He doesn't like to be in the limelight much, young Ian Wilson. And if he knew I was posting his portrait all over the Internet he'd probably dodge under his shaggy hair and turn bright red. But because he's such an important figure in history, fulfilling prophecy in the Realm and all, he deserves to have a little recognition.
You see, Ian's mom died when he was a little boy, really little...four in fact. And his dad raised him by himself. I guess part of who Ian is has a lot to do with his dad (and we'll do his portrait at some point too.) Dad isn't real good at taking a woman's role. He's a big guy and he wants his son to be a big guy too...big in those manly ways. Dad has his own foundry and makes medieval armory for the reenactors all around the Seattle area. He also is a big game hunter. Ian admires his dad. He thinks Dad can do anything and he hopes to someday grow up and be just like him.
The trouble is, Ian and Dad don't know each other very well. Dad spends a lot of time trying to impress his son, and Ian spends a lot of time being impressed.
Ian's also very dependent on his dad. That's probably because Dad wants him to be. They need each other desperately because neither one of them knows how to get over the death of the only women in their life, Dad's wife, and Ian's mom.
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| He looked over his shoulder and stared at the bluffs that towered over the village, and behind them the dark foreboding peak that shadowed the Meneks’ existence like some gruesome and evil throne. |
When Ian finds out that Dad isn't all he thought he was, and then his dad disappears, Ian has to learn to stand on his own two feet. With no other relationships in his life, save for a newly made friend and classmate Ginny, Ian has a whole lot to learn about people, himself, and that very secret four letter word that Ian has never spoken...love.
To complicate matters, Ian has to learn all of this in a surreal world filled with sorcery, dragons, dragon worshipers and living computer characters. He has to endure captivity and betrayal. It's little wonder Ian would rather lock himself up in his room and pretend nothing is happening.
Fortunately there's some good out there guarding over him, a power in the wind that believes in him and a village that can teach him what true friendship is.
