Awaiting Redemption

The sun hadn’t risen yet when Caspian woke me up by gently shaking me awake. I quickly bathed and changed into a purple gown before walking downstairs to meet him in the plaza. Standing beside Caspian was an old man who was rather short and stubby.

“Andrea, this is my tutor, Doctor Cornelius. He will show you to his study where he has stored several Old Narnian artifacts. Hopefully, you’ll find what you left behind. I’m going to go inform the rest of our party, I’ll see you at the stables in ten minutes.”

I nodded and followed Cornelius to his study, a room whose plentiful shelves were filled with books upon books. Several candelabras lit the haven and curtains were pulled aside to reveal tables displaying globes, lamps, medieval era pieces of artwork and other unique treasures.

Cornelius walked over to a trunk lying beneath an alcove and opened it with a key that was hanging around his neck, hidden underneath his cloak. He knelt down to be able to better peruse through the trunk and then he turned around and asked, “What exactly was it you were looking for, Dame?”

“A chain mail full-length gown, and a dagger with engravings along the length of the blade.”

He pulled out and lined up on a nearby table several necklaces on mannequin heads, canes, scarves, other royal remnants, and staffs, but no sort of weaponry or armor was to be found in the trunk. I looked over at the table and the shimmer of the material of one of the necklaces caught my eye. I walked over to it and lifted it with the tips of my fingers, thinking in my mind that the piece was oddly thick in comparison to the other jewelry prominent in Old Narnian times.

I furrowed my eyebrow as I noticed the chain of the necklace began to unravel as I twisted it between my fingers; the wrinkles of confusion etched upon my forehead disappeared as I recognized the pattern of chain in the necklace. I hastily removed the necklace from its holder and placed it around my neck, stretching the chain down until it reached a certain point where it recognized its own place and unraveled on its own. The necklace was, in reality, the charmed chain mail gown—with time, it shriveled to a point where none but its recipient would have realized its worth.

“Astonishing.”

I lifted my gaze from the bottom hem of the gown to Cornelius’s own stunned countenance.

“All these years I marveled over each and every artifact in that trunk and with a single Old Magic touch, the necklace transforms right before my very eyes,” Cornelius cried, tears of joy threatening to spill from his eyes. “Oh, you’ve made an old man very happy.”

I smiled and patted him on the shoulder before asking him about my dagger. He shook his head.

“Have you looked where the rest of the Kings and Queens of Old belongings had been stored?”

“We were there, but I didn’t think to look. Thank you, Cornelius. I should be going now.”

“Of course, please do come back and share your stories with me. I’d love to hear your side of things.”

I took a deep breath, knowing exactly what he was referencing, and nodded. On my way out I noticed Susan’s arrows in their holder, leaning against the wall. I picked them up and hoisted them over my shoulder, waving a final goodbye to Cornelius. Rhindon was holstered at my waist and my gown of chain mail was fitted firmly to my body. Caspian was waiting for me, already saddled and mounted on his horse. I swiftly climbed onto my own stallion before we swiftly began our quest to Aslan’s How.

As long as you’re fearless, Andrea, nothing can harm you while you’re wearing this gown.

We made our way through the cracks and crevices of the destroyed underground passageway before finally making it to what would have been the foyer of the How. As soon as I emerged from the tunnel, through which I volunteered to crawl through first, I knew something was wrong. The equipment and lanterns were still in place, still lit… but something had changed.

I looked at the floor and noticed paw prints and drag marks all along the dusty pathways. I walked cautiously toward the equipment to find that the wheels were slowing to a halt, and the handles were covered in significantly less dust than the body of the machine. A shuffling noise emitted from the dark hallway leading to the stone table, and that’s when I knew.

“Caspian,” I called out, unsheathing Rhindon. “We’ve got company. So hurry your royal highness up!”

I grabbed a lantern and rushed down the hall to the stone table, following the muffled shuffling of whatever was running away. The corridor was dark, lit only by the lantern’s glow; up ahead there was a curve approaching, beyond which was the faint radiance only a larger fire could create.

I ran faster toward the fire, hoping to catch a glimpse of the creature I was chasing. As I turned the corner, I saw nothing but a glimmer of silver fly toward me. My eyes widened as I realized it was an arrow headed straight for my head. However, before I could react by ducking, or… I don’t know, running the other way, the arrow swerved drastically to the right and lodged itself in the dirt walls of the cave.

I smirked. The gown still worked after all. I looked around and found a hag with a bow raised at me. Her head was tilted in awe. I was an unsuspecting, frozen target… how did she miss?

I broke the arrow out of the wall and let it fall to the ground.

“My turn,” I said, replacing Rhindon with Lucy’s dagger and flexing my fingers around the handle before throwing the blade with all my might at the hag. It hit her square in the forehead, causing her body to fall to the floor with a loud thud. I grimaced at the sight.

