A/N; No I haven't forgotten about this story. It's just that writers block reared its ugly head and it took awhile for me to lay some charges to bust the thing open. Now that I have I hope you enjoy.
3.
Snow Song
Lucy had no idea where she was. The black hood that had been placed over her head was still tightly in place. She was cold, tired, and scared. Her fears were not for her own safety but for the Vixen kits Helene and Sarai along with her friend Rien and of course her sister. Due to the gag in her mouth she hadn't been able to communicate with any of them. In fact she didn't even know if she was still with the other ladies. The thought that her kidnappers had separated their party had run through her mind, along with many other horrible possibilities.
Aslan be with us this night, Lucy thought to herself. The certain knowledge that the great Lion knew and loved her was as warm a thought to her as if she was sitting by a fire. After all if it worked for Peter in the Western Wilds I know Aslan will be with us too.
Still the wind continued to blow. In fact the longer she rode the louder it howled. The falling snow was driven through her cloak to chill her to the bone. The freezing snow was slowly numbing her hands which had been tied behind her back. Thinking quickly she began to fumble with the belt that usually held her knife and cordial, both of which had been taken by her kidnappers. By pushing and pulling she was able to shift the belt so the buckle was behind her back under the fabric of her cloak. While it was difficult, Lucy was able to unfasten the buckle and catch the belt as it slipped off her. Knowing her only chance for the red leather to be seen was if it landed in the branches of a small tree or bush she waited until she felt the scrapes of such a plant against her mounts legs. Trusting to luck and to Aslan, Lucy tossed the belt from her. Aslan let Peter and Edmund see that, ran over and over in Lucy's mind as the cold windy night wore on.
For what seemed like hours Lucy rode on. The feeling eventually left her hands due to the cold and she had long since given up not trying to control her sniffles. Gradually it became clear that the new day had come. Small amounts of daylight were just able to penetrate the cloth of the hood. The dawn didn't bring any relief from the elements, but it was a small comfort to have even that bit of light. The pinpricks of light reminded her of the constellations she often stared at from the Queen's Pavilion at Cair Paravel.
Quite some time after dawn her horse was brought to a halt and rough hands pulled her down from the saddle. The hood was pulled off her head and the gag taken out of her mouth. Her hands were also unbound causing millions of pinpricks to cover her hands as blood flowed again to her fingers. The brightness of the snow caused her to close her eyes tight against the glare and duck her head.
"And I thought a queen never bowed to a commoner," said a mocking voice.
Blinking to adjust her vision to day Lucy looked back up at where the voice had come from. She couldn't tell if it was one of the same men who had taken her from the cave. In front of her stood six men all dressed in similar garb. Heavy dark unadorned clothes covered their entire bodies. A piece of fabric covered their faces. Only the area around their eyes was left uncovered. Each man was armed in some fashion with some combination of sword, dagger, bow, or axe. Around the small clearing they had stopped in Lucy could see several other men similarly dressed. Since the men were masked she had no idea who had spoken to her.
She ignored the voice and looked around. They were in a small clearing. The trees were rocking back in forth in the wind. Several rocks jutted out through the snow around the clearing. She couldn't tell if this forest was still part of Narnia or if they had travelled past the borders of her country. What she saw next gave her the first relief she had had since being captured. Susan, Saera, Marion, Rien, Helene, and Sarai were all nearby her and were likewise rubbing at the spots in their vision. It was Susan who spoke up first.
"Oh I'm so glad you're all alright."
"None the worse for wear your Highness," Marion told Susan. Then the Vixen saw the Humans shivering against the cold. "Helene! Sarai! Quickly help warm up their Majesties and Lady Saera and Rien. They're nearly blue."
The ladies found a rock outcrop that sheltered them from the worst of the wind. Huddling together the Vixens did the best they could to share the warmth of their thick winter coats. It wasn't much, but by the Vixens lying atop their hands the Humans were able to revive the feeling in their fingers.
"What do they want with us?" Rien asked. "We haven't done anything to them."
Saera could tell her daughter was scared and put her arms around the trembling child. "Shhh, don't cry Rien. I don't know who these men are or what they want with us. But I do know your father and brothers won't rest until they find us."
Through the tears leaking out of her eyes Rien looked up at her mother. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course they are child," Marion answered. "Your father is a Swordmaster of Narnia and Knight of the Order of the Vial. My dear Giles is also a Knight of the Order of the Arrow and the Kings are Knights of the Most Noble Orders of the Lion and Table. Do you really think that they would tarnish their honor by not mounting a rescue party at the first possible opportunity? Why I'm sure they'll have Swordmasters Sir Orieus, Sir Celer, and Sir Kanell mustering the full Army even as we speak."
Lucy wondered why Marion had taken the time to make such a long list of the titles of the various knights at Cair Paravel or why she had spoken so loudly. The wind wasn't that strong behind their sheltering rock. Then she heard some shuffling in the snow behind her. Glancing quickly along the Vixen's line of sight Lucy saw that Marion hadn't been looking at Rien when she made her little speech. Rather she had been glaring at the party of men that had abducted them. At once Lucy knew what the Vixen was about. She was trying to restore hope to her friends while at the same time giving their abductors reason to pause know that they knew who would be trailing after the ladies.
The Valiant Queen knew a good tactic when she heard one so offered her own contribution. "That's right Rien. Why if Sir Peter Wolfsbane and Sir Edmund of the How could defeat an entire garrison of Enttin giants with only a small troop of soldiers just imagine what they will be able to do with the whole of our Army behind them. "
The increased shuffling of snow behind her and the creaking of leather armor told Lucy that the scheme was a solid one. Also the knowing look in Marion's eyes confirmed her suspicions.
