Chapter 13: Aslan Is Nearer

Father Christmas had been right. The ice was melting. And it was at a much faster rate than any of them would have liked. It was melting so fast in fact that by the time the little party had reached a river they had to cross it was breaking off in huge chunks, giving way to crystal clear water underneath. The safest point for them to attempt the crossing was closest to what was once a majestic waterfall, frozen over now, though clearly not for much longer. "We need to hurry!" Peter urged.

"I thought beavers make dams?" Lucy asked innocently.

"I'm not that fast, dear," replied Mr. Beaver with a shake of his head. Not seeing any other options, Peter decided it was time to be brave. But just as he was about to climb his way over the ice, Susan stopped him.

"Wait! We need to think about this for a moment! If mum knew what we were doing-"

"Mum's not here!" Peter shot back. "And we don't have time to think. We have to move. Stop trying to be smart like usual and let's go!" Susan said nothing more. She just huffed and followed her brother across the ice. When they got more to the middle, the beavers patted it with their tails to check the solidity of the remaining ice.

"Oh no!" Lucy suddenly shrieked. Peter and Susan looked up to where she was pointing at the top of the waterfall, where the snarling faces of the Witch's wolves were staring back at them. Before any of them could blink two more wolves were right in front of them. One of them was Maugrim the captain. Mr. Beaver snarled at the other one but it pinned the poor fellow to the ground, its fangs on his neck, inching closer to ending him. As if on instinct, Peter took up his new sword and pointed it at Maugrim. It was rather awkward as he was not used to such a thing, nor had never held anything like it before. He tried to make his face seem hard and brave.

"Put that down!" snarled the wolf in a sinister tone. "Someone could get hurt." There was a gleam in his eyes that suggested he very much wanted to hurt them himself. When none of them responded, he bared his teeth. "Leave this place now and your brother leaves with you unharmed." At this Susan found her voice again.

"Stop, Peter!" she cried, trying to yank his sword away. "Maybe we should listen to him! Just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword it doesn't make you a hero! So drop it!"

"No Peter!" cried Mr. Beaver. "Don't listen to him! Narnia needs you!" Peter didn't move. He didn't know what to do. He wanted Edmund back more than anything, but deep down he knew he was lying. For all he knew, Edmund had already suffered some terrible fate.

"This isn't your war!" snarled Maugrim again. "All the queen wants is for you to take your family, leave and never come back."

"No!" screamed Mr. Beaver again. "Kill him! Kill him now!"

"What will it be, Son of Adam?" Maugrim inched closer with every word. "I won't wait forever and the river certainly won't!" It was only the voice of Lucy and her touching his arm that broke him out of his reverie.

"Mr. Beaver's right, Peter," she said. "Narnia needs us." At that very moment,violent jets of water burst out of the frozen waterfall. The ice underneath them began to give way. It was as if the entire earth was shaking. At that moment, Peter did the only thing he could think of.

"Hold on to me! And whatever you do, don't let go!" he yelled. When Susan and Lucy had both wrapped their arms around his middle, he heaved up his sword and plunged it into the chunk of ice they were standing on. The waterfall broke free with a tremendous crack and the free water cascaded around them in one humongous wave. They hardly had time to take a breath before they were all swept under. The water was surprisingly warm for having been solid ice for the past one hundred years. By some miracle, though. Peter's grip on his sword remained true, and they broke through the surface. Soaking wet, but unharmed. The Beavers, who of course could swim with no trouble even in the rapids, helped guide their small iceberg to the riverbank. Peter and Susan were so grateful to make it out alive that it was the most chilling shock when Peter looked down in his hand, where he was clutching Lucy's coat, but there was no Lucy.

"What have you done?!" Susan shrieked. She began calling Lucy's name, gazing out into the river, but the water was moving so swift that she could not see anything else. Peter joined her in shouting for Lucy, so much until he almost thought their voices were going to go hoarse. Just when they thought all hope was lost, a small, timid voice reached their ears.

"Has anyone seen my coat?" it said. Both Peter and Susan whipped around to see Lucy, sopping wet but alive. Her dagger and elixir still fashioned around her waist. Her siblings breathed a great sigh of relief and wrapped her in a hug.

"Don't you worry, dear," chimed Mr. Beaver. "You're brother's got you well looked after."

"And I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore." added Mrs. Beaver. They all looked to see a cherry tree. Its soft pink petals were blooming, kissed by the new sun. Fresh green grass sprung up around it. In fact it seemed wherever they looked there was more and more green birthing through the solid white. Exchanging a glance, Peter, Susan, and Lucy finally took off their fur coats and left them behind at the base of that tree, never to wear them again.

