Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ava, Melody, and the Guardians.
Songs for this chapter: The Venom by Carter Burwell, Hearts Failing by Carter Burwell, Bella Reborn by Carter Burwell
Chapter 7: Death and Rebirth
When Sinaaq began to wake up, he was vaguely aware that he was being watched. As his memory returned to him, he realized he had no weapons on him, hopefully he wouldn't need them. He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted by the face of none other than Lady Ava, who was wide-eyed and rosy-cheeked, looking down at him. Her expression was hard to read and this worried him even more.
"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake," she said, her voice revealing nothing. Sinaaq stared at her in disbelief.
"Are you well?" he asked, sitting up on the bed. He noticed that the advisor was still in her chemise and there was a bandage on her left arm where the fleam had been inserted. She allowed herself a small smile.
"Yes, quite. The blood you gave me has helped tremendously," she replied.
Sinaaq gave her an amazed look. In truth, he had not believed that the procedure would work. There was an awkward silence for a few moments as he looked her over discreetly, finding no signs that she was ever on death's door.
Ava shifted her weight from one foot to the other absently as she turned her gaze to a particularly elaborate tapestry over the prisoner's bed. She had not thought of what she would say when he awoke. She was most certainly grateful to him, but her reservations about him kept her from saying as much.
At last, Sinaaq broke the uncomfortable silence.
"I apologize for my behavior when last we met, milady. It was uncalled for," he said. The woman looked rather surprised by his sudden change of behavior and just a tiny bit suspicious, as anyone would be, of his motives.
"I suppose a thank you is in order on my part. You did, after all, save my life, though I have yet to figure out why," she replied. She paused and locked eyes with him. "But I will."
Sinaaq was quiet. He honestly did not want to say anything that might incur her wrath again.
"The king told me everything that transpired while I was…indisposed," Ava said after a moment. "Why did you not tell me your story when I came to your cell?"
"I am not a very open person. I do not trust most people," Sinaaq replied. Ava nodded in understanding.
"I see. Not a particularly good excuse for withholding important information, however," she said. Sinaaq looked up her, his blue eyes locking with her grey ones.
"Would it have made a difference?" he asked earnestly.
"Well, you will have to make peace with the wolves; that, I cannot help you with. However, it would have saved you from a knee to certain…ahem…areas," the lady answered with a small smirk.
"That is true," Sinaaq agreed, smirking back at her. "You know, you could always make it up to me," he added, his smirk growing. Ava raised an eyebrow at him, looking none-to-pleased.
"Oh really? And how would I do that?" she asked. No need to ask why she should; he did save her life. Sinaaq tilted his head to his right and pointed to his cheek.
"Don't you think you've had enough kisses?" Ava asked flatly.
"I could never get enough kisses from a pretty woman. And I want one that you've given me willingly," Sinaaq replied, smirking. Ava rolled her eyes and snorted.
"That is not likely to happen. Ever," she said. Sinaaq shrugged.
"I had to try," he responded.
All was silent again as the lady turned her attention to the window of the infirmary. The day was sunny and bright for a change and it made her long to walk in the gardens. She spared a glance at Sinaaq, an idea forming in her mind.
"You need returned to your cell until your trial," she said, pausing long enough to see his reaction. When he sighed in resignation and began trying to stand, she spoke again. "However, since I owe you one for saving me, why don't we take a walk in the gardens first? I assume you would like some fresh air, since it may be the last time you have any."
"Is that wise, milady? What if I try to take advantage of you or escape?" Sinaaq asked, one silvery eyebrow raised skeptically. Ava smiled at him, a smile that did not hold true sweetness.
"I think you already know I can handle myself," she said pointedly.
"That was when I was held back by shackles," Sinaaq pointed out. Ava nodded.
"That is true," she admitted. She paused and leaned close enough to him to kiss him if she chose and looked him dead in the eyes. "But if you try anything, I will not hesitate to kill you, and I will not fail."
Sinaaq, who always made it a priority to be at places on time, had arrived at the entrance of the gardens early and was waiting patiently for Ava to arrive. She had left him with a single guard—he wasn't sure if she was underestimating him or insulting him—and had instructed him to be taken to the gardens ahead of her so that she may change into more appropriate attire.
