Chapter 1 Discovery at Glasswater

"If you couldn't keep up Lu, why did you want to come?" Edmund teased.

It was the third time he had to stop his horse to wait for his young sister Lucy to catch up. He knew it wasn't going to be the best idea to take Lucy with him. Peter insisted though, as did Susan. They were both very busy with all of those duties that befell Kings and Queens. Edmund was happy that he was not needed today, it was a chance to get out and away from the castle. Not that Cair Paravel felt like a prison, no it was a very welcome and inviting place.

Edmund loved the chances to get out and away from duty. Seven years had passed since Edmund and his siblings were crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia. It didn't seem like such an amount of time. If someone had asked Edmund how it had been he would have guessed a few months.

"I'm coming, stop picking Edmund." retorted Lucy galloping up beside her brother. "Linna got tired and I wanted to give her a break."

"It's my fault your majesty." The young chocolate horse said bowing her head.

Edmund sighed, "It's all right Linna."

"Patience is a virtue Ed, you should study it more often." Lucy said with a slight smirk.

There was no cruelness in her voice it was all play. Edmund rolled his eyes regardless. He was quite aware that patience wasn't something that really guided him. And even jokingly being reminded of it got on hi nerves.

"Where are we?" Lucy didn't recognize the trees that surrounded them. She had yet to ride so far south in Narnia. They had to be close to Archenland by now.

Edmund and Lucy had been riding since early this morning, stopping only to eat during midday. She figured that Edmund would have stopped by the time they reached the Dancing Lawn, or the forest that surrounded it.

"I think we're close to Glasswater Creek." Edmund pointed in front of him through the break in the trees. "Look, you can almost see the tops of the mountains. Just beyond is Archenland."

Lucy squinted hard trying to see what her brother was seeing. Instead she just took his word for it and let her eyes rest. "Why have we come so far south?"

"I don't know. I just felt like going in this direction. Riding just to ride. Hope you don't mind Phillip." Edmund added patting his horse lightly.

"It is good exercise, and I myself have never seen the Archenland mountains. Although I wonder your majesty if we may be able to rest for a few before traveling onward or back." Phillip responded, he sounded tired and shifted his weight here and there.

"Of course." after Edmund dismounted he went over to Lucy and helped her down as well.

"It's hard riding in a dress." Lucy muttered trying to flatten out her skirt. "Don't think I'll ever get used to it."

Edmund laughed and adjusted the sword by his side. Just a precautionary act, he rarely had a use for it since the Battle of Beruna. Now and then the remaining minotaurs and dwarfs would rebel but it was nothing that Peter and Edmund couldn't handle. A year or so ago there was a rebellion on a large scale, not many were lost but there were losses. Edmund's mind began to relapse back to the battle that took place on the beach of Cair Paravel.

"Ed are you listening to me?" Lucy waved her hand in front of her brothers face, "Edmund!"

"I'm sorry what?"

"Ed, is it alright if I go off to explore? I promise I won't go far."

Lucy clasped her hands together in a begging manner. Edmund hesitated for a moment but gave a nod unable—like Peter—to say no to Lucy. She was spoiled in that sense. But hardly ever did she take advantage of such a power. Besides, Edmund knew that Lucy carried her dagger with her wherever she went. She carried it more out of admiration and thanks for Father Christmas. Not once did she have to use the dagger, but the small bottle of fire flower juice came in great handy.

"I suppose, but don't go too far okay? Stay within earshot." Edmund commanded. He was trying to sound like Peter, but the higher authority didn't seem to suit him well enough yet. It made Lucy smile though. She turned her head away though so Edmund didn't see such a cheeky grin.

Lucy lifted the hem of her dress and began her trek through the wood. This was Lucy's favorite part of Narnia, the trees and forests and every dryad and animal. Actually, there wasn't much about Narnia that she disliked. There was always a large smile planted on Lucy's face as she walked through the woods. Even after seven years it was still able to appear brand new to Lucy.

