(Warning: Book and movie noncompliant.)
As noted in previous chapters, give credit where credit is due. The name Akela is borrowed from Rudyard Kiplings "The Jungle Book".
Inspired by C.S. Lewis' world of Narnia
The Nail: suspension
Chapter 5
"Crimsondawn over Cair Paravel"
Each beat of her wings another step up the invisible staircase the griffin climbed until she reached what she considered to be a suitable altitude.
The afternoon sun on her back to help point the way Crimsondawn set off for the capital by the sea. Her first glimpse of Cair Paravel after the long and arduous journey was one a west-country fledgling like herself could hardly have imagined.
Awash in the light of Springs last evening, the Keep towered over the surrounding countryside like a monument.
The broad avenues and intersecting streets decked out with paper lanterns and blue glowing magic orbs in preparation for the coming holiday reminded the griffin of the lower half of a dew kissed spider's web glistening in the morning sun.
An old fear she thought she had put behind her long ago returned as she approached her destination. The fear of being injured or worse, killed outright in a bungled landing.
She had begun this trip her head filled with nonsense about how she would arrive with a flourish at the main gate of the castle. There, she would march up to whoever was in charge and demand to be admitted. 'By authority of inspector Akela, head investigator to his most honorable chancellor, faun Tumnus.'
How foolish that all sounded now. It would be a miracle if she managed to get threw the latticework of ropes supporting the lamps and orbs without braking her neck. On top of that, the steeply peaked roofs of the shops and houses reminded her of a field of upward pointing spears waiting to impale her.
"No, this would not do at all," she sighed. A more advantageous landing site would have to be found, so banking south the griffin let her course carry her beyond the city wall.
Circling the castle she spotted what she thought might be another way in. High up the east wall nestled between the north and south towers was what appeared to be a marble balcony fronting a row of glass paneled doors.
To conserve the last of her energy the fledgling wheeled out over the ocean in a long lazy spiral that eventually would bring her back around to the castle. Once she had cleared the battlement she would roll-out hard to check her speed. The landing might not be the most graceful one she had ever made but it should get her down in one piece.
Unbeknownst to the griffin a rogue wind blowing off the water drove an invisible column of currents and eddies up the face of the wall. Against the odds Crimsondawn managed to hold trim as she was tossed about in the maelstrom. Winning through this newest trial the griffin was horrified to see the castle wall looming up before her. In her struggle to remain aloft she must have dropped below her intended glide path.
The Sergeant had tasked her with delivering his dire warning but it appeared that was not going to happen now. A feeling of complete and utter despair enveloping her the fledgling's imagination projected on to the bleak featureless wall the last memory she held in her head of Virga, Tempest, Petal, and the two soldiers. They were probably engaged in a battle against overwhelming odds at this very moment.
Fixing on the idea she might fail them, but it would not be from lack of trying Crimsondawn poured everything she had into one final beat of her wings. Nothing seemed to happen... at first, then in rapid succession the crenels and merlons topping the wall dropped away. Clearing the battlements with no more than a hair's breath to spare, Crimsondawns strength gave out.
Useless wings trailing behind, she slapped down hard on to the buffed and polished marble pavers. Her legs trapped beneath her, she skidded across the floor towards the only two open doors in the glass wall.
Her jubilation over her good fortune was short lived as she realized beyond the opening was a narrow corridor fronting a wall of dressed granite blocks. She reckoned given her speed this mission would end in a bone shattering crash.
With nothing more to be done about it she craned her head back as far as it would go. Bracing for what was to come, Crimsondawn steeled herself for the moment of impact.
That moment came... and passed. Another moment came and passed, then several more moments and still nothing happened.
'Was she in fact dead?' Peeking threw slitted eyelids, the wall in front of her seemed to be frozen in time. So near was she to it she barely had room enough to turn and face it full on.
The griffin stared up and down the wall in disbelief. At her feet was the source of her salvation. Stretching the length of the hallway, a rumpled burgundy colored carpet had snagged her cushioning the shock.
Shaking off her fatigue, a new sound reached her ears. A sound that reminded her of the tinker's carts that seemed to be crisscrossing the land in ever increasing numbers of late. On her right two armor clad figures rushed towards her.
One of them must be a minotaur judging from the muzzled face and horns protruding from the mirror finished helmet. Never actually having seem one she had only the description provided by her elders to go on.
The other one was a near duplicate of its companion except it wore no helm and for good reason. A helmet made to fit the wide, wispy haired melon shaped head and oversized pointed ears of the hill troll would have been ludicrously heavy.
The two reaching her at the same time, the minotaur furrowed his brow. "Ello' Ello', what's all this now? These ere' r' the private residences of our illustrious Royal personages and as such ain't open to the general public," he proclaimed with an air of authority.
His brow arching up slightly in amusement that touched his voice, he added. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, and them's what are being entertained by the kings and queens too. You don't belong here, so push-off."
Backing out of the cloth folds entangling her, the fledgling turned to face her inquisitor. "Please sir, I must speak with Viceroy Tumnus."
"Oh! Get a load of this one, Merzy.' The minotaur cleared his throat before continuing in his official tone. 'His lordship don't see no one without they ain't made an appointment, first. So if you want to see him, you come back in the morning."
