Trevelyan
Night was settling in and Susan said that it was hopeless to try to go any farther that day.
"I think we should sleep right here," Susan sitting down with her back to the trunk of the oak, "maybe we should sleep in the tree, it would be safer."
She warmed to the idea and Lucy was ordered to sleep in the tree. It was terribly uncomfortable but she was so tired she fell asleep anyway.
Peter refused to sleep in a tree and Edmund refused because Peter refused.
"We should take turns staying awake," Peter, said wearily "the Secret Police might come back."
"We probably should," Shard said, "I will take first watch."
"It ought to be me," Peter argued, "You've been wounded."
"No," Shard said, "I hate to disobey orders, but I feel better than I have for years, I think it was that cordial. You should get your sleep your majesty."
Peter stared at him, "Your majesty?"
"Yes," Shard said calmly.
"He's right," Mr. beaver interrupted, "you will be a king if we ever get out of here alive."
"But I'm not the stuff a king is made out of!" Peter exclaimed.
"Yes you are," Shard corrected him.
~o*o~
Trevelyan fidgeted.
It was the custom in Narnia that every child, pup, kit or other young creature was to be educated at home by the parents of that creature. Of course sometime this was impossible and a tutor was hired and in a few cases they went to elite private school. Because of this custom the standard of learning was much higher for the Narnians.
Treve's parents had come to Archanland when the witch first invaded and they stuck loyally to this tradition when one by one all four of their children had been born.
They had stayed as close to Narnia as possible and they lived at the mouth of the pass from Archanland to Narnia. Treve was the oldest of the family and had rediscovered the pass from Archanland to Narnia, It had been cleared once, a regular road leading to Narnia, but now it was overgrown and Treve had stumbled upon the way once while he was exploring.
But, right now, as he fidgeted in front of the fireplace in the den with his tail curled around his paws. He had to answer geography questions about his native home in Narnia. His mother had made him learn every inch of Narnia by heart even though she knew he had never set foot there. Every Narnian child for that matter, had to learn the map. It was told that someday, with Aslan's help, they would invade Narnia and take it back and it would be ruled over by the four children from a prophesy. That prophesy had been told long ago and the present Prophet, Equus the great centaur, had said that it would be fulfilled soon. Of course nocreature knew when 'soon' was supposed to be.
Treve had always longed to meet Equus and even more, Martin, the general over the army of Narnia. There was an army even though they had been dispossessed.
Treve yawned and pricked his ears towards his mother's voice in an attempt to concentrate as she explained his history lesson. Today it was on King Frank and Queen Helen, the first monarchs of Narnia, the first monarchs of anywhere for that matter. Aslan had brought them in at the dawn of time when he first created the world.
The witch also had come at the dawn of time from a different world, it was said that two children brought her in because they didn't want her in their world.
"You're done," Treve's mother stood up, "you can go and do want you want now, just don't do anything dangerous."
Those were the words Treve had been waiting to hear all afternoon; he was done with schoolwork!
Treve shot out of the den and his mother shook her head and wondered if she should have named him 'arrow'.
Winter days were short and Treve found that the sun was already beginning to go down, it didn't bother him, red foxes were mostly nocturnal. He decided to go have a look at his ice den and see if any snow had fallen in it.
He had built his ice den earlier that winter, it was supposed to be a snow den, but then it rained and it had become an ice den. He had built it in the woods in a clear spot where part of the pass had once been.
The first part of the pass was quite obvious and Treve followed it until he came to a little hole in the snow bank and disappeared down it.
Blue light filtered down on Treve, he loved his den. He had heard that shades of blue that intense were supposed to make you go crazy.
The den gave Treve a quiet place to think. He loved to think, about heroes mostly. Treve had never been a hero and he longed to try his paw at it. Therefore, he sat in his den and thought about heroes and heroic things and hoped some of it would rub off on him. He dreamed of adventures and glorious things he could do, he'd even tried doing some of them. Once he tried to rescue a damsel in distress, but the damsel got sick of waiting and by the time he got there she was gone. He didn't feel heroic.
Treve suddenly felt sleepy and he rested his head on his paws.
Slowly he drifted to sleep. He dreamed he was a great warrior and all the land heard of him and asked him to do great deeds for them.
Suddenly Treve's dreams were rudely interrupted by steady hoof beats. Treve sat up straight and wondered who was in the woods at this time of day. Adventure hung heavy in the air.
Treve clawed his way out of his den and was startled to see three centaurs with hawks coming towards him. Two of them were bundled up for winter, but the third, a red centaur, wore nothing, not even a leather pad, to protect him from the talons of the hawk on his shoulder, like the others wore.
"Hello there," one of the centaurs stopped and looked at him. He had curly black hair, "Do you know an easier way to get though the pass? It's got a lot of ice blocking it up."
Treve was petrified.
Three heroic centaurs were asked him, Trevelyan, a way though the pass?
"Yes sir," he gulped, "a bit sir, a much easier way, sir, this isn't the way actually, it's over there."
"Really now!" the black centaur exclaimed and the other two centaurs caught sight of Treve.
"What?" the red centaur asked.
