Susan always felt in a different, indefinable way about Peter. When he tells her that he is adopted, that feelings clear up.
Disowner; Narnia and all her delightful creatures aren't mine. Exept for a few characters, later in the story.
CiceroGuided & HanyAny: Aah! Here's more! And it wasn't too soon, sorry for that.
KibumiWong: Noo! Don't die! Then I'll have to miss your wonderful reviews! And sorry for keeping you waiting, but I've had some trouble here.
Aminuleen: Okay, okay. A little bit making-up for you. Mark my words, a little bit:P
VII. In which Susan has the most intense experience in her life and the Pevensies get back together and still break further apart
The beavers, followed by Edmund and Peter, walked into the camp. Edmund had not said a word to Peter, and Peter wasn't quite sure what to do. He knew he needed to keep his family together, but he had already lost them. Susan had betrayed them, he had lost Lucy and Edmund ... well, it had never been quite good between the two of them. Peter looked around. The camp existed from large red and golden tents. Everywhere stood baskets with fruit and nuts and tables with food, and the camp was swarmed with centaurs, fauns and Talking Animals. As they walked, everybody looked at them and started following them.
"Why are they all staring at us?" Peter asked, feeling rather sexy.
"Maybe they think you look weird," Edmund replied softly, but Peter heard it and made a face. Peter noticed mrs Beaver got anxious with every step. He supposed they had to be close.
"Please, stop your fussing. You look lovely," mr Beaver said to mrs Beaver, and he offered her an arm. Now they came to the other end of the camp. On a low grey rock stood a large tent. Peter and Edmund walked further, but the people following them, had stopped and now made a half circle around them. A centaur stepped onto the grey rock. Peter looked at Edmund, who shrugged and obviously didn't knew what to do either. So he just pulled his sword out of the sheath, and raised it to the centaur.
"We have come to see Aslan," he said highly uncomfortable, his voice trembling with fear and a certain excitement. Edmund squeezed his eyes shut and prayed this would be over soon. The centaur smiled at Peter, and nodded at the entrance of the tent. Peter and Edmund followed their gaze, just as all the others. The curtain waved, and suddenly the whole camp, except for Peter and Edmund, bowed deeply. Then Aslan came out. A huge lion, so powerful and terrifying and yet so kind. When Peter and Edmund saw him, they couldn't do anything but bow too, as deeply as they could.
"Welcome, Peter and Edmund, Sons of Adam," he said, and Peter smiled at the warm voice, "And welcome to you, Beavers. You have my thanks," mrs Beaver shivered happily and mr Beaver chuckled, "But where are the Daughters of Eve!"
Peter and Edmund stood up.
"That's why we're here, sir," Edmund said, "We need your help."
"We had a little trouble along the way," Peter added.
"Our youngest sister is," Edmund swallowed, "no longer with us. She is taken by the river."
Aslan was obviously shocked with this news.
"And the other?"
"Our oldest sister's been captured by the White Witch," Peter said, thinking of Susan. He wondered what she was doing right now.
"Captured? How could this happen?" Aslan asked. Mr Beaver stepped forward.
"She – she betrayed them, Your Majesty," he said, sadness in his voice. Peter could just in time stop himself from throwing him a pissed-off look. It was true what he said, it just hurt so much.
"Then she has betrayed us all!" the centaur exclaimed, but Aslan shut him up.
"Peace, Oreius. I'm sure there's an explanation,"
"It's my fault, really," Peter said, and the people surrounding them made shocked noises, "I was too hard on her."
Edmund gave him a supporting tap on his back, and then looked at Aslan again.
"We all were," he said, "Sir, she's our sister."
Peter looked at the ground. Not mine, he thought sadly.
"I know, Son of Adam," Aslan said, "But that only makes the betrayal all the worse. This may be harder than you think."
