[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]

He lets go her hand to guide Destrier along the familiar beach toward the path that clambers up the slope. As they climb, he points out things here and there to Susan.

"When I was a boy – and later a man – this whole area had been washed away by erosion, and the castle stood on an island in the Great River Delta, not on this hill."

[sai_delgado]

Susan blinks in surprise. "However did thee make it into a hill, when it were an island before?"

[the_seafarer]

"Only imagine what clever engineers Talking Moles are," he points out. "And we had a few giants to lend a hand. But what we built up didn't quite look like this, either."

[sai_delgado]

"They must have been trig as anything, to transform it so." Susan considers the area around them, then looks back at Caspian.

"How did it look different?"

[the_seafarer]

"Because we built a city over it," he tells her, cheerfully. "So most of this became part of the citadel."

[sai_delgado]

“Oh, and that would be a change indeed, say true,” she giggles. “Did they call thee Builder as well?”

[the_seafarer]

"Not that I ever heard," he laughs.

The horses clamber up over the rise at the edge of the path, and he looks around, then points. "Over there – the North Gate. There should be an apple orchard we can wander through."

[sai_delgado]

“It’s been a long time since I did that,” Susan murmurs, patting the mare’s neck. “Did ye hear that, beauty? Would’ee like me to bring thee an apple?”

[the_seafarer]

The mare doesn't speak, but she understands the tone well enough and snorts in response. Caspian directs Destrier towards the North Gate, smiling. "I think they both deserve one after that race, don't you?"

[sai_delgado]

"Mayhap even more than one." She settles comfortably in the saddle, as if born or grafted there, and keeps the mare to pace at Caspian's side.

"Orchards thee mentioned before, but I didn't realize thee had them so close to yer home."

[the_seafarer]

"There are others, closer to the Western Woods," he tells her, riding along easily by her side. "This one was, I think, planted by the Pevensies during their reign. It expanded quite a bit after they went missing."

[sai_delgado]

"There were apple orchards north of Hambry," Susan says, and though her voice is soft with memory, a slight smile curves her mouth. "Sai White, Jake White, saw to them. But we had windfall-rights, for the horses, of courses."

[the_seafarer]

"Of course."

Destrier lifts his head and sniffs the air, scenting the sweet fragrance of apples. "That must have made for several pleasant outings."

[sai_delgado]

"It did, say true. I'd go with my da', betimes, to collect them." Susan tosses him an amused smile. "He said I were closer to the ground, so it were better so."

[the_seafarer]

Caspian chuckles, imagining a small Susan collecting fallen apples, enchanted by the image. "I can only imagine attempting to use the same logic with Reepicheep," he says, amused. "But it sounds as though you were a fine apple-picking companion."

[sai_delgado]

"I'd never," she laughs. "I'd not want him to feel insulted, never in life."

She can see the orchard now, the trees healthy and their leaves bright, and has to coax the mare out of hurrying toward them.

"It were more play for me than work. And once we had enough for the horses, Da' always had us set aside a few for cider and pie. He called it payment for the picking."

[the_seafarer]

"Fresh cider and pie sounds a fair exchange for the labor," Caspian laughs. "I always liked the apple-picking, too, but I liked even more the work to clear the orchard and ready it in the spring. The apple tree dryads had blossoms in their hair, and..."

He trails off, his glance caught by a flash of motion among the trees ahead. Something paces through the orchard, but in the dappled shadows he can't tell if it's gold or brown.

[sai_delgado]

Caspian's attention shifts, and Susan turns to look with him, automatically gathering the mare beneath her.

"Caspian?" she murmurs. "What is it?"

[the_seafarer]

He shakes his head, collecting Destrier with a quiet word and his legs. "I only thought I saw something," he says. "Shall we go in and collect some apples?"

[sai_delgado]

A spark of nervous alarm thrills through her in the instant before she scolds herself not to be silly. This is Aslan's Country, there's naught to fear here - and even if there were, in some other place, she's safe with Caspian, she's as certain of that as she is her own name.

"Let's," she says, determinedly cheerful. It's not hard, she finds, and is glad of it. "Else these two'll never forgive us."

[the_seafarer]

Neither the horses nor Caspian appear concerned, though Caspian peers through the trees as if expecting to see something in particular as they start into the orchard. After a few moments, the figure he'd noted before paces across the path once more, and this time he laughs.

"I think you're about to meet an old friend or two," he tells Susan, amused. "That looks like one of the three Bulgy Bears."

[sai_delgado]

She brightens like the sun itself. "Oh! The ones that helped thee during the rebellion?"

[the_seafarer]

"The very same. And, look – "

He points ahead to where one of the trees waves like it's caught in a tiny storm. "I shouldn't be surprised if there were someone interesting over there, too."

[sai_delgado]

"Thee mischief," she teases. "Will'ee not give me a hint as to who?"

[the_seafarer]

"I'll offer a hint," he laughs. "It's not likely to be someone small."

In fact, as they come closer, the horses start dancing as the ground trembles underfoot. Another turn in the path, and a line of trees becomes visible – along with a large brown bear, scratching its back luxuriously against a gnarled trunk, and a small giant shaking another, sending a storm of apples pattering down onto the grass.