lore

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Elsa’s Song, Dec 14th 2021

The call of the first starling braided itself through the air. The clouds vanished. The bright winter sun creating diamond crust on the ground.

Ricky and Nejla were busy getting the sleds ready for the trip. The Crew were eager to get going. The five older huskies pulling Ricky and Luca’s sled sparkled with anticipation. The group of starlings were belting out their regular lunch serenade right after the morning one. They just kept on going.

“Gorgeous!” Nejla could not help herself. She just had to yell it out. “Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!”

“Oh, yes!” Ricky sounded in. “Gorgeously freaking gorgeous!

Luca the Lab was getting comfortable in Ricky’s sled. Nejla tied the cargo basket closed. It was filled with food for The Crew, her own provisions, backpack and all the regular long distance mushing gear.

Both Ricky and Nejla had inherited their sleds when Ricky’s grandfather and Nejla’s uncle passed. He’d been the most renowned musher and sled-maker in the country. Everyone who were serious about the art of mushing came to grandpa and uncle Ford to learn how to work with “these gentle souls with fierce clarity” as he’d called called “the polar breeds”. The sleds he built were known to be strong, fast and flexible.

Ford had told both Nejla and Ricky that his grandfather’s grandfather had actually learned how to build the sleds from the trolls and the pixies. The fairies and the alves had then taught him how to create the lines. Every sled made had its own Nisse appointed to look after both sled, dogs, food, human connection and more.

A faint sound of “swish, swish” in the snow made Nejla turn her head. A little black cat looked her straight in the eyes. A moment later she graciously jumped over the handle bar and placed herself on top of the cargo basket.

“It’s obvious she’s joining”, Ricky laughed.

It took less than a minute for the cat to make herself comfortable.

“And who are you?” Nejla asked.

“Maddy the Mighty”, the cat replied. “You know you ain’t gonna connect to any dragons with just them dogs. And you know you need dragons! It ain’t gonna work without dragons. So who’d you gonna call? Cat Kingdom! And I’m your representative. Pleasure to connect”.

Cecilia Götherström, December 14th 2021  

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Elsa’s Song, Dec 8th 2021

Nejla sat with her hands wrapped around a fresh cinnamon scented oat milk cappuccino, in what felt like another dimension.

The Crew – her band name for Tuva, Kriya and Starlight – lay sprawled out and curled up between the crackling open fire place and the front door.

The blizzard had quietened down. Now there were just grey, plump clouds dropping snowflakes in a dancing slow motion.

Ricky sat at the sturdy wooden table across from Nejla. How she and The Crew had ended up this close to Pinehome with the train was beyond her comprehension. 

One moment they had been engulfed by the blizzard. Which was not a bad thing. There were few things she loved more than the cold wind and snow touching her cheeks. 

“Embrace! Embrace! Embrace! Align!” had travelled through her mind. As she said the spell out loud she had felt very powerful from within.

Seconds later , the sound of someone whistleing, followed by The Crew howling in reply. A black labrador appeared as the sun broke through the storm making the snow flurry dissipate.

“Dio!”, Nejla could not believe her eyes. “Dio! Where is Ricky?”

“Here!”, Ricky’s voice reached her before she could even see him approaching on skis. “Welcome to Buffalo Land!” He almost fell forwards as he swung his arms up to greet her with a hug which made the skis move backwards. “Soulsister, soulsister. So good to see you.”

“So, what really brought you here this time, sister dear?” Ricky reached for the sugar. He liked his coffee sweet to the point of it being sugar with a bit of coffee.

“The Adventurer. Storulven. Spells.” Nejla shrugged her shoulders. “Not entirely sure, but it’s definitely something to do with those three. And maybe more. I felt, and feel, instructed to take one step at a time, not envisioning anything behind those steps, just listening. I know this was big one. I had some sort of inner knowing telling me I had to go north, in the direction of White Buffalo Land. So, here we are.”

“Here we are”, Ricky echoed. “Listening to the light.”

Cecilia Götherström, December 8th 2021