Susan sat next to the Witch in the white sleigh, watching the trees go by. What have I done? She thought, drowning in her own misery now she had finally allowed herself to be pessimistic, What in God's name have I done? I am so stupid, and dumb! I'm such a goddamn-
Her thoughts were interrupted by a drop of water, right on her nose. She looked up and again there was a drop of water right in her face. The Witch noticed it too. She tried to ignore it stubbornly. Suddenly the horses in front of the sleigh stopped walking. The dwarf tried to gass them, but they just wouldn't move in any direction but backwards. Susan threw the Witch a cautious look, waiting for her next action.
"Don't sit there staring, you dumb child! Get out and help!" the Witch yelled at her. Susan got out as quickly possible, and started pushing the sleigh. Suddenly they heard the sound of streaming water.
"What is that noise!" the Witch yelled, as if she didn't know. Susan stopped pushing the sleigh (it was no use anyway), and took a step forward, looking around and smiling widely.
"The frost is over," she whispered, and her eyes lit up. Peter had not yet given up on her. The dwarf turned around in his seat.
"It's no use, Your Majesty. We'll never sled in this thaw,"
The Witch copied Susan's action, only then with a frown on her face.
"This is no ordinary thaw," she said softly, "This is spring."
"I think it's Aslan's work," the dwarf said.
"I know," the Witch replied. It was silent for a minute, and Susan watched the glistening of the river she could see through the trees. Suddenly she saw something in the water. A barrel? No. Susan shook her head lightly and blinked. It had bumped onto the bank and now – tried to climb out? Susan's jaw dropped. Then the barrel stood up on two little legs, brushed it's skirt smooth, and looked around. Wait..
"Lucy?" Susan whispered. She looked up at the Witch, who was very busy talking to her dwarf and then tried to catch Lucy's attention. It worked. Lucy started running towards her, but Susan made a gesture that told her to stay still. Then there suddenly was a young female behind Lucy, Susan had no idea when exactly she had appeared. Like she wasn't there at all, and at the same time had always been there. She wore darkgreen clothes from some light fabric, and was armed with a bow and a quiver. Susan watched how she crept up to Lucy, and to Susan's horror slapped a hand to Lucy's mouth. Susan gasped for breath, and quickly looked at the Witch. She was still in a fiery conversation with her dwarf. When Susan looked back she saw how a male, wrapped in the same colors as the female, hang out of the tree, pulling Lucy up. Then, when Susan blinked, the female was gone. Susan was horrified. What had just happened? She searched for Lucy in the trees, but all she could see were leafs and branches and leafs and branches and – faces? Susan blinked again. Yes, faces. Twenty pair of barely visible eyes were watching her closely. Susan looked from the eyes to the Witch, and wondered what she was most afraid of. Suddenly, an arrow was released from the tree. It almost hit the Witch and Susan screamed. The Witch looked up to the trees.
"Dryades," she whispered furiously.
"What?" Susan asked, but there was no time before a rain of arrows came down on the sleigh.
"Susan!" It was Lucy, standing on the ground and holding the hand of the male that had just pulled her into the tree, "Come! Run!"
Susan didn't hesitate for one moment and took a spurt.
"No!" the Witch shouted, "Stop her!"
Susan looked behind her, only to see how the dwarf pulled his dagger and threw it. Then there was a hard jerk to her arm and then it went black. Susan felt a small but strong hand across her face.
"Shh," she heard someone whisper in her ear, "You're safe, as long as you're quiet."
Susan nodded, and the person let go of her. Susan let her eyes get used to the darkness and tried to see where she was. She was standing, no – floating it seemed, in green light. It was almost like water, or jelly, and although she stood steady on her feet, she felt nothing under her. But it wasn't frightening at all. It was peaceful and Susan was delighted as she felt some kind of energy flowing through her. It was just like this place was fulfilling all of her needs. She looked up, and lightgreen ray lighted up her face and almost instinctively she knew that it was the sun. She looked at the wall of the place and noticed she could look through it. Susan saw the bushes outside and the river and then tried to touch the wall, but the other person stopped her.
"What are you doing?" he or she whispered, "Are you crazy? You'll fall out!"
