Ari grinned at Quen's genuine delight. "It certainly sounds that way, doesn't it?" she asked. "I always asked my father, when I was small, if it was magic. He laughed and told me no, but I've had my doubts ever since. This one comes from a very small island in the far south. I picked it up a few years ago, and you are welcome to it, with my compliments. The sea is a soothing sound, especially in the dead of winter."
She dug into the bag again, adding, "I was uncertain if you had - heard - one before, so I brought you something else. Not quite so exotic, I'm afraid. Would you hold out your hands for me?" The castanets were very easy to put on, the small bands securing them to Quen's fingers. "They're a percussion instrument, of a sort, usually used by dancers. But they are quite glaringly pink, and rather a lot of fun." She showed how to click them together to make a bright, percussive sound. "There now," she said. "Have I upheld my end of the bargain - and brought enough pink - to atone for my wrong guess?"