Jumping Water | Edmund Pevensie

CHAPTER XVII

They began walking through the raised swords, only for Clara to stop as she looked backward. Caspian had stayed behind them and allowed them to take the lead, no longer at their sides.

"You belong beside us Caspian." She said as she fell into step with him. "You were the one that summoned us after all."

    Caspian found he could only smile at the younger girl, his brown eyes raking over her face to try and analyze her intentions.

Had he revealed his emotions too much? Had she noticed that he felt uncomfortable with their presence?

    For weeks he had begun to lead the Narnian revolt, only for High King Peter to take over his progress like he was not the one who started it.

    It was frustrating to relinquish his control, to say the least, but he truly only wanted the best for the Narnians.

    Inside the cave, lit with countless torches, many of their subjects were seen forging and crafting provisions for their inevitable fight with the Telmarines.

    The area was not much, but it was clear that it was all they could come up with on such short notice.

"I know it is not what you are used to, but it is defensible." Caspian explained as he caught everyone's wandering eyes. "Progress is slow, as we cannot risk Telmarines hearing us."

"It's alright. We know the struggles of war as well." Clara replied as they passed a foursome of dwarves who argued over misplaced tools.

Caspian nodded his head, remembering the books his professor had read to him. Susan, Lucy, and Edmund broke off from the group to explore further into the cave.

"The White Witch." He confirmed.

    Clara's spine still shivered at the sound of her name, even after all those years of peace. She could still clearly see the look on the Witch's face as she took her life.

    Clara cleared her throat and cast her gaze to the floor to try and relieve the pressure that had begun to build in her chest. "Yes, the White Witch."

"Peter, Clara, you may want to see this." Susan's head poked out from a tunnel just ahead of them and ushered them towards her with a concerned look.

    As the two followed Susan, their mouths slowly opened in a mixture of shock and astonishment as they gazed upon the walls.

There were carvings and paintings along the rock that most definitely depicted the story of their journey in Narnia.

    Clara saw the lamppost, then Lucy and Susan on Aslan's back, then herself killing the White Witch, and finally the five of them standing next to four thrones.

She turned to Caspian as chills racked her spine. He had to have seen it before, he could surely explain.

    "What is this place?" Clara asked, her voice haunted by her past as the images depicted on the walls played through her head.

    She could feel her soul clawing outwards towards the paintings, begging to go back to those times when she was the most content.

    A sharp pang of homesickness hit her. She was in Narnia, but it wasn't her Narnia. Not the one she grew up in and ruled for fifteen years.

    Caspian wet his lips as her gaze hypnotized him. So much wisdom and knowledge swam beneath pools of blue, and for she who looked only a couple of years younger than him, he had been taken aback.

   "You don't know?" He responded finally, snapping his eyes away from her and to the wall. Clara and the Pevensies shook their heads innocently.

    Caspian grabbed a torch from the wall and began to lead them further into the tunnel.

    Not too far ahead of them, the tunnel suddenly broke out into a massive room, shrouded by darkness until it was forced to reveal itself as the torch's light filled the room.

    Susan let out a small gasp, her face paling, as she recognized the Stone Table where Aslan had been sacrificed by Jadis in exchange for Edmund's life.

Its crack down the middle reminded her of his reawakening only moments after.

    Lucy ran her fingers along the ancient Narnian that had been carved along the border, then looked to the group with solemn features.

"He must know what he's doing." She whispered, the echo carrying her voice despite her volume.

    "It's up to us now, Lu." Peter said after moment of a foreboding silence.

END OF CHAPTER XVII.