Night Watch I: Eliza, Ward of Andrew
I had made a huge mistake
**Warning: There is mention in this chapter of sexual assault and murder by a villainous, fictional character. Though attempts have been made to write with maturity and tact regarding the subject matter while still permitting dramatic flow to the story line, everyone has different tolerances. Please continue reading at your own discretion.**
*Eliza’s POV*
“The Night Watch in Merry Willows saw the most raid activity of all the Watchmen. Mostly small goblin forces, really. Like all Watches, it was the acting policing force if the Council Guard was insufficient or asleep. Generally speaking, in Merry Willows, at most, during the Day, you'd be talking about some asinine kid stealing. More commonly at Night, a drunken brawl or mediating an irritating, boring domestic dispute. My favorite had always been breaking up bar fights because I was so good at it; any travelers were always so impressed they’d buy me a drink afterwards.” I chuckled softly. “It’s not like here, with the Soul.”
I took a deep breath, and Andy squeezed my hand reassuringly. “The first victim was found by one of my fellow Night Watchman in an alley while she was patrolling. The body was a young, female, mutilated prostitute who had been violated and bludgeoned to death. She was working under the name of Sunny, the Council Guard, supposedly, could never even figure out her real name to contact her family. The woman had been traveling, operating free-lance, which wasn't illegal in Merry Willows, and might have been considered dangerous in a larger town. Typical for the trade, ladies of the night would stop at the Smiling Caterpillar Inn, book appointments out, then leave after business dried up. Also typical in a village as small as ours, no one was willing to say they'd been with her beforehand. The whole tribe went into a motherfucking panic.
“Forces were taken off the walls for a week to bolster patrols in the Village, all prostitutes were warned. Nevertheless, a month later, a village woman was brutally sexually assaulted and strangled, but she survived when the fucker was interrupted by a Night Watchman on patrol. Her attacker punched the Watchman who pursued him and broke his jaw badly prior to escaping on foot. You should have seen his fucking face, Andy, it was a mess, like he'd been kicked in the face by a draft mule!” I remembered Aiden's jaw, hanging, purple and black.
“Well, the Night Watchman whose jawbone was broken, he fucking disappeared for a week, supposedly to get Healing in another Village. When he returned, he swore he never got a good look at the assailant, but he turned white as a corpse whenever he talked about it, which was beyond butt-fucking fishy to me.” Andy raised an eyebrow, and I nodded. He had no idea yet.
“More importantly, the victim that survived was my cousin, Helga. The Healers were able to physically heal her, but she was a changed woman after that. I burned with a thirst for vengeance, Andy, seeing her so broken but unable to help. Whenever I tried to talk to her, she’d literally run away from me, as though she was terrified of me.” I fumed. Now I could only guess what further could have transpired to frighten her into silence.
“While I wasn't extremely close with my father's side of the family, I mean, I had to live at the outskirts of the Village because of my bloodline, Helga had never participated in any cruelty towards me, even though she was a little older. She had even tried to stop it a few times.” I took a breath to help stay calm, not get too rattled. “You just don't fuck with my family, Andy. I decided that, clearly, this monster needed to be dealt with by me personally, you know?” Andy nodded, listening intently.
“But when I asked my Second Officer to be assigned to the patrols on the Village streets, he said my greater strength was an absolute necessity on the walls. Something about that just fucking stank, but I couldn't put my finger on anything solid, I had nothing.
“Meanwhile, two more grotesquely murdered victims turned up. The details were slightly different, but they were both young Village women we all had known, and the tribe went into complete hysterics. Families started cutting the hair of their teenaged girls to try and make them look more like boys, had them wear pants, I mean, you name it.”
I ground my teeth, remembering the deaths, the corpses of women I had known. Andy just listened attentively. “When the fourth body turned up, and yet, I found our Night Watch was, for some inexplicable reason, reducing the bloody street patrols, I just couldn't fucking take it. Something was terribly wrong. Innocents were dying because… well, I'll get to that. But I didn't know why then, and I decided I had to stop it, regardless of what I was up against.” I shook my head, remembering how determined I had been in my vigilantism.
“I knew something was wrong, though I didn't know what. I knew I couldn't approach anyone via any official channels, because I thought something might be dirty, you know? Also, I'm a hybrid. I mean, I was much more tolerated than my Grampy ever was, especially on the walls, but only if I didn't push it. I mean, basically, I was viewed by most as an asset for my ability to take up arms, if you see what I mean." Andy frowned.
"So, when my Nights off came, I didn't stay at home or socialize. I dressed as sluttily as you please, thinking to lure the fucking boogeyman. I stupidly thought it would be so motherfucking simple, because I knew the odds were that it was another villager, and I could knock out most Fae, no problem, right?” Andy's frown intensified.
I scowled at how incredibly foolish I had been. Though I would still have gone through with it, I would have been more prepared… A lot more prepared.
“Well, it took longer than I wanted, and three more dead women, until the monster finally got curious. But I had made a huge mistake, Andy. I knew it as soon as his fucking fist hit my face: he was a hybrid too, just like me.”
