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Thou Art Enough	By : Nik Category: A through F > Chronicles of Narnia Views: 7837 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia nor do I make any profit off of this product of imagination.

Chapter List
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All previous disclaimers apply.

Glenstorm huddled into the cloak wrapped around his upper half as he took his turn on watch at the camp they had put up for the night. A more bitter winter he could not remember. The cold bit into him and he knew that much of the snow would be hard and brittle, more like ice, when the morning finally came. Just two days from the castle and already the men and women on the border patrol, normally all good friends, were beginning to snap at each other and say things that they didn’t actually mean. Most of the time border patrol in the Great Western Woods was a relaxing experience that all enjoyed. The woods were beautiful and cool in the summer. They had been calming and quiet in the fall. In the winter, though, they were tough to negotiate and made the entire patrol want to be elsewhere. Glenstorm would have to use the level head he was famous for it they were to get through this circuit without killing each other.
He smiled. His patrol would never actually kill each other. Aside from the fact that they were all such good friends, they all knew that what they did now was necessary if their young, newly unified country was to survive and thrive once more. They knew any little hint of trouble could not be ignored. In the first three months of Caspian’s reign they had all felt useful, putting down small rebellions by those who did not wish to see the country unified and escorting them to the borders of Narnia. But, now that things had settled they all had time to muse, to think, to worry. It was one of the reasons they were losing tempers so quickly now. They were all worried about Caspian and wished there was something they could do to help him. He had not even come down from whatever secret hiding place he had discovered to see them off. He had always come to see them off before. None of them could pretend any longer that Caspian was slipping further and further away from them and into a serious depression. But, they were prevented from helping by the simple fact that none of them knew what they could do for a young, heartsick king whose love was in another world.
Glenstorm was brought out of his musings by the loud snapping of a branch in the distance. He was immediately at attention, hand on the hilt of his sword. No being in their right mind would be out in weather like this. And yet, straining his already sensitive ears, he could hear the sound of heavy breathing, small sobs, and rough coughing as whatever was making them came closer. After just a few moments, he could see a silhouette. It was a young human woman. She seemed to be heavy with child. Immediately, he dropped his hand from his sword and began to trot to her. What was she doing out here? As he got closer, more things were revealed. She was dressed in light clothing, too light for winter. She had once been wearing shoes, but they were mere tatters around badly torn and bleeding feet now. Her long, dark hair was loose and ragged around her face and her clothing was unlike anything he had ever seen. When he had finally reached her, he swept his cloak off and wrapped her in it, swooping her up in his strong arms. He would have let her ride him, but he didn’t know if it would be possible. When she was this close he could see that she was closer to her time than he had previously thought. Her belly was large and full. She screamed in terror when he gathered her in his arms and he held her close as she struggled for a moment, making soothing noises and reassuring the young woman that he would not hurt her as he made his way back to the camp.
“Shh, little one. I will not hurt you. I only wish to help. I am Glenstorm, a Knight of Narnia and one of King Caspian’s generals.”
As soon as he said his name, the change in the young woman was remarkable. She stopped struggling and went limp in his arms, her forehead falling against his chest. It was then that he realized she was burning with fever and he began to worry. It took him a moment to realize that she was trying to speak to him and he ducked his head to hear her.
“Glenstorm…Glenstorm…thank Aslan. I was afraid no one would find me. I don’t know how longer…thank Aslan…oh, Glenstorm.” The voice was weak, but there was something familiar about it. As soon as he was close enough to the camp fire, he looked down at her face and nearly dropped her in shock. He was holding Queen Susan the Gentle in his arms! She was shivering violently against him and her forehead was hot to the touch. Her eyes were closed, but she was still speaking quietly, delirious perhaps, he thought.
“Caspian…Must get to Caspian before…before the baby comes. Caspian.” She suddenly went completely limp in his arms and he felt the panic set it.
