Hey,
I'm really excited to get this story started- so many of you asked me to write a sequel and here it is….. Chapter 1!
I really hope you like it! Anyway, on with the story!
Enjoy!
"Tell me once more about the quest for the golden apple? Please?" Emily pleaded.
She and the Professor were sitting in his study before a roaring hearth. The pair had been talking for hours.
After Emily's return, Diggory Kirke had offered the use of his spare bedrooms to them, and they had accepted gratefully.
It was quickly decided that the girl would be homeschooled, so while Amelia and Mrs. Macready taught Emily the more creative side of her studies (The Arts, Riding, and Gardening), the Professor taught her the more practical aspect of the world- Math, Science, and History. However, the content of their lessons often turned to a less, per say, practical subject. Narnia.
"It is getting late, my dear. You should be getting some rest."
"Please? One last time? I promise I won't ask you again. Not tonight anyway."
The older man chuckled. "Oh, all right. But don't let your mother find out you've been up this late."
Emily glanced at the clock that sat on the shelf above the fireplace. It read a quarter to twelve.
"My lips are sealed."
Diggory Kirke closed his eyes and sighed, recalling the memory from long ago, from his youth and his time in Narnia.
"It was set in a valley. On in island at the edge of the bluest lake, you had ever seen. Polly, Fledge, and I flew above the island and landed on a green hill in its center. The top of the hill was surrounded by a high wall covered in ivy- impossible to climb. The three of us walked around the walls until we found the gates- high gates of gold, locked, facing due east. Inscribed on them was a warning in elegant silver writing-"
"Come in by the gates or not at all,
Take of my fruit for others or forbear,
For those who steal or those who climb my wall,
Shall find their heart's desire and find despair," Emily recited from memory.
The Professor opened his eyes and beamed at the girl. "You seem to know the story perfectly. You should be recounting it to me."
The clock chimed twelve.
"Great Scott, it's later than I realized. You really must be getting to bed. Hurry on now, shoo."
The Guardian of Narnia pecked him on the cheek.
"Good night," she said, as she left the study and carefully began to make her way upstairs.
Shutting her bedroom door behind her, the girl hastily changed, and climbed into bed, her eyes shutting as soon as her head touched the pillow.
*Cair Paravel was crumbling. Fauns, Centaurs, and Talking Animals ran about, dodging falling debris.
"Where is Kalis?" A centaur, Emily easily recognized as Rhys, asked a passing faun.
"The Treasure room; he wants to be its final defense against Telmar."
She nodded and began making her way to said room, her hooves clattering upon the stone floor.
"CATAPULTS!"
The cry turned Emily's blood to ice. She watched with wide eyes as Rhys turned- she was too slow. The heavy piece of stone fell, deadly and silent, crushing the female centaur.
The castle shuddered and began to crumble even faster. The scene itself shook and began to flicker like a static-filled radio station.
A deep voice sounded suddenly, bouncing off of Emily's vision, filling her ears and mind.
"From the glistening eastern sea to the great western woods; from the radiant southern sun to the clear northern skies; fallen hero of Narnia, may you pass forth easily and peacefully into the Lion's country, and from this world's burden, you shall be free."*
Emily Clarke woke with a cry, breathing hard. Her heart was beating wildly. Her hands were trembling, shaking as violently as Cair Paravel had been in her vision.
The nightmare of Cair Paravel's destruction was recurrent. Never the same scene, but for the past two weeks, the girl had been tormented by dreams of her Narnian home's obliteration. The first two nights, Emily had awoken in cold sweat, shivering and crying. She could feel the deaths of the Narnians that been slaughtered by Telmar weighing on her soul.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her wild heart when a voice drifted in from the doorway.
"Emmy? Are you all right? Did you have another nightmare?"
Amelia Clarke stood in the doorway, clad in a simple light-blue bathrobe; her hair tumbled messily down her back, her feet clad in slippers. An expression of worry had etched itself onto her thin face.
Emily drew a second breath and nodded, sitting up.
"I'm….Fine. It's..."
"Was it Kalis again?"
