Chapter Twenty-Five: Borderland
' . . . earth's lap grew lovely, longing woke
in cooped-up exile for a voyage home -
but more for vengeance . . .'
Beowulf, lines 1138 - 1140
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
We climbed. And climbed. And climbed some more. We followed a steep path off to the side of the main chamber, sometimes switching to the opposite wall, sometimes forced to take the difficult middle route, but I knew the path that Brant lead us on was far kinder than the one Peter had taken. The light increased, the air grew warmer, Peterkins kept asking if we had arrived and was told to shush numerous times, and finally we reached a rough tunnel that was not a chamber at all, just a burrowed-out entrance to the caverns. I glanced at the Dwarfs and just as I expected, they were all wearing expressions of profound disgust. Even the least of their mines had more style than this hole. Deep ruts had formed in the floor from ages of rain washing down, but the going was far easier - indeed, the last half-mile or so was the easiest of this whole journey. How far had we walked?
Pa'ala Mivven came sweeping down towards us, her wingspan so wide that she momentarily blocked out the light above. I turned so that she could land on my shoulders, rousing Pandicat at the same time. The Lemur was riding in my nearly empty pack now, wrapped in my blanket, and with a little trill she climbed down my arm so that I could talk with the Flying Fox. Kanell and Xati, bringing up the rear behind the archers, joined me.
"Your scouts have obeyed, King Edmund" Pa'ala reported as soon as the Centaurs were close. "Loy Keep's layout is known, as are the Ettins. Athan and Flinder await you at the mouth of the cave."
More and more Bats were darting about in excitement. I found myself blinking as the light increased to the point where we could extinguish our lanterns. I could see the end of the tunnel clearly, see Athan's dark, hulking form and the slighter shape of Flinder beside him, see a jagged slice of sunlight that threatened to dazzle my eyes. I hurried ahead to join them.
"What word?" I asked anxiously.
The soldiers bowed deeply, Barin less so, but he was playing perch to dozens of Bats and would have dislodged them if he bent very far. On the ground at their feet Athan had carefully sketched a very detailed diagram of the keep and surrounding lands into the hard-packed earth with a sharp bit of broken stone. I crouched down for a better look. The building was shaped like an 'L' with only a dozen or so rooms, though several of them seemed vast.
"Well done, good my cousins," I said, awed but not surprised. "This is to scale?"
The Gorilla smiled at my expectant expression. "It is, King Edmund. Master Fox, no further! Your tail alone would erase hours of work!" Just out of reach, he pointed sharply at Peterkins, who in his curiosity looked about to trample the picture. I remembered most Foxes tended to be nearsighted and have to be on top of things in order to see them well, but before he could take another step Kanell scooped him up and handed him off to Gicelus.
"We're here, Peter Fox, so be silent for the love of Aslan! Proceed, Athan," ordered the Captain of Cair Paravel's Guard.
"The main entrance is here," Athan immediately continued, indicating each location as he spoke. "This is the guardroom with a small courtyard over here, barracks, meeting hall, and sundry other rooms that are unconnected and have only one door. This wall and this wall have collapsed and this hall here," he pointed to the meeting room, "is the only one that has a roof. The floor and roof are stone and the roof is held up by many pillars.
"Inside the keep the ground is all overgrown with grass except for the pillared hall. The Ettins are here, in the guardroom, where they have a summer kitchen of sorts set up. King Peter is being held in the small courtyard, guarded by but one Ettin, that brute Hatta. There are pillars on a porch behind the courtyard here and here," he indicated two walls of the square, "and one of the collapsed walls is over here, just a room away from the courtyard."
"What about the surrounding land?" I asked, staring at the diagram.
"Flat and expressionless," Flinder responded instantly. "Tall grass, no hills in the immediate area save for the ones housing this cave. I could not smell water or a forest or anything of interest. I saw few birds and fewer creatures."
"Any idea how far we are from Narnia?"
The Gorilla smiled. "I will need more stars to steer by, good my king, though by grace of Dame Utha I should be able to tell you by tonight. The presence of keeps in the area tells me we're closer to the border of Ettinsmoor than not."
I smiled faintly. He was far ahead of me in the mathematics of navigation and triangulation. "Have you any notion of how long we've been following the Ettins?"
Flinder purred. "If I may, Highness, with this sunset it will have been a sennight since we left Narnia. The moon waxes almost full and is in the east even now."
