Shownotes
Today’s story is the first of two parts of a collaborative piece, with contributions by Renee Carter Hall, Thomas “Faux” Steele, Frances Pauli, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Ziegenbock, K.C. Shaw, Vincenzo Pasquarella, and Rob MacWolf. The stories presented here all appeared in “Happy Howlidays! A Furry Flash Fiction Christmas Anthology” available from Thurston Howl Publications and edited by Vincenzo Pasquarella.
Read by Ta’kom Ironhoof, the Equine Charmer, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, the bespectacled dragon, Ardy Hart, a Wolf of All Trades, and Rob MacWolf, Werewolf Hitchhiker.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/fireside-meeting-after-the-holiday-feast-by-friends-of-the-fireplace-part-1-of-2
Transcripts
You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.
Speaker:Today’s story is the first of two parts of a collaborative piece,
Speaker:with contributions by
Speaker:Renee Carter Hall,
Speaker:Thomas “Faux” Steele,
Speaker:Frances Pauli, Nenekiri Bookwyrm,
Speaker:Ziegenbock, K.C. Shaw, Vincenzo Pasquarella, and Rob MacWolf. The stories presented here all appeared in
Speaker:“Happy Howlidays! A Furry Flash Fiction Christmas Anthology”
Speaker:available from Thurston Howl Publications
Speaker:and edited by Vincenzo Pasquarella.
Speaker:Please enjoy, “Fireside Meeting
Speaker:After the Holiday Feast”
Speaker:Part 1 of 2. It was neither a dark nor a stormy night.
Speaker:Though snow covered the roofs and the hedges,
Speaker:the streets and sidewalks were as clear as the sky.
Speaker:The strings of lights on every gable,
Speaker:every fence, around every window,
Speaker:over every front door,
Speaker:were as bright as the stars above.
Speaker:Some of course might apply other adjectives to the night—’silent,’
Speaker:perhaps, or ‘holy’
Speaker:—but ‘dark’ and ‘stormy’ were
Speaker:quite out of the question.
Speaker:One of the light-bedecked front doors opened,
Speaker:and from it spilled warmth, and cheer,
Speaker:and the smell of a great abundance of good food.
Speaker:After these came guests,
Speaker:gratefully weary
Speaker:with laughter and with a few invigorating beverages in some cases.
Speaker:They drifted their separate ways
Speaker:on grateful farewells
Speaker:and wishes for the coming year,
Speaker:leaving their host and faithful fireside companion
Speaker:in the doorway, waving
Speaker:until the last of them vanished and the night was silent
Speaker:once again. The dog shut the door.
Speaker:He turned down the lights,
Speaker:straightened a few decorations,
Speaker:and fetched some clean plates and glasses
Speaker:to place beside the leftovers of the feast.
Speaker:Then by the light only of christmas tree,
Speaker:he knelt and laid out tinder,
Speaker:kindling, and wood.
Speaker:Not many houses, in this neighborhood at least,
Speaker:still had functional fireplaces.
Speaker:But for those lucky enough to have one,
Speaker:there are some nights when a fire
Speaker:is essential. As flames began to lick at the first of the logs the
Speaker:dog pricked his ears.
Speaker:He’d just heard a plate being lifted from a stack.
Speaker:“I shouldn’t be surprised you went straight for the food.”
Speaker:His voice gave the lie to the seeming severity of his words.
Speaker:“Ancient hospitality, my friend,”
Speaker:explained the Werewolf Hitchhiker,
Speaker:busily piling cookies and roast turkey on one of the plates.
Speaker:“Once a guest tastes bread and salt in your home, then you’re honor bound to one another.
Speaker:Besides, I never miss a chance at free food.”
Speaker:“Save some bread and salt for the other guests, then,”
Speaker:the Fireside Companion offered an embrace, which the Werewolf Hitchhiker had to set down his plate to accept.
Speaker:“Expecting many others?” “I have a feeling there may be a few,”
Speaker:the Fireside Companion smiled.
Speaker:“I’d bet on it,”
Speaker:came another voice.
Speaker:A handsome stallion ducked in through the hall doorway,
Speaker:though the front door had made no sound and the air stayed fireside
Speaker:-warm. “Hard to say till we all show up, but I fancy I could hear more’n a few heading in.”
Speaker:“Well, there’s plenty of leftovers,”
Speaker:the companionable dog reached for one of the mismatched mugs.
Speaker:“What are you drinking?”
Speaker:The stallion asked for a sweet tea,
Speaker:the werewolf for hot buttered rum,
Speaker:but before the fireside companion could pour either the sound of surprised greetings interrupted him from the hall.
Speaker:“I don’t think I’ve seen you since your first fireside!”
Speaker:a very well-dressed fox hung his scarf and greatcoat on the coatrack,
Speaker:revealing draconic wings, and then balanced a top hat with a sprig of holly in the hatband on top.
Speaker:“Well,” a shy-looking badger
Speaker:hung next to them a battered and patched army jacket,
Speaker:with all the insignia painstakingly picked out, stitch-by-stich,
Speaker:“it’s hard to get out to events with cubs to take care of,
Speaker:you know how it is.”
