The Great Cat's Daughter

Previously on The Great Cats Daughter:

I slowed Orion down close to the edges of the woods. I dismounted and then rubbed his neck whilst whispering."Go back to Trumpkins, you know the way. Be safe and remain unseen by any Telmarines." I told him in which he complied running off back into the woods. I turned and ran outside the forest changing mid-stride into a golden eagle and flying off towards the castle.

The sun was beginning to set by the time I arrived at the castle, I tilted my wings to direct me to an open window on the east side. I had been coming here for a very long time now to spy on the dealings of the Telmarines, I would go to the professors study once a month when I was around the castle and he would share with me all sorts of gossip, hardly anything of importance but I know he would be appalled if he found out he had talked to me all these years instead of a simple eagle. I started visiting him a few years before he began tutoring Caspian and it was a shock on his part when an eagle flew in his study unexpected one day perching itself on his window. I think the reason I visit him so much is because I'm lonely, sure I have friends in the forest but I had no human friends like the Pevensies. Just thinking about them caused a pain in my chest as my heart constricted.

When he started tutoring Caspian, the prince was quite taken with me and asked the professor for my name, which he had never given me so the young Caspian who had just started learning about the tales of Narnia named me Aurora after the daughter of Aslan who could supposedly turn into an eagle. If only he knew.

I flew in through the window and landed softly on the cold floor of the halls. I looked around for the guards but didn't see any around and quickly changed into my human form. I leaned my back up against the wall and looked around the corner, no one was there so I kept heading through the halls when I heard a women screaming. I followed the directions and hid in the shadows as a woman ran into the room where the screaming was coming from carrying towels. Soon the screaming stopped and a woman came out of the room gesturing the man guarding the door.

"General Glozelle...It is a boy." The women whispered and I had to strain my ears just to hear her.

General Glozelle nodded his head and when I looked closer he almost looked... sad? Then the women left back into the room where I had just deducted Prunaprismia had given birth to a son.

Glozelle left his post at the door and I silently followed behind him. He opened up the door at the end of the hallway leaving it open. I hid behind it as he walked inside the room. I followed his actions and watched as he walked closer to Miraz who was looking out the window in the dark night.

"Lord Miraz, you have a son." Glozelle announced.

Miraz sighed before answering. "The heavens have blessed us. … You know your orders, General Glozelle."

"Yes, my lord." Glozelle said turning around to leave the room as I hid further in the shadows again before following him.

As Glozelle walked down the halls he was joined by other soldiers the first one carrying two cross bows and handing one to Glozelle. Eventually I ended up following at least 15 men and they were all headed to Caspian's chambers. Realizing what they were about to do I threw myself out the window and switched into my eagle form flying around the castle to Caspian's window to warn him.

Turns out I wasn't needed because when I got there the professor was shoving him inside the wardrobe to the secret passage way. not a second to soon as Glozelle and his men entered the room and surround Caspian's bed, and began firing arrows. They stop and through the shredded canopy and feathers flying everywhere see that the bed is empty. Glozelle orders his men to find Caspian but I don't stay there any longer and fly down to the stables where I see Cornelius standing there watching Caspian leave. I landed on his shoulder careful of my talons.

He gave me a small smile before speaking to me. "Watch over him."

I bowed my head in acknowledgment and took off after Caspian who was being pursued by Glozelle and his soldiers on horseback. Fireworks lit up the night sky as a crier announces the birth of Caspian's cousin. I stayed high in the sky following them from above. Passing through fields until Caspian entered the shuttering woods Glozelle following after him but he stopped and turned around when he realized his men weren't following him. Are they really that superstitious? And I thought Telmarines soldiers were supposed to be brave, silly cowards. I continued following Caspian as he went through the river. I smirked when some of the soldiers fell off their mounts and were washed away. It seemed the river-god favored Caspian.

I flew lower and into the trees to keep track of the prince. Everything was fine until he looked back to see if he was followed and didn't see the branch until he was knocked off his horse. His foot was stuck in the stirrup so his horse was dragging him away. If the situation wasn't so serious then I would be laughing at him. After a struggle, he managed to get his foot out of the stirrup.

I set myself in a tree above him now realizing where we were, the tree home inhabited by my friends Trumpkin, Truffle-hunter and Nekebrik. I watched Caspian as he lied there for a while, staring up at the sky and then sits up. He looks around him but doesn't seem to think anything is wrong exactly the way we wanted it. Suddenly, the door in the tree on his right opened. The two dwarfs stepped out and noticed Caspian.

