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 Six: First Questions, then Plots

13 Yule 1006

Oreius scowled at the cloudy sky on the other side of the window. Snow was threatening, more correctly it was threatening to turn into a blizzard and they still weren't quite finished wrapping up negotiations when they should have already been on their way back to Narnia and Cair Paravel. "You know scowling at the weather is not going to allow us to leave Anvard any sooner, do you not?"

He gave Ardon a slightly annoyed look, "You know you are reminding me why I wasn't at all disheartened to lose you as a housemate when you married Alithia, do you not?"

Ardon chuckled, "At least Alithia likes me. Now, what has put a stone in your hoof?" His friend paused then teased, "Or should I ask who has put a stone in your hoof?" Oreius looked past him to where Peridan was sitting, unwilling to admit to anyone not even his best friend that Peridan's question had been haunting him since he first asked it. "For can you honestly say that your Katerina Alambiel is just a friend?"

Oreius just shook his head, "It is nothing that needs your concerned attention, Ardon."

Ardon snorted but then the doors slammed open, causing all three of them to spin to face the doors as their hands went to their swords. For once, that seemed to give the young intruder pause as the warriors relaxed and re-sheathed their partially bared blades when they realized it was Prince Corin. Oreius almost sighed when to Ardon's vast amusement the young pest of a prince immediately hurried over to stand in front of him...not again. At least, the colt hadn't wrapped himself around his leg again. Instead, he began bouncing from foot to foot, "General Oreius! General Oreius! I gots another question!" That didn't surprise him. It seemed every time Prince Corin escaped his minders, he had another set of questions for him. He raised an eyebrow at the colt who was now simply hopping up and down in front of him. Prince Corin gave him a wide grin, once again showing off his three missing teeth. "My tutor says you watch stars. Why do you watch them? My tutor says you know what the stars talks about all the time. How do you know what they say? Do they talk lots and lots? Do they says what Thane and Shane are doing? Can you always and always talk to the stars?"

Oreius wasn't even given the chance to answer as Prince Corin suddenly darted to the settee next to him, scrambled up, and began bouncing on it as he continued rattling off questions. "Why is the Captain bigger than you? How much do you eat? Is it lots and lots? Do you box? Can you teach me to fight with a sword, oh and box? Do you know what Queen Susan sended for Christmas? She always sended something, but sometimes it's boring old clothes. King Edmund says Bears box in Narnia. Do you box with Bears? Do you win? You should win! You're the biggest one here 'cept for Captain Ardon. Do you fight the Fell lots and lots? Can I go with you when you go back to Narnia? I want to box the Fell! And, if I gots a sword for Christmas, you can teach me how to use it! Can you take me with you when you leave? Please! Please! Can I go? Can I? Can I go and box the Fell for you? That would help me be the bestest boxer in the world! I'm gonna be the bestest boxer ever, did you know? Bestest! Even better than Robinson Strongarm! He was the greatestest boxer in the North! Father told me about him! Do you know about him? Do you? He boxed everyone! He boxed a River God and won! And he knocked over an evil Giant! He was the greatestest, but I'm going to be the bestest! And he- Whoa!"

Oreius just managed to get his arms out in time to catch Prince Corin as he finally bounced his way right off the settee. Deciding it would be easier on everyone if Prince Corin's feet remained off the ground, Oreius quickly shifted the foal so it was easier to hold him. The young colt blinked at him and Oreius took advantage of brief moment of silence to answer at least one or two of his questions. "No, I do not know what Queen Susan sent you for Christmas. You'll find out when you open the presents. You cannot fight the Fell yet, you are still just a foal and therefore too young."

Prince Corin scowled at him, "I am almost as old as...as King Edmund when he first gotta fight the Fell."

Oreius raised an eyebrow at the precocious foal, "You are six. King Edmund was almost ten."

The foal frowned, "That's almost close." Oreius didn't say anything in reply as the foal suddenly grinned, "If I don't gets to fight the Fell, can you take me with you when you go back to Narnia? Can I? Please!"

Oreius shook his head, "No we cannot take you with us when we return to Narnia."

Prince Corin tilted his head sideways, both puzzled and disappointed, before he asked, "Why not? I want to go."

Oreius hesitated then he remembered how he had watched Katerina Alambiel gently turn down the request made by Paavo's niece years earlier when the little filly had wanted to come with them instead of staying home. He shifted the foal slightly, "Well, what about your father? You're each other's family and families are meant to be together for Christmas, correct?" Prince Corin nodded and Oreius continued, "Well, if you were to come with us back to Narnia, you would miss spending Christmas with your father. I think that would make him lonely and very sad. You don't want to make him sad, do you?"

Prince Corin shook his head vigorously, "No! No I don't wanna do that! I'll stay here with Father and make sure that he's not lonely or sad! I promise!" Oreius nodded solemnly and then the foal gave him a hopeful look, "But maybe I can come when it's not Christmas almost?"

