All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Spacebabie

by: Spacebabie

Email: LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com

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Hatchling Years

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Delicate ivory hands that had only began to roughen from having to take care of her self for the past few years turned over the large lavender egg, bespeckled with large royal purple spots. It was the last egg that needed to be turned that night. Princess Katharine stood up from the clutch of 36 eggs.

"Ye shells are harder than the stone that ye turn into," she plucked a few pieces of straw from her gown. "I know not many more nights will pass before ye hatch. "I wonder what ye all be looking like." She tried to remember the many gargoyle females who were heavy with eggs, but due to her attitude at the time and the fact she was just entering adolescence she couldn’t remember.

"Princess dinner has been prepared!" Magus had cried out.

Not turning her back on her eggs she answered him. "I wish t’ dine with m’ eggs tonight."

"Why tonight?"

"I feel they are about t’ hatch."

Tom had caught the fish and gathered the wild onions and mushrooms. The twelve year old youth was still perfecting his hunting skills and tried to fell one of the many rabbits, but ended up falling himself. He was an expert fisherman, taught by some men from King Kenneth’s court before his murder. The fish he caught that night were longer than the eggs.

Magus cooked the meat over an open fire and the onions and mushrooms on a griddle. He tested and discovered that every mushroom they found out was not harmful to their bodies. The Magus had prepared the bread too.

"Ye both have outdone yeselves." Katharine took one of the round and slightly flat pieces of bread and broke a faction of and used it soak up the juices from her plate. She also learned how too cook and after living on the island for a whole year she perfected her deer stew.

Tom turned towards the eggs. "Are ye sure they might hatch tonight?" He blinked when two of them wiggled and one rolled over.

"They have been rolling and twitching more than usual." Katharine said.

"How exactly are we going t’ raise them? We donae know all the gargoyle customs." The question brought their knives and spoons down. "We are not going t’ raise them like humans are we?"

"We are going to give them names." Magus said. "How else are they going to tell each other apart?"

"They did have their own holidays and religion," Katharine chewed her lip trying to remember. "We are not going t’ impose our beliefs onto them. If they ask me about the bible I will answer their questions, but we should try t’ raise them the same way their clan was raised."

"And I’ll try t’ teach them t’ be warriors." Tom had requested to train the eggs in their fighting, hunting, fishing, and weapon skill. The Magus would teach them how to read and writing and numbers and the princess will teach them history, their manners, how to gather fruits and vegetables, and to cook.

"I heard a crack." she set down her plate and stood up.

Magus glanced up at her quizzically while Tom glanced over at the eggs. "Your majesty?" The platinum-haired man rose to his feet.

"I heard a crack." She repeated and ran towards the eggs. Magus and Tom sat down behind her.

"Are you sure?" Magus stared at the nearest egg. It was slightly wobbling.

"Half of them are twitching and a few are rolling over," Tom pointed at the one egg that was wiggling more than the others. It rolled over and exposed a long hairline crack. "They are hatching."

"Tom bring me the warm cloths and diaper rags, Magus I need fer ye t prepare the milk." They had prepared for the hatching for over a week. All three of them wove basket like cradles and lined them with moss and down. Katharine and Magus sewed up several of deer skin bottles to be filled with milk from the river storage.

They were curious about the rust free chains by the river and when the Magus pulled one up it was attached to a metal cage filled with stone bottles filled with milk and sealed with wax. None of them knew who put the bottles there. Magus assumed it was by Avalon’s magic. The same magic that always kept the milk flowing. They would replaced the bottles even after they had drained them of the last drop and placed them back into the river. When they brought the cages back up the bottles were filled once more. Even if they put an empty cage back in the next time they pulled it up there would be bottles.

Katharine paced around waiting for the men to return. Her eyes never left the eggs, especially the one egg covered with a spider web of cracks. It rolled over exposing a few more cracks as the egg seemed to expand. Three more eggs developed several thick cracks while five others formed their first ones.

A small grass green colored arm burst through followed by a small curved foot with three toes. A pair of large bat shaped wings ripped out from the other side followed by a tail. The small gargoyle wiggled and spread his limbs, removing the last of the shells of his body.

"Ye wee bairn," Katharine reached for him just as he started to cry. She carefully avoided the other hatching eggs, but observed as a plain blue tail curled out of another egg, a rust colored paw tore out off another one and a pair of deep violet split wings tore from a third.

A warm damp cloth appeared at her side. Katharine stared up and smiled at Tom. He was saddled with an armload of the cloths made heavier with the water. "Och thank ye." She took it and wiped the hatchling in her arms clean before she carried him the baskets.

Magus had left the stack of diaper rags next to them. She wrapped up the hatchling’s bottom and chuckled when his tail tore through. Next to her Tom ran up with the blue gargoyle. After she set the hatchling into the cradle she propped up one of the warm skins and placed it just where he can hold it and have the other half held up by a groove in the bottom of the basket.

She stood up and turned only to be handed another baby, a bronze male, by Magus. He was cleaning each hatchling as soon as they cast off their stone like egg shells. The princess didn’t waste anytime to mentally thank him. Instead she placed a diaper on the young babe in her arms and gave him his milk bottle.

Over an hour passed by the time the last hatchling was cleaned up and thirty three of the thirty six cradles were filled with wriggling, nursing hatchlings.

The Magus slowly stood down and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Why do I have a feeling that was the easy part?"

Katharine and Tom didn’t say a word. The princess was gently cooing at the infants while Tom was filling three small bowls with warm milk. They did not expect any of the eggs would contain garg beasts, let alone three of them. The pups weren’t blind and incapable of walking like newborn hounds. The waddled around making small yips.

"Were ye around during the last hatching?" Tom asked once the pups began to lap up their milk.

"I came to Wyvern shortly after the hatchlings were taken out of the rookery. They were no more than mere toddlers. I did ask and they mentioned that when a rookery hatched the females who laid the eggs would enter and nurse them and let them stay in the hay."

"We didnae do that," Katharine sat back.

"Well it is impossible for two of us to nurse."

"Och ye silly goose," she poked him in the shoulder playfully. "I mean we didnae leave them in the straw we made wee beds fer them." Her diamond like eyes shifted towards him. "Did ye know all this time?"

"I was, and then you and Tom went racing around gathering up materials, I didn't want to disappoint you, and I know you. You wouldn’t let newborns lie on the ground." She smiled at him.

"I wouldna either," Tom piped up.

Magus chuckled. "Of course not. I guess we won’t be raising them exactly like the clan did."

"Aye," Katharine smiled at the sight of their children. One young female seemed to stand out. She crept closer to the baby.

"Your highness?" Magus asked.

"Look," she pointed at the lavender hatchling with an inch of sable hair crowning the top of her head. The infant played with the end of her tail. "Does she look a wee bit familiar t’ ye?"

"She has the same coloring as Goliath," Tom pointed out.

"And she does look like a younger version of Goliath’s mate."

"What did Goliath call her?" Katharine asked. "She was his something of the night?" She formed a few creases in her brow as she tried to remember.

"His angel of the night?" Magus offered.

"Aye, that be the name." She glanced down at the lavender hatchling. "Ye like a we angel, a angel, Angela."

"That is a good name," Magus said and crawled closer to her. "What about the one name you want to give one of them?"

"When I find one who fits the name."

"We should name some of them after angels." Tom picked up the green male child out of his crib and stared at him. Like his rookery sister he had an inch of fuzz on the top of his head. His was bright golden. Two thin curving horns swept over his head. Tom brushed the child’s face with his finger and felt a tiny bump. There were two of them on the hatchling’s chin. "Now which Angel do I name ye after? Michael? Uriel? Raphael?" The hatchling shook his arms. "Gabriel?" The hatchling gurgled. "Aye, ye like Gabriel. Then that will be yer name." He picked up another male child, a rich orange colored child with large emerald bat shaped wings and a tail ending in a club ball covered with smaller bumps.

