Emi smiles from the porch when we locate the house that she directed Ryuu to find her at. My husband helps me down from my horse before folding my hand in his to help me up the steps. My body has grown unused to sleeping on the ground, and the added instability of my swollen stomach leaves me at a risk of falling.

"You look well," the shinobi says, reaching for my arm. "And I am glad that the weather held out on its fury for the time. I do believe that the coming winter promises to be a difficult one for traveling."

Ryuu squints up at the sky, likely wondering what had prompted such an idea, before shaking his head slightly. "Do you mind settling Sakura somewhere while I take care of the horses?"

"Of course not. Come inside once you have finished; we have much to discuss before you return to the clan." Emi tucks my arm into the crook of her elbow and leads me inside. "This is where I have been staying since I came here. Do you like it?"

I glance around the room as I settle myself upon the pillow that she indicates. It is simply decorated with a few plants and a framed painting. "It is a lovely home. What are you going to do with it when you return back to your clan though?"

She laughs, handing me a tea bowl. "Consider it a wedding gift. It shall be large enough with four sleeping rooms, and the Amachi fortress is only a few minutes walk from here."

"What? No, Emi, we cannot possibly live here. Taro is going to expect that Ryuu and I will be living in the general's rooms, not elsewhere." I look around at what little of the house I can see from my position. "It is too much anyway. We cannot accept this."

Emi lowers herself onto the floor across from me, merriment erased from her face. "You will be safer here, Sakura. There is no chance that you will be able to keep your secret within the walls of the Amachi fortress especially with the traitor watching your every move."

"The traitor would no longer be a problem if you would merely reveal their identity," Ryuu answers from the doorway. "There is not one in the clan that would dare to harm either one of us if they knew I was watching their every move."

"It is best that their identity remains hidden behind my lips for now."

Ryuu sits next to me, curving an arm around me. "Why, Emi? Why is it such a major thing that you not tell me who the traitor is?"

The shinobi does not answer immediately, choosing instead to raise her bowl to her lips calmly. "Can you not trust me that I understand what I am doing? To tell you everything that you wish to know right now will lead to the death of your child as well as that of Rika's and Jun's. Now, I insist that you proceed as if you are merely relieved to be home and that you accept my offer of this house."

"Taro..." Ryuu begins.

"Forget Taro!" Emi exclaims, her eyes flashing. "He will understand how it is to be newly wedded and want some privacy. Besides, this house is not that far away from where you would be staying within the walls of the fortress. Here will be safer for the two of you, and I will be staying here as often as I can, so Sakura will not be alone when you have to return to the battlefield. Just say all right and leave well enough be."

She rises and paces the length of the room, tension rippling across her skin. "These are dangerous times for you, and if you insist in your stubbornness to return to the fortress, knowing full well that the traitor would be able to kill you both with little effort, I will allow you to leave. That sort of thinking was what almost got Junichi and Rika killed over a year ago, and it will leave both of you in your graves now."

"Emi," I say, managing to get to my feet, "are you sure that this person will not be able to kill us here just as easily, if not easier, as they would at the fortress? At least there, we will be surrounded by retainers at all times."

"I found this place for a reason, Sakura, and it will be more than adequate at keeping those you wish to keep out, out. You need to go meet with Taro, and I have said all that I care to about this subject, but I expect an answer when you return," she answers, turning her gaze to the painting on the wall.

Ryuu takes my arm, and we make our way out of the house, remaining silent until we had walked a few paces beyond the property. Then, he halts our progress and stares intently at me. "Do you feel comfortable with what Emi is suggesting, Sakura?"

"She has done much for us since I first met her, and I have not found any reason to doubt anything that she says," I answer. "She was against the whole plan that Saiko had devised to begin with, but no one can say that Emi has not done her part, has not kept her secrets. If you feel comfortable accepting such a gift from her, I will be fine with that decision."

He kisses my forehead, lips lingering for a moment. "Then we will tell her that we will gladly accept the house. Honestly, love, it will alleviate some of the worries that I had been having about leaving you alone while I go off to battle."

"I feel better too especially as the time for me to give birth draws nearer. Emi will be a comfort," I tell him, and he takes my hand, prompting us to start walking again.

