A/N:
The story continues – no matter how slow I am to update.
Soundtracks:
Direwolf – Paleowolf
Lívstræðrir – John Lunn, Eivør
The Realm of the Fallen King – Brunuhville
Vinda - Songleikr
Enjoy!
Lucy had never been afraid of her own life when in peril. Not once. Her thoughts always returned to her family, her siblings, and of their safety. Now was one of those moments when she thought of them and feared for their lives.
She couldn't see much in the darkness of the cellar after she had woken up upon the cold, rocky floor. There was a sticky substance underneath her hand when she pushed herself up from the ground, she suspected blood would be the answer. Feeling her surroundings with her hands, she felt rusted metal bars around her, and there was no way she'd escape it. She tried to push against the cage walls, but to no avail – she was encaged.
She sat down against one of the walls, and rested her chin on her knees, hugging them close to her chest. She felt cold, and the place smelled of rot and dust. Making sure she had her cordial at her side, she hid it underneath the remains of her torn dress, hoping they wouldn't search her any time soon.
A huge bang of ancient doors caught her attention, and she felt short of breath, her heart beating like a wild herd of horses.
Torches lit up out of thin air, and she could see more of the room. She wasn't in a room at all – Lucy was in the ruins of an old temple, to what deity, she could not tell. Columns of stone held up a broken stone roof, the dark brown clouds could be seen past it. Most of the columns had crumbled, and lay spread across the room. Dust, sand and bones scattered the floor, and an old altar by the stairs was covered in a coppery substance. On the walls there were drawings of skeletal men, men on horses, and soldiers, all with spears up towards the sky. Trying to interpret the hieroglyphs, the tall woman and two undead minotaurs startled her as they appeared down a set of ancient stairs towards her.
Lucy staggered back against the cage as the sorceress trod elegantly up the two steps, lingering in front of the cage. Her golden eyes flickered threateningly as she forced Lucy to meet her eyes. She did not blink once as she scanned the young girl trapped in the metal cage for a long while in silence.
When she did speak, Lucy almost jumped at the gentleness of her voice:
"Daughter of Eve… I have been waiting for you to enter Narnia for over a millennium…" she purred, her breath chill.
Lucy dared herself to look at the woman and her heart skipped a beat to see that she stood frighteningly close to the bars, her eyes large and piercing as she pressed herself against the bars. Her undead guards stood remarkably still and silent behind her. The woman was frightening, to say the least.
"You're Talulah." Lucy stated, her voice shakier than she'd like. The woman hissed out a small purr of a laugh, her eyes still upon Lucy's.
"What do you want with me?" Lucy mustered to ask as she stood up again. The woman followed her with her gaze, the image disturbing for the young Lucy. Talulah stuck a long finger with a necrotic nail at the end past the bars, leaving it to point at Lucy. It hovered for a long while, and just before Lucy could ask again, she purred, the sound that of a menacing cat.
"So pure… You, my dear, will be Narnia's defeat… Such sincerity…" Talulah purred, the finger still pointing at her. Lucy swallowed hard and looked up to see that the sorceress' crazed stare had moved downwards to her chest.
"You will have the world as we know it fall apart. The beauty of it…" she spoke on, her voice ghostly.
"No!" Lucy protested bravely as the half-giant woman threatened her country and the kingdoms surrounding it. She stepped away from the cage and threw her head back into a mocking laugh.
"… Ever so pure…" she purred after her fit of laughter, looked at Lucy for a moment with a mock grin before stepping down and away from the cage. She shouted a word to her minions, and they marched after her mechanically, leaving her to her misery.
Feeling ever so hopeless, Lucy sunk down to her knees and buried her head into her hands.
What would she do now?
. . .
The pink sky had been given hues of blue as the first rays of morning shone through the lands. In the courtyard of the Castle was an assembly of five guards, Adranos, Caine, Rhea, and two male Telmarines at Adranos' command. They were all mounted upon their horses, armed to their teeth, clad in iron and chainmail. The horses were loaded with provisions and other practical gear. Adranos and his men carried crossbows at their backs, whereas Rhea and Caine settled for swords. Rhea carried two long daggers that were crossed at her back in their sheaths, now hidden underneath the long burgundy scarf with Aslan's emblem in golden thread.
