Chapter Ten
Countermeasures
The sun shone bright early that morning as the kingdom of Narnia slowly awoke from its slumber. Many castle servants and guards were suffering from sore heads, but they carried out their duties as normal.
The welcome feast was a success as the Galmans were pumped full of food and drink, this was to make them feel comfortable with the Narnian court. Today was the day the ambassadors and the four Pevensies sat down and discussed the purpose for the delegation's presence.
Today, however, Susan sat in the beautiful royal gardens. Court was due to start very soon and she knew she had to be present for it, especially with the Galman delegation there. She sat on one the white stone benches just staring at the many flowers covering the garden.
"Good morning, your majesty," said a voice.
Susan looked around to see Mr. Fox heading towards her. She smiled at him, and he returned it. He stopped in front of her and bowed his head; he was a true servant of the Pevensies and of Aslan.
"Good morning, Mr. Fox," Susan returned.
"I conducted a search of the castle last night as requested, but I saw no sign of any lone Galmans wondering about," the fox reported.
Susan frowned at that, thinking where then did Primus disappear to last night? She wondered if he had left Cair Paravel, but she didn't know how he would do that without being seen by any of the guards.
"If you want, my Queen, I will keep a close watch on the Galmans; see if any of them go anywhere they shouldn't?"
"Yes, thank you. That would be grand," Susan answered with another smile.
"It is my pleasure to serve you, my Queen. Now I suggest we head to the great hall court will be starting shortly," Mr. Fox informed.
Susan nodded and stood up; she followed the loyal fox through the small path covered with fallen petals. The gardens were a lovely place to be and were the favourite place of both Susan and Lucy. Much of the garden's loveliness was thanks to the hard work of Lilygloves the Mole, the official keeper of the gardens. Susan spotted her by one of the many flowerbeds planting seeds and would have said good morning but everyone in the castle knew how angry the mole got when her work was interrupted.
They exited through the gates and headed back towards the castle, Susan saw how beautiful the weather was today and wished she didn't have to go to court as she would have preferred to go down to the beach and take a dip in the ocean. However as a queen, her duties had to come first.
Susan and Mr. Fox entered the castle, nodding to the Centaurs on guard duty as they passed. As they walked the halls they saw some of the servants dashing about making sure they stayed on the schedules appointed to them by the steward in charge of all the servants. That person was of course Mrs. Beaver, who seemed to be born for the role.
They headed to the great hall where they were met by her brothers and sister, all standing on the polished floor waiting for them. They turned as she entered and gestured her over to the dais where the four great thrones of Narnia stood erect and seemed to shine in the morning sun.
"Narnians and our esteemed guests let me introduce the four Kings and Queens of Narnia. High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just and Queen Lucy the Valiant!" the herald faun announced to the hall.
The four Pevensies sat down on their thrones and faced the many different Narnians and Galmans who had gathered in the hall for the start of court. Peter's eyes scanned the hall before finally falling on the three Galman ambassadors and Lord Primus.
"Mr. Tumnus, please come forward" Peter said.
The faun trotted forward and knelt in front of the four thrones. Peter quickly gestured him to rise and he did not hesitate to follow the instruction. Peter also called the Beavers who also approached the dais.
"Can you three please give a tour of the castle to our guests? We will meet with them as soon as we are done with court for today."
"Of course, your majesty. We will be delighted," said Mrs. Beaver happily as Mr. Beaver and Mr. Tumnus nodded a bit less enthusiastically. Peter tried not to laugh at their expressions, but unfortunately a smile did break through.
They then turned and led the delegation out of the great hall and into the many polished corridors. Susan spotted Mr. Fox and smiled at him as he nodded to her before following; he was definitely keeping his promise to the Gentle Queen.
"Now that they are gone, we can continue with other business," Peter said.
"Indeed, my King. First of all, Sallowpad has brought news from the Northern borders," Oreius informed, gesturing the Raven to come forward.
"What news do you bring Sallowpad?" Edmund asked.
"I'm sorry to report this, your majesties, but the White Witch's followers have advanced. Early this morning, they crossed the River Shribble and immediately started heading south."
Peter and Edmund both stood at that. Their worst fears had come true; the followers were planning an invasion. However, Susan knew her brothers could not leave Cair Paravel – not with the Galmans under their roof and not knowing if they could be trusted.
"We need to ride and meet them!" Peter said immediately.
"Wait! Peter, what about the Galmans?" Lucy asked, standing up as well.
