RAHAI AND THE RUNES

Once the Marshwiggles were assured that they would be respected, they were more than accommodating. They helped the Free Narnians build make-shift shelters, shared their wigwam space, and showed them the best places to find food. Resources were very low, yet morale was surprisingly high as the Marshwiggles, Free Narnians, and Archenlanders cooperated and got to know one another.

Stragglers trickled across the ridge bringing news from Cair Paravel and the mainland about how the Green Narnians were amassing their forces. Talia, Aravis, and Cor, while keeping themselves occupied with administrative duties, couldn't help but worry about what had happened to Saedra, Tumnus, Caulitha, and Ethan. Escapees had not seen any of them, so Birds were dispatched to do reconnaissance.

However, just as things at the Marshes were settling down, Talia was called from her meeting with the news that Tumnus had arrived. The Lord Regent looked ready to drop; he had ridden a horse that Talia found vaguely familiar. In front of him were Caulitha and Ethan. Caulitha appeared dead asleep, but Ethan was awake, managing to look royal even covered with green ashes and with drooping eyes.

Muddlegrum took the unconscious Caulitha while Talia helped Ethan down.

"I'll get the little ones inside," Muddlegrum volunteered. "The little one looks like he's about to faint."

Talia thanked him and added, "If you happen to see Cor and Aravis, please send them to the main wigwam."

"Wait," Tumnus said. Muddlegrum hesitated and looked back. "The Princess needs to be seen by a nurse; she has been unconscious the whole ride, I fear it was the smoke... Please, if there is anyone who can help her…."

Muddlegrum nodded. "I will see to it she is looked at."

Talia led Tumnus and his horse to the wigwam that was serving as their base of operations. It fit about ten people; there was a smoking fire in the center, and various weapons and parchments in the corners. The only light came from the hole in the pinnacle of the roof that vented the smoke.

Talia tied up the horse to the back of the wigwam and helped Tumnus to sit down inside. It was startling to realize that Tumnus was not the sprite Faun she had always seen him as. He was bruised and sore, and his face looked sad and old.

"I'll find you some food and warm drink," she volunteered.

He grabbed her arm before she could go. "Talia," he said, "there is something you must know before the others come."

She paused. "It has to do with Mum, doesn't it?" she asked flatly.

He nodded slowly, confirming what she had been fearing more and more. Every hour that went by without sign of Saedra made it more likely that she wasn't going to come to the Marshes at all.

"Talia, Saedra was killed. By Lord Reine. Trying to save Caulitha."

Talia didn't react inwardly or outwardly. She had already lost so much in this war. She was incapable of mourning further. Not now, anyway. Maybe someday, if this war ever ended, she would cry for the woman who had saved her from slavery in Calormen and handed her the world. But right now, she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Talia. She died nobly."

"Then she is at peace. Unlike the rest of us."

Cor pulled back the flap in the entrance, and he and Aravis entered.

"You made it, Tumnus!" Aravis exclaimed, relieved. "We were ever so worried!"

"Tumnus was just telling me that Mum's dead," Talia said in the same flat voice.

Her friends froze and studied her. But thankfully, they knew her well enough to see that any condolences they would have offered would have been hollow and unwelcome.

"How did you escape, Lord Regent?" Cor asked. "And with the two children..."

"It was because of Saedra that I was able to save the children. We came across Reine and the First Wife in Ethan's bedroom. I attacked Reine, Saedra took the First Wife. The First Wife fled, and Saedra went to check on Caulitha. Reine spotted Saedra leaving, and forgot me and Ethan to pursue her.

"I hid Ethan (who was unconscious because of the smoke), and went in the direction of Saedra and Reine—but it was too late. Saedra was dead, slumped over Caulitha's body. Reine didn't notice me because I was behind him. I stabbed him with my small blade in the back. He cried out and fell to the ground.

"I grabbed Caulitha and went back to get Ethan. He, thankfully, had woken up while he was hidden in the wardrobe, and we used side passages to get out and to the stables. There was a dead Minotaur on the ground near a horse that was still bridled, and we got on and left. By the grace of Aslan we weren't noticed, though we did have to go in a longer way to avoid the enemy that we almost came upon in the forest."

Cor had a strange expression on his face. "Where is your horse now?"

"I tied it up behind the wigwam," Talia replied.

He leapt to his feet and disappeared back outside. Aravis' eyes lit up. Talia was about to ask what in the world was going on, but Cor was back in the wigwam already, his face glowing.

"Praise Aslan: I found it!" he exclaimed. In his hand, he held up a little white horn.

Talia's jaw dropped. "Aunt Susan's horn! But you lost it!"

"He accidentally left it tied to his horse," Aravis corrected. "A Minotaur had just taken our horses away when the Green Narnians attacked Cair Paravel—that must have been the same Minotaur that Tumnus found in the stable..."

