"My name," said the girl at once, "is Tekshina Alaves, and I am the only daughter of Tekan Kitrash.Kitash is the son of Taikan Rishti, Rishti is the son of Taikan old Kitash, old Kitash is the son of Tisrok Ilsunbulle, and Ilsunbull is the son of Tisrok Aldib, all descendants of the same lineage of the god Tash.My father was the governor of Caraval province, a powerful official who could stand in his boots before Tisrok himself.My mother died, may the gods give her rest, so my father took another wife.One of my brothers took part in the war against the rebels and died in the far west; The other one was just a child.Now it is my father's turn to talk about my father's wife, my stepmother, who hates me so much that when she sees me living in my father's house, she feels that even the sun is darkened.So she persuaded my father to marry me to Tekan Akhosta.And this Ahoshta came from a humble and lowly background, and all these years he was favored by Tisrok for his flattery and evil tactics, and was now named Taikan, and he ruled several cities and was a powerful man.In the future, when the current minister dies, he is likely to be elected as a minister.You know, he's at least sixty years old, he's still a hunchback, and his dignity looks like a tailless ape.Having said that, my father, because of Akhashta's wealth and power, and his wife's persuasion, sent a matchmaker to my door.The affair was immediately agreed.Immediately afterwards, Akhosta sent a message that the wedding was scheduled for the middle of this summer, and that he would come to my door to marry me. ”"When the news reached my ears, the sun seemed to be pitch black in front of me, and I lay in bed crying all day.But the next morning I got up, washed my face, and took care of the servant, saddled the mare Herwin, and carried a sharp dagger with me.That's what my brother brought with him during the Western War.Then I rode out alone.My father's mansion slowly faded from my sight.Later, I came to a green clearing in the woods, which was deserted.I rolled over from my mare Hwin and pulled out my dagger.I unfastened my clothes to reveal what I thought was more likely to be a direct stab in the heart, and then I prayed to the gods that once I died, I could find my brother and be with him.After praying, I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and prepared to plunge the dagger into my heart. ”But before I could stab it, the horse in front of me said to me in the voice of a human girl, "My noble mistress, do not do anything foolish to hurt yourself, for, as long as you live, you may always be lucky, but once you die, the dead will always be dead." ”"I didn't say half as well as she told me," muttered the mare quietly."
ShhhhMa'am, please be quiet. ”Brie said it had been drawn to the story, "She was telling stories in the bold style of Calmen, and there was no better storyteller in the entire Tisrock court."
I beg you to keep going, Texina. ”"When I heard that my mare actually spoke the language of man," Alaves continued, "I said to myself that the fear of death had disturbed my sanity and caused me to hallucinate.I became ashamed that no one in my family was more afraid of death than of being bitten by a bug.So I raised my dagger again and tried to stab it, but Herwin ran up to me, and stood between me and the dagger with its head, and told me many wonderful lessons of life, reprimanding and teaching me like a mother reprimanding her daughter.It was all so amazing to me that I forgot about the suicide and forgot about the Ahoshta.I said to my mare: "My mare, how did you learn to speak like a human girl?"
and Herwin told me what you all know: that many animals in the kingdom of Narnia can talk, and that they were stolen from Narnia when they were foals.In the same way, it told me about the forests and rivers of the kingdom of Narnia, the castles and the huge ships, and I couldn't help but swear: I swear in the name of the gods Tash and Azarus, and in the name of Zadina, the goddess of the night, that I want to live in the kingdom of Narnia in the future, which is my greatest wish in this life.My mistress, replied the mare, that you would be very happy if you lived in the kingdom of Narnia, for no one would force a girl to marry a man she did not want to marry. ”"We talked about it together for a long time, and eventually, hope was ignited in my heart again, and I was glad I didn't kill myself.In addition, Herwin and I have a secret agreement that we will secretly escape together.To that end, we have also developed a rigorous plan.When we returned to my father's house, I put on my fine clothes and sang and danced in front of my father, pretending to be elated at the marriage he had arranged for me.I also said to my father, "My dear father, my heart is full of joy, and I beg you to take a maiden and live alone in the forest for three days, and make a secret sacrifice to Zadina, the goddess of the night and the virgin, for it is very fitting and customary for the maidens to bid farewell to her service to Zadina and to make such a sacrifice when she is ready to marry.So my father promised, "My dear daughter, then let us do so." ”"As soon as I came out of my father's mansion, I went to his oldest slave, his clerk.When I was a baby, he held me on his lap and teased me, and he loved me more than air and sunshine.I asked him to take an oath to keep my secret, and then I asked him to write a letter for me.He wept and begged me to change my mind, but in the end, he finally said: Yes.And then I got everything done as I wanted it to.Then I sealed the letter and hid it in my arms. ”"But what exactly is in that letter?"
