because of their tusks?"

  Sara took a step back. She remembered her initial reaction to Burber and reminded herself how she'd grown to care for him. "Okay, Mr. Science Class Whiz. Do you remember what these narwhals eat?"

  Sebastian thought for a moment and then shook his head in a nervous "no." He proceeded to back up a bit.

  They watched as the whale continued to whittle away at the ice. It slowly made its way toward the back wall of the ice cave. For several minutes, the whale scraped and chipped under the back wall with its horn. The wall creaked with a sound like fingers running down a chalkboard. The children cringed at the sound.

  A moment later, the back wall fell away. The whale had cut under it, allowing the ice block to fall into the water and revealing a long dark tunnel in front of them.

  Capri went first. He paused before the tunnel entrance and leaned over to the small, two-foot square opening. Water surged up onto the icy floor as the whale lifted up to get air in through its blowhole.

  Capri patted the whale's stubby dorsal fin. "Thank you, my friend. As always, you have been a tremendous help." He jumped over the opening and strode on into the tunnel as the whale rolled away toward the depths of the sea. "Come along."

  Sebastian stepped over the small opening into the tunnel and Sara followed. As soon as they were inside the tunnel, a new block of ice slid down behind them with hardly a sound. Sara felt warmth emanating from the ice walls. She reached out to touch the glasslike wall. It was cold to the touch, so where was the heat coming from? Sebastian was looking around and raising his hands, obviously feeling for something as well.

  Capri's light moved away, and they both ran to catch up. "Why do I feel like we went through another portal like we did under Meridian?" Sara asked, slowing down to a swift walk.

  "You have, but this gateway was created by a different power than the Fair Folk."

  "Just how many different fair races are there?" Sara asked.

  "There are many, and each one has its own power and source to the higher planes."

  "How?" Sebastian chimed in.

  "'Tis different for each race," the elf stated. "And each way is right."

  "Makes sense to me," Sara said.

  "Does it?" Sebastian asked under his breath.

  The elf perked up. "Go ahead, Sebastian."

  "Does that mean the Kylo think their way is also right?"

  Capri hesitated for a moment. "That I cannot answer, as I have tried myself to unravel this riddle for centuries. We can speak more on this later. For now we must keep moving."

  Capri continued to lead them down the sloping tunnel. Though the floor was made of ice, it was not slippery. Distant noises came from small openings in the glacier walls. The air rushed through these vents, mixing with echoes of low, childlike voices, speaking in a language Sara could not understand. The sounds seemed to come from deep within the glacier.

  Capri's light dimmed as they came to the end of the tunnel. Again, they faced a solid wall. Capri stood in front of it and started to chant in a low voice.

  Sebastian leaned over to Sara and whispered, "Let me guess, another solid wall that isn't so solid."

  Capri's whispering ended, and the staff's light went out.

  "Children?"

  "Yes?"

  "Hold onto each other
."

  The floor opened up beneath them, and the next instant, they were falling.

  Chapter Ten

  The All Father

  Sara called out to Sebastian, who could do nothing but call back for her. Cold air beat against his face. Something touched his legs, and he realized they were sliding down a carved ice tube. The air warmed slightly and whipped past him as they skimmed down the ice tunnel at furious speeds. Multicolored gems were embedded in the crystalline walls around them. Most blinked on and off, while others pulsed with an otherworldly glow. The pitch gradually leveled off and the slide delivered all three onto a smooth ice floor.

  Sara was the first to stand up. Sebastian tripped and fell back to the floor, his head still spinning from the ride. They were in a tall, domed cavern of clear ice, which stretched in length as far as he could see. Somewhere far off in the depths and darkness, the voices returned.

  Sebastian saw a nervous look in Sara's eyes. "Capri, there are a couple of things we need to discuss," he said, slowly standing up. "Next time, please warn us when we're about to fall down a gigantic hole in the floor, and second, what are those noises, and third, should we be afraid?"

