*Eliza's POV*

I was feeling pretty guilty about getting Andy sick. I was also tired of practicing unsheathing and resheathing my swords. That was just about all I could do without leaving the shelter, while Andy was laid up. I couldn't exactly practice with Andy's throwing knives, or those silly throwing stars Andy had insisted on buying me, with the cats begging for attention. They were absolutely loving that we were home ill.

Thankfully, Second Officer Ashley had quickly brought word that I now had leave from the Council to go to the latrine without Andy’s company. Conversely, so long as I stayed in the shelter, I no longer had to accompany Andy to the outhouse. That seemed perfectly fucking reasonable to me. I mean, how was Andy's ability to stop me from committing nefarious deeds any more efficient, whilst shitting his brains out and with his pants down, if I was standing outside the loo, versus sitting in our shelter and petting the cats?

I was especially happy the First Officer of the Day Watch, Jake, had brought those little herb-balls from David, for Andy. Admittedly in part because I just liked telling Andy it was time to take his balls. Though Andy definitely seemed to get better a lot faster once he started regular ball-ingestion. He was also less whiney when I made him drink Melora’s tea, though I doubted I had the balls to thank. He was probably just sick of being sick.

It had been hilarious, at first, to see Andy popping stiffies every hour or so. But after seeing how genuinely despondent it made him, I was hoping we’d both be up to some frisky business soon. Whatever happened hormonally when he was growing antlers certainly seemed to be a real pain. I wondered if everyone with antlers had the same thing?

Andy had wanted to go to Watch almost every Night, but I’d talked him out of it when I’d made the point that he would just make everyone else ill. When the Night finally came where he was truly looking serviceable enough to at least give orders or sit at a sentry post, I agreed that we could go. The timing turned out to be excellent, as everything changed that very Night.

When we showed up to the Changing of the Guard, two Fae were there that I thought I recognized, but I couldn’t place their names. When I noticed Andrew nodding to them formally before the Ceremony, I did the same, just to be safe.

Jinxx politely waited near me for the Ceremony to end, so we could have our regular talk. I noticed I didn’t feel quite as nauseated by him as usual. It seemed we were making progress!

Afterwards, I caught Andrew’s eye, and he nodded at me, so Jinxx and I had a lighthearted chat. I told him how Andrew and I had been ill, and he told me about his cats. We both took note of the fact that we didn’t feel as terrible around each other, so we decided to briefly touch, finger-to-finger, just briefly.

As soon as we made contact, I felt that same roiling miasma in my stomach, and my head started to pound. But when we both took a step back, it ebbed away quickly! Only feeling vaguely queasy, and quite pleased that our theory was playing out as we'd hoped, we both laughed and waved in parting. Jinxx moved to take off up the path.

That’s when everything was turned on its fucking head. James called out gruffly. “Jinxx! We need you! Don’t go anywhere. You too Eliza!”

Immediately, I walked onto the podium, followed by Jinxx. We tried, discreetly, to stand as far away from each other as possible in front of the group gathered there. James, Blasko, Andrew, Ashley, and the two Fae I didn’t know well. James gestured to them. “Eliza, these are Councilman Lars and Councilman Sebastian, the Voice of the Council.”

I bowed formally, immediately inwardly terrified. The Council? Now that I was closer, I saw that all of them looked a little bit off, a little anxious. James continued in a more subdued tone than normal, which didn’t help my worries. “They require your… specialized input. Please, go with them at once.”

Blasko didn’t miss a beat. “Andrew, go with Eliza. We’ll be just fine.”

I nodded. They hadn’t needed to say it was an order. If the Council needed you, you came to its aid, end of story. James, Blasko, and Ashley stayed behind at the podium as we walked off.

The Councilmen, Jinxx, Andrew, and I all walked up the path towards the Village. Councilman Lars, who talked with incredible energy, filled us in after we were out of earshot of the Walls. “Watchmen, we sent a messenger to Merry Willows just over a week back.” My stomach lurched hard, and it wasn’t because of Jinxx, who was trying to keep his distance from me without seeming rude. “They have returned, but the message isn’t really your concern.”

Wasn’t it? A message to Merry Willows? What the fuck else could it concern, other than me? Was that assumption just my ego talking? It didn't look like it, though. I'd noticed Sebastian stiffen when Lars had mentioned Merry Willows. Perhaps I wasn't meant to know where the message was being sent?