Shasta interjected."
Be quiet, little one."
Brie stopped him from asking, "You've interrupted the story, she'll tell us the contents of the letter at the right time."
Go on, Texina. ”So I called the maid who was going with me into the forest to sacrifice to Zadina, and told her to wake me up early in the morning.I was very kind to her and poured her a glass of wine, but I mixed something into her glass, so she had to sleep all night and a day anyway.Finally, when the people in my father's mansion had finished their business and went to bed, I hastened to put on my brother's armor, which I had kept in my room as a memento.I tucked all my money into my belt, as well as some carefully selected jewelry, while also preparing food for myself.I saddled the mare with my own hands, and at the second watch of the night I rode away.The path I chose was not in the direction of the forest, as my father had intended, but towards the city of Tashban, which was located in the northeast. ”"Now, as far as I know, my father will not look for me for three or four days, he has been deceived by what I have said before.On the fourth day, we arrived at the city of Azimbarda.The city of Achimbarda is located at the intersection of numerous roads.Here, Tisrock wished his long-lived postmen galloping around the kingdom on fast horses, and the high-ranking tykans had the right and privilege to have them deliver letters for them.So I went to the Imperial Post Office in the city of Azimbarda to the Chief Officer, and I said to him: "O dispatcher of information, here is a letter addressed by my uncle Tekan Ahoshta to the governor of Carawar, Tekan Kitrash.Now please take these five Klishins and send them to him.The Chief Officer replied: Yes. ”"The letter was written in the name of Akhosta, and the main content of the letter was roughly as follows: Taikan Akhostha saluted Tekanki Trash.In the name of the inviolable and indefatigable god Tash, I met her in the forest on my way to your mansion to complete my marriage to A-Tekina Aravis, by the arrangement of the gods and fate, when she had completed the ritual of sacrifice to Zadina in accordance with the custom of maidens.When I learned who she was, I was struck by her beauty.Out of careful consideration, the fire of love in my heart was kindled, and if I could not marry her at once, then the sun would lose its light for me.For I have prepared the necessary offerings, and the moment I met your daughter, I immediately married her, and immediately afterwards took her straight back to my own home.We both hope and ask that you come here as soon as possible, for it will be a great pleasure for us to see your majesty and to hear your words, and for you to bring with you the dowry which I have given to my wife, for my daily expenses are very great, and which I need to receive without delay and as soon as possible.Now that you and I are like brothers, I am sure that you will not be angry at the hasty marriage of the two of us, and I have made such a move solely because of my strong love for your daughter.May the gods bless you for your well-being. ”"As soon as the matter was done, I hurried out of the city of Azimbarda, and I did not fear that I would be pursued, and I hoped that my father, when he received the letter, would write to Tekan Akhosta, or simply go to him himself, so that I would have passed the city of Tashban long before the whole thing was revealed.Until this particular night, when I was chased by a lion and before I met you, that part was the essence of my whole story. ”"What happened to that girl, the one you drugged," Shasta asked curiously."
There's no doubt at all, she's going to get beaten for getting up too late."
Alaves replied coldly, "However, she just happens to be a tool of my stepmother, a spy who spies on me."
If she is beaten by them, it will be too late for me to be happy. ”"I mean, that's not fair to her."
Shasta said."
All the things I did were not done to please you," Alaves replied with a look of disdain."
