Lacey stood outside the Healing Hall, huddled into a little group with Danji and Bethy, after being ejected by Mathilda for aggravating Cynthie.

  Danji was still blinking away tears. ‘To think I was willing to stand by her if her mastertoy failed,’ she said, a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

  Bethy just sighed, staring up into the sky. ‘At least she didn’t accuse you of mate-stealing. Are those mare’s-tail clouds forming? I thought I saw a halo around the moon last night.’

  ‘Who cares,’ Danji said. ‘Jinxy was going to out me to Mathilda, and she would’ve been right to do it. You’d think by now I’d know when to bring myself to the Healing Hall.’ A tear dripped down her nose. ‘It just feels so silly. Like I should be able to take care of it myself. I mean, it’s not a broken arm that I need someone else to set. Who comes to the Healing Hall when their body is whole?’

  ‘Cynthie, apparently,’ Bethy said. ‘But I think her mind broke so it’s not quite the same thing.’

  ‘Do you think my mind’s broken?’ Danji asked Bethy.

  Deciding she needed to intervene before something else unfortunate slipped out, Lacey stepped in between the two and hooked her arms through theirs, pulling them gently along.

  ‘Come on, girls,’ she said. ‘It’s four days till Christmas and there’s toys to be made.’ The words sounded trite, but hopefully the redirect would help. She was almost surprised when they followed her lead without complaint, and together the three of them made their way back to the toy workshop.

  ‘Better hold on to Peter, Lacey,’ Bethy said as they stepped forward in unison. ‘You never know what I might do to your beau, since both you and Cynthie have a thing for him.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Lacey said, a bit embarrassed. ‘You know you’re not like that. And he’s not my beau. If Cynthie wants him, she can have him.’

  Even to her own ears, the words fell flat. Bethy and Danji certainly weren’t fooled, stopping to stare at her with raised eyebrows. Lacey felt her cheeks heat.

  ‘You know what, never mind,’ she said. ‘Let’s do more walking and less overthinking the Healing Hall incident.’

  ??

  The workshop’s vestibule door had barely closed before they were surrounded by elves.

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  ‘How’s Cynthie?’ ‘She feeling all right?’ ‘Bad luck, she’ll get the next one,’ came a flurry of voices from all around them.

  Since they were mostly focused on Danji and Bethy as Cynthie’s friends, Lacey quietly worked her way out of the little crowd and observed from a few steps back. She was just in time to see Elf elbowing his way in towards Bethy.

  ‘Bethy, are you okay?’ he asked, worry lining his eyes.

  Lacey watched the little scene curiously. There was no doubt about Elf’s sincere concern for Bethy, but it didn’t seem to stretch both ways. Bethy just shook her head at him, and moved on to the next question from a curious bystander.

  A little nudge at her elbow drew Lacey back to her own surroundings. It was Albyrne, peering up at her as he leaned on his shillelagh, a green handprint showing on its top right under Albyrne’s own hand. She smiled fondly at him. When would he get the hang of keeping the green paint under control?

  He smiled back, the edges of his eyes wrinkling. ‘Lacey-girl, Albyrne’s glad to see you,’ he said.

  ‘And I to see you,’ she responded. ‘You look much better today. Did you get your first coin back last night?’

  ‘That I did. And I have you to thank for it.’

  ‘No,’ she denied. ‘That was all you. Your hard work, your painted four-leaf clovers.’

  ‘But it was,’ he responded. ‘Thank you for listening to an old leprechaun cry. It meant the world to me. And to say thank you, I got you something.’

  He reached into his pocket, very carefully pulling out a folded white paper rectangle. Gently, he pulled the top open and flattened the side panels away from the centre. In the middle of the sheet lay a perfectly dried four-leaf clover, a light buzz of magic shimmering in its faded green leaves.

  ‘Oh, Albyrne,’ she breathed. ‘It’s so perfect. How could I possibly---’

  ‘No, counting girl, I insist. If there’s anyone who deserves the luck of this clover, it’s you. Besides, it’s mine and I get to decide who I’m gifting it to.’

  He pushed the sheet into her outstretched hand. ‘’Tis yours now, and may it bring you good luck all the days of your life.’

  ‘Thank you. I will treasure it forever,’ she said.

  He nodded and hobbled back to his bench, where more wooden four-leaf clovers lay ready to be painted. For another moment Lacey just stared at the dried clover in her hands with awe. Then she patted her bag, pulling out her notebook and gently placed the clover between its pages where it would be safe.

  She had just closed her notebook again when a small elf boy darted into the workshop and ran up to her to tug on her sleeve. She looked down into a pair of cerulean eyes. ‘Healer Mathilda says will you please come to the Healing Hall?’ he said.

  ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘I’ll come right now.’

  ‘Okay,’ he said, waiting for something.

  ‘Thank you?’ Lacey said, patting his head.

  ‘You could give me a sweet for coming to fetch you,’ he suggested.

  She smiled at his earnest eyes. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t have sweets with me. How about next time I get cookies I’ll save two, just for you.’

  Apparently he found that satisfactory, since he nodded. ‘I’ll let Healer Mathilda know you’re coming. She’ll have a sweet for me,’ he said and then ran off again. She watched him leave, trying to memorise his face. She had a feeling that it didn’t do to let any debts go unpaid at the North Pole.

  Now, she only wondered what Mathilda needed her for? Was Cynthie okay?

  ??????

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