The wind was bitingly cold and carried a hint of ice. Vin lifted his head and sniffed the evening air. Soon. Not this night but surely tomorrow there would be snow. The sky was a solid mass of pale gray clouds making the evening darker than normal and that much colder. Vin pulled his cloak tighter about his thin shoulders and turned his face back to the town that lay below him. From his vantage point atop the hill he could see the neatly arrayed wood and stone buildings with their slate roofs and smoking chimneys. The roads were busy with locals hurrying about their final chores and errands, small figures in brightly colored wraps and cloaks. It was a peaceful scene and one that stabbed at the gentle heart of the young half-elf.

Though he could not see them clearly from the hillside, Vin knew that the front of each business and home was decorated with branches of holly and cedar laced with sprigs of red and white berries that had been tied with bows of bright colored ribbon. Brass bells polished to a golden shine hung from each door and extra candles would light the gaily-decorated windows at night. And as the townsfolk hurried about their tasks they walked with an extra spring to their steps and greeted each other with smiles and warm wishes for a bountiful mid-winter celebration.

Oh, how he hated the mid-winter festival.

Vin squatted on his heels and huddled into his cloak. The memories of a previous celebration were burned forever in his mind and he could recall each painful moment with perfect clarity. The smiles for others that turned to frowns when directed at him; the cheerful greetings that turned to taunts and slurs. Closed doors. Drawn curtains. Barking dogs. Even hurled clumps of mud and rocks. So much for a time of brotherhood and goodwill to your fellow man. But that was the problem, wasn't it? If he had been a human child, like Jaydee or Ezra, then he might have gotten warm pastries and sweet candies the same as the other children. He would have been allowed to sit at a table laden with food and eat until the buttons of his shirt popped from the strain. And he would have gone to sleep next to a warm fire while minstrels played their harps and sang of happy times past, present and future.

But he wasn't human, not entirely. He was a half-breed with pointed ears as an undeniable mark of his mixed heritage. A curse inherited from his elven father whom he had never met and likely never would. Pure elves found half-breeds every bit as distasteful as the humans so it was possible that his father had purposefully abandoned him rather than be burdened with an ugly, mixed-blood son. He liked to think that such was not the case; that perhaps it was a noble cause or honorable duty that separated him from his father but he would probably never know for sure. He had only the words of his dying mother that Tannerae was a name to be proud of.

A bell rang in the distance, its cheerful tone causing Vin's frown to deepen as his thoughts were drawn back to the activities below. If he squinted his eyes and looked very hard he could just make out the shape of his own home at the very far edge of the town. It was an imposing stone house that sat just a few dozen yards from the edge of the forest. Home. How could one simple word tie his emotions into such a confusing knot? How could saying it warm one part of his soul while at the same time chilling the rest?

Vin's sigh drifted out in a small white cloud. Maybe because the short time he'd spent living with Chris and the others felt more like living with a real family than the few years he'd had with his mom and his aunt. And maybe that was why this mid-winter festival was so unbearable that he'd actually felt the need to leave the one place his heart called home.

His thoughts drifted back to when the day's peaceful, early morning routine had been suddenly interrupted by Josiah's unexpected arrival with an armful of freshly cut cedar boughs and Ezra following behind with a sack of holly carried gingerly in one hand...

"Happy holiday greetings to the house of Larabee and Wilmington and all who live here!" Josiah's booming voice matched his grinning appearance and brought smiles to the faces of Chris, Buck and Jaydee. No one noticed Vin's horrified stare or the way his cheeks paled in shock.

"Josiah! Ezra! Welcome and well met!" Buck shouted his own greeting and stood to accept the festive offerings from the wizard. "Sit down and have a cup of cider. It'll take the chill out of your toes and the sting from your nose."

Ezra gladly relinquished his prickly burden while he arched an elegant eyebrow at the Ranger's colorful turn of phrase. "Sounds most... invigorating. Thank you but I shall pass."

"Well I'll take a cup and warm myself by your fire if that's all right. These old bones don't tolerate the morning chill as well as they used to."

"That being the case," Ezra settled himself on the bench next to his not so old guardian as he spoke. "Why did you insist that we go out at such an unholy hour? There are enough trees for everyone."

"Because gathering the branches is only the start." Josiah accepted his mug with a smile of thanks as he answered his young apprentice. You are accustomed to having a platoon of servants that prepare your house for the mid-winter festival; seeing to all the holiday decorations. This year you will actually be making them yourself."

"Surely you jest."

"I jest not and my name isn't Shirley." Josiah laughed at his own joke and the way Ezra's eyes rolled in mock despair.

