Should she make offer to the woman, the furry one wondered? Then, to her complete astonishment, the woman and the red-man simply vanished! It wasn’t in her nature to curse or bemoan her ill fortune. She simply decided that if they were watching the entombment of the box that they would be back, and when they came back she would make offer to the woman, for it wasn’t right for one of the sisterhood to be without a protector.

-----

A faithful sorceress's familiar waits and watches for her next mistress to be. Girl is she in for a suprise!

Miki: Keeping the Faith, A Whateley Academy Fan fiction

This is fan fiction for the Whateley Academy series. It may or may not match the timeline, characters, and continuity, but since it's fan fiction, who cares? To see the canon Whateley Stories, check out either Sapphire's Place,

(http://www.sapphireplace.com/stories/whateley.html) or the Big Closet (http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/taxonomy/term/117)."

This story comes courtesy of Grover, he has generously offered it for use in my Timeout Fan Fic. It’s not bad for a first attempt — better than mine -- you should have seen Glacier Girl as first posted. I find the little furry prankster is growing on me. Thanks to Ken _J, Amelia_R, Sir Lee, and others who’s insights on the Whateley contributed to this unexpected aspect of my heroine Joanie. As always, your constructive criticism and advice helps me improve as a writer and to make the story better. This is an exercise in the joys of creativity and in appreciation of the wonderful Whateley Universe. Any violations of copyright, trade mark or use of real people or incidents are purely for purposes of humor or parody and done solely for the free enjoyment of the reading public. All rights reserved in perpetuity, John from Wauwatosa WI, 2005-2006.

Adult content advisory: this chapter contains situations and topics unsuitable for young minds or your sanity. Some content is of an adult sexual nature, so be warned. Mind you, it’s pretty tame — I’m such a tease.

Timeout 4

By Grover with assistance by John from Wauwatosa
Editorial ennui by Itinerant
GEBPR-ized by Janet Nolan

Chapter 1, Keeping the Faith.

The future site of Whateley Academy, Dunwich New Hampshire

November 01, 1857, 4:30PM

The small, forlorn figure sat up on her haunches in the chilling rain of the New Hampshire fall, unnoticed by the rest of the funeral mourners. Her whiskers twitched in sorrow as the first clods of wet dirt struck the coffins. It was as if even the heavens cried at the sacrifice made by the fallen who were being honored one last time by their grieving peers. Of the six who had prevented an ancient evil from arising once more, only the witch from the land of mists remained. Dressed in the black of mourning, the witch and the servant and retainers of those who had given so much, gave them one last salute.

Her fur soaked by the unforgiving rain, the furry one mourned what had been lost. One of the last of the order of the sisterhood — the Mistress Kushala, her mate and companion, The English, the huge blue tattooed man that tasted of spices from faraway lands, the red man who displayed countless miseries in the lines of his face, and lastly the small one in the soft silks of the always kind word; they were all dead.

Her name, even her appearance, changed from mistress to mistress. She had become an embodiment of magic after being passed down from mother to daughter for uncounted years since she was first called. Ears flickering, she remembered the long trip from India to this place of sorrows on the black-smoke belching man-raft. Auguries had foretold of a grim event and it could not be denied. A man of a dark soul would try to bring an old evil back from where it had been exiled.

Councils debated, and only the Mistress Kushala had the skill and knowledge to help prevent this unmentionable act. The Mistress was the last of the Sisterhood, an old sect of women mages from a forgotten valley in the land of India. Her mate was the slim foreigner that the Mistress called ‘her English’, who against all odds had swept her off her feet. Her English had no powers other than his keen eye and the sword of moon silver he kept hidden in a cane of ash wood, but he had sworn that he would share her fate.

