Aravis was reassured, with Ben's visit, that somehow time was passing in Fandom as it was here with her in Archenland. She'd feared that with her visit home, she'd return to school to find a whole new set of people, her friends having graduated. However, Aslan's influence had kept time fluid between the two worlds, and the concerns that had been in the forefront of her mind for much of the first half of summer were now faded.

Which was just as well, as she had far more pressing things on her mind.

( 'Hurry, Hwin,' she murmured, dropping her head low to the Mare's. 'They're gaining.' )

[NFB, NFI, but OOC totes welcome if you should like.]

"This is it," Aravis said happily, gesturing to the room. "Wait for it." She glanced back behind her, then flicked a little button on the wall. "See? It's like magic!"

[for Aravis's guests, Karal, Karal's guests, and anyone else who's up for being amazed at electricity.]

Aravis was in a great mood. There were reasons, of course, (reasons in this case chiefly being the hilarity of boys stuck to a wall in their underwear, and the rather nice build of one who she possibly stared at just a touch inappropriately) but the best reason of all was found on her pillow when she took Ata off his leash upon returning.

When she opened the letter (a hastily-scribbled 'Aravis' on the outside in a hand she knew), she found the seal of Archeland, and her face broke into a beatific grin. "All three of them!" she told Ata gleefully.

He ran in a circle, excited that she was excited.

[open for I am le bored.]

The hilly, lush greenness of Archenland was a stark contrast to the burning gold of the desert they had just crossed, but the reprieve was nonetheless welcome.

They'd been greeted at Castle Anvard by King Lune and his other son, a very distressed Corin who thought he should have gotten to go as well, and Aravis was immediately tended to by a nurse and sentenced to bed rest until her wounds healed up.

Bree and Hwin departed for Narnia, their families likely worried about a routine visit to their friends turning into a week-long venture.

The other guests were left to their own devices for the most part. The castle, grounds, and city were theirs to entertain themselves.

[for the rescue crew duh, and still NFB. OCD coming up!]

Aravis waited until the timing seemed right, then tried to catch the eyes of her friends. She leaned forward to murmur a quick warning to Hwin, then gave a sharp whistle and drew her scimitar as they turned on the guards trailing them.

( A change of plan )

[Part two of this post. THIS IS THE LAST PREPLAY OMG I PROMISE I AM DONE SPAMMING YOUR FLIST until I put up the actually-live-played post tonight. Freaking Narniaverse time, condensing a week to two days! As with all the others, NFB, NFI, OOC = woo.]

Aravis's body ached with Hwin's every step. The past few days' pampering had done nothing for her sore muscles or bruising, and the tight, opulent clothing that she had been dressed in for the trip wasn't helping.

Neither were the guards making up half their party.

Aravis was just praying that the plan had spread through the group, and fingered the hilt of her scimitar, tucked securely under her skirts and behind her legs.

She hated riding side saddle, but it did have at least this one advantage.

( The trip back home )

[SECOND TO LAST PREPLAY POST YAY. Continued here.]

Aravis adjusted the veil over the lower half of her face once more as she watched the stable boy saddle up Hwin and tuck Aravis's relatively small satchel into the saddlebag. She would have prepared Hwin for the short trip to the woods herself, but it had been made exceptionally clear that she was not to do anything to muss her pristine appearance. She meant to arrive at her destination as Aravis Tarkheena - Lady Aravis of Archenland - not the dirty, well-traveled Aravis in her brother's armor that had made the initial journey from Calormen.

( Into the woods, la di da )