- III -

Ace poked the wood within the fireplace, sending a flurry of sparks flying up into the chimney. The fire rose and returned to its original crackling roar. “There we go,” he announced.

“Mm,” Athena snuggled tighter in the blanket she was wrapped in.

“Warmer now?” Ace took his place on the rug beside her.

“Yes; thank you.”

Near the front door of the Edwards abode stood a medium-sized fur tree, decorated in strands of tinsel, bows, and baubles. Beneath the tree were four wrapped gifts of varying sizes; one to Athena, one to Ace, and two for Dorian. Gifts from Dorian had not yet been placed, as the young man had not yet returned from town.

Ace looked at the boxes, a nervous excitement filling his thin frame. He was ready for Athena to open her gifts; hopeful to witness a positive reaction.

Athena glanced at him before she, too, turned her attention to the presents beneath the Christmas tree. She tapped her feet beneath the blanket, impatient to watch Ace open his gift.

At last, the door opened. 

“There you are!” Ace quipped when Dorian appeared. “And I thought I did my Christmas shopping at the last minute.”

“Don’t question my motives,” Dorian set a few things down behind the tree–out of Ace and Athena’s sight.

“As long as you got what you needed, right?” Athena grinned.

“Exactly.” The Kalgaran stepped around the tree and sat down on the rug across from Ace and Athena. “So, who’s first?”

“Ace should go first!” Athena raised her hands into the air, causing the blanket to slip off her shoulders.

“Me?” Ace rolled to his knees.

“You’re the youngest, aren’t you?” Dorian jabbed. “You get to open the first present.”

“Oh, is that how this works?” Despite his verbal protest, his actions spoke otherwise. Crawling to the tree on his hands and knees, he snatched up the box with his name on it and scooted back into place.

Raising an eyebrow, he carefully unwrapped the box, then smiled wide as he opened the lid.

Without a single blow, the breath was knocked from his lungs. There, in the box, were two sets of horsehair guitar strings and a woven guitar strap with card suits stitched into it. “Oh!” He said to hide the concern flooding his emotions.

Athena, on the other hand, was beaming. “I know you’ve been needing new strings. And, I thought that strap was too ‘Ace-y’ to pass up.”

“It is fitting, isn't it!” Despite the discomfort in the pit of his stomach, he leaned over and hugged Athena’s side. “Thanks, Teena,” he said, “these are exactly what I needed.” He hated to bluff, but he wasn’t sure how to explain to her that his guitar was not currently present in the house.

“Here you are,” Dorian handed Athena the next gift as Ace resettled, “as the next oldest.”

Athena was still smiling as she unwrapped her gift, though her smile faded as the butcher-paper wrapping gave way to a small, narrow, dark-stained wooden box. “A keepsake box!”

“I thought you could keep your dagger in it,” Ace grinned. “What do you think?”

“Oh, this is perfect for it!” She smiled sadly.

“Yeah?” Ace noticed something was off from her falling expression.

“Dorian’s turn!” She deflected, setting the box in her lap.

The quiet young man turned and took one of the boxes–the contents clinking in the process. With a smirk, he unwrapped it and opened the box to find four small bottles within a small wicker basket. “Oh, yeah; potion bottles,” he said with more excitement than they had expected. “Thanks, Athena,” he followed up with a smile.

Ace smiled through clenched teeth. “Uh… you may want to go ahead and open mine… while you’re at it.”

Athena glanced at him. “Wait, did you…”

Sure enough, Dorian took the second clinking box into his hands, opened it up, and pulled out three more small bottles. “Oh, yeah; potion bottles. Thanks, Ace.”

The two across from him looked at each other, then nervously turned back to Dorian.

“Sorry we got you the same thing; I had no idea,” Athena offered.

“Oh, don’t be sorry; I can always use bottles, and they’re exactly the kind I need. I appreciate you both,” Dorian set the second set of the bottles beside the first. “They’re very utilitarian gifts.” 

Ace blinked. “Utili–what?”

“Useful. Practical.” The Kalgaran got back to his feet. “I did discover something different about the gifts you gave to each other, however.”

Ace and Athena watched as Dorian ducked behind the tree and lifted the large case he had come inside with. With his other hand, he also picked up a small leather object that had been lying beside it. When he came back around the Christmas tree, Ace immediately recognized the shape of the case.

“That’s a guitar case,” he spoke aloud, the sinking feeling again filling his stomach.

“Ironically, when I went over to the leather shop looking for a gift for Athena,” he knelt down and laid the case on the ground. “I happened upon a very familiar guitar.”

Ace watched with wide eyes as Dorian flipped open the latches of the guitar case and opened  the lid. His guitar was then revealed within the soft plush fabric that lined the inside of the case.

Athena had turned up her chin to look inside the case; and almost immediately, she whipped her head towards him. “Ace–you gave them your guitar??”