Speaker:“Uh, could I get a hand with this, please?”
Speaker:asked a moth in a spacesuit,
Speaker:“We were in orbit and I had to put on the vacuum gear to go outside.”
Speaker:“Sure, one sec,” A tradeswolf set down a large meticulously crafted balsa wood case
Speaker:to help him extricate his arms.
Speaker:“How’s the husband?”
Speaker:“Doing alright,” the astronaut answered brightly.
Speaker:“Physical therapy’s been rough on him but he’s getting there!”
Speaker:“You could have,” The hitchhiker let an alleycat in a voluminous hooded sweater in at the kitchen door,
Speaker:“come in the front, you know.”
Speaker:Her eyes under the snow-dusted hood glowed LED-blue.
Speaker:“I’ve got an image to maintain!”
Speaker:the cybernetic alleycat sniffed,
Speaker:“if we don’t even have our image, why visit in the first place?”
Speaker:She took the opportunity to duck around the werewolf and head for the food.
Speaker:The hitchhiker made no attempt to stop her:
Speaker:one half-creature in the margins where wilderness erodes its way back into civilization
Speaker:understands another.
Speaker:Individual greetings became briefly indistinguishable
Speaker:as they overlapped.
Speaker:The badger showed photographs
Speaker:—a relatively new innovation where he came from
Speaker:—of his children to the stallion.
Speaker:The moth introduced himself to the alleycat, the only one here he hadn’t before met.
Speaker:The tradeswolf opened his case to reveal a set of hand-blown glass baubles he’d made, as a gift,
Speaker:and the draconic fox
Speaker:helped add them to the tree.
Speaker:The fireside companion busied himself at the sideboard
Speaker:—hot cider for the tradeswolf and the astronaut, cocoa for the fatherly badger and the cybernetic cat
Speaker:with a touch of irish cream for the latter,
Speaker:the last of a bottle of claret mulled with orange peel and cinnamon for the draconic fox,
Speaker:and of course pastis over fresh snow for himself
Speaker:—until everyone had something warming to drink,
Speaker:then cleared his throat.
Speaker:“Shall we get started?”
Speaker:Plates were filled, drinks were balanced on knees or cupped gingerly between both palms,
Speaker:places were taken on the couch,
Speaker:on the ottoman, on kitchen chairs pulled over from the table,
Speaker:on the rug in front of the hearth, or just standing by the corner of the mantle.
Speaker:“Well,” said the equine charmer,
Speaker:“guess somebody has to go first.”
Speaker:Tinsel’s Treats was not a holiday-specific bakery.
Speaker:It didn't stop winter from being his most profitable season, though,
Speaker:and Tinsel appreciated the friendliness and support the folks of West Griffinville provided him year-round.
Speaker:His sweet demeanor and his confections charmed his community,
Speaker:and in return, Tinsel basked in the glow of being able to watch his fellow citizens
Speaker:bite into one of his desserts.
Speaker:It was the week before Christmas,
Speaker:and the sky was getting dark.
Speaker:Inside the bakery,
Speaker:the reindeer stood behind a pastry display case,
Speaker:packing cookies into small white boxes.
Speaker:He had a green apron tied around his waist over his work clothes,
Speaker:with fairy lights strategically tangled in his antlers.
Speaker:There were two customers standing on the other side,
Speaker:waiting for their orders.
Speaker:Tinsel’s nose twitched at the smell of each of the cookies as he put them into the boxes.
Speaker:The caramel from the snickerdoodle, the gingerbread, and the lingering cold scent of peppermint
Speaker:from his Winter Delight cookies all mixed.
Speaker:He was stacking the boxes of cookies in a paper bag, repeating the long order to one of his regulars. “—
Speaker:A dozen Winter’s Delights,
Speaker:a dozen snickerdoodles,
Speaker:and a half-dozen of the vegan gingerbread for Sis Phyllis.
Speaker:Did I forget anything, Trevor?”
Speaker:The fox exaggerated a gasp
Speaker:and leaned over the counter,
Speaker:their drawn-on eyebrows furrowed,
Speaker:and their lips pressed together.
Speaker:“Tinsel Holiday! You best be calling me by my drag name,
Speaker:as I am here. In my drag.”
Speaker:The fox gestured to their face and the rest of their outfit.
Speaker:The fox, Trevor, wore a pair of tight skinny jeans,
Speaker:a white spaghetti strap top,
Speaker:and a denim jacket.
Speaker:It was hardly winter wear,
Speaker:but Tinsel was sure they knew that.
Speaker:The hair from their blonde wig waved,
Speaker:as they tossed it back with a paw,
Speaker:and glared expectantly at him.
Speaker:The glimmer of mischief in their eyes,
Speaker:and the swishing tail behind them were not lost on the reindeer.
Speaker:Tinsel chuckled softly.
Speaker:“It’s been such a long day, hun.
Speaker:Can’t we do this another ti—”
Speaker:The drag queen pressed their paw to their chest
Speaker:and gave another dramatic gasp.
Speaker:“Wow. So rude to a valued customer!”
Speaker:Tinsel couldn’t help but laugh a little louder. “Fine. Miss Sinnah Moan.
