That Corin!

Hi! Nothing much as been going on, so I thought I would post an excerpt of "Born For This" in which (Isabel will appreciate it) Corin gets into some trouble with horses. Enjoy!

“Cor? Where are you?” Corin called as he wandered into the stable. He breathed in the familiar smell of horses and hay, and glanced casually around at the rows of quite stalls. He stopped to pat Queen Lucy’s mare who nudged his hand, hoping for a treat.

Corin laughed. “Sorry, I don’t have anything, Jubilee!” She snickered at him and he reached up to scratch her forehead before continuing down the row of stalls. Queen Susan’s horse and several of the other mares were in the pasture, Corin noted. It suddenly seemed dark and dreary in the stable. He frowned. Why shouldn’t Jubilee be out in the sunny pasture with her friends?

Retracing his steps, he unlatched the stall door and slipped inside with the friendly mare. She pushed her head against his chest in greeting. He laughed cheerfully again and hurried to open the door at the back of the stall that lead to the green pasture. He glanced around for the stable hands, but none were in sight.

The door swung open and Jubilee followed the boy into the bright sunshine. She shook her mane and trotted out into the pasture. Satisfied with himself, Corin return to the stall and latched the door firmly behind him. He looked around the stable again and felt bad for the other five horses that waited patiently in their dim stalls.

Defying his conscious as normal, Corin hurried to let the other mares into the pasture. He watched for the stable hands, expecting them to catch him in the act, but no one entered the barn. It was only a matter of a few minutes before he reached the last stall. He glanced at the name plate attached to the door as he entered.

“Rose,” he muttered. “I hope you don’t have a thorny disposition.” The dark mare snorted at him and her ears flatted against her head. Corin watched cautiously and slowly moved towards the door. Rose was uneasy and he could see it in her eyes.

“That’s a good girl,” he tried to sooth. She snorted at his words, taking a disliking to the scrawny figure invading her stall. “Stay calm,” he whispered. He continued to creep along the wall, his hand outstretched and feeling for the cool metal of the latch.

Rose gave a sharp whinny and reared, splattering him with mud (at least, he hoped it was mud) as he dashed the rest of the way to the door. Corin fumbled with the latch before the door finally swung open and the perturbed mare galloped into pasture. Corin sighed with relief as he slumped against the doorway.

He made a face at the back of the retreating Rose and brushed a clump of mud off his tunic. Corin returned to the stable, whistling absentmindedly. He stopped abruptly when he heard shuffling in the hayloft. Corin quickly hurried over to the ladder and climbed up nimbly. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden light, he could see his brother’s silhouette against the octagon window.

“What are you doing up here?” Corin questioned, hauling his legs over the edge of the platform. “One of those mares just tried to trample me.” Corin deposited himself on the nearest bale of straw as he waited for Cor to answer. A sigh was the only response. Under ordinary circumstances, Cor would have been worried about Corin’s close call, but he appeared to not have heard what his younger brother said. In fact, Corin wasn’t sure if Cor even realized he was there.

“I deserved what she said,” Cor mumbled to himself.

“What do you mean?” Corin asked as he glanced up, his interest piqued.

Cor sighed, realizing that he had spoken aloud and his little brother was expecting an answer. “Aravis and I were arguing.”

“Again?” Corin’s curiosity dropped and he began to fidget with the straw poking through his tunic. “Can’t you ever get along with each other? You always fight over the silliest things.”

“I try, Corin!” Cor exclaimed as he whirled around. “But she’s so headstrong and I’m so– so—” He stammered to a halt.

“You’re what?” Corin glanced up as the straw dropped from his fingers. Cor could feel the hot flush crawling up his neck as he sank onto the bale of straw beside his brother.

“So meek,” he finished quietly, expecting Corin to laugh at him.

“King Peter told me that meekness is not a sigh of weakness, Cor,” Corin remarked. “He said that meekness is controlled power and…” He trailed off in embarrassment, ducking his head and mumbled, “I-I’m not very good at giving brotherly advice.”

“We are both new to brotherhood, but I think you are doing a good job.” Cor smiled at him.

“You really think so?” Corin felt the blood rush to his cheeks, but he was pleased none the less when Cor nodded. “I’m glad that Aslan brought us together again,” Corin admitted.

“So am I, Corin,” Cor agreed, reaching over to ruffle his brother’s hair. “So am I.”