"Listen," said the Doctor. "All you have heard about Old Narnia is true. It is not the land of men. It is the country of Aslan, the country of the Waking Trees and Visible Naiads, of Fauns and Satyrs, of Dwarfs and Giants, of the gods and the Centaurs, of the Talking Beasts."

1

Cornelius leafed through the pages of the spell book. He had searched for signs of Dwarfs, but could not find even the smallest clue. He ignored his fears that the drums were all in his imagination.

Now he searched for an answer, some spell he could use to find them. He refused to accept the thought that it was not real. His father had told him to listen for drums. He had told Cornelius that the Dwarfs still lived. Cornelius held onto that truth desperately.

Finally he happened upon a page that read, "To See What Is Unseen". He scanned through the instructions of the spell. It seemed far more complicated than the ones he had tried before.

Cornelius slowly whispered the strange words of the spells to himself. When it was finished, he was scared to look up from the book, afraid of what he might see. A strong breeze began to blow. Some dirt flew into his eyes, and Cornelius dropped the book, rubbing his eyes fiercely, tears squeezing down his cheeks.

Blinking, he finally opened them, and gasped. The forest was at once exactly the same, and yet very different. He squinted a bit and stared at an oak tree directly in front of him. It looked like any other oak tree, but there was something about it that made it seem—well, seem alive. He could almost see the heartbeat of the tree, and when he placed a trembling hand against it, he could feel the rhythm as well.

Captivated, Cornelius had no knowledge of how long he stood against the tree. Eventually he pulled himself away, and stepped to another tree, then another, seeing the life inside, feeling it, yet knowing that it was in a deep, deep slumber. He wandered through the forest, no direction in mind, no sound at all except the thud of his own heart.

Cornelius abruptly stopped. There, in a line, were a dozen felled trees, with nothing but trunks remaining. A strangled cry erupted from his throat. Instantly he thought of his father on his deathbed. Cornelius knew exactly what death looked like.

Slowly he crept toward the line, pleading with himself to stop, but finding himself unable. He knelt down before one trunk and placed a hand on it.

There was no beat, no feeling, nothing. And that, this utter silence, was the most terrifying of all, more than the witch in the woods, more than the soldiers, more than the thudding drums.

2

Cornelius could smell the village before he saw it. And it was the smell of food that he caught first: cooking meat, bubbling gravies, sweet and sticky oranges. Before he even realized it, he had turned and was following his nose right to the village gate. He had sworn not to deviate from his plan and his trek through the forest until he found what he was seeking, but his stomach, which had gone two months on meager meals of roots and dried meat, had other ideas.

He gave another name to the guard at the village gate, and accepted directions to the inn. Cornelius clutched his cloak tightly around himself. It was a strange thing, going from the solitude of the forest to a bustling, busy town. He felt a little nervous, almost afraid.

The inn was pleasant enough. He ordered a room and food, and checked his pockets for coins. He had only a few, and decided to search the book for a spell to change stones or something else into gold. Then Cornelius remembered that he had dropped the spell book in the forest. The death of the trees had left him in such a daze that he had forgotten to go back for it.

Cornelius kept his goblet close to himself and sipped from it cautiously, his eyes darting around the room to the handful of other customers. He pulled his hood down over his eyes, and only nodded when the girl brought over his bowl.

He continued to look around at everyone as he ate, trying to remain invisible. Across the room, at another table, a young woman was watching him closely. He tried to ignore her, but she stood and made her way over to his table. He did not acknowledge her when she reached his table. To his surprise, she sat down next to him and pulled his hood back. "Everything all right?" she asked. Her smile was positively brilliant. Cornelius simply gaped at her.

She leaned in and whispered to him, "My name is Shay. I think you may need some help. I can help you. They are coming soon." She stood back and winked at him, and then left. Cornelius watched her disappear out the door, his food forgotten.

3

Shay proved to be an interesting companion. She never revealed anything about herself. Instead, she told Cornelius about Narnia—not the Narnia that the Telmarines ruled, but the Narnia of old.

She told him about King Frank, who was a human just like the Telmarines, but much kinder and nobler, who ruled Narnia when it began.

