Mount Asteria

Christmas At Mount Asteria

A short, festive excerpt from the story I'm currently working on. I debated between this and an extra Christmas Anastasia scene (which I might post later, if I feel it's worth it), but I think it might help me get a move-on with this story if I've posted something from it.

It's rough - and I'm not just saying that, because it really is. This story has lived in my head so long that I'm not sure how much - if any of it - will make sense to you, but here it is anyway.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

P.S.

Pronunciation guide: Bláithín = Blaw-heen, Bláth= Blaw (Meaning little flower).

Nollaig Shona Daoibh!

***

A million little flecks of white fell from the sky. Soft, light and bringing an air of mystery. But most noticeably, the quiet. The pure calm and peace they brought as they silently floated down to touch the ground, slowly building up a carpet of snow. It seemed nobody dared make a noise, no human or animal, awed as they were by the beauty and serenity of the moment. Everyone was sent into a dream-like trance by the simple snowflakes.

Mount Asteria in the month of December was quite a special sight. Inside, the halls were decked with branches brought in from the woods outside. Garlands were wrapped around every banister - that was a lot of garlands - holly attached the picture frames on the gallery, and lights - everywhere, on everything. Little twinking stars emmitting a constant warm glow around the building. An impossibly tall Christmas tree stood in the centre of the foyer, shooting up almost to touch the chandelier that normally provided most of the light for that part of the building. The life-size figures in the nativity scene had been placed in a make-shift stable made of real wood and hay stood outside Ms de Lacy's office.

And outside... located, as the building was, in the mountains, it was generally covered in a light dusting of snow by the time Christmas came. This year, however, the weather had changed a little and the snowflakes were falling endlessly, forming quite a thick blanket of white on the roof-tops and the grounds, including the playing fields, meaning all outdoor sports were suspended, a fact about which Bláithín liked to grumble.

"It's not that bad," she said, peering through the curtains in her room. The snow was still falling, building up against the window panes, the sound growing louder as she drew back the heavy drapes. "If we wrapped up warm-"

"Bláth." Alexandra looked at her incredulously.

"What?" Bláithín frowned. "We haven't played any hockey in three weeks. Three weeks." She ran a hand through her fire-coloured hair in frustration. "In most other schools we'd be playing up until the end of term." There was a knock on the door. "Come in!"

"Most other schools aren't in the mountains."

Bláth moaned, "I'm desperate, Lexa."

"Hey, guess wha - Desperate for what?" Hestia asked, coming into the room. Her mass of blonde ringlets bobbed up and down around her shoulders as she flopped onto Bláth's bed next to Alexandra. "Ah," she sighed, contented.

"Bláth wants to play hockey in this weather," Alexandra explained.

"What?!" Hestia sat up almost immediately. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, "You cannot be serious!"

"You cannot be serious!" Bláth mimicked Hestia's cut-glass British accent.

"Well, you can't." Unfazed by her friends imitation of her, she went to stand next to Bláithín, examining the environment outside. "I just met Claire and Thea in the corridor and even they don't want to go out. So if you did decide to brave the elements... well, you'd be playing hockey by yourself... Which doesn't sound like much fun."

"Brave the elements? Sounds a bit dramatic for snow... But, no, you're right," Bláth admitted reluctantly.

"Anyway," Hestia began, her tone being intriguing enough to gain the attention of both girls. "I was just talking to Ms de Lacy and..."

"Yes?" Alexandra tried to prompt her.

"She said we're going to a Christmas party!"

Bláithín turned back from the window. "Oh?"

It all came out in a long stream of excited words. "Last day of term - In the Shelbourne - Some government thing..." Or, at least, that's what the other two girls thought they could make out from Hestia's incessant blabber. After at least a minute of non-stop talking, Hestia paused for breath. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she added, "With Knightsbridge!"

"Boys! Exciting!" Alexandra smiled, getting up and walking over to Bláth's wardrobe.

"Can you imagine how ecstatic Ebony will be when she hears this?" Bláth laughed.

Alexandra rolled her eyes. Ebony would not be pleased.