"This young chap says he knows an easier way through the pass!" the black centaur explained.
"Trust you to ask about an easier way," the red centaur muttered, but still, he looked relieved.
"Can you show us?" the other centaur asked, he was a gray centaur.
"Of course!" Treve said.
"What's your name?" the black centaur asked. "I'm Flavis."
"I'm Jafa," the hawk on his shoulder interrupted.
"Treve…" Treve said, then, "Trevelyan actually."
"Trevelyan," Flavis repeated, "how did you get such a long name? Flash it by Martin, he likes long words."
The red centaur snorted.
"My mother thought it sounded dignified," Treve explained, "she named me after an eagle that saved her life once."
"Really?" Flavis said, "Forgive me for asking young sir, but are you a Narnian?"
"Yes, yes I am!" Treve was eager to say.
"I thought so," Flavis said, "It's the accent."
"What about this easier way though the pass," the gray centaur reminded them.
"Wait a moment Equus," Flavis said, "we don't even know if this young chap's parents want him to gallivant down an icy pass in the middle of the night."
"Sir?" Treve asked.
"Yes?"
"Why are yougoing down the pass?" Treve asked, "Are you going to Narnia?"
The centaurs looked at each other, then back at Treve.
"Yes, we are going to Narnia," Flavis said, "but we won't be going very quickly unless we can ask your parents if they'll let you show us down the pass."
"I'll lead you to them!" Treve cried and streaked back over the snow. He led them as fast as he could to the home den and nearly bowled over his younger sister. The same damsel in distress who had decided to leave while he was rescuing her.
"What happened Trevey?" she asked, then caught sight of the centaurs, "Hello!"
"Coppell!" Treve gasped. "Where are mum and dad?"
"Inside, why?"
But she never got her answer, Treve shot below like an arrow.
Coppell turned to the three lordly centaurs.
"Hello," she said cheerfully, "who are you?"
By the time Flavis finished telling her their names Treve reappeared with his mother and father.
"My dear sirs," Treve's father turned to the centaurs, "Trevelyan has been telling me that you want a guide to show you the way over the pass into Narnia."
"We would be gratified," Martin said rigidly.
"Am I right in believing that I saw the three of you at Cair Anvard?" Treve's father asked.
"Yes, you would have seen us there," Flavis said.
"Then I think we would all be honored if Treve showed you the way to Narnia," Treve's father said.
Treve let out a war whoop.
"Can I go too?" Coppell asked.
"No dear," Treve's mother said, "you won't miss anything, Treve will be back soon."
Treve felt immensely important, he, Trevelyan, was going to show three great lordly centaurs, not mentioning the hawks, over the pass to Narnia. Of course he'd have to come back as soon as he was done showing them. He hated the thought. What an adventure it would be to go into Narnia with three great lordly centaurs! Then he started to wonder just why three great lordly centaurs were going into Narnia in the first place.
Treve started into the woods with the centaurs after him. He chose the easiest way. He went down a slope covered with trees, then, almost without warning, he led them into a canyon, this was the first part of the pass.
Night was coming on and by the time the ground began to rise again the moon was out. Treve led them into thick woods and through the trees, he knew the way perfectly.
They were very high up now, and the cold was penetrating. Even Treve could feel it though his thick winter coat. The hawks fluffed up their feathers and muttered about the weather. Only Martin seemed to be unaffected.
They now came out onto a ridge, below them Narnia spread out in limitless white, specked with a few trees here and there and dark woods in the distance under the moon.
Treve led the way back into the woods and down a narrow path that only he knew. Finally they came out into Narnia.
"Here we are!" Treve announced, then he noticed the odd looks on the centaurs faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
"Oh, nothing," Flavis smiled, "it's just that this is the first time any of us, except perhaps the hawks, have been in Narnia. It's like treading on sacred ground."
Treve was silent. He had never told his parents that he himself had been in Narnia many times. It was, in their opinion, too dangerous. And they were probably right.
"We have never been in Narnia," Jafa corrected Flavis, "we have only flown over it."
"At least you've breathed Narnian air," Flavis said.
"Which we ought to start doing now," Elah announced, "if we are ever going to find those children."
"Breath air?" Flavis asked inquisitively.
"No," Elah said, fluffing his feathers indignantly, "Fly over Narnia."
"At night?" Ergo squawked. "Not on your life! Wouldn't be able to spot a thing."
Children? Treve's breath starting coming in gasps, "not the children from the prophesy?"
The three centaurs looked at each other.
"Do you promise by your word of honor not to breathe a word of it to anyone?" Flavis asked and for once he didn't sound jolly.
"Yes sir," Treve gasped, "I promise!"
"Well," Equus said gently, "it's high time you headed back to your den, before the night has grown too old."
They watched as Treve vanished into the trees.
"He's a good pup," Flavis remarked.
"He is," Martin said, "he shows great promise."
A/N: I can hardly imagine what joy these Narnians in exile must be feeling. What do you think of them? Martin, Flavis and Equus?
Oh, yes. I was wondering what you think of the summary. Is that why you read the story or did it make you not want to read it?