The Song of the Keepers

Chapter 46 The Gift

I awoke the next morning to a pounding on the door. I struggled with the bedsheets, ending up on the floor in a heap. It took a moment of untangling myself, and a whole lot of groaning before I made sure my robe was secretly tied and crossed the room, cracking open my door.

"Did a rat make a home on your head?"
Ranen asked, a cheery smile on his lips.

My hand went to my hair that was sticking out in every which direction.

"Get dressed and meet me in the library. It's Christmas morning!"
He exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay Mr. Perky, give me a chance to wake up first."

"There'll be coffee waiting for you."
He added as an extra incentive.

"There'd be a whole lot of it."
I replied sharply before closing the door in his face.

I trudged into the bathroom, grimacing at the image that blinked back at me in the mirror. Thanks to Ghost, I had not slept well. It took me about a half-hour to get myself presentable in appearance and attitude. I poked my head into the library discovering a private brunch laid out on a table, with place settings for three. That was odd, seeing as it was only the two of us. Ranen hopped up, holding a steaming white mug.

"Coffee, my lady, with a good deal more in the pot."

I smirked, getting a kick out of his excitement.

"You really love Christmas, huh?"

"That, and I can't wait to give you your present."

I instantly felt a pang of guilt.

"Oh, I didn't get you anything in return."

He didn't seem abashed in the slightest.

"Not to worry, the only gift I need will be seeing the look on your face here in a few moments."

People always said that but I wondered if it was actually true. I added cream and sugar to the black liquid, stirring it in thoroughly before raising the mug to my lips.

"Ah."
I sighed.

"Honestly, what did I do before coffee?"

We hadn't been able to afford much in the coffee department growing up, it had been a luxury for my parents only. It had become my staple throughout the Tournaments, however, and I hadn't gone a morning without it since.

"Okay, are you ready?"

I laughed at his enthusiasm, he was nearly bouncing up and down like a child.

"Goodness gracious, you'd better give me this present before you explode with excitement!"

"You can come in now!"
Ranen called, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"You might want to set that mug down. My mother will be furious if we stain the rug."
He added.

I took another sip before obediently placing the mug back on the table. What on earth did he have up his sleeve? A door on the far end of the library opened and in walked a willowy figure.

"I was wondering how long you'd have me standing in the hall."
Her musical voice laughed.

She was shorter than I was, with blonde hair that ended just above her shoulders and pale violet eyes that complimented her lilac-colored sweater. My jaw dropped and I gripped the back of the chair to steady myself, at a loss for words. My eyes darted to Ranen who was quite thoroughly pleased with himself, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"How did you-"
I couldn't even finish my sentence.

"When did you-"
I started again.

But suddenly I realized it didn't matter. On wobbly legs I crossed the room, my heart thudding in my ears. The girl smiled gently, tears filling her beautiful eyes and slipping out down her cheeks.