"This one looks like a Michael." Magus gently brushed his finger against the chest of a bronze hatchling with golden hair a shade lighter than Gabriel’s. The infant grabbed his finger and gently wagged his paddle tipped tail.

"Then this one will be Uriel?" The orange child didn’t protest. "Then Uriel it is then."

"Perhaps this one will be Raphael?" She rubbed the tummy of the light tan colored male with the short and pointed beak and large tear drop shaped wings.

Two more males were named after angels. Forest green Salathiel with sharp elbow spurs twice as long as the rest of the rookery and Barachiel was given to the deep violet male with the large curved and completely smooth forehead frill.

"We should name some more of the girls now," Tom suggested. Magus agreed, but Katharine gasped.

"She’s got the same color hair." Katharine gently picked up an eggplant purple female with a curved crest of flesh jutting up out of the middle of her head. Both men could see her short fire gold colored hair. "She has the exact same color hair as m’ own mother. She has a face like hers too. I’m naming her Elena."

"I want t’ name one after m’ mother." Tom’s eyes wandered over each child until they settled on a light golden yellow female with dark brown hair and a long and wide beak. "She’ got them same cooler hair as my mother, Mary. Golden Mary."

The Magus paused by one cradle holding a blue hatchling. "This one is very different."

"They are all different," Katharine said.

"This young male stands out." He reached down to pick up the hatchling. "He looks a bit like the gargoyles of Loch Ness."

Katharine studied the infant’s features. His round face was framed by two large fan, or fin shaped ears. Above his wide plump lips was a small bump of a nose with two large nostrils. His skin was covered with noticeable fish scales and had a fluke like tail. "Magus was there not a female gargoyle from one of the Lochs who came t’ live at Wyvern?"

"I overheard the conversation. Her rookery was a bit rare with the females outnumbering the males. The leader before Goliath welcomed her into the clan. This must be her son."

"There was a story about a fisherman who tasted an enchanted herb and he transformed into a creature of the sea."

Magus gently swayed the hatchling in his arms trying to get it to quiet down. "The story of Glaucus. The mere second the herb touched his mouth he craved to be in the water and he leapt into the sea where he became a immortal merman. "Are you thinking of naming him Glaucus?"

"Aye, it fits him."

"He needs a diaper change." He rocked the wailing child.

Katharine’s yawn threatened to unhinge his jaw. "It’s getting very late and we still hadnae adjusted our sleep times. I suggest one of us stays away for three hours to watch the eggs while the rest of us sleep. We’ll take turns."

"I’ll take the first watch." Tom crossed his arms to see if anyone would dare challenge him.

"Ye becareful," Katharine gathered up some of the straw on the ground into a pile and stretched out across it.

Hours had passed and Katharine walked around the cradles. Hers was the last shift. She could sleep a little more once the sun rose. She had plenty of diapers on hand in case any of the hatchlings needed changing. She did change a few of those who were un named. Some of the others including Uriel wanted some more of the milk. She kept repeating the names of those who were named.

She paused when she approached the cradle of beige female hatchling with wings connecting from her arms to her legs and bright ruby red hair. The hatchling saw her approaching and shrunk back into her cradle. Her arms crossed over her chest.

"Och are ye trying t’ shy away from me?" The hatchling didn’t respond to her. "Ye a shy one. Yer like Daphne who tried to shy away from Apollo and was turned t’ a tree." She noticed the way the female infant slowly lowered her arms. "Ye donnae want t’ be a tree, now do ye? ye don’t want t’ be like Daphne?" The hatchling kept on looking at her in the same way until she and the rest of her rookery turned to stone.

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In his study the Magus dipped the end of his quill into his ink pot and took it to his scroll. The eggs had hatched the previous night and that would make it sometime in the spring of 1078. It was hard to calculate the exact time with the season always summer. He knew about the time difference between Avalon and the rest of the world.

"It has been twenty one hours since the eggs hatched, and twenty one days had passed in the rest of the world. The world is approaching the month of May in the year of the lord 1078. That would make it how many weeks?" He stuck the fluffy end of the feather into his mouth and tried to calculate the right number of months until it would be 1094. "It will be ten more months before I can journey back to Wyvern to see if my curse had been lifted." His heart felt heavy at the mention of his curse.

He knew he had to tell the others he was planning on a trip, he didn’t know how the others would take it thought. Katharine rung her hands and Tom had his jaw dropped.

"Are ye sure ye have t’ go?" Katharine asked. "Ye donnae even know if they had awaken yet fer certain."

He clutched his large leather bound diary close to his chest. "That is why I have to go. I have to find out if it has. I can tell them I’m sorry and let them know their children have survived and recently hatched."

"And if they have awaken?"

He shrugged. "I’ll ask what they would rather do, come back with me to Avalon or have us returned their children to them."

"Let me go instead," Tom raised and clenched his fists.

"Tom I didnae think it’s best."

"Why not?" His eyes narrowed questionably.

"Because you are too young," Magus sighed.

"I’m old enough t’ begin m’ squire training."

The princess kneeled down beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Aye that be true and I’m not as kneeling as low as I used t’." She stood up and pulled out her dagger, non threatonly, the tip of the blade was pointed at the ground. "Remember yer promise that ye’ll protect the eggs. Ten months from now they’ll still be wee babes barely out of the shell. In four years ye can go out."

The youth clenched his fist’s even tighter, knuckles turned a shade of alabaster. His teeth were clenched. "Aye princess."

She bent down again and whispered in his ear. "Ye got t’ remember Magus still feels bad he put the sleep spell on Goliath and the other five t’ begin wi. He needs t’ remove the heavy burden from his chest."

"I understand," Tom sighed.

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Their roars were more like the battle cry of mere kittens, but the trio of humans recognized them as the wake up call of gargoyles. The tiny bodies cracked out of their stone skin, showering the ground with bits of stone and instantly crying to be fed.

The humans brushed out remaining bits of stone in their cradles before they handed them their warm milk skins. "Here ye go Angela, Gabriel." She handed some to those who weren’t named yet and tried to figure out which names would fit them the best.

"Here is your bottle little Mary Gold," the Magus handed the skin to the golden yellow beaked female.

"Gold Mary," Tom corrected.

The Magus blinked. "Ah yes I’m sorry, it’s just that she is the same color as the marigold flower."

"She is the same color as the flower," Tom’s eyes widened. "and the two females next t’ her, one is the same yellowish green as jasmine and she’s the same color as lilacs." He pointed to the one female with long curled upward pointed horns with small notches and a tail endinging in four long finger like tips, and the pale purple female with the translucent feather like fringes adorning the ends of her wings.

"A trio of flowers," Katharine smiled. "But Tom wanted t’ name her after his own mother."

"Marigold has Mary in it," Tom smiled. "And we have named two other females."

"Methinks sometimes a blunder can be beneficial."

Katharine nodded and tried to give another bottle to the shy web winged female. The hatchling shrunk back into her cradle. "There ye go being Daphne again."

"Daphne?" Magus stepped next to Katharine and took the milk skin from her. The hatchling reached out for it. "I think she likes me."

"She treats me like Daphne treated Apollo. I guess that would be a good name fer her."

"We should name a male after a Greek legend," Tom guided a milk bottle to the grayish brown male. His head was perfectly smooth, a sign that he would be forever bald. His head would have been naked if it were not for two curled white horns. "Ye look like a strong one, like Hercules."

"We do need t’ name the rest of the hatchlings," Tom spoke up.

"What names do ye want t’ give them?"

"They are going t’ be warriors someday. They should be named after great warriors."

"What kind of warriors?" Katharine tucked a cloth over one of the infants.

"Knights of the round table." The youth pulled away a milk skin from a very full dark lavender hatchling. "This one will be Lancelot and these three shall be dubbed sir Gawain, sir Tristam and sir Lionel." He indicated the emerald green hatchling, the gray hued child with the purple hair, and the plump azure male.

