𝐰𝐡𝐲 // 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒂𝒏

IX.

The five Pevensies and Trumpkin walk through the forest.

"I don't remember this way at all," Susan stated

"That's the problem with girls. You can't carry a map in your heads," Peter replied.

"And you can't carry the simplest of facts in your heads," Gwendolyn muttered. As usual she went unheard by her siblings and the dwarf. Edmund heard what she said. He fastened his pace to catch up with his older sister who has always went unheard, "We can," he whispered in her ear with a smirk.

"...Can not," Gwendolyn hesitated before replying. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She was thunderstruck that someone actually heard her.

"That's because our heads have something in them," Lucy retorted.

"I wish he'd just listen to the DLF," Susan sighed.

"DLF?" Edmund asked.

"Dear Little Friend," Lucy explained.

"Oh, that's not patronising, is it?" Trumpkin said. Edmund let out a chuckle. Peter steps into a rock passage and stops.

"I'm not lost," Peter spoke.

"No... you're just going the wrong way," Trumpkin replies.

"You said you last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Wood, and the quickest way there is to cross at the river rush," Peter said.

"But, unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts," Trumpkin says.

"That explains it then. You're mistaken," Peter replied.

They continue walking until they come to the gorge. They look down at the rushing water below.

"Over hundreds of years, water eroded the earth's soil..." Susan said.

"Oh, shut up. Is there a way down?" Peter asked

"Yeah, falling. Come. There's a ford at Beruna. Any of you mind swimming?" Trumpkin stated.

"Anything's better than walking," Susan replied. They start to walk away. But Lucy glances back...

"Aslan? ...It's Aslan! It's Aslan over there! Well, can't you see? He's right..." Lucy exclaims. She turns back and sees nothing. Her smile fades, "...there."

Gwendolyn ignored the talking around her. Aslan's disappearance affected Lucy a lot, but it affected Gwendolyn more. The Great Lion somehow managed to break her shell. He saw Gwendolyn for who she really is, not who she says to be. They start to walk away. Lucy looks back, sad.