Chapter 6
Late Night Talks and Proud High Kings
By the time the little row boat made its last turn into Glasswater Creek, its occupants were more than ready to get off. Peter, Edmund, Cara, and Susan were beyond exhaustion from rowing, while Lucy's head pounded from the constant heat and the slow roll of the waves. Even Trumpkin longed for the voyage to be over; the extra strength of the dwarves dwindling with each passing moment.
As the sun began to dip below the trees that flourished along the bank, the boat rounded its last corner before finally finding a place to dock. Cara and Susan drug their tired limbs out of the boat and collapsed onto the shore; the movement of the waves still making them dizzy. Lucy and the D.L.F. were not far behind, followed by Peter and Edmund, whose hair and faces were covered in sweat and grime.
Peter tied off the boat with little enthusiasm and collapsed beside Cara on the bank. Edmund found a cozy spot beside Susan and immediately closed his eyes. Everyone was nearly asleep when Lucy's voice shook through their dreams.
"We really should move inland, don't you think? Maybe roast a few apples?"
Peter groaned in response and turned on his side, while Edmund seemed to already be snoring. Susan and Cara glanced at each other, both knowing what needed to be done, but both too sore and tired to care.
"Oh do come on," said Lucy again. "It can't be all that bad."
"She is right. Moving inland would be the smart thing to do," Trumpkin added as his eyes brushed along the bank as if expecting to see something. "Plus, we need to find fresh water, or none of us will last much longer."
Cara and Susan locked eyes once again, both making a silent truce to rise at the same time. With a few moans and a grumble, the two Queens were once again on their feet, but Peter and Edmund showed no signs of moving. Quite honestly, Edmund didn't even appear to be alive.
Susan immediately began to berate the two Kings on their lack of eagerness to find King Caspian, which they easily ignored. Finding Susan's ranting far worse than the heat and fatigue, Cara casually walked up to the boat, grabbed an oar, and smacked both Peter and Edmund on the legs with it. This enticed an immediate reaction from the two boys, and within a few minutes the company had gathered all of their belongings and was slowly trudging inland.
The trees were larger in these woods—older—with huge trunks and limbs that dipped and turned before stretching towards the sky. Small streams bubbled passed them and into the creek, but Trumpkin advised the Kings and Queens to drink the water further up, for it was purer and tastier the farther away from the ocean they went.
After only ten minutes of walking, the children were unable to continue on. They stopped near a small stream and placed their belongings between four large beech trees. A supper of apples was far more appetizing than attempting to catch something, so the group entered into quiet munching before snuggling down into the moss and leaves that covered the ground.
Soon darkness spread throughout the woods and the sounds of night fell upon them. Night also brought with it a cool breeze that seemed to cling to the damp clothing of the children. Unable to find any warmth, Cara glanced around the campsite in the hopes of finding someone to talk to while she attempted to fall asleep. Edmund and the D.L.F were already snoring soundly, while Lucy and Susan were cuddled up together trying to keep warm. Peter seemed to be asleep as well, for he was turned on his side and breathing deeply. Hope bubbled in Cara when the High King suddenly rolled onto his other side and faced her, but his eyes were closed and his breathing remained even.
With a sigh, Cara leaned back into the moss and pulled her limbs as close to her body as possible. Even though she was weak with fatigue, her mind seemed to race with everything that had happened over the last two days and the journey that lay ahead of them. Without realizing her movement, Cara began to toss and turn, trying to find the warmest, most comfortable position.
"Unable to sleep?"
Cara jumped slightly at the sudden voice, and looked over to see the bright blue eyes of Peter looking back at her; a small smile was twitching in the corners of his mouth.
"Forgive me if I woke you," Cara responded.
"No blame goes to you. Are you chilled?" Peter asked as Cara wrapped her arms tighter around herself.
"Only slightly," she lied and turned on her back to escape Peter's eyes. The change in position soon caused a shiver to run through her body.
