Landsbyen -Into the North- An Epic Poem 10

Only a moment had passed as he stood in the street before a familiar head appeared through the doorway, Lumi, called softly to him, “Come inside, quickly,” he said. The Man’s stone figure started to move toward the light before him. Could he trust these people, these elves. Did he have a choice? He stepped through the entrance and was glad of the warmth that the burning hearth provided. There were numerous elves of every age and size laughing and playing games in a brightly lit great room that seemed much larger inside than it appeared from the outside. The room opened into what seemed to be a large dining area and beyond that came the fragrant odors of herbs and spices cooking in meats and vegetables in a room where the food was prepared. He smelled sweets, and breads with cinnamon and sugar, and a great seasoned roast cooking somewhere out of his view. “Come, come in and join us," came a voice from around the corner in the dining area. “One moment,Uncle,” said Lumi standing beside him and taking his arm. He turned his companion to face the room they had just walked through. “Your attention please,” he raised his voice to overcome the din in the large room, “I would like to present to you the person that I told you about earlier.” The crowd went deathly silent making the surrounding air seem abnormally uncomfortable. The faces seemed wary of this intruder. Many of the youngest withdrew behind their older siblings and parents. “Please help me welcome my newest and perhaps best friend.” The crowd waited for a very long few seconds, when sitting near Lumi, two youngsters started to giggle. Lumi smiled, gently and playfully slapped one on top of his head, “I present to you, Joulupukki!” The crowd burst into uproarious laughter. The perceived tension dissipated and Joulupukki knew he had been made the butt of a joke because of his name. He looked at Lumi and burst into laughter himself. Feeling his arm being tugged he glanced down to see a lovely young girl grabbing his hand with three of her friends standing in awe around her. Her hair pulled back in a pony tale revealed distinctly pointed ears. She smiled up at him and he smiled back with a smile that encompassed all four of the children. She let his hand go without a word and they ran off to play in another room after having proven herself to her friends in a game of dare. It struck him how alike these elfin children were to the numerous human children he had known and cared for over his many years.