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Chapter 1, Part 2: First Past the Post

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Ever aware of the conspicuous moistness of her eyes, Lucy wiped them quickly before she stepped forward to address the party at large.

"Then I must part with you here," she declared bravely, ceremoniously gathering up her things.

"What? Lucy! No! Why?" they all cried out.

"Because I must," Queen Lucy declared simply as she stared at them all with her solemn blue eyes.

"Don't talk nonsense, Lucy," Susan stormed, on the one hand furious with her sister and on the other dismissive of Lucy's stated intentions. "Of course you can't go off on your own."

Lucy shrugged, saying, "I won't be alone – I'll be with Aslan." Giving her companions a wave goodbye, she murmured some farewells and began to walk away.

Grabbing her older brother's arm in a vice-like grip, Susan commanded, "Don't let her, Peter. She's being downright naughty."

Staring at his youngest sister as she glided through the trees, Peter made no move to speak or follow.

Edmund's gravity began to lift as he sent his brother a wry grin. "I'll go with her, if she must go," he said, picking up his own possessions. "She's been right before."

As Edmund moved past the High King, Peter caught his arm to whisper in his ear. "If she feels she must leave, then she must. We'll meet you at the Stone Table one way or another," he said. Releasing the younger king, Peter added, "And take care of Lucy, Ed."

Sending his brother another smile, Edmund called out, "In Narnia, Lucy can take care of herself, Peter – we both know that!" And with a quick wave, he jogged after his wayward little sister.

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When Edmund reached his fair-haired little sister, he greeted her, joking, "Hail, Lucy: Valiant Queen of Narnia!"

Turning to her brother with a bright smile, Lucy gave him a quick, grateful embrace. "Oh, I'm so glad you've come, Edmund! Even if the others did not."

Still sporting his grin, Edmund patted her back, saying, "Whither thou goest, so, too, go I…"

Lucy laughed at his attempt to speak like they had during the Golden Age. He had meant for it to do so and was pleased with the result. It still puzzled Edmund at times that the four siblings had so swiftly forgotten England… and modern slang. Aren't speech patterns habit-forming and dependent upon conversations overheard in childhood? Edmund dismissed the thought – they had been young the first time they arrived. They were still young, even if they didn't feel or think like it any longer…

"So how are you following Aslan, Lu?" Edmund asked after several minutes had passed.

Lucy grinned sunnily at him. "Well, at first I went to where I first saw him – from there, I followed the occasional flash of gold. And now? Now, we get to have flashbacks to our hunting days…" As she mentioned their years as king and queen, Lucy pointed to the deep paw-prints that were impressed into the dark soil of the forest floor. Each location of the Lion's imprints was miraculously free of fallen leaves or twigs or any other natural object that might obscure his path.

"Even if we were literally hunting for Aslan, it doesn't appear as if he'd be much sport," Edmund chuckled.

Lucy gave her brother a half-hearted chiding jab in the ribs even as she grinned at the joke. "No," she laughed. "Aslan wants us to follow him!"

Giving his sister a mock bow, King Edmund extended his arm to arm to his sister, saying, "And so we shall, Queen Lucy!"

She countered with a sweeping curtsey reserved for greeting foreign royalty before taking his arm as they strolled off together in the wake of Aslan.

Aslan's paw-prints led them to the edge of the gorge, where they discovered a steep and narrow path going slantwise down into the gorge between the rocks. The two siblings scrambled down as well as they could, occasionally offering the other a steadying hand and sometimes they would stop to rest as they sometimes found themselves overcome with laughter. Even though they couldn't see the Great Lion, they could feel that the air around them was different – charged with courage and happiness.

When they reached the bottom of the gorge, the roar of the river sounded in their ears. They followed Aslan's trail all the way to the stream's edge where a path of stones led across the water. Edmund and Lucy skipped from stone to stone, and reaching the other side, trailed up the slope on the far side of the Rush. The paw-prints then led to their left, farther up the gorge. Then, another steep path, up the face of the farther precipices, longer and more difficult than the one before.

Huffing and puffing up the last leg of the trail, Lucy needed some of Edmund's help hiking up over the very top. Succeeding, they found themselves (shaky-legged and breathless) on a stretch of hill just half a mile away from Aslan's How.

Yes, Edmund and Lucy both well remembered the hill of the Stone Table. Many defining moments occurred there – for both of them. But before they could delve into any memories (unpleasant or otherwise), they caught sight of their guide.

Aslan stood before them, his golden mane shining in the sunlight and his eyes a welcoming amber. Lucy ran to him, burying her face in his mane until her fair hair was indistinguishable from his own in the sun's rays. Pulling away to look into his face, Lucy was greeted by something very near a purr from the Lord of the Wood.

"You are a lioness, dear one," his rich voice rumbled out tenderly, "and you have done well." Lucy nearly shook with pleasure and joy as he praised her. Then, the Lion turned to look at her brother.

"Aslan," he breathed, kneeling before the son of the Emperor across the Sea.

"Rise, King Edmund," the Great Lion commanded, breathing upon him. The breath of Aslan lingered in the air and both siblings inhaled it with expressions of serious gladness. Subtly, Aslan's exhalation seemed to work upon them, bringing back to them what the air of Narnia had already begun. While the atmosphere had brought back memories and rekindled their skills and abilities from their time there, Aslan's breath reminded them of who they really were. They were not children – they were royalty. They were warriors.

"Well done, Edmund," the Lion commended.

The two siblings smiled, then stood before him solemnly, for the air had changed and it was now time to discuss business.

Lucy made as if to speak, but halted.

Yet, as if having heard the question, Aslan replied, "Peter, Susan, and Trumpkin will join us in a day or so. And I myself will lead them here if they go astray." The Lion could see the gratefulness in their eyes but they said nothing, knowing that he had more still to communicate. "Because the two of you and not all five have arrived here, you – Lucy – and you – Edmund must be Caspian's rock. He will need you both in order to rise to his rightful place as king. Be both friend and tutor to him… but most of all you must help him set this country to rights."

They both nodded their acceptance, and once more, Lucy opened her mouth though no sound came out.

Gently but tinged with amusement, Aslan asked, "What is it, Queen Lucy?"

"Well, Aslan," she said, "you have given us responsibility for Caspian, but about Peter and Susan? What will be their roles?"

Softly chiding, the Lion shook his mane and reminded her, "No one is told any story but their own, child. But their parts will be different because of the choice they have made." Seeing Lucy's saddened face, Aslan said, "I am never harsh in my decisions, Daughter of Eve. You know this well…"

Lucy brightened immediately, and accepted her brother's proffered arm. With an almost choreographed ease, Lucy curtseyed while Edmund simultaneously bowed to the Lion. He nodded his great golden head in return, then watched them as they strolled to Caspian's base and the last stronghold of Old Narnia.