The seasons marched on.
As Spring gave way to the warmth of Summer, the court journeyed to the Eastern coast and watched as Caspian laid the first stone that would eventually become Cair Paravel once more. It would be vaguely habitable in a few years but construction would be continuing for a very long time.
From there, they progressed around the country. The wars of the previous year had prevented the peoples of Narnia meeting their new monarch and a tour was long overdue. They visited all the Telmarine towns and village - from Ettinsmoor in the North to Langthwaite almost at the Archenland border - and all the once-secret Narnian settlements - the Dryad court, the centaur and minotaur herds - culminating in a grand festival on Midsummer's Eve at the Dancing Lawn.
Isadora, with gardenias trailing from her hair like a maiden at her first fête, span and danced with so many that they became a blur of faces. However, there was one who was definitely not there. The handsome stranger who had danced with her all those months ago. In fact, she hadn't seen him since that night and she was beginning to wonder if he had maybe been some odd invention of her mind.
After the fun of the summer, they returned to the old castle and back to their everyday lives.
But with the turn of the leaves and the return of the autumnal rains came sorrow.
A message arrived. Ealdwine Kron, the Duke of the Seven Isles and a staunch supporter of the Orellana family, had fallen ill and was at death's door.
Caspian and Isadora were tied up with a particular difficult trade agreement with Terebinthia and so Lorrin was despatched to act as the King's representative. As both a Lord of the Council and the grandson of a Sevenese noble, he was perfect to act as an ambassador.
The night before he was due to leave, Isadora found herself in possession of a stack of documents that had to go to Redhaven with him. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to give them to her secretary to run to his office but for some reason she decided to take them to him herself.
As she approached, she overheard two quiet voices speaking in Sevenese. She lightened her tread as much as she could so they would not hear her approach and poked her head around the door frame.
Lorrin was at his desk and his mother, Pála, was on the floor beside him. She was clasping one of his hands in both of hers; tears running down her face as she whispered to him in her native tongue. He sighed and tried to pull his hand from hers but she refused to let go, instead pulling him closer to stroke his face.
She murmured something, pressing her forehead to his, but his face remained as impassive as ever. Frustration rippled across her face and she stood, spitting out one final Sevenese admonishment. She turned to leave but stopped when she saw Isadora lurking in the doorway. With a hasty curtsey, she swept on with tears streaming down her face again.
"Forgive my mother," Lorrin said. "Ealdwine was like an uncle to her growing up and she was very upset to hear the news of his illness."
"Is she accompanying you to Redhaven?" Isadora asked, stepping into the small room.
"No. She wants to remember him how he was and not how he might be. Besides, the year is marching on and the seas are becoming rough," he said absently.
Isadora frowned; she was certain Pála had visited Redhaven at this time of year before. While most Telmarines felt seasick on the calmest of waters, the Sevenese were made of sterner stuff and happily sailed in seas that would turn the hardiest of Southern sailors pale.
She decided to let it slide and placed the dossier on Lorrin's desk.
"Some final things for you to take with you," she said. "I hope your journey is smooth."
He said nothing; although a crease of worry appeared between his eyebrows. He looked exhausted, far more so than he should.
"Lorrin, are you alright?" she asked.
He flicked his eyes up to hers, blue into brown, but did not answer.
The ambassadors from Terebinthia left in the next week and, inevitably, new issues presented themselves. The Council were most certainly always kept busy and, as Caspian's right-hand, Isadora was one of the busiest. Everyone seemed to need her and need her now. She was sent running here and there all over the castle and beyond, often riding out for the day to visit another township and returning late at night.
Between the Missing Seven and Lorrin's absence, the Lords were stretched so thin that - for the briefest of moments – Isadora feared that this would be the end of them.
Not by the rebel's sword, but by bureaucracy's hammer.
Then, as quickly as the problems had appeared, they were resolved.
The court settled down once more and life became as easy as it currently could be. Until, that is, the black-rimmed envelope arrived. The Council gathered to hear its contents; although they all knew what was inside.
It fell to Cornelius to read it.
