[au] Narnia and the North

[the_seafarer]

There's a chill bite to the air, these days. The horses have been growing out their winter coats, and they look shaggy and plump as Caspian turns them out into the paddocks. Behind the stables, in the makeshift woodshop he'd cobbled together, the sleigh from his drawings is starting to come together. 

He hopes he'll have it finished by Christmas. With a little luck, and maybe some assistance, he thinks it should be possible. The tack, he's largely left up to Susan's devices, though he'd commission Gimli the dwarf for the various buckles and other metal pieces they'll need.

Once the horses are turned out, he gets to his other morning chores with a will, whistling cheerfully as he does. The stable stays strangely quiet around him. It takes him the better part of an hour to realize the strangeness is because he's become accustomed to Susan's cheerful presence working alongside him, talking or humming or simply working in companionable silence. 

Caspian pauses in his task – refilling the grain chest – and looks around. Susan's nowhere to be seen, and when he later wanders through the stables, checking each stall and outside, he can't find her there, either.

Comments

[the_seafarer]

"I think I do."

He settles his hands lightly at her hips and smiles down at her. "Everything's fresh, like it's just been born. I suppose this was how Narnia felt, when Aslan first sang it into existence."

[sai_delgado]

"Thee has the right of it, I wot," she agrees, smiling up at him. "It suits thee. Or mayhap thee suits it. But --"

She's not even sure how to explain it, just that he belongs, fair and bright and shining, with ease in his manner and laughter in his sea-colored eyes, and she's ever so enchanted with him all over again in a way that has naught at all to do with the evils of magic that are so very, very far away from them both now.

"It's right, somehow. And it's wonderful, say true."

[the_seafarer]

"I'm happy to be able to show it to you," he tells her. The sweetly scented air tugs at a few strands of hair that have pulled loose from her braid, and he smooths them back over her ear, then laughs and takes her by the hand, tugging her up along the next rise.

"Come further up!" he calls. "Come further in."

[sai_delgado]

Her laughter ripples out again as he draws her along, and Susan keeps pace with a will as they climb the grassy slope, dotted with flowers. When they reach the crest, she pauses, trying to see everything that she can. Light sparkles on the rolling waves of the ocean, and the land below them falls down in a long, gentle curve toward the distant shore.

"It reminds me of the Drop," she murmurs, looking and looking with every little bit of her. "In a way, that is."

[the_seafarer]

"Does it?"

He'd always been fascinated by her descriptions of the Drop, and it does seem as though these high meadowlands sloping to the sea might seem familiar to her.

... Especially so, perhaps, when a wild whinny pierces the air and a herd of horses comes galloping over the soft green grass, manes and tails flying like flags.

[sai_delgado]

"Oh aye," she assures him, glancing away from the view to meet his eyes. "Ye could see for wheels and wheels, across the grass and fields where the herds would range and graze, all the way down to the sea--"

Her head jerks back around at the oh-so-familiar sound, and delight fills her yet again. "Oh, Caspian, look!"

[the_seafarer]

His glance goes from the horses to her, then turns from thoughtful to mischievous. Caspian lets go her hand so he can cup both his around his mouth like a speaking-trumpet, then inflates his chest and calls out, his voice sure and strong.

"Hail, friends! How goes the day?"

The lead horse – or Horse, as he suspected – lifts its head, then wheels the whole herd around to come and approach them, shaking the ground with their approach. As they come nearer, he can see the lead Horse is a large gray stallion, mane and tail white as snow, flanks thickly dappled. "Greetings, Son of Adam," it says, politely, and flicks its tail. "Daughter of Eve."

[sai_delgado]

And oh, but she's glad in this moment that she's had the meeting of Reepicheep, and lady-sai Neysa before that even, or else Susan feels sure she'd have been knocked over with a feather for all that Caspian's told her before of such things.

(the stories are true)

Susan drops into a graceful half-curtsey, making her manners proper, jeans or not. Her smile is a bright and shining thing. "Sai Horse," she greets the stallion. "Long days and pleasant nights. It's so lovely to meet ye."

[the_seafarer]

The Horse paws at the grass, pleased with her manners. He seems a bit vain in the way of most Talking Horses, and Caspian hides a smile. "I am Rhinny-Hinny-Neny-Wiehy-Haah, but you may call me Rhin."

"May I introduce Susan Delgado," Caspian says, politely, in return. The herd clusters a little closer, soft noses nudging curiously at Susan.

"Long days," Rhin says. "Pleasant nights! Yes, we enjoy both, here in His country. But we don't often see Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve up here in the high meadows."

