A/N; Okay this story has been ignored far too long. Sorry about that. I got caught up in my other story for a bit and had another attack of writers block. But that's gone for at least a little while. Long enough to get this up at least. Well enough talk on with the tale.
6.
Verden and Luft
Several days of hard riding had passed for the Queens and their friends. Once the blizzard had passed the riding grew a touch more comfortable. The howling wind didn't press into the captives as harshly and the sun that now poked through the clouds was a welcome sight. The captives were only allowed a short break twice a day to eat and attend to other matters. Other than that they were bound and were riding hard.
"Does anyone know where we are?" asked Rien during one such stop.
Marion answered her. "As far as I can tell we've travelled well to the south west of Narnia."
Saera looked hesitant. "Are you sure? I might have sworn we were headed south east."
"Archenland lies to the south east of Narnia as you are all too well aware of," said Marion. "However I somehow doubt that these brigands would just walk into a country so closely allied with Narnia. No, I'm sure we've taken a path that leads south east for a spell then turns south west towards some mountains."
"How do you know all this?" Lucy asked.
"I was raised in the Southern Marshes my Queen. I am quite familiar with the territory."
"What are in these mountains?" Susan asked.
"Very little in terms of civilization my Queen. They are said to be quite wild and unexplored."
"The perfect hideout for a band of cutthroats like this," Susan realized.
Marion nodded her head. "Indeed."
Soon the bandits had once again bound their captives and they were again in the saddle. All of the ladies were very tired by now. None had had adequate sleep in days and their scant rations were nowhere near able to sustain them. Gradually Susan, Lucy, Saera, and Marion had been giving more and more of their rations to Rien, Sarai, and Helene. The three youngest captives had all been showing the signs of stress more than the others. Unused to such hardships they were more prone to complain about their circumstances. The Queens and their mothers also noticed they grew more and more lethargic as the days passed.
Marion's words proved to be true. After several days the small party came into a valley between two tall mountains. A frozen river wound on the valley floor that was joined by similarly frozen streams coming from side valleys that cut between the peaks. Now that they were out of Narnia and in the maze of mountains the bandits had removed the hoods from their captives. The troop had already travelled through several small mountain passes and more valleys so none of the Narnians knew where they were. Finally they came to a valley that had no exit. Only sheer walls of rock loomed up before the troop.
One of the bandits rode straight to the rock wall and drew his sword. Rapping the flat of the blade against the rock thrice he called out in a strange language none of the Narnians understood. At once a portion of the wall began swinging outward to reveal a carefully hidden doorway leading straight into the mountainside. More bandits were waiting for them. Obviously a guard for the gateway they were the ones who had pushed the secret doorway open. The horses were led into the tunnel and at once the captives started feeling a bit better. As you are probably quite well aware it's always nice to come inside from the cold during the middle of winter. The Narnians were no different. Even though they were still captives the torches lighting the tunnel proved welcome warmth and the fact they were out of the wind was also a relief to them all. Reaching a small cavern the bandits pulled the Narnians off their mounts.
"Move," one of them said as he pointed down another tunnel. The whole party now travelled deeper into the mountainside.
Susan tried to remember their route from the stable cavern but quickly grew lost. They had made to many turns and passed to many side tunnels to have a chance of remembering where they were going. The only hints she had were strange markings on the tunnel walls that she assumed were writing of some kind, but she could not read.
Finally they whole party reached a set of large oak doors. One of the bandits rapped the flat of his sword on the door and called out the same password that had admitted them inside the tunnels. The doors opened to an impressive sight.
A large cavern was set out before them. It must have been formed naturally but generations of builders had improved the site. Hundreds of torches lit the cavern to reveal a small lake of crystal clear water in the center. Hundreds of small stone buildings lined the sides of the cavern. They were only large enough for possibly one or two people and Susan guessed they were barracks of a sort for the bandits.
There were also more people around. Hundreds of men wandered around the cavern. They were all dressed in the same manner as the bandits that had captured the Narnians. The air of a military camp was very clear in the air. Piles of weapons of all sorts and shapes were stacked between the buildings. The sound of hammers on anvils rang out and in various locations groups of men were training with a wide array of weaponry. None of the men seemed to notice or care that the Narnians were being led past them. Instead they concentrated on whatever task they were doing.
"Where are you taking us?" Lucy finally asked.
The only answer she received was a grunt from one of their guards as he pointed across the small lake. A much larger building was visible. It was two stories tall and seemed to have many rooms as you looked at it from the outside. At once the Narnians knew it would be a formidable keep. Dozens of arrow slits lined the walls. Lucy saw that the only entrance was by a gate that was very similar to the gatehouse at Cair Paravel. They reached the small fort quickly and were shown inside. After passing through a small anteroom they finally reached their destination. A long hall at the end of which sat the first unmasked man they had seen.
"At last," he said. "You have arrived."
The Narnians were led to stand before him. He was dressed in garb very similar to the other men they had seen yet with finer leather and cloth. He was a tall man with long black hair and a complexion that reminded the Narnians of a Calorman. He looked at Saera as he addressed her. "Welcome Queen of Narnia."
