"Jyo," someone whispered, shaking her. Jyoti shook her head, burrowing into Kira's warm coat. "Jyo, wake up!"
Jyoti rolled over grumpily, glaring up at whoever had dared wake her.
"What do you want, Kieran?" she growled darkly. Kieran was the youngest of the warriors, the most recent addition to their ranks. He had trained with Jyoti often when they were younger, and was known for outrageously daring risk-taking. Waking her in the middle of the night was most certainly not helping his reputation, either.
"Want to do something to help the rebellion?" Kieran asked, eyes glinting wickedly. Jyoti raised her eyebrows skeptically. Kieran's idea of "helping" more often than not included mischief and doings which Oreius heartily disapproved of. "Come on, Jyo. Stop being such a coward and think on your own for once. Jyoti bit back the retort that thinking on her own had gotten her stuck here in the first place, shaking her head.
"I was sleeping, Kieran. And if Oreius hasn't approved it, it's probably another one of your fool ideas," she replied, still grumpy.
"It's nothing that bad. We'll be helping Aslan, and the Children!" Kieran insisted. "All you have to do is foul up the Witch's carriage a bit. I overheard the warriors saying that's the one she'd use to travel a long distance—like to the Stone Table, chasing Aslan and the Children. And while you do that, I'll make some pits, and some barriers, make it harder for her to travel. Come on, Jyoti. Please?"
Jyoti sighed.
"Fine, you great lout," she agreed, getting to her feet slowly. Stiff muscles protested her lack of stretching and the wearing of armor while sleeping, and she winced. "Where am I going?"
Kieran grinned.
Jadis' carriage was a magnificent one, ice-white with frozen steel runners. The elk, too were magnificent, though dumb—they were not Talking beasts. A spiderweb of diamond-like crystals provided cover from the softly-falling snow, shimmering in the haze-filtered light. The sleigh would move silently and quickly through the snow, following the footprints of the children of Adam and Eve, when the Witch departed in the morning. Though Jadis often went out in her sleigh, the carriage was made for longer-distance travels, and was stored in a mountain cavern just outside of her palace.
Jyoti clung to the bottom of the sleigh, out of sight of its lupine guards, having slipped onto it when the sleigh crossed over a narrow crevice in the mountains in which she had hidden herself. After running nearly the whole night through, she had arrived in the mountains beyond the Witch's palace just as the moon began to set. Her feet were braced against the steel runners, holding her in place, as she loosened bolts and screws and scored the runners themselves. She had planned, originally, to cut through the runners, but time and strength betrayed her, and she sheathed her knives reluctantly as the sleigh neared the palace entrance. She glanced at the damage once more, smiling, and burst silently out behind the sleigh, the snow cushioning her fall. She rolled sideways, ducking behind a large rock. Pausing for a moment, she watched the sleigh pull away, admiring her handiwork, but shook her head. This would not be enough, not to slow the Witch. With a sigh, she rubbed her already-tight hamstrings and took off once more, moving at a steady clip over the frozen ground.
She ran on through the morning, ignoring the stitch in her side, pausing only snatch icicles for water. The route from the Witch's palace was a direct one, if long. Here, too, the snow was crusted with a hard sheet of ice, just thick enough that her feet padded softly across it with barely a sound, carrying her closer and closer to the Frozen Lake with each stride. Kieran had promised to meet her at the Shuddering Wood, informing her that she could help him with his work. The sun was well overhead by the time she reached the Frozen Lake, nearing the fifth hour after dawn. Jyoti smiled contentedly, seeing no sign of either the Witch or the Children of Adam and Eve. With Aslan's blessing, they had already crossed, but depending on their route, they could be hours behind her.
Moving rapidly, she made sets of footprints going in all different directions. She dragged logs together to make barriers, cracked ice-covered streambeds, and jumbled rocks in precariously balanced piles. She smiled, satisfied, and rose once more, turning south toward the Shuddering Wood. Confident that her impediments would slow the White Witch considerably, she relaxed, standing at the center of the Lake for a moment, soaking in the morning sun's rays. Glancing around quickly, she saw that Kieran was nowhere nearby, and seated herself on the frozen surface. She sighed with relief as the numbing cold sank into her weary muscles, banishing the pain of hours of running. The relief quickly turned to regret as she rose, seeing the sun's steady progression across the sky, and began a markedly slower trot southward, toward the Shuddering Wood and the Moryn herd.
