"They're just weeds, love, they don't belong anywhere.' Her granddaughter stuck out her bottom lip and furrowed her brow.
'That doesn't seem very nice. Everything belongs somewhere."
― Kathryn Hughes.
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.
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The library was temporarily closed in the wake of Blinky's meltdown.
Or, perhaps meltdown wasn't the word. Melt-up, maybe, because Blinky certainly seemed excited.
"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!"
AAARRRGGHH watched him happily scamper about the room, picking up a book here and there and perusing through it, before discarding it and finding another.
"This is the most conniving scheme in the history of Trollmarket," he said feverishly, the crackling of a book's spine echoing throughout the room. "To have a Changeling as the Trollhunter! It's so improbable as to be almost unbelievable!"
Blinky dropped the book and danced over to AAARRRGGHH.
"Are you certain? Are you sure of what you saw?"
AAARRRGGHH shrugged uncomfortably.
"It may just have been the light," he said in Trollish, unable to find the words in English.
"But the sneeze? The fingers! I cannot believe I haven't noticed them! You're sure there were five?"
AAARRRGGHH sighed.
"Five," he said. "Bottom hands."
Blinky nodded, his eyes wide and excited.
"And from our observations, there can be no other explanation," he said. "Her menacing appearance; her unusual anatomy; her dependence on secrecy and outright lies! My friend, you have uncovered something fantastic!"
AAARRRGGHH didn't feel that way. He'd told Blinky of his suspicions, of course he had, but he didn't have to feel good about it. After the brief, reflexive pang of hatred that came with the mention of Changelings had passed he actually felt a little bad. Alexandra wasn't too terrible a person – she'd even apologized, sincerely, for hurting him – and whatever anyone said, she was the Trollhunter. The amulet had chosen her, Changeling or not. The Soothscryer had judged her and found her worthy. She'd saved both himself and his friend from Bular, and had spared Draal's life, all within her first few weeks. As far as Changelings went, she wasn't one of the worst.
But they had to know. Blinky, as much as AAARRRGGHH didn't like it, was right. They needed a Trollhunter they could trust.
And if Alexandra was in league with Bular and his father, that would not be her.
Blinky restrained himself enough to walk through the market without causing a fuss. He knew the commotion and panic that would spring up if he started going on about Changelings, and his many failed conspiracy-hunts had taught him to be, if not cautious, then at least quiet.
They made their way to Rotgut's with little fanfare, and procured a gaggletack without letting the keepers of Rotgut's know who the artifact was for. AAARRRGGHH hid it away in his mane of hair, since he was currently on better terms with Alexandra than Blinky.
Blinky had been informed of the Trollhunter's apology, but it had been swept aside by the 'Changeling Trollhunter' conspiracy. He knew that it was still in the back of Blinky's mind, however, and he also knew that Blinky had not forgiven Alexandra as quickly as himself. Blinky was not usually one to hold grudges, but when someone – anyone - threatened or slighted AAARRRGGHH he could be as fierce as a rampaging Nullhunter.
Alexandra possibly being a Changeling didn't help.
AAARRRGGHH and Blinky retreated to the library, where she was bound to resurface. Word around the market was that she had helped Bagdwella end her gnome problem just the day before. She was active, and both of them knew that she couldn't stay away from the library.
AAARRRGGHH removed the gaggletack from his hair and tossed it between his hands, settling down amongst the piles of books. Blinky smiled at him as he absently organized.
"Certainly an interesting situation," he said quietly. AAARRRGGHH merely hmm'd in response.
"I suppose it all falls down to how she reacts to us knowing, and how it will affect her role as Trollhunter."
He nodded in agreement, and held out the gaggletack for Blinky to examine. His friend rubbed it between his palms, tapping it lightly before he sighed and dropped it behind a pile of scrolls.
"Are you sure you are alright, my good friend? You have been unusually quiet."
"Thinking," replied AAARRRGGHH, truthfully. He'd been considering Alexandra's words.
She'd been sympathetic to his past. She said that she understood being different; she'd been jealous of the new life he'd found.
Everyone hated Changelings. They were the Other, the outcasts, the abominations. Even Gumm-Gumms, creatures of anger and experimentation themselves, were free to loathe the Changelings as much as they wanted, because at least they were still trolls. But Changelings didn't have a place in the world, belonging to both and neither at the same time. Not troll, but not troll. Goblins got more clout than Changelings.
