Chapter Nine~
At this both Susan and Lucy tried to stop and make an excuse as to follow him, but it was Jessie who upon looking into His eyes realized that this had to be done—one way or another.
"You three have to trust me, for this has to be done. Thank you Jessica, thank you Susan and thank you Lucy—and farewell." Aslan said before continuing into the trees before seeming to disappear altogether. Yet Susan was the one it seemed who didn't want to take 'no' for an answer because she pulled on Jessie's cloak and led them to a small hill, where they found the Stone Table and the Witches minions! Minotaur's, Hags, Harpies, Wolves, Black Dwarves, Cyclopes and all other sort of creature held torches and chanted as Aslan mounted the stairs calmly up towards where the Witch stood. Dressed in a black outfit with a bird whose wing was draped over her shoulder, she held a stone knife in her hands while Aslan continued to walk.
"Behold, the Great Lion." the Witch says in a voice that seems to echo so that the creatures cackle and call as a minotaur pokes him with the end of his battle axe and Aslan growls—yet doesn't fight back. Then the next thing the children see is Aslan being forced onto his side as a Black Dwarf taunts him while Lucy softly hushes out,
"Why doesn't he fight back?" yet they hear again the Witch snap,
"Bind him!" so that at least a dozen creatures jump to tie Him with ropes, His paws and muzzle before the Witch says suddenly,
"Wait, let him first be shaved!" so that the same dwarf from earlier grabs a dagger from his belt and saws off some of Aslan's mane before holding it aloft for all to see. Then the others too begin to defile Aslan by chopping and hacking at his mane until he was being dragged up the stairs of the Stone Table and to the Witch.
"You know Aslan, I'm a bit disappointed in you. Did you honestly think that by doing all this you would save the human traitor? You are giving me your life and saving no one. Huh, so much for love." at this Jessie realizes what Aslan is doing, instead of Edmund dying at the Stone Table—Aslan is going in his place! In shock, she watches along with Susan and Lucy as the Witch shouts loudly,
"Tonight, the Deep Magic will be appeased. But tomorrow, we will take Narnia—forever!" then she looked down at a tied up Aslan and said to Him as He looked up and somehow spotted the three in the trees,
"In that knowledge, despair—and—die!" then almost in slow-motion the three watched the Witch stab Aslan and his life be taken from him as the creatures let out cries of joy and the Witch cry,
"The Great Cat is dead!" so that she and her troops began to disperse, leaving poor Aslan's body as if He was nothing more than trash. Once all of them were gone, every fire put out and the nighttime cold the three girls came up to the Stone Table and it was Lucy who first climbed up the stairs to rest on Aslan's body. Then Jessie sat beside Him on the other side as Susan found a spot while Lucy uncorked her vial but Jessie shook her head saying to her,
"It's too late, He's gone," but seeing Lucy's brokenhearted look she added,
"He must have known what He was doing." only that didn't make her bleeding heart feel any better as she, Susan and Lucy leaned on His body to cry. Yet at the sound of squeaking Jessie looked up to see mice on the ropes so that when Susan tried to make them go away she said,
"No, look what they're doing." and true enough they were causing the ropes to snap so that the children began to work at untying the rest of the ropes before Lucy cried leaving Susan to say,
"We have to tell the others."
"We can't just leave Him Susan!" Jessie said softly with a hiccup yet Susan said to her in the same tone of voice,
"Jessie there's no time they need to know!" yet it was Lucy who looking around said evenly,
"The trees." so that both of them exchanged glances before nodding and once saying the word into the trees, a dryad of vivid dark green leaves, they ended up falling asleep curled up beside the deceased Aslan. It was only early morning began to shine that they started to wake, shivering cold from only their cloaks to keep them warm throughout the night.
