A/N: This story will not make much sense without having read the prequel, The Wardrobe. If this is the first time you are reading this, please feel free to review, good or bad. I'd love to have your input.
At the Back of the Wardrobe
Book Two:
The Witch
"But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." ~Romans 8:20
Rock of Ages
Let Me Hide in Thee
"Treve!" Treve's mother gasped.
"I'm home mum!" Treve hollered, "Gee, I'm sorry for disobeying, Shard says you ought to thrash me! He also says I'm a hero and the others are waiting outside. Martin says he wants to talk to you and dad about something!"
"But your father's out looking for you," Treve's mother said as she followed him out of the den, Coppell after her.
"Here she is!" Treve called.
"We return your son to you," Equus said, "We had no knowledge of his coming until he saved our lives."
"He has proven himself as untrustworthy, but even so we wondered if you would consent to letting him come with us to Cair Anvard and serve as a page," Martin said.
Both Treve and his mother stood staring at Martin with awe.
"But his education…" Treve's mother began.
"He will be educated," Flavis, said, "I will see to it myself."
"Well I…well I can't make any decisions until my husband comes…" Treve's mother said, "but I'm sure he would agree…the opportunity!"
"Why don't I ever get to do the exciting things?" Coppell asked, peeking around her mother.
It was at that moment that Treve's father came galloping into the clearing. Treve's mother ran to meet him, calling information the whole way.
"What's this?" Treve father walked over to them, "you young scallywag Treve! You ought to be skinned alive, but I'm too happy to see you."
"A page!" Treve hollered, "They want me to be a page!"
"A page!" Treve's father exclaimed, "Why'd you bother asking? Of course he can go!"
Then he caught sight of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.
"Who are these people?" he asked.
"These are the saviors of Narnia!" Flavis said, "the four from the prophecy!"
"Your majesties!" Treve's father bowed low, "I am at your command."
"Why are they wearing such funny clothes?" Coppell whispered to Treve.
"I don't know," he answered, "they said they were from another world!"
"Oh, ridiculous!" Coppell exclaimed, "Are you running a fever?"
~o*o~
Since it was noontime, Treve's mother insisted that they stopped for lunch. They ate outside even though it was cold, because, as Treve said, you couldn't ask a centaur to go down into a den.
The travelers were all so tired that one by one they fell asleep on the ground, even Martin. The strain, the worry was over. They could rest in peace and think what came next, now that they were in Archenland. Peter certainly wondered what they were going to do. The others didn't care.
It was about three o'clock when Martin woke and he proceeded to wake the others.
"We can reach Cair Anvard by nightfall," He said when they were all awake enough to hear him.
"By nightfall?" Flavis groaned, "You mean to say you want to keep going today?"
"But of course," Martin's eyes widened, "You don't really think I meant not to?"
"But of course!" Flavis said, rolling over, "We've just been going all day and all night and I'm tired."
Martin stamped his hoof and opened his mouth to reply.
"We could fly to Anvard and get help," Jafa interrupted.
"You interrupted me!" Martin exclaimed.
"As far as I know you weren't talking," Jafa said reasonably. "What about flying to Anvard?"
"No," Martin said. "We don't need help."
~o*o~
"It's something to do with his image," Flavis said to Susan, a few minutes into their journey. "If the Archenland generals hear that the supreme Narnian general sent for transportation after his mission was over he'd be the laughing stock of Archenland's army. It's been a friendly feud since he became the supreme general, because he has some good friends in Archenland's army."
The four children walked, even Lucy, but she got so tired that Equus agreed to carry her.
"After all," he said, "she weighs no more than a feather."
They walked through a village unnoticed and struck out down the road leading to Anvard after Mrs. Beaver insisted on buying something to eat on the way.
The sun was beginning to set and the sky overhead was black and glowing indigo, then pink around the edges. In the distance, the skyline of the city of Anvard rose up ahead of them.
"We shall reach it before the night is old," Martin proclaimed, already he wasn't feeling so tired.
"Would you humans like a ride?" Flavis asked.
"You must be very tired," Susan said, "we wouldn't want you to be bothered with us."