With the beauty that the woods held it was easy for one to get swept away in their wonder. Lucy had traveled out of earshot from her brother despite her promise. Not that she purposely broke it. In truth Lucy didn't realize it until she happened upon the river.

"Edmund's not going to be happy with me." she muttered standing on the shore. "I suppose I should head back before he gets too angry."

Before Lucy retreated something caught her eye off to the right. It was massive and black and laying on the shore of the river. It was a horse. Without second thought she raced toward the poor creature.

"It must have tried to swim the river." Lucy whispered a loud. "Are you all right?"

She bent down hoping it was still alive. The stomach heaved in and out, always a good sign. But the horse did not respond. She fumbled for her bottle, but it was not there. Lucy bit her lip, remembering that she had taken her belt off and attached to the saddle of Linna after the second stop. "Just hold on okay?"

"I am holding on." a weak voice struggled to be heard.

Lucy jumped; the voice hadn't come from the horse but from the other side of it. A young tanned girl with long brown hair lay washed up on the shore. Next to her was a boy; he looked to be Edmund's age. He had dark hair and tanned skin like the girl but unlike the girl he wasn't moving or really breathing for that matter.

"Lucy?"

Edmund's voice was faint but the hoof beats were growing closer. Lucy's head whipped around.

"Edmund I'm here! Hurry come quick!"

The panic and urgency in Lucy's voice didn't help to calm Edmund's nerves. It was bad enough that she had ventured off too far, but now she seemed to be in danger. He picked up speed with Linna trailing behind him. As he exited the wood and came to the river Edmund's fears put at ease seeing that Lucy was not hurt. However there were three who were.

"Lu?" Edmund dismounted and started to make his way over toward his sister.

"Edmund I need the fire flower juice quickly! It's on Linna's saddle." Lucy rolled the boy over onto his back. As she did Lucy noticed the wound to his left arm. It didn't look like some rogue tree branch scrap or rock from the riverbed. That meant that this was no accident they had been attacked by someone, or something. "They were attacked!" Lucy said appalled.

"Attacked? By who?" Edmund darted back giving the bottle to Lucy.

"I don't know Ed, I haven't had a chance to ask them yet." she tipped the bottle slightly letting a drop of the juice drip into the mouth of each of them.

They sat back and watched, the girl was the first to move and open her eyes. Squinting as the sun filled them she tried to adjust her vision to the light. She had been in dark for a while, starring at the back of her eyelids with just the sounds of water lapping a shore, feeling the cold around her.

"What happened?" the girl didn't take immediate notice to Lucy and Edmund. Instead she quickly turned to her companion. He slowly opened his eyes, and had barely begun moving before the girl practically jumped on top of him.

"Brind!" she shrieked flinging her arms around him. "Brind are you all right? I was so scared!"

Brind sat up pushing the girl off of him for a second just so he could properly wrap his arms around her. "Kendra." he sighed hugging the girl.

"Where are you two from?" Lucy asked sweetly, she hated to break up the reunion but she was curious. Not to mention it was sort of rude that the girl, Kendra as the boy, Brind had called her, not to thank them.

Brind turned his head toward the source of the unfamiliar voice and very nearly fell backward into the water. Kendra gasped when she became aware of their company and held onto Brind even tighter as they tried to scramble away, retreating back into the water.

"It's alright, we won't hurt you." Lucy tried to calm them down; it had suddenly become obvious to her that humans had attacked the two. Traveling up from Archenland was Lucy's guess. "I promise. I'm Queen Lucy, and this is Edmund."

"King Edmund." he grumbled shooting a quick look at Lucy.

"You're in Narnia. Do you know that?" Lucy ignored Edmund and continued to speak to Brind and Kendra hoping that they would understand no danger was going to come to them now.

"Narnia?" Kendra whispered. A faint smile crossed her lips as she looked up to Brind. "We made it Brind!"

"Excuse me, but could you tell me who you were attacked by?"

