Disclaimer: I wish I could claim this beautiful world and this inspiring story for my own. Mercenarily speaking, I wish I could get the money for my college tuition out of it. But you know what they say: if wishes were horses than beggars would ride. Well, at least in this story they do.

Chapter Three

I woke up under a tree to find Hwin staring me straight in the face. "It is time to get up, isn't it?" I sighed. We had felt compelled to stop around daybreak. I had, after all, been up the entire night before.

"You did tell me, Aravis, that it was important to reach Azim Balda before your three days were up," she reminded me.

"What a pity I wasn't lying," I said drily. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes; I've been grazing these three hours now. Why don't you have a bite and we'll be off?"

"Alright," I said, stretching. I went to the saddlebags, splashed some water from the canteen upon my face, and took out a couple of dates. I was surprised at how happy I felt, considering I had left all I'd known. When I finished my snack, I went and saddled Hwin.

"What was it like for you?" I asked, as I swung into the saddle. "All these years here in Calormen?"

Hwin's ears twitched. "When I was first captured, it was terrible. I was still very young, not much more than a foal, and I had never known anything but courtesy from men." She snorted. "I actually didn't know many men at all, it's more dwarves and fauns and naiads and dryads and Talking Beasts like me in Narnia, to tell the truth. But when I was captured, I was beaten, and shouted at, and tied up, and made to go where I would not, and I could not protest, or I knew well enough it would only get worse. I couldn't cry, or scream, even."

I put a hand on her neck. She continued. "They brought me to the market, and I was shown with hundreds of other horses. For the first time, I felt not only unfortunate and frightened, but also very, very alone. See, none of the other horses could speak or understand speech any more than they could fly. I was very afraid, Aravis. I don't think you've ever been so afraid." She didn't say the words as an accusation; she merely said them. "That was when I wanted to die. But then your mother came." And her voice had changed. It was softer, now. "She said she liked the way I looked, and she patted my nose, and spoke quietly to me. They made me show her my paces, but I did the best I could for her in any case. I figured if I had to be a slave, mute and alone in a strange land, I'd rather serve a kind human like your mother than a cruel one. A few men came, servants, I suppose, and they led me away. I was given to you, a mere colt of a girl, two days later. I was your first real horse."

She tossed her head. "It actually wasn't so bad after that, Tarkheena," she said. "Oh, there were days I thought I'd go mad from not being able to speak, and of course it was a nuisance to have this thing in my mouth keeping me from going where I liked. You weren't a very good rider to begin with, either. But you were kind to me. I was still lonely, but you talked to me, like all little girls do to their pets." She laughed a little. "You had no idea I could understand you," she said. "I looked forward to those minutes after or during a ride when you would tell me what was happening in the house that day, how Kadmel had been teasing you, how your father was making you go all Tashbaan and you didn't want to go and curtsey before the nasty old Tisroc, ha!"

My eyes stung. I remembered those days. But I also remembered others, when I'd gone crying to Hwin because I had to be strong in the presence of my father and for Hashafed. The dark times, when Kadmel and my mother died. I'd told Hwin all of that, how nothing seemed right anymore and how it hurt so much to go in the house in the places where they'd been when they didn't come waltzing around the corner. I'd told her how it seemed the nobles of Calormen were mocking me, telling me I ought to be over it when I'd lost half my family. And…" You never said anything," I accused, and a tear ran down my cheek.

"I wanted to," Hwin said lowly, knowing right away to what I was referring. "I was very sad when you told me about Kadmel- he'd always given me sugar- and when you told me about your mother a few days later it took all my strength not to cry right along with you. It just about killed me to see you so sad, but I didn't want to frighten you…" she lowered her head. "And I didn't know then that it would be alright."

I bit my lip, and then fastened my reins to the saddlebow, very loosely. I let them go.

"Aravis? What are you doing?" Hwin asked, feeling the change.

"Is that better?" I asked. "Like I said, you're not my slave."

Hwin tossed her head to right and left, testing her new freedom. "This is strange," she remarked. "After so long, to have my head back while you're still riding…Thank you," she said. "To Azim Balda, then. Hang on!"

Traveling with Hwin was lovely. She was even better company than she'd been before I knew she could talk. She was thoughtful and kind and I could tell she loved me. She always picked the nicest places to rest, always near enough to a village that I could get food if I needed it, but far enough away that we could talk.

The fourth morning of our journey we rode into sight of Azim Balda, which was just as well, because back at my father's house they would start looking for me today.

"Remember not to talk when we're there, Hwin," I said.

"You won't catch me forgetting," Hwin whispered. "I've just as much to lose as you."

Indeed, she said not a word as we rode into Azim Balda. Azim Balda was not quite as bad as Tashbaan, but I still wasn't too fond of it. The streets spread out in every direction; it was a great swollen spider of a city, because there were roads here to almost every part of Calormen. As a direct result of this, there were shops everywhere. I found that Hwin could not take more than three steps between shouts from the different merchants.

"Buy my jewelry, fine sir, rubies to adorn your paramour's pretty neck."

"Fine spices from Galma! Make every meal a feast!"

"Just five crescents for treasures from overseas!"

I brushed past them all with a hand to my purse and close to my dagger, lest any pickpocket be brave enough to set upon us. With the other hand I directed Hwin to the House of Imperial Posts just north of the center of the city.

The building was neat and relatively quiet compared to the rest of the bustling trade center. I tied Hwin up just outside on the hitching post, and whispered, "I'll be right back, I promise."

I went inside. The Chief Messenger was easy to find. His office was just to the right of the spartan parlor. A few Tarkaans milled about here and there handing messages to runners. I set my shoulders like a soldier and walked as if I was above them all, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. I walked across to the office. I didn't knock. I just walked in.

