Chapter 3: Armouthe
It had been a glorious day.
There were tall masses of clouds building over the sea again, but were lit like gold against the blue eastern sky as the sun sank into the western mountains. A moderately warm breeze played in the cypresses and cork oaks and wild olives in the steep hills above Armouthe. Their canopies tossed and rippled on the slopes above the stone-lined gravel streets.
Red roofed houses and white washed walls could be seen rising up here and there amongst the trees. Separated from the main town by a wide sloping park, the main keep and courts, royal library and apartments of Her Majesty Queen Esme 1st rose in four tiers, with three gleaming turrets looking east across the town. The Archen Healing Houses and Prison lay just to the west separated by a high wall. The market place, granaries and smoking houses hugged the lower slopes, sprawling along the edge of the firth with piers and masts of the main port trailing to the east down towards the estuary.
On a sharp bend in one of the main streets as it wound up the hill was a big spreading cypress, its lower boughs nearly raking the ground. It would have made a wonderful hiding place for anyone playing hide and seek. The tidal waters of the Winding Arrow rippled as the tide advanced up the firth. Several tall masted ships could be seen coming in and if you had looked very carefully a pod of dolphins made a ragged line across the waters hoping to catch any fish being brought in on the tide.
Echoing lightly could be heard the sound of light hooves, clop, clop, clippety clop, clatter, clitter, slither, thump. Anyone sitting there quietly waiting might have thought it was a small pony that had slipped over. But instead of a neigh or an animal grunt came curses and a laugh. Moments later three figures came around the corner into view. One was limping slightly and rubbing his leg.
"Daddy!" In a flash a tiny dark shape detached itself from the tree and hit the ground running, and with little hooves neatly poised, jumped and clipped its way onto the wall and down the street and up into its fathers arms, for all the world like an ibex kid on a cliff face. It was a small faun child. Her tiny horn bumps were scarcely to be seen in her curly black hair, but her father's narrow horns protruded clearly from his black home spun cap.
He chuckled indulgently, "Well met merry one", and swept her up in his arms and then nearly fell over again. It was he who had fallen in the street. But he corrected himself just in time and his friends' sturdy arms reached out to hold him fast. The little faun snuggled into her father's arms for a few moments, but she was so excited, she quickly wriggled and skipped her way onto his shoulders and settled there, her hooves locked tightly around his neck. Her black eyes danced in glee as she as she leaned backwards giggling, holding tightly to his horns.
One of her father's friends called, "have a care, you'll tip your poor da' Darius over again".
Her father crouched down and spun about face to prevent her weight tipping him backwards down the street. For her father was a faun of course, only about 4 or so feet high, lithe and with dark red brown skin, glossy black hair and fleece and charcoal horns and hooves. He was wearing a black woolen vest to match his cap. He caught his daughter off his shoulders and swung her forward to carry in his arms again.
His shipmates (for they were fishermen) were a middle-aged red-haired satyr with pale freckly skin, cool blue eyes, ivory horns and hooves, and was wearing a white and grey fair isle vest and a blue neckerchief, whilst the third was a tall brown skinned young man with a haughty look but a ready smile. He was dressed in airy brown trousers of flax and a stained weskit of white homespun. He wore a red scarf on his head, knotted at the nape and a shark tooth dangling from one ear. All three carried leathern satchels and empty water skins slung over their shoulders and they all smelt of fish.
"Say hello to your Uncle Phoroneus, Viola!" instructed her father, as the wee thing suddenly became shy and hid her face in her father's hair. Phoroneus the satyr nodded his head, smiled and said, "and to our young friend here Amin".
"Hello there young one, nice to make your acquaintance at last. I've heard so much about you", said the young man in a friendly tone.
The young faun Viola wriggled again and jumped down, leaping along the street, up onto walls and back down again as she raced ahead. It was then that they noticed that she had filched several sardines from her father's satchel and had them firmly clenched in her teeth as she skittered ahead along the top of the walled bank to the right.
Her father and his friends laughed fondly and strode up the street until they got to the next corner, whereupon Viola leapt full upon her father's shoulders again and settled down at last, chewing the sardines with satisfaction.
They all turned left and went further up into the dusk. After a short step, the young man waved goodbye, and went into a house nearby, whilst the faun and satyr trotted up the hill further into the gloom of a huge cork oak tree before hopping through a dimly seen stile into a sloping field and disappearing into a copse towards a little spire of smoke.