The furry one recalled the pride and happiness when the Mistress had finally conceived, insuring that the Sisterhood would continue and that there would be a child for her to teach and love. Love was the most important portion of her work for the Mistress. Certainly, to act as a guide and partner in searching out the mystery of magic was a part of the furry one’s life. But, the one duty that ruled over all was to help prepare the children of her Mistress for the sometimes traumatic changes that came with attaining the Sisterhood. The young ones accepted the changes that being so close to powerful magic brings, but the pain that comes from those changes and lack of acceptance from their peers often became too much for them.

So, she became the friend, protector, and jester for her young charges and for her Mistress to be. Protector, for the dark powers were always stalking in the shadows awaiting a chance to prevent one more brave soul from joining the forces of Light. Flashing teeth and claws had struck like lightning, tearing asunder the assassin snake and dark lurkers that slithered passed the wards; all had fallen in the furry one’s devotion to duty. A duty that in the end she -- the protector -- had failed, for the Mistress with her unborn child lay forever silent next to her English.

* * * *

The rain sloughing from the witch’s umbrella didn’t conceal her burden as she went to perform her last act in this tragic play. The engraved box wasn’t much larger than a book, but the price paid by her companions to imprison the darkness within made her struggle with every step. Companions who in the short time that they had together had become friends. Friendships were unusual for those who thrived on secrets and mysteries, but the impossible had happened. So far away from her native Scotland, she marched with a heavy step to one last burial that would have no mourners. With care they had found the best place to lay this nightmare to sleep. The Chinese sorceress with her careful calculations and the native red-man with his visions seen in smoke had prepared a tomb in case one or more of their number fell -- a precaution that had proven to be necessary. The red haired witch was jolted from her thoughts by a small wet bundle of fur that was loping along with her.

~~Poor little one,~~ thought the witch.

It was Kushala’s familiar. With her mistress dead the spark that made it more than a normal animal soon would fade and it, too, would pass, although Kushala had told her with a glint in her eye that her little one was very long lived.

Sloshing across the rain sodden grass, the witch found the hidden tomb that had been prepared. She placed the carved box in the glyph covered stone tomb and spoke the word that would seal it. The spell acted quickly, covering the small dark prison and leaving no clue that the grass had been disturbed. It was over. With that black token buried and warded, no one else would be disturbing that evil one’s exile. Looking around, she could see no sign of Kushala’s familiar -- the last survivor, save for her. She drew a breath and with a sigh said a small prayer to The Goddess for the little one. The witch walked into the west as the last rays of the fall sun broke though the rain heavy clouds.

* * * *

Shaking herself vigorously, she sprayed water from her fur as the rain began to slacken. Sitting solemnly on her haunches, she watched the witch lower the dark filled box into the hole.

~~There it is again!~~

Off and on she had felt as if she and the witch were being watched, but even her keen senses could pick up nothing! Knowing the importance of the secret of the stone hole being kept, she moved warily to pinpoint the scent of her quarry up wind. Stealthily moving among the waterlogged bush, she spied her prey. There were two of them: a woman of reddish-golden hair and a red-man with a broad brimmed hat. Much closer now, she scented a musk that confused her.

~~Were the two mating here?~~

A few more steps taken with care and she found magic! The red-man was shielding them, but they both had magic! But it was the woman’s aura that riveted her attention and caused her whiskers to twitch furiously. It was like the Mistress’! There were differences, but it was very like one of the Sisterhood. She stood stock still -- frozen in indecision. There seemed to be no malice in their actions, but they were definitely observing the witch as she walked into the western sun.

Should she make offer to the woman, the furry one wondered? Then, to her complete astonishment, the woman and the red-man simply vanished! It wasn’t in her nature to curse or bemoan her ill fortune. She simply decided that if they were watching the entombment of the box that they would be back, and when they came back she would make offer to the woman, for it wasn’t right for one of the sisterhood to be without a protector.

