Numb. Makeeda could not feel anything, she could not hear a thing around her. She sat up, her head spinning after being tossed off of Shruikan. She looked around, watching the Narnians drive the Telmarines towards the river. She could feel an ache in her chest, a cry in her head as she looked over at Shruikan. He was laying down, his head slightly raised from the ground to look over at her. She watched several soldiers as they attacked him, remembering that he was the one who forced her off of his back. She stood, hearing his protests in her head.

Reaching for the magic inside of herself, she held her hands out, yelling out spells to get the Telmarines away from him.

"Risa!" she screamed, and the last one went flying away, Shruikan's enormous head falling down in exhaustion. The ache in her chest did not weaken, feeling his mind retract from her own. "Shruikan… Let me heal you."
"Are you alright, lethallan?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"
"I am alright." she said, kneeling down by his side, not seeing any real damage to him. "What is wrong? I see only scrapes…"
"It is much more." he replied, rolling over slightly to let her see the gash in his ribcage. Blood painted the blades of grass beneath him.
"Shru…" Makeeda breathed, knowing she didn't have enough energy to heal such a wound. She drew upon the magic anyways, knowing she had to try, despite his roars of protest in her mind. She applied the magic to his wound, the gash hardly disappearing.

She felt tears of panic coming to her eyes, not wanting to give up on her companion.

"There is nothing you can do…" he told her, his eyes squeezing shut as they both felt themselves being ripped from one another.
"I have to do something!" she cried, touching his nose gently. "Please, just… Keep breathing, stay calm."
"My Lady…You must go fight… The Kings and Queens are more important than I."
"Don't say that!" she told him. "I'm not leaving you."
"It is quite the opposite, dear one." he said softly. "I am sorry to say, that I am the one leaving you."

Makeeda winced as she felt that the connection between them was near broken. She realized now why Eragon seemed to be in so much pain as Saphira died. Shruikan was a part of her, their bond unbreakable as a dragon and Rider. To have waited for thousands of years to hatch in order to find the perfect fit of a Rider caused a dragon to attach themselves to the chosen being. Shruikan was an extension of her, not just a companion. He was no pet, he was no servant. He was another portion of her, a partner in any portion of life that she lived. Now, he was being ripped from her, torn away from any bondage they had together.

She opened her eyes after his breathing became slower. She pet him lovingly.

"I'm sorry." she said, laying her head down on his snout. "I'm so sorry."
"This is no fault of yours…" he replied, his voice faint in her head. "All things have their time…I am honored to have been your dragon."
"What do I do?" she asked, her hand not ceasing to try and comfort him as he fell even further from her mind. There was no response for a moment, and she picked up her head. "Shruikan?"
"…I was there when Eragon died, Makeeda…I can think of no other way to go than to listen to you sing as you guide me to the next place my soul travels."

Makeeda felt the lump in her throat grow larger, unable to gather the words she'd sang for Eragon. She took a deep breath, continuing to pet him as her tears continued to fall. She sang but a few words, her sobs interrupting her melody. She could no longer feel any part of his mind in her own as his breathing stopped. She laid her head down on his long neck now, her tears puddling on his scales. She held him tightly, her mind recalling a poem the Dalish used to say for comfort in times of sorrow.

"Swiftly do stars burn a path across the sky, hastening to place one last kiss upon your eye. Tenderly land enfolds you in slumber, softening the rolling thunder. Dagger now sheathed, bow no longer tense. During this, your last hour, only silence."

After her words, she fell to silence, the numbness returning to her mind as she could no longer cry for her lost friend. She closed her eyes, the sting harsh against her eyelids. She waited for someone to come, although she wished to lie there forever. After a short while, the Narnians were returning. She could here them now, their happiness echoing through the plain. They'd won. She knew it had been a victory. Not even this, though, lightened her mood.

The Narnians hushed as they drew closer, Makeeda looking up at them. Edmund ran forward, dropping to his knees beside her. He looked down at Shruikan, tears forming in his own eyes now. Makeeda could only drop her head again, not wanting to see his sorrow. It only made it that more real. She felt a hand on her shoulder now. She looked up to see Peter, though he was not alone. All of the Pevensies were next to her, Gabriella included, sharing their grief at the loss of Shruikan. There was another with them though, and Makeeda stood at the sight of Aslan, only to kneel properly before him.

"Rise." he told her, but she could not find the strength in her legs to move to her feet. "For the sake of his honor, I can do this…"

He walked over to Shruikan, breathing on his body. Makeeda watched as the scaly dragon she loved so dearly vanished, a tree replacing the spot where his body had lain. She was not so impressed, although she knew he meant well.

"Thank you."