Speaker:Was that everything you needed today?” “Mhm!”
Speaker:The queen chuckled softly.
Speaker:“Yes. Perfect as usual, Tin.”
Speaker:Tinsel slid the bag across the counter.
Speaker:“Tell the girls I said hi.”
Speaker:The fox grabbed the bags.
Speaker:“Just come by and tell ‘em yourself.
Speaker:We’re gonna be performing till ten.
Speaker:Just make sure you—”
Speaker:“Yes, Sin.” He chuckled.
Speaker:“I have a book for the library drive. I’ll try to stop
Speaker:by.” Sinnah Moan nodded, “I’ll believe it when I see you.”
Speaker:They walked backwards towards the door, using their shoulder to push the door open,
Speaker:letting a draft in.
Speaker:“Bye!” Tinsel smiled to himself
Speaker:and turned to his last customer.
Speaker:The tall German Shepherd
Speaker:towered high above the deer
Speaker:and gave a soft hmph.
Speaker:“Hey, Rodney.” Tinsel smiled up at the canine,
Speaker:used to the intimidating presence.
Speaker:Rodney came to the bakery once every week for the same thing
Speaker:and had been doing so since Tinsel opened the store
Speaker:three years prior.
Speaker:“Bagels?” The Shepherd nodded.
Speaker:“Yes.” His voice was soothing.
Speaker:It had a deep, smooth timber that Tinsel thought would make amazing narration for audiobooks.
Speaker:“Three egg, three sesame,
Speaker:three everything,
Speaker:and three of those green and red ones.”
Speaker:Tinsel grinned with pride.
Speaker:“Ah! You like the colorful ones?
Speaker:Made those specifically for the holidays.”
Speaker:He opened a smaller paper bag
Speaker:and began to put the bagels in one by one.
Speaker:Rodney nodded, and his ears perked up on top of his head.
Speaker:“I don’t hear any babbling tonight.”
Speaker:Tinsel looked up and nodded.
Speaker:“Yeah. Cinny’s not here.
Speaker:His uncle took him home so I could close up for the night.”
Speaker:Cinny (short for Cinnabon)
Speaker:was the name of the reindeer’s two-year-old son.
Speaker:“It’s usually louder when I come in.”
Speaker:“Yeah. It is. Not tonight though. It’s for the best.
Speaker:He doesn’t like the sound of the mixers.”
Speaker:Rodney looked down at him.
Speaker:“You work so hard here.
Speaker:Do you do anything else?”
Speaker:Tinsel finished filling the bag with the Shepherd’s order
Speaker:and put the tongs down.
Speaker:“What do you mean?”
Speaker:Rodney furrowed his brow,
Speaker:his face showing something that
Speaker:Tinsel could only guess was concern.
Speaker:“I don’t mean any disrespect.
Speaker:But between being a single father and a successful baker...
Speaker:have you taken any time for yourself?”
Speaker:The lights in Tinsel’s antlers cast a soft glow against the dog’s fur
Speaker:as the reindeer gazed up at him.
Speaker:This was the most Rodney had ever spoken to him.
Speaker:“Well...” He furrowed his brow.
Speaker:Sure, his schedule was packed,
Speaker:but he always had time to sleep.
Speaker:Or watch the baby.
Speaker:Or think up new recipes for work.
Speaker:And… All those things had just become so routine to him.
Speaker:The older dog put his paws up and frowned.
Speaker:“I meant no disrespect to you.”
Speaker:Tinsel folded up the top of the bag
Speaker:and then moved to the register, still thinking.
Speaker:“No. You’re not wrong.
Speaker:I do a lot. I guess I just… forget.”
Speaker:He tapped in the prices for each and looked up.
Speaker:“You doing cash or credit today?”
Speaker:“Card.” Rodney gave him a small smile
Speaker:and took his wallet out,
Speaker:opening it and handing him his credit card.
Speaker:“You know, Tinsel.
Speaker:If you’d be willing to clear some time up.
Speaker:I’d love to get a drink with you.
Speaker:Or, you know, something like that.”
Speaker:Tinsel took the card from him.
Speaker:But in his shock at the offer,
Speaker:the card fell out of his hands and clattered onto the counter.
Speaker:Flustered, he quickly picked up the card and scanned it, looking at the counter;
Speaker:his eyes were wide, and he felt his face burning.
Speaker:“I’m sorry. What?” Rodney let out a soft chuckle as he spoke.
Speaker:“I’m asking if you’d let me take you out.”
Speaker:Tinsel let out a nervous honk and covered his muzzle,
Speaker:looking up at Rodney.
Speaker:All the bisexual panic Tinsel had
Speaker:ever experienced,
Speaker:did little to prepare him for this.
Speaker:Rodney watched him closely,
Speaker:his lips quirked up as he watched the reindeer stumble over his words.
Speaker:“It’s okay. Take your time.”
Speaker:“Are you asking me on a date?”
Speaker:Rodney’s teeth peeked through his lips as he smiled.
Speaker:“Is that okay with you?”
Speaker:“I don’t know.” He tapped Rodney’s card on the counter and bit his lip,
Speaker:handing it back to him.
