“Uncle Tomas, I want to help the All Father this Yuletide,” Pripet said coyly as she rocked back and forth with her hands neatly clasped behind her back.

She had adopted an expression of one who could suck snowballs without them melting.

Tomas eyed his bond-ward suspiciously and frowned. He was a wise old elf with the starting of grey frosting at his temples and he knew when a youngling was up to something. And Pripet was most definitely up to something.

Pripet had long since left the nursery glades and was fast approaching first adulthood, but being still less than 50 summers she was still under Tomas’s care. To his mind she was too much the tomboy with a propensity for mischief. She even wore her walnut brown hair close cut like a young male apprentice, although he must own that it complimented her large dark copper eyes and only served to emphasis the slightly too generous girlish curve of her hips.

“What do you imagine the All Father would want with an elven girl like you, these days it is to the sons and daughters of men that he cleaves?” But Tomas’s tone was gentle and his eyes twinkled.

Pripet extended her lips as far as they could go as she affected a firm pout and rolled her eyes.

“Besides,” Tomas continued, “Only those who spirits are untroubled by mischief can hope to serve him. And you, my little one, are much too naughty.”

“But that’s why I want to help,” Pripet said eagerly, “Soon I must submit to a choosing and serve as an apprentice.”

“And you think to gain Woden’s blessing to set against past crimes?” Tomas growled, but his hand reached for his smooth firm chin to pamper it sagely.

“Well….” Pripet looked away coyly, she hated that Tomas could read her so precisely. It was true that at Yuletide Woden carried a birch rod as well as gifts and she was very much in danger of receiving the first rather than the latter this year.

“Remember, all who try to outwit the All Father are in for a testing time,” Tomas continued.

Pripet shuddered. She knew of many a young elf maiden who had tried to tryst with Woden and who had long rued the day. The lucky ones escaped with a bottom striped raw with birchen withes; her cousin was one such and she couldn’t sit down for a month after. But there were worse punishments. Another maiden she knew of was leashed naked and set in bondage for seven years servitude. Pripet was quite sure there was a real prospect that the girl would never sit down again.

“Nevertheless Uncle Tomas, I want my chance,” Pripet said bravely.

“So be it little one, so be it,” Tomas chuckled.

Now it would serve Pripet right if he had just let her go the gates of Valhalla to try her luck, but Tomas was certain that she would not find the All Father there and would only be sent packing with a flea in her ear and a very sore bottom by the gate lord. But she would learn little from that and would merely conclude that she had been hard done by. No Tomas had a different plan.

“I want you to go to the Wood Spinner and tell him of your plan. Here is a gold coin, ask him to craft a ‘Goodly Wand of Truth,’ mark that. Once he has, bring it to me and I will tell you what you must do,” Tomas told her.

“A ‘Goodly Wand of Truth,’” Pripet repeated with an almost reverential tone. Then before Tomas could say more she was gone as fast as her delicate limbs could dance the trail.

*

Pripet had expected some impressive staff to impart to her great powers, but all the Wood Spinner had given her was a long thin twig so straight that it might be an arrow and so flexible that it might be a bow.

“What does it do?” Pripet asked curiously.

“It doesn’t do anything,” Tomas said impatiently, “Well… I say that… it empowers… no, suggests to… oh dear, how to explain? Put it this way, take it with you and kiss it once, swish it twice and three times beg it to guard to you from falsehood. It will test you and if you prove worthy it will glow berry red and serve as a symbol of your fidelity.”

“And if I am not worthy?” Pripet frowned.

“Then you will know better than to bother the All Father with your trifles and you will be… encouraged to return to me for further guidance,” Tomas told her.

Pripet allowed two frown lines to trouble her little elven features and she eyed her guardian suspiciously.

“Do it or…” Tomas held his tongue; her choice must be a free one he decided.

But Pripet, ever impetuous, was already kissing the thin rod and then swishing it as she had been directed.

“Please oh… stick thing, guard me from falsehood, guard me from falsehood…” she glanced at Tomas’s unreadable face. Ultimately he would not serve her wrong but she had a feeling that his means of supporting her was not going to be to her taste. “Guard me from falsehood,” she concluded, “Now what?”

Tomas shrugged. “Think about anything you might have done that the All Father would consider mischievous, and do it honestly. If you can find someone who would vouch for you or at least accept some measure of atonement for any transgressions then… well you get the idea.”

Pripet didn’t, but she was sure that it wouldn’t be long before she found out.

“So be it,” she sighed.

*

The tree shop spiralled up like a tower in a twist of silver branches. At intervals there were elf-crafted rope-ways that joined the bows to the next tree or another elven home, but all in all the trend of the path was upwards and close to the trunk.

