[au] an early snow

[the_seafarer]

It's only mid-autumn, as the Bar-year reckons, but one morning Caspian wakes early to find that the light coming through his window has that particular muted quality to it that only comes from sifting through clouds and a veil of snow.

And snow it is indeed, when he comes outside: it crunches pleasantly beneath his boots as his breath freezes in the air and his cheeks turn pink with the cold. Snow; and still it falls, silent and light.

He heads to the stables with the intention of finishing his chores quickly so he can let the horses out to frolic in it, whistling as he goes.

Comments

[sai_delgado]

“I kennit, lady-sai,” Susan tells her. “But ye’ll come to like it well enough in time.”

She shakes her braid back and looks to Caspian. “Where would thee next?”

[the_seafarer]

He clucks to Corella and brings her alongside Ghost, humming thoughtfully.

"There's a rabbit warren round about the other side of the lake," he says. "Shall we go see how they're taking the snow?"

[sai_delgado]

Susan gives him a suspicious look. “The demon rabbits?”

[the_seafarer]

"Nay," he laughs. "At least, they don't look that way. Cute and fluffy and seemingly alive, I swear it."

[sai_delgado]

“Aye, then,” she agrees, and reins Ghost back.

“Lead on, if thee would.”

[the_seafarer]

"With a will, lady."

One she's out into the snowy paths, Corella forgets her sulkiness and trots towards that path that leads around the lake – and, coincidentally, away from the beach where someone is building a base of sticks and straw for a bonfire.

AS they ride, Caspian mulls the problem over: is there a way? Is there somewhere, somehow, he can bring her to distract her from the season? He considers it as the arc of the lake comes into view, slate blue beneath the early winter sky.

[sai_delgado]

Once the path widens, opening down toward the water, Susan brings Ghost up beside Corella and Caspian and beams a smile at him, unaware of his thoughts.

"How did thee find the rabbits to begin with?"

[the_seafarer]

"The same way one finds anything here, I suppose," he laughs. "By wandering about until one stumbles on something unusual. In this case, I'd been sailing and hauled into shore for a bit on the far side of the lake."

[sai_delgado]

“It must have surprised ye both,” she teases.

[the_seafarer]

"They did bound fairly rapidly away," he admits, amused.

[sai_delgado]

The thought of the small, quick moving creatures reminds here, and she asks, “How is sai - Sir - Reepicheep? I’ve not seen him in a bit.”

She’s not sure exactly how long, come to think of it. Time is a face on the water, and more so now than before.

[the_seafarer]

"Very well, or so I believe. He's been spending a good deal of time with Gimli the Dwarf."

He nudges Corella when she begins to slow; she snorts at him but obeys. "I wonder how long he'll stay. He's a Mouse who longs for great adventure, you know. I've no doubt he'd happily rush through the door to visit another world. He may even go back to Aslan's Country to explore further there, too."

[sai_delgado]

“He’s a darling,” she tells him, smiling. “I can just see him, off on some adventure with one of those he’ll meet here. Mayhap Wash’d like to meet him, or Mal, or Kaylee or River.”

[the_seafarer]

"I think he'd like Wash a great deal," Caspian agrees. "Kaylee, too, and River."

He considers for a moment. "The chances are good Mal would say something that would make Reep challenge him to a duel, though."

[sai_delgado]

“Oh, surely not,” she protests, shifting with Ghost as he sidesteps a larger rock. “He’d never mean to insult him!”

[the_seafarer]

"Mean to, never," Caspia agrees. "But you know Mal, he can be a little... familiar. And Reep really hasn't a sense of humor."

He shakes his head. "But it'll probably be fine. Especially since Reep knows he can't fight anyone in the Bar proper."

[sai_delgado]

“He calls me little sister, did’ee ken?” Susan frowns, considering. “Mayhap if I ask him to make his manners proper with yer knight.”

[the_seafarer]

Caspian laughs. "It's all right. If they meet, I'll be sure to keep things from getting out of hand... if it's even a question."

[sai_delgado]

"He loves thee dearly," she agrees. "It'll all come right."

She slows Ghost a little as they come around a piece of shore that's rocky at first before leading to a more gentle slope that reaches back toward the trees.

[the_seafarer]

"He is one of my oldest and dearest friends," Caspian tells her. "I can still hardly believe seeing him again after so long."

[sai_delgado]

"He's very dear," Susan murmurs, and hopes that Reepicheep doesn't find her wanting when it comes to his beloved king.

[the_seafarer]

"He is that," Caspian says, smiling. "And he simply adores you; rightly so. I expect when he resurfaces from his time with Gimli and their storytelling sessions he'll come talk your ear off again."

[sai_delgado]

A faint pink stains her cheeks. "I'd like that," she says, simply.

[the_seafarer]

"So would I," Caspian tells her, giving that flush on her cheeks an admiring glance.

He still hasn't found a way to tell Reepicheep about Rilian, about his wife, about any of it. He doesn't know how he'll bear the Mouse's sorrow once he does. "I enjoyed watching the two of you together that night he came in."

[sai_delgado]

"I should have warned him before bringing him to thee, mayhap, but I couldn't think how to explain," she admits, a little sheepish.