The Naiad Queen

Chapter 21

The Naiad Trilogy

Part 3: The Naiad Queen

Chapter 21

Her scream shattered the peace in the air.

Rilian knew at once that his mother was in great pain. He leapt to his feet and grabbed his sword. "Rhea!" he called out for his sister while rushing to his mother's side. He saw the bite on her right hand and as he looked up he just saw the tail of a great serpent slither into the forest. He chased after it, but after a few minutes of futile searching he knew he had lost it.

"Rilian!" Penelope called out desperately.

Rilian gave up his search for the green serpent and rushed back to his mother. "Rhea!" he called out again. Rilian had received very little of his mother's magic, if any at all, but he and Rhea shared a special bond. They didn't know what it was; they only knew that they could always sense each other. Though Rhea was nowhere near the party at the moment, Rilian knew she would hear his calls.

Rilian broke through the forest and dropped to his knees at his mother's side. He grabbed her left hand with one of his own and placed the other to her cheek. She was struggling to speak and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. The star around her neck glowed a faint blue.

"Mother?"

"R-r-r-r..."

"Shh, don't speak, Mother. Don't. It's going to be all right. Stay with me. RHEA!"

"What?" Rhea shouted as she emerged from the river. "I came as quickly....Mother!" Rhea saw her mother laying on the ground and Rilian kneeling over her and she understood his urgency. Rhea rushed over and fell to her knees across from Rilian.

"What happened?" she asked.

"A serpent bite," Rilian said with a shaky voice as he fought against his tears.

Rhea picked up the bitten hand and pulled water from the river behind her. She tried to heal the wound but it would not seal. Ava's necklace began to glow brighter.

"R-r-r-r..."

"Shh, Mother. It's all right. Rhea is here," Rilian soothed.

"We need to get her back to the castle and quickly." Rhea said. "Does anybody have a bit of spare cloth I can wrap this wound in?"

Before anyone could say 'no,' Penelope took out her dagger and cut a strip form her dress. "Here you go, Your Majesty."

Rhea placed a thick film of healing water over Ava's hand and wrapped it with the cloth. Rhea moved aside as Orlich stepped in and scooped Ava into his arms. He followed Rilian to his horse and handed Ava over once the Prince was settled in his saddle.

"Ride fast, Rilian. Faster than you ever have before," Rhea said. "I will go ahead of you and prepare Father. Now go!"

Rilian kicked his horse into a full gallop, not even waiting for the rest of the party to mount. Rhea watched him leave and whispered a silent prayer to Aslan before heading back to the river. Rilian galloped over the Narnian terrain with his mother cradled safely in his arms. He could hear her fighting for her breath and he fought past his own tears to keep riding. Whatever happened he had to keep going. He had to keep riding. He had to get her to the castle on time.

"Stay with me, Mother. I'm going to get you to the castle and Rhea will heal you. She has to. Don't give up, Mother. You'd never let me give up when I thought I'd never learn to shoot a bow or handle the sword; I won't let you give up now." He coughed out a sob. "Stay with me, Mother."