"Jyoti!" someone hissed, and she turned around sharply, drawing her swords in one fluid motion. She sheathed them with a sigh of annoyance.
"What, Kieran?" she demanded. Her legs were putting her in a decidedly bad mood, and she was trying not to think about what Oreius would say when she got back.
"There are wolves in the forest," Kieran informed her. She groaned. "No, it's alright! You go warn the Moryn, and I'll go back and tell Oreius, so that they can come help."
"You just want to go back so you've got something with which to distract Oreius," Jyoti accused. "If you tell him there's a battle ahead, he won't yell at you for disobeying orders." Kieran cocked his head and nodded.
"That too, I suppose," he admitted, with an unrepentant grin. "I'll see you later!"
"Kieran, I didn't agr—" she started, glaring after him as he took off. "Fine. I'll just bloody well avoid the bloody wolves, while traveling to a herd I've bloody well never met, why don't I?"
Kieran, out of earshot, didn't answer.
Tired of running and more than ready to stretch her legs differently, Jyoti slowly began to ascend the oak, sliding cautiously along a thick branch until she was within jumping distance of the next band of trees. Whispering a quick prayer to Aslan for luck, she threw her body out over the divide, landing lightly and easily on the trunk of an ancient maple. Her smile broadened slowly, and she made the next jump with more confidence. She traveled from tree to tree, scanning the ground periodically, spotting, from her vantage point, the Moryn, in a clearing at the heart of the wood, numbering just over a score. She looked down sharply as movement caught her eye—wolves, four of them, as Kieran had said, just beyond the clearing. Dropping quickly to the ground and rolling to her feet, Jyoti burst into the clearing. Ignoring the bows now pointed at her, she drew her katana rapidly.
"I am Jyoti the Fallen, adopted daughter of Oreius and Kira of the Eryn-Gwae herd, and there are wolves just beyond the clearing, so you might want to aim your bows in a different direction," she said rapidly, striding toward the edge of the clearing.
The Moryn stared at her.
"They're just outside the clearing!" she snapped. "I'll prove myself to you, I promise, just turn around and defend yourselves!"
Slowly, the Moryn turned to face the edge of the clearing. The dams gathered he littlings and stood over them protectively. The wolves burst into the clearing and halted suddenly as the first to enter was immediately riddled with arrows.
"Traitors to the Queen!" their leader snarled. "You will surrender immediately and submit yourselves to the Queen's judgment.
"We will do no such thing," Aiden, leader of the Moryn herd, replied. "We will rid Narnia of you instead." The herd drew their bows once more as the three remaining wolves charged. One fell as several arrows pierced him, one just behind the neck. The second leapt at Aiden and was trampled by his hooves. The third darted through the ring of centaurs and charged at the dams and younglings. Jyoti stepped in front of him, katana held at the ready position, and cut him down quickly, before he could reach them.
"Now, prove yourself, stranger," Aiden ordered. The bows of the Moryn herd turned and aimed their bows at her once more. Jyoti knelt and wiped her katana clean on the wolf's corpse, sheathing them calmly. "You claim to be the Fallen Star of whom Oreius has spoken, and yet you appear as a mere mortal."
"I told you. I am Jyoti Fallen. I was adopted by Kira and Oreius, alphas of the Eryn-Gwae herd twelve years past. I am Aslan's loyal servant, and a traitor to the White Witch, and proud of both. If you speak of those characteristics of a star which every Narnian knows—silver skin and songs of power—then I remind you of your legends, wherein Aslan decreed that stars condemned to live on the ground have the appearance of a mortal, and that their songs are less powerful than those of True Stars," Jyoti replied. "But I am of no import here. The Eryn-Gwae herd is on its way to inform you that Aslan has returned to Narnia, and awaits all those still loyal to him at an encampment north of the Stone Table. And there is further news, if you believe that I am not here to bring you harm."
At Aiden's nod, the bows slowly lowered.
"We believe you, Jyoti Fallen. What news have you?" Aiden asked.
"Call me Jyo," Jyoti replied. "There is great news. Aslan is preparing for open war against the White Witch to bring the Four Kings and Queens to the thrones at Cair Paravel."
"Impossible," someone scoffed. "Only the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve may sit on those thrones."
"And so they shall," Jyoti smiled. "Four Children of Adam and Eve arrived in Narnia not two days past. They are making for Aslan's camp. That is why Aslan has called us. We go to fight for him and for Them."
Aiden nodded, his face alight with a fierce joy.
