[A] By the Call of the Lion [Pevensie Plot Part One] [Finished]

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[Aslan]

Our story begins in the most unlikely of places, on a train platform. Here you see four children ?two boys and two girls? waiting for the train to take them off to a new year of school. These aren't ordinary children, though. These four children have lived the lives no human has ever dreamed of, in a world few have seen, and fewer have come back to speak of. In fact, no one ever does speak of it, not to strangers anyway. How absurd would it be for someone to tell you that they spent fifteen years in a world of talking beasts, nymphs, fauns, centaurs, dryads and a myriad of other creatures, living as the four kings and queens of a land called Narnia. You would probably laugh at them and go on your merry way. But enough of that.

As we were saying, these four children are the Pevensies: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy (from oldest to youngest). The Pevensies, to any observer, would appear to be normal, all from the ages of fifteen to nine, without one speck of evidence to say otherwise. Yet these four children have held the land of Narnia within their rule, guided that bejeweled land for fifteen years, and yet returned as if they hadn't aged a day. Well, that's quite uncanny, you might say. Uncanny it is. But even more so is what these four children are about to experience next.

It might behoove you to know that, since the Pevensies returned from Narnia, much has changed in that magical country. Thirteen hundred years have passed, while only one has passed on Earth. You see, following the departure of the Pevensie royalty, Narnia descended from its Golden Age to the Dark Ages, a time of uncertainty and instability. And then, a few hundred Narnian years ago, the Telmarines invaded. They quickly subdued Narnia, forcing the Talking Beasts that once roamed the land to retreat to areas not inhabited by humans. Several hundred years of Telmarine rule has produced a very different Narnia, one where an oppressive King, a usurper of his brother's throne, celebrates the birth of his first son, beginning the entire conflict which you are about to witness. But that's getting ahead of the story, so for now, let's return to what is going to happen next.

You see, at this very moment in that land of Narnia, the true Prince of the Narnian throne, a wayward child hardly older than Peter, is about to blow a horn. This is no ordinary horn, in the same way that the four Pevensies are no ordinary children, or that this is an ordinary day. This horn is endowed with magical powers, enough to... well suffice it to say that it's powerful enough to call help when needed, no matter the cost. And this help, as you might have guessed, is waiting on a train platform worlds away from Narnia. Not for long, however.

Ahh, there it is. Can't you hear it? The horn is being blown right now; Susan's Horn it's called. No, you're quite right, it is the same Susan whom we mentioned earlier, who is waiting on a train platform along with her brothers and sister. Well, can't you? It's quite alright, because you need not be able to hear it to know what happens next. There's probably only One, though, who really knows what happens in this exact moment, but He hasn't entered the story yet.

All these events have been set in place before the world even began. Though it was a boy who blew the Horn, the event was already decided to have happened. And though it was the work of Man and Talking Animals that this conflict has come to a crux, that too was already decided. And so too are the events that are about to unfold, all set in place by a Creature so enigmatic and majestic, His very name makes those who are evil shudder, and those who are pure of heart delight. By this Creature, known by all as a Lion, whose name we shall leave until later, all things have been decided, and so they have happened. They're happening right now.

Each one of the Pevensies, by now, has felt a strange tugging sensation at his or her stomach. Now, this is no ordinary tugging, like one would pull on a shirt or skin if it could be grasped. This tugging extends beyond the physical realm, spanning across worlds to a place that these children thought they'd never visit again. To their eyes, at this very moment ? while a train speeds across the station, gradually slowing to align its passenger cars with the platform ? the world around them gives way to a very different scene.

It's not unlike where they just were. This new place is dark, much darker without any artificial lights. It's damp and musky, much like a cave. There's a sweet smell wafting in on a breeze, such a gentle breeze, that's coming in the direction of a faint light emanating from one end of the tunnel. Following that light will lead to a beach which borders a sea, set under the sky of an entirely other world.

And so it begins...

[Lucy Pevensie]

"Come on!"

Lucy Pevensie tugged on her older sister Susan's hand.  She wanted to go see where they were; right now they were in a cave and could see little but the light shining through the opening. Her mood had changed so suddenly from what it had been a couple of minutes ago. Most people, pulled suddenly into a new place by magic, might be scared or apprehensive, but Lucy's heart was filled with excitement and anticipation.  She didn't know where they were -- and it would be really too much to hope that they were back in that place -- but at least they most definitely were no longer in the train station in England.

