THE NORTH PEAK CHRONICLES™
PART ONE
THE NORTH PEAK CHRONICLES™ -
THE LAST LESSON
PART ONE
Part One — The First Lesson
Snow fell differently around frightened reindeer.
Merryfin Sparkshoe had never noticed that before.
Ordinary snow drifted.
It twirled.
It floated lazily through the air as if it had nowhere particularly important to be.
But the snow inside the Reindeer Training Arena seemed to tremble.
Tiny flakes hovered beneath the glowing rafters while a young reindeer calf pressed herself against the farthest wall of her stall.
His name was Prance.
He was small, silver-brown, and unusually fluffy around the ears. A tiny pair of antlers had only just begun peeking through the fur on top of his head.
Usually, Prance bounced everywhere.
He bounced toward carrots.
He bounced through snowdrifts.
Once, he had bounced directly into Santa’s coat and become tangled in his beard for nearly ten minutes.
But this morning, Prance wasn’t bouncing.
He stood completely still.
His eyes were wide.
His legs trembled beneath her.
And every time someone approached, he backed farther into the corner.
“He won’t come out,” Merryfin said.
He stood several steps from the stall holding a small carrot in one mittened hand.
Merryfin was younger then.
His red hair still stuck up in the same brave little crest, and the golden spark inside his chest already shimmered whenever he became excited.
But he did not yet wear the green-and-gold jacket of North Peak’s Master of Reindeer & Flight.
Instead, he wore the plain brown training coat given to every apprentice in the Reindeer Arena.
The coat was slightly too large.
The sleeves covered most of his hands.
And one of the brass buttons had fallen off three days earlier and was currently being used by Pebblemint as a tap-dancing marker.
Merryfin slowly lifted the carrot.
“Come on, Prance,” he said gently. “It’s only morning practice.”
Prance lowered his head.
His tiny antlers scraped softly against the wooden wall.
Behind Merryfin, several young training elves whispered anxiously.
Twinkletips Nutbuttons pushed her enormous glasses higher onto her nose and studied a scroll covered in hurried calculations.
“His heartbeat appears to be approximately thirty-two percent faster than yesterday,” she announced. “Possibly thirty-four. He keeps moving, and that is extremely inconsiderate to mathematics.”
Pebblemint Tumbleblossom peeked around her shoulder.
“Maybe he’s nervous.”
Twinkletips blinked.
“That is what the numbers mean.”
“Oh.”
Pebblemint nodded seriously.
“I knew that.”
He did not know that.
Nearby, Jollywhip Jinglecrest examined the stall latch.
“The hinge squeaked earlier,” he murmured. “Maybe the noise startled him.”
Snowblossom Mirthwhistle stood quietly beside Merryfin.
Even then, Snowblossom had a gentle way of making every creature feel as though she had all the time in the world for them.
She watched Prance carefully.
“He isn’t looking at the gate,” Snowblossom whispered.
Merryfin followed her gaze.
Prance wasn’t watching the latch.
He was watching the rafters above them.
A row of wind chimes hung beneath the ceiling, swaying lightly in the cold air.
One had come loose during the night.
It tapped unevenly against a beam.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
Each sound made Prance flinch.
Merryfin’s face brightened.
“That’s it.”
He took one step forward.
Prance immediately backed away.
Merryfin stopped.
The golden light in his chest flickered with worry.
He lowered the carrot.
“I know what’s frightening him,” he said. “But he’ll still won’t let me close enough to help.”
A calm voice answered from behind him.
“Then perhaps you are trying too hard to be heard.”
The training elves straightened instantly.
Pebblemint attempted to straighten so quickly that he fell sideways into a bucket.
CLANG.
Nobody laughed.
Well—
Jollywhip laughed a little.
The elf walking toward them was taller than Merryfin, though not quite as tall as Grumwald.
His heavy forest-green coat was worn at the cuffs. Silver threads ran through his dark hair, and a narrow brass whistle rested against his chest.
He carried no carrot.
No rope.
No training wand.
He didn’t need them.
His name was Tobias Wintermiere.
And for longer than most elves could remember, he had served as North Peak’s Master of the Reindeer.
