Virtuous: Redemption

Chapter 5: The Centaurs

The sound of the river rushing beneath the ice brought Sara peace. Breathing was troublesome and exhausting, and she was nearing her fraying rope's end. She was on the brink of deciding whether to give up on breath.

Her eyelids were still open just a crack, and she watched the snow melting, leaving droplets running down the newly sprouted green grass. The birds sang joyfully from the trees, harmonizing with the chirping crickets and other crooning insects in the woods. Above the chorus of creatures serenaded the muffled roar of the frozen waterfall.

At the very least, the Witch's power was weakening with how warm it was outside. That thought was enough to comfort Sara in her last moments. At least the Witch wouldn't do this to many others before her reign ended.

Sleep pulled at the corners of her mind despite the sun still being high in the sky. Between half heartedly fighting to keep her eyes open and letting her breath slip away, Sara thought one more time of the Witch and her wickedness. She thought of Tumnus, her only real friend since coming to Narnia. She had many regrets, but the only one she pulled to the forefront of her mind was that she was only friends with Tumnus for a day, and that neither of them would get to see her proven wrong when Aslan would welcome her into his army and allow her revenge on the Witch.

But she wouldn't get that.

And that was okay.

She took in the lovely green grass and the pink blossoms bursting to life on the trees and the sound of the rushing river one more time before closing her eyes. Her consciousness slowly slipped away. Despite the hitch in her side when she exhaled, she felt light and airy. She was so caught up in the feeling that she barely registered the approaching hoofbeats in the soft grass. She dismissed the faraway murmuring voices as old memories circulating in her dreams, and when she felt many pairs of gentle hands roll her over and heard gasps following, she didn't even open her eyes.

"A Daughter of Eve!" one of the faraway voices exclaimed.

"Look, she's still breathing," another answered.

The rest of the voices blurred together as Sara let herself slip into the darkness.

***

Sara opened her eyes. It was dark. Around her, a herd of centaurs were settled, huddling around a fire and conversing softly.

As she came to, she shifted ever so slightly, instantly regretting her movement. She cried out, all the centaurs turning their attention to her. She took a deep breath in, and even though her sides cramped, the fresh air felt like her first breath filling her lungs.

"Am I dead?" Sara asked as a raven haired centaur knelt at her side.

The mare laughed, removing one of the wrap around Sara's arm and wrapping it up again with a fresh bandage. "You were close to it," she said, "but no. You are a very lucky girl."

Sara still felt dazed as she glanced around at the other centaurs as they watched back at her with kind, yet curious eyes. "Who are you?"

The centaur tied off the bandage. "My name is Daria. These are my friends, Swiftstorm, Orvia, Pharus, and Lighthoof." Daria gestured to each of her companions as she introduced them all.

"Nice to meet you all," Sara replied, choking on her words a little. She stared in wonder at one of the stallions, who offered a kind smile. "M-my name is Sara."

"Sara, it's a pleasure," Daria replied. "We found you lying here by the river."

"And just in time, too," Pharus chimed in. "We thought you were too far gone."