  "I sense humor in your tone," Capri said. "It has a mighty healing factor and will help keep you strong when facing fear."

  Sara flashed a nervous smile. "But you didn't answer Sebastian's question, Capri. The noises?"

  Capri smiled. "The voices are friends, whom you will meet momentarily."

  Sebastian watched as Capri whispered to his staff, and the glowing crystal changed to an ocean blue. Smaller white lights darted out to encircle Capri and the children. The tiny lights darted out like faeries with candles, illuminating the path in front of them.

  "Come," Capri said. "The hour has come for you to meet the All Father. I must know if he has heard word of my people."

  As they walked through the cavern, several small people rushed by. They were about two-and-a-half feet tall, and most were men with beards. Each wore wool pants, a thick sweater, and a pointed crimson wool hat. Their sweaters were blue, green, or red. They carried strange, geometric-shaped wooden tools and seemed to mumble to each other in the same low voices.

  Sara jumped back. "What are they?"

  Sebastian knelt down to get a closer look as one ran by. "They look familiar."

  In response to their queries, Capri said, "They are gnomes. They will not bother you. They are hard workers and peace-loving creatures."

  The small people ignored the three strangers and kept rushing by, as if they were late for something. Sebastian stopped and looked around at the ice walls. "Have they always lived here?"

  "The gnomes once lived in the forests of most countries, but many seasons ago, they moved farther north to seek shelter from the Kylo," Capri answered. "They helped dig these caverns you see. They now live in safety under the All Father's roof and help him with his work."

  They continued through the cavern. The light from Capri's staff increased, and the miniature lights branched out like fluttering lightning bugs. The path eventually narrowed and started to incline, but it was still wide enough for them to walk side by side. The clear ice revealed dark water on the other side of the thick walls.

  Sebastian stopped to wipe the haze from the ice. Narwhals circled the underwater glacier in pairs. Sebastian thought he even saw a distant outline of a merman swim by. "It's amazing to think we are probably a hundred feet under water, and only a few feet of ice stands between us and the freezing water."

  "Sebastian, if you're trying to make me feel better, please stop," Sara said.

  Capri pointed to the whales. "They are patrolling the water around the Sage's house. Come, you will be happy to see him."

  "Capri," Sebastian said, running to catch up, "you act like we should know this man."

  Capri smiled and continued to walk along the hall. The ice ceiling and walls eventually narrowed, forcing them to walk single-file. The ceiling dropped down until it reached the top of a door made of solid gold and etched with a pattern of silver leaves. Capri tapped on the door with the bottom of his staff. The door opened by itself, and he stepped through, followed by Sara.

  Beyond was a large, perfectly round cavern with high ceilings. Green and red crystals embedded in the walls lit up the room. Sebastian noticed they were brighter than the gems he'd seen in the mermaid grotto.

  Gnomes dressed in blue, green, and gold scurried about, working on pieces of gold, silver, wood, and other materials that were spread out over small wooden tables. What looked like an enormous furry rug on the far side of the room grumbled and turned over, revealing itself as a sleeping polar bear.

  Sara gasped and grabbed Sebastian's arm.

  Sebastian quietly stepped back from the doorway but stopped when he saw what appeared to be a smile on the polar bear's face before it yawned and went back to its nap. He remembered Burber and how scary looking he was at first, and he slowly walked back inside the room.

  Up ahead, two white wolves sat erect like two statues on either side of a simple wooden chair. Yet none of this shocked Sebastian as much as who he saw sitting in the chair. Sebastian recognized him first with a gasp. He was an aged man, tall and lean, with olive skin, white hair, and a long white beard draped over a beautiful dark blue velvet robe. He wore a holly-berry wreath around his head.

  He stood up and spoke in a deep, commanding voice. "Welcome, Lord Capri, and welcome Sebastian Thomas and Sara Ashe. I have been expecting you."

  Capri bowed low. The wolves on either side of the robed man nodded their heads as if to tell the children to follow Capri's lead, and they did. Sebastian spoke first. "How do you know our names, sir? And why do you look so much like—?"

