The Horse and His Boy

The Horse and His Boy takes place in Calormen and Archenland, neighboring countries of Narnia, during the reign of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.

A young boy living in Calormen, Shasta, runs away from home with a talking horse of Narnia, Bree, when he finds out he is an orphan and his 'father' is going to sell him into slavery. They decide to escape north to Narnia. Along the way they join up with a girl Aravis, a high-born Tarkheena running away from a forced marriage, and her talking horse Hwin. However, in the capitol city Tashbaan, Shasta is mistaken temporarily for Prince Corin of Archenland, whom he resembles, who is visiting Calormen under the care of Queen Susan and King Edmund. Meanwhile, Aravis accidently finds out about a plot by Prince Rabadash, a son of the Tisroc, to invade Archenland. Reunited, they decide to ride to Anvard in Archenland to warn King Lune about the invasion. After a harrowing three day ride across the desert just ahead of Rabadash's invasion force, they meet the Hermit of the Southern March who urges Shasta on alone. After getting lost in the mountains, Shasta meets up with the King in a hunting party, and warns him of the invasion. They return to Anvard in time to defend it from Rabadash's force, and Shasta fights in the battle. The unrepentant Rabadash is captured, and given a donkey's head by Aslan as punishment for his aggression. Afterward, the resemblance between Shasta and Corin is discovered, and it turns out that Shasta is really Corin's twin brother Prince Cor, who was lost at sea as a baby, and King Lune is his father. Shasta (or Cor) returns for Aravis, who has stayed at the hermit's house, and invites her to stay with him at Anvard. She does, and they eventually marry. Prince Cor becomes king, and their son becomes King Ram the Great.