There's another thing in that story that I really don't understand," Shasta continued, "and you haven't grown up yet, and I don't think you're older than I am.But how can you get married at such a young age" Alaves didn't say a word, but Brie immediately replied: "Don't show your ignorance, in those powerful Taikan families, all girls are married at this age. ”Shasta's face flushed, even though the light was too dim for anyone else to see, and he felt like he had been slackened.Alaves asks Brie to tell her his story, and Brie tells her everything.Shasta thinks it's too much of a graft to talk about falling horses and clumsy riding.It was clear that Brie found the content very interesting, but Alaves didn't laugh.As soon as Brie's story was finished, everyone hurried to bed.The next day, the four two horses and two men started their journey together.Shasta felt that he and Brie were having a better time walking alone, but now, almost all of the conversation was between Brie and Araves.Since Brie had lived in Calemon for a long time, and had always been with Tykan and their horses, it was only natural that he knew some people and places that Alaves also knew.She would always say things like, "If you were there at the battle of Ziyulindere, you would have met my cousin Alimash." ”At this point, Brie would say, "Oh, yes, I know Alimash, who is the only commander of the convoy.I'm not very much in favor of chariots or horses that pull chariots.That's not real cavalry.However, he was a nobleman worthy of respect.After Tibeth was captured, he stuffed my horse food bag with sugar. ”In addition, Brie would say, "In the summer of that year, I also went to Lake Mizlil. ”Immediately afterwards Alaves said: "Oh, Lake Mizlil, what a pleasant place I have a friend who lives there, and she is Tekshina Rassakurien.There are many, many beautiful gardens there, and a Thousand Fragrance Canyon" Brie never wanted to leave Shasta out in the cold, although sometimes Shasta himself thought so.Those who have seen the same thing will always involuntarily talk about it.If you're there and you can't be part of the conversation, you'll feel like you're being left out.Herwin the mare was quite shy in the presence of such a great war horse as Brie, and he barely spoke.And Alaves will never say a word to Shasta as long as he can avoid it as much as possible.However, it didn't take long for them to have more important things to consider.As they make their way towards the city of Tashitban, they will inevitably pass through some of the larger villages and meet more pedestrians along the way.Now, almost all of their trips take place at night, and during the day they try to hide and rest or sleep.Every time they stopped to rest, they would always discuss what to do if they approached the city of Tashban.Everyone has been putting off this problem, but now it can't be put off any longer.Over the course of these discussions, Alasvi's unfriendly attitude toward Shasta diminished, and people generally got along better when they agreed on plans than when they were chattering.According to Brie, the most important thing now is to identify a meeting place.It said that if they were unlucky enough to get separated along the city, they would also meet on the other side of the city that had been agreed to be a little further away from the city of Tashban, and he thought the best place to be the graveyard of the ancient kings on the edge of the desert."
It looks like a giant stone beehive," it said, "and you can't miss it, and the best thing is that none of the Calmen will come near it, because they believe that there are ghouls there, so they are terrified of it." ”Alaves asked it if there were really ghouls there.Brie replied that it was a free horse from Narnia, and that it would never believe in the ghost stories and legends of Calman.Shasta says he's not a Calemon either, and doesn't pay any attention to the old-fashioned ghost stories.However, this statement was not entirely true, but it impressed Alaves even though it annoyed her at the time, and of course, she said that she would not be afraid of the number of ghouls.Therefore, the matter of using the burial ground of the ancient kings as a meeting place was decided.Now everyone thought things were going very well, until Herwin whispered, very humbly, that the real question was not where they were going to meet after passing through Tasban, but what they should do to get through Tasban."
We'll fix that tomorrow, ma'am.""
It's time for a nap." ”However, it is not an easy task to solve the problem.Alaves first made a suggestion: they should cross the river outside the city at night, and there was no need to enter the city of Tashban at all.But Brie cites two objections: first, the estuary is too wide, and it would be too long for Herwin to swim through, especially if he still had a man on his back.It believed that it was a long journey for itself, but that was rarely mentioned in that regard.Another reason is that the river is densely packed with boats, and any person sitting on the deck who sees two horses swimming across the river will inevitably arouse the curiosity of others and cause an uproar.Shasta thought they should go upstream north of Tashban and cross the river in a narrower place.But Brie explained that the banks of the river were dotted with gardens and playgrounds for miles, and that it was likely that the Tykan and Texina lived in their houses, riding horses on the main roads, or holding water feasts in the river.In fact, this is probably the easiest place in the world to meet acquaintances who will recognize Alaves and even itself."