Speaker:“I haven’t been on a date since before…”
Speaker:“It doesn’t have to be right now, or even this week.
Speaker:I can be patient.
Speaker:But I’d love to do something with you.”
Speaker:He put his card back in his wallet.
Speaker:Hearing the statement again, for the third time,
Speaker:made Tinsel’s heart beat a little faster.
Speaker:He wanted to say yes.
Speaker:But there were so many things he would need to settle with the bakery,
Speaker:with Cinny, and with making sure Raji was available to—
Speaker:Tinsel was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of a pen scribbling something on paper.
Speaker:Tinsel watched him finish writing and slide the paper across the counter to him.
Speaker:Rodney smiled again as Tinsel stared at the phone number
Speaker:and picked up the bag of bagels, taking his receipt from the printer.
Speaker:“Night.” He took one last look at Tinsel
Speaker:and slowly walked out of the bakery.
Speaker:Tinsel looked up at the door,
Speaker:then down at the number again.
Speaker:A date with Rodney?
Speaker:Tall, silent, handsome Rodney?
Speaker:Maybe… maybe it was worth a shot.
Speaker:“Well, that was sweet!”
Speaker:the well-dressed fox’s words puffed into steam over his hot wine.
Speaker:“I’d wager the next drink,”
Speaker:the stallion chuffed,
Speaker:“that nobody brought anything but sweet. ‘Bitter’
Speaker:ain’t the kinda thing you bring to a holiday party.”
Speaker:The whole firelit circle passed a glance from one to the other.
Speaker:The stallion was about to say he’d told them so
Speaker:when the astronaut
Speaker:cleared his throat.
Speaker:Freyer listlessly picked his draconic snout
Speaker:up from the cave floor
Speaker:and squinted his eyes
Speaker:as a figure entered through the entrance of his cave.
Speaker:He watched as she used her paws to brush off the snow that covered her from head to toe.
Speaker:There was a mighty snowstorm raging just outside his small cave;
Speaker:the wind whipped at her back
Speaker:and threatened to tear at her shawl.
Speaker:She brought out a broom made of sticks
Speaker:and worked diligently to brush the snow from the ground
Speaker:back outside the entrance of the cave.
Speaker:He knew her – of course —
Speaker:but hadn’t expected a visit from her tonight.
Speaker:He’d not sought visitors in years.
Speaker:Freyer spoke in a crackling voice
Speaker:like the water breaking through the ice in Springtime’s thaw.
Speaker:“La Befana, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence in my cave?”
Speaker:La Befana finished her sweeping and
Speaker:then slowly turned around to face Freyer.
Speaker:She shuffled her paws along the floor as she made her way over to him.
Speaker:Her body was bent forward,
Speaker:and her back had a slight hunch to it.
Speaker:Her fur was jet black with patches of silver and gray throughout.
Speaker:Her whiskers were long and crinkled in odd directions,
Speaker:but her eyes still shone with all the energy of a cat’s cunning.
Speaker:She smiled up at him, “Freyer Brina, I’ve come to ask of you a favor.” Freyer snorted in her direction. “I’ve no patience
Speaker:for favors, witch.
Speaker:However, if you wish to seek shelter from the storm, I won’t stop you.
Speaker:you.” “You are a gracious host, Freyer. Smart too, for you have almost guessed the reason for my visit.
Speaker:The storm outside rages, and I wish to deliver candy and presents to the children to warm their spirits
Speaker:—” Before she could finish her thought,
Speaker:Freyer interrupted her with,
Speaker:“Then go and be gone.”
Speaker:Her whiskers twitched involuntarily with agitation,
Speaker:but she calmed herself and said,
Speaker:“Would if I could, but I cannot.
Speaker:My broom is quite fast,
Speaker:but I need to be able to see where I am going.
Speaker:You could, though.
Speaker:A dragon of these mountains is used to flying in such storms.”
Speaker:Freyer was not convinced.
Speaker:“Why ask me? Cannot that spritely caribou deliver your trinkets?
Speaker:Where is Babbo Natale in your hour of need?”
Speaker:La Befana shook her head and said,
Speaker:“Even he has limits to his power.
Speaker:He wouldn’t be able to fly in this storm, let alone carry the gifts.
Speaker:He told me as much just a few days ago when he should have set out on the eve of the Nativity.”
Speaker:“Then the children will have nothing and make their peace with it.
Speaker:Not every Epiphany will be a happy one.”
Speaker:“It is not so simple.
Speaker:I have read the auguries,
Speaker:and they foretell a harsh winter.
Speaker:This may be the last bit of joy these children have for a long time.
Speaker:Will you not reconsider?”
Speaker:“No, I will not.” “Why do you not look at me when you give your answer?
Speaker:Are you ashamed?” She broke off a twig from her broom
Speaker:and lit it with her tinderbox.
Speaker:When she passed the light over his form,
Speaker:she was taken aback by what she saw.
Speaker:Freyer’s long reptilian snout
Speaker:was flat on the ground,
Speaker:pointed away from her.
Speaker:His massive body was dehydrated and malnourished.