A few of the females were named after the ladies of Arthurian legends. Aqua Guinevere, alabaster Viviane with a long wide beak, and the one with the smallest hands was named Isoude. Her spurs and the tip of her tail were covered with soft tufts of fur.

Katharine choose some names from the bible and saints. She named the bright orange male who’s head was topped in a crown of sharp spikes after the wise king Solomon, and Saul to the rust red youth with sharp spurs poking out on each side of his upper jaw line. Gray skinned and blond Cecilia who had an extra finger on her left hand was named after the patron saint of music.

"We still have seven more t’ name," Tom closed his eyes. "I just cannae remember any other heroic name".

"I know of a hero who ripped the arm off a monster and defeated his mother." Magus peered down at pale beaked child sucking on the tip of his tail. "From now on young one you shall be called Beowulf."

Katharine studied the nameless hatchlings, mumbling a few names over and over. She glanced over at little Elena and an idea came to her. She sat up straighter, eyes widening. "M’ mother knew of some heroes from her native land. There was the great king Clovis and the legendary hero Rinaldo.

"Which of the two should receive those names?" Tom tickled the chin of the olive colored male with the head crest that was longer and pointer than Elena’s.

"That one ye got shall be named Rinaldo and this one," she brushed her finger through the liquid iron colored hair of the royal blue hatchling, careful to avoid his long spiral horns. "He shall be named Clovis".

The three of them went over several different names in their minds and tongues to determine which ones would suit the remaining four. Katharine chose Ophelia for the female with the large frill adorned with a row of bumps and two horns. Magus liked Nerissa for the other female web wing and Rosalynd for the turquoise girl with the ram horns. Tom felt the blue baby girl with the raven black hair and long horns should be named Teresa.

"What about this one?" Magus asked. The three of them surrounded the cradle of the only male web wing. Bright red in color with dark hair and a thick backswept horn that started from above his eyes and swept back over his head.

"He’s a wee bit comical in appearance," Tom smiled. "Like a clown."

"Ye not going t’ name him harlequin are ye?"

"Ach no I was thinking of a name that would fit a clown, like Mercutio."

"Mercutio?" Katharine unsuccessfully arched an eyebrow. She glanced down at the red hatchling and saw the tip of tail wag. "Ye like that name then."

A sharp yip brought their attention to the small pen Magus set up for the pups. They were more mobile than the hatchling and had to be kept under a great deal of supervision. "I suppose they will be needing names too."

"I have the perfect one fer her," Katharine pointed at the greenish gold beast pup. "Look how she nips at the others like she’s the alpha female. She should be named after a great warrior queen like Boudicca."

Tom picked the only male pup out of the pen. The pup eagerly tried to lick his face. "We could name him after an angel, a fierce angel, like Azriel."

"He’s the angel of death," Magus pointed out.

"Aye, a fierce angel."

Magus just clucked to himself. There was only one more pup left to name. The same one licking Magus’s fingers. She had a unique and beautiful color. A pale orangish rose, the same color as the sky at dawn. Dawn? Should he name her Dawn? No, she was not a Dawn, not with her identical little body. She was the leanest of the three pups and would grow into a lithe and fast tracker. She deserved something more.

"Aurora," he whispered, earning strange looks from both Katharine and Tom. "Her name is Aurora. It just feels like it should be."

"Aurora, Asriel and Boudicca," Katharine repeated the names of the small pups. Their eggs have been named. They will try to raise them the gargoyle way. She will ask Magus about their religion and holiday. Some things they will not be able to teach them such as loping and gliding but they will try to do the best they can.

Multiple wailing from the hatchlings caused her to rise to her feet faster than Hermes. She had to check on her wee bairns.

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The Magus checked the contents of his skiff. There was a sleeping roll with a blanket to keep him warm. A few candles and holder, so he will be able to see in the dark.

For food he had skins of fresh water and freshly squeezed juice from the grapes. Katharine had mastered the skill of drying and preserving food. She had salted long strips of meat and left them out in the sun, pressed a variety of food into bars and sun dried a few vegetables. Magus carried those vegetables in a bag with a mix of herbs. He also carried a small pot to boiled water and would add the vegetables and spices to make a soup. His meal provisions were complete with round flat pieces of bread that had a bit of a crispness to them.

The rest of his supplies contained his charts and astrolabe to guide him around, a diary to record his travels and a knife at Katherine’s request.

She was with him at the docks. "I want ye t’ be careful, use the knife if ye have to."

"I’m not a warrior. If I come across a threat I’ll use a few defensive spells I had remembered."

"Ye try t’ hurry back." She reached out to brush a few strands of his white hair out of his eyes.

"I’ll be back before you know it." He bent town on one knee. "With your majesty’s permission I seek to leave."

"Permission granted." She reached out to hug him. "Good luck."

He stared into her eyes and felt a lump form in his throat. He wanted to lean forward and kiss her. "I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget what will be days like for me will be mere hours for you."

"Aye, but sunset is in six hours and yer the only one Daphne likes."

"Give them all my love." He climbed aboard the skiff and cut the rope. With one of the long poles ending in a paddle he pushed along the water till a current pulled him out to sea. He sat down and watched as Katharine, the dock and Island became more and more distant.

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Tom stomped towards the castle through the field of tall grass. In his arms was a bow maid for his size. A quiver full of arrows was strapped to his back. He had been practicing his aim by shooting apples in a tree.

It still wasn’t fair. He wasn’t a child. He didn’t need the princess and Magus to treat him like one. They weren’t his parents. Magus might have been old enough to be his father, but Katharine was only ten years older than him. She was more like an older sister. In fact he was a father now.

It had been ten months on the island and the hatchlings had aged to where they could sit up on their own. Some of them were stretching their limbs and pulling themselves across the ground learning how to crawl. The pups were able to run and had to be watched to make sure they didn’t chew through the wood of their pen.

Tom refused to wait by Katharine on the dock. It should have been him in the skiff, not Magus. He was the one who tried to befriend the clan. The Magus had put the spell on them. "They didnae even deserve t’ be punished like that." He kicked at a rock. "He wants t’ go so he can apologize and be free of guilt. If he hadna put the spell on them in the first place-" a nearby scraping sound made him pause. He turned to see what was it’s source. Three plump pheasants waddled through the grass, particle hidden by the tall blades.

Tom drew an arrow from his quiver and set the notch in the chord. Now he can prove to them he wasn’t a boy. He pulled back aiming at the birds and let the arrow fly.

A shriek and the rustle of wings reached his ears followed by two of the birds flying away. The youth ran up to where they were. The third bird was lying on it’s side. The arrow impaled in it’s neck. It had died instantly.

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Katharine glanced out the window to see the position of the sun. It was only a couple of hours until sunset and she had yet to prepare anything for dinner. They still had a few salted fish and dried vegetables left.

"I brought dinner." She didn’t turn around at the sound of Tom’s voice. "I caught it with m’ first shot too. I’m becoming a better archer."

"Thanks t’ ye I have something t’ prepare."

The distance in her voice brought a shiver to her spine, causing him to shuffle his feet. "Ye miss the Magus?" He knew she would be sad, but her voice didn’t alone carry the soft misery of missing somebody but also the tinge of disappointment.

"Is something wrong?" Tom placed the bird on the wooden table and approached her.

"Ye were not at the docks t’ see Magus leave." Her voice came out sternly.

"I was hunting fer tonight’s supper."

"That was not the only reason." She turned around. Her eyes were not narrowed in anger or turned up in sorrow. They just stared at him coldly. "Ye are still mad about Magus leaving Avalon and not ye."

"I can paddle the skiff, I can take care after myself. I’m not a child." he raised his fists.

"Nay, ye still a child until ye act like an adult."

"If I went t’ the docks wi ye I would have been an adult?"

"Aye."