"No," Equus said, "We are all quite awake; I know that gleam in Martin's eye."
Susan accepted a ride, but Peter refused and Edmund refused because Peter did.
"Think it must be warmer here in Archenland," Edmund remarked.
"I think you're right," Peter said, "There isn't nearly as much snow either."
~o*o~
The night was dark because the moon filtered through a layer of clouds. Snow began falling, in big, soft gentle flakes. They spiraled down and caught in Lucy's hair as she slept, leaning up against Equus's back.
They dappled Flavis's black coat and made Treve look like he was going prematurely gray. Shard turned into a white ghost, almost unseen.
Edmund was so tired he felt that he would drop, his legs ached from riding the centaurs and his head ached from staring at the blinding snow so long. Night was welcome.
"Are we very near?" he asked after awhile.
"Quite near," Flavis said, "we are probably only a mile from the city. Do you want a lift?"
Edmund glanced at Peter, walking easily beside him.
"No," Edmund said, "I'm not tired."
The lights of Anvard glowed and beckoned them warmly and soon they were walking in the outskirts of Anvard. They passed glowing windows of houses as they walked into the more developed part of the city. They heard soft voices and saw a group of carolers singing quietly at a doorstep. Most of them were squirrels and hedgehogs, only one was human.
Cair Anvard herself stood as the crowning ornament on a hill in the middle of the city. Laboriously, they climbed the hill and reached the gates of the castle.
"Who goes there?" a voice echoed from the shadows and a centaur with a spear materialized, "Sir Martin! Lord Equus! Sir Flavis!"
"Yes," Flavis replied, "It's just us, will you let us in? It's very cold."
"Of course!" the centaur said, "Open the gates!"
"Aye, aye sir!" a voice from above them responded and the great portcullis began to creak open.
"Thank you Ahearn," Martin said and led the way though the gatehouse into a courtyard.
The courtyard was very dark, but long shafts of light from the windows of the great hall sent paths of gold across the cobblestones.
"I'd forgotten," Flavis said, "The first day of Christmastide is today."
"Christmas?" Susan asked, "What do you celebrate?"
"The fact that Aslan created the earth." Flavis said, "There are twelve days of Christmas for every hour Aslan took to create the world. It is a time of giving and thanksgiving."
"Why do you celebrate in the winter time?" Lucy asked.
Flavis paused, his face blank, "I don't know…the first King of Narnia made it so."
"We celebrate something entirely different at Christmas in our world," Susan said.
"You have Christmas in your world?" Flavis said.
"Yes," Susan said, "We celebrate the birth and life of someone very special."
~o*o~
They followed Martin through an inconspicuous door and down a hallway. It was warm in there, a new feeling that everyone had almost forgotten. The hallway was wide and a few people, real humans, looked at them oddly, as they passed. They reached the entrance to the great hall and saw the golden light and merry laughter. The guards waved them past after they recognized Martin.
Martin's excitement got the better of him and he cantered into the hall, half reared, then cried, "We have come!"
His voice reverberated around the hall. When the echoes died, several ladies fainted dead away.
"Martin!" cried a big man, probably not over twenty-five, who was in fact King Lune, "I'm very glad you are back, but why does it have to be an event every time you appear?"
Martin stamped his hoof. "We have come!"
"What he means to say is," Flavis said calmly, "We've brought the children."
"Wonderful!" King Lune exclaimed. He stood up and came around the table, stopping before Lucy and bowing, "And whom do I have the honor of addressing, little lady?"
"I'm Lucy," Lucy said, bobbing into a curtsey and smiling her biggest smile. "And that's Peter and that's Edmund and that's Susan."
King Lune smiled, "I'm honored."
He turned to Martin, "I think you have done well,"
"Thank you sire!" Martin exclaimed. "It was a great honor to traverse Narnian soil and seek the future sovereigns of Narnia."
"Well," King Lune said, "Glad you're back." He turned, "Make places at my table for our guests!"
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy found themselves whisked away and seated at the table. They saw a very pretty young woman at King Lune's right and learned that she was the Queen. They asked no more. They ate and hardly remembered stumbling off after some courtiers. They did remember going to bed very clearly.