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: There's danger in the north. Giants hunt for Narnia's Kings and General. Who will survive when hope is eclipsed?

A/N: If you have not read the first nine stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakened, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, Rekindled, Refracted, Reflected, Veiled, and Unveiled), I highly recommend you do so for the full experience. However, I have included a quick summary of the previous stories so if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.

Chapter Twenty: Picking Up the Pieces

"Come on, talk to me. I'll take you grumbling. Just say something. Please." The murmured words were half-pleading, half-praying as she knelt next to his head with one hand resting gently on his scruffy cheek.

"Kat?"

She raised her head to see Lucy standing close with two of the Centaurs just behind her. She took a deep breath and then nodded. "Ready?"

They moved Oreius onto the large litter and lifted him with ease. Lucy stayed with her, slipping an arm around her waist. "He'll wake up, Kat. Are you sure you don't want me to give him the cordial?"

Alambiel smiled faintly as they started walking. "And let him get into more trouble? No. Besides, Peter regained consciousness long enough to put his foot down on the cordial. Their injuries aren't life-threatening once properly treated."

Lucy huffed as she wrapped her other arm around Thalia once they caught up to her. "He doesn't seem to understand that I am supposed to use my gift. He's forbidden me from carrying it into battle too. He thinks we're too reliant on it."

"He has a point." Alambiel sighed then smiled a little. "Now we get to limp home together. They'll just sleep through it."

She didn't talk about how worried she was that Oreius hadn't stirred or woken. She didn't say a word when the two captains informed her that they would have to push to reach the wagons waiting for them in Narnia because the first snowstorm of winter was brewing behind them. They stopped only twice during the darkest hours of the night to briefly rest. There was always the chance that Ettins or any of the other Northern Giants might notice their passing and decide to attack them for sport. But she didn't mention the fear that the deepening cold would prove increasingly problematic. Her only concession to her worry was climbing into the back of the wagon with Oreius and holding his hand, her fingers on his wrist measuring his too-sluggish pulse. But he had a pulse.

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Culhwch stalked back into the ruined campsite, his heads swiveling from side to side as he observed the dead Ettins and Harfangers. He only cared about retrieving his own dead. The Harfang Giants could rot for all he cared. They were weak in life and they would make weak ghosts too. But the Narnians . . . His eyes narrowed as he contemplated avenging himself on Narnia.

A low whimper filled the air. Culhwch stomped over to one of the corpses and kicked her. The dumb Harfanger, Nemain stared up at him with her good eye. She opened her mouth and moaned, "Halp. Ha-help."

He observed her pitiful face and then nodded. He waited until the hope appeared in her eye before he buried his spear in her breast. Nemain jerked then gasped, confusion and fear replacing hope, as she reached toward him. Her hand fell and her breath rattled then she sighed. Her good eye stared blankly up at the sky as it clouded over. Culhwch smirked as he yanked his spear free.

"Do we chase 'em?"

Something wet and cold hit his skin. Culhwch tilted his head back to see fat white snowflakes falling from the dark clouds above. He sneered. "No. Winter has come. It will overtake us before we overtake them. But in the spring . . ."

He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to as his companions burst into ugly laughter before they returned to the task of gathering their dead kin.

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A/N: Please Read and Review!