By the next day, Peter was able to stand and walk about freely on his own two feet. The badger had cleaned and dressed his wound and he was well on his way to a full recovery. He breakfasted in the great hall with Caspian and the rest of the royal subjects, chatting merrily over eggs and toast. By lunch however, Caspian had declared they would meet in the room beneath the western tower for a council.

Peter noticed immediately that Lara had been noticeably absent from breakfast this morning, but when he had asked, Caspian replied that she was taking a tour of the stables. When Peter asked if she would be present at the council, Caspian assured him she would and then proceeded to change the subject back to his injury.

“Are you quite sure you are well enough?”

“I’m fine Caspian.” Peter replied, growing slightly suspicious of Caspian’s attempts to sway the conversation away from Lara. However, They finished dining and Peter had an hour or so to kill before the council was to be held. He decided to take a walk of the castle grounds for some fresh air.

The sun shone heavily down on him and he wandered through the grassy meadows, his heart filling full enough to burst with joy for being back in Narnia. Instantly, he felt a twinge of guilt strike him as he remembered his siblings. He hoped they had not been separated from one another. And what of the book? He shuddered at the thought of it falling into the wrong hands.

As he roamed deep in thought, he failed to notice the figure lying in the grass several feet from him. A familiar voice cut into his thoughts.

“Beautiful isn’t it?”

Peter jumped. The figure was of course Lara, who now sat up and motioned for him to join her.

“Missed you at breakfast.” He said promptly as he sat down beside her in the soft grass.

Lara smiled. “I woke up early. I couldn’t wait to walk around.”

“I know what you mean.” Peter sighed, sprawling himself out on the grass and staring up at the blue, cloudless sky.

“I do hope the others are alright.”

“Caspian sent the search parties out first thing. We’ll find them soon.”

“Did you ever have brothers and sisters? Back here in Narnia I mean.” Peter asked.

Lara shook her head and plucked a flower from the ground absently. “Piff is the closest thing I’ve ever had to the brother.”

“I say!” Peter exclaimed, realizing something for the first time. “He must be awfully old by now if he was alive back in our time.”

Lara laughed. “Griffins live for centuries upon centuries. Piff is half way through his 6th one.”

“Golly.” Peter chuckled. “I couldn’t even imagine living that long. Then I can I suppose I’ve already lived out a full life time here, and I’ll live out another back—“
He was going to say home, but something stopped him. Being in Narnia, breathing the sweet air and laying in the grass. He already was home.

“Something has been bothering me.” Peter said, turning to look up at Lara.

She said nothing, but Peter guessed she already knew what he was going to say.

“I want to know why I can’t remember you.”

Sadness clouded over her blue eyes.

“But you remember me. Don’t you?” He asked gently.

“Yes.” She said quietly, not looking away.

“Why—“ Peter paused, unsure of how to word his question. “Why do you think I can’t remember?”

He watched as she swallowed and plucked the petals from the flower.

“I think it had something to do with Elomeer’s spell.”

Peter shuddered at the name.

“Did I, Did I try to stop him?”
Lara nodded.

“I had another dream. While I fell asleep when we were flying. I dreamed I was trying to get someone, but then I ran out of time. Do you think these dreams could be my memories?”

“I think it’s possible. Somehow your mind has been blocked Peter. And I don’t think it was by good magic. This whole thing is very complicated.”

“You’re telling me.” Peter sighed glumly.

Lara placed a hand on his arm and smiled sadly.

“We’ll figure this out.” She said. “Somehow, I know we will.”

Peter reached out and placed his hand over hers. Warmth and comfort spread through his fingertips at the touch.

“I’m glad I found you again.” Lara said.

“Me too.” Peter smiled.

Meanwhile, I’m sure your all wondering what had happened to the other Pevensies. The next several hours of their journey was confusing for them, as they were all blindfolded and could only guess from their other senses what was going on. Susan’s ears were filled with the clopping of horse hooves colliding with hard earth and the smell of sweating soldiers and horses. However, she thought she could smell damp grass on top of this, and heard a distant trickle of flowing water. The water noise soon grew until he ears were full of the roaring sensation of rushing water.

A waterfall! She thought trying desperately to remember all she could of waterfalls in Narnia. She could still feel the book brushing against her skin from her inside coat pocket. She prayed that as soon as they had reached wherever they were going that the book would not be discovered.

Lucy and Edmund were equally as confused and frightened as Susan as they traveled through the night on the back on the soldier’s horses. Lucy had to bite her lip quite hard to stop the tears from flowing. Finally, after what seemed the horses slowed to a brisk trot, then a walk, and then finally stopped. The Pevensies felt themselves being lifted from the horses and roughly tossed on the hard ground beneath them.

They blindfolded were lifted. Thankfully, it was still dark out so the children’s eyes were not blinded by light. They squinted and blinked, fully disorientated as they tried to take in their surroundings.

What they had assumed to be hard earth was actually smooth rock. It was damp and cold beneath them and their ears were still ringing with the noise of rushing water.

By Joe, Susan thought. We’re behind a waterfall!

“Lucy! Edmund! Are you two alright?” She asked, now crawling over to hug her to younger siblings.

“Yes. Yes we’re alright.” They replied shakily.

“You two keep an eye on these three while I go fetch us some vitals and inform his royal emperor of our findings.” The tallest soldier ordered the others. He was clearly their captain.

“We’re not spies!” Susan cried out desperately. “We’ve gotten lost! We were trying to find our way out of the woods! I’ve never even heard of a place called Narnia before I—“

The soldier growled at her menacingly.

“Quiet the lot of you or I’ll put your gags back in.”

That, undoubtedly, shut Susan up.

“You always were terrible at acting.” Edmund muttered to her under his breath.

As the Captain marched off down the cave, the two other soldiers sat several feet away from the Pevensies and watched them suspiciously.

“Oh whatever are we going to do?” Lucy whimpered.

“We can’t fight our way out of here.” Edmund sighed. “And even if we managed to escape, we’ve absolutely no idea where we are!”

“It’s hopeless.” Lucy began. “I—“
But she stopped halfway through her sentence. For her and Edmund had just noticed that Susan’s eyes had grown very wide as she reached inside her coat pocket.

“I wonder…” She said breathlessly. “It just might…”

“Sue?” Lucy and Edmund asked in unison.

Susan held a finger to her lips and motioned for them to inch nearer, without rousing the suspicion of the soldiers.

“I’ve got a plan.” She whispered hurriedly. “We need to cause a diversion.”