Chapter Fifteen~

As Jessie continued to look up at the trees, those who had once danced during Spring and Summer, had changed over the seasons to fit the occasion she heard Lucy say softly,

"I don't understand, how could Aslan let this happen?" then Trumpkin said scoffing,

"Aslan, I thought he abandoned us after you lot did." Jessie seeing Lucy's eyes shining with tears wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Peter stated sounding defensive,

"We didn't mean to leave you know."

"Doesn't make much difference now, does it?" Trumpkin said looking away so that Peter said swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat,

"Take us to the Narnians, and it will." after a long while they finally reached shore so that as the group began tying down the boat Lucy stepped out to explore ever the Valiant and then it was Jessie who heard,

"Hello there! It's alright, we're friends!" and turned to see Lucy talking to a black bear who began sniffing the air. As it stands on its hind legs it's Trumpkin who says sounding utterly worried,

"Don't move Your Majesty!" so that Lucy turns to see them as the bear starts charging at Lucy who lets out a scream as she begins to flee from it. Susan knotting an arrow shouts at the bear,

"Stay away from her!" while Edmund shouts at Susan,

"Susan shoot!" as the bear continues charging at Lucy she falls down tripping on her feet so that it's Jessie who runs forward making Peter cry out her name only the bear falls down dead as Jessie reaches Lucy to help her stand as Susan and Edmund turn to see it had been Trumpkin to fire an arrow.

"He—was wild." Edmund says sounding amazed as Peter helps Jessie and his little sister to stand holding his sword out just in case so that Trumpkin comes over with Susan as Peter says,

"I don't think he could speak at all."

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough and that's what you become. You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." Trumpkin tells them as he withdraws a knife and begins to cut into the bear for meat making Lucy cringe and hide her face in her brother's chest as Jessie flinches away in order not to see. When done with the bear they begin the long dangerous walk to find Caspian through the Black Woods. It's only after perhaps five seemingly never endless hours that Susan speaks up saying,

"I don't remember this way at all." so that Peter smirks as he looks over at them saying,

"That's the problem with you girls, you can't carry a map in your heads."

"That's because our heads have something in them." Jessie retorts making Lucy giggle and Susan try to stifle a chuckle as she says,

"I wish he would just listen to the DLF." causing Edmund who's walking behind Peter to ask,

"DLF?"

"Dear Little Friend." Lucy says smiling to both Susan and Jessie as Trumpkin and Edmund pauses to say groaning,

"Oh that's not patronizing isn't it?" soon Peter comes to a rocky passage and stops seeing it's too tall to climb over and says disbelievingly,

"I'm not lost." as the group stops to take a breather while Trumpkin says crossing his arms,

"No, you're just going the wrong way." making Peter turn around and scowling hard tells him coldly,

"You said you last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Woods, and the quickest way to cross is at the River Rush." only Trumpkin blinks lazily telling him smoothly,

"But unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts."

"That explains it then, you're mistaken." Peter tells him point blank turning around and starting to walk again as Jessie tells Trumpkin softly,

"Don't take it personally Trumpkin, he's just upset that he can't find his way." Trumpkin nods in understanding yet says nothing as they continue to walk for another two hours or so until they reach a gorge and looking down at the rushing waters below its Susan who speaks up saying,

"Over hundreds of years, water erodes the earth's soil and," yet Peter cuts her off with,

"Oh shut up," before turning to Trumpkin to ask,

"Is there a way down?"

"Yeah falling, come on, there's a fords near Bernua any of you mind swimming?" Trumpkin tells them so that as they turn both Jessie and Lucy stand where they are looking at something across the way before its Lucy who says,

"Aslan?" so that she grins wide as she points saying,

"It's Aslan! It's Aslan over there! Well, can't you see He's right—" only by the time everyone's turned around—He's long gone. Leaving a confused Jessie and Lucy, it's Trumpkin who asks the two of them,

"Do you see him now?"

"We're not crazy! He was there! He wanted us to follow him!" Jessie says in defense of Lucy so that she nods but Peter steps over to them saying softly,

"I'm sure there are any number of lions in these woods, just like that bear." yet Jessie crosses her arms as Lucy says to her older brother,

"I think we'd know Aslan when we'd see him." yet Trumpkin tells the group,

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exists." only Edmund steps over towards Jessie and Lucy telling those who won't listen,

"The last time I didn't believe to Lucy or Jessie, I ended up looking pretty stupid." Peter looks over to where Aslan had been and says softly sounding wounded,

"Why wouldn't I have seen Him?" so that Jessie says honestly,

"Maybe you weren't looking Peter." so that his wounded expression hardens as he says coldly,

"I'm sorry guys." it's long, long hours later that they come to the fords to see Telmarines building what appears to be a bridge and it's Susan who says in a whisper,

"Perhaps this wasn't the best way to go after all." so the group had to trek all the way back to the gorge where Lucy and Jessie had 'thought' they had seen Aslan, and after the long seemingly endless walk they finally arrived. Scanning the area, Peter turned to the two of them and asked,

"Where do you think you saw Aslan?" Lucy rolls her eyes annoyed at her brother for being so blind as Jessie keeps her eyes where Aslan had been while Lucy says,

"I wish you'd all stop acting like grown-ups. We didn't 'think' we saw Him, we did see Him." though Trumpkin said softly,

"I am a grown-up." even so it was Jessie who says,

"It was right around," yet she doesn't finish her sentence as the ground below her collapses underneath her and she goes falling. It's Peter who rushes to see if she's alright only they find her standing on a ledge smiling up at them saying,

"Here!" so that they discover a steep, narrow pathway leading down into the gorge that they all begin the trek down into it. As they climb down they go slow as to not trip or and as they begin crossing the gorge where the water runs through Lucy trips so that Trumpkin, nearest to her, helps her. Once on the other side, the group climbs up and continues on their way to find Caspian. They finally stop when night begins to fall, the boys going off to find firewood while Trumpkin begins cooking the bear meat he had collected. Though none of the children really want to eat it they are hungry enough to—without looking at it—eat it anyway. When the fire has turned to ashes and they are all asleep it's Lucy and Jessie who stay up side by side looking up at the stars. At one point Jessie hears Susan whispering to Lucy and hears Lucy say,

"Maybe you didn't really want to."