Talla

Talla expected one of the two to say anything. Perhaps for Von’s honorable self to cause him to look away or offer her some cover, but this did not occur. It would be incorrect to say he was staring at her, more as though he was having difficulty understanding what he was looking at, so surprised he was, and he had frozen without a reaction. Alayne, meanwhile, Talla had expected to scurry beneath the covers or reach for her clothes, but she had the same blank expression of shock Von did and refrained from moving as well. Neither of them made a sound. The two quite literally did not know what to do.

Well, Talla thought, reaching behind her and closing the door, this is interesting. It occurred to her that she could have left the two alone to deal with this but considering their reactions she felt her presence might be necessary to avoid the worst, even if she felt it inappropriate.

There was a measure of movement from the two. Von opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a stutter of a sound came out. Alayne, on her part, did much the same—and lowered her foot back to the bed.

Talla should have felt sorry for the two of them—especially Alayne—but she was frankly too amused to do so. She could feel sympathy for them later. For now, she just took note of the absurd amount of time the two took to react to one another and did her best not to laugh. There was some humor in the situation, if only for her. Interesting…I can see some dark marks on her back but it is otherwise as flat as an elf’s. Are her wings summoned out of them? There does not seem to be physical space there. A question to ask another time, perhaps. Talla wished it would not have been rude to sit down and open some rum to witness this interaction, yet even she knew to be quiet.

She did not know how much time had passed, but eventually, they both found the strength to speak.

“I cannot marry you!” Von blurted out and diverting his gaze to the ceiling, at the same time as Alayne said, “My family told me to do this, I am not a whore who thinks this is an appropriate way to—“

Silence. And then, Alayne’s shock was replaced by a sudden panic. “You…cannot marry me?” The redness in her face was gone, replaced by a sudden paleness. “My lord, that“—Alayne motioned herself standing up from the bed and Von further bent his neck to look upward—“I know it is unreasonable to ask this of you, but your lord brother approves of it—the Prince of the Storms approves of it! And—and my family.” Alayne shook her head violently, and her voice trembled. “I understand I am but a simple lady from an unimportant house in the Valley, but my house’s rich history would surely—we may not have much trade going on but some of our deals might—ah” Alayne’s voice grew more desperate and cracked twice—“I forget what I had to—I’m sorry—please—I have more than—if the way I have behaved is an issue…“

It was here that Talla would have interfered if Von had not regained his composure, for Alayne’s tears shifted this from amusing to concerning. Yet here Von lunged to the side to grab a coat and when he looked Alayne in the eye he had already wrapped it around her. “My fair lady,” he told her, in a gentle and dignified tone, “I cannot marry you, because you look at me in fear.”

Alayne shook her head violently. “No—no! I am not afraid, my lord, you are known to be as kind as you are talented with—“

“Speak not in the empty flatteries you were told to repeat, my lady, ” Von interrupted her with a gentle smile. “You act desperate, but you bravely rode through the Waterfalls by yourself to get here, accompanied only by your beautiful mare. I do not think your fear of me is merely at the idea of marriage.” He held her gaze for a moment. “Have I wronged you in the past?”

“No!”

“Have I wronged someone you know?”

“No—no, my lord!”

“My reputation…”

“Is wonderful, my lord.”

He paused. “Do you have someone at home?”

There was a longer pause here. “Something close to that.”

Von sighed. “I cannot believe my brother would ignore something like that when requesting that your family give your hand in marriage.”

“He likely did not.” Alayne drew a deep breath, clutching onto the coat around her as if it were a lifeline. She was shivering and this prompted Talla to rip the covers off the bed and hand them to her. Alayne did not move as if to grab them, and so the elf pulled them over her. Her modesty was well covered now and she should be warm, but she did not stop shivering, huddling herself against the wall and speaking quietly enough both Talla and Von had to sit down beside her to hear her. “My family did not acknowledge the relationship existed.”

“Different ranks?” Von ventured.

Alayne laughed weakly between shivers. “Were it only that.” She smiled bitterly. “No, her problem was that my partner…she was not the type of partner that can breed alliances or heirs.”

“Ah,” Von replied, nodding. “I had considered that,” he said gravely.

