Gallowglass (Prequal to The Narnian Warriors Saga)

Chapter Eight

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖊

Digory kept his mouth very tightly shut. He looked very uncomfortable, "Son of Adam," said Aslan. "Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?"

"Well, I don't see what I can do," said Digory. "You see, the Queen ran away and -"

"He did not ask if you could," Atticus said, "He asked if you are ready."

Aslan let out a slight laugh at Atticus' childlike anger and placed a comforting paw on his head.

Digory gulped somehow the five-year-old was just as scary as Aquila, "Yes," said Digory. "I'm ready."

Aquila could tell that his thoughts wandered to his mother, and all the great hopes he had had when he first realized the magic of this world. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he blurted out: "But please, please — won't you — can't you give me something that will cure Mother?" Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face.

Aslan's tawny face was bent down near his own and shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's. For a moment it seemed as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his mother than he was.

"My son, my son," said Aslan. "I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. But I have to think of hundreds of years in the life of Narnia. The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again. But it need not be yet. It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years. So, this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds come over the sun. You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow."

Digory tilted his head, "Yes, sir," getting a seed didn't seem too bad. The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion's kiss. And at once Digory felt that new strength and courage.

"Dear son," said Aslan, "I will tell you what you must do. Turn and look to the West and tell me, what do you see?"

"I see terribly big mountains, Aslan," said Digory, "I see this river coming down cliffs in a waterfall. And beyond the cliff there are high green hills with forests. And beyond those there are higher ranges that look almost black. And then, far away, there are big snowy mountains all heaped up together — like pictures of the Alps. And behind those there's nothing but the sky." It was surprising that Digoy could see all that. Aquila had to remind herself that it was probably because of the kiss.

"You see well," said the Lion. "Now the land of Narnia ends where the waterfall comes down, and once you have reached the top of the cliffs you will be out of Narnia and into the Western Wild. You must journey through those mountains till you find a green valley with a blue lake in it, walled round by mountains of ice. At the end of the lake there is a steep, green hill. On the top of that hill there is a garden. In the center of that garden is a tree. Pluck an apple from that tree and bring it back to me."

"Yes, sir," said Digory again. He hadn't the least idea of how he was to climb the cliff and find his way among all the mountains, but he didn't like to say that for fear it would sound like making excuses. But he did say, "I hope, Aslan, you're not in a hurry. I shan't be able to get there and back very quickly."

"Little son of Adam, you shall have help," said Aslan. He then turned to the Horse who had been standing quietly beside them all this time, swishing his tail to keep the flies off, and listening with his head on one side as if the conversation were a little difficult to understand. "My dear," said Aslan to the Horse, "would you like to be a winged horse?"