{"id":1861,"date":"2017-12-13T15:25:06","date_gmt":"2017-12-13T20:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vg-ford.com\/?p=1861"},"modified":"2017-12-13T15:25:06","modified_gmt":"2017-12-13T20:25:06","slug":"advent-december-8-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/?p=1861","title":{"rendered":"(advent) December 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, December 8<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The parking lot at Daughter of Stars Middle School was full of cars, sleighs, snowmobiles, and carts. Molly maneuvered the Jeep through the chaos of people unloading all sorts of goodies to be sold at the Bake Sale and Craft Fair. What had started as a small fundraiser for the school several years ago had become a massive undertaking, with merchants not only from the Cove but from nearby Realms coming in to offer their wares. For hosting it, the school got a cut of the sales, and the teachers got an afternoon off. Everyone was happy with the outcome.<\/p>\n

Are you sure we remembered everything?<\/em> Schrodinger asked her, as she waited for her turn to pull up to the loading area.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve asked me that four times already,\u201d Molly said, shooting him an amused grin. \u201cWhat do you think we might have forgotten?\u201d<\/p>\n

The tree?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t forget the tree,\u201d Molly said, putting the Jeep in park. \u201cI promise you.\u201d<\/p>\n

But where it is? <\/em>Schrodinger looked back over the totes. I don\u2019t see a tree!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will,\u201d Molly assured him. \u201cIt\u2019s there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drew was waiting for them at the doorway to take the first two totes from Molly. He\u2019d come in on his snowmobile from the Gate Station on his lunch break to help them set up, and she appreciated it. Sue was there too, already setting out dark green and red plaid tablecloths on the five tables Molly had reserved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need the middle one for the centerpiece,\u201d Molly said, as she and Drew put their totes down. \u201cAnd did you bring the tree skirt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did,\u201d Sue said, showing her a dark blue velvet skirt. \u201cThis was the one I could find.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfect,\u201d Molly said. \u201cThe trays are in this tote, if you want to start laying them out. Drew and I will handle the rest of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

It only took one more trip after that. Then Drew gave Molly a kiss and Schrodinger a pat on the head before moving the Jeep and heading back to the Station. Sue watched him go with an amused look.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be like that,\u201d Molly teased. \u201cHaven\u2019t you and Luke set a date yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on it,\u201d Sue said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a busy year. I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll get around to it. Do you want me to put the candy canes in both alchemy jars, or just one?\u201d<\/p>\n

Molly laughed as she laid out snowman cookies on one of the trays. \u201cJust in one \u2013 the larger one. The smaller one can have the shortbread fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, good plan!\u201d<\/p>\n

The table was full of packages of scones, tea cakes, cookies, and two little gingerbread houses that Molly had built in the last week. Only the middle of the display was still empty.<\/p>\n

Schrodinger was all but dancing with impatience. Where\u2019s the TREE?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, okay, I\u2019m getting it out!\u201d Molly laughed again and went over to the last tote. She opened the lid and set it aside, then reached in. Sue and Schrodinger both gasped at what she pulled out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you get THAT?\u201d Sue demanded, looking at the glittering silver tree that Molly set carefully on the velvet tree skirt. It was segmented and sprang together as if by magic, elegant branches each detailed and outstretched. In the right light, it would be skeletal, but here, surrounded by good food and colors, it was beautiful.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatherine at the Tin Shop had them,\u201d Molly said. \u201cShe thought it might be cool as a centerpiece.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are you going to hang off of the branches? <\/em>Schrodinger asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrnaments, of course.\u201d Molly pulled out a package of snowflake cookies. These, rather than just being bagged, had ribbons that tied the bag shut. She slid them on to the branches, and then lifted out a gingerbread angel to set on top.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow.\u201d Sue said admiringly. \u201cThat is spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you!\u201d Molly said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to re-use it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old school bells rang out, alerting the vendors that there were only 10 minutes left before the doors would be opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchrodinger, why don\u2019t you go and meet the kids?\u201d Molly suggested, and the CrossCat nodded. Jack and Aurora had declined to join them at the fair, since the mass of people who would be crowded into the gymnasium was not exactly conducive to big dogs. Schrodinger was more used to maneuvering through tight spaces.<\/p>\n

