Deep Magic - A Narnia Story

VIII: Leaving

For years now, the siblings have fantasized about finding the White Stag, at least since they learned about it in one of their Narnian Beliefs lessons with Tumnus. They were so enraptured by the idea of the White Stag and it's wish granting abilities, that they had people constantly on the lookout for it.

Over a year after our return from our fight with the Northern Giants, it seemed that their efforts had paid off, for there were talks of it being spotted near Lamppost Waste. When they first heard of the news, all four of the siblings began strategizing how they would obtain the stag in the hopes of getting their wishes granted.

I helped when I could, but with the recently stirred unrest I have been feeling due to the movement of the deep magic, I found it difficult to put in my 100% into helping.

After a few days of quick planning, once they had a decent enough strategy they decided to move out at the next sign of the stag, which was still in Lamppost Waste. Seeing as everything was peaceful in Narnia, I had no qualms with accompanying them. Prepared for a long day of searching and chasing, we left early in the morning with no one else but our horse accompanying us, seeing as now that Narnia was peaceful there was no need for guards.

We spent our morning getting to Lamppost Waste and searching for any signs of the stag. It was already afternoon by the time we found it, and when we did that was the moment I knew, the siblings' time in Narnia was at its end. Upon finding the stag, the chase for it began, one which lasted well over an hour, and that I mainly spent observing the most I could of the siblings...after all I don't know when I'll get to see them again.

Since I was more toward the back of the group with Ed, for observational purposes, I was the first to notice when he came to a halt. "You alright there Philip?" Edmund asked his horse.

"I'm not as young as I once was," Philip replied. Which I find myself smiling to, reminiscing all the times we've spent with this horse. So much time that it would be safe to say he was Ed's best friend.

Finally noticing that Ed and I aren't with the group, the rest of the siblings come trotting back.

Susan, the first to speak, says, "Come on guys."

Ed speaks on behalf of us, "just catching my breath." The rest of his siblings come to a stop in a line beside me, Peter being the closest to me.

"Well that's all we'll catch at this rate." At Susan's comment I chuckle.

Lucy soon joins in on taking jabs at Ed with, "What did he say Susan?"

To which Susan responds, impersonating Ed, "You girls wait in the castle, I'll get the stag myself." At which point we all join in laughing.

Taking notice of a lamppost — in Lamppost Waste?! I know, shocking — Peter dismounts from his horse, his siblings soon following, and asks "What's this?... Seems familiar."

With all the siblings now taking note of it, Susan speaks what's one her mind, "As if from a dream..."

Lucy adds "...or a dream of a dream..." After a moment of thought, and a sudden realization, she voices, "Spare Oom?" As she proceeds to take off running I, too, get off my horse, but don't follow like the rest of her siblings.

As I watch them go, and hear them calling after Lucy, I feel my heart begin to break knowing that this is really the last I'll see of them. Ed being at the end of the group once again, he briefly stops to look at me as if asking if I was coming. With the shake of my head, and seeing the expression on my face, I could tell he understood what was happening. With a weak smile, he turned back around and reluctantly continued to follow his siblings.

After mere moments of seeing them disappear behind the tree line, I felt the deep magic shift one last time indicating they'd left. With that I broke down crying with Philip beside me calling out to the Kings and Queens.

Collecting myself, I addressed Philips' questioning gaze. "Their gone Philip. It was time for them to return home...' At my words, his face fell into a look of anguish, but he remained composed, nodding in understanding.

We stayed there, next to the lamppost, for a while longer processing the loss of our monarchs, and mourning. I thought about all the time we spent in Narnia together. I thought about the fact that Susan left behind a role and people she loved. I thought about how Ed never did get to ask out the maiden he's been fancying recently. I thought about how Lucy never got to say goodbye to the gentleman from Archenland that was courting her, or to all the woodland friends she's made. I thought about how I, once again, didn't talk to Peter about something this important...and how I once again didn't say goodbye.

Eventually, we began our trek back to Cair Paravel to inform everyone of the happenings of the day. They may be gone, but I was still here, and there was still a country that needed to be run.

With the news of the disappearance of their Kings and some of their Queens, Narnia went into a frenzy looking for them, hopeful that they were still with us. After a few months the active searches for them ceased, though they never did stop looking fully.

I once again found myself with the weight of a whole kingdom on my shoulders. There were many days of struggle; there were many days where I felt hopeless and wanted to give up. I didn't; I couldn't. For five years I carried the burden of everything and ensured that Narnia was running smoothly.

For those five years, the deep magic stayed quiet, as if saying you got this, you can do this on your own. I felt like I couldn't, but what else could I do. After all those years, there was only one more moment where the magic actually decided to make its presence known, and that was the moment when it decided it too was my time to go.

The time when it did this, was not a peaceful, joyous time as it was with the Pevensie's. Narnia was being threatened by the Calormen. Telmarines had begun to explore more of this world. Despite the Golden Age we prospered during, people were once again losing hope. We were in the middle of what one on Earth would call a Cold War with no one and seemingly everyone.

I was down by the eastern sea just below the view of Cair Paravel, contemplating what it was the deep magic had planned, and thinking of ways to help Narnia before I left. That seemed to not be in the plan though, as I soon found myself flooded by light.

Scared, I found myself shrinking back from the brightness, only to soon find myself in the middle of a bustling city dressed in clothes from my time with the Professor and with a mobile phone in my hand.

Taking a second to gather myself, and my thoughts, I turned on the phone. The first thing I noticed was the date. October 1, 20XX. It had been a few months since my return to Narnia. Upon noticing the date, I also noticed that I had aged back to what I would have been had I never gone back, which was a bit of a weird feeling.

The next thing I did was scroll through my contacts, finding the same ones I had before leaving — McCready's, the Professors, and the Pevensie's.

Walking around the city, and thinking, I finally sent a text to the person I missed the most, hoping he hadn't changed his number for some reason.

"Peter?"