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~. ~ Chapter Four ~. ~

Aliyah tagged behind the group as Edmund's words from the day before rang in her head from time to time. How can he be so accurate with all the things he said about her? It was a new day for them to search for the Narnians and Aliyah barely feel her feet anymore. She was just following the group as Peter leads them aimlessly until Susan's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I don't remember this way."

"That's the problem with girls." Peter teased her, "They can't carry maps in their heads."

"That's because our heads have something in them." Lucy joined in the conversation.

Edmund did not join in the fun but rather enjoyed watching his siblings debating on whose head was better. He looked behind and saw Aliyah deep in thoughts. His brown eyes found hers as she looked up at him with a half-smile which he returned in a similar way. He knew she was affected by the words he said the day before and he blamed himself for being so impulsive and letting his emotions gets ahead of him.

"I wish he would just listened to the D.L.F in the first place." Susan said loudly, not fearing that Peter would hear it.

"D.L.F?" Edmund asked, looking rather confused.

"Dear little friend." both Lucy and Aliyah replied at the same time. The three girls smiled at each other at their expected chemistry with one another.

"Oh, that's not at all patronizing, is it?" Trumpkin asked grumpily at Edmund who let out a small laugh and carried on walking.

"I'm not lost." Peter told himself as he stood in front of a dead end.

"No," said Trumpkin as he joined Peter while the rest caught up with them from behind, "You're just going the wrong way."

"You last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Woods and the quickest way there is to cross at the River Rush." Peter told him, insisting he is right and Aliyah can predict that this conversation is not going to end well.

"But unless I've mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts." Trumpkin told him, the tension between them building up again.

"That's explains it then." Peter replied, his tone full of authority, "You're mistaken."

When Peter was about to turn and continue walking, someone finally spoke. It was as if Susan, Edmund, Lucy and Aliyah did know who Peter was anymore. The friendly and kind High King Peter, their brother, their friend, was gone. In front of them was another person, someone that they feel distant with and filled with arrogance.

"But we're back here again, the third time not to mention." Aliyah spoke up and she saw Trumpkin gave her a thankful nod.

"Why not you lead us then?" Peter challenged her. "Since you're so sure of it."

"I'm just stating facts." Aliyah retaliated. She was not going to let him intimidate her.

"And what makes you think I will listen to a someone who's been here less than a week? Besides you are just a stranger in Narnia." Peter questioned her.

Aliyah turned away from him and walked towards the cliff and looked afar, trying to calm herself down after being put back to her place by the High King of Narnia. He was right after all. She is a nobody in this foreign land.

"Peter," said Susan, looking extremely horrified at his brother's reply, "You shouldn't have said that!"

"Things can change in Narnia, Pete. Especially 1300 years have passed. You can't expect the route to remain the same back in the Golden Age." Edmund reminded his brother. He has always been the second voice in his head since back in the days when they ruled Narnia. His judgements never fail on him before as he lives up to his title as King Edmund the Just and Peter always listened to his advices but not this time.

"I do not need you to tell me what I should be doing." said Peter, irritably.

Edmund looked away in annoyance as he remained quiet, feeling that it is useless to reason out with Peter. Aliyah and Lucy looked at each other helplessly. Aliyah had never seen Peter in this way before, especially towards his siblings. Peter turned and carried on walking with the rest followed in silence, no one made any remarks afterwards. They were walking for hours until they came upon to an edge of a cliff.

"You see, over time, water erodes the earth's soil, carving deeper –"

"Oh, shut up." Peter cuts Susan off. "Stop talking about geography."

"Is there a way down?" Edmund asked Trumpkin who replied sarcastically.

"Yeah. Falling."

"Well, we weren't lost." Peter emphasized his point again.

Here we go again. Why does this sound so familiar? Aliyah thought.

"There's a ford near Beruna." Trumpkin told all of them, "How do you feel about swimming?"

"I rather that than walking." Susan complained, rolling her eyes and walking back towards the woods.

"Aslan?" Everyone turned at Lucy's voice and looked at her curiously before she continued again, telling them excitedly and pointing at the cliff opposite them. "It's Aslan! It's Aslan over there!"

The rest of them just stared at her blankly, wondering what she was talking about again.

"Don't you see?" Lucy asked the rest eagerly before turning back to face the direction she was pointing. "He's right … there." Her voice died down as she realized that she was nothing at the opposite side of the cliff.

"Do you see him now?" asked Trumpkin, with a tone of annoyance.

"I'm not crazy." Lucy replied back, trying to convince her siblings. "He was there. He wanted us to follow him."

"I'm sure there are any number of lions in this wood, just like that bear." Peter thoughtfully told Lucy. At least she was the only one left being treated nicely or let's say normally by Peter and everyone knew he has a soft spot for his little sister but she was not taking in his nonsense anymore.

"I think I know Aslan when I see Him." Lucy argued back.

