Winter of Elves

By Joanne Vruno

Aly's strength as a guardian grows as she becomes closer to her band of light elves thanks to the lead elves, Agda and Beck. What becomes a challenge to both sisters is keeping Emily's new powers in control so their parents do not discover them. Thankfully, Emily masters controlling her powers right when Aly and their grandmother discover their villages are in danger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud
• Release date: Sep 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781682010150

Joanne Vruno

Joanne Vruno was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), to very adventurous parents who were missionaries at the time. She spent her childhood in Maplewood, Minnesota, houses away from Battle Creek Regional Park. Her childhood introduced her to a love of nature by exploring and hiking the woods, camping with her family, and gardening. Today Joanne lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and the youngest of her three children It isn't unusual to find her working in her yard, walking her dog, or having a picnic while spoiling her four grandchildren.

Book preview

Also by Joanne Vruno

Loon Child

Summer of Elves

Autumn of Elves

Winter of Elves

Book 3 in the Seasons of Elves series

Joanne Vruno

North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.

St. Cloud, Minnesota

Copyright © 2015 Joanne Vruno

Cover photo © Joanne Vruno

Gray Wolf © Jeannie E. Roberts

All rights reserved.

Print ISBN: 978-0-87839-802-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-68201-015-0

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

First edition: September 2015

Printed in the United States of America.

Published by:

North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.

P.O. Box 451

St. Cloud, MN 56302

www.northstarpress.com

Dedication

Everyone needs some form of family around them to make them whole. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, children, and grandchildren who make my life full. I dedicate this book, about the importance of family, to my family.

Table of Contents

Gray Wolf

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Acknowledgements

Gray Wolf

by Jeannie E. Roberts

Droplets stained December’s snow

White-tailed deer drew him to the clearing;

its scent had settled near barren maize.

Limping back to the forest, he recalled

his mate—shot on a harvest moon. He

feared humans and their misguided ways.

Canis lupus entered the thicket, tangle

of alder and underbrush parted as he moved

toward white pine. He watched the snow,

noticed how each flake eased with gentle

abandon; he thought of home and territory,

how his pack had defined his days with

kinship and purpose; he sensed the pulse

of this place, the heart of his habitat beating,

pleading for help; he felt the oneness of all life,

until he resigned his being to the care and light

of Mother Earth.

Jeannie E. Roberts lives in an inspiring rural setting near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Her second book of poetry, Beyone Bulrush, was published by Lit Fest Press in 2015. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, her work appears in print and online literary journals and anthologies, including Blue Heron Review, Misty Mountain Review, and Quill and Parchment. Learn more about Jeannie at www.jrcreative.biz.

Chapter 1

The winter solstice brought our first Christmas snow. The flakes were large wet ones about an inch or more wide, the perfect snow for making snow forts, snowmen, and snowballs. Both Emily and I grabbed our jackets and boots and headed outside. Quickly we started rolling balls of snow until they formed into giant boulders, which we stacked one on top of another to make the perfect snowman. Each year the new snowman we made was taller and wider, and our finishing touches seemed to bring out a different personality for each one. No two snowmen we made were ever alike. This one definitely had a new look to it. The nose was carved rounded with no sharp angles, just like a tomte’s nose. We designed the eyes to be more elf-like, with an oval shape and an almost curled look on the outer edges, and we finished it off with a gnome-shaped cone hat.

Emily and I stood back to examine our handiwork when Mom appeared in the front doorway. Is that one of Santa’s kids?

Both Emily and I laughed at the comment. I suppose the combination did make it look like a Santa without a beard. In one of the books we read Santa was in the form of a tomte. So, maybe he wasn’t all fiction, either.

Mom let Chica outside and went back in to stay warm. Our dog caught our attention as she leapt from one pile of snow to another, burying her face in each hill of snow and popping out, eating mouthfuls at a time. She definitely loved the snow.

Emily and I took turns making snowballs for Chica to retrieve. It was kind of a mean thing to do because she never could retrieve a ball with them vanishing as they landed in a snow pile. She seemed so happy racing across the yard trying to get one before it landed. She was able to catch two in the air and they fell apart when she bit into them, covering her face in snow. But that didn’t bother her, and she kept returning to us for more.

A faint howl in the air from the direction of Beck and Agda’s light elf village caused the three of us to stop and turn toward the sound. Did you hear that? I asked Emily.

Yeah, what was it? We don’t have wolves here, do we? said Emily.

Chica ran to the door to go in. Whatever made the howl seemed to have spooked her. I looked at Emily and we both decided to go in, also.

Done already? asked Mom.

Yeah, we heard a strange howl. It seemed to be coming from the woods behind the playground. It was really eerie. There aren’t wolves ever in the cities, right? I asked.

Not that I’ve ever heard of, but some places are reporting coyote sightings. Maybe it was just a bloodhound’s bay. They also howl at times, said Mom.

It scared Chica and us a bit, even though we could tell it was a distance away, said Emily.

Well, coyotes are more active in the evening hours than during the day. But I’d bet someone has a bloodhound in the area, said Mom. How about a cup of hot chocolate and one of the Christmas cookies we made yesterday?

I’ll take a peanut butter blossom, I said, then turned to my sister. How about you, Emily? I opened the container holding the peanut butter blossoms.

Definitely, I love those cookies, replied Emily.

So . . . am I invited to this sweet treat time, too? asked Dad as he entered the kitchen and grabbed a couple cookies. Now, what did I hear from the living room? Werewolves howling in St. Paul?