Once he had gone, Sue handed Molly the gingerbread house order forms on two clipboards. Every year, she took orders for custom houses to be delivered a few days before Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cOld Man Winter offered to deliver them yet?\u201d Sue asked, as they took out the sample trays for the children to walk around with.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as he isn\u2019t stopping a war, he\u2019s doing it,\u201d Molly replied. \u201cHe, Jack, and Jade have their hands full, if the two \u2018guests\u2019 we met yesterday are any indication.\u201d She gave Sue a quick rundown of their ride to the Snow Queen\u2019s castle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I kind of have to agree with Kaylee,\u201d Sue said. \u201cPoor Jade. At least the Librarian is there to help her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Ember was there too,\u201d Molly said, and glanced at her watch. \u201cWant a cup of tea before the hordes descend?\u201d<\/p>\n

They had time to drink about half their cup of tea before Schrodinger came back with Lily, Zoey, Kaylee, and Gideon in tow. Molly handed out the sample trays (laden with cookie pieces, scone bits, and business cards) to them, and said, \u201cAny questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you want us to take order forms too?\u201d Lily asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, those can stay here,\u201d Molly said. \u201cI\u2019m only doing the gingerbread houses this year, and we\u2019re keeping a strict number on those. I don\u2019t have a lot of time this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the dinner. Gotcha.\u201d Lily nodded.<\/p>\n

What do you think of the tree? Isn\u2019t it cool?<\/em> Schrodinger asked them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it should be hung with skeletons,\u201d Gideon said, after considering the sculpture. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a Halloween tree. But it\u2019s pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, yes! Skeletons and candy skulls!\u201d Kay said, nodding. \u201cCan we do that next year for Halloween, Molly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d Molly said. \u201cI\u2019m sure we can come up with something to do with it.\u201d She glanced at her watch again. \u201cBut for now, we have\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The bells rang again, cutting off her words, and the doors opened. With a grin, the kids disappeared into the crowd, and Molly and Sue got to work.<\/p>\n

<><><\/p>\n

I wonder if we\u2019ll see any of Jade\u2019s guests here today,<\/em> Schrodinger said. He\u2019d opted to accompany Kaylee and Gideon around. Remember, she said we might see them in the Cove.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cI hope not,\u201d Kaylee said, pausing to look at a display of handmade dolls dressed in various winter costumes. \u201cThey were rude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d Gideon said at the same time, offering his tray to a smiling older gentleman in a holly-decked seaman\u2019s cap. The man put the cookie bit in his mouth, widened his eyes, and took a business card as well. Gideon pointed in the direction of Molly\u2019s table. \u201cIt would doo them good to see people working together, and isn\u2019t that what Jade wants them to learn? What better place?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue,\u201d Kaylee said.<\/p>\n

Schrodinger thought privately that it would take more than just the bake sale to get some of them to work together. Pavel said Cookie was coming,<\/em> he said to them instead. \u00a0So keep your eyes open for him. We need to find out when he wants us to come help at the Seaman\u2019s Hall, remember?<\/em><\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t see the cook for The Heart\u2019s Desire<\/em>, but they did run into Doug, Drew\u2019s cousin, who was the principal of the high school in town. He was carrying a bag full of goodies and had his three-year-old son Ryan by the hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan Ryan have a cookie?\u201d Kaylee asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely!\u201d Doug said, beaming. \u201cThank you for asking!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan reached up with an eager hand to grab a cookie from Kaylee\u2019s tray, knocking off several others in the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t worry,\u201d Gideon assured him, as he looked down at the fallen pieces in dismay, his lower lip trembling. \u201cWe\u2019ll clean it up.\u201d He turned to Kaylee. \u201cCan you hold–?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shouting cut him off, and Schrodinger turned his head at the raised voices. These voices were raised in anger, not joy, but he was too short to see what was going on through the crowd. He braced his front paws on Kaylee\u2019s side and raised himself up to look.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t help \u2013 he was still too short. He dropped down and glanced at his surroundings, catching a flash of a familiar cowboy hat.<\/p>\n

-Steve!- he said, pushing his way to the lanky Gate Tech. -What\u2019s going on?-<\/p>\n

\u201cDunno, but it doesn\u2019t sound good,\u201d Steve said, as more shouting erupted.<\/p>\n

-Can you give me a lift up?- Schrodinger asked.<\/p>\n

Steve leaned down and the agile CrossCat jumped up on to his shoulders. Taking advantage of the man\u2019s height as he straightened up, Schrodinger looked in the direction of the raised voices. It didn\u2019t take him long to find them.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t recognize either of the two parties that were squaring off in a hastily-cleared circle, but he definitely recognized the person in between them: the elegant Mareesh singer Starsha, who was studying with Darien to become a Minstrel. She was standing in her silver journeyman\u2019s robes, her small traveling lute in her hand, her dark eyes wide with surprise and fear. Schrodinger growled deep in his throat and did something he very rarely did, especially in such a crowded public place. He launched himself from Steve\u2019s shoulder, sending the tall tech staggering back\u2026<\/p>\n

