Battle of Fear and Trust

A Nice Day in Narnia

I sit by the river, soaking my feet in the water, and feel the wind brush through my hair. It is such a lovely day, I tell myself. For the first time since we got here, I can finally enjoy a day like this. The war ended yesterday, and we were resting before we left for Caspian's old home.

I hear Lucy giggle next to me and I turn to see her watching the valiant mouse, Reepicheep, who had decided to show off his new tail to the other Narnian beasts. I'm sure he's telling them all about his encounter with Aslan and how he got his new tail.

"I wish I could scoop him up in my arms and give him a big hug," Lucy says, as I watch Reep survey his surroundings, as though he hears Lucy's suggestion.

"Lucy, you wouldn't want to dishonor a noble knight," I smile at her.

"I know, but I'd still like to give him a friendly hug and I'm sure he wouldn't think it was dishonorable if I asked him for one," Lucy says. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and I give her a hug from the side.

Reepicheep is still showing off his tail to anyone who would listen. Of course, I can't blame him for being excited about meeting Aslan, for most, it was the best thing that could happen. I still remember seeing him walk out of his tent when I first saw him and how he welcomed me by name. Although I'm not sure how he knew my name, actually there are many things I don't understand about him. Like his when he gives Reep his new tail, he said:

"Not for the sake of your dignity, but for the love that is between you and your people, and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords that bound me."

Aslan knew about the mice at the Stone Table, but how? He was dead at the time. How is it possible he knew about the little mice that chewed off the cords that bound him to that table? More so, how did he even remember the mice, since it was more than a thousand years ago?

"Hey Lucy, do you wonder how Aslan knew about the mice at the Stone Table? I mean it was over a thousand years ago and he wasn't...alive," I tell her. She stays silent for a moment, I don't think it's because she's mad at me, but that she's wondering the same things.

"Well, he always seems to know everything about ourselves, even more than we know ourselves." Lucy finally says, I guess she's right, there is nothing you can keep from him.

"Yes," I tell her, there are times I feel confronted in him being here, but how can he know so much or even remember it all? "Still, it amazes me how he remembered what those mice did, it was so long ago, I barely remembered it myself," I add. How is it possible for him to remember such a small act?

"Yes, but you know he didn't forget us or any of the Narnians in those years and he didn't forget them during the long winter, so why wouldn't he remember the mice?" I listen to my sister, she truly believes in him with all of her heart, I think to myself. Still there something else that always bothered me.

"I always wondered why he allowed such a long winter in the first place?" I say, and Lucy just sits there. I should not have asked that. Maybe I shouldn't be wondering such a thing.

"Well, maybe he knew those years had to happen. After all, he is all-knowing."

"How do you always know so much about him, Lu?" I ask and she looks back at me with a smile which seems to create a glow on her face. Although she always has that look whenever she hears Aslan's name.

"I just know he's good," she says as though it was the simplest thing, "and he does is for good for us, even when we have to through something like the long winter,"

"I guess you're right," I tell her and continue watching Reep show off his tail. I know she's right; Aslan does seem to know what's right for us in the end But still, why does he wait until the end? If he knows what's best for his people, why does he allow them to suffer? I think to myself, as I feel my arms shiver. I don't want Lucy to know I have those thoughts. Her faith in him is so strong she wouldn't understand.

We both stay silent for a while, enjoying the scenery around us. I do love it here, it's so beautiful and the Narnians are always a joy to see. In the year in England, I nearly forgot just how wonderful this place could be. Yet there's still a small doubt about its creator, and I'm not sure why.

"Maybe we should go and find the boys, it's almost lunchtime," I say to Lucy.

"Right, where do you think they are?"

"Well, they can't be..." But just before I could tell her anything else, water crashes all over me and I'm guessing some fell on Lucy since we're both screaming as loud as we can. We quickly stand from our spot and see Peter, Edmund, and Caspian laughing behind us. I also saw two buckets next to my brothers.

"Edmund!" I make sure to give him a stern look.

"What? It was Pete's idea," He points to Peter, who turns to him still laughing at me and Lucy.

"Me? you're the one who thought it would be a good idea for us to teach

Caspian how to properly sneak up behind people without being noticed, and then said, and I quote, 'Let go dumb water on our sisters'"

"Yes," Edmund smiles, "but you didn't stop me." Peter goes on laughing. I roll my eyes, but I still find myself smiling at their childish behavior that I'm sure they'll never grow out of. I turn to Lucy, who is just as wet as I am.

We stare at each other and look at the shallow river and smile back at each other. Surely, we were both thinking the same thing.

"Well Caspian," Lucy tells as she moves closer to Edmund and I move

closer to Peter. "It was good of our royal brothers to show you to sneak

up on someone. Now, Susan and I are going to show you what happens when you

pour water on your sisters' heads." With that Lucy and I pull our brother to the river.

"Hey, Caspian doesn't need to learn that, he doesn't even have sisters" Edmund complains.

"No," I tell him before we push him and Peter into the water "But you do." Lucy and I laugh, and our brothers watch us

from the water. Though we weren't the only ones laughing, I turned to see that Caspian still grinning.

"It's your turn!" Lucy and his smile quickly disappeared. We both take a few steps closer to him.

"Caspian it might be a good idea to run!" Peter shouts as we come closer to Caspian.

"But why? I didn't do anything," Caspian says, trying to back away from us.

"Exactly," I say as I take hold of one of his arms and Lucy takes the other arm. "You didn't do anything to stop them," I add before we chuck him into the river too. All three boys are now more wet than we are.

Lucy and I get in the water and start a water war against the boys. Although, it soon turns into us just splashing each other and laughing. It

seemed like we were at it for hours or maybe a few minutes, I'm not sure. I just know I can't get the smile off my face.

"You'll have to go back some time, Daughter of Eve," a cold voice whispers, and I stop splashing. It was the same voice that said Aslan wasn't going to be in the forest, but I thought it went away after Aslan breathed on me. I feel myself shiver, that voice almost sounds like...

"Are you alright, Su?"

Peter asks, I see that they have stopped splashing as well. Although, I could just be thinking it sounds like someone. It is not possible that it is who I think it is. I smile at my older brother and splash more water at him.

"I couldn't be better, my dear brother," I say before we're once again splashing each other.