Serena tries to keep her eyes straight ahead— not on her damp clothing and the lingering stains, not on the menagerie of creatures she never even dreamed could exist, and not even on the kind, concerned gaze of the woman riding to her right. She focuses solely on the lively forest, the newly unfolding buds of leaves. She doesn't have any desire to think about the reason they're moving so quickly through this forest, of course, because that would mean acknowledging that this nightmare just doesn't seem to ever end.
"-unless you'd rather not?" she hears, flinching out of her concerted effort to distract herself. She turns to face the woman, this Lucy that Edmund had mentioned and clearly is quite close to.
"I'm sorry?" Serena feels a blush flame up her neck, but Lucy just smiles genially and reaches out to pat Serena's arm.
"I was just saying you're welcome to change into some of my clothes when we stop," she says, no doubt repeating what Serena had missed. She doesn't look at all annoyed about it, though. On the contrary, Lucy has been nothing but kind the entire few hours Serena has known her.
"Oh," Serena sighs, stiffening as she tries not to glance at the stain by her hip.
"We're close enough in size," Lucy continues, "or closer than you and Edmund, at least." Serena's attention snaps toward Lucy, and then she glances backward, past the Centaurs and Satyrs and other creatures she can't even name, toward where Edmund and the other man are riding at the back of this small army. They seem to be deep in conversation, though, and Serena quickly faces forward again.
"I have a lovely blue frock that would suit you, I think," Lucy continues. Serena nods absently, still not entirely sure what to make of Lucy. Edmund had been insistent that they needed to get away from the Giant lands that everyone had rushed to do so. There'd been no thought given to introductions of any kind, and now, hours later, she was sure it was too late to ask who exactly this woman was. All she knows is her name and that she sends strong healing ointments with Edmund when he travels.
"Or a lavender, I think." Serena flinches, bringing her attention back to Lucy.
"No purple," she insists. She doesn't ever want to wear purple again after these past few days. "Sorry, I mean, I-"
"It's quite alright," Lucy insists. She smiles brightly, but Serena sees her quick glance at Phillip. Serena looks down at the Horse's mane and shifts uncomfortably in the saddle. She's never ridden all that often, and riding a talking Horse is, in a word, awkward. She doesn't know if she's meant to try to direct him, or just sit still and do nothing. So far she's tended toward the latter, but she wishes Edmund hadn't insisted that Phillip take her to the front with Lucy. But the look he'd given the Horse had left no room for disagreement. Serena hadn't questioned it either, not knowing if it's commonplace to ride the talking animals. She hasn't heard Lucy's mount say anything, though.
In fact, Serena realizes that Lucy herself has been doing most of the talking. I should really keep up my end, Serena thinks, but as she casts around in her mind for something to say she comes up blank.
"Serena," she hears then, and a cool soft hand grips her own. She looks over at Lucy's concerned face and inhales shakily. "That stream we just crossed is the Shribble," Lucy announces. "It's the border between Narnia and the Giant Territories." Lucy squeezes her hand once, and then she lets her hand slip away.
Serena looks back at the stream, which hadn't even risen to the stirrups as they'd crossed, and she feels tears prick her eyes again. She quickly nods and looks up, trying to dry her eyes inconspicuously. That's it, then, right? She's made it to Narnia at last. She's where her father intended her to be, in one piece. But somehow it doesn't feel like anything is as settled as it should be.