Winter Solstice with the Misfits

The Celebration

Delicious smells had been wafting out of the kitchen for hours, so when Rose finally appeared to announce that dinner was ready, everyone hurried to sit down at the long table.

"Rose, this looks amazing," Tris said, admiring the lavish spread his elven friend had prepared.

There was a roast, surrounded by perfectly browned potatoes and glazed carrots. Golden, fluffy rolls were piled high in a basket. A crisp, green salad that smelled of garlic and lemon was displayed in a pretty copper bowl. And to crown it all, a splendid chocolate cake, topped with sliced berries, sat right in the middle of the table.

Little name cards told where to sit, and at each place was the drink the intended occupant liked best. For Tris, a pint of smooth ale. For Nemo, a cup of tea. For Eryll, a small glass of red wine. And for Gabe, a big cup of water.

"This is my gift to all of you," Rose said, blushing. "I hope you like it. I think the roast might be a bit overdone."

"Nonsense, your cooking is never less than perfect, no matter what you say," Nemo said.

"That's very kind of you," Rose said. "Now, let's eat."

Gabe escorted the elf to her chair and helped her sit down. Once everyone was seated comfortably, the feast began. Tris carved the roast and served it, and they all ate until they couldn't eat another bite.

As they sat around the table, letting the comforting warmth of too much good food wash over them, Gabe clapped his hands excitedly.

"It's time to exchange gifts, isn't it?" he asked, his garnet eyes sparkling with happiness.

"We're supposed to wait until tomorrow," Nemo said. "That's the rule."

"There's no rules for opening presents," Gabe said.

Eryll looked uncomfortable. "I left everyone's gift in their room," she said. "I'd rather not be there when you open them."

Rose chuckled. "Don't be shy about it, Eryll. This is supposed to be fun."

"It's not fun. It's awkward and embarrassing," Eryll said, her cheeks flushed. "...I'll go get the packages."

"I'll come with you," Tris said.

They both disappeared down the hall.

"While they're gone, can I give you mine?" Gabe asked Rose. "You're going to love it."

"Sure, why not?" Rose said.

Gabe brought out a huge vase full of flowers and set it on the table in front of Rose. It was a riot of bright colors, but more importantly for his blind friend, every flower had a lovely scent as well.

Rose buried her face in the blooms. "Flowers? Where did you get flowers this time of year? Oh, Gabe, these are amazing. Thank you so much!"

Gabe shuffled his feet and grinned. "I knew you'd like them."

"I love them."

Gabe turned to Nemo. "Here's your present!"

Nemo hesitated, but the temptation of opening a gift was too much even for her. She tore into the paper wrapping and revealed her gift. A shiny new knife and four new arrowheads sat inside the paper.

"I was admiring these in a shop window last week," the banshee said. "How did you know?"

"I saw you," Gabe admitted. "Do you like them?"

"They're perfect."

*~*

As they walked down the hall, Tris and Eryll avoided looking at each other.

"I hope you like what I got for you," Eryll said.

"There's no reason why I wouldn't," Tris said. "It's from you, and that makes it special."

"Save the speech until after you see it," Eryll said.

They went into Tris's room, where a small black package sat on his pillow, tied with a silver ribbon. Tris picked it up and shook it gently.

"Hmm...want me to guess what it is?"

"No. Just get it over with."

The knight carefully untied the ribbon and unwrapped the package. Inside, a small wooden box opened up to reveal a ring. It was made of silver, and it bore the design of a triskelion in gold on its polished surface.

"This is beautiful," Tris said. "And far finer than I deserve."

"It is not," Eryll said. "I wanted to get you something nice. I hope you like it."

"And now it's time for me to give you yours," Tris said, turning a bright shade of red. He opened his nightstand drawer and pulled out a similar wooden box. "I've been meaning to give you this for a while, but this feels like the right time."

Tris got on one knee and opened the little box. "Eryll Skadisdotra, will you marry me?"

Eryll's hand flew to her mouth and she gasped. "What? Tris, I...yes. YES. Of course I'll marry you." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

Tris's heart soared, and he held her close for a while. Her hair smelled like roses, and he breathed in the sweet scent. She'd said yes! He had hoped, he had even been fairly confident, but now that she had answered him he felt unbelievably happy.

"You didn't even look at the ring," Tris said after a while.

Eryll stepped back and waved her hand in his face. "Aren't you supposed to put it on my finger or something?"

"All right," Tris said, slipping the ring onto her delicate finger.

Eryll held her hand up to the light and admired the way the ring shone. "It's perfectly lovely," she said.

It was. The white gold band was engraved with complicated knotwork and studded with tiny emeralds, and the sparkling diamond at the center was set in a rose made of rose gold.

"I'm glad you like it," Tris said. He placed the ring Eryll had given him on his finger. "You've made me very happy."

"Not as happy as you made me," Eryll said, leaning against him.

"It's not a competition." Tris laughed.

*~*

Gabe, Nemo, and Rose waited for a while at the table, but Tris and Eryll didn't return.

"Do you think they're coming back?" Gabe asked.

Rose thought and listened. "No, I think they're a little distracted at the moment. We can exchange gifts with them in the morning. I think it's time we went to bed."

"This has been the best Solstice ever," Gabe said with a happy sigh.

___

Well, I wasn't really planning on ending it this way, but my characters have their own way of doing things and I really can't control them. So there you go.

Merry (late) Christmas, everyone!