"What a marvelous accident that your horse was still saddled!" Talia agreed.

"And that the horn didn't fall or get lost," Cor added.

"Where did the horn come from?" Tumnus marveled. "I thought it was lost during the Disappearance!"

"It is a long story, but we came across it in our travels," Cor said. "An old friend gave it to us."

"Speaking of old friends," Muddlegrum's voice broke in. They turned to see his head poking into the wigwam: "It seems there is a Lady here who claims to know King Cor and Princess Talia and requests to speak with them."

"Did you catch her name?" Cor asked.

"Something like Rug-hay or Ruh-high," Muddlegrum shrugged.

All four in the wigwam emitted sounds of surprise.

"Rahai? Please, send her in!" Talia cried.

Muddlegrum disappeared.

"I thought Rahai didn't want to get involved!" Aravis said to Cor.

"What do you mean?" Talia frowned. "You mean to say you've been in contact with her?"

"She's the one who gave us the horn!" Aravis said.

"You told me someone named Ravin gave you the horn," Talia corrected.

"Rahai asked us not to tell anyone that we saw her—"

The wigwam entrance opened again, and there stood Rahai, dressed in the same riding pants and veil as she had been at the Keep.

Talia, Cor, and Aravis jumped to their feet and bowed or curtseyed. Tumnus was too weak to rise, but he sat up straight and nodded his head.

Talia stared at her aunt, shocked. It had been over seven years since she had seen the woman she had respected as intelligent, poised, and kind. All she could see was Rahai's grey eyes, but there were no mistaking them.

"What are you doing here, Rahai?" Aravis asked.

Rahai's eyes looked uncertain. She glanced over her shoulder before securing the flap behind her and taking off her veil. They all sat down again.

"I didn't plan to come," Rahai admitted. "And I wouldn't have. But Priyah made me—well, she showed me how selfish I was being by staying out of it all."

"Priyah?"

"The Telmarine Princess? The one who was engaged to Father once?"

"The very one," Rahai confirmed. She looked at Cor and Aravis. "But you two knew her as Ravin."

They both looked dumbstruck.

"Hold on, hold on!" Talia said. "Tumnus and I have no idea what you all are talking about. Can we start from the beginning?"

And so Rahai, Aravis, and Cor related how they had all encountered each other in the wilderness, how they had rested at the Keep, and how Rahai had given them the horn.

"But my Princess," Tumnus interjected, "how in the world did you come to live with the Telmarine Princess and low-ranking soldier in the first place?"

Rahai explained how Reine had sent her to Telmar and how she had become Priyah's lady-in-waiting.

"I might have lived in Telmar the rest of my life as Priyah's helper," she said, "were it not for Meridian. He forced Priyah into an engagement with a fast-rising Captain that Priyah resented. When it became clear that Meridian could not be persuaded against the marriage (and that Lord Reine had no interest in backing her up), Priyah and I planned an escape.

"We fled the castle—but ran into a problem. The problem was a soldier that had been friends with Priyah for years. You two," here she nodded to Cor and Aravis again, "know him. It was Rory. He demanded to know what we were doing in the wee hours of the morning with travelling gear and horses, and we were forced to tell him everything.

"As Priyah had hoped, he took pity on us and allowed us to pass through on one condition: that he be allowed to come as well and protect us. He was, and is, very loyal to Priyah, and worried for the safety of two women travelling alone. And so the three of us set out.

"What happened after that is a tale that we lack the time for, but to summarize, we first went to Calormen to arrange for my finances (which I had inherited against tradition when my father was sent to jail) to be transferred to me. I sold my family's estates, and with that money we hired working men and supplies. Our dream was to build a Keep, a base of sorts from which we could go exploring, and that is what we did in the northern wilderness. The Keep is still under construction, but is taking shape. It has offered Priyah and myself freedom and peace that we have never had before."

"But didn't Meridian go looking for Priyah?" Aravis wondered.

"Yes, but he did it covertly. Meridian is proud; he would never publicly admit that his daughter ran away from home. While the search was going on, Priyah, Rory and I were in Calormen, and so we avoided discovery. By the time we returned to the Telmar area, the search had been ended and Meridian had announced that Priyah had died. Now Priyah is somewhat of a legend, and people say she died of a broken heart because Peter Disappeared."

The wigwam became quiet as the listeners digested her tale. Talia couldn't fault Rahai for not contacting her; Rahai no doubt hated Saedra, and Talia was inextricably linked to her mother.

When the conversation started up again, it turned to all that had been happening in Archenland and Narnia. Rahai knew very little, and they filled her in. When they reached the end, Rahai said in a soft voice, "So, I am the last of the spouses of the Four to survive…." Her eyes met Tumnus', and her voice trailed off.

