Chapter 35: The Light
Judith was overwhelmed with sickness. Fernes' cold, dead eyes stared right through her and she did her best to avoid looking at the grisly remains. There was no time to feel sorrow, shame, or pride. There was hardly enough time to think. It was her chance to escape, and she had to move quickly if she hoped to make it back to the Narnians.
She gathered up her supplies and turned to the door, but the searing burn of her cousin's stare made it impossible to leave. Her fingers trembled with a sudden madness and before she knew what she was doing, she found herself scrambling through the tent for something, although she wasn't sure what. With the discarded remnants of the purple gown in her hands, she threw the largest scrap over the lifeless head and wrapped it tightly.
"If Peter is to believe me," she muttered, heaving the bundle over her shoulder, "then it is best to have proof."
The campfires outside were smoldering and everything was draped in a cold silence. Peeking out from the tent, Judith sighed with relief. Juggling the hastily made parcels, she stared off into the darkness and beyond the trees, anxious for their cover. The wind had calmed for a moment, but she could hear the faint rustling of leaves anticipating another blast.
"My Queen..." a single voice startled her.
It was the General. He was stout and sturdy, armed with several blades and grimace that made him look like an overgrown toad.
"Have your festivities with the Invincible Lord come to an end?" he asked suspiciously.
She drew her eyes away from the distance. "Yes. Yes they have."
"Then I must speak to Lord Fernes…"
"No! The Invincible Lord is indisposed and no one must disturb him!" she barked with authority, hoping that he wouldn't notice her panic.
The General squinted his beady eyes. "He informed me that the battle lines may change come morning and he has yet to disclose his plans..."
"Lord Fernes and I discussed those changes and you are to proceed as planned. And it is of the utmost importance that no one see him before the battle begins," she said sternly, attempting to look regal while fumbling with the hastily made parcels.
He nodded in obedience, though he glanced skeptically at the goods in her arms. "If those are my Lord's wishes, then I will abide. But My Queen, where are you off to at such an hour?"
Judith grasped for a believable excuse. "I...I have a important meeting with the Calormenes."
"Then I shall escort you…"
"No!" she shouted, aware of the hysteria leaking though her voice. "The Tarkaans specified that I am to come alone. Besides, you look worse for wear. Our General must be well rested if he is to lead our army to victory..."
"Very well. But I expect you will be returning to command?" he asked, crossing his arms so that he looked like an immovable boulder.
"Of course," she lied. "Ready the troops in the morning and I will lead the front lines."
"We are fortunate to have such a valiant Queen," bowed the General as he slunk away back through the sleeping camp.
oOo
With no flame resilient against the swirling air, Judith found herself running through the darkness with the wind pushing her further and further into the unknown and sweeping her tracks from the soil. The canopy of leaves was so thick above that the path ahead of her looked as though it was spattered with black ink which trailed into an vast, empty abyss.
When the wind calmed, the net of branches untangled from above, and she was able to stand still in the sprinkling of moonlight. She strained her eyes to get a glimpse of the stars, but she didn't know how to read the Narnian sky and so with an aggravated sigh, she gave up and scanned her immediate surroundings. Darkness. She could barely see five paces in front of her. After brushing her hair away from her sweaty brow, she reached for her supplies only to find that the small bindle had ripped during her turbulent escape. The only thing remaining inside was a single candle, but no means to light it.
Tears rolled down her smoldering cheeks. The other bundle dropped from her arms and landed in the soil with a thud. She fell to her knees and with her trembling fists, she pounded the ground in frustration and then hurled the candle away with all of her strength. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she closed her eyes and hoped that when they opened she would find herself tucked into her bed back in England.
She peeled her eyes open slowly to find that the night sky had grown even darker. She felt around below searching for the heavy bundle and heaving the concealed remains to her chest, she held it tightly with a desperate tremble. Her mind raced, drifting further and further from sanity until her eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a small flicker just ahead.
There was something peculiar about the tiny light and how it seemed to appear out of no where. And as small as it was, it shone brighter than it should have and radiated a warmth that beckoned the little hope left within her fragile body. Her mind went blank and she followed the glowing ember without question, crawling through fallen leaves and moist dirt, the pang of the occasional small, sharp stone grazing her skin. When she reached the light, she was surprised to find the solitary candle that she had discarded so carelessly. The wick was burning with a steady flame.
She lifted the candle, observing its wonder, and when she raised her chin to see into the illuminated darkness, waiting for her was a regal stallion-Claymont's famed horse of incredible speed and undeniable stamina. Wearily, Judith approached and the horse knelt so that she could easily slip onto his back. Holding the candle with one hand and resting the heavy bundle on her thigh, the horse walked steadily down the path as though he knew where to take her. Judith rested her head on his silky mane and stared off into the unknown.