Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.
Summary: The blood games have one rule: Kill or be killed. Death clings to them all. The constant threat of death brings many things to the fore. Despair, hate, fear, and perhaps...even love. Surrounded by death, will Katerina Alambiel and Oreius keep their faith...and will they trust each other with the truth of their hearts?
A/N: If you have not read the first four stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, Revealed. and Concealed), I highly recommend you do so for the full experience. However, if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.
Chapter Twelve: Perseverance Unmarked
Cowards shrink from toil and peril,
Vulgar souls attempt and fail;
Men of mettle, nothing daunted,
Persevere 'til they prevail.
~ Bhartrhari
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3 Sunbend 1007
Susan shook her head as she finally found Peter in his study, scribbling away at some notes while he squinted at a different set of notes (and judging from the small size of the parchment, they were probably from one of the smaller Animals or a Dwarf). "Peter, come have tea. And, if you keep squinting like that, Father Christmas will have to leave a pair of spectacles for you this Christmas."
Her brother looked up at her, rubbing his eyes, "I don't think I have time, Su. I have to finish reading these notes that one of the Mice wrote up about the little incident in the Northern Marshes that I cleared up last week." He stood up and stretched, stiffly moving his right arm.
"If you're not careful, Alithia will put you back into a sling."
Peter grinned at her, "I'm fine, Su. It's been over twelve weeks and everything has healed nicely. So, unless you, my dear gentle sister, break something, Alithia will not be putting me into a sling again."
Susan put her hands on her hips, but she couldn't quite hide her smile, "If you don't take a break from paperwork, I just might, Peter."
He snickered, "When are Ed and Lu due back?"
"Anytime this week, so they will be back in time for your birthday party and then they can make sure you don't hurt yourself while I'm at Anvard. And, do be careful during training tomorrow. All your teachers, not to mention the healers, will have a fit if you break something again. Not to mention, you have to be in one piece for your birthday party."
Peter rolled his eyes, "Yes, mum."
Susan rolled up a blank sheet of paper and smacked him on the arm with it. Ignoring his feigned yelp of pain, she shook her head again, "Any word?"
He sighed, "No sign of them yet. I really wish they had taken a few Birds with them, at least one Hawk who could carry back news about when they leave Zelaia, so we'd have a timetable of when to expect them."
Susan touched his shoulder and smiled comfortingly, "Well, it is Oreius and Kat. I'm sure they're fine. At worst, Oreius is having to remind Kat to be diplomatic or maybe they got caught in that series of storms that were sweeping up from the southwest all through the last month and had to extend their stay in Zelaia. They might even reach Archenland when I'm there."
Peter smiled, "Maybe they will, Su." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Now, dear Sister, I believe you mentioned something about tea. You wouldn't happen to be serving that delicious apple pie of yours with it, would you?"
Susan laughed as they walked out of Peter's study, "Yes, and if you promise to be careful during training tomorrow, I'll even let you have some."
"Awww, Su!"
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Col grimaced as he shifted his bulk toward the edge of the bed. Ah, Lion, if only Trouble hadn't spooked when he was nearly knee-deep in that infernal mud and trying to get the wretched creature into the safety of the barn. Wrenched his bad knee to the point he could hardly get out of bed for the past two weeks. "Col! Don't you get out of that bed!"
He scowled, "I must get to Anvard, woman. Between the weather and that Trouble lad, it's taken too long to get word to Narnia."
Effie glared at him, propping one fist on her hip, while she shook the skillet at him, "The river still hasn't dropped to passable and the banks are all mud. You'll not kill yourself, Col, trying to get to Anvard." She popped back into the kitchen and he could hear the skillet rattling as she set it on the stove before she stormed back in, with fire in her grey eyes. Col wished he was back with the horses. When Effie got riled, it didn't matter that she was such a mite of thing and barely came up to his chest...her four older brothers saw to that. She poked him in the shoulder, "Col, you stay still. Your knee can't take another fall and that river isna fit for man nor horse to cross." She smoothed the blanket over his chest, "Stay still, you stubborn man, and I'll bring you a cuppa tea."
Col caught Effie's hand, mindful not to grip too hard as his hand engulfed hers, "Effie, lass, I don't need a cuppa tea. I need to go to Anvard. I still have some pull with the court; Lune doesn't forget men who helped him in the past, and he'll send to Narnia."
Effie pushed back her silver hair, "The last time you helped Lune, I nearly lost you. I'll not have that again, not when it will probably leave you with worse than a bad leg."
He lightly increased his grip on her hand, squeezing very gently, "Hush, woman, I'm not runnin' off to fight encroaching Calormene or a band of Fell Beasts sent from some northern witch. I will ride to Anvard with the Narnian horse and make sure the right people know how I found the poor beast."
Effie pursed her lips, looking so much like the young lass Col had first seen running one of the stalls at the market in Anvard forty years ago that he grinned, which he quickly hid when Effie pointed at him with her free hand. "It'll be at least a week before the river is crossable and the banks are dry enough that man and horse won't both run a risk of breaking their legs and necks. It'll also be at least a week before that poor gelding is truly fit for being tacked up and traveling again. And, it will be at least a week before you, Col, will be fit to even tend to the horses, much less ride one the two days it takes to reach Anvard. Now, you will drink a cuppa tea and then stay as quiet as possible."
Col held back a sigh, "Yes, Effie." There was no getting around Effie when she was like this; he had thirty-nine years of experience to know that for a fact. But, she was right about the poor lad still not being quite up to the trip to Anvard (never mind his knee...silly woman worried too much). Nevertheless, it chafed something awful as Col looked at the tack, saddlebags, and sheathed sword that now rested inside his house for protection from the elements. The bed creaked as he allowed his weight to settle back against the mattress. As soon as the weather (and his wife) permitted, he was going to Anvard.
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Like it, hate it, too many twists, too few? Please leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this chapter. Your reviews keep me motivated to continue on with this story.
~ Lady A