Tom, Aybhas, Planting Season, 5th rot., 10th day

"Let's walk down to the chapel shrine and see Gerta," I suggested. "On the way, I'd like to see how bad the damage is at the north market."

"We should check from the north balcony first," Em said. "If the crews are still cleaning up, they won't let us through.

"We can cut down the east alley if that's the case."

"It was filled with rubble yesterday. Aylem said it was impassible."

"I know lots of other ways," I pointed out. "I know the Aybhas streets well."

"Good enough," she pulled on her ankle boots. "Let me just tell Lisaykos, and we can go."

"Do you really need to?" I asked.

"They get upset if I don't let them know where I'm going," Em sounded apologetic and just a bit put out.

"I don't get it, Em," I groused. "You're their high holy prophet, the pinnacle of society, and you need to tell these folks when you want to go out?"

"I don't like it, but Lisaykos insists," Em straightened up from doing her boot laces. "She is my housemate. She gives me room and board and doesn't charge me for it. She gets upset if she can't find me because she is afraid for me. She's my friend, and I don't like to upset her." Something in Emily's voice told me that this was an entrenched position.

"From where I'm standing, it looks like the Cosm are caging you, mouse," I said gently. I had to face the fact that she cared deeply for some of these Cosm, especially the old Princess High Princess and the Heir of Pinisla.

"It often feels like a form of prison, to be honest," she slumped her shoulders. "I might argue with it, except I've been abducted twice since moving to Foskos and attacked several times. I know I've told you all of this. I really hate it, Tom, but I'm a target, and I can't deny that the danger is real. When I'm in Foskos, one to three wraiths are shadowing me everywhere I go. They have saved my life more than once, and several have died trying to protect me. But the people here have gotten much better lately about my going out. I'm not sure what has changed because Lisaykos can often be an overzealous mother hen, and Aylem is even worse. Regardless, starting around Harvest Season last year, if I really want to go somewhere, they don't get in my way if I am serious about it."

"Wait, are there wraiths even now? Watching us?" I thought the inside of the Shrine, and living quarters in particular, were safe from surveillance by the Foskan equivalent of the Secret Service. Emily had not talked before about the Cosm security around her.

"I doubt they are watching inside the bedroom, but I'm sure at least one wraith is within earshot," Emily looked resigned.

"Seriously?"

This was going from bad to worse. On that night during Cold Season, when Emily got lost and Gerta and I found her, was that wraith who appeared following her the whole time? Were wraiths within calling distance even now?

"Who's on duty right now?" Emily looked up and asked the air, which answered my question.

"It's just me, Flea, Great One," a voice came through the door from the High Priestess' bedroom. "We're shorthanded right now, but Asgotl is sleeping against your door, so there is at least someone to warn me if a silent attacker comes up the stairs or through the balcony doors. We have an arrangement with him. There are also two wraith trainees in garrison coats on the balcony, and one of them is a Priestess of Erhonsay who recently joined us. A garrison officer with good clairvoyance and her Eagle is on top of the dome. Lord Katsa has placed a surveillance ward on the entire south wing at Lord Usruldes' request. As I said, we're shorthanded, mostly because we didn't know you were coming. Several of your usual wraiths were assigned elsewhere. We'll have some more people starting tomorrow."

"See, Tom?" Emily's face was etched with apology. "I rarely see my shadows, but in the back of my head, I know someone is always guarding me."

"Dammit, Em, I don't know what to think," I confessed. "Do other people have security like this?"

"Just the children of the royal family and probably you." The apologetic look got even more intense. "Is that right, Flea?"

"It might be easier to talk if I come in," Flea suggested.

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"Yes, that would be fine," Emily said to the door. Then she looked at me, "I suggest we sit on the bed." So we did.

Flea came in. She was a willowy woman who was close to High Priestess height. Of course, I couldn't see her features with her face and head covered, but she had lovely eyes whose irises graded from lavender blue on the outside to pale blue next to the pupils. I know I stared a little too long at them. After sitting on the padded top of one of the big chests, she tilted her head and asked, "Why are you staring at me like that, Revered One? Is something wrong?"

"No," I was abashed. "I was just admiring your eyes, which are beautiful and unusual."

"Oh." She blinked, and I could see a blush form at the upper edge of her face mask. "Thank you."

"Flea," Emily had an intent inquiring look on her face, "are you pregnant?"