For that's where they had been just a moment ago: at a train station, headed off to boarding school.  It would be Lucy's first time at boarding school, and she was extremely nervous. She had never been away from both her brothers and her parents for such a long time before. Susan would be there of course, but Lucy knew her sister would be living and spending most of her time with girls her own age and would not want to be seen too often with her baby sister. 

True, Lucy had at first been excited to be off on a grand new adventure, to get to know a different place and to make another set of friends.  But as the day drew nearer, she couldn't help but begin to worry.  She loved her siblings and parents, and didn't want to be apart from them.  And what if the schoolwork was too hard? Or what if the other girls didn't like her? Peter had fondly teased her when she told him her fears. She was Queen Lucy the Valiant, didn't she remember? By Aslan's grace, she had faced and defeated enemies like the White Witch and the Calormenian army and giants, and yet she was afraid to go to school? Her favorite brother's gentle reminder of Aslan and of her Narnian nickname had strengthened her as he had intended, but it also brought with it a sharp pang of regret.  She so wanted to go back to that country, where she had reigned for fifteen years as queen before finding herself back in England, no older than she had left. 

And then finally came the big day, the day Lucy would be introduced to life at a boarding school.  This morning she had bravely hugged her parents as hard as she could and waved goodbye before boarding the train with her siblings. The first part had not been too bad.  All four of them had still been together, and they had been determined to make the holidays last as long as possible.  But then they had arrived at the station where the boys were to go off one way and she and Susan another. 

Lucy sat down gloomily on a bench with her siblings, wishing with all her might that the trains would never come. Then the tugging started. Susan had been the first to notice it, thinking one of the others had pulled on her. But then they all felt the sensation, the feeling that something was stretching their bodies in all directions.  It didn't hurt, but it wasn't pleasant either.  Edmund finally recognized it for magic, and yelled at them to grab each others' hands.  They had, and the pressure grew and grew and grew -- and then just when she felt she could bear it no longer, it stopped, suddenly and completely.

When the tugging had increased, it had consumed all of Lucy's attentions; she had not paid any notice to her surroundings. But now it was gone, and Lucy realized that Edmund had been right, that the pull must have been magic. For they were no longer in England, but in a cool, dark place only lit by the light of day shining in from an opening directly ahead, too bright for any of them to make out what was on the other side. Lucy's heart beat inside of her with hope and excitement. For a minute she was silent, ignoring her siblings though she still held Susan's hand, as she let the moment sink in. And then she turned her mind to figuring out where they were.  What sort of place had they come to?  Well, there was only one way to find out, and so Lucy broke her silence to prod her siblings into action.

[Cassie]

Peter had an eerie feeling about him. The train station seemed normal. As he looked at his younger siblings, Peter could not tell if they too felt a little weird, waiting for the train to come pick them up. They seemed fine, but that was not a real way to tell what they thought.  Looks certainly can be deceiving. With a small sigh, Peter decided to let it go, and led his siblings to where they were supposed to wait for the train. He would not allow himself to look worried for their sake. Maybe it was just nothing, and he was only over analyzing the situation. Of course, it would be real easy to do that. No, he was only imagining this feeling. Yes, Peter was sure of it, and he could not be affected by it. He needed to be an example, and what kind of message would he be giving to Susan, Edmund, or Lucy, if he seemed disturbed by a small feeling.

So, Peter let himself glance around, trying to focus his thoughts on something other than the feeling inside him. He let his thoughts focus on Lucy. It would be her first time at a boarding school. She certainly looked excited, but he sense that she was nervous too. Peter recalled the first time he went to boarding school. He had hated leaving his family and being surrounded by new people. He just was not comfortable, and that was that.  Lucy was certainly more eager and active that he was at her age, and Peter felt sure Lucy would do just fine. As Peter let his attention move toward the surrounding area he noticed everything was quiet?too quiet, and this did not help but make Peter slightly more skeptical. Where was the bustle of people, the sound of trains? Just as he turned to see if either of his sisters or brother noticed this, Peter felt a pull. It was not painful, but rather uncomfortable, forceful, if anything, and Peter didn?t like it. He wondered what was happening, but before he could make any move, the force became stronger and the scene about him began to change. Flashes of colors flew about him, his limbs yearning to rest. It was as if someone was pulling him, and Peter tried to turn to see who it was, or what it was, only to discover he could not move. He was frozen in place. At first he thought that Susan had pulled him.