Taro is waiting for us when we reach the courtyard of the home that neither of us had seen in over two years. At the sight of us, his face breaks into a smile, and without a word, he pulls Ryuu into an embrace. "It has been too long, Igarashi Ryuu. We were beginning to wonder if the shogun was ever going to allow you to return home."

My husband returns the gesture while I study the older man. He has aged since I last saw him, not that I can tell him such a thing, with his hair beginning to gray with time. However, he looks happier and a tad bit rounder than he did the day we left.

"Taro, this is my wife Sakura," Ryuu says, returning to my side. "Sakura, this is Lord Motome Taro, Jun's advisor. He is married to Yori, who is the head cook."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sakura. Since Ryuu married you, it seems that you are the only thing that he cares to write to me about, and all other news is an afterthought," Taro tells me, taking my hands. "And it would seem that we are not only adding you to the clan but a babe as well."

My face heats with his words. "That is part of why the shogun allowed Ryuu to return to the clan. I wanted to settle into my new home before the babe came."

He squeezes my hands lightly before releasing them. "How about we leave Sakura in the kitchen with my wife before you and I talk about what has been going on with the clan, Ryuu? I have a feeling that Yori and Sakura are going to become good friends."

Yori is in the kitchen, her hands submerged in dough. When she catches sight of our group, she says something to the girl next to her and weaves her way through the kitchen. Taro catches her up for a kiss before gesturing towards me, "Yori, this is Sakura, Ryuu's wife. Would you mind keeping an eye on her while the general and I talk?"

"Of course not. It will give us a chance to get to know each other," she answers, smiling at me. The older woman hooks her arm through mine and leads me out of the kitchen. "I am afraid that I will need to wash my hands, but I want to show you around while we talk. I do not think that Ryuu told us that you were expecting a child."

I smile slightly. "I hear that it is expected after you have been married a time. How long have you been married to Taro, and how did the two of you end up married?"

"We married shortly after Lord Amachi left with Ryuu to travel to Shogun Fujioka. It was milord who actually gave us permission to wed, and I am grateful that he allowed the union rather than forcing Taro to find someone more of his rank to wed. However, Lord Amachi has always been attentive to his clan's needs; it is a shame that it is not safe for him to return home at this time with his wife."

Our walk has taken us out to the gardens, and Yori pauses for a moment, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I have always felt safe under the protection of the Amachi clan. I have been here since I was a young girl, and never has one of our lords been threatened by someone within the clan."

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking about the gardens as I lower my voice. "There is someone threatening Jun within the clan?"

"Taro has his suspicions that there is a traitor within the clan that is plotting with others to kill Lord Amachi. And there had been rumors circulating about the lord, which have made all of us nervous, especially since we have been unable to figure out where they originated from."

I allow her to tug me down the paths. "What sort of rumors?"

Her honest brown eyes meet mine. "Rumors that Lord Amachi is not exactly who he says he is. Supposedly the late Lord and Lady Amachi did not have a male child that they claimed, and the daughter that they did have, they passed off as a son to ensure that there would be someone to lead the clan when they passed. It is pure nonsense, of which you likely know having spent much time with Lord Amachi, but such rumors cause people to question quirks that were insignificant before."

"Does your husband have any idea who this traitor possibly is?" I ask, unease filling me at the thought that Emi was not the only one to notice that there was something off in the clan. "He must have some sort of an idea."

Yori releases my arm to seat herself on the ground, waiting until I join her before she leans closer to me. "If he does, Taro has not told me. I think that he fears that if the traitor knows that I know who they are, they will come after me to hurt him. And I know that Taro is relieved that Ryuu has returned. The men have always respected him, and in the absence of Lord Amachi, Ryuu is the next person that one would confide in if they had any information.

"Enough about speculation better left to the men. It is true that you grew up with the shinobi, is it not? What was that like, and how did you end up catching the eye of the general?"

It is nearly dark once Ryuu and Taro join us outside. My husband's face is drawn with worry as he reaches out to help me up. "Taro, we are staying at the house of the healer Emi. If you discover anything at all or need me, send a message there. Yori, thank you for keeping my Sakura company. It soothes my heart to know that she is in safe hands."

