Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Jewel of Narnia Series)

Chapter 7: Aslan and Aria

After a few minutes later, they came into a small ravine with rocks on the side. Peter turned around and said, as he looked around, "I know that I'm not lost." Mara came up to his side and put her hand on his shoulder. She gave him a soft smile and replied, "It has been a long time since we've been here, Peter. It happens to everyone." Peter turned to Trumpkin and said, "You said the last time you saw Caspian was at the Shuddering Woods, and the quickest way there is to cross at the river Rush." Trumpkin replied, "But unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts."Peter scoffed and said, "That explains it then, you're mistaken." Mara sighed and replied, "Like I said, Peter, it has been a few hundred years. Things have changed since then." Peter turned to his girlfriend and said, a slight upset look on his face, "I'm not wrong, Mar. This is the right way, I know it. You and I took this trail many times whenever we took our everyday horse rides." Mara took a deep breath and replied, "I'm only saying......times are different. Narnia's not how we remembered it to be, love." Susan said, speaking up, "Yeah, you know......over time, water erodes the earth's soil, carving deeper......" Mara gave her a pointed look and waved her hand back and forth to tell her to stop. Peter turned to her, rolling his eyes and replied, "Oh, shut up......" Edmund walked over to the edge of the ravine and said, "Is there a way down?" Trumpkin rolled his eyes and replied, "Yeah, falling........." Peter sighed and said, glancing at Mara, "Well, we aren't lost." Trumpkin replied, "There's a fort near Beruna. How do you feel about swimming?" Susan sighed and said, "I'd rather that then walking." Mara nodded in agreement and replied, "Agreed."

As the group turned to leave, Lucy noticed something on the other side of the ravine. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Aslan and Aria. She grinned and said, "Aslan! Aria!" She turned to the others and said, "It's Aslan and Aria!" Mara instantly left Peter's side to join Lucy's but didn't see her parents like Lucy. She sighed and replied, "They're not there, Lu. Maybe you're just imagining things." Trumpkin turned to the others and said, "Do you see them now?" Peter's eyes followed his girlfriend as she joined his side and said to his little sister, "Besides, there are plenty of lions in the woods, just like that bear. You shouldn't mess around with things like that, Lu. You know it's hard for Mara." Lucy groaned and replied, "I'm not joking, Peter. I really did see them, honest!" Peter wrapped his arm around Mara as they turned to leave, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. He looked at his girlfriend and whispered, "You okay, Mar?"

Mara nodded shakily and. wrapping her arms around herself. She whispered, "Yeah, I will be. It's just that.......if they were to reveal themselves.......why Lucy? Why not to me? Their daughter? Their heir, their own flesh and blood?" Peter sighed and whispered, "My promise still stays the same, we will figure out what's going on, Mara" Mara let out a breath and whispered, "The sooner the better." Trumpkin let out a deep breath and said, "Look, I'm not jumping over a cliff for someone who doesn't exist." Edmund walked over to Peter and Mara, sending Mara a small smile, and said, "Look, the last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid. Mara, I understand your frustration but if Lucy says she saw your mum and dad, then she did." Mara sighed and replied, "If she did indeed see them, why would they reveal themselves to Lucy and not me?" Edmund turned to Lucy and said to her, as Mara followed, "Where did you see him, Lu?" Lucy lead Edmund and Mara back to the edge of the cliff, with the others watching. Just as Lucy was about to say where she saw Aslan and Aria, the cliff collapsed, with Mara on it. Mara let out a shriek, causing everyone to panic. Peter rushed over to his girlfriend's side and shouted, reaching forward to grab her, "Mara!" Mara grabbed Peter's outstretched hand and he pulled her off of the falling cliff just in time. He pulled her into his arms, letting out a sigh in relief. Mara wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, instantly and clinged to him. Edmund and Susan shared a relief glance and moved forward to leave, with Trumpkin in the lead with Lucy the last to follow them.

That evening, everyone had made camp in a small clearing surrounded by trees for protection. Mara and Peter laid next to each other, cuddled up in each other's embrace. As Mara laid next to her boyfriend, she stared up in the sky, looking at the stars as she was deep in thought. Peter groaned as he moved and whispered, "Your thoughts are too loud, love. Why don't you go to sleep?" Mara whispered, "Can't, my brain is going too fast." Peter lightly chuckled and whispered, turning onto his side, "What are you thinking about?" Mara gave him a pointed look and whispered, "What do you think? My parents? What's going to happen when we find out what's going on? Who called us back with Susan's horn? And why are we really here and and why didn't my parents reveal to me and only Lucy?" Peter sighed and whispered, "Maybe when we see Aslan and Aria, you can ask them in person, love." Mara sighed and whispered, "It just doesn't make sense." Peter gave her a soft smile and whispered, "Well, maybe if you closed your eyes and get some sleep, your thoughts will become clearer. Hmm?" Mara sighed with a small smile and whispered, "Oh, alright." With that, she cuddled up into Peter's side with his arms around her. Then, the couple fell asleep, unknown to them that Susan and Lucy were having their own conversation about Aslan and Aria.