TWO OF A KIND
Welcome back, mates! Here we are, with a fresh chapter! I'm as thrilled for this thing to be updated as you are.
This chapter was a lot of fun; there's a bit more action packed in here, and there's a moment of pure sweetness at the very end. Hope you like what you read, and I look forward to your feedback!
Characters (excluding Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media
Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08
All rights reserved.
Chapter 7
After taking some time to bathe, and give his unruly hair and beard a decent trim, Tumnus sat down to breakfast with the Four Monarchs in the dining hall. Terence joined them.
It was an excellent meal, with all the trimmings. Lucy was very pleased to see Tumnus clean his entire plate, and even manage fourth helpings; it had been ages since she last saw the faun that hungry.
But it was Terence with which she and her siblings were most impressed. This was the first time they'd seen him use a fork, knife, and spoon, and it was incredible how well he managed. Tumnus was equally astonished at his mate's conduct—how neatly he cut up his meat, how carefully he ladled his porridge into his spoon, how he ate and drank so daintily that he never spilled a drop or a crumb. It was as if he'd always dined at a table, all his life.
"Not bad," Tumnus commented at one point as they watched Terence sip his porridge. "Not bad at all."
"What?" Terence asked, looking up briefly from his bowl. "The food, or my table manners?"
"The way you move about," said Lucy without hesitation. "The porridge is appalling."
This made them all laugh, including Peter, who chuckled heartily, "Don't let the cook hear you say that, Lu."
Terence just shrugged and replied, "It tastes all right to me."
"But your manners really are quite exceptional, Terence," said Susan, "considering what you are."
"Thanks." After a moment, the white-haired boy added on, "You should have seen what it was like, the first time I ate at a table." He shook his head in chagrin. "It was a mess."
That sent everyone into another laughing fit. "Oh, dear," Lucy giggled, "I can only imagine!"
"Certainly took a bit of practice to get the technique right, I'll tell you that," Terence admitted. "Everyone must have thought I was insane."
They laughed one more time, and Tumnus was amazed at how good it sounded, and felt, to laugh again.
For the first time in five years, everything seemed right with the world—the sun brighter and warmer, the air sweeter, the sky a clearer, deeper blue. It was as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off Tumnus's heart.
Already, he began to feel like his old self once more.
After breakfast was over, Peter and Edmund went out into one of the royal courtyards for their daily sword practice with Oreius.
Ultimately, Terence came to join them. The unicorn youth stood off to the side and watched intently as the two young kings jousted with one another, parrying one another's blows, and moving all about the yard in a show of extraordinary skill and speed, while Oreius supervised them. It was clear from a glance that both men were experts with the sword, though Peter somehow managed to retain the upper hand.
When they stopped for a temporary respite, Oreius cuffed Peter and Edmund on their shoulders at the same time and commended, "Well done, both of you."
"Well, we've learned from the best," Peter said, smiling up at the big black centaur.
That was when Terence stepped into the scene. "That was an impressive display," the white-haired boy remarked. "Especially with you, Peter."
"Peter is the best swordsman in Narnia," said Edmund as he wiped perspiration off his brow. "Next to Oreius, that is."
"Is that so?" Terence arched one eyebrow significantly at Peter.
"I don't often speak of myself," said Peter as he juggled Rhindon from hand to hand, "and it's not like I take pleasure in bragging—but I have yet to find my match with the sword."
"Really?" There was a brief silence, before Terence declared, "In that case, Peter, I challenge you to a one-on-one duel."
Peter looked at him. "You mean, you and me?"
Terence said nothing, but there was a knowing glint in his eye.
"Here and now?"
Again, Terence said nothing, yet his shrewd expression said it all.
Peter grinned. "Very well, then. I accept your challenge."
"All right, you're on."
"Mind if I stay and watch?" Edmund asked.
"By all means, stick around," Terence told him. "After all, it's much more fun with an admiring spectator."
Oreius decided this ought to be interesting, so he opted to stay, too. Nearby, several fauns, satyrs, and centaurs, who were also engaged in artificial combat, took notice of what was going on and promptly moved closer to get a better look.
Within a short time, a small crowd had assembled. When Tumnus, Lucy, and Susan passed by and discovered the crowd, their interest was perked and they edged in as well.
"What is this?" Tumnus asked one of the other fauns, who was a tall, robust fellow with sandy-colored hair and a scruffy beard. "What's going on here?"
"Terence and Lord Peter are having a duel," the faun replied.
"Peter?" said Lucy incredulously.
"Terence?" Tumnus said at the same time, knitting his brows and quirking his ears in disbelief. "In a duel?"
The faun nodded. "See for yourselves. They are just about to begin."
"Oh, this I have got to see," Susan insisted, and she pushed her way a little further into the front. Tumnus and Lucy did likewise.
In the center of the ring, Terence held out a hand and requested, "Sword, please." Edmund passed one to him, and Terence took a moment to inspect the blade. He stared at it, then ran his thumb gently along the edge.