The Guardian shook her head. The night she had watched Kalis, who had been protecting the Treasure room, be beheaded by a soldier bearing the crest of Telmar, she had woken up screaming. It had taken her three hours to calm down. She hadn't uttered a word until the next day.
She shook her head.
"Rhys," she said hoarsely. "She was a good friend; a loyal and trusted member of the Order."
"I'm so sorry, Honey," the older woman soothed; cradling her daughter in her arms, stroking her hair comfortingly.
Being the Guardian of Narnia was a gift that came with a terrible price. You could feel the deaths of the countries inhabitants, and if you were close enough to them- Amelia didn't even want to begin to imagine the pain one would go through. It was a terrible burden to bear. She just wished Emily had been older when Aslan had chosen her to be his lieutenant.
"You know what," Amelia told her daughter, letting her tone fill with optimism. "I'll organize a picnic. Just for the two of us. We'll take horses and ride to the clearing that you like. We'll spend the day in nature. What do you think?"
Emily slowly raised her head, eyes shining.
"Ok." Her voice was low and slightly cracked.
"I'll meet you in the stables." Amelia pecked her daughter on the cheek, before sweeping out of the room, the door swinging shut behind her.
The ex-Guardian stopped by the kitchen to inform the housekeeper of their plans, then, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom to change into something more appropriate.
Amelia reached under her pillow and retrieved the small tin box from underneath her pillow, and pulled out the Silver Ring.
"It's for the best, Amielle. If I must return then that is what shall be done." Sadness had replaced the joy and playfulness that usually filled his eyes. He had gently placed a final kiss on her lips before walking through the Wardrobe, shoulders set, never looking back.
Amelia lightly touched her lips. They were tingling slightly with the ghost of that last kiss. The moment had seared itself into her mind.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she slipped the ring into her pocket and left to meet Emily by the stables.
The pair mounted their respectable horses. Emily rode a chestnut male she had named 'Vixion' while her mother rode a black mare she had deemed 'Destiny'.
"C'mon Vix, faster," Emily urged her horse as they raced through the wood, the wind blowing back her hair. She had gone riding often enough; she knew almost every hidden trail, path, and clearing.
Emily let out a cry of delight as Vixion galloped through a stream, sending up a fine spray of water.
By the time they reached the small secluded clearing, both horses (and their riders) were covered in a thin layer of sweat.
After watering the horses and letting them graze, the two Guardians sat on the checkered blanket Mrs. Macready had packed for them, along with a thermos of lemonade, a sandwich apiece, and some fresh fruit.
"She really went to all expenses on the lunch," Emily's mother joked, taking a sip of lemonade. It was cold and refreshing.
Emily forced a smile. She was still shaken from her nightmare. Being in the outdoors had helped, but the Narnian prayer rang in her ears like church bells.
"Tell me about your dream."
She looked up at her mother; her mother, who had been in the original battle for Narnia; The battle against Jadis, the White Witch, who had undergone unimaginable torture at the hands of her greatest enemy.
"The Cair was crumbling…. The Telmarines, they used catapults to destroy the defenses…. Rhys, she was looking for Kalis and a block fell-" she faltered, tears shining in her eyes.
"May she pass forth easily and peacefully into the Lion's country, and from this world's burden be free," Amelia whispered softly, watching her daughter with wide eyes.
Emily gaped at her. "How do you know that?"
"It's an old Narnian blessing said over the dead. Why do you ask?"
"No reason," she responded quickly, looking away.
A warm breeze blew through the trees, making the leaves rustle.
"Emily, I-I want to give you something."
Amelia reached into her pocket and brought out an object wrapped in a white handkerchief.
"Here." She extended the object to her daughter. "I want you to have it."
Aslan's Lieutenant removed the cloth and felt small tears well up.
"It's beautiful." Where had her mother gotten this ring? She never remembered seeing it.
Inspecting it closer, she noticed faint and dulled carvings etched into the tarnished silver.
"A royal seal ring," Emily murmured, rubbing her thumb over the surface. "Where on earth did you get this?"