Alayne looked up at him and panic returned to her face. “It ended before the question of marriage was even raised, anyhow. That was not why…that is unimportant. My lord, that is not an issue for our marriage. I am capable of performing my duties if—”

Von held up a hand. “You need not explain it. One of my brothers has similar tastes to yours,” he told her with a gentle smile. Alayne looked at him in stunned silence for a moment and he turned his head to Talla. “I am sure this needs not to be said aloud, but nonetheless I must - my family’s preferences must not leave this room.”

Elves do not care who you bed so long as it is another elf, Talla thought, but for many princedoms, the race is less important than that, I suppose. At the same time, she had caused someone to take their own life by besting them in a duel, just for being a woman. Hardly anyone would have batted an eye if that happened in the Storms. I wonder if any of the princedoms has every freedom. “Of course, my lord,” Talla said solemnly. “We will not speak of it.”

“Truly?” Alayne said weakly. “If you don’t mind me asking—which one—“

Von shook his head. “I do mind, I am afraid.” He was kind on everything else, but firm on not discussing this point further. “You need not fear that your concerns will leave this room. That much I can promise you. And…” he trailed off, face more solemn. “I understand your fears more now. Being told to come here and earn a marriage alliance at any cost when your preferences lie elsewhere, must have been terrifying. I trust your family situation is not ideal?”

Alayne drew a deep breath. “We are a merchant family, but four years ago pirates took our wares, my father’s life, and much of our coin. Our status has held us alive until now, but our situation has not improved despite our best efforts, my lord. It is difficult to make up for a loss that extensive, and we have run out of options. At first, we considered shifting our vassalship from Redriver to another house pledged to Redriver, yet…” She bit her lip. “It is our ancestral seat, my lord. We could not allow it.”

To Talla’s surprise, Von’s focus was not merely on the demon’s sullen expression. “Vassalship,” he repeated, thoughtfully. “And it was a matter of pride that kept you from such?”

“It might sound foolish to you, my lord, but our house means much to us. The Fire Never Dies are our words.”

Von shook his head. “Nay, my lady, far from me to find fault in your pride. My attention lies elsewhere. Your house is poor of coin, and in enough heavy debt to risk ruin…yet pride was what prevented vassalship, not lack of offers. This has me thinking your house has something to offer still.” He nodded to himself. “Were it not so, I’m afraid my brother would not have so much as proposed this marriage alliance. His mind is on something else.”

It was odd to reconcile the inexperienced young man who blushed so much at exposed skin merely a few moments earlier with the Von of right now, who spoke in a careful, lordly tone. He was a man who thought a lot but had yet to experience the world. He knows that, and that concern fuels the fire in his heart. Lacking in experience, perhaps, but not capability. “What sort of trade does the noble House of Milvidas engage in, my lady?”

“We have much fertile land, my lord,” Alayne said warily. “It is plentiful, more than we have ever been able to use, but it is some of the most fertile land in the Valley. Some mismanagement a few generations back affects us to this day, but the lands are still useful enough.” Talla detected some doubt in Alayne’s voice but was unsure whether Von caught it. ”We have not been able to grow our crops or care for many animals, lacking in the coin to hire enough hands. We borrowed the coin to do so, but—”

Von studied her face for a moment. “You were raided, I imagine?”

Alayne’s face went blank. “How did you know, my lord? Were you privy to our situation?”

He shook his head sadly. “I would not condone such methods, but I can understand them. There are other noble Houses pledged to House of Redriver, no doubt, and they would stand much to gain from your fields. It would stand to reason they would lend you enough coin to further indebt yourself to them and not enough for sellswords to protect your farmlands. They have interest in your failure.” Von frowned and bit his lip as if chastising himself. “Forgive me, my lady, this is but the idlest of speculation. I know nothing of your land or its power struggle.” Von drew a deep breath and cursed, in a low voice, “Damn you, Vance, you should have spoken to me about this. If only...”

It was the first time Talla had seen Von express anger toward the prince, and it felt oddly refreshing. The Second Lord of Stormkeep’s heart beats for his own feelings too, not just for his honor. It was an obvious thought, yet it almost came as a surprise to her. “My lady,” Von began, “I am sorry you have been put in this position.” He put his hand on her arm, and Alayne did not flinch. “I cannot marry you. However,” he added, when she opened her mouth, “we can make arrangements to help you.”

Alayne did not smile. She regarded him warily still. “My lord knows well as myself that noble intentions are not mighty enough a shield to protect our house from our enemies’ swords.”