Merryfin stepped aside.
“Master Tobias.”
Tobias looked into the stall.
Prance trembled again as the loose wind chime tapped above him.
Clink.
Tobias didn’t approach.
Instead, he sat down in the snow.
Pebblemint blinked.
“That’s your plan?”
Twinkletips elbowed him.
Tobias placed both gloved hands loosely in his lap.
Then he waited.
No commands.
No coaxing.
No clever whistle.
He simply sat.
The arena grew quiet around him.
Even the other reindeer seemed to understand that something important was happening.
Prance watched Tobias carefully.
Tobias looked toward the floor rather than directly at him.
Minutes passed.
Pebblemint shuffled one boot.
Twinkletips quietly wrote:
Subject appears to be doing absolutely nothing.
Then crossed it out when Tobias glanced toward her.
At last, Prance took one cautious step.
Tobias remained still.
He took another.
Then another.
Slowly, Prance emerged from the corner.
He crossed the stall.
Stepped through the open gate.
And pressed his small nose against Tobias’s shoulder.
Merryfin stared in amazement.
Tobias smiled and gently rubbed the fur between Prancer’s tiny antlers.
“There you are,” he whispered.
The calf’s trembling stopped.
Snowblossom smiled warmly.
Merryfin crouched beside Tobias.
“How did you do that?”
“I didn’t.”
Merryfin looked confused.
Tobias nodded toward Prancer.
“He did.”
“But he wouldn’t come near any of us.”
“You were all asking him to trust you.”
Tobias looked around at the young elves.
“Trust is rarely given because someone requests it.”
Pebblemint raised one mitten.
“What if you request it very nicely?”
“Still no.”
“What if you sing the request?”
“Especially no.”
Pebblemint slowly lowered his mitten.
Tobias looked back toward Merryfin.
“Every living thing hears your heart before it hears your words.”
Merryfin repeated the sentence quietly.
“Every living thing hears your heart…”
“…before it hears your words,” Tobias finished.
He nodded toward the loose chime.
“You understood what frightened him. But you were so focused on fixing the problem that he could feel your urgency.”
Merryfin’s shoulders lowered slightly.
“I made him more nervous.”
“You cared,” Tobias said. “That matters.”
He stood and brushed snow from his coat.
“But caring isn’t only wanting to help. Sometimes caring means becoming quiet enough for someone else to feel safe.”
Merryfin looked toward Prance.
The calf had wandered over to Snowblossom and was now chewing cheerfully on the end of her scarf.
Snowblossom sighed.
“Prancer.”
Prance chewed faster.
Tobias smiled.
“Lesson concluded.”
From somewhere above them, a deep voice echoed through the arena.
“Master Wintermiere!”
Everyone looked up.
Santa stood on the observation balcony overlooking the training floor.
Mrs. Claus stood beside him carrying two steaming mugs of cocoa and a third plate containing enough cookies to feed a small village.
Or one Pebblemint.
Santa rested both hands on the railing.
“May I borrow you for a moment?”
Tobias looked toward Merryfin.
“Continue the morning exercises.”
Merryfin’s eyes widened.
“Me?”
“You know the schedule.”
“Yes, sir, but—”
“You know the reindeer.”
“I’m still learning.”
Tobias’s expression softened.
“So am I.”
Then he walked toward the balcony stairs.
Merryfin stared after him.
Pebblemint appeared beside him and shoved an entire cookie into his mouth.
“Congratulations,” Pebblemint said.
Merryfin blinked.
“For what?”
“I don’t know. But Tobias just left you in charge, and that feels congratulatory.”
Twinkletips unrolled the morning schedule.
“We begin with formation practice, followed by coordinated lift, controlled landing, emergency wind response, and—”
A loud thump interrupted her.
Everyone turned.
Prance had climbed halfway into the cookie basket.
Mrs. Claus stared down from the balcony.
“Prancer.”
The calf froze.
A cookie hung from his mouth.
Mrs. Claus placed both hands on her hips.
Prance slowly climbed back out.
Pebblemint leaned toward Merryfin.
“He heard Mrs. Claus’s heart.”
