The Council of Lords
Note: This short-story is a fan fiction piece based on The Chronicles of Narnia, with all its settings and characters to be a knock-off, however several events and characters remain my own.
The winds blew as the halls of the Old Palace became silent, as the many people talked and argued in the hall, numbering three as all began to whisper when a faun walked forward angrily with slightly aged brown fur and a orange beard, as another man sat wearing a turban sat at the other-side and a tall, stout man stood on the other-side.
"Silence!" The faun yelled as the other tanned turban-wearing man looked angry.
"Emperor Rabadash, Tisroc of Calormen, stop your arguments with King Lune, Lord of Archenland!" He said slowly, as Rabadash turned to the faun with an expression of ferocity upon his face, as he twitched his ears back in anger.
"You, Tumnus, are but a steward to the Narnian throne, why do you talk as a lord? This is the Council of Lords, not the Council of Stewards!" He asked angrily, as Tumnus looked enraged.
"Perhaps you would think of me to bring a Narnian noble, like Sir Caspian?" He asked angrily. "I believe the Council of Lords also lays in tradition within Cair Paravel, not Tashbaan, but we changed that do to your-" He yelled, when King Lune interrupted him.
"Let us not discriminate or argue my friends, despite conditions of the Calormene monarch or weirdness of the Narnian steward! Let us have no fear, gentlemen, let us discuss peaceably as our ancestors have so many years prior!" King Lune said slowly, as all silenced as sat, even Steward Tumnus, as King Lune took administration of the council.
"Let us discuss the peace and trade between nations, all state affairs and family interactions!" He said slowly. "By the lion's mane thus, I commence this council with my blessings!" King Lune said happily, holding up a goblet of wine.
"As do I!" Said Tumnus and Rabadash, Tumnus graciously but Rabadash bitterly.
"To our first affair, does anyone offer an issue?" King Lune asked, as Rabadash looked thoughtful but Tumnus seemed to be enlightened.
"I believe that the invasions of the northern giants are becoming excessive, their Lord Vogolan has recently sent forth a hundred giants, and I desire the aid of all the North to aid me, even Calormen if they are willing…" Tumnus said slowly, as then Rabadash seemed enlightened as well and interrupted Tumnus' speaking.
"I believe that the most effective route to battle is to send half of the Archenlandish army and half of the Narnian army on the border to hold Lord Vogolan in check, whereas, the other halves will sail to the Lone Islands, then sail and attack in a flanking-maneuver to the Northern Frontier, to force Lord Vogolan to retreat back into his territory, as half the remaining defenders in Narnia will push forward, leaving the last mentioned in defense of the border. Perhaps we will gain more territory in this action." Rabadash said slowly, as even King Lune seemed angered.
"However, where will the Calormenes be in all this? Will they even join this campaign?" Asked he, with a slight smirk but one of questioning.
"If I cannot lead my own army, shall I leave it to a Tarkaan of my land? Perhaps a Tarkheena? So that these enlightened commanders may gain power to say, overthrow there beloved Tisroc?" Rabadash said in a paranoid fashion, then looking very stern, with the same expression of questioning upon his face.
"Would not is be bad for diplomatic sessions as well if Calormen falls to power-struggles between tarkaans and tarkheenas and peasantry in Calormen because there beloved Tisroc, Rabadash the Peacemaker, a descendant of Tash and member of the only dynasty of Calormen, the Tisroc Dynasty, fell to the ground as a ass for daring to question the orders of the demon Aslan?" He said in a self-centered but intelligent voice, as Tumnus and Lune jumped from there chairs.
"How dare you, by the lion's mane, call Aslan a demon?" Lune said, knowing that only so far could his grace be given to one as ignorant and selfish as Rabadash, as Tumnus thought 'More like Rabadash the Ridiculous than Rabadash the Peacemaker! HAHA!" He though, with a slight chuckle as Rabadash turned to him.
"What are you laughing at, beast?" He said evilly, as Tumnus turned, disregarding Rabadash's statement: "Nothing at all, nothing at all…" He said under his breath, laughing slightly again.
"Well then, now we have regained our calm, let us, perhaps march our army of armies to attack!" Said he, as all nodded.
"I will send no army, I shall not!" Said Rabadash slowly, then smirking with happiness.
"Then you are expelled from this council, Tisroc!" King Lune said with rage and ferocity as Rabadash seemed confused.
"How dare you expel me, especially when the council lays in my empire's own capital, Tashbaan!" He said slowly.
"Why, we will simply move to the 'traditional' council site, Cair Paravel, and if you despise this relocation, despite your expelling, we can always drag you along, so you can turn to an ass like you deserve!" Tumnus said with a laugh, as even King Lune chuckled.