"Yes, Great One. How did you know?"

"You've filled out in the right places for it," Emily's expression changed to that happy, triumphant one she gets when she's solved a puzzle. Then, her face became serious. She could still hold an entire conversation with facial expressions alone.

"Flea, if you are pregnant enough for me to notice, why are you on duty?" Emily asked.

"Snow Bear asked if I could help for a short time," Flea explained. "We are that shorthanded. I'll be going back on leave after tomorrow or the day after that, when more of us arrive; however, some of the people providing your security will be from the Peaceful Shrine of Erhonsay. They are helping us out for now. I'm sorry to say that they will be visible, so you won't be able to ignore them."

"Is this really necessary, even when she's sleeping?" I asked, feeling upset.

"Revered One, the Blessed Emily was attacked twice yesterday," Flea was apologetic, "and the first time she was abducted, she was sleeping in the bed you're sitting on. Right now, we are worried that Coyn malefactors may have more clay bombs to use against her. I am concerned that you want to take her on a walk into the northeast quarter. If you insist on walking, I will need to wake Cignet, who did your barrier this morning. I will also have Peregrine, the battle mage of Erhonsay on duty on the balcony, follow you as visible protection. She also has the talent to cast a moving barrier charm while you walk, and she is not fatigued from duty this morning, unlike Cignet. We are doing active barriers in public for now because two bomb attacks are two too many. Why not have Asgotl take you to the chapel shrine instead? If you go with Asgotl, then Cignet, who really needs the sleep, can keep napping."

Emily saw the sour face I made and said, "You can see all of the city from Asgotl's back." Her face broke out in a mischievous smile, "We could buzz the Westway or the tent city. Bet you can't do that on Spot."

"Bet I could, but that's not the point," I groused. "I feel like I'm a captive in a cage. I can't even walk with my girl without being followed. It's like I've lost all my privacy. I don't like this."

"It won't always be like this, Revered One," Flea said. "Once the war is over and the Coyn are free, most of the threats will go away, and so will most of the patrols to keep you safe."

"I can't even go for a stroll without being followed?"

"We believe the Blessed Emily is at risk, Revered One. If you went out with your hood up without the Great One, just one wraith would follow. Our main worry is your abduction by Impotu agents or by those opposed to freeing the Coyn. But the Blessed Emily has been attacked too many times. We will not lessen the protection around her for now."

"If you really want to stretch your legs, dear," Emily leaned on me and poked my side, "you could walk, and I could take Asgotl and meet you at the chapel shrine, or you could go alone, and I could stay here. After all, Gerta is your friend. I've only met her once. Or we could walk on the east side of the river south of the city. The walking and tree climbing there is good, and the scenery is pretty."

"Tree climbing?" I looked at this imp I had fallen in love with. "You've been tree climbing? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Not for me," her smile was made of pure innocence. I didn't buy it for a second.

"Tom, I weigh next to nothing. Most twelve-year-olds weigh more than I do. I can climb trees like a kid."

"And she does," Flea said with so much disgust that both Emily and I laughed.

Flea continued, "When she gets frustrated with all the security around her, she climbs trees or climbs inside the walls and crawl spaces of the Shrine, where we can't follow. Lord Usruldes had her promise not to do so, but she doesn't always keep that promise. It's as bad as her habit of flying too fast over encampments and main city streets on that lazy griffin out there."

"I heard that," Asgotl's disgruntled voice came through the door to the main corridor.

"I'm glad you did, badly-behaved griffin who should know better," Flea said to the door. Then she looked back at us, and I noticed for the first time the dark circles under her eyes, which were mostly hidden by the cloth face mask.

"Revered One," Flea looked at me, "I know you find the guards irksome, but those of us who must keep Emily safe are tired after two days of chasing this difficult-to-restrain half-horn-sized whirlwind. If you wish to go anywhere, please don't walk into the city right now. Could you take Asgolt instead until we get more personnel to help out?"

"Am I really that bad?" Emily squeaked.

"Yes, Great Bug, when you get it into your head you want to go somewhere, you can be quite difficult to keep safe, especially when you go climbing inside the walls or decide to use Asgolt to take a shortcut into the garden, or decide to run off to the hot springs, or go swooshing down snowy hillsides on a piece of wood." The voice Flea used reminded me of my mother back on Earth.

"Oh," Emily folded into herself. "Sorry."

(Continued in installment 2.84)