The comments on the last chapter were great!
I'm sorry for the wait but my laptop crashed and I had to write this chapter again.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Narnia nor do I own Blaine Anderson
R&R Peeps!
Onto the story!
You never know how much you love them, until they are gone
Chapter 16: The Stone Table
When the afternoon came around Edmund and Blaine joined the rest of the family for dinner.
When Edmund came into view Amelia jumped up and ran to him grabbing his hand and pulling him next to him, making Peter and Susan smile at each other.
As they sat down a faun placed down some toast and boiled eggs on the table.
As Edmund and Blaine sat down they immediately took their toast and started eating like they hadn't eaten in years.
"Narnia's not going to run out of toast, Ed." Lucy said laughing making Edmund laugh too.
"I'm sure they'll pack something up for the journey back." Peter said from the rock he was standing against making everyone turn to him.
"We're going home?" Susan asked confused while everyone send Peter confused looks.
"You are." Peter said as he came closer.
"I promised Mum I'd keep the four of you safe." He said while sitting down.
"But it doesn't mean I can't stay behind an help."
"But they need us, all six of us." Lucy said looking around their small circle.
"Lucy, it's too dangerous. You almost drowned! Edmund was almost killed!" Peter said.
"Which is why we have to stay." Edmund started looking down at Amelia's and his joined hands.
"Blaine and I have seen what the White Witch can do. And I've helped her do it. And we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it." Edmund said making everyone feel like Edmund was the first to realize what being a king is about, feeling very proud of him.
"I suppose that's it then." Susan said as she stands up walking away.
"Where are you going?" Peter asked.
"To get some practice." Susan said grabbing her bow and arrows smiling.
"Come on." Amelia yelled as she pulled Edmund towards the tent to get some equipment.
Just as the dwarfs were leaving the training field, Susan and Lucy set up to start practicing.
Susan took her bow and readied an arrow aiming it for the bullseye.
But when she released the arrow it ended at the edge of target.
Preparing the next arrow she shot and hit the edge of the circle around the bullseye.
Lucy wanting to try something drew her dagger from the sheath and thew it to the target hitting the bullseye dead on, making Susan laugh.
Just then they heard horses come up the cliff and turned around seeing Peter and Edmund galloping up the hill battling, Blaine galloping behind them trying to get used to the horse, and Amelia readying an arrow and releasing it, the arrow landing it right in the bullseye.
"Come on, Ed! Sword point up, like Oreius showed us." Peter said.
"En garde!" Edmund yelled as he slashed at Peter.
"Now block." Peter said attacking his brother while the Anderson siblings slowly came closer.
"Hey!" Edmund said as Peter defeated him.
"Peter! Edmund!" Mr. Beaver yelled as he came running up making Edmund's horse reign up.
"Whoa, horsie!" Edmund said.
"My name is Philip." Edmund's horse said.
"Oh. Sorry." Edmund said not expecting a reply.
"The Witch has demanded a meeting with Aslan. She on her way here." Mr. Beaver said as Susan and Lucy came closer.
"Let's go." Blaine said as he pulled Susan behind him on the horse as his sister did the same to Lucy.
"Come on." Amelia said as she started galloping towards the camp, the rest following.
"Jadis, the Queen of Narnia! Empress of the Lone Islands!" They heard someone yell as they ran up to the edge of the crowd where Edmund froze at seeing the Witch.
The whole camp was murmuring amongst themselves until the Witch was set down on the ground.
As the Witch approached Aslan she kept her focus on Edmund making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
When she reached a certain point she turned her attention to Alsan saying:
"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan." making Edmund look down and Amelia look at her angry wanting to grab his hand but knowing that the Witch would use that knowledge against them.
"His offense was not against you." Alsan said.
"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" The Witch asked.
"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written." Aslan said with a growl under his voice.
"Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property." The Witch said as Peter drew his sword and Amelia drew her dagger.
"Try and take him then." Peter said as he and Amelia formed a sort of shield around Edmund.
"Do really think that mere force will deny me my right, little king, protector." The Witch said patronizing.
"Never hurts to try." Amelia said as Peter held her back from charging at the Witch.
"Aslan knows that unless I have blood as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water." she continued as if never interrupted.
"That boy will die on the Stone Table." she said making Peter, Susan, Lucy and Blaine turn to Edmund in shock and Amelia turn to him with tears in her eyes.
"As is tradition." She finished.
"You dare not refuse me." She said now turning to Aslan.
"Enough. I shall talk with you alone." Aslan said to the Witch turning to his tent the Witch following, making everyone feel uncomfortable.
"Come let's sit down." Amelia said pulling Edmund down with her who didn't seem to have heard here.