Soon they had been on a ship sailing home, then arriving back in Cair Paravel days later, as they all resembled in the Great Hall of Cair Paravel, where the two lords sat abide, with a great army assembled outside, as the lords conversed, finally reaching a decision.
"Fine then, it is settled," Said Lune "I shall sail a army of 2,000 Narnians and 1,500 Archenlanders to the Lone Islands then to the east flank of the Northern Frontier, whereas you, Steward Tumnus will lead 500 Narnians and 1,000 Archenlanders will lead the border diversion and defense." Said King Lune, with an intellectual stature and tone-of-voice. This meeting was a short priority however, and within three days King Lune lay upon his ship, The Archenlander as a flagship to a fleet of transports and guard-boats, until they reached the Lone Islands in two weeks, and soon set off with a 1,000 extra Lone Islanders in his force, until they soon were just miles from the Northern Expedition shoreline. Then finally, in a bleak fog, they reached the shore and left-ship, making camp near the shore. Within hours King Lune lay in his pavilion with several lords speaking of techniques to victory, when the conversation changed to better things.
"Tomorrow Tumnus will begin pushing in; Lord Vogolan will then attack him, as we ambush them from behind…" Sir Fredrick said elegantly, for he was one of Lune's advisors.
"Indeed, that will be a fine idea, but send three messengers now on different routes, and have a trumpeter move five miles from here and blow the former Queen's horn to tell them…" King Lune said slowly.
"Why so many couriers, your Excellency?" Another advisor, Lord Darwin asked curiously.
"Because if they go by separate routes, then if Lord Vogolan lays ambush to one, another will escape that trap and send the message to Tumnus, for even his army will not dare fire arrows at a horseman flying a flag with a lion-in-center of standard." He said slowly as both Darwin and Fredrick nodded, and they looked upon the map of the known and mapped areas of the Northern Frontier. Then they talked further, and all the advisors left the pavilion and King Lune slept, when they awoke in the morning, and King Lune assembled his army and marched. The area seemed barbaric in every way, for it was literally untouched by savage, with markings of awkward languages on trees and roars and huge steps' marks in the wet and muddy soil, but soon, despite rain and thunder and cloudiness of the greatly early morning, they continued on until they reached a great ridge, where they all, in infantry fully, looked down upon what seemed to be a great chaotic event occurring downward, with sounds of shouts and colliding mettle erupting everywhere, as they noticed the Gigantic army of Lord Vogolan fight the Narnian and Archenlandish army of Steward Tumnus. So King Lune, being the brilliant man he was, looked down and determined the battle had been going for five hours, occurring during the late evening, also seeing that trumpets erupted, telling him they were aware of his message, obviously wanting his reinforcement. Another reason for this assumption was that it seemed that the giants were pushing against the army of Tumnus fiercely, sitting on and smashing on and stepping on Archenlanders and Narnians to and fro, back and forth, east and west, north and south, in every direction possible. However, the allied army of Tumnus still was fighting valiantly, finally although, King Lune looked down and called forth his archers. However, during this time, thoughts about his sons Cor and Corin came to mind, for there desire to always fight in war, and his daughter-in-law Aravis, a famed archer and rider, known to be great with the scimitar as well. However, he knew they were required to remain in Archenland to maintain control, thus, he disregarded this as his archers prepared.
"Aim only for the far-back of the giants and giantesses, so not to bash all the front-liners, on both sides nonetheless." He said, as all fired and killed many a giant, or wounding them, as King Lune swore bitterly under his breath as he saw several Archenlanders and a few Narnians fall dead from friendly fire. Then King Lune, mounted upon a dumb beast of Calormen, a gift of Rabadash for his refusal to come, rode down with his infantry and charged into the back line. King Lune struck down men on both sides, back and forth in all directions, as his horse went up and howled aar-aaahhhh-arrr in fiery rage, like a rabid dog swinging to and fro. Soon though King Lune was struck down from his horse, but stood and fought still valiantly, hitting down giants with strength and valor, until it seemed the battle had been won, and Tumnus met Lune in the center field as the armies cheered.
"Well I assume this was a success of a council, my friend?" Asked Steward Tumnus as King Lune laughed. "Indeed, however, I feel to spare this frontline of the frontier occupation, for despite the death of King Vogolan from your arrows, Steward, there still remains foul beasts, giants and barbarians of other sorts beyond and within these lands." King Lune said intellectually.
"I'd never beg a differ to that, my dear friend." Tumnus agreed, as both nodded, and the night faded on as they returned to the North, and they both thought, seemingly simultaneously that the next fiend to be dealt with would be the Tisroc and Calormen, for they both feared, with great regret, that perhaps he would soon forget his paranoia and still send forth his massive armies, no matter how foolish this move would be…