Gem wandered the halls of the Nerthus temple dormitories. It was interesting how similar those that worked with the divine were. Whether it was a god of the harvest, rain or sun they all seemed to settle on the same garments.

  Obscuring and all around quite opulently bilious robes.

  In monasteries that style dominated even to the highest representative of the local god in question. But at least with Nerthus’ intermediaries there was a clear distinguishing of rank.

  The High priestess Bitta had elegant red embroidery for her robes. Bleached a pale white with vibrant green sections. Her immediate underlings favored a less pure white for their own robes and none of the embroidery.

  Gem had to focus on these details as only herself.

  It was harder when she was on her own.

  When she was complete with her wyrmish self she could simply drink in the presence and clothing of others. Taste their sweat in the air, hear their pulse without even a glance.

  Read the very ebb and flow of the world within them even!

  But bereft of Wyrmish senses Gem found herself needing to depend on her eyes far more.

  Her nose and ears a close second.

  However, getting practice was why she was here!

  Gem dipped into a properly polite bow to passersby. Skipping most as the child of a countess until she came around the bend and saw a promising pair. Two probably low ranking members of the Priestess’ staff talking among themselves. Their robes a drab greenish brown that spoke of cheap local dye.

  Unbleached wool too!

  Definitely lower ranking members of the godly household of Nerthus then!

  Exactly what Gem’s task this visit needed.

  She approached the two figures, a man and a woman by her nose although their faces were not clear from her low vantage.

  Especially not in this light.

  She quickly let the face of inquisitive wonder and naive innocence settle over her snout and eyes.

  Then stepped up boldly to plead with them.

  “Hello! Can you help me?”

  She made sure to lilt her voice with just that hint of worry. It was still harder with Gem’s throat then her wyrmish one. But she thought she got it done properly.

  “Huh? Uh... certainly! Uh, little miss?”

  The one Gem thought smelled like a man confirmed her guess when he spoke with a bit of surprise. Nervous but also already starting to sound worried, pitying.

  Just as planned.

  Gem turned upwards, eyes wide, smiling hopefully. Maybe just the slightest hint of tears wetting her eye. She’d bit the inside of her cheek to get it that much more authentic. Not hard of course, Gem’s teeth were sharp and meant for slicing meat. She knew from experience that they could do terrible wounds to her own tongue.

  “Oh! P-Please sir! I’ve gotten lost looking for the library. Mother and the nice lady said I could read some of the tomes if I behaved during the welcoming feast and I was so especially good sir!”

  Gem considered a lip tremble, but she settled on feigned dignity. It was a more honest tone and probably would work best with her eyes just watering like this.

  The man looked down on her along then to his partner who shared a ‘look’ before he bent down at the knee to meet her considerably shorter stature on even gaze. Offering a nervous but warm smile, the confusion shifting away from his face.

  “Oh! Well I think we can help you there. But where is your escort?”

  Gem let her frustration lend itself to the sting of tears in her eyes and internally cursed herself to help sell the next lie.

  “I-I f-forgot to g-get o-one. The library in the h-house of n-Nerthi-i-us w-was just-s-so I-I’m s-sorry! B-but they p-promised I c-could g-go.”

  Tears overflowed from her eyes and the emotional torrent was soon racking her shoulders with genuine sobs. It wasn't for the reason that she said. Gem had thought it was a good enough excuse but of course she would have simply had an escort if that was her business here!

  The distress and her small stature did the job that her foolish attempt at subterfuge had failed.

  “Oh! Oh don’t cry dear it’s not a-any trouble. Um, look I’ll be your escort to the library. I’m actually an apprentice scribe so I actually have business there assisting in the commissions!”

  Gem’s tears continued to slide down her face despite his efforts. Mother had taught her better than having to depend on such a cheap trick but it was working.

  However she put some forced wonder and enthusiasm into her voice as she tried to meet his eyes through the bleary water over her eyes. Gem knew from practicing with herself as a witness just how wide and vibrant crying made her eyes seem.

  “Y-your a Scribe?!”

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  She spoke in the same tone that some of the village children spoke of knights.

  How Smithson had spoken to her about war before Gem was even born.

  An awe that only a child’s build could make believable.

  The man straightened his spine under such pressure.

  Gem couldn't see his face through her tears but she suspected there was newfound pride there.

  He nodded to his companion.

  “Bla?ena? Could you inform the countess I’m escorting her daughter to the library? I’m sure her party is worried about her disappearance.”

