~ Red Leaves of Autumn ~
"Today we shall cover the matter of a possible treaty with Telmar to halt the border raids by –" Hembleton the Hedgehog stopped reading the list of things to be done that day when the great doors that closed off the Court swung inward. The scrabble of hurried hooves on smooth golden-white marble could be heard, and in ran Master Tumnus, much older and with quite a bit of grey in his thick brown curls.
"Oh, Mr. Tumnus, what is it? Has something dreadful arisen in Lantern Waste?" A beautiful Queen rose from a finely crafted marble throne, her golden tresses with small braids woven throughout swept away from her face with a small gilt clip at the back of her head. Her silver circlet glinted in the light from the large stained glass window behind her as she rose to her feet, and she seemed some fair creature of the sun in her saffron and orange dress.
"More threats from the Telmarine brigands?" A blonde king demanded, rising forcefully and putting his hand to his great-sword at his side guardedly, raising the blade a few inches from its sheath. His gold crown matched the thread woven into the dark reds of his shirt. A brown-gold cape at his back brushed against dark brown boots in whispers. A heavy gold knight's chain swung as he leaned forward, waiting for the Faun to speak.
"Peace, my brother and sister; he is thoroughly exhausted, can you see not? Give our dear friend but a moment to catch his breath." A raven-haired beauty rose from her throne and descended the stairs to come to the aged Faun's side, comfortingly resting a light hand on his shoulder and smiling. Her golden circlet glinted against her long dark locks pooling around her feet as she inclined her head. A pale dress colored like the flaxen and brown of fields swished around her, making her smooth skin fairer.
"Our royal sister speaks truth; come, he must be chilled also, running through the nights and windy days to reach us in a timely manner. The drafts from those open doors might sicken even the hardiest of messengers." A dark haired man stood and lifted his hand. A quietly uttered spell brought the doors closed with an echoing boom. Long black curls framed his face, and his silver crown matched his younger sister's. A soft grey cape rested across his shoulders, partly covering his maroon shirt and silver knight's chain he wore. Grey boots to match made hardly a sound against the marble as he descended the steps from his throne.
Finally, after a moment to catch his breath, Tumnus spoke. "It is… not news of…" he paused, struggling to catch a deep breath. "Gravest alarm… merely that… the White Stag… has been sighted… near Lantern Waste… just past midday nearly five… nights ago." Tumnus looked up at the Kings and Queens.
Suddenly the Court was rustling and alive. King Edmund tossed his head back and laughed heartily. High King Peter slid his sword back into its sheath with a snap and at first stared bewildered before a smile slowly came to his face. Queen Susan blinked several times, but a smile slid onto her red lips and her grey eyes twinkled merrily. A loud shout echoed, and Queen Lucy mildly surprised her subjects by turning a cartwheel behind her throne. Blue eyes sparkled as she looked round the room at her siblings.
"Tis good and happy news on such a somber occasion," King Edmund declared momentarily. Around the courtroom heads bobbed.
"Where now is Thaddeus?" the High King asked, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"Sire," a bay Centaur spoke up from where he had been sitting. His shod hooves clattered familiarly on the marble as he rose.
"Please have our royal horse saddled," the High King requested with a nod of his blonde head. The Centaur bowed from the waist, his black hair rippling over his shoulders before he turned to leave the room.
"But, your Majesties, should you not prepare for a long leave?" Hembleton spoke up quickly from his place at the foot of the stairs, to Tumnus' left.
"We shall be fine until we return, Hemble," Queen Lucy replied merrily as she looked over at him, using her nickname for the Talking Animal.
"What of the matters to be discussed today?" King Edmund suddenly enquired. Queen Lucy giggled behind her hand and the High King smiled slightly at his brother's words. Of course he would be concerned with Court!
"Nothing that cannot be put off until the following week, Sire," the Hedgehog answered cheerily, scurrying about to roll up the large scroll he'd been reading from.
"Thank you," the Just King answered, nodding dismissively.
"Well then, to our horses!" Queen Susan rose from beside Tumnus, who had quite recovered from his long run.
The monarchs of Narnia left the room to gather hunting supplies. However, this was no ordinary hunt after any ordinary stag. The White Stag was a fabled magical beast said in days long ago to grant wishes if you chanced to catch him and trick him into speaking. It was a wonderful thing that such an Animal had been sighted after so many years.
The High King took his great-sword Rhindon, with which he slew Maugrim and many fierce Giants in the Northlands. Queen Susan picked up her bow and quiver to sling across her back after long months of nothing but practice on the training grounds. Her horn of ivory she tied to her saddle also, in case of great need. King Edmund slid a dagger into his boot and brought his twin swords – Vermogen and Besterik – also, because the dissent with the Telmarines meant even their woods were not always safe havens in dangerous times. Queen Lucy belted her dagger and cordial at her waist, as she did in times of war and peace; you never knew what injuries arose on a hunt.
