All agreed, Iris and Cosima's reactions were especially enthusiastic.
Santa chuckled. "All right, everyone follow me!" He headed toward the edge of the forest that fringed this part of the village, followed closely by the others. "It's only a short hike," He assured the group. "and it's quite a nice one, if I do say so myself."
The happily bantering group entered the forest.
The newly fallen snow gently covered the trees with glistening white, the air smelled crisp and clean.
"It's lovely." Pippi whispered.
Cosima nodded, taking in a deep breath and sighing blissfully.
There were similar reactions of bliss from the others.
"All right everyone, here is where the climb starts." Santa didn't whisper like the others, but his voice was lowered to a gentle murmur.
The climb up the steep hill didn't seem to take much out of them the way it might in a place absent of Christmas magic.Soon, they reached the summit.
The view of the village below looked like a vision from a child's fondest dream.
"Oh, my, just look at that!" Pippi exclaimed quietly, with an expression filled with wonder.
"Coolness!" Iris breathed.
Gretel said nothing, but breathed a very audible contented sigh.
Cosima stood gazing in silent wonder, to the point of choking up. She barely registered the others' reactions around her, and did not want to mar the experience somehow by saying anything. She smiled broadly, but her eyes were glazing with tears.
Suddenly, Pippi made a gesture toward something down in the village that caught her eye. "Is that all made of ice?"
"Yes, it is." said Santa. "Functional too."
"Really!?" Pippi nearly squealed. She looked excited enough to take off and fly down to that place if only she could.
What Pippi was marveling at was a large playground with swings, slides, monkey-bars and anything else normally found in a playground, only this was all made of ice and snow.
"Wow!" whispered Iris. "Neat!"
"I had a pleasant dream about such a place once when I was a child," said Pippi, "It looked a lot like that, and somehow you didn't get too cold playing or resting there. Neither did the structures melt." Pippi couldn't hide her excitement.
"Wish my dreams were that pleasant," NT muttered.
"Seriously, I've got to come back here and try this out." Pippi said longingly.
"You are more than welcome to, Pippilotta, and any of you." Santa smiled warmly. "Though I expect you'll be too tired to do so today."
"Thank you so much, Santa." Cosima said dreamily.
There were several other buildings made of ice, and Santa pointed them out, pleased his guests were having such a wonderful time. The ice buildings weren't places where people lived permanently, they were tourist attractions that melted away in late spring, to be rebuilt again in Autumn when the weather was consistently cold enough.
The rest were made of the usual construction materials, but were adorned with lights and decorations.
With the dark coming on fast, the lights and frozen landscape's beauty was absolutely stunning, and no one wanted to leave.
But eventually, cold and hunger started setting in for all present. NT was among the least tolerant of the cold, and she had begun to shiver and yawn.
Santa's cell phone rang. "Hello, ho ho ho!"
There was a short pause, and then he said, "We're on our way, Jessica, I've just taken our guests to the lookout."
"Okay, see you very soon."
He hung up. "Jess--Mrs. Claus," he remembered to inform the visitors, who probably didn't know her by her first name, "has got our dinner started, so we better head for home."
"Oh, right," said Pippi, "I am getting hungry, and this day is just flying by."
"And freezing." said NT barely above a whisper.
"You look freezing." Cosima added, seeing NT put a trembling hand over her mouth to yawn.
They hiked back down and arrived at Santa's just in time for dinner.
Santa showed them into the dining area as Mrs. Claus began taking the food off the stove, out of the oven etc.
Introductions were made, and Jessica Claus welcomed them all warmly.
The dinner was a veritable banquet. A choice of French Onion or beef vegetable soup, and bread rolls, a tossed salad, and two choices of a main course, meat loaf Wellington and broccoli and cheese casserole. To go with the meat loaf were tiny roasted potatoes. There was a wide variety of hot and cold beverages to choose from. Not what one might expect upon first glance, and one might be forgiven for thinking it would naturally be a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. That was on the menu for Christmas Day. Santa, his household and workers ate all sorts of different things year round just like anyone else.
At first, it was fairly quiet as everyone dug in, some pausing just long enough to make compliments, while others who were too busy eating as if their lives depended on it, showed their appreciation by nods and "Mmmmm"s.
"Just wait 'til I crow about this to Indy, she'll be so sorry she had to stay behind and work." Pippi grinned.
"Hah, don't be cruel!" NT said, grinning back.
Pippi made a quiet mock wicked chuckle, adding, "We've got to get her down here for a visit once this vampire business is over with
Santa looked at Jessica with a nod. She smiled back.
Cosima grinned, but said nothing and continued eating somewhat hurriedly.
"We'd have it no other way." Santa said, turning to Pippi.
Gretel nodded and swallowed hastily in order to get in another compliment before the conversation started up again, "This food is good enough to have healing properties or pretty near."
"Oh, go on." Jessica Claus said with a modest grin and chuckle.
Cosima was by far the quietest there, and she was first to finish her plate. When she was through, Jessica offered her seconds, which she gratefully accepted, but rushed through that as well. She seemed to be anxious or preoccupied, looking out the window every now and then, or down at her watch.
Jessica and Santa chatted and laughed with their guests and with each other. It was such a wonderful time.
Cosima sat quietly for a few minutes after her second helping of food, and then began making as if she wanted to excuse herself from the table. "That was just fantastic," she complimented, "and I'm sorry to eat and run, but I've got quite a job ahead of me, maybe some additional ones too, I'd like to get as much accomplished as possible before the lackwit contingent out there comes out to play and does any more damage around here." She began getting to her feet.
Iris giggled at Cosima's sharp-tongued description of the enemy.
"Oh, but you haven't had dessert yet, and that's still coming." Jessica Claus appealed. "We have all kinds of things, shortbread, pumpkin pie, mince pie, fruit cake, nanaimo bars, plum pudding, cinnamon rolls, spice cake, candy cane cookies, caramel apples - "
That got Cosima's attention, and her eyes lit up. "Caramel apples!?" She sat back down quickly. "All right, you've twisted my arm."
There was more laughter.
The desserts were received with as much enthusiasm as the meal, and all except Cosima sat around the table and visited for quite some time.
--