CHAPTER 37: Heart Beat

Astra was very reluctant to open her eyes. Comfortably situated on Caspian's stomach and clutching a fist full of his shirt, she was warm and relaxed in the late afternoon sun. His hand, which had been playing with her hair, was now rested on her back, his palm spread over the nook in between her shoulder blades. His eyes were closed and she was able to take a look at the sleeping King.

He had tanned from their journey; he was rather dark-skinned to begin with, but the sun had added a warm glow to his complexion over the last few days. His blonde hair had lightened a bit in the sun, but his eyelashes remained dark and a sharp contrast. His hair was constantly falling into his eyes; Astra thought it was a rather girlish tendency for him to continually need to push the strands back, but she realized that as silly as it was, it was something to hide behind, whether out of uncertainty or a desire to keep himself aloof. He was, however, remarkably handsome. It was the first time she had allowed herself the thought and it made her stomach feel odd. He and Lady Hanalei would have very pretty children.

Caspian opened his eyes to meet Astra's gaze. She had the most peculiar look on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his voice soft from his nap.

"That you need a haircut," she honestly retorted.

"In that case…" he muttered and closed his eyes again.

"You bucket-head," Astra grinned, poking him under his ribcage. He squirmed underneath her spastically. "Oh, is someone ticklish?" she asked deviously.

"Only there…"

"Aw, you're no fun. I am ticklish just about everywhere."

"Is that so?" Astra gingerly nodded her head and then looked at Caspian with paranoia in her eyes.

"No, you wouldn't…"

"It is really quite sweet that you hold me in such high esteem," he murmured with false somber before assaulting her sides. She screeched with her five-year-old girl laughter, her legs kicking frantically as she squirmed to relinquish herself from Caspian's grip.

"Stop! Caspian… Caspian! Oh stop!" she howled until Caspian finally threw up his hands. Astra continued laughing, gasping for breath and clutching her stomach, half in defense and half from laughing until her stomach ached. He laughed at her laughing, which only caused her to laugh more, and they laughed until they cried. Finally, they lay on their backs, eyes directed toward the sky and gave deep sighs.

"I could lie like this forever," Astra murmured. "Oh, to live out here! No rules or regulations. No walls or boundaries. All liberty and freedom and wilderness and shit. Wouldn't it be grand?"

"It would be something," he responded wishfully, although he was rather fond of rules himself. After all, he made them. "Come on," he said, standing up. "We ought to help out with dinner."

"Did you not just hear what I said about lying here forever?" Astra whined.

"I know, but I have this sneaking suspicion that you can only lay in one attitude for so long before you will become stir-crazy. Come on, up up," he encouraged her, holding out his hands for her to take. With a groan she slapped her hands in his and he pulled her up. He began to walk backwards until he realized he still held her hands. Feeling stupid, he let her hands go and they waded through the grass back to the rest of the group.

"Did you sleepy heads enjoy your nap?" drawled Alyx.

"It was most refreshing."

"We thought you would be out there until sundown," said Douglass coyly.

"Well, I would have," said Astra.

"But she fell asleep on me and I could not wake her."

"It is difficult to wake a pretty girl," murmured Hogglestock.

"More dangerous than difficult," said Caspian, May, and Astra at the same time, as they all knew how absolutely charming and kind Astra was when woken up abruptly.

The sun began to set and a campfire was built up. Caspian sat on a piece of wood, watching the way the fire danced on Astra's face as she peered over the pot of beans, dipping a spoon in and daintily—how she managed to do anything daintily was beyond him—tried a bit of the concoction, smacking her lips pleasingly. Trufflehunter was right. He could not keep her in the castle. He could not keep her satisfied. With this thought, he looked away from her figure, setting his mind on the voyage. He had fourth months to get his act together. Four months to figure everything out. Four months to find himself. He was utterly lost.

It was a relatively quiet journey to the Dancing Lawn, with the exception of the constant barking of Bo and Alexis, the sheepdogs who were trying to herd Trufflehunter and Hogglestock when they became bored of trying to catch their tails (or even more amusing, Aldin's tail). Caspian was lost in his thoughts and Astra was not in the mood to press him, figuring if he brooded all day, he would brood all of his broodiness out of him and would be pleasant for the festival that evening.

The forest was intriguing. Astra insisted on remaining Narnian, with her knotted and tangled locks in disarray and feet bare. She whistled for Bo and Alexis to romp in the forest with her and to keep them from bothering the other Animals too much. Malvolio insisted on them taking a break to eat lunch and sit for awhile. May and Astra whispered and giggled while the guards kept lookout. Caspian wandered a little and leaned against an old tree, accompanied by Douglass, who slapped a hand on the young man's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. It seemed to Douglass that no matter where Caspian went, he would always be burdened by something, even if it was in his own mind.

About an hour before sundown, they reached the Dancing Lawn. It would be a full moon that night—hence the festival—and Astra was anxious to dance under the celestial lights. Trufflehunter explained to her in more detail about the dryads.

