~o*o~

The Horse that Stole the Boy

"Have you given the horse his strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?...he paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength…he mocks at fear and is not frightened."

~Job 39: 20-22

The Beginning

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

~ Seneca

The wind curled down the dewy slopes of Narnia, rippling the grass with a silver sheen and sweeping into the sun dappled forest of bending birches, slender as shadows. It was one of those green spring days, glowing, beautiful, perfect, the kind where everything is done right and you go to bed happy. The kind that you remember for the rest of your life.

Lucy remembered it ever after as a day of supreme happiness. She could throw back her head to the wind and realize that there was nothing wrong with the world. Her horse ambled along; content to snatch at oak leaves and ahead, Susan's long dark hair gleamed down her back.

"Was he planning on being here today?" Eva, lady-in-waiting to Queen Lucy, broke the silence from behind them, jerking her horse's head as it attempted to eat a tree.

"He said he was," Susan said glancing back, "I hope nothing happened…"

"He'll be here!" Lucy exclaimed. "He wouldn't miss the summer festival for anything! Look here, I'll race you!"

With a soft word, she half halted her horse strongly, then the next moment, her bay burst forward, throwing a shower of dead leaves in the still air behind her.

"Of all the…" Eva's horse spun in a circle, "wait for me!"

"I say!" Susan called after them, "Don't leave me behind!"

One by one, first Lucy's bay, then Eva's chestnut, then Susan's black, burst from the woods. Hooves pounding and manes streaming, they streaked across the countryside, lit by the sun. Lucy had a definite lead, Eva was gaining and Susan was lagging more and more behind. Hooves upturned the earth, hair and manes flew; the wind whipped their dresses into a frenzy.

Suddenly, Lucy pulled her horse up sharply, its hind legs furrowing the ground.

"I say!" Eva exclaimed, catching her horse's mane to keep her seat, "I almost ran over you!"

"It's Peter!" Lucy yelled as her horse danced. The next moment, she was galloping again.

Eva remained where she was, waiting for Susan, as her chestnut plunged in a circle, frothing and eager to be on. Over her shoulder, she watched Lucy charge to meet the distant horseman; the horses slowed, and for a moment looked as if they would collide. There was a moment of tossing manes as the horses slid to a halt from a full gallop.

"Is he here? Is he here?" Lucy's voice rang through the air.

"Steady on, Lucy."

"What's happened?" Susan came up behind Eva, "I do hate going that fast, it makes my hair fly out and get in my face."

"It's King Peter," Eva said. "He'll have news."

"I do hope so," Susan said and Eva for the first time saw her voluntarily make her horse gallop. Eva followed. She noted that Peter was riding his newest horse, almost sooty buckskin, its mane frosted with gold.

"What's the news, your majesty?" Eva asked as she pulled her horse up.

"He's here," Peter said, grinning.

Lucy let out a squeal, not at all suited to her twenty-two years.

Susan relaxed visibly, "So he's come safely."

"Very," Peter said, leaning on the saddlebow, "And he's brought the oddest things along with him."

"What?"

"Apple trees."

~o*o~

"Corin!"

A tall fellow with fair hair stood almost awkward in the courtyard, watching while the horses came to a halt, their shoes echoing. Susan jumped from her horse, before Peter could even help her, and enveloped Corin in a hug.

"Lovely, lovely seeing you!" she exclaimed as she looked up at him, her eyes shining with happiness.

"Nice seeing you, too," Corin grinned lopsidedly, then grew serious, "I'm taller then you!"

"Of course you are!" Lucy said, sliding from her horse, completely ignoring Peter's attempt to help. "I always said that you would be tall!"

Peter turned to help Eva.

"Not me!" she exclaimed, swinging from her horse and trotting over to hug Corin.

With a shrug, Peter turned to Edmund, who had been standing quietly watching.

"What is the world coming to?" Peter said, "All the ladies can get off their horses by themselves."

