#anywhere

Nadeen beams "You first, Connor"

He looks from Nadeen to Aiden and back, and pushes the gifts he brought - wrapped in gaily colored paper with bright bows, under the tree. The large present moved towards, and he looks to Aiden once more,

"Yes, please open it." Aiden nods.

And Connor tears into the gift!

Nadeen snuggles with her husbannd and watches "He tears into it with a dragons ferrociy"

He wraps an arm around his lady - no less his for all that she has no mortal ring on her finger, and watches. She can feel what he doesn't let on, a touch nervous as he opens.

Connor finds... "A stick! It's a pretty stick." The stave is nearly as tall as Connor himself, gracefully curved, dark stained wood with golden and silver inlay in celtic designs, knots and leaping hounds.

"No, not a stick. See..." Aiden kneels and reaches into the package, and picks out a cord from within. Demonstrating, he takes the stave and carefully bends it almost double, so that he can string the bow.

"Ooooooooooooooooo." Connor breathes.

A smile

"It's a stick AND a string!" Connor nods!!

A muffled cough. "It is a longbow. The wood comes from a tree on our own lands. Crafted by a master artisan. I had it sized to fit you. Here..." He reaches and pulls out a quiver as well, supple-soft leather. "The arrows we fletched with feathers from wild turkeys - they have the finest for fletching. The color... I hope suits you."

The bow is dark, almost black with gold and silver inlay, but the arrows are banded with a very specific, recognizable green and gold.

"Robin Hood used a longbow to fight a wicked Sheriff" Nadeen says

Nadeen alone may know of the nights spent carefully working on the fletching himself, until finger tips were sore and stained. The bow, made by a master craftsman. The arrows? Despite being the 'disposable' part of the gift, were made as a labor of the Baron himself.

"Merida uses a bow too." He nods! "And Orlegolas Blooming Onion. And Bored of Mirrors, too."

Aiden relaxes just a touch as Connor's ears stay pricked up and his tail wags. "I believe I know of whom you speak. I am glad you know of the old lore, and not just the new."

The arrows are fletched, but have only tapered points, no arrow heads.

"Where are the Pokey-stabbers?" Connor asks, a bit uncertain.

Aiden clarifies, "These are target arrows. They will easily stab a bale of hay, or a cloth target. You must first practice. Someday, if you choose, you may use them to hunt..." He continues, seeing the conflicted look in Connor's eyes, "Or to protect, or to win contests. You can do much with an arrow. They may traverse gullies, or span ropes. Spring nets, or stun. I will leave it to you to discover what a bow means to you."

"We can watch some Hawkeye on Disney plus if you like. But his arrows are for grownn ups"

Connor hugs the bow - carefully. A small smile from Aiden. "It is strong. You won't break it easily. Though, I would not leave it where horses may tromp upon." He warns. "THAT might well snap it."

Aiden looks a bit befuddled at the mention of Hawkeye - his pop culture is rather dated. But he smiles to Nadeen over Connor's head. "Just so, my love."

"We hear you've been a wonderful boy this year anyway, Connor" Nadeen seems to have dispensed with formality

"Yes. You do good work to support your knight, fulfill your duties, and care for the horses. Very admirable."

"We... I... am proud of you. I am glad that you came to visit."

Connor swallows, and pushes forward wrapped gifts to Nadeen and Aiden!

Nadeen chuckles "My word..." but she opens Connor's gif

"Dagmar helped me with this. And Mrs. Symon's Anne-Marie... and others..." It's a small photo album, inexpensive, cheap materials. But, it's what's inside that counts... pictures of Tanya. Not just Tanya, but the Browns! Some she knows, of course, they were family shots after the Adoption. Even one with Sam in it as well! But others are pictures of just Mr. and Mrs. Brown, perhaps submitted along with their foster application.

Some she may not have even seen before!

Connor watches carefully to see her reaction.

Tanya's eyes grow wet for just a moment "Oh, Connor. It's.. thank you" She hugs the boy

He squeezes her back! "It's hard to lose a momma. You lost your boths. But it's good to remember, right?"

He whispers in her ear during the hug, "And you helped fix him, too."

A blush, then a whisper "Your father IS proud. So am I. Donn' be afraid to make him know you. You're worth knnnowing"

He nods!

Another small packet is in hand, but Aiden is offers his gift over to Nadeen.

"One of these is a Yule gift... the other, I meant to give you some time ago, but things, as they are wont to do, became busy, and complicated..."

"Which should I open first?"

He smiles a little, it is a single thin box.

She opens that thin box

"It's an antique I found - the original gems were paste - simple glass, and were missing. Pried out by someone who I am certain was disappointed when they tried to pawn it. I had them replaced in the same style but with black diamond. Pray you do not have them pryed out a second time?"

A soft tone, in jest. The main stone she can tell is amber!

"It's breathtaking"

"Inside, you may perhaps put a picture, or, see how cunning the clasp is? It may hide something, if you wish."

She does open it annd picks it up

It takes a moment to find where to press to open the locket, it could easily pass as a pendent. There is room for a photo, momento or small item within.

"Yes, breathtaking." Aiden says simply, though he's still looking at Nadeen, not the jewelry.

She eyes the collection of photos in the book, then looks at this and smiles. Copies can be made now. "This is perfect"

Connor claps softly. "Now you can make Dinosaurs of your very own."

"I can!" She has no idea what he means

He grins anyways.

The fabric that was below the pendant shimmers, and has a feel of glamour about it...

She kens it

Oh, this may be a treasure!

"Oh, you definnitely should not have"

"Oh? Shall I toss it upon the bale then?" He stretches out as though to take it back, and Connor gasps! "Nuuuuuuu...." He says softly!

"No indeed" She huffs and clutches it close 'mmph"

It unfolds to a sheer and lovely scarf, or shawl, that gleams as though sunlight is shining through it. An Arabian feel, the sort that may have been used to cover a lady's face, but with how sheer it is, it's more for the effect than any actual hiding. It can also be worn around the shoulders, as a fashion scarf in a more modern look, or.. however one might choose.

At first glance it's fairly plain, but when looking closer, the one can see that the workmanship is exquisite. The threads are golden silk, embroidered by... what must have been hands smaller than any mortal, perhaps magical silkworms themselves? Or made by magic.

"So intricate" She gazes

"Though you are a proud and magnificent lady of Varich, and not one who would skulk and hide in the shadows, sometimes, still, discretion is the better part of valor. A touch of glamour, and, shall it work as promised, it will veil you as cleanly as one hiding in the shadows, though you stand clear in the light of day, torch, or lamp."

He smiles a little, "And, I believe it will look lovely on you. Or rather, you will allow it's beauty to shine with your own light."

Connor's tail wags. "I'll never tell a living bean. I mean, if I did, they'd never believe me." Clearly thinking he had been forgotten.

Aiden clarifies, "I trust your discretion, lad."

Tail wags HARDER.

"I..." A smile "I shall use it.. judiciously"

"Oh Connor" She laughs and pulls him over "Yes, I know you are a wonderful secret keeper"

Aiden watches the hug, perhaps a little jealous.

He clears his throat.