Author's note:Sneaking in another chapter before the family invades midcoast Maine!
Chapter Fourteen: Slinn
Phillip noticed the smell before I did - a stench of decay and filth and misery. We were approaching a valley between several low mounts - too large to be called hills, but nowhere near the gleaming, towering peaks that filled the western horizon. We were about ten days out of Narnia, still a little damp from recent rains. The land was fairly level and the Great River flowed slow and sluggish and muddy with churned up silt. This was the first time I had seen the clean water of the river to be fouled and I didn't like the implications of what might lie ahead. I gazed at our route, noticing many of the trees ahead were wilted or half-naked, their leaves brownish and limp.
"Phillip?" I asked uncertainly.
"Yes," was all he said, and I knew he didn't like this any more than I did.
I would have dearly loved to have found an alternate means of getting through here, but the river was our only path and who knew if the surrounding woods weren't worse? As we got closer the scene grew worse. Everything was dull and gray and miserable and barely alive. Phillip hesitated at the edge of the valley, tossing his head at the stench. With so few leaves we could see far enough, but the river took a sharp curve and I couldn't tell how long we had to go before we saw green again.
"On my back," ordered Phillip, and I didn't argue. I shifted Rhindon to my hip and mounted up, making sure there were plenty of arrows on the quiver hanging from his saddle.
"I'll trot," he told me.
"Good idea," I agreed. "Let's go."
It only got worse as we went. What could have cursed Nature so? I looked at the sickly trees and struggling undergrowth. There were no flowers or moss or lichens just the toughest of plants and weeds. No birds, no animals, no insects...just blight and that awful smell. Everything was crumbling and rotting away. It was quiet, too, because the river was so lazy and wide. I would have liked more noise to cover the sound of our passing. Phillip kept up a steady trot for some time until the path grew too rocky and he had to pick his way more carefully. His hoofs kicked up small puffs of gray dust until we were both coated with the the stuff. It had the consistancy of ash and stank as badly as the air and the river. The stones were all gray granite, but as we moved deeper into the valley I noticed the riverbanks became all sloping rock and here and there were long, discolored streaks. I had seen and smelled enough blood in the past year to recognize it when I saw it, dried or not. I felt a twinge of fear in my belly. This was not going to be pleasant. The blood wasn't fresh, but there was enough there and long enough that the rains hadn't washed the banks clean.
Despite the rocky path, Phillip picked up his pace without being asked. I estimated we were about halfway to the curve in the river. There was no way we could stop in such a place regardless of how long it went on.
Something in the corner of my vision seemed to move. I noticed it only because there was no other motion besides myself and Phillip. I glanced over, but it was gone. Not about to dismiss it - Oreius had taught me to trust my senses in such things - I let Phillip hurry us along as I scanned the surrounding woods, if woods they could be called. This place was more akin to a cemetery.
I spotted them on the far bank first. They were the strangest things I had ever seen and that included the revolting array of creatures that had fought for Jadis at Beruna. Hairy dragons? A cross between gray foxes and eels? They had long, sinuous bodies completely covered with gray down or fur. Their faces looked a bit like a fox with a ruff of fur out the sides, though the mouth was broad and flat like a snake beneath their pointy snouts. They had bulging, oversized yellow eyes and no ears that I could see. I couldn't even tell if they had feet and legs, but if they did they were short. Their gray fur perfectly matched the granite and the brush, and I realized with a sinking feeling we could have already passed many of them without seeing them, and the valley as a whole stank so badly not even Phillip would have noticed them. There were three or four of them, the smallest about my size, the largest three times that. They lifted their heads like snakes, wavering as they sharply watched us pass.
"Phillip?"
"I see them."
"Do you know...?"
"No. But they are across the river."
His optimism wasn't catchy. "I'm just worried about what might be on this side."
That picked up the pace even more.
The things across the river began to make a keening sound. It was eerie to say the least, but I knew what they were doing. My endless classes in tactics and the art of war stood me in good stead and I silently bless Oreius and his sometimes harsh teaching methods.
"Don't look," I ordered. "They're trying to panic us. There must be some close by to ambush us. Slow down, Phillip."