"It'll be fun, Ezra!" Jaydee was literally bouncing around the room as he pointed out the perfect spots for the evergreen boughs. "We can put some there and there and hang the berries there and the bell will go here...we do have a bell right? And candles? And what about the altar tray for the gods? Will Mistress Nettie make us nut pastries? Will we have a honeyed ham from the butcher's? What about presents?"

"Whoa! Whoa, Little Bit. Take a moment to catch your breath and give us a chance to answer." Buck pulled the excited boy into a loving hug and tousled his dark hair. "Yes we have a bell and an altar. Yes, Mistress Nettie is making us pastries and yes, we will have a ham sweetened with honey and cloves plus all the other holiday trimmings."

"But what about presents? Huh Buck? Huh? What about the presents?"

Jaydee's guardian frowned thoughtfully and stroked his mustache. "Well, hadn't given much thought to gifts...what do you think Chris? Think we should swap tokens this year or give it a pass?"

The boy's mouth dropped open in horror as he stared at the lean, blond Ranger leaning against the fireplace mantel quietly smoking a pipe. Chris obligingly played along with his old friend and crossed his arms as if seriously considering the suggestion. "Hmmm. Well, now that you mention it, not exchanging gifts would make things a bit simpler."

"But...but...but!"

Ezra shook his head in exasperation. "They are teasing you, Jaydee. Of course there will be presents. I myself have made my selections at the local stores and am merely awaiting their delivery."

"You bought your presents? You didn't make them?" The apprentice wizard may as well have conjured a fire-breathing dragon from thin air; Jaydee's surprise was just so great.

"Make? Whatever could I make that would compare to the fine merchandise carried by our local vendors?"

"Anything! Everything!" Jaydee waved his arms in emphasis but Ezra merely tossed his head in exasperation.

"Sorry but I do not share your creative talents. Now if you will excuse me, I have just remembered one additional present I must purchase." Standish turned to his guardian with a respectful nod of his head. "I shall return in time for our afternoon lesson."

"That's fine, Ezra but why don't you take the boys with you? They might enjoy seeing the rest of the town getting ready for the festival."

Buck clapped his hands together and nodded his agreement. "That is a good idea. C'mer Little Bit, I'll help you with your cloak."

"How about it Vin, you want to take a walk?" Chris looked around when he didn't hear an immediate answer. "Vin?"

"Oh, he left right after Josiah came in. You didn't see? He went out through the kitchen." Jaydee waved a hand toward the rear of the house as he waited for Buck to pin his cloak. "He might be in the outhouse. He didn't take his wrap. You want I should take it and go look for him?"

"I'll take it." Ezra accepted the cloak with a resigned and not quite believable sigh. "If I must play shepherd to a flock I should at least see to their well being."

The three adults exchanged knowing smiles behind the backs of the departing boys. As many times as he complained about being 'forced' into the company of the younger children, Ezra always seemed to spend much of his free time at the Ranger's home.

Once the door was firmly closed, Buck turned to Josiah with an eager expression that would have rivaled that of his ward. "Well, were you able to get it? Did Ferguson accept the pheasants in exchange? Is he going to keep it for me until the day of the celebration?"

"Yes, yes and yes. And he said to tell you that two pheasants would have been more than enough but four was a very nice surprise."

"Hah! He might have taken just two but given me the runt of the litter. This way he'll feel obligated to give me one of the better pups."

Chris smiled at his friend's conniving. Personally he felt that no matter what the size of the puppy, Jaydee was sure to love it with all his heart. He had briefly toyed with idea of getting a dog for Vin as well but then decided against it. Not that the young half-elf wouldn't have liked getting a puppy but Chris knew he wanted his gift to be something even more personal. He needed something that would show the boy how important he was and how much Chris cared for him. He'd gotten the idea for the gift sometime late summer and it had taken him this long to complete it. There were a few finishing touches to be added but there was still plenty of time before the festival.

Vin stood shivering next to the large oak that shaded the well behind the house. His arms were wrapped tight around his thin body to conserve as much heat as possible. He knew it had been foolish to leave without his cloak but the instinct to flee had been too great to resist. Seeing Josiah with the cedar boughs, hearing the joyful greeting... Vin shuddered hard but not from the temperature of the air.

Just when his nerves had finally calmed to the point where he could think logically again and consider going back inside, the slam of a door and Jaydee's excited voice warned him that he was about to have company. Rather than wait for the younger boy to find him and have to explain why he was simply standing in the cold, Vin hurried to meet his cousin at the side of the house.