"Sorry," Susan whispered. She felt warm and happy and almost numbed. She looked at the silhouette outside. It was small and rather fat and bearded and it had a dagger in it's hand. Susan knew it was the queen's dwarf, but she didn't care cause she was safe. The dwarf raised his hand with the dagger.
"Shit," Susan heard the other person whisper, and then the dwarf stabbed his dagger into the wall of their peaceful residence. The moment it came down, Susan was filled with an intense pain. A pain that made her wanna scream and made her wanna die.
"We have to go," she whispered, eyes closed, "We must leave."
"Shh," the person whispered soothing, "Come on, we must go through this."
"We will die!" Susan whispered.
"No, we will die if we leave,"
"Where is Lucy?" Susan wanted to sit down but forced herself to stay up.
"Lucy is safe,"
"As safe as we are now?" Susan had a hard time not to start screaming.
"Daughter of Eve, you really must shut up now," the person whispered annoyed. Finally the dwarf pulled his dagger out. The pain was gone and Susan felt like she could breath again. It was silent for a moment. Then they heard the dwarf talking to the Witch.
"I have no idea where they are, Your Majesty," he said.
"She's a Nion, right? Have you stabbed the ash tree over there?" the Witch asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty, they're not there,"
"Nion?" Susan asked.
"Celtic calendar," the person whispered, "Shh."
"Celtic calendar," Susan whispered thinking, "Isn't that with trees?"
"Yes, it is," was the annoyed answer.
"You mean to say..." Susan's jaw dropped and she looked around her, "We're in a tree?"
"Ofcourse we are! Now shut up,"
Susan obeyed, and listened to the conversation outside.
"She has taken the Daughter of Eve, Your Majesty," the dwarf said, "I am sorry."
The Witch was silent for a moment before she spoke with fury in her voice.
"Then send for Maugrim and gather the faithful. If it's a war Aslan wants, it's a war he shall get."
With those words they left. It stayed silent for a minute.
"Come," the person then said, "It is safe."
Susan took the hand that was offered, and stepped through the wall. Then she looked behind her. A tree. Big, solid and green, with a deep cut in the trunk.
"Was that -" Susan began, and she swallowed.
"Yes," the person, who turned out to be the female that she had seen earlier when she 'kidnapped' Lucy, "That is what you felt."
"How did I .. ? Did you -" Susan was so shocked she couldn't manage to finish her sentences.
"I'm a dryade, Daughter of Eve," the female said smiling, "The trees are my home. A dryade can get into a tree, and also take others with them, whether they're dryades or not. But when you get into a tree, you become a part of it. The tree shares everything with you, which also means it's pain."
"I could feel it's energy," Susan said, "And when that dagger sunk in... I thought I would die."
"That's right. And maybe you can understand that I felt that a little more intense, because I am born as a part of the trees," the female said and she smiled.
"SUSAN!"
Susan looked disoriented to where the voice had come from. It was Lucy. She ran up to her older sister and Susan took her into a warm hug.
"I missed you, Susan," Lucy said, and she started crying.
"I missed you too," Susan whispered and she kissed her younger sister's head.
"You must go now," the female said, "Aslan's waiting for you. Walk all the way down the river until you're at the Fords of Beruma. Then walk East and a few of Aslan's people will be waiting for you there. They will accompany you to the camp."
Susan and Lucy nodded, and started their walk.
"Oh, I almost forgot! I got something for you!" Lucy said, after they had walked for two hours.
"Really?" Susan asked. Lucy nodded and she took a little brown package from a pocket of her dress. Susan took it. There was a little note on it. The ink was a bit smeared out and it was wet from Lucy's river-adventure, but it was still legible. Although I know it doesn't feel that way right now; if you're in trouble, you must blow on this. Then help will come to you. it said.
"Who's it from?" Susan asked, reading the note over again.
"Father Christmas," Lucy said.
"Father – Santa you mean?" Susan asked frowning. Lucy nodded with a broad smile, and Susan decided not to mention that that man didn't exist. She opened the package and saw a small white horn, in shape of a lion.
"Oh my god, it's so beautiful!" Susan said, and she took a good look on it. Lucy nodded in awe.
