Part Four: Through the Fog
Night had long fallen when the twin peaks broke into the dark horizon. Stars scattered the black velvet sky, alighting the pathway into the mountains. Where the mountains sloped into a valley, the somber ruins of the Witch's Castle stood sentry to the wilderness. Restless to reach the edge of the pool, the company pushed their horses into a gallop. The thundering of the horses' hooves sounded like thunder in the silent wilderness. When they reached the broken steps of the ruined castle, they slowed their horses to a stop and dismounted.
"We will camp here tonight," Caspian said, pulling a rolled blanket off the back of Destrier's saddle. Trumpkin set to lighting a fire, Philip helping him gather the tinder, and Reepacheap scouted the castle ruins. Wanting to be helpful, Eve began to prepare a meal for the company. She laid out a blanket and placed bread, dried fruit, and dried meat out. Philip produced a flask of mead, setting it beside the food. When the others were out of earshot, he leaned over to whisper to Eve.
"I upset you when I mentioned the convertible, didn't I?" he asked. "I'm so sorry, Sis. I didn't mean to upset you, I didn't think before I spoke."
"It's alright, Philip. I know you didn't mean to hurt or upset me. It's me who should be sorry for reacting so badly. I set the whole company back and made a bad impression on the first day," she replied.
"How did you make a bad impression? It was hardly a set back," Philip defended her.
"Philip, I'm queen. I can't afford to be weak, I can't afford to let my emotions get in the way of my duty."
"Come on, Eve, you're not weak. You just have a bad memory and no one in this company blames you or thinks you're a set back. It's only been a year since we came here; you need more time to adjust."
"Maybe so, but I still feel as if I need to redeem myself."
"You will, just give it time. You'll be saving all of us with your bow before you know it," he teased her. Eve smiled slightly.
After their meal, the company settled down around the fire, enjoying the warmth the blaze gave out. Eve found the still silence of the wilderness unnerving. She lay staring up at the stars, alert for any noise that did not belong. Every time the fire crackled or someone shifted, Eve would start, sitting up and peering around the darkness. Long after the others had fallen asleep, Eve lay awake, nerves on edge, unable to sleep. Finally, she got up, stretching her limbs and looking around. She picked up a slender branch and prodded the fire before tossing into the flames. Suddenly she heard a twig break somewhere off in the distance. She whirled around, drawing her sword in a flash. All of the horses stood tethered and still. Nothing moved.
Gathering her nerves, Eve walked stealthily toward the noise, her sword kept firmly in her grasp despite her bruised arm. The very air was tense as if it were holding its breath. Eve too held her breath, moving cautiously forward. Midnight cloaked the earth so tightly that all light beyond the fire and the stars was nonexistent. Pushing through the darkness, Eve strained her eyes for any signs of life. Crack. Another twig cracked to her right. Eve nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned on the spot and brandished the sword at the air. A flash of white drew her eyes instantly to the left. Circling on the spot, Eve squinted into the darkness but could see nothing. She waited tensely for what seemed like an hour, but she saw and heard nothing. Deciding it had been a shy animal, Eve turned to head back to the camp. Suddenly a white horse appeared out of the darkness right in front of Eve. At first she thought it to be Freidya, her own horse, but this horse was smaller with feathered feet and cleaved hooves. Its tail was long and like a lions with a tuft of white hair at the end. The white horse shook its mane and vanished into the darkness. Eve stood in wonder, her eyes glued to the spot where the horse had disappeared. She knew that the horse itself had been real, but the silver horn that twisted gracefully from its head just had to be her imagination.
Shaking her head, Eve suddenly broke her trance. The last unicorn in Narnia lived during King Peter's reign. They've long since died out… Unsure of what she had seen, Eve returned to the camp, lying down near Caspian's sleeping form and closing her eyes. Sleep finally enveloped her and led her into deep dreams.
. . .
Rolling white fog engulfed the air around Eve. She felt choked by its constricting closeness. Spinning around, she tried to find a landmark, but amid the fog she could see nothing. A gnawing worry filled her heart, and she felt the sudden impending fear. Where was Caspian? Where was anyone? Eve raised her voice to cry out Caspian's name, but there was no answer. Her call did not echo but instead hung dead in the air. Panic filled Eve. She needed to find Caspian before something terrible happened. She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew that if she did not find him, he would be in grave danger.
Eve took a step forward and then another, into the thick, misty fog. Her hair clung to her shoulders, soaked with the air's perspiration. Suddenly she saw movement in front of her. Breaking into a run, Eve followed the shape. It weaved in and out of the fog, and though Eve ran faster, she could not gain on the figure. All at once, the figure stopped and looked back. It was Caspian! Eve called his name out, but her voice came out as a whisper. She tried again to yell, but again her voice fell short. Caspian did not appear to see her. He looked straight past her and then turned away, into the fog. Eve broke into a sprint, desperate to speak to Caspian. Her heart beat loudly, shattering the stillness. The fog swirled suddenly, wrapping itself around Eve, slowing her and taking the breath from her. She stumbled suddenly and fell over an object. Blinded within the fog, Eve could see nothing, not even the ground she lay upon. Feeling around, she grasped what felt like an arm. Moving closer, Eve discerned a body lying still on the ground. A weak pulse beat within the ice-cold wrist. Eve sensed a sickness plaguing the body; the heartbeat was slow and unsteady as if its beats were numbered. Leaning close to the figure's face, Eve gasped and fell back. She screamed in agony, but her voice now made no noise. Why was he sick? Why was he dying? Eve reached forward to feel the weak heartbeat again, to make sure it still beat, but the figure was gone. Caspian! Eve cried out. She stood and whirled around as a weak beating filled the air. Caspian stood before her, pale and weak, he held his hand over his heart. His face was filled with agony and his eyes reflected a silver fire. Turning, Eve saw that the fog had now turned to fire. It burned around them, cold, not hot, but painful all the same. It singed her arms and legs, and a freezing sensation crept through her body.
Caspian had started to run again, further and further from Eve until she could no longer see him. She cried his name out over and over, but her voice was mute, and she could not catch up. Soon her legs could not move and she stood frozen to the spot while the white fire burned around her. Darkness crept into her heart, and she opened her mouth to scream. All at once the fire vanished and the fog was replaced with a silver light. The freezing sensation left Eve's heart, and she was able to move once more. A glowing shape appeared before her, and Eve felt hope rising within her. As the figure moved closer, Eve discerned that it was a white horse. The horse walked up to Eve and stopped before her, tossing its head and stomping its cleaved hooves. With a jolt, Eve realized that it was the unicorn she had seen before.
Reaching out a hand, Eve took a step toward the unicorn. At once, the horse turned and galloped off. Eve felt a stab of disappointment. She ran after it, finding that she could run faster than before. Soon she was running so quickly that the unicorn came into sight again. The white light suddenly faded, and Eve found herself within the walls of Cair Paravel. Glancing around, she found that she was in hers and Caspian's room. Caspian himself lay on the bed. Eve's heart gave a jolt. He was sick. She could tell by his pale face and flushed cheeks. Trembling, Eve knelt beside the bed and reached out a hand to grasp his. It was ice-cold. What's happening? Eve asked. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked onto Caspian's face. Help him! she called out. She jumped at the sound of her own voice.
A presence entered the room, and Eve turned to see the unicorn. It approached the bed on silent hooves and reached its neck out to touch Caspian's brow with its horn. There was a tense moment and then Caspian took a deep breath, opening his dark eyes. Eve jumped up. The unicorn vanished and as it did, the room faded as well, and Eve was left alone in a dark void.