"Hey Vin! Ezra's got your cape 'cause we're going into town to see the decorations and Ezra's got to buy a present for someone he forgot but I think we should make our presents just like we did when my mom was alive. You remember how she made us those scarves and we made her the doll with corn husks? And I gave you the neat rock that I found by the river. Do you still have it? I think maybe you left it in our cave. Do you think we could go back and get it? Anyway, I don't think Buck or Chris would like dolls but ..."

"Master Dunn!"

Vin was saved the trouble of having to answer the barrage of questions by Ezra's exasperated cry. "Enough already! If you wish to make your gifts then by all means, go ahead; but I for one am going into town to complete my shopping. Now you may join me or not, the decision is yours."

Jaydee turned to his cousin with an excited grin on his face. "Let's go Vin! We didn't get to celebrate the last two seasons and I want to see the decorations. Maybe we can even help Ezra pick out his gift and we might get ideas of what to make for Buck and Chris and Nathan and Josiah and ..."

The young half-elf kept his face averted as he slowly pinned his cloak shut. He and his mother had never celebrated the mid-winter holiday and the winter she died he had found out why. Vin discovered that his mother had been protecting him from the cruelty of their neighbors. He'd been walking the town streets alone when he'd learned from a gang of youths that the festival was strictly for humans, not elves. And especially not half-breeds.

When the next winter festival came he was living with his aunt and as she began preparing for the holiday, he knew it was just for her son. Jaydee and his mother gathered the evergreens and decorated the small house without ever once asking for his opinion or help. His aunt was also very careful to keep Vin inside as much as possible and encouraged him to stay close to their small home. He'd been surprised when Jaydee had come to him later with the idea of making a doll for his mother but then realized that his cousin had no one else that could tie the cords tight enough to hold the husks together.

The festival day had dawned and the sounds of ringing bells had filled the town with a joyful noise. When he'd woken up, Vin had been shocked to discover a scarf lying next to his pallet by the fireplace. He'd looked up at his aunt in confusion and gotten an uneasy smile in return. She'd been quick to explain that everyone should have a scarf for the winter and since she'd had more than enough wool for two she'd decided to make one for him as well as Jaydee.

Vin could tell by the way she clasped her hands that she was worried about something and wondered if she would get into trouble for giving him a present on the human holiday. He guessed that by claiming it was something that he 'needed', no one would think to question why she'd given a present to a half-breed. Then Jaydee had suddenly bounced up with his offering of a heavy, shiny rock that he'd found in the nearby stream. A quick glance at his aunt's face and he knew that she wanted to snatch the stone from her son's hand but obviously did not want to upset him. Vin accepted both gifts with a solemn nod of his head and a very soft "Thank you." When he carefully placed both items in the small wooden box where his few belongings were kept, he could tell that his aunt was relieved to have them stored out of sight.

Jaydee's mom received her gift with a smile and a tender hug for both her son and her nephew because Jaydee kept insisting on giving Vin credit for tying the knots. Vin felt sorry for his aunt. She was trying so hard to keep Jaydee from learning the truth about his half-breed cousin. He decided to make things easier on her and as soon as their breakfast was over he had taken to the woods. Without him around they would be free to visit friends and neighbors and enjoy the bounty of food and music that everyone shared as part of the celebration. Well, everyone human anyway.

When he returned that evening Jaydee had at first demanded to know where he'd been but then became caught up in the describing what a wonderful day he'd had. Vin's aunt merely looked at him sadly and never said a word. It was later that same winter that she'd fallen so terribly ill and died just like her sister. The two years following had been filled with the day-to-day necessity of simply trying to survive and the seasons had passed without any sort of celebration. Hidden away in their underground cave, Vin had forgotten about the mid-winter festival and if Jaydee had remembered he never mentioned it.

But now they were living with humans again and it looked like Jaydee was ready to make up for the two years he'd missed. Obviously no one else had ever explained the rules of the holiday to Jaydee; they probably thought he already knew them. Vin finally closed the pin on his cloak and took a deep breath before looking up. As his blue eyes met the dark brown of his cousin's, he was surprised to see them suddenly widen in dismay and the long stream of names was interrupted with a shocking curse.

"Oh Pits!"

Vin and Ezra both stared at Jaydee in surprise. Neither could ever remember hearing the younger boy use any kind of swear word and to have it suddenly erupt without an obvious cause made it doubly astounding.

"What's wrong?" Vin took a concerned step toward his cousin. "Jaydee, are you alright?"

"I...uh...yeah...I'm fine." The words came out in a hesitant squeak as Jaydee shot a quick glance toward Ezra. "I...ah...just remembered I didn't...uh...feed the chickens this morning. Yeah, that's it."

Ezra tilted his head to one side and looked at Jaydee as if he'd just sprouted horns but before either he or Vin could question the child he suddenly started backing up.