“Aye. But rumors that you are marrying the Second Lord of Stormkeep might.”

Talla felt a chill go down her spine. It felt as though hearing Lord Cywin and Kai speak, for a moment. She knew it necessary, but these games unnerved her greatly. “My lord?” Alayne asked, an eyebrow raised. “You have a course of action in mind?”

Von drew a deep breath. “I have been considering what to do to help you since I first laid my eyes on you,” he muttered. “My heart made a vow then, my lady, that I would never bed you.”

“Was I not beautiful enough?” There was almost some humor to her voice now, but it still cracked, and tears still shaded her face. “That is rather hurtful, even if my interests admittedly lie elsewhere.”

“Any man who can find fear in a woman’s eyes when she looks at his and still think of her beauty at that moment should be put to the sword.” The Second Lord of Stormkeep’s voice was serious. “I could never, my lady. I did not know what your reasons were then, but it was enough for me. Knowing that House of Milvidas has vast farm fields in the Valley makes it easier. We will likely not marry, but neither my brother nor your family needs to know it. They may think our relationship is progressing quite well, enough to cause Stormkeep to sign a treaty with Milvidas regarding sending some men and aid—in exchange for part of the future profits.” Talla understood the implication, even if noble politics were not her forte. Neighboring houses had a vested interest in having Alayne’s House fail, Redgrave would have the opposite motivation with such a deal. But then, if that were the case, why had no other foreign house attempted to intervene before?

Something was wrong, Talla knew. Alayne’s tears were sincere enough, but there was much she was not telling them. She hoped Von was not acting rashly, yet those serious grey eyes of his seemed as though they would see much pain through if someone asked for aid. Isn’t that why he’s risking his life to fight Vandyr for me? Just because I asked him to?

Alayne narrowed her eyes. “Would that be beneficial to you, my lord?”

“Aye. My brother would agree, most likely. It is why he wishes to wed me to a demon—of your house specifically. Our kind does not share a border, and I believe the Ironlands have not left you with the best impression of humans.”

The demon hesitated, then admitted, “They have not. We trade with them, but not because we want to.”

“Marriage would ensure a partnership. Lack of betrayal. But business can be conducted without that, even if brother would not commit a sizable amount of our treasury before we vowed our lives to each other. A small amount to keep your house afloat during a courtship of sorts, however…that I could see. It might be prudent, even.”

“My lord, your words appear to be too good to be true.” Suspicion in her voice showed she meant it. “As you say, without marriage such a deal could be horrific. Why would you trust me so?”

Because your eyes betray much pain, Talla thought. Von tried at being an honorable lord, but his emotions were all too plain. Perhaps she needed to remind him of that. No, Redgrave business has nothing to do with me! I should not get involved.

“I do not,” Von admitted. “You don’t share a border with us and hardly have the best impression of humans. Aye, your family begs for business and marriage with humans in desperation, but once that desperation is cured, what would stop you from dishonoring yourselves and stopping our promised payment? Very little. But my brother will not commit to a large sum without a marriage, anyhow, and such problems can be avoided. We can get to know each other in this courtship, to see if we can trust one another. Even lacking in marital bonds, my lady, forgive me for saying it bluntly—but you would effectively be our hostage if your family refused to pay.”

Those words horrified the elf, but appeared almost pleasing to the demon, who nodded a few times and smiled through her tears. “That might satisfy my family for the moment. Staying afloat would not heal our wounds, however. Without a large ally fully committing, we will never regain a measure of stability.”

“I am aware.” Von’s solemn tone left no doubt that he intended to say more, yet here he paused for long, with his eyes closed and drawing a deep breath. “Should it come to that, and should your fields be as plentiful as you say—we could consider a legitimate marriage.”

Both Talla and Alayne’s eyes widened. “My lord, you—you mean those words?” So excited, Talla thought sadly, this poor woman is for a marriage to someone she does not wish to share a bed with. It concerned her in two ways. She felt for her, but she also wondered if a part of this was an act. Talla did not think Alayne was lying about her preferences, yet something about her family seemed off. “I would do my best to fulfill my obligations were it to—”

Von shook his head firmly. “I would not ask you to dishonor yourself such. If we wed, you would not be expected to share a bed with me, nor perform any sort of private spousal duties. I would also not object if you had private visits to your chamber.”