Makeeda stared down at her palm, the gedway ignasia still printed on her skin. She was grateful for this; she didn't want to be left with no proof that Shruikan was somehow still with her. She tried reaching out with her mind, but felt no presence like she normally would. She felt another though, making her turn to find the source. Edmund stood by the doorway, his arms folded, leaning against the stone. She swallowed, feeling her tears welling up at the sight of someone she knew could comfort her.

"How long have you been there?" she asked.
"A little while…" he replied, standing straight. He stepped toward her, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Keeda… I…"
"You don't have to say anything, Ed."
"I know… But I want to. The problem is finding words to say."
"Ed…. I think Aslan will send the four of you home at the ceremony."

He looked up at her.

"What?"
"I think he will send you back to wherever you hail from. Narnia has been put right again."

He shook his head, looking back down to his hands.

"I won't go."
"Ed-"
"No." he said, and his head snapped back up to meet her eyes. "You need me right now, and I have a right to be here. You are my wife… I will not leave you again."
"What if… What if it was meant to be this way?"

His face bore an expression of confusion, hurt clearly there as well.

"Why are you saying this?"
"Ed, maybe we weren't ever supposed to get married. You belong somewhere else."
"I don't care where I belong. I want to be with you. It was a thousand years ago I made a vow to you, and I am still by your side. How do you think that will just change now?"
"I…. I do not know… Ed, I just…"

He turned his body to hers, putting his hands on her face.

"If he sends me home… If he wants to send us back, I won't go unless he swears I will return again. I promise, if I leave, this will not be the last time I am here."

She smiled slightly, the tears escaping her eyes as he pushed his lips to hers.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to man. Any Telmarnies who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to." Caspian said to the crowd of Telmarines and Narnians who had gathered for the ceremony. "For any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."
"It has been generations since we left Telmar." a man said.
"We are not referring to Telmar." Aslan said. "Your ancestors were
sea-faring brigands, pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world, the same world as our Kings and Queens."

Aslan looked over to the four Pevensies.

"It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start." he finished.

There was a pause among the crowd before a Telmarine stepped forward.

"I will go. I will accept the offer."
"So will we." said Miraz's wife, stepping forward with her new baby in her arms.

Another Telmarine Lord stepped forward with the two of them, accepting what Aslan offered them.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world will be good." Aslan told them.

He turned to the tree behind them. It opened for the three of them to walk through, and they vanished after doing so. The crowd gasped at the sight.

"How do we know he is not leading us to our deaths?!" a man shouted.
"Sire, if my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through without delay." Reepicheep said, stepping forward.

Aslan looked over at Peter.

"We'll go." he said.
"We will?" Edmund asked.
"Come on. Our time is up." Peter told him. He walked over to Caspian and drew his sword. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore."

Caspian took the sword slowly. He seemed to dislike the gesture, knowing the meaning was to not having the guidance of the Kings and Queens any longer.

"I will look after it until you return." he told Peter.
"I'm afraid that's just it…" Susan spoke up. "We're not coming back."
"We're not?" Lucy asked.
"You two are." Peter said. "At least, I think he needs you."
"Why?!" Lucy said. "Have they done something wrong?"
"Quite the opposite, dear one. All things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned all they can from this world. Now, it is time to live in their own."

Makeeda could feel the pain in her heart as Gabriella stepped forward in protest. Peter hugged her comfortingly.

"It's alright." he told her. "It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright. One day, you will see too."
"No, I… No." Gabriella said, shaking her head at him.
"My offer stands to you aswell, Queen of Narnia." Aslan told her. She turned to him. "You may go with them… But know this: If you go, you will never come back."

Gabriella looked up at him, then back to Aslan. She nodded.

"I will follow my King." she replied.

Makeeda stepped forward, forcing Gabriella into a hug. The two exchanged goodbye's.

"I hope to see you again one day." Makeeda told her.
"And I, you, my Lady."

Makeeda smiled, turning to Edmund as the others said their goodbye's. He hugged her gently, whispering in her ear.

"I will return to you." he promised. "I will return."
"Be safe while you're away." she told him. "I'll be waiting for you here."

He kissed her one last time. She didn't let her tears fall. She told herself she'd see him again, there was no reason to cry. She let him say goodbye to the other Narnians as Peter hugged her.

"Good luck in your world, my King."
"Protect mine, Makeeda." he replied, smiling at her.

She smiled back, nodding in acceptance. Lucy and Susan hugged her too. Susan walked over to Caspian, exchanging a few words with him before kissing him. Makeeda smiled.

"I'm sure when I'm older, I'll understand." Lucy said to Edmund.

He smiled, looking up at Makeeda.

"You'll understand." he told her.

Makeeda watched the five of them walk through the tree, vanishing just as the others had before them. It was as quick as that, that the Kings and Queens of Narnia, the four greatest leaders Narnia had ever known besides Aslan himself, returned to their homes until they would be called to Narnia again.