"I should go do that. Right now."

"Right now? Can it not wait until after our trip into town? Surely they won't starve to death before we return."

"I changed my mind, I don't want to go shopping or look at the decorations. Sorry." And with that statement Jaydee ran off to the barn.

Ezra turned to Vin. "Did that make any sense to you?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Vin simply shook his head.

"Well, would you like to accompany me into town? I had thought to buy us each a pastry while there but I suppose we could bring one back for Jaydee."

Vin shook his head again. "No thanks Ezra. I think I'll stay here. I've got some chores of my own to get done. Appreciate the offer though."

Ezra watched as his friend headed off toward the fence where the horses had gathered in hopes of attention. He frowned as he considered the scene he'd just witnessed. A suspicious youth by the very nature of his upbringing, he decided that there was more to Jaydee's sudden change of heart than hungry poultry and he was not going to simply walk away without learning the truth.

Jaydee peered around the door of the barn and was surprised to find himself almost nose to nose with Ezra. He quickly stepped back and stammered a surprised greeting. "Hey Ezra. Thought you'd be on your way by now."

"Yes, well so did I but I also thought I would have company. Mind telling me why you and Vin have seen fit to alter my plans? Have I done something to offend you? Are you upset with me?"

"No! Nothing like that. It's just that I forgot." Jaydee looked down at his boots and shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "I forgot that Vin's half elf."

If anything Ezra was even more confused. "You forgot that Vin... your cousin... the one with the pointed ears and uncanny archery ability... had a father that was an elf?"

"I mean I forgot about elves not liking the mid-winter festival. It upsets them."

"What are you talking about?"

Jaydee waved his hands. "You know, the festival. The day we give thanks to the gods and ask them for protection for the next year. Elves don't have the same gods. My mom explained it to me the year Vin came to live with us. She was afraid I had gotten my feelings hurt when he didn't give me a gift or wish me a blessed year or place an offering on our altar or go with us visiting or..."

"All right, I get the idea." Ezra began pacing the width of the barn as he considered this startling information. It was true that his own past experiences with the holiday had been socially restricted. As Josiah had stated earlier, he was used to having servants handle all of the holiday details. And there had never been a need to shop for gifts since his mother always purchased exactly what she wanted and the household staff were given money. And of course they had never gone visiting either. After all, it was considered an honor to be invited to Standish Hall for the midwinter feast. Perhaps it was because of his sheltered upbringing that he'd never heard of elves being bothered by the holiday.

"So you're saying that elves disapprove of humans having a mid-winter celebration because we invoke the blessings of the gods?"

"All I know is that the elves in our town always packed up and left a few days before the festival and didn't come back until a few days after. And mom told me not to question Vin about it 'cause I might upset him." Jaydee rubbed a hand through his thick, dark hair. "I'm stupid. I should have remembered. I should have figured that was why Vin got that funny luck on his face and took off the way he did when you and Josiah came in. Now he's probably mad at me and he's going to leave like all the other elves and not come back until it's over."

Ezra stopped pacing. "Considering his age I hardly think he will be striking out on his own. No, wait. This is Vin we are talking about. But where do all the elves go when they leave? What about the ones that have businesses?"

Jaydee shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. When mom was alive I didn't think to ask her."

"Then the first thing we should do is find out. I don't believe that Chris or the others would intentionally do anything to upset Vin yet they showed no hesitation in discussing the holiday or sending us to town."

"Hey, you're right!" A grin suddenly lit up Jaydee's face but then almost instantly disappeared again. "But what if they figure that since Vin's mom was human that he celebrates the day just like us?"

"That's far too many 'what ifs'." Ezra straightened his cloak and turned to the door. "We need facts before we can reach any kind of definite conclusion. I suggest we start with our trip to town and observe for ourselves the actions of the local elven population. I know of three stores owned by elves and am on speaking terms with a gentleman that is a courier. We shall soon learn the truth."

"But, why don't we just ask Buck and Chris or Josiah?"

"Because...well because this will be much more interesting. And there is a certain satisfaction to learning the truth for oneself."

"And because you don't want to look dumb in front of the grownups?"

"Are you coming with me or not?"

From his perch on the top rail of the fence, Vin watched as his cousin and Ezra made their way to the road and then headed in the direction of town. "Guess the chickens didn't need feeding after all." Giving a small sigh he turned back to the important job of scratching the itch between the ears of Chris' horse. The young half-elf wasn't used to sharing his feelings or problems with other people so whenever he felt troubled he always sought out the company of the horses. He could tell them his deepest secrets and never have to worry about being laughed at or ridiculed. They didn't care if he was a half-breed and they never questioned or judged him. Of course, they never came up with any good advice or suggestions either but they did offer their own brand of comfort.

