Chasing Memories
"We have nothing, if not belief."
- Reepicheep, Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Flashback
Her candle set aglow on the foot of her window. Outside was the startled cluster of bats, flying in directions as the night slowly started to outlive the daylights. There, she lay in bed. Her seven year-old movements as she rubbed her eyes that were heavy with sleep amused her father, Reth.
"Papa, when will I ever see my mama? It's my birthday after all." She asked, the candle setting her shadow onto the tinted window.
"I'm afraid that that will be for a long time, child. When we all go to Aslan's country." Reth replied, caressing Calla's dark hair.
"What is Aslan's Country?"
"The most wonderful place indeed. Perfection it is and even more when you are in Aslan's presence, He makes you feel comforted, and safe. You'll meet your mother there one day." Reth replied, his eyes were shadowed with sadness.
"I wish my mama was here." Calla answered, hugging a little stuffed animal her father made.
"Yes, dear one. I miss her as dreadfully as you do. Truly, since it's your birthday, you mother left three things and said I only give these to you when you turn seven. " Reth stood up to a shelf. He ducked his head inside a closet filled with the little girl's clothes. From there, he pulled out a box. He blew out the dust resting anciently for many years and rubbed the rest with his hands. Calla coughed as the filth drifted to her.
"That's old." She giggled, bobbing her head.
"Alright, this is the first thing she left." He shot his hand inside, trying to find something rather tiny. He felt something on his fingertips. "Ahh, here we are." He held the object quite higher, and it stood up on his thumb and point finger.
"What a pretty ring!" Calla gazed childishly, reaching out to touch the red halo. Its designs had very crimson spirals around a distinct and beautiful symbol of flower. It was a golden flower and it made an artwork to divine the simple ring, as it stood out from the red milieu.
"Beautiful, is it not? She wore the ring on the very day of our union. I pray you don't lose such a gift." He smiled. "Wait here." He disappeared for a moment. Calla waited anxiously in her bed, curious for her second gift. She chuckled at what it may have been, and ducked under the covers imagining. She had thought about enough of it for a while. When her eyes peeked on the hem of the coverlet, her father stood there with quite a squirming thing on his hands.
"You got me a puppy!" Calla practically screamed as she jumped on her bed.
"Theoretically, it's a fox. I relatively debated with myself whether it is for good cause that you may finally have one. Your mother insisted at this age, you must have your loyal companion. But, I received one such gift at a similar age, an owl actually." Reth led the baby fox on the foot of the bed. It curled around, sniffing where it was put, then whimpered over to Calla's lap, and slumbered as any pet would.
"I think I'll call him 'Bane'. Because he looks brave. Sir Wolf's Bane." She murmured, repeating the name over and over to the floppy ears of the fox. "Where's the other gift father? You said mother left three in your care, but I have only…one…two." She asked. Reth leaned down and kissed Calla's forehead.
"Dear one, she left me you. You are the third gift. Good night my dear flower."
End of flashback
Her eyes fluttered open, as the voice of her father soothingly calmed her. She could almost see the distant light from her candle, remembering it was set glowing on the foot of her window. It was then till she realized, the light came from the morning sun that crossed divinely with the golden-hued curtains. She propped herself on her elbows and looked around, eyes still drowsy and tired.
"Please don't run off." Calla looked around and saw the face of familiar young beautiful queen.
"I'm chained and you are begging me not to run off?" She bent down and saw her feet were strapped to the foot of the bed.
"We meant no harm. Oreius contended that it was for both of our safety. I'll take them off, just promise you won't escape. It is not in my custom to make a guest feel threatened in the midst of our home. We won't lock you up. I swear it." She looked at Calla, with her beautiful blue eyes and Calla felt warm and welcome. There was something about her that made her feel in the aura of Aslan. It was almost like; a part of him lives in her.
"I don't believe you."
"Believe me when I say that we will not. Do you think we would disobey our own rules?" Lucy said, trying to face Calla with the sincerest eyes.
"And what rule is that?" She retorted.
