𝐰𝐡𝐲 // 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒂𝒏

VII.

The Pevensies and Trumpkin row down Glasswater. Lucy looks up at the trees.

"They're so still," Lucy stated sadly.

"They are," Gwendolyn agreed. What she said, of course, went unheard.

"They're trees. What do you expect?" Trumpkin asked. Gwendolyn started to zone out, she missed Narnia. She felt immensely guilty that she wasn't there to take care of Narnia. Narnia was, and still is, Gwendolyn's home. England no longer felt like her real home. The, what anyone would call, 'fantasy land' was her real and only home. Even though she wouldn't stay, Gwendolyn felt extremely homesick in England. She would have no problem leaving England, but Narnia, no. Leaving Narnia was like a child taken away from their parent. In this case, Gwendolyn was the child and Narnia was the parent. They finally reach the shore and climb out of the boat. Trumpkin tied the boat down. Lucy starts to wander off and notices a big, black bear.

"Hello there! ...It's alright, we're friends," Lucy greeted as she approached the beard. The bear stood up and looked at Lucy. Gwendolyn's hand found its way to the handle of her sword.

"Don't move, your majesty!" Trumpkin called out.

The bear starts charging. Susan puts an arrow to the string and Gwendolyn slowly unsheathed her sword.

"Stay away from her!" Susan yelled.

"Susan, shoot!" Edmund demanded.

The bear continues charging. Lucy screams. Just before it reaches her, an arrow hits the bear and it falls over. Susan looks over and sees that it was Trumpkin who fired.

"Why wouldn't he stop?" Susan asked, voicing out her twin sister's thoughts.

"I expect he was hungry," Trumpkin replied. They all run over to Lucy. Peter helps her up and points his sword at the bear's body.

"He was wild," Edmund states.

"I don't think he could talk at all," Peter spoke.

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough and that's what you become,"

Trumpkin says as he draws his knife, "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember."

"Oh no," Gwendolyn whispered sadly. Her heart ached. She wasn't there to save Narnia from its misery. Trees didn't move, bears didn't talk, no Aslan, what else is there?