So here's chapter 4 :) I hope it's not too bad.
In this I go a bit into depths about Zariel's relationship with Aslan and a bit about Zariel's life in Narnia.
Guest: Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia - it all belongs to C.S. Lewis.
There's a grassy hill in the middle of the camp that looks out over the river and fields in Narnia. That's where I'm standing with Aslan, simply talking about how life in the orphanage was like for me. He's listening silently, looking proud that I never retaliated against the mean girls or stopped being so kind.
"You may not be returning to the orphanage this time, little one," Aslan tells me. I stare at him disbelievingly.
"Why not?" I ask, but he only shakes his head and licks the side of my face affectionately. I smile and wrinkle my nose, wiping my face with the sleeve of my grape-colored dress. "I forgot," I say, "How you can be all 'mysterious and powerful' when you want to be."
Aslan chuckles and nudges my shoulder, almost knocking me off balance. "I must speak to Edmund alone, sweet one," he says, and I look down the hill to see the group of soldiers coming back with Edmund riding Oreius' back. He climbs down and I walk away, touching the boy's shoulder reassuringly when I pass.
I quickly make my way down to Peter's tent, and when I stop in front of it, I call, "Peter?"
He opens the tent door and asks, "Yes?"
"Can you get your sisters for me?" I request, and he jogs off to find them. I find Nita and bring them to where the three Pevensies are waiting in front of Peter's tent. My face splits into a broad smile. "I've got some good news."
Lucy perks up. "Is Edmund back?" she asks, and my smile widens. Everyone's smiles light up tired faces, and I lead them near to where Aslan is talking to Edmund. "Edmund!" Lucy calls happily, and the boy and the lion look down at us, one with trepidation and one with amusement.
I hear Aslan's amused voice in my head. You couldn't wait, sweet one, could you?
I grin and send back, You know that I know that you didn't expect me to.
He shakes his mane in conformation and says out loud, "What's done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about what is past."
Susan, Lucy, and Nita hug him, and Edmund looks relieved.
"Are you all right?" Susan asks.
"A little tired," he admits.
"Get some sleep," Peter says. "And Edmund… Try not to wander off."
I call out Yuma's name, and she appears in front of us. "Can you take Edmund to his tent? And make sure everyone knows not to bother for him." My friend nods and leads Edmund to the tent he will be sharing with Peter.
Peter's POV
Peter sits at the table with his siblings, Nita, and Zariel eating breakfast. He tries not to focus on how beautiful Zariel looks with the rising sun reflecting in her eyes, with her golden hair in a braid over one shoulder and a light purple dress and her gold cloak accenting her light skin and blue eyes.
At the moment, she is talking to Susan enthusiastically, a light flush appearing on her pale cheeks. He hears her describing the balls and dances that she used to go to in other lands. "... and everyone is dressed up in silk and satin, with servants in the finest clothes. First there's the presentation of foreign visitors, where everyone is focusing on one or two people in exotic clothes. Then everyone sits down and starts dinner. There are all sorts of foods, like roast duck and dormice rolled in honey and seeds, and buns that look like honey. And then there's dancing..."
His attention is caught by Lucy saying to Ed, "Narnia's not going to run out of toast, Ed."
"I'm sure they'll pack something up for the journey home," Peter says, and dead silence falls over the table. Zariel breaks it first, flushing with anger.
"Home?" she says, her voice dangerously low and her blue eyes flashing with barely restrained fury. "You have no say in where I go or what I do with my life, your Majesty."
"Nor I," Nita says angrily. "I'm staying with Zari."
"We're going home?" Susan asks faintly, looking distressed and confused.
"You are," Peter says. "I promised mum I'd keep you safe, but that doesn't mean I can't stay and fight."
"But they need us," Lucy argues. "All four of us."
"Lucy, it's too dangerous! You and Zariel almost drowned, and Edmund was almost killed!"
"Which is why we have to stay," Edmund says, and they all turn to look at him. "I've seen the things the Witch can do. And I've helped her do it. We can't leave these people behind to suffer for it."