Caspian and Peter were stood readying themselves on the ground by their horses as Professor Cornelius walked them through the descriptions of the remaining pieces of the staff.
Trufflehunter stood by Susan as he showed her the different herbs she could use during their travel, and instructed her as she looked through the several tiny bags of herbs, spices and vials of oils that would aid them in case they were in need of healing or the like.
"… Should you be in need of more Tulisa to neutralize water, any badger would know where to find more," Trufflehunter assured her as he gave her the last bag in his hands. He looked up at her in expectation as she silently put the herbs away in her saddlebag.
"Thank you, Trufflehunter…" she said gratefully, and took one of his tiny paws in her hands. She gave him a smile, and he nodded wistfully her way.
"I wish you all a safe journey, my Queen…" the badger said, patting her hand with his free paw.
Susan mounted her horse, sighed, and rode over to the others as Trufflehunter waddled over to Trumpkin. Said dwarf was stood by Caspian, and the two shook hands.
"Bring her back safe, why won't you?" Trumpkin the red dwarf said solemnly as he straightened his Lord Regent jewellery.
"We won't return without her, Trumpkin." Edmund said from atop his horse. Clad in a black leather vest over his chainmail and green undershirt, he strapped his quiver of crossbow bolts to his hip, making sure his sword was tightly secured as well. He was sleep-deprived from the night before, and the dark circles under his eyes and tousled hair made him look older than his meagre 18 years of age. He was anxious to ride out.
Trumpkin looked towards the Just King, and nodded his way, his brows down into a frown. He wanted nothing more than to come with them, but his role as Lord Regent held him responsible to stay behind.
"I wish all the best to you, dear friend. Narnia could not be in better hands whilst we're away," Caspian said as he placed a supportive hand upon the dwarf's broad shoulder.
Caspian was dressed in his usual travelling gear, along his tan leather duster. Red undershirt, and black trousers, he was as mobile he could be. A sturdy leather belt held his vital equipment: a quiver of bolts, a waterskin, his dagger, and a small vial of a healing potion that Cornelius had brewed for them all. It wouldn't do as well as Lucy's cordial in case of injury, but it was a comfort ever the same. He had tightened his hair behind his head in a leather band, exposing the aggressive scar across his brow. Caspian had retained his eyesight and was lucky to escape from the attack with only a permanent scar.
His crossbow was secured at his back, along with his sword Gladius at his hip, a longsword made by Narnian red dwarves. Leather bracers was fitted to his wrists to his elbows, as was the thick leather gloves.
Caspian turned his head once Susan's horse approached, and he noticed she was ready to go – as ready as could be, at least. He also noticed her attire, and he had to say it was the first time he had seen her in trousers – a pleasant sight, he wasn't afraid to admit.
Dressed in dark brown leather trousers with leather boots and chaps, she was practically dressed for the journey. An olive-green shirt hugged her figure, and her abdomen was protected by a sturdy leather corset. A leather bandolier hugged her waist and torso, the quiver-strap crossing her torso. Brown leather bracers was fitted upon her wrists, along with an armguard on her lead wrist. Her bow was strapped securely over her torso, and she had two long daggers secured in a leather sheath on the saddle. Her hair was braided into a tight French plait, and it fell elegantly over her shoulder. On her horse she had loaded general essentials, along with the herbs from Trufflehunter and her horn. The black Frisian mare snorted sharply as she chewed the bit in her mouth.
"You ready, Su?" Peter called from the ground as he was on the verge to mount. She tilted her chin up as a response. She had been more or less mute since Lucy's abduction, and at this very moment, her insides churned as they were on their way out into the world to face the greatest living sorceress and necromancer of this world.
Dressed in a brown undershirt with a sleeveless tan coat, Peter was every bit ready to go. He had Rhindon on his hip, and his grappling hook on the saddle behind him. A leather bandolier crossed his chest, which held the hilt from Jadis' staff amongst other things.
