"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither them? I cannot say."

JRR Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring

Chapter 4: Jules, Julian, and Peter

Jules woke early the next morning. The sun was barely peeking up from behind the trees, and the birds were singing joyfully. Jules groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. But Jules was never able to fall back asleep once she was woken up, so she slowly dragged herself from under the covers. Standing, Jules stretched, arching her back and cracking her neck back and forth. Then, she trudged from the bed and into the bathroom across the hall. It was large and luxurious, but also outdated. Digory's manor was certainly old, and though showers were becoming more and more popular, the manor only had bathtubs. Jules drew herself one, and while waiting for the tub to fill, she reached into the bathroom cabinets for the shampoo and soap she had put there. She set them beside the tub, along with a towel, and soon was slipping into the warm water. Jules spent thirty minutes relaxing in the tub, feeling the stiffness of her muscles melt away. She dunked her head back, soaking her long hair before lathering it with the floral-scented shampoo. She didn't have conditioner, which was a shame, but Jules simply continued, washing her body with the scentless bar of soap.

Jules climbed from the tub, quickly wrapping herself in a towel. She pulled the stopper and gently squeezed and scrunched the water out of her curls as the tub drained. Once her hair was no longer dripping, Jules went over to the sink, put the shampoo and soap away, and brushed her teeth. Soon, she was creeping back across the hall into her room.

Jules finished drying her body in her room, the sun shining more brightly now through the window. Once her body was dry, she slipped into some underwear, wrapped her chest (1940s bras were incredibly uncomfortable compared to 21st-century bras and she preferred wrappings over corsets in Narnia) and debated what she wanted she wanted to wear that day. She looked at her small cluster of clothing. She had another dress (brown with tiny white polka dots) and another skirt (plaid and woolen). Decided, Jules pulled on an old, oversized men's white tee and her dungarees. They were cropped at the bottom, and surprisingly slim for the 1940s, when wide-legged pants were far more popular. Last, Jules pulled on her slip-ons before sitting at her vanity. Her hair was still relatively wet, so Jules combed her fingers through it carefully, working out snarls as best she could. She opted for leaving her hair free until it finished drying, which knowing her hair, might be all day. After a few more minutes, Jules left her room and went downstairs.

Jules found herself wandering outside the manor. She hadn't gotten a chance to walk the grounds yet, and the sunshine was extremely pleasant this morning. Wandering around the trees and the green grass, Jules couldn't help but feel like she very well could be in the Shire. Grinning to herself, Jules continued to wander, humming a cheerful little tune to herself.

"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Hmm hmm hmm hmm…"

Jules wandered around the back of the manor, greeted with the light smell of hay and barnyard. Smiling even wider, Jules walked towards the stable. She heard a horse braying inside it.

Digory's stable wasn't enormous. Big enough for a little tack room, three corrals, a place to park and store the cart, and a storage room of hay and oats. Two of the corrals were occupied. The drafting horse that pulled the cart was munching peacefully on some hay, her eyes large and brown. The name on her corral door read "Annabelle." On the other side of the stable was the other occupied stall. The horse was huge, standing at an impressive 18 hands high. A thoroughbred. He would've been a prize racing horse. He was calm, content, but perked up in curiosity as Jules entered the stable. He was a deep, dappled grey, with a black mane and tail. His name was —

Jules gasped. The horse… his name was, clearly presented on the stall door, Julian, "Jules" in quotations underneath it.

Jules the Horse knickered lightly as Jules approached. She held a hand up for him to nose, which he did after a moment of contemplation. Within seconds, Julian was pushing his whole nose into her hand, making Jules giggle.

~)8(~

Mrs. Macready was on her way to the stables. She had already tended to the chickens, and now there were more chores. The horses always had a healthy supply of hay with them, but they were also fed oats in the morning. Plus the stalls needed mucking. Mrs. Macready's husband was usually the one to care for them, as well as acting as the groundskeeper, but he had been called to war, so the work fell to her. Mrs. Macready halted when she heard laughter sounding from inside the stable. She shook her head, disgruntled. Those children… They were so disruptive, not caring for the simple routine she tried to keep and paying no mind to the few rules she tried to enforce. She didn't understand why they couldn't just obey them. Mrs. Macready had never been particularly fond of children, not having any of her own, and suddenly having five in the manor all at once was overwhelming. Not to mention draining. All that extra cooking and shopping she had to do. It was a miracle they would get by with all the rationing in place.

