Billy Birch

"“The wind told me you were coming.”"

Billy Birch claims to be the first hobgoblin to develop intelligence, well before human history had even gotten started. Billy says he remembers when the Hedge was wilder, more untamed and less travelled than today. The most interesting thing about Billy’s claim is that no one refutes him; not True Fae, changeling scholar, or even hobgoblin curmudgeon.

Billy strides tall among the Thorns with the wind as his constant companion. True Fae and changelings alike seek him out to hear about the history and nature of the Hedge, and to question him about more current events. Billy says the wind whispers secrets in his ears that no one else can hear. He takes no sides in conflicts and answers questions with an honesty that is surprising to find in the Hedge. Billy will direct an escaped changeling toward the nearest exit from the Hedge and, minutes later, report the direction travelled by that changeling to their erstwhile master. Generally peaceable, Billy will respond to violence with violence and his roused ire is a terrible thing to behold.

Billy stands 10’ tall and, when still, is easy to mistake for the tree he’s named after. His body is covered in peeling white bark, his feet are tangled masses of roots, and his legs are sturdy and trunk-like. Long, thick, branches form his arms, which end in gnarled hands with fingers that constantly break off and regrow. His wooden head and face are nearly hidden among the green leaves growing on the branches that form his shoulders. Billy is much faster than might be supposed, given his apparently unhurried stride and while slow of wit (Billy doesn’t understand humour) he is quick of mind.

Billy insists on trading tales for tales. It doesn’t matter to him if the story told was made up on the spot, stolen from a TV show or movie, or if the teller relates true-life experiences. What matters to Billy is the telling. Billy prizes knowledge above all else, both the giving and receiving of it.