Merryfin tried not to laugh.
⸻
High above the arena, Tobias joined Santa beside the railing.
The village stretched beyond the tall windows.
North Peak glowed beneath the morning snow.
Lanterns flickered across winding streets. Smoke curled from peppermint-striped chimneys. Elves hurried between workshops carrying toy parts, ribbon bundles, and stacks of freshly written Christmas lists.
Far in the distance, the Ice Caverns rose beneath the mountains.
Their frozen peaks glimmered pale blue against the sky.
Tobias studied them for a moment longer than necessary.
Santa noticed.
“You still watch the caverns,” he said.
“Someone should.”
“The old danger has been quiet for many winters.”
“Quiet is not the same as gone.”
Santa’s expression grew thoughtful.
“No,” he agreed. “It isn’t.”
Mrs. Claus handed Tobias a mug of cocoa.
“Drink.”
Tobias accepted it.
“I’m not ill.”
“I know.”
“Or cold.”
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“Because you forget to drink cocoa when you’re thinking too hard.”
Tobias looked into the mug.
Tiny marshmallows floated across the top in the shape of reindeer.
He took a sip.
Mrs. Claus smiled victoriously.
Santa watched Merryfin below.
The young elf was guiding Dasher and Comet into position while Twinkletips shouted measurements and Jollywhip adjusted a loose harness buckle.
Snowblossom stood near Prance.
Pebblemint had somehow found another cookie.
“He’s ready for more responsibility,” Santa said.
Tobias did not ask whom Santa meant.
“Merryfin has a good heart.”
“He does.”
“The reindeer trust him.”
“They do.”
“And the others listen to him.”
Tobias glanced toward Pebblemint, who was currently tapping two spoons against a feed bucket.
“Most of the others.”
Santa chuckled.
Then his voice became quieter.
“You have spent a very long time preparing North Peak for whatever may come next.”
Tobias looked toward him.
Santa continued watching the arena.
“I sometimes wonder whether you realize how much of yourself you’ve already placed inside them.”
Tobias’s hand tightened slightly around the cocoa mug.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“You were thinking it.”
Santa’s eyes twinkled.
“You’ve always been annoyingly good at noticing that.”
Tobias turned back toward the arena.
Merryfin lifted his whistle.
The reindeer gathered.
For one moment, Tobias saw something familiar in the way the younger elf waited for every animal to settle before giving the command.
Patience.
Not perfect patience.
Merryfin still bounced slightly on his toes.
But patience nonetheless.
Santa placed a hand on Tobias’s shoulder.
“I am not asking you to decide anything today.”
Tobias said nothing.
“I’m only asking you to notice.”
Below them, Merryfin raised one hand.
“Ready?”
The reindeer leaned forward.
Merryfin smiled.
“Together.”
Hooves struck the snow.
Magic shimmered around the arena.
The young reindeer team lifted smoothly into the air.
Not very high.
Not very gracefully.
Comet drifted left.
Dasher drifted right.
Prancer remained on the ground eating someone’s mitten.
But they had lifted.
The training elves cheered.
Merryfin’s spark glowed brightly through his coat.
Tobias watched him for a long moment.
Then he took another sip of cocoa.
“I noticed,” he said.
⸻
By midday, the lesson had been forgotten by nearly everyone.
Nearly.
Merryfin remembered.
He remembered when Dasher became impatient during a turn.
He remembered when Comet refused to land.
He remembered when Prance stole Twinkletips’s measuring string and galloped through the arena with six parchment rolls trailing behind him.
Instead of shouting, Merryfin slowed himself.
He listened.
He watched.
And every time, the reindeer responded.
By the end of practice, Merryfin felt as if something had shifted.
Not in the reindeer.
Inside him.
The training group gathered near the stable yard for lunch.
Snowblossom passed around sandwiches wrapped in blue paper.
Jollywhip tightened the wheel on a feed cart.
Twinkletips reorganized the lesson notes into seven categories and three subcategories.
Pebblemint dipped a peppermint sandwich into cocoa.
Everyone stared at him.
“What?”
“That is not how sandwiches work,” Jollywhip said.
