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Tam looks at the bed, then at his long body and begins to laugh so hard, he makes Kero worried. He picks up the cub and carries him out to the main room and sets him on the stool.

"One," he says holding up one finger. "If I sleep in that tiny bed, I'll be so stiff and cramped I won't be able to move tomorrow. Two, I'll be perfectly fine out here. And three, Kero, you are a dear dear friend and I wouldn't dream of turning ye out of yer bed." He kneels before the cub and rubs his head fondly. "Thank you for your offer, though. I appreciate it, truly I do. Shall we unpack our gear now and see what we might be needing around here. I say we need two comfy chairs to pull to the fire, don't ye?"

tam lifts him up and gives him a hug. "Scared ye, didn't I?" he says kissing him on the forehead. " Sorry, Kero, I was only teasing. There is no way I'd use that on yer backside... I might brain ye with it if ye do something completely and absolutely stupid, but as we both know yer never completely and absolutely stupid... yer safe."

He sits down on the least rickety of the chairs with the cub on his lap and stretches his legs out to the non-existent fire... "Ye know... I think I going to like it here... How about ye?"

Tam chuckles. "I'm easy to get along with, Kerobiain. Surely ye know this by now. All I ask is that ye respect me, as I respect ye, realizing that I've been around a tad bit longer than ye have and I just might know what I'm talking about now and again. Other than that, iffin ye do yer fair share around here, we'll have it made. As I am older and bigger, I fully expect to do most of the work in the house for some time to come, but I do want you to try to help out wherever ye can. Fair enough."

He sighs and closes his eyes for a bit then laughs once again, ruefully. "I probably should begin to teach ye a bit more as well. Most of yer lessons have been on the fly. So expect to be getting regular lessons in reading and writing, as well as history and court manners. Let's see what else should ye be learning at this age?"

Tam sighs... "I always hated rules. Probably why I got into so much trouble with my master in the first place." He winks and holds up one hand. "Let's make it simple, ok. One - no going anywhere, unless ye clear it with me first. I'll probably agree ye can go, so why cause worry when ye don't need to, right. Two - apply yersef. It's one thing to say ye want to do something but it's another entirely different thing to actually do something about it. You want to learn, fine. I'll gladly teach ye what I can and find teachers for those things I cannot. All I ask in return is that ye do yer best in them. I'm not asking for perfection, just dedication. Fair enough. Three - you are responsible for your own things. I think that is self explanatory so I won't say anything more about it. Four - respect me... don't bad mouth me with no explanation of why yer angry. Iffin ye got a beef with me, tell me. Let's do our best to work it out first, ok? I honestly do not care for a conversation that contains a swear word every other word. It gets in the way of the thought that is trying to be conveyed. and Five accept responsibility - If ye do do something wrong, ye don't try to hide the fact. Don't blame it on someone or something else. Are those five rules easy enogh to live with."

Tam shakes his head ruefully. "So speaks the age of innocence..." he mutters under his breath, then he laughs softly ruefully.

"Very well, let's lay down some guild lines then. I will give ye three chances to obey. Two warnings and then I will issue a punishment according to the severity of the action. Does that sound fair enough? If the misbehavior is mild, I may simply remove whatever you are misbehaving with for a period of time. This may or may not include time outs. Definite time outs for those things which require you to think things through. And groundings and loss of privileges for those things which are of a more serious nature. In the more serious instances, I will also require a letter of apology, either to myself or to whoever you may have caused trouble with. And I think it is time ye begin to keep a journal. It is also a good way to reflect on the things which have happened during the day... both the good as well as the bad."

Talesian chuckles wisely. "It won't, not at first. But as ye keep one, ye begin to see patterns, in the things ye do and the people around ye... patterns ye might not see otherwise. Knowledge is good, Kerobian, especially self-knowledge. Also, as ye write, ye'll be able to review that which ye have done. If yer writing about something good, ye'll relive that memory, and ye'll begin to understand why it was so good. Let's say ye make a friend and ye begin to write about the things ye and that friend do... over time ye'll begin to see why this person means so much to ye... maybe it is his ready with a joke just when ye need one, maybe he is considerate but in ways ye don't notice unless ye look for it... It will help ye develop an eye for those attributes in people ye like and help ye to form better relationships in the future. It is the same for the things that happen to us that we don't like. Do you understand. A journal makes us look back at things, to look at them a little closer, rather than just experience them."

Tam shakes his head vigorously. "Food is a right, never a privilege. No adult should eat before a child. I have long felt this way. Your bodies are growing. They need sustenance. Now desserts though are fair game. I can and will deny ye a dessert if ye misbehave. Privileges can include, free time for yerself or being allowed to go off and explore with a friend... privileges are extras, things one earns, little one... some simply by being who and what ye are...."

Tam's growling stomach says otherwise, but he too is tired, so after a quick dinner of sausage and bread, washed down with clear sweet water from the artesian spring that runs just outside their front door, they both call it a day. But not before they have a brief argument over who is sleeping by the fire.