Mrs. Macready marched into the stables, a heavy scolding on her lips, when once again, she halted. Miss Styles was not only standing inside one of the stalls, but she was gently caring for Julian, the horse the professor raised and used to ride almost daily.

Julian did not take to strangers one bit, even iffy around herself and her husband, but Mrs. Macready watched as Julian nosed Jules' cheek, her giggling and murmuring something the housekeeper couldn't quite make out. Julian snorted, ruffling her hair a bit.

"Do you think Mrs. Macready would mind me mucking your stall?" Jules was now saying to Julian. "I'm afraid five extra people in the house is a lot of work for one woman. The least I could do is help." Julian snorted again. Jules nodded, as if fully understanding what he was trying to say. "Yes, let's get your stall cleaned out."

Mrs. Macready watched silently as Jules slipped a rope around Julian's neck, him not complaining one bit as she did so. She usually had to coax him with oats or sugar cubes when she tried that. Jules led Julian from the stall, stroking his neck and tying him to the outside of the stall.

"Let's see…" she was muttering. "Hay or oats? Hay or oats?"

"Oats." Jules jumped. Whirling around, she saw Mrs. Macready watching her intently, an expression on her face akin to bewilderment. "We feed the horses oats in the morning."

"I'm sorry!" Jules cried. "I was just walking the grounds and I came in, I'm sorry." Jules bowed her head in shame. She knew Mrs. Macready liked to do things a certain way, and she didn't want to disrupt the woman's life more than she already had. But to Jules' surprise, Mrs. Macready gave a small smile and a shake of her head.

"It's quite all right, Miss Styles." Admittedly, Mrs. Macready hadn't really understood the professor's efforts to reach out to the teenage girl. Especially when they met for the first time at the train station. She had been standing there in clearly hand-me-down clothing, only a small case of things, and a child's toy in her handbag. Mrs. Macready hadn't been impressed. But in just a day, Jules had voluntarily helped her with the cooking and dishes, as well as handling the little girl when she was upset. Jules was far more polite and respectful than the other four children, so much so that Mrs. Macready found herself admittedly liking the girl. She got along well with the professor, the other children, and kept her place in the house without being disruptive. And here she was this morning, planning on once again, voluntarily helping with the chores. "The supplies are over here."

Jules smiled, practically skipping over to the shed to grab a wheelbarrow, a pitchfork, and a set of gloves. Mrs. Macready busied herself with fetching Annabelle and feeding both horses. By the time Jules returned, both steeds were eating happily. Jules set the wheelbarrow between the two stalls and handed Mrs. Macready a second pitchfork and set of gloves. Together, and in amiable silence, the women worked quickly to clean the stable. It was done in half the time, and Mrs. Macready was very thankful for it. By the time they were done, and new hay was laid down, Jules hesitantly asked Mrs. Macready a question.

"Does Julian ever get ridden?" Mrs. Macready hadn't been expecting the query.

"Not so much anymore," she sighed. "The professor raised Julian and used to take him out riding every day." Jules slowly smiled at that. "But in his age, the professor rides Julian less and less." The housekeeper eyed Jules. "Do you ride, Miss Styles?"

The girl nodded rapidly, her smile brightening.

"I love riding. It's an incredible experience, to run and trust in an animal, or a creature of any kind really. Not to mention the thrill of it all." Mrs. Macready seemed to contemplate something, and then spoke slowly, wondering if she was going to regret her decision.

"You're welcome to ride Julian if you like. But—!" Jules' eyes went wide with excitement, despite the coming conditions, "Julian is picky with his riders, AND you must be back before midday and you will be responsible for brushing him down afterward."

Jules' smile was blinding.

"I will! Oh, thank you, Mrs. Macready! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

A smile grew unbidden on the housekeeper's face at the teenager's pure elation. Jules practically bounced over to Julian, stroking his neck. Mrs. Macready then said, "His tack is in the shed."

Jules' nose scrunched in distaste. She turned to Julian and said, "Do we need tack?" There was a responding snort. "I didn't think so."

