Chapter 4

A small boat. A fisherman's boat if you will. A tiny boat meant to carry one fisherman on his quest to catch fish. That is what the seven of us are in; a tiny boat. I for one try to avoid boats and water as much as possible. So I am not entirely comfortable with the fact that I am in a tiny boat with six others, whom I barely know but have decided to stick with regardless. We are sailing (not up on my nautical terms either) down a river, Peter is rowing the boat. I am near the one edge of the tiny boat and though I try to avoid doing so I can't help but look over the edge every once in a while. Into the water which seems to go down forever. Though it is very beautiful water, the kind you see in the Caribbean Cruise ship brochures it looks incredibly deep. So here I am in a tiny boat, scared of water because did I mention I can't swim. Also there are no life jackets.

"They're so still" Lucy whispered breaking the silence that befell upon us. The Pevensie's just kept glancing around looking at their once home. She's referring to the trees which of course confuses me. "They used to dance." Of course they did, talking animals why not dancing trees.

The dwarf spoke next "a little while after you left the Telmarines invaded. The Narnian's that survived fled to the woods and lived in hiding."

"What about Aslan?" Susan asked.

"We assumed he abandoned us when you lot did."

"We never abandoned Narnia, we didn't mean to leave! It was an accident." Edmund exclaimed. Clearly this was a touchy subject.

"Well it doesn't really matter now does it, the damage is done."

"Well the quicker you get us to the Narnian's the quicker we can try and repair the damage done." Peter said. And that set us off into another period of silence.

OOOOOOO

"Go up onto that beach right there." The dwarf instructed Peter.

Thank Goodness we have reached land, I think as I jump out of the boat. No more floating on water. Every time someone moved my heart started beating frantically with paranoia that the boat would tip over. Once the other got on land I helped pull the boat up on shore while Lucy went exploring and Cornelia stood and pouted.

"Ok I don't think it will float away." Peter said inspecting our work.

"Where did Lucy go?" Susan asked.

"Hello there!" we here Lucy's chipper voice call out and all of us turn. Oh dear she's talking to a bear!

"Uhh that can't be good" I say as the bear notices Lucy and stands up.

She continues talking to it reassuring the bear that she is not a Telmarine.

All of a sudden the dwarf goes into panic mode "Don't move Your Majesty!"

Lucy spins around, her back towards the bear and then the bear starts charging towards her!

"I thought animals were friendly here?" I asked Edmund.

"Not all." Edmund said as he and Peter reached for their swords. Lucy had started running back towards us and Susan had gotten her bow and arrow ready. Cornelia was standing behind Peter clutching his shoulders and I was behind Edmund because he had a sword.

Of course like a dramatic pivotal scene in a movie Lucy falls and just when the bear is about to attack her Susan shots it with an arrow as the boys go running forward.

"I don't think he could talk at all." Lucy said as she hugged Peter.

"You may find Narnia a bit more savage than you remember." The dwarf said as he kneeled down beside the animal.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something over where the bear was before Lucy started talking to it. I turned and walked over to it.

"Alyssa?" Susan called.

I recognize that colour of yellow, and those shoes I bought the exact same pair for Ella's birthday. "Alyssa?" I heard Edmund call though he seemed closer to me than Susan had.

As I got closer I realized that it was a person, with the same dress and shoes and hair that my best friend had. And when I went around to the front of the person I screamed for there lying on the sand in this strange place was my best friend who moments before I was in a car crash with.

"Alyssa! What's wrong!" Edmund shouted as I fell down beside Ella.

"Ella! Ella, wake up its me honey, Alyssa. Ella please wake up."

"Alyssa, what is going on?" Edmund said as I was trying to shake Ella awake.

"It's Ella she's my best friend and we were in the car crash together, and she's not waking up." I said.

Everyone was now over to where we were. Peter reached down to check her pulse. "She is still alive just unconscious I think, like you were at first."

"Stop shaking her." Edmund said grabbing my hand.

"But I woke up as soon as you touched me, why isn't she?"

"Maybe she was impacted more. Look I think she will be ok, she just needs more time to come through that's all." Peter said.

"Oh yeah and are you a doctor too Your Highness? Why were we brought here? Why is she unconscious? What happened back in Toronto? Why won't she wake up? And where is this Aslan you seem so fond of? How come he never seems to be around when you need him? The dwarf said he abandoned them; he wasn't there when I came to Narnia, he wasn't around when Lucy was almost mauled by a bear, and he is not here now. To tell you the truth this Aslan sounds like a douche bag who only comes when it is convenient for him!"

"Look I get that you are upset and confused and frightened but I promise Aslan is not a bad person he is a great teacher who gives you lessons to learn that will stick with you in this world and the other world. I can't say for sure because I do not have my PhD in medical science but I do believe she will be okay, she just needs some time to recover. Aslan will come eventually and then you can ask him all the questions you have." Peter said in a voice so calm I wanted to yell at him to stop acting that way.

"How about Peter and Edmund take turns carrying Ella, so we can keep going, and maybe find some help." Susan suggested.

I look at Ella and then at the faces of these people I have followed, what choice do I have really stay here with her by ourselves when there are savage bears about or go with these people and put my trust in them.

"Okay, but if either of you drops her or hurts her in any way I will hurt you, and trust me it will hurt." I said and stood up. Peter hoisted Ella onto his back and we started walking through the woods that lined the beach.

Okay so I know it is a short chapter but I wanted to post one before I went on vacation so here it is, I will answer all your reviews when I get back. Please, please, please review it means a lot to me to hear your comments, your criticism which is important for anyone who wishes to become a writer, and any ideas you wish to share. Again so sorry it is like the movie, but I had to get the story going and I needed some of the dialogue so again sorry but it needed to be done.