Seven nights. Seven endless nights. A week of pure hell. It felt much, much longer. It had been longer for Peter. Longer, harder, lonelier. At least I had not been alone throughout this ordeal as he had been. I was surrounded by loyal friends, not enemies.
I felt my jaw clench. Peter's captivity ended tonight. By the Lion, my brother and Narnia's High King would not endure another night in the clutches of those vile fiends. I would not tolerate another day of this affront to my country and my person. As to the affront to my brother . . . I would see justice done. Valerlan wanted the Blood Heir? The Ettin was going to learn that wanting something and getting it were two very different matters, and not necessarily pleasant things, either. It was evident he had never been told to be careful of what he wished for, lest his wish be granted.
I stood up, needing to set my eyes upon this wicked place for myself. I needed to know what we were up against and how far it was to reach my only brother.
"Majesty?" asked Brant.
"Wait a moment, sirs. I want to see."
"See?" wondered Athan.
"Loy," I replied, not about to be deterred. "Now."
They hesitated but would not refuse, nervous that I might be spotted even though we knew the Ettins were holed up within their castle. Flinder rose from off his haunches and said,
"Stay close by me, Majesty. I will show you."
"Hand on your sword, Edmund How!" ordered Kanell sharply. I dutifully reached across my body and seized Rhindon's grip with my right hand, ready to draw the sword at a moment's notice.
Bats darted in and out of the cave before us, some bringing reports, others heading out to scout some more. They made it a point to brush past me, grazing my clothes and hair in silent greeting. I smiled, knowing they were showing off for me and for each other because it was a display of some very tricky flying. Not a one actually hit me, though I did lose a few hairs from atop my head to their clawed feet.
"Crouch down, King Edmund, lest Kanell be tempted to make new winter mitts from my hide," bade the Bobcat.
I obeyed, inclined to agree, and ducked low. We moved towards the entrance of the cave and hid ourselves behind trailing roots and stones in order to view the plain before us.
It was as dull and uninteresting a place as Flinder had promised it to be. Was all of Ettinsmoor so bland? Long green grass glinted in the light of late afternoon, rippling in the breeze. The last time I had felt the wind and seen the sun, he had gone a'hunting. Now . . . I frowned in surprise. Perhaps it was my eyes, used as they were to the darkness, but the colors here seemed diminished and the air was not nearly as sweet as what I was used to in Narnia. It was even worse than the way I had seen Narnia that first year of our reign, when Jadis' blood was still alive within me. I realized that this was the first time since we had stumbled out of the Wardrobe and into the Lantern Waste that I had stepped foot out of my kingdom. This land was alive but it was not blessed by Aslan's grace and the difference was remarkable. I finally understood what Peter meant when he said that the world beyond Narnia pales in comparison. He had claimed the most beautiful setting in the Western Wild was not in any way equal to the meanest patch of Narnia and he had been absolutely right.
He had willingly left Narnia in order to save me last year. I would do no less for him.
I glanced around, immediately spotting Loy Keep. It was dark and jagged against the horizon, isolated and ignored. The size of it surprised me, but I had never seen a Giantish building before and the scale was massive. Why, it was as large a cathedral and this was a minor keep for just a handful of guards! Guards from the smallest breed of Giants, no less! Still, it looked worn and used up, as if it held together only out of habit.
"Come back, my king," whispered Flinder so closely that his stiff whiskers tickled my ear. "There is more you should know."
I cast Loy one final, assessing look before I withdrew. Rejoining our little troop, Athan again addressed us all, reviewing the information gathered over the past day as the soldiers and Bats ranged themselves about the cave.
"There are ten Ettins in total," said the Gorilla, his deep voice clearly audible even though he kept his volume low. "What we know of them we have gleaned through their conversation and conduct. Crown Prince Valerlan moves with a noticeable limp and based on what reports have said I believe it is a defect of birth and not a wound. He has long dark hair and wears a rough brown tunic. He is clever, ruthless, and cruel, but he feels bound by orders to carry our High King to his father, King Valaner. He has defended King Peter against his fellows. He is our most dangerous opponent, armed with a club and a knife.
"Hatta is his cousin. He is second to Valerlan in terms of danger and intelligence, but he is far more savage. He has shorter, lighter hair shot with gray and is taller than Valerlan by two feet and more. He wears a black vest and tan leggings and sandals, and he is armed with a club.
"Storr is, on top of being a half-wit, well into his cups and at this time can barely walk. Even sober he is less of a threat than his brother Valerlan and he seems easily frightened. He has dark hair like Valerlan's and wears a rust-red vest. He is armed with a short club and a knife."
