Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

21. Witches and Their Enchantments

Finally, Helena said coldly, though with great effort, "You can play that fiddle until your fingers fall off but you can't make me forget Narnia or C-Caspian or...Paris or...London or any of it. And there is one thing I remember that you can't touch!" Helena was sweating by now from the effort of speaking just those two sentences. Now she felt as though her lips were made of lead as she forced out, "I remember the lion Aslan." The witch's fingers jolted slightly as she quickened her thrumming.

"Aslan?" she repeated. "Well, 'tis pretty make-believe, but to speak truth, it would suit you better if you were younger. But even you children are too old for such play. As for you, my lord Prince, that art a man full grown, fie upon you! Are you not ashamed of such toys? Come, all of you. Put away these childish tricks. I have work for you all in the real world. There is no Narnia, no Overworld, no sky, no sun, no Aslan. And now, to bed all. And let us begin a wiser life tomorrow. But, first, to bed; to sleep; deep sleep, soft pillows, sleep without foolish dreams."

The enchantment was now almost complete and Rilian, the children, and Puddleglum were all standing, their heads hanging low. The enchantment was grabbing hold of them. Helena, however, felt a sudden rush, a sudden surge of something she hadn't expected: anger.

Then, with more energy than she knew she possessed, she cried, "No! I will not allow you to enslave me as you have done to him!" She was pointing at Rilian. The sudden shock of a voice so harsh, so loud after the calm drowsiness of the past several minutes caused the others to look up at her in sleepy surprise. "I have been held under someone's control once before in Paris and I will not allow you to entrap me like that! I will not be controlled again! I am not some prima ballerina who dances when you open the box and turn the key!"

As she spoke, she rushed forward and before the witch could do anything to stop her, she had dashed to the fire. "NO!" the witch cried, jumping forward. Helena, mustering up all her courage, slammed her hand into the fire. Instantly, she screamed. The pain was unbearable but she forced her hand to put out the rest of the fire. The smell of burnt flesh had now spread across the room and the witch has ceased her thrumming. Helena was kicked back by the witch with more force than she would have expected from her.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks from the pain, but she scrambled to her feet, her left hand hanging uselessly by her side as the queen roared, "How dare you?! I shall make you pay for that, vermin!" The other's heads had instantly cleared when the fire had been put out and now they all instantly rushed forward between Helena and the witch. Some had turned to check on Helena but a shout from Rilian instantly called back their attention.

"Ware!" he cried. "Look to the witch!"

Her arms had fastened to her side and the long train of her skirts seemed to be widening. Before they could try to imagine what was happening to her, a huge green snake towered above them. The snake lunged to the other side of the room, taking up Helena in its coils. Unfortunately, however, her arms had been pinned to her sides. She had no way of reaching for a weapon.

Two or more coils next wrapped around the prince, but he had managed to keep his arm free. Drawing his sword, he grabbed hold of the snake's throat, attempting to choke it. As if to threaten him, the snake tightened its coils around Helena until a cry of pain escaped her. She couldn't breathe and the pressure on her chest made her feel as though the snake would break her ribs in a moment. Just before Helena had blacked out from lack of oxygen, Puddleglum and Rilian hacked off the snake's head. She and Rillian fell to the floor.

Helena was coughing, drawing in large gulps of air. After about five minutes, Rilian had regained his breath. Jill had sat down and was carefully trying to make sure she did not faint or begin crying.

"I thank you," Rilian said, still panting slightly. "My royal mother is avenged. This is undoubtedly the same worm that I pursued in vain by the fountain in the forest of Narnia, so many years ago. All these years I have been the slave of my mother's slayer. Yet I am glad, that the foul witch took to her serpent form at the last. It would not have suited well either with my heart or with my honour to have slain a woman. But, are you both well?" He was looking between Jill and Helena.

"I'm all-all right, thanks," Jill said. Helena was still drawing in deep breaths on the floor. Rolling onto her side, she accepted Rilian's help up to her feet. She stumbled slightly but regained her balance without help. The four of them helped themselves to what was left of the food and drink on the table while Rilian went to go find something for Helena's hand. When he returned with some clean shirts of his, they tore these up into strips and lathered the inside with honey which, as Helena had told them, would act as a soother to the inflammation. Once her hand was bandaged, Rilian got himself some food and they all finally began talking of what to do.

After they had been talking a long time over about a hundred escape plans that wouldn't work, Helena said, "Rilian, what about the dig site? You said that it was just a few feet below the surface. Could that work?"

"Yes, but I'm not entirely certain if it's-" he began before Eustace suddenly interrupted him.

"I say, what's that noise?" he cried. There was a strange chorus of voices and something that sounded like rushing water. Helena paled.

"How much of this place is held together by the witch's magic?" she asked. Everyone else paled as well. Whatever magic of the witch's died with her which meant that the earthmen were loose, which explained the voices, and the waters were no longer constrained. The Underland was returning to a place unruled by magic.

"We need to move," Rilian said, getting to his feet. Without questioning, they all followed him out the door and down the stairs.