Saera looked at Susan and Lucy before replying. "I believe you are misinformed. I am not a Queen of Narnia. My name is Lady Saera."
The man now looked puzzled. "I was told my scouts had captured the Queen. I see they were mistaken."
Susan took a step forward to address the man. "I am Queen Susan of Narnia. And this is my sister, Queen Lucy. To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
"Surely not" said the man as he waved a finger at her. "You're just children."
"Young we may be," said Lucy. "Yet we are the Queens of Narnia and you sir have still to answer my sisters question."
An expression of surprise grew on the man's face. It seemed he was not expecting to be addressed thusly from two he obviously viewed as much too young to rule. He quickly regained his composure. "I am Kaloz," he said simply.
"Well met Kaloz," said Susan with a polite curtsey. Beside her Lucy also curtsied.
Kaloz was shocked yet again. "You mean you are glad to meet me?"
"We always relish the opportunity to meet new people," Lucy told him.
"Child do you not realize where you are or who I am?" Kaloz was almost beside himself.
Susan answered him "Sadly we do not. Our journey has been filled with many twists and turns and we have only met you. How could we be expected to know who you are?"
Kaloz's eyes grew wide in disbelief before he gave a short laugh of incredulity. "HA! You've no shortage of nerve girls I give you that. Now I pray you step back and let me deal with the Queen."
Susan was still unfazed. "I have told you sir; you are already addressing the Queens of Narnia. What business do you have with Narnia?"
"So you hold to this fabrication that you are Queens of Narnia?" he asked.
"It is not a fabrication," said Lucy. "My sister and I are Queens of Narnia just as our two brothers are Kings. Crowned in Cair Paravel by the blessing of Aslan Himself."
"Enough!" Now Kaloz's tone grew harsh. "I will not be lied to by children like this." He turned to the men guarding the Narnians. "Take them away!"
They were led away out of the hall and into a lower level of the fort. They were all put in a large room. The only light came from the torches of the hallway outside the room that came through a small barred window in the door. The effect was the room was quite dark and foreboding.
"Why didn't they believe you?" Rien's temper burst then. "He wanted to talk to the Queens and he was! Why'd he have to put us all in this cell?"
Her mother tried her best to calm her down. "Hush now, don't get so upset. Some people just refuse to see the truth even if it's staring them in the face." Saera hugged Rien to her in the dark.
"I'm hungry," said Rien.
"I know. So am I," Saera told her.
As if in answer to the comment a small flap at the base of the door to their cell opened up and a plate of food and a large bowl of water were pushed inside. The flap then closed. Marion went to inspect the plate. The Vixen gave the food a few careful sniffs before rendering her verdict.
"Smells like plain scones, some cheese, and clean water. Nothing else that I can detect."
Fortune now smiled on the ladies as there was more food than had been available during their ride from Narnia. They dug in with gusto and having a full stomach for a change did much to improve their spirits, especially Helene, Sarai, and Rien. They finished their meal and then took some time to rest. They were all so exhausted that they were asleep in moments. It was the first real rest they had had since their capture. Later once they had all woken up they started to take stock of their surroundings. Though they knew they were still captives in a strange place they tried to make the best of their situation.
"At least we're out of the cold," Lucy told them.
"Indeed, my Queen so we are," said Marion. "Now let's see what we can do about getting ourselves out of this mess."
"What do you mean mother?" asked Helene.
The Vixen looked up at the small window in the door. "I think that I can manage to squeeze through those bars and have a look around. It would be helpful to know the layout of this fort we're in."
"We can certainly lift you up and get out, but how would you get back inside?" Rien asked.
"The flap at the base of the door," Sarai answered for her mother. "Mother can use that to get back inside. Can't you mother?"
Marion smiled at her Kit, please that she had figured out the solution. "Exactly, I should able to get back inside without to much difficulty. But first if you could lift me up so I can have a look around."
Saera being the tallest present lifted the Vixen up and allowed Marion to look up and down the corridor. "What do you see?" she asked.
"Not much save empty stone walls," came the reply. "And the flap at the base of the door is only secured by a simple catch. It's not even locked."
"I don't think the men who built this prison ever meant to hold a Vixen such as yourself captive Lady Marion," Susan told her.
"Their mistake and our gain to be sure," Marion said. She was about to ask Saera to let her go and explore when her keen ears hear the sound of approaching footsteps. "Quick pull me back in," she whispered urgently.
Saera did just than and set Marion back down on the floor. Soon the sound of footsteps was also audible to the Humans as well. They stopped just outside the door and the sound of keys jangling in the lock was then heard.
Two guards stood outside the door. One of them drew his sword. "You two," he pointed the blade at Susan and Lucy. "Come with us now."
He led them out of the cell and back to the main hall they had been in earlier. Susan and Lucy were not surprised to see Kaloz back on his chair at the end of the hall. To Lucy he looked a lot like some Magpies she knew after they had succeeded in capturing some trinket.
"Well it seems you were telling the truth after all Queens of Narnia," he said.
"What reason did we ever give you to doubt us?" Susan asked.
"I am not used to dealing with children," Kaloz told her. "You caught me quite unawares."
"What business do you have with Narnia?" asked Susan.