[sai_delgado]

It's too bad that she doesn't have a handful of sugar cubes to offer, but she'll just have to make do. Susan's entirely unconcerned by being surrounded by the curious herd, and offers nose-pats to any Horse that wishes without being so foolish as to touch where not invited.

"'Tis a visit only," she tells Rhin. "Caspian - I mean His Majesty," she corrects herself hastily, a little flustered, "-- he were so kind as to bring me here to see these lands."

[the_seafarer]

"Hmm?" Rhin noses at Caspian, curious. "A bit coltish to be Caspian, isn't he?"

"By the grace of Aslan," Caspian says, mild. By Susan, a gleaming bay mare, the sunlight touching her coat with glints of gold and copper, seems more taken than the rest and nudges shyly forward for more petting and attention.

"Indeed," Rhin agrees. "By His grace are we all here and restored. Well then, good day, King Caspian, and we-he-helcome back from the Shadowlands."

[sai_delgado]

She raises her hand to rub the mare's poll and pet the arch of her neck, doing it slowly enough that she could react to any objection, and manages to swallow the giggle that wants to emerge at the idea of a coltish, wobbly-legged Caspian.

"Ye say true," she says, instead. "The Lion's well known and loved in many and many-a world."

[the_seafarer]

The mare stretches out her neck, long and reaching, in pleasure at the attention, then nuzzles at Susan's pockets, which probably smell like the treats she sometimes carries. "You're nice, Susan, Daughter of Eve," she says. "You smell like hay and roses."

For his part, Caspian addresses Rhin. "If you see any horses in your roaming, would you send them our way?" he asks.

The stallion nods his head, ears flicking. "This land is wide for those with such short legs," he says, comfortably. "And only two each! How you get anywhere at all is a mystery to me."

[sai_delgado]

"Thankee-sai," Susan tells her. "I'm fond of both, say true. If we're ever to pass this way again, I'll bring apples and sugar to share."

She glances over at Rhin and smiles at him. "Slowly, I wot."

[the_seafarer]

"I'd like that," the mare says. "And there's nothing wrong with going slow. Take some time to roll in the grass, Daughter of Eve. It's lovely and soft up here."

[sai_delgado]

"I will," she promises, petting her again. "Ye can set yer watch and warrant on it."

Not that a horse or even a Horse is likely to have either, but a saying's a saying all the same.

[the_seafarer]

One by one, the Horses begin to wander off, some nosing at the grass and nibbling on it, and the gray stallion tosses his head. "Well, better to be off while the sun's still high. If we see any dumb horses, we'll send them your way."

"Thank you," Caspian says, politely. "It was a pleasure, Rhin."

[sai_delgado]

"Go yer course in peace," Susan agrees, lifting her hand from the mare's neck as the horse moves off to join the others. She herself shifts sideways a step or two, coming to stand beside Caspian.

[the_seafarer]

He takes her hand in his as they watch the herd shift almost as one into a trot, then a canter, until they're thundering over the high meadows once again.

"They're a beautiful sight, aren't they?"

[sai_delgado]

"They are." She sighs it out on a wondering breath as she watches them race over the grass. "Oh, Caspian, look at them."

[the_seafarer]

"Dreadful gossips, Horses," he murmurs. "News of us will be all over, soon."

He smiles over at her. "Did you like them?"

[sai_delgado]

Susan wrinkles her nose at him. "Could thee not tell?"

She shoves her braid back over her shoulder with her free hand and considers. "I'd not ever have thought of horses as gossips, but I can see it."

[the_seafarer]

"Chatterboxes, the lot of them," he laughs, and coaxes her to start walking with him again. He lifts his free hand and points toward the gleaming sea. "Do you see that shining point there, where the sea meets the shore?"

There's a gleam as off white marble, brilliant as a star. "There sits the castle of Cair Paravel."

[sai_delgado]

Susan stops walking, and her hand tightens on his. "Oh," she breathes, staring at the shining glint of light.

For a moment, what she's seeing now blends with a flicker in memory of the sending Alain had gifted her, the stained glass and brilliance of the Castle o'Barony, the gleam of the filament-lights in the Westr'd Hall, the only time she's ever seen such in life or after, say true.

"The castle thee told me of before? Where the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve were kings and queens?"

[the_seafarer]

"Aye," he confirms. "Where the kings and queens of the first Golden Age sat and ruled, and then the Pevensies. It fell into ruin in the time of my ancestors, but in my reign was rebuilt into a great and thriving port city."