Chasms and Chinks

A Bit More Storytelling

"I see that we all were pulled into this world, then?" Legolas said.

"All of us, it seems, except Merry and Pippin. We still do not know if they have been dragged into this alternate universe as well, or even at the same time." Aragorn paused. "You say you came only a few days ago?"

"Two days."

At this Gandalf and Aragorn exchanged expressions, and Aragorn leant on the hilt of his sword, as if trying to think of how he would say it. Edmund noticed this, raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Legolas, who shared his own confused countenance.

"What's wrong?" Edmund asked.

"I have been here ever since Caspian was born."

Silence.

Legolas was at a loss for words. The already dim interior seemed to grow even darker at this news.

"I thought at that time, I would not be able to see you or the others again. At first, of course, I was fearful, but you know me to be a resourceful man, so I found myself serving as one of Miraz's guards at his palace. I grant you do not know Miraz?"

"Yes, we do," Edmund said. "Nice guy. Sent a whole squad to welcome us into Narnia."

"Indeed. I was one of the soldiers who waited on the Queen when she was with child, and I was nearby when she gave birth to Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne."

Adjusting his seat, Edmund nodded. Beside him Legolas was in deep thought, wondering why on earth were they sent later and not at the same time, or why they were even sent at all. Knowing Legolas well enough, Aragorn went on with his story.

"Miraz took him under his wing, at least for the moment. I knew, as all of the other people of that time until now, that Miraz was an usurper. I could not expect young Caspian to know this, but I watched over him and kept an eye on Miraz at the same time, marking his every move. For a long time he didn't do anything suspicious, and it seemed as if Caspian was safe.

"Then Caspian had a nurse, who spoke of him of what she called the 'Old Narnians'. I was subtly interested in this kind of talk, and I heard her speak of half-goat men and women, called fauns and satyrs, and of tree spirits-dryads and hamadryads and birch goddesses. The tales she spun was almost believable, but I doubted all that. Though some of them may be true in Middle Earth, I could not help thinking that this world was a world with little magic, if any at all. I assumed they were only bedtime stories for children, to get Caspian to sleep.

"Then she was sent away one day, and was replaced with a learned doctor, Cornelius. He was sensible and practical in all things, and managed to deftly avoid Miraz's suspicions and educate Caspian in the Telmarine ways. By this time, Caspian was old enough to be taught horseback riding and sword fighting, and I was his trainer for all those things, while the Doctor was the one who took care of the intellectual parts of Caspian's education. Nevertheless, I occasionally overheard him tell stories of the same make as the ones Caspian's old nurse told. It was narrated in a mythical, scholarly manner, however.

This ignited my suspicions about the stories that Nurse told, and for the first time I wondered if indeed they were true. I wondered especially about the Lion, Aslan, son of the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, the fabled King over all of Narnia.

"I dared one day to question him about my doubts once I had confirmed his reliability concerning historical matters. 'My dear Aragorn,' he told me, 'I believe you know very little about Narnia. You are not of this world, are you?'

"'I... am not,' I said, in a whisper. 'But I want to know, do those stories hold any truth, or are they but mere Narnian tales?'

"The Doctor gave me an odd look, and with a sparkle in his eyes he nodded carefully. 'There is much, much more you do not know. And now that we are on the topic-'

"He stopped, then shook his head. 'I believe we must mind our own business, yes?' With that, he left me hanging. For good reason, however, since there were others who may overhear us. One did, but I soon made him swear to secrecy and loyalty to me."

Caspian nodded and smiled nostalgically. "Yes, that is Doctor Cornelius's nature," he said. "I'd almost gone mad with expectation whenever he left off storytelling, just as much as Aragorn."

"I understood as I saw Miraz lurking nearby, and I dropped the topic-for that moment. I did discern that he would not have told me so much if he did not intend to speak of it to me again. In this, I was not failed.

But for weeks later, not even a single hint he gave to me, until that night. He approached me then, and asked if I could guard the gate of the lower tower for him, and I agreed. I should also mention that he swore to tell me everything about Narnia, or to 'demystify my mind,' as he so aptly said so.

"And so I guarded it, letting Cornelius and Caspian go up to the tower-but then the Doctor allowed me to come with them. Then I saw it."

Legolas and Edmund held their breath.

"Tarva, the Lord of Victory, and Alambil-"

"The Lady of Peace," Edmund and Legolas sighed.

Aragorn seemed surprised that they knew this, and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Alambil. She and Tarva met in the sky-two stars saluting each other, as if foretelling what was to come to pass. I have never seen anything so magical or foreboding, apart from the Elven realm of Lothlorien.

"'Would they collide?' Caspian asked, awed as much as I was.

'Nay, dear Prince," the Doctor said. 'The great lords of the upper sky know the step of their dance too well for that. Look well upon them. Their meeting is fortunate and means some great good for the sad realm of Narnia. Tarva, the Lord of Victory, salutes Alambil, the Lady of Peace. They are just coming to their nearest.'

"As I watched the conjunction, I had to move to a better angle—a tree stood in the way, and I looked across to the taller tower, where I thought that we would see better there, with no trees to obscure our view. Caspian seemed to think so too.

"And there, after the meeting had taken place, the Doctor turned to both of us and revealed all that we had suspected. 'But you must swear to me, Aragorn, Caspian, that you will not speak of this anywhere but on top of this tower.

"Caspian and I swore. 'Listen,' the Doctor said. 'All you have heard from me, and from your old Nurse, are all true. Old Narnia was not a land of Men, but a land of Fauns, Dryads and such creatures. It is also the land that Aslan ruled over-and still does. It may be a land different from your own, Aragorn, but you have been called here, I believe, by Aslan himself, as the kings and queens from long ago were.'

"'It was with whom the first Caspian fought against. It is you Telmarines who silenced the trees and drove the beasts out from their homes into the woods to hide. The King, as you may have noticed by now, does not allow even the mention of them.'

"Caspian shifted his weight and he looked up at me, then back at the Doctor. 'Oh, I do wish we hadn't. An I'm glad that it was all true, even if it is all over.'

"'Many of your race wish that in secret,' Cornelius said.

"'What do you mean our race?" I asked him."

"'Why, Aragorn,' the Doctor said. 'I thought you would have known.'"

Aragorn paused, giving a slight smile at Legolas and Edmund, who were both listening, the latter playing with his bowstring and the other sharpening his dagger to pass the time. "You should've known...what?" Edmund asked.

"The Doctor pulled off his cloak and a shot of fear went through Caspian and I."

TBC...