Several hours had passed since Arthur had made his promise to help restore Eloise's memory. If she hadn't had much hope in the cat before, she had almost none now that the pair had actually left the sanctuary of the tomb.
Although he had certainly seemed to know Narnia- the country they were in- Arthur seemed almost as unsure of their exact whereabouts as she was. At first, the cat had been quite self-assured. He'd set off in an eastward direction, claiming the most likely place they'd find Aslan was some sort of castle on the coast.
Cair Paravel. Or so the cat called it. Eloise still had trouble reconciling the cat before her with the one from her memory. She wasn't sure of many things, but she knew for a fact that her cat did not have fur.
This was one of the many questions she hammered Arthur with as they had stumbled through the tunnels, trying to find their way out. It was lucky he had such a keen nose. He could smell the fresh air long before she could, and had he been human, Eloise knew for a fact that they'd likely have spent many more hours stuck in that endless stone maze.
The tabby hadn't been able to truly answer her as to how he'd gotten his fur back, but he had been able to explain that the reason he'd lost it in the first place had likely been because Narnain's weren't meant to travel to the other side. He'd been completely unable to answer when she'd asked how it was possible that he'd ended up in her world if that was true.
Once they had surfaced, Eloise had been so grateful to see the sun, that she'd had to stop and raise her head to its light. She hadn't even taken in the sight of the vast open grassfields and treeline before closing her eyes and soaking in the warmth. She had been utterly freezing, to say the least, though Arthur had barked that she only thought it was cold because she was so acclimated to the festering hot weather of her home country.
It was clear by his tone that he'd been merely teasing her, but this reminder that she was missing such a memory felt like another gunshot to her stomach. Eloise thought she might be sick, and any ease that re-discovering the surface world had brought her was instantly snatched away.
With confidence in his small stride, Arthur had led the human girl across the field and into the woods. The pair occasionally had to stop when crossing, as the lawn was as wild and untamed as it could possibly be. The tops of it reached to her shoulders, and there were more than a few occasions where she had to stop and call out to the tabby, having lost sight of him in the under-growth.
There was something strange about the woods. She hadn't really taken notice of it as they'd entered, but as the pair drew deeper into the dark forest, she began to feel a nagging concern at the back of her head. Though, she couldn't honestly say for sure why she felt this way. Just that something was clearly different about this place, and it made her wary of the trees.
Hours passed, and Arthur's assured skip became more of a hesitant tread. He now walked as if he was unsure of the very ground he walked on, and Eloise could tell from the wide sweeping eyes, that he was wondering if he'd gone the right direction.
"Are we lost?" she asked.
Arthur seemed quite offended by this notion, and barked, "No. I just need…" He tilted his head up, and following his gaze, she looked straight up into the dark canopy, where flickers of blue sky peered down between the leaves. "Wait here," he said, "I'm going to get a better view."
The nimble cat leapt up, clinging to the bark of the tree trunk next to her with outstretched claws. So abrupt and quick he had been that she'd nearly jumped out of her skin, holding a hand up to her thudding heart as she watched him climb so high into the massive trees that she felt the stirring of anxiety in her stomach. What if he slipped and fell? Would she be able to catch him if he did?
Not knowing if he could hear her or not, she stressed under her breath, "Please be careful." She couldn't afford to lose her only guide in this strange forest. Whether he'd really be able to help her retrieve her memories or not, she knew without his help that she'd struggle to survive on her own. At least with him, she'd at least have someone around who'd be able to help her navigate this new land.
Eloise couldn't help but find a spot of humor in the entirety of this situation. It was a little ridiculous. Here she was, in the middle of a land she'd never heard of, with no memories, and only a damn cat to help her.
There had been little signs of other life so far, needless to say. The forest seemed so untouched by… Well, anything for that matter. There were no worn footpaths, no tracks to be found, and not a single piece of litter to even hint at the possibility of human life. To her, it was downright odd how clean the forest seemed.
They'd come across only birds and various insects thus far. Robins, quails, thrushes, bright blue butterflies and beetles. When she'd asked about finding something to eat or drink, Arthur had promised that if they didn't reach the castle by nightfall, that he'd do his best to catch a rabbit or a quail for them both- so long as she managed to get a fire going.
Though she'd eagerly agreed, the girl wasn't sure if she even knew how to make a fire without the proper equipment. She only had a watch, a mobile with a dead battery and a stick of lipstick to her name- Neither of which seemed as though they'd help. They had been the only items she'd had on her person when she'd woken, and so she'd kept them, but doubted their usefulness.
The silver watch around her wrist was the only thing thus far that had proved in-valuable. Whether the time of day was correct or not, she at least could tell exactly how much time had passed.
Kicking a pebble at her feet absently, Eloise took in a deep breath to calm herself. It had been almost ten minutes yet Arthur hadn't descended from the tree-tops. She wondered at what the world might look like from so up high, and felt a small sting of jealousy at her companions' clear talent for climbing.
