(Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia, Prince Caspian, or any of its characters or the dialogue quoted.)

Epilogue: A New Kind of Honor

After Miraz and the Telmarines are defeated…

The battles had been lengthy and difficult, but at last the Narnian Revolution was meetings its goal. It was all thanks to Aslan, who returned in the nick of time. Reepicheep had played a big role in the final battle, killing more Telmarines than most people thought possible. In the next three years, Reepicheep would become known as the most valiant of all Talking Beasts, except Aslan of course.

Right after the battle, however, he was not feeling so honored. In fact honor did not seem to mean anything anymore. He was bruised, bloody, and pained all over. Only his mighty heart kept him alive with all the slices, kicks, and stamping he had been through. Lucy's cordial healed everything except, of course, the loss of his tail. When Reepicheep stood up, he was astounded to see the great Lion Aslan before him, huge and mighty, but as gentle as a mother.

Reepicheep struggled to keep his composure though the interview with Aslan. His deepest emotions wanted to come out. Even after he confessed his great need to preserve dignity, he did not feel satisfied. Overwhelmed, he looked into Aslan's eyes, and was shocked at what he saw.

The profound eyes seemed to open some sort of portal, a place where time did not pass and Reepicheep could communicate through silent thought.

Aslan spoke into the Mouse's mind. 'Tell me what it really wrong.'

It was no good resisting now. Reepicheep knew from his past that denial only led to trouble leaking out in other places. So he said, 'So much is wrong! The Telmarines are mightier and superior to we Mice, and they employed that advantage when they took everything from us. They believe in conquest and survival of the fittest. I gained knowledge that viewpoint from Thumtikk the Dwarf, who satisfied himself entirely at my expenditure. I was the weak link, that night at my first raid; so I figured I must never be the weak one again. You realize, sir, that my honor was the one thing I still had. I used it as a means of proving my dignity to the world.'

'Nothing seems good enough for you, does it? You think perfection is the way to prove your dignity?' asked Aslan.

'I would venture to concur,' answered the Mouse.

Aslan phrased a delicate question. 'Would you say your quest for perfectionism and honor has helped you?'

'Yes, of course,' Reepicheep was quick to say. 'Without it, I would not have possessed the strength to preserve the lives of my eleven Mice. Conversely, your Highness, it has also brought me a sizeable quantity of stress since I joined Caspian's army. And it by no means eliminated the doubt that I might still end up weak.'

'Reepicheep,' Aslan said gravely, 'as far as I'm concerned, you don't need to meet the standards others set for you, or the overexerted standards you sometimes set for yourself. What I told you that you were a hero just the way you are? If you would let go of your self-protection, your dignity, now…I will give you a new kind of dignity.'

Reepicheep resisted frantically. 'I can't let go of my honor! It's all I have!'

'Then let me give you something new. You have already learned that all things serve a purpose, even pain. Beauty only comes through strife, and a sword comes through fire to be refined. If you are humble, I will refine you. This is choice that only you can make.'

The Mouse's emotions were nearly overflowing by this point. 'I can't handle this anymore! Look at me—what am I even holding on to? My perfectionism hasn't worked out; I'm standing here without a tail! I shall permit you to do suchlike with me. Here…is my dignity.'

'Are you sure?"

'No sir, otherwise it would not be an adventure. Let it be done.'

There was a silence, and then Aslan's thought came into Reepicheep's head again. It rang with a roar of joy, clear as a waterfall. 'The veil that was over your heart is now gone. Perhaps now you will see yourself the way I have see you since the dawn of time: special. I made a wonderful heart for you and for your people too—you just never noticed it because you were so busy trying to prove yourself.'

Reepicheep was suddenly broken out of the mind contact when he heard the sound of a sword being drawn. Not time had passed; the Mice were still before Aslan looking miserable and weary. Peepiceek had just drawn his sword, and Geeniveek and the others followed suit. "May it please your High Majesty," said Peepiceek politely, "we are prepared to cut off our own tails. We will not bear the shame of wearing an honor denied to the High Mouse."

"Ah," said Aslan with a smile, "you have conquered me. You have mighty hearts. Not for the sake of your old dignity, Reepicheep, but for the love of you and your people…you shall have your tail again."

Reepicheep felt the new tail appear, slithering out of his body like a thin, silver snake. Ecstasy filled his heart like nothing he had ever known. Because suddenly there was something much more important than his silly perfectionism.

'I give you a new kind of honor,' Aslan's voice came into in his head; 'the kind that comes from being a child of my own. The kind that comes through humility. You were born to be an adventurer and a warrior, so do not let pressure keep you from finding all you seek. You don't need to measure up—you are already infinitely precious.'

Warm filled Reepicheep and he bowed. He was so happy with the promise of a new love, a new life, and a new tail! His new appendage, by the way, felt even better than the old one. "Thank you! Thank you!" Reepicheep laughed. "I shall treasure it always as a remainder of my huge humility." And the Great Mouse smiled from ear to ear.

As wonderful as the transformation was, Reepicheep knew that this was only the beginning. It was the start of a whole new adventure. As Reepicheep was knighted that day on the field of battle, the familiar song from his infancy once again echoed through his heart and head:

"Where sky and water meet,

Where the waves grow sweet,

Doubt not, Reepicheep,

To find all you seek;

There is the Utter East."

THE END