"I'm so cold." Lucy says softly as she steps down, taking a hand of both Jessie and Susan before they step down the stairs away from the Stone Table before they all hear a deep defining cracking sound that to Jessie seems to jar her very bones. The shaking of the earth itself causes them to fall and once it's finished its Lucy who turns around and cries,
"Guys look!" so that Jessie and Susan turn to see—the Stone Table broken in half and Aslan's body missing! In shock, Jessie feels hate unlike anything she's ever known; first they kill Aslan and then he vanishes as Susan wonders,
"What have they done?" yet as they look towards the archway of the circular set of stones that surround the now cracked Stone Table, the see the sun starting to shine brilliantly and in its bright warming light—Aslan!
"Aslan!" the three cry running towards Him as the Great Lion comes to them so that they may burry their faces in His mane, all the while laughing.
"But, we saw the knife—the Witch!" Jessie began so that Aslan gently told the three,
"If the Witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, then she would have interpreted the meaning of the Deep Magic a bit differently. That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery, goes in a traitors stead, then the Stone Table will crack—and even Death itself will turn backwards." only Susan brought up a very good point saying in a determined tone,
"We sent the news that you were dead. Peter and Edmund will have gone to war." so that Lucy draws out her dagger and says,
"We have to help them." making Aslan chuckle as with one paw he lowers her arm and says gently,
"We will dear one, but not alone. Quick, climb on my back—and you might want to cover your ears." so that he lets out a roar that makes Jessie, sitting atop Aslan's back, smile with both determination and joy as they race with unimaginable speed across Narnia's landscape. They seem to fly over the different areas; forest, meadows, across rivers somehow and even places Jessie thinks looks familiar! It's not until she looks up that she seems where they're going, to the White Witches fortress and wonders why. As they slow down Aslan stops and allows the children to climb off his back so that Lucy instantly goes in search of somehow—Mr. Tumnus! Jessie follows her instantly as well as Susan so that it's not until they see the younger girl has stopped. Then they see why, because there standing frozen in stone is Mr. Tumnus. As Lucy leans against Jessie who herself is shedding tears, Susan wraps an arm around Jessie having by now consoled her sour feelings towards the other girl. They watch though as Aslan comes up and breaths on the frozen in stone faun in wonder as he slowly begins to turn, his skin reemerging so that when he falls it's Jessie and Lucy who help catch him.
"Susan this is," Lucy begins but she doesn't need to finish because Susan more than happy finishes with,
"Mr. Tumnus!" embracing him tightly so that the four group hug tightly before they hear,
"Come, we must hurry and search the castle! Peter will need all the help we can find." so that Susan and Lucy go together while Jessie and Mr. Tumnus go a different way to find frozen in stone creatures, that way Aslan can revive them.
"The war has started—hasn't it?" Mr. Tumnus asks Jessie as they regroup in the courtyard so that Jessie nods before saying,
"Don't worry though, we have Aslan." making the faun nod as Aslan cries out,
"Narnians! Peter and Edmund, Sons of Adam are at war with the White Witches servants as we speak, we go to their aid in battle! Here, I have Jessica, Susan and Lucy, Daughters of Eve who have saved you all from never seeing the sunlight again," here a great cry goes up with the creatures cheering for them but Aslan calls,
"To arms Narnians and follow me! Have courage and let that give speed to you so that we may reach the battle in time!" so that the next thing Jessie knew hundreds of Narnians are running at some incredible speed, as if spurred on by the knowledge that without their aid the war could be lost, to where the battlefield lay beyond. It seems like minutes when it must have been more like hours—but soon Jessie is standing alongside Susan, Lucy and Mr. Tumnus atop a rocky outcropping as Aslan roars so loudly that those below in the midst of battle stop in either wonder or horror. Jessie spies the Witch and Peter fighting and go with sword drawn towards them. With Peter on the ground and unable seemingly to get up, Jessie is just able to get in between his fallen figure and the Witch.
"Ah, the one meant to die. How sweet." the Witch says in an overly sweet voice but Jessie, with her choice made says,
"I know the meaning of sacrifice Witch." so that the two are thrown into their own battle. Jessie holds her own for a good time—until the Witch forces her down—and a blade slams into her stomach. Unable to breathe, Jessie last sight is of Peter screaming her name, before everything goes black.