Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long so post this chapter! I've been soo busy lately that I haven't had time... Even though I've had it typed up for a couple of weeks. I've got up to chapter 14 typed up now. :) This chapter has a couple of sweet moments between Ari and Edmund, as well as showing some of Peter's frustration.. :)

Over 10,000 words ALREADY! :D Wow... That's a lot of words... I'm hoping it will be longer than my last story, though I'm sorry I kept you guys waiting for a lot of those chapters... XD Anyways, on to the story! :D

Oh! And thank you guys for all of the reviews! I have more reviews for this story in 7 chapters than I did in my last one, so I guess that means that I am off to a good start. :)

Song for this chapter: Someone Who Cares by Three Days Grace

The five humans and their dwarf companion walked through the woods.

"I don't remember this way at all." Susan said, breaking the silence.

"You see, that's the problem with girls. They can't carry a map in their heads." Peter joked.

"That's because our heads actually have something in them." Lucy snorted. Ari looked over at a tree and suddenly stopped.

"Peter, we're going in circles." She said.

"No we're not."

"Yes we are. We've passed that tree right there at least three times." She said, pointing to a large tree just past peter. "Look on the other side. There should be a carving on it that I did when I saw it for the second time."

Peter rolled his eyes, but walked over to the tree anyways. His face flushed red when he looked and he turned away abruptly. "That doesn't mean anything!"

Peter continued to walk. Susan looked over at Lucy. "I wish he'd just listened to the DLF in the first place."

"DLF?" Edmund asked.

Lucy grinned. "Dear Little Friend."

"That's not at all patronizing, now is it?" Trumpkin said sarcastically. Edmund and Ari snickered a bit before Trumpkin shot them a look.

Up ahead, Peter stepped into a rock passage and stopped. "I'm not lost." He muttered to himself.

"No, you're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin said sardonically.

"You said that you last saw the prince in the shuddering wood. The quickest way there is to cross at the river rush." Peter fumed.

"But, unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts" Trumpkin bit back.

"Well, that's just it then. You're mistaken." Peter said before storming off into the woods once more.

The four others followed Peter. They continued walking until they came upon a gorge. Edmund carefully leaned over the edge and looked at the river rushing by several yards below.

"See, over time, the water eroded at the soil, carving deep into the-" Susan began.

"Oh shut up." Peter snapped at her. "I wasn't lost." He said, sending Ari a look. She rolled her eyes while Edmund snickered.

"Is there any way down?" Edmund asked after a moment.

"Yeah...Falling." Trumpkin said, sarcastically. "There's a ford at Beruna. I hope you don't mind swimming."

"At this point anything is better than walking." Susan said, rubbing her ankles.

"I told you not to wear those shoes." Ari said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh hush."

They started to walk away, but Lucy looked back on impulse. "Aslan?" She said quietly. Then her eyes widened and she shouted her next words. "It's Aslan! It's Aslan over there!" She said, pointing across the gorge as she turned to the others. "Can't you see him? He's right over..." She turned back and her bright smile faded. She saw nothing but bushes, trees, and shrubs. "...there."

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin said sardonically.

"I'm not crazy." Lucy snapped. "He was there. He must want us to follow him."

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a bloody cliff after someone who doesn't exist."

"He does too exist!" Lucy said indignantly.

"The last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid." Edmund said softly, looking at the ground. Ari turned sharply and gave him a hard stare.

"That was a long time ago." Ari said. When Edmund didn't respond she continued. "You're not that man anymore, Edmund."

"I know, but it still doesn't change the fact of what I did." Edmund said, the look in his eyes sorrowful and full of regret. The tension in the air was thick as reminders of their first few weeks in Narnia were brought up.

"Edmund, how many times to I have to tell you?" Ari said quietly. "I love you because of what you became, now who you were. You changed yourself, and that makes all the difference."

Edmund smiled and pulled Ari into a hug. Susan smiled gently and patted him on the back. Peter sighed and looked to his youngest sibling.

"Why wouldn't any of us see Aslan?" He asked.

"Maybe you weren't looking." Lucy said, reminding everyone once again that she wasn't some ordinary thirteen year old. She had wisdom beyond her years.

"I'm sorry, Lu." Peter said. He turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. Susan sighed and followed him, Trumpkin right behind her.

"It'll be alright, Lucy." Ari said, putting an arm around her sister-in-law.

"He'll come around. He always does." Edmund said, looking at Peter's retreating back.

"Come on, before they get too far off." Ari said, looking down at a sad Lucy. The dark haired girl nodded and began walking.

=XxX=

At the Dancing Lawn, it was chaos. Narnians shouted over each other. It was so loud that Caspian could barely hear himself think. He was slightly shaking with fear as he saw all of the large creatures. He held Queen Susan's horn in his hand firmly, as if holding onto a lifeline in the ocean.

"All this proves is that the Telmarines have stolen yet another thing from us!" Nikabrik shouted, shaking a fist at Caspian.

"I didn't steal anything!" Caspian protested.

"Didn't steal anything?" I minotaur boomed. "Shall we list the things that the Telmarines have taken?"

"Our homes!" A dwarf shouted.

"Our freedom!" A faun screamed.

"Our lives!" Screeched a Narnian.

"You would hold me accountable for the crimes that my people have committed?" Caspian yelled over the noise.

"Accountable, and punishable." Nikabrik sneered.

"That's rich coming from you dwarf." Reepicheep spoke up. "If you remember correctly it was your people that fought alongside the White Witch."

"I'd gladly do it all over again if it meant ridding us of these barbarians!" Nikabrik bit back.

"Then I count it lucky that it is not in your power to bring her back." Trufflehunter said mildly. "Or do you want us to ask this boy to go against Aslan?" The badger's words caused another uproar from the Narnians. He paused and waited for them to calm before he spoke again. "Some of you may have forgotten, but we badgers remember well, that Narnia was never right unless a Son of Adam was king."

"He's a Telmarine! Why would we want him as our king?" Nikabrik ground out through gritted teeth.

"Because I can help you." Caspian said, speaking up once again. The Narnians turned to him. "Beyond these woods I am a prince. The Telmarine throne is rightfully mine. Help me claim it and I will make peace between the Narnians and the Telmarines."

"It is true." Said the deep voice of one of the centaurs, named Glenstorm. "The time is ripe. I watch the skies, for it is mine to watch as it is yours to remember, badger. Tarva, the Lord of Victory, and Alambil, the Lady of Peace have met in the Heavens, and here a Son of Adam has come forth to offer us freedom."

"Is it possible?" Asked Pattertwig the squirrel. "Do you really think there can be peace? Do you really?"

"Two days ago I didn't believe in any of this. I didn't believe in talking animals, or dwarfs, or centaurs..." Caspian said, taking in each creature. "Yet here you are in strength and numbers that we Telmarines could never have imagined. Whether this horn is magical or not, it has brought us together. And together, we have a chance to take back what is rightfully ours!" Caspian spoke with a loud, clear voice.

"If you will lead us, then my sons and I offer you our swords." Glenstorm said.

"And we offer you our lives...unreservedly." Reepicheep said as he bowed.

"Miraz' army will not be far behind, Sire." Trufflehunter said.

Caspian turned to Glenstorm. "If we are to be ready for them, we must hurry to find as many soldiers and weapons as we can. I am sure they will be here soon."

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than I originally planned... But, it'll have to do. Leave a smiley face if you liked it! :D