He sighed, his patience slowly waning; apparently, her ladyship was not quite as obsessive about being on time as most nobles. A large clock that was built into one tower of the palace told him she was five minutes late. He cracked his knuckles and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the stable wall. Although the sun was out, it was cold enough for a few remaining snow drifts to survive and he shivered. He was used to the cold, but he did not have his fur cloak at the moment to keep him warm.
At last, his senses were alerted by the sound of slow, tentative footsteps coming from the other side of the garden gates. Sinaaq guessed the size and weight of the person and figured it was Ava. If she was trying to sneak up on him, she wasn't very good at it. A twig snapped, followed by a few curses.
"Damn it!" the lady hissed quietly; she knew there was no way to sneak up on him now. Sinaaq smirked and turned his head in her direction just in time to see her appear around the corner.
Apparently, she had known it was going to be cold, as she was wearing many layers, which must have been why she was late. The outermost layer being a sleeveless, navy blue, knee-length ranging coat, the second being a dark purple tunic, which was slightly longer than the ranging coat, and had flowing, elbow length sleeves. The first layer, for the utmost warmth, was something long-sleeved and beige with matching beige tights. A beige sash was wrapped around her middle, making her curves noticeable, and her hair was twisted into a bun. Much to Sinaaq's dismay, there were black riding boots on her feet, which could only mean one thing.
"So, have you ever ridden a horse before?" Ava asked.
"Unfortunately yes," Sinaaq replied. The advisor smirked at his less-than-thrilled demeanor.
"Unfortunately? You're kidding! Horseback riding is one of the best things I can think of to pass the time," she said, pulling a pair of black, hide gloves out of her pocket and sliding them on.
"Not when the horse seems perfectly fine, then runs off with you the second you get on its back," Sinaaq replied, grimacing at the memory. Ava bit her lip and tried not to laugh at the image that appeared in her mind as she raised her hand to beckon to someone just out of sight.
On cue, a stable hand appeared leading two horses; one was black as night and decked out in the finest riding gear, with a monogrammed, lavender blanket under its saddle, the other horse was a deep brown and had gear that was almost as nice, with a blanket in Narnian red and gold under the saddle. Behind them were two guards, centaurs, armed with swords and bows. Ava turned back to him, looking both amused by his reaction and confident.
"The gardens of Cair Paravel are quite large, so I like to ride my horse through them. I brought you a horse as well," she said, gesturing to the brown horse.
"You're not worried I'll ride off into the sunset?" Sinaaq asked with an eyebrow raise. Ava smirked and pointed to the centaurs.
"That's what they are for," she said simply. "Now, will you follow me or no?" she asked him.
Sinaaq was beginning to think going immediately back to his cell wouldn't be so bad, but he did not want to forfeit what could very well be his last time outside, so begrudgingly, he approached the brown horse and took the reins from the stable hand. With his back turned toward Ava, he was unable to see her triumphant smile, but he swore he could feel it.
"Oh good," the lady said, approaching her own horse and mounting it with the elegance of someone who had been riding horses for years.
Sinaaq sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He had only been on a horse once, when he was a boy.
"Alright. Show me what I have to do," he grumbled. Ava smiled.
"Well, you need to mount first," she said. Sinaaq blinked and shook his head, attempting to clear away a few choice thoughts.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked. The lady stared at him and pointed to the saddle.
"The horse. You need to mount the horse," she said slowly.
"Oh! Yes, of course," Sinaaq replied.
"Just put one foot in the stirrup in front of you and swing your other leg over. With your height, it should be easy," Ava said.
Sinaaq took a deep breath and mimicked what he had watched her do only a moment before. Thankfully, he was successful and soon he was atop the large animal, his heart racing every time he felt its back sway. If Ava noticed his discomfort, she said nothing.
"Right then, now let us walk," she said. She dug her heels gently into the sides of her horse and it obeyed by starting a slow walk.
Sinaaq follow suit and was pleasantly surprised that his horse was equally obedient. As they rode, a gentle breeze blew and tousled Ava's hair, sending the scent of lavender in his direction. Though he tried to ignore it, for propriety's sake, he could not deny that it was a lovely, calming fragrance.