"My fellow Lords and friends," he read. "It grieves me to inform you of the passing of the esteemed Ealdwine Kron, the tenth Duke of the Seven Isles. His Grace was well-loved by all his people and they have mourned his loss and celebrated his life. In particular, his leadership and courage during the Calormene Conflict have oft been mentioned and his key involvement in the Battle of Weather's Bridge is to be immortalised in song; as is the custom for the heroes of the Sevenese.
"His Grace is succeeded by one child; a son named Eilif who is in his fifteenth year. As decreed by the Telmarine laws that govern the Islands, Eilif may not take his father's title of Duke until he is twenty-one. However, Sevenese law has no such limitations and so he has been sworn in as Jarl of Brenn as is his right of birth. This ceremony was witnessed by myself, the other Jarls including my grandfather, and a number of other officials. I will provide a complete list in my report when I return to Beaversdam.
"May Aslan grant the Duke safe passage to His Country, and may He bless Jarl Eilif.
"Lorrin Sopespian, Lord of Beruna, Guardian of the Axe of the River's Run, and in this time of mourning, Son of the Sevenese. Long Live Eilif, and Long Live the King."
"Aslan bless them," Caspian said after a short pause. "Dr Cornelius, please prepare a letter of commiserations on my behalf."
The Council dispersed. Isadora returned to her office and to her work. Cloe dropped by with some dinner and after she decided to take a small walk in the gardens to clear her head. The autumn nights were closing in cold and crisp but she wrapped an old shawl around her shoulders and happily stepped out into the dusk.
Everything was very still on this particular evening. Quiet and still. Even the noise from the castle seemed diminished and muted. She walked down the familiar paths and slowly pushed every thought of work from her mind.
She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Everything was peaceful.
Suddenly, she became aware of a small wheezing noise coming from the next path over.
A small bird was lying splayed on the flagstones. Its white chest was rising and falling rapidly and its black wings were convulsing almost as if it was still in flight. She knelt beside it carefully – not wanting to startle it – and reached out a tentative hand. A little black eye snapped open and its beak – curved and tri-coloured in black, red, and yellow – twitched.
"Help…"
Isadora gasped; this was a Talking Bird who had crash-landed and it was clearly injured.
Quickly she had it nestled safely in her shawl and she ran for the castle and for help.
"Isadora, whatever is the matter?" Trufflehunter asked, appearing in answer to her calls. She was so relieved to see him; if anyone knew how to help a Talking Beast it would be another.
"I found him outside," she said, kneeling before the badger to show him her precious cargo.
"Hello," Trufflehunter muttered, gently running his paws over its trembling body. "What are you doing so far from home?"
"I've never seen a bird like it. Is it going to die?" she asked.
"No, no, I do not think so although he is in shock," he replied, taking the bird from her. "He's a puffin; one of the native species of the Seven Isles. Flying this far is no difficult feat for them but he's completely exhausted. He must have gone through some awful trauma."
"The Seven Isles?" Isadora said, the hairs rising on the back of her neck. First the loss of the Duke and now this strange visitation from this bird.
"Aye, lass," Trufflehunter said, making to leave. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll make a full recovery."
The little bird was taken to the infirmary and nursed back to health by Trufflehunter and a fussy Owl named Gloommantle who hooted irritably whenever a human healer neared. After a few days, Caspian and Isadora were sent for. The strange little bird had recovered enough to talk to them and there was a reason it had crash-landed in the middle of the castle.
When they entered, he was sitting happily on a cushion by a window. His wings were folded close to his sides and his orange feet were tucked underneath his white breast quite like how a duck sat.
"My King," he said in a trilling voice as Caspian sat down. "I am sorry for intruding on your hospitality in such a manner and I must apologise to Lady Isadora for the way she found me and thank her for her speed in taking me here."
"It is of no concern. Please, tell us who you are and why you felt the need to come here," Caspian said.
"My name, sire, is Featherflip. I belong to the White Cliff Colony from the cliffs around Redhaven on the Island of Brenn," the Puffin said. "And I regret, sire, that I bring the most horrific news. I bring news of treachery."
They listened intently as Featherflip told his tale. Some months ago, a group of Telmarines had arrived in Redhaven under the guise of merchants. They had been granted an audience with the late Duke but Ealdwine had angrily turned them away when he discovered their true intentions; they wanted to him to incite a rebellion against the Orellana rule and restore the Sevenese crown.