He pointed at the table. "I wouldna have been able t’ hunt that pheasant."

"Ye could have said good boy t’ Magus and then go off hunting." Her voice softened. "Now let me see what ye brought." She picked up the pheasant and admired it’s glossy reddish brown plumage. She turned it over and felt it’s weight. "It be a fat one." Her eyes trailed down it’s neck and examined the arrow. It didn’t go all the way through. It’s center was stuck in the neck and the wound was rimmed with red dampness. "Ye struck on yer first shot?"

"Aye."

"Ye have improved on yer archery skills." She turned towards the kitchen. "I’ll be removing the fathers and cleaning it. Ye go and heat up the milk fer tonight."

Tom let his chest relax. He had it puffed up with pride by the princess’s words. He didn’t have to be told twice. The young guardian turned around and skipped out.

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The warm sunlight streamed in through the window and stroke Katherine’s skin and hair making her soft brown locks shine. She rolled over on her back an twitched her eyelids. She had slept well. Going to bed feeling extremely tired from watching over the hatchlings until they turned to stone.

"Noon," she yawned and sat up. After stretching she rolled out of bed and did her routine of washing her face, getting dressed. "I wonder what I should prepare fer breakfast?" she thought of doing something simple such as sausage made from boar meat, gruel with treacle, and fresh apple slices.

Entering the dining area she found out someone was already cooking breakfast. "Tom are ye cooking?"

"I’m just helping." The smiling youth stepped into view. "The Magus is cooking breakfast."

"Magus?" She had become fully awake at the word. Her legs couldn’t carry her to the kitchen fast enough. She saw him hunched over the stove ladling batter onto the griddle. "Magus!" Her arms grabbed him, startling him enough to nearly spill the entire contents of the bowl.

"Princess! I’m glad to be home and I would turn around to embrace you back, but I have the oat cakes to prepare."

"I understand." She shrank back. "When did ye return?"

"A few hours ago. I have been gone for over a week, or atleast to me it’s been a week."

"Is Goliath awake?"

He set the empty bowl down and picked up the flat metal tool with a long handle. "I regret to inform they are still under my spell." He sighed. "I will tell you about my travels over breakfast."

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The princess didn’t want to admit it but there were times when the Magus was a better cook than her. Taking another bite of hand held oat cake she knew he had outdone himself again. The flaky cakes were topped with walnuts and honey and served with long strips of fried boar meet, and fresh picked berries drenched with cream.

"I was unsure at first. When the mists parted and I didn’t recognize the land. I was floating through a river." I was barely out of the boat when a man and a woman rode up to me on horseback. Fashion hadn’t changed that much in the past hundred years. By their belts and fancy lining on the bottom of the woman’s gown I could tell they were from large homes were the pockets were heavy with coins."

"By only the belts and trim of the gown?" Katharine asked.

He nodded. "The were completely swathed in hooded cloaks, the material appeared to be more suited to a peasant family. My first reaction was they were highway men, but then I remembered the story of your mother Katharine and how she and her guide traveled in disguise to Wyvern" He noted her nodding before he continued. "Seeing the way I was dressed the man thought I was a scribe, record keeper, a man of wisdom or a magic user."

"Was he afraid of you?" Tom asked.

"No he wasn’t he wondered if I was what he presumed I was. I asked him why and he told me the lady he was with needed someone like that. I told him I was a magic user and he was really pleased."

"Why did he need ye?" Katharine asked.

"He wanted me to be a body guard and lead the Lady Margaret to Normandy."

"Ye were in France?"

"I was and complimented them on their English. They were astounded and claimed that they were speaking French and so was I, apparently the magic of Avalon is stronger than we had originally thought."

"Did ye take her t’ Normandy?" Tom used the edge of his knife to cut his pork strip into three smaller pieces.

"I did and I didn’t need a cloak. The man told me he was sure their enemies might have noticed they way they were trying to hide themselves. I packed up my knife, book and some provisions, hid the skiff and climbed on the horse behind her."

"On our journey she told me her story. She was betrothed to a kind, brave, handsome and wise nobleman, but a jealous duke wanted her for himself. He threatened her family to get her to pledge to him."

He nor Tom noticed Katharine glaring. "And why didn’t she alert the king’s soldiers?"

"The king’s soldiers near her home were loyal to the duke. They planned on trying to usurp the throne from the king."

The half eaten cake in Katherine’s hand slipped and landed on her plate, scattering bits of nuts and drops of honey. "First in m’ own country and now in m’ mother’s native land?"

"She and several other sent her family into hiding before she and her body guard donned their cloaks. It took us two days to reach Normandy and were only attacked once. I used a few spells that resulted in minor burns on their skin. My last spell caused them to freeze in their tracks. They were like statues, unmoving, un blinking, they were not even breathing.

"Upon arriving in the courtyard of her beloved she gave me a small embrace before she slipped out of the saddle and ran up to him. With the news of the usurper her fiancées and several other soldiers sent word to the King."

"And then ye tenured to the skiff and made it to Wyvern?" Tom asked.

Magus shook his head. "I was sent to other places. One was Rome and another was Ireland, but the last place was strange. The people dressed in animal skins. Both men and women had long dark hair and skin the color of copper. They wove with beads and talked about animal spirits. Clearly the word is bigger than I thought."

"Why did ye keep arriving at all those different locations?" Katharine asked.

"I don’t know." Magus brought another spoon of berries to his mouth. "There was only one thing in common with all those locations. Someone there needed my help."

"I did eventually arrive at the shore line near the cliffs Wyvern rested on." Magus took a sip of tear from his goblet. "After climbing up towards the castle I sat down and waited for the sun to set. I forgot how long I waited, but I should have known they wouldn’t have awaken, not with the castle still beneath the sky. With a heavy heart I returned to the skiff and paddled off, and said the incantation to the island."

"Ye said the world hadna changed in hundred years," Tom sounded disappointed.

"There were a few changes," Magus reached under the table and and pulled up a wooden weapon and placed it on the table.The front end had the curve of a bow’s frame. Looking closer they could see the cord was pulled back and an arrow lotched into place, the pointed tip peaked out over the edge.

Katharine peered at the weapon and stared back up at the platinum maned man. "What is it?"

"It’s called a crossbow,a weapon that shoots arrows when you press the trigger." He lifted the cross bow and aimed it at the far wall. One press of middle finger sent the arrow flying."

"Amazing weapon," Katherine blinked. "Where did ye get it?"

"When asked what kind or payment did I seek for escorting lady Margaret I asked for a crossbow." The corners of his mouth pulled up into a small smile. "They thought it was odd for me to ask of such a gift, but they complied."

_________________________________________________________________________

Months slowly passed and the three humans felt steady in their routine. From sunset to sunrise they took care of the hatchlings. After dawn they would try to get some sleep and during those few hours between the time they woke up and sunset they would practice skills they planned on teaching the hatchlings.

Magus practiced his cooking and baking skills. There were rare times when the food he prepared turned out disastrous, but more often the meals he prepared brought smiles to Katharine and Tom’s faces. There were times when one of the two would ask him to prepare a certain dish because they loved they way he cooked it. He cultivated herbs along with medicinal plants. He practiced his teaching skills and taught Tom how to read and write his letters.

Like the Magus Katharine also perfected her cooking skills. Whatever Tom had hunted down she would prepare it with some of Magus’s spices. She took care of the rest of the vegtable crops and fruit orchards. With a needle and some thread she would work on her sewing skills. Many times resulting in pricked fingers. She wasn’t too upset. She did need to practice her healing techniques.

Each day that passed Tom grew into a better warrior and hunter. His arrows met their marks and he bravely defended the castle against mock villains made out of wood and mud. He worked on building and mending armor. He made shields, helmets and chest plates He wasn’t just growing in abilities, he was going in size.

He noticed the first change while chopping wood. He had already caught a large fish for supper and the princess sent him for some wood. They had enough for that night, but they were going to need more for the next day. He brought the blade down on top of the large block of wood, cleaving off a large chunk.