Speaker:Wings paper thin
Speaker:and flaking onto the stone floor below.
Speaker:“Oh, Freyer… What happened to you?
Speaker:You are naught but skin and bones!”
Speaker:“This is the grief of those who outlive their children,”
Speaker:he said sadly. She covered her mouth as she realized what had happened.
Speaker:“I am also of life everlasting,
Speaker:but I didn’t realize it wouldn’t be passed to your offspring.”
Speaker:Freyer growled. “Then you know I cannot die and be with them.”
Speaker:La Befana did not know what to say to that.
Speaker:So, she took her leave of him,
Speaker:quietly sobbing on her way out of the cave.
Speaker:Freyer tried to stop thinking about his children in the moments hence,
Speaker:but La Befana had opened a wound.
Speaker:He remembered the day when his son had taken his first flight
Speaker:and the way his daughter loved the taste of frost on the mountain’s berries.
Speaker:The memories kept piling in his mind like freshly fallen snow.
Speaker:He had given them gifts to show they were loved and the sheer joy on their snouts
Speaker:was better than the clearest pool of water.
Speaker:Something in Freyer shifted.
Speaker:More than anything,
Speaker:he needed his body to move.
Speaker:Who was he to deny those children their happiness?
Speaker:“Please,” he begged his brittle body,
Speaker:“just a little magic for tonight.
Speaker:The children deserve something good.”
Speaker:He could feel tears prick the corners of his eyes as they traveled the length of his snout and dripped to the ground below.
Speaker:When one of the tears hit his outstretched talon,
Speaker:something wonderful stirred within Freyer.
Speaker:Muscles stretched, loosened,
Speaker:and – with a lot of effort –
Speaker:he was able to move his fingers.
Speaker:Another drop, and he could move his hand.
Speaker:It was excruciating to pull himself with one working set of claws across the cave,
Speaker:but he was determined.
Speaker:When he reached the edge of his cave,
Speaker:he dipped his hand into the soft snow
Speaker:and breathed in deeply.
Speaker:Slowly the snow and ice melted into water
Speaker:and rushed up and into his body.
Speaker:It was disorienting to use limbs so long removed from him,
Speaker:but each came back in turn.
Speaker:His arms allowed him to pull the rest of his body into the snow
Speaker:and submerge his wings and tail.
Speaker:A deep luster and shine returned to his blue scales
Speaker:as he stood on steady feet in the blizzard.
Speaker:La Befana’s mouth was agape at the sight.
Speaker:“What are you staring at, witch?
Speaker:We’ve got an Epiphany to save!”
Speaker:She jumped for joy
Speaker:and landed on the back of Freyer’s long neck.
Speaker:He flexed his massive wings,
Speaker:and they took off into the night sky,
Speaker:and just for a moment,
Speaker:their silhouettes were framed by the clear light of the moon.
Speaker:“I don’t know…” said the well-dressed half-fox, “If that counts.”
Speaker:“He outlived his children!”
Speaker:interjected the badger,
Speaker:“you couldn’t ask bitterer than that!”
Speaker:“But that ending was sweet as a chocolate orange!”
Speaker:the fox maintained.
Speaker:“Well, that’s just tradition,”
Speaker:observed the fireside companion.
Speaker:“Not just christmas tradition, our tradition too!
Speaker:No Bummers, as the saying goes.”
Speaker:There were general murmurs of agreement, some begrudging.
Speaker:“Is that the challenge, then?”
Speaker:the werewolf hitchhiker spoke up. “Whoever’s
Speaker:story goes furthest from sweet, while still getting there in the end, wins?”
Speaker:“Since when,” the tradewolf said drily,
Speaker:and paused to fix that dryness with a judicious application of cider,
Speaker:“is it a contest?” “People play games at christmas parties,” the werewolf shrugged, “or so I’ve heard tell.”
Speaker:“But, we’ll all have already chosen our story,”
Speaker:the tradeswolf continued,
Speaker:“that’s how we’re
Speaker:HERE now, so-” “That sounds,” laughed the alleycat,
Speaker:“like someone’s volunteering to go next!”
Speaker:The outmaneuvered tradeswolf sighed,
Speaker:and began. “May all your troubles soon be gone,
Speaker:Oh, Christmas lights, keep shining on.”
Speaker:I clutched the steering wheel,
Speaker:digging in my claws.
Speaker:The sickly, candy-coloured season had been grating on me since October,
Speaker:and now in December, it was inescapable,
Speaker:suffocating, like cotton candy stuck in your throat.
Speaker:I’d only turned the radio on for a little noise,
Speaker:to break the monotony and the relentless rumble of tyres.
Speaker:But after one normal song, they jumped straight back into the schmaltz.
Speaker:All my troubles, gone? Ha.
Speaker:If only. My troubles were waiting for me,
Speaker:down that very road.
Speaker:I’d left that doggone state for a reason,
Speaker:but my pack kept dragging me back.
Speaker:And if they dared tell me to ‘be of good cheer’…
Speaker:Still, this was one of the few Christmas songs I could stomach,
Speaker:which was why I hadn’t immediately hit the off button.
