I couldn’t write yesterday. \u00a0I’m sorry for the delay.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHello?\u201d Pavel\u2019s voice rang through the courtyard. \u201cDrew?\u201d<\/p>\n
Drew stuck his head out of the stables. \u201cI\u2019m in here,\u201d he said. \u201cCome on in.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pirate sauntered through the stable doors. \u201cAre you hiding?\u201d he asked jokingly, and then stopped as he saw Ember. His eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cPavel, this is Ember,\u201d Drew said, grinning at his friend\u2019s discomfort. \u201cEmber, this is Captain Pavel Chekov, of the Heart\u2019s Desire, a very good friend of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hello, Captain Chekov<\/em>, Ember said, dipping her head towards him.<\/p>\n Pavel, to his credit, recovered very quickly. He swept his hat off his head and gave her a sweeping bow. \u201cHello, my lady dragon. I shouldn\u2019t be surprised, but I am.\u201d He looked at Drew. \u201cI never knew you knew a dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t, until about a week ago,\u201d Drew said, and told Pavel about the trap that Old Man Winter had found her trapped in. Pavel\u2019s face went dark.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I agree with Old Man Winter on one thing,\u201d Pavel said, after Drew finished. \u201cAnyone who uses an iron trap in the Snow Queen\u2019s woods deserve to be drawn and quartered, then fed to the wolves.\u201d He looked at Ember\u2019s scarred thigh. \u201cYou\u2019ll bear those marks until the end of your days.\u201d<\/p>\n At least I have more days before the end<\/em>, Ember reminded him. I\u2019ll take that, and the scars, as a reminder that not all mortals are evil.<\/em> She reached out and laid her delicate head on Drew\u2019s shoulder fondly.<\/p>\n He reached up and scratched gently over her eye ridges, something he\u2019d discovered she loved, and she blew out a smoke-scented breath. Ember\u2019s smoke wasn\u2019t heavy, the way cigarette smoke or cigar smoke was; it was light, and held the faintest hint of hardwoods. Like a fireplace, or a Yule log. Or his father\u2019s pipe tobacco.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, why are you hiding out here?\u201d Pavel asked, leaning back against one of the stalls. \u201cOr are you just bored?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh no. Definitely hiding.\u201d Drew shuddered. \u201cI don\u2019t know what happened yesterday, but the Old Man is in a foul mood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t bode well,\u201d Pavel said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Drew shook his head. \u201cAnd no one seems to know why. Father Christopher just said that Old Man Winter came in with Molly and Schrodinger, and then left in a huff. Molly wouldn\u2019t tell him why.\u201d<\/p>\n Pavel frowned. \u201cThat definitely doesn\u2019t bode well. What could she have said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a feeling I know,\u201d Drew said. \u201cAnd it would be something she would do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to go to a wedding on Saturday.\u201d Drew sank onto the stool he\u2019d been sitting on before. \u201cTwo of her high school friends are finally getting married, and she\u2019s been looking forward to the party for a long time. I\u2019ll bet she asked Old Man Winter if I could take her.\u201d<\/p>\n That sounds reasonable,<\/em> Ember said. And it sounds like something that would irritate him.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Drew asked her, turning slightly so he could look at her. \u201cWhy would that irritate him?\u201d<\/p>\n Because it reminds him of feelings that he buried a long time ago,<\/em> the dragon said. Did you think you were the only one who loved? He is a man, for all his power, and he has a heart. It\u2019s buried, deeply, and a request like that would bring that back to the surface. He would have to deal with it.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd Molly would push it,\u201d Drew said. \u201cShe wants to believe the best of people, and she wouldn\u2019t believe that he wouldn\u2019t want to find that. She wants everyone to be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n It is a noble pursuit,<\/em> Ember said. And one that will put her at odds with the man Old Man Winter has become.<\/em><\/p>\n Pavel was scratching his short beard thoughtfully. \u201cWell, I see her point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, that everyone should be happy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that would be impossible.\u201d Pavel waved that suggestion away. \u201cBut making Molly happy? That I think we can do.\u201d He looked over at Ember. \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind helping, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n The dragon looked at him, her head cocked to one side in a way that reminded Drew of Schrodinger. I am listening\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n <><><\/p>\n Molly was baking, again. Her dress was ready for the wedding the next day, and Aunt Margie had given her the night and the next day off. She and Drew had planned to spend the night wrapping presents and watching Christmas movies on the TV. Now, Schrodinger was watching \u201cThe Grinch Who Stole Christmas\u201d in fascination and Molly was listening as she mixed cranberry orange bread to give to friends as part of the gift baskets she usually gave. It should have been a relaxing night.