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 Ten: Healing Sought

Susan shook her head at Lucy, "No we can't all continue on. I have to get back and make sure at least one of us is at the Cair during the rest of the preparations for all the festivities planned for Christmas week."

Kat gave her an amused look, "Susan, your army of decorating minions will be fine for another day."

Susan struggled to keep herself from giggling at Kat's comments, but still she couldn't stay much longer. She nodded more to herself than anyone else as she decided she could accompany Lucy and Kat to the smallest settlement near Glasswater but only long enough to finish delivering their gifts...and to make sure there weren't any weavers about to take their revenge on Kat for the incident with the Ogres running through and demolishing the guild house. Of course, she couldn't allow Kat to get away with referring to her amazingly helpful and skilled ladies-in-waiting and other volunteers as her decorating minions. She opened her mouth to tell Kat just that, but then they heard a Gryphon giving voice to the distinctive cry of its kind.

Every eye turned to the sky. Susan felt a frisson of fear when she heard Caia mutter to Kat, "It is Tila." Tila had been with her brothers' party. Why was she here instead of at Archenland? They hadn't planned to leave Anvard for another day, according to their last letter. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly on her horse's reins. Thank Aslan, she was wearing gloves otherwise she was certain her white knuckles would have been obvious to everyone.

The Gryphon shrieked as she circled above them before finally landing just in front of where Kat sat on her horse with Caia and Alaois on either side of her. Susan exchanged a look with Lucy and then they both urged their horses forward to hear what the Gryphon had to say. Tila sounded breathless, but since all Gryphons sounded that way when they weren't in flight it wasn't a reliable indicator of how far she had flown. "Dame Sepphora, my Queens, the border outpost has been attacked by Fell! Werewolves apparently surprised the garrison there even though the General had left a number of soldiers there before he and the Kings continued on to Anvard. There are many wounded and some dead. I was sent to fetch Queen Lucy and her cordial."

Susan let out a little gasp, but she allowed Kat to question the Gryphon. The older woman sounded stern and there was no hint of her typical humor and sarcasm in her voice. "Is the attack on going? And have the Kings and General Oreius been alerted to the situation?"

"The attack ceased as soon as Atho and I approached the outpost. One of the Hawks stationed at the outpost, Skeat, carried the news to Anvard while I came to find the Valiant Queen."

Kat nodded then twisted in her saddle to give Lucy a firm look, "Speed and time is of the essence, but if the outpost is not secured, Tila will not let you down."

Lucy and Tila both nodded, and Susan knew the Gryphon had taken Kat's words as the orders of a superior officer. One of the Faun archers took the reins of Lucy's horse as she scrambled down and hurried toward Tila. The Gryphon tilted her head, "To Cair Paravel first, my Queen?"

Lucy shook her head as she pulled her cloak to the side, revealing the diamond cordial resting securely in its red belt around her waist. "Let's get to the outpost as quick as possible."

Susan felt her heart climb back into her throat as Lucy settled herself on Tila's back and then the Gryphon shot back up into the sky. Tila must have been flying as fast as possible because it seemed hardly any time had passed before the Gryphon and the slight bump on her back that was Lucy were fast dwindling into a mere spot to the south and slightly west of their position. She looked at Kat just as Caia whispered, "Illusin was assigned to the border outpost."

Kat briefly touched the Centauress on the shoulder, "I'm sure he's fine, Caia. You'll see him for Christmas just as you planned." Caia nodded and then Kat turned to Susan, "We should decide now whether to head back to the Cair or to continue to the village. Lucy will be safe with the soldiers, and knowing the Kentauri, he and the boys will already be on their way to the outpost."

One part of Susan wanted to rush back to the Cair and hope against logic that she would find her siblings safe and happy in the safety of their home. Another part of Susan wished that they had brought a Gryphon with them, so she could have gone with Lucy and made sure she stayed safe. But, the logical part of her mind knew both scenarios were impossible and impractical. She knew what she needed to do in order to do what was best for her people. She took a steadying breath then smiled with a serenity she didn't quite feel, "We shall finish the rounds for the day. After all, we are close enough to the village that it would be rather silly to turn around now. Randy, please help Thomas redistribute the remaining packages to Queen Lucy's horse so we don't cause any undue alarm to any cousins who might see our party before we reach the village." The two archers made quick work of following her instructions and then Kat nodded to Alaois who gave the command for their now smaller party to move out. Susan glanced to the south and west as she breathed a prayer for Aslan to protect Lucy from harm and to allow her sister to bring the healing magic of the cordial to the outpost in time to save as many of the wounded soldiers as possible. Aslan willing, nothing else would occur to bring harm to her siblings or their people.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

Brutus growled low in his throat as he watched the smallest Royal being carried away by a Gryphon. He had wanted to capture the littlest one because she would have been easier to drag to the appointed place for the sacrifice, but now that was impossible. He also didn't like the fact that they had flown in the direction of the pass to Archenland and the outpost... He snarled silently as he contemplated whether he would have to kill his second before the ceremony occurred. He should have sent his third to accompany Frome. Frome had too much influence over the fourth. He watched as the Narnians resumed traveling, his dark mind quickly developing a new plan, one that even his reckless second would be unable to ruin. Before night fell, he would have the sacrifice in his grasp.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, all the key players are getting ready to be where they need before everything turns to chaos. Any guesses as far as Brutus' new plan? More chapters coming soon. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.