Gallowglass (Prequal to The Narnian Warriors Saga)

Chapter Eleven

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕿𝖗𝖊𝖊

Well done," said Aslan in a voice so loud that it made the earth shake. Then Digory knew that all the Narnians had heard those words and that the story of them would be handed down from father to son in that new world for hundreds of years and perhaps forever. He was in no danger of feeling conceited though for he didn't think about it at all now that he was face to face with Aslan. This time he found he could look straight into the Lion's eyes for now he had lacked shame. One does not stare down the face of the son when he has done wrong, but Digory had amended himself. He had forgotten his troubles and felt absolutely content. "Well done, son of Adam," said the Lion again. "For this fruit you have hungered and thirsted and wept. No hand but yours shall sow the seed of the Tree that is to be the protection of Narnia. Throw the apple towards the riverbank where the ground is soft."

Digory did as he was told. Everyone had grown so quiet that you could hear the soft thump where it fell into the mud. "It is well thrown," said Aslan. "Let us now proceed to the Coronation of King Frank of Narnia and Helen his Queen." Atticus attached himself back to Aquila as they walked to the new rulers. The children now noticed these two for the first time since they landed. They were dressed in strange and beautiful clothes, and from their shoulders rich robes flowed out behind them to where four dwarfs held up the King's train and four river nymphs the Queen's. Their heads were bare; but Helen had let her hair down and it made a great improvement in her regal appearance.

But it was neither hair nor clothes that made them look so different from their old selves. Their faces had a new expression, especially the King's. All the sharpness and cunning and quarrelsomeness which he had picked up as a London cabby seemed to have been washed away, and the courage and kindness which he had always had were easier to see. Like Aquila had come to realize (and earlier explained to you all) it was the air of the young world that had done it, perhaps talking with Aslan had helped as well. "Upon my word," whispered Fledge to Polly. "My old master's been changed nearly as much as I have! Why, he's a real master now."

"Yes, but don't buzz in my ear like that," said Polly. "It tickles so." She looked at Aquila who was holding Atticus with a bright smile on her face. "Do you think you will be so beautiful when you become queen?" Neither girl knew this not ever would, but Helen had heard them and blushed deeply and would tell the tale of two and her friend to her children and make sure that all Narnians knew of the kind, beautiful and gracious, violet gazed queen that would come to rule them all one day.

"One can only hope," Aquila answered.

"Now," said Aslan, "some of you undo that tangle you have made with those trees and let us see what we shall find there." Digory now saw that where four trees grew close together their branches had all been laced together or tied together with switches so as to make a sort of cage. The two Elephants with their trunks and a few dwarfs with their little axes soon got it all undone. There were three things inside. One was a young tree that seemed to be made of gold; the second was a young tree that seemed to be made of silver; but the third was a miserable object in muddy clothes, sitting hunched up between them. "Gosh!" whispered Digory. "Uncle Andrew!"

Aquila raised an eyebrow, "I had forgotten about him."

Apparently, the beasts had thought he was a tree and tried planting and watering him. When the watering brought him to his senses, he found himself soaking wet, buried up to his thighs in earth and surrounded by more wild animals than he had ever dreamed of in his life before. So, he began to scream and howl. This had persuaded everyone that he was in fact not a tree. So, they dug him up again. As soon as his legs were free, he tried to bolt, but one swift curl of the Elephant's trunk round his waist soon put an end to that. Everyone now thought he must be safely kept somewhere till Aslan had time to come and see him and say what should be done about him. So, they made a sort of cage or coop all around him. They then offered him everything they could; think of to eat, showing just how kind and naive the creatures of this world currently were.