In Aslan's Service

This is a short story diving into the life of one of the personalities of my third fan fiction "For all to know." For context maybe that one should be read first; but as a story this can stand for itself.

Occupied Narnia, autumn 2263

All in all, she thought, it was really a lovely day. The bright Narnian sun shone upon the travellers, and its heat warmed them gently when they were not walking under the trees or in the shadows cast by rocks.

And the walk was not too bad, either, even if she had presumed it might have been exhausting. Yes, she was old now, and ill, too; but obviously, her younger mind's appetite for adventure shone through and energised both soul and body. She really did enjoy this, even on the late afternoon of the second day.

The only disadvantage was the harness itching. Narnia's leaders had told her all details they could on the mission. Thus she knew what it was all about, the general goal of the operation, the route to choose, the expected response by the enemy, and even the final contact scenario.

They had asked her if she still felt strong enough to carry the Book (to which question she had only nodded: of course she was still fit enough to serve her country and her Lion!); but, and that was a huge BUT for the moment, they had not foreseen how uncomfortable the straps would be and how much they would end up itching!

Promised was promised, however, and she certainly could not back out now, close to the goal as they were. For Aslan and for Narnia she took the pain and would carry the chest with Narnia's most precious treasure. Yes, she would continue to do that. For ever if needed to be, or at last as long as she lived, even though most probably there were not many more hours left.

-"Lieutenant, we are being followed." It was the high pitched voice of a small bird which had just come diving out of the sky.

So there they were, she thought. The enemy! The Telmarine soldiers who knew nothing of our Old Narnia, had never heard of the Four monarchs and served their lord protector (or was he now named king, she could not remember – how strange it was that she crystal clear could recall memories from her earliest days, but not what she heard or learned a week ago!), they doing their duty, to achieve what they thought to be right. Men with wives and children at home just like all living.

Could not Aslan forge those men, who knew nothing really, and faithfully did their duties, innocent in oblivion as they were; with Old Narnia to one peaceful, strong and prosperous unity? But what Aslan wanted to do was yet not known, and the famous book did not foresee the future (as did one Book in another world she had heard of), just told about Creation, who Aslan was and had done.

She had been left to her own thoughts as the contingent were preparing their defence. As she was not part of it, but rather the object of the defence, or rather, carried the object to be defended, she had no other task to perform than continue trotting and carrying, and of course hope for the best!

Well prepared as she was, she did not even flinch when she heard the first arrow flying from the air just behind the ridges beside the road. She was not astounded the least from the fact that the enemy had prepared an ambush right here. Neither was she surprised by how many arrows which hit her.

She opened her mouth, but the cry of pain came out fully silent. Her skin had been pierced by many, many arrows, each hurting horribly. She fell. Around her she could perceive the valiant mice pull out their swords, ready to hinder the enemy to rob her from her famous burden. Cries of battle came from above. The enemy rushed towards her and the treasure she carried. Had carried, she corrected herself. Was no longer carrying, as she had fallen. Even though it was still strapped to her. Still also were those straps itching!

Suddenly her life began to pass in front of her eyes. Her brother, almost dying from falling down a waterfall, but rescued in the very last moment by daring beavers, had told her about it. Thus she was not even surprised about this.

She was back to her early days. It was that time, told her memories her, when the sun always shone, it seldom rained, no enemies threatened the little community she was born into; and the green fields with their lovely rest and pasture beside slowly running little creeks were her playing field. She did not really remember it, it was like she was transported back in time. She saw her family, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins (of all sorts, so it was in Narnia, every one was in some mysterious way not only befriended, but also in some way relatives, to any other talking creature, man or beast) and all the fun of her years growing up; running around in freedom!

The scenery changed. She was a young female, right out of school, ready to be betrothed and happy to form a home and foster offspring of her own. She had run an errand and kept as much as possible to the path under the trees on her way home, as it was an unpleasant day and very cold rains were falling and had obviously not yet decided to stop pondering the ground with its hard drops.

Normally she would say that the clouds stopped the sun from lighting up the ground, and thus it was dark out even at mid day; but suddenly, a golden glow lit up in front of her.

It was a different sort of light; she had never seen the like. It was strong, almost piercing, but still both warm and friendly. She was drawn to it, and without knowing why, she slowly went closer.