It chilled Isadora's heart to hear. They were lucky that Ealdwine, like most of his family, were supporters of the Orellana family. So many others most likely would have jumped at the chance to usurp power but it appeared these enemies had approached the one person who would never turn traitor.
However, Ealdwine had failed to expel them from the city. Featherflip explained that someone else had given them shelter and hidden them from the Duke's men.
"Do you know who?" Caspian asked.
Featherflip shook his head. "All you humans look mighty similar," he confessed. "It was a middle-aged man with shaggy black hair and a sour expression but we don't know his name. We knew the Duke and his family for they allowed us to nest in the cliffs above the Palace and we know one of the Jarls for he has always been good to us Birds and talks to us as equals and not flying pests. All the others blur into one."
Caspian and Isadora exchanged a look and then bade him continue.
It transpired that this mysterious group of Telmarines had remained concealed in the house of their associate all through Ealdwine's decline. As the city remained inside their homes mourning his loss, they struck. They rushed the Citadel, took Ealdwine's heir Eilif hostage, and took control of the city.
Caspian had turned white as Featherflip wrapped up his story.
"Our colony witnessed it all from our nests and a group of us decided to go for help. Some of my brothers were to go to the other six Islands and I, as our swiftest flyer, was selected to come to you. However, the humans must have been talking about us and as we set off… as we set off a volley was fired from the city walls. My brothers fell and I am surprised I passed through unharmed. Next thing I recall, Lady Isadora had found me in your gardens," he said.
As he fell silent, Caspian sat forward and put his head in his hands.
"We need to make contact with Lorrin," he said eventually. "He's our best hope of knowing what is going on in there."
He stood.
"Thank you, Featherflip, for risking your life to bring us this news," he said. "Stay and rest, for as long as you like."
Isadora tried to reach out for him as he walked past her but he shied away from her touch and strode from the infirmary with purpose. His shoulders were firmly set and his face was once more that of the King and not of her Caspian.
An urgent letter was sent to Redhaven and they waited with bated breath for Lorrin's response. As they waited, they heard horrible rumours. Every ship that had tried to dock at Redhaven had been turned away. If they had a cargo it was unloaded in the docks and the sailors were sent on their way without ever leaving the wharves. The once vibrant and bustling city had become a ghost-town.
Eventually the letter returned. It had clearly been opened and read and it came with a reply.
We reject the rule of those who have strayed from the Eagle's Path.
Caspian flew into a rage that threw Isadora back to the How and back to when she had refused to believe her father's role in Caspian's flight. Unlike then, she was able to calm him and talk him out of his anger. This reply was not written in Lorrin's hand; he was probably fine and biding his time.
Then she saw the object that had also been included with the reply and Caspian watched as all the colour drained from her face.
Before long, Lorrin's office had been ransacked and his drawers had been forced open by the castle locksmith. Caspian and Isadora sat together on the floor of the office and stared at the evidence before them.
"I trusted him," Caspian said through gritted teeth. "I was willing to overlook his father's actions and see him as a man in his own right but the apple clearly never rots far from the tree."
Isadora stared at the feather in her hand. An eagle's feather; long and black.
This was the one that had come from Redhaven. In a drawer of Lorrin's office, they had found many more. No incriminating letters or documents, no carefully hidden plans, but it was enough to plant the suspicion in their minds that the Lord of Beruna had turned against them.
"If he has betrayed us then I'll kill him," Caspian said thickly.
"No," Isadora said, leaning back against Lorrin's desk. "I've always been suspicious of Lorrin but I kept my tongue and told myself I was being foolish. He's betrayed my friendship and my trust and the promise we made to not follow our fathers; paths. I want to be the one to kill him, if it comes to it."
Ooh-hoo-hoo, Lorrin, what are you up to? :D
And here we are, into the second act of Flames. The storyline with the Dwarves will resurface, let me assure you, but for now we can turn our attention to Redhaven.
Thank you to TortoisetheStoryteller for your review last chapter. As always, guys, leave me a review with your thoughts!