"We will join you, Jyo, and the Eryn-Gwae herd in this fight. We, too, are loyal servants of Aslan," he replied. "How soon will your herd arrive?"
"They will be here shortly. I believe they intended to reach the Wood around noon," Jyoti said. "Oreius plans to spend the night at the woods near the Fords of Beruna."
"Then we will prepare to leave as soon as your herd arrives. May I make you known to the Moryn herd? This is my mate, Sola, and our son, Krison. My lieutenants are Cela and Coryn, and our littlings are Kelyn, daughter of Lillin and Ikos, and Ruson, son of Ithin and Koda." Aiden indicated various members of his herd, who bowed politely. Jyoti crossed her hands, placing them on her collarbone as she bowed in return. The herd moved quickly, removing weapons from hollows in the trees surrounding the clearing and armor from hiding places inside stumps.
Hoofsteps sounded just beyond the clearing, and Aiden turned as Orieus and Kira led the herd forward. Oreius and Aiden clasped hands warmly.
"Long live Aslan!" Oreius greeted him. Aiden bowed in reply. "I see that you have met my adopted daughter. I hope she did nothing to cause alarm amongst you." Jyoti caught the stern stare he shot in her direction and cringed, shrinking visibly.
"Actually, she arrived by dropping from the forest into the center of our herd. We drew bows on her, of course, and then she announced that there were wolves approaching, at which point we killed three wolves and she accounted for a fourth. And we then drew bows on her again, until she proved her identity," Aiden replied dryly.
"That sounds very much like my daughter," Kira replied. "I apologize for her recklessness. We shall be sure to speak with her about her behavior."
"We were glad for the warning," Aiden smiled. "Although we have never received one in such a fashion previously. She told us of your travel plans. We are ready to join you immediately. Shall we make for the Fords of Beruna?"
"May I speak with my daughter for a moment, Aiden?" Orieus asked politely, though Jyoti heard the icy control behind his words and winced. She'd known this was coming ever since she'd left the camp, but had hoped more time to concoct a good reply. Aiden nodded, stepping back and indicating that his herd should do the same.
Jyoti stepped forward slowly, head bowed.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" he asked, his voice deadly calm.
"I thought I could help—" she started, her voice catching meekly in her throat. She cleared it and tried again. "I just wanted to help. To rescue someone instead of being rescued, for a change." Oreius stared down at her imperiously.
"As a warrior, you endangered the safety of the entire herd," he rumbled. "You left in the middle of the night, leaving us without a sentry. If you had been caught, can you tell me that you would not have given us up? That you would not have been broken? And not only did you betray your herd, you betrayed your mother and I! Sneaking off at night to Aslan-knows-where—what were you thinking?"
"I wasn't thinking," Jyoti whispered, barely audible. "I apologize for my actions, and accept responsibility. I was wrong."
"Very wrong indeed," Kira interjected, her voice cold. Jyoti cringed. "For the rest of this journey, you will not speak. You will walk in silence and consider your actions. And when we reach Aslan's camp, if he still wishes to speak with you as Roshan said, you will present to him a full account of your actions. Am I understood?"
Jyoti nodded silently, and Kira stepped back.
"Shall we join the Moryn, Oreius?" she asked, turning away from Jyoti.
Oreius nodded his acquiescence, and the herds merged swiftly. Aiden's lieutenants joined Mica and Falen at the rear of the herds, while several other males joined Kiernan, Alus, Sothen and Delshan at the flanks. Aiden, Sola, Oreius, and Kira led the herds together as Jyoti walked just behind her parents, relieved to be walking, though her legs still ached. The littlings mingled eagerly as the herds passed over the Archen River, wading carefully through the melted waters. Jyo noticed it, confused, and made a private note to ask Kira about it when they reached their destination. The herds moved north and east, reaching the Fords of Beruna just as the sun hung above the horizon.
Author's Note: So, a bit of a filler chapter--I realize this is starting out slow, but it really will get better, I promise. Besides, the big battle scene is coming up, and you wouldn't want to miss that...
Other than that, I don't really have all that many responses to make. But here goes!
MyBlueOblivion: No apology at all is necessary! I'm really quite grateful that you caught my mistakes for me. I probably would not have noticed until this week otherwise, so thank you! I shall do my best to be relatively canonical (I'm not sure that's the right term, but you know what I mean).
OutlawAuthor: The tree doesn't get too badly beat up...and in reference to your first review, it's perfectly fine. You're in college, remember? The only free time is (if you're lucky) on weekends. And who wants to beta on weekends?