The Youngest Elf: Snowfall & Sorcery

By Karla Von Huben

The third full-length book in “The Youngest Elf” series contains two exciting stories suitable for children and the parents and grandparents who enjoy sharing books with them. “Aurora and the Palace of Ice” features the elf-girl Aurora, who is drawn to a mysterious palace in the mountains and determines to discover the truth about it, even though her curiosity could cost her life.

In “Reindeer Games,” all of Polar Star Village is thrown into turmoil when Prancer and Vixen decide to get married. Santa needs to replace them, and the young elf Cena thinks her friend Ruby, Rudolph’s daughter, might be the perfect choice. But Ruby has a secret: she can’t fly! When a stranger appears and offers to teach her, Ruby and Cena have to decide if trusting him is the right thing to do, or the biggest mistake of their lives.

Set in Polar Star Village, the hidden town where Santa and his elves live and work, the stories invoke the frosty magic of the Christmas season.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karla Von Huben
• Release date: Nov 16, 2016

Karla Von Huben

KARLA VON HUBEN is a Chicago native who wound up in the Pacific Northwest via San Diego. After nearly a decade, she still moans about the rain, and frequently daydreams about Southern California, a wacked-out scene into which she fits perfectly. During her life, she’s collected degrees in English and Performing Arts, spent a couple of semesters at University College, Oxford (England, not Mississippi), and slouched her way around Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. She’s a former Marine and has three great loves, each quirkier than the next: cats, steam locomotives, and writing.

Book preview

Aurora and the Palace of Ice

Aurora shivered as she stood at the edge of the woods surrounding Polar Star Village. Even in mid-summer, deep, soft snow covered the ground and clothed the trees in coats of sparkling white. The young elf smiled and took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of the firs. She spun in a circle, arms outstretched.

Then she stopped, staring at a mystery.

Strange marks, unlike anything she’d ever seen, covered the area. Gigantic swirls looked as if someone had twirled a brush over the ground and created whirlpools in the snow. She paced across one, counting her steps.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four, five, six. The swirls were seven steps wide. What could have done this?

Aurora? Dinner, sweetie.

I’ll be there in a minute, Mom, she called, still studying the marks. Strange. The elven girl started toward her family’s chalet, but stopped and looked around when she heard a noise. At first, the sound seemed like a breeze whispering through the fir trees, then the reverberation grew louder and louder until her ears began to ring. A moment later, a whirling column of snow burst from the forest, swept her up, and carried her away.

She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, not even realizing she was screaming until she felt pain in her throat. Her heart raced, pumping blood through her veins so hard she shook. She gulped for air, trying to calm her churning stomach.

Aurora cracked open her eyes, then immediately shut them, but not before she’d caught a glimpse of Polar Star Village flashing by beneath her. She realized she was flying over the forest and beyond, into the Fanyare Tae Mountains. No, stop, let me down! Let me go, please! The wind roared and she sensed a consciousness within the powerful force, but there was no response.

The towering Fanyare Tae range surrounded the village, both a guard and barrier. Aurora thought of the stories she’d heard about the magical peaks and of the terrifying things legend said haunted the highest summits.

Through the swirling snow she glimpsed the rocky side of a mountain and a wide ledge, then her stomach lurched and she was falling. Terrified, she screamed again, knowing her elven blood wouldn’t save her—elves didn’t die as humans understood dying, but if they were too badly damaged, they sometimes chose to walk away from their lives. They made their way into the Fanyare Tae and vanished.

Aurora landed on the ledge, her legs dangling over the sheer drop. She pulled herself onto the surface, then collapsed, her heart racing and her legs shaking so badly she knew she couldn’t stand. Curling into a ball, she pleaded, Take me home. Please take me home. Again, there was no answer.

Aurora couldn’t guess how much time passed before she raised her head, crawled to look over the edge, and gasped. The mountainside fell away in a sheer drop of thousands of feet. I’m trapped, nobody knows where I am, she said softly to herself.

Aurora...

Hello? Hello? Yes, I hear you! I’m here, help me! She looked around, desperately trying to find the speaker.

Aurora...

Where are you? I can’t see you. Dad? Fred? Hello?

Come, Aurora...