"We have not proven your allegations. My brother's mind had been muddled very decently. He has a lot going on and I hope you understand his illness towards you earlier." She said. Apparently, 'understanding' is a quality I seem to lack. Calla thought.
"Alright. I promise." She breathed, even though she wasn't really convinced with Lucy's reason. The girl smiled, and with a key she held in her hand, she bent down and unchained it.
"Lucy, what in Aslan's mane are you doing?" A king barged in, dressed in pure magnificent golden cape and his hair was fair-headed. The same tinge of the cape matched with the stunning crown that lay on his head. He looked absolutely exceptionally handsome, and any girl would fall at his fit.
"Don't worry, Peter. She won't run off." Lucy smiled. "I think I've kept her sane already. Are you?" Calla slowly nodded.
"I still have my doubts, Lucy. I have complete and utter faith that the past shall not be reprised in the future. Do you understand, Lu?"
"Well, I trust her." Lucy turned to face Calla, who could not divine how kind was this young woman, and her face just matched the beautiful heart she has inside.
"Then I pray she keeps that trust well woven." Peter went inside, calming down. Lucy beamed at her brother when he did not overreact at decisions like these. After all, being hospitable to guests was one of the only things she could do around the castle besides healing soldiers and spending time at the library.
"I am High King Peter, the Magnificent. I trust you are feeling better?" Peter said. Calla stood up and stumbled on her feet, still unaware of her feebleness. Peter caught her just before she had hit the floor, again. "Or not."
"Sorry," She mumbled. "My name is Calla." Strangely though, she didn't want to mention her surname. She felt it unnecessary.
"And I am Queen Lucy, the Valiant." Lucy exclaimed, as she waved for Calla to just sit down. "It was a close one for you last night. Being bitten by rabid wolves are just hateful occurrences." Indeed, for rabid wolves are as deadly as a grizzly bear, as venomous as snakes and as cunning as a hyena. Rabid wolves are diseased, infected and combined with many unwanted fatal toxins. Their venoms spread fast as lightning, making sure that if you are in an isolated area, it would do no help to ask for help, as they would only nip on you once, weaken you, and finally finish you off.
"I almost died?" Her mind was still foggy, and peered at the monarchs as though they were figments of her imagination.
"Almost. Thank Aslan you did not. I just want to personally thank you for helping out my brother when he was unconscious." Peter said gratefully.
Calla raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't I the reason for his unconsciousness?"
"Well, you...umm...you still helped him," Peter laughed. "It was his own fault as well. Lucy told me he scared you away from the castle. I trust he only wanted questions unriddled." She was calm for a moment, before realizing the room lacked a company she always shared. Of course, she remembered she wasn't the only one bitten.
"Where's Bane?" She jumped to her feet. worried more that his more deadly wound might have cost him his life.
"Who?"
"Bane!" Calla was too engrossed in her thoughts, desperate to see him again. "The fox your guards brought in last night and-"
"Oh, I believe he is in the room on the other side. Girls and Boys are separated on both the east and west wings," Peter explained, gesturing with his hands on the provisions of the castle. "But maybe you should wait before-" It wasn't long when the High King returned his gaze at the Calla when he realised he was talking to thin air.
Peter sighed at this girl's brashness. "Or not."
Calla, whose long strides had already let her far from the room she was in, forced her legs to do their utmost. She wanted to see Bane, basically mortified.A few servants even had to lean their backs against the wall as she urgently passed. Calla ran passed a door, then turned backwards and slowly came in to see Bane. He was resting on a bed; as she remembered him do when he was still a little kit. He stirred when he smelled Calla's scent.
"Calla?" He drowsily asked.
"Bane!" Calla ran over to him, hugging him airtight. "You scared me to death. Don't ever go on picking animals much more huge than you."
"What was I supposed to do? Let them kill you?" Bane's rich voice only made her hug him tighter, missing every hint of Bane's signature words. She could tell from the way he spoke, Bane was almost healed. "I promised I would look after you, did I not Calla?"
