There's a pressure above your temples as you swallow the cold milk, but you figure it must be a mild brain-freeze, so you just nibble the cookie before tossing the half-full paper cup in a trash can. You continue wandering around the empty corrals, all festively decorated and spotlessly clean. The headache from a few minutes ago has settled down to a dull pulsing sensation, not too painful to ignore as you admire the twinkling lights and flurries of snow drifting down. It's all rather magical!
As you near one of the inviting-looking barns, another elf approaches you. "Would you like to try some of the mulled wine, sir? Your nose is looking a bit red in this cold!"
"Oh! Sure." you take the mug from her with a sheepish smile, rubbing at your nose self-consciously. The wine is good! Warm with spice-notes... you sip eagerly as you stroll into the stable. The alcohol must be more potent when heated, because you feel a tingling all throughout your body, prickling outward as if goosebumps have raised all over your skin underneath your clothing. You unzip your jacket a bit, already feeling warmer.
Passing the open doors of empty stalls, you lean into one to inspect the future home of the lucky (but still missing) reindeer. Fragrant, untouched bedding covers the floor - your nose twitches as the clean scent rises from where your foot stirs the woodchips. There's a full bucket of water and even a flake of hay or alfalfa or whatever reindeer eat hanging in a mesh bag, each stall ready for the arrival of its future occupant. At the end of the aisle you spy another elf polishing a harness. He's sitting on a wooden stool next to an open door, and as you get closer you can see more tack hanging on pegs inside the small room.
"Hello! Welcome!" he gives you a friendly smile, still rubbing the leather and causing the attached bells to chime softly. "Feel free to take a look inside, and grab a gift from the bin inside the door - they're Jingle Bells to make your holiday merry!"
Thanking the kind elf, you step into the tack room and look around - harnesses of all kinds fill the wall space, though you don't see any saddles. You guess that makes sense, since reindeer usually pull a sleigh, but you don't recall seeing pictures of any being ridden. Taking off your coat (it feels much warmer in this room than outside or in the large stable), you touch the supple leather straps, enjoying the tinkling of the many bells.
This place is completely set up! You wonder when the reindeer are scheduled to arrive - you'd love to be here when it happens!