The days went by in many games, and much sleeping. Erin took his vow to marry Lysander seriously, and he began to sleep in the same bed as the wanderer. The blonde claimed that this was what married people did. No matter how Lysander tried to tell him, they weren't married yet, Erin would whine, until he was snuggling into Lysander's back.
This made Erin get a new chore. One he wasn't all that good at. For, now it was his task, to stock the fire. Seeing as Lysander was pressed against the wall, most nights.
Erin felt cold on his nose, and his eyes snapped open. Groggily, he went to the fireplace. There were embers in it, but no fire.
"Oh, no," Erin whined. He hated it when that happened. The warmth of the family was his responsibility, as the one who slept on the side of the fire. So, when this happened, he was rightly upset.
That didn't make him give up, though. He took some dry grass, which hung from the ceiling. Lysander would cut any grass he found, and then tie it in bundles, after which, he'd let it dry. It was perfect, for moments like this.
Erin placed the grass down on the embers, and got to his knees so that he could blow air on it. Before long, the crass caught fire, and Erin slowly piled small branches over it. He had to watch it, in case the fire didn't catch the branches. There was no telling, if there would be embers, if he went to sleep.
The blonde boy placed his hands against the fire, and waited silently. He had an urge to go and check on Lord Snow-a-lot and Lady Jayne, but he knew that if he opened the door, then the cold wind might extinguish the budding fire.
Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Erin blinked. Has Belle woken up? Wait, what if these were bandits? Or monsters? They were a bit too polite for such a thing, but one never knew.
The child went to the nearest window, and opened the curtain. He heard Lysander shudder, but, after a couple of breaths of silence, Erin was sure that Lysander hadn't woken.
From the holes in the shutters, Erin could see an old man, in a red suit. He blinked. Wait, did Lord Snow-a-lot have a human form now? Quickly, Erin went, and opened the door.
"Lord Snow-a-lot? You have arms?" Erin looked behind the fat man, and saw the snowman there. The man gave out a chuckle.
"The name is grandpa Thinker, young man. I hear you have been good the entire year?" Erin nodded. He has heard of grandpa Thinker. Although, so far, he has never seen him in the flesh. Erin craned his neck, and saw a sled parked next to the two snowmen, with a jolly grandma in there.
"May I come in?" Grandpa Thinker asked. Erin nodded, and then opened the door wider. Then, he remembered the budding fire. With wide eyes, he went back to the fireplace. There was smoke there, but no fire. He hung his head low.
"Oh, did I do this?" Grandpa Thinker asked, and then pointed his finger at the fireplace. "Let me help."
Soon, there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. Erin looked at the man in wonder. He heard footsteps, and saw that the jolly grandma was also making her way to the house.
"Two presents, for one Kalfrine-Doros family," the grandma said, and Erin nodded with enthusiasm. He went back to the bed, and shook Lysander awake.
"Ly, it is Yule! Grandpa Thinker and Grandma Thinker came with presents for us," he said. Lysander woke with a start. He looked at the two strangers in his hut, and narrowed his eyes.
"How come you never came before?" His tone sounded accusing. Grandma Thinker cleared her throat.
"We didn't have your address," she said, bowing her head. "We have all of your missed presents, right here. All ten years' worth of them. Now, I think you will find them useful."
"Oh, Ly, you are so lucky. You get to have ten presents," Erin said, a bit envious. Grandpa Thinker gave a belly laugh.
"Now, young man, don't let the green beast take over you. It is not the way, which nice boys take," the aged man said, and then placed his sack on the ground. "Now, let us start. Come forward, Erin Kalfrine."
Erin all but bounced to the aged man. He was giddy with excitement.
"Now, my boy, I have to say I am sorry for your loss," the old man said, a hand perching on Erin's shoulder. "So, I brought you something, that you might like."
He took out a picture frame. When Erin saw the picture inside of it, he teared up.
"That's mama and papa and me," he said, reaching out for the frame. Grandpa Thinker handed it to him, with a kind look on his face.
"Just so they will never become a faded memory, in your mind," he said, and then Grandma Thinker took a hold of Erin, and hugged him close.
"Thank you," Erin said, between sobs. "Thank you."
"Don't cry, Rin. It makes me sad," Lysander was clutching his chest, over his heart. It did make him sad to see the bubbly boy crying like that. He never wanted to see him like that.
"Sorry," Erin said, letting go of the kind grandma, and rushing back to Lysander. He showed him the picture inside the frame, then. "See? These are my mama and my papa. No, our mama and papa."
Lysander was touched, that he was included in Erin's family. He smiled softly, and nodded. With gentle movements, he wiped the tears off Erin's face.
"Now," Grandpa Thinker said, wiping a tear from his face as well. "Time for all the missed presents of one Lysander Doros."
Lysander didn't want to let go of Erin, so, he took his hand, and walked back to the grandpa. The first package that was brought from the sack was huge. Lysander's eyes widened at that.