Both him and Caspian mounted their horses, and the guard appeared behind them. Adranos led the guard, with Caine and another Telmarine soldier behind him.
Caspian shared looks with the Pevensies, nodded towards the remaining members of his family and court, and rode on before turning to face his company.
"Alright. We shall ride on. If it all goes according to plan, we will make camp at dusk. I ask everyone to be alert, on their guard, and communicative. There are creatures out there that are not on our side, and they spawn in a way we have no chance to control. So, we ride strong, and move swiftly like the wind. I pray that every deity and dryad is with us on this quest, and that we bring home Queen Lucy safe and sound." Caspian spoke greatly, his words strong and true. Every guard nodded, and the Pevensies looked at him with pride.
Turning, Caspian kicked Destrier into a fresh trot with Peter and Susan behind him at his sides, with Edmund in the middle, the Guard behind them. The crossed the bridge, and once into the woods, accelerated into a canter.
They rode on with the wind, not looking back even once. Susan saw the flickers of cherry blossoms dancing between the trees, following them. She knew the dryads were keeping watch, and she silently thanked them for it. If anyone could spot danger from afar, it would be the nature spirits.
Like predicted, the party rode on strongly until noon. The horses needed water and a rest, giving the party some time to nourish and hydrate themselves.
By late noon, they had ridden into the forest of the Archenland border. The paths here had been struck with bad weather and melting snow, leaving the forest floor muddy and marshy. They had to cross the area by foot, leading the horses safely across the swamps and marshes until they could find terrain more suitable for riding.
The party had decided to ride off the main roads and paths to avoid attention and possible assaults. It was a much more arduous and time-consuming journey, but it was indeed safer.
Once off the marshlands, they found a footpath through Stormness Head, the highest mountain range in the Southern Mountains of Narnia, just east of the main pass to Archenland. The path was wide and steep, and such a challenging ride that they all kept quiet in concentration.
The horses slid and stumbled but managed to execute the slope without any injuries.
Once come the darkened clouds across an orange sky, the company settled down to make camp. They had found shelter underneath the side of a boulder and busied themselves with preparing camp for the night.
Rhea and Susan tended the horses for the night whilst Caine and Edmund ventured out on the range to hunt. Rabbits had scattered about on their ride up, and so it wouldn't be all too difficult to find some game in these parts of the mountain range.
By the time Peter and Caspian had put up a fire, Edmund and Caine had returned with a pair of fat rabbits, and a grey squirrel. The guards cheered at their luck and offered to skin and prepare the game for cooking upon the fire.
Susan had returned to the group and smiled gently at the sight of a warm fire and how they all worked together to prepare camp. She sat down on a boulder and praised Edmund as he skinned one of the rabbits.
When the meat was readied and prepared, it was to be cooked by the fire. The men chatted and shared battle experience merrily between themselves. Susan sat in silence and soaked in the warmth of the flames, enjoying the moment of peace.
That was, until Rhea returned with a small lyre in hand, moving towards Susan with a clever smile upon her lips. Peter and Edmund chuckled at Rhea's silent request as she lingered at Susan's side and looked them with shimmering, clever eyes. Caspian smiled as he poked the kindle in the firepit with his dagger.
Understanding the warmaiden's subtle request, she shook her head once and straightened up in her seat with a firm "no". The wry smile on her face did not convince the female guard, and so she sat down on the small boulder beside her and offered her the lute with an outstretched arm. Her eyes were set on Susan, her gaze so penetrative that the Gentle Queen could not say no. So, she sighed, and accepted the lyre, the men cheering as she did.
"Nothing like a good tune to lift the spirit," Peter mused, sitting down on a boulder beside Rhea, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees expectantly.
Crossing her legs, the rest the lyre comfortably in her lap, Susan tuned the lyre testing the strings as she found it difficult to pick one out of the dozens she knew by heart. After plucking the strings for a moment she chose one of the most ancient songs she knew, one in a foreign language not known by these men. Peter and Edmund would probably be the only ones that had heard this one before. ("Vinda" by Songleikr.)
