The meal was delicious. What was better was the feeling of satisfaction it left in their bodies afterwards. They didn't know how long they sat, enjoying the feeling but by the time they looked outside it was dark. Peter was first onto the hammock. When Victoria climbed on it tilted to her side and she fell off, resulting in Peter falling onto her. "Looks like the tables have turned." He said playfully. "You're heavy.." She wheezed. Peter laughed and climbed back onto the hammock. Victoria found it was easier to stay on it if she put her head against his shoulder.
"Why do I get the feeling you're going to make us leave tomorrow?" She asked. "Because you know me better than most people." The two gradually dosed off. Peter for once slept soundly but it was Victoria who was plagued with bad dreams.
She was being dragged through a forest by two small creatures, no taller than 4 feet, much larger than the one she had seen before. She could see what was happening but no matter how many times she tried to scream or resist, her voice or muscles wouldn't respond. She was thrown into a stone hut in the middle of the forest where there was a cold looking woman. "Kneel before Jadis!" Both minotaurs roared. The woman who she saw looked to be very weak and old. The creatures sliced her hand open with a flick of their claws which were surprisingly sharp, and poured the blood over Jadis.
It was like she was growing younger but much more powerful at the same time. The whole process only took a minute or so. "Now die, daughter of Eve." Jadis smiled cruelly as she was lifted by nothing... and thrown off the bridge behind the hut.
She awoke when she heard complaining and groaning beneath her. She must have been shaking about in her dream because the hammock was swinging wildly and Peter was mumbling something underneath. "Sorry." She mumbled. "Bad dream?" He asked quietly. "A strange one too." She added. "I've got time." "Well there were two minotaurs dragging me through the woods and then they took me to a stone hut. There was a weak looking woman called Jadis inside, who they forced me to kneel before. Then I was bleeding over her and she grew powerful and young looking.. she said something about dying as a daughter of Eve and then I was thrown off a bridge."
Had he heard right? Jadis. This was bad. If it was the Jadis he was thinking of they were in danger. She had barely been defeated last time even with all four of the Pevensies and Narnians. Peter wondered why he was wheezing for a few moments then he remembered he had just been crushed from a peaceful sleep. The floor was cold and wet. He cleared his throat and looked up at Victoria. No matter what happened, he always seemed to end up on the floor.
"Sorry, it's just that dream felt real. I felt alone, helpless.." Peter tried to calm her down. "It was just a dream. Remember, I'm not going to leave you. If you don't mind the grass is cold and wet.." He finished. She had forgotten that he had broken her fall and was acting as her personal bed. She wasn't moving, Peter hesitated but otherwise felt she had the right to know. "Victoria.. I haven't been completely honest with you. I know where we are and who you described in your dream, that's why I was so shocked." She moved off and sat cross legged opposite him.
"This is going to sound crazy but the place we're in, it's called Narnia. A magical land with talking animals. Generations ago my brother, sisters and I first came to Narnia to fulfil some prophecy. Two sons of adam, my brother and I. Two daughters of eve, my two sisters were to defeat Jadis and bring about the peace of Narnia. We managed of course and later came back to Narnia where we met Prince Caspian the 10th and with his help over threw Miraz and his terrible army. After that, Aslan the king of Narnia said that Susan and I would not return to Narnia. Which is why I'm surprised that we're here. That's about everything in a nutshell, there is too much to explain." Peter looked at her hopefully. She really was beautiful. She didn't look annoyed, or angry, she just looked calculating.
"You said generations ago? How old are you?" She questioned. "I'm 16, I wasn't lying about that. Time between Narnia and Earth is relative. We don't know exactly how it works but one Earth year seems to be thousands of Narnian years. We've been gone for almost two years so everyone I knew must be long gone by now." Peter answered.
"Who are you, really?" "High King of Narnia, Peter. The Magnificent." Peter smiled as he said that. It had been a long time since he wore that title. "You aren't annoyed?" Peter asked her.
"No. I already knew we weren't on Earth. When that man you said was Professor Kirke clearly couldn't see us and then said that the barriers between worlds are thin here, I knew there was something magical about this place. I wanted to talk to you about it but I didn't want you to think I was insane, what you have said brings my mind to peace." She smiled. He couldn't believe how understanding she was. "Thanks for not making this any harder. The woods you were dragged through, could they have been those woods? In this place, dreams aren't just dreams. They can be one of many possible insights to the future."
Victoria and Peter both studied the woods in the distance. Those woods looked dark, even in the blazing sunshine. To make things worse they were both weaponless. Being weaponless and in Narnia was not a very good combination. Peter was starting to think he should've listened to Professor Kirke. If he had, they wouldn't be completely alone and would know what to do.
Either way, he told himself it wasn't worth thinking about now. He and Victoria had spent the past half hour preparing for their journey. He wasn't surprised when it turned out that North was in the direction of the woods anyway.
They soon stood at the start of the forests. Peter stood with one foot in the forest and one foot still in the green meadow. In the meadow, he could hear birds singing sweet tunes. As soon as he leaned into the forest, silence.. complete silence. It was unnerving but the two of them held hands and walked onwards. On the way, Peter found a large sharp pointed stick which he figured would be better than nothing.
"Wouldn't you like to have your family here with you?" Victoria asked him. "I'd rather be here with you." She wasn't expecting that answer. She was just about to lean in for a kiss when she heard the snapping of a twig. This time, the both of them sensed it wasn't going to be Professor Kirke. Peter took a cautious look all the way around but saw nothing.
He was just about to keep walking when he heard the faintest sound of a branch cracking. He looked up immediately to see himself get tackled into the dirt. Victoria was at a loss of words, the creature that had attacked Peter was one she saw in her dream. It was a dwarf and suddenly there was two of them. She remembered what Peter had said, about dreams being one of many possible insights into the future. If that woman Jadis nearly brought down Narnia, Victoria did not want to see where the insight in her dream lead to. She had to help Peter with these dwarves.. but how?
They had swords and daggers, he didn't. He was barely holding up in defence. She thought of a plan, it was risky but her love for Peter outweighed all the risks. She ran towards one of the dwarves making as much noise as she could. The dwarf swung with his dagger as he turned around, catching Victoria in the stomach. Time seemed to slow down. She could faintly hear Peter roaring and suddenly gaining the upper hand on both dwarves with several twists and swings of his sharp branch. The last thing she saw was a cut up Peter carrying her away before she lost consciousness.