First published by Smallburrow Publishing Co. 2024

Copyright © 2024 by T. M. Mayfield All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

T. M. Mayfield asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. First edition

ISBN: 979-8-87-707666-2

Dusted in

Snowflakes

A Halflings of Smallburrow Cozy Fantasy

To all the girls who were told they were “too much”—you’re not too much, they just needed to find less.

Author’s Note

Buried in Friendship is a wholesome story about two halflings and their journey to a new beginning. What kind of halflings are they, you might find yourself asking? Well, they’re not your average Dungeons and Dragons halfling but instead more like your Middle Earth variety.

It is also worth mentioning that you will find Eilaen has certain neurodiverse tendencies. She struggles with anxiety and needs her routine to stay grounded. Kaida, however, is Eilaen’s polar opposite and platonic soulmate who is the epitome of ADHD personified. As an author with ADHD and a mother of neurodiverse children, I found it incredibly hard not to pour some of us into this book as I created characters inspired by two of my sweet girls.

Lastly, I want to thank you for taking the time to read my book. This is the culmination of my lifelong dream and I am so excited to see that dream being lived out thanks to Eilaen and Kaida, as well as the other residents of Smallburrow. Please feel free to message me any of your thoughts or theories. You can find me on Instagram by my handle, @seetaylorwriteandreview. I would love to hear your live reactions and see your love for my Smallburrow inhabitants.

Table of Contents

Author’s Note

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

If you enjoyed this book, check out these books by T. M. Mayfield

One

On a cold winter’s day, a bundled up halfling sat up in her warm bed and stretched. Looking outside of the window by her bed, Kaida was delighted to see that it was snowing. They were the largest flakes she had ever seen, and they filled her with such wonder. Though fall was her favorite season, there was no denying how the falling snow filled her with joy, the flakes floating like dancers as they sparkled in the sunlight. After a good, deep stretch, she rotated her body so her legs could dangle from the side of the bed, giving her the ability to slide her feet into her slippers before standing. She didn’t care what Eilaen said, the floors were always so cold in the mornings and she refused to climb out of bed without the warmth of her slippers covering her fat toes. 

On the hook next to her bed hung a robe, always within reach for those middle of the night trips to the toilet. It was visibly well-loved, Kaida having used it for years, and was her most worn article of clothing. The way the fabric clung to her like a tight hug and never failed to comfort her, especially when the cool air tickles her skin. The once bright yellow flowers were now faded, looking dingier and more faded every wash day. It was the coziest piece of clothing she’d ever owned, and she was already prematurely mourning the loss of it when it fell apart and she had to get rid of it. 

With her robe wrapped tightly around her body, Kaida quickly toed the stairs on her way down as she tried to get into the kitchen as quickly as possible. The cold was already trying to nip at her nose and she was not a fan of waking up this way. The further down the steps she got, the warmer she grew. Just another thing about Eilaen to be thankful for was how she was always awake before the sun came up, giving her the time as well as reason to light the fireplace in the den before firing up the woodstove in the kitchen. 

The sun’s rays were drifting across the field between the house and the barn, a sight that was utterly breathtaking as the sun glittered off of the snow-covered ground. Kaida squinted her eyes, quickly spying Tillard, that menacing pig of theirs, traipsing about in the snow. She giggled as she watched him toss his tail to and fro, trotting along as if it were a warm summer day and he had no cares in the world. With a snort, she shook her head and filled the kettle, setting it on the stove to begin heating up water for tea. While she waited, Kaida filled two muslin pouches with loose peppermint tea leaves and dropped a pouch into a cup for Eilaen, repeating the process for a cup for herself. She clapped her hands, dusting off the remaining tea leaf debris that stuck to her hands before she turned toward the island where her baking supplies resided. 

“Hmmm. What to make, what to make?” she mused out loud, contemplating what recipe to start with for their breakfast.

As she glanced around the island, she raised her hands, summoning each ingredient to start to float into the air with her baker’s magic. She flicked her fingers back and forth as if she were scanning through a catalog, stopping only when she found what she was looking for. By the time she’d finished, she had placed the flour, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, curled chocolate shavings, and marshmallows on the top of the island before turning to summon the bowls, whisks, and pans she needed. 

As she combined ingredients and worked her way through her recipe, she lost herself in her art, as well as lost track of kitchen and oven space. It wasn’t until Eilaen stepped through the door that Kaida realized she’d created a lot more than she had room in the oven for. This is gonna take a lot of baking time, she thought to herself before giggling. 

“Kaida,” Eilaen said as she stepped through the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. “What are your thoughts about checking out the bakery today?”

Kaida stopped halfway to the stove and spun around to face her friend. “Today? As in today, today?” she squealed. The excitement was almost enough to cause her to drop the pan of muffins in her hand. 

Eilaen laughed and nodded. “Yes, Kai. Today. After breakfast, maybe?”

Kaida squealed again before rushing to the oven and sliding the muffin pan into its center. The two halflings worked together as they finished cooking their breakfast and making their cups of tea. After their work was done, they decided to sit in the den to eat in the comfort of their big, cozy chairs where the fire had made the air nice and toasty. The air smelled of freshly baked muffins and the bacon and eggs that were on their plates mixed with that of the burning fire. It created the perfect cozy atmosphere, and for a moment, Kaida debated on whether she truly wanted to leave the comfort of the farmhouse or not. Ultimately, she decided that it would be more than worth it to endure a few moments of icy temperatures if it meant being able to lay eyes on her new passion project. 

While Kaida waited for the final round of muffins to bake, she cleaned the kitchen and slid the other three dozen of muffins into the ice box they’d recently gotten to store their food in for later. After they had cleaned up from breakfast and gotten dressed, the duo set off to the stables so they could saddle Mable and Sorrel and head into town. They chatted as well as they could, but between the chill that frosted over their lips and the jostling from their transportation, it was hard to keep up a steady, uninterrupted conversation. A groan escaped Kaida at this. There was little that she hated more than to be forced into riding in silence. Her brain would start running nonstop, and before too long it would end up being filled to the top with all kinds of thoughts and ideas. 

As they journeyed, she tried to keep her mind trained on thoughts of what she wanted the bakery to look like. Just as she’d predicted, by the time they reached where the dirt road turned into cobblestone, Kaida’s mind was a jumbled mess. She knew that she’d have to see what she was working with before she’d be able to know what it was that she would do with the place. Excitement took hold of her once more, and an infectious smile swept across her face. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, the jumbled thoughts within her quickly cleared, stopping just as they reached the storefront’s sidewalk and took in the sight in front of them.

Two