The Early Chronicles Book Four: The Queen and the General

Chapter 8

Swanwhite looked out of the window in the corridor, searching the horizon for any sign of Goran's return.  Like the dozens of other times she had looked that day, the horizon remained empty.  She sighed and wrung her hands before continuing on her way.  A cross country training session could take hours and not bring him back until nightfall.  She would have to still her anxiousness somehow until then.  She went about the castle for another few hours, attending to her studies and checking the books as well as other menial tasks.  Her mind kept drifting to Goran and she grew restless.  In want of some peace, she rushed up to her chambers.  

"You seem distracted, my lady."  Genevieve remarked.  Swanwhite stood at her window that overlooked the vast Narnian landscape that led to the sea.  

"You read me well, Genevieve.  I was wondering when the general would return."

"You must be worried about him."

"What makes you say that?"  Swanwhite turned around.  Genevieve continued folding some linens she was taking from the room. 

"If I cared about someone the way you care about the general, I would worry too."

Swanwhite opened her mouth to protest, but thinking of none, she turned back towards the window.  

 "Will there be anything else?"

"No, that will be all."  Swanwhite dismissed her with her hand.  The Dryad curtsied gracefully and left the room.  Genevieve was right, she did feel worried.  She was thinking about what she would say to Goran when he returned.  Should she tell him that she was falling in love with him? But there was something else she was worried about.  Something didn't sit right about this errand he was on.  She fingered her pendant and closed her eyes.

"Aslan, what should I do?  Something isn't right."  She waited in silence, waiting for Aslan to appear or for her to at least hear his voice.  Nothing happened so she repeated her prayer.  After many long minutes of complete silence, she grew frustrated.  "Please, Aslan!  Answer me like you did before!"  She practically shouted to herself.  No one answered, and she put her head in her hands.  She calmed her breathing and tried to picture Aslan's glowing face, his kind words, his sweet aroma.  He had always shown up when she felt she couldn't go on.  What had he told her before?  He was always with her.  She still didn't hear an audible voice, but something stirred inside her to go speak with the knights about the general's errand.  She rose and took her cloak before running down to the stable yard in the red glow of sunset.  Most of the knights were finished with their duties for the day and had gone to supper, but Swanwhite was relieved to see Sir Ethan still outside.

"Sir Ethan!  May I speak with you?"  She rushed up to him.  He smiled through his thick red beard.

"Of course, my lady."

"I thought you would have gone with General Goran on his cross country training trip today?"

Sir Ethan looked at her with a curious expression.  "What trip?  I heard nothing about such an errand."

"He said he was taking some knights on a long ride for a training session today."  Swanwhite repeated, her heart beginning to beat faster.  Captain Rufus appeared beside Ethan.

"What's this, then?"  The Minotaur said before taking a bite of an apple.  

"Rufus, did any of the knights leave with Goran this morning on a cross country training session?"  She asked with a panic slowly rising in her.  Rufus looked at Sir Ethan.

"I didn't even know he had left."  Rufus said.  Swanwhite had heard enough.  

"Fetch me Kismir!  Immediately!"  She shouted to a nearby stable hand.  Rufus and Sir Ethan looked at her with worried expressions.