Miles away from where his siblings barely survived their encounter with Maugrim and his crew, Edmund and the Witch now stood gazing down at a rushing river in awe. Most of the snow had melted away. The trees were flowering, and animals were scurrying everywhere. The sun was shining, casting everything in its warm, brilliant glow. Truly it was spring. "It's so warm out!" Ginarrbrik sighed as he began to take off his coat. But after a sharp glance from the Witch he shrugged it back onto his shoulders with an embarrassing blush. "I'll go check the sleigh…" he muttered and excused himself from the awkward situation. Edmund dared to take a few moments of comfort in feeling the sun shine upon his face, but that was quickly interrupted by a new presence among them. Maugrim and several other wolves joined them in the clearing. Edmund noticed one of them was carrying a poor fox in his mouth.

"We found the traitor, Your Majesty," barked Maugrim. "He was rallying you enemies in the Shuddering Woods." The wolf holding the fox threw him down harshly. The fox cried a yelp.

"Ah, nice of you to drop in," said Jadis. "You were so helpful to my wolves earlier last night. Perhaps you can help me now." She threateningly pointed her wand at the fox.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," he groveled.

"Don't waste my time with flattery," spat the Witch, rolling her eyes.

"Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you," scoffed the fox. He looked straight at Edmund and bowed low before him. The boy was hopelessly confused. He certainly hasn't felt like royalty this entire journey, the way he had hoped to feel. He dared to look at the Witch, who had red hot fury blazing in her eyes. However, she managed to compose herself and turned her attention back to the fox.

"Where are the humans headed?" she seethed. "Where is Aslan?" The fox looked at her but remained silent. When he didn't respond after a few moments, Jadis raised her wand, ready to end him. But right before she could, Edmund jumped in front of the fox and held Jadis's wand out of the way.

"No, don't!" he pleaded. "The Beavers said something about the Stone Table! And that Aslan had an army there!" He didn't know why he said what he said, he may have just placed his siblings in even more danger. The only thing he was worried about at the moment was the fox's life. For the first time since the whole adventure began, Edmund cared about someone else before himself. He looked back at the fox, whose disapproving shake of his head all but confirmed what Edmund had said.

"An army?" repeated the Witch. Edmund hung his head in shame and resumed his place behind her. "Thank you, Edmund. I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty. Before he died!" Before Edmund could protest further Jadis raised her wand and instantly turned the fox to stone anyway. Jadis then turned on Edmund and delivered a stunning blow on the face. He could taste the sharp, metallic, sensation of blood in his mouth. "Let that teach you to stand up for spies and traitors!" she yelled. "Think about what side you're on, boy. Mine or theirs." She addressed her wolves. "Go on ahead and gather the faithful," she commanded. "If it's a war Aslan wants, then it shall be a war that he gets." She turned a passing butterfly to stone to make her point and sent the wolves on their way.

After that, the Witch got on board her sleigh once more and off they went. However, the did not get very far, as the snow had turned the dirt to mud. They got stuck and could not go any further. So the Witch, in perhaps the only form of kindness she had ever shown, ordered Ginarrbrik to release the reindeer. He did so and they all ran off, fleeing towards the Northern climes they were suited to. Edmund gazed on with a smile after them. But before he knew what was happening, Jadis ordered Ginnarbrik to tie him up with one of the ropes from the sleigh and force him to pull the sleigh instead. Edmund pulled as much as his body could, slipping several times in the mud soiling his clothes beyond cleaning. Ginnarbrik whipped him cruelly on the Witch's command, welts formed on his neck, back and legs. Little by little he pulled the sleigh through the mud, trying to distract himself. Crocus flowers and primroses were popping up out of the mud around the trunks of trees. Other trees had moss forming on them. The slight breeze sprayed drops of water on their faces and the sky became cloudless and bluer still. Bees, birds, and butterflies fluttered across their path as Edmund pulled the sleigh along.

"I say this is no thaw," Ginarrbrik said. "This is spring. Your winter is over, Your Majesty. This is all Aslan's doing."

"Whoever mentions that name again will instantly be killed," said the Witch. But at the mention of Aslan's name not by his own tongue, Edmund felt something very different than he had before. Instead of fear in his heart something new had replaced it. It was only later that he knew that feeling was hope.