"You little liar," Peter said with a laugh and sat up. He glanced around the campsite in the hopes of finding something useful to aid her, but it was to no avail, for the only thing he came across was his armor, and that was far from comfortable.
"What are you expecting to find, Peter?" Cara asked as she watched him look around.
"I suppose I was wishing a fluffy, warm blanket would appear from the air," he responded with a laugh, fully aware how ridiculous his hopes were. Cara laughed as well, and for the first time Peter realized how beautiful the sound was.
"That would be splendid," Cara said with a sigh. "Sadly, a blanket appearing from thin air is not common in Narnia, so it seems that I have the option of either covering myself with moss, or praying to Aslan that dreams of warmth come to me quickly."
Peter's eyes went immediately to Lucy and Susan, who were snuggled up close and sleeping soundly. A vision of Cara lying close to him entered his mind, but he knew that the High Queen would not approve of such an offer. Not to mention what Susan would have to say about the obvious display of affection.
"I wish I could suggest another alternative, but alas, it seems that all I have is the warmth of my own body, and that I must keep for myself," Peter responded as he lay back onto the soft ground and attempted to find a comfortable position.
"Must you?" Cara asked softly. So softly actually that she was quite confident that Peter did not hear her, which was very intentional, for her words might make for an awkward situation.
Peter did hear her though, and after a moments contemplation he responded with, "I only must in the company we keep." His words were nearly as quiet as Cara's, but they still caused a flush to spread throughout her body. Both embarrassment and excitement consumed her, creating a mixture of emotions that Cara had never experienced. Suddenly feeling exposed, Cara turned her body away from Peter and closed her eyes. She was certainly warm enough now.
BBBBBB
Everyone awoke the next morning cranky, sore, and tired of apples. Darkness still surrounded them, for it was not quite morning and the sun hung low on the horizon. The air was thick with humidity and the cool breeze no longer blew. Cara and Peter smiled awkwardly at each other when they awoke, both giddy from the words they shared during the night. Once apples were eaten and leaves were shaken off, Peter and Edmund immediately began planning the remaining trip.
"If we head this direction," Edmund began as he pointed off into the woods, "we will hit the Rush River. There we can cross, and it is but a short while until the Stone Table, or Aslan's How as the D.L.F. calls it."
"Where do you plan to cross at the Rush River?" asked Cara. Both boys looked at her puzzled, for it seemed quite obvious to them.
"We can cross anywhere," answered Peter. "The river is rather shallow."
"True, the river itself is shallow, but the walls surrounding it are not," responded Cara.
"Since when? The Rush has always been shallow with low banks," said Peter with confusion. "Are you indicating that I do not know my land?"
"You knew your own land, but land does change, and in my time the rock walls surrounding the river were steep. The river is probably a chasm by now," Cara tried to explain. She hoped that Peter did not take her words to harshly because she truly did not want another altercation with the High King.
"What say you D.L.F?" asked Edmund, hoping that he could solve the problem.
"The only land I know is around the Bridge of Beruna, and that land is crawling with Telmarines," responded Trumpkin.
"Then it is settled," said Peter as he cast his eyes around the group. "We cross at the Rush River."
Cara's face hardened when Peter said this and the flame inside her irrupted once again. "Are you honestly casting aside my advice as if it is garbage?"
"The river I knew had no walls and the way I know is the safest and fastest. Therefore that is the way we go," answered Peter as he began to collect his things.
"That way will lead us to a dead end and lost time," Cara responded, both hurt and annoyed that Peter could so easily trash her opinion. The High Queen was about to respond when Lucy's hand touched her arm.
"Might we trust him?" said Lucy to Cara. "He is the High King, and he is doing the best he can." Cara glanced at the young Queen but said nothing, for proof that her words were correct lay only hours ahead. At that time the High King would see his folly.
In silence the group collected their things and took one last cool sip from the stream. Peter and Edmund took the lead once again, with the dwarf and the girls trialing behind. The sun slowly began to rise as the troop delved deeper into the woods and farther away from Glasswater Creek.
