Battle of Fear and Trust

Aslan is near

Lucy and I walk to meet Caspian. To meet Aslan in the woods. If he's even there at all, I tell myself. I turned to Lucy who held her head high as we walked. She was ready, of course, she's always ready to follow Aslan. While I feel my heart beating so fast that it would burst.

"He's not there," a voice told me, as my head starts to feel as though I had eaten something cold too fast and my arms shiver. What is going with me? I was still feeling as cold as I did when the ice fell on me yesterday. "He's not there. You won't find him," The voice says, maybe it's right.

"Lucy, are you sure you saw him?" I ask, folding my arms across my chest to keep warm. Lucy looks at me with confusion.

"Of course, I thought you believed me." She says, I turn away still trying to stay warm, and say nothing. "The night before we came here when you asked me why you couldn't see him, I thought for sure you believed that he was the one who helped us across the gorge."

"Yes, but you have to think about this logically. It was a few days ago when you said you saw him, and he can't wait in the same place for so long."

"I saw him in my dream, and he wants us to meet him in the woods and I know any time we seek him we've found him. Why should this time be any different?" She asks.

I sigh, she may have a point, but that was then and so much has changed, our friends are gone, our castle is gone. How can she be sure Aslan is there? "Lots of things changed,"

"But he doesn't!" she snaps, it obvious anything I say would not change her mind. "And if you don't believe, you can stay and watch the duel, and I'll go to him myself." She walks faster, speeding ahead of me.

"Lucy, you're not going by yourself. It's too dangerous!" I say while grabbing her arm. She quickly turns and pulls away from me.

"I don't care, he's there and I'm going to him rather or not you're with me!" she says.

"Of course, I'm with you. I just want you to think of the possibility that you might not find him."

"I don't have to Susan; I know he's there!" She states, staring straight into my eyes and making sure I understood every word.

"No, you don't!" I tell her. What was there to understand? That my sister would blindly follow someone rather there or not. That she is too stubborn to listen to reason or even think that maybe she's wrong this time! "At the very least you can't say that you know for sure! Lucy you..."

"Uh, um" I hear Caspian clear his throat. We turn to see him standing next to a horse, "Are your majesty ready?" he asks. Lucy and I stare at each other.

"We are," I tell him, before walking to the horse. Lucy follows me without saying a word, which is probably for the best.

"Destrier has always served me well. You are in good hands," Caspian says after helping us onto the horse. He just wants to ease the tension in the room, so he looks between us, maybe hoping one of us would say something, but there was nothing more to say. "I'll be right behind you, just in case," he adds. I give a reassuring smile and I think Lucy does the same. Then we make our way out of the How

We ride through the forest as fast as we can while trying to stay hidden among the trees.

"They've seen us!" Lucy says with fear in her voice that chills me to the bone. Looking over, I see a few Telmarines chasing after us on horseback. I knew we couldn't get away that easy, I tell myself as I slow down, preparing to dismount and send Lucy on ahead without me. I'm not going to let them hurt Lucy.

"GO! I'll hold them off!" I look back and see Caspian on a horse.

We resume riding, as he fights the Telmarines, hoping we're not spotted by any more enemy soldiers as we look for Aslan.

We continue for a while longer, I hear another Telmarine riding behind us. He's much closer than the others were. Oh, what do I do? There is no time to get off the horse and let Lucy continue on while I take care of him. He's getting closer. Oh, please, don't hurt Lucy!

A loud roar suddenly spooks our horses and causes Lucy and me to fall to the ground. Then I see something fly over us. Could it really be him? I notice Lucy looking at something and look in that direction to see the Telmarine running away and the face of the majestic lion, the one who has done so much for not only me and my family but all of Narnia. Of course, he's here, how could I have thought otherwise?

"Aslan!" Lucy exclaims cheerfully and runs over to him knocking him to the ground with her hug.

I move behind a tree; I begin to feel as cold as I did when the ice fell on me. I cannot bear to go over to him. I cannot hug him like did so long ago, and I can't pretend that I knew he would be here. I hear footsteps running in my direction,

"Susan, come on, Aslan's waiting for you," Lucy says, seemingly forgetting we were fighting earlier.

"I see him," I say in a small voice. I shouldn't have been so angry with her. "I'm so sorry," I whisper as Lucy walks around the tree.

"That's all right," she says after sitting next to me.

"You were right, I guess I always knew he was there- I mean deep down inside. Or could have. If I'd let myself," I say quietly, as tears form in my eyes. So much had been taken away, I thought he too was gone. "Oh, Lucy, whatever am I to say to him?"

"Perhaps you won't need to say much." She says smiling, then stands up and holds out her hand. "Come on, he's waiting for us." I take it and we slowly walk to Aslan.

"Susan." He says in a strong and deep voice that so inviting. I take a couple of steps towards him, though I can feel goosebumps all over. I wish I knew why I still felt so cold. "You have listened to your fears, Child." Tears stream down my cheeks. "Come, let me breathe on you," I nod and close my eyes as I feel the warm breath of Aslan upon me. The goosebumps quickly faded away, I didn't feel so cold. Although there is still a tiny chill in the back of my head. "Forget them. Are you brave again?" he asks calmly.

"A little," I say, as I look at him, He begins to smile and for the first time I feel at home.

"Aslan?" Lucy whispers. I turn to her as she looks at the ground for a moment then back at Aslan. "If I'd have come earlier, would everyone who died...could I have stopped that?"

Aslan's face saddens, "We can never know what would have happened, Lucy." I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder. I shouldn't have kept her from coming to him. "But what will happen is another matter entirely."

"You mean you'll help?" I ask, though I probably don't need to.

"Of course. As will you," Aslan looks at both of us.

"Oh. I wish I was braver." Lucy steps back,

"If you were any braver, you'd be a lioness." He reassures her, "Now, I think your friends have slept long enough, don't you?" Aslan roars as Lucy and I exchange a smile and we watch as the trees start to dance like they used to do when we ruled. I had almost forgotten how beautiful Narnia can be. "Come, Children, ride on my back."

Lucy and I climb onto his warm golden back and take off as we did so many years ago on the day when the most amazing thing happened, something I never thought possible: the day Aslan conquered death.

We ride down to Beruna's Bridge. "Now we must hurry, the others will be here shortly."

Lucy and I roll off Aslan's back and walk toward the bridge. As I hear the war cry of the oncoming soldiers I freeze and watch Lucy walk on like the Valiant Queen she was always meant to be. I could never just face them like that.

"I'm right here, Susan," I turn to see Aslan standing beside me. He's here, I smile to myself and I let him lead me to stand next to Lucy.

I see the Telmarine soldiers on the other side and the Narnians behind them. I am not sure who the man leading the Telmarines is, but it's not Miraz. I'm guessing Peter won the duel, but I didn't think Peter would actually kill him, so something must have gone wrong.

"Charge!" the one in the lead shouts and the rest of the Telmarines start to come across the bridge when Aslan lets out a loud roar. They stop and the water starts to shake. A wave starts to build up further up the river and takes on the form of a giant man, one of Aslan's servants. He takes out the bridge and some of the Telmarine soldiers. In mere moments, the water becomes calm again and the war is over.