Winter of the Ice Wizard

wolf run free.
    Secret things I know
    And onward see.
    â€”From
The Poetic Edda

A cold wind rattled the windowpanes. But inside the house, it was warm and cozy. Jack and Annie were making Christmas cookies with their mom. Jack pressed a star-shaped cookie cutter into the dough.
    â€œHey, it’s snowing outside,” said Annie.
    Jack looked out the window. Huge snow-flakes were falling from the late-afternoon sky.
    â€œYou want to go out?” asked Annie.
    â€œNot really. It’ll be dark soon,” said Jack.
    â€œThat’s right,” said their mom. “Today’s the first day of winter. It’s the shortest day of the year.”
    Jack’s heart skipped a beat. “You mean it’s the
winter solstice
?” he said.
    â€œYes,” said their mom.
    Annie gasped. “The winter solstice?” she said.
    â€œYes … ,” their mom said, puzzled.
    Jack and Annie looked at each other. Last summer, Merlin the magician had called for their help on the
summer
solstice. Maybe he would need them again today!
    Jack put down the cookie cutter and wiped his hands on a towel. “Actually, Mom, it might be fun to play in the snow for just a few minutes,” he said.
    â€œWhatever you want,” their mom said. “Just dress warmly. I’ll finish up with the cookies and put them in the oven.”
    â€œThanks!” said Jack. He and Annie raced to the closet and pulled on their boots. They threw on jackets, scarves, gloves, and caps.
    â€œBe home before dark,” their mom said.
    â€œWe will!” called Jack.
    â€œBye, Mom!” Annie shouted.
    Jack and Annie slipped out of their house into the snowy cold. Their boots squeaked as they ran across their white yard and headed toward the Frog Creek woods.
    At the edge of the woods, Jack stopped. He couldn’t believe how beautiful the trees looked. White powder covered the branches of the hemlocks and pines.
    â€œLook,” said Annie. She pointed to two pairs of footprints that led out to the road and then back into the woods. “Somebody else has been here.”
    â€œIt looks like they were walking out of the woods—but turned back,” said Jack. “Let’s hurry!” If the magic tree house
had
come back today, he didn’t want anyone else finding it first!
    Jack and Annie walked quickly through the woods, following the two sets of footprints.
    â€œStop!” said Annie. She pulled Jack behind a tree. “Over there!”
    Through the falling snow, Jack saw two people in long, dark cloaks. They were hurrying toward a tall oak—and high in the oak was the magic tree house!

    â€œOh, no!” said Jack.
    The tree house
was
back! And someone else had found it!
    â€œHey!” Jack yelled. “Stop!” The tree house had come for him and Annie—no one else!
    Jack started running. Annie followed. Jack slipped and fell in the snow, but he scrambled up and kept going. By the time he and Annie got to the tree house, the two people had climbed up the rope ladder and disappeared inside.
    â€œCome out!” Jack yelled.
    â€œThis is
our
tree house!” shouted Annie.
    Two kids poked their heads out of the tree house window. They both looked like they were about thirteen years old. The boy had tousled red hair and freckles. The girl had sea-blue eyesand long, curly black hair. Their cheeks were rosy from the cold. They laughed when they saw Jack and Annie.
    â€œExcellent!” said the boy. “We came to find you, but you have found us instead.”
    â€œTeddy!” cried Annie. “Kathleen! Hi!”
    Teddy was the young sorcerer who worked with Morgan in her library in Camelot. Kathleen was the enchanted selkie girl who’d helped Jack and Annie on the summer solstice by magically turning them all into seals.
    Jack was stunned. He had never imagined that their two friends from Camelot might someday visit Frog Creek! “What are you guys doing here?” he shouted.
    â€œClimb up and we will tell you!” said Teddy.
    Jack and Annie hurried up the rope ladder. When they climbed inside the tree house, Annie threw her arms around Teddy and Kathleen. “I can’t believe you came to visit us!” she said.
    â€œIt pleases me to see you, Annie,” said Kathleen. “And you also, Jack.” Her large blue eyes sparkled.
    â€œIt pleases me, too,” Jack said shyly. He still thought Kathleen was the most