If you had been sitting quietly nearby at that moment, you might have seen a shadow slide out from the larger gloom of the cork oak and glide back down the street. It melted into the line of shrubs outside the nearest house and disappeared. After a good minute the shadow slithered up some steps onto a porch, stood on its hind-legs and pulled on a bell cord. A faint jingle could be heard. Then a short moment later, a dark door opened and the shadow disappeared inside.
"Something's up", someone growled softly "and I'm not happy about it, just as I thought that I'd got myself a well-earned rest from all my watching, reporting and other skulking tomfoolery… TRYING to get by those blasted palace cats!" It exclaimed, "Haven't had time to really hunt a good rat in months! Oh... and please latch that door" the voice added anxiously, still in an undertone.
The sounds of the door being latched and a lamp being lit echoed faintly and then a haze of light revealed the glaring yellow and black eyes of a big smoky-grey wildcat and the high cheek-bone features of Amin who had knelt down to welcome his guest.
At that moment, a far door at the end of the hall opened, and a woman's voice called out "Is that you Amin? Who have you got with you? I thought I heard another voice. Bring your friend in if you want. Dinner's ready! There's plenty to spare."
"Come on" Amin shrugged and led the way. He went through the door and closed it behind him, the wildcat closely at his heels.
"Where's your friend Amin? Did he leave?" The cat slithered in silently, body held close to the floor and slipped under the table not saying a word. "Aaarrggh!" she yelled, jumping backwards and grasping wildly for some to defend herself with. "What's in Tash's name is under my table?" she demanded, brandishing the tongs most threateningly in the cat's direction.
"Mother! It's only Cloudstreak", the young man protested in a pained tone.
"Oh... are you sure?" She bent down peering. "Cloudstreak! It IS you! We haven't seen you in over a year. We thought you were dead!" she exclaimed. "You gave me such a fright, you slunk in like a burglar! I wish you would announce yourself!" snapped the woman.
"It comes with the job mistress, I'm sorry. I just get so used to slinking in, and slinking around, and slinking underneath. In the pay of the Royals you know, civic duty, national security and all," he drawled.
"In the pay of the Royals? Balderdash! A likely story. You talk a lot of rot for a cat and that's a fact. What does one pay a cat anyway? I want to know."
"Good question", he drawled. "Well, fish would be one thing. I could smell it from across the street. I could tell that young Amin here had a few fresh river trout in his satchel and I was rather hoping to miss the mad scramble down on the docks for scraps and guts. Besides, it's not becoming to my station." He sniffed.
"Station? Humph!" She reached over and tweaked Amin's shoulder strap and peaked inside. "Yes, trout. Amin, please get out one of those trout and fillet it for the poor cat, anything to keep his mouth full for a while! And YOU, she said pointed her tongs at Amin, you could have said something before you came into my kitchen" she accused.
Amin winced slightly but did his mother's bidding and went out through the rear door into the laneway.
Somehow she knew just the tone to take with any person or animal she met and he had yet to match her skill. Despite being her son, he was a gentle soul and was sometimes still taken aback by his mother's brashness. But he knew it was how she had survived and he admired her for it. For his mother had been a refugee from Calormen and had been through many travails.
In her life's career she had been adventuring in Narnia and had trysted with a rivergod, a guardian of a waterfall and a dark pool in the deep forest. That was now twenty years ago and Amin was the result. But like all such relationships, it was short-lived and Amin's father had retreated back to his divine waters when winter came after an all too brief season of bliss.
But all that was long ago. Since coming back to Archenland from two years in Narnia, she had put her training and knowledge to good use and had been able to make contact with travelling pedlars from Narnia and traders from ships down the coast and arrange for stocks of the secret herbs she needed for her work and the high quality paper and parchment she needed for her charts and cards to help in her reading of the fates and the stars.
There were several centaurs she had met in Narnia and in the upper reaches of Archenland but their knowledge and intuitions were far too esoteric for her and, as she found, so too for most of the town and country women she had come to call friends and clients.
The centaurs were good on the fates of kingdoms and the meaning of the movement of stars in relation to great events in the world and the currents of politics between one nation and another, but this did not help much those who needed guidance on whether they could choose to have no more children or how likely it was that a husband or son would return from the sea after many months away.
So passed her days and in her way she became a wise woman and had even been called upon by Queen Esme's mother when she had been looking to produce a male heir, although Gladioli had had nothing to give her apart from consolation and the courage to face her husband and require that he accept his eldest daughter as his heir.
Amin was Gladioli's pride and joy and hope for her old age. She was lucky to be a townswoman as the ease of living so close to the centre of things meant enough business to rent her house and give her son an education and choices in work.
