Spotting the gaily-decorated tree in Qeynos Harbor, Mum exclaimed, "Och! Frostfell already? Where has th' time gone?" With one wistful glance at the magic closet that was the portal into the Frostfell Village, she scampered quickly to the bank. If last year's event was any indication, she was going to need every erg of pack space she could manage.

Several minutes later, and many pounds lighter, she stepped into the closet, and entered the Frostfell Village. Snow, gaily-decorated trees and wreaths, dancing fauns, and merry elves, rainbow bridges connecting the various ice-islands. Ah, it all brought back lovely memories of last year's Frostfell, with a few notable changes here and there, but, ... ah yes! There they were!

She'd spotted The Prezzies.

Not just your everyday wrapped gifts, but ginormous stacks of them! Some were even taller than a halfling! And inside those lovely gifts that kept magically popping up hither and yon were bound to be items that were a crafter's dream. Patterns, dyes, colorful fabrics, wrapping paper, snips and snails (but no puppydog tails), bourboun, spices! A veritable plethora of goodies that could be used to craft up a variety of special Frostfell items.

Mum was all set to dive into harvesting with a will when she spotted the shopping bags. "Bah, McScroogle be tryin' tae make th' season more commercial, eh?" she muttered loudly.

"Heya Mum! They're actually pretty cheap, and they're a huge help with harvesting all the goodies! You should pick a couple up!" With that, the fae who'd overheard her performed an acrobatic leap off the ramp leading into the village, aiming for a small island with several gifts lying in the snow.

Wasting no more time gawking, she bought a couple of the shopping bags, made a side-trip to collect a gift from Gardy Giftgiver, and was off and harvesting.

Eventually, she made it to one of the islands that held the crafting equipment, after many side-trips for "just one more" prezzie, and found she'd harvested so much she barely had room for fuel, much less new recipes, and the items created from them. A quick scan of Giddlenerf Gigglegibber's wares, however, showed her that she only had to purchase one more book of recipes. She'd mastered the others the year before.

Harvesting was forgotten for several long minutes as she started bouncing around while reading aloud. "Swaying purple paper lantern, frostfell chip cookies, hot chocolate mug ... tiny snowwoman plushie ... vest ... BLOOMERS?!!

In a flurry of discarded gift wrap and ribbons, she pounced on the nearest loom, fingers fumbling in her haste to try out the new recipes, mind a-whirl with all the gifts she could make and give.

Eventually, she ran out of steam, and space in her bags, just about the time when she started running low on certain vital ingredients. Intent on another run to the bank to create space somehow, she almost ran into a pair of very large and very green feet, belonging to a very unhappy-looking ogress.

"Och, Ngranna-lass! Merry Frostfell!"

"Huddo Mum. Merry Frostfell. I made dis fur you." The ogress handed Niami a batttered-looking card. "I wuz going tew make you a real prezzie, but I gots bamboozled by McScroogle and spent all my money before I found th' fuel vendors."

Mum accepted the card with good grace and smiled consolingly. "Och, lass, it be th' thought that counts!" With that, she opened the card and read "I baked you a pie... But I eated it. Happy Frostfell!" Reiterating, if a bit more weakly, "It be th' thought that counts, lass." Her tummy rumbled in pitiful counterpoint. Mayhaps next time, ye can make a couple, sae ye hae enow tae share!"

This mini-article is part of a collection of articles for the GU41 Preview