Mrs. Macready was almost in amazement as Jules untied Julian and led him from the stable. Once outside, she took the rope off his neck.

"We'll have to work together, my friend. You're quite a bit taller than me." Julian snorted again, almost in amusement, but he suddenly bent down, kneeling almost. Smiling, Jules gently gripped his mane, swinging herself up and onto his back with unexpected grace.

"I'll be back before midday, promise." And with that, Jules gently eased Julian into a walk. Mrs. Macready watched until they had disappeared over one of the nearby hills, then returned into the shed to brush down Annabelle.

Jules could feel Julian between her legs. He was antsy. With a chuckle, she realized how much he longed to stretch his legs, but she insisted on walking a bit first. Everyone, even horses, could do with a warmup. Especially Julian considering how long it might've been since he had been ridden. Squeezing her knees ever so slightly, Jules nudged Julian into a trot. And then a canter. And then, finally, Julian burst forward into a gallop. Jules' whoop of joy was probably heard for miles.

Jules felt… Jules felt free. For the first time in months, she could feel the nature around her, the life of the trees, the spirit of Julian, the buzzing of insects, the gentle waves of flowers in the breeze. Jules' hair flew behind her, drying and knotting, but she didn't care. Not one bit. Her clothes flapped and pressed against her, but she didn't care. Her slip-ons almost fell off, not suitable shoes for riding. She didn't care. A fallen tree-stump stood in her path, large and intimidating. She didn't care. Neither did Julian. Almost in perfect sync, the horse and the rider prepared for the jump, executing it perfectly. Jules' laughter rang through the hills.

She wasn't quite sure how long they rode for, but at one point, the pair found themselves at the base of a large hill. Jules slowed Julian, him huffing lightly, and the two began to carefully walk up the hill. It took the better part of ten minutes, but once they reached the top, it was worth it.

The view was stunning. Jules' vision was bathed in green and blue. The sky was clear, rare for England. It was a stunning azure, so bright Jules wondered how she hadn't seen it before. The sun shone yellow down on her, warming her despite the breeze. The rolling hills were endless, green, and peaceful. For the first time in a long time, Jules found herself marveling in the beauty of the human world.

Jules jolted out of her reverie when Julian snorted in impatience. Jumping lightly, Jules shook her head a little and slid off the horse's back. Julian, despite his earlier irritation, shoved his nose into her hand. Laughing, Jules stroked him. Contented, Julian walked slightly away and began snacking on the grass. Looking down, Jules studied the grass herself. Impulsively, she slipped her feet out of her shoes, wiggling her toes into the grass. The tickling sensation made her giggle in delight. All around her, little wildflowers dotted the grass, in every color imaginable. A beaming Jules happily flopped onto the ground, content to lay in the sun and bask in nature.

~)8(~

Around nine-thirty in the morning, Peter found himself walking around the grounds of the professor's estate. Breakfast had been… tense. Lucy had sat as far away as she could from the rest of them, refusing to speak to or even look at Susan and Edmund. The boy had not shown any remorse for his actions, but Susan had clearly been upset by the way her little sister refused to interact with her. Lucy had been more open to Peter, but only just. The girl had eaten breakfast in record time before disappearing somewhere no one could find.

Jules had not been at breakfast that morning.

Mrs. Macready had mentioned that it was a nice day, and the meaning was unspoken, but clear. She was hoping the children would spend some time outside the house. Though she had mentioned she was going to the market as well. Susan had volunteered to go with her, and Mrs. Macready had reluctantly accepted. She would truthfully need help with the extra things.

Peter, Susan, and Edmund had spoken a bit, not at all opposed to the idea of spending the afternoon outside. Cricket was suggested and agreed on. They found some old equipment of the professor's and Peter brought it outside for after lunch. Susan had gone upstairs to get ready for the market while Edmund had slunk off somewhere. Once outside, Peter was indeed pleasantly surprised by the weather. It truly was very nice. Having grown up just outside London, he was more than used to rain. And he was more than used to cars and factories and smog. To be in the countryside like this… The trees, the grass, the openness, the quiet, everything. He, quite frankly, gawked at it all.

