Now We Are Free

06

"Your Majesty," Lord Drinian began, "by my advice, you must stop riding out to seek that evil serpent. It is too dangerous a thing, sire, Princess, to do alone."

"That serpent," Rilian said as they walked along a corridor. "My good friend Drinny, Elissa and I have not thought of the creature these seven days."

"Before I go you to the woods, sire, Princess-" The three stopped walking.

"Because I have seen the most beautiful thing that was ever made." He resumed walking and Drinian followed.

Elissa rolled her eyes and followed the two of them.

"Princess, sire, let me ride out with you two tomorrow. And I too may see what this fair thing is."

Rilian walked away, joining Elissa, and Drinian followed a moment later.

The next day, the three rode out to find the fair maiden.

Rilian and Elissa got off their horses as Drinian said, "But my lady, my lord, why come so often to this of all places?"

"You'll see," Rilian and Elissa replied as they noticed movement from behind a tree.

The horses neighed as the woman stepped out slightly from behind the tree.

Rilian moved closer to her and the two shared a smile before he turned to Drinian. The horses neighed again and the woman looked scared. When Rilian turned back, the woman was gone.

Rilian turned to the lord and yelled, "Curse you Drinian, you frightened the lady away!"

"Let us go, my lord, from this accursed place," Drinian retorted.

Rilian got back on his horse and while Drinian rode off, he and the princess stayed behind a moment and said, "Curse it no longer to me." He rode away after Drinian.

"Then came the fateful day when Princess Elissa and Rilian returned again to that cursed glade. From then on, no trace of Rilian or Elissa was ever found. Neither hat, nor cloak, nor anything else."

"Drinian, you have searched for the princess and Rilian for days," Caspian said. "I fear I may never see my daughter and her friend again."

"Oh my lord King," Drinian replied. "Slay we speedily as a great traitor. For by my silence I have destroyed your daughter and her friend." The two stopped walking and Caspian stared at Drinian. "They have gone to the place of the Queen's friend's destruction. Has themselves disappeared."

Caspian drew his sword, but didn't pull it all the way from the sheath. "My friend Evreux has lost his wife, and his son, and my Queen and I have lost our daughter." He put his sword back. "Should I lose my friend, too?" He hugged Drinian.

"And the old king has lived in sadness ever since. And no one has ever discovered what happened to the young Princess or the young man."

The owls hooted in agreement and Marina dried her eyes, thankful for the darkness. Evreux took Marina's hand and squeezed it.

"Well I bet the serpent and that woman were one in the same," Jill said.

"Too true, too true," the owls agreed.

Marina pursed her lips, no longer sad, but angry. She vowed, once again, revenge on the woman who had taken her daughter and Evreux's son.

"We don't think she killed the Princess or the young man," Glimfeather replied, "for no bones were ever found."

"We know she didn't," Eustace said.

"Aslan himself told me the Princess and the young man are still alive," Jill informed.

Marina and Evreux smiled at the good news.

"But that almost makes it worse," Glimfeather said. "For it means the evil woman must have some use for them, and surely some deep scheme against Narnia."

"Long ago, a white witch came out from the north and bound over our lands with snow and ice for a hundred years," the other owl said. "This could be some of the-"

"-same crew," Glimfeather and the other owl stated.

"Then Pole, Marina, Evreux and I've got to find the Princess and the young man," Eustace stated. "Can you help us?"

"Any clue you two?" Glimfeather asked. "I suspect the Queen or Sir Evreux know not one."

"We have to go north until we reach the ruins of a giant city." The owls exchanged a look. "Well, can you help?"

"Ooh, ooh. It's all very sorry and all that. City of giants and all that. Not at all. It's kind of difficult, you know, flying north into a city of Giants." The owls hooted in agreement.

"You'd want to travel by day and we want to travel by night?" the other owl said. "It wouldn't do."

"Wouldn't do, wouldn't do," the other owls repeated.

"Well how do we start?" Eustace wondered.

The owl sighed. "Well, if they must go that way then at least we can take them as far as the Marsh-wiggles." He sighed again. "They're the ones. They know the Northlands best. They're the only one, the only ones who can help."

"D-okay, then," Glimfeather stammered. "I'll take one."

"Well, as long as she's only as far as the Marsh-wiggle, I'll take the other three."

As the new day began, the owls flew the four through the air.

"Here you are human," the other owl said. "Don't rock the boat."

"They gave me this sword at Cair Paravel, and I don't intend to travel without it," Eustace told him.

Marina and Evreux exchanged a small smile as Jill said, "Scrubb, you idiot, you'll fall off."

"No I won't. I'm back in Narnia. And the air here. I'd forgotten how good it is. I feel stronger every minute."

"Hold on my guests," Glimfeather said. "Down we go."

The owls landed and the four got off the owls.

"What a miserable place," Jill commented.

"Puddleglum. Puddleglum my dear," Glimfeather called. "Wake up. Puddleglum. We are here on the Lion's business. We come in the service of Aslan to you, to you, to you. T-whoo, t-whoo."

Puddleglum stepped out from his house and said as he walked towards them, "Owls ahoy. What happened? Is the King dead? Did the Queen or her friend die? Has an enemy landed in Narnia? I know, it's a flood. Or maybe dragons."

"It's nothing of the sort. The Queen and her friend are here with us. Come on here."

Puddleglum turned away.

As the owls flew away, Glimfeather said, "Farewell to you three. T-whoo, t-whoo."

As they waved, Eustace replied, "And farewell to you too."

"Goodbye, Glimfeather," Jill added. "Goodbye, Mr. Owl. Thank you for everything."

"Thank you."

"Take care, dear and loyal fine feathered friends," Marina said.

When the owls disappeared from view, the four stopped waving and after a moment, turned back to Puddleglum and began walking toward him.