Frostmoon 17, 859
Where does Jadis keep getting her troops? I thought from atop my war mount, Belte, as I surveyed the enemy forces. The Morgan Horse shifted as we watched our enemies muster across the bleak tundra of the border between northwestern Narnia and Ettinsmoor. The morning sun gleamed off the snowcapped peaks of the Western Mountains that stood in the distance. General Kaymen had ordered some extra soldiers to protect me because the Foul Creatures were putting a good deal of their soldiers in my direction, so Mintier, Mesha, and Sema were in a triangle around me.
Kaymen was at my side, patiently waiting with me for Jadis’ Creatures to attack. It wasn’t long before the commanding Minotaur let out a battle cry and Jadis’ soldiers charged our position. I got a better grip on my shield and drew Phraymore. When the Foul Creatures were more than halfway across the field, I let out my battle cry:
“NARNIA!”
I spurred Belte into a gallop and pushed my visor down. Half of the Narnian troops followed me and swept down from the ridge, the other half holding their position on the high ground. Our armies collided with the crash of metal and the shrieks of the wounded. I slashed at a Werewolf, rendering him dead, while parrying a strike from another foul creature with the flat of my blade. Belte was busy too, kicking, biting and stomping on Jadis’ soldiers as they attacked.
Two Minotaurs charged at us, one from the left and one from the right. I yelled at Belte to stay still, and at the last second – when they were too close to stop – I made my mount run! The Minotaurs collided, knocking themselves out and possibly killing each other. In no time, a Goblin with ankle-slicing creatures came to take the Minotaurs’ places. The ankle-slicers attempted to hurt Belte, but were squashed instead; the Goblin I quickly decapitated with a swift backslash.
Suddenly, a great and heavy thing impacted my side and unseated me. I rolled to regain my footing and turned to see the perpetrator – a Cyclops who loomed above me and swung again with his club. I dived to the side and rolled to gain some distance. He charged at me again, and when he was close, I stepped out of the way and sliced deep into his leg with Phraymore. The Cyclops fell to the ground, and I plunged Phraymore’s razor edge through the Foul Beast’s heart. I pulled the sword free and met the attack of a Minotaur’s great, curving sword. Another Minotaur approached from the other side and both attacked together. I whirled Phraymore to meet the other’s attack with a quick parry, then ducked as a Minotaur’s sword sliced through the air. I whirled upward in a spiraling motion, slashing one Minotaur’s head clear off in the process. The other landed a blow on my shoulder, but the well-made armor held. The force of the blow pushed me down to one knee, but the Minotaur’s murderous intent was thwarted by the singing of a red-feathered Narnian arrow.
I turned to look for another opponent when I was hit square in the back, and the ground came up to meet me. The fall was so hard that Phraymore was tossed out of my hand. I would’ve rolled onto my side, but my attacker threw a crude and jagged dagger into my right leg. I let out a small cry of agony as I felt the dagger tear my muscles. Anytime I’d move my leg, the dagger would tear even more.
I concentrated on listening for the Creature’s movement to keep myself from passing out from the pain and blood loss. It sounded relatively small. I carefully pulled my dagger that Kaymen had given me from its sheath around my belt. When it was out, I listened for the Creature again – it was still at my feet!
Dumb Creature, I thought. Through the visor of my helm, I saw Sema. She was ready to pounce on my attacker, but was waiting for me to distract it. So I threw my dagger behind me, hoping that I’d at least scratch him. The dagger in my leg ripped more of my muscles, making me cry in pain again. The shriek from behind told me that I got my target, and the growl and breeze above my head told me that the Foul Creature would not be alive for much longer.
Knowing I was somewhat safe, I succumbed to darkness.
-x-x-x-x-x-
A chilly breeze through the tent woke me. I tried to shift from my position on my stomach to my side, but was reminded of the jagged wound in my calf. I twisted without moving my legs and barely made out the bandage on my right leg in the dim light. After I gently lay back down, I took time to notice my surroundings: Most of my armor was on its rack with my shield and Phraymore next to it. There was my bag of two dresses and hair things across from me, and there was also a table with a bowl, towels, bandages, and a small lit lantern near the head of the bed. And most importantly, I could hear the breathing of a guard Wolf – Riker, perhaps – below me.
I bent towards the foot of my bed to try to see out the tent flaps. The sun was just beginning to rise, turning the sky and the few clouds pink, orange, and purple. There was much activity outside, as well.
I heard Riker whine as he yawned and stretched. He stood and shook the night’s sleep off his back. My guard turned to face me, and he wagged his tail when he saw that I was awake.
“Good morning, Queen Swanwhite. Are you feeling better?”
“Good morning, Riker. I feel fine, that is until I move my leg.”
The Wolf nodded gravely.
“Riker, would you please fetch General Kaymen?”
“Of course, Majesty.” He quickly exited my tent to go find the General.
As I waited, I wondered how many wounded we had and how many were dead. There had been two thousand Narnians, and there were at least as many in Jadis’ troop. I didn’t get to dwell on the possibilities for long because Kaymen arrived at my tent.