"Look." Trumpkin added on, "I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist."

"Why don't you guys just believe her?" said Aliyah, voicing out from behind as she eyed Peter. "I'm sure she did saw Aslan and she wouldn't lie about it."

Peter shot her a pointed look.

"Sorry, I should have asked for your permission to speak, your majesty." said Aliyah, emphasizing on the last two words of her sentence, as if taunting Peter on his immature behavior which literally shuts him up afterwards.

"The last time I didn't believe Lucy," began Edmund as he took a glance at Aliyah who happened to be looking at him as well. His eyes staring at her as if it was conveying a message to her. "I ended up looking pretty stupid."

Peter gave a sigh of defeat and looked at the cliff opposite them again before turning back to Lucy. "Why wouldn't I have seen Him?" he asked.

"Maybe you weren't looking." replied Lucy, knowing that his brother still did not believe her.

"I'm sorry Lu." said Peter. With that, he walked off, followed by Susan and Trumpkin. Lucy looked at the spot again, hoping that Aslan would show himself one more time so that she can convince the rest to follow her but He did not. She turned back and saw Edmund and Aliyah who were waiting for her.

"Come on." Edmund said to his sister, "We need to catch up with them."

Lucy nodded half-heartedly and walked together with Edmund to find Peter and the others while Aliyah followed behind. However, after walking a few steps, something inside Aliyah told her to look back again, and she did.

But there was nothing there. He was gone.

The six of them continued walking until they heard noises from somewhere not far away from them. Peter stopped walking and raised his hand, halting the group. "Something's wrong." He told them.

"What's that sound?" asked Susan, sounding alarmed.

"Sounds like," said Aliyah, as she looked around at her surroundings "Cutting down of –"

"Trees." Trumpkin finished Aliyah's sentence for her. "The Telmarines are cutting down the trees recently."

"Is that why we saw the Dryad?" Aliyah asked Edmund who seemed to be taken aback by her actions. Never in both worlds he thought she would initiate a conversation with him. "She was actually seeking help, from us."

"I suppose so." replied Edmund.

"The river of Beruna." Trumpkin led them closer as he beckoned them to take undercover behind some huge tree logs that were being piled up.

Aliyah could see there was a huge army camp along the river as hundreds of men were building up war machineries by deforesting the trees and a half-completed bridge was seen in the middle of the river. That is when realization stuck her that Narnia is in trouble. A war is about to begin and she will be part of it no matter how much she disliked it.

"Steady, steady!"

"Timber!"

"Watch your back!"

These were the common commands that the group could hear from the soldiers, yelling at each other for their own safety. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy immediately hide themselves upon hearing the incoming horses coming into the campsite. Trumpkin pulled Aliyah down beside him to ensure her safety as he looked back at the campsite again.

"That's the man who kidnapped me." said Trumpkin. He was pointing to a malicious looking man with a mustache who was galloping a white horse.

"Who is he by the way?" whispered Lucy.

"Miraz." replied Trumpkin, still eyeing the man. "Prince Caspian's uncle and the one who planned and created all these destructions."

"Perhaps this wasn't the best way to come after all." Susan told Peter who remained quiet. Everyone was waiting for his que as he turned back just in time to see Miraz towards the tents, further away from them.

"Maybe we should get back." Edmund prompted. "It doesn't look safe here."

Peter nodded his head as he cannot help but to agree with his siblings no matter how reluctant he is to admit that following his own way was a huge mistake. He would not want to risk the chance of them getting ambushed by the Telmarines when they were obviously outnumbered by them. The river was blocked and he had no choice but to lead the rest back to where they came from.

"So where exactly did you saw Aslan?" Peter asked Lucy, his egoistic side finally subsided and returned back to the normal self that Aliyah once knew but it was too late as his question had already triggered his sister.

Lucy was looking at the empty cliff opposite them, the place where she once stood. She then turned back and looked at her two eldest siblings who was staring back at her, waiting for an answer. "I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grown-ups. I don't think I saw Him, I did see Him."

"Well, I am a grown up. Trumpkin commented. He was rather speaking to himself but was overheard by both Edmund and Aliyah.

"Oh, seriously Trumpkin." Aliyah nudged him while Edmund, who stood beside them, tried his best to hide his smile in this kind of serious situation, especially one of the rare times his younger sister is angry.

"I was right over …" Lucy said as she began to walk around, trying to figure out the spot where she saw Aslan but before she could continue to do so, she let out a scream as she stepped on something that gave way on the ground.

"Lucy!" Susan and Aliyah screamed as all of them, including Trumpkin rushed forward to save her. All of them were praying that she did not fell off the cliff because if she did, they will not hesitate to jump down after her. However, to their surprise, she was perfectly fine as she stood on the lower part of the cliff that leads to a trail down.

"…Here." Lucy finished her sentence with a sigh of relief and she smiled back to the rest who was hovering on top of the cliff looking down worriedly at her.

