35. Gone

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Not a word had been spoken after Peter gave the firm instructions for everyone to get in the boat.

No one dared say a word, that is.

The eldest Pevensie had a face like thunder.

A very clever mask to hide the pain he had experienced since hearing the dwarf's last word.

Gone.

Valera was gone.

He replayed that word over and over again in his mind until he convinced himself if wasn't a word at all.

And it most certainly didn't apply to the woman he loves.

Valera was not gone.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that she was.

Not in terms of information they had been given, which was none.

The dwarf named Trumpkin that now travelled with them had kept his mouth firmly shut after seeing the expression Peter wore after his last answer.

It was because of the world around them.

Something that Lucy was the first of them to point out, despite all of them thinking it.

"They're so still", she said, glancing up at the nature around them whilst Peter rowed them down a river concealed by tall walls of rock on either side, littered with trees.

"They're trees. What do you expect?" Trumpkin spoke again.

"They used to dance. Valera would ...", Lucy went to explain, but stopped herself short in her story as her eldest brother tensed up behind her.

"Wasn't long after you left that the Telmarines invaded. Those who survived retreated to the woods. And the trees ... they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven't been heard from since", the grumpy man explained to the eager ears of the Kings and Queens.

"I don't understand. How could Aslan and Valera have let this happen?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"Well, I'm slightly nervous to tell you just what happened with Queen Valera in case King Magnificent throws me overboard", Trumpkin began, glaring over to Peter who kept his back turned, rowing onwards.

"And as for Aslan? I thought he abandoned us when you lot did."

"We didn't mean to leave, you know", Peter said in a flat tone.

"Makes no difference now, does it?" Trumpkin replied.

"Get us to the Narnians ... and it will", Peter responded before he returned back to his silence.

Replaying that word over and over again.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

__________<>__________

Everyone else had fallen silent along with Peter.

Which resulted in the rest of their initial journey to yet another beach happening in silence.

Everyone simply looked around at the nature they used to know, now changed.

It was all so different.

It was all so quiet.

As though it were ignoring them, blocking them out.

Just further evidence that the ethereal queen who was the tie between them and nature was around no longer.

Evidence that Peter still refused to accept as the pulled up onto the shore.

The Golden Witch || Peter Pevensie x OCWhere stories live. Discover now