The days went by in many games, and much sleeping. Erin took his vow to marry Lysander seriously, and he began to sleep in the same bed as the wanderer. The blonde claimed that this was what married people did. No matter how Lysander tried to tell him, they weren't married yet, Erin would whine, until he was snuggling into Lysander's back.
This made Erin get a new chore. One he wasn't all that good at. For, now it was his task, to stock the fire. Seeing as Lysander was pressed against the wall, most nights.
Erin felt cold on his nose, and his eyes snapped open. Groggily, he went to the fireplace. There were embers in it, but no fire.
"Oh, no," Erin whined. He hated it when that happened. The warmth of the family was his responsibility, as the one who slept on the side of the fire. So, when this happened, he was rightly upset.
That didn't make him give up, though. He took some dry grass, which hung from the ceiling. Lysander would cut any grass he found, and then tie it in bundles, after which, he'd let it dry. It was perfect, for moments like this.
Erin placed the grass down on the embers, and got to his knees so that he could blow air on it. Before long, the crass caught fire, and Erin slowly piled small branches over it. He had to watch it, in case the fire didn't catch the branches. There was no telling, if there would be embers, if he went to sleep.
The blonde boy placed his hands against the fire, and waited silently. He had an urge to go and check on Lord Snow-a-lot and Lady Jayne, but he knew that if he opened the door, then the cold wind might extinguish the budding fire.
Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Erin blinked. Has Belle woken up? Wait, what if these were bandits? Or monsters? They were a bit too polite for such a thing, but one never knew.
The child went to the nearest window, and opened the curtain. He heard Lysander shudder, but, after a couple of breaths of silence, Erin was sure that Lysander hadn't woken.
From the holes in the shutters, Erin could see an old man, in a red suit. He blinked. Wait, did Lord Snow-a-lot have a human form now? Quickly, Erin went, and opened the door.
"Lord Snow-a-lot? You have arms?" Erin looked behind the fat man, and saw the snowman there. The man gave out a chuckle.
"The name is grandpa Thinker, young man. I hear you have been good the entire year?" Erin nodded. He has heard of grandpa Thinker. Although, so far, he has never seen him in the flesh. Erin craned his neck, and saw a sled parked next to the two snowmen, with a jolly grandma in there.
"May I come in?" Grandpa Thinker asked. Erin nodded, and then opened the door wider. Then, he remembered the budding fire. With wide eyes, he went back to the fireplace. There was smoke there, but no fire. He hung his head low.
"Oh, did I do this?" Grandpa Thinker asked, and then pointed his finger at the fireplace. "Let me help."
Soon, there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. Erin looked at the man in wonder. He heard footsteps, and saw that the jolly grandma was also making her way to the house.
"Two presents, for one Kalfrine-Doros family," the grandma said, and Erin nodded with enthusiasm. He went back to the bed, and shook Lysander awake.
"Ly, it is Yule! Grandpa Thinker and Grandma Thinker came with presents for us," he said. Lysander woke with a start. He looked at the two strangers in his hut, and narrowed his eyes.
"How come you never came before?" His tone sounded accusing. Grandma Thinker cleared her throat.
"We didn't have your address," she said, bowing her head. "We have all of your missed presents, right here. All ten years' worth of them. Now, I think you will find them useful."
"Oh, Ly, you are so lucky. You get to have ten presents," Erin said, a bit envious. Grandpa Thinker gave a belly laugh.
"Now, young man, don't let the green beast take over you. It is not the way, which nice boys take," the aged man said, and then placed his sack on the ground. "Now, let us start. Come forward, Erin Kalfrine."
Erin all but bounced to the aged man. He was giddy with excitement.
"Now, my boy, I have to say I am sorry for your loss," the old man said, a hand perching on Erin's shoulder. "So, I brought you something, that you might like."
He took out a picture frame. When Erin saw the picture inside of it, he teared up.
"That's mama and papa and me," he said, reaching out for the frame. Grandpa Thinker handed it to him, with a kind look on his face.
"Just so they will never become a faded memory, in your mind," he said, and then Grandma Thinker took a hold of Erin, and hugged him close.
"Thank you," Erin said, between sobs. "Thank you."
"Don't cry, Rin. It makes me sad," Lysander was clutching his chest, over his heart. It did make him sad to see the bubbly boy crying like that. He never wanted to see him like that.
"Sorry," Erin said, letting go of the kind grandma, and rushing back to Lysander. He showed him the picture inside the frame, then. "See? These are my mama and my papa. No, our mama and papa."
Lysander was touched, that he was included in Erin's family. He smiled softly, and nodded. With gentle movements, he wiped the tears off Erin's face.
"Now," Grandpa Thinker said, wiping a tear from his face as well. "Time for all the missed presents of one Lysander Doros."
Lysander didn't want to let go of Erin, so, he took his hand, and walked back to the grandpa. The first package that was brought from the sack was huge. Lysander's eyes widened at that.