"Just promise you won't ever do that to me again. Don't ever die on me." Calla whispered, still buried under Bane's plush fur.
"Well I really wasn't at all planning to die…" Bane laughed, quite suffocating from her grasp. "Alright, you can let go of me. Your intimate human displays of worriedness are killing me more than those blasted wolves." Calla smirked and released him from her grasp. Lucy and Peter came in, hovering over to Edmund, who still lay fast asleep. His head lulled when Lucy caressed his hand.
"Edmund, are you awake?" Lucy muttered.
"I am now." Edmund answered, eyes still closed.
"I trust you slept well. Does your leg no longer hurt?" Peter asked.
"Aye. Gyor's quite the excellent healer we have. But I daresay it hasn't been quite the same to constantly be in bed."
"If you want, I may use my cordial.." Lucy suggested.
"Nay, Luce. A waste it would be for such a precious drop to be used in a completely stable leg. There are others who need it far more." Edmund said, starting to get up. He no longer groaned, and he felt he could already run with it.
"Feeling it brother?" Peter teased.
"I find it satisfactory, thank you." Edmund coldly replied.
"I'm sorry about that." Calla's voice interrupted. Edmund looked up, facing Calla with a blank and rather emotionless face.
"It's not like 'sorry's going to heal this leg." Edmund remarked, gazing at it.
"Ed…" Lucy started.
"Hey, it's not my fault entirely you gained the injury. You held me against my will and threatened to send me to the dungeons." Calla returned.
"You what?" Peter faced Edmund, dumbfounded.
"Peter, you know very well about our bonds with Archenland. She's Reth Winter's daughter." Edmund reasoned.
"She's what?" Peter trailed. Apparently, he still wasn't keeping up. "And Edmund that does not mean you can easily send her to the dungeons. She does not account for this man!"
"For Aslan's sake Peter what is up with you?" Edmund said irritably. "I know what I'm doing so don't you tell me what to do."
"I can't believe you Edmund! Her friend just saved you from those wolves. They're the reason you're alive!" Lucy flared, her tone enlarging and growing quite bold from rage.
"Yes, and the reason this all happened in the first place." Edmund shot back. The pride he had seemed to grow even stronger.
"I did not ask you to come after me in the fields of Lantern Waste when I escaped." Calla countered.
"Ed, you what? Lantern Wa- I have forbidden all of you to ever visit that forest!" Peter yelled.
"Well guess what? My mistake." Edmund returned to Calla.
"I guess then my first fault was instead of taking you in, I should've left you in the middle of the forest!" Calla yelled, simply outraged. She turned her back and approached Bane, who grew startled at the heated argument. "C'mon. Let's go." Bane nodded and scrambled down the bed.
"Wait! You're not going, are you Calla?" Lucy took a step towards her.
"I made a promise, your Majesty. But I'll stay well out of his way." Calla said, bowing before the wooden doors closed behind her. As soon as she was out of sight, she left the three monarchs, one of which was out of temper, agape.
"That was…I don't know what that is, Ed. I know you're better than this. " Peter told him in repulsion from each other.
"I don't need you to look after me, Pete. I'm not a child!" Edmund shouted back.
"By saying that you're not, all the more it proves you need a babysitter."
"I am not your subject, Pete!"
"And I am not some bloke you can just scream at. I'm your brother, Ed! Do I not deserve your respect?!" Peter had never been so angry before, and this would be one of those rare times Edmund had ever yelled back at him. With his final word on the subject, Peter stormed out of the room. Edmund heaved a sigh and sat on the bed, burying his face in his hands.
"What are you waiting for, Lu. The door's wide open." Edmund mumbled.
"Why should I do that?" Lucy asked
"Everyone else just did." Edmund sighed.
"Then all the more reason I should stay here with you. Father always told us to stick with each other." She said, sitting down beside him as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Thanks Lucy." Edmund smiled at his sister.
"But you know you're going to have to apologize."
"Should I?"
"Yes."
Reviews will be adored...
-DD