"Your father proposed to me with that ring."
Emily, who had been holding the ring up to her face, pulled her hand away, holding the ring gingerly as if it had sprouted fangs and had begun spitting acidic venom.
"This….This was his?" she couldn't even bring herself to call him 'Father'.
"Yes. It was. I know you don't like him because he left, but if you just knew-"
"If I just knew," Emily cut in hotly, "I would love to know the reason my idiotic father left the wife, that he loved and his only child!"
"Emily, please," her mother pleaded, the emotion clear as day in her voice.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, letting the piece of jewelry fall limply back into her hand. "I'm sorry."
She slipped the ring into her pocket.
The snapping of some twigs in the trees to her left drew her attention. It could've been her imagination, but she was almost completely sure that she had seen a flash of gold hidden between the bushes.
A second commotion to her right made her turn once more. There it was again- a golden blur racing against the green canopy of trees, before disappearing from sight.
The girl dismissed it as a figment of her imagination, a hallucination brought on by her nightmares.
"Has Peter responded to your letter yet?" Amelia asked curiously, reaching for an apple.
Emily hadn't touched anything. Seeing the ring had made her lose her appetite. She opened her mouth to answer when she saw something that frightened her.
"Aslan?" She jumped to her feet, watching a spot just over her mother's shoulder.
The Golden Lion, the true king of the whole wood, stood just beyond the tree line, his amber eyes piercing, calling to her.
"Come," he said. With a jolt, Emily realized that he had not spoken out-loud, but in her mind.
"Emily, what are you looking at?" Amelia's face was a mask of confusion.
"You don't see him?" Emily asked, but she was barely paying attention to what she said. Her eyes were fixated on Aslan.
"Who? Aslan? Emily, there is nothing there but trees." Amelia's voice was frantic, laced with worry.
The girl glanced at her mother in puzzlement- how could she not see him?!
The Lion watched her impatiently. He shook his mane and turned tail, disappearing into the forest.
"I'll be right back, mom."
"Emily," her mother grabbed her hand, "just be careful."
She nodded subconsciously and walked forward, following Aslan into the wilderness.
Emily Clarke knew the woods, the forest. She knew where a hidden strawberry patch lay and the best place for robins to build their nests so that predators couldn't find the eggs. She wasn't afraid of getting lost.
Where was Aslan leading her? That was all she wondered as she followed him through the wilderness.
Then something changed. Something in the air changed. It grew heavier. The air itself stayed the same; however, it was laced with something dangerous, something ancient and something powerful. Magic. Of course, Emily did not realize this until it was too late.
"Aslan? Aslan!" The girl cried as the Lion disappeared from her sight, just beyond the tree line. She rushed after him, breathing hard. Where was he leading her? Breaking through the trees, Emily entered a clearing, and Aslan was nowhere in sight.
"Fantastic," she muttered under her breath. Not only did she lose Aslan, but she was also lost. "This is just bloody fantastic."
Taking a deep breath, Narnia's Guardian turned to study her surroundings. Maybe they hid a clue- something to tell her where she was.
Her heart leaped with joy as a faint glimmer, high above the trees, caught her eye.
She pushed on, climbing over rocks and ducking under low branches. Thorns tore at her clothing, tearing them.
The light became clearer and brighter- and Emily almost walked into a tree. Well, not exactly a tree. More like an iron post.
"Lantern Waste…." She trailed off, her heart and mind not believing- not wanting to believe- her eyes.
She was in Narnia.
Emily didn't know whether she was supposed to cry tears of joy or sadness. What she did know, however, was that is she was indeed in Narnia- and her visions were true, she needed to blend in. And fast.
She pondered her options- if the Telmarines had invaded Narnia, she couldn't go searching through a bunch of ruins for clothing….. Mr. Tumnus! When the House of Pevensie had reigned, the five of them had grown accustomed to leaving a spare set of clothing at his home, for whenever they went out hunting.
Gathering up her skirts in her hands, Emily ran through the wilderness, following the now near invisible path she faintly remembered. Rounding a corner, the familiar iron door came into view- but something was off. As she drew closer, she knew with complete certainty that something was wrong.
