Chapter 14
How They Got Their Senses Back
My story," began Lucy, "begins shortly after we were kidnapped by the dark Wizard, who has called himself Darkaan. He brought Peter, Ed, Jill, Eustace, Aunt Polly, and Professor Digory here. From what I can remember he used strong dark magic against us. It would seem that I was the strongest of the lot, who continued to have faith in Aslan. He had the others under his spell. He made us forget all about good and Aslan. Only him and evil. He finally got control of me, but not for two long. All thanks to the Prince Rilian the Disenchanted. He had a given me a piece from the Silver Chair, which he was bound to by an enchantment. So, there would some hours where I would come back to myself and try to warn the others, but they'll have me taken away and I'll return to the next without a memory of what I've said or done.
"I believe Paravatia knew that I possessed the gift from the sweet prince and used her magic to get me back to my senses. But there is an even greater way to get us all back to our senses Susan."
They were now about a mile from the castle.
"How? I need to know. I have to save you all." said Susan.
"You must take this." said Lucy, pulling out a 3 foot piece of silver wood. Susan took it. "Burn it to it is only ash. Use the ash on all of us. Then you must strike the eighth throne which sits above ours. That and only that will break this horrid enchantment."
"How did you figure this out?" asked Susan.
"Su, I've lived in a heavenly Narnia for almost two years. How wouldn't I know?" said Lucy. "But you must hurry and get as far away as you can. Stay along this path toward the lake. There are no trees or creatures there. Remember, burn the wood into ash, throw it on us, and strike the eighth throne."
"Burn, throw, and strike!" said Susan, remembering.
"Hurry, sister!" said Lucy, hugging Susan once more. And she sprinted off back toward the castle.
"Come on Para!" said Susan. "We must hurry."
They sprinted off in the other direction, along the path, toward the lake. When they arrived, they found a black lake, surrounded by no forest or any form of life. It was a deserted land, with a large lake in the center. Susan looked at the silver wood and thought for seconds until she grabbed Paravatia's arm.
"What are you doing your Grace?" asked the Elf.
Susan waved her arm, and doing a fancy hand movement in the process, and in an instant, a small golden pouch appeared. Then Susan placed the piece of wood in front of Paravatia and waved her arm again, this time the wood burst into flame and turned into a pile of silver ash. She waved the Elf's hand for a third time, causing the ashes to float through the air and into the pouch.
"Lets go!" said Susan, sprinting off away from the lake. The Elf followed. They had only gotten a quarter of a block into the forest heading toward the castle, when Wolgen and the wolf pack arrived.
"Thought you could get rid of us that fast, did you." said the female wolf.
Susan had already aimed her arrow and shot the female wolf down. The four males charged forward. The Elf sent a surprising inferno at two of them and they were burned away into the air. Susan fired an arrow at the third wolf and fired three into Wolgen's chest. They both fell to the ground hard.
"Lets go! We must hurry!" said Susan, continuing to run toward the castle. They soon reached the entrance hall within half and hour's time to find everyone standing waiting for her.
"Where'd you head off too, Su?" asked Peter, eyeing her.
"I-um-went to find Darkaan. I wanted him to change my senses to match yours. So we could be the four Pevensies again." said Susan, smiling. She held up the pouch. "And he gave me this as a gift to all of you. Its suppose to make you all stronger. Its for being such loyal servants--I mean, people."
"Thats very good of him." said Digory.
"I do agree." said Polly.
"We need an upgrade of power." said Eustace, hungrily.
"Give it to us, Susan." said Lucy, who had reverted back to her evil self once she returned to the entrance hall.
"Okay," said Susan, digging her hand into the pouch and picking a great amount of silver ash. She blew it in their faces.
They all coughed.
"What in the world is that stuff, Su?" said Edmund, coughing.
Susan pulled out an arrow, placed it on her bow, and aimed at the eight throne.
"What are you doing, Susan?!" said Jill.
"Freeing you!" said Susan, releasing the arrow. It struck its target and the throne crumpled to pieces.
The seven coughed and soon went into the same frenzie as Lucy went into when she was freed from the enchantment of Darkaan, briefly. Their expressions changed and they became more alive, as the hollowness of their faces vanished.
"Why?" said Peter.
"What?" said Edmund, looking over at his brother.
"Why in Aslan's name are we constantly hoodwinked by these weak and tiresome enchanters?" he continued.
"Your back!" said Susan, happily.
"Thank-you, dear child." said Polly, hugging Susan.
"Now, we must find a way to get out of this horrible palace." said Professor Digory.
"I do agree." said Eustace. "This is rather a horrid place."
"How?" asked Peter. "There isn't any type of magic door or pool around."
"We should start from the forest." said Lucy.
"Yes," said Susan, "the forest is where I arrived, too."
"Then the forest is our starting point." said Jill.
The nine of them headed toward the oak doors, to find them open. And it turns out, the Wizard, Darkaan, wearing long black robes, and his small army of soldiers, stood between them and the door.
"Your not going anywhere." said Darkaan, staring sinisterly at them.