"It is!" she said.
"Let's go on quickly. I really want to meet that Aslan now!" Susan said and they started walking again.
"Susan, can I ask you something?" Lucy asked then, after a short silence. Oh god, here it goes, Susan thought.
"Sure," she said, and she tried to prepare herself for the worst questions ever. But what Lucy said, was something nobody could ever prepare for.
"Why don't you love us anymore?" the little girl asked. Susan didn't know what to say. How could she ever explain why she had done what she had done?
"I do love you, Lucy, I just tried to –" she was interrupted by a growl and with a high scream, Lucy and Susan turned around. Maugrim and one of his other wolfs stood there.
"Please don't try to run," Maugrim said, "We're tired, and we prefer to kill you quickly."
Lucy and Susan looked at each other, and then both at the horn.
"Well, I can give it a try," Susan said softly.
Peter stood on the top of a hill, looking out over the camp. He missed Susan. He looked at the sea, and the castle that stood there on the rocks. He wondered what is was.
"That is Cair Paravel, the castle of the four thrones," Aslan had appeared beside him, "In one of which you will sit, Peter, as High King."
Peter looked at the ground and swallowed to keep the tears in. Aslan noticed it.
"You doubt the prophecy?" he asked. Peter shook his head.
"No, that's just it," he said, and he turned to face the lion, "Aslan, I'm not who you all think I am!"
"Peter Pevensie, formerly of Finchley," he said, "Firstborn of the four Pevensies."
"No Aslan," Peter said, closing his eyes and preparing himself on the truth, "I am not a Pevensie."
Aslan sighed and grinned.
"I know, Peter," he said. Peter was surprised.
"You – what?"
"I said, I know," Aslan said, "I know you are adopted."
"Oh, yes. Well. That's exactly the reason why I think the prophecy can't be true," Peter said a bit disoriented.
"Peter, Peter. You're not getting the point, are you?" Aslan grinned.
"I'm not?" Peter asked.
"No. Tell me Peter, are you human?" Aslan asked.
"Yes, ofcourse," Peter said, not sure where Aslan was heading.
"And are Edmund, Lucy and Susan human?"
"Yes,"
"How many humans are needed to fulfill the prophecy?" Aslan asked.
"Four," Peter said, "Two boys and two girls."
"How many girls are here?"
"Two, Susan and Lucy,"
"And how many boys?"
"Also two, Edmund and me,"
"That's enough to fulfill the prophecy, Peter!" Aslan said, but Peter still didn't understand.
"It's not enough, Aslan! I'm not a part of the family!" he exclaimed.
"You're not?" Aslan looked at Peter, "I think you are. Do you really think Lucy and Edmund and Susan love you less? You have been a part of their lives as long as they can remember, Peter. You're a brother to them. And besides that," Aslan said, smiling, "Does the prophecy say the humans need to be related?"
Peter was silent for a moment.
"No, it does not," he then said.
"Peter, there is a Deep Magic, more powerful than any of us, that rules over all of Narnia. It defines right from wrong, and governs all our destinies. Yours, and mine," Aslan said, and he looked down upon the camp.
"But I couldn't even protect my own family!" Peter exclaimed frustrated.
"You've brought them safely so far," Aslan said. Peter looked at the ground.
"Only one," he said, "And he could've found his own way if he had to."
"Peter, I will do what I can to help your sisters," Aslan said, "But I need you to consider what I ask of you. I, too, want my family safe."
At that point, the sky was filled with the sound of a horn.
"What's that?" Peter asked alarmed.
"I don't know," Aslan turned to the camp and gave a loud roar. Immediatly Oreius and a couple of fauns came running up the hill.
"Come on, we must see if we can help!" Aslan said, and they ran towards the sound of the horn. As they came to the point, Peter immediatly saw two wolfs, jumping up and down under a tree. He raised a surprised eyebrow, until he heard a relieved yell.
"Peter!"
Peter looked up the tree.
"Susan?" he said stunned, "Susan! Lucy!"
He ran up to the wolfs and pulled his sword out of it's sheath.