She told him of the Talking Animals, who were larger and smarter than the dumb beasts Cornelius knew, who cared for and defended the land out of love for their kings and queens, instead of fear like the Telmarines.

She told him of the Fauns and the Centaurs and the Satyrs and the Minotaurs and the Giants, who filled Narnia with magic and song and beauty, until Cornelius so longed to hear their voices that his heart ached terribly.

She told him of the Naiads and the Dryads, who brought life to Narnia's forests and waters, who were mysterious and powerful and the heartbeat of Narnia. They were all sleeping now, she told him, until Narnia was delivered, and that is why Narnia felt cold and empty and strange. Cornelius thought of the silent trees, and his heart sank at the memory.

He asked her what she knew of the Dwarfs, and she said they were loyal, and brave, and the most like Men than any other of the Narnian races. And like the others, they had disappeared into the deep places of Narnia long ago.

Then she told him of Aslan, the Great Lion. He was the Creator, the Deliverer, the King above Kings, and it was through him that Narnia flourished and lived. His claws could kill or cure, his breath was the breath of life, his mane brought the sun, and his voice was the beginning and end of all things. Cornelius closed his eyes when she spoke of Aslan, unable to picture such a creature, but so overwhelmed by the thought that they sat in a long silence when she was done.

"But Shay," he said finally, "where is Aslan now?"

"Gone," she replied, "to his father, the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. When he returns, Narnia will be restored."

"Have you ever seen him?"

"No," she sighed sadly.

"Then how do you know?" Cornelius leaned into her. "How do you know he will return? How do you know he even remembers us?"

Shay gave a small smile. "He always returns. He did before." She told him of a Witch, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, who defeated the last king of Frank's line and ruled Narnia with an unending winter. "Just like the Telmarines," Cornelius muttered, "although their winter is inside our hearts."

Nodding, Shay went on, "There were two kings and two queens then, who Aslan himself crowned to rule Narnia." She told him their names, and the story of how they appeared in the woods, and how they brought Narnia to a true Golden Age.

"Is that who Caspian the First conquered?" Cornelius asked.

"No," she answered. "They disappeared before the Telmarines came. One day—they were just gone, like Aslan." She sighed again. "If they had been here, things may have been very different."

There was another long silence before Cornelius asked, "How do you know all this?"

She did not answer.

4

Cornelius was having a difficult time falling asleep, still unused to the soft bed after sleeping on the ground. Finally, he drifted into a sleep troubled with strange dreams. He was back at the witch's hut. His mother was inside, and he needed to speak with her desperately. He knocked loudly on the door, but no answer came. He knocked until his hand was sore.

Cornelius opened his eyes and discovered the knocking was real. He stumbled out of bed and to the door. He opened it just a crack, but Shay pushed quickly inside. "What are you doing?" she asked. "You are not dressed. Hurry, please."

Her voice was an urgent whisper, and the look on her face made him move quickly and scramble into his tunic. Shay went to the window and looked outside. "There isn't much time," she said after a moment.

"Time for what?" he whispered back. But she simply shook her head and gestured for him to follow. They crept through the common room together and slipped through the front door. Cornelius followed her down the main road, out of the village, and back towards the forest. "Where are we going?" he said, but she hissed for him to be quiet. They moved together like shadows, making no noise. Once or twice Shay would stop, and study the sky, and then move on again.

Cornelius began to nod as he walked. They walked for what seemed hours and hours, until Cornelius was nearly asleep on his feet, and he was simply following her soft footsteps, not even watching where they were going. Finally she stopped and gripped his arm. Cornelius blinked and looked at her.

"You must be very quiet," she breathed, barely a whisper. "If they hear us—"

"Where are we?" he whispered back.

Shay looked up at the sky again, and Cornelius followed her gaze, wondering what it was that she saw. "Do you know what today is?" she asked. Cornelius thought a moment, and tried to calculate in his mind. But the days in the forest had begun to blend together, and he realized he was unsure of the date. He shook his head, and she continued, "It is Midsummer's Eve. The Telmarines do not acknowledge such things. But tomorrow is a day that all of Old Narnia celebrated. And tonight, the Fauns will welcome the Midsummer with a dance."

"Old Narnia?" His breath caught. "The Fauns? Here?"