Speaker:At least out here, the fairy lights had thinned out.
Speaker:There were fewer lights now,
Speaker:aside from the occasional house-light and the odd passing car.
Speaker:Otherwise, it was just me,
Speaker:the cold winter hills, and the long
Speaker:rural road. It was kind of peaceful,
Speaker:come to think of it.
Speaker:A little too peaceful,
Speaker:if anything. More than once, I felt myself drifting off to sleep.
Speaker:Luckily, there was a gas station up ahead.
Speaker:Given the hour and the lack of corporate totem saturated in neon,
Speaker:I wondered if the station was closed.
Speaker:But as I signalled and slowed, I saw a light inside.
Speaker:I pulled into the forecourt,
Speaker:and I shut off my engine.
Speaker:The station was a relic:
Speaker:a wooden house with crooked timbers, a roof of cracked slate,
Speaker:and two ancient gas pumps –
Speaker:one standing on either side –
Speaker:faded with red paint and rust.
Speaker:Did they even still work?
Speaker:Right. Grab a coffee, pay, and be on my way.
Speaker:That was the plan.
Speaker:A wolf ran the station.
Speaker:He was in his thirties or forties, with scruffy grey fur which –
Speaker:if I’m honest – made him look rather cute.
Speaker:Still, I didn’t want to hang around.
Speaker:“Hi, I’d like a coffee, please.
Speaker:Black. And large.” “Yes, by all means.”
Speaker:His voice was gentle and friendly.
Speaker:“I mixed together a winter spice blend,
Speaker:if you like?” “No thanks.
Speaker:Never understood the obsession with spice in coffee.”
Speaker:“That’s okay; how about
Speaker:peppermint instead?”
Speaker:Now that did intrigue me.
Speaker:So I said yes, why not?
Speaker:Off to one side was a bar with a proper Italian coffee machine.
Speaker:The wolf brought the machine to life.
Speaker:“Any fuel, by the way?”
Speaker:he called out over the hissing steam.
Speaker:“Nah, I think I’ve got enough in the tank.”
Speaker:“Much further to go, then?”
Speaker:“Yeah. Two or three hours at least.”
Speaker:“Well, this should keep you going.”
Speaker:The little cabin was filling with steam,
Speaker:rich roasting coffee, and the sharp clean scent of peppermint.
Speaker:And when the wolf handed me the cup,
Speaker:and I took a sip,
Speaker:it sent a tingle right through my fur.
Speaker:Coffee and peppermint blended together,
Speaker:each bringing out the flavour of the other.
Speaker:The cashier rang me up.
Speaker:For some reason, it was difficult to meet his ice-blue eyes.
Speaker:“Do you like it?” I nodded,
Speaker:and the wolf beamed.
Speaker:“Well, you gave me an excuse to play with my espresso machine, so I‘m happy.
Speaker:It’s been quiet up here today,
Speaker:really quiet. In fact, before I saw you pull in, I was thinking of shutting up early.”
Speaker:“How many of you work here?”
Speaker:“Just me.” “Oh. Don’t you get lonely out here?”
Speaker:“Oh yes,” he answered without hesitation.
Speaker:“Sometimes terribly so.
Speaker:But I do enjoy being here,
Speaker:watching the comings and goings of animals, hearing about their journeys.
Speaker:In a way, I’m sharing their journeys myself.” “Well,
Speaker:there’s nothing special about where I’m heading.”
Speaker:“And where is that?”
Speaker:I paused for a moment.
Speaker:I wanted to get going, to get back on the road.
Speaker:But something was making me stay.
Speaker:“Nowhere special. Just seeing family.”
Speaker:“You don’t sound too thrilled about that.”
Speaker:I didn’t reply. I didn’t need to.
Speaker:“Well, I won’t lecture you about how, ‘Oh,
Speaker:Christmas is a time for family’ and all that business.
Speaker:You’ve heard it all before,
Speaker:and surprise, it doesn’t help.
Speaker:But that’s fine. You feel the way you feel.”
Speaker:If only they felt the same way.
Speaker:“I guess they’re not bad,”
Speaker:I replied. “They just…
Speaker:I mean, we argue now and then.
Speaker:Especially around this time of year.”
Speaker:“It can be a stressful time.
Speaker:All that pressure to be happy, even when you’d rather be a million miles down the road.”
Speaker:I nodded, and the wolf sighed a deep, lupine sigh.
Speaker:“I see it all the time.
Speaker:Harried families, stressed-out kids, and a desperate search for a last-minute gift.
Speaker:But the way I see it,
Speaker:you don’t have to go all in.
Speaker:Mark the season your own way.
Speaker:Maybe there’s something about the season you like -
Speaker:a song maybe, or even a new coffee flavour.
Speaker:And if not, that’s fine too.
Speaker:Remember it’s just a season,
Speaker:and spring is just around the corner.”
Speaker:“Well, I like winter.
Speaker:I like seeing the world all crisp and icy.
Speaker:It’s refreshing. I could just
Speaker:do without the commercialist tat.”
Speaker:“Well, in a couple weeks, it’ll all be gone.
Speaker:Then you’ll get your winter:
Speaker:clean, cold, and not a cola truck in sight.