As a whole they were cunning, unpredictable, ruthless, and utterly untrustworthy. Even if Alexandra had, so far, proven herself to be a decent person, was that enough? 'Changeling' might be unforgivable, even though AAARRRGGHH felt hypocritical thinking it.
He looked up when Blinky laid a hand on his arm and smiled reassuringly.
"I imagine this must be difficult for you," he murmured. AAARRRGGHH leaned gently against his shoulder.
The thick smell of old paper and vellum, the sour taste of ink
Stone and crystal, warm and familiar, and the shifting of another body beside his
A dark miasma of ncertainty, doubt, confusion, and hope
"I'm fine," he said, truthfully. "Bad memories, but good friends."
Blinky's smile was radiant and brightened up the darker spaces in AAARRRGGHH's heart.
"Do not worry, my dear companion," he said warmly. "This is a necessary intervention. We can only hope that it does not proceed unfavorably, for ourselves or our Trollhunter."
Blinky relaxed himself by puttering about the library, trying to get things re-organized. AAARRRGGHH remained deep in thought, until several hours passed and Alexandra finally entered the room, her arms laden with books and her notepad.
Blinky softly shut the door behind her and AAARRRGGHH shook himself from his thoughts, remaining as nonchalant as he could. Alexandra gave him and Blinky a hesitant smile before laying her books on Blinky's table.
"I've finished these," she said. Blinky hmm'd. Apparently actually seeing her again reminded him of how nettled he was at her. AAARRRGGHH found himself looking over her, as if he'd find another clue that they'd missed before.
Alexandra briefly glanced at him before looking Blinky square in the eyes, slipping her notebook into her arms. AAARRRGGHH wasn't sure if his friend realized how tense his shoulders were.
"If you've got a problem, Blinky, you might as well say it. I've already apologized, but you still have the right to be angry with me. Just don't expect me to suddenly roll over and fall at your feet."
Blinky grinned wryly.
"I would hardly expect any less," he replied. "How, may I ask, is your eye?"
Alexandra stole one of his pencils from the desk and sat down on the only empty chair in the room.
"Gone, thank you for asking. And you, AAARRRGGHH? You okay?"
AAARRRGGHH, caught off guard, tried to smile.
"Um. Good."
"Good," she said, and cracked open her notes. "Are we going to get back to work, or do we need another moment to brood? Because I have a few questions about Grimholdt the Gruesome's tactics in the Battle of Seven Waters."
Blinky shifted uncomfortably, trying to look authoritative and intimidating, which was difficult when Alexandra was both bigger and stronger than him and had taken complete control over the conversation.
"Actually," he said, "I was hoping to ask you a few questions. The first of which being when you were planning on telling us."
Alexandra raised an eyebrow.
"Telling you…what?"
AAARRRGGHH moved then, closer to Blinky so that he could provide cover if needed. Alexandra – ever watching – noticed. She didn't tense, but his practiced eyes saw her limbs still in preparation for a fight. They needed to be cautious whether she was their friend or not. She had taken out one of Bular's eyes, after all.
Blinky reached behind the pile of scrolls and closed his lower right hand around the gaggletack.
"That you are a Changeling," he said steadily.
Alexandra jolted as if from electric shock. She held her notebook tightly enough to crinkle the pages, and the pencil she had stolen from Blinky snapped in half.
"What did you just say?"
"The evidence is undeniable," Blinky said. A little bit of his conspiracy-fervor crept into his voice. "Judging from both your appearance and behavior it is clear that you have been tricking us this whole time!"
"Are you…are you fucking kidding me?!"
"How else do you explain your savage mien, your lack of family records, your tendency to lie and deceive? There can be no other explanation! You are a Changeling!"
"I'm the goddamn Trollhunter," Alexandra shouted, jumping to her feet as Blinky raised the gaggletack. Her entire body was shaking; her teeth set in a snarl; her eyes bright with tears.
"Yes, and that is incredible enough in and of itself! We will deal with that later…"
"Blinky, she looks mad," AAARRRGGHH said, for all the good it did.
"…But now, it is time for you to reveal yourself!"
Blinky jumped around the desk, gaggletack held before him like a blade, and Alexandra dodged the artifact and roughly pushed him away. AAARRRGGHH caught him and held him steady.
The smell of anger, the heaviness of pain, the salt from tears and the scab over her eye
The sound of her teeth grinding, a tiny whine in the back of her throat, the bitter taste of betrayal in the air
"You….y-you…"
She was so angry that she could barely speak, and with a filthy glance at the both of them she bolted out of the room. They followed immediately, quickly drawing attention from the shops and stalls in the halls.
