A/N: I wanted to do something Christmas-sy, and I knew they had a celebration with enough similarities to Christmas that I could pull this off. I apologize in advance if anything doesn't match the book. I hope you enjoy!

Odds and Ends

"Look at this mess!" Alissa moaned in distress. The floor was covered in scraps of paper and bits of ribbon. The only consolation was the small stack of neatly wrapped packages in the only semi-neat corner of the room.

Strell had mysteriously disappeared the moment the wrapping paper had come out of the closet and had not resurfaced since.

Muttering darkly under her breath about husbands who didn't help at all and feeling generally at odds with the world, Alissa viscously collected the discarded wrapping pieces from the rug.

It was his idea to have three children. That's because he's a plainsman. A farm girl is much more sensible. Though, even as she said it, Alissa knew it wasn't true. She wouldn't trade anything in the world for the joy that those three little monsters brought to her house.

And she couldn't wait to see the joy in their eyes when they opened their gifts tomorrow.

Or probably more accurately, today, for Alissa was quite sure it was well past midnight.

That's what happens when I get involved with parties at the Hold. I spend weeks making candied apples and putting off my own work Alissa thought darkly as the last of the scrap paper was collected. With a surreptitious glance around the room, Alissa threw them in the fire before Strell could deem them large enough to save for future use.

She was putting the last of the unused boxes away when Strell slipped quietly back into the room.

"All done?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Humph. It is now." Alissa was tired and cranky and in no mood to be nice.

"You sound more and more like Talo-Toecan every day."

"Humph. He still expects me to have a lesson tomorrow – you'd think the least gift he could give me was the day off!"

"Maybe it's not a lesson. Maybe the two of you will get to have your own private party where it's quiet."

"Not like I won't see him – he is invited for dinner."

"Oh well, I can talk to the old lizard if you want …."

"I can give him a piece of my mind very well, thank you very much. Besides I should be mad at you for leaving me to do all this by myself!"

"Sorry, Alissa. I had some odds and ends to attend to."

Alissa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What sort of 'odds and ends'?"

"Come downstairs and see for yourself:

Reluctantly, Alissa pulled herself out of her favorite chair, and followed Strell down the staircase. "What mischief have you – oh! It's beautiful."

The entire downstairs was covered in decorations. Alisa knew that plains customs called for more celebration than her own foothills upbringing, but Strell had never pushed the issue.

This year, however, it appeared he and the children had spent the entire summer preparing. There were ribbons and garlands everywhere, and it was all perfumed with cedar.

Laid out on the table was a small line of wrapped somethings that made Alissa very glad she was in charge of wrapping and not Strell.

"I just put everyone to bed – I promised them I wouldn't show you until tomorrow." Strell looked slightly sheepish. "I couldn't wait, but you'll have to act surprised.

Alissa put her arms around him. "I will be surprised – I can't believe you got it up so quietly."

"Yeah. Well, Connen-Nuete put a ward on the stairs so you wouldn't even hear a duststorm down here. And that's why you have a lesson with Useless tomorrow," Strell added quickly. "In case we needed more time."

Alissa slapped his arm playfully. "It's such a nice surprise, I won't even be mad at you."

"Good." Strell nodded his approval, then pulled her slightly forward and pointed to the sprig of mistletoe tacked to the ceiling. "We didn't forget the foothills traditions, either."

Alissa attempted to grimace in mock consternation, but it melted away as Strell puller her closer and planted a kiss on her lips.

On the stairs, Alissa heard the pattering of feet and the giggling of small children as she pulled Strell closer to return the kiss. All in all, it was a wonderful way to end the evening.

The End.