The War of Kings Queens and a Witch

Chapter 17: The Returning

Shouts of excitement and joyus laughter filled the air.

My horse, Lisbetta, raced past Lucy's and came level with Susan's.

Lisbetta's white coat matched the hide of the White Stag. The Pevensies and I had been chasing it all morning.

The woods rushed past in a blur as I raced up to Edmund. He looked at me in mock offense as I pushed my horse faster and past him, too.

"You're cheating! Get back in line, Alice!" He called put jokingly.

I laughed and came level with Peter. But I had no intention of passing him up.

"You do make a fool out of him, you know!" Peter called to me with a smile.

"It's my purpose!" I yelled back.

We erupted with laughter.

Peter and I raced on, the Stag still in our sights. We'd catch it and get the wish.

It would tell us where the pieces of the Witch's wand were.

"Edmund's stopped!" Susan shouted up to us.

Peter sighed, and we pulled back.

"We'll get it. Don't worry," he promised as we rode back to where Edmund and his horse Philip had paused.

"Come on, Ed!" Susan told Edmund.

"Just catching my breath," he replied.

I rode up beside Susan.

"Well, that's all we'll catch at this rate," Susan joked.

I sighed, a little saddened that we may not find the stag again.

Susan threw me a look of sorrow. I shook my head and smiled.

"What did he say again, Susan?" Lucy teased.

"You girls wait in the castle. I'll get the Stag myself," Susan mocked.

I threw my head back and chuckled.

"What's this?" Peter asked. He dismounted his steed and walked up to a strange object.

I frowned. It was a lamppost, completely covered with overgrown ivy.

I hopped off Lisbetta, and the other Pevensies followed suit. I walked over to Peter. "It jogs something in my memory," I whispered him.

He nodded. "It seems familiar."

We walked up to the post. Something flickered inside. My eyes widened. It was still lit!

"As if from a dream," Susan murmured.

"Or a dream of a dream," Lucy agreed.

We stared at the lamppost, trying hard to remember why we knew it.

"Spare Oom," Lucy said to herself.

"What?" I asked.

Lucy seemed to remember something we didn't. She took off into the woods.

"Lucy!" Peter called. "Not again," Susan sighed.

"This...is where I got cursed," I remembered.

Edmund took my hand, and we caught up with the others. Well, not Lucy.

"Lu?" Peter asked worriedly. The leafy braches were getting thick and blocked our sight of the youngest.

"Come on!" Lucy urged.

Edmund and I pushed our way through the leaves.

The orange leaves started to turn into green pine needles. It was all so infuriating! Why couldn't I remember!

Peter grunted in annoyance. "These aren't branches," he exclaimed.

"They're coats," Susan realized.

My hands brushed against soft fabric.

"Edmund, for the love of all things good, stop pushing!" I yelled.

"Well, you're slow!" He argued.

"Susan, you're on my foot!

"Peter, move off!"

"Stop shoving."

"I'm not!"

"Stop it!"

"I'm not on your toe!"

Then, all at once, we were tumbling out of a wardrobe and onto an old wooden floor.

I sat up and looked around. Peter was younger!

What odd clothes I was wearing!

And then I remembered everything.

The wardrobe, the professor, the war.

We were being chased!

The door opened, revealing the professor himself. I gaped as he entered the room.

He looked up as if only now realizing we were in the room.

"Oh. There you are," he said.

He leaned down. "What were you all doing in the wardrobe?" He asked with a sneaky grin.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, sir," Peter confessed.

The professor tossed a red ball at Peter, and Peter caught it.

That was the ball that broke the window!

"Try me."