He swung it back and forth a few times, then finally gave a nod of satisfaction. "Yes, this one will do very nicely."
Peter just smirked and rolled his eyes. "This'll be a piece of cake," he murmured to Edmund when Edmund returned to his side. "But I'll humor him."
No one was worried much about the outcome of this little duel. After all, as Edmund had said, Peter was a well-seasoned master. He had used the sword for nearly twelve years, and Terence had only been human for five years.
What did Terence know about the art of dueling that the High King didn't already know front and back?
As the men stood opposite one another, swords at the ready, Peter asked in a voice loud enough for all ears to hear, "Any last words, amateur?"
"I shall cut you to ribbons, when I'm through with you," Terence replied haughtily.
Thus, the duel began.
Peter made the first move, but Terence dodged him easily. Peter lunged out again, and again Terence sidestepped him, swift as a blink, smooth as rainwater. This took Peter somewhat aback. A hushed murmur rippled through the surrounding crowd. When Peter struck out the third time, Terence stood his ground, but he easily blocked Rhindon, and riposted in such a manner that Peter was almost thrown off balance. Quite a few people now gasped aloud, including Tumnus and Lucy. Edmund's eyes widened, and Oreius's brows lifted slightly. "Is that the best you can do?" Terence taunted Peter when Peter was facing him again. The boy twirled his sword around in several elaborate circles.
A muscle in Peter's jaw tightened as he regarded his opponent. He'd clearly underestimated Terence; he would have to go all-out with this.
"All right, Terence," the High King said, "you asked for it."
With that, he let loose.
He fought against Terence with every ounce of his might and strength, dispatching the most complicated moves he could invent. But no matter what he did, no matter how creative he was, Terence was a match for him and parried each and every blow almost effortlessly, staying quick and alert all the time, as light on his feet as a feather. In the meantime, the boy proved to have some clever tricks of his own tucked up his sleeve.
In the crowd, more than one jaw dropped at the sight.
"He's amazing!" Lucy breathed as she watched Terence swing at Peter about as idly as if he were batting a fly.
"I can't believe it," said Tumnus in an awestruck whisper.
Even Oreius had to admire Terence's agility and skill. The centaur had taught Peter essentially everything there was to know about the sword, yet he found himself learning a few new moves and techniques.
Edmund wished he had a quill and parchment at hand, so that he could jot down notes.
Nobody knew how long the duel lasted, but in the end, Terence succeeded in knocking Rhindon clear out of Peter's hand, and he caught it neatly by the hilt. Now he and Peter stood stock-still, Terence clutching Rhindon in one hand and extending his own sword with the other, the sharp tip resting just under Peter's chin. Both men were panting and shaking; their chests heaved erratically, and their faces dripped steadily with sweat.
There was a moment of utter silence in the yard, uninterrupted by so much as a whisper.
Finally Terence asked, "Do you yield?"
Seeing that Terence had him, Peter gave in. "I yield."
Now everyone broke out into wild cheers and applause. Tumnus and Lucy were among the ones who lauded Terence the most enthusiastically, and Terence smiled at them all and took a grand bow.
Peter shook his head ruefully as he took his weapon back, but he had to smile himself.
One by one, the others closed in on them, slapping them on the shoulders, roughhousing with them a little here and there. Some congratulated Peter all the same, while others raved about Terence's skills.
"That was outstanding," Oreius commended Terence, which was possibly the highest compliment anyone could warrant from him.
Edmund agreed wholeheartedly. "Absolutely incredible," the Just King said. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it."
"I saw it, and I still don't believe it," said one of the satyrs.
Lucy gave Terence a huge hug the second she reached him, and Tumnus clasped his friend's shoulder and proclaimed proudly, "Well done, mate."
Later, as they all slowly made their way off the turf together, Terence, who continued to flick his sword now and again, said, "So, Peter, what have you got to say, now?"
There was a fairly pink tinge to Peter's cheeks, but he said submissively, "Okay, I admit it. You are truly an exceptionally talented swordsman, Terence."
"Thank you," said the white-haired youth with a broad grin, holding his head high with pride.
"Looks like you've finally met your match, Pete," Edmund said.
"Where on earth did you learn such swordsmanship?" Susan inquired of Terence.
"Oh…here and there," he replied as he absently ran his thumb along the keen edge of the blade once more. "I've been to many places, had loads of practice."
"Whoever taught you must have been brilliant," said Lucy.
"Yes," was all Terence said. Everybody noticed, however, that there was a strange note to the boy's tone. He was careful to avoid their gazes, and he would say no more after that.
The rest of the day went by much more smoothly and pleasantly. It was easily the best day Lucy and her siblings, and Tumnus and Terence, had had in the longest time. But there was one thing that Tumnus was yet troubled about.
