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Redemption
"Edmund!" Lucy cried upon espying her brother, who turned his head from the early morning hilltop conversation with the great Lion; she was stopped abruptly, however, by a warning grasp on her arm from Peter. A moment later, Edmund came slowly walking down the hill, soon followed by Aslan and a bedraggled Margaret. The younger brother had a genuinely remorseful expression none of his siblings had seen for more than a year beyond his mask of a brat; Daisy had a similarly sad approach, though there was also a mysteriously purposeful look that nearly matched the one Kate wore.
"What's done is done," Aslan announced mildly. "There is no reason to bring up the past with Edmund or Margaret."
As He left the families to their reunion, Ed awkwardly said,
"Hello…"
"Oh, Edmund!" the youngest exclaimed happily, being joined by her sister in embracing him.
"How are you feeling?" Susan queried upon backing away.
"I'm feeling kind of tired," he replied quietly, respectfully standing to the side while Daisy was shown the same courtesy of a hug. A slight, familiar pause followed as the children waited for Peter's input.
"Get some rest," was all he said at first. Lucy looked disappointedly at the scene as the younger boy started to comply, but Peter apparently couldn't hold a grudge for very long and ended the introduction on a lighter note. "…and Edmund…try not to wander off again." Once Ed was a distance away, Peter turned to the other refugee, who had just received a welcoming embrace from her cousin. "Are you all right, Daisy?"
"Quite well, thank you," the girl chirped, shifting the bag on her shoulder with a sly grin. "After all, I had the best prison companion a girl could ask for and made a new friend on top of it all. Good night."
As she strode away, Lucy caught Peter shaking his head, as if baffled, looking towards the rising sun. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Kate's strange friend, Aida, appeared with their group, causing Lucy to take a sharp breath in surprise. The great lady smiled secretively down at her upon seeing her reaction, though her focus seemed mostly to be on Margaret.
"An odd relation you have there, Kathryn," the newcomer stated. She didn't seem to notice the bits of dried blood staining her long-fingered hands. "I think I will greatly enjoy this task." With no further adieu beyond a nod of the head to the recent Knight, she strolled casually toward the makeshift training area.
"Narnia isn't going to run out of toast, Edmund," Lucy laughed a couple hours later as the children were sitting down for breakfast.
"Then you better pack some for the journey," Peter stated, having long decided to send his companions away from danger.
"So…we're going home?" Susan queried.
"You are. I promised I'd keep you three safe…but there's no reason I can't stay and help."
"But they need us…all of us!" the youngest objected. Peter almost softened at the little one's bravery…almost.
"Lucy, it's too dangerous. You almost drowned. Kate nearly froze. Edmund and Margaret were almost killed!"
"…which is why we have to stay." Edmund's sudden speaking after such a long time of silence directed all eyes to him. "I've seen what the White Witch can do…and I've helped her do it…and we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it." His resolve was shocking, but Peter could only nod in resignation and turn to the Benten girls.
"Well?"
Though Kate only sent an 'are you joking' look over her bit of butter-smothered toast in reply, Margaret had plenty to say.
"Well what? There's no question about whether or not I'm staying. I'm partially why this happened. The least I can do is stand up for them and take my part."
Susan got up with an air of resignation, saying,
"Well, I guess that's it, then."
"Where are you going?" Peter objected.
She smiled vengefully.
"To get in some practice."
As everyone else stood, the young man noticed Kathryn contemplatively twirling her unlatched necklace.
"Kate?"
She smiled distantly before answering.
"I have a challenge to eventually meet. Dais and I will need more weapons than a necklace whip."
Kate and Daisy peacefully walked among the tents looking for what could be considered an armory. Not much had been said between them concerning past events, except for the events of their first encounters with Narnia, including Aida's mysterious appearance and apparent nature. The only difference with their interactions was that they both had a strange sense of purpose. Finally arriving at a large, white tent with hundreds of different weapons on racks stacked in two rows outside its entrance, from which escaped massive amounts of steam and the tangy scent of sweat, they stopped and waited to be noticed. While a Minotaur and two black-haired dwarves could be seen pounding away at wood and metal inside the temporary blacksmith shop/armory, it was the big-nosed faun which addressed them as he studiously laid a few newly-created arms in their place.
"You must be two of our latest recruits," he drawled companionably, not really looking up.
"I am Kathryn and this is Margaret," the younger girl stated, earning the creature's full attention as his saucer-round turned to them in realization that his customers were Daughters of Eve.
"Forgive me, my Lady. To what occasion do I have this honor?"
"If you have a moment to spare, my cousin and I will likely be in need of weapons."