Lord Peridan asked if he might ride with them also, and the Lord Cirrus of Freidmer. Sir Roland of the Lion's Mane and his son Sir William asked to join. Lady Sabine and Lady Vivian saddled their horses along with Lord Cirrus' wife, Agatha. General Oreius sent his son – Aurelian – as a guard, and several Talking Horses asked if they might gallop with the monarchs for the sheer joy they got from a good run. Everyone was granted permission to go.
They all rode out from Cair Paravel and galloped up to Lantern Waste, autumn surrounding them with her beautiful real-life paintings. The Twilight Mountains' snow-covered peaks glinted in the distance and reflected in clear lakes and ponds along with beautiful trees dressed in their reds, golds, browns and yellows; a few evergreens spread throughout.
The party was merry and everyone laughed as they rode, telling amusing stories and tales of days of yore. Peter told young Sir William of past battles, and King Edmund regaled their friends with his tales of Calormen and countries across the ocean, where he had gone as ambassador for Narnia. They followed the Stag's trail, and at noon paused to rest and eat the midday meal.
Queen Lucy dropped an armful of autumn leaves over her brother – the Just King – as he sat eating, and then ran laughing from him as he chased her through the trees while a gentle breeze ruffled the treetops and sent more leaves to the ground in a colorful shower. Lady Sabine picked flowers that grew only at this time of year and braided them into her long flaxen hair.
Queen Susan and Lady Vivian talked of the coming winter months, and the preparations for the Yuletide ball they had to begin shortly if ever they wished to be ready for it. Snowlock, an elderly white Stallion, chatted with them about a sleigh ride for the children, and wondered if Bree and Hwin might come down for the ball this year with their mates.
Baybright, a spirited young buckskin mare, galloped and frisked with Queen Lucy and King Edmund, kicking up her heels and snorting with delight as she plunged into red leaves and jumped across fallen logs. Her Dam, Lady Hinn – a distant relation to Hwin – asked Lady Agatha how her daughters were and what the Archenlanders had been up to when last she and her husband had visited Anvard.
And then, as they lazily packed and began to resume searching for the Stag, Sir William shouted and pointed to a regal animal peering at them from a rise not twenty feet away. Fourteen points crowned its head, and its white coat glistened like hoarfrost in the afternoon light shining through the trees of Darkening Wood.
Eagerly everyone mounted their horses or rose to their shod feet. Baybright whinnied excitedly, tossing her head, her long black forelock catching in the wind that smell of spices and mint. Snowlock grunted as he jerked to his hooves, and then stamped the ground impatiently; even for an austere Stallion such as he the excitement was catching.
They urged their mounts into gallops and sprinted after the Stag as it wheeled and vaulted away into the woods. Laughter echoed across hill and vale as they dashed after the beast. The Just King jested that his war-horse, Night, was faster than the High King's blood bay stallion, Fire. Queen Lucy laughed at their good-natured bickering, and passed both men on her spirited mare, Day, while Susan ran at her heels atop Ice, her white stallion.
And always as they galloped ran the White Stag before them; winding through streams, creeks and jumping fallen logs; dashing between trees and over hedges. The Animal might pause just out of reach and look back at them, but they were never quite close enough to see the emotion that passed across its wide brown eyes.
It was simply a merry autumn day in Narnia; naught was wrong in all the world, it seemed. The High King reigned, and his siblings were all of good health. The age had been golden, and no one wanted for anything in their whole kingdom. What could ever sunder the rulers of Narnia when Aslan stood at their backs?
A/N:
This is for fall, as I can look out my window at a beautiful view of trees and a lovely lake reflecting them. Leave scatter across the ground and I simply feel inspired. I must write about fall! So, I wrote this. I realized that it was also the season that had been chosen in the film for the hunt of the Stag, and decided to elaborate upon that moment.
Some interesting things regarding White Stags and their mythology:
The Celtic people consider them messengers from the otherworld.
In Arthurian legend it [the White Stag] has the perennial ability to evade capture, and that the pursuit of the animal represents mankind's spiritual quest. It also signaled that the time was nigh for knights to pursue a new quest.
If you think about it, this means that going back to their world was their next adventure; it was their next quest to go on. The time had come for them to begin a new adventure, which is signaled by the return of the Stag. The new adventure was learning to find Aslan in their world, and to use the lessons they had learned in Narnia back home in England. C.S. Lewis was really a brilliant writer!