I've been missing Saris and a few people have expressed that they like her character so I'm starting the chapter with her and Lucy.

This chapter is dedicated to all the parents who have taken a long drive with their children and suffered the oft repeated – 'Are we there yet?'

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Are they here yet?

Queen Lucy the Valiant of Narnia was noted far and wide for her sunny disposition and ready smile. Not one of her subjects would be able to recall an instance where she had frowned at them or even raised her voice. But … by Aslan she was coming close to it this day!

"Can you see them? Are they nearly here yet?"

"No, the griffin sentries spotted the sail about an hour ago, but I can't see them from here."

… "Can you see them now?"

"No. I can't see anything yet."

… "How about now?"

"No. Not yet."

… "When do you suppose you'll be able to see them?"

Lucy took a deep breath before turning to regard the nervously pacing panther. Saris had refused to go with Peter, his guard Magnus and Edmund's guard Lupa to fight the Northern giants, saying she preferred to stay at Cair Paravel in case there was word from her Queen.

It would have been better for everyone if she had gone with Peter.

From the day that Susan had left, Saris had been a bad tempered, walking, talking bundle of nerves … and everyone in the palace knew about it from the moles who tended the garden to Queen Lucy herself. Saris had the whole palace on edge, for no one wanted to deal with a 100-pound, sharp clawed, overprotective, moody guard.

Saris had even made General Oreius loose his cool – a thing previously unheard of. In all fairness to the General though, Saris hadtripped him while he was training the new recruits (not on purpose of course, Saris was just checking to see if the general had any news from the Griffin scouts which were dotted along the coast, awaiting a view of the Splendour Hyaline returning home.) It hadn't been Saris' fault that the General was so tall that he wasn't paying attention to his feet while he was showing the recruits fighting forms. Of course, there were the bruises … and the twisted foreleg … and the nasty cut on his forehead … 'But really!' Saris reflected. 'Was there need for all that cursing?'

Lucy however had retained her composure … so far! But now they had the reports that Susan and Edmund's ship had been spotted. They were returning home early – clearly something had gone wrong. A conclusion that Saris too had come to and her coping method appeared to be to drive Lucy to distraction.

"Saris" Lucy said patiently. "I will tell you just as soon as I see them." She sat down on the pavement of the Pier, where they had decided to come to await the ship, so that she could be on eye level with the panther.

She continued "I'm sure they will be f …"
"Should you be sitting?" Saris interrupted. "Surely you'd have a better view if you're standing … or perhaps you could climb a tree."

Lucy was about to lose her legendary composure when she happened to glance at the sea and spotted the Splendour Hyaline rounding the point. Her heart leaped.

"I see them, they're here!" she shouted excitedly to Saris.

With an excited yowl, (akin to the noise a cat makes when you step on his tail) Saris dove into the harbour and started swimming towards the ship.

"Saris come back!" Lucy shouted after her alarmed. "It's too far. They must still be a mile or more away … Saris you'll drown!"

Saris however did not drown. Two of the griffin scouts who were now flying around the Splendour Hyaline, escorting it back home, spotted the floundering panther, and flew to the rescue, plucking her out of the water and depositing her on the deck of the ship right in front of the surprised Gentle Queen.

Queen Susan did not say anything. She merely looked at her drenched guard with a raised eyebrow.

Saris looked around, suddenly realising that she was the centre of a lot of attention, a lot of highly amused attention at that. Shaking herself thoroughly (making sure to drench anyone who looked particularly amused), Saris then sat down and began to lick the salt out of her fur. Only when she was nearly finished and she sensed Susan's growing impatience, did Saris finally look up at her Queen.

"You're early" she remarked calmly, as if she had not just nearly risked her life getting to her Queen only half an hour before the ship was due to dock.

If possible, Susan's eyebrow appeared to lift even higher and then she broke out in a chuckle.

"I missed you too Saris" she said, kneeling to embrace her friend, laughing again as Saris almost knocked her to the deck as she rubbed against her, practically purring with happiness, despite their audience.

Half an hour saw them docked at the harbour and Edmund and Susan in Lucy's arms.

"What happened?" Lucy asked as she embraced them tightly. "Why is it that you are back so soon? We didn't expect you for another week or more. Although Saris" here she glanced wryly at the panther. "Has been looking out for you every day since you left."

