Redeeming Nebuchadnezzar
Dedicated to
Mr. Asad Shah
-Chapter I-
The river babbled on, the water flowing through cracks and crevasses and the river itself calling the birds of the trees to awake and for their songs to ring out against the calm, windless morning. Despite the humidity due to last night's rain, Reepicheep walked along the shore and through the morning flowers which said hello to him, he beheld an otter on the blanks- resting his eyes and curling his head within himself to shield his eyes from the blinding sun. At first, The Mouse thought nothing of this, for he had seen otters do this sort of thing all the time, he made a mental note to cross his path as quietly as he could to not disturb his rest. Making his way through the maple trees and across the moss covered roots and deer trails, Reepicheep kept his gaze eastward toward his prime destination. On occasion, he would look back to the sleeping otter, just to make sure that he was alright, for the Mouse was ever concerned about sleeping friends in the forest and part of him wanted to watch him as he slept just to be certain that he would safe; however, he thought this odd, awkward, and invasive so he continued on his way.
The otter, Warwick, did not sleep on the bank, nor was he lifeless, instead, he was praying to a deity who would not answer him. The name of his hope was Cosmarki, the patron of animals. In this polytheism there only came bird songs, which was not what Mr. Warwick wanted at all. Mumbling and do so with great concentration, the otter began to beg for his back. The story behind him being on the bank all began with his son, Jerman, who began to tell him of something else that governs his life and Lidwing, a hawk who brought the misery upon him…
"Do not dare lay your heretic paws on him!" The hawk screamed as he placed himself between the unmoving Jerman and the red and bloodied pawed Warwick who still possessed a gold feral gaze in his eyes
"Step aside Lidwing, let me finish my blasphemous son!" Warwick shouted back as he flashed tissue covered claws his direction. His fur was ruffled and he was prepared to die at that moment when Jerman finally moved and made a noise and Warwick ceased his advancement. This otter's face, which was ripped into an unrecognizable figure of devilish proportions, still managed to smile to the one who raised him.
"I…forgive you, Father."
Warwick shook his head. "Where is he? Where is the Great Lion you so humbly speak of?"
"He appears through you."
"Appears through me?" Warwick scoffed. "If that is true then he has done nothing. He is nothing. He has lied and deceived you."
"Then why acknowledge his existence if you call him a liar and a deceiver?" Jerman asked as he coughed.
"THE LION IS DEAD!" Warwick screamed into the heavens. "He took everything from me and is the pain of this world. For it was he who spawned Narnia's destruction and it was he who gave rise to insane preachers. I see now. You are becoming one of them."
"Silence, Warwick." Lidwing said, expanding his wings to block him from doing further damage to his son, "You have done enough, you have said all you need to."
Warwick straightened out his fur as Jerman began to crawl away from the scene, his body broken, but his spirit very much alive, for he moved saying: "He has given me Hope! He has given me Life!"
The elder otter, furious at the outburst, rushed over despite Lidwing's blockage and taking a rock, moved to bash the speaker of joy's head in. Simultaneously, Lidwing pinned Warwick down with his talons, digging deep and forcing his back into submission. Leaning down, the hawk looked on and noticing the deed was accidently done by his action. The rock landed on the right side of Jerman's head, consequently caving in the rest and forcing his body still. Lidwing bowed his head in silence and when he was finished, began quick work of Warwick, proclaiming: "You destroyed one of peace, now see war."
Reepicheep made it to a small clearing where he noticed white flowers and a small post with a wreath of dead ones on them. He walked over to it and feeling it nice, he replaced the wreath of dead flowers with a new one which he strung together rather quickly. When he placed it on the post, he smiled.
"There you are, Miss Badger, now you have some new flowers to look at from where you are."
The wind blew westerly and Reepicheep breathed in the air and outstretched his arms and felt the wind move his fur and body in a positive direction. Laughing, the Mouse thought of Miss Badger, whose first name was Herma, beginning to reminiscence, he remembered the smell of her lemon cakes and her smile, which was always present. Trufflehunter in short, had an amazing mother and to Reepicheep, she was the aunt he never had and was the mother he always wanted. When the wind died down, Reepicheep turned himself around and re-entered the tree-line, deciding it best to go the way he came, believing the otter to still be resting. However, something in his heart and head told him to go directly down the path to Mister Warwick, to wake him up and see him safely home.
Warwick, still praying to an absent god, finally opened his eyes and still seeing himself in the same place he was, he attempted to roll on his back, wincing as he came along in doing it. Looking up to the trees, he sighed and began to cry.
Reepicheep stopped his tracks a moment and perking his ears up, hearing the otter's cries of grief and hopelessness. He thought about why it was this otter was crying, for he appeared to be fine a few minutes ago. Curious, Reepicheep rushed himself over and witnessed the otter's tears for himself. Weighted sorry, the Mouse observed, the greatest grief one can possess.
Unknowing that Reepicheep was near him, Warwick breathed and attempted to stand. As he did, he gasped for air, feeling like his chest was about to implode. As he screamed in pain, he gripped his chest and Reepicheep was quick to slowly stand him up to his feet as best he could. For despite being a Mouse and Warwick twice his height, Reepicheep was stronger than most and could support weight exceeding his own; naturally, Warwick was taken aback that someone was suddenly next to him but he was not necessarily against the assistance at the moment.
"Come on sir," Reepicheep said as he lead him down the relatively flat river bank. "Where do you live?"
"Near the warren, just down river."
Reepicheep, familiar with the area started to support him by resting a hand on his back, which the Mouse noticed was ripped and bleeding. He made a mental note to inquire of this later, but just to keep his mind occupied on the current situation, he asked, "The Halifax Warren?"
Warwick nodded and feeling that Reepicheep was only there to provide support, got on all fours and offered Reepicheep a ride. "Come on, I'll show you, mouse."
Raising a brow, Reepicheep shook his head. "No, I am capable of walking, besides you sir, are not in a condition to walk very well-"
"I will heal myself later, now, let us go, Mouse."
Warwick trudged along, noticing that walking in a more natural position was easier on his back. Reepicheep followed rather dutifully, staying close to be sure that nothing would happen in the way of injury. Looking at the otter's back, Reepicheep wondered the origin of the incident and as Warwick continued down the bank, he slowed down, the pain translating in his eyes and he fell on his stomach, collapsing from fatigue and sorrow over his losses.
Reepicheep looked at Warwick's back and not knowing of his past or anything about him, prayed in his head as he walked over to the otter's head and gently parted his fur with his small right paw, petting him and said four words that Warwick had never before in his life:
"Everything will be okay."
Everything will be okay. No it won't, rodent. Warwick thought as he wept. My son is dead, my wife is dead, and it's all that Lion's fault! I prayed to him, I searched for him, but he did not find or care about me. So no, everything will not be okay.
Stopping after a few minutes, Warwick sighed and shook his head as he submitted himself to the ground. "Just let me die here."
Reepicheep shook his head. "Your back is broken sir, your spirit isn't."
"My spirit does not exist." Warwick answered sharply.
The Mouse straightened up and moved to place his paw on his head as Warwick closed his eyes and groaned.
"I'm not a pet, Mouse."
"I never suggested you were, sir." Reepicheep said as he moved away. "I'll leave you then, please be safe."
Warwick groaned but nodded as if to humor him. "Yeah, thanks."
Reepicheep bowed to him respectfully and went to his house. As he walked away, he heard the groans of a struggling and confused otter, the Mouse did not bother to help him this time, for he understood two things- Mister Warwick needed pain and suffering to understand his misery and if the otter truly needed Him then he would have already called His Name by now.