She did not respond. He followed her though the trees, which were overgrown and thick, but her hair shined so brightly in the moonlight she was easy to follow. They stopped behind a slim willow tree, and the two crouched low. "Do you hear them?" she whispered.

Cornelius listened. He heard the breeze rustling the leaves. He heard the call of one cricket to another. He heard an animal moving nearby, a raccoon perhaps. He strained even more, and heard an owl hooting much further off. But there were no sounds of dancing, or music, or voices, or anything else.

He looked at Shay and slowly shook his head. "Can you hear them?" he asked. She did not answer; instead, she stood to leave. Cornelius grabbed her arms tightly and brought her inches from his face. "Why did you bring me here?" he hissed. "Who are you?" He shook her when she did not answer. "How did you know I was searching for them?"

"I—I read it," she gasped. "I read in the stars that you were coming. They still speak to me; some do at least, even though I am here now. They said you would come to the village."

His grip relaxed some, although he did not release her. "Are there really Fauns nearby?"

Shay's eyes were wide and wild. Looking at her now, he wondered how he had ever thought she was a normal girl. "The magic protects them. I can hear them. I wanted you to hear them too, so you would know Old Narnia is waiting. You have something to do."

Cornelius was not listening to her. He let her go and looked around wildly, turning in every direction. There was a noise to the side, voices in the wood, and he sprinted toward the sound, Shay following behind, shouting at him to stop. "No!" she cried, grabbing at him. He tore away from her, knocking her back.

It was only when Cornelius stumbled into a small clearing that he realized his mistake. The voices he had heard were not those of celebrating Fauns, but Telmarine soldiers. They were on him in an instant, and Cornelius was pushed to the ground, his hands forced behind his back. He could hear Shay screaming behind him, and when he tried to turn and see her, one soldier knocked him on the side of the head.

He was pulled to a standing position. The sudden movement, combined with the blow, made the world tilt to one side. One Telmarine, the captain he assumed, stepped up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Please—we haven't done anything—"

"There are thieves in these woods. We have been tracking them for many nights." Cornelius met the captain's eye, and knew at once he was lying. "We aren't thieves," Cornelius replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

The captain gave a smile that filled Cornelius with a fresh wave of fear. "If you are not thieves, then why are you in my woods?'

Cornelius thought frantically for an answer, but before he could, Shay's voice came from behind him. She was shouting something, something he didn't understand, and then she screamed again. Cornelius twisted against the men holding him, trying to see what was happening.

Then a cry went up among the soldiers. There was a great deal of confusion, as if everyone was moving at once, and the sound of the wailing wind over all. Cornelius was knocked to the ground again, and he covered his face to keep from being trampled. A soldier's boot kicked him in the head, and Cornelius saw stars for a moment before all went black.

5

The noises of the birds woke him. Cornelius sat up and winced. He raised one hand to touch his temple gingerly, and was relieved to feel that it had stopped bleeding. The sunlight hurt his eyes. He slowly looked around, wondering what happened.

He caught sight of someone lying on the ground close by, and instantly he remembered what had happened. He crawled over to Shay and peered at her anxiously. Taking her hand, he said softly, "Shay? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes opened. Cornelius could see the pain in her gaze, and he gasped when he looked down. An ugly wound tore through her side. Her dress was drenched in blood.

Cornelius had to lean closely to hear her words. "Narnia is waiting for you." Her voice sounded fragile, like the petals of a flower, soft and able to be crushed at any moment. "The stars have told me. You must find the queen's horn."

"What horn?" he asked, his voice breaking. "What queen? What do I need to do?" he pressed.

But Shay just laid back and did not answer. After a moment, she said, "Did you know that the stars can die? When they get old, or hurt . . . Stars live ages upon ages, but in the end, even they cannot last forever."

Shay went very still. Cornelius whispered her name. When she didn't answer, he put her hand gently on the ground

With one last glance, he stood as best he could and walked away. He thought of returning to the village, but then he realized that he didn't know the way. So he continued walking, wandering until he found a little stream. Then he knelt and washed his face, crying as he saw the water turn red with his own blood. He sat there for a long time, shaking, and when a great flash of light came from the direction of the clearing, he did not turn around.