Merry Christmas
Amara unlocked the chest and slowly withdrew its contents, a golden star, and garland. Next she pulled the brightly colored ornaments of green and red from the box and carefully placed them beside her next to the garland. She looked at the echo crystals and laughed as she reminisced about last Christmas. Images of her friends all standing around a tall, dark green tree, singing off key along with the crystals music played through her mind.
There’d even been a few orcs and dark elves there. She laughed out loud to herself as she remembered how uncomfortable they’d been. Amara had thought they’d never get them to loosen up, and sing along. In the end it had been a cheery dwarven female that managed to convince them join in the fun. She briefly wondered if that dwarf would be coming back.
As she continued to neatly arrange the items she would need to decorate the tree she wondered when the rest of her family would be coming back. She didn’t mind calling them her family. She’d been with them long enough, fought with them, she’d even give her life for them if need be. The loud bump and the grumbling that followed it outside the door gained her attention. Smiling she went to the door and opened it. Outside stood a tall human male dark avenger and one of her kinsmen, a young silver ranger. She stifled a laugh as the two grumbled back and forth about the size of the tree and whether or not the ranger had been walking too fast for the human. Her shaking form and the hand over her mouth did not hide her mirth however and she soon found herself being glared at by two annoyed sets of eyes.
“What’s so funny?” They asked her in unison, both slightly grumpy from handling the tree.
“Nothing.” She tried to say it with a straight face, she really did, but the laugh bubbled up none the less. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer she collapsed in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
The human and ranger looked at one another and shook their heads. Another light elf approached them from behind carrying a large package. “Need help?” He asked looking at the large tree the two were still holding. His focus drifted to Amara as he heard her laughter, now small giggles, “What’d they do?” He asked slyly, earning a disgruntled look from the other two.
“Arguing about the tree.” Amara pulled herself upright and swung the door open wide enough for the two tree bearers to bring it inside.
“About time you let us in, it’s cold out here!” The human said in a mockingly stern voice. He laughed when she responded, mimicking his voice.
“Next time I’ll let you stay outside then.” Giggling slightly she let the two go about setting up the tree and went and greeted the new arrival, giving him a friendly hug.
As they laughed and talked, a knock on the door signaled another guest. Before she could get to the door it swung open and a dwarven male came barging in muttering in a not so low voice, “I knew light elves have no respect! Leaving a dwarf out in the cold, and after she invited me!” He looked the elven female in the eye as best he could to see her reaction.
Amara had a smug look on her face. “That’s ok; I can just take my gift back then.”
“Now let’s not be hasty m’dear.” The dwarf began to look worried at the prospect of possibly losing his as yet unknown gift.
Amara laughed brightly, “I wouldn’t do that.”
They all began to decorate the tree and discuss the many fond memories they shared of the past year: The many castle sieges, the successful hunts of large and powerful creatures. They were about halfway done with the tree when a forceful knock on the door got their attention. Giggling and smiling at one another, they knew who the new arrivals were and struggled to smother their mirth. The dark avenger approached the door and swung it open, to reveal several dark elves and orcs outside. “Yes?” He questioned them, intent on having some fun.
A dark elven female gave him a sinister glare before smirking at him “I’ve heard that you requested my presence.”
The dark avenger looked at her in confusion, her ‘presence’? What was she talking about?
The dark female leaned back and began to swing her swords slowly over her head. Her body swayed, and her hair swung in lazy patterns around her shoulders. “I’m here for the party.” She leaned in close to him “I’ve heard that you are the life of the party.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she noticed that the human seemed to have stopped breathing.
“May we come inside?” Asked her male counterpart stiffly.
“Of- of course.” Stammered the human as he stepped aside.
The newest arrivals strode into the room and pressed themselves into the farthest corner they could, determined to remain apart from the rest.
The night progressed on. The humans, elves, and dwarves were conversing easily with one another and constantly trying to draw the dark elves and orcs into the conversation. Much to their amusement, the dark elves and orcs stubbornly refused to acknowledge that they were having fun despite themselves. The ranger that had helped to bring in the tree got an idea and quietly began making plans with Amara. The two conspired all night, and began to dodge and evade everyone else’s pointed looks and questions.
It was towards the end of the night, while everyone was singing carols to the bright tunes of the echo crystals that they set their scheme in motion. Amara went to stand near the dark elven female that had teased the dark avenger, pretending to need to get to a chest behind her. She tried several times to lift the chest, refusing the dark elven males offer of help politely. As she did this, her co-conspirator nudged the human and suggested that he go help Amara.
Amara watched with barely repressed glee as the human approached her and then offered to pick the chest up for her. She argued with him briefly, saying that she was fine and could do it herself. However, like she and her friend had known, he wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted that he be allowed to help her.
As they argued, the ranger snuck quietly behind the group, holding a fishing rod with a bit of green leaves at the end of the line. Amara put herself behind the human and watched for the green leaves to descend above his and the dark elven females head. When they did, she gave him a shove, causing him to crash into the dark elf.
The human and dark elf stared at one another for several long seconds before they both felt something tap lightly above their heads. Looking up as one, they spotted the green leaves of the rare mistletoe tree. The human grinned devilishly, the dark elf began to panic and struggled futilely in his grip as he slowly began to move in. “I have a reputation to keep,” he whispered to her jokingly, “as the ‘life of the party’”. His lips met hers in a chaste kiss to a round of applause all around.