"He has seen us!" Nekabrik yelled.

Trumpkin drew his sword and runs toward Caspian. Then he stops and I don't know why. I flew down for a closer look and was astonished at seeing Susan's horn lying on the ground. I could hear the sound of the soldiers approaching us, but I couldn't take my eyes away from the horn.

"Take care of him!" Trumpkin said to Nekebrik.

Trumpkin rushed towards the Telmarines with his sword drawn. I would have helped him but I was distracted when Caspian grabbed the horn…

"No!" Nikabrik yelled but Caspian blew it anyways and Nikabrik hit him in the head knocking him unconscious. Just as I was feeling. I tried to stay in the air but I felt dizzy and I was plummeting to the earth and dreamed a strange dream...

I was in a strange tunnel with people wearing strange clothes walking as if I wasn't there. I looked down where my hands would be and saw nothing. I was empty space but still there. I looked around me when the tunnel started shaking and the tiles ripped off the walls. A strange metal beast came charging past; it looked like one of the things Lucy had once described to me. A twain? Tain? Something along those lines.

I looked through the windows of the twain and saw a very Narnian looking beach. I looked to my right and saw the four Pevensie children holding hands and looking at the twain. I moved or walked towards them as I was solidifying but more like a most. I reminded myself of the dryads I hadn't seen in over 900 years. I came to stand beside Lucy as the bricks were pulled away. I felt a strange pressure on my right hand and saw Lucy holding the empty space like she could actually feel me. She looked down at her hand curiously but turned her attention back in front of her as the luggage, the seat, the platform and the station completely vanish. The four children and I found ourselves on a Narnian beach. They stepped out into the sunlight and I walked with them. Susan and Lucy smiled at each other, and then ran off with Peter and Edmund following. I smiled after them happy they were back in Narnia. At least I hoped this dream was not a dream and in fact real and something I really was seeing...

I woke up on the soft furs in front of the familiar fireplace in Trufflehunters home. That dream... It seemed so real. I brushed it off as my silly imagination and I stood up and groaned, I felt very sore and I don't recall ever voluntarily changing into my lioness form which I was now in. Or maybe I had done so as I was plummeting to the earth. I stretched out and looked around the room as Truffle hunter came in holding a bowl of water.

"What happened? Why am I so sore?" I asked before drinking out of the dish.

"As soon as he blew the horn you fell out of the sky but at the last second you changed into your lioness form." Trufflehunter explained once I finished with the water.

"Lucky for you. Unlucky for us." Nikabrik said coming into the room.

"And why is that?" I asked confused.

"Have you ever tried lifting a lioness?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "Have you ever seen a dwarf lift one?"

"I can't say that I have no. I'm guessing heavy." I replied cheekily. "I'm just lucky I had two great friends like you to carry me in." I said smiling as they looked around the room and Truffle hunter scratched his head.

"Well... We badgers are not known for our strength." He said to me and my smile dropped as I realized why I was so sore.

"You dragged me in here?" I practically screamed at them. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. "Well considering how sore I am let's just saying that you didn't do a very good job of dragging."

"Now tell me where is Trumpkin?" I asked them looking around the room and not seeing him.

They both just looked at me sadly. Trufflehunters was the one who ended up answering. "He went to fight off the soldiers as Nikabrik and I brought you and the soldier inside. He managed to kill a few of them now at the bottom of a ravine... However he was captured by three of the others who left soon after afraid of us." He explained.

"So he's been captured." I elaborated. When they nodded I smiled again. "Well that's great news then. It means he's still alive and we can go rescue him." I said and changed into human form and made my way to the door.

"Are you forgetting something?" Truffle hunter asked.

"Your right. We will need rations. Thanks for reminding me." I said as I went to the pantry.

"No. This." Trufflehunter said and I turned towards him seeing in his hands Susan's horn.

I stopped what I was doing and carefully took it from his hands. I remembered now, that idiot Caspian had blown the horn. There was a prophecy that when this horn was blown it could call our kings and queens of old. I don't know where these prophecies come from but if it meant what it was supposed to then I was excited but also upset. If Trumpkin were here I would know exactly what he would say. "What do you think you're doing Aurora going off to rescue me when the kings and queens will be arriving?" Maybe not exactly like that it might be more like. "What do you think you're doing Aurora? Getting ready to rescue me when you should be getting ready for the kings and queens that I don't believe exist even though I know you exist."