Pebblemint took another bite.
“It is now.”
A shadow fell across the table.
Grumwald Flakesnare stood behind them holding a bundle of golden training tags.
Even years earlier, Grumwald was taller than most elves.
He wore a dark wool coat with dozens of freshly printed labels hanging from his belt.
DASHER — LEFT HARNESS
COMET — RIGHT HARNESS
CARROTS — NOT FOR PEBBLEMINT
Pebblemint stared at the final label.
“That feels targeted.”
“It is.”
Grumwald placed the golden tags on the table.
“Master Tobias asked me to bring these.”
Merryfin picked one up.
Each tag was engraved with the name of a young reindeer and the mark of the Reindeer Arena.
“They’re beautiful,” Snowblossom said.
Grumwald tried not to look pleased.
“They are accurate.”
“That too,” she said.
Grumwald glanced toward the training field.
Tobias stood in the distance speaking with Santa.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“So,” Grumwald said, “Tobias left you in charge this morning.”
Merryfin shrugged.
“Only for practice.”
“Of course.”
Something in his tone made Snowblossom look up.
Merryfin didn’t seem to notice.
“Tobias said every living thing hears your heart before it hears your words.”
Grumwald picked up one of the tags.
“Well, labels are still helpful.”
“They are,” Merryfin agreed.
Grumwald looked almost disappointed that Merryfin hadn’t argued.
Then Prance bounded into the yard.
The calf leapt over a snowbank.
Slid beneath the lunch table.
Stole Merryfin’s carrot.
And raced toward the nursery paddock.
Pebblemint jumped to his feet.
“I’ll get him!”
“Wait,” Merryfin said.
Too late.
Pebblemint sprinted after Prance.
He reached the paddock gate, slipped through, and pulled it closed behind him.
Almost.
The latch caught against the edge of the post.
The gate remained open by barely an inch.
Nobody noticed.
Not Pebblemint.
Not Merryfin.
Not Grumwald.
A cold wind moved through the yard.
The gate creaked wider.
Inside the nursery paddock, three young reindeer lifted their heads.
Prancer looked toward the opening.
Beyond it, a trail of snow led between the stables.
Farther still, beyond the edge of North Peak—
the Ice Caverns shimmered beneath the mountains.
Prancer took one curious step.
Then another.
⸻
That afternoon, the wind grew stronger.
Snow swept between the buildings in quick silver gusts.
Merryfin returned to the nursery paddock carrying a fresh bundle of carrots.
“Prance?”
No answer.
He checked behind the feed barrels.
Nothing.
He looked inside the warming stall.
Empty.
Snowblossom entered behind him.
“Did you find him?”
Merryfin slowly turned toward the gate.
It stood open.
The golden light inside his chest flickered sharply.
“No.”
Snowblossom’s face changed.
Twinkletips rushed into the paddock with Jollywhip and Pebblemint close behind.
“His tracks lead outside,” Twinkletips said breathlessly. “At least, I believe they’re his. One set is shaped like tiny hooves and the other appears to belong to Pebblemint.”
Pebblemint looked down.
“Why are you tracking me?”
“I track everyone.”
“That is unsettling.”
Merryfin stepped through the gate.
Tiny hoofprints crossed the snowy path beyond the stable.
They led away from the village.
Toward the mountains.
Toward the Ice Caverns.
Snowblossom whispered:
“Oh no.”
A voice came from behind them.
“What happened?”
Tobias stood at the entrance to the yard.
Merryfin looked at him.
For one terrible moment, he wanted Tobias to take over.
To give the orders.
To solve the problem.
Then he remembered the morning lesson.
He forced himself to breathe.
“Prancer is missing,” Merryfin said.
Tobias’s expression grew still.
“The gate was open,” Snowblossom added.
Pebblemint’s face crumpled.
“I thought I closed it.”
Tobias did not scold him.
Not yet.
He crouched beside the hoofprints.
The tracks were already disappearing beneath fresh snow.
“Which direction?” he asked.
Merryfin pointed.
“The caverns.”
Twinkletips unfolded a map.