It wasn't until night had fallen, and nearly the whole Cair had gone to sleep, that the faun felt he was able to do it properly. Quietly, he stole to the chamber that had been reserved specially for Terence. It was a very handsome chamber, furnished in luxury and good taste. Like Tumnus, Terence had a big marble fireplace, an enormous four-poster bed, a private balcony, and even his own little library. When Tumnus stepped tentatively into the room, he found Terence sitting next to a cheerful fire, skimming through a large book that rested in his lap. Terence, whose ears and overall instincts were as finely tuned as they had ever been when he was a unicorn, looked up at once.
"Hi," he said when he saw Tumnus. "What's up, Tumnus?"
"Can I talk to you, Terence?" said Tumnus meekly, his hands toying with the fringe of his scarf that swathed his neck, his hooves tapping apprehensively against the floor.
"Of course." Terence promptly set his book aside, onto a little table. "What is it you want to talk about, mate?"
Tumnus didn't answer outright, but he approached Terence very slowly, almost fearfully. The look on his face was one of great sorrow and shame; he seemed close to the brink of tears. Upon seeing this, Terence rose taller in his chair. The boy's silvery brows knit in an expression of deep concern. "Tumnus, are you all right?" he queried. "What's wrong?" When Tumnus finally reached him, Terence started to stand up, but Tumnus gently forced him to sit down again.
Closing his eyes for a moment, taking a slow, deep breath, Tumnus somehow found the courage to say, "Terence…I owe you an apology. And a very big one, at that."
"Oh, mate…"
"No, please, let me say it. I need to say it. For my heart's sake, I must." Getting to his knees on the gold-embroidered carpet in front of Terence, Tumnus said penitently, "My behavior toward you yesterday was nothing short of disgusting. I should never have said what I'd said, Terence—should never have treated you the way I'd done."
"It's all right," Terence never hesitated to reassure him. "I don't blame you for that. In a way, I sort of deserved it."
"I tried to drive you away from me," Tumnus said, his voice cracking noticeably, unshed tears swimming in his eyes. "I came so close—so close—to losing you all over again."
"Really, Tumnus, it's all right," said Terence gently. "I understand completely."
"If you had left me forever…" Here, Tumnus faltered for a time before he was able to finish, and then it was with a raw, feeble, hardly audible voice: "…I couldn't bear it."
His head dropped at that, and his hands flew up to hide his face.
"Tumnus…"
"Oh, Terence," the faun groaned into his palms, "forgive me. Say that you forgive me. Please."
Terence looked down solicitously at the pitiful creature for just a moment, then he eased himself out of the chair and joined his companion on the floor.
Gently lifting Tumnus's tear-streaked face to his own, he gazed intently into the faun's shimmering eyes and told him in a loving, serious tone, "I forgive you, Tumnus. With my whole heart, I forgive you."
A glint of hope shone in Tumnus's eyes. "We're still brothers?" he asked tremulously.
"Brothers fight," said Terence softly. "They have their disagreements, and their occasional fall-outs." A kind smile graced the boy's handsome features. "But they're still brothers, nonetheless."
Tears were now all but pouring down Tumnus's cheeks, but he was smiling at the same time. He just looked at Terence, and for a time neither said a word, unwilling to break the moment.
Then finally Tumnus made a sound that ranged somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and practically threw himself against Terence, engulfing him in a fierce hug. Terence returned the embrace gladly, grateful for his arms and hands; they were the things he'd used to envy about humans. Once more, the tears that Tumnus shed on him threatened his good clothes, but once again, Terence paid it no mind.
"It's all right," he whispered gently into the faun's ear as they knelt there together and cradled one another. "It's all right…"
By the time the flow of tears ceased, when Tumnus finally relinquished his grip on Terence, the faun centered his gaze with the youth's and asked thickly, "You're sure you forgive me?"
"So long as you're sure that you forgive me." Terence wiped his tears for him, then kissed him lightly on the forehead, and Tumnus kissed the young man in return.
"Don't ever leave me again, Terence," Tumnus entreated. "Promise me that you will always be with me."
"I'll be with you," Terence promised. "Even when you can't see me, I'll be with you. Like I told you before, mate, you're a literal part of me. I love you, and I'd give my life for you."
Tumnus knew that he really would, and the knowledge humbled him to his roots. "And I you," was the only appropriate thing the faun could find to say.
Terence smiled at him, his face bathed in the warm glow of the fire, and Tumnus managed a tearful smile in exchange. After another minute, Terence rose to his feet, bringing Tumnus up with him.
He pulled the faun back into his arms for one final hug, and Tumnus came willingly.
Then Terence amiably shooed his mate away. "Off with you, now. The hour is late, and you need your sleep."
"What, all of a sudden you're to be my nursemaid?" One of Tumnus's eyebrows lifted meaningfully.
"In some cases, you would appear to need one," the unicorn youth teased back, and they both laughed. Ultimately, Tumnus did turn and leave to retire to his own chamber, feeling as light as though he had wings in place of hooves.
Terence stayed where he was and watched his brother go, a smile on his face, his heart brimming with emotion.