Chapter 4: Meaningful Words
The Witch came out of the tent, and walked with selfish pride, looking at Edmund. She didn't actually look happy, but there was this cold satisfaction in the brief way her lips quirked up that made my skin crawl. As if she's had an even bigger price.
A lion, bigger than I've ever seen, also walked out. He looked at Edmund, and there was this sadness that I could not comprehend.
The lion looked forward "She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood."
A choir of cheers overwhelmed my hears and I let out a breath of relief. In the middle of his excitement, Edmund hugged me smiling brightly for the first time since I've met him. I could help the laugh that erupted from me. Still, he said nothing of my fate.
"How do I know your promise will be kept?"
The lion, tired of her insults, lets out a powerful roar. The Witch sat on the "throne" instantly, causing laughter to erupt among the crowd of warriors. They turned tail and without a word left the camp.
Does that mean… I am free?
"Let go a get you that bath." Edmund said excitedly and took off without waiting much of a response. As a four legged beast, it is easy to keep pace with a child, just need to trot or walk. I, of course, was exited for the bath myself and decided to trot behind the grinning boy. His joyful sibling followed close behind. Soon, we reached a river and without thinking I trotted to the deepest part, which I may add, is not that much. It just reached my shoulders, to be specific; my back is as tall as Edmund. I held my breath and submerged my head, wetting myself completely in the fresh river. I emerged and hurriedly started to clean myself, to the best of my abilities. Having paws for hands is a handicap in this kind of situations.
"If you come to a more shallow part, I think we can help you. You're the one who needs a bath, not us." Edmund joked. I look at him startled, embarrassment slowly creeping up my face that, thankfully, is unable to blush, earning a laugh from his siblings who struggled to stand upright.
In the midst of their laughter I smile to myself as an idea pops on my mind. I stealthily move forward and go underwater, using the currents to distort and hide my position. Once I'm right in the middle of the four, stand and shook my whole body, wetting everything in my immediate vicinity and hearing a couple of squeals and surprised yelps. I sigh in mock contentment, I wasn't completely clean yet "Ah, Don't worry lads I'll leave you space so that you can take a much needed bath." I state smugly. It's fun to be naughty once in a while. It was easy, when you're smothered by four children at the same time.
I take a step forward but I'm quickly stopped by a very, very wet and smug Susan. "Oh, but you're not finished yet." Somehow materialized a bar of scented soap. I plead "No, Susan, no please." I look around and with horror see that the others have a fistful of soap too. "Wait, no," I jump back when Lucy tries to swipe my chest with the soap. "The scent is too strong and it'll last for days." I whine childishly. I have no time to get away from Edmund, who took the opportunity when I stopped backing away, and he instantly started to rub it along my back. The others did the same when I was taken by surprise. Devilish opportunists…
"You better not leave any remnant of that horrid soap on my fur." I pouted in defeat.
"We will, now stop squirming." Peter chuckled.
After much scrubbing and whining and laughing and drying, I was finally clean, I haven't take a proper bath in… a hundred years? I think that would be accurate, now that I think about it. Ugh, too long. "Wow, your fur is so pretty." Lucy said in awe, caressing the same spot she had been scrubbing so vigorously before. "I though your fur was brown." Susan added, amused. I snort, but I guess, after being dragged around the forest floor, bleeding and such, could maybe change you fur color rather efficiently I would say. "Hmm."
"This is the cleanest I've been in a long time." I comment.
"And, exactly, how long is that?" Peter asks.
I shrug and answer in a light tone "About a hundred years, give or take."
Edmund scrunches his nose in mock distaste and barks a laugh "About time you got a bath."
After a while of admiring "How about you go ahead. I'll stretch my paws for a while, I've being laying down a little too much for my taste."
"Alright." Lucy kindly pats my head. "Let's go." then she runs of, Edmund grins and follows her along with Peter and Susan.
True to my word I stretched and yawned, sitting down and patiently waiting. "I know you're there." I look to my left. Not, completely, surprise to see the lion, standing nearby. "Is there a reason you come?" I inquire, getting a feeling of uneasiness, insecurity claw at my chest. A brief image of him suddenly pouncing and tearing my throat off crossed my mind.
"No need to fear, young one."
"Why have you come back?" I sneered, not feeling comfortable in his presence at all. He's more terrifying than anything.
"To aid Narnia."
"Why, after all these years? To reclaim what is yours? The land you abandoned a hundred years ago?" I asked incredulously. "Why do Narnia and its people have to be tested by you? Who are you to say what's right or wrong? Have ever fought in battle? Have you ever been tied and abandoned for months in a cold dungeon, starving, hearing others screams of agony until it drove you mad? Do you know how does it feel, to see your closest loved ones be turned to stone right before your eyes?" At the last sentence I just whispered, slowly falling in a storm of memories and nightmares.
I felt my voice waver the slightest at my last question "Why?"
I had not realized he had come closer, for I was suffocating in old memories. How many nights did I spend hearing pleads, for help, for mercy, until they died out?
I was fine, I had forgotten about that, I hoped. I wish I had. But…
"When you see innocents in need, how do you feel?" he asked in an soft, earthy voice.
"I've seen many in need and I've felt nothing, Aslan."
"Then why was Edmund an exception?"
"It was just an act of pity." I shrugged dismissively.
"No dear, it was an act of love."
I raised an eyebrow "You're saying I love a child?"
He chuckled "You too are a child, dear."
"Yes, a hundred year-old wolf child." I correct sarcastically.
"And the first ten years? Do they matter not?" he asked.
I look down, contemplating "Do they even matter at all?"
Aslan looked forward "There are many kinds of love; you did feel." He looks at me in the eyes, with an emotion that I could only describe as love, but a father's love. "You are very kind, and affectionate." I slight smile took over my lips "I think I've heard that before."
He chuckled "You have, this quality makes you feel as others do, regardless of if its happiness or sorrow." That sobered me quickly.
"You don't know me Aslan." My tone was more serious and less friendly.
"Julia Norwolf, from London." He said. I narrowed my eyes, not liking that at all.
I sighed in defeat "What do you want from me?"
"What I ask, will be hard to accomplish, but you will realize in time, that your sacrifice will not be in vain." I did not like the sound of that at all.
"What exactly am I sacrificing Aslan?" I stood.
"You will know when the time comes." He answered.
"What other purpose do I have other than losing? What do I have?" I asked in despair. His presence made me discover my so well hidden fears so easily; it pained me like nothing else. Suddenly I found myself sobbing, like I once did so many times. It was scary.
"Your gift, my dear, is also a burden that, should you let it overpower you, will destroy you, and those you love." He leaned closer, and I found myself sobbing onto his golden mane with no way to stop myself. "What?"
"You never forget, your memories and emotions remain forever fresh in your heart and mind. Happiness and grief, spite and forgiveness, betrayal and redemption, wrath and love; always. However, not all is lost." He turned his head and gently nudged my head to look at his eyes. "That is not your only gift. You have the heart of a leader." He smiled proudly "When others lose the sight of their path, you will be there to guide those who are lost."
He then stood up and walked back to the camp, leaving the interpretation of his confusing words to my discretion.