He shrunk back. “It was just until I could pay back the rest!”

She paled. “The rest of what?”

“Hold on,” Dorian reached between the guitar case and his lap. “Because, when I went to the music store to find a gift for Ace, I found a very well-crafted dagger.”

He lifted the small object and revealed Athena’s dagger, nestled within the pocket of the simple leather sheath. 

Athena swallowed and sat back on her heels as Ace’s eyes returned to her.

“Did you sell your dagger to buy my guitar strings?” He asked her directly.

“Did you sell your guitar to buy my dagger box?” She replied similarly.

The answer came in the silence of realization that settled between them.

Dorian studied each of their faces. “To me, that just shows the depth of the relationship you have; you didn’t just want something useful for each other, you wanted something special.” He looked down at the gifts between them. “And, both of you decided it was worth giving up something you treasured in order to give the other something they would treasure.”

Eyes locked, Ace and Athena now appeared somewhat in awe of each other. They were grateful, warm, and both shared some amount of tingling within their stomachs or fluttering within their chests when they considered the lengths they were willing to go to to give a worthy gift for one another.

Athena, at last, curled away sheepishly and balled her hands into the blanket in her lap.

Ace shook his head and turned back to his guitar. Slowly, however, he cocked an eyebrow and raised a gloved finger. “My guitar wasn’t in a case when I left it.”

“It wasn’t,” Dorian casually flipped the case closed and pushed it towards Ace. “That’s my present to you.”

Ace froze. “What??”

Athena gasped as the sheathed dagger was presented to her. “Oh, Dorian, you shouldn’t have,” she protested. “Just getting it back would have been enough!”

Ace looked between the sheath, the dagger, the box, the guitar, the strings, and the case, ending with an exasperated shake of his head. “How much did you have to spend to get all this??”

“Don’t worry about it.” He dismissed, despite Ace’s persistent concerned expression.

Athena held the leather in her hands, laid it gently into her box, then squeezed all three against her chest. “Thank you,” she offered simply.

“You’re very welcome,” the Kalgaran nodded.

“Both of you,” she added with an almost coy glance in Ace’s direction.

Ace simply looked down at his lap and shrugged. “Of course. I… I care about you–and Dorian, too,” he shot him a glance before returning to his lap. “You’re the best friends I’ve ever had. And seeing this,” he held open his hands over their bounty now spread across the rug, “I feel cared about too. Thank you, both, too. Although,” his narrowed and slid back to the man at his side. “you didn’t wrap it.”

At last, Dorian’s stoic exterior cracked into a wide smile. “Sorry about that.”

Athena set aside her gifts and got to her feet. She scooted behind Ace and slipped in between the two young men. With a hand on either of their shoulders, she got back to her knees and pulled them both together in a hug. “Merry Christmas Dorian.” She squeezed his shoulder.

Dorian turned his head away shyly. “Merry Christmas, Athena.”

“And, Merry Christmas, Ace.” She hesitated for only a moment before placing a small kiss on his cheek.

The ex-gambler lit up brighter than the flames of the fireplace across the room, turning almost as red as the hearts and diamonds stitched into his new guitar strap.

“Yeah, Merry Christmas, Ace,” Dorian offered a playful sneer when he noticed Ace’s reaction.

His heart still pounding within his chest, Ace elbowed Dorian before he slipped his arm around Athena to accept a cozier hug.

“Merry Christmas, everyone!”

---

WELL WASN'T THIS JUST THE CUTEST.

I finally got the idea to convert this story to the Tale of Ace Gallagher gang; I inserted this sometime after Book 2, so the trio is very close friendship-wise (and 2 are beginning to realize it's a bit more than that... ahem), and they've officially moved in with the Edwards -  but I wanted to keep the cast small... so the others are off traveling to visit family. Problem solved, lol.

I allowed Dorian to be the 'narrator' in the finakl scene, so he could put into words the point of all this; being willing to give up something you treasure to give someone else a treasure - for such were the gifts the magi brought the baby Jesus. Aww.

I feel like I had more commentary but it's very late when I am scheduling these since we leave tomorrow... so yeah. 

Thank you for reading and hope you have a Merry Christmas!!!

- II -

Athena blinked, eyes wide. “Really?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The middle-aged man crossed his arms on the counter between them.

She grimaced almost painfully. “Are they… usually this expensive?”

“These horsehair strings are; we sold out of the gut strings earlier this week. I’m expecting a shipment after the holidays, so if you’re buying these as a gift for Christmas, this is all I can offer.”

The young woman narrowed her eyes on the small, wrapped coils of tightly wound horsehair. She had no idea such a seemingly small thing could cost so much.

