Ruth's Magpie

Chapter 17: Ends and Emeraldia

RUTH POV:

After leaving Narnia, Aslan and I were transported to a land with several pools. I hurriedly took my beanie out of my bag and put it on.

"This is what one once called the Wood Between the Worlds," he explained. "Each of these pools leads to a different land. Earth, Narnia, and many others. The White Witch was not of Narnia, you know. Follow me. I shall take you to her home world of Charn. I believe something must be done there."

Though fear swelled in me, I obeyed. He jumped into a pool, and I held my breath and followed. My eyes were closed tightly, but I opened them a slight crack when I felt solid ground beneath my feet and the water drained away. But Aslan was nowhere to be found.

"Aslan! Aslan! Where did you go?"

"Right here, dear one," he said from behind me. I turned around, and beheld a great bird.

"Aslan?" I asked in a small, scared voice.

He lowered his wing. "Climb aboard my back," he said, and when I obeyed reluctantly, he continued, "I take many forms. Each world respects, values, and accepts as their own different species of beast and bird. Narnia respects lions. This world respects birds. The next world we will visit respects horses, so that is what I shall become."

I nodded. "So you become something the world will embrace."

He nodded his great head and took flight. "See how this world has a dark red hue?"

I nodded. It appeared to be a barren wasteland, with no life to be seen save the stark contrast of silhouetted and likely abandoned buildings against the maroon sun.

"This world is dying. Earth and Narnia's yellow suns show that the world is young. They too will redden as their ends draw nearer."

I absorbed everything he said. When he flew low over a grand building, he explained that the White Witch, whose name was Jadis, had ended all life except her own on this world. When two human children visited, they awakened her with the ringing of a bell, and unleashed her evil once again.

I shuddered. "I cannot believe that Edmund was in the hands of such a dreadful villain."

"As were you," he remarked. "Would you like to leave here now?"

"Yes please," I said eagerly, "this is eerie."

"There is nothing left for me to do here," Aslan said sadly. As he spoke, the sky darkened completely. Red streaks zigzagged across the sky and seemed to fall.

"Aslan, what's happening?" I whimpered fearfully.

"This world is ending," he explained gently.

"This is scary..."

"Sh... we will leave now."

I closed my eyes tightly. We passed through water again, then air, then water. Aslan was separated from me again, and I felt like I was floating through space. Soon I felt a soft, sleek coat of a horse beneath my fingers, and the water drained away.

"Ruth, it's alright."

I opened my eyes and saw myself in a beautiful forest. The sunlight percolated through the trees in a golden mosaic on the forest floor.

"Where are we, Aslan?" I asked, amazed.

"This world is called Emeraldia."

"For the lush green everywhere?"

"Yes. And this is where I believe you will be needed most."

"I'm needed?"

Aslan tossed his chestnut-colored head and began to run into the forest. "Dear girl, you have no idea how much you're worth." He whinnied loudly.

Several creatures emerged from the trees to gawk at us as we dashed by. I saw little bears walking on their hind legs stumble out of mounds of earth. Giant squirrels popped out of holes in trees.

In the distance, I saw a glimmer of red hair. It belonged to a girl, watching us with baby blue, frightened eyes. I smiled and waved at her, trying to alleviate her fear, but she remained completely frozen.

"Aslan, where are we going?" I asked, still watching the girl intently.

"The main city," he answered. "We should be there soon."

"But what about her?"

He turned his head slightly to see what I meant. "Oh, I see... don't worry. Once we speak with the king, you can go to her."

"Alright."

The capital city was incredible. Wooden palaces streched towards the sky, nearly as tall as the majestic trees themselves. A beautiful fountain bedecked with hundreds of flowers greeted visitors.

"Aslan! Oh, Aslan!" I quickly jumped off of his back as many people soon flooded the courtyard. However... these weren't humans. They had pointed ears and fairer faces than humans. They were elves!

Aslan seemed to grin... or as much as a horse was anatomically capable of grinning. I was incredibly anxious; I hated crowds, and I was very uncomfortable in new, foreign situations. I remained pressed up against Aslan.

A small boy tugged at my hand, asking me a question in a language I did not know. "Aslan, what did he say?" I asked. "Help me understand."

"You wish to speak their language?" he asked.

"Yes... very much so..." I replied as the little boy continued to stare at me.

Aslan turned his head and breathed in my ear gently. All of a sudden, I understood all I the chatter of the elves. It was a miracle! I only expected Aslan to explain a few words to me, but instead he granted me knowledge of the whole language. I smiled excitedly and turned back to the little boy, getting down on my knee to see eye-to-eye.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked in the newly-understood language.

"Who are you?" he repeated, pulling off my beanie. He gasped and touched my ears in awe. Several of the older children and adults now seemed to notice me. I quickly put my beanie back on, but it was too late.

"Round ears, round ears!"

"Round ears?"

"She looks like us aside from her ears."

"Who is she?"

"Aslan, who have you brought?"

"Ruth, rise," Aslan instructed softly. When I stood, he declared, "This is Ruth Byrne. She has come from another land not unlike your own. She chose to come with me to this world, so that she may assist me in my travels. I am sure that many of you will find her to be a pleasant guest-"

"But Aslan, who is she?"

Aslan paused then. "She is a human."

Everyone's jaws dropped, and they all began to back away from me slowly, save one. He wore an elegant purple robe and a crown of twisted branches.

"Aslan, you know better than anyone what happened the last time anyone other than an Emeraldian was allowed to stay in this world," he hissed.

"Ruth is not Targuea."

The king eyed me coldly. "Maybe not. But I will not risk anything. Aslan, you can sleep in the stables. And she can, too. I trust you to keep an eye on her."

I smiled as warmly and sincerely as I could. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I would be honored to sleep in your stables. If they are even half as majestic as everything else I see, I will be beyond delighted."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Very well, then. Witzen, take them to the stables."