Lucy takes Edmund's hand comfortingly, and Susan and Zariel trade a look. At the same time, they stand up. "I suppose that's it, then," Susan says, and Peter looks at them.
"Where are you two going?"
"To get some practice," Zariel says simply. "Luce, Neets, why don't you come with us?"
They jump up and follow the older girls to the courts. Peter watches the back of a certain gold-haired beauty until Edmund says, "Oh, no."
Peter turns to his wide-eyed younger brother curiously. "What's 'oh, no'?"
Edmund stares at Peter. "You're sweet on Zariel."
Peter's ears turn a little red, and he changes the subject very obviously. "Why don't we get Oreius to teach us fencing?"
"Just admit it and I'll stop bothering you!" Susan tells me as I help her with her archery.
"I do not!" I protest, repositioning her hand. "And you have to remember to keep your hand here."
"I've seen the way you look at him!" my friend says quietly.
"What way?" I demand.
"And only someone you really like can get you so worked up!" she says, firing the arrow. A ball of fire slams into a rock.
"Nice job, Nita!" I call, and she beams at me before shooting another fireball at the rock.
A small chickadee lands on my shoulder. "The White Witch just demanded an audience with Aslan," he pants. "She'll be here soon."
Susan and I share a worried look and call Lucy and Nita over to us, then run back to the camp.
"Jadis, Queen of Narnia!" a small black dwarf calls.
"Go away, Witch!" someone calls.
"Empress of the Lone Islands!" the dwarf continues.
"You don't belong here! Go away!" another person yells.
The Witch steps off of her litter and approaches the place where Aslan waits.
"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan," the Witch sneers. Gasps run through the crowd and a bubble of hatred rises inside of me.
"His offence was not against you," Aslan says.
"Have you forgotten upon the laws of which Narnia was built?" the Witch asks.
"Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch," Aslan growls. "I was there when it was written."
"Then you will remember that every traitor belongs to me," the Witch says. "His blood is my property."
Peter takes a step forward. "Try and take him then!" he shouts, and I put a hand on his shoulder, shaking my head slightly.
"The girl is right, little king," the Witch taunts cruelly. "Do you think that force will deny me my rights? Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands, all of Narnia will perish in water and fire." She points at Edmund. "That boy will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition. You dare not refuse me."
"Enough!" Aslan commands. "I shall speak with you alone."
He leads her into his tent, and Peter turns to me. "It isn't true, is it?" he demands. "She can't really… kill… Edmund?"
I sit down and press the heels of my hands into my eyes, as if they can beat back terrified tears. "I'm sorry, Peter. It is her right and has been since the beginning of Narnia, when Digory and Polly accidentally brought Jadis to Narnia," I say miserably. "Though," I look up at them, trying to give them hope. "Aslan may find a way to make her relinquish her claim. We just have to hope."
We all sit impatiently, watching the tent for what seems like hours but is probably only minutes. Finally, the Witch throws open the tent flap and marches out, seeming smug about something. Aslan follows her out.
"The White Witch has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood," Aslan announces. All around, people erupt into cheers.
"How will I know your promise will be kept?" the Witch asks over the noise. Aslan roars at her, and the Witch stumbles back and sits down very suddenly, making the Narnians on Aslan's side laugh.
I hug Edmund happily, but a part of my mind is hung up on the Witch's words. How will I know your promise will be kept? What promise?
I watch Aslan, and after the Witch is carried out, I silently ask him, What promise, Aslan? My only answer is a sad look, and I push through the crowd and open the tent flap.
"Aslan?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly. "Please tell me."
I let the tent fall closed behind me and sit next to where Aslan is lying. He turns his golden eyes on me and then licks my forehead. I move closer and gently stroke his golden mane as I lean against him.
And so he tells me what the Witch bargained for Edmund's life. I bury my face in his mane, tears falling out of my eyes. Aslan gently nudges my locket with my nose. "I will always be with you, my sweet kitten. This locket is filled with some of Narnia's magic. As long as this is safe, I will be with you." I nod with difficulty, biting my lip to stop any more tears escaping my eyes.
