The Faded Portrait of a Bygone Era

A Moment to Last Forever

The Witch left Aslan there. Perhaps she intended to return for him after the war, to make a further mockery of the great lion. But, Maggie thought with great satisfaction, that would never happen. Once the three girls were certain the Witch's forces had all gone, they darted from their hiding place, rushing up to the table.

Lucy climbed the steps right in front and sat beside Aslan. She reached for her cordial, but Susan gently stopped her.

"It's too late," she said softly. "He's gone..."

She made her way over and climbed the stairs to the left while Maggie went to the ones on the right.

Maggie's heart was so unbearably heavy. Knowing the truth of the matter couldn't help her in this moment. To see him lying there with no life and no breath, it was hard to believe he would be back. But as she turned her gaze to the stars above, they said just the same as they had before. Hope.

Still, hope couldn't stop her tears from falling.

"He must have known what he was doing," Susan whispered, resting her hand on the back of his head.

Lucy's face scrunched up with tears, and she leaned close to Aslan, resting against his great head as she softly petted his nose. Susan hugged his neck, crying as well, and Maggie laid herself across his middle, sobbing freely when she couldn't feel the rise and fall of his breath.

Just then, a curious little noise drew the attention of the three girls. They all sat up, searching for the source of the noise. All along the ropes that bound Aslan, clusters of mice had formed.

"Get away!" Susan cried. "Get away, all of you!"

"No," Lucy said, realizing something. "Look..."

The mice were not, as Susan had thought, chewing away at Aslan, but rather, at the ropes that held him. Of course, Maggie realized. When Aslan came back, he would need to be untied. These mice had been summoned by Deep Magic.

Susan began to undo the ties as well, and Lucy drew her dagger to cut through the more stubborn knots. Maggie helped the mice by pulling away the bits they had chewed through. In mere seconds, Aslan was free. At least some of his dignity had been restored.

"We have to tell the others..." Susan said.

"We can't just leave him!" Lucy protested, and Maggie had to agree.

"Lucy, there's no time," Susan insisted. "They need to know."

She was right, of course. But Maggie couldn't leave Aslan's side, not when she knew what she knew. Luckily, Lucy saved her from having to come up with an excuse.

"The trees!" she whispered urgently.

Susan's pained expression lifted at that. "They can carry our message..." she reasoned.

"And we can stay with Aslan," Maggie said.

Lucy turned to rush towards the treeline, but a swirl of leaves was already beginning to form before the Table.

"Your Majesties..." spoke the form. "It does my heart good to see the three of you on this night of tragedy."

Lucy tentatively waved, keeping one hand secured in Aslan's mane for comfort.

"Can you send word to our brothers?" Susan asked her. "They must know about all this... and of the Witch's plan."

The dryad nodded. "We shall see it done."