Cara and Lucy lagged slowly behind, both lost in their own thoughts. Lucy spent time examining the trees, touching them softly and whispering for them to awake. Cara mainly looked to the ground, upset that Peter thought nothing of her advice. Susan soon noticed her downcast eyes, and being the gentle Queen that she was, slowed her pace until Cara caught up with her. Susan said nothing, opting instead to simply link her arm with Cara's. With a small smile, the two continued on together in silence. Even though the High Queen was still upset, Susan's company did wonders for her disposition.
Not long after Susan linked arms with Cara, Lucy's cheerful voice caught the attention of the group. Both older Queens turned to find Lucy disappearing into the woods. Beyond her something large moved beside an oak. "It's a bear," Susan said after taking a few steps closer.
"Don't move!" Trumpkin shouted as the bear turned its dark head towards the young Queen.
"It's alright," Lucy responded before looking at the bear and introducing herself. Halfway through Lucy's introduction the bear rose to its hind legs revealing its full height.
"Lucy, listen to Trumpkin. That bear might be wild," Cara yelled, but Lucy ignored her and continued walking fearlessly towards the bear. Without warning the bear dropped to all fours and charged. Lucy screamed and fell backwards over a root.
"Susan! Your bow—now!" Peter yelled, but the Gentle Queen barely had her arrow strung when the bear reached Lucy and collapsed at her feet. Sticking from his chest was an arrow and a blade.
Peter quickly past Susan and Cara as he made his way to Lucy, who was lying on the ground panting, but not hurt. "Susan, it looks as if you were beat this time," Peter said as he reached the bear and examined it. "Twice."
"Another lovely shot," Trumpkin said to Cara as he came to stand beside her.
"Same to you," she responded softly before walking forward to collect her dagger.
"Why would he attack me?" Lucy asked Peter in a shaky voice.
"You get treated like you're dumb long enough and you start acting like it," Trumpkin explained. "Well, there is no use wasting this meat. Boys, grab a few of Cara's blades and lets get to work."
Cara handed her already bloodied dagger over to the dwarf and reached for another two to hand to Peter and Edmund. The boys accepted the blades with a small thanks—Peter's was actually far longer and involved a smile, which Cara refused to return—and quickly began to clean the bear. Not wanting to see the mess, the three Queens wandered further up the trail and sat down on a rotting log.
Susan and Lucy chatted about the incident for a long while, both upset that the animals were now wild. Cara sat in silence and prayed to Aslan that the bear's soul would find peace. She truly hated the killing of animals and felt terrible about being involved. After forty minutes of cutting and cleaning, the boys gathered the meat together and cleaned themselves as best they could. Quite happy to be moving on, everyone re-gathered their belongings and fell in line once again behind Peter and Edmund.
As the group continued on, the sun began to peak through the trees above them casting shadows along the ground. Rocks appeared in greater numbers the closer they came to the Rush River, and the changing landscape caused Susan to mumble comments about their surroundings.
"These woods are hardly recognizable. I wonder if we even are going in the right direction," she said softly to Cara.
"I know precisely where we are going and precisely where we are at," Peter responded after overhearing her.
"Well I have no clue of either," Susan said with some bight in her voice.
"That's the problem with girls," Edmund chimed in. "They can't keep a map in their heads."
"That's because our heads have something in them," Lucy said from behind Cara and Susan, who instantly began laughing; both happy that Lucy seemed to be feeling better after the confrontation with the bear.
"I believe your sister just out whittled you," said Trumpkin with a laugh.
"D.L.F, I do believe that you are right," Edmund responded and sent a smile back to his sister.
"Peter doesn't seem to find it amusing," Susan said quietly to the two Queens beside her, who laughed softly in response.
"Truly, he doesn't seem to have any sense of hum—" Cara's words were cut short, for the boys ahead of them had stopped abruptly. Not feet in front of them was a gigantic gorge with a small river flowing through the bottom of in. Cara suddenly sported a smirk.