She had already purchased a gift for Dorian. As a potion maker, Dorian was fairly easy to find gifts for. He always needed ingredients and bottles to keep them in, so a quick stop at the market provided her a set of four small bottles and a wicker basket to carry them in. 

Meanwhile, Ace, as a musician, should have been just as easy to find a gift for. He had recently purchased his first guitar; while it had been used before, it was in very good shape and allowed him to play across town for tips instead of gambling what little he had away. He had always complained about the strings, however, so she knew exactly what she wanted to get him for Christmas.

Athena frowned. She was not expecting said strings to overshoot her budget.

“Well, I’ll have to come back later,” she said with a short nod. “I appreciate your time, sir.”

“All right. Merry Christmas!” The shopkeeper straightened up as Athena turned away, though his eyes fell to the silver blade on her belt. “Excuse me, miss,” he said, leaning across the counter, “but where did you get that blade?”

“Oh,” she half-smiled as she turned back, laying a hand on her dagger. “I crafted this one; I’m an apprentice at Avenforge.”

“Are you, now?” His face lit up. “Bring it here!”

Somewhat proudly, Athena returned to the counter, slipped the dagger from the leather loop on her belt, and handed it to the shopkeeper.

“This is excellent,” he praised her, eyes and fingers following the glittering curves and inlaid bronze. “I can tell it’s an Avenforge blade, but it’s also got a unique touch upon it–yours, I assume.”

“Why, thank you,” she smiled, curling inward as she humbly accepted back her dagger. “Are you a fan of Avenforge?”

The shopkeeper patted the sheathed sword at his side. “Mr. Aven is the only one I’d let craft my blade. His shop is the finest in all of Daethos.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” she nodded. “I’m pleased to be studying under him.”

“I’ll tell you what,” the shopkeeper waved a hand before laying it back on the counter. “I will give you two sets of strings for that dagger–as a trade.”

Her smile faded. “A trade?”

“Yes, ma’am. And,” he waved at the wall behind him when he noticed her hesitance, “I’ll throw in a new strap too. Any one you’d like! I know that dagger is worth a great deal.”

“Oh.” While her eyes scanned the neat row of stitched guitar straps, her mind raced around the choice set before her. The dagger was worth a great deal to her, but she had not yet considered how much it would be worth to someone else. Besides, the trade could spark further business at Avenforge, and that could mean good things for her as she became a full-fledged swordsmith.

She looked at the dagger one last time. It was the first of many blades she would forge over the course of her apprenticeship, and it was worth giving it up to give Ace a gift he would appreciate.

“Do we have a deal, Miss…”

“Athena,” she refocused on the man’s face. “Athena Evans. And yes.”

The shopkeeper watched in eagerness as the dagger was presented to him.

“We have a deal.”

The Gift

A Tale of Ace Gallagher parody of “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

By Jill D’Entremont

- I -

Ace narrowed his eyes as he looked down the line of leather sheaths. They were all expertly crafted with tight stitching and colorful dyes, and many had even been sewn with intricate patterns with their layers of color. It was almost impossible for him to choose one.

He finally selected one with a deep green stain capped with tan ends. His focused expression turned into wide-eyed shock when he saw the price listed on the back.

“Can I help you with anything?” The friendly shop attendant appeared at his back.

He turned around, his mouth still agape.

“Oh,” the attendant laughed somewhat, her hand on her hip, “Yes, that one is a bit pricey due to the extra work required. If you’re looking for one more within a modest budget, I’d look on this side.”

Ace followed the woman’s hand to the start of the rack. “Oh, thank you.”

The attendant nodded, then pointed to the guitar slung over Ace’s shoulder. “I see you’re a guitarist?”

“Yep–I just came from playing at the tavern,” he adjusted the strap to tuck the head of the guitar closer to his legs. Without a case, he simply flipped the guitar to his back to carry it to and from his gigs.

“Well, we sell guitar cases whenever you’re in the market!” The attendant gestured over her shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She then left Ace alone.

“Yeah, when I can afford one,” the musician sighed and stepped up to the cheaper sheaths. Gone were the colors and layers and patterns, but the craftsmanship was still apparent. Surely even the plainest of sheaths would be a good gift for Athena.

He winced as he turned over a light tan sheath. It was still far beyond his budget. 

He deflated with a sigh. “So much for this idea.”

Ace stepped outside the leatherworking shop. The cold winter wind rose to meet him, biting the bare skin of his face. He shivered and bundled tighter within his coat.

It was Christmas Eve, and the streets were full of people like him: last minute shoppers trying their best to find the perfect gifts for friends and family before the stores closed down for the holiday. He stuck close to the front of the building so as to stay out of the way of those bustling along the streets and sidewalks. Even the act of fishing out his moneybag from his pocket required either his guitar or his elbow to bend into oncoming walkers, and after a few annoyed words, he opted to follow the flow and duck into the alley on the side of the shop.