She didn't have the heart to even attempt to climb the trees as he had. Though there were branches that hung low enough to grab if she jumped, she didn't quite trust her body to keep up with her. The woman still felt the ache in her bones that she'd awoken with. It was a stubborn pain that flared with each step, but as she stretched her muscles over the hours of walking, the burning had turned to a dull tenderness.
There was a rustle from above, barely audible from such a great distance. The human's olive gaze flew upward, expecting to see the tabby cat clambering carefully down to the forest floor. Her shoulders dropped slightly.
She could only just see the fiery color of his fur, but it was difficult to see much else as he was so small that the leaves hid him well. If it weren't for the fact that his pelt glittered a brilliant orange in the sun-light, she wouldn't have the faintest clue of his whereabouts.
A small sigh escaped her lips, and her restlessness finally got to her. She pushed off from where she had leaned on the tree trunk and surveyed the area around her- crossing her arms impatiently.
There was a sound. So faint she almost missed it, but as she ambled lightly over the stone, she heard it clearly. A rushing sound.
Her heart leapt and she drew a little away from the tree to make certain she'd not been hearing things. It was so distant the sound, that she'd honestly mistaken it for the wind- yet the closer she drew the louder it became.
She yelled up at the canopy, in no certain spot as she'd lost sight of Arthur's amber fur. "There's a river this way!"
Eloise barely heard him call back, "What?"
She stopped, turned on her heel and cupped her hands around her mouth as if it would amplify her voice, "A river!"
Spurred on by her excitement, she didn't wait for the cat to catch up and began padding off in the direction of the river. He'd be able to follow her scent just fine- she, however, was thirsty beyond belief. As she drew closer, her tongue and throat felt drier and drier with every step. There was a great empty panging in her stomach from hunger, and she itched to drink as much as she could just so she could stop the uncomfortable throbbing.
In ten short minutes, she had reached the bank. Glorious pale golden sand lined the edges of the river, the water so crystal clear and blue that she thought it looked as if the pebbles below were sparkling jewels. The forest seemed to part slightly to allow the sunlight a better glimpse of the water, and its rays cast wonderful brilliant lights that danced across its flowing crystalline surface.
At once she marched to the edge of the waterway, dropping to her knees and allowing the small waves to soak her jeans. Cupping her hands, she didn't even care to think if the water wasn't purified. She brought several mouthfuls to her lips, drinking each as fast as she could to ease her stomach.
At last, she felt so full she thought she might burst. It was a fullness that staved off her hunger at that moment, and hopefully would keep it at bay for another hour.
She leant back as she revelled in the temporary satisfaction, and caught a glimpse of her bloody shirt. Without much care or thought, she stripped it off, and dipped it fully into the water, soaking it to try and get the blood out.
Elouise doubted the stain would ever fully come out- not unless she found some sort of soap or washing powder. Though the girl was almost certain she wouldn't be likely to just stumble across either of those things in this forest either.
As she squeezed and pulled at the stretchy fabric of her shirt, she faintly heard Arthur calling her name. She absently responded, quite absorbed in cleaning as much blood off the clothing as she could.
The woman spared the cat a glance as he peeled out from the brush, and sped across the bank to her- breathing hard as he hissed at her in annoyance. "I thought I asked you to wait?"
Eloise wasn't really in the mood to argue. She clung to the serenity that the rushing of the river brought her with a desperate need for peace. She just wanted a moment to think. To process. She'd hardly taken the time to just sit and breathe in the past few hours, with Arthur and his under-lying panic to find Aslan as quickly as possible.
She spoke in an airy voice, "I'm just going to let this dry for a moment." Not looking at him once, she shuffled toward a fallen tree and let her shirt hang across a thin branch. She slumped onto the log beside it, and sat, staring down the length of the river with her lips pressed together in a thin line.
Still standing by the riverside, Arthur watched as the girl dropped beside the log, pressing her back into the curve of the wood. He wasn't a fool. The cat could tell she was purposely avoiding his gaze, and though he had been annoyed that she'd not listened to him, he felt the tenseness in his shoulders slip away bit by bit as he watched her.
From his recollection, Narnia wasn't always a kind place. The forests could be highly dangerous, with werewolves, banshees and beasts of all kinds running around- not every creature in Narnia was good.
He'd barely heard the girl's shouting the first time, and hadn't even seen her walk off from the top of the oak tree. His heart had clamoured painfully with fear when he'd realised he couldn't see her. It was lucky, he'd heard her the second time, and with both fear and realisation, he'd clambered down as quickly as he could to take after her.
The river rush was almost unrecognizable. If it weren't for how clear the water remained, he might have believed it was a different river altogether. The structure had completely changed, the flow of the water- once so calm and serene, was raging on one side so fiercely he could only think there might be a set of falls nearby. But that in itself was stupid- at least this far west.
He could remember clearly that the river rush did have falls, but they were supposed to be much farther to the north. Near the White Witch's castle.
