"Epifania Klaas, but you can call me Fanny," Nick's mom said, extending her hand—wrapped in fur-lined leather mittens—to Noelle. Not waiting for further formalities after giving it a hearty shake, she turned to Nick. "Tor did well. It looks like I got here just in time."

Kneeling beside the sopping wet calf who was starting to have tiny icicles hanging from its muzzle, he draped his coat over the animal and rubbed it to keep it warm. "You . . . you sure did," he said, teeth chattering. "Can you take him b-b-b-ack to the stables for the night?"

Fanny nodded. In her coat of mixed pelts and with her thick, blonde braid, she looked like a cross between a Yukon trapper and a Viking shield maiden. "Of course. Will you be all right?"

"Y-y-y-es," Nick said, picking up the calf and handing it over to his mother. "Thank you."

"Be well, my son. I'll see you in a few days when things settle down," she said before walking away.

"You're freezing," Noelle observed as Nick hugged himself, shivering more than ever. She was thankful that the reindeer had been rescued, but it had come at a huge expense. If Nick didn't get warmed up soon, he'd go into shock and the results could be devastating. Turning to lead him back across the lake so they could ride into town, she halted at the sight of the snowmobile in the way. "How did this get here?" she asked, bewildered. They had left the vehicle on the other side, but now it was sitting right there on the ice.

"The sa-a-a-me way my mother found us," he said.

Wrapping her arm around his waist both for warmth and to guide him forward, Noelle snickered. "Magic?"

"No. Tonttu."

"What's that? Some kind of remote GPS tracker?" she asked as the coldness from his body began to seep through to hers.

"I'll explain later," he said, leaning against the snowmobile. "Can you drive this thing?"

Noelle nodded and helped Nick out of his skates before also exchanging hers for the warm boots stored under the seat. Taking the front position, she turned the key in the engine and flipped on the headlights.

"Tell me where," she said, happy to feel his presence behind her, but increasingly scared of how long he'd been in his cold, wet clothes. They'd skated for quite a while before they heard the calf's cries, but hopefully riding back would just take a fraction of time.

Nick navigated effortlessly even in the dark of night, using landmarks along the way to guide Noelle across the ice. But it soon became apparent to her that they weren't going back the same way they'd come. Trusting his judgment, she didn't question his wayfinding until they turned off into a narrow tributary that—after a few hundred feet—stopped at a dead-end.

"What is this place?" she asked, coming to a standstill, but leaving the snowmobile idling.

He tapped her shoulder. "Cut the engine. We're here."

Noelle turned the key. "Here where?" she asked as he disembarked.

Moving slowly as if he were in pain, Nick turned his head and held out his hand. "Trust me."

Noelle took a deep breath. Did she have a choice? But he was definitely the more vulnerable one in this situation, so no matter how dodgy this all felt, it wasn't to his advantage to try to pull something sneaky. Taking his hand, she climbed the slight incline leading to a narrow opening in the jagged rock face ahead.

Inside was pitch dark, but only until they slipped behind a boulder that was partly blocking the entrance. It took a few seconds for Noelle's eyes to adjust to the dim light, but it was enough to see her way around.

They were in a small antechamber, wide, but short and with a tall ceiling. The temperature here was already much warmer than outside, and the humidity was palpable. There was also a faint hint of sulfur permeating the air.

"Come," Nick said, pulling Noelle toward a light source off the far right. Stepping through a natural doorway of sorts, they stood at the top edge of a secondary, much larger chamber. At the bottom, a pool of turquoise blue water shone bright.

Noelle gasped. "A thermal pool?" she asked, putting the variables together. The heat and sulfuric smell made sense, but something was off. They were deep in the mountainside and yet it was as bright as though spotlights were illuminating the water from below. "What's making it so bright?"

"Ever hear of bioluminescence?" Nick asked, leading her along the path that spiraled down to the water.

"Glowing algae?" She'd seen the phenomenon once in Puerto Rico, but it wasn't nearly this intense. Stopping at the edge of the pool, she squatted down. "Is it dangerous?"

Nick smiled, and she was glad to see the color returning to his face already even from just getting out of the cold. "Not at all. In fact," he said, grabbing the bottom of his sweater and pulling upward, "I think it's a perfect time to go for a swim."

Noelle watched in surprise as he pulled the garment over his head, taking his undershirt with it. Although she wasn't prepared for the undressing, she was even less prepared for his perfectly chiseled upper body.

"Uhm, swim?" she croaked, staring at his six pack abs. "What?"

He had kicked off his shoes and was already unzipping his fly. "It's the best way to warm up. They'd charge you a hundred dollars for a one-hour spa experience like this anywhere else and here you have it all for free," he said pushing his pants down to his knees before adding, "unless you mind doing it with me."

Everything was happening way too fast, but Noelle was momentarily distracted by his red and green boxer shorts that read 'Naughty? or Nice?'.

"I . . . uhm . . . no, I don't mind, it's just I don't have a suit," she stammered.

He gestured toward himself—now in nothing, but the holiday boxers—and shrugged. "There's not much of a dress code."

Noelle giggled. He was being awfully cute and the water did look inviting. She could already imagine the warmth lapping her cool skin. With a huff, she began to remove her shoes. Seeing that she didn't need further persuasion, Nick walked to the edge and—using several flat rocks as stepping-stones—entered the pool.

"Aah," he said, and his obvious satisfaction spurred Noelle to undress even faster.

"Is it nice?" she asked while shimmying out of her pants.

"Heaven."

