The Early Chronicles: The Story of Swanwhite

Chapter 3

Swanwhite stood outside the courtyard ready to mount Cygnus.  She wore a dark red dress that had a big skirt so she could ride astride easily, and a grey leather vest along with her sword, and tall black boots.  Her hair was pulled back but blew freely, and a small silver crown was placed on her head to mark her as future ruler.  Cygnus bent low to the ground so Swanwhite could swing her leg over and settle herself on his soft back.  She had ridden Cygnus a few times before so she knew how to set her feet so they wouldn't get in the way of his wings.  Three other soldiers mounted three other large swans, and their was a blast of trumpets as the swans began running to build up momentum.  To those who have never ridden a swan, this is always the worst part of the trip because swans are very clumsy when running and it gives the passenger a bumpy ride.  But when they begin flapping their wings and fold their legs up underneath them, they mount to the skies with brilliant speed, before leveling out into a soft, smooth ride with nothing to hear except the flapping of their wings and their occasional trumpeting.  A pleasant shiver went through Swanwhite as they soared through the clouds in the damp air.  Cygnus's feathers were soft and comfortable, and the cool misty air made Swanwhite feel sleepy.  The air seemed muffled and soft, like she was in a dream.  She couldn't see anything below her except clouds but every once in a while there would be a clear patch in the clouds and she could see forest or water or the desert, and this would give them an idea of where they were.  The trip was long and silent.  The other three swans were always close but there wasn't really anything to talk about, and they didn't want to risk even the slightest chance of giving away their position.  They flew on for hours and Swanwhite wasn't sure she didn't fall asleep.  

Finally, Cygnus's head perked up and he looked around carefully.  The sudden movement jerked Swanwhite awake.  All four swans slowly began a descent until they were inside the thickest clouds.  Grey and white mist shrouded Swanwhite's vision, and she felt cold.  She could barely see Cygnus's head and the other swans were invisible to her.  It stayed like this for several minutes as they continued gliding downwards.  Swanwhite shivered and she felt much more uncomfortable than she had moments before when they were above the clouds.  After several moments of descent, she felt warmer, and the misty clouds around her vanished.  There before her lay the sand-colored city of Calormen.  Swanwhite's hair was damp and her clothes stuck to her but she knew it wouldn't last long since the heat hit her like a wave.   They glided over the desert towards the great gates with their shadows wrinkling over the golden sand.  A feeling of dread filled Swanwhite as the gloomy city grew closer and speaking to her uncle became a reality.  She hadn't seen her Uncle Vagdar since she was a very little girl, and even then she had been afraid of him.  She had gone over a few ways to beg him to leave Narnia lone, but she had no idea if he intended to even let her leave the palace alive.  

They endured a bumpy landing that involved sand flying up in Swanwhite's face and sticking to her damp clothes, but they had arrived.  

"My apologies for the landing, your royal highness."  Cygnus said and shook himself off.  

"Not at all.  I know swan landings well." Swanwhite brushed the sand off of her but it wouldn't completely leave her wet clothes and hair.  She held up her chin and mustered up as much courage available, and led the march through the great gates of Calormen.  There were guards with stone faces lining the entrance and they eyed the strange company with the queerest expressions.  Once inside the gates, Swanwhite couldn't help but gasp at what she saw.  The city was dirty and bustling with people.  The guards wore helmets with a great spike on the top, and the rest of the men wore turbans on their heads.  Their clothes were white or sandy colors and they wore sandals on their feet.  There was a foul smell in the air and shouts of confusion and whip cracks pierced their ears.  Looking at the expressions, Swanwhite wasn't surprised by the reports she heard about the cruelty of this Southern country.  Cygnus and the men immediately began clearing a path for her while the other two swans protected her from the back.  The men shouted "Make way for the queen!"  as they marched and Swanwhite followed, trying to ignore the puzzled glances.  The air was hot and sticky, and smelled of animals and sweat.  The faces they passed had wild eyes and fierce auras about them.  Swanwhite had never seen Calormenes in this number before or this close, and they looked so different and so cold that her breath began to quicken and she closed the gap between her and the guards in front of her.  When Swanwhite thought she would have to shut her eyes soon, they stopped at the big copper palace with a golden dome for a roof and a terrifying statue of Tash, the Calormen god.  The Tisroc of Calormen was not only responsible for ruling the people, but was also the caretaker of the temple of Tash.  Tash was an ugly creature that was half bird and half man.  It had four arms with sharp talons instead of nails, and a curved, cruel beak that was open in a threatening screech, but the worst was its eyes.  Tash had green eyes that were made of jade in the statue but they still seemed to hollow into Swanwhite like fire, and she knew she would have a hard time keeping them out of her nightmares.  She hurried past the statue and through the pointy spires of the iron gates into the palace.  The guards had apparently known she was expected, as they did not resist her at all.  They opened doors for the company and led them to the throne room of Swanwhite's waiting uncle.