Calling Me Home [BOOK 2]

Chapter 3

Trumpkin had explained the situation about the Telmarine soldier who blew the horn, and that it was really Prince Caspian X. Elizabeth had remembered meeting the boy when he was only a child. It was when the Telmarines first arrived, and a peace meeting had been made between the Narnians and Caspian's father who was newly king at the time. Course that was years ago, and the peace treaty was no more.

     Still, it was Prince Caspian who had summoned the Pevensies back here for aid, so that is who the group is preparing to search for. Trumpkin had suggested going back to his home as his friends would have taken care of the boy.

     "We can trace him from there." He had argued.

     So the Shuddering Woods was where the group was headed. Taking the boat the Telmarines left behind, Elizabeth and the others began the voyage west down the stream.

     The Pevensies had become eerily quiet, staring around at the lands that were once theirs now foreign to them. Elizabeth had to admit that the land had changed over time, places destroyed, abandoned, and left for the forest to take over. Magic had almost left completely as nature had sunken too deep into themselves. The scare of the Telmarines had caused the majority of the Narnians to go into hiding. Isolated, a lot of them had unfortunately lost their humanity and became wild. Elizabeth couldn't bear to see her companions lose themselves like that, so she had been in hiding.

     "They're so still." Lucy had mentioned, referring to the trees. She had cut Elizabeth;s thoughts, only to bring up exactly what she was thinking.

     "They're trees, what do you expect." Trumpkin snapped at her.

     "They used to dance, and move, and their leaves became nymphs." I mentioned defending Lucy, who turned to me and smiled.

     "And how'd you grown to know that?" Trumpkin asked me.

     "Because I'm Princess Elizabeth. I had lived through both eras, and saw magic slowly fade into nothing. I have seen friends die before my eyes as they've either grown of old age or lost their humanity." She explained to him, and to the Pevensies.

     Trumpkin was quite shocked at Elizabeth's revelation of herself, but the Pevensies stayed silent. Guilt came over them as they realized only a layer of what Elizabeth truly went through during her time here alone. She could feel the harsh gaze from the dwarf though, as it has been one she got often recently.

     "I know what you're thinking, dwarf, but there are things that simply cannot be prevented. I know when to back down from a fight I know I cannot win. There was nothing I could have done to keep the Telmarines from invading."

     "I don't understand. How could Aslan let this happen?" Lucy asked sadly. Elizabeth had stayed quiet, as she had asked herself that question many times before.

     "Aslan? Thought he abandoned us when you lot did." Trumpkin said. His voice died out towards the end, and the Pevensies could only stare at him.

     "We didn't mean to leave, you know." Peter mentioned.

     "Makes no difference now, does it?" Trumpkin asked. Peter had turned back around to face forward towards Edmund and Elizabeth. Peter and the former made eye contact, and she could only sigh as she pointed the look of disappointment and guilt on Peter's face. She knew he felt terrible, they all did. Narnia was their second home, yet by fate they were brought back to England, leaving all of Narnia and their people behind.

     "Get us to the Narnains, and it will." Peter finally replied, and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the determined look he had on his face. Peter was willing for redemption, and he will do anything possible to save Narnia.