Lark's POV:
I squinted my eyes, using my hands to shield my eyes from the light.
Wait...Could I move?
When my eyes adjusted, I looked around. There he was.
Aslan.
We were sitting just behind the stone table, staring at the sunrise.
It was beautiful, but I couldn't focus on it.
All I cared about was that we were alive. And--if I was alive--then he might still be too.
I jumped to my feet staring in disbelief.
"What--we're--we died--you're ALIVE?" I screamed, hugging Aslan around the neck. Everything felt normal, no pain. Aslan chuckled.
"Yes, child. We are."
I turned back to the sunset. " É bellisimo." I didn't mean to speak Italian, but the moment had cleared my brain of rational thought.
"Yes, it is beautiful. Now, Lark, we have work to do. But, first--a lesson." Aslan growled softly, and I looked towards him.
"A lesson--a lesson on what?"
"Your power. Do you remember---the numb sensation as you were dying, your bracelet growing warm, and the countless times of pure focus?"
I nodded, still unsure. "Those are because of me. I created you, so naturally, some of my essences are harbored inside you. You have gained abilities beyond what I could've imagined. Yet--some have not been discovered. This is a reason you were knighted, Lionheart. You are my dear, a lioness in essence. Here, I will teach you."
Aslan instructed me to close my eyes and imagine the half of me that was Narnian and the half of me, lioness. I felt something stirring inside of me, and when I opened my mouth to speak, it wasn't words that came out.
It was a roar.
...
Edmund's POV
I sat up groggily in bed, waking to a sound of the tent flaps rustling. I looked up to find that Peter was already awake, staring at something in front of us. I turned my gaze and saw what he was staring at.
A dryad.
Dryads, at least the ones I had known so far, were very cheerful creatures. That being said, this one was completely the opposite.
She was crying. "I bear grave news."
A pit formed in my stomach. What was wrong?
"What is it?" Peter asked nervously.
"Aslan and Lark, the great Lion and his right hand---are dead."
I blinked. Once. Twice. Then it registered.
"No," I said, my voice sounding far away. "No, no, you're lying." My voice cracked.
"I am afraid it is true. They are gone." With that, the dryad vanished.
Peter turned to me, to say something, but I didn't hear him. I was furiously wiping at my eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling.
They are gone.
They are gone.
They are gone.
I didn't even get to tell her. Tell her how much...how much...
I broke.
Falling back on my pillow with surprising force, I cried. Tears streaming down my face, barely breathing, I turned to the other bed. Peter was crying too. We cried in silence for all the things we had lost, for the people we would never see again.
But Peter didn't know--none of them did.
I would never get to see her again. To hear her laugh, to see her smile, to watch her scold Jessop or talk to Aslan--who I would never see again either.
They didn't know how much it hurt---how much I regretted not tell her everything. I didn't think I would ever stop crying, ever stop wishing that I would wake up from this nightmare. No--I]it would never be the same.
Because I loved Lark. And now she was gone.
..
Lark's POV
I scrambled back, surprised. Aslan smiled calmly and nodded his head.
"The roar of a lioness. It will strike fear into the hearts of your enemies and strength into the hearts of those you love. Use it well."
I nodded, swallowing. Was this what it had come to? Power for war?
I almost screamed, in sadness, anger, anticipation for those we would lose, those we might have already lost--but then I remembered.
Susan and Lucy were still here!
I climbed the tabled and ran blindly into the forest.
"Susan! Lucy!" I called until my voice was hoarse. I turned around dismally, deducing that they had left, but when my eyes drifted to the stone table, I saw them---with Aslan.
Had they been there the whole time?
How hadn't they heard us? It was almost like magic---
Oh.
Clever Lion.
I ran back to them, not caring about the burning in my lungs. Hearing the sounds of my footsteps, they turned. When they saw me, the ran to meet me and enveloped me in a hug.
Lucy started crying, and it was all I could do not to break down too.
"We--we thought y-you..you were d-dead." Lucy hiccuped through her tears. I smiled down at her, looking back and forth between her and Susan.
"Oh come on, did you really think I was going to miss a chance to kick Lady Icicle's butt? I thought you knew me!" I said in mock offense. The two girls laughed.
I stopped laughing first. it felt good to be carefree--but I couldn't ignore the situation forever.
"Edmund and Peter, have they--"
"Already left, according to a dryad. Oh, I do hope they'll be okay!" Susan answered worriedly.
I scoffed at Susan's remark. "Of course they'll be okay."
They better be, a small voice said angrily in my mind.
He better be.
Aslan growled softly, which I took as a ploy to get out attention. We all turned to him.
"We must make haste." He said in a purr. "There is no time to waste. The fight will begin soon, and we are terribly outnumbered. we must find help."
"But, Aslan--" Lucy spoke for all of us, "Who could possibly--" and then we understood.
"Oh Aslan, can you bring them back? Will you?" I exclaimed.
"Yes, child. Now, get on my back. We must travel to the witch's castle. There is little time."
As the girls and I climbed onto his golden back, a caw could be heard overhead.
Looking Up, I saw it was a griffin, holding a large boulder and heading North. I sighed and fingered the hilt of my sword nervously. It was coming. She was coming.
There was so much to lose. So much to protect. So much left to do.
We weren't even on the battlefield, but a war raged inside my heart.
Whether we were ready or not, a war was coming.
I thought of something Professor Kirke used to say about the war: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
I tried to believe him.
As we rode away, A faint scream could be heard, but I knew, up close, the sound was deafening.
I sighed with worry, hoping on Aslan's name that all my friends and...more would get out alive.
It had begun.
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A/N: YAY! ANOTHER CHAPTER! (Poor Ed) Just wanted to add some more suspense before the war--which I will probably separate into two parts. (Sorry Y'all)
Also, I WAS LATE AGAIN. You know what? I'm changing my update day to Monday because I usually update then anyway lol :)
THE ITALIAN IS BACK (and it's not done with yet).
Anyways guy, don't forget to COMMENT and VOTE if you liked this chapter.
Have a good week and I'll see you in the next installment!
Au Revoir,
Z