Chapter Ten - The Oncoming Storm
Peter was surrounded by ice, he was freezing cold as he looked around wildly to try and figure out where he was. Although he had never been there he knew that where he stood was the White Witch's castle. He heard a cackle and turned to see a young woman, bearing a striking resemblance to his old enemy sitting on a throne of ice and looking at three bodies stretched out below her, the bodies of his siblings, stone cold and not breathing. 'NO!' he yelled, he reached for his sword but it wasn't there so he summoned the winds, forcing all his power to attack the woman, whom he realised was Lena. He fought and fought but when the wind died down she was still sitting on her throne unharmed, cackling evilly. Suddenly the dream changed. He was on a battlefield, but he had been there before. In front of him he watched as the White Witch cut down his brother and with anger he surged forward but before his sword could meet her skin the dream changed once again. This time he saw Lucy, surrounded by darkness, crumpled to the floor, crying. Again the scene changed and he was back on the battlefield but this time he wasn't fighting, merely watching as an army approached him, led by Lena. He began to run at her, sounding the charge but before the two armies met he was floating out of his body up into the sky and as darkness surrounded him he heard a whisper, just a faint one but of a voice he would know anywhere, he struggled to hear as Aslan's voice whispered to him 'she is coming…'
Peter woke up with a sudden cry and an overwhelming force of power that caused the windows in his room to shatter and a gale to take over the entire room. Remembering what Helena had taught him, he took a deep breath and drew his power back into him reducing the winds. It was at this point he became aware of the sounds of havoc throughout the castle. Someone was banging on his door yelling his name, he could hear screams coming from down the corridor, he was sure he heard someone yell 'fire!' and as he got out of bed his whole room began to shake. He pulled on a robe and staggered out of his room where various courtiers were outside the door. 'Your Majesty!' one cried, 'are you alright?! We heard the sound of forceful winds coming from your rooms but couldn't open the door.'
'I'm fine,' Peter replied quickly, 'but what in Aslan's name is going on?' he demanded.
'It's your siblings Your Majesty, their powers are going crazy. No one can enter any of their rooms!' as Peter heard this the shaking became more intense and bits of dust began to fall from the ceiling, this was accompanied by a scream coming from Lucy's room. Peter, without thinking took off immediately to find more courtiers and Jay outside his sister's door. Jay was shaking the door handles, desperately trying to open the doors a look of sheer panic on his face. 'Stand back' Peter instructed and with a whoosh of air, blew open Lucy's bedroom door. The scene before him was a mess. The whole room was violently shaking with bits of the ceiling crumbling down onto the floor, narrowly avoiding Lucy's bed. 'LUCY!' Jay cried out, surging forward. 'Stay back!' yelled Peter, 'It's too dangerous!' Reluctantly, Jay did as he was told as Peter entered the room. Using the air around him he managed to create a shield so that he could avoid the flying debris. As he made his way across the room he called out 'Lu! Lucy! It's only a dream! You have to wake up! Lucy!' He finally made it to the bed and began to shake his sister by the shoulders, trying to get her to wake up, all the while calling her name. Suddenly, and with a piercing scream, Lucy sat up, and as she did so the trees outside her window suddenly grew, the branches shooting through the windows, shattering them. Peter pulled his sister into a hug, creating a force field of air around them to avoid the flying glass and branches. Lucy shivered in his arms. 'It's ok,' he comforted her, 'It's fine, you're ok now.' More screams were heard, coming from the direction of Susan's room and Lucy drew back from the hug. 'Peter what's going on?' she asked. 'I'm not sure,' he replied, 'stay here.' He hurried out the room and as he did so Jay ran in, hugging Lucy fiercely.
When Peter got to Susan's room the doors were surrounded by flames. 'Su?!' he called through the burning doors, in the hope that she had woken up. 'Peter?!' he heard her reply, a level of intense panic in her voice. 'Pete I can't make it stop! The dream, it was awful! I can't…!'
'Susan calm down it's fine, I think we all had the same dream. But it's fine it wasn't real, you have to control your power.'
'Ok' she said, her tone becoming determined. A few moments later the fire surrounding the doors disappeared and Susan came out of the room her eyes shining with tears but also fear and anger. 'Where are Lucy and Edmund?' she asked. 'Lu's fine now she's in her room, Jay's there but they can't get through Ed's door to get into his room. All they can hear is running water.'
'Let's go.' Susan replied, marching towards her brother's room, with Peter close behind. When they arrived Lucy and Jay were standing outside the doors. 'We heard yelling' Lucy explained, she seemed to have recovered but was standing extremely close to Jay, as if his presence gave her comfort. 'He stopped shouting just before you got here.' Jay continued. Susan walked up to the doors and knocked, 'Ed? It's ok, we all had the same dream.' There was no reply for a few moments, Peter was preparing to blow open the doors when Edmund's voice was heard 'Come in.' Susan gently opened the doors to reveal Edmund sitting in the middle of his bed, soaking wet and looking as pale as a sheet, shivering in his night clothes. Susan rushed in, embracing him in a hug, followed by Lucy and Peter who sat on the bed next to Edmund, Lucy hugging him as well and Peter putting an arm around them all and they sat in silence, wordlessly comforting each other until morning.
