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 Nineteen: Whispers
Unbearable cold seeping into her very bones. A low growl from behind her. Run! Not fast enough. Oh Aslan, she wasn't fast enough. Teeth flashing as the Werewolf dove for her throat. Susan's eyes flew open, searching the darkness. She tried to control her breathing in spite of her rising panic. She heard...something and then she blinked as a light was uncovered, revealing General Oreius standing next to her hammock. Beyond him, she could see the lumps that were her brothers sharing a hammock and she could hear Edmund snoring. She took a shuddering breath, only to wince at the pain the action caused her, but then she remembered something and she tried in vain to move her hand out from under the layers of blankets. "K-Kat..."
Oreius nodded, "I know, my Queen. Caia told me how you were rescued." The fierce Centaur general gently laid his hand on her head, an action so reminiscent of what her father used to do in her half-forgotten memories that Susan's eyes burned from unshed tears, and regarded her with the same fond concernedness she had seen him direct toward her brothers whenever he carried them home wounded. "Do not fret, Queen Susan, I will find Alambiel and bring her home. I give you my word. Alambiel is most experienced at defying death, and I doubt she will cooperate with Werewolves any more than she has in the past."
Susan felt more tears threaten at the thought of how much danger Kat was in... She blinked back the tears as she recalled what Kat had whispered. She tried to speak but her throat was so sore. Oreius seemed to realize what was wrong as he stepped away for a moment then returned with a cup of tea. He gently held her head up so she could drink, but as soon as she finished drinking the mercifully soothing liquid, Susan looked up at him and whispered, "Kat said to give you a message."
Weariness and cold seemed to steal her strength even as Oreius leaned in with a questioning look, "What message?"
Susan's eyelids felt heavy but she still managed to pass on what could possibly be Kat's last words, "She said she releases the five from their oath." She shivered as the cold settled in her bones again, but she didn't miss the shock that had flashed through the general's eyes for a brief moment. Kat's message meant something to him, but she couldn't focus enough to question him further.
The shock was gone, vanished behind an almost completely impassive look before he looked back down at her and tenderly pulled the blankets up to just under her chin. She only made a slight noise of protest when he reached to cover the lantern again, but he still heard her and left the lantern burning bright. Oreius set his hand on her head again, stroking her hair lightly, "Go back to sleep. You are safe. Aslan holds Alambiel between His paws. And, I will bring her home. Rest now."
Susan couldn't resist sleep's call anymore, but as she closed her eyes, she mused that Oreius' actions proved he probably thought of her and Lucy as his own fillies, just as he cared about their brothers like they were his own colts. As sleep stole over her, Susan was no longer hearing Oreius' voice, but her father's voice when he would sit by her bed and stroke her hair after a nightmare, telling her to go back to sleep.
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20 Yule 1006
Oreius watched the Gentle Queen slip back into sleep, silently praying that Aslan would guard the filly's dreams. He had sent Tuah Nor'Sauts to contact the patrol nearest their location and they should be waiting by that afternoon to provide extra security. He would make sure the Royals were safe even in his absence.
She releases the five from their oath...Dame Sepphora surrendered herself to the Werewolves, General. His tail smacked against his flank as he stamped a hoof at the thought of the foolish plan Alambiel had implemented. The enmity betwixt her and the Werewolves had been there since she first encountered them when protecting Queen Lucy. Why? Why could she not use her considerable tactical cleverness to find another way?
Oreius closed his eyes and took a breath as he tried to control his frustration. He knew why Alambiel had not chosen another course of action. With the limited resources and soldiers available to her, there had been no other course of action. Instead, she crafted a foolish and insane plan for retrieving Queen Susan...and it worked. Oreius opened his eyes again and glanced at where the Gentle Queen was sleeping. Alambiel had to have figured out something about the reason behind all of this... The Werewolves were intelligent...for the most part...and they had kept Queen Susan alive for a reason. But what- Oreius froze as he realized the most likely reason, and Alambiel had probably figured it out as well. Oh dear Lion, no.
He could not wait for dawn. He had to leave sooner if Alambiel was to survive.
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A/N: Please Read and Review! So, a short little chapter before you get to find out what's happening with Kat. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.
I have added 'What's Gone on Before's' to each of the main stories from Shadowed forward so it's not absolutely necessary to read all of the main story arc before reading Concealed, although I still recommend eventually reading them so you get the full story for each of them.
Also, if you have not voted in the poll on my profile, please do so. I enjoy getting your feedback.