"Langsomt går ferden som gangen til gammel mann,
Søker i bølger og søker i sand,"
Susan's voice echoed beautifully in the silence of the night, only the sound of the flickering fire complimenting her enchanting rested her head in her hands as she watched her Queen perform with teary eyes.
"Bølgene visste ei sanden hadde ingenting sett,
Langsomt går ferden når sulten gjør mett…"
Caspian looked at the girl of his dreams as she played the lyre with utmost talent and grace. Her eyes lidded as she concentrated on the strings, she sung like it was the most natural thing in the world – in a sense, it was. She just wasn't all too confident about her skill. Her voice was angelic with the slightest tint of huskiness, and so natural she could put sirens to shame. The song stabbed at something in his heart, leaving him aching at the fact he could not hold her, if not just once.
He missed her, he missed her touch; more so, her soul.
His musings were interrupted by Rhea as she sniffled softly, discreetly wiping a tear from her jaw.
"Hør vindens salme den synges over fjellet
Og du, vil du lytte til tonen om kvelden.
Føtter trår varsomt i lunefulle åker og eng
Søvnen er sparsom på tornete seng."
Adranos had to admit from his position on the ground that the Queen was indeed talented, beautiful, and something of a Goddess, especially now that the rocks around them echoed her voice back, ghosting her song.
"Hør vindens salme den synges over fjellet
og du,
vil du lytte til tonen om kvelden.
Føl vinden varme, den stryker mot et slitent kinn
La vindens salme få lindre ditt sinn…"
After Susan ended her song, she stilled the lyre before hugging it to her chest, a small smile grazing her lips as she looked into the dancing flames.
It was silent for just a moment after that, Peter being the first to speak.
"Sue, where do you get it from?" he said with a proud chuckle as he was taken aback by her enthralling voice. Susan smiled coyly back at him, shrugging gently at his response.
"Well done, your majesty. You just made my whole evening - thank you," Caine told her earnestly, his smile genuine and besotted. Susan nodded in gratitude at his kind remark.
"The food looks about done," Adranos muttered before anyone else could ask another song of her, and he stirred the meat on the sticks they had planted in the ground.
Hungry and tired, the party ate in silence with satisfaction that they had killed most of the journey in one day, ready to get some rest before a new day's worth of travel awaited them.
Adranos' men sat the first watch through the night, whilst Rhea and Caine took the second half of the guard watch, ready to alert the group in case of trouble. The wall of the boulder sheltered them from any wind and from the climates, giving them an advantage against the elements during the night, and that itself, made for a good start once come morning.
Caine knew it in his heart that they would find Lucy soon, and that she would be okay. The girl was strong, and very much capable of defending herself. Caine had taught her a couple of ways to swing a sword himself, and he had watched her with pride as she fought off her brothers with great technique and stamina. She was tough as nails, that one.
During his musings and ponderings and longings, Caine, second of his name, realized in that very moment that he, in fact, fancied Queen Lucy the Valiant.
Aslan forgive me, he thought to himself as he slid down a boulder, picked up his journal, and began to write down that day's events.
Caine wished just then that he would be graced with life long enough to finish his journal.
He couldn't wait for the day he could read it to Lucy, once she was back home and safe.
Once they were all safe.
I'll add the english translations to Vinda here: for those in need.
"Slowly the journey goes like the walk of an old man
Seeking in the waves and seeking in the sand
The waves did not know, the sand did not see anything
Slowly the journey goes when the hunger makes you full
Hear the psalm of the wind, its being sung over the mountain
And you, will you listen to this melody in the evening?
Feet walks gently in treacherous field and meadow
Sleep is scarce on a thorny bed
Hear the psalm of the wind, its being sung over the mountain
And you, will you listen to this melody in the evening?
Hear the psalm of the wind, its being sung over the mountain
And you, will you listen to this melody in the evening?
Feel the warm of the wind its caressing a weary chin
Allow the winds psalm to ease your mind."
- Songleikr (Godtfolk), 2016
I hope you enjoyed it!
Until next time,
Dragon
