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 sea has always been the Valiant's but when she sets out on a quest with her favored knight, Tarrin Peridanson, Lucy finds both danger and adventure. Will a quest set by Nereids bring Lucy and Tarrin together or tear them apart?

A/N: If you have not read the first eleven stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakened, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, Rekindled, Refracted, Reflected, Veiled, Unveiled, Eclipsed, and Obscured), I highly recommend you do so for the full experience. However, I have included a quick summary of the previous stories so if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can. Glistened takes place concurrent with the events of Brightened (post-chapter 20) so that story is not included in the summaries.

Chapter Twenty-One – A House in the Woods

24 Fairdawn 1015

Tarrin kept an alert eye on the surrounding trees as he watered their horses at a lake. This far over the border was a risk in the best of circumstances. He supposed it was a good thing they were a bit too far west to be considered properly in the territory of the Ettins. Of course, being in the Western March was no guarantee of their safety from the wild creatures and Fell who still lingered in the region despite Narnia's shows of strength and march on Ettinsmoor last year.

"Tarrin, come have supper!"

He turned at the quietly cheerful call and Lucy waved, smiling broadly with her honey-brown hair haloed by the sunlight. A surge of emotions, warm and clamoring, threatened to pull him into a world where nothing existed save for her…and him. A dangerous thing indeed given their current situation…not to mention that fact that the General and the Kings would take turns killing him dead then reviving him to kill him again if he was so foolish as to let anything happen to Lucy because of his inattention. And rightly so! He would do the same to any chap responsible for Raisa's safety.

He gave himself a shake and tried to keep his senses on the surrounding woods as he led their horses toward the little area Lucy was transforming into a camp. She smiled at him and his mouth went dry. Lion preserve him, even remembering her proper title while they travelled through Narnia wasn't enough to rebuild the carefully marked boundaries and walls he'd spent years perfecting when it came to the true depth of his feelings for the Valiant Queen. And yet he could only offer an answering smile as he set the horses to grazing. "Should I unsaddle them, Que—"

He cut himself off as Lucy put her hands on her hips, her playful scowl more of a temptingly kissable pout, as she arched both eyebrows. "Tarrin, what did I tell you about the bothersome titles?"

Wrenching his eyes (and his mind) away from her kissable pout, he met her sparkling blue gaze and cleared his throat. He should really think about the kings. With their swords uncomfortably close for his continued physical well-being. And… He would give almost anything to be able to kiss the pink lips now curving into a mischievous grin.

"Tarrin! Pay attention or I'll never be able to kiss you again."

He blinked. Clearing his throat roughly, he dropped down on a knee across from her. "Be a shame, My Lucy." He could feel the fiery blush heating his ears and had no doubt they were fair to glowing now. But when she smiled, he couldn't much think about embarrassment or his forever twisting excuse of a tongue.

Lucy grinned back at him, her cheeks growing a touch pink beneath her tan. "Indeed, it would, Sir Delos." She leaned toward him, a gleam entering her eyes.

He wanted nothing more than to answer in kind. But instead he forced himself to lean back, raising a finger in mock admonishment. "Ah, no… No pouncing. I gave my word to the General and he would happily kill me and then revive me again so your brothers can have a chance to do the same."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "They are so very overprotective but they won't actually kill you, Tarrin." When he couldn't keep himself from touching his raised finger to the spot where General Oreius had so recently held a blade to his throat, her blush deepened. "Well, not now that Oreius knows what was actually going on, is going on…shall be going on." She paused, brow furrowing. "Oh dear, I'm not certain that made any sense at all. I am sorry about Oreius threatening you, by the way."

Tarrin huffed as he climbed back to his feet and moved to unsaddle the horses. "He was perfectly in the right to do so. We were not honest with him and we broke the trust he placed in us even if it weren't in the way he originally assumed. Besides, everyone in the army knows the General of Narnia loves the Four as if they were his own children born of his wife. His reaction was that of a father discovering his current youngest daughter in the arms of a knight who was pledged to protect her and uphold her honor under all circumstances."

"Tarrin, I know Oreius feels strongly about us. He always has been the most protective. He'd likely dare to argue with Aslan Himself if he wasn't certain as to the wisdom of a plan for protecting any one of us." She grew quiet then moved to stand next to him as he brushed his charger's coat. Her expression was thoughtful instead of teasing now. "It's only I was surprised by the…vehemence he showed. He was so angry that I don't know if he would have responded had I remembered to actually give him an order."

"Likely a good thing you didn't," he murmured. "That wasn't your general reacting. It was your father." He brushed a little more firmly as he continued, "And I would place a sure bet that you'd be just as fierce had you been the parent discovering such an apparent situation."

"Well… I like to think I'm far more reasonable than that." Yet, her free hand drifted to the hilt of her dagger as she continued brushing down her mare.