?Susan, stop pulling me," Peter said, only to find that his siblings here also being pulled.

 Suddenly everything around him calmed and his arms did get a rest. Everything about him was still again and the unusual pulling was gone. Edmund had said it best, and now Peter could not help but agree: magic brought them here. Looking around, Peter knew he was not in the train station any more. That was for certain. Peter lifted his head with a jolt and looked around?.Where was he? That was now the question that filled his mind now.

He was surrounded by sounds of water crashing against rocks. Everything about him, however was dark. He could not tell where the body of water was. Peter suddenly felt a little chilly as he turned to look around. It only too a few seconds for him to realize that he was in a dark, damp cave. His thoughts were suddenly interrpted by Lucy's instatance to to go and explore the land. Peter could not help but smile at this. She was always the one up for an adventure, always eager to explore. Peter didn?t blame Lucy, though, for he was equally curious. Where was he? Could he possibly be back in Narnia? It was hard to tell, for things look much different than before.

[thelostpevensie]

Edmund breathed in deeply, a familiar sensation filling his lungs. He could tell immediately that this place was not England; the air was too pure. Magic, he told himself, magic. That wonderful thing that he missed so much. Enchantment. He hadn?t felt this wonderful in a long time. Several months had gone by since his stay at Professor Kirke?s home, and there hadn?t been one moment in that span when he had felt this magnificent feeling. Edmund?s eyes were closed tight, and he was barely aware of his surroundings, but his mouth was turned up in a satisfied smile nevertheless. He wondered presently if his brother and sisters were feeling the same way. He knew they probably were, even though Peter and Susan had grown to become almost too practical-minded to enjoy much of anything lately. ?After all,? as Susan had said over and over, ?the holidays are almost over. We should be thinking about school.? None of the four had liked that statement very much, but it was true. In fact, all of them had been about to board the trains that would take them to school just as they had been brought into this? other place.

They were in a dark, cavern-like area, and although places like this would be very unpleasant back at home, it was actually quite nice. The air was warm, though not too much so, and it smelled nice. He wondered if Peter, Susan, and Lucy noticed this. Peter and Lucy most likely would realize the air right away. Edmund knew that they had a perfect sense of magical things, even better than his. Lucy, of course, had had her sense of enchantment for a long time. Peter, with his majestic strength and courage, had good instincts as well. Susan, on the other hand? well, Susan was different. Often she required a great amount of prodding from others in order to recognize magic. But after she knew the magic was there, she had no trouble believing. In fact, once she knew of the magic, she would get very wrapped up in adventure. Edmund could just remember the Golden Age of Narnia, when Susan had never been afraid to show her love for the magic that constantly surrounded the four Pevensies. That had all technically taken place a year ago, but after they had returned, everything plunged downhill.

For one thing, the four had been in terrible moods since they had returned. Everything was so dull back in England. And now, with the thoughts of school approaching, it was even worse. The two girls and the boys would be separated, and sent off to separate boarding schools. At the train station just minutes ago, they had been scrambling to say their last goodbyes to each other before they would be taken away. But that, amazingly, was when the strange sensation had begun. It was a queer pulling; or that was what it felt like. For a minute or two, the four children had thought that one of them was doing it, for a joke perhaps. But then they realized that it was some other force, not a person, that seemed to be dragging them. Finally, they gave up on trying to resist the force, and let it take them away to this place. The cave where they were now. Edmund took a deep breath and slowly whispered into the darkness, ?Where are we??

[Susan Pevensie]

It seemed so surreal, that for a moment, she couldn't quite believe it was happening. It had been a year since Susan had felt anything like what she was feeling now, could it really be magic? She had long since given up the chance of ever making it back, back to that place. They were in England, on Earth, where they belonged. Why else would they have stepped back through the wardrobe that fateful day? Why else would they have returned to being children, with lives filled with school and frivolous behaviors and feelings they had all given up years ago in Narnian time? Why else except to return to normal?

