Avatar of the Wolf

Copyright © 1998 Property of Deborah K. Fletcher. All rights reserved.

Lady Joiya was working in her study one morning in March. She looked up as someone knocked on the study door. The door opened, and a page ushered a young man into the room. Recognizing his as a retainer in the household of Typhus Draconis, and an old friend, she rose and stepped out from behind the desk. Before she could even greet him, however, she noticed the excited look on his face.

"Joiya, I wish you to know that the gods have given Mathius back his life for his sacrifice, after having thought it over. Hannah already knows."

Her face brightened, and she stepped forward to embrace him joyfully. "That is wonderful news!! I'll be looking forward to having the lad with us again."

Together, they moved to the large, black, leather couch in front of the study's fireplace. They sat, turning to face each other, and he continued his news. "However, even though he is five years of age, he has been chosen as the Avatar for the very god Wolf of Time himself, and has been given great powers beyond what he has had before. He is also much much wiser, despite his young age."

"Ah, that should be interesting." She smiled at her old friend. "The Wolf of Time? An interesting choice for one of dragonkind. He should get along well with my son Cash, Caitlyn's twin. Cash bears wolf symbols on his wrists and neck which are similar to the dragon symbols both Mathius and Caitlyn carry. Of course, the twins were aged from five to ten a little while back, so they are are no longer the same age as Mathius. Will Mathius still seek to be an apprentice Healer? It seems as though he needs to learn safer methods of Healing. The infant Taliesin is already manifesting signs of great Healing power, which also need to be harnessed, so this may well become very complicated."

His eyes widened slightly at news of the change in the twins, but made no comment about it. "Well, Mathius won't need to seek further apprenticeship, as he knows now all that he will ever need. Mathius will be aging himself to match Hannah's age though, just so you know. Wolf of Time is the god of creation, just so you know. Being the great Wolf's Avatar will give Mathius great powers, but he will still be the same sweet child though."

She smiled as his words reminded her of her early lessons of the gods, as a child. "Oh, Hannah is still three. It's Caitlyn and Cash who aged. Unless she's forgotten to tell me something." Thinking for a moment that the way her children experiment with their magic, it was quite possible that her daughter might have aged herself again and not yet told her mother. With so many children in such a large Keep, it was not unusual for Lady Joiya to go a day or two without seeing one or another of her children. "I'm glad he'll still be the same sweet child, since I was growing very fond of him."

He grinned at Hannah's age, knowing his employer's young son was very fond of her. "I'll keep that on mind." He smiled again. "Anyway, how did Caitlyn take to the visit from Mathius the other day??? I hope she understands that he is alive once again, and that he is by far more powerful than he was before. Perhaps Mathius could teach them a couple of little things if they would be interested."

Surprise showed clearly on her face. "I haven't heard from Caitlyn in several days, so I didn't know you had visited her. I hope they understand, too. I suspect that Caitlyn will, since she's ten, but Hannah might get confused, since she's only three. She got aged to about thirteen a while back, then went back again. Maybe she'll want to use the magic stone that aged her to do it again."

He nodded his understanding. "Well, Mathius explained it as best he could to Hannah, and she seemed to understand what he told her, so I think it's well understood."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that! She's a sensitive child, and took his death very hard."

"I know. Typhus found that out the hard way."

"I know, I remember. We all express things badly sometimes. Mathius is a sensitive child, too, so I am sure he was able to help her understand."

He smiled, nodding. "Too true, my friend. I think that's why Hannah takes to Mathius so well. Both of them seem to think and understand along the exact same line, which I think will serve them both well together in the future."

"Yes, I think Hannah and Mathius can look forward to a lot of happiness in the future. Hmmm....." Her eyes took on an odd gleam as she smiled. "I wonder if one day I will have a Draconis for a son-in-law....."

His expression matched hers for a moment as her words trailed off. "Who knows, Joiya, you might very well have a Draconus for a son-in-law. Mathius really cares about Hannah, and, if permitted, he would like to age both of them to about seventeen or eighteen though."

"If Hannah wants that, I'll certainly permit it, and I believe Dean would go along as well. We're all a little upset right now because Hannah's sister Nala's marriage didn't work out. Unfortunately, Epic has left her for another. I know I wouldn't need to worry about Hannah and Mathius, though. I know how sweet and trustworthy he is."