"Tom! dinner is prepared." Katherine’s voice floated out of the castle.

"I’m coming!" He instantly grabbed his throat. His voice dropped on the first half of "coming" and came out in a high squeak. What was wrong with his voice? Was he coming down with an illness? Maybe it was a one time thing.

"Did ye wash yer hands?" Katherine asked as soon as he sat down at the table.

"Aye," Nothing happened that time.

"That is a good lad." She placed a plate before him and one before the Magus before she sat down. Both men thanked her.

Magus took the knife next to the loaf of bread on the small wooden cutting board. "Would anyone care for a piece of bread?"

"I would like that." Tom slapped his hands over his mouth. His voice did it again with the word "that."

No one else seemed to have noticed. "Thank ye Magus," Katharine poured a mixture of fresh water and fruit juice into her goblet. "Would ye like some juice Tom?"

The youth did not know what to say. He was afraid his voice was going to drop and then rise to a squeak again. "Thank ye," he shoved his goblet closer to her. There was no squeaking this time.

He didn’t speak again until their meals were finished. "A delicious meal yer highness." His eyes widened. His voice squeaked twice that time. He coughed into his fist.

"Are ye not feeling healthy?" Katharine asked.

"M’ voice is acting funny. Did ye hear that? It went low for a second and then it squeaked. It did it again."

Katharine blinked and glanced at the Magus. The sorcerer had a knowing smile on his face. "Tom you and I shall go somewhere private to talk."

________________________________________________________________________

They two of them walked over to Tom’s bed room the door. The youth peered out of one of the small windows and watched as the sun dipped lower and lower. "The sun is setting."

"That is why we have to make this quick." Magus ran his fingers through his hair. "You are how old now?"

"I’m over thirteen."

"You are going through a small metamorphosis."

Tom stepped back, his eyes wide with fear. "What am I going t’ turn into."

The older man couldn’t keep from chuckling. "You are turning into a man. You are at the time in your life between being a boy and being a man. That is why your voice is changing."

"I’m going t’ have a man’s voice?"

Magus nodded. "It is gradually deepening from your child’s voice. You will be goring through other changes."

The youth gulped. "Like what?"

"You will go through a small clumsy phase due to growing twice as fast as our normal speed. When I was your age I was about a few hairs shorter than you and five years later." He stretched out his arms. "Your face will develop tiny boils. It might be a lot like it was with me, or might be a little like with Katharine. Keeping your face clean will help keep it minimal, but don’t wash it too much. That could cause more. I also have some medicine that will help. The last change you will notice will be your beard."

"I can grow a beard now?"

"Gradually you will notice some hair on your face. It will take about two more years for you to grow an actual beard. You will also have hair on your chest and legs and your male parts."

Tom blinked. "I never knew ye were supposed t’ get hair there."

"When I was your age I didn’t know either."

________________________________________________________________________

Tom wasn’t the only one to grow. The hatchlings slowly grew in size. Their arms and legs became stronger to the point where they learned to crawl. Once the three webbed wing hatchlings learned how to crawl around with their special wings the Princess decided it would be nice to take the infants out to the courtyard in the center of the castle.

The beast pups ran all over the grass, exited by the fresh air. They sought out and sniffed each and every corner. Because of their mobility they were harder to watch after than the other hatchlings. Sometimes they would run up to the crawling babies and press their noses against their skin, lick their faces, and even accidentally knock them over.

"Azriel stop chewing on the table!" Tom shouted at the male pup. Asriel had his jaws clamped around the outside table leg. "Boudicca stop digging up the flowers."

Magus watched a small group of hatchling in amusement as they growled at each other when he felt a tugging on his gown. He turned to see Aurora with the bottom of his robe in her mouth. The pup had a tight hold and was trying to pull it backward. "Stop that." He tugged his robe closer but the rosy colored pup kept on pulling, making tiny little growls and wagging her long tail ending in three points. "I’m not playing now let go Aurora!"

The princess had her own troubles. A quartet of hatchlings had decided to taste some of the dirt. Three of them spat it out, sticking out their tongues, but Lionel kept on shoving handful after hand full into his mouth.

"Spit that out!" Katharine picked him up and gently patted his back. The azure skinned hatchling belched, causing a clump of mud to fall out of his mouth. "Ye donae want t’ be eating that filth." She took the damp cloth she had grabbed when she first noticed the hatchlings grabbing the dirt and washed his mouth, inside and out. Lionel didn’t liked to be washed and protested in the only way he can besides grabbing at her hand, crying and lashing his tail.

Staring down she noticed the curved bony white spikes jutting out on the sides of the tail near the tip like the ends of a pick ax. His tail would be a fine weapon someday. She placed the hatchling down between Angela and Beowulf.

"Aurora!" Magus scolded the pup just as she tore of the hemline from his robe and ran off with it. She paused, turned around and wagged her tail.

"You three seem to have a handful," the deep voice came from the castle wall. Magus stood firm, arms out, ready to unleash a defensive spell. He could hear little Daphne crying Tom stood up in front of the hatchlings closest too him and Katherine unsheathed her dagger. All three of them stared up.

The speaker of the voice stood hunched over, partially leaning against his gnarled wooden staff. He was covered with a long billowy blue gray robe, much like the one the Magus wore. Long stringy silver hair flowed from the top of his head down to his waist. His beard, of the same color, hung down from his chin and merely hovered over his slipper clad toes. Thick bushy white eyebrow topped sharp eyes the color of steel.

"Tis ye," Katherine relaxed her am and let out a sigh. There was only one other person on the magical isle. An old man who claimed he was a wizard, and claimed he was the guardian of the sleeping king. She thought he was a crazy fool, but did not tell him on account of his age. She could count three deep lines under each eye. "Why are ye here?"

"How did ye get up there?" Tom asked. "Mayhap he is a real wizard. Magus always did sense some magic in him."

The old man ignored them. "You seem to have trouble with those tiny ones. You keep them from playing with dirt and rocks."

"Aye, they are filthy and harmful."

His silver blue eyes fixed on her. "They don’t have an alternative. You three remembered to feed them, keep them warm, and clean up after them, but you forgot to give them things to play with." He pointed one withered hand at Aurora. "This is a castle. You must have some rope somewhere for them to chew on."

"How dare you come here and tell us how to raise our eggs?" Magus demanded. He could sense Katherine’s anger without even turning to look at her. "You left us alone for five years. Why are you interfering now?"

"I knew the eggs have hatched by now and I was curious to see how they are doing. Children need love, family, food and clothing but they also need things to play with." He reached up to brush a long messy gray lock out of his face. "Have you given them names?"

Tom nodded. "Aye, this is Ophelia, Angela, Beowulf..." He rattled off the names of the hatchlings with the help of the princess and Magus.

The old man would occasionally nod and compliment a name, but whenever one of the hatchlings names after the folk of Arthurian legends he would blink. "Let me see the ones named after the lords and ladies of Camelot." He jumped from the wall and to Katherine and Tom’s surprise floated to the ground, the bottom of his gown fluttered.

The three pups raced towards him yipping. Some of the hatchlings cried, but a few including Lionel and Viviane crawled towards him. Tom brought the others he requested closer, prepared to fight the man if he ever so much raised a hand too fast.

"Let me see the knights first."

Tom brought the dark lavender hatchling before him. "This one is Lancelot." The bald child had a large frill like Ophelia’s, but did not have as much horns. Just a row of bumps that began from the top down to the tip of his nose. One long horn was in the middle of his forhead, alomost like the horn of au nicorn.

"He looks like he would grow into a protector fit to guard a queen."

"This is Tristam," Tom indicated the gray, purple-haired infant who kept growling and lashing his arrow tipped tail. "He is Gawain," he gently touched the green gargoyle with the tiara like spikes," And this one is Lionel."