*Eliza’s POV*
“The Night Watch in Merry Willows saw the most raid activity of all the Watchmen. Mostly small goblin forces, really. Like all Watches, it was the acting policing force if the Council Guard was insufficient or asleep. Generally speaking, in Merry Willows, at most, during the Day, you'd be talking about some asinine kid stealing. More commonly at Night, a drunken brawl or mediating an irritating, boring domestic dispute. My favorite had always been breaking up bar fights because I was so good at it; any travelers were always so impressed they’d buy me a drink afterwards.” I chuckled softly. “It’s not like here, with the Soul.”
I took a deep breath, and Andy squeezed my hand reassuringly. “The first victim was found by one of my fellow Night Watchman in an alley while she was patrolling. The body was a young, female, mutilated prostitute who had been violated and bludgeoned to death. She was working under the name of Sunny, the Council Guard, supposedly, could never even figure out her real name to contact her family. The woman had been traveling, operating free-lance, which wasn't illegal in Merry Willows, and might have been considered dangerous in a larger town. Typical for the trade, ladies of the night would stop at the Smiling Caterpillar Inn, book appointments out, then leave after business dried up. Also typical in a village as small as ours, no one was willing to say they'd been with her beforehand. The whole tribe went into a motherfucking panic.
“Forces were taken off the walls for a week to bolster patrols in the Village, all prostitutes were warned. Nevertheless, a month later, a village woman was brutally sexually assaulted and strangled, but she survived when the fucker was interrupted by a Night Watchman on patrol. Her attacker punched the Watchman who pursued him and broke his jaw badly prior to escaping on foot. You should have seen his fucking face, Andy, it was a mess, like he'd been kicked in the face by a draft mule!” I remembered Aiden's jaw, hanging, purple and black.
“Well, the Night Watchman whose jawbone was broken, he fucking disappeared for a week, supposedly to get Healing in another Village. When he returned, he swore he never got a good look at the assailant, but he turned white as a corpse whenever he talked about it, which was beyond butt-fucking fishy to me.” Andy raised an eyebrow, and I nodded. He had no idea yet.
“More importantly, the victim that survived was my cousin, Helga. The Healers were able to physically heal her, but she was a changed woman after that. I burned with a thirst for vengeance, Andy, seeing her so broken but unable to help. Whenever I tried to talk to her, she’d literally run away from me, as though she was terrified of me.” I fumed. Now I could only guess what further could have transpired to frighten her into silence.
“While I wasn't extremely close with my father's side of the family, I mean, I had to live at the outskirts of the Village because of my bloodline, Helga had never participated in any cruelty towards me, even though she was a little older. She had even tried to stop it a few times.” I took a breath to help stay calm, not get too rattled. “You just don't fuck with my family, Andy. I decided that, clearly, this monster needed to be dealt with by me personally, you know?” Andy nodded, listening intently.
“But when I asked my Second Officer to be assigned to the patrols on the Village streets, he said my greater strength was an absolute necessity on the walls. Something about that just fucking stank, but I couldn't put my finger on anything solid, I had nothing.
“Meanwhile, two more grotesquely murdered victims turned up. The details were slightly different, but they were both young Village women we all had known, and the tribe went into complete hysterics. Families started cutting the hair of their teenaged girls to try and make them look more like boys, had them wear pants, I mean, you name it.”
I ground my teeth, remembering the deaths, the corpses of women I had known. Andy just listened attentively. “When the fourth body turned up, and yet, I found our Night Watch was, for some inexplicable reason, reducing the bloody street patrols, I just couldn't fucking take it. Something was terribly wrong. Innocents were dying because… well, I'll get to that. But I didn't know why then, and I decided I had to stop it, regardless of what I was up against.” I shook my head, remembering how determined I had been in my vigilantism.
“I knew something was wrong, though I didn't know what. I knew I couldn't approach anyone via any official channels, because I thought something might be dirty, you know? Also, I'm a hybrid. I mean, I was much more tolerated than my Grampy ever was, especially on the walls, but only if I didn't push it. I mean, basically, I was viewed by most as an asset for my ability to take up arms, if you see what I mean." Andy frowned.
"So, when my Nights off came, I didn't stay at home or socialize. I dressed as sluttily as you please, thinking to lure the fucking boogeyman. I stupidly thought it would be so motherfucking simple, because I knew the odds were that it was another villager, and I could knock out most Fae, no problem, right?” Andy's frown intensified.
I scowled at how incredibly foolish I had been. Though I would still have gone through with it, I would have been more prepared… A lot more prepared.
“Well, it took longer than I wanted, and three more dead women, until the monster finally got curious. But I had made a huge mistake, Andy. I knew it as soon as his fucking fist hit my face: he was a hybrid too, just like me.”
Notes
Please note the following chapter will contain material of a similar nature that is also potentially upsetting. Again, I have tried to write it in as sensitive a manner as possible, but reader discretion is advised.
4/15/17