"In accordance with the privileges of Tarkaans, O dispatcher of messages, I have a missive for you," I said without preamble.

The Chief Messenger looked up from behind his desk. "Is that so, milord?" he asked, bowing low. But his small black eyes in his bearded face surveyed me critically.

"It is," I said, lowering my voice so as not to be discovered for the girl. I reached inside my armor and withdrew the letter I'd had Baba write. "My uncle is Ahoshta Tarkaan. This message is from him to Kidrash Tarkaan of Calavar. You will cause it to be sent to him. Take these five crescents for your pains."

This was a full two crescents more than I needed to pay, but I had no identification. In truth, I did not know if Ahoshta Tarkaan even had a nephew. At this phase of the plan, I was trusting to my confidence, generosity, and the power of Ahoshta and my father to see me through.

The Chief Messenger took the letter and the money from my hand, but his eyes did not leave my face. "To hear is to obey," he said simply, bowing. I turned my back then, and left.

I thought it very likely that the Chief Messenger suspected I was not who I said I was, but I also thought that in his line of work, he'd probably carried much stranger messages from much stranger persons. I thought I need not worry.

Still, when I returned to Hwin we rode away quickly.

Outside Azim Balda, Hwin asked me the reason for my haste. "Ah, my father and Ahoshta will be tied up for nearly two weeks sorting out the mess I just left for them, but when they begin to trace me they'll go first to Azim Balda, realizing I must have sent the false letter from there. Better if we're far away from there by then. Best if we're well out of Tashbaan, actually."

"But do you think they could possibly know where we've gone?" Hwin asked reasonably. "I mean, you haven't told anyone, have you?"

"Not even Baba," I said. "But the Chief Messenger suspects something's up, I'd wager. And who's to say he did not have spies that observed our departure and can inform him of our direction? At any rate, once my father learns of our flight, he will go to Tashbaan to seek news of me amongst the nobility. He well knows I could not fly without help."

"Luckily, he can't know the agent of your aid," Hwin said. "Ah well, fast it is then. Just as well. I'd just as soon be in Narnia."

We rode northeast, towards Tashbaan, and towards the sea. We found the sea first. One night, about a week after we'd gone through Azim Balda, we were riding, just under the edge of a lovely wood that had shaded us during the day, when Hwin stopped up short.

"Aravis!" she hissed. "Listen!"

I froze. "What is it?"

"There's another horse," she said. "Just between us and the sea. Oh, he's big, a charger. Well-trained."

"Is there a rider?" I asked in a low voice. We were far from any villages. I could think of only one reason a quality charger would be out tonight in these parts.

"Yes, but the rider's very light," Hwin said. "He might be a messenger."

"But he may be looking for us," I said. "He's stopped. Can he see us?"

"Not if we're very still and quiet," Hwin replied. "Don't move, Aravis. There's a cloud coming, and after that, we can hide in the woods."

My bones ached from stillness as we waited for the cloud to cover the moon. The night grew dark, and I shivered. Quietly, Hwin began moving towards the tree.

Suddenly, the night was rent by a hideous roar, from behind us and slightly to our left, towards the sea. I was nearly thrown, Hwin started running so fast. I bit my lip. Lions!

We galloped for some time, and then slowed.

"You think it's gone?" I asked after several minutes, but just then the roar sounded again, this time much closer, and nearly to our right.

"Tash preserve us! Two of them!" I cried as Hwin wheeled.

We galloped and galloped for maybe six minutes together without further roaring when I noticed the horse Hwin had heard earlier galloping nearby, not a shout's distance away.

"We can't be caught, Hwin," I hissed. "I might as well be killed by those lions!"

She tossed her head in acknowledgment, and began to sheer away. No sooner had we begun to get away, though, than the roaring broke out again, first on one side, and then on the other, over and over, following us like a very demon.

We grew nearer and nearer to the other horse, and still the roaring went on. My heart was in my throat. This far only to be eaten by lions! It was unbearable. We were right up with the other rider now, as if it were a race, and the moon came out behind us.

The roaring continued, and I looked nervously over at the horse and rider with which I was to die. The horse was a charger, alright, a war-horse my father would have been proud to own. But I had to notice, despite my fear, that the rider was no Tarkaan. He was not, in fact, so much bigger than me, and he rode awkwardly, like he was still just learning.

Then there was a splash and my eyes stung as the saltwater hit them. We had ridden into a deep inlet of the sea. There was one last roar, and I whirled and saw the great shaggy outline of a lion on the shore. I wondered where the other had gone. But it didn't matter. The lion had stopped following us. I saw it turn and walk away.

I could see the opposite shore now, and so could Hwin.

"Oh, I am so tired," she said.

I looked nervously at the other rider. "Hold your tongue, Hwin, and don't be a fool," I hissed.

I felt Hwin's hooves hit the ground, and I took the reins, anxious to get away from this horse and rider, spy or not, before they started asking awkward questions. I was tired, too. I had been scared nearly to death. But safety came first, then rest.

But the minute the other pair and we were both out of the water, the war-horse cut us off.

Then, to my astonishment, he spoke. "Broo-hoo-hah! Steady there! I heard you, I did. There's no good pretending, Ma'am. I heard you. You're a Talking Horse, a Narnian Horse just like me."

A/N: Enter BREE and SHASTA, stage left. Aslan grant that I do them justice. Thank you for all your lovely reviews. I'm glad people are enjoying this story. I'm editing the next few chapters, and they'll be out over the next two weeks or so, but I'm also in the middle of midterms, so take that under advisement. Please leave a note to tell me what you think, and know your patronage to my little fiction is very much appreciated.

God Bless!

L.