The old man scratched his chin. "All three of them look noble enough to sit at the round table. I would like to see the girls."

The youth nodded and pointed at the ash blond, aqua colored girl. "Her name is Guinever."

"Lovely enough to be named after the queen." He nodded. "Go on."

"She is Isoude." the hatchling with the wing shaped horns looked up at him when he said her name.

"Her hands are smaller than the others. She does have the fairest hands."

The last hatchling he indicated was the white gargoyle. "Her name is Viviane."

The old man nearly stumbled. "Viviane?" He gave the beaked child a through look over. White as the moon with uniquely shaped split wings. The top were long and pointed like a dragonfly’s and the bottom were curved and wide like a butterfly’s. Her beak was long and narrow and she had a pair of cow like horns on her head. What grabbed his focus was her hair. The color was yellowish green. He had only seen one the person with hair like that. "She has hair just like her."

"Just like who?" Magus picked Viviane back up and held her protectvily agaisnt his chest.

"Like the lady Viviane herself. There were not many human females with thair that color."

"How would ye know?" Tom narrowed his eyes. "Ye look like ye might be old enough-"

"Tom!" The princess barked.

"And we donae know how long ye have been on this island, mayhap ye could be from Arthur’s time."

"Mayhap is correct," The old man turned towards the princess bowed slightly. "May I use the castle exit to depart from your home?"

The princess nodded. "Ye may."

The old man thanked her and slowly trudged through the couatyard to the gate.

Tom watched him walk with suspicion filled eyes. He leaned in closers to the princess. "I donae see why he cannae just float back out."

Katharine shook her head softly. "Now,Tom don’t ye be saying things like that. The poor man might be verra tired from floating down in the first place."

"If he did not have much energy he shouldna float t’ begin with."

Her lovely mouth shifted into a frown. "He’s an old man, if he wants to use a we bit of magic now and then he is entitled t’ it. I never would have thought ye would be disrespecting yer elders."

"He’s strange and I don’t trust him."

"Tom!"

The young teenager hung his head. "Aye, yer right. I donae want t’ be a bad influence infront of the eggs."

_________________________________________________________________________

The following year provided many hardships for the three humans and their many wards, but the greatest hardship fell on Tom. The Magus was right about his growth and face. It seemed that whenever the youth would awaken it seemed another tiny white boil had appeared on his face. His cloths were becoming tighter and Katharine had to keep mending them. She decided to finally make him a new outfit that would be a bit baggy on him.

The three of them did take heed of the advice of the old man. Both Tom and Magus carved up wood into small blocks of various shapes and sizes. Each one was too big to fit into the mouths of the children, even those with beaks and the mouths of the pups. They took hollow wooden containers filled them with seeds for the eggs to shake. Katharine sewn and stitched up several small toy animals and people shaped dolls and stuffed with the soft fleece like material growing in one of the fields.

The hatchlings were using three talons to dig into the walls and pull themselves up on their hindlegs and steady themselves with their tails. With every passing night their human parents watched earnestly and making small bets on which child would stand up first and which one would be the first to stop relying on their tails.

The last to stand were the three webbed wings and were assumed to be the last ones to learn how to walk. Nerissa surprised everyone when she took the first step and fell face forward into the straw.

Tom counted the steps each egg took and picked them up when they took a step more than they previously had. He gave them each equal and fair amount of verbal praise no matter what.

One night nearly half the eggs developed fevers. Tom and Magus took the healthy ones outside and helped them practice their walking while Katherine ran around inside their rookery, keeping cool cloths on their heads, giving them medicine. The following night the other half developed fevers and the groups had to be switched.

Around the same time the hatchlings learned to walk, they learned to speak their first words. From soft babbling came simple words like "Milk," "Straw", and even "Tom" Katherine nearly jumped for joy when Gabriel called her "Pincess," instead of "Kat," and no rag could wipe the smug grin off the Magus’s face when Daphne, Solomon, Angela, Raphael, and Isoude called him by his name.

They were taught to practice saying their own names but some did have difficult names to pronounce. Saul was the first to speak his own name followed by Jasmine, Lilac, Gaiwan, Tristam, Clovis, and Michael.

They learned to call each other by their name and when Katharine inquired who stole Rosalynd’s honey biscuit several eggs pointed at the rich orange child and shouted. "Uriel!"

Disciplining the children wasn’t easy, but the three adults had to make sure the eggs respected the word "No." The Princess never wanted to use her hand and would shout the negative once in a deep voice. The first time the child would ignore the word she would pick them up and carry them a few feet away to sit by her for a few minutes. If the crawled or toddled off to repeat the same offense she would give them the punishment of denying them sweets, putting them in the rookery or washing their face with a warm damp cloth.

______________________________________________________________________

The crossbow was the last thing Tom placed into the skiff. The evening before the Magus had told him it would be the year 1194 the next night. Tom felt he was old enough to journey out in the world and prepared a skiff to see if the spell on Wyvern had been lifted. He had made sure he had enough food, medical, supplies, candles, a sleeping roll, and a few weapons.

"Are ye sure ye packed enough?" Katherine asked.

"I have enough provisions," Tom’s voice had stopped cracking, it had taken a deeper pitch. He had grown to the height of the princess herself and on his sixteenth birthday was given an new set of cloths. He ran his hand through his dark honey hair. A small beard, the same color, was on his chin. He still had breakouts, but there were only a few on his face.

"Journey well Tom," Magus shoved a book into the teenager’s arms. "This is not my diary. I have written in it, but I only wrote about my journey on the skiff. This shall be a travel log of all our travels aboard the skiff, not just mine, and not just yours."

The young guardian nodded. "I shall write in it every day."

"See that you do." Magus wagged a finger. "I want to see how well I had taught you."

"Where Garden Tom go?" The question was asked by little Mercutio. The gargoyle toddlers were brought to the dock to see Tom off. While they can speak simples words, some were still hard for them to pronounce.

"I’m going t’ see if yer elders had awaken."

"Are they gargoles?" Solomon asked

"Aye, but an accident causes them t’ still be asleep." He did not notice Magus shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"Can we come?" Gabriel asked.

"I want to go," Angela squeaked.

"I want to go with Guardian Tom," Clovis clapped his little paws together.

"Nay, ye have t’ stay with us." Katherine picked up the deep blue child. "We need somebody t’ protect us with the Guardian gone."

"Donae worry little eggs, I’ll be back." Tom grabbed one of the long oars and pushed himself toward the sea. "And I’ll bring back some gifts."

They watched as the skiff disappeared from sight. Some of the hatchlings cried, but most of them stood strong.

The princess shook her head. "He’s going t’ spoil them."

"Most of the gifts will be with us to show us how much the world had changed."

"Ye are right." She turned to the eggs. "It is time we returned home."

"What about Tom?" Salathiel asked. His ribless wings ending in three taloned hands folded across his shoulders.

"He’ll be back. When we return t’ our home I’ll tell ye all a story." she lead the group of toddlers followed by Magus who watched the children from behind

_________________________________________________________________________

Tom had yet to return when the Magus woke the next after noon. He was unsure if he should prepare a small meal for himself and Katharine or go speak with her. He had something to tell her and now that Tom was not around he could.

The sorcerer paused by a round mirror, hanging on the wall, on his way to the Princess’s and had to take a glance at himself. He was still looking good at the age of thirty three. His long cascade of silky hair was still pearly white without a hint of silver. There were no permanent lines etched into his forehead, no wrinkles around his mouth when he smiled. The were a few tiny lines near the corner’s of his eyes, but they were barely noticeable.

He felt his stomach and waistline. He was always a thin man, never any fat of muscle to be found on any parts of his body, except for his legs. His thighs felt thicker when he grabbed onto them, and when he stroked them, they felt solid. His calves had a slight muscular bulge to them also.