Lars continued. “Angus and Alissa brought someone back with them, a… warrior who aided them during a haugbui attack, and on the return journey.”

I scrunched my face and waited for more. I was taken aback when both Councilmen stopped walking and turned to face us. Lars looked both Jinxx and I in the eye. “I’m going to be frank, here. Eliza, it’s common knowledge that you are distinct, different from most Fae, after what many have seen or heard about. Everyone may not know why, but they don’t need to.” I nodded stiffly. “That’s not the case with Jinxx.”

I was proud of Jinxx. He just nodded, unafraid, and said nothing. Lars continued after making a slightly exasperated expression. Clearly afraid of offending us, he took things from another approach. “Look, the fighter who has arrived here, he says he wants to join us in protecting the Soul.” He paused, obviously not sure what exactly to say. “He appears to be a Dark Mountain Elf-”

I missed some of what Lars said when my head instantly swam, my eyes popping wide. Unbelievable! A Dark Mountain Elf?!? Aside from my Grampy, I thought they all were crazed, vicious, Night-crawling cannibals!

I noticed Sebastian had a very sympathetic eye, and he smiled at me reassuringly. He didn’t get a chance to say anything, though, as Lars kept talking. “-you guys know Papa, he knows a lot of things. He suggested that both of you would ideally be present as we, eh, establish our relationship with this… man.”

Jinxx said nothing, Andrew moved protectively closer to me, and I couldn’t think coherently as we followed the two Councilmen to the Council Chambers. We walked through the large building, and I started feeling a little more queasy when Jinxx and I were forced closer together by the confines of the halls.

As soon as we entered a long room and I saw the fucking huge man they were presumably talking about, I knew they were wrong. He couldn’t be a Dark Mountain Elf. Obviously! It was hard not to roll my eyes. The man had wings! Elves didn’t have wings-

But once we were all through the door, I saw the enormous man push several people aside urgently with a scowl. Everyone drew their weapons at his sudden movement. But immediately, Jinxx and the gigantic man fell to their knees at exactly the same time. Then I realized what was happening. Hastily I put my axe back through my scabbard as I held up a hand and shouted. “They make each other sick!”

Everyone turned to me, obviously confused. I pointed at Jinxx, to try and deflect attention from the groaning man who was otherwise surely doomed with one false move. “See, Jinxx is ill too; the same happens with me! If Jinxx leaves they’ll be fine!” The brief silence was punctuated by the huge man vomiting onto the floor in front of him.

No one did anything for a moment, clearly not understanding what I was talking about, but thankfully sensing it was important. Then Andrew did something very brave, though perhaps very stupid. He hauled Jinxx to his feet, threw Jinxx’s arm over his shoulders, and dragged him out of the room. I didn’t know if I should follow him or not, I was technically breaking the Council’s decree by being parted from Andrew, but I was also supposed to be where I was…

In less than a minute, Andrew came back through the door, and Lars went to go check on Jinxx. The tension was gradually diffused as a woman with bright blue wings and hair gave the big man a cloth and talked with him quietly.

Sebastian patted me lightly on the shoulder to get my attention. “It’s alright. I figure you’re just fine away from Andrew, so long as you’re surrounded by a room of people with drawn weapons, eh?” I smiled appreciatively.

Lars came back in, looking a little shocked and worried. “I sent Jinxx home with an apology.” He nodded towards the group of people at the other end of the room. “Papa was right. It seems Henry is a Dark Mountain Elf after all.”

I was stunned, as though someone had hit me with a blow to the head. “Henry?” I spoke quietly, skeptical.

Lars nodded warily. “You know him?”

I looked more closely at the gigantic man. He was tattooed all down his arms with strange symbols, and his short hair had silvered. He was absolutely colossal in size, with a set of horns to match. Not to mention that he was riddled with scars, even more than Andrew, and healing wounds as well. But his dark, intense brows, his dimpled chin, his wings… they were still the same. How hadn’t I seen it earlier? “I… I think he’s my uncle.”

Notes

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Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. i advise all of you to sign the petition below, asking the electoral college to change their votes to reflect democracy and the will of the people:

Electoral College: Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19, 2016