"Lu, let them rest for a moment." Edmund touched her lightly on the shoulder. Lucy glanced at him and nodded almost shameful. Patience was something not only Edmund needed to work on. She sighed embarrassed.

"You are the king and queen of Narnia." Brind exclaimed suddenly. He was up on his knees and bowing low to the ground, Kendra followed suit.

It was enough to make Lucy blush. "Please don't." she said getting to her feet.

Edmund eyed them carefully. "Where are you two from?"

Brind and Kendra stopped their bowing and slowly helped the other to their feet. Kendra stayed close to his side wrapping her arms around his waist.

"We're from Calormen. We hoped to come to Narnia to find sanctuary and even salvation." Brind squeezed Kendra's shoulder lightly.

Edmund glanced at Lucy from the corner of his eye. "Salvation from what?"

"From the empire that now hunts us." he said lowering his eyes.

"Have you done something wrong?" Lucy asked.

These two did not seem like they could hurt a fly. Brind was no older than Edmund, and Kendra had to be about her own age. The thought that these two had killed or murdered someone was unthinkable. Then again, Lucy had to remember not to judge on appearances alone.

Kendra shoved off of Brind a little and her hand enclosed around the locket that hung around her neck. Something that Lucy didn't notice until now. She didn't speak up after the action though. Neither Brind nor Kendra responded to the question. Her action was answer enough. Lucy wondered what the locket meant and its importance?

"Maybe you should come back with us. We can get you out of those wet cloths and give you something to eat. You both look half starved." Lucy offered.

Edmund elbowed her a little, but Lucy just ignored her brother shoving him back keeping a smile on her face.

"Are you sure your majesties?" Brind asked.

"Positive. You and—" Lucy remembered the horse but when she looked over to the place where it had once laid it was no longer there. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the horse standing over by Phillip and Linna. Glad that the horse was in good health she smiled and walked over to it.

"What is your name?" she asked politely. But no response came. "You can tell me, I promise we won't hurt you."

"He cannot speak." Phillip replied sadly.

Lucy blinked dumbfounded. What did Phillip mean of course he could speak. Every horse and animal for that matter in Narnia could talk. At least, as far as Lucy was aware every animal was capable of speech.

"Did that horse just say something?" Kendra's mouth hung open as she moved behind Brind.

"I think it did." Brind responded. He eagerly walked forward dragging Kendra with him. Staggering on his feet, exhausted and still hungry, Brind managed to make it to Lucy's side. "Say something else."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Phillip responded with a side-glance to Linna. She just chuckled.

"You've never heard an animal speak before?" Edmund wandered over.

"Can't say that I have your majesty." Brind smiled, "We don't have too many of them in Calormen, at least none that I have encountered. I've heard of legends that the animals from Narnia could talk. I thought they were just myths though."

"I assure you we are no myth child." Linna spoke nudging the boy lightly on the shoulder. He grinned, but Kendra remained hidden behind him.

"We should be heading back." Lucy said troubled. It still bothered her that the horse of Brind and Linna could not speak.

"What do you call him?" Lucy asked once on Linna's back.

"I don't know." Brind assisted Kendra, "We kind of stole him from the soldiers, he isn't exactly ours."

"Torin." Kendra spoke. All eyes turned to her, she blushed. "I've been referring to him as Torin in my head all this time. I don't know if it's his true name or not, but it is what I have been calling him."

Edmund smiled. "Torin is a fine name."

Kendra grinned. Lucy still eyed Torin with displeasure and sadness. She leaned over and grabbed onto Linna's hair lightly to keep her balance. Edmund took the lead with Phillip and the others followed in quick strides after him.

The journey back to Cair Paravel was a quiet one on Edmund and Lucy's parts. Brind and Kendra however laughed and spoke to each other with heavy enthusiasm. They took time to point out different sights along the way. It made Lucy happy to see them this way. Whatever had happened to them was just a part of the past, at least for now. Lucy faced forward as the castle came into sight. It was good to be home, and she only hoped that Peter and Susan would not be upset at her for bringing home a few unexpected guests.