“Yay!” Lily cheered a little over a month after I had unveiled my magic.

“Lily, what are you cheering about?” I grumbled. “Did something happen to Ama?”

“No! Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m still sleepy,” I replied. Lily blew a raspberry at me.

“It’s snowing my Jase!” Lily excitedly answered. “Come look!”

“It’s cold. I’m good under my covers,” I replied.

“Jase, it’s almost 10. It’s time to get up,” Lily retorted.

“So? You know Izzy and me were up late working last night.”

“Is that what you want to call it?” Lily asked, winking at me.

“Ha-ha. That joke got old weeks ago. You and Willow were both present and know nothing happened other than making tinctures,” I replied. “I’m quite comfortable under the covers.”

“I’ll turn the heat up,” Lily said.

“That’s sweet of you.”

“If you go back to sleep, I’ll go outside and get some icy water in a bucket and stick your hand in it. Then, I’ll get another bucket of icy water to dump on you,” my familiar threatened.

“You wouldn’t do that,” I said.

“Sure, I would. Pixies aren’t bothered by the heat or cold like humans are.”

“Then why do you dress weather appropriate?”

“Because it’s fashionable!” Lily happily answered. I laughed. She then showed me a small gap between two fingers and said, “Besides, we’re bothered by the weather a little bit.”

“Just a little, huh?” I asked. Lily nodded. “So, is that why you huddle in my pocket shaking when we go out?”

“That’s just me enjoying riding my favorite pack animal,” Lily replied, flashing a mischievous grin. “Since, you’re trying to distract me, I’ll be leaving now to go get that icy water.”

“Alright, I’ll get up after you adjust the heat. It’s what, 40 in here?

Lily’s eyes flashed a brighter blue. “64. I’ll put the thermostat up to 68.”

“Thanks Lily!” Willow hollered. “Izzy was complaining about the cold and doesn’t want to go out in the snow.”

“You’re welcome!” Lily shouted back. “Is she up?”

“See! It’s not just me,” I said.

“Oh please! You’re just being a big baby because you’re not used to it being this cold until January.”

“I’m up and cooking breakfast,” Isabella shouted from downstairs. Lily put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “Ask Jase how many pancakes he wants for me.”

“You heard her. Those pancakes smell good! It’s time to get up my lazy bones,” Lily said. “After we eat, we can play in the snow, and then prep for Thanksgiving dinner!”

“I had forgotten it was Thanksgiving,” I muttered. I sat up. “Ok, I’m getting up.”

*

“Lily, are you sure we’ll need to go through all this trouble?” Willow asked.

“Yep,” my familiar replied. “We’ve been pranking Jase all year and have dumped things on his head a few times already. He’ll be expecting the snow on the roof and ready for it.”

“I can’t fault your reasoning. The others are ready,” Willow said.

“Good. Let’s do this,” Lily said, giving her kin a big smile. “It’s going to be great!”

*

“What kind of prank do you think they’ll have setup?” Isabella asked as we put on our coats.

“Probably snow over the door or on the porch’s roof set up to fall on us,” I answered.

“Will you keep us dry?” Izzy asked.

“I’ll try,” I replied as I gathered some energy.

“Ready?” Izzy asked a moment later.

“Ready,” I answered. She opened the door and out we went.

*

Nothing happened when we walked out onto the porch. Izzy pulled the door shut and shrugged.

“So far so good,” she said. “So, the roof?”

“Yeah,” I replied. We walked the short distance to the steps and stopped. The steps were covered with a light coating of snow. Perhaps two inches in total.

“I should go back in and get a broom,” Isabella said.

“I got it,” I said. I waved my right hand, and a gust of wind blew the snow off the steps.

“That’s really handy, why don’t you use magic like that more often?” Izzy asked with a huge grin on her face.

“Handy? Really?” I asked, returning the grin.

“I thought it was funny,” Isabella replied as she walked down the steps. As I followed, I formed a wind shield over us.

“Now!” Willow said. Snow fell onto the shield and slid around us.

“That’s not fair,” Yam and Willow cried.

“Sure, it is,” I replied.

“Fire!” Lily shouted. Snowballs pelted me and Isabella. The snowballs came from the left, right, and directly in front of us for two minutes.

“Ah ha! We got you!” the pixies chorused.

“That really wasn’t fair,” I complained. “You used your kin and mischievousness.”

“It’s what we do,” Lily retorted.

“And you’re bigger than we are,” Willow added. Izzy crouched down and started making a snowball. “Don’t do it Izzy.”

“Do what?” the apprentice asked innocently. I wasn’t paying much attention because I was wiping snow off. Using the wind or heat was tempting, but I didn’t want myself or Izzy to end up soaking wet.

“I know what you want to do with that snowball,” her familiar replied. Isabella grinned and tossed the snowball.

Willow ducked. Lily flew up. They then stared at each other before looking at me.

“Wh…why did you do that?” I stuttered in disbelief, wiping snow off my face.

“It was fun!” my apprentice laughed.

“Time for you to see how much fun it is,” I muttered as I bent down and picked up a handful of snow. A few seconds later it was a snowball.

“Jase, you don’t want to hit me with that,” Isabella said, backing away.

“Yes, I do.”

“You really don’t,” Izzy said.

“He does and it makes me happy!” Lily said as I threw the snowball at Isabella, hitting her in the chest. Her eyes widened in shock. The pixies cheered. A second, tiny snowball flew and hit my familiar in her chest. “Jase! How could you?”

