The Lark, the Boy, and the Korat

The Meeting (Christmas Special)

Once upon a time, in a faraway land covered in snow, lived a lonely boy named Madrel. He found a little bit of comfort hiding beneath a large tree weighed down by snow. Madrel had a tough life, as he had lost his family while they tried to survive in a deep, mysterious forest. His father had gone to town with Madrel's sister and baby brother but never came back, making Madrel fear the worst.

High up in the branches of the tree, a little bird called a lark woke up from her sleep. Unlike other birds that flew away to warmer places, this lark stayed in the cold to explore the world around her. She started to sing beautifully, hoping to cheer up any animals that were awake and to lift the spirits of those facing the bitter cold.

Hearing the lovely song, Madrel jumped and asked nervously, "Who's there?"

"Don't be scared, little boy," the lark said kindly. "What's wrong?" she asked, ffluttering closer to him.

"It's so cold," Madrel stuttered, trembling with fear. "Are you here to hurt me?"

The lark swooped down even closer for him to see her. "Of course not! I wouldn't harm you. Don't you have a coat to keep you warm?" Madrel shook his head. "Don't worry," she promised, "I'll make you a coat from feathers and flax I have in my nest. You can't stay out here without one."

With that, the lark flew back up to gather materials. However, as she did so, her nest fell apart, scattering feathers and twigs everywhere. Yet, she skillfully wove a coat from what she found and brought it down to Madrel. When he put it on, it warmed him up and chased away the chill. He whispered, "Thank you. Would you come with me? I'm going to my mother's house for Christmas. Maybe I could stay there forever. What do you think?"

"Well, I lost my nest, so I see no reason to stay in this lonely forest," she mused.

Madrel managed a small smile. "What should I call you?"

"Just Lark. I want to keep a connection to my kin," she replied. "And you?"

"Madrel."

The two of them journeyed north together for two days, chatting and sharing stories that brought them closer. They talked about fairies, witches, goblins, trolls, and all sorts of people and their encounters with strange creatures. On the third evening, as a snowstorm approached, they sought shelter under a they believed would be uninhabited.

Feeling anxious as the wind rustled around them, Madrel almost cried out in fear. In response, Lark gently perched on his legs and began to hum a soothing lullaby. Slowly, Madrel relaxed and joined her in singing the words: "Stars are fading, but I linger on, dear..."

Lark continued, "Still craving your kiss, I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear."

"Thank you," Madrel whispered as their voices faded into quiet. Suddenly, the rustling returned, replaced by soft footsteps. A curious tortoiseshell cat appeared from a nearby tree hollow, hissing softly.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" she asked.

Madrel answered, "We're looking for shelter from the storm as we head to my mother's house for Christmas." His voice echoed through the stillness of the snowy clearing.

"We can leave if we're bothering you," Lark added. "We mean no harm, little cat."

"You can stay, but be careful not to disturb the fox's den nearby. It might bring trouble," the cat warned.

"I'm Lark, and this is Madrel," said Lark, bowing slightly in respect. "What's your name?"

"You may call me Korat," replied the cat. "Why are you searching for someone on Christmas? Are you unhappy with your friend?"

Madrel raised an eyebrow at the question. "I want a place to feel at home. And what better way to celebrate Christmas than at home with family? What else would we do? Celebrate in the snow?

"That's how I spend my Christmas. Why not do the same?" Korat responded.

Just then, Lark gasped and looked up at the sky. "Look!" she called to Korat and Madrel.

In the sky was a bright, shining star, glowing more brilliantly than any star they had ever seen in that part of the sky.

Korat gasped with realization. "He's here! He's here!" she exclaimed, dashing off into the quiet forest as if the whole world knew about the miraculous child to be born that night.

Lark looked at Madrel, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's go see what's happening!" she said eagerly.

"Okay," Madrel nodded in agreement.

They set off on their journey, heading west, even though they thought they were following the North Star.

They trekked West until midnight, where they rested their eyes, not having slept for a day of their journey. When Madrel and Lark arose from their brief slumber, it was nearly dawn. Lark called out to her new friend, "Shall we keep following that star?"

Mandrel looked her in the eyes before he answered, "Korat sped off for some reason, and I wish to know why. You can stay here while I investigate if you wish, but I will continue on, for my curiosity is too much." Lark decided at that moment that she would follow this boy until he grew up into a man, and even then she would follow.

On they travelled, reaching a crowded town, the sign at the edge announcing the place's name, Bethlehem. People sat upon donkeys, camels, and horses.

Lark, sat on his shoulder, looked over at Madrel. "Why must they take advantage of us like that?"

"I haven't a clue," His soft, meek voice barely able to be heard over the loud sounds of chatter.

Eventually, the two make it through the crowd gathered, and slip by the tax collectors counting off people. Our sweet little Lark caught some chatter from the surrounding animals, who didn't seem to mind holding items and folk on their back which was something Lark thought strange, that allowed her to lead them to a small barn, where shepherds, cows, horses, chickens, any animal you could name, had gathered around a manger that would soon hold a very special child.

The child of God.

And Lark, Korat, and small, shy Madrel all watched as this child was born, a great joy settling into their hearts.

Madrel eventually made it back to his mother's home, where Lark was built a small home on the side of the house so that she could stay with her friend. The boy had a home and he and his best friend, as they continued to adventure throughout their new life together, never forgetting the joy of the birth they had witnessed.

Thank you for reading if you actually made it this far! I was given an assignment in school to write a christmas short story that held aspects of at least one of a few different christmas classics/stories. (Christmas is a Sad Season for the Poor, A Christmas Story, and The Gift of the Magi) 
I recently changed my name irl, not legally, but now everyone calls me charlie, and I had to put my school name for my assignment and my best friend commented on my doc to change my name to charlie on it and it just made my day because she's amazing.
This was how I decided to start off Lark, Madrel, and Korat's story and adventures because why not? I'm not catholic and I don't believe in god but i had regulation for the story and so here it is! i truly hope you like it everyone, it was fun to write!

-Avalin