"Tell me, milady, are you quite used to getting everything you want?" he asked. She turned to look at him over her shoulder.
"This may come as a shock to you, but nobles do not always get what they want," she answered curtly.
"Fair enough," Sinaaq responded. Ava turned away from him and focused her attention on the beauty of the gardens.
They rode at a walk for quite a while in silence. Sinaaq loosened up and began to enjoy the ride a little, when it dawned on him that he had no idea where the advisor was taking him.
"Pray tell, where are we going? With Amarok lurking around Narnia, surely you're not thinking of going too far?" Sinaaq asked. Ava smirked, amused by his nervousness.
"Relax, we will be staying within the palace walls," she answered. She turned to look at him and appeared amused by something he was doing.
"You know, if you keep gripping the reins so tightly, you may send him off at a canter," the lady said, only half jesting. Sinaaq realized that his knuckles were white and felt embarrassed.
"My apologies," he said.
"Don't apologize to me, I think it'd be quite fun seeing how you handle yourself at that speed. The one you should apologize to Nick," Ava replied, gesturing to the horse he was riding.
"Oh…um…my apologies," Sinaaq mumbled awkwardly.
"Tis quite alright. Most people respond that way their first time," his horse said.
Sinaaq tried, and failed, to hide his surprise. He knew there were talking animals, but he had not expected one to allow itself to be ridden. Perhaps it volunteered? He thought.
They rode through the gardens in silence for quite some time, occasionally stopping so Ava could pick some of the flowers that bloomed late into the year. It was pleasant, but it also made Sinaaq antsy; he was not used to such things and he wondered when he would be taken back to his cell to await his fate.
"What are we doing here?" he asked at last. Ava shrugged.
"Relaxing. Enjoying nature whilst nature is being enjoyable," she answered as she picked more flowers from a trellis.
"Ah, I see," Sinaaq said, sliding off of his horse and moving to stand next to her. The centaurs tensed at his actions, but made no move to apprehend him. Yet.
They stood in silence for the longest time. It seemed like the most boring thing in the world to do, but it was really rather enjoyable, to Sinaaq's surprise.
"So," Ava finally said, breaking the silence, "do you have a family, Sinaaq?" The question caught him off guard, but he recovered, pursing his lips.
"No, not anymore. I was what you might think of as an outcast among my people. Marrying and settling down would have been out of the question for me. It doesn't really matter now anyway; Amarok killed everyone I knew. I've never had time for things like friends or courting women; my time has been spent hunting," Sinaaq replied, staring out at the sea. Ava frowned.
"For someone who has never courted anyone, you are quite a flirt," she pointed out. Sinaaq smirked.
"Oh, I've had my fair share of women. I've just never courted any of them," he replied. The advisor looked down at her hands, her cheeks a bit pink.
"I see. So you're a womanizer then?" she said. It wasn't a question.
"Of sorts, yes. My experiences are limited to courtesans," Sinaaq answered honestly. These sorts of things did not seem shameful to him. Ava's cheeks grew redder.
"Oh…" she trailed off. Sinaaq looked at her.
"And what of you? Is there a family in your life?" he asked. The lady snorted.
"I do not have any that I am aware of. Caspian found me in Lantern Waste about a year ago. I had no memory of anything but my name. I still don't. He took me in and before I knew it, he made me his advisor. I didn't argue much. It gave me the power to make a difference here in Narnia. Still, it's not something I planned on," she explained. Sinaaq listened intently.
"So what? No suitors pining for your hand? No children?" he asked, his voice somewhat jesting. Ava snorted again. Most people would have found it unladylike, but Sinaaq was amused by it.
"Caspian proposed once, but I declined. He will only ever be a friend to me. Other than him, no one has asked and I am fine with that," she replied.
"Why?" Sinaaq pressed. The lady sighed.
"Because all the men I meet are the same. Caspian is the only male I know who doesn't think me to be a helpless damsel who needs saving," she paused, "Perhaps I have said too much," she finished, a twinge of sadness in her voice, followed by a small cough. Sinaaq's brow furrowed.
"So you do not wish to find a worthy husband?" he asked. He knew he was pressing his luck, but he was quite curious and decided to keep asking until she made him stop.