Alayne sat up, life returning to her eyes. “My lord, that—the same would apply to you, of course, if it came to that.” She shook still, but less than before. “Would you truly consider marriage, if it came to that?”

Why were they not speaking of the issue of heirs? Talla frowned at the thought but knew better than to say it aloud. Surely they were not forgetting that?

“If possible, I would rather avoid a marriage,” Von said frankly. “To show my cards, I have very little experience as a lord and would like to experience life more before being given such responsibilities. Yet I recognize I must marry at some point, and a wedding to you could be rewarding for House of Redgrave,” he admitted. “That I would be able to dispel the horror in your heart right now would only make it feel more correct, my lady. Altogether, it would be irresponsible of me not to entertain the possibility, at the very least.”

Just a possibility, yet both of them appeared more at ease with the idea now than they had been when they first met. Is marriage just a transaction for them?

It was the best proposal a woman with Alayne’s disposition could ever hope for, as far as Talla could reason. She would be married off to some noble at some point. If not Von, it would be someone else. But if she was publicly his wife without truly having to do what wives were expected…that would be most ideal for her. Yet she objected. “Your kindness warms my heart, my lord,” she said, “but this arrangement seems most cruel to you, is it not?”

“If your fields are as fertile and plentiful as you say,” Von began, “it would be helpful for House of Redgrave—”

“What about you, my lord?” Alayne cut him off. “Do you not deserve marriage to a woman who will hold you close at night? This arrangement would be good for your house, perhaps, but your life—”

“—That is why this is not our first option. Neither of us desires the marriage, but it would be beneficial to us both were it to come to that. We may yet find a way to strengthen the bond between our houses without it. Does this arrangement not suit you?”

“My lord, of course it suits me. I only worry for you.”

Von laughed. “My lady, you traveled on horseback alone across the Waterfalls, braving bandits and the weather no doubt, and go as far as to fly into my chambers”—he gestured at the open window—“and undress yourself in an attempt to force a marriage alliance. You would risk everything for the sake of your house, but you still hesitate at a solution for a stranger? That much kindness can be dangerous for you. Please, worry not. We will find a solution in the future. For now, we can test the waters with a treaty between our houses with our false courtship.”

Von

“Kindness might be dangerous for you, my lord,” Talla said, after Alayne had dressed herself and left the room, “you made many promises just now that might hurt you in the future.”

Those were words Von wished had hurt him. For if they had, then he would have been truly kind. “Did I?” he asked. “Everything I promised hinges on her House’s fields, and how profitable they could be for the Stormlands. If they turn out not to be particularly useful, that can be taken back.” The thought concerned him. “Talla,” he muttered, “do you remember when you asked for an allowance to show weakness, after your duel against the Elder?”

That appeared to take her by surprise, but she nodded quickly enough. “Yes, my…” She trailed off, and when her eyes met his, she finished, “Yes, Von.” I wonder if I look as miserable as I feel.

“Allow me to be weak, then, as we promised each other back then,” he muttered. “I do not run at the idea of marrying the demon woman. She seems like a fair lady of noble disposition, and even if we are not to ever enjoy each other’s company beneath the covers, we could grow to be friends.” And this would allow me to take a lover, he thought, but he banished it from his mind. That was not his reason for thinking of this arrangement. “It scares me, Talla, what I would have done had she not mentioned her fields.”

The elf appeared to sense his troubles. “You would have done the right thing, Von.”

“And what is the right thing?” he snapped back. “Would that have been to allow this woman who comes here willing to disgrace herself to certain doom? Stormkeep, the Stormlands, Redgrave—these all come first, and I know it. But do you understand, Talla, how frustrating it is to have so much power yet have it not be enough to help those you wish?” It made him never want to leave his room again. Storm Gods, give me strength to take a step outside tomorrow. Do not let me cower beneath my covers. “Even now, I give her little. All I can manage is to keep her house from extinction temporarily. I speak of future salvation, but what do we hope for? That her house can miraculously rebuild itself? That she and I can have a happy marriage when we know that our very preferences do not align?” That I can win Blade Valley and obtain the King of Princes’ favor, he thought, but did not dare to utter. Even that faraway dream would not solve everything. Even the King of Princes could not stop wars with a single word. Even Von knew it.

