Heart of the Wise

04. A Great Sign

As he walked through a forest of ferns, Caspian heard a sound and stopped before he said, "I can hear you."

Nikabrik and Trufflehunter came out of hiding and Trufflehunter said, "I just think we should wait for the kings and queens."

Caspian kept walking and Trufflehunter yelled, "Fine, go then! See if the others will be so understanding."

Nikabrik said, "Or maybe I'll come with you. I want to see you explain things to the minotaurs."

Caspian stopped abruptly. "Minotaurs... they're real?"

Trufflehunter nodded. "And very bad-tempered."

"Yeah, not to mention big," Nikabrik added.

"Huge."

"What about centaurs?" Caspian wondered. "Do they still exist?"

Trufflehunter gave a small shrug. "Well, the centaurs will probably fight on your side. But there's no telling what the others will do."

"What about Aslan?"

Nikabrik and Trufflehunter shared a look and Nikabrik asked, "How do you know so much about us?"

"Stories."

Trufflehunter frowned. "Wait a minute... Your father told you stories about Narnia?"

"No, my professor... Listen, I am sorry. These are not the kinds of questions you should be asking."

Caspian walked off and Trufflehunter sniffed.

"What is it?" Nikabrik asked.

"Human," Trufflehunter replied.

Nikabrik glanced to Caspian. "Them?"

"No... them!"

They looked over and saw Telmarine soldiers approaching on foot.

"There they are!" a soldier cried.

"Run!" Trufflehunter yelled.

They ran away as arrows flew past them. Trufflehunter got hit and fell.

"Oh, no..." Nikabrik muttered.

"Wait, I'll go!" Caspian said.

Caspian ran back over and Trufflehunter gave him Queen Susan's horn. "Take it, go! It's more important than I am!"

The Telmarine soldiers stopped and took aim. The ferns suddenly startled rustling and one of the soldiers fell. Caspian looked around, confused. He picked up Trufflehunter and ran as more soldiers fell down behind Caspian. When he reached Nikabrik, he put Trufflehunter down beside him. "Get him out of here."

Caspian drew his sword and started walking back towards the soldiers. Another fell, and the last one threw his crossbow to the ground and started swinging wildly at the ferns around him.

"Where are you?!" the soldier cried.

The soldier fell and the ferns started rustling in my direction. Something flipped from the ferns and knocked Caspian down. A sword flew into the air and landed into the creature's hand and pointed at him. "Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine."

Caspian stared at Reepicheep and said, "You are a mouse."

Reepicheep sighed. "I was hoping for something a little more original. Come on, pick up your sword."

Caspian glanced at his sword, lying down beside him. "Uh, no thanks."

"Pick it up!" Reepicheep cried. "I will not fight an unarmed man."

"Which is why I will live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse."

"I said I wouldn't fight you. I didn't say I'd let you live!"

"Reepicheep, stay your blade!" Trufflehunter ordered.

Reepicheep looked up. "Trufflehunter? I trust you have a good reason for this untimely interruption."

"He doesn't," Nikabrik said. "Go ahead."

Trufflehunter frowned. "Reepicheep, he's the one that blew the horn!"

Reepicheep stared up at Caspian. "What?"

More centaurs appeared and Glenstorm spoke again. "This is the reason we have gathered."

FOREST

As they walked through the forest, Susan said, "I don't remember this way at all."

Peter shot back, "That's the problem with girls. You can't carry a map in your heads."

Lucy smirked. "That's because our heads have something in them."

Isabel let out a soft laugh and smiled.

Susan sighed. "I wish he'd just listen to the DLF."

"DLF?" Trumpkin asked in confusion.

"Dear Little Friend," Lucy and Isabel clarified.

"Oh, that's not patronising, is it?"

Peter stepped into a rock passage and stopped. "I'm not lost."

"No... you're just going the wrong way."

"You said you last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Wood. The quickest way there is to cross at the river rush."

Trumpkin gave a small frown. "But, unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts."

Peter pursed his lips. "That explains it then. You're mistaken."

They continued trekking through the forest until they came to a gorge. Their eyes were drawn to the rushing water below. Susan said, "Over hundreds of years, water eroded the earth's soil."

"Oh, shut up. Is there a way down?"

Trumpkin nodded. "Yeah, falling. Come. There's a ford at Beruna. Any of you mind swimming?"

Susan shrugged. "Anything's better than walking."

As they walked away from the gorge, Lucy and Isabel looked back to see the lion. "Aslan?" Lucy and Isabel called.

"It's Aslan!" Lucy exclaimed. "It's Aslan over there! Well, can't you see? He's right..."

When Lucy and Isabel turned back, there was nothing. The smile on their faces dissipated.

"...there," Lucy finished.

"Do you two see him now?" Trumpkin asked.

Lucy frowned. "I'm not crazy. He was there. He wanted us to follow him."

Peter shook his head slightly. "I'm sure there are any number of lions in this wood. Just like that bear."

Isabel frowned. "Lucy and I know Aslan when we see him."

Trumpkin sighed. "Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist."

Edmund glanced at his younger and eldest sisters. "The last time I didn't believe Lucy or Isabel, I ended up looking pretty stupid."

Peter glanced back at where Lucy and Isabel had seen Aslan. "Why wouldn't I have seen him?"

"Maybe you weren't looking," Lucy answered.

"I'm sorry, Lu. I'm sorry, Isabel."

They walked off, and Lucy and Isabel looked back across the gorge sadly.