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coldly.
     
     

Three
     
     
    The North Pole
     
                  “Ho-Ho-Ho, are we ready to go team?” Santa asked as he walked down the line of reindeer and patting each one on the head.
                  He was rewarded by stamping of hooves and snorting from each of the magnificent beasts. Each of the animals had a bit in their mouths and was therefore unable to speak. The younger reindeer, standing to the sides of the sleigh along with a multitude of elves, cheered. This was the night they always worked towards. This was their night to be the light of goodness in the world.
                  “Rudolph my boy, are we set?” Santa asked removing the bit from his lead reindeer’s jaws.
                  “We’re ready to fly Santa,” the young buck said a grin on his face. Behind him the eight other members of the team stomped in agreement. Santa set the bit back into his team captain’s jaws and headed back toward the sleigh.
                  “Santa,” a familiar voice called from the crowd. “Santa, can I talk to you for a second?” Though long retired from the team Donner, was still the senior reindeer and one of Santa’s oldest friends.
                  “Of course Donner,” Santa replied turning from the sleigh and joining the massive animal. The grey on his muzzle, far from making Rudolph’s father look old, lent him the air of a distinguished elder in the reindeer community. “What can I do for you?”
                  Donner looked from side to side and seemed to be unwilling to speak openly. Instead he gestured for Santa to join him by the shed where the special feed was stored. Just before the team took to the air they’d each be fed a bag of the high calorie mix they needed to keep up their strength during the night’s journey.
                  “Santa,” Donner continued once they were isolated, “I’ve been talking to some of the elves and what they’ve been hearing from the world has me worried.”
                  “What have they been hearing?” Santa inquired. He was anxious to begin the trip but he always took what his oldest friend had to say seriously. If Donner was worried, Santa needed to know why.
                  “It’s massive chaos Santa. They’ve been watching the satellite news feeds and riots have broken out in many of the world’s major cities.” Donner dipped his head in frustration as he tried to find the right words. “It doesn’t make any sense Kris,” he finished using Santa’s given name, something he rarely did.
                  Santa set a gloved hand on Donner’s neck and looked him in his dark brown eyes. The old souls took the measure of one another. There was never much need for them to say more than a few words for the other to know what they were thinking.
                  “How worried are you Donner?” Santa asked.
                  “I haven’t been this concerned since the Blitz,” he admitted. It was a hard thing for Donner to admit weakness to anyone, especially to Santa. “I haven’t been this worried since you were determined to fly into war torn Europe and deliver presents despite the threat of the Luftwaffe.” Santa straightened himself and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. Donner could almost see the internal debate and knew before he spoke that Santa had reached a decision.
                  “You’re in charge here while I’m gone. Coordinate with Mrs. Claus and Alton,” Santa said. Mrs. Claus, was the defacto Mayor of their village and Alton Silver Hammer, was the leader of the Elves. “If things get really bad I’ll be in contact with you.”
                  Donner nodded and stamped his front hoof in agreement.
                  With that dealt with Santa headed toward his sleigh. There was work to do and in the millennia he’d been