"When the Four and your father agree you are ready, Prince Corin, I've no doubt that you shall come to Narnia." He silently made a mental note to make sure he wrested a promise out of Katerina Alambiel that she would help corral the young Prince instead of encouraging him...and Peridan's twin sons...to whatever mischief they might find.

Prince Corin barely had time to give a loud cheer before King Lune entered the room, "Corin lad! What are you doing in here when you should be abed? Causing more mischief, my lad? Sirs, I apologize on my son's behalf...again. General Oreius, if you might hand over the young scalawag, I shall take care of him personally." Prince Corin laughed as Oreius handed him to his father and King Lune swung him over his broad shoulder, "Come along, lad, it is high time you get off to bed. I'll tell you the story of how Robinson Strongarm knocked down a fearsome Giant so hard that the Giant created a lake and then you shall go right to sleep, my lad, right to sleep."

Oreius shook his head in slight amusement as he watched King Lune carry his giggling son out of the room. Ardon chuckled then he looked at Oreius, "You know, my friend, it certainly didn't escape anyone's attention that you avoided telling us what, or rather, who has put a stone in your hoof. So, are you going to tell us?"

He rolled his eyes. Honestly, there were times when Ardon could be just as nosy as Alithia. "Good night, Ardon, Peridan." Making the short walk back to his assigned quarters even shorter by taking longer strides than usual, Oreius was grateful to shut the door behind him. Since Anvard lacked any furniture truly designed with Centaurs in mind, the solution had been to dismantle the bed frame and shove two large mattresses together in order to create a bed large enough for a Centaur to sleep in comfortably. Not the best bed Oreius had ever slept in, but certainly not the worst either. Of course, the unprepared state of Anvard for the presence of the larger Narnians was one of the reasons the bull Elks had opted to stay in the stables with Philip for company, while Ihbari was sharing a room with Peridan of all people. With no reason for heightened alertness and his swords propped within easy reach, Oreius should have been able to sleep, but instead he once again found himself unable to rest peacefully rather than thinking about Katerina Alambiel and the conversation with Peridan. He sighed as he tucked his left arm behind his head. The line of questioning Peridan had opened was not one he wanted to explore...at least not while in Archenland...he didn't have time to explore it, but now that it had been mentioned, it refused to leave him alone. "For can you honestly say that your Katerina Alambiel is just a friend?"

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14 Yule 1006

Beira held up a single talon, for once clean of blood, as she repeated herself. "One week, Brutus, only one. Make sure you and your pack bring the sacrifice to the appointed place in one week and they had best be alive and preferably whole. Blood magic demands a high price and the more blood given, the less the price it will try to extract from us."

Brutus snarled at the Hag Matriarch, "I know. We will take the chosen sacrifice alive and whole. I will make sure of it."

Beira sneered at him, "Only if you can control your beta. Don't forget the bargain struck, Werewolf." Brutus growled at her once again reminding him of what he had been forced to pledge to strike the bargain necessary to bring Her back, but Beira was unfazed by his show of temper. "Remember, Werewolf, not even he would be able to help you in this plot because he doesn't practice blood magic. You need me. You need Beira, Matriarch of all Hags, if you want to bring our Mistress back this Winter Solstice...forget that and it will cost your plan and your mangy hide."

Brutus growled but when Beira raised her staff in warning, he knew he could press the Hag no further. With another, louder snarl, he stalked out the deep chamber and up to where the entrance to the Hag's cave, the nest for her coven, emerged behind the small frozen waterfall. He stopped before leaping to the large rock where his beta waited. Frome raised his head, testing the air before he asked, "Now, do we attack?"

Brutus nodded, "Yes." Frome started to turn but then Brutus tackled him, wrapping his hand around his throat, and baring his teeth scant inches from the grey Werewolf's face and throat. "Do not disobey my orders this time, Frome. We will steal the royal who shall be the sacrifice but we will not cause them to lose blood if we can keep from it. We need their blood, fresh, unwounded, do you understand?"

Frome gave a slight nod and Brutus held him down for several more moments before he allowed his beta to get back up. Frome glared at Brutus, "I still want my chance at that Centaur and his mate."

Brutus snarled in a gruesomely mocking version of a smile, "You shall receive your chance, Frome. However, take care not let an obsession lead you astray from your assignments." He listened in dark amusement as Frome began detailing how he would exact his revenge in precise detail. The Centaur, his mate (whoever she was), and the Four would soon be dead...just one more week until the Winter Solstice. Just one more week and it would all pay off.

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A/N: Please Read and Review! The bad guys are about to strike. Expect to be launched into more action in the next chapter or so. Also, the name of Corin's boxing idol is a nod to the greatest and third greatest boxers of all time (if you're not actually familiar with boxing, just google 50 Greatest Boxers of All Time list). Any guesses as to who they are (without peeking first)? Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.