"Here!" A bag was thrown into the small huddle the ladies had formed. "Eat! And don't be all day about it either!" The man who had thrown the bag at them quickly returned to the company of his fellows guarding the ladies a good ten paces away.
Susan quickly opened the bag to pass out three somewhat hard loaves of bread and some salt pork. Splitting the bread between Saera, Rien, Lucy, and herself, Susan gave the salt pork to Marion and her Kits. Holding up her piece of bread Susan smiled at the others. "For this food," she started.
"We give our thanks," the others intoned in the traditional mealtime blessing. With that they began to eat.
"Not so fast," Marion chided Helene. When the young Vixen looked confused Marion stopped eating. Dropping her voice to a whisper she explained. "The longer we take to eat and do any other business we may have to attend to gives the Army more time to catch up."
Rien had finished her bread before Marion's sound advice reached her ears. Also keeping her voice to a whisper she leaned in to the center of the circle. "Then what can I do to do that now?"
Saera took a small nibble from her bread before she smiled at her daughter. "Why don't you sing us a Christmas carol?"
Lucy immediately perked up at the suggestion. "Oh that's a lovely idea. We can sing that new song I had been teaching you." Lucy then looked at her sister. "Sing with us?"
Susan only smiled at her sister and then hummed out the first note to get the key right. Then she started in with the song. Lucy and Rien joined her as the melody picked up.
"Christmas pipes, Christmas pipes
Calling us, calling on Christmas night
Call us from far, call us from near
Oh play me your Christmas pipes
Christmas bells, Christmas bells
Over the hills and over the dells
Ringing out bright, ringing out clear
Oh ring me your Christmas bells
Christmas strings, Christmas strings
Playing the peace that Christmas brings
Fiddle and bow, gentle and low
Oh play me your Christmas strings
Christmas pipes, Christmas pipes
Calling us, calling on Christmas night
Call us from far, call us from near
Oh play me your Christmas pipes
Christmas choir, Christmas choir
Christmas carols 'round Christmas fire
Holy night, angels on high
Round up your Christmas choir
Christmas band, Christmas band
You're waiting for me with your Christmas band
Cymbal and drum, rattle and hum
March out your Christmas band
Good to be home to your Christmas pipes
Christmas pipes, Christmas pipes
Calling us, calling on Christmas night
Call us from far, call us from near
Oh play me your Christmas pipes
Christmas pipes, Christmas pipes
Calling us, calling on Christmas night
Call us from far, call us from near
Oh play me your Christmas pipes
Play me your Christmas pipes
Good to be home
Good to be home
Good to be home to your Christmas pipes."
The song swelled with hope and cheer. Though they didn't know the words Saera and Marion found themselves humming along to the tune. The last verse ended simply as the girls held out the last note.
"That was lovely!" Lucy was beaming. "Let's sing another!"
She was about to suggest one of her favorites when a hard voice cut her off. "Don't know what you lot have to sing about. Shut up and finish that food, you hear me!"
Though the man was as anonymous as his companions Lucy thought the voice belonged to the man who had held off the attack on them the previous night. The good cheer inside Lucy began to wage war with a sudden flare of defiance in her. Luckily she was saved from ruining her mood when Susan spoke up.
"'Tis the Christmas season still. Why shouldn't we make merry and enjoy song and what cheer we can?"
"No captives I've ever seen has ever been happy about their lot," the man spat at her.
"Then we shall show you a new kind of captive," Susan told him calmly. "Now if you insist on interrupting us we shall never finish our meal. Please be off with you and let us eat in peace."
The man blinked down at Susan. The ladies all had the image of a shocked face under the black mask covering the man's face. They could tell he had been prepared for any answer except that one. "Just finish that food now if you know what's good for you!" The man emphasized his point by grabbing the hilt of the short sword at his side. He then stalked off to rejoin his fellows again.
"That was well handled my Queen." Marion bowed her head to Susan.
"Thank you good my Vixen. But I don't think we should try the patience of our captives any longer. Eat up everyone."
Helene and Sarai had finished their bits of meat and had also eaten a few mouthfuls of snow to wash the salt down. The two Kits were all eyes for Susan, Lucy, and Rien for their song.
"Do say you'll sing again. Pleeese?" Sarai looked up at the other girls with the huge eyes.
Helene agreed with her sister. "Yes, please. It was such a wonderful song. It made me all warm inside."
Lucy brushed crumbs from her dress as she answered. "Of course we'll sing again. Whenever we get the chance."
Soon their captors had noticed they had finished eating. Again rough hands tied her hands behind her, another gag was tied round her head and the black hood was placed overtop her head again. Even as she was lifted onto the horse that would carry her, Lucy couldn't help but feel better than when the bonds had been removed for their meal. The hope and cheer of their small Christmas celebration had given her almost an armor against any thoughts or feelings of despair. Lucy's thoughts immediately went to the One she knew was responsible. Thank you Aslan for the gift of such a comforting song.
A/N: I don't own the rights to the song "Christmas Pipes." I found it on YouTube sung by the amazing Celtic Woman group. You should check it out since it's really a very pretty song. I know it's a modern day song and Susan and Lucy wouldn't have then heard it in 1940's England, but it's a great song and it fit. So please excuse my little time disruption here. As always I welcome and look forward to any comments.