“Andrea!”

“Over here!” I shouted back to Caspian before I walked over to the fallen body of the witch.

Kneeling down, I removed the dagger from her head and wiped off the blade on her cloak. I turned the body over carefully and found the remaining shard of the White Witch’s staff safely tucked inside the hag’s arrow container. I pulled it out and, just before I was about to secure it in the vestiges of my own gown, I heard someone yell, “Andrea, watch out!”

I looked to the passageway to see Caspian shoved aside by a Narnian soldier wielding a bow and arrow. I turned all the way around just in time to see a black dwarf about to swing his ax down. I dove out of the way as the soldier released his arrow, hitting the dwarf in the neck as the ax blade hit the ground.

At this point, all I could think of was the fact that I hadn't realized I had been snuck up on. How did I not notice he was right there the whole time? My breathing became heavy and fast-paced as I held back silent sobs. I closed my eyes trying to steady the escaping gasps when I realized what I still held in the palm of my hands.

“We have to go,” I said, standing up quickly and wiping the dust from my gown.

“Wait, what? Are you alright?” Caspian asked, coming over to me and resting his hand on my shoulder. “Andrea, sit down. Take a moment.”

I shrugged off his hand.

“We don’t have a moment,” I said, thrusting the remainder of the Witch’s staff into his sight. “They will be back for this. We have to go now.”

Caspian’s eyes widened at the sight of the glass shard. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded and led the way back out the tunnel. The soldiers followed him as Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, and I brought up the rear with a steady jog. Everyone crawled hastily through the tunnel and pretty soon, Trumpkin and I were the only two left in the How.

“After you, Dame.”

“No,” I insisted, “After you.”

“Now is not the time for petty arguments,” Trumpkin grumbled. “You too are a daughter of Adam, and as thus, must make it to the others safely. They could use your blood to bring back the White Witch. Take the staff and go.”

I let out a sigh and nodded. Sheathing Rhindon and the staff in my belt, I knelt by the tunnel and then turned around.

“Fine,” I said, smiling slightly. “But I’m going backwards through this tunnel just in case you need some assistance in the very near future.”

Trumpkin nodded and turned his back to me, watching for any sign of intruders. I lowered my body through the tunnel and began to inch my way backward. When I was about halfway through the tunnel, I looked up to see Trumpkin making his way toward me. He merely shrugged as if to suggest no one was following us, so I continued backing out of the tunnel.

My feet had just made it to the other side of the tunnel when growling could be heard from the other end. Trumpkin and I froze in our places. Hurried paws had entered the burrow and were gaining speed.

I tried to crawl faster but my dress wouldn’t allow rushed movements, so I focused more on trying to make bigger strides. By the time my hips were out of the passageway, the wolf had caught up to us and had bitten down on Trumpkin's right boot, dragging him back to the other side of the tunnel. I quickly caught hold of Trumpkin’s left arm with my left hand and held onto him, trying to keep him from being pulled away; however, the stronger I held on, the deeper the wolf sunk his teeth into Trumpkin, causing Trumpkin to cry out in anguish.

“Andrea, is everything alright?” I heard Caspian ask from behind me.

I couldn't reach back to unsheath Rhindon because I wouldn't be able to turn the blade around in the small width of the tunnel. Lucy's dagger wouldn't reach the wolf. The wolf pulled and pulled and, if we're being completely honest, I was beginning to panic.

Think, Andrea… you were invited to Narnia because of your battle strategies in the first place.

Without letting go of Trumpkin, I thrust my right arm forward from its steadying position against the wall and unsheathed Trumpkin’s sword, using his blade to jab the nose of the wolf. The wolf instantly let go Trumpkin’s foot and both Trumpkin and I were able to keep the creature at bay through Trumpkin’s kicks and my sword thrusts. Eventually, the wolf gave a final snarl before retreating to the How.

“Caspian,” I called out. “Pull.”

“Pardon?”

“Pull us out of here!” I screamed.

A pair of hands enclosed around my exposed ankles hesitantly and pulled me, still holding onto Trumpkin, out of the tunnel. I stood up, re-adjusted my dress, and looked around. I spotted a boulder that would fit perfectly over the entrance to the tunnel and walked over to it.

“We need to move this,” I said, pointing down at the rock, “over there.”

Two of the soldiers moved to handle the task and once it was completed, we all made haste towards the concrete slab that led us out from below ground. I mounted the stallion, checked on the glass shard (it was still sheathed on my belt), and moved my horse next to Caspian’s.

“Hey,” I said.

Caspian looked up, adjusting the reins in his hands.

“Thanks,” I started, “For pulling me out of that.”

He offered a small smile and nodded. I smiled back. Then, I kicked my stallion hard and raced off into the distance, with Caspian and his steed close on our tails.