It was only a few hours into their walk, that he began to realise that Narnia had changed. Much more than he had initially thought.
It also hadn't slipped his notice that there was a severe lack of life to the forest. He'd almost expected to run straight into a gathering of Narnians, as the last time he'd been in the forest, it was almost impossible to go an hour without meeting new folk. Whether talking beast, or faun, or centaur or any other manner of creature- he expected to at least have run into someone. Someone they could speak with and ask for directions.
He'd never outwardly admit he was lost- as he was highly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on their whereabouts. Arthur had a faint idea, but it almost offended him. After a long three years in the strange world of Australia , he'd finally been brought home. Yet he landed on his back, with no idea where he was- and to boot, his human barely remembered her own last name.
That was perhaps, what made the whole situation all the worse. He couldn't decide if it had been a good thing that she'd lost her memory or not. Certainly, he was glad she didn't seem to remember what or how they had been brought to Narnia- but to forget almost everything that made her… well her?
He thought of the life she had lived in Australia. A boring one to him, but dammit it was her life. Why did she lose those memories? How had she? Was it Aslan? Was it some other mystical force or…?
The tabby's ears pinned back as he pondered, was it her injuries? She hadn't been hit anywhere in the head, and that was why this idea confused him.
As the cat stood, lost in a confusing muddle of unanswered questions, it was then that he realised he'd not been a very good friend to the girl for the past few hours. Finally, they could actually speak to one another, and all he'd done was answer a few questions as he ushered her across the country-side, desperate to help her regain her memories as quickly as possible.
He was still honestly reeling from the shock of it all. It had all been so sudden, and he'd been filled with such hatred, that it'd blinded him from realising she needed a moment to breathe. He just wanted this to be fixed. To be put right.
It was the first time he considered that perhaps he could try and help her remember himself. He had no clue how long it would take to find Aslan, and until they could, he realistically should do his best to help her fill in the gaps herself.
The tabby cat slowly crossed the golden sand, observing the almost vacant expression on the girl's face. His body became wracked with grief, and he dropped onto his hind legs, sitting beside her as he followed her line of sight down the river.
For a moment, there was only silence. One of them heavy with a heart filled with anguish, the other focusing only on the sounds of the forest- grateful for a moment of pure respite.
He was hesitant to break the silence but finally gathered the courage. "You can ask me anything, you know."
She barely even looked at him. It was almost frightening, seeing the girl so quiet. The woman who'd cared for him in the other world had a naturally bubbly disposition. Seeing her now with such a blank expression was unnerving. Unnatural .
He would have given his fur back if it meant she'd smile again.
Eloise blinked after a moment as if finally registering that he'd spoken to her. She tilted her head and glanced at him. He felt a little better, seeing the curiosity begin to creep into her eyes.
"Can… can you tell me more about Narnia?" That stutter as well was just as unnatural as her blank expression was. He held back a sigh, settling in the sand as he began to tell her everything he remembered about Narnia.
Talking about Narnia brought about a much more pleasant atmosphere. Whilst it wasn't anything new to him, he felt more glad to be home than ever as he spoke about the White Witch and the tale of the Kings and Queens. He could clearly picture each of their faces- though he'd never met any of them personally, he'd seen them many times from a distance in Cair Paravel. His home. How he'd missed that glorious place.
He wondered how old they would be now. Were they- were they even still alive?
As he spoke of the coronation, he did his best to justly describe the magnificence that was the inside of the castle. It was the only time he'd been able to see it himself, but he'd never forget those chandeliers or those high thrones… nor the smiles that everyone had worn that day.
Whilst he'd been speaking, Arthur was glad to see that the more he told her of Narnia, the more she seemed to somewhat relax. She was feeling better- less unfocused and lost as he gave her something worth listening to and committing to memory.
"It sounds beautiful," she murmured, wrapping her arms around her knees as she shivered slightly. He could see the goosebumps appearing on her tan skin and he felt a twinge of pity. She'd have to acclimate herself to Narnia's climate, and he had a feeling she might find it difficult, especially during the winter.
He chipped back, "It really is. I think you'll love it more when you see it yourself."
Eloise seemed to hesitate, nibbling her lip a little as she pondered quietly to herself. The girl spoke, "So… the Kings and Queens. They really come from my world?"
Arthur nodded, "They do- but they were from some other country, not Australia. Though I can't remember which."
She bobbed her head, processing this information. "Did they ever go back?"
Arthur shook his head, "No. They've been in Narnia for about fourteen years…" He trailed off. "Probably more now. I don't know what year it is currently."
Eloise spoke up, "So does that mean I'll never get to go back?"
Alarmed, he looked up at her with a slightly opened maw. He didn't know how to answer. His emerald-like eyes peered back, as the light-haired girl blinked down at him, turning her head to face him.
She opened her mouth, and he had no clue what she was about to say- but she hadn't the chance to speak, because, in that very moment, they heard the distant echo of a peace-shattering scream.