"It is useless to run, foul beast," Blinky yelled. AAARRRGGHH was too busy knuckling around the crowds to roll his eyes, but he was very quickly discerning that his friend's attitude was not helping the situation.
"Fuck off!" Alexandra spat, shoving through a group of trolls whose conversation quickly petered out in the wake of the Trollhunter's sharp elbows. They were heading toward the Heartstone, and AAARRRGGHH groaned at the thought of bringing Vendel into this mess.
"You cannot deny it, you cannot refuse! The whole of Heartstone Trollmarket will see for themselves – "
Alexandra whipped around, the light of the great crystal enflaming her face, and snatched the gaggletack from Blinky's waving hand.
It did absolutely nothing.
She shoved it under his nose, taking advantage of their height differences to step forward and menace him and completely ignoring AAARRRGGHH's presence as Blinky's backup.
"Now do I look like a FUCKING Changeling to you?"
Blinky didn't answer, as shell-shocked as he was. Around them, several of the bystanders recognized the artifact. Whispers began to circulate throughout the hall, and both AAARRRGGHH and Blinky shifted uncomfortably.
"But…I was so sure – everything suggested that – "
"Oh, no," Alexandra snarled. "You cannot deny it, you cannot refuse! You. Were. Wrong."
"What is the meaning of this?"
Vendel was tracing his way through the Heartstone's crystals, and AAARRRGGHH felt a shooting of dread. This would not go well.
"Are you on yet another one of your conspiracy hunts, Blinkous? What has taken you now – oh!"
Vendel froze, his eyes focused on the gaggletack in Alexandra's shaking hand.
"A Changeling?" he hissed. "You actually accused our Trollhunter of being a Changeling?!"
"Vendel mad?"
AAARRRGGHH flinched back when Vendel's snapped his eyes toward him.
"Mad would be a considerable improvement! Blinkous Galadrigal! How could you be so foolish?"
"There was immense evidence," Blinky retorted, the conviction utterly gone from his voice under the scathing gazes of the Trollhunter and Vendel and a good portion of Trollmarket.
"I thought…everything pointed toward…"
"I trusted you," said Alexandra. AAARRRGGHH couldn't help but hang his head. Blinky lowered his face and stepped back into his friend's chest.
The Hunter bared her sharp teeth.
"Every day I've been here you've been dogging me, trying to find out lies, haven't you? Since the first time we met you haven't trusted me, have you? Well I goddamn trusted you, and you decided that…what? I wasn't enough like you, I was too different, so you automatically concluded that I was some sort of lying half-breed thing?"
She reeled back her arm and threw the gaggletack at Blinky's face, where it caught him on the cheek before AAARRRGGHH could catch it. He looked shocked and immensely guilty, but when he stammered an apology Alexandra turned on her heel and left without acknowledging him, leaving them alone with an angry Vendel and a crowd of disappointed trolls.
Vendel stomped over to them and bent down until he was at Blinky's level.
"You had better find a way to fix this, Blinkous," he said. His voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking it for calm. "I shudder to think of what would come to our home should we have a vengeful Trollhunter on our hands. Hmph."
The tapping on Vendel's crystal staff echoed in his wake as he walked back into the Heartstone. Over the heads surrounding them AAARRRGGHH could see Alexandra stomping away, damaged notebook and pencil still clutched in her hands as she stomped through the market, wiping her eyes before disappearing around a corner.
AAARRRGGHH felt horrible. They had never seriously considered what would happen if they were wrong.
"Another conspiracy, eh, Blinky?" said Bagdwella with a nasty smile. "You certainly seem to have messed up this one."
"I was trying to protect our home," he answered vehemently, picking the gaggletack off of the ground.
"If she had been a Changeling imagine what could have happened!"
"Oh, yes," said the woman wryly. "I'm sure the entire market would have collapsed, the cat meat would have soured, the crystals would have gone dark!"
"Changeling or not, she still has been lying – "
"Time to go," said AAARRRGGHH firmly, grabbing Blinky underneath his arms and physically carrying him away from further confrontation.
"AAARRRGGHH!"
"Feel bad," he said, looking at Blinky's upside-down face. "Need to apologize."
Blinky's small, blunt horns rubbed against his chest as he nodded.
"Indeed," he said grimly. "We have…I have made a grave misinterpretation, one that could cost us dearly. Apologizing is the least we can do."
