The Last Tree In Narnia

4. The Professor

No one came to see Rhea for the rest of the day.
She was given no food or water, and nothing to keep her warm during the cold night.
Rhea could survive for many days without food, but not without water, as that was what her body needed to survive, since she was part tree.
Normally, she could soak up water from the earth's soil, but since she was locked in a cell, she couldn't do that either.
Being away from the forest for so long was also making her tired and weak, and she was desperate to return to her natural habit.

Halfway through the next day, a prisoner was thrown into the cell next to her.
At first she thought it was a dwarf, but upon closer inspection she realised it was a Telmarine.
Since this man was an enemy and not a friend, Rhea shuffled back in her cell, to get away from him.
But her chains rattled as she moved, giving her away.
The man turned his head at the noise, and clocked her.
"You're a dryad" he gasped.
Rhea frowned, as she wasn't sure how he knew what she was, as dryads were rare, even before they became extinct.
"Who are you?" She questioned.

"My name is doctor Cornelius. I am Prince Caspian's tutor" revealed the man.
"My people are being blamed for his kidnapping. But we did not take the prince" insisted Rhea.
"I know. The prince was not kidnapped at all. I helped him escape" replied Cornelius.
Intrigued, Rhea shuffled closed to the man.
"Escape from what?" Asked Rhea.
"Lord Miraz, his uncle" answered Cornelius.
"He's the man that threw me in here. Why does the prince's uncle want him dead?"
"Lord Miraz's wife has just given birth to a son. So, he has an heir now. Which means that with Caspian gone, Miraz can become king, before passing the throne onto his own son. I heard of the plot to kill Caspian, so I snuck him out of the castle the day Miraz's son was born".

"Then that means the Telmarine boy I saw in the woods, being chased by soldiers, was Prince Caspian" gasped Rhea.
"Did he manage to get away from them?" Questioned Cornelius.
"Yes. Me and my friend Trumpkin lured the soldiers away from our home. They managed to take us prisoner, but since the others in our group were left behind, the soldiers can't have found them and Caspian, or they would have been brought here too"
"So, the prince is with your kind?"
"Not exactly. There are no more dryad's left, I am the last of my species. I live with 2 dwarves and a badger"
"But the prince is safe with them, right?"
"I don't know".

Cornelius frowned, "How can you not know?".
"I was knocked unconscious before I could return home to see what Caspian's fate would be. But normally my guardians would kill any Telmarine who got too close to us. We can't allow the Telmarine's to discover our existence, because they will kill us all. Like they plan to do now" admitted Rhea.
"What was the last thing you remember seeing?" Quizzed Cornelius.
"I don't rem- wait! Caspian blew Queen Susan's horn. I heard it, and it filled me with something I had never felt before. It made me feel hopeful. Nikabrik knocked Caspian out to stop him blowing it any longer, and giving away his location to others. But even once there was silence around us, I could still feel the sound of the horn inside me".

"It took me many years to track down the horn. So, I'm glad it has returned to the Narnians" smiled Cornelius.
Rhea raised an eyebrow at the man, as something about him was not making sense.
"Who are you, really? You are more than just a tutor to the prince aren't you?" Asked Rhea.
"My mother was a Black Dwarf, and my father was a Telmarine. So, I am part of both worlds" answered Cornelius.
"My friend Nikabrik is a Black Dwarf, and my other friend Trumpkin is a Red Dwarf. I knew that there was something Narnian about you, as I looked closer at you".

"It is a secret I have hidden well, all my life" informed Cornelius.
"Well, I'm not exactly going to tell anyone, am I" replied Rhea.
"Thank you"
"My name is Rhea, by the way"
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Rhea"
"The pleasure is all mine"
"You know, in old mythology, Rhea was the name of the mother of the gods"
"I know. That's why my mother gave me that name. She hoped I would become the next mother of the earth. She used to tell me that I was special... So, if no one knows your real identity, and you weren't thrown in a cell for being half a dwarf, then why are you here?"
"Miraz suspects I helped the prince escape. He also thinks I taught Caspian about Narnians, against his wishes, which I did. I also told him as much as I could about Queen Susan's horn, which is probably why he blew it, when he thought he was in danger".

"Do you think the magic of the horn is real?" Asked Rhea.
"Of that I am certain. When I returned to my study earlier today, I found Miraz searching for a book on the old kings and queens of Narnia. He then showed me an old arrow from that time, which had pulled out of one of his soldiers. Which means that the kings and queens of the past have returned" revealed Cornelius.
"So, they have come to free us from Telmarine rule?"
"I believe so"
"This news is so good, that it can't possibly be true".

"Miraz seemed quite worried, so I am certain that there is hope for us. I heard him say that the soldiers he'd sent to kill a dwarf, had been found floating dead in a river, with arrows in them" informed Cornelius.
Rhea's heart skipped a beat, "Are you telling me that they failed to drown Trumpkin, the dwarf? Did the kings and queens manage to save him?".
"I believe so" answered Cornelius.
Rhea squealed in delight.
"I can't believe it. I thought he was dead. He was willing to sacrifice his own life to keep me safe. He has always tried to protect me, and I was terrified to think I had lost him forever. If he really is with the kings and queens, then he will be alright. They will keep him safe".

"When they unite with Caspian, they will start to plan how to overthrow Miraz. They will build up an army, and take on the Telmarine soldiers" said Cornelius.
"But there aren't half as many Narnians as there are Telmarine's. Even with the help of the kings and queens, I don't think this is a fight we can win" admitted Rhea.
"You have to have hope" insisted Cornelius.
"My people have always been oppressed and slaughtered for no reason. It's the only life I know. It's hard to imagine anything else. Hope is a new concept for me".

Rhea sighed and looked at the leaves on her head which were beginning to wilt and die.
"Even if they do succeed in freeing the Narnians from Telmarine rule, and bring about a new world. I do not think it is a world that I will get to see" continued Rhea.
Cornelius lent through the bars and squeezed Rhea's hands.
"Have faith" begged Cornelius.
"I'll try. But I'm just being realistic. It's unlikely I will get the chance to see the world, because I can't survive for long in this cage. And that is something I will have to accept" admitted Rhea.
"I hope for your sake, that you are wrong".