"Dryads are tree nymphs. Although able to remove themselves from their tree in human form, the soul and spirit of each dryad is tied to an individual tree. Male dryads live in Oak, Elm, Holly, and Rowan trees while females inhabit Beech, Silver Birch, Larch, and Willow trees. They are lovely creatures, with crowns of leaves, and their garb and appearance uncannily resembles the tree they are connected with. The fauns will join our festivities—they play the most enchanting music. It is very easy to lose oneself on a night like this. It is the way of Narnian magic, you see," he said, his voice low and hypnotic. "It is more intoxicating and fulfilling than even the finest wine. With the glow of the full moon, the trees come alive and you can feel the heartbeat of the forest. It seeks you out, calls for you, beckons you, seduces you; it is utterly irresistible." Trufflehunter waited a moment and then cleared his throat to snap Astra out of her reverie. "And terrific fun! Pip pip, let us not dawdle." Astra gulped, suddenly fearful for what hidden dangers may lurk in the evening.

The Dancing Lawn was wide and spacious, surrounded by trees already swaying, preparing their limbs for the night's festivities. Caspian had missed these sorts of celebrations. The king's attendance at such events was encouraged earlier on in his kingship so as to persuade the Old Narnians of his reverence for their long withstanding culture. However, as time passed, there were more pressing matters than watching trees dance. He had always been rather fearful of the trees, feeling the magic sweep him off his feet. He was utterly lost in the night and always felt rather carnal, wild, and savage. He knew that these words were too strong, but it was as close as he could describe it. Honestly, the truth was that he was not in control when the magic coursed through his veins, a sort of freedom which he both yearned and condemned in his own more composed behavior. He had been battling his mind all day and was too tired for dancing but the beat had an invigorating quality that gave him life and energy. However, with all his emotions stockpiled, he feared what would happen if they were let free.

The dryads and fauns enthusiastically greeted the party, beckoning them into the depths of the forest. Caspian forgot how… friendly the dryads could be. He hoped the moon was not so bright that his deep blush could be seen as the dryad's limbs roamed his body. His head was on a swivel, turning and smiling to all, his eyes searching for Aslan-knows-what.

Astra eagerly dove into the brush. The dryads pulled her and she let them tug her, caress her hair, and ask her questions. Their voices floated over her, filling and soothing her like a glass of warm milk, soft and smooth as silk. Her eyes danced everywhere, trying to soak it all up, and she could not help but giggle at her new celebrity status as an esteemed guest. She fawned over the fauns, insisting that they were a truly wonderful lot. The fawns were excellent story-tellers and as the sun began to set, the fauns told lovely stories of Narnia with quiet pipe music playing in the background.

"Caspian, isn't this wonderful?" she gushed to him, her eyes glittering with excitement.

"Absolutely enchanting," he responded, happy to see her so enthusiastic and appreciative of his country. Astra grabbed May's hand in excitement and the girls followed the female dryads on their ten minute walk to the river. The dryads, a very touchy-feely lot, enjoyed fixing the girls' hair into a nest of wild curls and gave them pretty crowns of leaves. They were dusted with a silvery, iridescent powder to make their skin glow in the moonlight and hand-in-hand, they meandered back to the men, male dryads, and fauns, already hearing the steady beat penetrating the forest and the shrill, joyous sound of the pipes.

The sun had set now and the full light of the moon cascaded down into the crevices of the forest. Astra enjoyed the cool sensation of the soil under her feet, the rough feeling of the roots, and the satisfying crunch of dried leaves. The dryads pulled the girls along even though they followed eagerly. The dryads were exceptionally dainty and elegant. Their long limbs made each movement appear like ballet; even the harshest of gestures would be perceived as refined.

The beat captured Astra's heart. She tested the rhythm with her hips, then adding her shoulders and head, gently rollicked with the rata-tat-tat. She raised her arms to the night sky, letting them cross and sway. Her heart was thumping madly in synch with the beat of the Narnian magic and she began to twirl until everything became a blur. She tossed her head back, letting her curls fly, and laughed to the night sky.

Caspian was drunk on the beat, stepping lightly to the rhythm. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, but this was but a small thought in the back of his head. Even though he knew he was far from being clear-headed at the moment, he felt remarkably so. The magic had pierced his heart and dug into the core of his soul. He was vaguely aware of the dryads' limbs that caressed him like simpering court ladies, but a laugh caught his immediate attention. He waded through the crowd until he found Astra with her arms stretched sky-bound. Her waist looked inviting and he wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands at the small of her back. She put her hands behind his neck and they spun madly.

Everyone danced with everyone, constantly switching partners in the folly of the night. Astra noted that May looked prettier than ever as she spun around with Raymond, who had let his guard down just the slightest bit. When the fauns finally stopped playing, it was only a few hours before the sun would be up. The exhausted party nestled down into the soft forest floor, limbs tangled and sprawled out. Astra lay in the opposite direction that Caspian did, their heads next to each other as their chests rose and fell to catch their breath.

"When we wake up tomorrow morning, we aren't really going to remember tonight, are we?" Astra asked, her breath tickling his ear.

"We won't. It will be as if we lived in a dream."

"It was a lovely dream."

"It was indeed."

With one last look at the full moon, they closed their eyes and fell into a heavy slumber.