Distantly, there was a familiar roar of rage, followed by the crashing of wood against stone. Blinky shrank slightly in AAARRRGGHH's arms.
"But perhaps it can wait a bit."
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Alexandra marched in a huff back to her quarters, angrily clenching her notebook in her hand, until she closed the door and let the anger fall away. She carefully put the book in one of her piles, stepped around several cats who wanted food, and gave a quick whistle.
"Gnome," she breathed. "Hey."
The gnome, hiding in her bathroom, quickly peaked around the doorframe. The cats scattered as Alexandra crouched down.
"Good job," she said quietly. "May I have it?"
The gnome chittered for a moment until she offered it the stub of Blinky's pencil. It chewed on it appreciatively and Alexandra reached behind it, pulling the gaggletack, the real one, out from its little hoard.
The horseshoe sparkled with blue lightening the second it touched her bare hand. She hated these things. Her entire body ached and itched like it wanted to transform, but while she was in her troll form it was not obligatory, and the gaggletack didn't quite affect her as much as she knew it could. Her unique situation with her familiar probably confused its magic, and in a moment the lightening died out with a rather disgruntled fzzt.
The gnome and the cats were all cowering. Alexandra stood and stowed the gaggletack inside her vest.
"You did very well," she said to the gnome, giving it another pencil. It reached out and snatched it before hiding back in its hole.
And so did I. She'd not only allayed any suspicions of her being a Changeling, but also had put Blinky in such an awkward position that now he was trying to get back into her good graces. Any oddities would be written off as the strangeness of New Jersey trolls, and her trainer was no longer asking questions. It had been a good day.
She spent the rest of the evening staring at the pages of her books without taking in a single thing, and then finally allowed herself to think when she settled down for bed.
Shifting into human form, she curled on top of her nest, hugging her knees to her chest and allowing herself a brief moment of agony. It had been a successful day, yes, but now she knew how her newest acquaintances felt about a Changeling Trollhunter. And it hurt. She could never be fully open with them. She could never completely trust them. She could never be honest with them.
God, it hurts.
She didn't lay in bed for long. As much as she wanted to stay curled up and crying, she also felt like punching something, and it was barely the beginning of the day. So she shifted back and stalked to the Forge, nodding to the market residents who apologized for Blinky's behavior. Apparently this sort of thing had happened before, although he'd never gone so far as to offer such an insult to the actual Trollhunter.
The Forge had a few people sparring in it when she entered, but they hastily beat an exit until she waved at them to continue their training. Now that she'd gotten the majority of Trollmarket sympathetic to her, she needed to show them that she was on their side, one of them and willing to be friendly and helpful. Not only would it make Blinky think twice about questioning her again but it would, in time, provide her with a number of allies if things really turned sour.
She practiced a few sets that Draal taught her and relished at the burn in her arms, the feeling of her blade slicing through the air. It was strange how she had been so reluctant at first, considering how at home she felt in her armor now. The true responsibilities of being a Trollhunter were still daunting, but this – the music of the blade, the exertion of the forms, the stretch in her muscles and the Forge's heat in her lungs – was something that pulsed in her blood so beautifully.
Hopefully existing in Trollmarket would get easier, too. She'd have to be more open with Blinky, and that really didn't appeal to her, but now that she'd firmly established herself as both a warrior and, very conclusively, a troll she should be able to give herself wholly to her new duties.
She noticed with one eye a few of the trainees on the other side of the Forge watching her as she lunged, and she grinned as she swung into a strong block.
Keep looking, gentlemen.
That was certainly another way to gain popularity. She wasn't that pretty of a human anymore, but apparently trolls appreciated large horns and musculature, and Alexandra was more than willing to use that to her advantage. She parried an invisible hit and seamlessly meshed the end of the form into the beginning of another, and lost herself to the flow of the movements and the pounding of her hearts.
She ignored the time passing, and the eventual egress of the other trainees. Her forms took her around the Forge, over the now-level floor and across the hidden Soothscryer. Suddenly the amulet on her breastplate glowed, and the Forge went haywire.
The floor heaved like an earthquake, the walls erupting with blades and flaming arrows. Alexandra dismissed her sword as the floor tilted dangerously and hang to grab onto the edge to keep from falling.
What the actual fuck!
There was nobody around, nobody who could have activated the Death Arena, which put sabotage and assassination out. Alexandra searched wildly for an explanation that didn't end in I broke the Forge and had to finally conclude that something had simply malfunctioned.