* * * *

It seemed that a long time had passed and she was concerned; never before had she been so long without a mistress. Would she begin to fade? It didn’t take her long to find that there were other secrets and mysteries buried not so far away, and like at home the darkness reached out from them to corrupt the small ones. The insects, snakes and other small animals were the targets for the insidious tentacles that would seep past the wards of their prisons. Not to be consumed, but to be lured into weakening that which imprisoned the darkness, to dig and break the wards from the outside, if it could. If not, they were *its* instruments to corrupt men to do it for them. No lie was too vile, no promise too great, if it gave freedom.

For the furry one it was a time of the great hunt! Many darklings fell to her deadly claws and teeth — thus she sustained herself and avenged her Mistress's death! Many legs or no legs at all, they were all prey for her hunger. A multitude of enemies fell to her; none were powerful with magic themselves, but enough that the grain of magic in each helped sustain her. Later, she found the pool in the forest and the guardian there. No words were spoken, but she was allowed there and it, too, aided her survival.

* * * *

And the years passed ... 1878

Still she waited and then, one bright day, the one she awaited returned. If she hadn’t known exactly what to look for, she would never have noticed it. The Sister was here! Madly, she raced across the area which was now an active construction zone. The workmen yelled and cursed at her as she interrupted their labor. A few even threw stuff at her; it was easy to dodge, but it was all slowing her down! The jokester in her couldn’t help but enjoy the trail of confusion in her wake.

There! Behind that wagon was her goal. Leaping upwards into the wagon, she scrambled to the other side, just in time to see the woman disappear again. With her heart beating wildly, the furry one calmed herself. She had been right. The woman from the Sisterhood had returned, although why the woman had waited so long, the furry one didn’t know. All the dutiful animal could do now was wait until she had another chance. She would wait, but she missed being bound to a Sister. The furry one never felt so alone.

* * * *

And the years passed....

There were many younglings about today and, in the way of younglings, some were bad and some were good. None, however, was of the sisterhood even though several had the potential. They were always the shy ones that their peers knew were different and were often picked on. Some managed to pretend quite well that they weren’t different, but still the sadness inside lurked within. She always tried to watch out for them and even befriended some. It was fun to tease them and amaze them with how ‘tame’ she was.

With men-buildings being so near, she couldn’t resist entering and causing mischief. With the ground-keepers, she had an almost adversarial relationship. Others laughed at them when told of the havoc a furry one like her caused and accused them of having an overactive imagination. Several more times the mysterious woman had appeared and just as quickly disappeared. There were more man-buildings now and other dangers as well. It just took too long to reach her before the woman was gone once more.

~~I must be patient. Time is with me, and the woman will return.~~

* * * *

And the years passed ... 1958

The younglings had left; only a few men had remained and they were just doing upkeep. Her ever present tasks of watching for the Sister and hunting darkling took all of her time. To her great amazement one of her favorites, John, from the departed younglings, had given her a name that she had decided to keep, Miki. John’s mother was from a far away land named Okinawa. One of his favorite stories was “Miki Mongoose: The Spirit of Okinawa”. Perhaps one of the reasons for adopting the name was someone finally recognized her as something other than a rat or ferret! Now John and the tasty treats he brought her were no more.

* * * *

And the years passed ... 1966

Today strangers arrived, and she, the woman, reappeared. Miki wanted to race to her before the strangely powerful sister could once more vanish, but her wariness of the strangers prevented her. She could sense that at least one of them was a powerful avatar and her natural instincts told her to be careful. Miki wove though the man-buildings as fast as she dared, but as she feared, the woman had gone.

* * * *

And the years passed ... October 2006

Miki chattered joyfully at the chaos that was about to unfold. She had taken hours to set up the can of paint so that when the door was opened, it would tip over. It was, after all, the man’s own fault. The paint should have been sealed tightly and returned to the small metal man-building where the rest of such things were stored. Where, incidentally, she couldn’t have gotten in to “borrow” it in the first place. Always ready for a jest, Miki watched with interest as paint sprayed over the cursing, angry men.

