Whisked Away

50. A Parlament of Owls

Shifra's POV
After we had landed, Jill and Glimfeather soon alighted at the old, ruined building. I heard the two children check to see if it was the other one, when I pulled myself into a grave and quiet mood. "Now," Glimfeather started, "I think we're all here. Let us hold a parliament of owls."

As the other owls hoots in agreement, Eustace suddenly interrupted, "Half a moment. There's something I want to say first. I suppose all you chaps, owls I mean, I suppose you all know that King Caspian the Tenth, in his young days, sailed to the eastern end of the world. Well, I was with him on that journey; with him and Reepicheep the Mouse, and Lord Drinian and all of them. And what I want to say is this, that I'm the King's man' and if this parliament of owls is any sort of plot against the King, I'm having nothing to do with it."

"Tu-whoo, tu-whoo, we're all the King's owls too," all the owls replied. Anger briefly coursed through me at the thought that I'd betray Narnia in such a way, but taking a deep breath I allowed it to slowly ebb away, distracting me from what was currently being said.

"How long is the King going to be away?" Eustace's voice cut through my thoughts.

The owls all muttered not knowing and turned their attention to me hoping for an answer. When at last all eyes were upon me, including the children, I finally voiced my thoughts, speaking very slowly and pointedly, "Well, King Caspian wishes to seek Aslan, for it was rumored of his being sighted in the Lone Islands. He wishes to have council with him as to whom shall be the next king. He wished for me to do it, but I am no longer as familiar with the land as I once was."

Eustace gave me a confused look and asked, "Why shouldn't you be? If you're retired I'd think you had more time to see all of it once more."

The corners of my lips tugged into a small smile, the only crack in my grave wall. "I was asleep those years Eustace. That is what I meant by retired. I may be the general again, but I don't know. I'm leaving that up to the next king of Narnia."

He nodded in understanding, but asked, "Now what's the story of this lost prince?" Now an old owl stepped forward. He was one that I scarcely remembered from before my sleep, but what I did remember of him was that he was very sensible and logical.

Around ten years ago found the then Prince and Knight Rilian with his mother Lilianduil and many of the squires and ladies. They rode their horses out to a pleasant, green glade on a bright morning in late spring. When they arrived, they all dismounted and brought from the horses food that they had brought. They had also brought wines and drank from the fresh spring that sprang up from the earth.

There was much talk and laughter, but the Queen soon became tired and they lay out blankets for her to rest on. Now after they had moved away so as to not wake her a great, green serpent slithered out, shining as only the most poisonous snakes can. It was of a poisonous green color that blended fairly well with the grass so that it was not noticeable at first notice.

The Queen's cry echoed in the glade as the serpent stung her hand with its long, white fangs. Rilian was the first to his mother's side, but he soon left it, pursuing the slimy serpent with his drawn sword, but to no avail. When he had returned, she seemed to be trying to tell him something, but died without delivering her message. The venom had worked in less than ten minuets before stealing from the world a dearly beloved Queen, Wife, and Mother.

Caspian was in a ruinous state and everyone mourned dearly for the queen. Rilian was hardly seen after that point, for he spent all his days searching for the worm that had taken his mother's life. He would rise from his restless sleeps at dawn and take his horse for hard riding all day, coming home late into the nights. About a month later, however, something about him changed.

One day, the Lord Drinian advised the prince against seeking the worm for much longer, only to find out that that brute was far from the prince's mind. He revealed to Drinian that he had seen the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The lord then came along with Rilian the next day to see the fine thing he had spoken of. There, at the very same glade the Queen lost her life, they both saw a woman.

Poison-green wrapped around her shoulders and fell, clinging onto her body, to the ground. The woman beckoned to the Prince and then was gone. The two returned to Cair Paravel, but Drinian, against his better judgment, said nothing of the encounter to the King for fear of being made out to be a tale-bearer. The very next day, Rilian rode off and was never seen again. Neither his horse, hat, or anything that belonged to him was ever found in Narnia again.

While I had been listening, I heard the shuffle of an owl's feet as they came up to me. Bending down so they could tweet into my ear, I heard it twitter, "Tu-whoo, tu-whoo, that's the important bits of the story now, what shall our plan be, General?"

I straightened and stood, drowning in my own thoughts. "...got to reach the ruins of a giant city," Jill piped up, slightly nervous. The owls all began to twitter, tweet, and hoot about how they could not come with them. Making excused like, "You'd want to travel by day and we'd want to travel by night, wouldn't do, wouldn't do."

The hooting had grown so loud, mixed with the children's voices as well, that I could not think, until suddenly, "If you please! Forgive me, noble owls and valiant children, for yelling, but it seemed the only way to be heard. Glimfeather." The wise owl visibly perked up at the mention of his name. "We must take them to the Marsh-wiggles. They would do that best up there in the north and frankly they are the only people who can help them much."

There was a general hooting of agreement and soon all was sorted out. We would fly tonight. Eustace would fly on another owl who had volunteered and Jill, who had fallen asleep while we had been talking, would ride on Glimfeather. I would have carried one, but I was too worried of dropping one of them as I had grown rather tired. With the simple plan in place, we set out on the first of many adventures.