"I do not wish," Ava began to cough again, this time more violently, "to speak of it, Sinaaq." Sinaaq nodded, then took note that her coughing, which had just started, was growing steadily worse.
"Maybe we should go back," he said. The lady waved her hand dismissively as she coughed.
"No, I am alright. It is just a tickle in my throat," she said unconvincingly. She cleared her throat, leaning her head forward and thumping her chest a couple of times.
"Alright then," Sinaaq relented, though he kept a closer watch on her.
For a moment, they were both silent.
"So…have you searched for your origins at all?" Sinaaq asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Ava peeked up at him.
"It's a bit of a long, dull story, I'm afraid," she replied. Sinaaq shrugged.
"I don't know about you, milady, but I have plenty of time. All the time in the world, in fact," he said. Ava looked at him, her brow furrowing.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"See, that's the thing, Amarok cannot be free of his fleshy prison until I die by his doing, because he failed to kill me all those years ago and I cannot die until I kill Amarok," Sinaaq explained.
Ava's eyes rolled up toward the sky as she tried to mull this new information out in her head. She looked back at him as he continued.
"I can be killed, yes, but I cannot die any other way. Every day since I turned eighteen, my aging has slowed to a crawl, then finally stopped altogether. I cannot fall ill or die of any natural cause. That is why Amarok has taken to hunting me down; waiting around for me to die will get him nowhere. If, by some chance, I die by someone else's hands, then he is trapped in his wolfish prison forever," Sinaaq explained. Ava nodded in understanding.
"So just how old are you?" she asked, her curiosity burning. The prisoner smirked.
"Old enough to know better, too young to care," he replied. The lady snorted, rolling her eyes a bit.
The two were silent for what seemed like forever, having taken a seat on a marble bench. Sinaaq looked up at the sky and noticed that it was a strange, foreboding color; the way a sky usually is before a hurricane or a tornado. Ava seemed to notice it as well, but had not suggested they go in yet.
"This is some weather we're having," Sinaaq said, breaking the silence.
"Apparently, this is what happens when our world goes too long without its Guardians," Ava replied absently. Sinaaq turned her, a quizzical expression on his face.
"What are guardians?" he asked, eager for something interesting to talk about.
"Ah yes, the Guardians of Narnia. Well, you see…"
The advisor launched into the history of the Guardians—what she knew of it—while Sinaaq listened intently. He took note of every expression and every wave of her hands as she spoke. It took about an hour, but at last, the entire story of the Guardians, that Ava knew, was told.
"So you see my predicament?" she asked as she finished, coughing a little. Sinaaq exhaled loudly.
"Yes. It is quite the predicament. So why are we here, loafing about with the flowers, while the world is burning?" he asked.
Ava looked down, chewing on her bottom lip. Sinaaq noted that her bottom lip was much pinker in color than her top lip and guessed that it came from years of chewing on it.
"I don't know. I usually come here to think. Caspian says we should go about our lives while we try to figure things out," she answered.
"I agree, best not panic in a crisis," Sinaaq said.
"I know, but it's quite difficult. I have no idea how much," she started to cough again, "time Narnia has left. And Caspian wants to continue with Narnia's annual Samonios masquerade ball," another cough interrupted her speaking.
Sinaaq sat up and stared at her intently. The advisor hacked and coughed for several moments before taking a deep, shaking breath. She cradled her head in her hands.
"I don't feel so well," she said with a groan.
Sinaaq's brow furrowed. She had been perfectly fine earlier. A small voice in the back of his mind remembered the physician's warning about the blood transfusion.
"Here, let us get back to the palace," he said as he stood up and offered her his hand, helping her to stand.
As he touched her, he noticed how warm she felt. He put his hand on the back of her neck and immediately took it away as though he had been burned. She definitely had a fever, which explained why her body was trembling so badly. How had he not noticed these things earlier? Had they just started? Ava leaned her head against a trellis, ignoring the flowers, and wrapped her arms around herself. The centaurs watching them began to shift, prepared to come to her aid if need be.
"I feel awful," she mumbled incoherently.
"Okay, milady, I want you to tell me exactly how you feel," Sinaaq commanded, pulling her around so he could see her face. He put his hand on her neck, trying to check her pulse. When he found it, he was shocked to find that it was abnormally accelerated. Had it been like that all day? That would explain why her cheeks had been so flushed. He knew that he would never have been able to touch her this way had she been well.