A little while later Edmund started hugging everyone starting with Blaine, then Peter, Susan, Lucy and then Amelia, only the last didn't let him go, just as he didn't let her go.
After waiting for half an hour Peter suddenly heard the noise of footsteps coming from Aslan's tent and stood up, everyone following.
As the Witch emerged first and looked at Edmund scrutinizing, making him scared that she would take him, but then she turned around and walked back to her throne.
Everyone turned their head to Aslan, hoping to hear good news.
After looking at Edmund for a while Aslan said:
"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood."
Making everyone breath again and the kids hug Edmund all at once.
"How do I know your promise will be kept?" The Witch said and Aslan replied by roaring making her sit down in her throne.
Making everyone laugh and beginning to celebrate the saving of Edmund as the Witch left.
Lucy ran up to Edmund and threw her arms around him and Edmund spun her around a bit.
As soon as the Witches back was turned to them Amelia kissed Edmund being glad he was still with her and he kissed back.
Suddenly Lucy noticed that Aslan didn't seem as happy as they did, in fact he looked quite sad, making her smile fade as well.
And as they made eye contact Lucy knew that something wasn't right but as a dwarf came to her rejoicing she quickly put on a smile and celebrated on, not forgetting the sad look of the Great Lion.
As the day grew shorter everyone returned to their own tents Amelia following the boys and laying with Edmund for a while before returning to the girls tent seeing Lucy still fidgeting.
"Can't sleep?" Amelia whispered to her not wanting to wake Susan.
"No, but it's alright." Lucy said and so Amelia retreated to her own cot.
Lucy couldn't sleep because she kept thinking of Aslan's face earlier that day.
Suddenly she sat up at hearing footsteps and seeing a shadow pass their tent.
"Susan, Amelia!" Lucy harshly whispered.
"Mm?" Susan said as she was roused from her sleep and Amelia sat having not really slept.
And as Lucy stood up and grabbed her dagger and cordial, Susan and Amelia quickly followed her after grabbing their own weapons and their cloaks.
They quietly followed Aslan making sure he didn't see nor heard them.
Hiding behind tents and trees, being careful not to step on any twigs.
All the while wondering what Aslan was going to do.
After following Aslan for 5 minutes he suddenly said:
"Shouldn't the three of you be in bed?"
"We couldn't sleep." Lucy said walking to where the lion was waiting.
"Please, Aslan. Couldn't we come with you?" Susan asked following her sister while Amelia trudge behind.
"I would be glad of the company for a while." The great lion said with a sad tone in his voice.
"Thank you." He said sincerely and the girls hesitantly reached out their hands to touch his mane and he didn't protest so they intertwined their hands with his mane.
Although Lucy thought something was wrong Amelia had this weird gut feeling as if tonight something terrible would happen and nothing would be the same again, call it protector instinct.
For the rest of the walk no words were exchanged nor were they wanted.
The silence came to an end when Aslan told the girls:
"It is time. From here, I must go on alone."
"But Aslan..." Susan started before Aslan interrupted her saying:
"You have to trust me. For this must be done."
"Thank you, Susan. Thank you, Lucy and thank you, Amelia. And farewell." Aslan said making Amelia run up to him throwing her arms around him.
"Be safe, Aslan, please." She asked him.
"Hard times are ahead, but remember you are ready, even if you think you're not." Aslan said looking in her eyes, she nodded and stepped away letting the great lion walk away.
Susan looked at the two other girls and they immediately understood that their stalking wasn't over.
They quickly followed Susan behind another tree, and when Aslan seemed to have reached his destination, the girls eyes widened.
The followers of The Witch spread alone the place as far as they could see, making them exchange uncomfortable glances.
They could barely see Aslan walking between the beasts trying to reach The Stone Table, now Amelia realized what Aslan was doing, looking down not wanting the other girls see her crying.
Because they would surely ask her why she was crying and she could not tell them as they would charge into the beasts without thinking about it.
Lucy looked frighted at Susan and Amelia, Amelia quickly took Lucy in her arms seeing that Susan was paralyzed watching the scene unfold.
As Aslan reached the top of the hill, they could see The White Witch appear holding a sword in her hand.
"Behold. The great lion." The Witch said loud enough for the girls to hear and the beasts around her began to laugh.
As a minotaur came up to Aslan and first poked him with the end of his axe, the girls saw in disgust that the minotaur pushed Aslan so he was lying on his side, making Lucy gasp.
The girls couldn't hear everything that was said but didn't need to know as they heard the laughs it got in reply to know they were taunting Aslan.
"Why doesn't he fight back?" Lucy whispers.
"Bind him!" The girls heard The Witch say.
Then suddenly Aslan disappeared from their view as everyone went to tie him although they could hear Aslan's groans of pain.
