Familiar faces

During the next few months Hope started noticing how Cornelius became more nervous and uneasy as the days went on. And after one of her and Caspian's lesson as Hope asked him the reason the old Doctor told her in a hushed voice how he was afraid for Caspian's safety as now Lord Miraz's wife Prunaprismia was expecting a child. And if the child was male it would give Miraz an opportunity to get rid of Caspian to become the King.

And after hearing that, the Doctor's nervousness had been extended to Hope. She now kept a close eye on Caspian as well as Lady Prunaprismia to see if she was close to her due day.

But unexpectedly during one evening, when Hope was back in the quarters ready to go to bed Cornelius uncharacteristically marched into her room.

''Hope put on some clothes, Lady Prunaprismia has gone into labor,'' he quickly said as he closed the door behind him. And that was all he had to say as Hope immediately knew what was to come. She quickly took her green gown from the closet and walked behind the clothes screen, and in a record time she had changed her white nightgown to her green gown and taken her dark blue cape from the chair she had earlier placed it.

They quickly left Hope's quarters, Hope not bothering to tie her hair to hide her ears because the hurry they were right now, and went to the floor where Lord Miraz's and Lady Prunaprismia quarters were. They could hear the Lady's pained yells outside as she was giving birth to Caspian's cousin, but then suddenly the yells stopped and they could hear the newborn baby's cries.

''It's a boy my lady,'' one of the midwives said and Cornelius and Hope could hear it to the other side of the door. They quickly gave each other a look and hurried to Caspian's quarters before Miraz's men could.

Cornelius opened the door and hurried in, while Hope silently closed the door behind her. She could hear Caspian waking up as the Doctor placed his hand over Caspian's mouth to keep him from shouting.

''Five more minutes,'' Caspian said as he tried to go back to sleep, not understanding the danger he was in.

''You won't be watching the stars tonight, my prince. Come, we must hurry,'' Cornelius said as he helped Caspian out of the bed.

''Professor, what is going on?'' Caspian asked as he noticed the panicking Hope standing next to door, listening to anyone who might pass the door, or worse, try to come in.

''Your aunt has given birth…to a son,'' Cornelius said in a quiet yet urgent voice. They all moved next to the closet and as Cornelius opened it and walked inside Hope quickly followed, grabbing Caspian's arm to come with them as he in his shocked state wasn't making the move himself.

Caspian then, after entering, quietly closed the doors behind him, but left a small cap so he could see what was going to happen. He suddenly saw his uncle's men come in and pointing their crossbows towards his curtained bed, where they thought he was still sleeping. And after getting the order from his uncle's captain they fired the bows.

After seeing that the Doctor was indeed not joking about the urgency of the situation Caspian followed him and Hope into the secret passage that led outside of his room. They quickly went to the castle's armory, where Caspian took his leather chest armor and a sword and then they quickly went to the stables where Caspian quickly saddled his horse, Destrier, ready to escape the palace.

''You must make for the woods,'' the Doctor said as Caspian mounted his horse.

''The woods?'' Caspian asked.

''They won't follow you there. And take Hope with you. Your uncle knows I helped you and she will be in danger if she stays here,'' Cornelius said as he pushed Hope next to the horse and Caspian helped her on behind him. The Doctor then took something from his rope's pocket and handed the wrapped object to Caspian.

''It has taken me many years to find it. Do not use it except at your greatest need,'' the Doctor warned as Caspian placed it on his belt.

''Will I ever see you again?'' Caspian asked, fearing that these were the goodbyes.

''I hope so, my dear prince. There is so much I meant to tell you. Everything you know is about to change,'' Cornelius said. But suddenly they hear the soldiers outside. ''Now go!'' Cornelius urged as he patted Destrier as Caspian started riding it outside, making Hope to wrap her arms around Caspian so she wouldn't fall off.

They rode into the courtyard where some of the soldiers tried to stop them, but the speed and size of the horse made in impossible. From behind them they could hear the fireworks in the sky as the announcer told everybody about the birth of Miraz's son. And it didn't take long for the soldiers to take their own horses and start chasing Caspian and Hope.

Caspian rode Destrier down to the large field as the soldiers chased them. The incredible speed of the horse had made Hope's hood fall off and her blonde hair was now flowing around her, but because of their situation she didn't bother to pull the hood up again.

