Chapter Eleven: Sudden Departures

The next morning, at the barest hint of light in the eastern sky, Arrani, Peter, Edmund, Caspian and Trumpkin were helping Susan and Lucy get ready to ride in search of Aslan. Everything was going according to plan. Miraz had accepted the challenge, the marshals for the lists had been selected, the various creative battle techniques had been set up, and now they were sending the two Queens off on perhaps the most dangerous part of the day's maneuvers.

The Pevensie siblings were saying goodbye to each other while Caspian and Arrani checked over Caspian's horse Destrier to make sure he was ready to carry them in search of Aslan. Susan broke away from her brothers and came over to Arrani, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Are you afraid?" Arrani asked her.

Susan smiled warmly. "Of course. Are you?"

"I'd be a fool not to be," she replied, deliberately restating the phrase Susan had told her the night before the assault on Miraz's castle. They both smiled at the reference and embraced tightly in a flurry of tears. "Be safe, Susan," Arrani whispered.

"You too," Susan responded, hugging her a little tighter. She pulled away and Caspian and Peter helped her mount Destrier. Lucy approached Arrani for a quick, heartfelt hug of her own, and Peter lifted her up into Susan's arms.

"Good luck, and be safe," Peter told them, his eyes full of emotion. They all knew that they might not see Susan and Lucy again. Too many things could go wrong. As the horse galloped off through the tunnels and out into the first rays of the morning sun, Edmund laid a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder while Arrani hastily dried her eyes and tried to occupy herself with finishing her own preparations. She bid a brief farewell to her companions and hurried to her room to get her armor on. It was more difficult without Susan's helping hands, but she managed.

Fully armored now, she hurried to the section of the How that housed the horses of Narnia, both Talking and mute. She hadn't had much time to train properly to ride a horse, so, with Peter's help, she had found a Talking Horse who had consented to bear her during the battle. His name was Brynn and he was the most beautiful Horse she'd ever seen. He stood close to seventeen hands high and was a glowing chestnut color with satiny black mane, tail and hocks. He was a kind soul with a unicorn-like weakness for young ladies and they had immediately taken a shine to each other. Now, she came in search of him to seek some pre-battle comfort.

"It's alright, filly," he whickered. "We will not die easily."

"Do you remember the plan?" she asked him. Unlike mute horses, Brynn probably knew more about battles and tactical maneuvers than even Caspian or the Bulgy Bears. She was counting on his experience to guide them on the battlefield.

He huffed gently in affirmation. "Just follow my lead."

Quiet footsteps through the straw alerted them. Brynn's ears went up and he raised his head away from Arrani's cheek. She turned to see Caspian sliding into the stall of a mute horse, a saddle in his arms. He had yet to notice Arrani and Brynn's presence. Shifting so that she was partially hidden in Brynn's shadow, Arrani watched him carefully as he saddled the horse and started to mount. She could restrain herself no longer.

"Caspian!" she said, stepping out of Brynn's stall.

He jumped, twisting in his saddle to look at her as she came to stand at his stirrup. "Arrani…" he murmured, looking disoriented. "What are you doing here?"

Hands on her hips, she replied, "I might ask you the same question. You're not running, are you?"

He was antsy and fidgety as she stared up at him, trying to figure out what he could possibly be doing. "I'm not running from anything," he responded, moving the horse several steps away from her. She responded by jumping forward and latching her hands onto the horse's bridle near the bit so that it wouldn't pull away from her. "Look," he said, still appearing nervous, "the girls need help. And don't ask me how I know," he added as she opened her mouth to ask that very question. "Just… trust me," he pleaded, staring down at her. "Susan and Lucy won't make it through unless I do something."

"But how do you know?" she asked anyway, disregarding his request that she refrain from doing so.

The horse pranced beside her and she took care to make sure her feet were clear of its hooves. Caspian clearly wanted to be moving already, but he took the time to reply, "I don't know, but I feel like I should go. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"And what if Peter asks me where you've gone and why? You're going to get me in so much trouble if I let you go," she said ruefully, releasing her hold on the horse's bridle.

He grinned disarmingly. "Sorry about that. I'll be back soon." Before she could think of saying anything else, he spurred his horse and dashed out of the How, leaving her standing in his wake with a funny swooping feeling in her stomach as she watched him go.

Never could figure out in the movie just HOW Caspian knew to go after Susan and Lucy. Of course, it was probably just that the directors wanted an extra scene to throw in some Suspian references. Blegh. So this was my take on it. Keeping Arrani as the potential love-interest, of course.

Please review!

Elena