This was clearly not normal, however. One minute, she and her siblings had been in the Train Station, waiting. And in a fleeting moment, that world had dissolved around them to reveal another, this world. Susan shut her eyes, as if they deceived her, as if she refused to believe. Why couldn't she accept that she had returned, returned to the place she, in her mind, had abandoned long ago? Was it a hidden longing she had squashed, now rising again? Was it fear, of how she would look to her siblings after telling them repeatedly, "We're in England now, and we're just going to have to accept that."? Or perhaps, most of all, it was how she would feel when she saw Aslan again.

Aslan, that noble lion, who was not a tame lion by any means, who had helped secure Narnia from the White Witch, and place the four Pevensie children on the Narnian throne. Aslan, whose very name had brought that feeling of a delicious smell, or a delightful strain of music to her upon hearing it for the first time. Aslan, who, with a single glance, could see right through her very being, into her soul, and peer through all that she had done and said, and all she had left undone and unsaid. It was quite a marvelous feeling, which, at the same time, was quite a terrifying feeling.

All of the sudden, a deep pit seemed to form in the bottom of her stomach. A balled-up feeling of guilt and remorse and all the feelings one feels when one has done something terrible. That is how Susan felt at that very moment, and it seemed that nothing could do to change that feeling. As if by that very notion, the deep pit seemed to open wider, and the balled up feelings twist tighter. And the cycle of agony followed itself from head to tail again and again, dragging Susan down in a pit of guilt and remorse, and making her look and feel very ill indeed.

A small tug at her hand brought Susan out of the misery of her thoughts, if even for a brief moment. Her instinct was to slap it away, and whirl out of its reach, but then she remembered that similar sensation on the Train Station just moments ago. Instead, Susan looked down to find her sister, Lucy, pulling on her hand. "Come on," the younger girl whined. Susan noticed the look in her sister's eye, that look Lucy got when she was simply dying of curiosity. Susan had to admit to herself, she, too, was curious about where they were.

Susan looked down at her younger sister, and all of her negative feelings seemed to wash away. She smiled, a real smile, feeling as a smile she had never experienced since the four of them had left that magical land a year ago. It felt good to smile like that again, like the kind of smile that wipes away all one's cares. And that is exactly what this smile did. That deep pit at the bottom of her stomach had vanished, and Susan felt...she felt joy in her heart. Joy, elation, happiness, all because this could be that place, that place where all those emotions seemed to wrap themselves around her in a magical feeling of contentment.

Edmund, in his usual, matter-o-factual way, asked, "Where are we?"

She just laughed, and her smile widened. Susan said nothing in return, but grabbed onto the hand that had been tugging hers a moment ago. Glancing down at her sister, she smiled and giggled again, hoping Lucy would figure out what she meant. That she meant for them to go racing down the rest of the cave's length, until they reached the light, and from there, to whatever was out there. No doubt the boys would be just two steps behind them all the way, ever curious as they were to find out just the same. The question on all of their minds.

Was it true? Could it be that they were back, back to that place again?

[Lucy Pevensie]

For a long moment, it seemed no one else wanted to go out. Peter looked lost in thought, Susan simply smiled at her, and Edmund asked where they were.  Lucy started to reply to Edmund's query with an impatient, That's what I want to find out!, but then Susan laughed and grabbed her hand, showing Lucy that someone else was finally ready to go explore. Lucy didn't need a second urging. Laughing along with her older sister, she began running towards the light, towards whatever adventure now awaited them in this magical place.

In no time at all, she stood blinking in the sunlight at the mouth of the cave, letting go of Susan's hand as she tried to get her bearings. Wherever they were, it could only be infinity times infinity better than that awful old railroad station. After all, they were still together, and not about to be separated and herded off to school. 

As her eyes finished adjusting to the light, an involuntary "Oh!" escaped her lips.  This place was even better than she had expected!  She looked around, utterly speechless now at the beauty that surrounded her. They had come out of a cave onto a quiet beach, with no other living thing in sight.  On her right, waves playfully lapped at the shore, while on her left were woods that were greener than anything in all of England. In front of her was the sandy beach, speckled with colorful rocks and seashells so tempting that she bent down and gathered a few.