They rode into the forest as Cornelius had advised and they could hear how most of the soldiers did not want to follow, giving them the lead they desperately needed. But the fear of the forest didn't last long as the soldiers soon, once again, were on their tail trying to catch them.

''Hurry Caspian,'' Hope breathed to his neck.

''I'm trying,'' Caspian snapped at her. And even if his voice did held some anger in it Hope knew it was not aimed for her and so she did not held it against Caspian.

They rode deeper into the forest and up to the mountain and the soldiers stayed annoyingly persistent behind them. They came to the vast river and without even thinking they rode in it, but thankfully Destrier was big and strong horse and it managed to make it to the other side of the river without any trouble. And although Caspian's trousers and Hope's gown's hem were now dripping wet, they still continued to ride, while the soldiers and their smaller horses had difficulty to cross the river as some of them were taken in by the current.

They made it to the forest and Hope couldn't help but to notice that this was the forest she and her small family used to live before their deaths. Caspian quickly looked behind him to see if she was okay and if they were still followed and that cost him.

''Caspian look out!'' Hope yelled as she saw the low tree on their way. Caspian quickly turned around, only to hit his head to the tree making him and Hope fall off of the horse. Hope fell to the ground, but Caspian's leg got stuck into the stirrup and was dragged behind the horse while Hope ran after him in the darkness of the forest.

Caspian finally managed to get his leg free while Desrtier ran away into the forest. Hope quickly ran next to him and kneeled beside him.

''Are you alright?'' Hope asked as she could see a forming bruise on his forehead while he lied on the wet ground.

''Yeah, I'm fine,'' Caspian breathed. Hope then helped Caspian up into a sitting position and once he was up Caspian started to look around them and all he could see was dark forest everywhere.

But then suddenly a small door that was hidden in the roots of the tree opened lighting the area with dim light and two dwarves came out their swords ready in position.

''They've seen us,'' the other one said as he saw Caspian and Hope sitting on the ground looking at them. They suddenly saw the unwrapped horn that the Doctor had given to Caspian laying close to Caspian and Hope.

But before they could act they heard the soldiers' horses coming closer to them.

''Take care of him!'' Trumpkin, as Hope now recognized her old uncle, said to Nikabrik, who was standing behind him as he went to deal with the soldiers. Nikabrik started to come closer to them, but then Caspian takes the horn…

''No!''

…And blows into it before Nikabrik hits him unconscious with the hilt of his sword. Caspian falls to the ground and Hope immediately crawls next to him and takes his head onto her lap. Nikabrik then starts to get closer to Hope until,

''Nikabrik stop! It's me, Hope,'' Hope says as she stops him with her lifted hand. Nikabrik takes a closer look at the young woman kneeling before him and he suddenly could see the familiar features on her. Long blonde hair just like her mother's, clear blue eyes like her father's, the face of their adopted niece Hope.

''Hope? Is that really you?'' Nikabrik asks not believing his eyes.

''Yes, can you help me move him to the house? The Telmarines are after us,'' Hope says as she gets up and quickly takes a hold of Caspian's shoulder and Nikabrik, with clear loathing, takes a hold of his feet, somehow knowing that Hope would not come inside to the safety before the boy was safe too.

They take him into the house and they can see a badger named Trufflehunter coming from the kitchen as Nikabrik kicks the door shut.

''What was that commotion outside? And who are these?'' he demands when he sees Hope and Caspian.

''Trufflehunter don't you recognize me?'' Hope asks teasingly as she and Nikabrik drag Caspian to the bed at the end of the small house.

''Hope?'' Trufflehunter asks with the same amazed voice as Nikabrik.

''Yes, it's me,'' Hope says as she finally, after getting Caspian to the bed, turns to look at Trufflehunter and smiling at him. Hope kneels to the ground as Trufflehunter comes closer and gives her uncle a big hug after all these years.

''Oh my dear Hope. Look at you, all grown up. You look beautiful, just like your mother,'' Trufflehunter says after the hug and as he takes a good look at her.

''Thank you. But can you help me. Nikabrik hit him pretty hard on the head,'' Hope says as she gestures towards Caspian, while giving a smiling Nikabrik a look to which he just smiles more. Trufflehunter looks at the young man lying on bed, noticing the small bleeding wound on his forehead, among the bruise he got when he hit his head.

