Your Fantasy Sleep Saga (Season 2 Episode 12)

A warm welcome to season two of this fantasy sleep saga,

Where you are the main character.

Throughout this bedtime story series,

You will spend autumn and winter in the rolling hills of your homeland,

Celebrating all of the festivities.

You will also delve into the deep dwarven kingdoms,

Embark on another adventure with the wizard and the ranger,

And visit an enchanted little village that is hidden away from the rest of the world.

Here,

There is magic,

Wonder,

And mystery waiting around every corner.

But first,

Let us take a moment to relax.

We will do a short,

Guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.

This will allow you to slow down and relax,

Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,

Peaceful rest.

When you are ready,

Breathe in through the nose for three,

Hold for four,

And breathe out for five.

Let all of it go now,

Again that's in for three,

Hold for four,

And release,

Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,

Today,

And tomorrow,

Again in for three,

And let it go.

Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,

And with each breath out,

Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper,

And gradually allow the breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.

Enjoy this new peace flowing through your body.

And now,

Let us continue our fantasy sleep saga,

And enjoy Season 2,

Episode 12,

A Christmas Feast and the Lanterns.

As the display comes to an end,

There is one final eruption of red,

Green,

And gold.

It falls like glitter over the crowd,

And is met by a thunderous applause.

As the last few sparks slowly fade,

A low murmur begins to run through the crowd.

Rumors have spread that up in the local tavern,

The Christmas feast is nearly ready.

You feel your belly rumble,

And with the wonderful memories of this display still flashing through your mind,

You follow the group of hungry halflings back up the hill,

Ready for a festive banquet.

An excited buzz fills the air,

And you walk side by side with your wizard and your two halflings,

Reminiscing on a beautiful day so far,

Full of wonder,

Laughter,

And all the magic of Christmas.

You reach the top of the hill and follow the crowd through a rickety wooden gate and into the main square.

The market stalls are empty now,

But continue to glow with golden fairy lights.

The round green door of the tavern rests underneath a snow-topped hillside,

And the walls curve out towards you in a horseshoe.

Porthole windows are peppered in perfect symmetry,

And a large sign swings above the door with an emerald green dragon in the middle.

You are filled with the desire to sit by a warm hearth,

Completely relaxed,

Enjoying good food,

Wonderful company,

And all the comforts of home.

At the entrance to the tavern,

Welcoming the guests,

Is a small,

Grey-haired halfling,

The most famous halfling of all,

And a very old friend of yours.

As soon as you lock eyes,

You both give a warm smile and fall into a tight embrace,

Laughing with joy at seeing each other once again.

The old halfling whispers in your ear that too long is the time spent apart from our friends.

He turns to the wizard,

Congratulating him on the most excellent fireworks,

Never failing to disappoint.

Truly,

He adds,

A night to remember.

Then,

This old halfling pulls you to one side,

Telling you that tonight,

After the great feast,

You are invited to join him for a Christmas nightcap at his house under the hill,

Along with the wizard.

Putting your arm around him,

You gladly accept the invitation and guide him gently into the tavern.

You are met with a wave of heat and the sound of a gurgling fire set in one corner of the tavern underneath the stone fireplace.

The smell of a cooking Christmas feast begins to drift out into the air.

Many halflings are already huddling together at long trestle tables,

Laughing and sharing stories over a fresh local ale.

The floor is made up of round clay tiles,

Providing a soft warmth under your feet.

The dark oak beams are perfectly spaced apart and mini oil lanterns are dotted around the tavern,

Giving off a soft golden glow.

The wooden bar to your left is backed by endless barrels of beer,

Each with their own small tap.

A small crowd are laughing together and calling out for more ale as three or four halflings work away tirelessly,

Keeping up with the demand.

You find a seat on a long trestle table in the middle of the tavern and sit between your two halfling companions.

You set your squirrel on your shoulder and their eyes dart around the tavern,

Hoping for a spot of dinner themselves.

You join in with the bubbling conversations around the table,

Now full of many more halflings,

Most of whom you know or recognize.

Stories and fables are passed around the group now.

Your wizard and the old halfling recount tales of dragons,

Dwarves,

And adventure.

There is talk of fierce battles,

Great kings of old,

And trolls turned to stone by the rising sun.

With an ale firmly in hand,

The old halfling recites elven poetry,

Describing beautiful gems of starlight as pure as the moon,

Forged in the very first age of this earth and said to hold powers of untold magic.

There is a golden aura radiating from this old halfling as all the focus of the tavern is fixed on him.

He might be a little different from the other folk,

But there is a deep love and respect for this famous character,

Shared by all who dwell here.

You feel blessed to call him your friend.