He didn't obey immediately and I yanked the reins back because he was starting to rush headlong. That abrupt motion saved our lives because he stumbled almost to a stop just as one of the large creatures dove down from the slope on the left, directly on the spot where we would have been. It smacked face-first into the ground and let out an angry hiss that sounded like: "Slinn!"
"GO!" I screamed to Phillip and I actually whipped his flanks with the ends of the reins as hard as I could. He surged forward, leaping over the hairy gray body before the thing could recover. Furious, wailing keens and growls erupted from the hill on the left and across the river as more of these Slinn-hissing monsters realized we had made it past their ambush. I had no idea if they were intelligent or simply possessed a pack mentality when hunting, but they understood well enough that we were going to be harder to catch than anticipated.
There was a splash of water like a large rock falling into a pool and I realized the Slinn across the river were swimming over.
"Phillip, we're going to have to fight them," I panted.
He let out a terrible neigh and I knew he was terrified. I couldn't blame him in the least. He had not fought in the Battle of Beruna, nor had he been engaged against the remnants of Jadis's army when Edmund and I had been trapped at the Stone Table early this past spring. I was looking for a likely spot to defend and only then did I realize we had rounded the bend in the river. More of this hideous valley, even deader and more blighted than what was behind us, spread before us. Still, the area was a bit higher and relatively free of rocks. The trees were far enough away that the Slinn couldn't use them for cover.
"Phillip! Here! Stop!"
"No!" he screamed.
His options were taken away, however, when the three Slinn that had been across the river drew their long bodies up onto the bank in front of us, blocking the path and making a menacing clicking sound. The looked more like snakes with their fur plastered against their bodies. Snakes with fox faces. Phillip screamed a Horse's scream, that hideous sound, as he slid to a halt. He circled nervously as I yanked the bow out of its case and notched an arrow. I shot the nearest, biggest Slinn, landing the arrow deeply into its side. Clearly they had thin hides and soft flesh because I was not nearly as strong a shot as Susan. It was effective - the Slinn screamed even louder than Phillip, shocking the Horse into silence. My next arrow missed because of Phillip's nervous pacing, then I dug my heels into his sides painfully to brace myself and let loose another shaft. I was aiming at the throat of the next Slinn, but it shifted at the last moment, curious and confused about its writhing fellow, and the arrow planted itself almost to the feathers deep into its huge eye. It screamed and raised itself up high, smashing down across the third and smallest one. I would be revolted later at the spurt of blood and gore. I barely had time to stow the bow and draw Rhindon as the Slinn chasing us from behind caught up. I yanked Phillip around to face them and kicked him into a charge right at them. They were surprised to see their would-be dinner on the attack, and all but the largest of them scattered. Three more Slinn faced us now, slinking around and trying to get close enough for a bite.
One learned a serious lesson as Rhindon, swung upwards in a wide arc, gave it a long, shallow cut all the way up its neck and jamming for a moment under its jawbone. I rose in the saddle to stab upwards and the creature went berserk. As I concentrated upwards, Phillip stamped and trampled a smaller one at his feet. It screamed and gnawed at his leg, but the good Horse landed heavily on it with both front hooves and the creature stopped moving. I was still standing in the saddle and I reversed my grip on Rhindon, swinging the blade behind me as I had once seen Oreius do and straight into the side of another Slinn's neck. It wasn't nearly as large as the first one and I sliced its head almost off. Hot, stinking, black blood splashed me, burning and salty.
I looked around wildly, but the Slinn were more cautious now, and many were sniffing at the corpses of their own fallen.
"Get past the dead ones," I ordered Phillip, gathering the reins in my left hand. I swung at the third Slinn, but it darted out of range, then circled round and swallowed whole the body of the one Phillip had crushed.