“You give her more than most,” Talla replied hesitantly.

“I measure myself against my ideals, not my peers.”

“Then you will always come short.” Talla’s voice was harsh, but not unkind. “You are doing the best you can. Perhaps you two will wed, perhaps not, but either way, you have given her hope. She appeared much calmer when she left.”

That did not sound right to Von, yet he said nothing. Talla was his friend, and trying to help. I know Alayne is hiding something from me. She was being incredibly understanding given how unnatural lordly talks such as these must have seemed to her elven ways. There were other topics he dared not think about right now. Heirs, for one. It all seemed too much. Be strong. “You might be right, Talla. I only hope that is enough.”

To his surprise, he felt the elf’s arms wrapped around his neck. It was tight, yet gentle. “You might have no solutions,” Talla muttered, “but you have a kind heart. I respect that.”

“Aye.” He paused. “Thank you, my fair lady.” Von was not experienced in this matter, not that he could remember, but he knew an embrace from a woman was inappropriate. He did not push her away. “Were it only that my heart was enough.”

“I wonder,” Talla muttered, “about those arrangements you mentioned with your marriage…” Silence followed, but it was necessary. They both knew that the same flicker of a thought had passed by them then. It was not to be said aloud, not to be acknowledged. Not even to be thought until it was responsible to consider it. There was his honor to consider. “We will head to the Waterfalls soon, yes?”

“In a few days,” Von acknowledged. “It shall be so, my lady.”

Rei

The way to his father’s solar was more steps. He always thought of it that way as a kid, on the rare occasions he was allowed to see him. It felt as though the spiral staircase went on forever. Kai can hardly visit Father nowadays, I imagine. Today he went there not as his son—not that he ever truly had before—but as a member of the Elderguard, clad in his golden-green armor and with his back straight. Servants bowed their heads to him as he passed and this felt surreal to him even after all those years.

Marsh, the butler, used to push me down when I tried to see father, and say that a bastard should know his place. “Sei Rei,” Marsh addressed him, bowing deeply. It was a noble address to knights, this one, not how elves should refer to their kind. ‘Our Shield Rei’ is what you should be calling me. Stepping into the house felt like visiting a foreign princedom. “Your lord father awaits you.”

Once Rei had dreamed of being acknowledged as his son, of being a prince himself. But elven law would not allow it and his father was no prince—they were ruled by the elders. I do not have such dreams, he told himself. No matter what people say. “Very well then.”

The spiral staircase felt smaller this time, yet each step felt harder. There are so many guards here now, he realized, more than in the council itself. Not all of them were elven. Some were foreigners, he knew, but their helmets hid them well enough from most. Rei himself had not noticed the influx of humans and wolves in the city. He let out a breath of relief when he reached the top of the staircase and closed the solar’s door behind him. “Father,” he addressed him. He would not call him lord but neither would he call him Cywin. “You wished to see me?”

“Ah, yes, I believe I sent a raven for an Elderguard to listen to my confessions!” his father said, a ghostly smirk across his face. “It is your job to listen to crimes against the soul, are they not, young Elderguard? Do me a favor and pick up the parchment set on the table near the door.”

Rei stepped up. He wishes to pretend this is formal? Fine. “Crimes beneath the Evertree will be reported, Father. But if no crimes have been carried out, it is my sacred oath that I will pray for your concerns and speak to no one.” He took the rolled-up piece of parchment and studied it without opening it. “Is this a list of your confessions?”

“So it is your job.” Cywin never turned to face his son, his intense eyes aimed at the window. He never acknowledged the parchment. “Well, young Elderguard, would you like a seat?”

“By your leave, I will stand.”

“As you wish.” Cywin drew a deep breath. “Fear not, my confession is simple and not a crime I could pull off. You need only to listen to my soul’s pain.”

Rei hesitated but still relaxed his shoulders. “Very well.”

“I desire to kill the Evertree,” Cywin said calmly, and then stopped.

So calm was his voice and so outrageous his words that Rei had to force himself not to gasp in terror. You want this reaction. That’s why I won’t give it to you—you haven’t given me anything. “Do continue with your confession, Father. I am here to listen. It is my sacred job.”