It was already near the night fall when the group decided to find a safe spot to stay for the night. They had been walking for several hours in the woods with lofty trees hovering above them after crossing over from the other side. It was as if they were walking on a never-ending route and Aliyah was beyond delighted to hear they can finally rest.

Peter suggested she should stay with Lucy at the fire camp but Lucy insisted that she can be alone. He had no choice but to allow Aliyah to join Edmund who was collecting fire wood nearby so that they could start a fire for the night to keep themselves warm while he followed Susan and Trumpkin to search for food to fill their growling stomachs.

It was Aliyah's first time as she was unaware of what kind of wood is suitable for making a camp fire. Therefore, in regardless of the length or size of the tree branches, she would just pick them up and gathered them in her hands.

"Need some help?" a voice said from behind.

Aliyah turned around and saw Edmund standing behind her. He was carrying some logs in his hands, definitely something different from what she was holding on to.

"I can man…" her voice trails off as she saw Edmund's slight frown. She bit her lip as she struggled the next sentence out of her mouth, "I think I can do with some help."

Edmund walked up to her and inspected the branches that she was holding. "Well, these branches don't really work."

Aliyah looked at him curiously, "What do you mean by it don't really work?"

"You need thicker ones like these." Edmund explained, showing her the ones he was carrying, "So that the fire will not die out easily."

"Well, seems like I learnt something new today." said Aliyah and dropped everything back to the ground and venture deeper into the woods to continue her search.

Edmund followed behind quietly and both of them were minding their own business before he heard her voice again. He looked up and saw her looking at him.

"Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you the same question." He stopped whatever he was doing and replied.

Aliyah shot him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"What Peter said to you earlier on in the day, wasn't really nice." Edmund explained. "And I should apologize for raising my voice at you yesterday."

"Well, I supposed you had a fair share of his cold attitude today as well, due to his endless mood swing." Aliyah added on. "And I do not take that to heart, for the things you said."

True enough, Edmund saw through her lies again but he was not going to make the same mistake of what he had just apologized for.

"The Spenvesons," he began as he got closer to Aliyah until he was standing right before her. He noticed she flinched a little upon hearing the family who contributed to her endless nightmares but he carried on, "They weren't really nice to you, were they? I saw how they treated you the other night."

"It's nothing. I'll be fine." Aliyah told him, hesitantly, "I've gotten used to it."

"Your cheek doesn't look fine at all the next day." said Edmund, matter-of-factly.

"Edmund," Aliyah looked up to him and she was met with a pair of beautiful brown eyes which happened to be peering into hers as well. "This is my life. I have no choice of it."

"You do." Edmund told her. He had no intention to break the intense eye contact. "You're in Narnia now remember? You can change your fate here. You are destined to do great things here."

"You think too highly of me." Aliyah shakes her head and walked away but was stopped by Edmund as he pulled her back by the arm.

"You're just underestimating yourself." said Edmund, softly as he injects some positivity in her, "Trust in yourself Aliyah and you will do fine."

"What makes you so sure of it?" Aliyah questioned him, feeling confused of how he was treating her at the moment, "Why do you even care?"

"Because –" Edmund stopped himself before he blurts out the truth as his brain quickly search for an alternative reply, "Because you're my friend, my classmate in fact."

Aliyah raised her eyebrows at him as she listened to his ridiculous reply. "As much as I can remember, we are basically strangers at school."

"That's because you never let anyone near you. Except Susan and Lucy of course." What a sassy reply, Edmund Pevensie.

"Fair enough." Aliyah agreed with him as she picked up a small log on the ground and begin walking back to the camp fire.

"I'll help you carry those." said Edmund, stopping her. "I'll probably get skinned alive by either Susan or Lucy, or maybe the both of them if I let you carry all these by yourself."

Aliyah laughed just by imagining Edmund being nagged by his two sisters and he was relieved to see her opening up her true self to him slowly.

"I know it's funny. You can laugh all you want." Edmund continued, as Aliyah handed over some of the heavier branches to him. "But it's dreadful to me. Especially Susan, my worst nightmare."

"I do not allow you to speak of my best friend like that." Aliyah replied, jokingly although somehow deep down she does find Susan very naggy at times.

"And yet, you have to admit it's the truth." Edmund replied with a slight smirk and Aliyah eventually admit her defeat against his undeniable facts on Susan. The two of them soon joined the rest at the camp fire to retire for the night before continuing their journey to search for the Narnians the next day.

Well, seems like having a new friend isn't a bad idea after all for Aliyah.

Hello everyone!

Here's another update from me! Honestly, this is my favorite chapter so far and the chapter that I looked forward to write so much because there are more interactions between Aliyah and Edmund. It's just the start so there's more coming up!

Do drop me your comments as I love to interact with my readers ya! Hope you enjoy reading this story so far, as much as I enjoyed writing it! Have a nice week ahead!

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