That was enough for me and more than enough for the Horse under me. Phillip took off at a dead run, trampling two more little Slinn that couldn't get out of his way quickly enough. More screams of "Slinn!" erupted from underfoot and the rocks were slippery from gore, but Phillip kept his footing as he charged towards the bodies of the first three killed. I kept swinging Rhindon, doing what damage I could, right up to the moment when he gathered himself to jump. I moved with him as I had been taught, leaning far forward and keeping my sword up and away from him. I felt Phillip's front hooves clip the pile of dead Slinn, but he had so much momentum it didn't matter. He crushed another Slinn as he landed, so numerous were they, but we were no longer on the menu, it seemed.
They were swarming over the dead and wounded, screaming and hissing and fighting as they tore at the corpses and the living. I risked one glance behind, then concentrated only on escaping from this hell.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
We were attacked twice more. The next time, an hour past the first ambush, was by a trio of small and inexperienced Slinn. I shot one with an arrow and mortally wounded another with a thrust of my sword before the third smacked into me with its head and unHorsed me. Phillip came to the rescue, holding the Slinn at bay until I recovered enough to grab my sword and run the awful thing through. The last time the Slinn was alone, old, and slow and despite its size I killed it easily enough once I realized it was blind in one eye. That last one stank tremendously and I realized the Slinn themselves were the source of the stench and pestilence in this valley. Any of the creatures that had been pursuing us were immediately distracted by the dead. Phillip never slowed to less than a trot despite his fatigue and it wasn't until evening, as the moon rose full and yellow and bright that we saw leaves on the trees again and caught a whiff of fresh, clean air.
We still didn't stop. Phillip said nothing, but I knew he couldn't get far enough away from that nightmare of a valley. Finally I halted him several miles past the valley and slid off his back. I had no idea how much distance we had covered today, but it was tremendous and we would pay for it tomorrow. At least we were safe and alive. We were both filthy, but that would have to wait for the morning light. I had no doubt about one thing: we could not pass this way when we returned. Neither of us would ever be up to facing those hideous monsters again. We would have to find an alternate route. I put my arms around Phillip's sweaty neck and held him tightly. Head drooping, he sighed in relief and exhaustion.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he whispered.
I drew back. I was trembling as reaction set in upon me and my voice rose in a squeak. "Whatever for, Phillip?"
"I panicked. I would have run right into them. You saved me."
"And you saved me."
"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I'm sorry for being afraid. I'm not equal to your bravery."
"Phillip!" I exclaimed, aghast that he would think so. "Phillip, you've never been in such a situation before. I have. There's no shame in being afraid. Besides, I've been training non-stop for the past year to deal with such things, not you. But you got us free and you killed I don't know how many of them. Actually, I should apologize to you."
"Me?"
"I whipped you."
He blinked, his ears coming sharply forward. "You did?"
"Yes! Fine king I make, whipping my brother's dear friend and our loyal subject!"
He nudged me with his nose. "It's nothing, King Peter."
"And so is the fact that you were afraid." I rubbed his soft muzzle and brushed his forelock out of his eyes. "You think I wasn't?"
"You didn't show fear."
"Oreius won't let me show it, but trust me, it's there." I turned and we slowly walked. I wanted to cool him off slowly and if we stopped now he could become ill. I checked the river and it seemed clear enough, so we each took a small drink. I talked as we walked, for it was important to me to relieve his guilt and lift his spirits. "You know Ed and I share the same room?"
"He's said as much."
"We have a whole vast palace to live in and we still share the same bedroom. Did he ever tell you why?"
"No."
"I'm not surprised. It's because I'm afraid, Phillip. Ed and I have shared a room all our lives. When we first moved into the Cair I couldn't sleep. I would wander the halls at night and annoy the servants and Bats because I couldn't sleep alone in my room. Finally Edmund got fed up with it all and one night he ordered Martil to move his things into my room. I slept better that night than I had since we came to Narnia. We all have our fears and ignoring them doesn't make them any less real. All I needed was to hear Edmund breathe and to know he hadn't died at Beruna."
"And now this," he said quietly. "Have you slept since?"
"Only since Aslan arrived."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
We walked until I could go no further and Phillip was safely cooled down. The camp I made was a hasty one. Phillip tore up a few mouthfuls of grass but I had no appetite. I was too tired to do more than give the Horse a quick rub-down, then curl up under the blankets. For the first time since the anniversary, I fell asleep before midnight.