Chapter 9

The ride was not an easy one and though the others seemed to know how to ride horses, Ella was struggling. She kept a firm hold on Lucy though and managed not to fall off. She supposed with practice, she might actually like riding horses, though she didn't know about talking ones. It felt wrong, in a way.

Ella tried to focus on everything she saw, but she wasn't good at picking out certain things. So many things were the same. It was beautiful, the trees, the river and blue sky. A few times, Ella thought she saw something moving in the woods, but she just blinked and then there was nothing. She figured it was just her imagination.

The horses galloped up a hill and Ella saw a tall hill. There was no way that the horses could handle it, or so she thought.

Then the horses ran up the sharp hill without any sort of problem and slowed, then stopped. There were beautiful, golden gates there, which were open. Ella noted a green wall running on either side and she saw branches on the other side so she assumed it might be a garden.

Edmund and Peter dismounted with ease and their horses said goodbye before trotting through the gate.

"You will have to dismount first," Lucy told Ella.

Even though she had watched the others, her dismount was clumsy. She slipped one leg down the side of the horse and tried to throw her other leg around to land on her feet. She got tangled though and stumbled, falling instead of landing gracefully.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked, dismounting in one fluid motion.

"Yeah," Ella answered as she got to her feet again. "It seems I am having trouble staying on my feet today."

The horse sounded like it laughed and Lucy shook her head. "You shouldn't laugh at people. Some people don't know how to ride."

The horse apologized, sounding like she meant it. Ella forgave the horse because what else could she do? This was a talking horse!

She watched as the horse trotted inside the gates.

"Come on," Lucy motioned for Ella to follow. Ella took two steps forward, and then couldn't move any closer.

Frowning, she lifted her foot and tried to step forward, but couldn't. She strained and felt as if something was pulling her backward. She strained forward and the next thing she knew, her feet slipped from under her and she fell onto her back.

She lay like that for a moment, looking up at the sky. "Really?" she asked anyone who would listen. She sat up and noticed the other three weren't having the same trouble.

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Ella answered. "I can't seem to move any closer."

Lucy turned to her brothers. Edmund gave a bit of a shrug, but Peter was looking thoughtful.

"What happened before you ended up here?"

"Does that matter?" Ella asked.

"Of course," he answers. "What were you doing and where were you right before you arrived here."

"I was walking my neighbor's dog, Millie." Ella paused. "I hope she is okay. Millie, I mean. The neighbor too, but I was walking Millie in this wooded area. It was snowing, it is winter there. Then I felt pinches. The wind picked up and I lost a hold of the leash, which is why Millie isn't here, though I am not sure if she would have ended up here or not. Anyway, I tripped on a root of a tree, I think and then when I landed, I was here."

Ella realized she hadn't spoken so much since she got to this place. Though, she was just recounting what led her to this moment.

"And then?" Peter asked.

"I met Aslan."

Peter nodded again then paused. "Wait, he said your story isn't done yet, correct? The same with Susan's?"

Ella nodded. "Yes."

"What is it, Peter?" Lucy asked.

"It all makes sense," Peter told Lucy then turned to Ella. "You are still alive. That is why you can't enter. Only those who have died may be here."

Ella paused and looked at the three people in front of her. Though she knew that the siblings had died in a railway accident, it hadn't really stuck her until he said it.

"And you're all dead…" she said.

Peter nodded. "Only those departed can enter the garden here. See Aslan for how he truly is."

"Truly is?" Ella asked. What else was he but a lion?

"One day, you will see," Lucy smiled at her.

"So it seems Ella will have to stay here. Which isn't too bad. There is the other Cair Paravel. And a few other places," Peter said.

"Should we really let her be that far?" Edmund asked.

"Well, we wouldn't let her be totally alone," Peter said.

"Then who would stay with her?"

Ella cleared her throat loudly. "She is still standing here and can hear you both. She can also speak for herself."

At least Edmund was willing to look a little sorry.

"You don't know this land or what's happened," Peter pointed out.

"I would if you would just tell me," Ella answered.

Peter sighed. "Very well. Narnia is in trouble. We needed help and blew the whistle, hoping we might call Susan here."

"But you got me instead," Ella sighed.

Peter nodded.

"Maybe I can still help though," she responded. "I mean…you four came through a wardrobe as kids and became Kings and Queens."

"Do you know how to handle a sword or a bow and arrows?" Peter asked her.

"And why would I learn something like that?" she questioned. "I know you have all been here awhile, but not a lot of people use those in the twenty first century."

"Because that's what we use here," Peter responded.

"You two, stop bickering," Edmund spoke up. "Ella, we need Susan because we need all the friends of Narnia here to defeat the evil."

"What evil? If this is a place of the dead, the garden at least, why not just shut the gates?" Ella asked, motioning to them.