In the next moment,

The kitchen doors swing open and a parade of halflings emerge,

Carrying wooden trays over their shoulders.

A beautiful blend of smells ripples through the air.

Roasted chestnuts,

Home-cooked carrots and potatoes,

Braised red cabbage,

Fresh roasted garlic,

Pigs in blankets,

Hot gravy boats,

And a Christmas goose as the centerpiece.

A few halflings are going round each table,

Pouring drinks.

There is ale or mulled wine for the older guests,

And juice or hot chocolate for the little ones.

Just then,

A halfling chef walks over to your table,

Carrying a very tiny plate of freshly roasted chestnuts.

The chef puts it down next to you,

A festive treat for your furry companion.

In one quick movement,

Your squirrel leaps down next to the plate and begins to devour their tiny Christmas feast.

The entire table cannot help but chuckle at this lovely little animal,

And you stroke their head now as they nibble away in bliss.

When the final tray is put down,

You are told at last to begin.

You fill your plate with the wonderful food,

Choosing all of your favorite Christmas treats and topping it off with a rich,

Hot gravy.

This is food for the heart and soul,

And with every bite,

There is a warm and homely comfort filling your body.

Your refreshing drink cleanses the palate and soothes your mind,

Quieting any remaining thoughts.

As you gaze around the tavern,

Enjoying your feast,

You feel completely at peace here and full of love for all these people around you.

You are grateful for the wizard who is always there for you,

Guiding your way and comforting you in times of need.

You are thankful for your furry companion who teaches you the value of unconditional love,

And for your halfling friends with whom you have so many magical memories and who truly are the very heart of this land.

You know with surety that no matter where life takes you,

You can always come back to your home in the Shire and be reunited with all of your friends here,

And enjoy the peaceful tranquility of this enchanted land.

As the feast comes to an end,

You sit back full and satisfied with a belly of hot,

Delicious food,

And a little hint of tiredness begins to wash over you.

You hope that it might be time to head back to the old halfling's house under the hill,

But as you turn to speak with him,

You notice he has climbed up onto the table,

A full tankard of the gaffer's home brew held loosely in his hand.

He begins to make a slightly slurred speech about the importance of community and friendship,

And how happy he is to be in league with such excellent folk.

He turns to you,

Giving a mischievous wink as he sways with a smile.

You cannot help but laugh at this wonderful old halfling,

A real treasure of this land.

Your wizard stands up with a chuckle and puts his arm around the old halfling.

He announces that the time has come for the lighting of the magic Christmas lanterns.

A new excitement mingles around the tavern,

And gradually,

One by one,

The crowd begins to filter out of the door and back out into the cool Christmas eve.

You pick up your squirrel,

Whose little round belly is protruding now.

You place them back in your top pocket,

And they fall asleep instantly.

As you leave the tavern,

Two more halflings are standing at the door,

Handing out the lanterns.

They are made from a thin,

White fabric and have a small unlit candle at the bottom.

You take a lantern and follow the troupe up a long,

Winding pathway led by the wizard and the old halfling.

You walk side by side with your two halfling companions,

Marching together in a peaceful,

Satisfied silence.

The wizard never mentioned these lanterns to you,

And you wonder what magical surprise awaits you now.

Above you,

The glitter of the night pulses in a starlight dome,

And the white orb of the moon beams down,

Illuminating the rolling landscape.

As you reach the top of the hill,

You can see right across the shire.

The many houses under the snow-capped hills are glowing with golden lights from their windows,

And the colorful decorations pepper their gardens.

You watch in amazement as the wizard casts a silent spell over the land,

And every single light of the shire goes out.

And then,

Your lantern lights by itself,

Giving off an enchanting pulse in your favorite color.

The wizard announces that these lanterns are an opportunity for you to send a Christmas wish to someone you love.

And,

When the lantern disappears into the night,

You will know that your wish has arrived.

You allow your thoughts to drift to someone close to your heart,

And think of the wish that you would like to give them this Christmas.

When everyone is ready,

The crowd begins to count down.

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

And together,

You let go of your lanterns.

A rainbow of light ascends into the sky,

And thoughts of that special someone fill your heart as you send off your wish and your love.

The constellations are out in full force,

And are the perfect backdrop to the multicolored lanterns.

The light from the stars eases your mind,

And you feel a sense of tranquility floating through your body.

Looking up at this majestic display,

You suddenly have the feeling that everything will be okay.

One by one,

The lanterns across the sky begin to fade.

Your eyes are fixed on your lantern as it slowly moves further and further away and towards the starlight.

And now,

You watch with a full heart,

As your very own lantern dims,

Before finally disappearing into the night.

Your Christmas wish has arrived.