“There are three possible routes from here. Four if he crossed the frozen stream. Five if he wandered through the pine ridge, although young reindeer rarely choose steep inclines unless frightened, hungry, curious, confused, or following something shiny.”
Pebblemint swallowed.
“Prancer is all five of those.”
Jollywhip examined the tracks.
“The wind will cover them soon.”
Tobias stood.
Everyone looked toward him.
Waiting.
But Tobias looked at Merryfin.
“What do you think we should do?”
Merryfin blinked.
“Me?”
“What do you think?”
The wind howled around the yard.
Merryfin looked at the tracks.
At the mountains.
At his frightened friends.
Then toward the empty paddock behind them.
“We split into teams,” he said. “Snowblossom and Twinkletips follow the tracks toward the stream. Jollywhip and Pebblemint search the pine ridge.”
Pebblemint straightened.
“I am excellent at searching.”
“You lost your hat yesterday while wearing it.”
“It was a difficult afternoon.”
Merryfin continued.
“I’ll take the lower path toward the caverns.”
Snowblossom stepped forward.
“Not alone.”
Merryfin looked toward Tobias.
The older elf studied him carefully.
Then nodded.
“Not alone.”
Tobias lifted the brass whistle from his chest.
He placed it in Merryfin’s hand.
The metal felt warm despite the cold.
Merryfin stared at it.
“Master Tobias…”
“Call the search teams.”
Merryfin hesitated.
Then raised the whistle.
One clear note rang across North Peak.
Doors opened.
Elves turned.
Reindeer lifted their heads.
The village grew still.
Merryfin’s voice shook only once.
“Missing calf!” he called. “Search teams to the Reindeer Arena!”
North Peak moved instantly.
Lanterns were lit.
Ropes were gathered.
Maps were unrolled.
Within minutes, elves hurried toward every snowy trail leading out from the village.
Tobias watched them go.
Then followed Merryfin toward the mountains.
⸻
The lower trail was nearly buried by the time they reached it.
Merryfin searched every drift.
Every hollow.
Every cluster of frozen trees.
“Prance!”
Only the wind answered.
Tobias walked several steps behind him.
He did not give instructions.
He did not hurry Merryfin.
He simply watched.
Merryfin stopped near the edge of the pine forest.
A small mark glimmered in the snow.
He crouched.
One of the golden training tags.
PRANCE
Merryfin lifted it carefully.
“He came this way.”
Tobias examined the snow.
A second set of tracks crossed beside Prancers.
Elf tracks.
Larger than Merryfin’s.
Heading away from the caverns.
Tobias’s expression tightened.
“Someone else was here.”
A distant sound echoed through the trees.
Jingle.
Merryfin stood quickly.
“Prance?”
Jingle.
Then—
a voice.
“I said stop following me!”
Merryfin and Tobias exchanged a glance.
They hurried through the trees.
The trail opened onto a narrow snowy path.
And there stood Grumwald.
His dark coat was covered in snow.
Several golden training tags dangled from one hand.
A half-eaten carrot rested in the other.
Behind him—
Prancer bounced happily through the snow.
Merryfin’s entire face lit up.
“Prance!”
The calf raced toward him and crashed into his chest.
Merryfin fell backward into a snowdrift, laughing with relief as Prancer licked his face.
“You’re safe!”
Tobias approached Grumwald.
“What happened?”
Grumwald looked uncomfortable.
“I was delivering the remaining tags to the outer storage shed.”
He held up the carrot.
“This fell from my pocket.”
Prancer stretched his neck toward it.
Grumwald pulled it away.
“He found it.”
Merryfin sat up.
“So you rescued him?”
“I did not say that.”
Prancer nudged Grumwald’s arm.
He sighed.
“He followed me.”
Tobias studied the tracks leading back toward the caverns.
“You were near the restricted trail.”
Grumwald’s shoulders stiffened.
“I did not enter the caverns.”
“We will discuss why you were this close to them later.”
Grumwald lowered his eyes.
“Yes, Master Tobias.”
Then, after a moment, he added quietly:
“But I truly did not go inside.”
Tobias nodded.
“I heard you.”
The other search teams appeared through the trees.