Tarrin chuckled. "You don't stop loving and caring about your children just because they're of age. I've seen it with my own parents. Raisa and I are both of age. However, they care very much about us and the consequences of our choices in life." He made a face. "I'm certain they won't be entirely comfortable with how we ended up here but only because they are concerned out of love. And besides if my conduct as a knight must be held of high accountability, how much more so for the sovereigns of Narnia?" He glanced at her. "Of course, your reputation will be unsullied. Even if your brothers do kill me," he added with a light edge of teasing to the words.

Lucy's cheeks held a blush but her eyes flashed with fierceness as she retorted, "I shan't let my brothers be so silly as to kill you, Tarrin. I shall tell them they can't and they shall mind!"

"The wrath of the golden siblings burns as brightly as the sun's. Kind, yes, open to all, yes. Yet 'ware angering the golden siblings of Narnia, the eldest and youngest, whose wrath kindles bright and fierce into a leaping fire set to burn any who might do harm to those who are theirs. Particularly if they are untempered by the cooler heads of their darker siblings, the Gentle and Just."

He patted his charger then turned, leaning a shoulder against the horse's as he eyed her fierce expression once more. "The High King may be the swiftest to leap to his family's defense and to that of his people's without hesitation but you are right behind him. You might even leap ahead of him at times." He grinned slightly. "You do have a terrible habit of throwing yourself off your own ship or rushing ahead of everyone to explore an unproved path."

Lucy's cheeks were still pink but she rubbed her thumb over the lion's head topping the pommel of her dagger. "Are you calling me impulsive, Sir Delos?"

Tarrin chuckled. Pushing off his horse, who merely flicked an ear at his movements, he spread his arms wide. "That is how I ended up here looking for a mad old man of uncertain heritage." He paused deliberately then added, "And with you."

"Any regrets?" she asked. There was a thread of uncertainty in her voice.

He opened his mouth then shook his head. "Only that I could never screw my courage up enough to approach you on my own." His gaze dropped to her mouth and he added unthinkingly, "And that I can't kiss you as you deserve."

The next thing he knew his arms were full of Lucy. Her hair smelled of sunshine and the fainter scent of wildflowers. It was rather like being tugged out of the water to stand in front of a dancing bonfire, warming him to the very bone and perhaps even to his soul. Then her slim strong hands grasped his head and pulled him down into a kiss that drowned him faster and deeper than any ocean wave. Lion help him, if she were a siren, he would gladly crash upon the rocks to be with her.

His charger, the fickle creature lipped at his tunic then blew a hot moist breath against his ear, dribbling remnants of water from his earlier drink. Tarrin instinctively flinched away from the sensation, reluctantly releasing Lucy as he pushed the wet muzzle away. "Quit that, Jinks." The big bay promptly smeared his muzzle across Tarrin's cheek, making Lucy giggle while Tarrin placed a hand against the charger's neck and pushed. "We are not playing, Jinks."

Jinks yanked on his sleeve then bobbed his head up and down.

Lucy laughed a little louder. "I do adore the fact that you lose arguments to Jinks almost as often as Edmund loses to Philip."

Tarrin harrumphed as he dug through his saddle bag to find the apple Jinks truly wanted. "Here, you great beastie." The apple was lipped from his hand even before he finished speaking, much less had the chance to slice it. Tarrin huffed a laugh. "You're welcome."

He pulled out another apple then tossed it to Lucy who sliced it for her mare. Noticing Jinks' pricked ears, he mumbled, "Don't be greedy."

Leaving the horses to their snack and to graze on the grass, Tarrin and Lucy settled down to their own meal. They didn't speak much this time, merely enjoying each other's company. Afterward Tarrin leaned his back against a sturdy oak tree. He studied the large lake. "Is this it then?"

Lucy nodded. "It's just how Kat described the place in her reports on finding Markus. And Markus wrote about it too. We shouldn't be too far from Oberon's house if I'm reading the map correctly."

"Right." He started to get up only to freeze when she dropped down beside him and snuggled against his side, head resting on his shoulder. "Uh, Lucy? My Lucy, shouldn't we be going?"

"Everything says Oberon comes out more at night than in daylight. We can wait a little while before seeking him out." She snuggled closer, hand curling in his tunic. "You're still allowed to hold me, you know."

"I'm not certain that would be wise," he murmured. "In fact, I'm certain it's not. Besides your brothers would kill me if they caught us like this. Especially Peter."

Lucy sat up, shaking her head. A fond exasperation lit her eyes. "Peter's the High King. Yes, he can overrule the three of us if the need arises; however, he's typically more reasonable about that. And besides he likes you. The worst he might be able to do is deny you a consort ceremony. And I shall ensure he doesn't do that even if I must apply to Thalia and Susan for aid in calming him down and reminding him you really are quite lovable."

Tarrin couldn't help a grimace. "I would very much prefer not to be found lovable by the High King, thank you. You make me sound like a stray hound puppy following you home."

Lucy opened her mouth to respond then froze. He stiffened too. There was a sense of being watched. He carefully rose to his feet, snatching up his sword as he did so. The feeling faded almost as though someone had turned away from them. And yet… A sense of urgency settled on him.