It must have been from running after the hatchlings. Trying to keep them from running off to far had made his legs stronger. He was thankful they were gargoyles and were asleep. It seemed to him, he and the other humans had to run back forth a lot more since the toddlers were learning how to use the chamber pot.

"Don’t be daft," he whispered. It was now or never. He took a deep breath and tapped on the door to the Princess’s room. "Your majesty, may I come in?"

"Aye, ye may." Katherine’s sweet voice carried through the door.

She was sitting in front of her vanity table, brushing her hair. She was still dressed in her soft billowy night gown. "Do ye need t’ talk about something?"

"Perhaps," he stepped inside the room.

"Ye look like ye have a lot on yer mind."

He cleared his throat. "Our eggs will not bee needing diapers soon."

"Aye, that will be easier on all of us."

"They are growing up."

"Did ye hear Clovis? He can say Guardian."

"He is a good speaker for his age," he nodded. "They are growing at a slow rate, but they are still growing." He stared at his shaking hands and shoved them into his pockets. "What I’m saying is they are growing up and we are not getting any younger." He wanted to hit himself in the face. How could he say something like that? "What I mean is--I mean that," He stared up at the ceiling. "I myself am considered past my prime."

She turned around on her stool and stared at him strangely, her diamond like eyes sparkled. "Are ye saying ye are too old and are past yer use?"

"I’m not too old," he stepped closer to her. "But I’m not a young man anymore. I have aged, while you look as young and beautiful as the night we had arrived."

Her cheeks flushed slightly before she turned back around. "Tis kind fer ye t’ say such a thing, but in truth I’m not a young woman myself." she picked up her brush and brought the bristles through her locks.

"Don’t say that." He paused right behind her.

"Tis true I’m twenty six."

"And twenty six is not old."

"Too old t’ find a husband. Most women my age are already married wi two children." She stood up. The top of her head brushed under his nose.

‘Only a fool would not want you for a wife.’ the words were in his mind, on his tongue, but he could say them, not when he was toxicated from the scent of her hair. He couldn’t keep himself from sniffing her sweet fragrance.

"Magus?"

"Oh ," She had noticed what he was doing! "Please forgive-" the rest of his speech was forgotten as he tried to step backwards from her. One of his feet struck the other and he fell, but instead of falling backwards he fell forward and reached out to grab something to steady his fall. He immediately froze when he realized what he had grabbed, something round and soft.

"Magus!" Katherine jumped back from him. Once she was out of his grip he fell forward and his chin landed on the table top with a thud. "I--I..." She couldn’t finish speaking.

He felt his teeth slice through the tip of his tounge. He cringed back the pain and glanced up at her. Her eyes were widened with shock and confinement, her skin was paler than his hair. "Your majesty," he spat out blood and brought his hand to his mouth. He could still taste the saltiness and the iron tang in his mouth. With his hand clamped over his mouth he ran out of her room.

________________________________________________________________________

While sucking on a cloth soaking with water and special herb, the Magus prepared a quick breakfast of eggs, sausage and fruit. He couldn’t be in the same room as Katherine, not after what he had done. He took his meal to the outside table and ate it slowly, not sure if he wanted the food to cause his mouth more pain or not.

"She hates me now," he took a long gulp of his water and juice mixture. "When Tom returns she will tell him and then the both of them will hate me, and so will the eggs." He shook his head. They were too young to understand.

Tom returned an hour before sunset with more tales of adventure and the fact Goliath and the other five were still enspelled. Katherine welcome him back with a deep embrace and a bowl of stew.

Magus watched the two of them at the table, and half listened to Tom’s story as he snuck into the kitchen. He didn’t want the princess to see him. After filling his bowl he snuck back, only picking up parts about some kind of holy war.

"This is recently was introduced t’ England and Scotland in the last century," Tom tiled a pottery bottle and poured a small amount of a amber colored liquid into Katherine’s glass. "They have been drinking it in the Eastern lands for a longer time though."

Katherine sniffed at her goblet before she brought it to her mouth and sipped. "Och this stuff is terrible." she crinkled up her nose.

"More fer me and the Magus then."

Magus froze just at the entrance when he heard his name.

"Where is he?"

She stared down at the table. "I have not seen him fer the past few hours."

"Mayhap he is in his study?"

"Mayhap."

Magus gritted his teeth and exhaled, creating a hiss, while he turned away from them. The way she couldn’t look at Tom when she mentioned his name. He was right about the princess hating him.

________________________________________________________________________

Months passed on the peaceful and warm island. The eggs played with the new wooden toys Tom brought back for them. Between playing with their toys, mealtime and involved in small games they made up The Magus would read to them. The wizard would occasionally look up to see if Katherine was watching him, but she was no wear to be found. He had to speak with her about the incident.

He found her the next afternoon sewing tiny scraps of cloth together. She was focused on her work. Her eyes didn’t stray from the needle and thread.

He stepped up to her and coughed into his fist. "May I seek an audience with you?"

Her face was free of any emotion as she stared up from her sewing. "Ye may."

"About what happened in your room two months ago," his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He tried to coat his lips with salvia but his tongue felt to heavy to move. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to speak. "I didn’t mean to grab your--person, yes that is what I meant. I didn’t mean to grab your person when I stumbled."

"It was an accident I understand," she lowered his lids and sighed. "We were both embarrassed by it. Ye hurt ye tongue didnae ye?"

"It is healed as of now."

"I just want t’ know what were ye doing wi yer nose in my hair?"

Magus’s jaw fell. How was he going to get out of that one? "Well," he ran a hand through his hair. "You stood up a bit too fast and I was trying to breath."

"Why didna ye say something?"

"I felt it would have been rude."

"Oh Magus," she picked up what she was sewing and held it out. "They will be out of diaper rags soon." What she held up was a skirt like cloth dyed blood red with three long cuts seating three triangular shaped flaps. "I have been working on leather t’ create their belts and Tom is making the buckles. I’m also sewing some pretty tops fer the girls."

"It’s beautiful, your majesty, your sewing skills have come a long way." He felt a warm spark develop in his chest when she smiled.

__________________________________________________________________________

Over five years had passed since the eggs had hatched and the hatchlings were chamber pot trained and dressed in the halter tops and loin cloths the princes had sewn for them. A few of them refused to wear the new cloths at first, but gradually accepted, except for Hercules and Ferdinand. The princess chased after the two naked toddlers holding a loin cloth in each of her hands. Aurora playfully pounced on the brownish gray bald child while Tom caught Ferdinand.

In addition to being clothed the hatchlings were aloud to spend their days outside in the courtyard. Katherine didn’t want them to be perched on the battlements yet. "Perhaps in a few years the can stand on the walls, and a year or two after they can rest on the battlements."

"They are not human children," Tom pointed out. "Yet ye are raising them like humans."

She paused in between two of the adorable statues. "I cannae help it. They are our we babes. They cannae even glide and we are going t’ let them stay on top of the castle walls?"

A spark flashed throng the Magus’s mind. "How are we going to teach them to glide? We can teach them to climb the walls and to run around on all fours, but we don’t have wings."

"We will worry about that in five years," Tom nodded at him. "Ye are right. We need t’ teach them how t’ climb and lope."

It was easier said than done. After the eggs had their post sunset breakfast both men walked to one of the walls and tried to scale it, their fingers searching for cracks to get a grip on. Several times to the delight of the hatchlings, they slipped and fell on their posteriors. After the gargoyles finished giggling they were instructed to climb.

"Ye got sharper and stronger nails than we do," Tom curled down his finger tips. "Try t’ use them."

"We won’t let you fall." Magus promised.

Michael was the first to sink his talons into the wall and pulled himself up. His lower talons caught on, and he clung there.

"That’s it lad!" Tom clapped. "Keep on climbing like that."

"Like this?" Michael pulled one hand loose and grabbed onto part of the wall over his head. He pulled his other hand free and placed it higher, followed by his feet.

"Exactly," Magus nodded.

