By the time the road signs began pointing toward Amberwood, the snow on the ground had grown thicker. The truck's heater made the journey comfortable.
Ruediger slowed the vehicle as they passed rows of houses, some were clearly newer than the other. Each place was decorated with red and white striped ribbons, pine wreaths and other ornaments.
Children were playing in the open square, dressed in thick coats and gloves. They built snowmen and threw snowballs at one another. Their merry laughter livened the entire area.
"Looks better than I imagined," Lariette murmured, almost to herself. Her gaze trailed after the slowly passing scenery outside.
Until a few years ago, Amberwood was relatively smaller and poorer than Moonville.
Most houses had poor insulation, causing trouble for their dwellers when winter came. Even the roads were full of potholes.
