"Come on then, are we going or not?" Gazira asked her older sister impatiently.
"Yes, I'm just checking that everything is packed in properly." Hassana patted the luggage tightly piled onto the back of the cart one last time, checking that nothing was going to fall out once it was moving. She turned to Gazira. "Who's driving and who's riding?"
Gazira shrugged turning to look at her two younger brothers, Torak and Jonn. "Either of you want to drive?"
Torak shrugged, "Don't mind."
"I will!" Jonn said.
"Alright then, but be careful." Hassana said, she turned to Gazira, "Who are you riding first?"
"Drummer," Gazira replied. "I'll take Amira on a lead rope beside me."
Hassana nodded then turned to Torak, "I'm guessing you'll be riding Flame?"
"Yes," replied Torak. "Should I take Seamist beside me?"
"No, she can pull the cart." Hassana decided."You can lead Ashquar and then Garnet can be attached to the cart, to take over from Seamist after a while." She turned to Jonn. "Is that alright with you?"
"Yes," agreed Jonn, jumping up onto the driver's seat of the cart with excitement.
Hassana laughed. "Jonn, aren't you missing something?"
Jonn looked at her blankly then grinned, "Oh yes, I might need a horse."
Once they had got Seamist harnessed to the cart, and the rest of the horses ready, they set off in single file, along the dirt track.
"I can't wait till the summer comes." Hassana spoke aloud as her own horse, Donata, moved smoothly beneath her with Amadeus following closely behind on a lead rope. "This spring has been so dull."
"It's not over yet." Gazira commented, "I'm sure it will bring some sun."
"I can't wait 'til we reach Caspian's castle." Torak muttered.
"Neither can I," Hassana agreed, "It isn't that much further now though. We can probably camp once more tonight and then, if we set off early tomorrow, we will probably reach Caspian's place before dark."
They rode in silence for a while, covering a lot of ground.
"Hey! Are they people over there?" Gazira suddenly saw what looked like a group of people further up the path.
"What?" Hassana strained her eyes up the path. "Oh yes, I see."
"Let's trot to catch them up." Torak suggested.
"Are you alright for a trot Jonn?" Gazira called back to Jonn who was driving the cart.
Jonn nodded and clicked Seamist on. The group trotted up and found that the people were just four children wearing some rather odd looking, matching clothing. The four children, well teenagers, turned round as they heard the horses approaching.
Gazira suddenly stared at them and Hassana started doing the same. Torak and Jonn soon joined in with the staring, all four of their mouths hanging open. Hassana suddenly became aware that she and her siblings were just sitting there, staring with their mouths hanging open and thought that they must look rather stupid. She closed her mouth, shooting a sharp look at the others so they would do the same.
"King Peter the Magnificent?" She began. "Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, Queen Lucy the Valiant?" The words came slurring out before she could stop them.
The eldest boy stepped forward. "Yes, that's us."
Hassana, Gazira, Torak, and Jonn quickly dismounted.
"It is an honour, your Majesty." Hassana curtseyed.
Gazira did the same. Torak and Jonn bowed. The two Kings and two Queens smiled in response.
"Could we help you in any way?" Gazira spoke up.
"Well," Peter began. "We have just arrived back in Narnia from our country so don't really know where we are."
"You are not really anywhere right now." Hassana told them. "This is just a forest in the middle of nowhere."
"Oh," Susan looked a little confused. "What are you doing here then? Do you live here?"
"No, we are on our way to Prince Casp-, sorry I mean, King Caspian's castle." Torak explained.
"Caspian!" Lucy exclaimed, "Peter! That's Caspian! You remember Caspian?"
Peter smiled at his younger sister, "Calm down Lucy, I know it's Caspian. Of course I remember Caspian."
"You know King Caspian?" Hassana asked.
"Yes," nodded Peter, "We're friends of his."
"You can come with us to Caspian's castle then, if you like." Hassana offered.
"Thank you so much." Susan smiled. "That is very kind of you."
"What should we do about horses?" Gazira asked Hassana.
