Miakoda

Protector

"Tom...." A soft, angelic voice calls my name making me turn from my dream to a dark corner where nothing can be seen. I stare into it for a while, until I see the hint of a white light growing and coming closer.

"Tom...." The same voice comes only it seems to be growing with the light, coming towards me. My eyes are fixated.

The light takes over my view, leaving me temporarily blinded.

"Tom...." As clearly louder the voice is, it's not threatening or menacing in any way.

"Yes, ma'am, that would be me." I say with as much respect as I can, while my eyes take a few more seconds to adjust.

Once my eyes have adjust, I see one hell of a beautiful woman with glowing, pale blue, light lines on her face, which were the same colour as her eyes. I find myself slightly embarrassed for staring.

She laughs lightly. She has an aura that says she's gentle, the most gentle I've ever felt.

"Tom... May I entrust you with a mission?" She asks with a peaceful face. Her face somehow contradicting her words.

"M'am, who are you if I may ask before answering that." I say almost feeling disappointed with myself. "You know who I am. You have caught me at a disadvantage." I add.

She laughs again.

"I go by many names, Tom. However, you may call me Selene."

My eyes widen. "Selene... The Moon Goddess?" I blurt out in shock.

"Yes." She answers and then watches me intently.

"I.... You.... You've been gone a very long time." I say as I bow down on one knee dropping my head and eyes to the ground.

"Come now Tom. No need for that." She touches my shoulder. "450 years.... The time went by too quickly. My time away is what brings me to you now." She went on to explaining what had transpired. I was shocked to say the least. It was nothing like what we were taught and were told had happened. Not even close.

"My Madison is making her way to you as we speak." She pauses. "With the help of her shifter Miakoda. They will need your help and guidance, both to become stronger for what is coming and to heal. She needs someone strong to rely on and to trust. I need you to be that person. As a sworn protector. Even after you take her to her mate."

I cannot help but accept the Moon Goddess's request. I have nothing in me that could or even would deny her.

She bends down and places an amulet in my hand and a kiss on my cheek before she vanishes back into the retreating light that brought her.

Her fading words burned themselves into my mind.

" Go to the clearing by the lake come dawn."

I sit up in my bed, wipe my face with my hands. As I do I feel something in my left hand. I reach over and switch my bedside lamp on. And there, laying in the palm of my hand is an amulet... The exact one Selene had placed in it. Shit! That was no dream.

I throw the blankets off of me and head to the bathroom, flipping on lights as I go. I stand in front of the mirror ready to give myself a pep talk on how this is all going to go down. When I freeze at the site of my face. There.... I lean forward... Right there! On my cheek, just at the edge of my beard is an image of a crescent moon, right where I got kissed. I take a breath in and let it out as a sigh. "Dawn it is then." I say to myself as I move around to ready myself, the Goddess's protector.

After my bathroom routine I head for the kitchen to make some coffee.

While I wait for the coffee to perculate I lean against the counter with my arms loosely crossed across my chest.