Yet the truth was, out of all the many things available, he had chosen to work on the fishing boats and in the right season in the olive groves, picking, salting and pressing.
So sometimes she was a little disappointed that he had chosen these occupations, but she knew it was early days and that other chances may yet come his way. She had cast the bones and read his cards, but so far nothing else seemed to be indicated on the horizon.
However, she did appreciate that he had been learning to read the tide and the currents of the estuary, how to tack a boat with ease, and how to bring food to the table. And it was true, the smell of fish did get a bit much sometimes but then what should she expect? It was a port and a fishing town. And there was always some treasure he would bring home. Last week it had been a huge pearl the size of a pigeon's egg, the week before that a rare sea creature that contained the exact type of ink which could be used both for writing and in the preparation of a potion to give to women who had just given birth. And only a few days before, a pair of huge lobsters had been plunked down on her chopping board.
"To tell the truth", she said to herself at other times, "there really is not a lot to complain about in my son."
Cloudstreak, as he was known incognito by most of his Armouthe acquaintances, fell onto the filleted fish with a grateful sigh. Gladioli had been right. Cloudstreak needed to fill his mouth and belly with good food in the safe and welcoming company of friends and to calm down.
She stood with her hands on her hips watching him appraisingly with her bright dark eyes, noticing the tension gradually ease from his body as he tackled the task with delicacy but great efficiency.
It was clear that the cat was hungry. Before long the two fillets were gone, skin and all and the cat's yellow eyes were wandering back to the leather satchel that still contained some more fish.
Then he caught Gladioli's eyes watching him amused. She laughed and he began to primly lick his paws and wash his whiskers, turning away from her, pretending disdain. She knew better. This was not the first time Cloudstreak had blessed her with his presence and she knew that he was carrying some secret or other that he wouldn't tell and was just waiting for her to offer to do a reading for him to relieve his mind. But she knew the moment would come in good time, and instead ladled out some herbed chowder in a pair of bowls for herself and Amin.
Amin came back in after having a wash outside in the lane to get the worst of the fishiness from his hands and face. He was now ready for his own dinner. His black hair was damp and slicked back from his face. He took a little geranium scented ointment from a salver on the dresser and rubbed it into his hands and face, then took a clean rag from a bag and rubbed his hands vigorously.
Cloudstreak curled up in a corner of the kitchen on the rug and dozed whilst Amin and Gladioli began their repast. Before eating, they both made a prayer of thanksgiving to Aslan and then Gladioli lit a trio of Calormene incense sticks, one to Zardeenah, one to Azaroth and one to Tash that were already placed just behind a small stoneware vessel filled with flowers.
They ate slowly in silence, savouring each morsel. A small tan and grey moth fluttered about the lamps for a few minutes before alighting on the flowers, sipping. It was more than a half hour later as Amin finished second helpings that they topped off with a mouthful each of watered wine, Gladioli tipped her head meaningfully towards Cloudstreak and then Amin spoke.
"Cloudstreak, are you awake?"
"Hmmm?" An ear twitched and he opened an eye, fixing it on Amin.
"You spoke earlier about something that was bothering you."
"Did I?"
"Oh come on Cloudstreak. You know you did. We both know you came here with troubles and more than just irritation with palace cats", retorted Amin.
" Well, ye-es, I guess I did didn't I?"
"H-hmmm.. Is now alright? Do you want to talk about it?"
"Ye-es. Can't though", he answered shortly.
"Why not?"
"I think we've been through this before, top secret".
"Fair enough, but you know we won't talk. I have never even mentioned you to Darius and Uncle Phoroneus... and my dear mother knows better than to blabber in her profession", Amin added with a grin. Gladioli raised her eyebrows and tipped her head forward in assent.
"That's not what I'm concerned about. I am sworn to utmost secrecy and I shouldn't have even told you who I'm in the pay of. Please don't press me. To tell you the truth, I'm actually concerned for your safety if I'm even seen here. We don't know who is watching. Or listening… I can't bear to think of either of you or any of your friends getting into the hands of the… ", he stopped himself suddenly and closed his eyes and held his breath for a moment.
"The Royals? But they're our rulers, they are sworn to protect us not harm us."
"I wasn't talking about the Royals mistress, I was talking about something deep and dark and very evil. I can't say any more." he said frustratingly.
"What? Here in Armouthe?! This backwater?", barked Gladioli before she could stop herself.
"Don't mock fate Mistress!" the cat retorted, hissing slightly.
