I realize that these chapters are much shorter than the usual amount on this site, but I promise that they will get longer, and more interesting. It just takes some time for everything to get going and all of that. Thanks!
Chapter Seven
I awoke to the joyful sound of bugles and the shouts and cries of the Narnians. I quickly yanked my boots on and ducked under my tent flap, stepping out into the bright mid-morning sunshine. Everyone was crowding to the middle of camp, and had formed a wide aisle up to Aslan's tent. I had yet to see Aslan in the flesh, but felt it couldn't be long before I did.
When I reached the crowd, I asked a Tiger what the fuss was about. "Haven't you heard? The true king and queens of Narnia have arrived!" My heart leaped with excitement as I pushed to the front. I peered down to the edge of camp and saw five figures making their way down to us. There were the three taller figures of the children and the two small figures of the Animals who had escorted them here. As they got closer, I saw they were Beavers. And I could study the children better.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that the boy was the oldest. He had hair close to the same color as my own, but with more brown. He was tall and very good to look at. The second oldest was a girl with long, silky brown hair that reached almost to her waist. She was so beautiful and graceful and I felt very small and ugly in comparison. The third was a small girl who looked to be several years younger than me. She had shorter, curly hair and a round face. She looked very friendly and was very cute. But, just as we had heard, the other boy was missing.
The three children and the Beavers reached Aslan's tent and stood, looking back and forth at each other, unsure of what to do now. Then a rustling came from the red and white striped tent, and Aslan stepped forward. A collective gasp rose from the Narnians.
But their gasps were for a different reason than mine. Because before me stood the biggest, most magnificent Lion I had ever seen. His mane was long and looked like spun gold. His paws were larger than my whole head, and his presence sent fear, awe, and hope into my heart all at once. I had not known that the great Aslan was a lion.
The children dropped to their knees like the rest of us. The boy unsheathed his sword, stabbed it into the ground, and knelt with his forehead resting on it before the Great Lion. Aslan exchanged a few words with them. From what I could tell, he greeted them and then inquired about their missing brother. When he learned of what had become of the boy, his beautiful face clouded with worry and he shook his huge head. After a few more words, he nodded to the children, and then they were escorted to their tents. The crowd of awed Narnians then began to disperse.
I started walking back to my tent, thinking about the children. Mostly about their absent brother. I wondered what he was like, and why he had abandoned his siblings and run to the Witch? It was still a puzzle to me.
When I got to my tent, I was shocked to find that it was gone and a much bigger, grander tent had replaced it. I cautiously pulled aside the flap and peered inside. There were three beds, a rug, and other furnishings. But what caught my eye were the two girls sitting on one of the beds. They were talking in quiet voices, and the little one had a worried look on her face. I stood in the door of the tent, unsure of what to do until the older girl noticed me standing there and stood. "Oh, you must be Rose. The…fauns told us you would be sharing this tent with us. I guess yours was here first," she said with a beautiful smile. I smiled back and nodded a bit. Then I realized that they were queens and dropped to my knees, bowing my head. "Yes, I am Rose," I said quietly, peeking up at them through the thick hair in my face. Then the little one laughed and said in a friendly voice, "Oh, Rose, you don't have to bow for us! Now, I'm Lucy, and this is Susan." She stuck out her hand. I slowly rose to my feet and shook it. Smiling, Susan also shook my hand. Then, pointing to the bed on the right side of the huge tent, she said, "I think those are your things over there. Is that a good spot for you?" Nodding, I answered, "Yes that will be just fine." I ran my hands over the bed. It would be the first one I had slept in a long time. Then I flopped back on my back and spread my hands out. "Aahh…It feels sooo nice." Susan and Lucy laughed and jumped on their beds to. "Yes, it does feel nice after sleeping on the ground the past few nights," Lucy agreed. I closed my eyes and sighed. So far, I liked my new queens.