"Of course, Ryuu," Yori replies. "Sakura is a delight, and I look forward to seeing more of her now that the two of you have returned to the Amachi clan."

Taro helps his wife up as well, tucking an arm about her waist. They walk with us back through the gardens, the silence filled with the sounds of nature settling in for the night. At the edge, Taro halts. "I would still feel better if you were to remain within the fortress rather than staying within the town with the healer."

"My mind has been made up, Taro," Ryuu says. "At this point, neither place is necessarily safer than the other until we manage to discern the identity of the traitor. And Sakura feels safer with the healer near the closer that her time gets."

"Of course, Ryuu," the older man answers, patting him on the back. "I know that it is useless to try to change your mind, and I understand your concerns. Regardless, it is good to have you here once more. The only thing that could make this reunion better would be if Junichi were able to safely be here with Rika. My hopes and concerns remain with them until the day that they are safely able to find their way back to us."

We exchange goodbyes, and as Ryuu and I walk back to the house, his eyes drift towards the sky. "Emi is not alone in her beliefs that there is a traitor among the Amachi clan. Taro is certain that there is someone, but he will not tell me his suspicions anymore than she will. And the rumors circulating hit closer to the truth than I would like them to."

"Where would they have gotten the information to formulate such a claim?" I ask, melding myself against his warm side. "My father was careful not to leave any evidence of the truth, and I know that neither your father nor Nurse would have told anyone else before they died."

"There is the letter that your father gave Taro. He claims that he does not know the contents of it, but it went missing some time ago. It is likely that whoever started the rumors that Jun is truly a woman found the letter, and it must have hinted about the truth. Either way, Sakura, it is concerning. When I return to battle, I do not want you to go anywhere without Emi or Yori. I fear that they are the only two that I trust among the clan right now."

"I promise that I will be careful, Ryuu. After all, I have more than just myself to worry about right now."

At the reminder of our babe, Ryuu lays a hand against my stomach. "I will do all I can to ensure that I am here when the babe is born. I do not want to leave you alone."

"You are a warrior first and a man second," I say. "I knew when I married you that there were no guarantees that you were going to be by my side every time that I wished you were there, and I knew there is never a guarantee that you will return home to me after battle. Just remain safe, and that will be enough for me."

He pulls me closer as we near the house to find Emi sitting outside waiting for us again. She rises at our approach, keen sea-colored eyes studying the two of us. "Did you think my offer through and come to a decision?"

"We did," I answer, smiling at her. "We graciously accept your gift, Emi. I am sorry that we were not polite earlier; I fear that your offer came as a bit of a shock to the two of us."

The shinobi returns my smile. "Then let me show you around before you settle in for the night."

Like she had told me, there were four sleeping rooms as well as a kitchen and several other spare rooms. The biggest of the sleeping rooms possess a futon along with a cradle, something that causes Emi's entire frame to glow.

"This will be your room, so I took the liberty of having it made up and making sure that there was a place for the babe once they arrive," she says.

"Thank you so much, Emi," I tell her, pulling her into as tight of a hug as I possibly could.

"You are as close to me as a sister," the shinobi admits in a low voice, and I read the underlying meaning in those words. Her eyes glow as they look at mine, and my lips tug up into a smile.

"I have a feeling that we are going to see you so often once the babe comes that by the time they are walking, they will be calling you Oba Emi every time that they see you."

She holds me a moment longer before releasing me and clapping her hands together. "What do you think, Ryuu? Does the house live up to your standards?"

My husband nods. "Very well done, Emi. And thank you again. It is much more than we ever expected."

"It was my pleasure. Besides, it eases my worried mind about the two of you, so it was partly done out of selfish intent. After all, I have grown rather fond of you, and I will already have to bury enough people this coming season," her face darkens for a moment. "Anyway, you have had a long day, so I will let you get some rest."

That night, wrapped in my husband's arms and the babe rolling within me, I feel peace settle over me.  Yes, we were still at war with the other clans and with the still unknown traitor within our ranks, but for now, we were all alive and able to continue fighting to see another day.