"It's where you have chosen to live because it gave you a haven of safety as well as connection to the outside world. Backwater it may appear to be but it is the centre of power in the nation in which you live and that draws many watchers. The places I have been over the last year compare to Armouthe as the deep desert compares to Tehishbaan or Asim Balda. But things are stirring there in the west and the north that frighten me more than my worst nightmares. Until now. Now they do come into my nightmares and make them worse than ever. I almost turned into a dumb witless cat a few weeks ago because of it. It's chiefly the stabilising nature of friends and allies like you that I have been able to hold some semblance of equanimity and intelligence together along the way back."
Gladioli and Amin both looked perturbed. Gladioli's eyes hardened with concern. There was a silence. Amin shifted uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry Cloudstreak, I'm suitably chastened", Gladioli finally offered. "But I do want to offer you some solace. I take it you haven't made your report yet? And it really is to the Royals?"
"That's right mistress, on both counts."
"But why ever not?"
"I'm a little ashamed to say. To tell you the truth, it's because I'm unsure who to go to first. I'm terrified of my superior who I am really meant to report to first. Almost more terrified of her than the news I'll be bringing. Now… I've said too much. She'll have my guts for garters. I can't begin to guess how the new Queen will deal with my news whomever delivers it, but I am considering reporting straight to her. I am authorised to, you know, but I don't want to get on the wrong side of either of them."
"So you wouldn't say no if I cast the bones or read the cards for you?"
"Well no, I wouldn't, but I don't want you to ask me any more questions. Your wisdom about what you see would be sufficient. I just need to work out where to start my task."
"Enough!" Gladioli clapped her hands and said, "Come into the reading room with me. Amin, I want you as witness. Just check all the doors and windows are secure before you come in if you would my son."
She stepped into the front hallway with a lit taper and walked along the wide shadowy hall towards the front door. There were three rooms on the left and none on the right, which was hung with hooks and shelves holding clothes. She unlocked the second door with a key hanging from her belt.
Cloudstreak stalked behind her and poked his head around the door, his night eyes large in the gloom. It was not a large room and he could make out two large round cushions on the floor either side of a deer-skin mat. Gladioli went about lighting four tall, thick, pale gold beeswax candles; one at each corner of the room, almost as if they stood guard. From the ceiling there hung a brass oil lamp surrounded by hanging crystals, which she also lit. The crystals immediately caught the light of the flame and directed it downwards, creating a warm pool of light on the mat. From a chest to one side, Gladioli took a small cloth bag rattling with bones and a deck of cards.
She kicked a third cushion towards the centre and sat down on it herself, cross-legged, directing Cloudstreak to take the one on her left. In a moment, Amin came in, locked the door and took the other cushion.
From a small vial, Gladioli took a single drop of rosemary oil onto her finger and anointed Cloudstreak's forehead, before rubbing the residue into her hands and hair.
Amin pulled out a forked Narnian pipe from his pocket and carefully placing it on his lips, began to play a slow, seven note minor chord scale. After about ten cycles with small variations, Cloudstreak's neck and scalp fur began to stand on end. He felt himself descend into a pensive reflective mood. The damp oil patch on his forehead seemed to warm slightly. His claws which had begun to stretch and claw the cushion became entirely still.
The music trailed off.
Meanwhile, Gladioli had shuffled through the deck of cards and taken one out. It was the Nine of Beasts and Birds which depicted a sleek cat playing with nine balls of yarn. She had placed this on the deer-skin mat in front of Cloudstreak. She said "This represents you."
She then cut the deck three times and shuffled. She placed the whole deck to the left of the Nine of Beasts and Birds and quietly asked him to place his left paw on the deck and his right paw on his own card and consider his question with his eyes closed.
This he did and after a pause, he withdrew his paws and looked at her for the next instruction. She cut the deck into three stacks and asked the cat to choose one. He chose the right stack, tapping with his left paw. She pushed the other cards aside, took his chosen stack, shuffled again, cut it into three sets and asked him to choose again. He chose the central pile this time. From this slim pile she counted out the first ten cards, pushed the rest aside and laid the ten out face-up one by one facing Cloudstreak.
The first: The Subject she used to cover the Nine of Beasts & Birds. "This is The Tower. Lightning striking and a change of power. Doubt and unhappiness with one's lot. In need of a change. A dramatic card whether it is in reference to the outer world or the inner one. It could be abut both".
The second position was The Challenges, which crossed the Tower. "This card is the Nine of Knives. A card of despair and mental distress. As you can see there is a large black bird perched on one of the knives thrust into a lying figure, fear of fear that often means and a black dog howling in the distance which usually means depression and a call for help". Cloudstreak knew this card. Had seen it before in a previous reading. He also knew it was challenging him to not shy away from his task, but to see it through despite this fears.