Saris sniffed. "I was merely aware that, without me, the mission could not possibly be a success and therefore must return early." She retorted.

Susan smiled at her guard before turning to Lucy.

"Perhaps we should have this conversation for indoors." She suggested.

"I agree" said Edmund. "We've a lot to tell you Lu …. Wait, who's that?"
Lucy looked to where Edmund had pointed and saw a beautiful, dappled stag running at top speed towards them.

"Why" declared Brocket. "I believe that's Chervy. He lives near our cousins on the slopes below the pass into Archenland.

The stag skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Your Majesties!" he gasped. "I bear a message of grave importance. At this very moment, two hundred Calormene soldiers, under Prince Rabadash are attacking Anvard!"

Lucy looked at Edmund and Susan, who did not look at all as shocked as she felt.

"I see the visit really didn't go well then!" she commented dryly.

As they hurried to the training grounds to find General Oreius and to ready the army to go to the aid of King Lune and Archenland, they filled Lucy in on the occurrences in Calormen. Corin accompanied them, uncharacteristically quiet as he worried for his father and friends.

Thankfully, Peter had been astute enough not to empty Narnia of all its soldiers when he went on his campaign to the North and so, with Oreius' help, they were able to gather a sizable force to bring to the aid of King Lune.

The matter of who should stay at The Cair was an altogether more difficult issue, however.

Edmund stood between his two sisters as they argued.

"I don't see why I must stay" argued Lucy. "I stayed at home while you both went to Calormen. It's someone else's turn now!"

"Lucy" Susan countered. "I can't stay. It's me that Rabadash is waging this war for. I cannot just sit idly by here and wait for others to fight my battles for me!"

"Of course, you shouldn't" answered Lucy to Susan's surprise. Her gaze turned to Edmund who had been looking at them as they argued with a slightly condescending smile.

"Edmund can stay!"
Edmund's smile faltered.

"But I have to go!" he protested. "It should be between you two who stays at the Cair."
Lucy and Susan both turned to him with arch looks.

"Why?" they asked as one, almost daring him to have the nerve to say that it was because they were women and he a man.

King Edmund the Just was known far and wide as an eloquent and intelligent man, but at that moment he found himself speechless under the steady gazes of his two sisters.

Unexpectedly, it was Prince Corin who came to his rescue.

"But Edmund has to come and speak to my father." He protested. "It was he who first discovered my brother and my father will need his spy network to locate Cor again!" Corin, although impetuous and mischievous, was no fool and had soon worked out who his 'double' was and so they had told him the whole story on the voyage home.

Lucy looked at the Prince with disappointment. "I may never forgive you for that Corin" she said. Turning to her siblings she sighed. "Fine, but the very next war that breaks out, I am going, and you can all stay at home and mind the castle while I'm gone like good little Monarchs.

The next morning found Prince Corin riding behind King Edmund and Queen Susan, sulking. Although Prince Corin did not refer to it as sulking, he preferred the term 'brooding' it had a more Princely ring to it.

Corin had been told that he was not to join in the fighting when they reached Anvard and that he was only to be allowed to watch it and he was bitterly disappointed! For a boy like Corin, inactivity was the worst possible fate. Heaving a sigh, Corin peered at Edmund and Susan to see how his sulking, sorry, no, brooding, was affecting them. To his frustration they did not appear to have noticed him at all. Corin glowered at their backs. If there was one thing, he hated more that inactivity, it was being ignored! Corin looked around to see if there was anything to divert him. Just in front of the column he saw a low wooden dwarf house with a smoking chimney. And sitting outside of it with a dwarf, was no other than his missing twin!

Corin spurred his horse forward until he was just behind the King.

"Edmund" he whispered plucking the King's cloak. Edmund turned to him with a frown.

"Corin, I told you. You are too young to join in the battle" Edmund began, but then subsided as the Prince nodded his head in the direction of Cor.

"Well spotted Corin" he said. "Go to him, and stay with him, make sure he does not wander off again."

"Now friends" he said in a louder voice. "Time for a halt and a morsel!"