"Get back!" he said to them. Maugrim growled irritated.
"Come on!" he said, "We've already been through this before. We both know you haven't got it in you."
The wolfs surrounded him.
"Peter, watch out!" Susan was so scared. But then Aslan jumped upon the other wolf, and Oreius killed it. Then he stepped forward to Maugrim.
"No, Oreius. Stay your weapons. This is Peter's battle," Aslan said, and everybody took a step back. Peter felt stronger, now he knew Aslan was here.
"I have got it in me," Peter said softly. Maugrim laughed at him in his face.
"You may think you're a king," he said, "But you're going to die like a dog!"
Maugrim leaped, Peter raised his sword and next they both smashed to the ground.
Maugrim didn't move, but neither did Peter. There was a silence in which everybody stared at the two dead bodies in disbelief.
"P - peter?" Lucy wheezed. It stayed silent. But then...
"Can someone please get this thing off me?" Peter said softly, "I can't breathe!"
"Oh! Oh, sure!" Susan said, and she and Lucy got out of the tree. They pushed Maugrim off. Peter sat up and Susan shot into his warm arms. And then, in front of everybody, Peter kissed her for the first time passionately on her mouth. Lucy didn't fully realize what was happening. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that brothers and sisters weren't supposed to be that close, but the strong feeling that they belonged together overruled that. Peter pulled back. He rested his forhead against Susan's and smiled.
"I was so scared, Sue," he whispered, "I couldn't bear to lose you."
"You haven't lost me," Susan answered with tears in her eyes. Lucy sighed and Peter and Susan looked up at her with startled looks in their eyes. But Lucy was only smiling.
"Can I join?" she then asked, and she hugged Peter tightly.
"Peter," Peter looked up at Aslan, "Clean your sword."
Peter smiled and obeyed. He was scared of the reaction Aslan would give on his obvious love for Susan, but this was not the time to think about that.
"Kneel for me," Aslan said when Peter's sword was clean. Peter kneeled. Aslan sat down and put a paw on his shoulder. Peter didn't know what was happening, but he sure did like it.
"Rise, Sir Peter Wolf's-bane," Aslan said, "Knight of Narnia!"
Peter stood up and smiled widely at Susan and Lucy. What a boysdream! A Knight...
"Lucy!" Edmund walked up to his siblings, as they came into the camp, "We've been worried sick! Peter, where did you –" he stopped talking as he saw his older sister. Susan tried to hug him, but he pulled away. He looked at Peter. The look in his eyes reminded Peter of how serious it was what Susan had done. Aslan also noticed Edmund's look.
"What's done, is done," he said, "There is no need to speak to Susan about what is past."
Then he walked away. It was obvious Edmund wasn't going to let it go that easily, and Susan wondered how she was ever going to make it up.
"Please Edmund," Susan said, but Edmund shook his head. Then he left to his tent. Susan looked at Peter. His face had twisted, and she felt so unwelcome.
"I – I did it because – because," she stuttered, "I thought –"
"You didn't think at all," Peter said, voice hard, "Now go get some sleep, you look tired."
"I'll try not to wander off," Susan said with an insecure chuckle, trying to give the moment some humour.
"You better stay," Peter answered, rather pissed, "I'll kill you."
Susan wondered if he meant that. She certainly hoped not. Normally she would've been sure he wouldn't, but Peter had changed so intensively, that she wasn't sure about anything at all with Peter.
"Let's go ask if Aslan has a place to sleep for you," Peter said. Lucy took Susan's hand and they followed Peter. They got a tent in the middle of the camp, and although it must have been around 1 'o clock, Susan immediatly got to bed. She layed herself down between the soft pillows, and closed her tired eyes, only to discover she couldn't sleep. She couldn't do anything but think of Peter. Susan wondered how she was supposed to put up with him when his moods changed so quickly everytime. How was she supposed to live with a guy that would forgive her for her actions one second and hate her for them the next? Peter nor herself could possibly expect from her to let him love her when he wanted to, and let him hate her just as easily.