<\/p>\n Instead, Molly\u2019s thoughts were of Drew, and Old Man Winter. Pavel had told her that Drew wasn\u2019t being held against his will, and he\u2019d described the house to her, but her mind kept conjuring images of cells and cold stone walls. Maybe it was the chill in Old Man Winter\u2019s eyes. That was enough to shiver any soul.<\/p>\n But he was kind to Lily. And he seemed to enjoy the ballet.<\/em> Her thoughts whirled in time to the strokes of her wooden spoon in the batter. Could I have been wrong? Is his soul so frozen that we won\u2019t be able to stop him from destroying the Gate?<\/em><\/p>\n A sharp staccato knock on the door broke into her thoughts. As she wiped her hands quickly on the kitchen towel near her, Schrodinger came out of the living room. Are we expecting anyone?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Molly said, crossing to the door. \u201cWe\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n She peeked through the spyhole in the door, then frowned and opened it. \u201cPavel? What are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n As she opened the door wider, a delicious odor spread through the apartment. \u201cI bring dinner!\u201d he said, showing her the three large bags in his hands. \u201cMay I come in?\u201d<\/p>\n I smell coconut shrimp!<\/em> Schrodinger said, dancing around him excitedly. And crab rangoon!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd fried rice, and beef and broccoli, and if you don\u2019t watch out, you\u2019ll make me drop it!\u201d Pavel told him, trying to maneuver his way to the island to put the bags down. Molly hurried to shut the door and help him by grabbing Schrodinger before he could leap up.<\/p>\n \u201cSchrodinger, seriously! You\u2019d think you hadn\u2019t been fed in years!\u201d<\/p>\n But it\u2019s coconut shrimp!<\/em><\/p>\n Pavel deposited the food safely on the island and Molly let the CrossCat go. \u201cDrew gave me a list,\u201d the pirate said. \u201cAnd I have orders to make sure I see you eat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, trust me, I can\u2019t turn Chinese food down,\u201d Molly assured him. She set Schrodinger down and went to get plates. \u201cYou\u2019ll help us eat it, I hope?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course!\u201d<\/p>\n She brought back plates, chop sticks and napkins, then went back for glasses and a bottle of wine, while Pavel unpacked the feast he\u2019d brought. The smell was amazing.<\/p>\n They took their plates (and one for Schrodinger, who was nearly vibrating, he was so excited) into the living room, where the Grinch had been frozen mid-snarl on the TV. Pavel stared at it. \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Grinch.\u201d Molly hit the play button and the sounds of \u201cYou\u2019re a mean one, Mr. Grinch\u201d filled the room. They ate and watched, Pavel as fascinated as Schrodinger. Molly, who had watched the cartoon every year as she wrapped presents, found herself enjoying their watching it for the first time. After the Grinch had carved the Roast Beast, she shut it off and said to them, \u201cSo, what did you think?\u201d<\/p>\n I liked it!<\/em> Schrodinger said, his voice sleepy now that he was full of Chinese food. I knew he could be redeemed, though.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d Molly said, grinning. \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, how?\u201d Pavel said.<\/p>\n It was easy. Max stayed with him.<\/em> Schrodinger yawned. Max would have left for Whoville a long time ago if the Grinch was all bad.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGood point.\u201d Molly yawned too. It had been a long day, and there were still cranberry orange bread dough to put in the fridge away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look tired,\u201d Pavel said. He took the plates into the kitchen, and then came back and handed Molly a small box. \u201cDrew asked me to make sure you got this, and to tell you that he\u2019s thinking of you.\u201d<\/p>\n She accepted the box and opened it. The cranberry red beads glowed in the light of the Christmas tree as she pulled the ball out, with dark green beads interspersed. The curl of note paper tucked into the box said simply, \u201cDon\u2019t give up hope. I\u2019ll see you soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoon?\u201d Molly looked up at Pavel hopefully. \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled at her. \u201cReally.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I couldn’t write yesterday. \u00a0I’m sorry for the delay. <><><><><><><><><><><><><> \u201cHello?\u201d Pavel\u2019s voice rang through the courtyard. \u201cDrew?\u201d Drew stuck his head out of the stables. \u201cI\u2019m in here,\u201d he said. \u201cCome on in.\u201d The pirate sauntered through the stable doors. \u201cAre you hiding?\u201d he asked jokingly, and then stopped as he saw Ember. His …<\/p>\n