“Have the reinforcements arrived?” The fairy’s voice wobbled but he tightened his grip on the tree branch beneath him. He’d just received this promotion and his first mission was under way.
“No, Commander Winter,” Lieutenant Snowflake yelled from a nearby branch. The tree swayed slightly under the weight of her fellow soldiers as they took their position.
Winter swallowed the panic that rose in his chest. “We have no time. We’ll have to protect the Sacred Treasures alone.” He turned to the unit that surrounded him, faces hidden in the shadows of the tree. “Fairies!” he yelled. “This is what we’ve been trained for! We’ve waited all year long for such a time as this! Defend the Prize with honor and bravery!”
Three or four heads nodded in response to his speech, bows lifted and arrows nocked.
The Commander narrowed his eyes and focused in on the enemy that already had them in their line of sight. “We defend this tree no matter how hard they attack! The ornaments will remain untouched! The lights unscathed! The presents beneath without a scratch!” He raised the sword in his fist in victory. “Tonight the cats will fail! They will not undo what the owners of this house have worked so hard to create!”
A mighty meow rang out over the echo of fairy shouts before the army of cats leaped into the fray and the battle for the Christmas Tree began.
©Laura L. Zimmerman 2017
Photo credit Laura L. Zimmerman