Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: 21 Yule 1006 will see the first lunar eclipse to occur on the Winter Solstice in four hundred years. Enemies of Narnia rejoice! For the time of the Golden Age will come to an end with the spilling of royal blood and Jadis will be revived!

A/N: If you have not read the first three stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed), I highly recommend you do so. However, if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.

Chapter Five: Worries, Laughter, and...Suitors?

5 Yule 1006

Susan hesitated then quietly knocked on the door. A slightly hoarse call to come in made her wonder if perhaps she should come back later, but then the choice was taken from her as the door was opened by the one person who should not be opening doors at that moment. Susan couldn't keep herself from scolding, "Oh Kat, you're not supposed to be out of bed yet. Tuulea and Alithia both said you have another week of extremely limited activity and mostly staying in bed."

Kat shrugged, "Well, you needed some encouragement to come in, so I'm offering it. Here I'll make it a bribe. You come in and tell me what's on your mind and I'll go sit on the bed again."

Susan opened her mouth to protest, but then she just stepped inside. After five years she knew Kat wouldn't sit until she agreed to tell her what was on her mind. She sighed a little then walked over to the lone chair in the bedroom and pulled it somewhat closer to the bed. Kat waited until she had taken her seat before she finally sat back down on her bed, "What's on your mind, Susan?"

Susan looked up then looked down at her hands, "You'll think I'm just being silly."

Kat suddenly leaned forward and lightly touched her hands, "Susan, tell me what's bothering you." Susan caught a glimpse of Kat's more serious side before the older woman smiled slightly and continued in a cheerful tone. "Because if you don't I shall have to start guessing like maybe there is a Duck with a lisp who is trying to take all the gooseberries hostage and he won't listen to reason or...or a Panda covered in pink and purple polka dots has come to file a complaint against the Chipmunks responsible for such tomfoolery...or-"

Susan held her hands up even as she fought back the urge to laugh as Kat effectively reminded her why she had been such a good friend to Lucy and their brothers in particular. "No more theories, Kat, please! I promise I'll tell you what's bothering me." Kat leaned back up, looking satisfied, before she motioned for Susan to continue. Susan sobered as she remembered what it was that had been troubling her. "Kat, I'm worried about Peter and Edmund. I know that Oreius and Ardon and Peridan and all the other soldiers are with them, but I'm still worried about the attack by the Werewolves. What if the Werewolves were just scouts? Or what if they've climbed into the pass between Archenland and Narnia and are waiting to ambush them when they come back? Maybe I'm over-thinking this, but what if the Werewolves were just testing them when they made that attack? And-"

Kat looked at her and Susan didn't see any mocking or teasing in her eyes. Instead, a simple understanding was present as the older woman nodded, "Yes, all those concerns may be valid. But, Susan, please don't worry overmuch. Both Sherket and Cletus have kept me in the loop and as far as our scouts can tell, the Werewolves have retreated beyond Caldron Pool. However, I shall inform the Kentauri that he needs to guilt your brothers into sitting down and writing you so you can be sure they're at least partially behaving themselves."

Susan smiled at the image Kat conjured of General Oreius guilting Peter and Edmund into writing her letters. In all likelihood, the Centaur would simply tell them she wanted letters and give them that frighteningly stern look she had seen him give them on the few occasions they tried to get out of a training exercise they didn't want to do. She was also relieved that Kat knew more than Captain Cletus had told her when she asked him two days ago. She looked up again when Kat suddenly giggled, "I think I know some news from Anvard that shall cheer you up immensely."

She shook her head slightly, not really knowing what Kat had in mind and silently wondering if she had somehow pulled a prank on Edmund after all. Kat paid no attention to her as she turned to search the table next to the bed, mumbling to herself when she didn't find what she was looking for, and then she abruptly flipped the multitude of pillows from the head of the bed to the foot. Susan's eyes widened when she saw the dagger that would usually be covered by a pillow, but then she acknowledged it was probably only typical for Kat, in particular, and for warriors, in general, to keep some type of weapon handy even when sleeping. She briefly wondered if Peter and Edmund kept daggers under their pillows, but then Kat grabbed a folded sheet...no three sheets of parchment. "Ah, here they are. Let's see, uh behave yourself, don't provoke anyone, blah, blah, blah, I swear the Kentauri occasionally acts like I am actively trying to cause diplomatic incidents." Susan chose to remain silent, partially because she still wasn't sure how much of Kat's antics were an act and partially because she didn't think Kat was completely aware that she was muttering loud enough for Susan to hear her. Kat shifted one of the pages behind the other two and then smiled, "Ah, yes this is one. Remember how Oreius has never actually crossed paths with Lune or the young Prince Corin?" Susan nodded, half-amused and half-afraid of what Kat was about to tell her because she just knew that dear precocious little Corin had somehow made a less than stellar impression on their General. "Well, it seems that little fact has been rectified…spectacularly. Oreius says that Lune was actually more measuring than boisterous in his initial greeting of him, but now that they've been there a bit longer, he's certain it was simply that Lune wasn't sure how to properly greet him. I really do need to see if I can't get Peridan to tell me what in the world the rumormongers in Anvard say about Oreius."