By now, all trace of Lucy's apprehension and misery at the thought of her first time at boarding school had disappeared, and she was nearly dancing with delight. She felt more at home here than she had felt anywhere else in the past year. It was these feeling of pleasure, comfort and security that kept bringing Narnia back into her mind.

Of course, it didn't take much to bring Narnia to Lucy's mind.  In the past year since she had returned from her fifteen year rule over that country, not a day had gone by that her mind had not roamed back through the wardrobe into Narnia, her true home.  How she longed to go back, to be there instead of at boarding school or anywhere else on Earth!  But she had not been able to find a way back in, though she had tried. Oh yes, she had tried. Every wardrobe she could sneak away into had been knocked on, every bank of fog had been walked into, every unusual-looking object had been rubbed.  She had looked out for tornadoes that would take her away as it had Dorothy and rabbit holes that she could fall into as Alice had.  But a whole year had gone by and nothing had worked. She did not given up the thought of someday returning to Narnia -- little Lucy was never the type to abandon hope -- but all the same, her failures had been disheartening.

Still, this place, though it didn't look like any beach she'd seen on her last trip to Narnia, sure felt like Narnia. Could she really let herself hope that they had returned home at last?  Finally, Lucy could bear it no longer, and she turned to her eldest brother with a query: "Peter, are we-- do you think we could possibly be back in Narnia?"

If they were back in Narnia, Peter, its High King, would know, wouldn't he?

[Cassie]

It appeared to Peter than everyone else was just as confused as he was, if not more. Still unsure of where he exactly was, Peter let his eyes wander around at the scene. Could it be? Peter immediately dismissed the thought though. After all, Narnia did not look at all like this?not when he had ruled. But Peter really could find no other answer. And if they were in Narnia?why were they called?

Silently Peter reminisced on the Professor?s words. He had said they would return when the least expected it, when they weren?t looking. It had been, what, a year, and boy had Peter not expected it. He had almost wondered if they would ever get a chance to go back. Of course, Peter was still not certain if this was really Narnia., and if it was, then he had never ventured to this area. He knew that his siblings were wondering the same thing and Peter was not surprised when Edmund asked. How could he respond, though, when he was absolutely positive of it himself? He wanted it to be Narnia, he really did, but anyone would doubt at first seeing the ruins that were before him.

Peter let his eyes close for a second as he reminisced on his time as King. It felt like it had been so long ago, but he remembered almost every single detail. He remember how happy he had been. Not that he was unhappy now, but he had a bond with Narnia unexplainable, he simply felt different when in Narnia. It was the place where he truly grew as a person, and was actually looked up to. He had felt as if his life really mattered.

As Peter was lost in thought, he suddenly heard laughter coming from his sisters than the rushing feet. He turned to find both Lucy and Susan running as little school girls. What were they doing? The silence was suddenly broken, and taking a quick glance at Edmund, Peter decided to go on after them, hoping Edmund would know to follow as well. He couldn?t very well let them venture off on their own. Besides, they needed to do something other than just standing like blind idiots. He didn?t know why he never bothered to venture out of the cave before.

When they finally stood out in the sunlight, the body of water before them, a small smile came across Peter?s face. While it was hard to say if this was really Narnia, his instinct told him with more certainty that it was. It?felt like Narnia. The question finally arose again, on their whereabouts, but this time from Lucy, and this time actually directed towards him. Looking at his sister, Peter could not help but smile. Her eyes danced with happiness, and he felt that she would insist it was Narnia even if he denied it. But Peter didn?t believe he could deny it. After all, they had been brought here by magic. Where else could they be if not in Narnia?

?It sure doesn?t look like it? Peter replied, ?but I can think of no other place we would be.?

[thelostpevensie]

It was clear to Edmund now that the others had similar thoughts about where they were. He watched as the other three slowly began to make their way out of the cave and into the awaiting world. He was hesitant, however, to move from his spot in the cave. He felt a strange sense of guilt and reluctance to enter a different world ? like he didn?t deserve the magic and beauty of returning to that place? but were they really in Narnia? Was it possible? And if they were in Narnia, why had they come back? A million more questions rushed through his mind as he began taking slow, dragging steps forward. He was still ever-so-cautious, wondering what would be revealed to him. The girls were already outside, Peter following? what had they been exposed to? There was still a chance that they weren?t in Narnia, and what if there were dangers that were approaching this very second?