Who— Aurora stopped speaking as she realized two things: she didn’t know the voice, and it came from the mountain behind her. That’s impossible.

She froze, staring straight ahead, willing whatever lurked at her back to go away. There’s nothing there, there’s nothing there, there’s nothing there. When I turn around, there will be nothing there. Please, let there be nothing there.

She climbed to her feet and turned slowly. Where there had been only rocks, a tunnel with faintly glimmering walls now stretched into the mountainside. I have to get out of here.

She backed up a step, away from the tunnel, which was increasing in brightness even as she watched. The light seemed to flow over the snow, reaching out for her, backing her to the very brink of the ledge. No, oh no.

What felt like a huge hand slammed into the middle of her back, shoving her several feet into the tunnel.

Despite the cold, Aurora could feel sweat dripping down her face and dampening her scalp. For the first time, she wished she had short hair instead of her thick, golden, wavy mane. Wiping a shaky hand across her face, she pulled her legs under her and struggled to her feet.

Movement caught her eye and she jumped, then heaved a sigh of relief when she realized she was seeing her reflection in the ice. Wet spots stained the sky-blue fabric of her gown—one of Fred’s mother’s creations—and gashes in the skirt revealed the lacy white underskirt. I love this dress and it’s ruined. Fred’s mom will be so upset. If I ever see her again.

She couldn’t stay huddled by the entrance forever and she certainly couldn’t stay where the wind might blow her off the cliff at any moment. Suddenly angry, Aurora yelled, "I hate this! I hate this! Who are you and what do you want?"

Aurora stared as the shimmering glow of the ice near the entrance faded away, while, at the same time, the wall brightened further down the tunnel. She hesitated, but knew she had no real choice. She walked into the passageway.

A few yards into the mountain the tunnel bent right and Aurora found herself in an ice cave. The glowing lights brought out what seemed like millions of different colors in the ice, from a brilliant frosty white, to a vibrant turquoise, to a deep midnight blue, and every shade in between. The light glittered and flashed as she moved. She blinked, dazzled by the beauty, and forgot her fears for a moment. This space is so lovely. Santa could hold one of his parties here, she murmured.

The walls shimmered and moved back a few feet as the ceiling rose. Aurora shrieked and ran for the entrance. She burst out onto the ledge, nearly losing her balance. She backed away from the dizzying drop and leaned against the mountainside, her skin clammy and her heart pounding.

Please let me go, please. I promise— Promise what? What promise can I make? Who am I making it to? A blast of wind pelted her face with snow and she felt ice forming on her cheeks. She slid down the snowy surface and sat with her legs drawn up to her chest, her head on her knees.

Aurora...

No! No, leave me alone! Let me go!

Come back... to me.

She crawled toward the drop and looked over, hoping to see some way off the ledge. She had an idea and sat on the edge, swung around, then lay on her stomach, feeling with her feet for a way down.

An unseen force lifted her, set her on the ledge, then pushed her back toward the tunnel. She spun to see who had touched her, but she was alone. Aurora tried to fall to the ledge to escape, but the force stopped her; she dragged her feet but the inexorable pressure continued, urging her forward, She fought, but the entity fought back, shoving her relentlessly toward the tunnel. She gave up the struggle. As soon as she did and entered the tunnel again, the force disappeared.

Lights glowed brightly in the ice chamber, making the whole room glitter as if jewels were embedded in the walls, walls where she could see the vague outlines of what might be archways.

Ahead is the door to the public rooms, to the right is the hall to the bedrooms, to the left, the corridor leads to the kitchens. She gasped and clapped her hands over her ears, trying to block out the voice.

Ahead is the door to the public rooms... the voice came again and Aurora realized she couldn’t stop the words forming in her brain. No! Get out of my mind!

Ahead is the door to the public rooms...

She screamed as she fell, her thoughts slipping away.

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The elf-girl twisted and turned. This bed is miserable. When did it get so hard and uncomfortable? Aurora winced as her voice echoed loudly in her ears. She opened one eye, then closed it quickly. I did not see what I just saw. She opened both eyes, but the rock wall still loomed over her. She recognized the cave at the same instant she remembered the entire wretched adventure. Something brought me here and wants me to... to what? She sat up and huffed out a breath. Well? she snapped. What do you want now?