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Night Watch I: Eliza, Ward of Andrew

The cù sìth could not bark a third time (or) Rest now

*warning: battle scene with a monster, gore, etc., continue at your own discretion please*

*Andrew’s POV*

By the time we rounded the bend for the South-West crags, we had finally agreed on a rough plan. Dani could read minds, and he would stop us at any point if he sensed anything other than a creature that intended to kill us maliciously. In fairness, we needed to be sure that it attacked us first, instead of choosing to speak. I was the fastest, so Eliza reluctantly agreed to let me approach it and (hopefully) dodge its initial attack, then engage it. Eliza would follow up from a flanking position. Unless the creature showed signs of submission, Dani would back us up energetically from cover and watch for anything unexpected, like sprites.

It was one of the more shabby plans I’d come up with, and I wasn’t proud of it, but I couldn’t get the other two to agree to anything else. Eliza might technically be my subordinate when it came to the Watch, but we were specifically here unofficially and NOT on Watch time, so if I tried to pull the Officer card to get my fancier (albeit so painfully clever) plan with the food and ranged weapons, I would probably be sleeping alone for a while. And thus, the plan essentially consisted of: walk up to the enemy and see what happened. Yay.

In the brush, I saw, for the first time, a bit of that gnarly green fur. I held my finger to my lips and pointed. Dani nodded and pointed along the way I had been headed, miming to ‘tiptoe.’ Good, we had made better time than I had hoped.

We were clearly on a well-used path of the creature’s, as other paths began to converge upon it as we drew towards its lair. Would Dani know if it was in its cave? I felt something tugging urgently on my sleeve. It was Dani... rolling his eyes? Oh, right, I forgot he could do that, he was nodding, pointing upwards, forwards. Huh. Convenient, I wish I could teach the Night Watch to do that. Um. Not all the time. Definitely not all the time. In fact, nevermind.

As soon as the smell hit, I knew we were in the right place. It was a horrible combination of blood and spoiled milk. It was very different from Big Momma and her sons- they had smelled like everything terrible and awful, but something about this ghastly combination was totally profane. It was also familiar, and I found myself with goosebumps again.

Every cù sìth I had ever faced, I had dispatched quickly, and with blows to the head. This was going to be interesting. I could see the entrance to the cave clearly.There was no way we could engage a beast like that inside its lair- it would have the advantage by far. I signaled to Eliza to be ready and hidden to the right of the entrance.

Dani needed no signals. He muttered to himself very quietly, and then mostly disappeared, before moving to take cover behind a rock on the opposite side of the cave entrance. I was impressed- he wasn't quite invisible, but kind of transparent! Seriously, I needed some kind of handbook about what Conjurers could do, I'd have to talk to Blasko about it... I sent the thought to Dani that he would have to let me know if the cù sìth was not hostile, and nearly fell over when my head rang with,

I WILL SORRY ALICE IS SOFTER

Gods! My nose tingled so badly I was sure I was going to sneeze for a minute, but then it passed. 'Shit, Dani, that can’t be good for me, don’t think anymore at me unless the cù sìth is a fucking faultless, virtuous creature that wants to protect the Soul itself, just yell, for fuck’s sake!' I saw Dani’s outline vaguely change, and assumed he was agreeing.

Alright. I did the mental checklist in under two seconds. Complete. I walked forward, then stood and waited, clearly visible in front of the cave.

I waited, ready, not daring to look back to Dani for confirmation that we had the right cave- it would have given away his position. The smell was overpowering, and there were definitely the telltale paw prints, but I didn’t hear anything. Minutes passed. Nothing. Unless…

I had so little time to ready myself, it was coming at me faster than I thought possible! I dove to the creature’s left, drawing Snakebite and rolling to a crouch some distance away. I had a moment to register the impression of a hate-filled, green dog coming at me, and I needed to distract it so Eliza could rush it.

I couldn’t get around to its side, I dodged, then thrust at the paw it swiped at me with and it was none too pleased as I scored a relatively minor cut. I saw Eliza starting at it from her cover as it let out a long, loud howl. Fuck! I took the opportunity to dash to its left side and open a huge gash in its abdomen, blood covering me as the fat and fascia lining of the cut split apart.