The wolf had prepared her for such an eventuality but at the moment she was having difficulty ordering her thoughts. The sergeant had given her a token, a password he said would get her in to see the faun.
What was it he said? 'Forethought or was it fore castle? For castle? Fore sail, maybe or was it forecastle? Forecastle? Yes, that was it!'
Crimsondawn puffed out her chest in a show of bravado. "Perhaps I have not made myself clear. I have an important communique for Viceroy Tumnus from his chief investigator sergeant Akela. If you value your stripes take me to his lordship immediately. The password is forecastle. Tell the Chancellor, forecastle and he will see me."
Too the surprise of both the fledgling and the troll, the corporal burst out in fits of laughter. "Oh, you cheeky little devil. Worry my stripes, will you?' Turning to the troll he added, 'This one's deep in Is' cups I wager. Iffen I'd gotten that sauced when I was Is' age I'd have been in for a good and proper tanning I would."
The troll nodding his head inquired in a soft, willlowy voice, "What should we do with him, Corporal?"
The minotaur rubbed the back of his gauntleted hand against the side of his muzzle. "Well the ways I sees it is, first we corral Im'. Then Merzy you take im' below and hand him over to the O.D. It's about time Is' high and mightiness did something around here to earn Is' commission. After that hurry straight back ere', I'll hold down the fort while your gone."
"Now.' The corporal turned his attention back to Crimsondawn. 'Lets have no more trouble out of you."
The hallway suddenly resonated with a youthful voice. "Is there a problem here, gentlefolk?"
The soldiers snapped to attention. "A problem,' the corporal stammered. 'No, Excellency. No problem, just a citizen whats gone and got emself lost wandering the 'allways.' He glared down at the griffin. "It's all sorted out now, so there's no need to concern yourself, Milord."
The Corporals reaction gave her an idea. If this newcomer held any sway with the faun, maybe pleading her case to him might get her in to see this Tumnus. Nearly stumbling over her own wobbly legs, Crimsondawn pivoted quickly to face the new arrival. The scene at the end of the corridor caused the breath to catch in her throat.
Polearms held at ease, two more hulking palace guards flanked a somewhat shorter individual. And a sight he was to behold. Mantled in robes of Royal Purple with cuffs and collars fringed in ermine, the man creature held like a scepter in his outstretched righthand a magnificent sword.
It may have been a trick of the light but she would have sworn there was a faint golden aura surrounding it. Stranger still, the blade of that astonishing artifact seemed to drink in every available ray of light then reflect it back tenfold.
Crimsondawn had the uncomfortable feeling she was being drawn into events she wanted no part of. However, the wolfs dedication to his cause had such a profound effect on her the griffin knew she could do not but see them through to their conclusion.
The fledgling swallowed hard to buy some time before shouting down the hallway, "By your leave Your Worship. I have traveled from the west with an urgent message for Chancellor Tumnus from one of his field agents. I was given the callsign Forecastle by sergeant Akela as proof of my credentials. So, if it is alright with you may I please speak to faun Tumnus."
The sword laden hand of the nobleman wavered slightly at the sergeants name. After a few short uncomfortable moments the little man turned slightly and began conversing with an unseen entity further down the hall. 'Perhaps someone who was standing in a doorway further down' the griffin wondered.
After a few short exchanges the little man turned his attention back to those assembled. Sheathing his weapon with a well-practiced motion, the aristocrat muttered "bring him" as he turned. His guards falling in, the small man sauntered down the hall.
The Corporal gave Crinsondawn a playful poke in her rump with the butt of his halberd. With a touch of admiration in his voice, he ordered, "Come along yous and don't forget to show the proper respect whats due your kings and queens."
Shuffling wearily down the hall Crimsondawn for the first time in her young life felt she was not the master of her own destiny. In an effort to dispel the gloom the griffin cast about for something more cheerful to think about. It was then it hit her, 'In the end she had accomplished everything she set out to do this day, and when all was said and done that was the most anyone could hope for, wasn't it?'
[[[Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays, everyone]]]
As I promised in the introduction I would explain the reason for writing what amounts to a totally superfluous chapter.
If you've been following the story so far you know Crimsondawn and her siblings were introduced to the reader late in the last installment, then she was immediately dispatched to Cair Paravel with the sergeant's report. I had toyed with the idea of leaving it at that but to me the griffin was such an interesting character I couldn't let her go without giving her a fitting sendoff. I should point out here I envisioned Crimsondawn arriving at the castle weary and parched giving her voice a ruff, gravelly quality. The folk she ran into can be forgiven for mistaking this daughter of the clouds for a male griffin.
Something I'd like to add here. While trolls are not specifically mentioned in the lion' the witch and the wardrobe, the effort Lewis put into researching the myths and lore of many ancient cultures means he must have come across them. (I'm thinking of in particular the Norwegian folktale "The three Billy Goats Gruff"). !So, Yah! If you're having issues with trolls not being cannon in narnian lore just think of them as my original characters.
(Remember, when in doubt "Cut to the chase.")
"Happy New Year", too us all and may it be a damn sight better than the old one.