Darkness

Gregor’s

His wife makes a remarkable suggestion, one that surprises all of us. Misty and I conceal our Seers under our joint shield, to protect their identity, to maintain their privacy. It has the happy benefit of allowing us to communicate within the shield regardless of our distance from each other, but that was never the primary purpose.

It never occurred to any of us to use the shield as a means of increasing the range of our communication with other Guardians. We’ve never even considered wanting to communicate with other Guardians. I’ve only done it upon occasion, when prompted by Gregor.

He stares at his wife in amazement. “How long has it been since I told you that you are brilliant?” he asks her with a smile.

“Oh,” she smirks, “at least since yesterday, I think.”

“Too long, then.” He surges over to her, leaving his chair and dropping to his knees in front of her, and pulls her into his arms. She yields to him as always, readily accepting his embrace. He kisses her as he kneels before her, holding one hand behind her head and one around her waist, and he pours all of his love and admiration into the kiss. It leaves her breathless.

He grins at her woozy expression. “Just expressing my gratitude, darling,” he tells her, sitting back on his chair, but not letting go of her hand. “You are an absolute genius. It never occurred to me to try to use your Guardian for communication. It is a fantastic idea.”

“Sooooo,” she says, “will I feel anything when it happens?”

He waggles his eyebrows up and down and leers at her in a hilariously exaggerated way. “Oh, you’ll feel something all right.”

She laughs out, “What?”

“Are you done with your dinner, Rosalind?” he asks instead of answering her question directly.

“Um, yes,” she says, standing and reaching down to pick up the dishes.

“Leave the dishes. I want to take you upstairs and really thank you properly. Wolk and Harriet can work on the shield by themselves, they don’t need us to be involved. Good thing, because we are going to be busy.”

She snorts out a laugh, the little sound that he has grown to love so much.

They climb the stairs, trying to remain quiet so as to not awaken the baby. When they get into their room, Gregor waits while Rosalind performs her evening toilette, then pulls her over onto the bed.

He rubs his hand over her form, finding her to be utterly luscious as always. “How can so much beauty also contain such a brilliant mind,” he muses, and she snorts again and lightly smacks him.

He leans away from her, and looks down into her eyes. “Laugh all you want, darling, but I am being perfectly serious. You have no appreciation for how remarkable you truly are. You are beautiful, and brilliant, and I can scarcely believe that you are mine. Thank you.” He kisses her tenderly on her lips. “Thank you.” He moves lower, and kisses her again, and thanks her again, continuing on a path downwards, as she begins to gasp with anticipation.

I settle my wolf form under the window, and turn to Harriet, who is watching her Guarded enjoy the attentions of her husband.

“I can try to teach you how to shield Rosalind,” I tell her Guardian, “and how to share the shield with Gregor and I. I have no way to know whether it will function the same way for you, since Rosalind is not a Seer. I have never seen a shield used in such a way for a regular person. But as your clever human realized, if this works, Gregor will always be able to know what is happening in her vicinity, even if he is far away. This will be remarkably useful to him.”

Harriet responds, “I will be very happy to learn, and to assist. I am as dedicated to helping the Seer as is my own beloved.”

We have all night to make this effort. Gregor and Rosalind are going to remain occupied for quite some time. To the sounds of their gasps and moans, we start to incorporate Rosalind and Harriet into the shield.

Rosy’s

Twenty years ago, when my beloved was born, I had no conception of how remarkable our life together was going to be. She was born into poverty, and her circumstances further deteriorated over the years until she was resigned to living her life as a prostitute, suffering deprivation and abuse.

Then the Seer came, and it transformed everything. Even then, I did not realize. When he proposed to her, and married her, and even when I discovered that he was a Seer, I did not realize. I did not know how my role as a Guardian would be changed.

I have reveled in the recent ability to communicate with my beloved, using the Seer as a conduit. Having her aware of me, having her ask questions of me, and being able to have my words relayed to her, has been utterly remarkable.

But this? To be included in the Seer’s concealment, to be asked to remain in constant communication with his Guardian? To be allowed ongoing access to the thoughts of both Seer and Guardian, when this is hidden from all others? The sense of privilege, the honor of being asked, is unprecedented.

Slowly over the course of the night, Wolk is able to guide me in the effort. It is more difficult for me than it had been for him, or for Ayola’s Guardian, and the only explanation is that this is because my Guarded is an ordinary human, not a Seer. However, after some effort, it begins to succeed.

I am able to sense Gregor’s thoughts, and Wolk’s as well, as clearly as I had briefly that day two months ago when the shield had fallen. At the same time, I know, Rosalind’s thoughts, and mine, have retreated behind the shield and will not be accessible to other Guardians.

The only other Guardian who notices this effort is Vernon’s. As the child sleeps, and his mother finishes her passionate encounter with the Seer, the baby’s Guardian observes in amazement as Rosalind joins the group of concealed humans. The Guardian does not judge or regret this development, of course. Guardians would never presume to question the actions of a Seer or his Guardian. But Vernon’s Guardian does wonder what this might mean for the child as he grows up.

There is no way for any of us to know.

My beloved falls asleep in the arms of her husband, who even sleeps himself for a short time. When he awakens, it is still hours before dawn, and as he continues lying together with her in bed, he questions his Guardian.

It is another remarkable development to be able to, for the first time, witness their conversation with each other. This is very different from that frantic burst of anguish two months ago while the shield was down. This interaction is filled with a quiet depth and the easy calm that comes from their long lives together, being in constant contact with one another. It is a joy to behold.

“Well?” Gregor asks Wolk. “Did it work?”

“It appears so, beloved,” his Guardian responds. “Harriet has learned how to bring Rosalind into the shield, and I am sharing it together with them both.”

“What about Ayola and Misty?” he wants to know.

“As they were already sharing the shield with me, and now Harriet is as well, they are included in this. We have already tested this with Misty, and she is able to communicate with Harriet from Homochitto. Rosalind’s plan has worked.”

Gregor is very pleased, and speculates about how this will change things for him. He even thinks of me. “Thank you Harriet,” he silently tells me. “This is going to be so helpful. And it is such a relief to know that if Rosalind ever needs me, you’ll be able to tell Wolk right away, no matter how far away I am.”

“It is my honor,” I tell him honestly, and wait while Wolk relays my words. It is true. I feel deeply honored to be included in this way.