𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝘩𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑟, 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗐𝗈.

IV. memories

(This will probably be a short chapter, fair warning)

When I woke up, I was tied, gagged, wet, and...in a boat? I barely remembered anything from the last night, but whatever had happened was bad.

Very bad.

Because now I was in the clutches of the Telmarines, and Miraz knew that I was still alive.

But that wouldn't matter by tomorrow. Because as far as I could tell, I was about to die.

And for once, there was nothing I could do about it.

I took an inventory. There were a few scratches burning on my arms, and some bruises on my neck, but other than that I seemed to be fully intact. My hair was a matted nest, but that was nothing new. There were two Telmarines in the boat with me, and one of them was rowing. None of them spoke, and I assumed that they thought I was still unconscious.

For the first time in years, I was afraid. For these thousands of years, I had been nervous, but I had always known what would happen, that I would have someone to go to, even if I didn't have a place to go.

But now I was alone. My friends were probably worried sick, or even worse, also captured. I really hoped that wasn't true.

But if they were still at the house, then everything would be okay. they would be fine without me, as long as they were together.

But I was alone.

And wet.

And afraid.

It sounded like a storybook--but not in a good way. I tried to get a sense of where I was, I couldn't really tell, but the sun in the sky (when I cautioned a glance at it) told me it was about noon. I began to see trees above, and they looked a bit familiar...

I didn't really care though. I was going to die anyway.

The boat stopped, and I could hear the Telmarines whispering. Suddenly, I was hoisted up on my knees, facing the beach. Above, on a cliff, were ruins.

The ruins of my home. I hadn't been here in years.

Suddenly I understood what was happening. They were going to drown me.

Then, I heard a voice.

"Drop her!"

A voice I recognized. 

Alas, she had chosen her words unwisely. I heard the Telmarine speak for the first time. "The sea is cold, deary. Best hope you like it down there." Then, I was hoisted up again, dragged to the side of the boat, and thrown into the sea.

It was cold. Colder than any hell I could have ever imagined. Somehow colder than any ice that devious witch had ever thrown at me. I felt the cold seeping into my skin, into my mouth, into my lungs. I can't breathe, can't think, can't move.

But I am not afraid. 

I welcome the feeling. My last moments of freedom before I die. I had hoped I would see them again at least once, yes, and all of my being still wanted that. But I was okay with this too. This feeling. Yes, the sea is cold. But as I began to realize, my mind was colder.

And that was what scared me. I didn't want to be like her. I would never want that. So I called upon the thing I knew how to want. Staring down through the crystal blue, I watched my bracelet swivel in the surf.

Come on, I prayed, come on.

I know it's been years, but please. Help me.

And then it was there. That familiar warm feeling. the feeling of light, and life. The feeling of Narnia. The magic coursing through my veins as the bracelet began to glow.

I am a lioness. Queen Lark, knighted Lionheart.

I am his child.

Aslan's being.

Then, I was in someone's arms, floating, being pulled to the surface.

I gasped for breath, feeling lighter than I'd ever felt, welcoming the air as I once welcomed the sea. Because it was all a part of me.

And then I was on land and realized that I was not the only prisoner thrown to the surf.

"Trumpkin?" I coughed out.

"Not. A. Word," he grunted, and I laughed.

"What happened last night?"

"I went out looking for you. I knew that after he had blown the horn, there was no chance that--"

"What? What horn, and who?"

"Caspian." was all he said. I was confused. Who's--

"My horn." a girl's voice said. Trumpkin looked wearily up at her, but I kept my head down. I had had visions before. I couldn't get my hopes up.

The went about introducing themselves, and I tried not to jump up and scream, dance around, and hug them all as they spoke.

Especially as I heard Edmund's name.

Then something struck me. They hadn't seen my face yet. They didn't know who I was.

"-High King Peter, the Magnificent." I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Could've left that last bit out, couldn't you?" I clamped my mouth shut. I hadn't meant to say it out loud--hadn't meant to draw on my attention.

"Who--" I heard Lucy's voice. Then, suddenly, I wasn't on the sand anymore--I was swept into the air.

"LARK!" Peter's voice rung out into the air. There was a singsong quality to his tone that I had missed for over 3,000 years. He spun me around and brought me into a hug. "Oh my god. Oh my god! It's you! It's really you!"

"It's really me." I smiled despite the fact that I was being practically strangled.

"How long have we been gone?" he asked as he set me down. I grinned sheepishly.

"Oh...3,000 years or so." I heard a gasp behind me.

"Three thousand years?" I heard a soft voice behind me whisper.

His voice.

I turned to face him. I turned to face the boy whom I had missed for the last 3,000 years.

"Hello, Pevensie," I said quietly.

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