Poor Shasta gets his world turned upside down overnight (and this after he's already overturned it once by running away with Bree!) and yet, in the wake of the battle and the worry over Calormen's reaction to what Aslan did to Rabadash, I can all too easily see him falling through the cracks for a while. Hence the story.

Hmm, maybe. That's more a kinesthetic/emotional description, though, which are the pieces I don't have as much trouble including. But I'm glad to hear that particular passage worked for you!