I believe now that Dr. Talhaern is not an original character, as I did when I first read the story, but instead is actually Methos.
Reason 1: The narration says, "No, the first immortal Tessa Nöel encountered could have modeled for L'Âge d'airain, once upon a time, though when she saw him she had no idea why she thought that. Too much nose, too much age, ... but the conviction of it stayed with her." (Fanon: Almost all references to large noses = Methos.)
Reason 2: The archived story tags Methos as a character. His name appears nowhere in the story.
Reason 3: I re-read the ending with the idea that it was Methos in mind, and it fit.
Reason 4: Talhaearn is the first recorded Welsh poet (from the "sub-Roman period"). No works by him survive, but apparently a reference to him as "greatest of the wise men" does, and, apparently, like Taliesin, the "Tal" in his name translates to "shining brow."
Who is the other character?
Reason 1: The narration says, "No, the first immortal Tessa Nöel encountered could have modeled for L'Âge d'airain, once upon a time, though when she saw him she had no idea why she thought that. Too much nose, too much age, ... but the conviction of it stayed with her." (Fanon: Almost all references to large noses = Methos.)
Reason 2: The archived story tags Methos as a character. His name appears nowhere in the story.
Reason 3: I re-read the ending with the idea that it was Methos in mind, and it fit.
Reason 4: Talhaearn is the first recorded Welsh poet (from the "sub-Roman period"). No works by him survive, but apparently a reference to him as "greatest of the wise men" does, and, apparently, like Taliesin, the "Tal" in his name translates to "shining brow."