We stared at Athan as he spoke, committing these details to memory.
"Scouts have reported that the guardsman, Haigha, is increasingly weak and slow. He has barely eaten but has drunk too much wine and is ailing. I believe he is the least of our opponents, but he is not to be underestimated. He wears all brown and his hair is long and tied in a braid. He carries a club but does not look capable of wielding it."
"There are six guards stationed here. They dress alike and are much alike in ability and intelligence – in a word, limited. They are armed with clubs, knives, and short swords which they do not seem very capable of using effectively. Three of them are old and fat. They are clumsy, lazy, and complacent in their own home, more concerned with their next meal than security here in the borderland."
"Has their intent changed?" Xati asked. "Do they still mean to go to this Keern Keep on the morrow?"
"Yes."
Another Flying Fox, his fuzzy golden head a lighter shade than Pa'ala's, quietly pressed, "Do they guess they have been followed? Have the scouts given any hint that they know we're here?"
"None," Athan replied firmly.
I stared at the diagram, listening to them talk. If we could get to Peter . . . the Ettins had to sleep sometime . . .
"Is Hatta drunk?" I queried.
Athan grimaced. "No."
Blast. Impared by wine, he would have been so much easier to deal with. I grimaced in disappointment, returning to my study.
"Valerlan threatened Hatta and his family if anything should happened to the High King," a tiny voice said from behind me. I turned to look at a Pipistrelle Bat so small that she would have fit in my palm with room to spare. I reached out and she crawled onto my glove, a little ball of brown fuzz. She weighed next to nothing and if I hadn't seen her in my hand I would not have believed anything alive and intelligent could be so light.
"What is your name, lady?"
"Flitterwink, Your Majesty," she replied.
"You heard Valerlan say this?"
"I did, King Edmund. Valerlan calls your brother his prisoner yet he passed responsibility for his safety on to the one that hates him most."
"I wonder if he regrets his prize," murmured Kanell. His tone was dangerous and dark. I considered his words and tone because the notion that Valerlan might have found himself in a bind over his own conduct had not occurred to me. The crown prince was Peter's best, only defense. If he lost that protection before we could free him . . . I did not want to consider the ramifications.
As if he was reading my thoughts Kanell demanded, "How has Valerlan conducted himself amongst his own kind?"
"With unwarranted arrogance and swagger," Brant said. I was pleased to hear offense on behalf of the High King in his gruff voice. "He is showing away and tries to outdo and impress his fellows. Some of the scouts -"
A Big-Eared Bat came darting in, banking up sharply to land right on Athan's head. Breathlessly he exclaimed,
"Valerlan has said as soon as the guardsman Aufins is done with his meal he is to proceed to Keern Keep and bring back with him a dozen more Ettins soldiers as an honor guard for their princes and to ensure the safety of King Peter! He is expected to return before dawn!"
It spilled out all in a rush, every word chilling me more and more. I felt a tightness grip my chest, the same despair I had felt when I first laid eyes upon Jadis' vast army on the plain of Beruna. A dozen Ettins beyond the ones we faced already? Sweet Lion . . .
It seemed as if everyone started talking at once.
Demanded Kanell, "How long until Aufins leaves?"
"They have yet to sit to their meal," assured the Big-Eared Bat.
"He'll be one less to deal with if we wait until he's well away to act," Xati reasoned.
The captain's dark eyes narrowed sharply. "He won't get away."
"There's more bad Giants coming?" exclaimed Peterkins in shrill, childish tones, poised to panic.
"Hush!" Pandicat soothed. "Not yet, Master Fox."
"Not ever," growled Flinder, flexing his huge paws to display his claws.
I think that I alone was silent as I turned this bit of news over in my head. Though not very loud the sound of Bats' voices was deafening and confusing in its own strange way. It was as if there was more to their voices than what we heard and I saw the Talking Animals of our troop flinch as the Bats grew agitated.
I looked down at tiny Flitterwink, whose name was bigger than she was. "Lady," I whispered, "do you think you could reach my brother without being seen?"
She nodded, eager to prove herself. "I could, Majesty. I am small and swift. Command me!"
I clasped her close and warm to my breast as I raised my free hand for silence. All eyes were upon me and I took a moment to think, staring at the sketch carved into the ground before me. When I spoke my voice sounded hollow to my own ears.
"How many Bats have we?"