Mr. Miyagi, the head grounds keeper at Whateley Academy, looked on in dry humor as his paint covered workers chased a furry blur that taunted them onward as they managed to paint part of the shop white. It didn’t take long to stop their mayhem causing chase or to determine who hadn’t replaced the paint for painting the curbs in the paint locker. It did take longer to clean up enough so that the day's work could begin.

*That Woman*, the “Assistant to the Administrator” had demanded that the landscaping in front of Crystal Hall be replanted by the end of the week.

~~A person such as *she* cannot sense how important it is to maintain the surroundings in balance to keep chaos at bay. ~~ Mr. Miyagi thought.

All he could do now was minimize the disruption in the natural order the landscaping work would cause and besides, it did pay the bills.

At least *her* ignorance of “maintaining the balance” means more hours for my staff and me, though perhaps too many.~~, he considered. It was going to take a good part of his staff to get the work done, Mr. Miyagi reasoned. And if that wasn’t enough, several of the trees needed attention after a student altercation.

~~Red flags, green flags -- doesn’t anyone think that seeing railroad spikes embedded in the flora might alarm someone? Well at least that girl with the nice touch with the plants is working after classes.~~

Looking up from his work-pad, Mr. Miyagi raised one eyebrow as the author of the morning’s redecorating stood on her haunches, like her meerkat cousins, on the second level of the loft. The old Okinawan gave Miki a serene, respectful bow of one equal to another.

With a rumble of curses and rough-housing, the crew of laborers finished cleaning up the worst of the paint. Juan, a somewhat pinker color from the paint remover and soap, gasped as he saw his tough old Asian boss bow to that little weasel, or what ever it was; to his amazement, he watched the thing return it! Juan jabbed his nearest neighbor and pointed.

Having given his respects to the mischievous animal, Mr. Miyagi turned and noticed that the shop had gotten quiet, and all his staff were watching him and the strange animal. Miki chattered in amusement and was abruptly gone. With much waving of his work-pad and chiding his staff about the uselessness of today’s workers, Mr. Miyagi herded his staff out. Sparing a last look where Miki had stood, Mr. Miyagi knew that the situation with her was coming to a head. Mongooses weren’t allowed in the United States for they were deemed too destructive to the environment. His department, as well as Morrie and Stan’s, were tasked with keeping pests under control. *That Woman* in Administration had demanded that the mongoose be “removed”, making it clear that dead or alive was fine with her. Mr. Miyagi huffed to himself.

~~Didn’t she find it strange that one small mammal had survived for years on a campus full of some of the most powerful and strange people on the planet? Miki was a minor legend among the workers trying to catch her, but she had caused nothing more than mischief; considering that this was Whateley, the students had often done much worse in the name of joke or jest.~~

In fact, the old Okinawan suspected that she had been here longer than the school. She had a feeling of great age about her despite that unreasonable fondness for mischief. It was his job, after all, to know how to move a bush or a rock to contribute to the serenity of the whole garden. His feelings told him that Miki was an integral part of that whole here, but even Whateley had to obey federal laws. If there wasn’t a really good reason in the animal's favor, like the fate of all creation at stake, the law said that Miki couldn’t be here, that Miki must be destroyed.

* * * *

Time passes ... not so long this time....

Miki’s ears flickered in her annoyance; the scent was right, but the aura wasn’t -- its tell-tale magic was missing. How could that be? Part of the aura seemed right for it revealed the duality that was part of the Sisterhood. Since the younglings had returned many years ago, there had been others that showed that duality and some even had magic as well, but none of them was the woman she had first seen on that sad day so many years ago. It seemed like her, but with no magic. There didn’t even appear to be signs that she was even a student mage, although it was clear that she had significant power. If the mongoose could sigh she would have.

~~I will have to wait....~~

* * * *

Miki scrambled for her life as a paw nearly caught her.

