Kali's Flight Before Christmas

Chapter 4

The next day, Oona and the rest of the herd had realized by now that Niko and Kali were missing. 

Oona was worried about her son and wanted to go back and find him, but the leader insisted they'd continue moving on or else the wolves would find them and kill them all. 

So, Julius volunteered to go looking for the kids since he could avoid the wolves by flying and spot them from the air. 

The flying squirrel was searching through the woods and calling out the kids' names before he spotted their tracks and followed them, soon finding Niko and Kali down below. 

"Niko! Kali!" Julius cried, and flew down over to the miserably looking reindeer boy and human girl. 

Niko and Kali both turned away from Julius in anger once he came down over to them for what he and the herd had secretly said about them the other day. 

"So uh, where we going?" Julius asked, landing besides them. 

"I'm going to Santa's Fell" Niko said rather solemnly. "I'm spending Christmas with my dad"

"Great idea" Julius smiled.

"Really?" Niko and Kali both asked, looking confused at the flying squirrel. "You think so?"

"Sure! Only... Well, there is one small detail..." Julius started. "Nobody knows where Santa's Fell is. So why don't we go back to the herd, ask around and maybe someone might know"

"I know where it is" Niko replied solemnly. 

"Me too!" Kali added knowingly. 

"The Flying Forces always disappear behind that big fell on their way home..." Niko explained, pointing out.

"Hey! So does the moon, big guy!" Julius noted. 

"Which means Santa's Fell must be on the other side of it" Niko continued. 

"And I've been to Santa's Fell many times before" Kali added knowingly. "I know exactly the way to go"

"Nonsense!" Julius said, trying to be strict with them. 

He tried to get the reindeer and girl to listen to him by crossing a line, but the kids just scoffed and continued on their way, on their own, thinking Julius was better off without them. 

Julius soon sighed, reluctantly agreeing to go with them since he had promised Oona he'd stay and protect them. 

"Then again... Santa's Fell? Are you kidding me? I've always wanted to go there" Julius said, trying to sound joyful before he continued following after the kids. "Lots of toys, right? And elves! Who doesn't love elves?"

And so, our three misfit friends headed off on their journey to Santa's Fell, traveling for a few hours in the snow. 

The gang soon ended up in a creepy part of the woods and proceeded ever so cautiously until suddenly, they heard this distant shrieking voice which made them jump and yelp slightly. 

"What is that?" Kali asked, finding the voice irritating as it continued and she covered her ears. 

The gang followed the source of the voice, soon finding this female weasel with her foot stuck between a tree branch and hanging upside down while it sounded like she was singing.

"Uh, are you okay, madam?" Julius asked the weasel. 

"Miss Wilma!" She scoffed. "And yes, I'm fine"

"But, you're trapped" Niko replied. 

"I'm not trapped!" The obstinate weasel denied. "I'm just... resting"

"You sure about that?" Kali then asked, clearly seeing right through her lies. 

"Absolutely!" Wilma nodded confidently, then started whistling nonchalantly.  

But her attempt to show that she was fine didn't fool our three friends one bit. 

Niko soon grabbed the branch in his mouth and pulled on it, making it snap in half and freeing the little white weasel. 

"Hey! What did you have to go and do that for?" Wilma glared up at them slightly. 

"Hey! We just saved your life!" Julius told the weasel.

"Exactly! Now I have to save both your lives before we're even" Wilma sighed. "This is just great. I'm already late for a big gig in the South" 

"And you thought hanging upside down was going to speed things up?" Julius teased her. Kali snickered a little from hearing that.  

"Maybe I'll just have to save their lives twice" Wilma replied, referring to Niko and Kali.

"Don't worry, Wilma" Niko said. 

"You don't have to save our lives" Kali added. 

"We're heading north, anyway" Julius replied before he started heading off with the kids. 

Wilma then chuckled before pointing out. "That's west, Captain Compass. That's north"

"Oh!" Niko said, heading in the direction Wilma pointed out for them. 

"Thanks for your help" Kali smiled to Wilma, waving goodbye before she left with Julius and Niko. 

The gang continued on their way while Julius mocked Wilma, already finding her annoying. 

The trio soon ended up out of the woods and onto a deserted plain field. 

"You know Niko, that foolish weasel can teach you one important lesson," Julius told the young reindeer. "Those who can't read nature will be beaten by nature" 

"That's very true" Kali admitted while nodding. 

Normal kids her age didn't know how to read maps and weren't good at knowing directions. But Kali had an excellent sense of directions even without a map. 

I guess that's why she's such an amazing adventure girl.

"Take that cloud over there, for instance" Julius pointed out, asking Niko. "Now, what could that mean?"

"That a storm is coming?" Niko asked, sounding slightly nervous. 

"Hm?" Kali looked up and her eyes soon widened as she saw this giant mob of dark clouds coming straight towards them. 

"A common mistake!" Julius laughed, telling Niko. "No, that particular type of cloud is harmless. What it means is-"

Suddenly, a heavy wind blew in, quickly making the area become dark where the gang could hardly see. 

"No need to be afraid, kids!" Julius told Niko and Kali. "It's just a gust!"

"Stay close! Don't let go!" Kali said, grabbing onto Niko. 

"It'll blow over before you know it!" Julius informed, trying to hold on to Niko's tail, but ended up getting blown away. 

"Julius!" Niko and Kali cried. 

The little reindeer and human girl tried searching for the flying squirrel, despite the blizzard they were in.  

"Julius!" They kept calling out, but couldn't find him anywhere. 

They'd have to wait out the storm before they could continue looking for their friend...