"Aravis?"
The girl's muffled sobs stopped as she sniffed and sat up questioningly. She heard her door swing shut and the patter of feet coming to stop by her bed. "Shasta?" She whispered, reaching out a hand and meeting his in the dark. She pulled slightly and he clambered up to sit beside her.
"It's Cor, remember? Think you'd know it by now. We've been here almost two months after all."
Aravis chuckled slightly before breaking down into tears again.
"Oh please, Aravis. Stop crying. It's absolutely awful when you cry."
"It's just-it's too dark. There aren't any stars and I'm so cold." Cor himself, still used to the hot Calormane air, was cold, so he pulled a blanket around both of them.
"Look here, Aravis," he said, rather seriously. "If you stop crying, I'll take you on a little adventure.
Aravis took a few deep breaths. She hated crying in front of Cor, well anyone, but especially Cor. "I've had enough adventure for a long time," she said, wiping away the last tears with the edge of the blanket.
"Please? I know you'll like it and it'll be over by morning."
"You're sure?"
"Quite."
"Well," she hesitated for another moment before finally relenting. She wouldn't get back to sleep for a long time anyway. "Alright. But no lions or armies."
"No lions," he agreed. "Now get your warmest cloak."
"Where are we going?" She whispered as they made their way down the silent corridors of the castle.
"You'll find out." This was followed almost immediately by a wordless exclamation as Cor began to hop up and down on one foot.
Aravis smirked at him. "You know, if you wore shoes you wouldn't keep doing that."
He grimaced back at her, rubbing his bare toes. "I can't abide shoes. I've never needed them, never even had any. Why should I wear them now?"
"Because they look better than your dirty feet, they'll protect your toes and keep them warm."
"You sound like Father."
"Keep going."
Grumbling under his breath, Cor lead her through the kitchens and out a side door. Sneaking around the edge of the courtyard they quickly made their way to the stables. Aravis stopped just inside the door, breathing in the familiar scent of horse. On a night when she'd desperately needed something familiar, Shasta –no Cor, she berated herself- had known exactly where to go.
"I like the castle," Cor said, leading her to the stall of the horse King Lune had given him. "But at night, it seems too small, but-"
"But too big at the same time," Aravis finished. "Me too. It's nothing like sleeping outside." She buried her face in the horse's mane.
"Want to go out?"
Aravis looked up, startled. "You mean past the castle walls?" Cor nodded. "Are we allowed?" He shrugged.
"I don't know. But why shouldn't we? It's only a few hours till dawn and we'll just tell the guard we're going to the river."
She still looked dubious.
"Please, Aravis. You wanted to see stars."
She huffed in exasperation and shrugged. Cor smiled and saddled his horse with practiced ease.
"Come on then," he said, mounting up.
"Should I get my horse?"
"No, he can hold two of us." Aravis shrugged again and grabbed Cor's waiting hand, swinging up even more gracefully than he had. The only time Cor was remotely graceful was on a horse. His dance masters despaired of him ever being graceful anywhere else.
Alerting the guard, who didn't resist (It was the Crown Prince after all), to where they'd be, Cor and Aravis rode out the gate and down the road, turning towards the river that sparkled in the sinking moon's last light.
"It still amazes me," whispered Aravis, her breathe tickling Cor's ear, "how many constellations I don't know. We're so far North it's like a totally different world."
"It is a totally different world." They stopped at the edge of the river, but for a long time they simply sat, relishing in the new stars and familiar feel of a horse under them. But eventually Aravis stirred, just in time to regain her balance before she could tumble off the horse's back.
"Best get off now," Cor said, laughing. "Before you're so asleep you can't wake up in time."
"Ha ha," Aravis mumbled, but she slid off and sat in the cool grass as Cor followed suit. The horse lay down behind them and let the two children lean against his warm back.
"Feeling better?" Cor asked her.
"Mhm," she was already half asleep again. "Thank you, Shasta."
"Cor, remember?" But she didn't hear. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her before he too drifted off to sleep.