The faun's eyes twinkled with delight as he took his time in giving Daisy a good look-over. After a moment, he gently poked the older girl's arm, chewing his lip.
"Let the flies plague me if I'm wrong, but you're an archer."
A breath of a laugh escaped Kate's lips at the error, but she was given a shock with Margaret's reply.
"I have used blades more, but I prefer a bow and arrow, yes." She glanced at her stunned relation. "I did more than drive a car without anyone knowing."
"This is an archer's arm, if I ever saw one." He gave Kate a similar look-over, noting her ever ballet-like stance and declaring her a 'blade-dancer'. "…and I have just what you need." With a sudden bounce in his step, he trotted back into the tent, soon returning with an armload of different weapons wrapped in an oiled cloth, including a bow and a sheathed sword. "Near forty years ago, I was leaving my cousin's in the Lantern Waste when I stumbled upon a patch of forest with no snow. In fact, I would bet my beard that it looked like one of the summer days of old. In the middle of this miracle was a small maple tree. These things were hung all around its branches and they were guarded by a beautiful falcon; however, it flew away as soon as I got there. I think they were meant, one day, to be yours."
To Daisy he gave a polished, medium-brown, gently curving bow that, standing on the ground, reached just past her waist, a lion-marked quiver bristling with arrows, two straight, foot-long daggers with polished wooden handles and a leather belt, and hard leather bracers and shin greaves. All were beautiful, shining examples of the art of craftsmanship and given and received as if they were sacred. Apparently, the day the faun had discovered the weapons had imbedded itself quite deeply in his memory. He seemed to think that his discovery of them was for some special purpose, despite the unlikelihood.
"Do you expect me to fight much?" Margaret humorously questioned.
"No," he responded, unruffled, "you are obviously the archer and those items go together. I am only the temporary custodian; these belong to you, now. As for the rest of these articles…" He presented the rest to Kate, who nearly dropped them out of the clumsiness. "I assume these are to be yours because you carry yourself like a blade-dancer and that necklace of yours seems fitting."
The cousins profusely thanked the proud faun and, after he excused himself with an immense workload, slipped outside the camp into a lightly treed field to examine the new treasures.
Kathryn finally took the time to really study her recent protection while Daisy smoothly donned hers as if it was natural. The fact was: she looked quite natural at that point. Wearing her armament, seemingly leather slippers, her hair held back with a rawhide cord, and a soft cotton, shin-length brown dress with a mild V-neck and long, flowing sleeves, both with a split on their front to allow her arms more movement.
Kate's weapons included several five-inch daggers, the smooth, round hilts of which were a stony, bluish-black wood (she had no idea what she was to do with these), a long, curved sword with an elegant, long hilt that matched the daggers, and two slim matching bracers with vines of silver decorating their entirety. The black leather belt fit well around her waist, despite the fact that the whole getup was clearly constructed for an adult, as was Daisy's.
"Well," the older girl began, admiring her own compliments and stretching to test her flexibility (which was surprisingly great, even though she hadn't been a dancer for very long before abandoning it for further scientific and mechanical studies), "I think I'm going to join Susan at the targets. Want to come along?"
Kate shook her head, but collected her side-dish daggers anyway.
"I want to pester one of the fauns into practicing with me." A glint appeared in the darker brunette's eyes. "The one thing you talked me into that I can actually thank you for: fencing. At least we won't be completely unprepared."
"We're not ready for a battle, though, Kate."
"I know. But we're ahead of the Pevensies. I doubt that any of them have held a weapon, other than, perhaps, a gun."
Lucy waved happily when Margaret appeared over the grassy hill, while Susan settled for a simple nod of the head as she prepared to use her bow. A few seconds later, the arrow landed with an impressive thud quite near the center of the distant target. As she neared the siblings, Daisy clapped, laughingly saying,
"Impressive! Have you used a bow before? You look practiced."
"I had a couple lessons," the elder Pevensie replied, pursing her lips at her imperfect mark. When the other fourteen-year-old knocked an arrow of her own and shot no closer than the first, Susan apparently felt a little better; however, their sympathy was mutually felt even more so when Lucy's swift throw of her little dagger landed perfectly in the center, outmatching both older ladies.
With a giggle at her gaping companions, the little one lightly noted,
"That's the first time I've thrown a knife like that."
She laughed even more when all Daisy could do was shake her head, trying not to chuckle.
"Come on, Ed! Sword hand up: like Oreius showed us," Peter ordered with his steed dancing underneath him.
Edmund's adjustment was interrupted as his own horse reared.
"Whoa, horsey!" he yelled.
"My name is Philip," it muttered, shocking the boy supremely.
"Oh…sorry."