Peter looked at her and then looked over to Edmund who was watching him intently; both of the Kings knew that this was a difficult decision to make. They had one army already in Narnia and a second plot could be coming against them as well.
"Sallowpad, I want you to head back North, find them and follow them," Peter commanded.
Sallowpad bowed hurriedly before flapping his wings and taking flight straight out of the open doors leading to the balcony and into the sky. Susan knew Peter's mind was racing with what options to take to counter this threat.
"Edmund, you and Peridan take some troops north and try to push them back," Peter said. turning to his little brother.
"You want us to engage them?" Edmund asked.
"Yes, but only at the right time don't be reckless, Ed."
Edmund nodded at that as the Narnian court stared at the kings, hoping they could stop that army from advancing. General Oreius then moved forward and bowed to the two kings before speaking.
"Shall I accompany King Edmund, sires?" he asked.
"No, General. I need you here," Peter answered as Oreius nodded, understanding his King's decision.
However at that moment, Lucy walked forward. She reached up and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder causing him to turn around and face him. He knew what she was going to say before she spoke, but that still didn't stop him from feeling uneasy.
"I'm going too," she said resolutely.
"Lucy, we can't have too many of us go," Peter replied quietly.
"Peter, I am a Queen of Narnia. Two of us should stay, and two should go," she argued.
"She's right, Peter," Susan added, knowing that it was wise for the Valiant Queen to help quell this threat.
Peter looked from her to Edmund who only nodded with an amused smile. Peter sighed before turning back to face Lucy who still stood staring firmly at her older brother. Peter looked at her for a few seconds before speaking.
"Very well. Lucy, you will accompany them?" Peter said finally.
Lucy nodded at that and smiled. The court then carried on as normal before Peter finally dismissed it for the day. Edmund and Peridan went off to prepare the troops they would be taking north while Susan accompanied Lucy back to her room where she hurriedly packed some provisions for the journey ahead.
"I wonder how many of them there are," Lucy pondered as she started going through her wardrobe for clothes to take with her.
"Sallowpad said it was a whole army. I don't know if you will be able to push them back if you cannot match their strength at arms," Susan answered as she helped pull clothes that would be acceptable for the journey from the beautiful oak carved wardrobe.
"Don't worry, Su. I will make sure we will only engage if their numbers equal our own," Lucy said with comforting smile.
"You are a wise queen, Lucy. I know you will be careful," Susan replied with a smile of her own.
There then came a knock on the door. Lucy told the person to enter and the door opened to reveal the Dryads Sila and Selina, the two Queens' ladies in waiting. Lucy gestured them in and motioned for them to shut the door.
They both immediately started helping the two Queen's pack for the journey; Susan however couldn't stop wondering about the mysterious man. There had been no sign of him since he rescued her from the Goblins and she couldn't help but wonder if he was still present in Narnia and wondered maybe he still had a part to play in all that was happening.
Peter walked out into the courtyard where a couple hundred of Narnian soldiers stood at attention as Edmund, Peridan and Oreius all stood in front of them. Peter quickly walked down the steps and headed towards them, but as he approached he could see that Edmund and Peridan were trying to decide how many troops they needed for this mission.
"Unfortunately, our army is scattered around Narnia," Peridan said.
"How many do we have in Cair Paravel?" Edmund asked.
"About five thousand sire," Oreius answered.
Peter and Edmund looked at each other. The last few years they had not really needed a huge army at their command. That meant that the amount of soldiers had dwindled over the years, but it seems that was a mistake now coming back to haunt them.
"We have five thousand troops camped at Glasswater Creek, another five thousand at Beruna, two thousand at the Shuddering Woods and a final five thousand in the Lantern Waste," Peridan informed.
"So that means we have a total of twenty two thousand soldiers in our army," Edmund confirmed.
"We do not yet know how many the followers have; if they have made alliances with the old Ettins, Giants and Goblins from the wild lands, then they might have at least fifty thousand," Oreius explained.
"You once told me, General, that numbers do not win a battle," Peter replied with a small smile.
"I'm glad you remember that lesson, my King. Unfortunately, our army is too badly scattered. We barely repelled that small force at the Stone Table. If they are preparing an invasion we need more soldiers," Oreius answered.
Peter and Edmund looked at each other again. They hadn't had a major battle since they sacked and destroyed the White Witch's castle four years ago. However, now with this new threat, it was wise to have more soldiers, but with the freedom that was won during the winter revolution not many Narnians wanted to fight and the Kings weren't ready to force Narnians into service.
"Peridan, how many castle guards do we have in Cair Paravel?" Peter asked.