Vin sighed again and gave the big, black horse one last rub on the nose before jumping down from the rail. This time, sharing his depression with the small herd was not making him feel better. If anything, the solitude was only making him more aware of his situation. The boy finally admitted to himself that for once he really wanted to talk to someone that would listen sympathetically. And maybe, if he dared to dream so wildly, offer some kind and helpful words in response.

"Maybe I should talk to Chris." But no, that didn't seem like a good idea. Besides taking care of Vin, Chris worked really hard as both a horse breeder and a ranger. To go to Chris with his holiday concerns seemed...ungrateful. Buck might have been a possibility but Vin had a feeling that anything he said to the easygoing warrior would wind up being repeated to Chris. Not out of meanness, in fact just the opposite. The same was also true for Josiah and Nathan. The sorcerer and the healer often deferred to Chris as their leader and when it came to the care of the two cousins not one of them made a decision without consulting the others. In a way it was like having four fathers, which normally was not such a bad thing. But right now it wasn't a father he wanted or really needed.

It caught the child off guard when the first warm drop of water ran down his cold cheek. Rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, Vin fought back the unexpected tears as he admitted to himself that the person he wanted to talk to more than anyone else was his mother. But she had been human and her spirit was with the gods whom he was not allowed to call on. And that meant she was gone from him forever, in this life and the next. More tears fell and with a desperate sob Vin began running towards the woods. "It's not fair! Why did my father have to be an elf? Why? Why couldn't my mom have loved someone human? Someone like Chris?"

The path through the woods was well worn and Vin's feet followed it without conscious thought. Small animals and birds scattered and scurried ahead of the fleeing child who was near blinded with grief.

But there was one creature that did not run. It watched from the thick underbrush, with dark, angry eyes as the half-elf ran along the trail. As the sound of the boy's footfalls faded in the distance it stepped out of the shadows and gave a rumbling snort of anger as it started slowly following the same path.

"See, this store is shuttered too." Jaydee waved his hand at the covered windows of the small candle shop. "I told you. All the elves have left."

As much as Ezra wanted to argue, it was impossible to deny the evidence of his own eyes. This was the third elven owned business they had visited and just like the first two, it was locked up tight. Added to that was the discovery that the home of Lanis, the elven courier that had worked for Ezra's mother was also shuttered, with the well covered and no smoke rising from the chimney. Lanis had a mate and two children so even if he was making a delivery there should have been some sign of habitation. Instead it looked like the whole family was gone.

"So, what do we do now? Do we tell Chris and the others that we shouldn't celebrate because it will make Vin leave?" Although Jaydee made the suggestion bravely, his eyes betrayed how very much he was hoping for a better solution.

He would never admit it out loud but Ezra had been secretly looking forward to the mid-winter festival himself. His mother had been quite generous with his allowance and he'd found the whole 'price haggling - shopping' experience to be a great deal of fun. The young apprentice was especially excited about the gift he'd found for his teacher. The thought of not giving Josiah his mid-winter present was simply unacceptable.

"Well, we now know that elves do leave for the festival and you yourself stated that Vin did not participate in the celebration with you and your mother. However we also know that Vin only found it necessary to leave for one day. Perhaps his human mother does have some influence on his tolerance of the holiday."

Jaydee thought about this for a moment as he followed the older boy past the gaily-decorated stores. "You mean maybe it will be all right for us to decorate and exchange gifts and stuff as long as we don't ask him to join in? I don't know Ez, that sounds kind of mean."

"I think it would be even more cruel if we were to try and convince him to participate when it goes against his beliefs."

"What beliefs? Oomph." Caught off guard by Ezra's sudden stop, Jaydee ran into his friend's back with enough force to make them both stagger.

"What did you just say?"

"I was just wondering what beliefs elves have?"

"From the mouths of babes..."

Jaydee drew himself up straight and jutted out his chin. "Who are you calling a baby?"

Waving aside the misunderstanding, Ezra turned down a side street and broke into a determined stride forcing his smaller companion to trot to keep up. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? If Vin cannot participate in our celebration than perhaps he could have one of his own. There must be some kind of holiday or special occasion that we can make use of."

"Vin's never mentioned anything. And all the elves are gone now. Who are we gonna ask? Josiah?"

"That would necessitate a return to your home and I have not yet completed my errand. I was thinking of someone here in town; a woman with a store of knowledge to match her many years."

Jaydee's hurried steps turned into a happy skip as he figured out where they were going. "Mistress Nettie! Sure, she'll know! And she really likes Vin so she'll definitely help us."