Speaker:But, if you can’t wait that long…”
Speaker:He took a pen, scribbled a number on a sticky note,
Speaker:then handed it to me.
Speaker:“Yes that’s a landline number.
Speaker:More reliable up here, see.
Speaker:But any time you fancy a chat, or your family’s driving you up the wall,
Speaker:give me a ring.” I pocketed the number.
Speaker:It could be a way to break the tedium, I thought.
Speaker:I said goodbye to the wolf, and returned to my car.
Speaker:Coffee secured, I shrugged off my coat, and restarted my car.
Speaker:The radio was still on.
Speaker:Miles away in New York, a choir struck up a song of home.
Speaker:And as I drove on,
Speaker:I howled every word.
Speaker:“There you are,” the tradeswolf announced as if throwing down the Wild Draw Four card,
Speaker:“not just bitter, but bitter ABOUT and IN OPPOSITION TO the saccharinity of the whole affair.”
Speaker:“And the turn towards sweet at the end,”
Speaker:the fireside companion had apparently been elected judge without anyone noticing,
Speaker:“was very subtle.” “It’s a strong contender,”
Speaker:the equine charmer acknowledged.
Speaker:“Which considering none of us knew we’d be competing at anything,”
Speaker:the wolf of all trades shook his head,
Speaker:“is a christmas miracle.”
Speaker:“I guess I may as well,”
Speaker:the hitchhiker said, “go next.
Speaker:This one’s not as outright bitter, but I think it’s got a different kind of un
Speaker:-sweetness to it.”
Speaker:“You’ll never find him,”
Speaker:they said. He lived far past the boundaries of Christmastown,
Speaker:deep into the wild lands beyond.
Speaker:Some said snow-monsters guarded his home;
Speaker:others swore it was concealed by magic.
Speaker:Not everyone even agreed that he was still alive.
Speaker:But for Jinglebolt, there was no turning back.
Speaker:The young reindeer packed a satchel with moss-cakes and a few twists of hay
Speaker:and set out, trudging through drifts and navigating windy slopes.
Speaker:He followed an old map made by Frostwing, Santa’s messenger owl,
Speaker:from the days when she had carried the mail.
Speaker:The last part was especially treacherous,
Speaker:as it involved catching a ride on an ice floe due to some unpredictable air currents.
Speaker:His makeshift raft was unsteady at best, but luck and the tides were with him,
Speaker:and he safely reached the shore.
Speaker:At first, Jingle thought he’d find him in the castle,
Speaker:but as he got closer, he saw it was long abandoned and crumbling into ruin,
Speaker:with nothing but great pawprints here and there in the dust to mark anyone’s presence.
Speaker:Then he saw the little cottage with its gingerbread trim,
Speaker:nestled in a grove of evergreens.
Speaker:It looked just like the houses in Christmastown, and he
Speaker:had an odd sense of feeling at home as he went to the door
Speaker:and knocked gently with a front hoof.
Speaker:Only a moment later
Speaker:—as if he’d been expected
Speaker:—the door swung open.
Speaker:The reindeer behind it had a gray-tipped coat and a white muzzle against which his dark,
Speaker:smooth-polished nose caught the light deep within like a garnet.
Speaker:Based on his branching antlers alone, he was the oldest reindeer Jinglebolt had ever heard of,
Speaker:let alone seen. Suddenly Jingle felt about two days old.
Speaker:“Please,” he said, “Are you…”
Speaker:But it seemed silly now to ask.
Speaker:By all the candy canes in Christmastown, who else could he be?
Speaker:Rudolph gazed down at him a moment and then smiled.
Speaker:“Come in,” he said, standing aside.
Speaker:“You’ve had a long journey.”
Speaker:Inside, the house was simple but cozy, with a few wooden tables and shelves,
Speaker:a stone hearth with a crackling fire and a softly burbling kettle,
Speaker:and thick cushions on the floor to settle into. Though
Speaker:the place had obviously been built for residents with hands,
Speaker:Rudolph had no trouble briskly whipping up two bowls of hot chocolate.
Speaker:Jingle brought out his moss-cakes to share.
Speaker:“Now,” Rudolph said after they were settled,
Speaker:“what brings a young reindeer so far from home?”
Speaker:All along the way, Jingle had rehearsed dozens of conversations, but now he just said the truth as simply and quickly as he could.
Speaker:“I just had to talk to someone
Speaker:—different. Someone who could understand.”
Speaker:Rudolph nodded thoughtfully.
Speaker:“What names do they call you?”
Speaker:Jingle stared into his bowl.
Speaker:“Swamp gas. Glow stick.
Speaker:Spark plug. Chernobyl, whatever that is.”
Speaker:The older reindeer nodded again.
Speaker:Jingle waited for him to ask, but the request didn’t come.
Speaker:“I… could show you,”
Speaker:Jingle said finally.
Speaker:“Only if you want to. There’s
Speaker:no price of admission here.”
Speaker:Jingle closed his eyes briefly.
Speaker:When he opened them,
Speaker:shimmering green and blue waves washed over his coat,
Speaker:from ears to tail, as if he carried an aurora inside him. His antler-buds crackled with electricity,
Speaker:and a bolt leapt out with a snap.
