The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

Shasta now gave himself up for lost and began to wonder whether lions killed you
quickly or played with you as a cat plays with a mouse and how much it would hurt. At
the same time (one sometimes does this at the most frightful moments) he noticed
everything. He saw that the other rider was a very small, slender person, mail-clad (the
moon shone on the mail) and riding magnificently. He had no beard.
Something flat and shining was spread out before them. Before Shasta had time even to
guess what it was there was
a great splash and he found his mouth half full of salt water. The shining thing had been a
long inlet of the sea. Both horses were swimming and the water was up to Shasta's knees.
There was an angry roaring behind them and looking back Shasta saw a great, shaggy,
and terrible shape crouched on the water's edge; but only one. "We must have shaken off
the other lion," he thought.
The lion apparently did not think its prey worth a wetting; at any rate it made no attempt
to take the water in pursuit. The two horses, side by side, were now well out into the
middle of the creek and the opposite shore could be clearly seen. The Tarkaan had not yet
spoken a word. "But he will," thought Shasta. "As soon as we have landed. What am I to
say? I must begin thinking out a story."
Then, suddenly, two voices spoke at his side.
"Oh, I am so tired," said the one. "Hold your tongue, Hwin, and don't be a fool," said the
other.
"I'm dreaming," thought Shasta. "I could have sworn that other horse spoke."
Soon the horses were no longer swimming but walking and soon with a great sound of
water running off their sides and tails and with a great crunching of pebbles under eight
hoofs, they came out on the farther beach of the inlet. The Tarkaan, to Shasta's surprise,
showed no wish to ask questions. He did not even look at Shasta but seemed anxious to
urge his horse straight on. Bree, however, at once shouldered himself in the other horse's
way.
"Broo-hoo-hah!" he snorted. "Steady there! I heard you, I did. There's no good
pretending, Ma'am. 1 heard you. You're a Talking Horse, a Narnian horse just like me."
"What's it got to do with you if she is?" said the strange rider fiercely, laying hand on
sword-hilt. But the voice in which the words were spoken had already told Shasta
something.
"Why, it's only a girl!" he exclaimed.