Poor Eilonwy. It always bothered me that she was constantly being pushed around by everyone to "become a lady," but thankfully, her spirit never really changed. I love how awkward you made her at the ball, the even more awkward kiss under the mistletoe, paralleling that with a rushed but much nicer kiss. Very nice, indeed! Luckily for Eilonwy, she'll soon be wife of Taran, not Rhun ;)

cute

I found this via the link from Sariellyn/CompanionWanderer's illustration. A very nicely done, if rather sad, slice of life in Prydain. Eilonwy's worries about how Taran might be spending the winter were well-founded, as he was toiling at Craddoc's wretched little farm at the time, and he damned near *did* freeze to death trying to rescue the shepherd after his fall down the cliffside. The adolescent awkwardness of Taran's kiss under the mistletoe, and the force of Eilonwy's reaction to it, rang very true.

I notice one other bit of fanon you've absorbed from Sariellyn, in addition to Coll having once been married: Taran's green eyes. Lloyd Alexander, over five volumes, gave us not one single word of description of Taran's features, only occasional references to his stature (the same height as Eilonwy in book one, but he probably grew more than she did after that, just based on the relative ages at which boys and girls gain the most height) and build (light and slim, at least compared to Dorath). His face is a blank template on which readers may project whatever appearance they like.

This is a really well written story! Thank you. I love the mistletoe trope a lot.

Hmm. You write very well, but I don't really like the idea of Eilonwy as miserable as all that. I don't really like the idea of any girl as miserable as all that when she's spending some time away from the man she's in love with to learn new things.

You do make a good point that if she knew he was traveling, she couldn't know where he was or how he fared. The two of them had always found Prydain a dangerous place, so her fear is excused on that point. But towards the end, she was more homesick for Taran and embarrassed about the kiss with Rhun than she was worried about Taran.

Maybe I'm a bookworm in love with ideas that's never had much use for people, and can't empathize with Eilonwy here.

The story about the mistletoe at Caer Dallben was cute, though. Do you ever think Dallben sent Eilonwy away because she and Taran were getting too close? I don't think that he didn't support their love for one another, but I do wonder if I might have thought things would get out of hand as they were becoming a young man and young woman, if Eilonwy didn't learn some propriety.

Anyway. You really should add the second part of this. It probably would be just as angsty, maybe more, because that's the winter Taran's with Craddoc, and Taran has more of a personality bent towards angsty reflection than Eilonwy, in any event. But it'd be good to see.

God Bless,
LMSharp

Awwwwww...

But how does she know Taran isn't at Caer Dallben? Is Caw traveling all the way to Mona to tattle on him?

Such a sweet festive offering. I've kicked around doing something Yule-ish but nothing's ever come to me. Coll, you sneaky dog, you. :) I've no doubt he'd do something like that, and that Dallben would be as annoyed as you paint him - though I think you could have played up an angle where, in addition to his desire not to foster adolescent foolishness in the house, he'd be irritated that Coll was treating it so flippantly instead of giving it proper reverence, since mistletoe was in fact considered an extremely potent magical object by the druids.

I love Taran's typical pigheaded matter-of-factness. "Well, it is." ROFL. I have to say, though, that E's commenting on the thing kind of makes her look like she's fishing for a kiss. T. could be forgiven for thinking so, anyway.

Poor Rhun. He'd be just as bad at kissing as everything else, but I have more sympathy for him than E. has here.

And...I'd read this from Taran's POV. You could always upload separately so as not to drive readers who avoid higher ratings away from this one.

One picky detail: I think you've written "garnish" where you meant "garish" a couple times.

Festive Yuletide to you!

Excellently done, perfect holiday entry from Belfast Docks!

And, if she writes the counterpart from Taran's point of view, this reviewer will read and rejoice, irrespective of the rating!

Happy Thanksgiving to the author,
Clio1792