&hosenearhills,youjustseetheWesternMountains。AndthatroundhillawayhtiscalledtheHilloftheStobeyond—”
ButatthatmomeerruptedbyasnorefromShastaithhisnight'sjourneyabreakfast,hadgoasleep。ThekindlyDwarfs,assooicedthis,beganmakingsighernottowakehim,andindeeddidsomuchwhisperingandnoddiingupand—tiptoeingawaythattheylywouldhavewakedhimifhehadbeeired。
&prettywell—nearlyalldaybutwokeupintimeforsupper。Thebedsinthathousewerealltoosmallforhimbuttheymadehimafiheronthefloor,airrednordreamedallmtheyhadjustfiwhentheyheardashrill,exoutside。
“Trumpets!”saidalltheDwarfs,astheyandShastaallingout。
&ssoundedagaioShasta,nothugeahehornsofTashbaannayandmerrylikeKingLune'shuntinghorn,butdsharpandvaliant。ThenoisewasthewoodstotheEast,andsoontherewasanoiseofhorse-hoofsmixedwithit。Amomeheheadoftheeintosight。
FirstcametheLordPeridanonabayhthegreatbannerofNarnia—aredliround。Shastakohreepeabreast,twersandoneonapohechargerswereKingEdmundandafair-hairedladywithaverymerryfaetandamailshirtandcarriedabowacrosshershoulderandaquiverfullofarrowsatherside。(“TheQueenLucy,”whisperedDuffle。)Buttheoheponywas。Afterthatcamethemainbodyofthearmy:menonordinaryhorses,menonTalkingHorses(whodidn'tmindbeingriddenonproperos,aswhenowar),taurs,stern,hard-bittenbears,greatTalkingDogs,andlastofallsixgiants。FoodgiantsinNarnia。ButthoughhekheywerehtsideShastaatfirstcouldhardlybeartolookatthem;therearesomethingsthattakealotofgettio。
JustastheKingandQueetageandtheDwarfsbeganmakinglowbowstothem,KingEdmu,
“imeforahaltandamorsel!”aherewasagreatbustleofpeopledismountingandhaversagopenedaionbeginningwhenerunninguptoShastaahhishandsandcried,
“What!Youhere!Soyhallright?Iamglad。Nowweshallhavesomesport。Andisn'titlulygotintoharbouratCairParavelyesterdaymapersouswasChervytheStagwithallthisnewsofanattavard。Don'tyouthink—”
“Whhness'sfriend?”saidKingEdmundwhohadjustgotoffhishorse。
“Don'tyousee,Sire?”said。“It'smydouble:theboyyoumistookmeforatTashbaan。”
“Why,soheisyourdouble,”exclaimedQueenLucy。“Aslikeastwotwins。Thisisamarvellousthing。”
“Please,yourMajesty,”saidShastatoKingEdmund,“Iwasnotraitor,reallyIwasn't。AndI'thelphearingyourplans。ButI'dneverhavedreamedoftellioyourenemies。”
“Iknownowthatyouwerenotraitor,boy,”saidKingEdmund,layinghishandonShasta'shead。“Butifyouwouldakehertimetry'smeantforotherears。Butall'swell。”
&herewassomuchbustleandtalkandingandgoingthatShastaforafewmisightofdEdmundandLucy。ButwasthesortofboywhomoohearofprettysoonanditwasnbeforeShastaheardKingEdmundsayinginaloudvoice:
“BytheLion'sMahisistoomuch!Willyher?Youaremoreofaheart's-sourwhether!I'dasliefhavearegimentofhorsinmyandasyou。”
ShastawormedhiswaythroughthedtheresawEdmund,lryindeed,lookingalittleashamedofhimself,andastrangeDwarfsittingonthegroundmakingfaces。Acoupleoffaunshadapparentlyjustbeeoutofitsarmor。
“IfIhadbutmycordialwithme,”QueenLucywassaying,“Iendthis。ButtheHighKinghassostrictlychargedmenottocarryitonlytothewarsareatextremities!”
ehis。AssoonashadspokentoShasta,'selboluckedbyaDwarfinthearmycalledThornbut。
“Whatisit,Thornbut?”hadsaid。
“Yhness,”saidThhimaside,“ourmarchtodaywillbringusthroughthepassandrighttoyourroyalfather'scastle。Wemaybeinbattlebefht。”
“Iknow,”said。“Isn'titsplendid!”
“Splendidornot,”saidThornbut,“IhavethestrictestEdmuhatyhi。Youwillbeallowedtoseeit,andthathfhness'slittleyears。”
“Ohwhatnonsense!”burstout。“OfcourseI'mgoingtofight。Why,theQueenLucy'sgoihearchers。”
“TheQueen'sgraceleases,”saidThornbut。“Butyouareinmycharge。EitherImusthaveyoursolemnahatyou'llkeepyourpohalfaillIgiveyhodepart:orelse—itishisMajesty'sword—wemustgowithourwriststiedtogetherliketwoprisoners。”
“I'llknockyoudownifyoutrytobindme,”said。
“I'dliketh,”saidtheD>
ThatwasquiteenoughforaboylikedinasedtheDwarfwereatithammerandtongs。ItwouldhavebeechfhhadlongerarmsaheDwarfwasher。Butitwasout(that'sthewhtshhillside)forbyverybadlubuttrodoodownonhisnose,andfouogetupthathehadsprainedhisankle:arealexgsprainwhichwouldkeephimfromwalkingforatleastafht。
&yhnesshasdone,”saidKingEdmund。“Deprivedusofaprovedwarrioreofbattle。”
“I'lltakehisplace,Sire,”said。
“Pshaw,”saidEdmund。“sye。Butaboyinbattleisadaohisownside。”
AtthatmomenttheKingwascalledawaytoattehingelse,and,afterapologizinghaheDwarf,rusheduptoShastaandwhispered,
“Quick。There'saspareponynow,andtheDwarf'sarmor。Putitonbeforeaices。”
“Whatfor?”saidShasta。
“Why,sothatyouandIfightileofcourse!Don'tyouwantto?”
“Oh—ah,yes,ofcourse,”saidShasta。Buthehadn'tbeenthinkingofdoingsoatall,aogetamostunfortablepricklyfeelinginhisspine。
“Thatht,”said。“Overyourhead。Nowthesword-belt。Butwemustrideailofthenandkeepasquietasmicethebattlebeginseveryooobusytonoticeus。”