Taking a deep breath, Edmund followed his siblings into the bright sunshine. He squinted into the light for a few moments, his eyes not used to the glare. As he regained his vision, the shoreline came into view. And there were Susan and Lucy, already splashing and laughing with Peter. A thousand memories returned to his mind, filling Edmund?s heart with an aching desire to let go of his guilt and wariness. He knew he was probably being silly about the whole thing, but the self-convicting voice in his mind told him not to go; to wait solemnly behind because he didn?t deserve the exhilaration. Finally, after another brief moment, he pushed the voice into the back of his mind and broke out into a run, the wind blowing his hair and the sun shining on his face. He felt the ocean spray even before he reached the water. He kicked off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, threw off his hat and coat, and bounded into the clear, refreshing water, laughing.

Edmund splashed and laughed with his siblings, enjoying the refreshment of actual fun. His toes sunk into the soft, wet sand, rooting him temporarily. He smiled, looking up at the clouds and around at the beautiful scenery. Everything was perfect, and in some ways, the area felt familiar. But deep inside of him, he felt like something wasn?t right. Something had changed. Maybe this wasn?t Narnia; maybe this was a completely separate world. But why did he feel like he?d been here before? Why did he have a sudden desire to find out what was going on in this strange land? Because although everything was, in a way, perfect, there was some feeling that told him it wasn?t. As they splashed, Edmund wondered if Peter, Susan, and Lucy were feeling the same way.

[Susan Pevensie]

As the two sisters began to run, the thoughts poured into Susan's mind. Oh, this is it, isn't it? It felt so right, so real. So much like it had before, just a year ago, and for fifteen years before that. The bright light spilled from the cave's opening and began to envelope Susan and Lucy as they ran into it. When her vision returned to normal after the suddent adjustment, she stared in amazement. They had come out onto a beach with a forest to their left and a steeply sloping cliff ahead of them. But Susan did not dwell on that, for she was far more consumed with the ocean and the sky.

The ocean was a clear blue, and stretched out as far as the eye could see. And the sky, it was a deep, majestic blue, dotted with little clouds that threatened nothing. And the air! Susan took a deep breath of the air, yes, it was the air she had remembered. It filled her with such sensation, such a feeling of rightness, if there was such a thing. There was nothing that could have disrupted what Susan was feeling, it was so right in her mind, like nothing else had been right in the past year. England was the furthest thing from her mind right now as she thought, This is home.

As her sister reached down to gather the seashells and rocks that were strewn across the beach, Edmund raced past the pair to wade into the water. Susan laughed, happy to see her siblings enjoying themselves. She, too, got into the mood, kicked off her shoes and stockings, and discarded her jacket. The water felt cool on her heels as she waded in, and swelled around her ankles as it flowed up and down the beach. Delighted by the sensation, Susan ran forward, passing Edmund, who was rooted in the soft and sticky sand under the water. As a smile broke her face in two, Susan's eyes danced with glee. Only one thought was on her mind. Narnia.

This was Narnia, that was for sure. As Peter put it, where else could they be? It definitely felt strange, though, not quite like it used to. Susan glanced around, the forest was unfamiliar and the cliff, though vaguely familiar, couldn't be easily placed. If this was Narnia, where in Narnia were they? On the eastern shores, of course, and surely in the south, because of the warmth. Yet this was not a place she recognized. That was an odd thing, since she and her siblings had sailed up and down the coast of Narnia many times in their ship.

Turning back, Susan stared at Peter, who among them was the only one not in the water or involved along the beach. He seemed to be absorbed in his own little world, as if he wasn't fully sure whether this was it, whether this was Narnia. Susan was bemused, Peter had been the one most affected by their departure from Narnia a year ago. She thought he would be overjoyed to be back now. She called to him, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Well, what was he waiting for? They were back!