Talia didn't know if Rahai was relieved that she would never see Saedra again.

"And you have not blown the horn yet?" Rahai reiterated.

"No, we haven't. We haven't had much chance," Cor said.

"And we weren't sure if we should," Aravis added. "You said that we should only do it when the need is greatest."

Rahai nodded. "It is good that you have not."

"Pardon me, Princess," Tumnus interjected, "but why is it good that we have not blown the horn? Should we not do so this very moment? I cannot imagine our need being greater."

Rahai tilted her head to the side. "Priyah is somewhat of an expert when it comes to Runes. She has done a lot of translation of old Narnian texts. And what she has found regarding tools such as the horn that call for help is that they are to be used sparingly. It's kind of hard to explain…" She struggled with the words. "In Calormen, we have a tale called 'Nashi and the Three Calls.' We tell it to children to teach them not to lie."

"Sort of like 'The Rabbit Who Cried Fox'?" Talia asked, referring to the Narnian folk-tale Peter had taught her.

"Yes, exactly!" Rahai said.

"In Archenland we called it, 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf,'" Cor said.

"Then we all understand the idea. The child calls for help when it isn't needed, and when help is really needed, it doesn't come."

An uncomfortable silence fell.

"You mean to say that if we really don't need help now and we blow the horn, we will regret it later," Talia concluded.

"Yes."

"And the Runes said this?"

"The Runes are vague. Priyah is the first to admit that, and she understands things like that better than anyone."

"Then what are we to do?" Tumnus wondered. "Wait until things get worse and then blow it?"

"And how will we ever know that things are at their worst?" Aravis asked.

"Have you exhausted all means of help?" Rahai asked.

"Of course we have!" Aravis said. "Archenland doesn't exist, and Narnia—well, the Narnia as we know it—is about to be extinguished."

"Have you asked for aid from our island allies?" Rahai asked. "I do believe we have alliances with Galma, Terebinthia, and Narrowhaven, do we not?"

They all stared at her.

Talia was distinctly uncomfortable. "I admit, I hadn't considered them. They are so far away, help is impractical."

"Help in times such as these is never impractical," Rahai corrected, not unkindly.

"But the help that Narrowhaven could offer is so small compared to the forces of Telmar and Calormen…" Talia reminded.

"Not if you ask Galma and Terebinthia as well," Tumnus said in a low voice. "We were fools to ignore this option before."

"But it's too late now!" Aravis pointed out. "Travel to and from those Islands would take ages, not to mention the time it would take to convince them to help us, then to get their troops ready, and then to come here...It really is impractical!"

"The Owls are able to carry humans, are they not?" Rahai asked. "Then have them carry you to Galma, then to Terebinthia, then to the Lone Islands."

"Travel like that would be too hard on Owls," Tumnus said. "But it wouldn't be for the Gryphons. Not if they could trade off carrying whoever is delivering the message. And if they could rest for a day or so at each stop."

More awkward silence ensued.

"We're idiots," Talia said, shaking her head. "Idiots. It's so obvious now..."

Cor looked at Rahai. "So we have this option now, to get help from the islands. Do we wait to blow the horn until that help is exhausted?"

"Unless the situation on the ground gets unmanageable in the meantime, yes."

"I should be the one to go with the Gryphons," Talia said. "It's dangerous, and I can't ask anyone else to do it."

"Tal," Aravis said, "I think it's better that you stay here. You're an icon to the Free Narnians; you'll be missed." She looked at Cor. "We won't be missed as much because we've been gone so long. I think we should do it, Cor."

Cor studied her, then nodded slowly. "As King of Archenland, I will petition for aid. It is my duty."

Silence fell again as they contemplated the dangerous mission before Cor and Aravis. It was possible that a Gryphon would get too tired and that they would drown. Or perhaps any one of their allies no longer thought they should help Narnia or Archenland, and laugh at them. Or worse, use them as hostages. This mission would have to be planned in minute detail.

"Princess," Tumnus said to Rahai, "you have offered us a new hope. But we still do not know what brought you here from your home at this Keep. You said Priyah is the reason you came?"

"Yes," Rahai said. "It is. After meeting Aravis and Cor here, Priyah was determined that she is in a position to help your—our—cause. She has decided to return to Telmar as a spy to feed us information about what Meridian is doing."

"How is she going to get this information?"

"She is going to expose herself to her parents and hope that they believe the story she has put together. If they accept her back, she will be in a great position to spy."

"And if they don't accept her back?"

Rahai looked down at her hands. "I have no answer for that," she whispered.

"Then let's pray that Aslan watches over Princess Priyah," Tumnus said.

"And all of us," Cor said ominously.