Peter came out of his quiet reverence when he heard little footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Lucy walking slowly, her head turned down, a book tucked under her arm. She audibly sniffed, and Peter's heart wrenched. She truly was upset.

Peter thought back to what Jules had told him the night before. About war affecting everyone and how everyone had different ways of coping. He could tell right now by how upset his littlest sister was how important this "Narnia" was to her. Whether it was real or not, to quote Jules. So, determined, and his curiosity from last night returning, Peter strode towards Lucy. She sat underneath a big tree.

"May I sit with you?" Peter asked. Lucy bit her cheek, then nodded. Peter sat beside her, close enough to be sitting with her, but also giving her the space he knew she wanted. "Did you see Jules this morning?"

Lucy shook her head, pouting a little.

"I knocked on her door," she said. "She wasn't there."

Peter thought that was odd, but didn't comment on it.

"Maybe she found her way in the wardrobe," he joked. Lucy didn't seem to appreciate it, so Peter immediately apologized. "Has it really been winter there for a hundred years?"

Lucy eyed Peter, skeptical of his intentions, but slowly nodded. With a few more questions, Peter was able to get Lucy to open up a little, but not as much as he wanted. But even with the few short answers he received, he could plainly see how deeply Lucy believed in Narnia. Peter wished he could believe in something that much.

The sound of a horse's hooves made Peter and Lucy look up. Out of the trees came a galloping grey horse, majestic and graceful. The girl atop was looking anything but. As she and the horse came to a stop near Peter and Lucy, the two stared at her. She jumped from the horse, not caring that it was a decent distance to the ground.

"Hi, guys!" Jules was out of breath, her hair wild, tangled, and all over the place. Her dungarees had a grass stain on one of the knees and one of the straps was falling off her shoulder. Her shirt was bunched up and stuck underneath them, and there was dirt on the side of her neck and ankles. But she noticed none of it, instead beaming with joy, her unique eyes sparkling. "Beautiful day!"

Peter and Lucy had no idea what to say. Jules could ride horses?

"Erm…" Peter stumbled. Jules simply gestured to the horse.

"This is Julian." The horse, Julian, whinnied. The loud noise startled Peter and Lucy a little, but Jules laughed and stroked his nose. "What time is it?"

"Er… maybe ten?" Peter estimated. Jules gasped.

"What? I've got two more hours!" Jules clapped in delight. "I'm going to get some water." Her eyes turned jokingly stern as she addressed Julian. "You, young man, are going to stay here and graze. Understood?"

He blew a puff of air, dipping his head to eat some grass. Jules beamed cheekily. "Right. Be right back." And she darted inside the house.

Peter and Lucy had never been around horses before. Lucy, not unlike a lot of little girls, had a small fascination with them, but Julian was a huge horse. And he didn't seem keen on making friends with the Pevensie children, instead continuing to graze. Five minutes later, Jules came back outside. Peter noticed that she hadn't done anything about her wild state. She whistled lightly, and Julian perked up, snorting and trotting to her.

Peter wondered how she had become friends with the horse so quickly.

Before long, the group heard the cart being driven up. Mrs. Macready led Annabelle and the cart onto the drive. She checked the riggings and then went inside the house to retrieve a few things. Soon, she and Susan were coming out together. By the time they did, Jules was standing in front of Annabelle, still being observed by Peter and Lucy.

"Here, darling," Jules cooed to the gentle giant. She reached into the chest pocket of her dungarees and withdrew something small. She cupped her hand under Annabelle's mouth and there was the crunching sound of a sugar cube. "Don't tell Julian. He'll get jealous."

There was another blow, indignant sounding. Jules ignored it.

Mrs. Macready eyed Jules' appearance, visibly disapproving. But knowing the girl had been out riding, she left it alone.

"Miss Pevensie and I are off to the market," she said. "I trust Julian will be taken care of by the time we return."

Jules nodded and smiled.

"Of course, Mrs. Macready. Have a safe journey, both of you." Susan smiled and Mrs. Macready nodded. Soon, the two were off. Jules wandered back towards Peter and Lucy, whistling for Julian. He came towards her once more.

"I'm impressed." All three children jumped, and Professor Kirke laughed heartily. "Forgive me, I was on a stroll when I saw Jules with Julian. I was surprised. He doesn't take to others." Jules snorted.

