Grandpa Thinker handed the box to Lysander, who carefully began to unwrap it.
"Do I get to keep the paper?" Lysander could see some uses for it. It could be used to decorate the hut, or he could make a present for Erin out of it.
"And the bows too, young man," grandma Thinker said gently. Lysander was ecstatic at that. The bows could be used, to mend the clothes. After all, they were made out of silk. Maybe, they could also be used for bandages.
When Lysander opened the box, he saw boots inside.
"Erin, look, new boots for you," he said, taking them out. Yet, when he took the pair, he saw a bottom which went only halfway in the box. Lysander placed the boots down, and then took off the bottom. There was another pair of boots in the box.
"We knew you would want to gift all your presents to your friend, young Lysander," grandpa Thinker said with a chuckle. "So, we made sure there were two things of everything."
Both the boys' eyes widened at that.
"For real?" Erin asked. He had gotten the best, well, almost the best, present he could get. The picture of his parents was going to be something he cherished. Yet, he wouldn't say no to new boots.
"For real, dears. And these are not just any boots. They will grow with you. They were made by special elven magic. Much like most of the things, we brought," grandma Thinker said. Then, she placed her hand on her mouth. "Oh, look at me, spoiling the surprise."
"We get more clothes?" Lysander asked. Suddenly, he wanted to get all the presents.
"Yes. The nymph, Belle, told us you needed something that grew with you, and could repair itself," grandpa Thinker said. "She was the one who wrote me the letter, on your behalf. It is almost like it was yesterday when she was born. Such a good child, Belle. Reminds me of another nymph."
When he finished that, grandpa Thinker handed Lysander a new box. Lysander unwrapped it just as carefully, not wanting to rip the pretty paper, or damage the silken bow. When he opened the lid of the wooden box, he saw a soft bundle inside. He untied it, and then saw that it was a cloak.
Before anyone could tell him otherwise, he wrapped it around Erin's shoulders.
"Ly, these are your presents. You should try them out first," Erin protested, but Lysander just smiled.
"If they are comfy for you, then they will be comfy for me," he said, and then reached out to remove the second bottom of the box. He could think of uses for these wooden boxes, so, he was careful with them as well.
The cloak under the bottom was a dark brown one, while the one he had given to Erin had been light blue. Lysander liked that very much. Erin deserved nice things.
A box after a box was given, and Lysander continued to hand over the first part of the present to Erin. As the two elderly people watched them, their eyes softened all the more. Soon, the boys were outfitted with boots, cloaks, pants, shirts, tunics, blankets, hats, gloves, scarves, and two rolls of bandages as thick as a big branch.
"I wish the last item was not needed," grandpa Thinker lamented, as grandma Thinker nodded along. "But you live in the frontier, boys. So, there is nothing to be done about that."
"Bandages are super useful," Lysander said. In fact, he was most excited about this present, out of the bunch. He knew that the clothes they were given were not going to be the only thing the two of them would wear. They would still need to get clothes of their sizes, non-magical ones, for when they needed to wash the clothes the Yule spirits had given them.
Yet, with the fact that the new clothes will never tear, Lysander was already making plans, for using them to get back to the Drypond Republic. Maybe at the end of spring, they could go and sell all that they managed to get and dry, during the autumn. Then, their cloaks won't be viewed with suspicion.
"Well, this is all from us," grandpa Thinker's stomach grumbled, and he blushed.
"Wait, we have to give you cookies and milk, but," Erin worried his bottom lip. The present the two had given him was priceless. Yet, he didn't have any cookies for them.
"We have cabbage stew. With rabbit inside," Lysander suggested. They were saving it for the breakfast, but Lysander supposed that he could feed the two old people. No one was going to leave his hut hungry. Not on his watch.
"That is very kind of you," grandpa Thinker began, trying to refuse him. Then, grandma Thinker nudged him in the ribs.
"We will be happy to share your meal, only if you let us add to it," she said. The two boys hurried to get the stew in bowls. There was enough in the pot, for them to also get some stew for themselves. When they came back, with two bowls in each of their hands, they saw the table decked in all kind of delicious goodies.
There was bread, as yellow as the faint winter sun. Cheese, milk, cookies, and sweetmeats. The two boys felt as the water pooled inside their mouths.
"Now, we first eat the stew, bread, and the sweetmeats," grandma Thinker said, with a jolly laugh. "Don't think I didn't see you two droll over the cookies."
"Thank you," the two boys chorused, as they placed the bowls with the stew on the table. The meal they shared with the Yule spirits was a pleasant one. Especially, when the two began to tell them of a nymph, who was also a dungeon core.
The two boys wondered if they would ever meet her. She didn't live in the frontier, but around a faraway town named Mirstone. A place so far away, it was on a different continent.