When he looked down, Lucy was already on her feet with her dagger in hand. She waved to him then pointed toward the woods to their northeast. He nodded as he buckled his sword on then picked up his bow and quiver while Lucy fetched hers. They left the horses behind, trusting the lake to provide a better shelter for the moment, and headed into the trees.

They had not walked for long, only a half hour at most before they halted in a small copse of gnarled trees. Just beyond them, visible through the low hanging branches, was a clearing and in it a house. It looked utterly unnoticeable, perhaps a woodcutter's cabin.

Lucy ducked out of the sheltering copse and was crossing into clearing before Tarrin could even try to stop her. He blew out a breath then stretched out his long gait to catch up to her as fast as he could without running. They hadn't quite reached the house when the door opened and a man poked his head out. "Comes to Oberon the sea does! Inside, inside, quickly now. Told old Oberon of you Aslan did."

Tarrin cast a look over his shoulder as he reached the threshold. There was something…almost too good about this. Yet he saw no danger. The sense of being watched remained absent now they'd left the shores of the lake. He closed the door behind him and immediately gaped at the ceiling. Stars, or rather glowing men and women, were dancing the constellations across the ceiling. They moved in an intricate dance that seemed so real as they moved through the patterns of their dances. The Leopard, the Ship, all of them.

When he finally dragged his eyes away from the magic, he stared around at a house filled with books of all sizes and scrolls as thick around as a Giant's thumb. The part of him that loved to study blueprints and design architecture wanted to scour every volume and discover their secrets. Who knew what knowledge was held here that could not be found anywhere else in Narnia?

"Impressed or frightened are you by Oberon's house?" The words were followed by a low chuckle that pulled his attention to the strange man leaning on a staff. His brown eyes twinkled and his bushy beard was more grey than brown. Yet there was something….foreign about him. Something…ancient. Whoever Oberon was, Tarrin knew with utmost certainty that he was not a Son of Adam by even the faintest thread of kinship.

"Steadfast and Valiant to Oberon come. Calls the sea she does." Oberon nodded to Lucy. "A quest?"

Lucy nodded, smiling in amusement. "A quest, yes. You see we found you by using the documents left behind by Markus. He said you helped him find Aslan."

A hint of sadness entered the old man's eyes. "Mmm, in His Country next time Oberon smacks Markus. A friend he was. Reluctant though at first." He tapped his staff against the wooden floor, producing a solid thump. "Why come? Oberon you seek but whyfore?"

"If you please, Oberon, we are looking for the former home of a man called Lev. He was Queen Swanwhite's Prince Consort, you see." Lucy glanced over at him then stepped closer to the elder, touching his hand where it grasped the staff. "Please. We believe he was a fallen star, one who used to guard an artifact made by the magic of sea and stars. We searched the temple where it first lay but it's vanished. If Lev was a fallen star, might you know where he used to call home before he was discovered at Cair Paravel. Please, Kat, I mean Alambiel said you are older than many in Narnia. Perhaps even older than anyone we know."

"Alambiel," the elder murmured. His gaze rose to the stars dancing across the ceiling.

Tarrin hesitated then offered, "The Alambiel we speak of was named for Alambil, Lady of Peace, but she is the Princess Royal."

He yelped as the old man promptly whacked him on the head with his staff. His beard seemed to prickle as he huffed, "Lew's Daughter, yes. Oberon ancient, empty his mind is not."

"My apologies," Tarrin muttered whilst rubbing his head. He certainly didn't hit like an ancient doddering about with help.

Lucy didn't quite stifle her amusement as she continued, "Our quest is quite urgent. A plague has come over the Sea Folk and the artifact is the only thing that might help. Please, can you tell us nothing of Lev?"

The stars stopped dancing. Oberon's eyes closed as he heaved a sigh so weary Tarrin could feel it in his own bones. "Levan. A star he was. Very young. Fell due to father's pride. Sea witches attacking, stealing trying. Seas Levan swallow. Changing, yes. Until Levan no more. Instead, only Lev. Too different, family lost."

"Lev was truly Levan," Lucy whispered. "But his family? What happened to them? Did they take the artifact?"

Oberon offered a slow nod, eyes still closed as he leaned more heavily on his staff. "Ignore not Levan's sacrifice, mother and father. Broken artifact and secret keeping."

"Who?" Lucy asked, her hand still resting on his.

Tarrin leaned forward, a sense of anticipation growing. A niggling suspicion grew with it. And yet he still hissed in surprise when Oberon's brown eyes suddenly opened and he tapped his free hand against his chest. "Oberon hid. Titania hid."

Lucy's wide eyed gaze swung toward him briefly before she focused once more on the old man. "You are a star. The star that helped create the artifact?"

"Truth," Oberon declared even as his eyes drifted to the ceiling and the still stationary stars. "Truth forgotten, found it is. Time it is."

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A/N: Please Read and Review! So it's a fairly fluffy chapter this time. And Oberon is back in the picture. Which means this quest is coming to a close very soon. Only three chapters left!