Susan and Peridan, who were ahead, looked back at him in surprise. It was much too early for a stop. Edmund indicated the boy with his head and understanding dawned on their faces. Meanwhile as the column of soldiers were settling down to an early lunch, Corin approached the boy, whose name he remembered was Shasta.

"What you here?" he said, marvelling that he had not seen at once that the boy was his twin – it was like looking in a mirror.

"So you got through alright?" he continued. "I am glad. Now we shall have some sport." For it had just occurred to the mischievous young Prince how much fun could be had by having a double. "And isn't it luck!" he continued, not giving Shasta any time to answer.

"We only got into harbour at Cair Paravel yesterday morning and the very first person who met us was Chervy the Stag with all this news of an attack on Anvard. Don't you think …" Corin's constant flow of chatter was interrupted by Edmund who approached at that moment, anxious to see that the missing Prince was safe and unharmed.

"Who is your Highness's friend?" he asked, knowing full well who the boy was.

"Don't you see?" said Corin, joining in the duplicity. "It's my double: the boy you mistook me for at Tashbaan."

"Why, so he is your double, as like as two twins." Exclaimed Susan who had also approached the pair. She hoped in this way to introduce the idea of twins gently.

Saris approached the two boys and much to Shasta's obvious discomfiture, circled them, sniffing frequently.

"How curious" she remarked. "They look the same and yet smell completely different!"

"Please, your Majesty," said Shasta earnestly to King Edmund, "I was no traitor, really I wasn't. And I couldn't help hearing your plans. But I'd never have dreamed of telling them to your enemies."

Edmund looked fondly at the boy, at least this one had a conscience, unlike his twin.

"I know now that you were no traitor, boy," he said, laying his hand on Shasta's head.

"But if you would not be taken for one, another time try not to hear what's meant for other ears. But all's well."

After that there was so much bustle and talk and coming and going that Corin, despite his promise to Edmund lost sight of Shasta for a while.

Corin's elbow had been plucked by a Dwarf in the army called Thornbut.

"What is it, Thornbut?" Corin asked.

"Your Royal Highness," said Thornbut, drawing him aside, "our march to-day will bring us through the pass and right to your royal father's castle. We may be in battle before night."

"I know," said Corin excitedly. "Isn't it splendid?"

"Splendid or not," said Thornbut, "I have the strictest orders from King Edmund to see to it that your Highness is not in the fight. You will be allowed to see it, and that's treat enough for your Highness's little years."

"Oh, what nonsense!" Corin burst out even though King Edmund had already told him the same thing. "Of course, I'm going to fight."

"No, you are not" the dwarf countered. "King Edmund has put you in my charge. Either I must have your word that you'll keep your pony beside mine — not half a neck ahead or else … it is his Majesty's word … we must go with our wrists tied together like two prisoners."

"I'll knock you down if you try to bind me," said Corin.

"I'd like to see your Highness do it," said the Dwarf.

That was quite enough for a boy like Corin and in a second, he and the Dwarf were at it hammer and tongs. By very bad luck Thornbut trod on a loose stone, came flat down on his nose, and found when he tried to get up that he had sprained his ankle: a real excruciating sprain which would keep him from walking or riding for at least a fortnight.

Edmund rushed over to see what was going on, with Shasta at his heels.

"Corin! See what you've done," said King Edmund, holding onto his temper by a thread. "Deprived us of a proved warrior on the very edge of battle."

"I'll take his place, Sire," said Corin

"No-one doubts your courage Corin, but you are too young" answered Edmund, "my answer is still no."

At that moment, the King was called away to attend to something else, and Corin, after apologising handsomely to the Dwarf, rushed up to Shasta and whispered,

"Quick. There's a spare pony now, and the Dwarf's armour. Put it on before anyone notices."

"What for?" said Shasta, his heart sinking.

"Why, so that you and I can fight in the battle of course! Don't you want to?"

"Oh — ah, yes, of course," said Shasta. But he hadn't been thinking of doing so at all, and began to get a most uncomfortable prickly feeling in his spine.

"That's right," said Corin. "Over your head. Now the sword-belt. But we must ride near the tail of the column and keep as quiet as mice. Once the battle begins everyone will be far too busy to notice us."

AN: That's it for now. The next scene is the battle, and we'll see how the presence of Susan changes things!

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