“I suppose this is my own fault for waiting until today,” he mumbled, finally holding the small, jingling bag in his hand. He poured the coins into the palm of his other hand–fairly warm within his fingerless gloves–and poked each one to count what he had left.

He had never bought Christmas gifts before. As a young child, his mother had always packaged up gifts for him to hand to his father or brother, giving him the credit. After running away from home, he was too focused on survival–and too separated from others–to worry about giving gifts. 

But now, he was surprised to discover how much he wanted to buy something for his friends–if for no other reason than to show some small token of his appreciation for their friendship. His meager savings wasn’t much, but he knew he could make something work out–especially since Mioko, Raeya, Ed, and Vance were visiting family and therefore not participating in their Christmas Eve gift swap.

As a potion maker, Dorian was fairly easy to find gifts for. He always needed ingredients and bottles to keep them in, so a quick stop at the general store gained Ace a set of three, small, used bottles with fresh cork stoppers. He had even spent less than his budget on the gift, leaving him feeling accomplished.

Meanwhile, Athena, the apprentice swordsmith, should have been just as easy to find a gift for. She had recently forged her first solo piece: a steel dagger inlaid with bronze metalwork on the hilt. Her teacher had allowed her to keep it, and she currently wore it on her belt with a small leather frog that was almost too large to hold it properly. He had wanted to buy her a true sheath to keep it in; but, even with the extra coins left over from Dorian’s half of his budget, the cheapest of sheaths were far beyond what he could afford.

He sighed and slipped the coins back into his moneybag. “What can I get her?” He spoke aloud. “She’s so proud of that dagger; I want to get her something to go with it.”

In the lull of foot traffic, he managed to slip back out of the alley and walked back in front of the leather shop’s window. On display was a small dagger within a simply built box lined with deep green felt.

“Oh!”

Clutching his guitar strap, he darted back to the door slid back inside the shop just as someone else slipped out.

“Excuse me!” He saw the shop assistant standing with another customer near the back of the room.

“May I help you?” The older shop owner spoke up gruffly from behind his counter at his side. 

“Um–yes! I was wondering if you had any more boxes like that one in the window–with the dagger in it.” While speaking, he created an invisible box with his gloved fingers.

“No, that’s the only one,” the man replied, stepping out from behind the counter. “But you’re welcome to it.”

Ace stood with bated breath as the older man removed the dagger and placed it on the wooden shelf alone. He then closed the box and handed the box to Ace.

Ace rubbed his fingers against the dark stained wood. It was simple; no frills or intricacies on the outside. But when he lifted the lid, the deep green of the felt inside the box truly made a statement of its own. Better yet–he knew it would fit Athena’s dagger perfectly.

“This is perfect,” Ace closed the lid. “How much would you take for it?”

“Seven gold,” he nodded.

Ace inhaled, then sighed. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

The man watched as Ace tried to return the box to him. He held up his hand to stop him. “How much do you have?”

“Four,” Ace replied, chewing on his lip. “And eight silver.”

“I’ll let you take the box now for the four,” the man said, “if you can pay the rest later.”

The gambler perked up. “Would you?”

The man returned to his counter. “In the spirit of Christmas, I would.”

Ace followed on his heels. “Oh–thank you, sir–I really–”

“But.”

Ace skidded to a stop upon the word.

“I’ll need something of yours for collateral.”

He blinked. “What’s… collateral?”

The man opened the money box on the counter. “I keep something of yours to make sure you come back to pay the rest.” He held open his hand. “Four, please.”

Ace took out his four gold pieces and set them into the man’s hand. 

“When you pay off the rest, I give it back to you.” He set Ace’s four coins within the box and took out a small piece of paper. 

Ace idly adjusted the strap of his guitar. “That’s… fair.” 

The man scribbled a few words onto the paper. “Now, what are you leaving with me?”

“Um,” Ace gripped his guitar strap tighter as realization hit him. “All I’ve got that’s worth anything is my guitar, though the strings aren’t very good anymore; I’ve been needing some new ones…”

“I’ll accept it.” The man held out his hands with the same stoic expression on his face.

Despite the sinking feeling in his stomach from temporarily leaving part of his livelihood behind, he knew it would be worth getting Athena a box to keep her dagger in–like a keepsake to remember the first blade she ever made.

He removed his guitar and handed it to the shopkeeper.

“I’ll keep it safe.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I know. What’s your name, lad?”

“Ace Gallagher.”

The older man nodded and scribbled Ace’s name on the paper.

Ace bit his lip as the man handed him a piece of paper that simply said ‘Less 3 for Dagger Box. Upon payment, return guitar to Ace Gallagher.’ The man’s scribbled signature sealed the deal.

“Thank you, Mr. Gallagher.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ace offered a short bow, clutched the wooden box and the piece of paper, and left the shop.