  That wasn't as planned. She didn't want to risk being alone with him!

  Gem briefly considered if maybe she was going to need one the three knives she had strapped to her person under the child sized finery. It was a little suspicious for a grown man to be escorting a young lady on her lonesome.

  “Alright Leo, but you owe me a page scrivening for this one. I’ve got a man to see about some mead this season.”

  But her nose didn't warn her of anything untoward in his intentions and his companion seemed exasperated more than conspiratorial. However she did not relax the tension in her legs to leap away just in case.

  “Of course, just the mead I’m sure.”

  There was a flush to the face of his companion even Gem could see through her blurry eyes and a scent on the woman that was telling as she hurried down the hall.

  “Lovesick idiot”

  Leo offered under his breath, probably not expecting how good Gem’s ears were.

  She suspected she was not supposed to recognize the interplay between them either, being so slight, small and childlike. But the temptation was strong to speak up.

  Thankfully he interrupted her impulse.

  “Well come on then little lady Rochford.”

  Gem sniffed and swallowed some of the snot that had built up in her nose during the unplanned sobbing session. Blinking hard and then rubbing to clear her eyes with the back of her hand enough to see his soft smile clearer. Controlling her tone with uncertainty and a gentle quaver of fear.

  “H-how’d you know m-my name?”

  It was frustratingly easy to slip back into her old stutter. But the uncertainty of her words helped sell her facade.

  Gem really needed this practice.

  Adelyne had made this sort of Intrigue look so easy!

  “The Head Priestess made sure that we all knew who was coming. She’s been in a bit of a state all season with the preparations for your mother’s arrival.”

  Leo straightened back up to standing after seeing her mood seem to lift.

  Gem sniffed hard again and wiped her nose with a hand.

  Making sure to keep the slimy goo off her fine clothes. Although there was nowhere convenient to get it off her palm.

  “O-oh... ”

  They continued like that until Leo finally noticed her predicament after she very theatrically waved her hand and scowled at it four times.

  “Right, Sorry Lady Rochford! Right this way!”

  Then there was a detour to a wash basin where she could cleanse and dry her hands as was proper for handling precious books.

  “Thank you sir Leo”

  It was the wrong form of address for a simple scribe apprentice.

  But she looked like a child.

  She could make such mistakes if it helped butter him up.

  Gem beamed brightly to help reinforce the ploy, again from careful practice sessions she knew just how much the now spent tears were making her eyes shine in the candlelight of the hallway. How her cheeks dimpled when she twisted her lips like that.

  How the blend of charcoal and oil she’d rubbed onto her scales emphasized her eyes.

  He straightened his shoulders under the exuberance of her faux adoration.

  To be fair Gem could relate with just how much of a trial the path of a scrivener was. She was well practiced in her letters in both messenger bird scrawl, illuminated manuscripts and legal proclamation.

  But he’d already admitted he was yet an apprentice.

  He probably haden’t even put a single stroke of ink to vellum in his life.

  Still this was what she was here to do.

  Gem could go where Jewel the Countess of Viznove and thirty seven foot long wyrm could not.

  It technically did not matter where she got herself let into.

  Just that she managed to slip into a place no one had explicitly given her leave too.

  “And here we are! The Library of the House of Nerthus!”

  Gem did not need to fake the joy in her face. She had done it!

  It was her own vassal. She had been more or less perfectly safe the entire time. Her entire household knew she was doing it.

  She had several knives hidden upon her person just in case.

  Safe as she could be doing this.

  But Gem had performed an act of intrigue different from the more officious listening in during court and other activities.

  “Oh! Leo, it's wonderful!”

  And that was not even a lie. The number of parchment scrolls and bound books eclipsed even the Rochford family library!

  The tone of admiration brought a flush of embarrassment to her impromptu guide. But Gem was now far more truthful then she had been so far with him in their time together. It was a very impressive collection. And he had been nothing but kind, proper and civil to what for all appearances was a lost child with a beastly visage.

  “Happy to help Lady Rochford, was there a particular book you wanted to see? We have a book of transcribed ballads in the back with fantastic illustrations!”

  Gem smiled, she did in fact want to read some of the material available in a temple’s sanctum after all.

  “Do you have any records of the Crow Blight Rebellion of Sickle Down brook? Especially any that have mention of what the invoking prayer was?”

  The utterly gobsmacked look on the man’s face took a moment to fully penetrate Gem’s belly fluttering joy.

  Ah, that was not a normal child’s interest was it?

  That had probably been a mistake.