The door to the train car opened to the outside letting in a blast of frigid arctic winter air. Dave stepped on the car, followed by two werewolves and a werefox in their human shapes carrying boxes. He had one himself, his box was just a milk carton through. He didn't know how log this was going to take, he had routes to plan, weather maps to plot out, all sorts of things that didn't involve a stupid stuck train. Someone used to ordering a team of reindeer about had to be on board, and Tom's mother had always been good to him when he visited her house so when he found out she was on board he volunteered.
He dropped his carton on the ground in front of him and hopped up on it. Unlike other arctic tribes, his was stuck in one form. Sure, they lived for-freaking-ever, but Dave always was a little jealous of that. He had never ben tall, only 5' as a human, but the six inches he had lost becoming an elf really struck home when he was around humans. "Attention ladies and gentlemen." He said to the train car which was only a third full after consolidating all three cars of passengers into one. "We're hooking up our emergency, uh," He looked over his shoulder to the front where he could just see through the door to the steering cabin and out the forward window to where the team was lining up, "Engine." He finished as he turned back. "Two of my friends here will be coming around shortly with blankets and thermoses of hot chocolate. As for the last one, well, we normally wait until you're at the resort for this part. She'll be coming around to collect any recording devices, cameras, phones and the like. Before complaining, please remember that was part of the contract you signed as part of your stay." Someone would try to sneak one, they always did. Luckily most electronics up here needed to be tweaked with to work anyway.
"I think I know him." Came a woman's voice a few rows back in a not too quiet whisper. Elves also had very good hearing, surprising for a group that spent a lot of time in a noisy workshop. Dave looked over and spotted Ms. Laine whispering to her ex -husband.
"Tess, I'd think you'd remember someone like him." The man was saying quietly. It was always shocking how much Michael Laine looked like his older son. Tall and lean, maybe a little softer around the middle and with grey in his hair, but otherwise the spitting image of his older son. Well, he looked like Eric, too, in the face anyway. He had is mother's build, had had, anyway. Short, slim, almost petit. where it was scrawny on a young man, on her she was just delicate. And would hit anyone who called her so with a frying pan, or whatever else was at hand.
"I know an Los Angeles accent when I head one, dear." She whispered with a little venom. Hoo boy, theLaine brothers had some work ahead of them. Speaking of, he had to go check on one. He hopped off his box and stepped into the driver's cab. He frowned at the big white bear sitting in the seat. Mostly bear. "Boris. Why are you in your fur?"
"It was cold." He said simply, his accent distinctly more Russian than Finnish, the polar bear tribe ranged over the border and sometimes members would move between their villages. There was no animosity though, the tribes didn't recognize human borders or nations, they just cared about their tribes.
"Boris. They had cameras still." Dave said as he hopped up on one of the other chairs to check on how the team was progressing.
"You worry too much. Is door. They cannot see." But he sighed and the fur began to retreat into his skin, some of his impressive bulk shrinking back down into a uniform that had been straining. His muzzle snapped back into his face with an almost audible pop, and soon a burly man in his thirties with bright blond hair and a full beard was sitting in the driver's seat. Dave was always bewildered how that didn't hurt. Lars said it just kind of tingled. He wasn't sure he believed the fox though.
Another elf was tinkering with the last harness, Rudy's. This thing was heavy enough the full team and the best team was needed. It wasn't the ceremonial tack, the one with all their names stitched in, that was still being made. But Dave could still pick out his friends, it was surprising how different each one looked from the others once you got used to it. Though he didn't need to recognize him to know the one twitching nervously to the back right of Rudy was Eric. He could barely keep from prancing in place, until Clyde said something to him and he settled. The elf hooking up the tack gave it one last tug and a thumbs up, before scurrying to hop on the train herself. They had to all go back this way having flown out on reindeer backs. "You about ready for take off?" He asked, tapping a button on his earpiece.
"Ready when you are." Came Rudy's voice, about an octave deeper than usual as it always was when they were on four legs, he was just glad they could still talk like that.
Dave went back out into the passenger cab, hopping back on his box as the werefox let him know with a nod that he had collected all the devices. He counted his team to make sure they were all onboard. "Okay, we're just about ready to get moving. Please everyone, remain in your seats. Despite what you see, you are in the capable hoo.. hands of our best team." The reindeer had only one way of hauling things, and train tracks wasn't it. Dave tapped his earpiece. "Clear to launch."
This was Dave's favorite part. When humans not expecting anything got their first peek behind the curtains. The train lurched forward, still accompanied by the gently thunk-thunk-thunk of train tracks. Sparks flew by the windows, glittering golden lights trailing off the team as they got first themselves into the air, probably running a foot or so over the ground. A shimmer passed through the train, making the tribe-folk shiver as their magical sense picked up the sudden burst. Clouds of golden flakes flew up from beneath the train like glittering metallic snow.
"Should it be sparking that much?" Came a concerned voice of a man from one row.
"Daddy, those aren't sparks." The kids always knew.
The sound of the tracks died off as the train slid into the air, smooth and clean as if it was the finest monorail in Japan. Hopefully they'd hit no turbulence on their way in.
"We're flying!" The kid exclaimed with a happy clap.
"Don't be.." The father's words died away as he looked out the window. A few people including the kid rushed past Dave to get a look out the front. Boris obliged them by opening the door.