  "Santa Claus?" Sara finished.

  "Children," Capri said, "may I present the All Father, or as you know him, Father Christmas."

  "But you're not real," Sebastian tried to explain to the real man who stood before them.

  Father Christmas smiled. "My child, after all that you have seen, are you surprised to find out there actually is a Father Christmas?"

  "N-n-no sir," he stuttered. "But if you truly are Father Christmas, then how come you look so different from pictures?"

  "I look the way I always have looked, my son. I think you mean why am I not fat and dressed in bright red?" He laughed. "Your people are the ones who altered my appearance."

  He smiled, and then turned back to Capri. "It is truly wonderful to see you again. My feathered friends bring little good news of events in the south. Please, tell me what has transpired."

  Capri started into a deep conversation with Father Christmas while the two kids huddled in a corner, trying to compare notes on what Santa Claus was supposed to look like compared to what he truly did look like. "Now this is too much," Sebastian whispered. "I can't believe where we are and who that is."

  "I know, and he looks so different than what I pictured."

  "Better," Sebastian added. "More like a king than a fat old man."

  The wolves never left the side of the throne until Father Christmas walked away to talk with Capri. Only then did they step down and follow, as if to protect his every movement. The polar bear stirred, yawned, and rolled over again to go back to sleep in its corner.

  Upon closer inspection, Sara and Sebastian found the gnomes were separated into several groups. The gnomes with red sweaters worked at small tables with gold and silver jewelry while those with gold sweaters worked with wood, making small toys. The green-clad ones worked on everything else, be it art, pottery, or sculptures.

  Sebastian walked up to one of the tables and picked up a piece of pottery. All the gnomes stopped their work and looked up at him. Sara ran over and grabbed the piece out of his hand and placed it back on the table. The gnomes immediately turned back to their work.

  "Don't you ever learn? Your curiosity got us into trouble in the first place," Sara said. "Please, don't touch anything else."

  "Okay," he said, raising both hands like a criminal
turning himself in.

  A short while later, Father Christmas walked back over and sat down in his throne. "Sebastian and Sara, I have some news. Please, come here."

  The children approached as Capri sat down next to them on a step leading up to the throne. The wolves circled them, sniffing the air before sitting down on either side of the chair again.

  "I have prayed that this day would never come, but we have heard word from our friends in the southern lands that a dark cloud is approaching. Do you know what I am about to tell you?"

  Sebastian spoke without looking up. "You mean the Kylo are coming, right, Capri?"

  "Aye," Capri said. "Tomorrow will be the five-hundredth season feast, and no one has seen my people, so I have to assume they are gone. I am alone."

  "You're not alone," Sara said. "If we leave now, we can outrun them."

  Capri shook his head. "Nay, child. If my people are no more, then there is nowhere I can hide. I will go to the surface and face the Kylo. You are of the All Father's race and must stay with him."

  "You can't fight them alone!" Sara shouted, running up to grab Capri's staff away. "Santa — I mean, Father Christmas — tell him that we won't let him."

  "I charged the All Father with your protection. You three must stay inside his palace. I will do everything in my power to contain this evil."

  "But what happens if…" Sara's voice trailed off.

  "If I die?" Capri finished her sentence, lightly taking the staff back from Sara. "If that happens, the only thing to do is stay nigh the All Father. I have grown to care for you both and will not lose you. The All Father's powers and their source are unknown to me. He may yet be able to see you safely home. I am sorry that I cannot promise more."

  Sara hugged the elf, who did not return her embrace. Sebastian saw Capri use his free hand to wipe his eyes. The elf looked to Father Christmas with a pleading expression, and the ancient figure gently pulled Sara away into his loving embrace.

  Capri strung his bow, as he had done many times before. The azure string glowed as he slung the weapon over his back. He drew up his hood and leaned down to the children. "I must go back to Telestar and prepare." With that, he bowed to Father Christmas and walked away.