"Just less work for us," Edmund said calmly, "I always did think it was a little ridiculous that ladies couldn't get from their horses to the ground without help; hasn't anyone ever heard of gravity?"

"Nope," Peter said, "Hasn't been invented yet."

"Peter said you brought apple trees!" Lucy exclaimed as she linked her arm through Corin's, "Why on earth?"

"Father sent apple trees! He was going to bring them himself, but something came up and he couldn't make it and extends his apologies about the Summer Festival. Anyway, I came by myself. I was telling father that Cair Paravel didn't have apple trees, so he picked the best one's from Cair Anvard's orchard. They're…in fact, there they are!"

The rattle of horses' hooves and creak of wagon wheels echoed off the walls and they looked around to see a team of grays pulling a dray. The driver pulled them up and harness flashed with polished brass work while little scrawny trees poking out of burlap stretched towards the rays of the sun.

"Lovely!" Lucy cried.

"We will have to plant them at once!" Susan said, "Where shall we put them?"

"What about the North Gate?" Edmund suggested, "It did always seem rather bare to me over there."

"Aravis?"

Aravis looked up to see a figure leaning against the doorframe, silhouetted by the sunlight that streamed into the quiet chamber. He wore mail and a silken turban dyed crimson almost hid the spike of his helmet. For a full moment, Aravis stared at him, then she was on her feet and running forward to embrace him.

"Horeb?" she exclaimed, "Horeb my brother!"

"Yes, little sister," Horeb smiled as he looked down at her, "My journey went well, our father is pleased."

"Good," Aravis smiled and took a step back to see how tall he had grown, how broad his shoulders were, "I hope you will be home for a long while, for I see less of you as the years go by."

"I will be here for a little while, but then I shall go north again and accompany Tam-" he checked himself, "Prince Rabadash on his journey. But quick, I have something for you!"

Beckoning, he turned and Aravis followed him out into the little courtyard that flanked her chambers. She loved it there especially at midday, for the olive trees spread their branches in such a way that the courtyard was always cool.

"Bring the Tarkheena's gift." Horeb called to the slave that waited in the entrance. He bowed then vanished and Horeb turned to Aravis with a smile, "Sister, cover your eyes, if it pleases you."

Aravis closed her eyes as she heard the faint staccato notes of a horse's hooves. They echoed across the paving stones, in rhythm with the water that played from the fountain.

"Aravis," Horeb said, "uncover your eyes."

Aravis looked, and saw, a horse, a mere filly, like gleaming, glowing copper with mane and tail of gold. She had a halter and collar of green and gold, that perfectly set off her color.

Aravis stood for a moment, just staring, taking in the dished head, the short back, the high streaming tail- then she reached out and put a hand on the filly's long arched neck. Wide, white rimmed eyes stared at her luminously and delicate vein-laced ears pricked towards her.

"How fares you, cousin?" Aravis whispered, running her hand down the gleaming neck. The coat was like satin under her fingers. She turned, tears in her eyes, "Horeb! You are the best of brothers!"

A Note From the Desk of the Author:

Hi folks, yes, unfortunately the time has come when I am going to blast you with my epic. It is the longest story I've ever written, but it will not be the longest for much longer, that lot will fall to another.

Disclaimer: I have a firm disbelief in ghosts, that being so, it is quite impossible for me to believe that I can be someone who died many years ago, namely C. S. Lewis. That being said, I am actually not disclaiming C. S. Lewis at all, I am disclaiming all stories on this site. It stands to reason that the story that I now present to you was written before I knew it existed, therefore, any similarity in plot or character to any other pieces of fanfiction is entirely unintended.

However, there are some similarities to the following works: The Horse and His Boy, The Silver Chair, The Iliad, Les Miserable, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Marriage of Sir Gawain and The Hound of Heaven.

Now I shall sign off and let the story speak for itself. Please, please review, good or bad; I will appreciate it in a very large way.

~Rose and Psyche