According to The History of Heartstone Trollmarket, the Forge was built with a kill-switch inside the mouth of the Soothscryer.
For fuck's sake…
Alexandra snarled inarticulately as she pulled herself on the edge of the tilted floor, jumping onto a blade as it moved upward. Her short legs couldn't jump very far, but her arms and upper body made up for the deficiency. She rode the blade until it reached its height, and then jumped onto the raised body of the Soothscryer, grabbing onto its ledge and hoisting herself up. She stuck her upper left hand into the swirling mouth of the statue
and
fell.
It was tremendously loud; the glow of the Soothscryer's eyes blinded her with red light, until she landed in a crouch, her face screwed up and her hands over her ears. When she opened her eyes, she saw galaxies.
Oh, shit, she thought. I'm in the fucking Void.
"Unwelcome."
"Intruder."
"Impure."
"Don't call me that," Alexandra said darkly.
Balls of light shot at her and she rolled to dodge them; they glanced off her armor but she hesitated to summon her sword, in case she pissed off any of the dead fucking Trollhunters. The Void was a facsimile of the Hero's Forge, down to the markings on the floors, but the red was replaced with the bright blue glow of the amulet's magic, and above the heads of the dead Trollhunters swirled and entire starry sky of monstrous constellations and swirling lights.
"A Changeling is the Trollhunter!"
"Abomination…"
"She has no place here…"
"Hey, assholes, you summoned me," Alex muttered, forcibly slapping away another glowing ball.
"Such disrespect," said a familiar voice. The balls of light joined together and a bulky troll appeared, transparent and glowing but still immense.
She'd forgotten how big Kanjigar was. She could look him in the eye, but his shoulders were nearly as broad as her arms were long. He aimed a bare-armed hit at her head and she summoned her sword to cut him off; the blow glanced off his arm as he turned into the swing and tried to grab at her head. She ducked and got him in the chest with a lower fist, just as his hand closed around the handle of the sword and wrenched it from her.
"Yeah, well. I've always had a problem with authority," Alex said quietly. Kanjigar's eyes smiled, and she was relieved that he seemed more amused by her than disgusted.
"You've done well to prove yourself," he said, giving Alexandra a little thrill of pride.
"Despite having achieved it through trickery and deception."
Alex crossed her arms.
"You know, I almost apologized for making you come here without your armor, but I think I won't."
Kanjigar appeared as his dead body had, with a bared chest and simple shorts and loincloth, unique among the Trollhunters clad in full armor. She did notice that he had both elbows now.
"Crude."
"How dare she…"
"We are here to offer you council, Kanjigar said, interrupting the offended tirade. Alexandra got the impression that several of the past Trollhunters were a lot more sensitive than they really needed to be.
"We've been watching you; waiting for you to prove yourself."
"That's…I don't like that," Alex muttered. Kanjigar smirked wryly.
"You do not have to," he said. "You have proven yourself to be…more than you were made to be,"
The chamber echoed his last living words to her. With a wave of his hand, a flow of mist turned into an image of her jumping between Blinky and Bular. Her mist-self kicked Bular away from the smaller troll, and then the imaged changed to her shooting him in the face.
"Unorthodox!"
"Untraditional!"
"Effective," said Kanjigar. "The Trollhunter is rooted in lore and tradition, but I will admit that your methods are successful."
The image changed again, and Alexandra watched herself glow her eyes at AAARRRGGHH, and instruct the gnome in his task to switch out the gaggletack for the horseshoe.
"Even though they may not be as honorable as we would prefer."
"I have to protect myself," Alexandra said, quietly but without wavering. "You know how they reacted, if you were watching. We're liars for a reason."
"That is true," Kanjigar said, "But this is not a responsibility you can take on alone. The role of Trollhunter is a solitary one, but the others can become your greatest assets, should you attempt to actually trust them."
"You pushed your son away," Alexandra pointed out, making Kanjigar jerk back slightly. "I would have thought you would be more than understanding about my choice to go it alone."
Kanjigar frowned at her, the blue glow of his eyes narrowing. His fingers tightened on her sword, solid and small in his ghostly hand.
"I chose not to drag my son into my battles," he said. "There is a difference between keeping distance to protect someone, and refusing connections out of pride and fear."
"That doesn't make your actions right," Alex murmured. She and Kanjigar stared it off for a few moments, before silently agreeing to disagree. Kanjigar shifted the sword in his grip, before hanging it in the air and letting it go back to Alexandra.
"Continue your training, Hunter, but try to trust your allies."
