User:Minifie

By: Synbios Posted on: December 31, 2010

Tapping her chisel fervently against her most recent collection of uncut gems, DeBurr began make the necessary cuts to chip away rough edges. She grunted in annoyance as the gems began to crack under an unnecessarily heavy-handed blow. She screamed in frustration as she went back to her stock room.

It was a request for a new set of earrings that Rudolpho intended to give to his beloved Camilla during Logosmas. He was not specific on what he wanted with regards to the materials, but the letter merely stated that he wanted DeBurr to "surprise us".

Taking this as a challenge from her favourite customers, she had begun toiling day and night, making requisitions everywhere for the finest ores from Moghedu. As days went on, and the deadline began to loom, DeBurr felt that the task was becoming more and more impossible. The ores were not the right colour! The hammer was too heavy! The deliveries were one hour late! Her tea was too cold! The sun was too bright! Worst of all, she also had to deal with her other jewelcrafting duties. Eventually, she slammed the door and declared that she had closed shop, so that she could better work in peace.

Even in the silence of her workshop, she had her own troubles. She hit a mental brick wall when she was considering the design for the earrings. Should she use Camilla's favourite colour? Or should she go with pearl? No, Camilla was not one to favour them. She often said that pearls did not catch the sun well enough. Ruby? No, that would distract attention from her face. Already, her bin was piling up with discarded sketches as she rejected them one after another. Finally, just three days before the deadline, she collapsed, dead-tired and nearly weeping from the impossibility of her task.

That night, she woke up, smelling the faint scent of ale in her workshop. Quite sure that she did not have any ale on hand before finishing(and rejecting) her - seventieth? One hundred and twenty first? - design, she looked up and saw an extremely rotund dwarf, bent over her sketches and muttering drunkenly.

Immediately standing up, she said, "Who are you, and what are you doing in my shop?"

Nearly stumbling over, the dwarf merely swayed and gave her a friendly wave, before speaking in a drunken slur, "Why hello, Misssh Deburrr. I see that you've been busssy."

"I said, who are you?" DeBurr had already raised her hammer in warning.

"Calm dooown, caaalm down, I'm just a friend who's worried about you." Setting down an iron-linked bag, he sat down on a nearby stool. "I hear youuu had a job for the Rudolpho boy."

"Yes, I- how did you know that?"

"You doooo know that the Rudolphoo boy and the Camilla girl are your friends as well. Do you think they would think any lessss of you if you just worked with your heart for them...and not merely with your mind?" The dwarf suddenly began to vanish slowly, as he began to burp and guffaw.

"Wait! Who are you?!" Trying to reach him, DeBurr stumbled against her chair and began to black out as she hit the floor, as she heard the words "Logosmas is a time for giving. But remember that the gift must come from the heart! Ho ho ho....!"

Waking up the next day, DeBurr felt a bit lighter in her heart. Whether what happened last night was a dream or not, she decided to begin her work one more time, this time with the thought of Camilla and Rudolpho as her long-time friends, rather than long-time patrons.

On the day of the deadline, she invited the two lovers over. Unwrapping the sapphire and silver earrings from a soft cloth, Deburr was surprised to see the two hug her tightly, saying a multitude of thanks for the most beautiful present they could ever have.

As the three headed over to the Silverdrop to celebrate Logosmas, they barely heard the sound of a hearty laugh and the faint belch that followed in the sky.