Suddenly the forest opened to a clearing in front of her. She thought she knew almost every straw of grass in this end of the world, or at least knew so much of the trees that she could be sure that this clearing had not been there all other times she had travelled this path. Had she just realised that, she had not much time to be astounded of it, because she saw that in the clearing no rain was falling.

She could hear heavy drops hit the leaves all around her, but the clearing was dry. No puddles on the ground, no wet grass, not even any drops falling. Had she however taken that in, neither now she had any time to be surprised, because she saw that in the middle of the clearing lay what no one in her flock would ever expect: a large Lion.

The Lion calmly watched her coming, His eyes both boring into her with great power and gazed at her with an outstanding Love. She had never felt so known, ever, and neither so much loved. She had heard of a few Narnians having had this experience, and now she herself experienced what they tried to describe it as: if the Lion decided to eat me, I would still be the happiest talking Beast in all of Narnia!

Then, she got surprised, finally; as the Lion not only kept gazing at her, but also spoke:

-"Welcome, my Daughter, please come closer."

The little female donkey could not resist the glow of those large eyes, and slowly trotted forward.

Even though the Lion did not speak it directly to her, she felt warmly invited to get close. In little time she found herself nuzzling the golden mane of the great Lion. Had she many times heard the genuine Narnian expression 'by the Lion's mane', now she knew what it was and how it felt. It was lovely, peaceful, full of calmness and at the same time power. She could feel all that filling her, but still had no idea why this lovely state so close to the Lion made for such a general expression!

The Lion was in no hurry. He let her breath in His very presence, inhale the love and power, and get happily refreshed.

-"Do you like my Narnia, Dear one?" suddenly the Lion interrupted her brilliant experience.

-"Oh, Sir,; yes, very much!" she exclaimed. Not that she was aware of much else, young and on her way to grow up in the very grooves she were born, living there with her flock as they had done for generations in a calm and quiet corner of Narnia. Yes, she really did like it here. But . . .

-"Yes, you are right, my Young dear one," said the Lion, just like He was reading her thoughts. "My family loves Narnia, but all is not fully well here and many Narnians, your cousins, are suffering."

-"Is there anything you can ask me to help?"

For a moment the Donkey was back in the present, laying bleeding, hurt and maybe dying on a road in oppressed Narnia. So, that is when it all really started, she pondered, I had volunteered to help! And this was the great and final task to perform in His Royal service. How different it could have been if she had not been young and stupid and blurted out things like that, not knowing what she said. Or would it? After all, it was not she that had summoned the Lion, it was He who had come to reveal Himself to her. She then realised that His will would have been done, were she more mature and had been able to keep her mouth shut, or not!

And with that she was back into her memory.

-"Yes, my dear, there is. There really IS! But not now, because what you can do for your flock, the cousins and my Narnia, will require great skill and experience and that only comes with age."

At this the little donkey felt very downcast. Whas this not what all and everybody always said to her? That she was too young, to immature, did not know what to say or what to do, that she should know her place and just listen and learn?

By any strange reason the Lion did not seem to think anything like that. Instead he continued:

-"Now, instead, my Dear, you could do something to help My family, as it is in need of help in another world."

In another world? Well, of course, the young donkey had heard the stories of the golden age, when two sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve, had been called into Narnia to help free it from the long and cruel reign of the White witch. So, she was aware of that there must be worlds beside Narnia the Lion had created and creatures there He cared for.

-"You have been to a good school, Dear, I know that you have heard of the four Monarchs I brought here to usher in the Golden age for Narnia."

To this the young Donkey could only nod, thinking back fondly to the little village school she had attended with so many other Narnian children; and to the old raven teacher they had had.

-"So," continued the Lion, "I am sending you to their world, but not to their country or to their time. No, I need you in the centre of that world, many, many centuries before the Pevensie children were ever born. You, see, an angry king is about to do something really bad and evil towards my family in that world."

The little donkey felt sad that everywhere the Lion had family they were maltreated and abused, not just in her world.

-"There is a donkey in that world who happens to be very like you. On the outside that is. Mentally the two of you are very different, and only you can speak. And what I need now I can not possibly ask of a poor beast that is not able to oblige. So, I ask it of you instead."

And so it came to pass, that while a Narnian heroine was offering up her life and death in Aslan's service, her life was flashing before here eyes and she remembered all and everything He had told her.

-"Most important, dear, is that you stay totally silent until you hear my whisper in your heart. You must not speak until then. Now, come close me and gain strength from me for your journey and for fulfilling your task!"