"He's a big softy." Julian bumped into Jules suddenly, and she huffed. The horse looked away, as if faking innocent. Jules shook her head fondly, patting his neck. "Cheeky."

"Of course they're friends," Lucy suddenly said. She reddened a little under everyone's gaze, especially the professor's (she was embarrassed at the memory of crying on him). "They have the same name."

Professor Kirke chuckled.

"Indeed." Professor Kirke reached out and stroked his horse fondly, the steed leaning into his owner's touch. "He was named for a childhood friend of mine. I didn't know her for very long, but she was one of the greatest friends I ever had. We had quite the adventure."

Maybe it was the rare sunshine messing with Peter's eyes, but he swore he saw Jules and Professor Kirke exchange a look, their eyes twinkling.

"Perhaps you could do me a favor, Jules?" the Professor suddenly asked. Jules nodded.

"Sure."

"There's an apple orchard a twenty minute's ride from here." Professor Kirke pointed in a direction through the trees. "The owner is a friend, and he lets me pick all the apples I want as long as Mrs. Macready brings him some pie." Jules giggled. "Would you be a dear and go fetch them for me? Don't worry about being back by midday, take all the time you want." Jules nodded eagerly.

"Of course, professor!" He smiled fondly at Jules.

"There are some satchels in the pantry that you may use." He then stuck his pipe in his mouth, nodding to them. "Thank you, Jules. Good day, Peter, Lucy." Professor Kirke then strode off, puffing his pipe and folding his hands behind his back as he went.

Jules turned to the oldest and youngest Pevensies, ready to invite them with her. She noticed Lucy eyeing Julian curiously.

"Would you like to ride him, gilraen?" The girl, though curious, was still intimidated by the horse's size. Peter was simply confused by the nickname. "Professor Kirke says Julian doesn't like strangers, but we know the truth. He's just a big softy." Jules winked, making Lucy giggle. It grew louder when Julian purposely bumped into Jules again, harder this time. Jules huffed again, but had a twinge of mischief in her eye. "Is that your way of saying you don't want the sugar cubes in my pocket?"

The way Julian cuddled up to Jules immediately after hearing her words was hilarious. Jules apparently thought so as well, her laughter ringing out across the grounds.

Lucy saw Jules reach into her pocket to get the treats, but her eyes quickly snapped to Peter. Lucy watched her eldest brother stare at Jules. He didn't seem to realize he was doing it. Nor did he seem to realize he was smiling at the sound of her laughter.

Lucy smirked. This was perfect.

"Here, my friend," Jules murmured, a sugar cube in her hand. It disappeared in a second, and Julian nickered with delight. He began shifting around, antsy to get running again. It made Jules laugh. "I'll be right back, just going to fetch the satchels." Jules ran into the house again. She was back in two minutes flat, two canvas satchels over her shoulder and a rope in her hand. She stuffed the rope into one of the bags.

"So, Lucy," Jules spoke up, "want to come with me?"

Lucy genuinely considered it, but she still eyed Julian with apprehension. Jules' smile softened.

"Come here," she invited. Lucy did so, looking nervous. Jules grasped her hand. "We'll find a smaller horse for your first ride, but let's see if you can give him a pat, shall we?" Lucy nodded, a little eager but still nervous. "Hold out your hand." Lucy did so. Julian eyed it, and then gently nosed Lucy's hand. Lucy beamed, patting Julian's nose. Jules smiled.

"Good job, Lu," she complimented. She saw the book in Lucy's hand. "Hey, if you want, The Hobbit is in my room." Lucy beamed again.

"Thanks, Jules!" And then, Lucy dashed into the house. Jules chuckled. She then turned to Peter.

"What about you?" He started.

"What?"

"Up for a late morning ride to the orchard?"

Peter's jaw dropped. She couldn't be serious. Peter had never ridden a horse before! He'd never even touched one!

"Come on, then," she sighed dramatically. "Hand up." Peter gulped, but did as she said.

"Jules —"

"Shut up." There was an audible click of his jaw as he did just that. "Now, let's see if he lets you pat him."