“Majesty,” the Centaur said with a bow. “It is good to see you awake.”
“It’s good to be awake. What happened?”
“A Hag, Queen Swanwhite. It embedded this in your calf,” said Kaymen as he handed me the dagger. Its blade was sharp and asymmetrically jagged. It looked to be completely made of either iron or obsidian or something similar to rock and ore.
I stared at the gruesome thing with distaste before handing it back to the General.
“It tore your muscles badly, and you lost enough blood that you were unconscious for two days. The Healers have done what they can, but you are confined to bed rest until we get back to Cair Paravel.”
I huffed, but there was nothing I could do unless I wanted to worsen my condition. “How many did we lose?”
“One hundred are dead; many are wounded, but none are worse off that you, Majesty,” Kaymen reported.
I nodded. “What about Jadis’ troops?”
“All are dead and disposed of.”
“Good.” I was starting to get fidgety, and I wanted to flip over on my back. “When are we breaking camp, General?”
“As soon as you have something to eat.”
“Then help me up, and please bring me some food. I’m starved!”
Kaymen helped me to sit up, and he elevated my leg so that there’d be no pressure on the wound. I then ate breakfast two times over because I was so hungry. I had various berries, smoked bacon, and cheese. And even though his kind doesn’t typically care for anything but raw meat (and he had already eaten his breakfast), I shared my food with Riker.
Before the Narnians began to break camp, I was moved to a stretcher with a back on it so I could sit more comfortably and could be carried easily. We were soon prepared to march back to Cair. To my surprise, four Centaurs lined up and lifted my stretcher onto their shoulders! I could not believe it! They were going to carry me like a Tarkeena on her litter. I leaned to my right, which was where General Kaymen stationed himself.
“What is this?” I asked the General.
“Your source of travel, my Queen,” he answered without looking at me.
“I feel like a mindless Tarkeena from Calormen,” I told the Centaur.
“There is a big difference between you and a ‘mindless Tarkeena,’ Lady. First of all, you are a Queen in the most beloved land that Aslan has made. Second, you are being followed and carried by soldiers who care about you and are willing to die to protect you.” I sat back, humbled by the little lecture I’d gotten. But it was apparent that the General wasn’t quite done. “And lastly, you cannot ride, so we decided to carry you, instead.”
I softly laughed at Kaymen. He always knew how to humble me and then cheer me up.
-x-x-x-x-x-
One week later…
A warm reception awaited us when we arrived at Cair Paravel. Villagers had gathered in the courtyard with my family to greet Narnia’s tired soldiers. There were fires crackling all over the place to keep the chill in the air away.
As soon as the Centaurs set my stretcher on the ground, my one-year-old Mezinda jumped on me. “Mumma!”
I hugged my daughter. “Hello, Mezinda.”
I let her go when she started to wriggle in my arms. “Muss oo.”
“I missed you too, Buttercup.” I looked up at my husband and seven-year-old son. “I missed the lot of you.”
Bremton smiled, and not waiting for his sister to move, gave me a rough hug. I returned the hug the best I could, for Mezinda was still on my lap. I made both of them get up after a bit so Amesh could have his turn. They reluctantly stood, and Amesh helped me to my feet before he embraced me. I took great care to not put any weight on my right leg.
“Did the Dryads get my message?” I asked my husband once we parted.
“Yes. They made the crutches for you. They’re in the Healers’ Ward. Pepkin also wanted to see you as soon as possible to check your leg,” he informed me.
A Faun helped Amesh get me into Cair Paravel with the children following behind us, corralled by the Wolves. When we arrived at the Healers’ Ward, Amesh dismissed the Faun and addressed the Wolves.
“Riker, Petra, and Camsheer. Please take Bremton to his lessons and Mezinda to her room to play.”
“Yes, your Majesty,” they all said, bowing.
Amesh helped me sit while Pepkin waited to check my wound. The Dwarf gently poked my leg, and I would wince if he got close to the wound.
“Please move your foot, Majesty.”
I did as he asked, but the movement sent pain soaring through my leg. Pepkin frowned and undid my bandage. My leg had been stitched up, but you could still see where the terrible dagger went in.
Pepkin studied it and said, “Hag’s dagger. Made of obsidian.”
I stared at the Healer in shock. “How could you tell?”
“I used to be an Army Healer, my Queen.”
“Oh… How long will it take for my wound to heal?” I asked when Pepkin went to prepare something.
“Soon.” He brought over a poultice and put it on my wound. “This will speed up the healing process. You’ll be walking within a month.”
“Thank you, Pepkin.”
The Dwarf clipped the bandage in place, and Amesh got my crutches. My King helped me to my feet, and I took the crutches.
We started out when the Healer called, “Make sure you’ve got someone to catch you, lest you fall on the stairs!”
“I shall!” I yelled back.
“Where do you want to go, Swan?” Amesh asked me when we got to the Main Hall.
“I wish to spend some time with Mezinda.”