The third card: Destiny was then placed above the others. "This is the Seven of Knives. As the destiny card it means it pays to be decisive but to follow the consequences and take responsibility."
"Oh dear" moaned Cloudstreak, "Exactly what I already knew. I think that reinforces the previous one."
"Be patient!" warned Gladioli softly. "The cards usually only tell us what we already know, even if deep down. It's the cards that make you puzzled are the ones we'll need to look at more closely."
The fourth The Distant Past was the Ace of Trees. "This shows a laden apple tree with a lion's paw emerging from the branches holding out an apple. It is the card of hope, love, promise, sustenance and protection. This card is possibly about the very ancient past, very old magic from the Dawn of Time. That is better, much better… it suggests that Aslan or the Tree of Protection in Narnia will have a very powerful role in this. It becomes more hopeful"
"The fifth card is about the Recent Past though. It is the Five of Coins, the card of poverty and hardship. Any mysteries there?"
"No Mistress", intoned Cloudstreak, "No mysteries there at all. The life of myself and my compatriots has been exceedingly difficult."
"The sixth, the Immediate Future is the Queen of Coins! A leader of distinction and a clear head. Well that's looking promising."
Cloudstreak huffed with relief. At least he knew his next first step now. He had been dreading it would be the Five of Beasts & Birds, the Raven.
Gladioli drew out four more cards and laid them to the right of the others in a vertical line.
"Seventh. This is your Attitude. The card is the Chariot. This is about you and your willpower, control, and assertion. Well, that is also something." Cloudstreak sighed primly. He knew he couldn't have got this far without a fair bit of that. He would obviously need some more.
"Eighth card. This is about the External Influences. It is the Ten of Swords. Death, betrayal, slaughter but with a distant end in sight. A very unhappy card. This suggests that death and betrayal will not occur here or to you Cloudstreak, but it will influence events for some time to come and occur elsewhere." Cloudstreak stared across at Amin and Gladioli, shifting between the two. He could see their concern. He thought he could predict some of the possibilities.
"Ninth is your Inner Emotions. The card is the Two of Knives. Indecision, insecurity, fear. You need to be making sure you keep on top of these Cloudstreak, remember the warning about being decisive?" Cloudstreak's eyes glared. No more! He snarled silently and hissed. He was sick of this self betrayal. He thought about the fourth card and wished it had been in this spot instead.
"Tenth and lastly, The Outcome. It is... the Page of Trees..? A person of enthusiasm, heroism and adventure? How can that be the outcome?" It was this last that was the only one that Gladioli... and Cloudstreak for that matter was unsure about. He said so.
"Like always Mistress, there is nothing much new there that I didn't already understand. It is clear that I have to make a decision and simply act. My shock and insecurity are threatening my effectiveness, at the crucial moment. There are four cards out of the ten that carry something more positive. These are the promise of Aslan from the distant past, his Tree of Protection and Love stands fast still. The Queen of Coins is clearly young Esme and I must speak to her at once. I'm glad she's got a good head on her shoulders. I'm being told to be decisive and to be assertive and controlled. Actually I am sure I can do that. But the Page of Trees I cannot identify. Someone whom I will ultimately meet or who will influence what is going to happen, either to me or the wider world perhaps?"
"Possibly one or the other… or both?" proffered Gladioli. "I can read again or cast the bones to look into that further if you like".
Cloudstreak considered this for a moment. "If you could let me sleep on it, I'd be grateful." he said. "Perhaps I could return once I have delivered my news. There may be more questions then."
She nodded. "Well, no matter how long it takes. You know where we are."
They unlatched the door and Cloudstreak slept fitfully in the kitchen. By prior arrangement, Amin came down the hall from his room while it was still dark and let him out into the back lane.
Amin stroked Cloudstreak's head and rubbed his ears affectionately. Cloudstreak responded with a purr and before long was headbutting Amin's leg.
"Come on now Cloudstreak, time to get moving, I'm going back to bed for a few moments after I've made mother her morning draught. I hope you get in and out okay. Sounds like the palace cats don't know what's good for them. And please give my respects to the Queen," he added with a grin. Only Cloudstreak could have seen it in the gloom.
Cloudstreak doubted the Queen would have met the fisherman but he didn't doubt that with a good wash and scrub and some finer clothes, Amin might brush up very well. It was with these entertaining thoughts that Cloudstreak braced himself for his next encounter and slid off into the pre-dawn darkness.
