Balancing Things Out

I have never held this many shields up at once, before. Amarantis explained the linking technique Uncle Ibiz taught her, but it will have to wait until we are no longer under an emergency. Keeping tabs on the family, and the staff was stretching my reserves... but I could not leave the children unshielded. They have nightmares enough with the bodies being found so near the places many know as "safe". So I stay in bed, save for the few hours I can manage to maintain a social facade.

The students from home have started reviewing the rules for unsecured territory with the others. Rengerin has been a fairly good example, save for the fact she has a tendency to believe traveling by rocket-boots will keep her safe. It has, so far, but Captain Veles is trying to impress the importance of traveling in pairs, even in the air.

Wolfgang's studies have not suffered as much as before, but now he is trying to sort out scents. Hâjdău let slip that he has been tagging along with the Jaeger patrols the Baron's Quester has detailed for tracking from the sites. In many cases, the trail has been muddied by the crowds these bodies gather, but there have been some scant leads, and they all point to the ocean.

My assistant has had some surprising growth in the past month, going from someone who was afraid of Amarantis and my brother, to actually seeking her out for help, and suggesting questions to ask Augustus to research for the Quester. Hâjdău is not a Spark, but she comes from good family, and is developing into a strong minion.

Still, it is fretful to be so drained and weak. I am getting better, and the cold has cleared up, but I am afraid I will not be strong enough in time to take on whatever this monster stalking us might be.

Sick Leave

Perhaps I did overextend myself. However, if the shields were not made, we might have lost people to inattention and lack of sleep. I will not be tucked into bed except to sleep. I can rest easily enough in the parlor, and as a concession to my daughter’s fussing, I will put my feet up.

Thankfully, Hâjdău came by with the afternoon reports, and stayed for tea. Of course my tea was dosed, they wanted me to rest. No nightmares, just the general nonsense dreaming I usually have... well, until I realized it was a good time for analysis. It did give me an opportunity to assimilate the information from the reports, and during my nap, I was able to follow the formula Kitla had for the increase in the dream incidents. What was causing the problems was not coming here, it had already arrived, and the bodies are the signature. We will no longer be dealing with just intermediaries.

The nap was refreshing, and I decided to continue with my regular schedule. Captain Veles caught me as I was preparing to slip off to the pub to oversee the poetry slam. “See? I even wore a sweater so I would not catch cold and I am wearing the sensible boots.” He growled and said it would be easier to keep an eye on me there. The Baron was surprised I was there, and frowned but did not order me home immediately. I did not quite catch the quick conversation between him and the Captain.

My fatigue began to show during the end of the slam, and I was grateful to have the Captain with me to watch my back as we returned to the house. This time I did not argue being bundled off to bed, with the Captain watching to make sure I did not sleepwalk. I watched him read, something he had picked up off the shelf in the study, by the light of a small shaded lamp. Still wearing his tinfoil dǒu lì, he was being cautious. I smiled in my sleep, because he did not need it - he is one of the people I am shielding.