Holding a conversation made getting nearly naked feel less uncomfortable, so she continued. "Do you come here a lot?"

"Not as much as I used to," he said while treading water.

She laughed. "I bet you brought all your girlfriends here," Noelle blurted out before realizing what she just said. Would he think she was making assumptions about herself? Or that she wanted to be his girlfriend? Oh, no. What had she done? Hiding her embarrassment under the cover of taking off her top, she tied her locks on top of her head, threw her clothes into a pile on the ground, and tiptoed to the pool.

"You're the first person I've ever brought here," Nick admitted as soon as she entered the water. "There's no particular reason why or why not, in case you're wondering. But I'm very glad you're here, if that makes a difference."

Noelle didn't have a chance to ponder whether she should be flattered or insulted. His candor was definitely welcome, but she was honestly more preoccupied by the comfort the thermal pool offered. It was like lying in a plush bed, or being enveloped in a cocoon. Her skin practically tingled from the rich minerals the hot liquid delivered to its surface. Once again, the best word that came to mind for the experience was 'magical.'

"Thank you for trusting me with this special place," she said, hanging on to a rock on the side. Her legs were too tired from skating to tread water for any length of time. She didn't know how Nick was managing so expertly.

"Well, then I should thank you for helping to save that reindeer calf. You didn't question anything and stayed level-headed the entire time," he said.

"Me? I hardly did anything at all. You're the one who nearly jumped in after it," she said. "And by the way, you said the ice was too thick to break. How did the calf manage to fall in, then?"

"Fishing hole, I'm guessing."

"Ah. Well, we were lucky your mother showed up. What's her story, anyway?"

"Mom is a character," he said with a smile. "She and dad don't get along well around this time of year, so she has a cabin in the woods where she stays until early January. It's been like that forever."

"Oh, I get it. Holiday anxiety is a real thing, so I don't blame her. But how did she know you needed help? You said something earlier about a totu?"

"Tonttu," Nick corrected.

"Yes, that was it. Does that have anything to do with what you were yelling in a foreign language?"

He nodded. "It did. I was speaking old Norse, asking the gods to send help."

"And your mother must have heard your call," Noelle said, following the logic of the situation.

But Nick shook his head. "No, a tonttu called Tor heard my call."

A recent summer blockbuster movie flashed through her mind. "Isn't Thor the god of thunder?"

"Not Thor, like the guy from The Avengers. Tor without the 'h.' He's a Nordic gnome who lives in the forest with his twelve brothers," Nick explained.

"A gnome?"

"That's right. A gnome."

She giggled. "A little guy with a pointy hat that people put statues of in gardens?"

"I suppose some people may do that. But here in Lapland they live freely, often making mischief, but also helping when the occasion calls for it," he said before turning and swimming away. In spite of wanting to find out what he really meant by the forest gnome talk, a dark outline on his right shoulder blade caught Noelle's attention.

"Nice ink," she said, admiring the three sharp symbols arranged in a circle. "What does it mean?"

Reaching the far side, he pulled himself out and sat on the ledge. "Come over and I'll tell you."

Noelle smiled. Using slow strokes, she swam across before sitting next to Nick. He angled his body so she could get a closer look at the tattoo. "They're not nearly as daring as yours," he said, eyeing the colorful half sleeve running from her left shoulder to her elbow. "But they're a special part of me."

She reached toward the first symbol, but caught herself. "May I?"

He nodded.

Placing her wet fingertip on the top of the symbol, Noelle traced the angular 'B' shape. When she'd finished, the image pulsated with a bright light.

She gasped and drew her hand away. "It glowed," she whispered, not believing her eyes.

Nick laughed, but didn't dispute the observation.

"How is that possible?" Noelle asked, touching the second symbol, which looked like the mirror image of a number '1'. As before, the dark ink lit up as soon as she finished tracing it.

"There are many things that are possible even if you don't believe in them," he whispered, holding still under her touch.

"Like the forest gnomes?" she asked, hoping he'd admit that he was just messing with her, but increasingly thinking that he was dead serious.

He nodded. "Exactly."

Noelle sighed. People in this place were way too into local lore. They were like method actors or cosplayers who stayed in character all the time. But as long as it stayed harmless fun, she could probably deal with it.

Moving her hand to the final shape, Noelle began drawing a diamond on legs. "You said you'd tell me what they mean," she said, slowly moving her fingertip along Nick's wet skin, leaving goose pimples in its wake.

He cleared his throat. "They're ancient runes related to renewal, growth, and endings that turn into beginnings."

When the third symbol stopped glowing, Noelle drew away her hand and Nick pivoted to face her. "My turn," he said, looking at her skin decoration.

Wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue, she scooted closer. Waiting for him to touch her was agony even if only just a few seconds passed. His hand was cool against her shoulder as he slowly drew his fingertips down her arm, similarly tracing the pattern made by her ink as she did for him. But unlike Nick's tattoo, Noelle's didn't glow under his caress.

He didn't seem to mind. Cupping her elbow, he gently pulled her toward him before covering her mouth with his.

Noelle's world melted away as she opened herself up to his kisses. Just as she'd imagined, he tasted of peppermint.

This is my #NaNoWriMo2019 project and while I absolutely love all of my silent readers, I would LOVE to get your encouragement while writing this story. So please, please, please add it to your libraries, vote on the chapters (updates daily!) and leave me comments. <3

How cool would swimming in a geothermal (hot water spring warmed by volcanic activity) cave be? And you know what's the best part? They actually exist! I don't know about Lapland, but the one in the collage above is in Grjótagjá, Iceland. Bucket list!