Speaker:Rudolph flinched, and his nose flickered.
Speaker:“Sorry,” Jingle said.
Speaker:“I can’t really control it yet.”
Speaker:“No problem. That might come in time.”
Speaker:“I hope so.” Jingle said it so eagerly that Rudolph smiled.
Speaker:“Looking forward to zapping a few bullies?”
Speaker:The lights in Jingle’s cheeks rippled and brightened to a blush.
Speaker:“Not really. I’d just like to be able to do something with it.
Speaker:Like you did. Something that helps people.”
Speaker:“Something that makes them accept you and realize they were wrong.”
Speaker:“Well… yeah.” “Mm.” Rudolph was silent for a moment.
Speaker:“I can understand that.
Speaker:But who you are doesn’t have to be useful.
Speaker:It doesn’t have to be an advantage. It can just be…
Speaker:who you are. I had a glowing red nose.
Speaker:They turned it into something useful, and then that made it okay to them.
Speaker:But it was always okay.
Speaker:It was the weather that changed, not me.”
Speaker:Jingle thought that over.
Speaker:“So, would you still do it?”
Speaker:“Do what?” “When Santa asked you to guide the sleigh in the fog.
Speaker:If you could do it over, would you still do it?
Speaker:Because—I think it would have served them right if you hadn’t.
Speaker:Especially Santa.”
Speaker:Rudolph chuckled.
Speaker:“Maybe so.” He gazed at the mantel,
Speaker:where a jeweled crown winked in the firelight.
Speaker:“But mostly, I did it for my friends.
Speaker:They deserved Christmas.
Speaker:Especially my friends who lived here.”
Speaker:Jingle tilted his head.
Speaker:“And you’ve never wanted to go back?”
Speaker:Rudolph shook his head.
Speaker:“There are things I miss
Speaker:sometimes, but… It was almost a relief, you know,
Speaker:when this was gone.”
Speaker:He lifted his muzzle a bit,
Speaker:indicating his darkened nose.
Speaker:“You find out who your real friends are when your light goes out.”
Speaker:They finished the last of the cocoa in silence.
Speaker:Jinglebolt watched his coat’s aurora shimmering over the walls, mingling with the light from the fire,
Speaker:natural and easy as breathing.
Speaker:How different everything looked here.
Speaker:As night fell, he was invited to stay, but the northern lights were bright,
Speaker:and their soft waves seemed to call to him.
Speaker:He said his thanks as best he could and set out,
Speaker:letting the colors wash over his coat,
Speaker:stronger than they’d ever been before,
Speaker:beautiful and all his own,
Speaker:with wonders and mysteries to discover in the years to come. And when
Speaker:he looked out ahead of him at the smooth expanse of snow,
Speaker:he thought for a moment he could see a warm pink glow cast ahead from that little cottage,
Speaker:like a beacon in the cold, sweet night,
Speaker:shining bright enough to guide him all the way back home.
Speaker:“Resignation to the quiet inevitability of time,”
Speaker:the half fox mused,
Speaker:“suits winter, I suppose.”
Speaker:“It was still pretty damn sweet though,” the cybernetic alleycat nodded.
Speaker:“I would have bought it if you’d said it was meant for pride month.”
Speaker:The hitchhiker glanced up questioningly when the fireside companion refilled his cup with another hot buttered rum,
Speaker:but the dog maintained his affably inscrutable silence.
Speaker:“I have a question,
Speaker:though,” the badger spoke up instead.
Speaker:“Not about your story. Well,
Speaker:not exactly. Not that one.”
Speaker:He sounded concerned,
Speaker:as if he wasn’t sure this was a subject he ought to be broaching.
Speaker:“And not about this
Speaker:game, either, nothing to do with that…
Speaker:there’s just something I don’t understand about the story I brought.
Speaker:brought.” This was “Fireside Meeting After the Holiday Feast”
Speaker:Part 1 of 2. Contributed stories were “Tinsel’s Town” by “Vincenzo Pasquarella,”
Speaker:the author of “Phantom Janitor”
Speaker:plus editor of several anthologies,
Speaker:read by Ta’kom Ironhoof,
Speaker:the Equine Charmer.
Speaker:“One Last Winter Ride”
Speaker:by “Nenekiri Bookwyrm,”
Speaker:who makes games and writes stories,
Speaker:read by the author.
Speaker:“Peppermint Coffee To Go”
Speaker:by “Ziegenbock,” of the Book Badgers,
Speaker:read by Ardy Hart, a Wolf of All Trades.
Speaker:And “A Change in the Weather”
Speaker:by “Renee Carter Hall,”
Speaker:author of the Coyotl Award winner Huntress,
Speaker:read by Rob MacWolf, werewolf hitchhiker.
Speaker:Tune in next time
Speaker:to find out what’s troubling one of these storytellers,
Speaker:to see who, if anyone,
Speaker:wins their impromptu contest,
Speaker:but most of all to hear more holiday stories.
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Happy Holidays, and Thank you for listening
Speaker:to The Voice of Dog