"About sixty in total, your majesty," he answered.
"Alright then, Ed and Peridan, take the five thousand we have stationed here and head north. I will order the rest of soldiers we have in Narnia to move to positions nearer the marshlands so you can call them for reinforcements if needed," Peter informed.
Peridan bowed while Edmund nodded. Lucy then entered the courtyard accompanied by Susan and Mr. Tumnus who had been allowed to leave the Galmans to say goodbye to his friend. As the three of them walked across the courtyard, Peter glanced up at the many windows above and spotted Primus watching.
Their eyes met for a few seconds before Primus withdrew from the window and disappeared from view. Peter felt uncomfortable but tried to shake off the feeling; he turned his attention to Edmund and Lucy whose horses had been brought out from the stables.
Both Phillip and Lucy's bay coloured horse were saddled for the journey; their chests which carried their clothes and other provisions were placed into a cart which also carried the tents for camp and the food and other provisions the army needed. Lucy made sure her dagger and healing cordial were on her belt, she also wore a bow and a quiver of red feathered arrows like Susan's. It was obvious that Lucy the Valiant was riding to battle.
Edmund had his shield slung onto his back and Biter sheathed at his hip as always. Peter wished he could ride with them, but as High King it was his duty to remain in Cair Paravel and discuss the politics with the Galman delegation.
"Please be careful you two," Peter said as Edmund and Lucy climbed on their horses after a few hugs.
"Don't worry, Pete. We will scout the area first. There is a chance we might not need to engage them," Lucy replied with a smile.
Peter and Susan both smiled at her, thankful that Lucy was going; her wisdom would make sure that Edmund and Peridan wouldn't engage the followers unless the situation definitely called for such measures.
The Pevensies all said goodbye one last time. Lucy quickly waved goodbye to Mr. Tumnus who happily waved back at his friend. The gates were opened and the five thousand Narnian soldiers were led out of Cair Paravel by Queen Lucy the Valiant and King Edmund the Just.
Peter and Susan walked back through the halls. Tumnus and the Beavers joined them, their tour of the castle complete. They headed towards the great hall where their meeting with the Galman ambassadors would happen, however first there was one piece of business that needed to be attended to first.
As they entered the great hall, they found Oreius accompanied by Grypus the Griffin and two of his lieutenants, named Fidelius and Erron. They bowed as Peter and Susan entered, followed by Tumnus and the Beavers.
"Thank you for coming. We don't have much time to lose," Peter said immediately.
"We are at your command, your majesty," Grypus replied with another bow.
"As you know, King Edmund and Queen Lucy have just left with our soldiers to travel north. However, the rest of our army is scattered, and we need to be able to call upon them if necessary," Peter explained.
"What do you suggest, sire?" Oreius asked gravely.
"We need to move them closer, so Fidelius, I need you to fly to Glasswater Creek. There are five thousand troops camped there. Tell them to pack up immediately and head to Beruna," Peter ordered.
The Griffin bowed and spread its wings before taking flight through the balcony. Peter turned to the extra two Griffins, knowing that time was of essence and he needed to hurry to better defend his country.
"What of the five thousand already stationed at Beruna, sire?" Oreius asked.
"Erron, you fly there and tell them to start heading north. Tell them to make camp on the outskirts of the northern hills," Peter commanded.
Like his predecessor, the Griffin bowed before flying out through the balcony and into the sky. Peter then turned to Grypus who looked at his King with a determined look which showed he was ready to do the King's bidding.
"Grypus, fly to the Lantern Waste and tell the five thousand there to move east and make camp near the banks of the Great River. After you have done that, fly to the Shuddering Woods and tell the two thousand you find there to also head for Beruna," Peter explained.
"Of course, your majesty," Grypus said before he too took flight and exited through the balcony.
"Do you think we will need all those soldiers, Peter?" Susan asked.
"I don't know, Su. I pray to Aslan that we won't, but I want to be prepared," Peter replied putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.
The two of them moved over to the balcony and watched the three s Griffins disappear over the horizon. Something then caught Susan's eye and she glanced towards the forest which sat near the castle and stopped dead at what she saw.
There sitting on a chocolate coloured horse was a hooded man. Susan knew it was the same one that had saved her by the stone table and she once again had the urge to know who he was and what his purpose for being in Narnia was. That was when Susan made a pledge in the name of Aslan; she would do everything in her power to find out who he was.
A big thanks to my Beta Cosette 24601 for everything you did with this chapter, so happy I have you to help me tell this story