serendipity - narnia [EDITING]

chapter 5

Chapter 5
Aslan's Camp

The valley protecting Aslan's camp was lush and lively. Rolling green hills had been lined with red and gold tents. Dahlia raised a hand against the sun, squinting down the row of structures. Hundreds of Narnian creatures milled about preparing for the looming war. All work stopped as the children arrived. The four fell into a straight line as if they had rehearsed.

While the Pevensies kept their heads down, Dahlia met the prying eyes. Fauns, centaurs, and wildcats bowed respectfully as she passed. A bear on his hind legs pressed a paw to his heart. For centuries, the prophecy's mage was considered more myth than girl. Now they saw her and knew she was one of their own.

A parade followed the children deeper into the valley. The crowd pushed them forward, guiding them to a grand circular tent with more decoration than the others. A burly centaur stood guard. Two longswords were strapped across his broad back. His thick black hair was already braided for battle. Scars littered his exposed, tan chest. He raised a hand and the children stopped.

Peter drew his sword, hoisting it above his head. "We have come to see Aslan," he announced, his voice wavering. Whispers rippled through their audience. The mountainous centaur nodded. He bent his stallion legs to a kneel. The Narnians followed. Dahlia was among them. She felt the Pevensies looking at her with confusion. Her eyes remained on the tent.

One giant paw exited the tent. The great lion followed. Aslan's sleek fur glistened like gold. His full mane rippled in the breeze. Dahlia dropped her head. It seemed an insult even to witness him. In the corner of her eye, she watched the Pevensies drop to their knees.

A deep voice rumbled through Dahlia's crouching form. It was the same one she had heard in Narrowhaven. "Welcome, Peter, son of Adam. Welcome, Susan and Lucy, daughters of Eve. Welcome, Dahlia, daughter of the Deep Magic." She looked up, too daunted to match his smile. "And welcome to you, Beavers. You have my thanks. But where is the fifth?"

The Pevensies and Dahlia exchanged glances as they stood. Peter cleared his throat. He sheathed his sword and squared his shoulders. The uncrowned High King was beginning to accept his destiny. "That's why we're here, sir. We need your help."

"We had a little trouble along the way," Susan added. The red glow of Dahlia's pendant rendered this an understatement. "Our brother's been captured by the White Witch." Murmurs rippled through the crowd at Peter's words; even Aslan looked taken aback.

More murmurs carried through the crowd. The great lion himself looked taken aback. "Captured?" he repeated. "How could this happen?"

"I tried to stop him, sir," Dahlia explained, her voice too timid for her liking. She clutched her necklace for comfort. The gold warmed in her hand. "I was too late. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, child." His reassurance steadied her in an instant. Edmund's absence still hung from her like the necklace, but it was bearable now. Aslan embodied peace despite being so large a creature. "Now tell me, what happened?" 

Dahlia would have spun Edmund's choices in a more favorable yarn. Mr. Beaver gave him no such courtesy. "He betrayed them, Your Majesty." Narnia gasped in horror. His bluntness struck Dahlia like a slap. She released her necklace, looking down to gawk at him. Edmund's siblings did the same.

"Then he has betrayed us all!" the guardian centaur cried. Dahlia's head whipped up. The centaur stumbled back. Four hoof-shaped patches of grass were singed where he had been standing.

"Peace, Oreius," Aslan bid him. If he noticed the smoking grass, he did not mention it. "I'm sure there's an explanation."

"It's my fault, really," Peter admitted. "I was too hard on him."

Susan put a hand on his shoulder. "We all were." Though Dahlia had known Edmund for less than an hour before his disappearance, she had not offered him kindness either. She remembered thinking he was a brat and lowered her head in shame.

"Sir, he's our brother," Lucy whispered.

"I know, dear one. But that only makes the betrayal all the worse. This may be harder than you think." The Pevensies hung their heads. "Dahlia." She looked up. "Come. There are things we must discuss." He entered his tent, leaving Dahlia to hesitate with the Pevensies. Susan unclasped Dahlia's cloak–it was too warm for it now–and gave her an encouraging smile. With a deep breath, Dahlia followed the lion.

The inside of Aslan's tent was as intricate as the outside. The walls, blowing slightly in the breeze, were vibrant shades of red and gold. Detailed flowers were sewn into the fabric. At the center of the room stood a large oak table. A map of Narnia lay on it, the four corners held down by lanterns. Wooden pegs indicated their camp and the Witch's. A few chairs with red velvet cushions were arranged around it and a weapons rack sat in the corner. Those were not intended for the lion himself, who watched Dahlia stand awkwardly on the threshold.

"Please, sit." Aslan gestured to one of the chairs with a disturbingly large paw. Dahlia obeyed, happy to relieve her shaking legs. She had not fully grasped his scale before. It had been easier to face him with the Pevensies from a distance. Now it was only her and the golden creature pacing the wide tent made to accommodate him. "As you know, there is a Deep Magic, more powerful than any of us, that rules over all of Narnia. This magic is what links you to the Pevensies. It was the heat you felt when they first arrived. The voice, however, was me."

"I gathered that," Dahlia attempted to joke. The great lion smiled. "I didn't want to believe I was part of the prophecy before. I've accepted it now, or I'm trying to."

"Good." Aslan inclined his massive head. "You appear to be taking this well. I know it is daunting, even for someone born into this world. One more thing before I release you. When the Deep Magic touched you, that warmth was the formation of a bond. It attached your soul to those of the kings and queens."

"But if Lucy and Edmund had already been here, why didn't I feel it then?"

"All four needed to arrive to fulfill the prophecy." Aslan nodded to the open tent flaps. "Rest now. With what's to come, you deserve a bit of peace."