"This place should never be touched by evil," Peter sighed and Ella realized he looked tired.

"There was a door, one that kept is out of the remains of old Narnia when it fell apart," Lucy explained. "There was a gold key that locked the door after Narnia became no more."

Ella nodded, not really understanding, but she supposed it made about as much sense as anything else.

"While we have no need to leave the garden, sometimes we do. Some enjoy being outside of the garden, not yet ready to reach here."

"You mean like me?" Ella asked, surprised.

Lucy shook her head. "No. There were others who didn't know Narnia well. I won't give his name because he does feel terrible about it, but he heard voices. Ones he knew on the other side of the door. He thought maybe people had been left so he got the key and unlocked the door. Now, it can't be closed and there are some very bad things roaming this land."

Ella quickly looked around, but she didn't see anything. "Bad things like what?"

Peter sighed. "Tash. Others that follow Tash and others trapped in the Shadowlands. The worst part is that some of ours have gone missing."

"Missing?" Ella frowned.

Peter nodded, looking solemn. "When we were told what happened, we were also told some of the talking animals stood guard. We hurried there and though we can move fast, they were not there and the door was open."

"Doors can be opened and closed," Ella pointed out. "You said, it couldn't be, but why not?"

"Magic," Lucy answered. "Bad magic."

Ella might have been skeptical, if not for the fact that she had stumbled into a magical land where animals talked and they all seemed to be ruled by a talking lion that seemed able to disappear into thin air.

"And somehow that is why I am here? Why do you think Susan can do anything?"

"There is an empty throne in Cair Paravel," Edmund responded.

"And we miss our sister," Lucy said. "That is the only downside. Even though we can see our parents whenever we want, it isn't the same."

"Maybe she just isn't in Narnia," Ella offered. She had no idea if Susan was even alive.

"If she wasn't here, she would at least me in real England with our parents."

"Real England?" Ella asked, finding this confusing.

Peter sighed. "It is complicated to explain. Inside the garden, things get bigger and we can visit with our family in England and then be back in Narnia without any trouble at all."

"So basically…like heaven?" Ella ventured. The gates seemed fitting for that idea, but nothing else made sense. She was more confused than ever and even though questions were answered, they led to more.

"Most here call it real Narnia."

They all turned and there was Aslan again. The three Pevensies got down on one knee in front of him. Ella paused, wondering if she should, but instead, she gave a small nod of her head. "Aslan."

"Yes, daughter of Eve," he responded.

The others stood at this and then Lucy hugged the large lion, who chuckled in response, tilting his head to her. "I didn't know if we'd see you like this again," she said.

"I am always the same. I just felt this might be less frightening to our guest," he said, motioning for Ella.

"You mean you can be more frightening?"

"Aslan of the books was a lion. You are seeing a lion," he responded.

Ella opened her mouth to say that it didn't make sense, yet at the same time, it did. Was she going crazy? Maybe she had lost her mind somehow, though she wondered if crazy people doubted their sanity.

"Aslan, we believed Susan would be called here if we blew the horn," Peter said.

"I told her to blow it only in an hour of need and help would arrive. It did," he motioned to Ella.

"How can I help?" she asked. "I don't know anything about this land. Or Susan. Just the journals. I can't even go into the garden," she motioned to the open gates.

"Child, do not let frustration take over you. You will get all the answers you are seeking, but when the time is right. You are correct, you do not know about this land. You know enough about our lost queen though. You have read her thoughts." Ella had to look away at this disapproving tone in his voice. "The lost queen is needed," he continued. "You must experience this land first though. To remind her of the truth."

"The truth?" Ella asked.

"This is not a place of fantasy she created with her siblings. It as real as any other place. She will need your help for that. So she will be able to hear the horn once more."

"I didn't hear it," Ella admitted. "I mean…it was just such a muddle getting here."

"Not everything is heard with your ears, dear one," he said.

"Then how else would you hear?" Ella asked.

Aslan looked at her for a moment. "Come closer."

Ella wondered if she had said or done something wrong, but walked closer to the lion. He seemed kind, but he was still a large lion.

"Are you afraid?" he asked her.

"A little."

"Of what?"

Ella answered before she had a chance to think. "Of being alone all the same. Of being nothing. Of you hurting me."

"I will never hurt you," he said. He took another step closer and gently breathed on her face.

It was an odd sensation that Ella was surprised about. She expected to smell remains of whatever dinner he had eaten, but she smelled flowers and felt a few muscles relax as she felt a sort of peace come over her.

"I will see you again. Just remember, to listen with more than your ears."

Without another word, he turned to leave.

"Aslan, will we see you again soon?" Lucy asked.

He seemed to smile at her and nodded before walking away. His steps seemed to carry him as fast as if he was running, yet Ella could see with her own eyes that he was walking at a leisurely pace. He ended a wooded area and disappeared from sight.