Peter stared at the gorge in silence; his eyes taking in the truth and humiliation that lay before him. Bloody hell he whispered as Cara came to stand beside him. He tried to ignore her presence, but it became impossible when she placed a soft hand on his shoulder. Expecting a retort, he looked at her with e sigh. "Let me have it then."
"Trust me next time," she said softly after a few moments of silence. Peter looked deeply into her eyes, and seeing only sincerity, nodded before turning away from the gorge and looking at the rest of the group.
"I suppose our only way is Beruna," said Peter, his voice not quite as confident as it was before. The group nodded in silence and began another trek away from the gorge. Suddenly, Lucy's voice rang out, causing everyone to stop and turn.
"Aslan! She shouted. "I see Aslan. He's is right over there!"
Where? Everyone said at different times. Lucy turned away from the gorge and pointed behind her. "Just across the river; he wants us to follow him," she responded.
"Lucy, there is nothing there," responded Peter. Lucy quickly turned around, her eyes searching for the Great Lion. "I did see him," she said softly after finding only trees and rocks.
"Are you sure it wasn't a wild lion? I'm sure they are all over these parts," asked Peter, which caused Lucy to glare back at him.
"I think I know Aslan when I see him," she retorted.
"Did you say he wanted us to follow him?" Cara asked as she came to stand beside Peter. Lucy's face immediately brightened at the question.
"Yes, he wanted us to go across."
"Well I certainly don't want to go chasing after something that doesn't exist," said Trumpkin from behind the group.
"Why don't we have a vote," Edmund suggested. "The last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid. I vote we cross."
"I vote we don't," said Susan sternly.
"Same," added Trumpkin.
"I vote we look around and see if we can find a safe way down, then we decide," commented Cara as all eyes fell on her. Both Trumpkin and Susan explained how they didn't have time for nonsense like that, and that Cara needed to pick either one or the other. Thinking that her idea was the most intellectual, Cara immediately shot back a snide remark on the intelligence of walking away from a possibility of saved time.
"You were the one that didn't want to come this way in the first place," Trumpkin shot back.
"That was before Lucy saw Aslan," Cara responded.
"Lucy probably saw nothing more than a shadow," Susan interjected.
"I did see Aslan!" Lucy said and quickly began a tirade on Susan's inability to act like anything but an adult.
"Silence!" Peter yelled as he hand clasped the bridge of his nose. "I have yet to vote, and my vote decides what we do. Lucy, I'm sorry, but I choose to go the way of Beruna. It will be safer for us all."
Lucy's face contorted as she began to cry. Peter gave his sister an apologetic look before turning from the gorge and heading west towards the larger river. Everyone quickly fell into step behind him; Edmund lagged behind and attempted to comfort his younger sister. Even though he tried not to show it, Cara noticed that Peter seemed to be rather upset as well. Remembering their small moment the night before, Cara quickened her pace until she was walking beside him.
"You believe I'm making another mistake?" he asked in a sharp tone.
"No," Cara responded. "I believe you are a King having to make difficult decisions. I also believe that you need to place more trust in those around you." Peter glanced over at her and sighed.
"Trying to scale that gorge would be dangerous. I don't want anyone hurt," he explained. "Plus, why wouldn't I have seen him? Or you? Or anyone else?"
"I'm not talking about Lucy, Peter," Cara responded. Peter honestly had nothing to say to that. His pride had caused him to push Cara's advice aside without any amount of consideration, and the small act had made him look to be more of a fool than ever before.
After seeing that Peter was not going to respond, Cara continued. "Peter, all I ask is that you remember that I am your equal. My throne sits at the same height as yours."
"Will you forgive me?" Peter asked after a long moment of silence.
Without saying anything, Cara placed her soft hand in Peter's and rubbed her thumb along his rough skin. Peter slowed his pace and clasped his calloused hand around Cara's, who looked over to find his intense blue eyes smiling back at her.
"Speed it up," Trumpkin said suddenly, which startled them enough to drop each other's hands and look away. Peter couldn't help but grin as Cara continued to walk beside him, the tips of her fingers occasionally brushing against his.