"Wait!" The Witch suddenly interrupted. "Let him first be shaved."
And then all hell broke loose everyone seemed to want a piece of the lion's mane and swarmed around him.
"Bring him to me!" The Witch said as she apparently thought that it had been enough.
As they drug Aslan on top of The Stone Table the noise got louder and louder until The Witch put out her hand silencing all of them.
After a few seconds the noises started again and the girls could see The Witch approaching Aslan, kneeling next to him.
Susan and Lucy could not hear what The Witch was saying to Aslan but Amelia heard The Witches words as if The Witch was saying them to Amelia herself.
"You know, Aslan, I'm a little disappointed in you. Did you honestly think by all this that you could save the human traitor? You are giving me your life and saving no one." She said laughing.
"So much for love." And the she stood up again yelling:
"Tonight the Deep Magic will be appeased! But tomorrow we will take Narnia forever!"
And then only Amelia could hear what The Witch was saying again.
"In that knowledge, despair... and DIE!"
And just seconds before The Witch struck Aslan and Lucy made eye contact for the last time.
And then the girls started crying Susan and Lucy just now beginning and Amelia only crying harder into each others shoulders.
"The Great Cat is DEAD!" They heard The Witch yell.
Amelia heard The Witch give order to her general to prepare the troops for battle and soon realized what she had to do.
The beasts partied on a while and after they had calmed down a bit Amelia said:
"I have to go."
"No, why?" Lucy said clinging to her.
"The boys, the army they need to know that war is coming tomorrow, you stay hear make sure he's taken care of." Amelia said kissing both their hands.
"As your protector I'd love to stay but Edmund will need me greater there. And beside our kings must know your highnesses." Amelia continued.
"We understand go, and make haste The Witch won't spare a minute." Susan said and Amelia quickly started running faster then she had thought she could seeing she normally still had the hinder of the accident.
After running for half an hour she reached the camp and sprinted towards the boys tent storming in, startling all three of the boys.
"Amelia what are you doing? Storming in here in the middle of the night." Peter said not noticing how out of breath she was in his half asleep state, Edmund on the other hand did.
"Amelia what's wrong?" Edmund asked.
"It's Aslan." Amelia said between breaths.
"What about Aslan." Peter asked now standing up too.
"The Witch she killed him, The Witch is coming, she wants to take Narnia." Amelia said.
"We need to wake the camp now." Peter said and Blaine ran out of the room and not 2 seconds later they heard the horn go off waking the camp.
"You saw?" Edmund whispered in Amelia's hear embracing her.
"Yes, everything. Aslan told me that hard times are ahead but that we're ready even if we think we're not." Amelia said looking at both the boys.
"Where are Susan and Lucy?" Peter asked finally noticing the lack of his sisters.
"Still with Aslan." Amelia said.
"I came to warn you."
Before the crack of dawn the camp was bustling with everyone making sure that the weapons and armor were ready for battle while the four humans and Orieus were making plans for battle.
"Amelia's right. He's gone." Peter said coming out of Aslan's tent.
Making everyone look at each other.
"Then you'll have to lead us." Edmund said looking at Peter
"Peter, there's an army out there and it's ready to follow you." Edmund said.
"I know I am." Amelia said.
"And so am I." Blaine said for Peter's other side.
"I can't."
"Aslan believed you could. And so do we." Edmund said getting nods from all around.
That made Peter smile a little at his brother and the Anderson siblings, making them smile back.
"The Witch's army is nearing, sire. What are you orders?" Orieus asked making Peter look at the map.
"We attack from here, Edmund and Amelia lead the archers. Blaine and I will lead the troops with swords. So the protectors are there to help if necessary. I want Amelia to have a sword and Blaine to have a dagger and bow and arrows, so they can protect us for whatever distance." Peter said more thinking of protecting Edmund and Amelia than anything else.
"We can use our griffins to good use, we can make them carry boulders and drop them." Blaine said.
"Just like the bombings." Edmund said.
"That's great Blaine thanks." Peter said.
After agreeing on some signs the humans went off to put on their armor.
A faun came to help them put on their more difficult stuff, when they were done:
Peter, Edmund and Blaine were dressed almost exactly the same a full chain mail body with a red tunic with a golden lion roaring on the chest.
Amelia on the other hand was dressed in a chain mail dress with a red dress over it also with the golden lion.
They helped each other tie their belts to hang their weapons on and in Amelia and Blaine's case put on their arrow holder.
They jumped on a horse and left for the battle field while putting on their helmet's, now being fully prepared to go to battle.
So that's that and I hope you enjoyed. Please review.
Next time we have the great battle.
Until next time !
~ Lyokodreamer