Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tam smiles to herself as she leads the mage down a forest path, then after a good fast paced fifteen minute walk, she stops him. "Close yer eyes... this is a surprise..."

She leads him in, guiding him with the touch of her hand. The has him pause in a sun filled area. The warmth of it on his skin feels delightful.

"Alright, open them...."

He finds himself in a sunny glade, filled with topiary, statues and tiny garden plots. Around the edge of the sun drenched clearing stand fruit trees, some still heavy with fruit, though it is plain most have been harvested. It is an amazing garden, half wild, half carefully planned. And in the middle of it all stands a large stone cat, carved from a night dark hunk of volcanic basalt. At first Kero thinks the statue is of Bez until he realizes that the cat in question is a lion, not a panther. There are other lion statues in the garden as well, each carved from a differing base colored stone. Right now there are only six done, one in a pure white marble is standing close at hand to another done in a dark blue lapis lazuli, standing close by is a smaller one done in a cream colored rock. There is also another set near at hand... with a large male lion done in a dark green stone, streaked with red next to one done is a crystalline quartz, at their feet lies a younger lion done in a red marble. Each statue has in indentation in their foreheads as if awaiting a final touch."

Tam smiles at him. "Welcome to my haven. A place where I've spent most of my free time for many many months now. "

"Say nothing... It isn't a place to impress... it's a sanctuary of a sorts, a place of remembrance. Bez started it ages ago... as you can probably tell... I just kind of took it over. I've other statues to place, my adopted family is next on the list. I had Ma's done, but something toppled it during her visit. I won't point fingers but she really is against having any image of her rendered. Old school qualms I suppose," She shows the various beds to Kero, coming at last to one overflowing with Rosemary, Thyme, Basil and Oregano.

"This is where I grow my herbs, but it's a bit of a jaunt... so your idea of a garden nearer to the caves makes sense. Feel free to take clippings or starts from anything you find here."

"If you have need of it, come... rest within it for a time, let it's peace fill you to the brim... and pull a weed or two in my name... I haven't had much time of late to tend to it, so Bez tends to those plants which need tending... everything else has been kind of left on it's own."

Tam examines the small red fox statue and smiles. Kneeling down he runs a hand along it's back as if to find imperfections. finding none, he grins wider still. "Thank you, my friend, from the bottom of my heart. We just have to make it kitsune proof so she doesn't take a whack at it again."

Tam sighs. "I thought to mount their gems there, but I've yet to find stones large enough with the proper clarity. I have but one, the opal I wish to use for Hopian's, but it needs a bit more polishing before I mount it. And I cringe at the thought of how much Fortani's diamond is going to set me back."

"As long as it doesn't swear at the children when I bring them here to play, I would be honored to accept the stone." laughs Tam. Suddenly he stiffens and a faint frown colors his face.

"I need to return. Bez claims that Mara has decided to... how shall I put it... gush from both ends.... I thought she ate far too much in that last feeding... probably gulped down a good bit of air as well. Rest here, if you wish, Taro. I need to get back." Suddenly she morphs into a snow white snow lioness and darts for the caves, leaving Kero alone in Tam and Bez's secret garden.

He finds the lioness licking a squalling cub clean while her twin seems determined to burrow her way into mother's fur. "Tam looks up and sighs. "I'm going to need a gallon of clean water after this... trust me. I won't say it is as bad as when I had to tend to you, when you fell on that blade... but it's close... very very close..."

Tam chuckles, a low soft rumbling sound. "No, but she is a mess. She ate too much... and well... the muscle at the top of her stomach are still under developed I believe... a common enough occurrence. So when she started to eliminate out the back... and Bez picked her up to place her in the sand box, thinking to teach her by association what it was for, she decided to get rid of the excess from the front. Got him good she did. Here... that water is for me... I need to rid myself of that taste. "

Tam chuckles bitterly. "Tell me about it... I ran in and instinct took over... ugh... this wasn't in the plan... trust me."