"What makes you think I have or want any business with your land?" Kaloz countered.
"Your men abducted us in the middle of the night and slew our guard. We were then taken here and locked in a cell," said Lucy. "You sent no defiance to our court in Narnia. Such things are considered acts of war at worst and terrible crimes at best according to our laws."
"You forget you don't make the laws here. I do," Kaloz smirked.
Susan's tone was still pleasant as she answered. "Indeed, yet we are not your subjects and are unfamiliar with the laws you have set down. Perhaps we could have a copy of them brought to our chambers so we might review them?"
For the second time Kaloz found himself astounded by the Queens. "Excuse me, what?"
"We would like a copy of your laws so we might review them. It wouldn't do for us to break any of your laws. Ignorance is rarely seen as a valid excuse." Susan was now smiling at Kaloz.
Kaloz couldn't help it. He stood up and thundered at the girls. "Who are you to make demands of me like this! I am Kaloz! The Thief of Thieves, and you are not Queens anymore! I see no crowns on your head nor any royal garments! I see no great castle for you to rule from, I see only my fortress! You are slaves and prisoners of my will."
Susan only closed her eyes momentarily and shook her head. "We are not Queens because we wear crowns or silk dresses or sit in a lofty palace. We are Queens because Aslan has willed it so. Hammer our crowns flat, tear our dresses to threads, burn our castle to the ground and still we would be Queens of Narnia."
"Furthermore there is only One whom commands us. Aslan, son of the Emperor Over The Sea. King over all kings of Narnia. His will is the only will we bow too." Courage was emblazoned in Lucy's tone as she addressed Kaloz.
"I see I still have respect to teach you," Kaloz said. "You will see who the true master here is in this place. Guard! Take them away! Lock them away from the others!"
Shortly later Susan and Lucy were locked together in room very similar to the one they had been held in before. The chief difference was this room was quite a bit smaller than the last.
"Now what are we going to do Susan?"
"It's alright Lucy. We'll think of something," Susan told her sister.
"Do you think the others will be alright? I couldn't bear it if something happened to them."
"They'll be fine I'm sure. Lady Marion and Lady Saera will look after the others, you'll see."
If you have ever spent a long time in a dark room without any windows you'll know that it's very easy to lose track of time. The same could be said for Susan and Lucy. The Queens didn't say much after that. They were full of concern for their subjects and themselves. Being held captive was a new experience for both of them and they couldn't control the sharp stabs of fear in their hearts. They both soon grew weary again and fell into a deep sleep. This time however they both had a dream they would remember for the rest of their lives.
Lucy woke up in the Great Hall of Cair Paravel. She had been lying on the stairs leading up to the Four Thrones. Next to her Susan was similarly rising from her position. Their clothes were the same torn travel worn dresses they had been wearing since their capture. They were just about to speak to each other on this new development when a new voice was heard.
"Peace my children. You have done remarkably well."
Susan and Lucy turned to the sound of the voice and the sight of Aslan walking up the Hall to meet them greeted their eyes.
"Aslan!" they both cried out as they rushed to embrace the Lion. They reached Him quickly and threw their arms around His wonderful golden mane. Finally they let go and took a few steps back to face Him.
"Aslan?" Lucy asked. "Have you brought us back to Narnia?"
"No child," He answered. "You are still locked in your cell. This is a dream."
"Are you upset with us?" Lucy asked. "Is that why we were taken from Narnia? We've tried to behave as Queens should."
Aslan's smile told Lucy her fears were groundless. "No dear one. You have both more than proved yourselves worthy of your thrones even though you are far from them. Sadly some choose not to honor revinim as you or I would."
Lucy was still puzzled. "Then why are we here in this dream?"
"I have however called you both into this dream for a very special reason."
"What reason is that?" asked Susan.
"To name you anew, that you might find the strength to endure these trials," He told them. "Gentle and Valiant, Jewel and Song you have been named. I name you again and ask you to keep these names to yourself." Aslan then turned His gaze on Susan.
"Susan, the Gentle Queen. Your kindness and strength is often unseen by those around you, yet it often proves to be the very bedrock of all you see. The firm foundation on which your realm is built. I name you Verden.
"Lucy, the Valiant Queen. Playful and loving, yet filled with strength and power. Able to breathe fun and song into your friends or blow power and fortitude into them like a storm. I name you Luft."
While Susan and Lucy had no idea what their new titles meant they did feel the power of Aslan's words. A new resolve was kindled in their spirits. They knew that they could find the strength to face whatever trials would come their way.
"And now I fear it is time to part once more," Aslan told them.
"Couldn't we stay with You just a bit longer?" Lucy asked as she looked up at Him.
"We would be glad of the company for awhile," Susan said.
Aslan smiled at them. "Lay back down on the stairs. I shall not leave until you both fall asleep again."
The girls did as they were bidden. As Aslan lay down between them they snuggled up as close to Him as they could. They tried to stay aware of Aslan as long as they could. They both wanted to remain next to Aslan for a long as possible. Eventually they both drifted off back to sleep. This time their hearts were considerable less troubled.
A/N; As always I eagerly look forward to any comments you care to leave.