"Look, daddy! Santa's reindeer!" The kid squealed in delight. You could indeed see the team through the window pulling along. Not the most exciting view, reindeer backsides, in Dave's opinion, but that brilliant red glow at the front was unmistakable. It wasn't particularly foggy or snowy conditions tonight, he thought Rudy just liked showing off a little. Dave took a seat, kicked up his feet, and poured himself some hot chocolate as everyone took turns staring out the front of the train. The fox began the resort spiel, explaining the tribes and what not. Dave really did enjoy his job.
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Michael was one of the last off the train. He had sat in silence for most of the trip despite prodding from Tess. He was still coping with having his world view blown open. For some reason though, it felt like he had known this was the way of things. It wasn't so much that things were odd and out of place now, but that somehow things made sense. More peculiar was the tugging. Like something up here wanted him to be up here, a restlessness he had known his whole life that only now calmed. He could remember feeling like this only once before, when he came up here during college and had met Tess. He had associated that feeling of comfort with her, but now he was beginning to wonder if it was the place.
He got off the train, shouldering one bag. The resort rep had promised to handle the rest of the luggage and he followed Tess off the train. At least she wasn't having a tirade, demanding to see the boys. He chided himself, that wasn't fair, she loved her sons. He was the less than stellar parent between them. She was talking to the short man from on the train, probably trying to figure out how she knew him.
Michael looked towards the front of the train where the reindeer mingled, some on two legs, some on four. As he watched, one seemed to shift, going from four to two, then putting on a pair of green shorts one of the others handed him. Seven. Strange, he thought there had been nine when he counted earlier.
"Mr and Ms Laine," He said, gently interrupting her. "Tom's waiting for one in one of the lounge rooms, Eric got called away on some business but he should be join.."
"Is that really them." Michael blurted out. "Comet, Cupid, Donner, all that?"
Dave laughed and shook his head. "That is Santa's team, but those reindeer were a few generations back. There is a Rudolph, but he's the third one."
"Mom!" Came a familiar voice. Mostly familiar, it was a little deeper than Michael remembered it. But it was an American accent with all the hints of California. No greeting for him of course, he was used to the cold shoulder from Eric. He looked over to the young man trotting up to them and did a double take. Sure it had been a year since he had last seen the boy, the young man, he corrected himself. But he had certainly filled out.
His mother was hugging him, then pushed him away a bit. "Eric! What is that thing on your face?!" Eric was actually sporting a short beard, a bit thin as it always was on most young men, but it looked good on him.
"My uh, face kept getting cold." He said lamely. Michael barked a laugh at that one. "Michael." He said as he looked his way. There it was, the slight tone of bitterness. Well, he deserved it.
"Look at you!" He said, trying to keep the pain out of his voice at the bitter sounding greeting. "Finally had that late growth spurt the doctors kept nattering on about? You look good."
"Growth spurt?! What.. Eric!" Tess finally looked him over. She could have remarkable tunnel vision at times, especially when she was worried about the boys. "It hasn't even been a month, when did you get so big? Is something wrong? Have you seen a doctor?! This sort of rapid growth could be a tumor or.."
Eric calmed her with a pat on the shoulder. "I've seen a doc, yes, he said it's fine."
"Leave over, Tess, we just got here on a flying train pulled by Santa's reindeer. If that can happen so can our son having a growth spurt in a few weeks. He's obviously doing well. You worry too much." Michael interrupted and saw something he rarely saw from his son, gratitude. But it was the wrong thing to say.
Tess rounded on him. It was time for one of their fights, he knew it, and he knew he'd get dragged in even if he didn't want to be. "You don't worry enough about them."
"They're grown men, Tess. You need to let them off the leading strings."
"He's only eighteen!"
"Can we do this later, please? Tom and Lars are waiting for us, if you're going to fight do it in the lounge at least." Eric said, sounding tired and a little fed up. Another young man was walking up, he had the look of a star college jock about him. Twenty, maybe twenty-one, tousled brown hair, a scruffy square jaw, and a burly build. He wore jeans and a tee-shirt that showed off his chest and shoulders, as he stepped up, he put a muscular arm around Eric's shoulders as if by reflex, and the touch instantly seemed to calm Eric down. He wore a gold bracelet on one wrist, and Michael noticed a matching one on Eric's. This must be the boyfriend, and already in the matching jewelry phase.
"Mom, dad." The dad came out more than a little forced. "This is Clyde, my, uh, boyfriend. Clyde, my parents." Eric said, motioning to them.
"Nice to meet you both." His English was good, and there was only a hint of an accent when he spoke. Clyde held out a hand and Michael, took it, giving it a firm shake. Clyde's was strong but not crushing. Confident then, doesn't feel threatened or needing to prove anything, good. Clyde wasn't going to escape with a handshake from Tess, she gave him a friendly hug.
"Well, let's get back to the lounge. Tom and Lars are probably worried."
Eric made to lead the way, Clyde whispering something into his ear that earned him an elbow in the ribs from Eric. Michael thought he had heard. "Before they start entertaining themselves." Clyde just laughed a deep, good-natured laugh that made Eric practically beam with happiness. Might be time to start saving for a wedding the rate these two seemed to be going.