“Awake!” He shouted, “Awake all!” He pounded into the large communal tent that they had set up for purposes of sharing heat and was met with humans, fauns, satyrs and his wife jumping to their feet, all reaching for their swords.
“Glenstorm, what is it?” Moonsong asked her husband, seeing the young woman in his arms before the others.
“Queen Susan…” he whispered, unable to get more sound out of his tight throat. He knelt so that he could place her on one of the sleeping pads. She had begun to moan quietly in her fever sleep and he noticed for the first time that it was sweat that was plastering her hair to her pretty face, drawn now with fever and pain. The others gasped and looked down at the queen, disbelieving that she was there with them in such a horrifying state. It was Moonsong who broke out of the shock first.
“Cadus, go to a willow, ask for bark! We must make her a tea for the pain and the fever! Taya, you’re closest to her size, find your warmest garments for her! Jisan, build a fire within the tent, it needs to be warmer in here. Zoni, fetch linen strips and a disinfecting salve for her feet. The rest of you, find enough dry wood for a reasonable fire! Go!”
At her sharp bark of a command, the others scattered, leaving Glenstorm and Moonsong to kneel next to the sleeping queen. Moonsong began to strip her of her wet clothing. Glenstorm turned away until Moonsong made a small noise of ascent and he turned back to see her holding the young queen in her strong arms, close to her chest for warmth, with a cloak covering both of them. Susan moaned and began to come awake a little.
“Mum,” she moaned, “Mum…I feel…”
“I know, loveling,” Moonsong crooned quietly, gently, “I know…rest now. Sleep.”
“Must get to…Caspian. The baby…Mum…”
“Shh now, my lamb, my loveling. Rest.”
Glenstorm pushed some of Susan’s sweat soaked hair off of her forehead, feeling helpless. She was younger than his own children and carrying a child of her own. What had happened to her? Why was she out in woods alone in the middle of winter? She looked so young, resting feverish against his wife’s chest. When Moonsong looked up at him he could see the tears in her eyes.
“Glenstorm,” she began, choked around the emotion in her throat, and tried again, “Glenstorm. Nothing we can do for her here will save her life. Her fever is too severe. Which is closer? The castle or the next village? We need a real healer or we will surely lose her and the babe as well. Our new prince or princess…”
“We do not know if the child is the king’s,” he pointed out gently.
“She would not think only of getting to him even through her fever if it were not,” Moondance was certain, “Another woman knows.”
“The castle is closer than Settlement Tumnus,” Glenstorm said quietly, “And it is still two days away.”
“Make a sturdy sling,” Moondance looked at him gravely, “If we both run our hardest and switch off pulling her, we can make it in less than a day and a half.”
“Yes,” Glenstorm felt a glimmer of hope for the first time since he had discovered the young woman he held in his arms was Queen Susan and left the tent to do as his wife said. It was less than an hour later that they were tying Queen Susan to a sling that was the best they could make with the limited resources. It was sturdy, but flexible enough to bend with the landscape so that Queen Susan would not be jostled so much. An old willow had been kind enough to give up some bark and branches to help them. Other trees had contributed by weaving a complex weather shield from some of their own branches. It was light, but would still protect the queen from the elements. Susan had been put in warm, dry clothing, her feet bandaged, warmed as much as possible, and woken briefly to drink some of the willow bark tea that had been made for her before they placed her on the sling. The entire camp knew that time was of the essence for their queen and the baby she carried and they moved as quickly and efficiently as they could.
“Run hard. Get her home and to a healer,” Zoni, one of the fauns said quietly as he helped tighten the harness attached to the sling on Glenstorm, “We’ll continue with patrol. Send word for good or ill when you know anything.” Glenstorm and Moonsong nodded in unison and on an unspoken cue began to run as hard and fast as they could toward the castle and the last hope for their young queen. Moonsong could hear Susan calling out in her sleep through the weather shield, calling for Caspian.
“Hold on, loveling,” she whispered under her breath as they ran, “Please, just hold on.”
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Thou Art Enough