Author's Note: Are you ready for Chapter 2! I know you are.

The five royals and the dwarf, Trumpkin, now sat in the boat they had taken from the Telmarines. Peter sat in the middle, rowing them down the river. Lucy and Susan sat behind him, near the bow, and Trumpkin was in the bow. Edmund and Evelyn sat in the stern, Edmund steering. Evelyn looked around at the sunlight bouncing off the clear blue water. It was all so peaceful. She couldn't believe there were hardships and evil all around.

"They're so still." Lucy said, suddenly breaking the silence and the sound of the oars hitting the water. She was looking up at the trees. Evelyn followed her gaze. She was right. The trees weren't moving at all.

"They're trees, what'd you expect?" Trumpkin said glumly. Edmund looked at him strangely, like he was crazy for saying that. He was, of course.

"They used to dance." Lucy said to him.

"Wasn't long after you left the Telmarines invaded," Trumpkin said, looking away, "those who survived retreated to the woods. The trees, they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven't been heard from since." Trumpkin said. Evelyn looked at them, remembering the dryads that used to fly over Narnia.

"I don't understand," Lucy said, "how could Aslan have let this happen?" But Evelyn knew Aslan had his reasons. He didn't do everything.

"Aslan?" Trumpkin replied, "Thought he abandoned us when you lot did." He said, slightly bitter. The Pevensies and Evelyn looked at each other sadly.

"We didn't mean to leave you know." Peter said, tightening his jaw.

"And I didn't have a choice." Evelyn said quietly. Edmund looked at her questioningly, but she waved him off. It was nothing important.

"Makes no difference now, does it?" Trumpkin said.

"Get us to the Narnians, and it will." Peter replied, looking at the sky.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Evelyn stared at the rocks around them. She stared at the trees, urging them to move. But they didn't, of course.

Soon after they reached shore. Trumpkin jumped out and anchored them, and the others except for Lucy started pulling the boat up the gravelly shoreline. Evelyn faintly noticed Lucy wandering away. Suddenly she heard Lucy's voice:

"Hello there." She said cheerily. The others looked over to see a bear some ways down.

"It's alright, we're friends." Lucy said.

Suddenly Trupmkin's voice came out urgently:

"Don't move Your Majesty!" he said. Lucy turned to look at him, confused, and suddenly the bear charged, growling. Trumpkin ran to the boat as fast as he could. Evelyn stared running towards Lucy with the others. Susan notched an arrow.

"Stay away from her!" she shouted, bow raised. Lucy then fell on the slippery rocks.

"Shoot Susan, shoot!" Edmund said, his voice full of worry and urgency. He had always been protective of Lucy.

Lucy screamed as the bear raised himself above her. Suddenly, there was an arrow in his chest, and he fell back, dead. Evelyn looked at Susan. She hadn't fired. She turned around to see Trumpkin holding up a bow. He'd shot the arrow.

He walked toward Lucy, seemingly angry.

"Why didn't he stop?" Susan asked.

"I suspect he was hungry." Trumpkin replied, still walking. Edmund rushed to Lucy, Peter and Evelyn following close behind. Peter took Lucy into his arms, and Edmund held out his sword, afraid the beast was still alive. Evelyn stood next to him, staring at the bear.

"Thanks." Lucy said quietly. Trumpkin looked at her, then started poking the bear with his bow, making sure it was truly dead.

"He was wild." Edmund said, somewhat bewildered.

"I don't think he could talk at all." Peter said.

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become." Trumpkin stated, taking out his knife and cutting into the bear.

"You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." Lucy hid her face in Peter's arm. Evelyn looked away.

Later that night, the six sat together around a small fire. Trumpkin had cut up the bear for meat, and they had decided to camp on the beach until tomorrow.

"So tell us again who we're looking for." Evelyn said to Trumpkin.

"Prince Caspian." Trumpkin replied gravely, like he usually did.

"But why?" Edmund asked.

"He blew the horn that brought you here. And he's with a couple friends of mine." Trumpkin replied.

"And where'd you last see them?" Peter asked.

"Shuddering Wood."

Peter nodded, then looked focused, probably making a map in his head. Not much more was said that night, and soon they were all nodding off, except Evelyn, who was looking at the stars. Hours later, after she thought everyone was asleep, she heard Edmund's voice from the ground.

"Do you ever sleep?"

She smiled to herself. Back when they ruled at Cair Paravel, Evelyn most nights found herself with Edmund, just talking. She didn't know why she couldn't sleep, she just wasn't tired.

"It's so different." She said back. She needed to say it to someone.

"I know." Edmund said, his voice full of sleep. Evelyn sighed and curled up by him, and soon they were asleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I don't remember this way." Susan said. They were walking through the woods, amongst huge boulders to where Peter said Shuddering Woods was. Evelyn thought she remembered this way, but it felt different.

"That's the problem with girls," Peter said, turning around with a smile, "can't keep a map in their heads."