"You better come quick!" Mr. Beaver called, suddenly appearing on the scene in earnest. "The White Witch has requested a meeting with Aslan!"
The brothers exchanged worried glances. Ed didn't know precisely what his brother was thinking, but, likely enough, he thought it had something to do with the Witch's former captives. The strange thing was: he was more concerned for Margie than himself.
The main path of the camp which led to Aslan's tent, the same path the children had taken during their arrival, was lined with every single member of the Lion's army. The Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve had a front seat viewing quite close to Aslan's canvas dwelling; the King Himself was standing on the rise where He had been previously.
"Jadis! Jadis!" the fat, evil little dwarf proclaimed loudly above the booing and growling of the onlookers as his queen was carried by four Cyclops on a giant, fur-laden litter towards the waiting Leader. Once her servers halted, the Witch hopped from her soft throne and walked forward, staring icily at all she saw, particularly Edmund and Margaret.
"You have traitors in your midst, Aslan," she noted, as if speaking of whether it might rain. While gasps rang out in the crowd, Aida, who was standing just beside the rise near the children, had a five-second staring contest with the cruel woman.
"Their offence was not against you," Aslan coolly replied.
Unfortunately, the cruel woman couldn't leave well enough alone.
"Perhaps…yet you allow the Falcon to roam freely with your herd while you know full well who she belongs to."
"Her allegiances are her choice alone. What has passed is no longer a threat."
"Have you forgotten the Deep Magic?"
"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was made."
"Then you will know that the boy and the girl belong to me. Those children will die on the Stone Table."
Despite being in her human form, Aida felt like ruffling her feathers in anger; nevertheless, her narrowed bird eyes seemed to catch enough of Jadis' attention. The chilling focus was split, however, when Peter unsheathed his sword and aimed it threateningly at the visitor, not that it would have done any good anyway. The Falcon knew better.
"Come and take it, then," the challenger said.
Jadis only scoffed.
"You think that a simple threat will deny me my right, little king? Aslan knows that, if I do not have blood as the Law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water."
"Enough! I shall talk with you alone," Aslan growled turning toward His tent and motioning for the Witch to follow. He obviously saw the avian watcher's desire as He addressed her quietly. "You may come, Aida…" After she eagerly caught up to His side, He lowered His voice even more. "…but keep any foolish outbursts to yourself." Decently chastised, the woman resolved to remain silent and gave her word. She didn't realize how hard it would be, presently.
Kate blankly watched as Ed and Daisy simultaneously yanked a pinch of grass and twirled it in their fingers. Everyone had long since sat down on the lawn to wait.
"It's been almost an hour," Lucy complained worriedly. "What could they possibly be talking about?"
"Grownups have an odd way of handling things, sometimes, Lu," Peter replied tiredly.
The evil dwarf sidled up to them, hoping to have some fun tormenting.
"Her Majesty will get exactly what she wants," he gargled. "She came here knowing precisely what she would say."
The younger Benten glared. She hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting the dwarf personally, but he obviously wasn't what anyone could call pleasant. So, she did what she could, stating matter-of-factly,
"A real queen would not lower herself to seek the audience of another if she truly thought she was above her rival."
As the humorously humiliated creature grumped away, the troops stirred with the sight of the emerging Witch, followed by Aslan.
"The Witch has denounced her claim," He declared when the Witch neared her seat, receiving the Narnians' joyful cheers.
"How will I know your promise will be kept?" Jadis inquired haughtily. The crowd's cheering turned to laughter when Aslan's ferocious roar frightened the Witch into sitting rather abruptly; although, something registered clearly in Kate's mind as wrong, especially when the Lion turned sadly to go back into His tent. While the other children remained joyful about having Ed and Margaret free and Lucy clearly saw Aslan's sadness, but followed her siblings away, Kathryn slipped after the Creature to Whom she had basically dedicated her complete service.
The tent itself was empty, aside from a great pile of furs and blankets for a bed, where Aslan was momentarily moving to lounge, and an empty chair in the middle, where the Witch had probably sat. Aida simply sat cross-legged on the ground in the corner with her head bent down in her hands and her hair sweeping forward. The Lion just sighed upon seeing the follower, but the Falcon rose from the red, rug-covered floor to stand beside the new-comer. Apparently crying wasn't something the bird-woman was prone to do, but she seemed close enough.
"What happened?" Kate queried, sensing the distress.
Aida gripped the girl's arm tightly and gazed brokenly at the resting Leader before leading her outside with a very telling response on her lips.
"It will be neither Edmund, nor Margaret, nor myself on the Stone Table tonight, though I know I deserve it far more than they. Now, we will be able to say that He has given everything for us."
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