Smashing Pumpkins

'So the idea..' Ophilia said smiling at her companions as she hauled the box of pumpkins onto the table, '..Is that we all take a pumpkin, scoop out all of the insides and then we cut out a representation of the thing that we find the most scary on the skin.'

'Scary?' H'aanit asked 'I am not sure that I findeth anything particularly scary.'

'Or that which you fear or even just don't like that much.' Ophilia beamed at her.

'But why?' Tressa asked grumpily, wishing she was somewhere else. Craft hour was definitely not her thing.

'Well, today is the Festival of Light in our Holy Calendar.' Ophilia explained patiently. 'It's the date that marks the beginning of winter in Flamesgrace, so we celebrate the light - to sustain us through the long darkness till spring again.'

'But what's with the pumpkin? I don't get it.' Tressa whined.

'Well firstly, I get to use the insides to make everyone sweet pies as a treat.' Tressa finally looked interested. 'Secondly, once you have carved your fear or the thing you don't like, we put a candle inside the shell, which will stay lit all night. It represents light chasing that bad thing away from you, keeping you safe from it for the year to come.

'It is a very long standing ritual Tressa,' Cyrus added cheerfully. 'We will be taking part in a tradition that stretches back thousands of years. It is believed to have first been performed by...'

'Yeah, thanks Prof. I don't need the lecture. Tressa shut him down quickly.

'Look.' Ophilia ploughed on gamely, 'Here is the one I made earlier so that you could get an idea of what I mean.' She lifted the top pumpkin out of the box, then turned it round so that everyone could view her carving.

There was dead silence for a full minute as they looked.

Therion snorted. Alfyn's jaw dropped and his face went purple. Tressa started to giggle.

'Um...' Primrose said delicately. 'You are afraid of... the ... err... particularly male part of the anatomy?'

'Ist it because of thine religious nature?' H'aanit asked seriously.

'What?' Ophilia turned the pumpkin round to look and make sure she had got the right one from the box. She turned scarlet right to the roots of her hair.

'No!' she shouted, stamping her foot in frustration. 'It's a candle you idiots. I'm scared of the dark!'

'Then what's those round bits at the bottom?' Alfyn asked biting his lip and trying hard not to laugh.

'The saucer, obviously.' Ophilia snapped.

'And those things flying out the top?' Therion had tears on his cheeks.

'Flames..Therion. Those are flames. Well - how would you represent darkness?' she asked huffily.

'Not by carving a co... err thingy...' Tressa giggled.

'Fine. So I'm not particularly good at carving.' Ophilia grumped patting at her flaming face. 'Let's see you all do better.' She challenged.

'Can't do much worse,' Therion said cheerfully coming to collect his pumpkin.

Once the flesh had been extracted from a number of the pumpkins, Ophilia went to the kitchen to fill the pastry cases she had prepared and put them into the oven to bake. When she returned she was heartened to see that everyone was carving. Of a sort at least. Olberic seemed to be stabbing at his pumpkin with his spear. Cyrus had at least four different knives - the ones he used to end his quills - and was working with extreme fastidiousness and concentration. Therion had taken his over to the fire and was working fast and hard, chips of peel flying everywhere.