And vanished mid-air.<\/p>\n

CrossCats had a special affinity for the Roads, and one of their most magical abilities was their talent for finding a path to wherever they needed to go, as long as they knew where that end destination was. Schrodinger reappeared next to Starsha, shouting at the top of his mental voice, -ENOUGH!-<\/p>\n

The telepathic shout, combined with his sudden appearance, shocked the combatants into silence. Schrodinger stalked into the middle of the opening, sat down, and looked icily around him. -What in the Name of the Roads is going on here?-<\/p>\n

He looked from one side to the other as no one spoke at first.<\/p>\n

Both groups were very similar: all men, in heavily-embroidered robes, with long braids of hair hanging down each side of their faces, but no beards or mustaches. Instead, their clean-shaven faces sported elaborate tattoos on either cheek: one set were marked in green, the other in blue, but both were the same curlicue design. And both matched the colors of their robes.<\/p>\n

-Well?- Schrodinger said, as the silence stretched on. -Isn\u2019t anyone going to tell me why you were fighting?-<\/p>\n

\u201cThis creature insulted me!\u201d One of the blue-inked men pushed his way to the front of his group, sticking out his chin. \u201cI demand an apology!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou?\u201d A similar man in green sneered. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t know an insult if it bit you on the nose, Horace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horace drew himself up. \u201cYou go too far, Francis! I know what you meant by asking her to perform THAT song!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, that I liked it?\u201d Francis snapped. \u201cIt\u2019s just like you to make everything about you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not!\u201d<\/p>\n

-QUIET!-<\/p>\n

This time, Schrodinger added an ear-splitting howl to his mental command, causing Horace to flinch back and Francis to clap his hands over his large ears. Then the CrossCat deliberately turned his back on both men and looked at Starsha. -Are you okay?-<\/p>\n

\u201cI am well, friend Schrodinger,\u201d she said in her musical voice. He was pleased to see that the color had come back into her dark face, so that her white tattoos looked like constellations in the evening sky. \u201cI honestly do not know what happened. I was playing and this gentleman,\u201d and she nodded at Horace, \u201casked if I knew a certain song.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd she didn\u2019t!\u201d Horace said, straightening. \u201cHow can a minstrel not know one of the most famous songs of Freyrock? It is an insult!\u201d<\/p>\n

She is not yet a minstrel,<\/em> Schrodinger said, leveling an annoyed look at the man, who shrank back from him. She still wears journeyman robes. And she is not from your town. Is this the way you treat everyone who is not from your caste?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>By now, Gideon and Kaylee had caught up with him, pushing their way to the front of the crowd. When they saw Starsha, they both came over.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you okay?\u201d Gideon asked, as Kaylee said, \u201cDid they hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, children, I am fine,\u201d Starsha said, smiling down at them. \u201cIt was a misunderstanding.\u201d She looked over at Horace. \u201cIf the gentleman would be so kind as to give me the name of the song again, I will endeavor to learn it before next we meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schrodinger thought privately that she was being far too kind, but that was the way of minstrels, he remembered. They were given safe passage because they were neutral.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is The Ballad of the Battle of Freyrock,\u201d Horace said. \u201cThe saga of my illustrious ancestor, the mighty Jasper the Unwell!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJasper the Moron, you mean,\u201d Francis said snidely. \u201cAt least get his title right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kaylee looked at both of them. \u201cYou two need to stop!\u201d she scolded. \u201cSanta is watching you! Didn\u2019t you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n

To Schrodinger\u2019s surprise, both men paled at those words.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe-he is?\u201d Horace gulped, looking around.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s here?\u201d Francis whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s coming to the Cove on Sunday,\u201d Gideon said, tilting his head. \u201cHe comes every year to see us. I think he knows Aunt Margie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both groups of inked figures whispered furiously among themselves and then hurried away.<\/p>\n

What was THAT?<\/em> Schrodinger asked, blinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Gideon said. \u201cIf I didn\u2019t think it was too crazy, I\u2019d think they were afraid of Santa.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Friday, December 8   The parking lot at Daughter of Stars Middle School was full of cars, sleighs, snowmobiles, and carts. Molly maneuvered the Jeep through the chaos of people unloading all sorts of goodies to be sold at the Bake Sale and Craft Fair. What had started as a small fundraiser for the school …<\/p>\n

>>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[61],"class_list":["post-1861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent","tag-advent"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1861"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1862,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861\/revisions\/1862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}