goodbye.

16.

During the night, Caspian dreamt of things to terrifying to elaborate on. He was in the wood but Lucy was there. She was walking away from him and going further into the wood. He kept following her until he had to run catch up with her. She was running in slo-motion and yet he couldn't catch up. But when Lucy slowed herself down and wept. She turned around and gasped in shock. "No. Don't come any closer." She wept putting a hand up as if she were edging around a dangerous animal and she was trying to calm it down. He stepped closer as she stepped further back. She was now on a cliff. The earth was slightly crumbling beneath her. "Lu-Lucy, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise, just come towards me." Then the cliff gave way. Lucy screamed as she fell. She was falling in slo-motion as well and Caspian raced to her in slo-motion and screamed her name. Waking up with jolt, Caspian found himself back on the grassy floor of the wood. Edmund was standing up with his sword drawn towards the wood. In the corner of his eye, he saw the lime green mist, flooding away past the trio. Exhaling and turning around Edmund replaced his sword and shook Andrew awake. "What's the matter?" Andrew murmured as he was still half asleep. "We ought to get going." Edmund said as he sniffled a yawn. The two others nodded in agreement. The mist was clearly messing with their heads and emotions and feelings. Caspian, Andrew and Edmund were soon riding through the wood when the mist appeared again. Edmund! The three pulled the reins and stopped. Edmund! Caspian! Edmund looked over towards Caspian. It was Lucy's voice. But it was coming from the mist. Just then Lucy's misty apparition appeared before them. Andrew spoke, "Lucy? Can you hear and see us?" The apparition didn't say anything nor did it move. "Edmund. Where are you?" She said with a cracking sound in her voice. Edmund slid off his horse and walked towards the mist. He whispered, "Lu. Can you hear me? Please- just try and hear this. We're coming for you." The apparition turned to face him and tilted her head to one side. Then her apparition faded away as she kept calling out Caspian and Edmund's names.

—~~~—

"So who knows where Lucy is?" Andrew spoke as the three were exiting the wood and riding along a muddy pathway towards a cottage which was made from within an old willow tree. Caspian remained quiet. "Caspian?" Andrew said to gain the latter's attention. "Oh. He's a good friend of mine. Trufflehunter he's called." Caspian said as they approached the great tree. Just then the door in the tree opened as did Andrew's mouth. What came out of the door was a muttering and rather large looking badger. He came out of his tree, waddling out to greet his guests. Trufflehunter looked towards Andrew and told him to shut his mouth, which he did almost instantly did. Turning back to Caspian, Trufflehunter asked what he wanted. "Ah yes, uhm- you see, we're wondering where 'the place where everything is hidden' is. Have you heard of it?" Caspian said as the trio entered the cottage. Trufflehunter hushed the King and lead them into a small library-type room and showed them a book. Inside was an illustration of Jadis. "That's who we saw. But she was wearing a greenish grey dress." Andrew exclaimed pointing at the image. Trufflehunter sighed and turned the page. "No. You never saw her. As King Edmund said, he killed her. You saw her sister. Iris or as we Narnians call her. The Grey Lady." The badger spoke as he continued to stare at the page. Snapping the book shut, the badger turned to the two kings and friend and said, "It's near impossible to enter or leave her palace."
"Where is it?" Edmund questioned. The badger looked at the young king and rolled his eyes.
"Surely you know." The kings and their friend shook their heads admittedly.
"Well forgive me King Caspian, but King Edmund has been before." He continued with a devilish smile playing on his lips.