I spend my day with him, tears falling out every little while. When it grows dark and everyone goes into their tents, Aslan and I walk out to a hill and turn our faces up to the stars, quietly gazing up at the bright specks of silvery light and lost in our own thoughts. At midnight, we start our walk into the wood, and neither of us fail to notice the two people following us.
"Shouldn't you both be in bed?" Aslan asks our two shadows. They approach, looking embarrassed.
"We couldn't sleep," Lucy admits.
"Please, could we come with you?" Susan asks, and I look at Aslan, who studies the girls.
"We would be glad of the company for a while. Thank you," he says.
Susan and Lucy put their hands on his mane, and we walk through the woods for a while.
"It is time," Aslan says. "From here on, I must go alone."
I bury my face in his mane for another second before pulling away and bringing the girls to a place where we can see the Stone Table. The Witch's army is crowded in the area, but they make space as Aslan walks up to the Witch.
Not being able to stand it, I shut my eyes and cover my ears until Susan shakes my shoulder frantically. Her eyes are wide as she looks at my chest.
"Zariel, the blood just… appeared when… when they did it." She points to my chest, and I look down. Blood that is blue, red, and gold pools around where my heart is, and I put a trembling hand in the blood, letting it stain my hand. When I pull it away, I watch as the blood drips off my fingers to land in the earthy forest ground. Where the blood touches the ground, it shimmers in the silver moonlight. Tears mix with it, and it sinks into the ground. When I look back up, the Witch's army is filing out, and I run up to Aslan's body. His mane is gone, and his legs and muzzle are both bound. Tears stream down my face as I press the first two of my blood-stained fingers to my collarbone, then my heart, my lips, my forehead, and finally one of Aslan's paws.
We all lean on Aslan and sob. Lucy unscrews her healing cordial, but Susan shakes her head, tears streaming down her beautiful face.
"It's too late," she says, tears choking her words. "He's gone. He must have known what he was doing.
Mice run up to Aslan's body, and Susan tries to shoo them away, but Lucy points out that they are chewing through the ropes. We pull off the ropes as they loosen and throw them to the side. When they finish, some of them scurry up to the pools of blood under my hand and take a sip and then hurry away.
"Thank you, friends," I whisper, and then try to blink away tears.
"We have to tell the others," Susan says.
"We can't just leave him here!" Lucy cries, sounding distressed.
"We don't have a choice," Susan argues.
"The trees," I say, choking on tears. When they look at me, I call out to the forest, "I need a messenger for the king!"
A dryad made of pink flower petals appears before us and we relay our message. She nods and the breeze scatters the petals, blowing in the direction of the camp.
"We should go," Susan says.
"I'm so cold." That's Lucy. I look at her and put my golden cloak around her shivering form.
"Is that better, Luce?" I ask, and she nods. We start back to camp until a big cracking sound echoes through the clearing. We spin around to see the Stone Table split in half and Aslan's body gone.
"What's happened?" Lucy cries.
Suddenly, I turn around and yell, "Aslan!" I run up to him and throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his new mane.
Susan and Lucy aren't far behind me, and when they reach us, Susan says, "But we saw the knife- the Witch."
"They did, I didn't. I wouldn't- couldn't look," I mumble into Aslan's mane. "But the blood on my shirt. Whenever you get hurt, the blood appears on me. I know enough to know a death wound when I see one."
"If the Witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, she might have interpreted the Deep Magic differently. That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table will crack and even Death itself will turn backwards," Aslan says.
"We sent news that you were dead," Susan says. "Peter and Edmund will have gone to war."
"We have to help them," Lucy says, drawing her dagger. I look at her with slight worry. She isn't fit to go into battle normally, let alone now.
"We will, dear one, but not alone. Climb on my back. We have far to go and little time to get there," Aslan assures Lucy.
"If you can carry Susan, I can carry Lucy," I offer. Aslan nods, and I start the change into my lioness body. Susan and Lucy stare at me, open mouthed.
"You have gotten better at that, little one," Aslan comments, and I give him a feral grin.
"Let's run," I say, and we roar as one.
I hope you like it! I want two more reviews before I update again. I may do it anyways, but it'll make me happy.