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The wind around the tents picked up as the blossom flew into one tent. It brushed past the cheek of a sleeping boy and awoke him abruptly.
Peter grabbed his sword and wildly pointed it at the culprit, waking Edmund up in the process.
"Be still my princes," the blossom woman said. "I bring grave news from the princess of Narnia and your sisters."
Peter lowered his sword and looked at Edmund.
〰️
The camp was subdued as the news of Aslan's death travelled around. They got on with what they had been doing as it was now certain that the witch would plan to attack.
"She's right," Peter said as he came out of Aslan's tent. "He's gone."
There had been no proof that the lion had been there for the night and Lenna as well had gone but her sword and arrows were still there. Peter was worried that something had happened to her. He had vowed to protect her to Aslan, but now he had let the lion down as she had disappeared in the night. His heart ached with grief of the news.
"Then you'll have to lead us," Edmund said. "Peter there's an army out there and it's ready to follow you."
"I can't!"
"Aslan believed you could," Edmund pointed out. "And so do I."
Peter looked at him with a smile on his face. It meant everything to hear that come from his little brother's mouth. To see his brother safe and beside him as they worked together was something he had wanted for a while.
Edmund returned the smile as Peter looked down at the map of Narnia on the table before him.
"The witch's army is nearing sire, what are your orders?" Oreius said.
〰️
As the sun crept over the stone table, the three girls woke up. Susan and Lucy ached as they sat up. Lenna let out a loud yawning roar as she shook herself awake.
As she looked down at her father, Lenna's heart constricted. She had hoped that when she woke up it would all have been a horrible nightmare but it was so real. He was so cold and it broke Lenna's heart. She placed her head on his heart but there was no sound. No steady beat.
"We should go," Susan said.
"He's so cold," Lucy mumbled as she stroked Aslan's nose.
The two girls stood to their feet before looking at Lenna with sad faces. They were hurting but they couldn't even begin to imagine what Lenna was feeling. She had only just been reunited with him and now he had been taken away from her again. Lenna looked unwilling to leave her father but slowly she got to her feet and jumped down from the stone table.
With one final look at her father, Lenna turned to Susan and Lucy.
"Peter and Edmund will need our help, we should go," she said. Her voice cracked despite her determination to keep it strong.
"Lenna are you sure?" Susan asked her gently, hearing the break in her voice.
"My father wouldn't want me to sit with him when there is a battle we need to fight to save Narnia," Lenna growled. "He died for Narnia, for our people and we can't let him die in vain."
Lucy gave Lenna a gentle stroke behind the ears which made the lioness smile and the three began to walk away. But a sudden wind picked up, whipping past them. All of a sudden, the earth beneath them shook and the three of them fell to their feet. Lenna stood her ground better than Lucy and Susan, her large paws coming in handy.
Suddenly, Lenna felt a rush around her like a wind. It engulfed her in a cold whoosh as the crystal around her neck glowed bright before returning to its original magic colours of blue, pink and white.
"Susan! Lenna!" Lucy cried and the two looked at her to see that she was staring back up at the stone table. The three hurried back to see it empty and cracked in two.
"Where's Aslan?" Lucy asked pitifully.
"What have they done?" Susan said.
Lenna looked to the table. It didn't make any sense. Why should he disappear like that? He was dead was he not? Her heart began beating faster as the sun shot through the clouds and blinded them.
Then a figure appeared in the arch in front of them. Strong, impressive and powerful and very much alive.
"Aslan!" Lucy and Susan cried and they hurried foreword to greet him. Aslan laughed as they hugged him.
Lenna stayed where she was staring at her father. He was alive! Alive! She came running towards him and Susan and Lucy quickly jumped out of the way as Lenna pounced in lion form straight on top of her father. He laughed as he hit the floor and Lenna nudged him happily with her nose.
"I'm so happy you're alive," she said softly as she allowed him to stand up. "Please don't leave me like that again."
"Never," Aslan laughed.
"But we saw the knife! The witch!" Susan exclaimed, a smile on her face.
"If the witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, she would have interpreted the deep magic differently,"Aslan explained. "That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack and even death itself will turn backwards."
"We sent the news that you were dead," Susan said. "Peter and Edmund will have gone to war!"
"We have to help them," Lucy said, pulling her dagger from its sheath.
"We will dear one but not alone," Aslan said raising a paw and forcing her dagger down. "Climb on my back we have a long way to go and little time to get there."
Lucy and Susan exchanged looks excitedly before they climbed into Aslan. As he stood he turned to Lenna.
"I want you to go to the battle," he told her. "I want you to help Peter and Edmund."
"Yes father," Lenna nodded.
"But before you go, I need your help," Aslan chuckled. "You girls may want to cover your ears."
Lucy and Susan clapped their hands over their ears and he looked at Lenna as he opened his mouth and began to roar. Lenna laughed before she joined in and the lion inside her and she too let out a roar worthy of a princess.