The once black door was now flecked with red rust and was just barely hanging on its hinges. The Guardian of Narnia took the piece of metal in her hands and pushed. It bit into her palms and fingertips. She bit her lip to resist crying out.
The door finally gave way. Emily stepped back and placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Her arms were shaking from the effort and her hands were red, covered with tiny indents from the rust.
Wiping away the sweat that had formed on her brow with the back of her hand, she stepped into the doorway. The spring sunlight slowly filtered into the room, filling it with a warm and welcoming heat.
The girl gasped.
The entire room was covered in a thick layer of undisturbed dust. Cobwebs had attached themselves to any and all surfaces. A warm breeze wafted through the room, ruffling stray papers that had miraculously survived.
All the evidence pointed to the fact that Mr. Tumnus's home had been vacant- abandoned even- for many years.
A brilliant ray of sunlight shone, reflecting off of some item and hitting Emily's eye, blinding her.
Walking over, she stooped down- and cried out in pain. Warm crimson blood flowed from her palm. Turning it over in her hands, she inspected the sharp object.
A picture- the frame long gone; the glass broken and stained, was now slick with blood as well. The picture itself was stuck to the shard of glass and was a yellowed piece of paper, its occupant not recognizable.
I have to find out what is going on, the blonde thought to herself, moving to walk down the empty hall.
Reaching the storage room, the last doorway on the left, she pushed the oak door open and changed quickly into her Narnian outfit.
Returning to the main room, Emily took a final look around, placed her English clothes under a blanket, and walked outside into the fresh air.
Blinking in the sunlight, she tucked the small silver chain that held Peter's engagement ring to her, underneath her tunic's neckline. Her father's ring though was tucked firmly away into her boot.
"Emily."
The Guardian whipped around, catching the amber eyes of the Great Lion with her own gray ones.
"Aslan! I have-"
"Emily," he called, disappearing farther back into the trees.
She hesitated. Where was he leading her this time?
"Emily." Aslan's voice came again, urgently this time. "This cannot go on for any longer, you must find them, and protect them."
"Protect who, Aslan?" The girl called, following his voice through the trees.
"Remember your oath. Protect Narnia!"
The last word was roared. Not only out loud, reverberating through the trees but in her mind as well. The roar grew louder and louder. Emily's knees crumpled. She fell limply to the ground as her vision faded to black.
Aslan's lieutenant woke to the sound of water, the rhythmic sloshing of it.
Ignoring the dull throbbing that filled her head, Emily stood with a groan, dusting off her tunic in the process.
She was standing on the banks of a river. It's water glinting harshly in the sunlight.
Across the water was a forest Emily assumed to be the Great Woods; and in the distance, to the west, standing tall and menacing was a castle. Its towers and spires reached the sky.
The faint repetitive sound of hoof beats jolted her out of the trance. Rapidly approaching her from the North, was a group of centaurs? No, riders on horseback.
Emily ran. Guessing she was a few miles north of Beaverstown, she ran south, knowing that in the town she could find crossing, shelter, and figure out what the hell was going on.
She felt the riders drawing in on her. There was no way she would manage to outrun them. They overtook her; their armor gleamed cruelly in the fading sunlight.
They encircled her. Emily reached for her dagger.
With a panicked start, she realized that her blade was in Cair Paravel-what was left of it- where she had placed it before returning to England.
Wonderful, she thought, I'm weaponless, outnumbered, and am at the mercy of the god-forsaken Telmarines!
The sound of metal being drawn over wood caused Emily to tense up. A cold sword point was placed between her shoulder blades.
"By order of My Lord Miraz, son of Caspian the Eighth, Regent and Lord Protector of Narnia and of Telmar; I command you to surrender."
Chapter one baby! And who doesn't like a little cliff hanger? I mean…. :)
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.
Also, updates will be slow, but I will get them to you- do not worry!
Please review- and don't hate. It's your opinion and I respect it, but if you don't like my story, just don't read it ok?
Ttyl
Liz