"That's because our heads have something in them." Lucy said. Evelyn and Edmund laughed from behind. They were back behind the others with Trumpkin. Evelyn and Edmund were walking along the huge tree roots as they walked, trying not to fall.

"I wish he'd just listened to the DLF in the first place." Susan said quietly to Lucy.

"DLF?" Edmund said questioningly.

"Dear little friend." Lucy said laughing. Edmund stopped and looked at Trumpkin, smiling.

"Oh that's not at all patronizing is it?" Trumpkin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Evelyn laughed and they headed on again. Evelyn found herself on the way looking at Edmund, the way he walked and talked. She never realized how much she had missed it. She rolled her eyes at herself. Edmund had always been handsome, everyone knew that. She tried not to get too… girl-ish about it.

Peter finally made his way to a circle of stone, and stood in the middle, looking around.

"I'm not lost." He said, obviously trying to convince himself.

"No. You're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin said, walking past him and turning around.

"You last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Woods, and the quickest way there is to cross at the River Rush." Peter said demandingly.

"But unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts." Trumpkin said, giving Peter a look. The others looked on, afraid to say anything. Peter had always had a hot temper.

"That explains it then. You're mistaken." He said, turning and walking in some direction. The others looked at him, wondering why he couldn't just relax. But eventually they followed him.

They soon found themselves in the woods. Evelyn knew they were near the river, but something was wrong. It sounded so… distant. They soon came to where the river once was. They looked down and saw a dizzying drop to the river about fifty feet below.

"You see, over time the water erodes the earth and soil…" Susan began, but Peter interjected:

"Oh shut up."

"Is there a way down?" Edmund asked worried.

"Yeah. Falling." Trumpkin said bluntly.

"Well we weren't lost." Peter said, trying to save his dignity. Evelyn looked down to the water again.

"There's a ford near Beruna," Trumpkin said, "how'd you feel about swimmin'?"

"Better that than walking." Susan said glumly, starting to follow. Suddenly Lucy's happy voice rang out.

"Aslan?" she said, making Evelyn turn, "it's Aslan! It's Aslan over there!" she said turning and pointing, "don't you see? He's right…" but when she turned back, her face fell, "there."

Evelyn stared. She had almost thought she'd seen a flash of gold. She knew one thing, she believed Lucy. If anyone were to see Aslan, it would be her.

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin said, obviously not believing her.

"I'm not crazy," Lucy replied, "he was there, he wanted us to follow him." Evelyn looked at Edmund, then back at Lucy.

"Sure there are any number of lions in this wood," Peter said gently, "just like that bear."

"I think I know Aslan when I see him." Lucy said angrily. Evelyn saw Edmund looking around at everyone.

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

"Last time I didn't believe Lucy," Edmund said, "I ended up looking pretty stupid." He finished, looking at Lucy with a brotherly look. Evelyn smiled and grabbed his arm.

"And I think I saw him, too. I trust Lucy. She's the one who found Narnia in the first place, remember?"

Peter looked over where Lucy had pointed again.

"Why wouldn't I have seen him?"

"Maybe you weren't looking." Evelyn said. Aslan worked in mysterious ways.

"I'm sorry Lu." Peter said, shaking his head, and turning away.

Lucy looked back across the river, her eyes sad. She turned back to look at Edmund and Evelyn. Edmund just motioned for her to follow. There was no use going against Peter. But when Edmund tried to pull Evelyn along, she stayed planted, looking across the water. He looked at her, confused.

"I have to go." She said.

"Ev…" Edmund replied, looking sad and frustrated, just wanting her to follow. She looked back at Peter and the others walking away. Aslan wanted her to follow.

When the kingly sons of Adam go, she will follow.

Evelyn sighed. She didn't understand it, but she had to go with them. She nodded and followed Edmund to the ford, away from the river, and away from Aslan.

The harsh sound of work reached their ears far before they reached the ford. The five royals and the DLF reached the ford, and saw hundreds of men cutting down trees, and building a bridge. Suddenly they heard a horse whinny, and someone passed right by where they hid behind a pile of logs. They all slid down, but Edmund's shield caught on one of the logs. Evelyn pushed it down and they dared not even breathe.

"Maybe this wasn't the best way to come afterall." Susan whispered to Peter after they had passed.

They watched as the huge machines worked, and then Peter got up and they went back to the river. They hurried through the green wood, trying to get away from the men.

"So where exactly do you think you saw Aslan?" Peter asked Lucy. She looked back at him angrily.

"I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grown-ups," she said, getting some guilty looks from Peter and Susan, and a confused and somewhat worried look from Edmund, "I don't think I saw him, I did see him."

"I am a grown-up." Trumpkin said a little quietly, causing Evelyn to laugh quietly.

"It was right over…" Lucy started, but she never finished that sentence. The ground beneath her suddenly fell away, and she tumbled out of view with a pile of dirt.

"LUCY!" Susan yelled.

Author's Note: I don't know a very good stopping place, so we'll end here. PLEASE tell me what you think, whether it's praise or criticism. Any review really makes my day. Thanks guys!