Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

10. A Parlament of Owls

"Now," Glimfeather started, "I think we're all here. Let us hold a parliament of owls."

As the other owls hooted and twittered 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 my cousins 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.

"How long is the King going to be away?" Helena asked.

"If only we knew!" said Glimfeather. "You see, there has been a rumour lately that Aslan himself has been sighted in the Seven Isles. And the king said he would make one more attempt before he died to see Aslan face to face again, and to ask his advice about who is to be king after him. But we're all afraid that, if he doesn't meet Aslan in the Seven Isles, he'll go on east to the Lone Islands and beyond. He never talks about it, but we all know that he has never forgotten that voyage to the world's end. I'm sure in his heart of hearts he wants to go there again."

"Then there's no good waiting for him to come back," Helena said with a tone of resignation.

"Well, now, let's get on," Eustace said. "Tell us about the lost prince." Now an old owl stepped forward and began to tell the story.

Around ten years ago, Prince Rilian, his mother Lilianduil, and many of the squires and ladies from the court 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 colour that blended fairly well with the grass so that it was not noticeable at first.

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 her, 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 minutes 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 sleep at dawn and take his horse for hard riding all day, coming home late into the night. About a month later, however, something about him changed.

One day, 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 where the Queen had 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.

"I bet that serpent and that woman were the same person," Jill said.

"True, true, we think the same as you," the owls hooted.

"But we don't think she killed the prince," Glimfeather explained. "Because no bones-"

"We know she didn't," Eustace said. "Aslan told Pole he was still alive somewhere."

"That almost makes it worse," the old owl who had told the story said. "It means she has some use for him and some deep scheme against Narnia. Long, long ago, at the very beginning, a White Witch came out of the north and bound our land in snow and ice for a hundred years. And we think this may be one of the same crew."

"Very well, then," Eustace said. "Pole, Helena, and I have got to find this prince. Can you help us?"

"Have you any clue for what to do?" Glimfeather asked.

"Yes," Helena said in her soothing voice. "We know we are to head north to some ancient city of the giants." There was a great chorus of tu-whoos and many shuffling of feet as they all apologized and made excuses for themselves.

"If they want to go that way into Ettinsmoor, we must take them to one of the Marsh-wiggles. They're the only people who can help them much," said Glimfeather.

"True, true. Do," some of the owls hooted.

"Come then," Glimfeather said. "Three of us must take them."