The Twelf Days of Christmas

On the First Day of Chrismas...

Adira overslept, as usual. She only woke when her roommate, Rosina, shook her awake as she did every morning.

"Adira! Aren't you meant to be meeting with Santa in fifteen minutes? Do you want to be late? He seemed mad enough already! If you're late your fate will only be worse. Get up!"

Adira's eyes shot open and looked at the creased face of her friend and mentor. The only words that Adira heard in her friend's concerned ramblings were "fifteen minutes."

"What! Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

Adira jumped out of her bed, not bothering to make it as she hurried into the white and gold bathroom which was attached to the room. She pulled on her green Elf uniform and quickly brushed her hair and teeth. She needed to make a good impression.

She grabbed her shoes and socks as she sprinted through the red room she shared with Rosina and pulled them on as she slammed the door behind her.

She quickly braided her ginger hair in the style Santa required from all of his female elves as she hurried down the cold passageway.

The walls of the passageway were made of ice as all the passages in Santa's fortress were and her breath misted in the cold air as she sprinted, struggling not to slip on the icy stone floor.

She had always appreciated her fur-lined green jacket whenever she moved through the icy passages but now she found it restricting as she tried to reach Santa's office on time. She really didn't need him any angrier at her.

She pulled her hat on as she knocked on the door at exactly eight o'clock.

"Enter." came a deep voice from within.

Adira cautiously pushed open the door and sidled into the office, closing the heavy door gently behind her. "Good morning, Mister Santa, Sir."

"Ah yes... Morning Adira. I wouldn't say it is a good one though. No. Not good at all. You are here to get your first task?"

"Yes, Mister Santa."

"Good. I'm glad you haven't changed your mind. It's not too late if you want to though." He paused and when Adira didn't speak he continued, "Now I am a very busy man, more so than usual because of your disaster yesterday so I won't keep you waiting.

"Your first task is to slay the Nemean Polar Bear. It has been terrorising my reindeer for far too long. After yesterday another shock will kill them and, as you know, I need them for my present-delivering journey. You will find him under the ice shelf on the Northern borders of my land. Now go."

"But Mister Santa Sir, how am I meant to defeat him? He is so big and strong and I am small and young..." she tapered off.

"Ho ho ho!" he laughed. " Who said these tasks would be easy? You should have thought of that before you blew up my factory. You are meant to be proving yourself to me.

"Make a plan on the way there. I don't have time to deal with troublesome elves right now. We are weeks behind schedule thanks to you!" He paused, "Of course... If you would rather give up I can organise for you to be shipped off this very evening. Some elves are running an errand for me."

"No, Mister Santa, Sir. I'll do it. I'll go slay the Nemean Polar Bear or die trying."

"Good. Now go."

As she turned to leave she heard Santa clear his throat, causing her to turn back to look at him.

"Oh, and Adira, good luck. Try not to get yourself killed, will you?"

Adira hurried out of the large oak door, carefully shutting it behind her. Her heart was racing and she was breathing quickly.

She jumped when she heard a hiss from behind one of the many ice sculptures that dotted the icy Arctic passages.

"Pssst. Adira!"

She turned around and saw the curly black hair and mischievous brown eyes of Peter, one of the elves who worked with her at her station in Santa's large factory.

She slowly made his way towards him and he pulled her behind the sculpture as soon as she was close enough for him to reach her. She saw that he was holding a bulky grey backpack.

"This is for you. These are some supplies Rosina and I managed to scrounge together for you. Whatever you do, don't let Santa know. If he finds out all our heads will be on the chopping block. We will risk the same fate as you."

"Peter... Thank you. I don't know what to say!" she exclaimed, gratefully taking the backpack as well as the thin bow he had balanced against the ice sculpture.

"It's no problem, Adira." he said gently squeezing her hand. "Please be careful and don't get yourself killed. I'm not ready to lose you."

"I'll do my best. I better go if I want to finish on time. I still have another eleven tasks after this one you know."

Peter nodded and gave her a quick hug before quickly hopping out from being the ice sculpture, the bells on his shoes, illustrating his rank as a Gifterian, one of the highest elf ranks, jangling as he hurried to the factory.

Adira gave a sad smile as she slung her supplies over her back and drudged the opposite way to the icy storm outside.