The view was impressive and once the tree-shop broke the canopy the green forest looked like a giant carpet spread out in all directions.

Tanis worked in shells and stitched them into lanterns or ornate bowls and other such things. He was a journeyman and into his second adulthood. Both tall and lean, he had a happy disposition but when he saw Pripet he scowled.

“What do you want?” he snapped.

Pripet had appropriate a bead bowl by spinning a yarn and now owed Tanis more than she could gather in a season. If she could regain his friendship then maybe he would vouch for her.

“I have something here that I want your opinion on and maybe if…” Pripet began.

Tanis stood up and folded his arms. “You little rascal, you cheated me,” he snarled.

“I didn’t, I…” before she could say another word she was startled by the wand in her hand as suddenly it twisted like a snake and fizzed like a dull nettle in her hand.

Tanis opened his mouth to say more but a queer expression touched his face and he became calm.

“My word,” Pripet gasped as she stared at the thin stick, “What do you think it is doing?”

“Show me,” Tanis said and reached for the wand.

Pripet was all too pleased to surrender it and did as she was told.

Tanis swished it twice in the air and grinned. “I know what this is for,” he said.

“Oh no… you can’t,” Pripet wailed, suddenly she understood.

But just as Tanis could not help but be influenced by the magic wand, Pripet felt compelled not to flee.

“This is so unfair,” she moaned.

“Now I have a hunch that I could walk down to the main promenade and you would be compelled to follow me,” Tanis chuckled. “It would be interesting to pay you out there, no?”

“If I give you the bead bowl back…?” Pripet urged miserably.

“Then we can do it here,” Tanis agreed with a smile.

“I meant… ooh,” she pouted and seeing a defeat began working down her pale close-fitting breeks.

Once naked between waist and knee she folded herself over a high chair back that stood nearby and allowed her tight round bottom to thrust upwards in submission.

With short hard swipes, Tanis flicked the rod across Pripet’s smooth white bottom so that she hissed and squealed. Scarlet lines quickly scored her curves until a network of berry bright ridges began to merge on her flesh and her bottom felt twice its normal size.

“Please Tanis, please, I’m sorry,” she wept.

“I know and in two or three turns of a mere glass I will finish this,” he said pleasantly.

In the event Tanis took her to beyond a quarter flow of an hour glass; the magic of the wand made that seem right somehow.

“Please, Tanis, I’m sorry so sorry,” Pripet continued her hearty mantra, completely convinced her bottom had been skinned by now and praying to the All Father for mercy.

By the time the merchant had finally finished the punishment she was sobbing and shaking with her tail on fire.

“You can go now,” Tanis said ever pleasantly and handing Pripet the wand.

“Thank you Tanis,” she sniffed, not sure entirely sure what she was grateful for, but silver rivulets dripped down her chin and fell like gemstones to the floor.

Her breeks would not now be pulled over her switch-sizzled red hot bottom and she had to hope her tunic would be long enough to cover her shame in back as she carried the leggings over her arm.

*

Foolishly Pripet had visited three more of her victims before she saw the way of things. Each and every one of them had her variously across their knees or bending over a bench for a very sound striping until she was howling at the silvery moon. By then of course word had got around and everywhere she limped the elven kind greeted her with laughter and gentle mocking.

Her small pert elven bottom felt much enlarged and as tight as a drum as it throbbed. It was a certainty that it was going to be days at least before she could sit down. She glared angrily at the rod in her hands for any sign that it was glowing red, but that honour, it seemed was reserved for her bottom. So miserably and utterly defeated she made her way back to see Tomas.

“You knew this would happen,” she accused him.

Tomas regarded her sternly and drawing himself up to his full height he said, “Just think how much worse it would have been if you had gone to see Woden so unshriven of your crimes.”

“You mean I am forgiven now and…?” but the sudden burst of enthusiasm petered out with one glance at Tomas’s face. “I see,” she said dejectedly, “You’re going to thrash me too aren’t you?”

“Have you learned your lesson?” Tomas asked.

Pripet returned a pout and muttered, “I doubt it, I never seem to, do I?”

“Well that’s a start I suppose,” Tomas chuckled. “Go to bed now, but at dawn tomorrow I will find you standing in the corner to await my displeasure. It is going to be a quite difficult few days for you I am afraid.”

“Yes Sir,” Pripet said ruefully. Maybe it was the magic or maybe she was growing up, but she knew now that she deserved her fate and how lucky she was to escape a worse one at the hands of the All Father. Maybe he would go easy on her when he was handing out gifts and punishments this year?