"King Peter can ride Amadeus and King Edmund can ride Amira. Queen Susan can ride Ashquar and Queen Lucy can ride Garnet." Hassana decided. She turned to Susan and Lucy. "I am afraid your horses do not have side-saddles on. Can you ride astride?"
"Yes, of course we will." Susan smiled.
Once everyone was mounted up on their horses the group set off again. They managed to get quite a long way before the sky dimmed. They could see a hazy shape of Caspian's castle far in the distance.
Hassana looked up at the darkening sky. "We should find a spot to set up camp." She said to Peter. "It will be too dark to see soon."
Peter nodded.
"I'll go ahead a little way into the woods and see if I can find a good place." Gazira suggested, turning Drummer off the path and into the thick forest.
She cantered through the forest, letting Drummer find his own way through the brambles and trees. It was not long before she came across a nice grassy clearing with a stream running by. "Perfect." She said aloud to herself then changed her mind. "Actually no, it's too small for all our tents and the cart. Come on, Drummer." They carried on, following the stream as it would be useful to find a clearing with the water running by. Eventually Gazira came across a decently sized grassy circle, not far from the stream. "This will do." She smiled, turning Drummer around and heading back to find the rest of the group. It did not take long to locate the others and lead them back to the clearing. They tied their horses up by the stream so they could drink, then set to work putting up the tents.
"Good thing we took all four," Hassana commented.
Once the tents were put up, Susan and Hassana began to make the bedding whilst Jonn helped Torak unload the cart. Peter, Edmund, Gazira and Lucy set off to collect some firewood. Once they had all filled their arms with as much as they could carry, they set off back to camp. All the beds in the tents were made up and the cart had been emptied of everything except from the horses' hay. Torak and Jonn took the firewood and started to build it up for a fire. Hassana sorted out the food, ready to cook.
Gazira looked at Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. "Um, are you planning on staying in those, er, clothes." She asked, looking at their strange garments.
"Oh," Susan laughed, "We're still wearing our school uniform from back at home. No wonder you are looking at us so strangely."
"Sorry," said Gazira, slightly embarrassed that she had not been more subtle. She did not bother questioning what Susan meant by 'school uniform' as she knew the family came from a strange place in a different world to Narnia. "Would you like to borrow some clothes?" She offered, looking at the four of them and trying to work out what she could give them each.
"Yes please," Susan smiled gratefully. "If that is alright with you?"
"Of course it is," Gazira smiled back.
Peter suddenly looked at Torak and Jonn then back at Gazira. Edmund did the same.
"I don't mind," hurried Peter. "I'll keep my clothes."
"I will too," added Edmund, looking again at Torak and Jonn then at Gazira and Hassana.
Gazira was puzzled and then it struck her, "Oh, I understand! You think you will have to wear our dresses because Torak and Jonn's clothes will be too small!" She laughed, highly amused by the idea.
Peter and Edmund nodded, both giving a small smile, their cheeks flushing slightly.
"No need to worry." Gazira smiled. "Hassana and I have boy's clothes too. We sometimes wear them because it is easier." She did not explain anymore. "Come on, let's see what we can find." She led them into the tent she was to be sharing with Hassana and dragged their trunks out. She opened them outside and looked first at Peter, sizing him up. "I am afraid you have to keep your shoes as none of us have as big feet as you but you can have these trousers." She pulled out a long pair of black trousers from Hassana's trunk. "They are a bit too long for Hassana so they should fit you. Oh and this shirt, it's a bit baggy on her." She handed him the clothes and he went off to get changed in his tent. Gazira turned to Edmund. "Well, I was going to give you some of my clothes but you are about the same size as Hassana so I will give you these." She handed him a shirt and a pair of trousers. Edmund took them and went off to get changed with Peter. "I'll see if I can sort you out some shoes!" Gazira called after him. "We shall have to see. Anyway," she turned to Susan and Lucy. "With you two it will be slightly easier. Susan, you and Hassana are the same size so you can wear any of her clothes. Just pick out what you like, she won't mind. Right, Lucy. I think you will fit any of my clothes but if not you will fit Torak's perfectly. My clothes may be slightly too big but I have one dress which is getting a bit small for me so if you would like to try that on first. Susan, you can wear Hassana's shoes too and Lucy you can wear Torak's spare boots as mine may be slightly too big. Oh yes, and you will need these cloaks. Is that alright?"