No, likely a bloodhound, Jim. Likely. You’ll give the girls nightmares of werewolves, said Mom, shaking her head at Dad.

All right, no werewolves. We all know they’re fictional anyway, said Dad.

Maybe not, Emily telepathically said in my head.

I smiled at her across the table. Doubtful, though, I replied silently back to her.

It was fun now that Emily’s power of telepathically speaking had arrived. We could talk about anything without our parents or others hearing us. Grandma was the only other human we knew with this power.

The snow is really coming down strong now, said Dad, looking out. I think I’ll wait until after supper to shovel. Anyone want to help with the shoveling? We can listen for more howls.

I guess I could use some exercise, I said. Emily, how about it?

I think I’ll keep Mom company in the nice warm house, smiled Emily sheepishly.

Emily was always more of the indoor child while I always enjoyed the outdoors.

Dad walked over to the front picture window and looked at the newly made snowman, So, what are you naming this one? Santa Baby?

Mom started to giggle at that name as she looked at Dad and started signing, Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me. Been an awful good girl, Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

"Definitely not Santa Baby! I said, shaking my head at my parents.That’s just too . . . I don’t know what. Emily and I will come up with something from this century for a name."

Mom and Dad cracked up laughing. Emily and I just rolled our eyes at them.

After dinner Dad and I headed outside while Emily and Mom took care of cleaning up the kitchen.

The snow had stopped. The streetlights glowing down on the new white snow gave me a feeling that magic was in the air. Everything looked and felt peaceful around the block as I started shoveling. Dad and I both started at the garage and moved down the driveway. The snow stuck to the shovels, which made us use more force emptying each load. We were close to the end of the driveway when another howl floated on the evening air to us. I quickly looked at Dad as if to say, See?

I have to admit, it does sound like a wolf, though I’ve never heard one in person, just on television, said Dad.

So . . . do you think it’s a wolf or a bloodhound?

I’d guess bloodhound since we’re in the city, but it does sound wolfish, said Dad. It’s probably someone’s dog that’s gotten cold and wants to be let in.

I guess, I answered as we finished the driveway. Something didn’t sit right with me after I heard that second howl. It sounded so lonely.

I kept looking in the direction of the howl as we walked to the garage to put away the shovels. Dad must have noticed me doing that. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, It’ll be all right. The dog’ll be let in soon. No owner can keep it outside all night. It’d keep everyone awake.

I smiled at Dad as we entered the house.

My smile quickly disappeared as I saw Elsa, one of our house tomtes, motion me to follow her to my room. By the look on Elsa’s face I knew something was up. Elsa and her twin brother, Enar, guarded our house, and for her to summon me meant there was trouble around here, at grandma’s, or at one of the two light elf villages. Our tomtes protected our home but were also the ones contacted by other creatures in the area if they needed the help of a guardian, which I had become this past autumn.

I reacted quickly and followed Elsa with my boots and jacket still on. As I entered my bedroom I saw the twin tomtes had already summoned Emily. She was sitting on the floor by Enar. I quickly shut the door. Enar said, Alf just came and told me there’s a lone wolf outside roaming near Agda and Beck’s light elf village. An elf bird sentry was sent to inform you they need your assistance.

I knew it was a wolf! I’m not sure what I can do about it, but I’ll leave now, I said. I was the guardian for Agda and Beck’s village while my grandma was the guardian for Silver and Dolph’s light elf village. Whenever they sent one of their bird sentries to talk to our gnome Alf, I knew it was an urgent situation. "Emily, you need to distract Mom and Dad for a while. I’ll try to return at the same time I left. I almost have time transporting down to perfection. It’s so much easier to just poof to one place but coming back at the same time you left . . . you’ll see when you get this power."

I’m on it, Aly. Good luck, and please be careful!

I will, I replied as I poofed.

Suddenly, I was standing among the trees in a snow-covered elf village. The light elf homes and buildings were nearly invisible under the blanket of snow. Only little snow tunnel entrances were visible. I was afraid to move at first. I didn’t want to step on any elf’s house. When Agda and Beck appeared out of a well-traveled tunnel, I finally got my bearings. The two lead elves looked very distressed. Beck asked, Have you heard the howling? It’s very near to the village. The bird sentries have been keeping us posted on where the wolf is. As far as we can tell it’s injured and having a hard time traveling. One of its hind legs looks like it’s been shot with a human gun. We’re wondering if you or your grandmother can heal it. Maybe then it could move on to where it came from. A wounded wolf can really be dangerous for all in the area.

My mind raced on what I should do. I needed to have a plan before I attempted to heal a wolf. I also needed to get it to Grandma’s house like I did Alvit, the injured swan maiden. Grandma was the experienced guardian and my instructor. For the past six months, she had been teaching me the duties of being a light elf guardian. Working together, we had the power to heal every injured creature we came across. Her yard was the perfect place to heal and nurse wounded creatures back to health. She did not get very many human visitors and with our magical amulets we could hide anything from others vision with a cloaking spell. I just had to figure out how I was going to transport an injured wolf.

The two lead light elves looked at me for an answer. I grabbed the guardian amulet in my hand as if it would let me know how to handle this situation and suddenly it did—the sleeping spell. I smiled at the two elves and asked, Can you take me to the wolf?

They both smiled and gave a sigh of relief. Two bird sentry elves were summoned to show me the way. I nodded and smiled at each elf sitting on the back of their birds high up in a nearby tree and slowly followed their