“Bosque is frankly a waste of resources,” he said bluntly. “We ought to focus on improving Greenport, for trade’s sake. The most we can offer is lumber, and the Storms will prove valuable partners, yes, but we should not limit ourselves. The sea allows us much freedom in that regard. We should take parts of the Evertree into smaller cities rather than trying to use the mighty oak to heat up this massive waste. How much of this city is even alive at this point? Turn it into a prison instead for the Deathless creatures. Let the living enjoy their time somewhere else.”

This neared but did not quite reach treason. Rei’s blood boiled. “I will pray about this, Father,” he said, “about your treacherous thoughts. I will ask for your absolution with my blade before the Evertree.”

Cywin shook his head. “I need not forgiveness for my thoughts.”

“You did ask for an Elderguard to listen to your confession.”

“Why, yes—but I never asked you to do anything about it. I knew it would be you they sent, of course—who else? How are you feeling after your second Heartbeat? Should you not be resting?”

“I rested too much,” he said quickly. Rei knew his father despised weakness most of all. “If we are done with this farce, I should get going.”

“Would you prefer if I spoke plainly then?” Cywin turned around and looked his son in the eye for the first time. Rei’s disdain melted when he saw the smile on his face. It’s like he used to look at Kai. Like Rei had always wished he looked at him. “My son?” Rarely did he utter those words, and rarer still was it when there was warmth to them. It’s only because he gave up on Kai, he told himself, because he thinks he cannot be the man he used to be anymore. That—

Did not matter to Rei at that moment, and he hated himself for that. “What do you want?” he muttered.

“Everything. From you? That you do what is right, when the time comes.”

“You need not ask me to follow my oaths,” Rei said, “I have my honor.”

Cywin rested his chin on intertwined fingers and looked at his son pensively. He had not spoken to him in such an honest, respectful tone before. “That I would not and that you do. But I ask that you remember that following your oaths is not the right thing to do.”

Rei stepped forward and raised his voice. “Already there are rumors about me!” he thundered. “That I am your puppet in the council, that you pulled strings to put me in the Elderguard, that I would betray them all to please you. I will not take a step further than that!”

“I ask not for you to will not your feet, but your hands. Not a step, but a swing.” The implication was clear. “When the time comes, you will do the right thing, I hope.”

“I am a member of the Elderguard,” he fired back, “and my honor cannot be bought with coin, Father. I know that there are things that matter more than coin.”

Cywin nodded. “Aye, my son. Things like bread. Water. Peace. Things our people do not have.”

This wounded Rei most of all, because he could not refute it. He did not agree with his father, but the Elders’ continued lack of action infuriated him. “I am a member of the Elderguard,” he repeated.

“And yet when the time comes, you could be a prince.”

Silence.

“Even if your treacherous dreams could be realized, Kai is your heir, not I.” Rei’s voice was hoarse out of his throat and he could not still it. Control yourself! He is just playing with you! Like he always had. “Being the second son in a lord’s house does not seem like a dream for me.”

“You wound me, my son.”

“You would rather wound your own blood than your sigil,” Rei told him frankly. “It is the same for me.” His right fist tapped the Elderguard crest on his armor. “Father, I will not listen to any pointless arguments that being a second son would be better than being an Elderguard. So, if you are done wasting my time—”

“I did not say you wounded me because of the implication about my disregard for my kin,” Cywin said slowly. “It wounds me that you think I would still regard Kai as the first heir considering the state he is in.”

Rei did and did not want to believe those words. Ever since he was a child, he wanted nothing more than to have what Kai did, to be raised in that house, to have everyone bow to him, respect him, to have the coin for whatever whim of his he fancied. But he loved his brother, mad as he was, and this would kill him if it came to pass. “Father,” Rei said slowly, “even—even then, I could not. I swore a vow.”

“And you were born with one,” Cywin said firmly. “You are my son. Our oath was made when my blood first pumped through your veins, guided by your heart.”

“Father, that is not—I could not! My honor, my oaths, I—”

A symphony of chaos interrupted him. His father smiled, glancing at the outside window, and gestured Rei to accompany him. Soldiers drew out their swords, men rushed their children inside their houses, and massive bells sounded off an alarm. An old man stood at the side, having been stomped by the crowd, barely hanging on to his life. None paid him any mind. “What is going on?” Rei muttered.

“I am afraid, my son, we are under partial siege. It is perhaps well you go see your Elders, they will likely call all of the Elderguard soon.”