#brightwindsbarony

Grete slides a hand through Ashlee's arm if the troll will let her. "C'mon. Let's see what he brought?"

She allows and moves forward "Sorry, Santa. I just.. sorry" For her face. Sorry for her face. But folks will just make excuses

"Ashlee, you have nothing to apologize for."

"Sorry, Baroness" Comes out before she thinks about it

"So, Santa, this is Ashlee, and this is Grete. Though I suppose you knew that..."

"If you have more shiny shoes in there, please? You can give them to someone else."

" I don't mean to sound rude, I just mean... I have so many."

"Maybe someone else needs new shoes?"

"I did, but thank you, introductions are helpful" He hands a package to Ashlee, then eyes Grete "oh, I've something special for you, Grete. "

A solemn nod. And she puts on the polite smile she has learned when being given expensive gifts from family friends and expected to be gracious. "Thank you, Santa."

And he reaches out pulling out a box about a foot wide and that tall. It's got heft in it

A hat? She can turn it upside down and keep things in it, maybe. Accepting the box.

WAY too heavy to be clothes

for it's size

"Uff." Surprised. A glance at Ashlee - what is the troll opening?

Ashlee is opening .. Books "The Silverhand Chronicles..." She looks over "And..."Alanna the first adventure?"

A nod of approval. "Good knights, both of them."

"They were?" She says

"You'll have to read."

"I don't want to spoil things, but yes." He doesn't mention that despite some misleadind coverart, SIlverhand thinks herself rather plain

"I can read.." She says. Shes ugly, not stupid and clutches the books to her "Thank you, Santa"

She is unaware she's going to love both

And then Ashlee looks at Grete "Open yours, Grete"

"Oh..." She opens the box carefully...

Having been distracted by the 'Silverhand' title!

It's coal..a lump the size of a bowling ball

and next to it..

a tiny hammer and chisel

Blink. Blink blink. And a BIG GRIN! She reaches in and runs her hands over the lump, like one might finger a delicate scarf. "Oh, what are YOU?"

Ashlee drops her books angry "Coal? But she's been GOOD"

Santa laughs, then says "yes she has.. "

Wait.. there's like.. different stones inside the coal, more than one type!

"I never got coal no matter how bad I was... I just got assigned to etiquette classes..." She tries to explain to Ashlee... "I don't recognize this! It's..." Squint. "Not Feldspar...." Starting to drag the box away to a corner excitedly. "Thank you!!"

"You're welcome" He winks "Please forgive Santa for using magic to cheat. It shouldn't spoil your fun"

She gives him a grin. "If it was just plain ol' diamond it wouldn't be half as fun!"

Saying diamond like someone might say 'vanilla'.

Santa grins, then looks to Ashlee "You see, Ashley, it's only coal on the outside.. on the inside, it something wonderful, not that coal can't be wonderful too.... the outside is nice, the inside is where the treasure of wonder is truly found"

Tap tap tap! Tap tap tap! Not giving a huff that her shirt is getting dusted with black soot, Grete is cheerily starting to poke at the lump.

Perhaps the happiest looking that Ashlee has ever seen her. Why, Grete may even be whistling!

Ashlee stares in confusion.

Other childlings and younger wilders line up, Santa handing out gifts

"Oh, oh!" She is going slow to savor the search, but something is coming into view near the top. "Ashlee, come see!"

Ashlee comes over

Delicate tapping, and the coal flakes away, showing a stone... Grete licks her thumb and rubs at it to see what color it might be under the dust!

A dark blue that glitters just a bit... tapping more carefully but quickly now. "Do you SEE?" As she works to wiggle it free from it's home.

It's... a rock. A blue rock.

"WOw.. it.. it was pretty inside all along" Ashlee says as if this is.. surprising

"I don't KNOW this rock." Turning it over and over in her hand. "I can't wait to see who you are." Is she crooning to it?

"Wow. You really like ROcks" Ashlee says

"They were my only friends for a long time." She nods to Ashlee. "They make me feel nice. See?" She offers it to Ashlee to hold.