"Yes, that's brilliant, thank you." Lucy said, and followed Susan in to their tent to change.
Peter and Edmund emerged from their tent in Hassana's clothes. They walked up to Gazira.
"They fit alright?" Gazira asked.
"They're fine," Peter smiled. "Thank you."
"Yeah, they're good. Thanks." Edmund said.
"Here," Gazira handed Peter one of Hassana's thin cloaks then handed Edmund one of her own. "You'll need these."
"Thank you," said Peter, gratefully.
Gazira turned to Edmund, "I don't think Hassana's shoes will fit you." She picked up one of Hassana's boots and measured it against Edmund's shoe. Edmund's feet were slightly bigger. "I'm sorry; you'll have to keep your shoes." Gazira sighed. "I'm sure Caspian will be able to give you clothes and shoes when we reach his but I am afraid you'll have to make do with these for now."
Together, Susan and Hassana cooked up a meal on the fire that Torak and Jonn had made. Lucy helped Gazira give the horses the right amount of hay each whilst the boys lit the lamps as it was getting dark and was hard to see. They all ate their tea round the fire and then went to bed, ready for an early start in the morning. Susan and Lucy shared a tent, Peter and Edmund did the same, and so did Torak and Jonn. Gazira and Hassana were the last to retire into their tent for the night as they did one last check on the horses before blowing out the lamps.
Gazira woke and dressed hurriedly, being careful not to wake Hassana who was still sleeping beside her. Today Gazira wore her men's clothes as she was meeting Caspian as one of his knights today and not as one of his friends. He wouldn't mind if she wore women's clothing but Gazira liked to wear the same as all the other men in Caspian's army and also, she just liked wearing men's clothing every once in a while, finding it comfortable and much more practical. She shoved on her boots, dragged a brush through her long red hair, and let herself out of the tent. No one else was awake so she quickly gave the horses their hay and then began to rebuild the fire with the unused firewood. She heard noise coming from Edmund and Peter's tent and guessed that one, or both, of them were awake. Edmund emerged from the tent a few seconds later. He saw her and came and sat with her.
"Need a hand with anything?" He asked.
"Um," Gazira thought for a moment. "Not really at the moment, but thank you anyway." She smiled.
There was noise from Torak and Jonn's tent and then Torak emerged.
"Morning." He smiled brightly and looked around. "Shall I wake the others up?"
"No, leave them to sleep for a while longer," Gazira told him. "Actually, could you wake Hassana because I'm not really how much to cook of this?"
Torak nodded and crept into Hassana and Gazira's tent. He then reappeared and it wasn't long before Hassana emerged.
She smiled when she saw Gazira looking hopelessly at her cooking effort. "Seriously Gazira, you need to learn how to cook!"
"I can!" Gazira protested. "Just not this."
"Why don't you and Edmund saddle up the horses while I cook?" Hassana suggested.
Gazira nodded and stood up. She walked over to the cart to get the horses tack out. Edmund followed. "I think everyone can ride the same horses they rode yesterday." Gazira decided. "Oh, and we can use the side-saddles for the girls, except me."
Edmund nodded.
"Could you put this on Amadeus, please?" Gazira handed him a saddle.
"Which one is that?" Edmund asked.
"Oh, sorry, you don't know which one is which. I'll introduce you to make things easier." Gazira introduced Edmund to each horse and then the two of them set to work, saddling them up and making sure they were sound.
Once everyone had eaten their breakfast and everything had been packed, the group mounted their horses and set off towards Caspian's castle. They rode at a good steady pace so were about halfway along the journey to the castle by the time they stopped off for lunch and to give the horses a rest. Although they were making good progress, Gazira and Hassana were having doubts that they would manage to get to the castle before darkness came. They had set off quite early but they could not know when exactly darkness would fall.