Julian looked far more reluctant to interact with Peter than he did with Lucy. But Peter had to admit… He kind of wanted to go. Watching Jules ride in on him moments ago, she looked like she was having so much fun. And when was the next time he was going to get to learn to ride a horse?

Jules was mentally hoping Julian would accept Peter. He had a big future ahead of him. If everything worked out like it was foretold, Peter Pevensie was the future High King of Narnia. Of course, he had no idea, and Jules knew he had a long way to go before he was ready to accept that destiny of his, but teaching him to ride, even just a bit, would be a useful skill once she finally got them all into Narnia.

Plus, Peter was nice company.

Finally, after moments of consideration, Julian put his nose in Peter's hand. As Peter stroked his muzzle, a smile grew on his face. He was petting a horse!

Jules beamed. She watched Peter and Julian interact, the horse growing more docile as he recognized that Peter was nervous and learning. Julian was a stark contrast to the warm greens and browns of the late summer. Peter, on the other hand… Jules' eyes unknowingly trailed from his golden hair to his eyes that matched the sky, then down his distinct jaw to his strong shoulders.

Julian's blow of excitement made Peter draw back his hand. Jules chuckled.

"All right, all right, Mr. Impatience." Peter was amazed at the way Jules then swung herself up to Julian's back with complete ease. She looked down at him. "Ready?"

Peter's eyes widened.

"What?" Jules' smile widened, extending her hand. "But — but there's no saddle!" She rolled her eyes.

"Saddles, ew."

"How will I hold on?"

Jules' mirth softened.

"Peter," his eyes found hers, "I'll be here with you the whole time. But if you really don't want to come, that's okay, too."

Peter shook his head. "No. No, I want to come. I just…" Peter, in that moment, understood Lucy's reluctance. Julian was not a small, nor shy horse. Jules' expression continued to soften with kindness.

"I'll be right here." She waggled her fingers invitingly. And finally, Peter reached out as well.

Between the both of them, Peter was pulled up onto Julian's back painlessly. He shifted a bit, unused to the position, and his arms were held awkwardly at his sides.

"Budge forward a little," Jules advised. Peter did so, his cheeks heating as he felt his chest brushing her back. She looked back at him a little, craning her neck up to meet his eyes. "Use your legs to balance and hold on, but don't squeeze too tightly, otherwise he'll think it's a command to start moving." Jules was very glad that Julian was being very still and patient while she taught Peter what to do. "Now, each horse is different, so if you learn the horse, and learn riding technique, you're good to go. There is a mutual relationship here. You are the rider. You guide the horse and set the pace. But the horse is doing most of the work, and therefore deserves our respect and kindness. They carry us, and we in turn care for them. We do not control the horse. In trying to do so, we make fools of ourselves. A horse, just like anything else, is a living creature, therefore we work together to make our destination. Understood?"

Jules' voice had deepened with seriousness, and Peter immediately found himself listening raptly. Her outlook was so different than what he was expecting. The perception was that you were a horse's owner, that in being so you earned the horse's loyalty and respect. But Jules spoke of being the creature's friend, of being its caregiver. It was a certain loyalty to life that he was not expecting. So Peter nodded, taking her words to heart.

"Understood."

"Good." Jules brightened almost instantly. She then frowned a bit at him. "You're going to want to hold on." She eyed his arms, which were still held a bit awkwardly at his sides.

"To what?" Jules rolled her eyes.

"To me, you daft dork."

Peter flushed even darker, but slowly put his arms around Jules' waist. Mentally, he was reeling, not from her insult, but from the fact that he had his arms around her. Peter, embarrassingly, only had three girls in his life: Lucy, Susan, and his mum.

Jules eyed Peter slightly in amusement. "At least try and act like you want to be around me." There was laughter in her voice and Peter found himself relaxing.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Quite right." Peter rolled his eyes, but chuckled internally. "Now, here we go." Jules squeezed her knees a little, and Julian started in a nice walk. Within moments, Peter and Jules had disappeared into the trees.

Hey all! Here's the next chapter! It's all original content, so I hope you enjoyed it.

Reviews

Kaia: I'm glad you like this version AND the original. I hope the change in pairing doesn't bother you, and thanks for the nice review :)
Toosweetkid: I hope you enjoy the update :)

-Sammiemoosam