"I feel sick to my stomach. My chest hurts and my heart is racing. My lower back hurts. And my arm is burning," Ava answered, her voice sounding much like that of a small child's.
"Which arm is burning?" Sinaaq asked, fear leaking into his tone.
"This one," the lady answered, holding up the arm that had been used to transfer blood into her body.
Sinaaq felt the blood drain from his face. He noticed that he could hear wheezing as she breathed. He cradled her chin in his hands and titled her head up so he could see her face. What he saw nearly made his heart stop. Blood had begun to trickle out of her nose at a rapid pace, but she did not seem to be aware of it. Ava opened her eyes groggily and saw his expression, but she took no notice of the blood that flowed down her lips.
"We should go back…" Ava trailed off as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body went limp.
Sinaaq had carried Ava to the palace as fast as his legs could carry, holding onto her limp body for dear life. Even though the centaurs insisted they could handle it, he had refused to let her go.
He had spared no time putting the horses back in the stables; instead handing them off to a groom and carrying her into the palace, trying not to jostle her too much as he ran. He skipped going to Caspian, not wanting to waste a moment, and took her straight to the infirmary. He looked around, but there was no one there. He laid her out on a bed and began removing her clothing until she was in her beige undershirt and riding pants. He tried to remain calm, but the truth was he had absolutely no idea what to do in this sort of situation.
Sinaaq grabbed a rag and began to clean away the blood, but it was of no use; the blood just kept coming and coming. He held the rag under her nose until it was soaked through with her blood, but he was too afraid to move to retrieve a new one. He desperately wished he knew where the doctor was. When her sinuses had filled completely, blood began to leak from her eyes like tears.
"Somebody help!" he cried at the top of his lungs, hoping beyond hope that someone would hear him. He tried to shake her awake.
"Ava, wake up," he whispered.
After moments of trying and failing to rouse her from her unconsciousness, he noticed that the bleeding had stopped. Maybe she was going to be alright? He placed his head to her torso in the center of her chest, near her ribcage. He listened…and listened…and listened. Nothing. Her heart had stopped. Sinaaq looked at her face and felt his breath leave him. Death was never an easy thing to witness, no matter how much one saw of it, but he was surprised by how much hers seemed to bother him.
Sinaaq became aware of running footsteps and sat up, looking towards the doorway. Caspian and the doctor appeared, shock registering on their faces as soon as they took in the scene.
"Oh Aslan. Is she…?" the king couldn't say the words.
"Dead," Sinaaq finished quietly.
Caspian made his way to the bed and sat down beside Ava's body. Once the reality of it all sank in, the king sobbed, bringing one of her hands to his lips and kissing it softly.
Sinaaq made a hasty exit from the room. He had no idea where he was going, but he wanted to be alone.
Ava felt warm and safe, wherever she was. She looked around, but she saw nothing but darkness. She was not even sure if she had a body anymore.
"Am I dead?" she wondered aloud. A warm chuckle sounded around her.
"Yes, young one. You are dead," Aslan said. Ava couldn't see him. In fact, she couldn't see anything but bright light, but she knew it was him.
"Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," she repeated. Though she was surprisingly calm, she couldn't stop thinking about Caspian, Trufflehunter, and Reepicheep, all left behind.
"Do not fret, dear one, for it is not your time," the Great Lion said as a light appeared. Ava tried to focus on the light, but it was much too bright to do so.
"What do you mean, Aslan?" she asked quizzically. The lion chuckled.
Suddenly, she felt a warm breeze, as if Aslan's face was right in front of her, blowing his warm breath on her face.
"Awaken now, Shepherd, Narnia is in great peril and it will need you. This is just the calm before the storm," Aslan said.
The light dimmed until it was completely gone.
All of a sudden, Ava regained feeling in her body, bit by bit. She had expected to feel like she'd been run over by a dozen horses, but instead, she felt better than she ever had before in her life—that she could remember anyway. Her body seemed to be tingling with a raw power she had never felt before. Her chest started to rise and fall with her breathing again.
Ava Rydia opened her eyes.