Edmund and the Witch were not the only ones that were taking notice of the full bloom of spring. Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the Beavers were awestruck taking in the sights before them. They walked hour after hour through the lush green landscape. They walked in relative silence, only stopping and talking once in a while when one of them noticed something. They were growing very tired and hungry. "Not too much farther now," said Mr. Beaver. They crossed over several mossy hills out of the forest and were then met with a sight any of them would not forget. They were in a green open valley blanketed with tall, swaying grass. Mighty cliffs rose up at the other edge of this valley. But it what was in the middle between them and these cliffs that astounded them the most. It was an entire army camp. Red and gold tents were strewn about everywhere. Their cords of red and yellow silk blowing in the breeze. Pavilions were in between them that had poles made out of ivory. Everything was topped with a golden flag bearing a red lion. The smell of a saltwater breeze was in the air. They knew they must be close to the ocean. It gave all of them a sense of comfort and home. A trumpet sounded on high as they entered the valley.

They walked through the camp, drawing the eyes of every creature that they thought only existed in fairytales. There were centaurs, who were smithing armor and weapons. Elves, who seemed to be sewing clothes. Dwarfs were stirring something in a pot, Griffins fluttered about in the sky. And other animals of different species were here and there. But the biggest surprise of all were the other humans who looked exactly like them. Men and women wearing plain clothes and armor, all staring at them. "Why are they all staring at us?" Susan asked through gritted teeth.

"Maybe they think you look funny!" grinned Lucy. Susan and Peter smiled down at her. They gathered quite the large following by the time they reached the other end of the camp. The biggest tent of them all awaited them at the base of one of the cliffs. A centaur stood guard at the front of it, looking at them expectedly.

"Go on!" Mr. Beaver whispered.

"You first!" Peter whispered back, now feeling very shy.

"Humans before animals!"

"Susan, what about you? You go!" he said. "Ladies first!"

"No!" Susan hissed. "You're the eldest." Peter, seeing as he was out of options, drew his sword.

"We have come to see Aslan!" he declared, hoping that no one noticed his voice cracking. A murmur from the surrounding crowd floated up to their ears. The centaur who was standing at the tent turned towards the entrance and bowed. The crowd bowed, curtsied and kneeled to the ground, going silent. Pete, Susan and Lucy suddenly felt very nervous. Their stomachs did flips and their hearts were racing. The flap of the tent opened and out stepped Aslan, the Great and Noble Lion. They thought him so good and terrible at the same time. His mane looked like pure gold in the late afternoon sunlight and he had royal, gentle eyes that they all knew held wisdom too great and powerful for them to understand. They all felt a sense of love and peace and forgiveness wash over them. They kneeled before him in reverence, feeling unable to look at him more.

"Welcome Peter, Son of Adam." His voice was deep and rich and had a fatherlike tone to it. They felt much more at ease now. "Welcome Susan and Lucy, Daughters of Eve. And welcome to you Beavers, you have my thanks. But where is the fourth?" Peter, Susan , and Lucy could not speak at first, until Peter mustered his courage.

"That's why we have come to you, Sir," he said, sheathing his sword. "We need your help."

"We had a little trouble along the way here, Your Excellency," added Susan.

"Our brother Edmund has been captured by the White Witch."

"Captured?" questioned Aslan. "How could this have happened?" They all had a hunch that he knew the answer to this already.

"He betrayed them, O Great Aslan," said Beaver. A gasp of shock arose from the crowd.

"Then he has betrayed us all!" shouted the centaur.

"Peace, Oreius!" Aslan growled. "I'm sure there's an explanation…" He looked at the siblings' faces expectantly.

"It's my fault, Aslan. I was too hard on him," Peter confessed. "I was angry with him and I think that caused him to go wrong."

"We all caused it," Susan added. Aslan said nothing to blame Peter nor excuse him. He just looked at them with his unchanging eyes. It seemed there was nothing else to say.

"Sir, he is our brother after all." Lucy spoke up in her small voice.

"I know, child," Aslan replied softly. "But that only makes the betrayal all the worse. This may be harder than you think."

"Can anything be done to save him?" asked Lucy again.

"Yes, but there will come the proper time for that." Aslan said. "Until then, I offer you two tents, one for you Peter and one for you Susan and Lucy." By this time, the crowd around them had dispersed and everyone went back to what they were doing before. "Come with me, Son of Adam and Daughters of Eve. There is another matter to attend to."

They followed Aslan into the nearest tent to them. He pushed aside the tent flaps so they could all go in. In the tent there were three people. There was a short, elderly woman, and a tall gentleman with a long salt and pepper beard and a balding head. The young woman in the middle turned around to face them. She had a pretty face, pale skin, and long, soft brown wavy hair with streaks of gold. She wore a water blue gown that looked as if she had risen out of the ocean. It had gold trimming and its long sleeves trailed to the floor. She wore a long golden cape and ring on her right hand, a sapphire necklace and diamond earrings. She looked at them with a blank expression. Aslan spoke.

"Peter, Susan, Lucy," he said. "I'd like you to meet Maraidia Moltenore. The true Queen of Narnia."