''Yes of course, I'll take care of him,'' he says as he goes back to the kitchen to get some bandages and clean water. After he comes back they together clean Caspian's wound and bandage it, and after his head is okay Hope takes his leather armor and sword away so it would be more comfortable to sleep.

''Thank you,'' Hope then says as they leave Caspian to rest.

''Not a problem my dear. But now you must change clothes or you'll catch a cold,'' Trufflehunter says gesturing at Hope's wet and muddy dress.

''Trufflehunter, you know Winter Nymphs don't get a cold,'' Hope said.

''Yes I do. But it will be much more comfortable to be in dry clothes,'' he says and goes to his small closet at the back of the house. He then comes back with a bundle of clothes on his arms. ''Here try these on. They were your mother's,'' he says as he gives the clothes to Hope.

She takes the clothes carefully not believing that these were her mother's, the woman's who she admires most in the entire world.

''Thank you,'' Hope says with tears in her eyes, making Trufflehunter smile and even makes Nikabrik give a small grin towards the young woman.

''Now go change,'' Trufflehunter says as he pushes Hope to the direction of Nikabriks room so she could change in privacy.

XXX

Back in the London four very ordinary looking children were totally unaware of the commotion back in Narnia as they now had their own problems.

After the Pevensies, or what was left of them, went back to their home in London they had to explain their mother the disappearance of her oldest daughter. And the only explanation was that Amanda had gone missing in the woods near the Professor's house and they never found her, or her body. And even after a year their mother still could not hear anyone utter her daughter's name out loud without bursting into tears.

The children were of course just as devastated of their loss. They had tried to go back to Narnia to get her, but found that the closet they had used before had closed the portal and now they were all stuck back in England while Amanda, who still remained thirty years old, was in Narnia.

And so all of them had to change. Peter now having to face the loss of the other part of himself, his twin sister, who had always been with him and kept him calm. He was now days always feeling angry and crumby and not anything of his siblings would do or say could calm him down.

Susan, now being the oldest sister, was taking the role of the mother while they were in school. The role that used to belong to Amanda and that was one of the reasons Peter was always angry, as Susan now tried to keep them together like Amanda used to, but her not having much experience of being the oldest girl wasn't doing very well. And as she had usually been allowed to have some of her vanity, but now that she was the role model to Lucy she had hard time shaking it off.

Edmund, after Amanda had told him back in Narnia that no matter what she would always love him, had taken her words to the heart and was now trying to be the best brother she deserved, even if she wasn't there. He wasn't trying to compete with Peter anymore like before and took other peoples feeling into account and was not being as selfish as he was before.

Lucy, realizing the lose just as well as the others, grew up from her childishness and was now more mature, or as mature as one in her age can be. She still strongly believed that one day they would get back to Narnia and see Amanda again, but others were starting to lose their hope after a year with nothing.

They were now on the train station ready to get back to school and after Peter, once again, had gotten into a fight and Edmund rushing to help him they were now sitting on a bench away from everyone else, waiting the train to arrive.

''You're welcome,'' Edmund said even if Peter hadn't thanked him for the help.

''I had it sorted,'' Peter snapped at his brother.

''What was it this time?'' Susan asked tiredly, knowing how many times they had gone through this conversation before.

''He bumped me,'' Peter explained.

''So you hit him?'' Lucy asked disapproving.

''No. After he bumped me, he tried to get me to apologize. That's when I hit him,'' Peter said.

''Why can't you just walk away? If Mandi was here she'd say the same,'' Susan said making them all quiet down. It wasn't just their mother who still felt the pain of the loss and the wound was still very raw.

''If Mandi was here things would be different,'' Peter snapped with tears in his eyes as always when he allowed himself to think his twin, ''and I shouldn't have to walk away! Don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?''

''Uh, we are kids,'' Edmund stated.

''Well I wasn't always. … It has been a year. How long does he expect us to wait?'' Peter said tiredly.

''I think it's time to accept the fact that we live here. It's no use pretending any different. And you have to face the fact that we may never see Mandi again,'' Susan said as tears tried to fall from her eyes, but she stubbornly kept them in while Lucy's tears did make their way down to her cheeks and Edmund also, like Susan, refusing to cry while he tried to comfort Lucy.

But suddenly something started to pinch the children and then the train came to the station in an unnatural speed. And after the train was gone, they noticed that they weren't in London anymore.

They were back in Narnia.