Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tam chuckles merrily. "You my dear have fur on yer paws." He wiggles his unusually long (chicken toed... ha!) feet and shakes his head. "No fur and people would really begin to stare at me then... If they did that, they'd start noticing all those things I can't really keep hidden... just cover up or distract the eye from."

Tam nods. "Yes it would... and it would keep my feet very very cold, which Kero would hate. He already claims I have the coldest feet on the planet. Speaking of cold feet I think we really need to go in now, it's a bit chilly out here." he laughs dumping out the tub and picking her up. "Socks, my dear princess, are made to get dirty and holes... well holes are a part of a sock's life. The only sock that gets no holes is the one too ugly to wear."

They go inside and Tam sits her on a stool next to the table. Then he gets down her wax tablet and her copy book. "Let's work on your writing and listen to Corby and Kero play, hmmm?" he suggests wincing slightly as one of the two hits a sour note. Kero's voice drifts in, soft and non-judgmental, as he coaches Corby through a difficult passage. Tam smiles widely as he opens the book and shows Salunia which of the letters she is to work on today.

With one delicate claw she begins a shakey line and then another. "Therw!" she announces proudly. The "F" is backwards but it's an "F" alright.

He carefully corrects her and holding her paw steady helps her to do it right.

Tam frowns a little and then laughs softly. "It's a skill of many magic users, but it varies in how it is done, depending on who's doing it. Kero's magics warps space and time, so he can think himself to places he's been... or seen. My mother can travel back to any time but not forward. She moves from place to place by thinking of where she's been and porting to a second back... in that area. I asked her about that once, I thought it was playing foot loose and fancy free... but she claims as long as she's not where she's going she's fine... claims she is a woman so she can be in two places at once... just can stand to face herself... " He chuckles softly and shakes his head. "Her answers don't always make much sense... trust me. As for me... my talent is light and well... light moves very very fast. Other people move in different ways. Why not ask your father how he does it?"

Tam nods in agreement. "Yes, he is a fire mage, but some mages have more than one school they can use. A very good healer might use water, wind and earth magics combined. My area is light, but light stems from fire and I use that as well... not that good mind you, even so... light is not my primary magic school. Do you know what it might be?" he asks turning a page in the copy book and pointing to the letter "J".

"Can't catch fishies with that hook..." teases Tam gently showing her how it is done. "my true power comes from the father... and is expressed in my music... it's not really divine magic... not really bardic... kind of a school all of it's own... at least I've met no one alive, other than my brothers, who can use it."

Tam nods. "Yes it does, but not all music does magic. It takes a bard to pull it out and use it. Now Corby... he's a bard... he can't play as well as Kero can, but when he wants to he can do all sorts of things with his music... turn invisible, convince people they are his friends... even start fires. Kero seems to do magic with his music.... but he is actually creating spells in his head and focusing them with music. There is a difference... think of an arrow... they each shoot one... and the effect might be the same... but Corby's arrow is the magic and Kero's carries the magic. I bet that went right over your head, didn't it? Don't worry, someday you'll understand."

Tam nods in reply. "Very good, princess. That is exactly right. So... who's going to help me make lunch here... and no... no fishies... those little fellas stay right there in my stream, Puss." he laughs sweeping the cat up from the edge of the falls and handing him to Salunia.