She looked away. She knew she'd have to open up a bit, but to actively trust? More than she already did? What would that entail? How much would she have to give up?
"I understand that your past and nature make it difficult…"
Understatement.
"…Blodwen."
"That's not my name," Alex hissed, spinning around and slashing her sword through his arm, where it passed through harmlessly. The strength of the swing pulled at her shoulder, and she panted for a second, glaring at Kanjigar with hard eyes.
"We see all, Trollhunter," he said, almost gently. "There are no secrets here."
Alex inhaled deeply, and straightened up, shaking off the anger.
"That's not my name," she repeated, calmer. Kanjigar inclined his head, but one of the other Trollhunters flashed their eyes.
"It used to be."
Alexandra noticed that it was the four-armed, six-eyed Hunter, who was probably insulted that a member of her sister clan had been taken as a Changeling.
"I'm not talking about this," Alex said. "We are not talking about this. Is there anything else you have for me, or can I get back to the land of the living?"
Kanjigar nodded grimly, and floated back. Alexandra tore her eyes off him and focused on the red of the Forge, the heat and the dusty smell that was absent in the Void. She felt herself starting to fall away.
"I'll tell Draal you said hello, shall I?" she yelled at the former Hunter, just as the Void faded around her and she landed in the Hero's Forge with a crash and a bruised tailbone.
She hadn't…
Damn, she was shaken. Kanjigar knew where to hit where it hurt.
It took effort not to collapse, but she was in a public place and didn't want anyone wondering why she was crying. She forced the name and its memories out of her mind, refusing to let herself feel anything. A few deep breaths later the armor was dismissed, and she opened her eyes to see Blinky and AAARRRGGHH standing on the end of the bridge.
She really didn't want to talk to anybody now, and it showed on her face. Blinky held up two of his hands in surrender.
"I…realize that our presence is not welcome," he said quietly. "But please accept this offering. I…believe you may find it useful."
Alex stepped forward to take it. She glanced up at AAARRRGGHH, standing behind Blinky like a giant mossy bodyguard; he gave her a little smile.
The offering was nothing more than a large iron key and a piece of paper with a scribble of directions. Alexandra didn't ask and Blinky didn't elaborate, and he and his companion left without another word.
Her urge to punch something had only grown bigger since the beginning of the day, but she had to admit that she was curious.
The directions, written in a beautiful Trollish slant, led her to the residential district, although in a different section of the caves than her own quarters. She wound through immense corridors and dark hallways, the only noise coming from quiet rivulets of water that ran down the walls, creating mist around the crystals embedded in the stone. At the very end of the farthest hall was a wide stone door, to which the key Blinky had given her fit perfectly. She unlocked the door and cautiously peered into the rooms.
They were dark, the crystals smashed, as was tradition when someone died. A small lamp of glowworms provided the only light. The air smelled damp and warm, but empty. Unlived in. The everyday debris and personal items of the previous occupant had been left untouched, and in the dust Alexandra smelled Kanjigar.
She wasn't sure what to make of it. Was he giving her Kanjigar's rooms? She already had her own, though they were getting a bit crowded with cats, and she had a few problems living in the quarters of her deceased predecessor.
Although…he could see her now. It probably would annoy him if she took over his rooms. Perhaps the idea did have merit.
Alexandra stepped further into the room and turned, and then saw what Blinky was really giving her.
The walls surrounding the door, from floor to ceiling, were covered with books, several of them peeling with age, half-burnt, or even bloodstained. There were hundreds, and each was unique.
He gave her Kanjigar's library.
.
.
.
BITCH YOU THOUGHT.
She planted little Changeling clues on purpose, because of course she couldn't just do something nice for someone else without having an ulterior motive. So she made herself feel less guilty and killed any Changeling suspicion with one stone.
Not shown is the four hours Alexandra took to go upstairs and hunt the thrift stores for an actual horseshoe and then the bribes she made to the gnome to get him to make the switch.
After re-watching the series, I have concluded that these two are so fucking married. I'm honest here. They're besties, certainly, but Blinky was worried about his human! Transformation and how distant he thought A was getting because of it. Like, if my bestie suddenly turned into a giant cat we'd still be besties, but I'm not sure how I'd react to my husband suddenly turning into a cat. And how they act around each other, the long looks, the everything. They are so damn married.
Another tiny reference to the book, and some of the lines were inspired by IDW's comic 58, a page of which can be found here. Leatherhead would totally be Alexandra's favorite character.
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