Tukkuttok sat staring at the ice-covered Arctic Ocean. "I can't believe I'll never see my parents again in this life. If only they'd taken me with them when they went to help carve the whale... I'd be with them now, in the afterlife."
He stood, and looked towards the small village he'd known since birth. "If only the whale and everyone working on it weren't under the ice... I wouldn't be a burden on the others. We'd have plenty of food. I'm too young to help hunt the great bear, or run down the hoofed ones."
The young boy walked back to the village. He entered an empty sod shelter, with a driftwood and whalebone frame. "There's no sense saying if only because it isn't so. I can either stay and maybe cause others to starve, or I can try to survive on my own."
Tukkuttok picked up an ulu, the traditional rounded knife that his mother always used on hides. He placed it on his sleeping furs, along with other necessities. Once everything was packed, he wrapped the bundle securely. Then he took the extra weapons, which were old but serviceable.
Sadly he took one last look around, then went out into the fading daylight. "I'll take the extra sled. I can use it for shelter, and hauling meat if I'm lucky enough to catch anything big."
He placed the small bundle on the sled, and walked away from the only life he'd ever known. The fierce Arctic wind erased his tracks as quickly as he could make them.
Hours after dark, he stopped. "I'm far enough away now, they won't be able to find me if I start walking again at first light. This is for the best. I can go back after I become a real hunter," he reminded himself.
Determined not to be found, Tukkuttok was on the move well before daylight. When it was almost dark he saw a herd of wild reindeer, called caribou.
"I'll follow them. Maybe once they're used to me, I'll be able to get close enough to get meat. I can take it back to the village."
Being very careful not to spook them, Tukkuttok followed the herd for the next three days.
"I have to eat soon. Or I'll be too weak to walk..."
Deciding to take a chance, he waited until the herd stopped, then crept up on a single animal which was straggling. When he was close enough, he went in for the kill.
The caribou, a young adult male, saw him coming. It snorted, and ran towards the herd.
Tukkuttok instantly dropped onto his stomach, pressing himself to the snowy ground. But it was too late, the herd had been spooked. They were out of sight before he could retrieve his sled.
Following their approximate direction, the determined child refused to give up. Only stopping when he had to, he grew weaker by the day.
Then he saw it, in the distance. A magnificent caribou, its mighty rack gleaming. He approached much more carefully than the last time. This was a mature animal. It radiated health and strength.
Before he could get close enough to strike, it trotted away. But it only went s short distance, then seemed to wait for him. This went on seemingly forever. "Won't you ever stay still?" he wondered.
A short distance away, and yet worlds away, a middle aged couple of European descent sat in a cozy little cottage, drinking hot cocoa. Surrounding the cottage were huge evergreen trees, covered in snow. Far to the north were snowcapped mountains. To the south, rolling green pastures. Animals of many species grazed peacefully, unafraid and healthy.
"I know you miss the rest of the world, Mary. But this is the only way we can keep the spirit of Christmas alive forever. If we leave for too long, the magic fades. And yes, we will begin to age too."
"But we left for a whole decade, and nothing bad happened. Nick, I'm not convinced that this place needs us as much as you think."
"You saw what happened to the world. It's why we came back. Back home. I promise, next time the portal opens, we'll find a child to adopt. We'll look in the orphanages while we make our deliveries."
Mary sighed. "This would be a wonderful place to grow up. But imagine being a child, and your body never getting older. Even worse for a baby."
Nick nodded. "Maybe we can invite an older child. A teenager? He or she can stay as long as they wish, then go back when the portal opens again."
Mary looked at her feet. "That's another problem. It only opens once every ten years, and only for one week. When you're young, a year feels like an eternity. I won't have our home become a prison."
"I would never let that happen, Mary. I don't think the magic would either. It's given us everything we need to bring joy to children. Even flying reindeer, and the ability to speak every language. I refuse to believe such a place could imprison any child. Or us, for that matter, should we truly decide to leave."
Mary sat up, eyes wide. "Do you mean we can leave whenever we want to?"
Nick shook his head. "Probably, but I don't think we could come back if we decided to leave that way."
She nodded, and changed the subject. "Are the toys in the warehouse properly sorted? Remember last time, you had them mixed up. You kept grabbing a soldier when you needed a doll, and vice versa? I thought you were going to try to crawl through the mini portal in your bag to rearrange them!"
Nick chuckled. "If I thought I could fit, I'd have done it in a second. Everything's ready this time."
Mary sighed. "Now we just have to wait. Christmas is months away. I feel like a kid myself right now."
Nick stood. "How about passing some time with a sleigh ride through the air?"
Mary shook her head. "Maybe later, down to where the thoroughbreds are. You know how I love a fine horse..."
Nick smiled. "I'll race you on one of the camels. I'll probably lose, but I'll have fun doing it."
She laughed. "You can race me with all eight reindeer if you want."
Tukkuttok kept following what seemed to be the only other living creature in his world. It wasn't particularly afraid, but it wouldn't let him approach either.
Not daring to sleep in case the caribou moved on, he sat under the moon on his sled, furs spread out. "What's that blue light?" he wondered.
As if reading his mind, the caribou looked up. It saw the strange shimmering light in the distance, and trotted towards it.
Tukkuttok sighed, and followed wearily.
It stopped close to the light, obviously curious.
"Maybe I can get close enough. He's not paying attention, and I don't think he will try to touch whatever that is."
Before Tukkuttok could even leave his sled, the caribou stuck its nose on the light. Then it walked into it, and disappeared.
The young boy cautiously approached. He took off his thick mitt, and touched the light.
It was warm, but not hot. He put his arm through, and the other side felt normal, but not as cold. Steeling himself, he stepped forward, still pulling his sled.
The world was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Except for one thing. "Smoke. I see smoke ahead!"
Knowing that smoke meant people, warmth, and food, Tukkuttok broke into a stumbling run. Soon he was at the cottage door. He opened it without knocking, and collapsed on the plush red carpet.
Mary yelped, and Nick jumped to his feet. Then they both gasped.
Nick shut the door, then picked the child up. He took him to the comfortable plush chair by the wood stove. Soon Tukkuttok was happily drinking cocoa.
"But there's nobody else here, Nick. The portal is closed, and will be for months. The other side isn't exactly in a populated area anyway. Where did he come from?"
Nick looked at Tukkuttok's features and clothing. "I believe the portal opened for him. He was probably lost and desperate. We'll find out more after he's rested."
Months later, nine antlered creatures emerged from a blue light, then took to the air. The one in front was huge, and his rack was massive. The sleigh they pulled had three occupants.
"Let's go to Tukkuttok's village first, Mary. I want to make sure they have food."
Soon Nick was tiptoeing around the village, leaving much needed supplies in each home. Tukkuttok and Mary followed, grinning from ear to ear.
When they finished, the three returned to the sleigh, and a second later they were streaking through the sky.
Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery and Bing AI