Never Say Goodbye

Friendly Faces

Never Say Goodbye

Chapter 2: Friendly Faces

"Hullo! Is anyone there? Hullo!" I called out into the forest, but the forest remained silent. There were no scampering feet, no squawking birds, and there were certainly no Trees dancing. I scrambled to bring up those distant memories of me and Edmund together so I could recall what he said about moss only growing on one side of the tree. Was it the east side or the west side?

No! It was the north side because moss didn't like the sun's warmth but preferred the Witch's cold, and the White Witch had come from the north. Satisfied that I had remembered correctly, I began moving along. I used my new found sense of direction to guide my way; I was heading to Cair Paravel which sat on the Eastern Shore.

I carefully but steadily picked my way through the forest. My English clothes were not suited for hiking and my feet were already sore after a very short hike; oh how I longed for my old boots. Every so often I would call out to any Narnian who may be nearby, but the forest was still silent. The only sounds that could be heard were my own two feet padding along, my steady but slightly ragged breathing, and the ever-continuing rumble of my stomach. I pushed on though. I had to find someone.

I don't know how long I had been hiking through the forest—I was never very good at keeping track of time—when I finally found what I thought to be a friendly face. A red squirrel sat on a tree branch a short way above my head. Its beady black eyes were watching me carefully, while its bushy tail was curled around its hind legs. It was larger than the average red squirrel, and there was something in its face that told me it was a Talking Squirrel. It sat perfectly still as though it were a statue. For a moment I thought it was, and then it blinked uncontrollably. I smiled in relief.

"At last, a friendly face. Can you help me? I'm trying to make my way to Cair Paravel. Can you tell me how far it is?" The Squirrel said nothing and only blinked its eyes again. "Please, it is very urgent that I get to the castle. I have to tell Oreius what happened."

Again there was no verbal response from the Squirrel.

"Please, Master Squirrel, I need..." I took a step forward and suddenly the Squirrel scampered away quickly. "Wait! Please, come back! Please, Master Squirrel, I have to find the Cair!"

I tried to follow the Squirrel, but it jumped from tree to tree, climbing higher as it went, and before long I lost sight of it completely. I knew it had been a Talking Squirrel; I could see it in its face. I knew it was. At least, I was almost certain it was. By this point, I was quite hungry and the daylight was diminishing. I was still deep in the forest with no end in sight, and I knew I would have to make camp soon.

I walked on a bit more, still continuing east, but as I did I gathered nuts and berries that could be used as food and dry wood that could make a fire. I only gathered the wood and nuts from the forest floor; I was not about to pull them from a living tree. When I could carry no more I found a suitable place to rest. I piled the wood in a clear patch of earth and began striking a fire. Fortunately, Edmund had insisted I know how and be capable of starting a fire with nothing. Still, this was never a skill I was very good at and it took me several tries to accomplish it. My hands were as sore as my feet, but I finally managed a few sparks and a bit of smoke. With a little gentle breathing and a lot of praying, the smoke grew into a small fire and ignited the wood.

I ate my nuts and berries slowly, trying to make them last. I had not gathered many though, and I finished them before I even began to stave off my hunger. Night fell quickly and with it came the cold. I moved in closer to the fire and curled into a tight ball with my knees drawn to my chest. Fortunately, there was no wind and so the smoke curled upwards and did not blow in my face. Even in the dark of night, the forest remained silent allowing sleep to come easy, but my dreams were haunted.