~~Tigers? Here?~~

The cubs reached under the couch for her as she panted for breath. They batted claws at her as she stayed a safe distance away under the couch. Miki had taken to watching the woman closely for months and had come into her room a few times to investigate. She was sure that this Joanie was the woman she had sought for so long, but the aura was still wrong! She had been careless and blundered right into the tiger cubs.

~~Who in their right mind would keep tigers!!?!~~ Now to plan her escape. ~~Tigers indeed!!!~~

* * * *

Long ago Miki had thought that the red-man and Joanie were mated, for her musk was quite strong near him. Now she *knew* that Joanie was indeed the woman of the sisterhood she had first seen on that terrible day in the past and that Joanie’s mate was someone else. Miki could smell his scent and Joanie’s on her clothes, and her aura did the most amazing light show when they talked on the man-box.

All her patient watching paid off one day as she observed a group gathered by one of the older man-buildings. When she saw Joanie with the red-man standing by the large hole the tall man and short man were digging, she was excited. Later, Joanie and the red-man, wearing the exact same clothes she’d seen them in over one-hundred cycles of the seasons before, climbed to the top of the oldest of the man-buildings and disappeared then soon reappeared. Miki watched this discreetly from high in a nearby old tree, her whiskers twitching with joy. They were exactly where she had sensed their presence so many years before. Miki knew without a doubt that she had found the woman from that rainy, sad day of long ago, and Joanie was that woman... Now, how to introduce herself? The tigers were bigger now, and although they would tolerate her to a point they regarded Joanie as theirs.

~~To plan ... but how?~~

* * * *

The insight on how to approach this woman of the sisterhood came to Miki as a product of her faithful watching. When this Joanie had first come to live with these powerful young ones, she had been alone in her room. She seemed happy enough but incomplete, as if she was searching for something. Slowly, Joanie gathered a group around her, much like the ones Kushala had joined with to fight the great evil. They were all powerful in their own ways, though not in magic as Miki knew it. One showed promise as a sorceress -- Lonnie, who in build and grace resembled the lithe Kushala. This Joanie was no Kushala; she resembled the witch from the land of the mists. Miki marveled at the height and long reddish-gold locks of the woman -- she was surely a descendant of one of these tall northern tribes.

But how best to approach Joanie and offer her bond in service? Joanie was like Miki herself, a bundle of mischievous energy, rarely staying in any one spot for long. She’d even left the area for days at a time, but returned unerringly to her room and her group of friends. The clues to approaching Joanie were subtle, but Miki saw them and knew. The increasingly close bond with the changling girl, who’d at first been Joanie’s adversary, was one clue. The fostering of the tiger cubs ~~They *must* be tigers, though Joanie calls them smilodons ... a northerner’s name for tiger?~~ was more proof. The gathering of her group, the powerful young mutants who made glorious sounds while singing with Joanie, was a big clue. They often ate together and sometimes slept together. The conversations on the man-box when Joanie’s aura flashed in that amazing way, and her frequent trips in the metal man-box-on-wheels to the abandoned man-buildings at the big clearing in the woods -- 'the farm' Joanie called it -- were the final proof Miki needed.

~~Mistress is nesting! I am certain. She wishes to be a mother and her current den in the crowded man-building would never do. I must make offer to her soon, if she is intent on conceiving a child. The way she talks with her mate, it will be many children and soon. For one of the Sisterhood to be without the protection of one such as I is unthinkable. Do I approach her here, or at the site of her future nest?~~

* * * *

Miki heard the terrible sounds despite the distance, her keen ears made it unavoidable. It was from the location of Joanie’s new nest -- the 'farm' -- and Miki was fearful for the mistress.

~~Have I waited too long to offer and the dark ones harmed Mistress? Have I failed again?~~

Men left quickly, heading towards Joanie’s new place. Soon they returned carrying an injured human. They were assisted by Joanie.

