CHAPTERTWOAWAYSIDEADVENTURE
ITwasnearlynoononthefollowiawaswakenedbysomethingwarmandsoftmovingoverhisface。Heopenedhiseyesandfouaringintothelongfaceofahorse;itsnoseatoughis。Herememberedtheexgeventsofthepreviousnightandsatup。Butashedidsohegroaned。
“Ow，Bree，”hegasped。“I'msosore。Allover。Ihardlymove。”
“G，smallone，”saidBree。“Iwasafraidyoumightfeelabitstiff。It'tbethefalls。Youdidn'thavemorethanadozenorso，anditwasalllovely，syturfthatmusthavebeenalmostapleasuretofallon。Andtheomighthavebeennastywasbrokenbythatgorsebush。No:it'stheridieshardatfirst。Whataboutbreakfast?I'vehadmine。”
“Ohbotherbreakfast。B，”saidShasta。“ItellyouIove。”Butthehorsehimwithitsnoseandpawedhimgentlywithahooftillhehadtogetup。Andthehimaheywere。Behindthemlayalittlecopse。Beforethemtheturf，dotteders，slopeddowntothebrowofacliff。Farbelowthem，sothatthesoundwaveswasveryfaint，laythesea。Shastahadfromsuchaheightandneverseensomuchofitbefore，nordreamedhowmanycolorsithad。Ohecoaststretchedaway，headlandafterheadland，asyoucouldseethewhitefuptherocksbutmakingnowassofarullsflyiheheatshiveredontheground;itwasablazingday。ButwhatShastaoticedwastheair。He'tthinkwhatwasmissing，untilatlastherealizedthattherewasnosmelloffishinit。Forofeitheriagenthes，hadheeverbeenawayfromthatsmellihisnewairwassodelidallhisoldlifeseemedsofaraway，thathefotforamomentabouthisbruisesandhisagmusdsaid:
“Isay，Bree，didn'tyousaysomethingaboutbreakfast?”
“Yes，Idid，”answeredBree。“Ithinkyou'llfihinginthesaddle-bags。They'reoverthereonthattreewhereyouhuhism，rather。”
&igatedthesaddle-bagsaswereg—ameatpasty，onlyslightlystale，alumpsandanotherlumpofgreeleflaskofwine，andsomemofortytsinall，whichwasmorethanShastahadeverseen。
&asatdown—painfullyandcautiously—withhisbastatreeahepasty，Breehadafewmoremouthfulsofgrasstokeephimpany。
“Won'titbestealihemoney?”askedShasta。
“Oh，”saidtheHorse，lookingupwithitsmouthfullofgrass，“Iofthat。Afreehorseandatalkin'tsteal，ofcourse。ButIthinkit'sallright。We'reprisonersandcaptivesiry。Thatmoy，spoil。Besides，hetanyfoodforyouwithoutit?Isuppose，likeallhumans，youwouralfoodlikegrassandoats。”
“I't。”
&ried?”
“Yes，Ihave。I'tgetitdownatall。You'teitherifyouwereme。”
“You'rerumlittlecreatures，youhumans，”remarkedBree。
&ahadfinishedhisbreakfast（whichwasbyfarthehehadevereaten），Breesaid，“IthinkI'llhaveanicerollbeforeweputonthatsaddleagain。”Andheproceededtodoso。“That'sgood。That&#ood，”hesaid，rubbinghisbatheturfandwavingallfsintheair。“Yououghttohaveooo，Shasta，”hes'sm。”
ButShastaburstoutlaughingandsaid，“Youdolookfunnywhenyou'reonyourback!”
“Ilooknothi，”saidBree。Butthensuddenlyherolledroundonhisside，raisedhisheadaShasta，blowingalittle。
&reallylookfunny?”heaskedinananxiousvoice。
&does，”repliedShasta。“Butwhatdoesitmatter?”
“Youdon'tthink，doyou，”saidBree，“thatitmightbeathingtalkinghorsesneverdo—asilly，ishtrickI'velearhedumbowouldbedreadfultofibaia，thatI'vepickedupalotoflow，badhabits。Whatdoyouthink，Shasta?Holy，now。Don'tsparemyfeelings。Shouldyouthinkthereal，freehorses—thetalkingkind—doroll?”
“HowshouldIknow?AnywayIdon'tthinkIshouldbotheraboutitifIwereyou。We'vegottogettherefirst。Doyoukno>
“IknowmywaytoTashbaaesthedesert。Oh，we'llmasomehow，neverfear。Why，we'llbeinsightoftheaihinkofit!ToNarniaah!Nothingwillstopusthen。ButI'dbegladtobepastTashbaan。YouandIaresaferawayfromcities。”
“'tweavoidit?”
“Notwithoutgoingalongwayinland，andthatwouldtakeusintocultivatedlandandmainroads;andIwouldn'tknoe'lljusthavetthecoast。Uphereonthedownswe'llmeetnothingbutsheepandrabbitsandgullsandafewshepherds。Andbytheway，whatab?”
Shasta'slegsachedterriblyashesaddledBreeahesaddle，buttheHorsewaskindlytohimaasoftpaceallafternoowilightcametheydroppedbysteeptratoavalleyandfoundavillage。BefotintoitShastadismouonfoottobuyaloafandsomeonionsaheHorsetrottedroundbythefieldsintheduskaaatthefarside。Thisbecametheirregularplaneveryseight。
TheseweregreatdaysforShasta，andeverydaybetterthaashismuscleshardenedandhefelllessofteheendBreestillsaidhesatlikeabagofflourinthesaddle。“Awassafe，young'un，I'dbeashamedtobeseenwithyouonthemainroad。”ButinspiteofhisrudewordsBreeatientteaooeagsowellasahorse。Shastalear，top，andtokeephisseatevenwhenBreepulledupsuddenlyuheleftht—which，asBreetoldhim，wasathingyoumighthavetodoataihenofcourseShastabeggedtobetoldofthebattlesandwarsinwhichBreehadcarriedtheTarkaaellofforcedmardthefofswiftrivers，esasbetweendcavalrywhenthewarhhtaswellasthemen，beiallioeandkidtorearattherightmomentsothatthehorse'sweightaswellastherider'swouldedownonaenemy'sthestrokeofswordorbattle-axe。ButBreedidnotwanttotalkaboutthewarsasoftenasShastawathem。“Don'tspeakofthem，youngster，”hewouldsay。“Theywereoisroc'swarsandIfoughtinthemasaslaveandadumbbeast。GivemetheNarnianwarswhereIshallfightasafreeHmyowhoseorthtalkingabout。Narniaah!Bra-ha-ha!Broohoo!”
Shastasoonlearned，whenheheardBreetalkiallop。
&heyhadtravelledonforweeksamorebaysandheadlandsandriversahanShastaber，therecameamoonlitartedtheirjourevening，haviduriheyhadleftthedowhemandweregawideplainwithaforestabouthalfamileawayohesea，hiddenbylowsandhills，wasaboutthesamedista。Theyhadjoggedalongforaboutanhour，sometimestrottingaimeswalking，whenBreesuddenlystopped。
“What'sup?”saidShasta。