Year of the Boar, Six month, Day 25.

My fears grow stronger with each minute that passes today. Lord Broken Rampart is leaving Dying Crane. He says he will return but that now the business of his House is pressing. He has been putting off what he must do, he tells me, so that he could be of help to me; now the time has come when he can no longer stay. He told me some while ago about his House and how it was destroyed from within centuries ago but in my delirium, I did not take in much of what he said. Now, I wish I had been able to pay attention... In a few short hours, his camp will have packed up and moved off to where ever it is that he must go. I would like to be noble and say that I do not begrudge him his mission because he has been such a good friend to me but I cannot. I cannot wish him well on his mission; all I want is for him to stay with me and ... protect me as he has been. I will try, for the sake of what little dignity I have, to wish him a safe journey.
He brought with him a gift, this morning.  A small bird in a gilded cage which he has asked me to look after until he returns. I know what he is about - he thinks that if I have something more vulnerable than myself to take care of, that I will have a reason to stay away from the weed once he has left. I suspect he has given Nanami strict instructions not to take care of the bird so that I will be forced to do it for myself but I am not so crass that I would ask either of  them. It is a pretty little thing; grey feathered but with a blush of pink over its head. His Lordship says she is called Crystal and that she must be given fresh food and water every day; she must be let out of her cage for a few sticks until she tires... I suppose I will find some small pleasure in listening to her sing but I wish... I wish he would stay...
Nanami sits in the corner of my chambers, sewing. I believe she is embroidering some sort of cap for herself. She says nothing... I almost wish she would break the silence but I am afraid that if she does, I will begin crying and I will never stop. It occurred to me this morning to think that in adulthood, I had never had a friend until Broken Rampart came here. Now that he is leaving, there will be even more hours in a day for the demons to come for me...