A few of the others climbed up a few feet and only half of them tried to climb back down. Both Magus and Guardian knew that was enough for the night. The eggs were going to practice again the following evening.

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It only took over a week for the eggs to not only learn how to climb, but become comfortable with it. The inside walls of the castle were usually covered with hatchlings who dared each other to see who can climb up to the top and look out over the otherside and competed in races of who could climb the fastest.

They were not allowed to climb down the other side. Those with wings understood the rules, but the pups remained a problem. The humans would shout after them to stay on the inside and it took two of the other hatchlings to pull the pups down. Magus came up with a solution and kept the pups on rope collars and leashes.

One month after they learned to climb both men felt it was time to teach them how to lope.

"What does lope mean?" Ophelia held on to the tip of her tail shyly.

"It means to run on all fours," Magus answered and dropped to the ground. "Like this." He walked around on his hands and feet, keeping his knees bent.

"Ye have t’ go faster than that Magus." Tom folded his arms.

The Magus tried to run in the position he was in, but he stumbled on his robes and fell on his face. The children giggled again.

"Are you hurt?" Angela asked him.

"I’m fine," He pulled himself up. "I have no wounds, no cuts or, bruises." He reached out to pet the top of her head. "Let us see if you fare better Tom." He stood up on his feet and wiped the dirt off. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the princess watching him.

"Ye were such a sight," she chuckled when he stood by her. "And now look at Tom." She pointed at the guardian as he romped around on his hands and feet. "He has grown into a handsome man."

"Yes, your majesty, but I still remember when he was just a child."

"Ye remember when I was a child?"

"I was thirteen when I arrived at Wyvern, and you were this playful little girl about five or six."

"Aye" she stared at the ground and sighed sadly. "We are not children anymore."

He reached out to brush a few of her dark brown bangs out of her eyes. "We are not."

"I’m nearing my thirtieth’ year."

"Not too late to take a husband." He leaned in closer to her face.

"Nay, tis not." Her eyes widened when his lips met her own. "Magus." She took a step back. "What are ye doing?"

Now of never, he had to say it. "I love you. I loved you since you were sixteen. I never had the courage to tell you."

"Oh, Magus." Her hand flew to her heart. "I love ye too, like a brother. I wish ye told me sooner, but ye never did, and now m’ heat doesna feel that way."

He knew she meant her words to be kind, but they were still a ice dagger piercing his chest."I understand." He said with closed eyes. His own heart remained in a pile of broken pieces at the bottom of his chest.

The Magus had to get out of there. How could he stay knowing she doesn’t feel the same form him in her heart?

He slowly slipped away from the princess, Tom and the eggs and made his way to the castle entrance. He paused to look back once at his family. The hatchlings were taking turns, learning how to run on all fours while Tom and Katharine watched. A sigh escaped his mouth before he turned around and continued on his way.

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He did not have an idea of how long he had been walking. He never stopped to rest and glance back, just wanted to keep on moving. He paused when he was next to two different trees. One had branches covered with hundreds of tiny pink flowers, sweetening the air with their fragrance, and the other’s limbs dipped from the weight of pears.

"I’m not even short of breath," he turned too see how far he walked. The castle appeared to be a small dot in the distance. "I’m close to the hollow hill."

"Why would you want to go there?" The voice caused Magus to gasp. "Did I frighten you boy?" The old man stood in front of the pear tree, his body supported by the cane in his hand.

Magus was over his shock. With narrowed eyes he snarled. "Why are you out here?"

The other man ignored him and reached for one of the pears.

"Why are you here?"

"Do I need a reason?" The fruit snapped off at the middle of the stem. "I could be here just to satisfy my craving for a piece of fruit." He raised his bushy brows. "Are you going to the hollow hill?"

"No I’m not. I just noticed I was close to the hill."

"I see," he took a bite of his fruit. Magus was sure his teeth would snap out of his gums, but to his surprise the old man kept them in and chewed. "Why did you come out here?"

Magus glanced over His shoulder. "I needed to get away from them."

"Are the children becoming a burden."

"It’s not them, its her."

A twinkle formed in his eyes. "I see, you were in love with her?" The younger man nodded. "And she refused. How long have you been on this island, and you are now just telling her? A woman can’t wait forever for a man to decide to tell her he loves her. She might think he had no interest, and then her heart will drift somewhere else."

"I didn’t have anything to offer her, not now, not without my magic."

"You had to give up your spell book to enter this island?" He arched an eyebrow. "If magic is important to you why did you do it?"

"For Katherine and the eggs."

"She knew you gave up something that was important to you. You could of asked her then."

Magus shook his head. "I didn’t have anything to offer her."

"Oh pish posh dear boy. You had a lot to offer her, and simply didn’t. Now it’s too late."

"I already know that!" The younger wizard’s fists were clenched as he shouted so hard he jumped, to put more into his yell.

The older wizard seemed unfazed. He just stared at the younger man with his arms crossed. "So what are you going to do? Dwell on what might have been? Keep running away from your responsibilities, abandon those sweet little gargoyle hatchlings? Well you can either run off and feel sorry for yourself or you can make a difference." He unfolded his arms and clutched onto his cane. "I have been blaming myself for past events for too long. I’m going to go back to the real world and make a difference."

"You will make a difference," Magus mumbled.

"What was that boy?"

"I said you will make a difference since the waters around Avalon sends you to where you need to be."

"Ah," the twinkle returned to his eyes. "You understand this island is magical. Magic flows through the air, the dirt and the trees." He grabbed the younger man’s wrist and placed his palm against the trunk of the flower tree. "You might not have your book of spells, but you don’t need it. Harness the magic here."

"How?"

The other man released his wrist. "Spend a little time each day to become in touch with the land." He turned around and walked off. "If you do decide to go to the hollow hill tell my pupil that I am leaving, but if you decide to return home take some of the pears with you." He took another biet of his fruit. "The children will love them."

Pupil? The Magus couldn’t keep his eyes off the old man. If what he said was true then that would mean... He shook his head. It was possible. He mouthed the wizard’s name before he stared at the mottle green fruit.

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Nobody had noticed he had left. It didn’t matter since he didn’t want to answer any question. He walked right up to the table and set down his armload of pears. His eyes glanced up and widened from what he saw, his beloved Katherine was kissing the Guardian. It was a kiss on the forehead, but it was more than he ever received from her.

"Magus brought pears!" several small voices piped up. He removed his eyes from the young couple and smiled at the hatchlings.

"I just thought everyone could use a treat." He straighted up, avoiding the faces of the other two humans. "I’ll be in my study if anyone needs me." He walked away from the table quickly as possible.

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The Magus’s fingers graced the spines of many books, before they settle on one about King Arthur. He should have been reading it more often than before. Stepping away from the vast library he wondered who brought all the books. It seemed to him that nearly everyday new tomes appeared magically. It probably was magic. He shrugged it off and sat down in his chair.

He had only opened it up to it’s first page when he felt he wasn’t alone. Lowering the book he saw Daphne standing a few feet in front of him, holding out a pear in front of her.

"I save one for you." Her eyes sparkled.

"What about you?"

"I already ate mine"

"Well thank you." He accepted the fruit and returned her smile. "Would you like to hear a story?"

"What kind of story?"

"A story about a young boy who wanted to be a mage and journied from his native England to the north."

"That sounds like a good story," Solomon with his head spikes shaped like a crown entered followed by tear drop winged Raphael, Angela and Isoude.

"All five of you want to hear the story?" Magus arched an eyebrow. Three different colored heads nodded. "Very well." He set the book aside and reached down to pick up Daphne and placed her on his lap. "The three of you sit down." He took a bite of his pear while the other four found a comfortable place on the ground. After swallowing his bit he continued. "Once upon a time in England, there was a boy who didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the children."

He glanced down at the four eager faces and felt Daphne’s curled middle talons dig into to his robe before he continued with the story.