Birthday Shenanigans

“It’s Haukea’s birthday!”

Khaalida’s announcement rang through the main hall, causing several heads to turn.

“Are… we having a party?” Aelin asked, a bit uncertain. Khaalida had that glint in her eyes again that made Aelin worry for her sanity. Her own or Khaalida’s, either would do.

“She has that look again….” Loire muttered, and Arwen nodded her cautious agreement.

“Even better! We are going to sing for her!” Khaalida exclaimed, with a grin.

“Uhm…. I hate to break it to you but none of us have music magic,” Aelin pointed out. Elantaire nodded.

“I might be a fairy but I’m not gifted in that way,” she said. “Unless we are singing in plant magic.”

Khaalida shook her head, and Aelin’s eyes widened in surprise as she pulled out birthday hats, the first one getting put on her familiar. The cat did not look pleased.

“Avia is on her way, and she has Musical Inclination. And the rest of us will be her backup dancers and singers!” Khaalida said with a grin, pulling out feather boa’s and glitter paint.

“What on earth are you doing with that paint,” Loire said, though her tone suggested she knew and was not a fan.

“If we are going to be good backups for Avia we need to look the part!” Khaalida replied.

“I think she has been spending too much time with Radiance,” Aelin sighed, having heard the stories of the last Winter Solstice shenanigans multiple times.

“Agreed,” Arwen said, also having been subject to the story times around the campfire. Perhaps joining Khaalida’s Council of Mystics was a silly idea.

“Oh come on, it’s a deity's birthday! That is super exciting, plus when do we get an excuse to celebrate like this?” Khaalida said, a bit pouty.

“I believe you make time all the time,” Loire said.

“Do you really want more work?” Khaalida asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nope!” the three Mystics chorused.

That’s how, a few hours later, they found themselves wrapped in fuzzy feather boas, glitter paint applied to their hooves and whatever horns they had. Khaalida had found some weird shiny hair extensions, and now they looked positively festive. No one knew exactly how, but Khaalida had attached lights between Loire’s twisting horns, and Arwen had lights laced through her gemstones making them glow. Aelin had tinsel and garland wrapped around her neck, and sparkling bulbs and bells hanging from her mane and tail. Every time she moved she jingled.

Avia arrived, took a look at them, and burst out giggling.

“You are really going all out, aren’t you?” Avia said between giggles.

“We got some for you too!” Khaalida said, and the lesser deity and three mystics attacked Avia with decorations.

Not even familiar’s or guardians escaped. Khaalida’s cat had tiny bulbs attached to her coat and it looked like someone rolled her in glitter. Elantaire was shoved into a tiny silver dress, and had glitter on her wings. Every time she fluttered them in annoyance they rained glitter.

Avia was the most done up however. She had been painted with glitter, swirls all over her body, and had a flower crown with lights and bells. Bells and ribbons were twined with tinsel and garland in her mane and tail. Khaalida had even found some sort of powder that glowed, so Avia looked like a glowy and slightly ridiculous decoration.

“Oh, we can’t forget the party hats!” Khaalida said, shoving birthday hats at everyone. Many sighs were had as Avia, Aelin, Arwen and Loire donned their hats, and hats were shoved at the familiars. Khaalida somehow even had one small enough for Avia’s hummingbird.

“To the Icy Region!” Khaalida exclaimed.

“How exactly are we getting there?” Loire muttered.

As they entered the square, a wormhole opened and a burst of energy in the shape of a Quirlicorn bounced through.

“Helllo everyone!” Radiance called out with a grin, standing by her portal.

“I knew it had something to do with her,” Aelin muttered, and she, Loire, Arwen and Avia giggled.

Khaalida grinned. “Right on time, Radiance!”

“Well actually I’m late, but don’t you look festive! Seems you needed the extra time,” Radiance said. “Now come on, we have a schedule to keep!”

Khaalida led her (mostly un)willing group through the portal, popping out in the Icy Region.

“Cool, call me when you need a ride back! I got some explosions to handle,” Radiance said with a grin before popping back through her portal.

“Explosions as in she needs to stop them… Or as in she needs to start them?” Aelin asked, looking at her companions.

“Probably both,” Khaalida said with a grin.

“That doesn’t seem like a reason to be smiling,” Loire pointed out.

“Actually, it might be,” Arwen said, then shrugged as everyone looked at her. “Explosions can be fun…”

“Anyway!” Khaalida said, snapping back to their task at hand. “We need to find Haukea!”

While Radiance had brought them to the Icy Region, the region was big. And finding one deity who was not always available was a big task by itself, finding one in the entire region was even more so.

They eventually reached an area near the coast where they stopped to rest.

“Should we just…. Sing here?” Arwen asked, looking around. “We are close to water, and I mean…. It still counts right? If she doesn’t hear it?”

Khaalida thought about it then shrugged. “It is getting late. I’m not sure the extent of the deities power but… We can try!”

So they found themselves readying up along the shore. Avia faced the water, with Khaalida, Aelin, Arwen and Loire bringing up the rear.

“So… I just sing a birthday song?” Avia asked, as instruments began to set up around her.

“Yup! We will join on the chorus, and provide backup dancing!” Khaalida said with a grin.

Avia glanced to the others with a bit of ‘what did you give her’ kind of look, before nodding.

“Here we go, on the count of three!”

Avia sang, and the instruments joined in. Khaalida, Loire, Arwen and Aelin danced in the background, jumping in off key for the chorus. None of the moves were choreographed, and they bumped into each other a few times. Even the familiars got into it (or rather, they just tried their best to stay out from under the Quirlicorns hooves).

The only one who made any sense was Avia, singing with her beautiful voice. The rest of them were mainly off key, and well…. It would have done better as a comedy skit.

As Avia finished, Khaalida gasped. A shape moved under the waves, a white tail and tip of a horn breaking the surface as the deity swam away.

“She heard us!” Khaalida grinned.

A sense of warmth and appreciation came over the five mares, and they shared grins for a moment before Loire shivered.

“Can we go home now? It's freezing!” Loire complained.

“Okay, okay, I’ll call Radiance,” Khaalida said, her eyes seeming to go distant for a moment as she reached out telepathically to the other lesser deity.

“Thank you all for doing this,” Khaalida said as she cut off communication with Radiance. “I hope we were able to make Haukea’s day a bit more fun.”

“I’m sure you did,” Aelin said with a grin. “If not a laugh instead.”

Khaalida looked around at them then giggled. “We do look a bit ridiculous, don’t we,” she said, and the others nodded.

They all looked at each other for a moment before busting out laughing.

“Happy birthday Haukea!” Khaalida called out, as they left.