Whisked Away

41. The Stone Knife

Shifra's POV
As a new day came to a close after my conversation with Eustace, we spotted land over our starboard bow. The sky had turned into the most beautiful sunset any of us had ever seen. As we came nearer and nearer to the island, we rounded point after point to find a deep bay to land, but in the end a shallow, wide bay had to be excepted.

"Lower the long boats," Caspian ordered. All of us, apart from Lord Rhoop who wished to see no more islands, landed and began to round.

This island had no mountains and was all rolling hills and glades. As we were walking on, the voice of Drinian asked, "What is that?" For now there had risen before us a tall shadow. As the others began to speculate, I felt fear consume me. I knew not why, but something deep inside me told me that I was afraid of this place. As I stared in fear, everyone else had begun to move on, causing me to move on with them.

I heard Lucy's guess that it was a ruin, but something inside me doubted that was what it was. As we came nearer and nearer my fear only grew until we came upon a table. Grey pillars rose around us as we all looked at the table. A rich crimson cloth  covered the table and on it lay piles and piles of food. Stone chairs were placed in spots around the entire table. I looked along the table as everyone looked at the three Telmarine lords at the end of the table, but my breath caught in my throat as I saw a stone knife. The Stone Knife.

I began to shake as I looked at it. My breath was forced and ragged, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. My chest felt tight and constricted as I tried to breathe. Everyone began saying they needed to get back on board, but I was frozen. The voices became only a soft buzzing in my ears as I stared at it.
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Eustace's POV
As everyone else examined and talked about the sleepers, I looked back down the table and saw Shifra. She was staring intently at the table with an expression I could only describe as fear. "Ed," I said, lightly hitting his arm, "I'd Shifra alright?"

He looked back at her and replied, "I don't know. What is she staring at?"

I had no answer for him, but her voice said, "I must go."

"What, why?" Caspian asked.

"I-I need to g-go," she stammered. "I shall see you all soon. Afterwards." I had just turned my back when I saw a woman approach us. The woman.
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Lilianduil's POV
I had been informed by my father that the Narnian's had arrived. I look up my candle and walked out to see them. I carried my candle and walked out to the table to see that none had eaten any of the food that was set out. "Travelers who have come from far to Aslan's table," I said, "Why do you not eat and drink?" I looked at General Shifra who seemed to have frozen at the sight of me.

"Madam," replied one. He was handsome and I saw kindness shine out of his eyes. "We feared the food because we thought it had cast your friends into an enchanted sleep."

"They have never tasted it," I replied with a small laugh.

"Please," said a girl who I took to be the Queen Lucy, "What happened to them?"

"Seven years ago they came here in a ship whose sails were rags and her timbers ready to fall apart. There were few others with them, sailors, and when they came to this table," I explained. I told them the rest of the tale and told them, "As they quarreled he took up the Knife of Stone which lies there on that table and would have fought with his comrades." I saw the kind looking man, I assumed Caspian, glance at General Shifra.

"What is this Knife of Stone?" a boy asked.

"Do none of you know it?" I asked, surprised.

Queen Lucy replied, "I-I think I've seen something like it before. It was the knife like it that the White Witch used when she killed Aslan a-and Shifra at the Stone Table long ago." All eyes had landed on the General, whose back still faced us all. I saw that she was shaking feverishly, but before any word could be spoken to her, she stretched out her great wings and flew off.

Caspian made to go after her, but a dark-headed boy said, "Caspian, let me."

"But Edmund," he retorted.

"King Caspian," I said, "my father wishes to speak with you." I watched as Caspian hesitantly let King Edmund go after her.
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Edmund's POV
I made my way down to the beach and saw Shifra sitting on a rock, still shaking slightly. When I had come up behind her, her voice which sounded rather hoarse said, "Caspian, please just go."

"It's me, not Caspian," I replied. She turned back to face me before looking back over the ocean. "What's wrong? Was it the knife?"

She shook her head and more tears fell. "The knife did unsettle me, but it is not the source of my tears."

I sat down on the rock which was quite a large one, and asked gently, "So then what is it?"

"A-Aslan told me t-that I can't be the one to marry C-Caspian," she admired, more tears falling. "It would change too much."

"What are you talking about? He can't just fall out of love with you," I said, confused.

"No, he can't, but should he somehow forget about me, how he feels for me, then he could move on. He is meant to marry Lilianduil."

I could not help but scoff a little as I replied, "But you just said it, he can't just forget. Unless..." A sudden thought had just struck me. "No." She nodded her head as if to confirm my suspicions. "Will he wipe your memory as well? How could any of this be the same?"

"Aslan is going to clear both our minds and those that know of it, possibly even yours and Lucy's," she said. There we sat for the rest of the night.  Hour or so later her tears had stopped, but I could tell that she was downcast and sad.
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Shifra's POV
When the light began to dance across the sky it seemed to me to be a sad and slow dance. The light started at the sun and began to move slowly across the sky, but it seemed almost dull to me now. I had not planned on telling anyone about what Aslan had told me, but really I just wished he would just wipe our memories now. Edmund had left me a few moments before, saying that Caspian would begin looking for us, but promising to keep him away from where I was as long as he could.

I heard a deep sigh from behind me. It came out almost like a soft growl. "If it truest is your wish I can go ahead and do it now."

I turned back to look at the great lion behind me, but I could not bring myself to say much except, "Will I feel it? This pain, this downcast feeling?"

"No, in your mind and his he will only be a friend of yours, not a lover. It will be as it was when you first began to know him," was the reply.

Tears began to flow again as I whispered, "Just do it, now. Please."

"As you wish, child." I felt a deep breath hit me and the ring on my finger disintegrated with all of those memories with Caspian.
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Caspian's POV
As father and daughter sang and the sun rose I was thinking of Shifra. Then it all seemed to slip away. I looked over at the singing pair and thought. Why, isn't she a beauty. I had never seen a woman so beautiful and she was kind. She smiled at me as she sang and I felt a little pull at my heart. Butterflies swirled in my abdomen as I watched and listened to her sing.