Susan silently mused that the rumors in Anvard was probably similar to some of the gossip her ladies-in-waiting would occasionally report, Oreius was a stern, serious, and stoic Centaur and a terrifyingly fierce warrior. Couple that with Anvard's general unfamiliarity with Centaurs and Susan wouldn't wonder if they made the General seem even more intimidating than he actually was. Of course, there were exceptions to his customary sternness such as when Kat provoked him into chasing her through the Cair until he was able to throw her in the nearest body of water. She also didn't miss the fact that Kat hadn't even mentioned Marsalla, but she was just glad the uneasy truce between Peridan and Marsalla and Kat was still holding up. Kat mumbled under her breath at something before she looked up at Susan and grinned, "Found it. According to Oreius, this is the factual accounting not whatever outrageous tale Ardon relays to Alithia. When Lune left them to find some paperwork, Corin burst into the room asking a hundred questions a minute and then once he realized Oreius and Ardon were in the room..." Kat paused and Susan wasn't sure whether or not she should have stayed home after all. "Corin asked another dozen or so questions of Oreius, specifically, and then he wrapped himself around Oreius' right foreleg and continued asking questions."

Susan clapped her hand over her mouth as amusement warred with shock and then she met Kat's eyes, which were fairly dancing with her own suppressed laughter. They stared at each other for a moment and then a snicker escaped Susan. Kat pressed her lips together as she fought to keep from laughing. They looked away from each other, both struggling to maintain their composure, and then they met each other's gazes again. Susan giggled and then Kat threw her head back and laughed. Susan joined in her laughter. Kat didn't stop laughing until she had dissolved into another coughing fit while still giggling. Susan wiped away the tears from laughing so hard and gave Kat a concerned look, "Are you all right, Kat? Should I get Alithia?"

Kat smiled as she began folding the pages of the letter together again, "Only if you're going to ask her for Ardon's version of the event."

Another giggle slipped past Susan's lips before she could stop it. Kat ceased coughing before she could insist on fetching Alithia in the capacity of healer. Watching as Kat started tossing pillows back to the head of the bed, Susan finally asked, "Kat, why do you have so many pillows?"

Kat smiled, "The little Scátháin apparently went on a pillow hunt because they're under the impression it will help me get better faster. They want me to come and play in the snow with them again."

Susan smiled back at her and the nickname she had given Thane and Shane, Lucy had asked Oreius what it meant and he said the word meant 'Mirrors.' Kat really did have a mothering side. She deserved to have some children of her own...if only she would be willing to consider a suitor. "Excuse me?"

Susan felt her face heat as she realized she must have done the same thing Edmund would occasionally do and had spoken her thoughts without realizing it. Oh she hardly ever did that! She blushed scarlet at the inscrutable look Kat was giving her. "I just meant maybe you should consider letting some of your hopeful suitors actually...have a hope."

Kat gave her that inscrutable look again, but they were interrupted before Kat replied. Thane and Shane ran into the room, "Ala! Ala! Tell us 'nother story!" They scrambled on top of the bed and clasped their hands under their chins as they leaned against Kat's shoulders, "Pleeeeeeeeeeeease!" Susan stood and slipped out the door just as Kat nodded and the twins cheered. But, now she couldn't quite put aside the idea of matching Kat with a suitor who would have a better chance of actually earning her attention...her positive attention.

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A/N: Please Read and Review! So, Susan and Kat were feeling a little neglected and wanted the whole chapter to themselves. Next chapter back to Anvard and more Corin and Oreius interaction! Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this chapter.