"Well, Since Epic is the adopted brother of Typhus Draconus, I'll have to have Typhus talk to Epic, so that he might find out why Epic did that. If his reasoning isn't understandable, I will have to see that Epic is punished as is appropriate, if that is what you would like me to do. And you are right about Mathius, though he might not be able to spend much time in the physical realm, being an avatar, and all. But, should Hannah and he get married, Hannah will also become an Avatar to Wolf of Time, which would give her much greater powers, and would give her total control over what powers she already may have. I'll have Mathius talk to her when he gets a chance."

"Epic's reasons were honorable, just unfortunate. He discovered only a few days after the wedding that he already had a wife, from a wedding his parents arranged when he was a child." She frowned a moment, remembering her daughter's pain at that discovery. "Yes, I'm familiar with being an avatar. You might not be aware that Reyeka is an avatar, and that at one point he and I considered marriage. He was investigating ways to become fully mortal so we could be together in the physical realm. Last I heard he was dating my daughter Saphire, but that was when she was sixteen, before she got regressed back to six. Confusing? You bet! But I care about both of them, and in fact all of you, so I do my best to keep up." She laughed cheerfully, dismissing the sense of gloom that had begun to surround them as they spoke of Nala's marriage.

Her friend chuckled softly. "Well, It's not as confusing as you might think. You explained it very well. Well, I'll just talk with Epic, as he and I are friends."

"Thank you. I try sometimes to explain it all to myself, just to keep track. I don't think Nala will be having a continuing problem with Epic, since she has already moved on to a new relationship. I forgave him publicly in a gathering of Shadow Clan last evening, understanding the situation. I think it will all work out alright. I wonder whether Mathius might be interested in helping to train Taliesin? The child is barely crawling, but he is already exhibiting great Healing potential. He keeps Healing people who pick him up to play with him, whether they need it or not. I am hardly equipped to teach him to control such a strong gift so early. I was six the first time I used the Gift, and that was in a crisis, without having been taught to use it. I don't want him doing anything like Mathius did. Fortunately, all his Healing comes from the Mother, not from incantations or other sources of magic, and as such is thoroughly benign."

"Well, that is all good to hear, and I guess that will save me the trouble of having to speak to Epic. Anyway, I would be glad to ask Mathius to teach when he can. The time he has to himself is limited after all. I'll see what I can have Mathius do. Who knows, Wolf of Time might give him time to himself so that he can teach."

"Yes, I'd like that, too. Taliesin, especially, will be needing some direction. He's truly developing faster than I can teach him. The child is barely crawling, yet he is Healing rats in the Castle. I suspect the Wolf will allow him the time he needs, since teaching would help the pattern of the world to develop."

The man rose then, apologizing for not staying longer, explaining that he had already stayed lomger than he should have. After he departed, Lady Joiya spent some time gazing into the flames on the hearth, considering his words, before returning to her work running the household.

Several days later, the man returned, finding Lady Joiya wandering among the winter-brown vines of the rose garden at Wolfsinger Keep. He walked up behind her silently.

"Joiya, Mathius has inquired into having time to teach Taliesin, and the Wolf has given him all the time that he will need in order to instruct the child. Mathius will be needing to stay at the keep for the duration of the teaching though."

She jumped at his words, as she had been deep in prayer, and unaware of his approach. Realizing who he was, and knowing that she would have sensed him if he had been a threat instead of a friend, she smiled and embraced him. "I had intended that, and will be happy to provide him any room that is open, or one of the open cottages in the village. You've seen the map, so I'll let you choose a room. We'll be very happy to have Mathius with us again, and I know Hannah will be especially happy."

The two wandered into the Keep, and Lady Joiya showed him the open bedrooms in the family wing. Smiling broadly, he selected a bedroom. "Well, this one will be okay, this way Mathius can be right next to the person that he will be training, as well as being close to Hannah as well."

Nodding, recognizing his thinking, she smiled. "Very good. I'll have the servants prepare the room by this evening so he can get settled as soon as possible."

"To Put it simply, thanks."

"You're welcome. Please have Mathius move in and let me know when he would like to start teaching Taliesin.

He hurriedly took his leave then, returning to the Manor of Typhus Draconis to tell young Mathius all that had transpired.

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