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy didn't find Peter's answer quite as satisfying as she had hoped it would be. Unlike Peter, she didn't find it so hard to believe that there were many other magical worlds besides Narnia. And if they could get to Narnia, why shouldn't they be able to get into any of the other places? Still, if this place wasn't Narnia -- and she still thought that it very well could be, despite the fact that the landscape wasn't one that she recognized -- it was nearly quite as good, and still a gazillion times better than dreary, war-torn England. 

With that thought in mind, Lucy hurried to join her sister and brother in the water.  She stuffed her beautiful rocks and shells into her coat pocket before throwing the coat in a pile with her shoes and stockings.  Then she ran into the water, loving the feeling of the sand squelching beneath her feet. With a carefree laugh, she splashed her siblings as she drew near, then turned her face away, knowing that they'd return the favor.  The water felt just right: cool enough to feel refreshing, but warm enough that it took no time at all to get used to the temperature.

They hadn't been to the beach in ages. With the war going on, a trip to the beach had been pretty low on their family's list of priorities. So while Lucy was not dressed properly for the occasion now, she made the most of the opportunity.  She splashed and swam about, getting her siblings as wet as she could and not caring that she was getting her clothes drenched. After awhile, she looked around for shrimp and crabs, built a sandcastle, then went back to splashing about again.

As fun as this all was, in the end, Lucy began to notice she was very thirsty. As she splashed her way back to the store, she announced this to the group: "I'm thirsty. Let's go find a stream or something!"  She didn't mind the excuse to explore.  Maybe they'd find something that would confirm that they were indeed in Narnia.  Maybe they'd even run into one of their old friends!

Lucy considered questing for water and friends in bare feet, but then decided she had better take her shoes and stockings along. They were on an adventure, no doubt about that, and one thing she had learned on her last trip to Narnia was that you could never predict what would happen on adventures. Because of that, it was probably best to keep the things you needed with you. That decided, she put her shoes and stockings back on, and after some hesitation, tied her blazer around her waist.  It was warm now, but it might get much cooler in the evening. Plus, she didn't want to lose her new collection.

When she was finished, she headed off to explore, yelling, "Come on!" over her shoulder at her siblings. 

[Edmund]

Edmund threw his head back and laughed, splashing Susan and Peter. He could feel his trousers getting soaked, but he didn't care. It was just like the last time they had been in Narnia. The water was the perfect temperature, and it was just lovely. But were they truly here? It felt like Narnia, and the air even smelled like the Narnian air, but could they be back? It had only been a year, but his heart still ached every time he thought about the land the four had been so cruelly pulled away from. He looked around. 'I don't remember any ruins in Narnia..' He thought.

He shook his head. It had been a year since they'd left, after all, and they might not be in Narnia. This seemed like it, but they might have landed in Telmar or Archenland.   He sucked in another deep magic-filled breath. No, they were back. Oh, how he had missed the Narnian air. No other air tasted as sweet as this. He walked toward the shore and knelt on the sand. He took his finger and wrote his name in the sand with a flourish. He grinned, remembering the last time he'd done this as a young child in England.

He watched Lucy for a while, reveling in her joy. It had been a while since any of them had ever really laughed like they were now, and it had hit Edmund hard to see how Lucy had taken leaving Narnia. Lucy had loved the land the most, and jerking it away from her was like taking candy away from a child. The fact that Aslan would never do anything to hurt His chosen ones was comforting. He knew that taking Narnia away from Lucy would crush her, and He would never do that to her. He ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it. Lucy eagerly waved them over. "Okay, Lu. Where to?" He asked.

[Peter Pevensie [Inactive]]

It was like a daze.  A fluffy little slip in consciousness where Peter let his mind drift to contemplate everything and anything all at once, zoning out the rest of the magical world around him.  Why was is so hard to accept it.  Every moment he stood here, the more he knew he could be nowhere other than Narnia.  Sure, after the first time they wandered through the wardrobe, how could he be all so certain there just wasn't another magical realm waiting in the train station.  Alas, the problem there was he'd been to the train station the previous year for school.  There'd never been a tale told before in the dormitories about the feel of pulling or pinching before winding up in a cave.  Peter could of gone on and on though, about how even then he couldn't be certain.  He'd already been told you couldn't return to Narnia the same way twice, so the cave would mean little.  Peter had already figured it out on his own he wouldn't return in a convenient way-- first by the voice of the Professor then the hard way, when he tried crawling back, by himself, into the wardrobe the night after their return to Kirke's house.  His heart trembled in remembrance of just how disowned he felt when there was no summer or scent of pine trees to be found... just mothballs and coats.  He cried that night.  He hadn't cried for fifteen years before then-- or however long it'd technically been since he nearly lost his flesh and blood to the White Witch.  That place-- England.  It wasn't home.  He had gotten a bit taller there and he'd had a mother and a father there, but did he grow up there?  Did he become a man there?  Did he learn half as much about becoming a good, decent, and noble person there? No.  It had all been Narnia.  Narnia had his heart and it was that very same beating and ethreal part of him that was crying to him now that he was home.  It didn't matter that it looked different, how could he deny what he felt in his soul.  It had never led him astray before.