The next day the four siblings once again gathered in the council room to discuss the events of the previous night. Although not all of them were showing it, each sibling was shaken from the visions they had seen in their dreams. Edmund had barely said a word, Lucy had been in the training room since breakfast, Susan had accidentally set herself on fire three times and Peter had yet to stop pacing. 'It's been two weeks since Frears returned,' he was saying as he strode from one end of the room to another, 'None of the scouting eagles we sent out since then have returned, all our troops are prepared to move at any minute. The last of the Archenlanders have finally arrived and now all four of us have the same dream. It must mean something. It was Lucy's dream that started this whole thing, and that was definitely Aslan's voice…' He was stopped by Lucy who marched up to him, gripping his arms, forcing him to stop mid-pace. 'Pete you have to calm down. Like you said, we are prepared for whatever will happen. The dream was probably just a warning, it's not like it's going to come true.' Lucy told him, although she sounded as if she was trying to reassure herself as well as her big brother. Before he had a chance to reply a knock came at the door. 'Come in!' he called. A courtier entered, 'Your majesties,' he bowed, 'The scouting eagles have returned.' The four kings and queens exchanged a look before Peter replied, 'Thank you, would you please gather, the Captains of the Narnian and Archenlandian guard and the Ambassador of Archenland and have them meet us in the war rooms.' The courtier bowed again and hurried off to follow Peter's orders whilst the Pevensie's headed to the war rooms to see what news awaited them.
After hearing the reports from the eagles, the four Pevensies were joined in the council room by the Captains of the Narnian and Archenlandian guard and the Ambassador of Archenland. 'Your highnesses,' the Ambassador began looking around the room at the tired, frustrated and tense faces of the Kings and Queens, 'What is the news?'
'Our scouting eagles have returned' began Peter. 'Lena is on the move with an army of not only her own troops of Calormen and Telmarines.'
'Telmarines?!' exclaimed the Narnian captain, 'In Narnia?!'
'It seems Lena has inherited her mother's magic,' Susan replied, 'they were seen bringing supplies from their home country through a portal. Peter continued, 'the army was last seen setting up camp just outside of Beruna, it appears Lena is trying to outdo her mother's legacy. They have also left a small group of forces protecting the castle the White Witch used to inhabit. This is presumably where they are keeping Aslan as he was not seen with Lena and her main troops.' After this information was revealed the four monarchs and their advisors began to put a plan in action, organising battle plans and troops to march out the next day. 'So,' Peter concluded at the end of the meeting, 'the majority of the troops will head to Beruna to try and negotiate with Lena and, if that fails, protect Narnia. A smaller group will make their way to the castle to rescue Aslan and any other prisoners, as well as gather information about our enemy.' Here, the Narnian captain spoke up, 'If you please Your Majesty, I would like my son Jay to lead the smaller forces. This is what I have trained him for, he is ready.' Peter nodded,
'Of course,' he replied, if you think he can handle it.'
'He can,' both Lucy and the Captain replied at the same time.
'Well then,' Peter continued, 'With our enhanced powers myself, Susan, Edmund and…' here he paused and turned to smile at his youngest sister who was no longer a child but a grown, strong woman, 'Lucy will head up the troops at Beruna.' Lucy, despite the seriousness of the situation could not help but give an enormous grin upon hearing this. 'Thank you!' she exclaimed, and then faltered, 'but I was wondering if I would be able to join the troops going to the castle instead.' Peter frowned but before he could speak Lucy continued, 'It seems unfair for them not to have an elemental with them, especially when Lena has access to magic herself, no doubt there will be enchantments protecting the castle and Aslan. The team will need an advantage.' Throughout the meeting Edmund had mostly stayed quiet, contributing the occasional point to the plan. At this however, he stood up in protest. 'Lucy no! I won't have you or any of our siblings near that place. It's too dangerous!'
'Ed!' Susan gently chided, but he ignored her, staring at Lucy's stubborn face as she crossed her arms clearly not agreeing with anything that he said. A look of surprise came over her face when Peter stepped between the two of them. 'Edmund,' he said sternly, 'We have spent too long ignoring our sister and the power she has. I know the castle holds bad memories for you but what Lucy says makes sense, an elemental should go with the castle team and Lucy is the best choice. She has always had the strongest connection to Aslan.' Edmund sat back down in his chair looking ashamed of himself, 'Sorry Lu' he said, an air of defeat in his voice. His siblings looked at him with concern, but he waved his hand indicating them to continue the meeting. Peter turned back to the rest of the council, 'Everyone get ready, tomorrow we march.'