“Alright.”
Slowly, we climbed the stairs. As we did, I filled Amesh in on the battle. He was sad that we had lost a hundred soldiers, but he knew, as did I, that they were in a better place. When we were away from the stairs, Amesh took leave of me to attend his duties.
I made my way to Mezinda’s – formally Bremton’s – room. When I was pregnant with Mezzie, I had talked with Amesh and Bremton about moving the young boy into a different room because it would be better for our daughter to be closer to us. Bremton had agreed, and he moved across the corridor.
I arrived at the Princess’ door and knocked. One bark from Camsheer told me I could enter. Mezinda was playing with her blocks – building towers and knocking them down. I sat on her bed while I waited for her to see me. I watched her build two more towers before she noticed me.
“Mumma!” Mezinda ran right into me and held on for dear life. She pulled back quickly and said, “Pway, Mumma! Pway!”
I held her hands as I gently told her, “Mumma can’t play right now.”
Mezzie pouted. “Why?”
“Because Mumma’s hurt, Buttercup,” I said, stroking her hair.
“Kiff may bwetta?” she asked adorably.
I smiled. “No, Mezinda, a kiss won’t make it feel better.”
Her pout deepened. I moved Mezzie so close that I was nose-to-nose with her. “But I’ll take that kiss anyway.”
My little Princess smiled broadly, and I smiled back. Mezinda gave me a big kiss on the cheek, which I also returned with a bit of tickling. She giggled as I did so.
I stopped tickling her and said, “Now, it’s time for your lessons, young lady.”
“Mumma! Me no wessins!” she whined.
“Yes, lessons, Buttercup. And today we’re going to work on your speech.”
“Sweech?” she asked, cocking her head as she said the word.
“How you talk. You need to learn how to pronounce your words correctly so people can understand what you’re saying.”
“Wike oo, Dudda, ‘n’ Bwem?”
I nodded. “Yes, dear. I’ll get one of your storybooks and we can practice pronouncing the words in it.”
“Oway, Mumma.”
-x-x-x-x-x-
Later that evening…
The lesson had some success. I didn’t think the lesson would completely change her speech, but she did try to pronounce carefully. I would say the words to Mezinda, she’d repeat them back the best she could, and we’d keep trying until she said the word in a way that people could definitely understand. Mezzie spoke very well for a seventeen-month-old.
My Princess was working on coloring a picture I drew for her when she asked a difficult question. “Mumma?”
“Yes, Mezinda?”
“Who Laa-dy?” she asked, pointing to my Miraculous Medal.
“You know the Star Alambil, don’t you?”
Mezzie nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, Mumma. Laa-dy of Peace.”
“Yes. This,” – I held the pendant away from my neck – “is Her.”
“No one see her.”
“Someone did, and they painted her so this Medallion could be made.”
“But no pain-ting an’ no more a dose.” She again pointed to the necklace.
“There was a painting of Alambil, but it was lost many years ago.”
“Stor-wy, Mumma?!” Mezinda asked excitedly.
“Yes, Buttercup. Would you like to hear it?”
“Yes! Yes!”
“Then come sit by me and I shall tell you.”
My little Princess crawled over to me and sat at my side.
“A long time ago, a year into Narnia’s existence, a beautiful Lady appeared to King Frank and Queen Helen – the first King and Queen of Narnia. The monarchs were surprised and frightened by Her presence, but the Lady said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I am Alambil, Lady of Peace. I watch over Narnia at all times. During times of grave trouble, my fellow Star, Tarva – Lord of Victory – and I shall pass close to one another when the period of suffering is nearly over and help is on the way. Have a portrait of me painted and take it wherever you go. I will protect you the best that I can.’
“And the Lady was gone as quickly as she had appeared. King Frank and Queen Helen did as Alambil had told them. They hired a Faun to draw as the monarchs described the Lady. When the Faun finished drawing, the King and Queen took it to a Dwarf to have it painted, and then to a Dryad to have it framed.
“The portrait was around for hundreds of years. However, about two hundred years ago while King James was visiting the Lone Islands, pirates raided his ship while it was in dock, and the painting was one of the many things that were stolen.”
“But neck-wace, Mumma.”
“One necklace was made from the portrait for the Queens to wear when the portrait was not in Cair, for the Kings would bring it into battle with them. When the portrait was stolen, Queen Jasatin, King James’s wife, put the necklace into hiding because she feared someone might try to steal it, as well. Henceforth, no Queen has worn it except me.”
Mezinda clapped her hands happily. “Good stor-wy, Mumma!”
I smiled and bowed my head. “Thank you, my daughter. Now it’s time for you to get to bed.”
“Awwww!” she whined and yawned at the same time. “But not sweepy.”
“Sure you’re not, which is why you’re yawning. Come on, Buttercup, into bed.”
“Yes, Mumma.” Like a good Princess, Mezinda got into bed.
I kissed her on the brow. “Goodnight, Mezinda. See you in the morning.”
“Nigh-night, Mumma.” And she quickly fell asleep.
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