The animal would likely die, but it was still standing! Tough fucker! “Move, Andy!” I heard a snarl and ran behind the beast as it fell with a massive thud. I found, to my shock, Eliza had knocked it over and had it pinned by the neck. “Punch me Andy, hurry!” She was turning white with the strain, and I threw myself on top of the beast’s chest, but I didn’t know what the devil she was trying to do.

I shook my head violently. “I can’t hurt you, I love you!” Eliza had been hurt so much, I couldn’t be one of the people that hurt her, not for this, not for anything, never!

“Andy, it’s too strong, I need to be stronger, I can break its neck and end this, hit me, damn it!” Then the cù sìth howled a second time, low and desperate. It was in agony. So was I.

A sense of terrible urgency hit me, a need to protect, like I hadn’t felt in years. Eliza was in danger. I had to do something. I could never let anything hurt her. The cù sìth could not bark a third time. I pulled the dagger from my boot and buried it in its throat, slicing, unthinking, of one mind, until I had cut its larynx out and held it in my hand. Eliza would be safer now.

Dani came running up as the cù sìth gurgled and twitched under Eliza. “It knows it is dying. It wishes for the mercy of death.” Dani looked between Eliza and I, then looked at Eliza. “Ok.” Dani frowned and then closed his eyes.

Out of nowhere, Eliza started yelling, her eyes were turning black, and she was growing those little tusks! “Dani, what are you doing? Stop it! You’re hurting her! Leave her alone!” I went to punch him but stopped when I saw Eliza punch her small, calloused hand easily through the cù sìth’s chest, breaking its ribs, briefly making it scream, fish around for a moment, then rip out its heart.

It was still beating. Eliza had hooked her fingers into the fucking walls of the chambers of its heart and yanked the damned thing out as it still tried to pump blood. Eliza didn’t roar victoriously. She set the heart down, and pet the head of the nasty beast, as its eyes began to dull. “Rest now.”

I felt strangely touched. I had dispatched thousands of enemies of my people, raiders, beasts that had attacked myself or my Watchmen, and I couldn’t really recall ever having thought about how it might be to have been my adversary. To be the cù sìth that lost the fight.

After the beast had finished its last tremors and was clearly gone, Dani was preparing for reanimation. I tapped him on the shoulder. “Yeah?”

I felt sheepish. “Do you need the heart and the larynx?” Eliza had been wiping the blood off of her arm, but she looked up, curious.

Dani shook his head and spoke quietly. “No, why?”

“I, uh, was thinking I might bury them in front of the cave, by the creature’s home.” I managed to stop myself from adjusting my hair, I was still covered with gore.

Dani smiled at me. “Good.”

It was as I picked up the mangled heart and larynx, I realized that Dani should have had no need to ask me, he could have just read my thoughts. Confused, I walked back towards the cave, only to discover Eliza had already started digging a hole. I had so many questions, and I felt like we needed to talk. Why had she ripped its heart out instead of just breaking its neck? Was I failing her because I hadn't beaten her? But for right now, especially in this rather fetid odor, perhaps it was more appropriate just to take a few moments to inter the heart and primary weapon of a creature that was true to its nature, and fought to its violent end.

Notes

bam! belated birthday battle scene! :D

for yoooooou!

Comments

*NOTE* The author of this story no longer has access to her account due to site malfunction.
SmuttyPariah SmuttyPariah
4/15/17

I've waited right to the end to comment. I loved this so much. I love all the characters and if this site would let me vote loads, I would. I wish it were more like wattpad in that respect. I've read the first chapter of the next installment and I can't wait. I'm super excited.

xPockyCookiex xPockyCookiex
4/7/17

@Teja

yay! so glad you like it so far!

anathema anathema
3/26/17

@smutty pariah

*snorts at you* ;0)

anathema anathema
3/26/17

Yes, can't wait!

Teja Teja
3/26/17