It seems that we have no choice but to disguise ourselves."
Shasta thought for a moment and said.Herwin said it thought it was safest to walk through the city, entering through one gate at one end and walking straight toward the gate at the other, which was the least noticeable in the crowd.However, it also agrees with Shasta's suggestion that it would be better to do a disguise.It says: "Both humans are to be dressed in tatters, to look like countrymen or slaves."
The armor of Alaves, our saddles, and all other things had to be tied up and put on our backs, and the children had to pretend to be spurring us on, so that people would think that we were just two pack horses. ”"Ah, my dear Herwin," said Alaves, rather disapprovingly, "no matter how you are going to disguise Brie, no matter what mistakes the eyes may make, you can tell that it is a war horse" "Indeed, I think so. ”Brie replied, snorting and its ears slightly pulled back."
I know it's not perfect," Herwin said, "but I think it's the only chance at the moment."
And we've been taking care of ourselves for a long time, and we don't look the same as before, at least, I'm sure I'm different.I really think that if we put a proper layer of mud on our bodies, walk all the way with our heads drooping, and look lazy and tired, our hooves will almost not be lifted, so that no one will notice us.Also, our tails should be cut short, not so neatly combed, and made uneven, messy and fluffy. ”"My dear lady," said Brie, who did not approve of the idea, and said a little unhappily, "did you think how much it would affect the image of us if we returned to Narnia in such circumstances" "But," said Herwin softly and softly, she was a very sensible mare, "provided that we could get there" Although no one liked Herwin's plan, in the end they had to adopt the idea.The plan was a bit cumbersome to execute, and included a number of things that Shasta called "stealing" and Brie called "robbery".That night, a farm lost a few sacks; The next night, another farm lost another loop of rope.But the ragged boys' clothes for Alaves were bought in cash in a village.When night began to fall, Shasta returned triumphantly with his old clothes.Everyone was waiting for him in the woods at the foot of the mountain.The hill was located on the road they were going to pass.Everyone was very excited, because this was the last hill; When they reach the top of the hill, they can overlook the entire city of Tashban."
Hopefully we'll be able to get through there safely."
Shasta said to Herwin."
Ah, I thought so too, so did I."
Herwin said enthusiastically.That night, they walked through loggers' trails, stumbling through the forest and climbing up the ridge.When they emerged from the woods on the top of the hill, they could see thousands of lights twinkling in the night in the valley below them.Shasta had no idea of the so-called big city, and he was amazed by what he saw.After dinner, the children hurried to sleep for a while.But the horse woke them up very early.The stars were still twinkling in the sky, and the green grass was even more wet and cold, which was unbearable.But at dawn, the dawn stretched far to their right, across the sea.Alaves took a few steps away and flashed into the woods, and when she returned, she was already dressed in the old clothes she had just bought, and she looked a little strange.She also rolled up the clothes she had been wearing before.These things, along with her armor, shield, scimitar, and other equipment from the saddle and horse, were packed into the sacks.Brie and Herwin had already made themselves dirty, covered in mud, and all that was left to cut their tails short.The only tool that could do this was the Aravis cutlasor.In order to get the knife out, one of the sacks, which had already been packed, had to be opened again.It's really time-consuming and laborious, and it's very damaging to the horse."
Good fellow," said Brie, "if I weren't a talking horse, I'd kick you in the face, and I thought you were going to cut it off, not pull it out, but you gave me the feeling that you were pulling hard." ”However, no matter how dark the sky was and how cold the fingers were, everything was finally ready.A large bag was tied to the horse's back.The reins were now in the hands of the children with their halts and leashes, and their journey continued."
Remember," Brie advised, "if possible, we're going to stay together as much as we can."
If we can't do it, we'll gather at the graveyard of the ancient kings, and whoever gets there first will have to wait for the rest of the men to arrive. ”"One more thing to remember," Shasta also instructed, "that whatever happens, both of you must remember that you are a horse, and that you must not speak of human beings." ”t1706231537: