blood from stone; cold as ice

[katrina]

"Why do you ask so much of me brother?" She whinnied tossing back her head in frustration, "You were there for my birth, you know I only can count days in my age. Yet you ask so much of me as if I had centuries to aquire this knowledge. I am a child, a foal, a filly, a youngling, and I know nothing. Ask me little more of this for you will know little more in return."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, Secret. But Susan's life might be in danger." his eyes flashed over to the elf for a moment, reminding her that it was her fault. "Do you know the answer to this question: Where is the centaur? How long will it take to reach him?"

[katrina]

"What makes you think I can say more than I have?" She dropped her head in shame. She was gifted with the gift of speech, yet she could make no use of it without the knowledge behind it. "I only know to the southwest. But he is powerful and increasing in strength with each passing day. In every way, even in his unjust hatred of Aslan, he is his father's son."

[King Caspian X]

"Thank you." he said, and kissed her forehead, just above her horn. "We're headed southwest." he said to Katrina, and began to run in that direction.

[katrina]

"It's on the other end of Narnia," Katrina smiled at his determination, "What? You think you can run the whole way there? Here," She took from a pouch on her belt the same powder she had told him about earlier. But of course, she needed a fireplace for her to use it and needed to know where she would end up. "If you know of any houses near there I could get you close, but not there. If you hadn't broken my wand I could get both of us to the farthest point in Narnia in seconds."

[King Caspian X]

"If I hadn't broken your wand, you would have attacked Susan again, and you know it." Caspian said. "And I don't know of any homes over there. I've never traveled that far for long enough to meet anyone, or search for any fireplaces. "We'll take the horses." he said, turning around and grabbing one from the stable and tacking it quickly.

[katrina]

"You've no proof of it." She told him but made no effort to argue. What she had done was out of impulse and hatred, but nothing that she couldn't stop herself from doing later. She found herself a dark brown stallion and ran her hands over his flank feeling for his strength. The beast shuddered and she reached out with her mind to his and he was soon calmed. "So you running out this far would be like a new adventure for you wouldn't it? Maybe it's best if we wait a few days before we go. You could be reaching into a hole you cannot pull your arm back out."

[King Caspian X]

"No." Caspian snapped. "You have already made that decision for me when you invaded my mind. We don't have the option to stay here." He climbed onto his stallion and kicked lightly, steering him southwestward. He wasn't about to wait for Katrina. She would catch up if she wanted to come that badly.

[katrina]

She nodded and mounted the stallion knowing what he said was true and spurred him onward. Any self-respecting elf would have simply ran beside the horses, she knew she had the strength and stamina to do it. But then again, she was not a self-respecting anything and she drove it faster. "This brother of yours, Istalri-boetk," She said once they were a good distance away from the castle and the horses had tired into walks, "his name is elven meaning broad fire in our tongue. Dose he know elf magic as well?"

[King Caspian X]

He rolled his eyes, hearing the clatter of her horse's hooves behind him. "Let's hope not." he said, spurring his horse a bit faster to stay ahead of her. "I want to kill him quickly, before he has a chance to get to my wife." he glared at her, again reminding her that it was her fault.

[katrina]

"I know what I did," She said knowing his reminder when she heard it, "But if I hadn't done it would you ever have believed me? Would you have ever known of Istalri-boetk or your sister and your older brother? I know what I did was wrong but more good will come of it than bad."

[King Caspian X]

"No, I never would have believed you." he answered. "But what difference does it make? I still remember nothing. I still feel nothing for you. And you trespassed into my mind, where you are far from welcome." Caspian snapped. "How can you be so sure that more bad will not come? My wife may die because of your selfish pride."

[katrina]

"She won't die," She tried to assure him. "If he is working through your mind then he would not dare kill her simply because he knows how much she means to you. He might cause other problems, making her do things she may not want, but can do little else without endangering her life. But he would keep her alive so she could be a continuous weapon against you."

[King Caspian X]

"Oh, wonderful!" Caspian said sarcastically. His voice was bitter. "He'll just turn Susan into a living puppet! That's not so bad!" he barked, seething. "It's all your fault. We've gained nothing compared to the bad." he spat on the ground and urged his horse to go faster, if it could.

[katrina]

The horse whinnied and reared as she pulled hard on his mane having not brought a bridle because of time. She shouted a single, strength draining spell and Caspian's horse did the same. "I am not the cause of Queen Susan being controlled. Her mind was being tampered with long before I even left the Lone Islands. Magic has been interfering with her mind since she passed between the trees that sent her to England when Aslan was last here. Why do you think she just decided to defy Aslan, or keeps perusing Lamont even after she tells you she doesn't want to. Either she is foolish, unfaithful, or being controlled. Yes, Lamont told you when she left you that neither he or Lamont have used magic on her, but this is still true. It is your brother, not them, who have been using her all this time. And you ride beside me and blame this on me?"