queen of narnia

[charning]

Jadis is enraged. Aslan, back! Confirmed by the deputy of her own Maugrim, who died on the sword of the very child she thought she'd caught! Maugrim, dead. She paces. She comes too close to Winter for her liking on one of her passes through her throne room and rather than turn an instant before she means to she backhands him out of her way into the nearest wall. She paces and fumes and roars.

Finally she spins on her toe to face Winter, who may still be on the floor in his careless way but has surely recovered from the blow by now. "You," she says, "must go to the lion, and tell him that I desire safe conduct to treat with him on a matter of as much importance to him as to me. Go peacefully, I do not mind if you alarm the pitiful creatures who side with him but do not harm them while I seek parley. Do you understand, my Winter?" She bends to crook her first two fingers under his chin to turn his head up for frigid eye contact, inspecting him, thinking furious thoughts to which he's only an accessory. "I think the lion may be unnerved to see you. We will see."

Comments

[deepest_magic]

"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep."

[neverbeatme]

"I could probably manage it if I decided it was definitely a better idea than seeing what Aslan's up to for sure," she says. "I'm not sure I've decided that."

[deepest_magic]

"Yeah. I mean - maybe he didn't want to worry us, but we're already worried, so that's wrecked."

[neverbeatme]

"Yeah. Want to go see?"

[deepest_magic]

"Kind of. Let's wait for everyone to settle down some more. I don't think Aslan's gone yet."

[neverbeatme]

"Okay."

[deepest_magic]

The sun goes properly down.

The creatures sleep.

Bella takes up her staff, and gets to her feet.

[neverbeatme]

James follows, wearing her sword and shield on her back on an in-case basis.

[deepest_magic]

Bella manages to make her staff light very gently, just enough to see Aslan by as he slowly leaves the wood.

He seems to be taking the same route he led them down to get to the ford from the hilltop, the other way.

[neverbeatme]

"'Wanted for other purposes'," James murmurs. "That's what he said about the Table, before we left."

[deepest_magic]

"Why would somebody make a table out of rocks with nasty bloody laws written on them, anyway?"

[neverbeatme]

"I guess we'll see, maybe."

[deepest_magic]

"Yeah."

[alicornucopia]

Eventually they cross a wide, open place, and Aslan turns his low tired head to look at them, and there is no longer any plausible deniability about their trailing him.

"Oh, children, children," he sighs. "Why are you following me?"

[deepest_magic]

"We're worried," says Bella in a small voice.

[neverbeatme]

"Can we come with you?" James says quietly.

[alicornucopia]

Aslan is quiet for a moment, then says: "Well. I should be glad of company tonight. Yes, you may come - if you promise to stop when I tell you, and after that leave me to go alone."

[neverbeatme]

"Okay," says James.

[deepest_magic]

"We will," agrees Bella.

[alicornucopia]

Aslan continues walking, then, flanked by the human children. Slowly, ponderously, drooping more with each step. At one point he moans aloud, low and sad.

[neverbeatme]

...James puts her hand in his mane.

[deepest_magic]

When James doesn't get growled at for this presumption, Bella imitates her.

And so they walk.

[alicornucopia]

And so they walk back to the hill.

When they come to the last tree between them and the Stone Table, Aslan says:

"Oh, children, children, here you must stop. And whatever happens, do not let yourself be seen. Farewell."

[deepest_magic]

Bella darkens her scepter and bursts into tears and buries her face in his mane.

[neverbeatme]

James hugs the great lion too, although she isn't crying while she does it.