I laughed instead of answering, only to be hit by another snowball from Isabella.

“Snowball fight!” the pixies yelled. Chaos erupted in the yard as snow flew at human and pixie alike for several minutes.

“What is going on here?” a male voice shouted. We froze.

“It looks like they’re having fun to me, dad,” a female voice replied.

“Hi Van. Hi Meagan,” I greeted the Hunters. The pixies waved.

“Can we get them too?” Willow asked. Van growled. “Eep!”

Lily and Willow dropped their snowballs and hid behind Isabella.

Meagan laughed and asked the pixies, “Not going to hide behind the great and powerful wizard?”

“No. His hands needed to be free,” Lily answered.

“For what?” Van inquired.

“This,” I replied as I sent snow flying at the Hunters. Meagan laughed as her new familiar, Salem the cougar, took off into the woods along with her dad’s familiar.

“You’re too old for childish games,” Van grumbled as he wiped snow from his beard.

“You’re never too old for snowball fights,” Meagan said, throwing a snowball at me and another at her father.

Another snowball fight blossomed until everyone got too cold. We retreated to the basement shop.

“I apologize about all that,” I told the Hunters after we had dried off.

“Don’t worry about it. It was fun,” Meagan said. Van just waved dismissively and drank the chicory he had asked for.

“Did you guys need anything?” Isabella asked.

“No. We decided to check on you,” Van replied. “Last night was the first cold night that you two have experienced here.”

“I’m used to the cold,” Izzy protested. Meagan snorted.

“Ashville is further south even though it’s still in the same mountain range,” Van explained. “It gets colder here, and we get more snow.”

“Plus, Mohe was wondering if Jase would help clear paths for the village,” Meagan added. I raised an eyebrow in question. “Maybe not!”

“I’m not a pack mule,” I replied.

“You are for me!” Lily said from the counter where she, Willow, and the other pixies were sipping hot carob drinks. The pixies, Isabella, and Meagan giggled. Van snorted.

“I’ll think about helping clear some snow,” I finally said.

“That’s good enough for me,” Van replied. “Are you ready to go Meagan?”

“Yes. Salem is waiting,” the huntress answered.

“Are you going to help the village?” Isabella asked.

“Maybe. I don’t want them to get used to asking me to do things for them. I can’t be a magical tool,” I answered. Van snorted another laugh.

“Now you’re showing wisdom,” the hunter said as he and his daughter exited the shop.

“Fair enough,” Izzy replied. “What are we having for Thanksgiving dinner? I’m not much of a turkey fan.”

“Me either,” I replied. “Let’s go see what we have.”

*

“Lily, why are you wearing a long black dress, with an apron and bonnet?” I asked my familiar later that evening after returning from clearing the worst parts of the road for caravans.

“It’s a pilgrim dress,” Lily answered.

“What do you think of my Cherokee tear dress?” Willow asked as she flew into the kitchen wearing an ankle-length blue dress that had white bands with stars on them on each arm and just above the knees. Two more bands of stars were on each shoulder. The pixie also had a headband on with a feather sticking above the back of her head.

“It’s pretty,” Isabella answered.

“The Cherokee didn’t greet the pilgrims though,” Lily said. “The Wampanoag nation did.”

“Eh, it’ll be ok. We’re in traditional Cherokee lands after all,” Willow retorted.

“More history for me to learn?” Izzy asked as she checked the potatoes she was cooking. She turned off the burner and poured the potatoes into a bowl.

“Me too,” I added as someone knocked on the backdoor.

“I’ll get the door, you check the tenderloins,” Izzy said.

“Who’s supposed to be the boss here?” I asked. The pixies laughed. Izzy just smiled. I returned the smile and shook my head as she answered the door.

“Hey Aunt Gabby!” Isabella greeted her aunt. “No Juan?”

“He decided to stay home this trip,” Gabriela answered after taking off her coat. They hugged. “Tabby stayed with the caravan.”

“I got it!” Willow said.

“You got what?” Izzy asked.

“That,” Lily answered as someone else knocked on the door.

“Elder!” Willow greeted Trillium. “And May, April, and Yam!”

“Good evening, everyone,” Trillium said in greeting.

“You’re all just in time to eat,” I said as picked up the platter of barbecue tenderloins.

“Yes!” Lily replied as she levitated the salad bowl.

*

“And that’s what I’m thankful for,” Gabriela said after her turn Trillium, April, May, and Yam had already had their say. She looked at Isabella. “It’s your turn.”

“It’ll be ok,” Lila telepathically told me. “This is their custom, so just say something when Izzy is done.”

“Easy for you to say,” I sent back.

“Though I wish mom was here, I’m thankful that family could be here,” Isabella said looking from Willow to Gabby. She then looked at Lily, the other pixies, and me. “I’m also thankful for new friends and a chance to learn something interesting that I’ve grown to love. Your turn Willow”

“I’m thankful for all the sweets that Jase has made us,” Willow said.

“I said that first,” Yam pointed out.

“And I’m thankful for my new wife!” Willow nearly shouted.

Izzy dropped her head into her hands. “I’m not your wife.”

“I know, but I couldn’t help myself,” Willow replied as everyone else laughed. “Go Lily.”

“I’m thankful for my Jase, my kin, and our new friends,” my familiar said. “Your turn Jase.”

“I’m thankful for my Lily. Life would just be too boring without her.”

“You can say that again,” Lily said, prompting laughter. I looked at each of them in turn.

“I’m thankful for all of you. You’re family.”