Grandpa Thinker handed the box to Lysander, who carefully began to unwrap it.
"Do I get to keep the paper?" Lysander could see some uses for it. It could be used to decorate the hut, or he could make a present for Erin out of it.
"And the bows too, young man," grandma Thinker said gently. Lysander was ecstatic at that. The bows could be used, to mend the clothes. After all, they were made out of silk. Maybe, they could also be used for bandages.
When Lysander opened the box, he saw boots inside.
"Erin, look, new boots for you," he said, taking them out. Yet, when he took the pair, he saw a bottom which went only halfway in the box. Lysander placed the boots down, and then took off the bottom. There was another pair of boots in the box.
"We knew you would want to gift all your presents to your friend, young Lysander," grandpa Thinker said with a chuckle. "So, we made sure there were two things of everything."
Both the boys' eyes widened at that.
"For real?" Erin asked. He had gotten the best, well, almost the best, present he could get. The picture of his parents was going to be something he cherished. Yet, he wouldn't say no to new boots.
"For real, dears. And these are not just any boots. They will grow with you. They were made by special elven magic. Much like most of the things, we brought," grandma Thinker said. Then, she placed her hand on her mouth. "Oh, look at me, spoiling the surprise."
"We get more clothes?" Lysander asked. Suddenly, he wanted to get all the presents.
"Yes. The nymph, Belle, told us you needed something that grew with you, and could repair itself," grandpa Thinker said. "She was the one who wrote me the letter, on your behalf. It is almost like it was yesterday when she was born. Such a good child, Belle. Reminds me of another nymph."
When he finished that, grandpa Thinker handed Lysander a new box. Lysander unwrapped it just as carefully, not wanting to rip the pretty paper, or damage the silken bow. When he opened the lid of the wooden box, he saw a soft bundle inside. He untied it, and then saw that it was a cloak.
Before anyone could tell him otherwise, he wrapped it around Erin's shoulders.
"Ly, these are your presents. You should try them out first," Erin protested, but Lysander just smiled.
"If they are comfy for you, then they will be comfy for me," he said, and then reached out to remove the second bottom of the box. He could think of uses for these wooden boxes, so, he was careful with them as well.
The cloak under the bottom was a dark brown one, while the one he had given to Erin had been light blue. Lysander liked that very much. Erin deserved nice things.
A box after a box was given, and Lysander continued to hand over the first part of the present to Erin. As the two elderly people watched them, their eyes softened all the more. Soon, the boys were outfitted with boots, cloaks, pants, shirts, tunics, blankets, hats, gloves, scarves, and two rolls of bandages as thick as a big branch.
"I wish the last item was not needed," grandpa Thinker lamented, as grandma Thinker nodded along. "But you live in the frontier, boys. So, there is nothing to be done about that."
"Bandages are super useful," Lysander said. In fact, he was most excited about this present, out of the bunch. He knew that the clothes they were given were not going to be the only thing the two of them would wear. They would still need to get clothes of their sizes, non-magical ones, for when they needed to wash the clothes the Yule spirits had given them.
Yet, with the fact that the new clothes will never tear, Lysander was already making plans, for using them to get back to the Drypond Republic. Maybe at the end of spring, they could go and sell all that they managed to get and dry, during the autumn. Then, their cloaks won't be viewed with suspicion.
"Well, this is all from us," grandpa Thinker's stomach grumbled, and he blushed.
"Wait, we have to give you cookies and milk, but," Erin worried his bottom lip. The present the two had given him was priceless. Yet, he didn't have any cookies for them.
"We have cabbage stew. With rabbit inside," Lysander suggested. They were saving it for the breakfast, but Lysander supposed that he could feed the two old people. No one was going to leave his hut hungry. Not on his watch.
"That is very kind of you," grandpa Thinker began, trying to refuse him. Then, grandma Thinker nudged him in the ribs.
"We will be happy to share your meal, only if you let us add to it," she said. The two boys hurried to get the stew in bowls. There was enough in the pot, for them to also get some stew for themselves. When they came back, with two bowls in each of their hands, they saw the table decked in all kind of delicious goodies.
There was bread, as yellow as the faint winter sun. Cheese, milk, cookies, and sweetmeats. The two boys felt as the water pooled inside their mouths.
"Now, we first eat the stew, bread, and the sweetmeats," grandma Thinker said, with a jolly laugh. "Don't think I didn't see you two droll over the cookies."
"Thank you," the two boys chorused, as they placed the bowls with the stew on the table. The meal they shared with the Yule spirits was a pleasant one. Especially, when the two began to tell them of a nymph, who was also a dungeon core.
The two boys wondered if they would ever meet her. She didn't live in the frontier, but around a faraway town named Mirstone. A place so far away, it was on a different continent.
