Chapter 2: The Gifts

Polly

The reindeer were coming from the same direction that Polly and Digory had. With her heart in her mouth, it seemed to Polly that time had almost stopped. They seemed to glide in slow motion over the rough rocky parts with ease and they kicked up enough snow that fell so slowly that it obscured what was coming behind. As they galloped glacially into the lamplight, bells clanging hollowly, Polly took a slow step back, crashed into Digory and the Dryad. Celyn clutched them both with long twiggy fingers and more than a little prickle before time sped up again furiously.

There was a deep "Whoa, whoa!" and the whole train came grinding to a rapid halt in a fast spray of snow, the bells now tinkling musically. Steam arose from the reindeer in the cold air and they snorted. There were ten in all. They were tall, grey and brown, with gaunt antlers. They rolled their eyes and stamped, but did not speak.

Polly and Digory tried to gather themselves to be Ladylike and Lordly, but what stepped out of the sleigh took their breath away. It was a tall, larger-than-life man with a shining face and a long bushy beard that came past his knees. He was dressed in a thick coat and trousers and boots of supple leather, stained reddish brown and a white-fur-lined hood which he tipped back as he surveyed the little party, to reveal long bushy grey hair. He was unmistakeable.

"S… S… S… Saint Nicholas?" was all Polly could manage.

"Ah ha ho ho! Yes indeed I am, Lady Polly of the Rings!" he said in a great booming voice without even raising it.

"Or Weihnachtsmann, Santa Claus, Joulupukki, Ded Moroz, Winterfather, Grandfather Frost, Kanakaloka, Pere Noel… or Father Christmas." He rattled off the different names with all the accented magic of the source languages.

"Or whichever other name you prefer," he added with a wink. "I answer to them all!"

"And I am so pleased to make your acquaintance at last. I do believe congratulations are in order for your part in reducing the potential for deadly secrets between nations so as to decrease evil and suffering. You are a woman of great courage, patience and tenacity in the face of unspeakable horrors. Both a team player and a woman with an eye for the larger pattern. Well done!"

With that, he reached around him into his sleigh and drew out a mysterious object which he handed to her. There was a carved handle of dark wood, about eight inches long, projecting from an embroidered cover. She pulled it out to reveal an oval mirror in a gilt frame. On the back it carried a stylised relief of a lion's head in gold on a field of coral.

Polly took it in a trembling hand, "Thank you sir". Being a no-nonsense, practical woman, she was wondering what she ever might do with such an object. Saint Nicholas twinkled at her puzzlement but then looked at her with a graver smile.

"You have been brought into Narnia to achieve great things, do not doubt. This is a tool, not a toy for vanity, although you could choose to use it so. With this mirror you may see many things. The handle is made from the salvaged heartwood of the Tree of Protection and the mirror from the surface of the water that lies in the Narnian Pool in the Wood Between the Worlds. Best keep it covered until need requires it.

Feeling more than a little nervous, Polly gave a slight bob despite herself.

"And there is a second gift Lady Polly. High King Peter has named you Lady Polly of the Rings and I see you are wearing not one. Here. Remember, the same warnings apply to this gift as well. You will learn their secret."

With that, Saint Nicholas gestured for Polly to hold out both her hands. Onto each finger as well as each thumb, he slipped a band of copper, silver or gold. They went on like oil and sat comfortably, hardly noticeable to the touch. But they each bore a stone of a different colour, which winked and glittered in the lamplight. Polly felt distinctly overdressed.

Digory

He then turned to Digory. "And I must thank you, Master Kirke, or should I say Lord Digory of the Apple? Your forbearance at the garden of life in the Dawn of Time and at your mother's bedside so long ago, has borne its fruit well. Your tears have healed many. By refusing to succumb again to your own selfish urges, not only did you buy Narnia a long start in its early years free from dominion, and your mother a long life of health and happiness, you also had the foresight to conserve the past and to create a work of craft in honour of the mother you loved once her time was over. With your continued generosity of spirit in harbouring those children from harm, your wardrobe was able to bring the four sovereigns into this world seventeen years ago and it was they, who with Aslan's great sacrifice, and their clear hearts, freed Narnia and the spirit of generosity that was always meant to fall like the rain and flow like the rivers in this beautiful world. Thus was I also able to return."

He looked down at Digory with compassion, whose eyes watered and lips trembled. He said, "Never think that your work with Narnia was misunderstood Lord Digory or gone unthanked. You have been doing the work all your life and we appreciate it. But never think that your work for Narnia was done. Here you are again, to perform another task with your erstwhile companion that may be long remembered. No doubt all will become clear to you both in time."