Snowblossom reached them first.
When she saw Prancer, she covered her mouth in relief.
Pebblemint rushed forward and hugged the calf around the neck.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Prancer immediately ate the tassel from his hat.
Pebblemint pulled back.
“I deserved that.”
Twinkletips looked toward Grumwald.
“You found him?”
Before he could answer, elves began cheering.
“Grumwald found Prance!”
“He brought him home!”
“Well done!”
Grumwald opened his mouth.
For one brief moment, Merryfin thought he might correct them.
Grumwald looked toward Prancer.
The calf pressed against Merryfin while Snowblossom checked his hooves and Pebblemint attempted to retrieve his hat tassel.
Everyone looked relieved.
Happy.
Safe.
Grumwald slowly closed his mouth.
He didn’t bow.
He didn’t accept congratulations.
He simply held out the carrot.
Prancer trotted over and took it gently from his hand.
Grumwald rubbed the fur between his antlers.
Only once.
Then stepped away.
Tobias watched him closely.
So did Merryfin.
⸻
That evening, Prancer slept safely inside the nursery stall.
The gate had been repaired.
Then reinforced.
Then labeled by Grumwald:
CLOSE COMPLETELY
Pebblemint added a second label beneath it:
SERIOUSLY
Merryfin stood outside the stall while snow drifted beyond the arena windows.
Tobias joined him.
For a while, neither elf spoke.
Prancer snored softly in the straw.
Merryfin looked down at the brass whistle still resting in his hand.
“I almost waited for you to tell me what to do.”
“I know.”
“I was afraid I’d choose wrong.”
“I know that too.”
Merryfin turned toward him.
“How?”
Tobias smiled.
“Because I still feel that way sometimes.”
Merryfin looked genuinely surprised.
“But you’re the Master of the Reindeer.”
“A title does not remove uncertainty.”
Tobias nodded toward the sleeping calf.
“It only means others may be waiting for you to move first.”
Merryfin looked through the frosted window toward North Peak.
Lanterns glowed across the village.
Search teams were returning ropes and maps to their proper places.
Snowblossom helped Twinkletips reorganize the emergency supplies.
Jollywhip repaired the nursery gate.
Pebblemint stood perfectly still while Mrs. Claus attempted to sew the tassel back onto his hat.
He lasted four seconds.
Merryfin smiled.
“Everyone helped.”
“Yes.”
“Even Grumwald.”
Tobias looked toward the outer path where Grumwald disappeared into the evening snow.
“Especially Grumwald.”
Merryfin thought about the cheering.
About Grumwald almost speaking.
About the way he had quietly given Prancer the carrot.
“Do you think he wanted the praise?”
“Perhaps.”
“But he didn’t claim it.”
“No.”
Merryfin looked toward Tobias.
“What does that mean?”
Tobias placed the whistle back around his own neck.
“It means hearts are rarely only one thing.”
He began walking toward the door.
Merryfin followed.
At the edge of the arena, Tobias paused.
“You listened well today.”
“To Prance?”
“To everyone.”
He opened the door.
Cold evening air rushed inside.
Far above North Peak, the northern lights shimmered faintly across the stars.
Green.
Silver.
And for only a second—
a thin streak of red.
Tobias stared toward the distant Ice Caverns.
His expression changed.
Merryfin noticed.
“Is something wrong?”
The red light vanished.
Tobias pulled his coat tighter.
“Not tonight.”
Then the alarm bells rang.
One sharp chime.
Then another.
Then all of North Peak seemed to erupt at once.
Elves hurried into the streets.
Reindeer cried out from the outer training field.
A young messenger raced toward the arena, slipping twice before reaching them.
“Master Tobias!”
He struggled to catch his breath.
“The northern flight team…”
Merryfin’s stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
The messenger looked toward the mountains.
“They’re missing.”
The wind swept through North Peak.
Tobias’s brass whistle moved softly against his coat.
For the first time that day—
he looked at Merryfin not as an apprentice…
but as someone he might soon need beside him.
“Gather your team,” Tobias said.
Merryfin’s spark glowed beneath his coat.
And together—
they ran.