The Early Chronicles Book Three: Narnia and the North

Chapter 12

Laurel shivered for the thousandth time in the pouring rain.  Thunder and lightning flashed above them, making the situation look even more hopeless.  Thasian was just as wet as she was but he looked at her with a pitied expression from the other side of the cart.  He finally seemed to surrender and scooted over next to her and put his arms around her and held her tight.  Laurel relished his warmth and the safe feeling she had when he was holding her even though his closeness was a painful reminder of what she couldn't have.

"How are they going to find us?"  She said desperately.  Inside she had given up much of her hope.  

"Don't worry.  We're going to get out of this."  He looked up at the Giant still pulling the cart in front of them, then he lowered his head back down to Laurel's.  "I was able to get the lock loose."  He whispered.  Laurel lifted her head.

"What?  Really?"  She did remember his arms dangling over where the lock was.  He must have still been fiddling with it and she hadn't been paying attention.  It still slightly pained her to look at him.

"We just have to wait for the right moment to jump out."

"But how will we find the others once we do get loose?"

Thasian sighed and Laurel realized he hadn't thought that part through yet.  "We'll just have to wait until the storm stops so we can have a better grip on where we are."

This still didn't ease Laurel's mind, but the first pressing matter was when to get out.  The scenery around them at the moment was far too vast and open for them to get away without the Giant seeing them.  Perhaps they would pass through some areas with many boulders and caves for them to hide in, or a denser forest.  Laurel's adrenaline began to rush and it was torturous to sit and wait helplessly, but they had no choice.  She sighed and leaned into Thasian even though she knew she mustn't.  

"Thasian, please believe me when I say I'm sorry."  

"Let's not talk about it now."

"When would we talk about it?"  Laurel raised her head and looked at him.  His arms were still around her but he looked straight ahead.  

"I understand your reasoning.  I cannot fault you for it."  But his tone of voice did not seem convinced.  

"You are still angry with me."

"I love you, Laurel."  This time Thasian looked at her and Laurel saw moisture in his eyes among the rain on his face.  Laurel's heart thumped in her chest and her breath came quicker.  He loved her?  She thought back to the first day they had spent together.  He was so attentive, so pleasant to talk to, so eager to be by her side.  He had saved her from the river and always been by her side to make sure she was safe.  The way he looked at her... Did she love him back?  Did she understand what that felt like?  She did not love Count Nevan, but Thasian made her feel safe and wanted.  He had a loving heart and a caring personality.  He made her laugh and he was a perfect gentleman.  The thought of leaving him forever and being married to someone like the count made her heart feel like it would snap.  She looked at him and realized warm tears of her own were pouring down her cheek and mixing with the rain.

"I love you too.  I can't marry Count Nevan.  I won't marry him.  My parents will understand when I tell them."  She wasn't so sure of the last bit, but she knew her parents loved her and wanted her to be happy.  She would explain that she could never be happy with Count Nevan.

Thasian looked at her with gratefulness in his eyes and lightly brushed his fingers over her cheek, sending a warm and fuzzy tingling through her.  She realized he seemed to be leaning closer, and her breath began to quicken and her heart beat wildly.  When his face was mere inches from hers, a sudden bump in the cart sent them both sprawling across the wood.  Thasian looked around and saw they were now riding through a small glade of trees.  Not too thick of a forest, but it had enough trees to provide shelter and enough shadows for them to hide in.  He seemed to signal to Laurel with his eyes and looked in front of them at the Giant.  He was still pulling the cart and looking straight ahead through the storm.  Thasian fingered with the lock until it came loose in his hands.  He shook the door loose and looked at the Giant again, who still had his back turned to them.