~~Mistress is unharmed! There still is time!~~

Miki noted the large metal box Joanie traveled in was missing. She kept watch and saw Joanie run off in the direction of her new place. Miki struggled to follow; she was worried. Evil had tried to harm the Mistress and failed; it would strike again. There were many men and their strange devices. It was obvious where the terrifying sound had come from. One of the larger man-buildings was in tatters, though it was hard to see it easily as there were so many men about. Miki saw Joanie leave in a larger metal box-on-wheels which carried Joanie’s damaged box on its back.

Miki spent several productive hours hunting and killing small creatures seduced by evil spirits. She noted that some short distance beyond Joanie's lands was a spot of great evil, a place where death waited -- she vowed to keep a careful watch on that. She would not fail her mistress.

~~Never again!~~she vowed.

Miki turned and made her way carefully back to the place the humans called Whateley.

* * * *

That evening Joanie returned in a much smaller, but far more powerful, box-on-wheels. Miki sensed the joy and almost guilty pleasure Joanie took in the machine.

~~I shall ward this machine to demonstrate my worthiness to the Mistress,~~ Miki thought.

During the night between hunting forays, she guarded the machine. Several small creatures with ill intent approached it, and they ended up feeding the ravenous mongoose. During the day, Miki hid and watched Joanie travel off with one of her group. Joanie returned and, once it was quiet, Miki warded the machine by placing stone cairns at the five points of the star humans often used in conjuring magic. It took much effort and time to stay undetected, and she was tired after, but Miki was pleased with her work.

~~This will let Joanie and those friendly to her approach the machine in full safety, while painfully driving off those she does not know. Her enemies will not get off so lightly. Now I must eat, then I will rest and keep watch. Perhaps later I will hunt again. This took much magic, and the evil in the box knows no rest,~~ Miki thought as she stealthily approached the area of the tomb looking for the corrupted to prey upon.

* * * *

Miki hid under an evergreen bush and watched the machine patiently. Joanie and two of her group, Cheryl and Lonnie -- the one other than Joanie who had magic -- walked to the car. Joanie was about to enter the machine when...

~~You spotted my cairns! You know of my ward. Oh, this is wonderful, Mistress, we can be introduced soon!~~

There was much noise from the man-building she was hiding next to, but Miki could make out part of the conversation between Joanie and her friends. The two women did tests of Miki’s ward while the non-magical one kept watch, Miki approved.

~~This Lonnie is a fine ally to Joanie; her magic may not be strong, but she is skillful for one so young,~~ Miki thought and unconsciously moved into the open.

* * * *

Lonnie stopped, and tapped Joanie on the shoulder. Her eyes were locked on something. The human, Lonnie, spoke.

"Quiet! Look over by the evergreen hedge next to Administration, on the left; that could be it, the magic using animal," Lonnie said softly and in awe, or so Miki thought. Then Joanie spoke.

"Here goes nothing. Hi there, little one! Looking for me?" she called out and turned to face Miki -- not fifty feet away from her.

Miki started to run, stopped, turned, stood up on her rear legs and....

~~Praise be to The Goddess, you recognize me! I wish to make your acquaintance, Mistress,~~ Miki thought and bowed in the formal manner she had seen the humans do so long ago.

"Did you just bow to me, little one? That was... what was that?" Joanie wondered out loud.

"I think that was, or is, someone’s familiar -- an animal that helps a sorceress access her magic and often acts as a bodyguard. I think it was acknowledging you as a sorceress. That is an honor; they tend to be secretive and tightly bonded to their mistress or master. I wonder... there’s a legend of a prankster animal, supposed to be an orphaned familiar, which has lived on the Whateley grounds for decades -- maybe since as far back as the oldest buildings. Ask Dr. Tenent about Miki, this must be her. Wow! I saw Miki! The rest of my magic theory class will be so jealous," Lonnie finished.

Miki did not fully understand what was said as she was not yet bonded to Mistress Joanie, but she knew the years of waiting -- of loneliness -- would soon be over. Miki was happy.

* * * *

To be continued in Timeout 4, Chapters 2 and 3