~By the Lion's Mane: The Call~

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

We stayed at Anvard for a week, hunting and feasting and becoming good friends with the Archenlanders again. But we had to continue on to Calormen and our meeting with the Tisroc at some point, as reluctant as we were to leave the hospitable King Nain.

I wasn't as excited about this part of our journey. When I had last been in Calormen, we hadn't been on good terms with them, especially after they tried to invade Cair Paravel when the Kings and Queens went back to London. Though I no longer had the nasty scar, I had received a near-fatal wound at the hands of a Calormen soldier, and I still harbored some lingering resentment, But it was important to forge an alliance with the disagreeable Calormens to prevent future clashes.

We couldn't get there by ship since the Telmarines were afraid of the ocean and had no knowledge of sailing, so we had to cross the Great Desert. I had only crossed it twice before, and both times it had been a hard journey. But I knew that the best way was to travel down the gorge that carried a creek that branched off from the Winding Arrow.

We arrived at the Winding Arrow with anxiety, hoping that it hadn't changed much since my time. Luck was with us, and although it was wider and the current stronger, it wasn't in a gorge like the Rush had been. So we swam across it, and followed the river to the mouth of the canyon.

For two days we traveled along the river, letting Andy and Destrier graze on the lush grass and hunting rabbits for the rest of us. And there was plenty of water. But on the third day, the canyon walls grew smoother and flattened out, and we reached the source of the creek, which was a spring bubbling out of the ground. We filled all of our canteens and drank until our bellies sloshed, gathered more food, and then struck out across the desert, with me leading the way.

We sweated and the sun beat down on us, the sand blinding us with its intensity. Andy and Destrier grew weary quickly, and we had to get off and walk every now and then to give them a break. I thought about how Cor and Aravis and the Horses Bree and Hwin had done this very thing more than a thousand years ago. It was so strange to think that something that had been so real and recent to me was now the legend recited to children as bedtime stories, and the tale which bards sang of at feasts. It made me long for the old Narnia, for what felt like the millionth time since returning to this new Narnia

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We spent the night out on the dunes, huddled against one another for warmth as the heat from the sun faded from the sand. When the sun was setting on our right on the second day, we could see the lumpy mounds of the Tombs on the horizon. When we reached them, Caspian wandered around them in amazement and wonder, but I still couldn't see why a bunch of termite mounds were so special.

We had to spend another night camping since the gates into Tashbaan had already been closed by the time we reached them. That night we had nothing to eat and very little to drink, since we had used up all of our resources on the journey, so the night was passed quite miserably.

We awoke at sunrise to the blaring of those awful trumpets, which signaled the opening of the gates. We marched through them, attracting astonished crowds of dark-skinned Calormenes. They had never seen Old Narnians before in their lives, and some seemed to fear us. We reached the courtyard of the Palace, and guards rushed forward to meet us. I had to introduce us again but, since I was a girl and Calormenes have little respect for women, it wasn't until Caspian stepped forward that they finally let us in.

Our mounts were taken to the stable and the rest of us were taken to rooms to bathe before meeting the Tisroc. I was glad to get the dust and sweat from the desert off of me, and to drink some cool lemonade. Caspian had never had fruits like the ones here, and was amazed at the bright colors of the oranges, limes, lemons, kiwis, bananas, pomegranates, and guavas that were set out for us. He had several of each, and his face was sticky from the sweet juice afterwards. I had to laugh at him, but it was nice to have an orange after two years.

Finally we went before the Tisroc. I had already briefed everyone on how to conduct themselves in his presence.

"Who calls on me from the barbarian lands of the north?" the Tisroc asked of us from where he sat upon an ornate gold throne. He was a fat, balding man, adorned in the (in my opinion) ridiculous attire of Calormen.

"It is King Caspian the Tenth, Lady Rosaline of Narnia, and our company of good fauns, centaurs, and Talking Beasts," I answered him.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "And what do you want?"

I lowered my eyes humbly. "We merely wish to reacquaint ourselves with the noble people of Calormen, Your Majesty. The Telmarines have neglected the alliance between Narnia and Calormen for centuries."

He glared at me before addressing Caspian. "If you are king, why do you let this little barbarian wench talk for you? Have you no voice of your own?" I clenched my jaw and ground my teeth in suppressed frustration. Caspian had to talk for the rest of the meeting.

We were permitted to stay in the palace, and we tried to be as friendly and merry to everyone we met as possible. We tried to make friends , because without the stone and labor from the Calormenes, it would be impossible to reconstruct Cair Paravel.

We were taken to the Temple of Tash, and I had to witness that horrible sacrifice again, this time of a calf. Caspian did not enjoy it either, and he began to dislike Calormen as much as I did. We met the great Tarkaans and Tarkheenas of Tashbaan, and I made new friends with some of the girls. But we were both very glad to leave when our time was up.

The kindness of the Tisroc extended to getting us home again. He agreed to sail us home on one of his ships so that we wouldn't have to suffer through the desert again. The Old Narnians and I were greatly relieved by this, but Caspian was rather nervous as he had never sailed in any kind of boat or vessel at all.

We boarded the ship and put Andy and Destrier below in the hold, and then I went and sat at the front of the ship, the salty wind in my face. For the first two days, Caspian was violently seasick, and couldn't keep anything but water down. But finally on the third day, he began to perk up and get his sea legs.

"Don't you just love being at sea now?" I asked him.

"Well... now that I am adjusting to it, yes, I find it quite enjoyable," he answered a little hesitantly, as if waiting for nausea to strike him again and send him running to the rail of the ship.

I spent most of my time on deck, leaning over the rail watching the clear blue waters below. I was hoping to see mermaids, but all I saw were the dolphins that leaped through the waves made by the bow of the ship slicing smoothly through the water.

After four wonderful days at sea, the white cliffs of Narnia came into view. I directed the captain to the harbor of Glasswater, and then we finally set foot on land. Caspian staggered around, the ground feeling foreign to his legs after the pitching and yawing of the boat. We let our poor horse and unicorn have a bit of a graze before setting off again.

It took us another day and a half to reach the Telmarine castle, which was a bother. Having a castle right on the sea again would be a blessing.