Seemingly from nowhere, he handed Digory a small globular casket, carved intricately from the same wood as the handle of Polly's mirror. It had a gilt hinge and catch and like Polly's mirror, the lid was adorned with a field of coral surmounted by a gold lion's head.

Digory's hand moved to open the catch, but Saint Nicholas held up his hand in warning.

"Ah-ah-ah. I would suggest opening this casket only when you have a moment of great privacy Lord Digory," remarked Saint Nicholas gravely. "You may find its contents draw the attention of many, before you are ready for them."

Digory hastily tried to cram it into a pocket out of sight and found to his surprise that it seemed to shrink in his grasp and fit quite comfortably. He could see out the corner of his eye, Polly making the same discovery with her mirror.

"You also have a second gift. It is a bottle filled with the ink from the Kraken of the deep southern seas. When this ink is used, the written words when spoken will be binding; not only upon those to whom it is directed, but also to the one who speaks them. It will remain full until it is no longer needed, but use it sparingly. Make sure you take care with your words. It comes with a quill from one of the Firebirds of the Sun. This quill will remain sharp until it is no longer needed."

Digory slipped the crystal ink bottle with its amethyst stopper into his other pocket and carefully slid the quill inside his shirt where it could stay safe.

"And all good things come in threes. You both might need these as well".

Saint Nicholas handed both Polly and Digory long dark wooden objects about eighteen inches long, which proved to be daggers in sheaths. Again there was some coral inlay with gold banding.

"Oh dear," said Digory, glancing at Polly with concern. She pulled her dagger partly out of its sheath, took a sharp indrawn breath and shoved it back in quickly after seeing the sharp blade. It also disappeared into her pocket.

"These blades are made with peace in mind, not war, Lord Digory and Lady Polly. They are made from the ploughshares forged by King Frank himself which were used to till the first soil of Narnia in order that his family and people could eat. They may have many purposes."

Now he turned to Celyn, smiling. The Holly Dryad was looking at Saint Nicholas with a jaundiced eye, her hands on her hips, holly leaves about her shoulders bristling.

"Ah! It was your star that fell to ground last night was it not!" she declared accusingly. "You have come early…"

"Indeed I have," he confirmed. "The tides of fate demanded it and Aslan is not a tame lion…"

"So is the day of the Winterfather early this year – this day? Or do you return at the next moon to apportion your largesse to everyone?"

"Never to everyone, only those in most need," was his somewhat terse reply, but with a smile twitching the corners of his mouth.

"My question you have answered not!" she retorted. "Are you coming back? And you were extremely generous to the Daughter of Eve and Son of Adam just now. What about I? What about my sisters and brothers? Have we not toiled? Standing guard, searching for the lost sovereigns, watching for ne'er-do-wells, fortune seekers and trespassers? Have I not acted as emissary between the Spare Oom thicket, Beaversdam and Beruna? Do I get a gift now or next month?"

"Yes, yes and yes!" Saint Nicholas bellowed. "But no, you might get none at all, if you carry on like that!" Saint Nicholas replied, his immense laughter preparing to burst out.

But Celyn was having none of it. "Your gifts I need not!" she snorted. She turned her back and prepared to merge into her tree.

But she stopped thunderstruck. Her tree was now taller than it had ever been. Each of its leaves now bore a distinct edge of creamy white. Its berries were larger and fuller and redder than ever before. From out of its branches scampered red squirrels, who, braving the prickly leaves, began to dexterously affix crystals and silver ornaments to its outermost twigs. In a twinkling the tree was alive with movement and colour and the reflected light of the London Lamp Post.

Celyn stood trembling, seeing her home and her being transformed into a thing of rapturous beauty in front of her eyes. She turned around and saw that all the other trees in the inner circle had also been changed. They were larger, richer looking, even the bare rowans, looked braver and stronger. Light was being reflected back from a thousand prisms.

With a laugh and a wave, Saint Nicholas sat back in his sleigh, called to his reindeer and they sped off in a cloud of spray, his laughter echoing through the woodlands. Watching him disappear down the rough snowy, Digory felt his senses uplifted again and he turned to Polly and said in an undertone,

"Well, I suppose we had better ask Celyn how long she thinks we might have to wait until our escort arrives."

It was then that Polly and Digory noticed that Celyn was gone and that two of the largest reindeer were standing patiently looking at them with dark eyes, saddled and bridled for riding.

"I believe we might be that escort" one of them said drily.