High Queen Layla, It Has a Nice Ring to It

As they embarked on their journey, Layla began to feel faint. She tripped a few times and stumbled every few seconds, and after a few minutes of her constant stumbling, Peter told her to climb on his back.

Layla only argued for a minute until she had another dizzy spell. Finally she climbed onto his back and almost immediately the visions began.

The first one was in a little hut with a man a dwarf and... A badger?

“Since when did we open a boarding house for Telmarine Soldiers?” The dwarf said.

“I’m not a soldier.” The man said with offense, “I am Prince Caspian. The Tenth.”

There seems to be a silent gasp from the badger and the dwarf.

“What are you doing here?” the dwarf asked.

The man, Caspian, looked sad as he answered. “Running away.” This surprised the two others. “My Uncle has always wanted my throne.” He strolled over putting the fire poker that Layla had missed before in a little case. “I suppose I have only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own.” He said watching the fire.

The scene switched then to another night. Peter and herself were missing from the scene, while Susan and Lucy were asleep, and down by the water was Yvainne, her feet dangling above the water, Edmund approached her slowly.

“Where do you think Peter and Layla are?” Yvainne asked him as he came to sit next to her.

“Probably off either arguing or finally realizing how much they love each other.” Edmund said with a disgusted face that matched Yvainne’s.

“You never answered my question before, about if you had anyone you cared for.” Yvainne pointed out then.

Edmund looked away then with a disappointed look on his face. “I was hoping you had forgotten.” He told her.

“There’s a reason Layla calls me the Elephant. I have an amazing memory.” Yvainne told him with a smile. “Now tell me.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea. She’ll never like me anyways.” Edmund muttered his eyes on the river.

“Any girl who doesn’t like you is a fool. You’re amazing and sweet, and you know how to make anyone feel special. If she doesn’t like you, that’s her loss I say. You’re one to be held ont—”

Yvainne never finished her sentence, because his lips were on hers then, keeping any other words from coming out, and for a few minutes Layla was forced to watch her little sister make out with Edmund.

The scene changed again.

Peter and she were walking through a hallway talking, and flirting and all that, dare she say that he kissed her and held her hand as well, and they were fine.

Finally, the scene changed once more.

She was walking through halls with the Pevensies, her sister, and Caspian. Layla was standing beside Peter both anxious and nervous about where they were going. For some reason she was finding comfort in being next to him.

They entered through a door way and Caspian walked over to something, lowering his torch to it. Layla had jumped when whatever it was lit on fire, her hand finding it's way to Peter's.

When the room was fully lit Layla couldn't believe her eyes.

“Jared? Carissa?”

Layla stared in shock at her long lost brother and sister.

~*~

Yvainne watched the scenery around her with interest, as she sat next to Edmund, her sister lying in front of her, feet in her lap. Edmund looked around with a look like a baby with something new and shiny in front of them. She couldn’t help but smile.

Peter was rowing, every once in a while he’d give himself a break from taking in the scenery and look down at the face of the girl who’s head was in his lap.

Lucy and Susan were looking around, Lucy with a sad face, and Susan with a face that was filled to the brink with different emotions, varying between sadness and excitement, fear and curiosity.

“They’re so still.” Lucy said sadly. Her eyes directed to the trees.

The dwarf followed her line of sight. “They’re trees. What’d you expect?” Edmund looked at him then, wondering why he would say that.

“They used to dance.” She told him.

“Wasn’t long after you left that the Telmarines invaded. Those who survived retreated to the woods. And the trees, they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven’t been heard from since.” He informed them. Yvainne looked at him with a surprised expression.

“I don’t understand. How could Aslan have let this happen?” Lucy asked.

“Aslan? Thought he abandoned us when you lot did.” The dwarf replied.

“Geesh, There’s no need to be so pessimistic.” Yvainne muttered.

The Pevensies all looked at him, Peter looked the most hurt. “We didn’t mean to leave, you know.”

As if on cue Layla muttered, “’snot the Kings or Queens fault,” Everyone looked at her with surprise before turning back to the dwarf.

“Makes no difference now, does it?” The dwarf said sadly.

“Get us to the Narnians...” Peter began looking back at him one last time before turning back to Layla, “and it will.”

~*~

When Layla awoke, she found herself on a boat, her head in Peter’s lap, and her feet in her sister’s. Slowly she sat up.

“Welcome back to reality, Layla.” Edmund chuckled, Layla stuck her tongue out at him, which caused him to laugh more.

“What happened?” Layla asked her sister softly.

“You passed out as soon as you were on Peter’s back.” She told her with a small smile before leaning closer. “What’d you see?” she asked softly.

“I’ll tell you later.” She told her as they pulled onto the sand of a new beach.

Yvainne and Lucy walked closer to the forest as the older kids pulled the boat onto the sand further.

“Hello, there.” Lucy said, in greeting to a bear. Layla turned around with the other three and let out a yelp of fright at seeing the young girl so close to such a savage creature.

The bear looked over at her and stood on its hind legs, grunting.

“It’s all right. We’re friends.” Lucy said as if trying to reassure him.

The bear fell onto all fours and looked as though he was about to charge.

The dwarf suddenly shouted, “Don’t move, Your Majesty!”

Lucy turned around just in time to miss that the bear was running straight for her.

She turned back once and began to run, Yvainne with her, while the others all ran for their weapons.

“Stay away from her!” Susan shouted in warning drawing her bow.

The bear continued to charge as Layla armed her own bow and aimed, Lucy tripped and fell onto the sand as Edmund yelled, “Shoot, Susan! Shoot!”

Susan kept the bow and just as Lucy screamed Layla let her arrow go; guiding it with her magic straight for the bear’s heart. When the bear was on the ground dead Lucy turned towards them to find Susan and the dwarf lowering their loaded bow’s while Layla dropped hers to the ground and rushed over to the two girls, grabbing both of them and pulling them into a hug. “Oh my goodness, thank god you’re all right.” She said through heavy breaths as she held them close to her.

“Why wouldn’t he stop?” Susan asked confused.

“I suspect he was hungry.” The dwarf replied walking towards the bear with a knife drawn.

The boys were the next to rush over, Peter helping Layla up, who in turn helped Lucy up, and Edmund helping Yvainne up. Both boys kept their swords to the bear, with the other arm around one of the Wynter girls, Layla had her left arm around Lucy holding her to her protectively, while her other one was around Peter holding him as a way to stay standing.

The dwarf approached the bear, as Lucy looked up to the girl who had saved her. “Thanks.” She told Layla with a small smile on her face.

“Anytime, you’re like another little sister to me.” Layla told her with a smile of her own, squeezing her shoulder.

“He was wild.” Edmund said in astonishment as the dwarf began to poke and prod the animal, making sure it was dead, more than likely.

“I don’t think he could talk at all.” Peter said, his voice clouded with curiosity.

“Get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that’s what you become.” The dwarf said as her drew his dagger. “You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.” As the dwarf cut into the bear, Lucy gasped and hid her face in Layla and Peter, starting to cry. Layla stroked her hair softly, letting her cry and trying to comfort her.

Layla looked at the bear and had to hide her own face in Peter to keep any tears from falling.

It was a truly horrific sight to see any animal killed.

And even worse of a sight when you were the person who had killed it.