Bunny still hated the sleigh, but right now it was almost worth it to watch Jack's face as they circled over the dense forest that hid Santoff Claussen from the world and Jack began to get glimpses of the tiny village.
It was too bad most of the people had had to leave over the years, but children did grow up eventually, even in a village made of magic, so long as part of them was still mortal.
So now it was inhabited by William the Absolute Youngest, the last of the village's original children, and the newest dreamers, who had been drawn to the village by its magic, the magic that called in the inventors and the dreamers, those whose imaginations were strong and who would thrive in such a place.
Not many enjoyed living with so few others in a place so isolated, even with magic and imagination, but enough still lived there that it was still Santoff Claussen, the place of dreams, that only those meant to be there could find.
So the population of Santoff Claussen had dwindled, since the attacks by Pitch and without Ombric (the town's founder, now Father Time and caught up so strongly in all of the responsibilities and powers that came with that he hardly ever came back home, let alone met with the Guardians) or Katherine or Nightlight.
North landed the sleigh and they were immediately mobbed by the children who now lived in Santoff Claussen, William the Absolute Youngest at the rear of the pack and smiling at them all, an adult but still believing with all his heart, as did everyone who lived in Santoff Claussen.
Jack shrank back until the children asked who he was, until they bounced at the edge of the sleigh and looked at him, straight at him, with bright and wondering eyes, and he lit up like one of North's trees.
"Is Jack Frost, newest Guardian!" North announced proudly. "Fought with us against Pitch, is Guardian of Fun! Or Joy, is bit of argument yet. Is still settling into role as Guardian," he added, mostly towards William the Absolute Youngest, who tilted his head and looked at North knowingly, looking between North and Jack as Jack leapt out of the sleigh and was immediately mobbed by children shooting questions at him.
Of course, once the children heard that Jack was the Guardian of Fun and Spirit of Winter, they were dragging him off to play. William the Absolute Youngest made his way to the sleigh as North and Bunny disembarked, amused as he watched Jack entertaining the children.
"What was that about, the 'still settling in'?" William the Absolute Youngest asked, looking up at North.
"Ah, may not have told him about marriage yet?" North said, surprisingly guilty.
"Snowflake had no clue about it, still doesn't," Bunny said, leaning against the sleigh and waiting for his legs to stop shaking. "He was so bowled over just about havin' friends, he's no' used to people likin' him yet. We're givin' him a bit ta get used ta friends afore we throw that on 'im."
"Could barely stand being touched, or being with others for long when first sworn in," North said as they watched Jack be tackled by four of the children at once. "Has gotten much better, warms heart to watch."
William the Absolute Youngest shook his head. "Well, hope you know best, you know him," he said. "Wonder what Katherine and Nightlight will think about you not telling him, though."
"Will find out soon!" North said cheerfully. "Got message, both are coming back, should be home within week. Came to fix up Big Root, make sure it was ready for them. Might not be ready for much noise after being away so long, da? Like Jack."
