Heart Of Stone #3: THE PROPHESY

AllzStar

CHAPTER TWO

The youngest stable hand of Cair Paravel was awakened at an absurd hour by the most high-pitched of whinnies. He groaned and heaved himself out of his hammock to go tend to the distressed horse. He stumbled across the lawn to the barn and slid the bolt out to unlock the heavy wooden door. Grunting, he pushed the door aside and peered in. Several curious heads appeared over the half doors, but all the horses seemed relatively calm.

Confused, the boy shut the door and bolted it again. He turned around, prepared to go right back to the farm house and sleep till well after dawn, but he found himself face to face with Tybalt, High King Peter's trusted steed. The light bay gelding's flanks were heaving and large patches of sweat covered his neck. Foam gurgled at his mouth and slid down his chin and onto the dewy grass.

The boy suppressed a squeal of surprise, for he did not want to frighten to poor animal further. He slowly reached out a hand and stroked the beast's nose. The horse's muscles tightened instantly at his touch, but he did not resist.

"Tybalt, dear one," murmured the youth, stroking the horse's damp neck. "What's happened? Tell me."

"Master. Gone. Disappeared. Don't—know—where." Tybalt shook his head, nickering, as if to clear a frightening image from his head. "Kings. Queens. Went through hidden door. Didn't. Return. Big noise. Frightened."

The boy's eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around Tybalt's quaking head. "Whoa, whoa, boy. Are you speaking of High King Peter, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy?" Tybalt nodded. The boy's heart sank. "And what of Queen Susan of Telmar?" The horse nodded again. "You mean to say that they're…gone?"

Tybalt nodded again, and his eyes rolled back. He reared up, whinnying in a new panic.

"Whoa!" shouted the boy, raising his hands to calm the beast.

But Tybalt had had enough. He turned on his hocks and bolted to the far side of the lawn, hopping the fence with ease and galloping off into the pasture. The boy panted in fear, his dirt-streaked face a picture of horror. The Kings and Queen of Narnia, and the Queen of Telmar, were gone. This was sure to mean disaster.

The boy, whose name was Bronstein, stumbled across the lawn and up the slope to the door to Cair Paravel's dungeon. He unlocked it with the key at his hip and scrambled through, leaving it half open behind him in his haste. A shadow passed across the entrance and slid into the room, disappearing in the darkness. Bronstein hadn't seen it.

He ran through the many passages of the castle until he got to the foyer. He then stopped running and bent over to catch his breath. The he bolted up the grand staircase and turned down the passage to the throne room, where he knew Oreius would be slumbering.

"Oreius!" he cried, entering the hall with a bang.

The enormous centaur rose, swift as a tiger, drew his sword, and lurched forward with a battle cry, the tip of the blade pointed directly at Bronstein's heart. The boy cried out in fear and fell back, putting his hands over his face. Oreius realized it was the young stable hand and exhaled sharply. "Tobias Bronstein. You must not disturb me so. It might be the last thing you ever do."

"It…almost…was," Bronstein gasped, placing a hand to his chest to remind himself of life.

"Well, what is it?" Oreius demanded, irritated, as he sheathed his sword reluctantly.

Bronstein got to his feet. "Tybalt—King Peter's—steed—came running in—told me—Kings—Queens—gone. Went through a—door—didn't come—back." Bronstein put his hands on his knees.

Lady Jaxx's General could not believe his horse ears. "You mean to say that the Kings and Queens of Old have disappeared?"

"Yes!" the boy cried.

Oreius reared up. "Soldiers of Cair Paravel. Awaken!" he roared. His voice exploded through the entire castle and the walls shook. Bronstein fell to the floor in a dead faint.

Instantly, all the soldiers that lived to defend Cair Paravel were in the throne room, bleary-eyed and groggy, some still in their nightwear. Oreius paced in front of them, giving out orders in his booming voice. Bronstein was carried to a bed chamber to rest. He was not needed.

"Now, Narnians—find our Rulers!" Oreius bellowed, raising his sword. The guards cheered drowsily and stormed out of the hall, grunting and grumbling. They scattered across the lands, searching frantically for the missing persons. Oreius took up the rear, his heart heavy. If the Kings and Queens were indeed gone, there was no telling what Narnia was in store for.

Hello peoples!

Well, that's chapter two! It was short, but...

If any of you have read my other Narnia story, "Son of Adam, Daughter of Eve" (I DELETED IT), this is indeed part of the first chapter that I have edited and used for this story instead. The first book in the Heart of Stone Trilogy will be called "Son of Adam, Daughter of Eve".

Please review; they make me happy!

AllzStar