Dolf, Kringle’s chief adviser, entered the Tanked Toymaker followed by his his capering human servant Frederick.  Dolf wore a traditional stocking cap trimmed in white fur, but he looked about as merry as an accountant at tax time.  Dolf envied Rolfin’s sharp and angular good looks because although elves highly value appearances Dolf remained pudgy and bulbous.

Frederick, the human servant, had been picked to make Dolf feel younger and more attractive, but in recent centuries Frederick had grown into an adolescent and now the awkward boy was past his prime. Frederick looked almost 14 as humans would guess age. Worried that the strange but familiar existence he had known in the Changeling Network’s service may be threatened by adulthood unless he grew into a handsome young man, and doubting his ability to charm lady elves, he stooped and tried to shrink himself as he hid in Dolf’s shadow.

Dolf turned to address Rolfin. “I heard you were back. What did you find?”

Rolfin sighed and pulled a small red snow globe out of his pocket. “Would you like to see the highlights or will you feed it to The List and watch it later?” The globe shimmered as a hologram of a child began to form inside the crystal ball.

“No time now” The Dolf answered in his most official voice. “You have a rush call.”

“I just got back!” Rolfin protested.

“No one else is in, and this is a legacy family. Just look.”

Dolf snapped his fingers and the human hastily brought out a big golden snow globe which was placed on the floor in front of Rolfin. The globe grew to be about the size of the fireplace, and the mists shifted inside until a hologram of a small human girl formed.

The girl appeared to be 6 or 7. Her red hair hung in loose curls around her face. She wore jeans and a red sweater. Her skin seemed like it would have been pale, but at the moment it too was red. Her expression was teary outrage, and she appeared to be in the midst of a tantrum. The center of the globe soon emitted the high-pitched wailing of a child crying.

“What do you mean having a new little brother is a gift? It is not! He is ruining Christmas!” There was a pause as the girl appeared to listen, but whatever was being said did not make her happy. The girl rolled her eyes, “Yes, you gave me Maximo. I love the kitten, you know that, but that wasn’t a Christmas gift… A little brother is not the same….But, but I want a Wii!”

The girl collapsed on the floor, kicking and screaming for some time. It appeared her audience had abandoned her, so after a few minuted she stopped and sat sniffling on the floor. “Stupid brother.” the red faced girl grumbled. “I don’t want a baby. I want a Wii.”

The elves watching from the tavern exchanged glances and leaned forward. Rolfin set his mug aside and prepared for a direct summoning. At least he would not have to trek through snow to find this one.

“What am I going to do with a baby brother?” The girl asked a small black kitten who walked over when the girl stopped wailing. “I would trade him for a Wii in a heartbeat. I wish I knew someone who wanted a baby.”

Rolfin sighed and nodded goodbye to Gretty. The magic pulled him bit by bit into the girl’s chimney where he formed himself in the smoke and stepped out before he solidified and burned. “It’s a good thing this is an old house.” he thought, “You don’t see many bedrooms with chimneys nowadays, and I hate going through all those air vents.”

Just as his head was clearing, he had to duck to avoid some sort of pointy metal object, which whooshed in the air in the general area of where his head would have been. He held up his hands in a mute appeal to the small girl holding the poker. He stepped back and she regarded him warily,

“It’s Okay!” Rolfin assured her.”I’m an Elf. I’ve come from the North Pole to make your Christmas wish come true.”

The Polar Trek

Even though magical warming energy protected Rolfin as charms sped his journey to the pole,  he was not happy to be back .   Whoever thought elves should live buried in ice and snow didn’t understand smaller bodies meant less heat and poor circulation.   He stamped his feat and tried to warm his hands by sticking them under his arms.   The  skinny elf appeared almost round because he wore many layers of coats and hats.  The red colors of his outer clothes made him easy to spot in the sea of shimmering white flakes.    His dark curls and high cheekbones would have made him attractive if they were visible.  Instead, he looked fat and merry.  Looks can be deceiving.

“That old windbag Kringle should have enlisted the ice giants in this scheme.” Rolfin muttered to himself,  “North Pole indeed.  A lot of trouble for something that was mostly spying and puffery.” He trudged through the drifting snow and tried to ignore the wind.  Finally,  he came to a stone marker so pale it was barely distinguishable from the whiteness around it.

“Hidden portals with invisible ruins are unnecessary in a uninhabitable climate like this.” Rolfin continued grumbling as he  made the familiar signs with frozen fingers and pounded on the stone till the gateway rose up.  The glowing white frame revealed the familiar elven buildings of the Changeling Networks’ village.  As soon as the portal  was clear, he jumped through and sprinted to the welcoming doorway of the Tanked Toymaker pub.

“Wipe your feet and leave your coat on the peg.”  Gretty the bar owner  called in greeting,  “We don’t need more slush on this floor.”  Her dark locks fell loosely around her thin shoulders, and her green velvet dress made her small athletic frame seem very feminine, almost curvy.  Gretty knew how to make the most of her looks. Elves did invent glamor after all.

“I missed you you too, my sweet.”  Rolfin answered her, but he stamped his feet dutifully removed the outer layers of his coats.  He hung the thick red coverings neatly before pulling off his boots and putting on the  generic pointy slippers that were waiting by the door.  He padded over to the fire and stretched out his fingers to the warmth. The tavern was done in classic medieval style, with wood tables and benches taking up most of the room. Gretty resisted candy canes and gingerbread as much as she dared.

“So,” Gretty asked while pouring whiskey into a mug and trying to make it look as if it were cocoa, “Who’s been naughty?”

“Everyone.”  Said Rolfin, “You know that.”

“Any prospects?”

“There are some twins in Denmark with red hair. Their family has been known to have talent.”

“Mmm.” She murmured unimpressed as she brought him the drink.

“There is a family with eight children in Alabama” Rolfin continued, “The mother thinks she’s been visited by space aliens.  We could probably swap out all of her brood and she’d not notice.”

“Just what we need– more inbred idiots running around here.”  Gretty commented.

“A spoiled rich kid in Brazil wants a real pony.”  He paused, “We do have a debt to her family. Old contract.”

“Ha! Let the parents handle that. You know they handle most of our load without even knowing it. They probably won’t know how to invoke the contract.”

“There is a boy who wants to buy shoes for his mother because his mother has cancer and no job. He thinks the shoes will help her find work.”

“Contract in the family?”

“No.”

“Any sign of talent?”

“Unknown.”

“We’ll probably drop a gold coin in the local Salvation Army and pick up the kid after the mother has passed away. We can only budget so many miracles.”

“I am just glad we limit the main campaign to once a year.  I’m glad we don’t cover all their holidays.  Humans will celebrate anything.”

“Well, it’s a good thing they like to play so much make believe.  There’s nothing like hiding right out in the open.”

“Sometimes I wonder how long Kringle intends to keep this going.”

“Hush. No one wants talk like that around.”

“Guess not. I’m just cold.”

“You are always complaining.  Best drink up and get ready to make an official report.”

Rolfin nodded and emptied his mug.  It would likely be a long night.  He turned his back to the fire and watched the door.