Chapter 10: Part One

Cor and Corin unsheathed their swords before you could say knife, and ran wildly, following the sound of the muffled screams. Unfortunately, as they were wearing their best clothes, their sprinting was hindered somewhat.

However, they soon saw where the noise was coming from. Far away, they saw a woman with red hair, and another with black hair, on the back of a cart which was hurtling towards the south. Cor and Corin tried to speed up, despite their restrictive attire.

Aravis and Lily had their hands tied behind their back and their feet bound together with rope, and were desperately trying to wriggle free. Their throats felt sore from screaming so much. The man riding the cart had threatened to cut their throats if they did not stop, so in fear they had ceased their cries for help. Neither of them recognised that man, or his companion, who had snuck up on them during the dancing (as both ladies were standing by the side, away from the dancers), put their hands over their mouths and bound their hands behind their backs, and had dragged them away with very few people noticing.

Aravis swore. 'Oh I wish I brought my dagger with me.' Aravis nearly always carried a dagger on her to use in self-defence, in case her father sent people to capture her and bring her back to Calormen. Because she could not hide the dagger in the ornate dress she was wearing to the knighting ceremony and she thought she would be relatively safe with so many creatures there, she had left her dagger in her room at Cair Paravel.

The girls kept trying to break free from the bindings, but it was no good. In the moonlight, Lily spotted some figures running towards them, but they were getting smaller and smaller.

'Aravis, I think that's Cor and Corin!'

Aravis craned her neck to see. 'Oh yes! No, no, no, keep running!'

For Cor and Corin had slowed down, and finally stopped.

'I can't run in these clothes,' panted Cor.

'Same,' grunted Corin.

'But we're not wearing any underwear. We can't just strip.'

'Well, why not?' challenged Corin.

'CORIN! We have literally just been knighted. We have a duty to honour women and protect them from indecency.'

'But they're our future wives. We're going to marry them, Cor. We're going to marry them,' declared Corin. 'They're going to see us naked one day.'

'But, Corin, how do you know Aravis will say yes to me?'

'Cor, grow a pair. What have I told you? Aravis is mad about you. She'll say yes, I promise.'

'And how do you know Lily will say yes to you?'

Corin faltered for a moment. 'Well, I'll never know until I ask her. I'll do anything in my power to persuade her that I can make her happy. But we need to press on!'

Corin had just started to pull off his tunic when something nuzzled Cor from behind. Something that smelt like a horse, and seemed familiar, in smell and voice.

'Come on, Shasta. Ride on my back. I know it's not a seemly thing to do here in Narnia, but you'll be quicker.'

Cor grinned, despite the situation, and turned to face his old friend.

'Bree!' he exclaimed. 'Thank you, friend.'

Cor swung his leg over Bree's bare back, which felt odd, as he had never ridden Bree without a saddle before.

Bree neighed and then there was a whinny behind him.

'Hwin!' Bree said in surprise.

For Hwin was there too. She was shivering in the moonlight.

'Foal, get on my back!' she commanded Corin, her sweet voice on edge. 'We must hurry.'

'After them!' Cor yelled, pulling out his sword and feeling a whole lot braver, as Corin clambered onto Hwin's back.

These horses with their boys thundered towards the cart, Corin leaning low over Hwin's neck to draw his sword. Very soon they were level with the cart, thundering side by side over the turf. Their hearts almost failed as they saw Lily and Aravis, looking helplessly and fearfully at them.

Cor and Corin looked at each other, silently agreeing to jump into the front of the cart. The man with the reigns of the horse yelled with alarm when the twins launched themselves off their horses, but Corin kicked and punched him until he fell off the cart. With his sword, Cor cut the harness and the horse careered into the night. The cart then swiftly stopped moving. However, the other man was proving very difficult to overcome. He was twice their height and far more muscular. After much resistance, he threw Corin off the cart, kicked Cor's sword out of his hands and pointed his scimitar at Cor's throat.

Cor saw his life flash before his eyes, and so he closed them.

Then there was a roar, which shook the ground and made the cart tremble. The man looked around in terror as a lion pounced at him. This knocked Cor off the front of the cart into Aravis and Lily, and they all went flying. The weight of the lion made the cart creak, groan and finally collapse.

Cor got to his feet. Corin had run over to Lily and Aravis, who were lying on the ground. Bree and Hwin had caught up with them, and meandered over.

Corin cut their bindings with a dagger, and as soon as Aravis was freed, she sprang to her feet, ran to Cor and threw her arms around him. Cor's heart thundered within him as he held her close to him. He could hear her heart pound.

Hurriedly Aravis backed away from him, embarrassed.

'No, Aravis, don't step away from me,' pleaded Cor. Aravis looked away, furiously.

'Look at me,' asked Cor. Aravis slowly looked into Cor's eyes.

'I love you, Aravis. I know I've told you before, and it didn't go well. But my feelings for you haven't changed. I cannot bear to lose you again, and I want you to be safe –'

'Cor!' shouted Corin.

'Just give me a moment!' said Cor, stung by the interruption.

'No, it's Lily. She's not moving.'