I nodded to Trufflehunter knowing he was right, I would make sure that Trumpkins sacrifice was not in vain. I took the horn from his hand and ran my hand over it gently. It had been lost many years ago and to be holding it in my hands now was a true miracle. I set it gently on the table again as Nikabrik and Trufflehunters when back to what they were doing with the food. I changed into my eagle form as I often did when I was sad or upset. The dream I had seemed so very real, was it possible it as real? Maybe father had shown it to me and the Pevensies were really here now. I dont see why he couldnt have just sent me words like he did when they left, but no had to be dramatic. Things never happen the same way twice, he would say. Well its been 1300 years a simple hello, how are you daughter of mine? Would be nice. I couldnt really blame him for his absence, I was needed here and he was needed elsewhere... Cant say where exactly as I am technically his daughter here in Narnia only. But that was only because it was the deep magic of Narnia that had created me.

"This bread is so stale." Nikabrik complained.

"I'll just get him some soup then." Trufflehunters replied not affected by Nikabriks rudeness. We were used to it by now.

"You said you were going to get rid of him." Nikabrik complained obviously not liking the fact that a Telmarine was in the home.

"No, I said I'd take care of him." Trufflehunter replied.

"I think he misinterpreted." I said to them and then changed into my eagle form, halting me from speaking any further,

"Well, I don't think I hit him hard enough." Nikabrik continued.

"Nikabrik, he's just a boy!" Trufflehunter scolded him, appalled at the idea.

"He's a Telmarine, not some lost puppy!" Nikabrik replied.

"We can't kill him now, not after bandaging his head. It would be like murdering a guest." Trufflehunter said to him.

"Ah and how do you think his friends are treating their guest?" He replied coldly and I felt a stinging in my heart and hung my head sadly.

"Trumpkin knew what he was doing" Was Trufflehunters soft reply.

Suddenly Caspian came rushing into the room and bolted to the door making Trufflehunter drop the bowl of soup. Nikabrik was quick to stand in Caspian's way with a sword but Caspian pulled a hot poker from the fire and blocks his blows.

"See? I told you we should've killed him!" Nikabrik said to us while pointing his sword at Caspian.

"You know why we can't!" Trufflehunter defended.

"If you're taking a vote, I'm with him." Caspian replied looking in Trufflehunters direction,

"We can't let him go! He has seen us!" Nikabrik replied and started swinging his sword a few more times with Caspian blocking his blows again.

"That's enough, Nikabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again?" Trufflehunter said to him making me smirk, that's a sight to see and was not an empty threat. Though Trufflehunter didn't look it he could hold his own in a fight if he really needed to.

"Now, look what you made me do! I spent half the morning on that soup." Trufflehunter said to Caspian cleaning up the spilled soup and bowl in the floor.

"Who-what are you?" Caspian stuttered out looking between them.

"It's funny. You'd think more people would recognize a badger when they saw one." Trufflehunter replied smirking at him.

"No, I mean… You're Narnia's. You're supposed to be extinct." Caspian elaborated.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Nikabrik said to him with anger in his tone. Anger I could understand, we had all lost much because of the Telmarines and having one in his home made there be no reason Nikabrik should be happy.

"Here we are. Still hot." Trufflehunter aid returning with more suits.

"Since when did we become a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers?" Nikabrik said to him.

"I'm not a soldier! I'm Prince Caspian… the tenth." Caspian shouted defending himself.

"What are you doing here?" Nikabrik asked looking at Caspian surprised.

"Running away. My uncle has always wanted my throne. I suppose I have only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own." Caspian explained looking down sadly.

"Well, this changes things." Trufflehunter said looking over at me from behind Caspian.

"Yes… It means we won't have to kill you ourselves." Nikabrik continued as I glared at him.

"You're right." Caspian said walking over to his armor and putting it on.

"Where are you going?" Trufflehunter asked him just as confused as I was.

"My uncle will not stop until I am dead." Caspian said to him as he finished putting on his armor and walking to the door,

"Wait, you're meant to save us! Don't you know what this is?" Trufflehunter asked carrying the horn and staring at Caspian. He shook his head and as Trufflehunter explained with a few rude comments from Nikabrik thrown in. I leapt from my spot on the table and landed on Caspian's shoulder to give him some support as he looked quite upset and then surprised when he saw me. He gave me a soft smile that made my stomach flip. But it wasnt unpleasant. What is happening to me?