It was at that revelation he blinked and found himself back on the beach, just noticing how hot it was while wearing his uniform.  He supposed boarding school had never accounted for summery beach weather for it's pupils' comfort.  His head snapped up to meet his smiling raven-haired sister as she inquired of him what he was holding out for.  Peter honestly couldn't think of a retort, nor was he ever much the retorting kind, other than that he was waiting to wake up.  Afterall, it wasn't like it would of been the first time he'd dreamed of reutrning... but he wasn't about to jinx it.  He simply let a smile slide across his features in a real, true display of happiness that had never shown as bright in a year until now.  Or was it just him that felt like he was finally devoid of all sorrow and disappointment?  Whatever it was, he quickly tugged off the encumbering blazer while he dually toed off shoes and socks.  His siblings were already enjoying themselves, he wasn't about to be the spoilsport. 

Setting off in a trot, Peter quickly brought a hand up to loosen and tug off his tie, tossing it to the shore.  The young man didn't even test the water before wading in. He didn't care if Narnia suddenly had icy waters imperfect waters, it would be worth the chill just to touch it once again and know it was real.  Feeling his ankles were soon embraced by warm sea, Peter gave little notice as he kicked up spray with his movements to close the distance to his siblings. Quickly, he breathed out a laugh as he ducked down, scooping his arms down then flinging them up to quite belatedly reply to Susan's question with a splash of water. Peter quickly turned, seeking out Edmund and Lucy as he debated which to splash or quite possibly tackle into a spirited and wet hug, to which he quickly attacked Edmund with a healthy slosh of water.  It just made his heart soar with each moment he mucked about in the water.  They were really here.  They were really... playing. Gosh, he couldn't remember the last time he'd truly played in the last year.  There were times with Lucy he would find the heart to always give her the games she desired, but his spirit was tainted with doubt each passing day so he was never truly as invested as he'd of liked.  He had no idea why it came so hard, for when he was well past twenty in Narnia it would of always been him and Lucy bugging their siblings to join activities that were perhaps a bit corny or juvenile for those of royal stature to still find fun in.  It had taken the robbery of his maturity to knock Peter the Magnificent off his game, but he could feel himself slowly finding what he'd lost again.

Stilling himself, now soaked from Ed's assault and his own play in the water, as he looked up toward Lucy.  He watched as Edmund found his way to her, leaving Peter to observe her beckoning to them for a moment without acting.  Letting his head turn slightly toward elsewhere on the the shore, he felt a gurgle in the pit of his torso that was soon stave off by another breath of Narnian air.  He was too sated with being home to worry about meeting other needs of his being.  It felt like an impedment making up for lost time to fret over a sandwich tucked in his blazer, there would be time for that later.  Giving a grin to Susan, he waded himself over toward their two younger siblings, grabbing his shoes and socks on the way, on the beach as he was wondering what could be setting Lu off already.  They'd only just gotten here... and-- for some reason he felt a twinge at not being the one to suggest such a thing, but he shrugged it off for the moment.  Laughing lightly, he eyed the smaller girl warmly as he moved to quickly keep pace, " If we just follow the beach, we'll eventually find one of the streams." He announced, whether or not anyone really recalled that bit of knowledge.  He imagined not, since it was really only he and Ed that ever studied maps of the land they ruled. " I do wish I had my bearings set right..." Peter let out in a very quiet utter a few moments into following Lu.  There was an outcropping of Ruins in the near distance and he truly couldn't place having ever seen them before in any part of Narnia.