Winter 4987, 26 Ginmoth - Winter Solstice
The morning of Winter Solstice, Shon woke up, ran, and did his drills the same as every other day, this time with only two other adult Paladins and no Squires. The Paladins left for breakfast as Shon moved from his unarmed kata to his sword forms, leaving him with only Ryuuko in the cold, quiet courtyard. Not even Lily came out to join him. Apparently the holiday was just as much an excuse for her to take it easy as it was for the others. Shon couldn’t begrudge them the desire to take the day off, but he also couldn’t bring himself to do the same.
The sun still hadn’t fully risen by the time he went to the mess hall for breakfast, but the room was alive with buzzing talk and laughter nonetheless. Plain brown paper littered the floor and tables while Squires and Paladins alike mingled and showed off their gifts to one another. Ryuuko dove to the ground and pounced on the papers, flinging some into the air to bat around like a happy kitten.
“Yo, Shon!” Zihler called from one of the round Paladin tables, waving him down with a small brown package. Shon acknowledged him with a wave but went to the food table first, piling plenty of eggs and sausage onto his plate. By the time he joined Zihler, Thom and Rerves had already pulled up their own chairs while Rehlien, Baradin, and Kefir, dragged another round table closer.
Shon rolled his eyes at them but said nothing as he took his seat. If they were going to pull tables together anyway, they might as well sit at the larger Squire table.
“For someone who gets up so early, you’re awfully late, man,” Rerves laughed, pulling the package from Zihler’s hand and tossing it for Shon to catch. He snatched it from the air with one hand and tossed Rehlien his present with the other.
Rehlien ripped open the small package and gasped, "Thanks, man. You always give the best gifts," Shon shrugged. His gifts were always cheap, but he would personalize them. This one was a new dagger sheath, but with Rehlien's family seal embossed in the leather.
Shon had just started to open his own present when Lily’s voice blared from the door, “Oh wow! What did I miss?!” she kicked at a piece of wrapping paper and giggled as it floated into the air, then back down to be pounced on by the still playing pseudodragon.
“Shit,” Zihler hissed, then glanced towards the nearest Paladin; either the man hadn’t noticed the curse, or he chose not to call the Squire out on it. Zihler continued under his breath, “Did anyone get her anything?”
“We didn’t know she was coming.” Kefir whispered, his voice nearly a whine.
Shon finished opening his present, a set of drawing pencils, all different sizes with the softness of the lead imprinted on the side of the wood. “Thanks, Zihler,” he said, but the other Squire was still watching Lily, who'd grabbed her plate and was heading their way.
“Happy Solstice, Lily.” Thom greeted with a shy smile.
Baradin cleared his throat and spoke clearly, though he was looking at her shoulder, not her eyes, “I’m sorry we don’t have your present… We… we’ll get you something by the celebration tonight.” he looked desperately around at the other boys as though hoping they would come to his rescue with an idea.
“Present?” Lily asked, setting her plate down at Rehlien, Kefir, and Baradin’s table, beside Shon, and pulling a chair from the nearest empty spot.
“We, uh… we didn’t know you would be here, so…” Rerves tried to explain, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Lily tilted her head at him, and he blushed.
Shon sighed, placing his new pencils beside his plate and picking up his fork, he explained, “People give gifts on Winter Solstice. We draw names in the fall, so everyone gets one and gives one.”
"And it gives us plenty of time to place the mail orders," Rerves added.
“Oh!” Lily clapped her hands excitedly but then stopped a moment later, looking horrified, “I didn’t get you guys anything!” she whimpered, looking around the two tables, her face wracked with what Shon could only describe as guilt.
Thom rushed to comfort her, “It's okay, Lily! We’re just glad you’re here!”
“Yeah, having you here is the best present ever!” Zihler announced.
“We’ll get you something. Sorry it wasn’t ready in time for breakfast,” Baradin assured her again.
“But-” Lily started,
“It's okay, Lily, really,” Rehlien reached over the table and patted her hand, “We all got gifts already. We just need to get you something, and we'll all be even.”
Lily pursed her lips, not looking at all happy at the idea of getting a gift without giving one in return. Shon sighed again and, sliding his chair closer, tapped Lily on the shoulder. Motioning her to lean closer while the others conferred with each other, he whispered in her ear, “Let them do this. Letting them give you a gift is a gift in itself.”
“That’s stupid,” Lily hissed back at him, “I didn’t get anyone anything. It’s not fair.”
“They want to give you something. Are you not going to let them have what they want just because you didn’t give them something they didn’t ask for?” Shon answered, scooting his chair back to his plate and resuming his breakfast.
Lily hummed but then slapped the table and announced, “I’m getting you all something next year!”
The Squires stopped mid-conference and as one looked at her. “You don’t have to do that, Lily,” Thom said,
“Yeah, Lily, you-” Rerves started,
“I’m getting you all something next year,” she stated again, picking up her fork and stabbing a whole sausage with it.
Zihler, Kefir, Rehlien, and Baradin all exchanged looks, then Baradin cleared his throat, saying, “We won’t be here next year…” Kefir indicated the four of them as Baradin spoke.
Lily’s jaw dropped. Apparently, she hadn’t thought of that, “I… but…”
“A map!” Thom shouted over Lily’s stutters, then blushed, looking down at his plate. The others all stared at him and Shon tapped his fork on Thom’s plate to get his attention, then arched an eyebrow at his fellow.
“I just thought…” Thom hesitated, grinning sheepishly, “We could give Lily a map of Clearhelm this year. Then, when you guys know where you'll be stationed, she can mark it on her map, so… she can... send her gifts…”
Lily stood, then to their combined horror, climbed over the top of the table and hugged Thom around the neck. He turned bright red, though whether from the hug or heat, Shon couldn’t tell. Ryuuko launched into the air and twittered as it circled the tables.
“That’s perfect! Perfect!” leaning back, Lily kissed Thom on the cheek.
Thom pulled sharply away, wincing as a small burn, like a blistering sunburn, appeared in the shape of Lily’s lips.
“Oh shoot, I’m sorry!” still kneeling on the table, Lily flapped her hands in the air, looking around for something to soothe his burn. Ryuuko landed on Shon's shoulder, and his eyes went wide as Lily snapped up his hand and pulled him to his feet and halfway over the table to place his cold palm on Thom's face.
Squires and Paladins throughout the room laughed. Shon could feel himself turning as red as Lily's scales and hid his face with his free hand, but let Lily hold his other against Thom's burn.
Master Daunas’s bark of a laugh rang out above the rest, and he shouted from the officer's table, “Happy Solstice, everyone!” he swept his arms out wide to take in the room but then continued with a stern order, “Now clean this mess up and get outside. We have work to do!”
***
