The Tale of the Bearded Glass, Part Three

[snacky]

Magic and The Way Home

As he lead them through the woods, on a very well hidden path, Neth answered Lucy and Edmund's questions about the Western Wild. Yes, there were several practitioners of magic here, along with regular Narnians like himself, and of course, all the other magical creatures like the werewolves, the pixies, the wood elves, the perytons, the hippogriffs, and so on. No, there were only very few supporters of the Witch left, the werewolf clans loyal to her, and the Efreets and the People of the Toadstools, but they mostly lived in the southernmost part of the Wild, down by the Shuddering Wood. Yes, they were all happy here, and very glad the Witch had been defeated and peace had come to Narnia.

"But why stay hidden then?" Edmund asked.

"Well, it wouldn't have been dangerous for me, sire. But the others were not sure of the reception they'd get, especially the werewolf clans, the ones that practiced magic. The magicians had been hiding here from the Witch for so long in any case, that they didn't see any reason to come out. And we're relatively safe here, aside from the bandits from Telmar."

"In my Narnia, you all came out and fought with us against the Witch," Edaline said, remembering the pixies and the hippogriffs, and the magicians and all the others arrival at Aslan's camp, before the battle.

"I wonder why it was different here," Lucy mused.

Neth shrugged, and seemed about to reply, when from the river bank came a loud, "A-HEM." He stopped short, as did all the others, and looked to see who it was.

It was the most curious creature Edaline had ever seen. Even in her own Narnia, she had never met a beast like this. It had the body and ears of a very large rabbit, but it also had antlers, like a deer. And wings, like a hawk. And fangs, and a long black fluffy tail. Most curious of all, it was standing on its two hind legs, and was smoking a long, vile-smelling cigarette.

"Oh," said Neth. "Josen, hello. You startled me, I didn't see you there."

The creature took a puff of his cigarette. "Hello, Neth. What's all this?" He gestured with his paw to Edaline and Edmund and Lucy, and the guard, who were sniffing and eyeing him cautiously.

Neth introduced them. "These are their majesties, King Edmund and Queen Lucy, and the Queen Edaline. Your majesties, this is Josen." He must have noticed the confused looks on their faces, for he added quickly, "He's a wolpertinger."

Edmund bowed, and Edaline and Lucy both curtsied as gracefully as they could manage in trousers on the riverbank. "We're very pleased to meet you, Josen," Lucy said. "But please, if I may ask, what's a wolpertinger?"

Josen cocked his head, studying them. "I'm a wolpertinger, girlie. I mean, your majesty. And royalty visiting us, Neth? How'd that happen?"

"They're here to see Idris," Neth said. "I'm taking them there now."

"Idris, eh? Not everyday the King and Queens of Narnia come tramping in the Wild. What do you want with him?"

Edaline started to explain, and then Edmund joined in with his part of the story, and Lucy added bits and pieces, and Neth explained all about being captured by the bandits, and the wolpertinger listened with interest, puffing away on his cigarette, and asking the occasional question.

"Well now, that's quite a story," Josen said, after they'd finished. "Bandits, you say? And Luna and Mirren both free from harm, that's good. You all need a nice rest after that. Cigarette, your majesty? Always helps calm my nerves." He offered his cigarette to Edmund who looked dubious, but took it, wanting to be polite. He took a few tentative puffs, then immediately choked.

"It's a good one, isn't it?" the wolpertinger said proudly. "My brother's own tobacco, and I rolled it myself."

Edmund nodded, his eyes watering, and passed the cigarette back to him. "Thanks very much."

"Anyone else?" Josen offered, eyeing Edaline. "How about you, girlie? Since you're his twin."

Edaline shook her head hastily. "No, thank you. And I'm not his twin."

"Sister then. Something like that. Same person, different body, am I right?"

Edaline and Edmund exchanged glances, and Edmund cleared his throat. "Not…not exactly."

"Seems pretty much the case to me," Josen said, then stubbed out the evil-smelling cigarette. "Well, I'm glad you're safe, Neth, and it was nice meeting your majesties,"and here he nodded at Edmund and Edaline, "if a bit confusing. But I have to get back to tending the lamb trees."

"Er…lamb trees?" Lucy asked.

Josen chuckled. "Trees of lamb, girlie. I mean, your majesty."

Edaline blinked. "Made of lamb? Lambs? Like little fleecy lambs who say baa?"

"Do you know any other kind?"

"But how can trees be made of lamb?"

Edmund groaned, looking a little green, although Edaline assumed that was from his sampling of the wolpertinger's cigarette. "Please don't, Eda. I don't even want to know."

"They're lambs that grow from trees," Neth explained. "There's a grove of them just south of the river here. Josen, and all the wolpertingers, tend them."

"Lambs that grow on trees! We've never seen those before!" exclaimed Lucy. "Oh, can you show us?"

"I'd be glad to, missy. I mean, your majesty! It's a fine grove we've got, an excellent crop this time. Keeps the werewolves well-fed."

"The werewolves?" Edmund asked, interested in spite of himself.

"Indeed! The werewolves must have fresh meat, and we don't want them hunting any of us here in the Wild," Josen chuckled. "The lamb trees are perfect for this. They grow quickly, so there's never any chance of the werewolves going hungry. Like I said, we've got a fine grove, lots and lots of lamb trees, and once a lamb is harvested, it's only a few days before another grows."

Edmund stared. "That's amazing.

"Oh, we have to see them!"

"But Lucy, we must get to Idris," Edaline protested.

Neth agreed. "I'm sure he's waiting for us by now, and the pixies might even be there already."

"Oh, fine," Lucy sighed. "Perhaps we can stop by later?"

"Any time, missy, any time." The wolpertinger bobbed his head. "But now I must be going! Good luck with the pixies, tricky little things they are!" And just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. Lucy and Edmund argued about it afterwards, Lucy saying he hopped away, and Edmund insisting he flew, and Edaline could never decide which it actually was.

"We should hurry," Neth said, and began leading the way down the path again.

Channon nosed Edaline's hand as they walked along. "I'm hungry. I wouldn't mind a stop at the lamb trees."

Nairovy shook his head. "You heard him. They're for werewolves, not regular wolves."

"Maybe they'd share?" Channon said hopefully.

"Later," Lucy declared. "We'll go see the lamb trees later. I say, Ed, do you think we could maybe grow some lamb trees at the Cair? Just think how helpful! Wouldn't that be something?"

"It'd be something all right," he said with a shudder.

Edaline grinned. "Squeamish?"

"There's something about lambs growing on trees that puts me off my breakfast. Speaking of, I wonder if this magician will offer us any? I'm starving."

"Hopefully it won't be lamb chops."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite Neth's telling them that it was just a little further, it was a good hour before they reached the magician's house. They had to leave the path by the river, and make their way uphill, a very steep climb, before they came to large clearing with a small cottage in the center. And the magician was waiting for them at the door.

Edaline almost cried with relief when she saw him. Idris in this world looked just like the Idris in hers, tall, very tall, with his wood elf blood, bright green eyes and long dark hair pulled back over his shoulder. He had the same expression on his face that she knew so well, a look of great interest in the happenings around him. She knew that he would be able to help her get home.

Idris welcomed them all, and hurried them inside, where much to Edmund's relief, the table was set for breakfast. There were plums and peaches and strawberries and muffins and hard boiled eggs, and no lamb in sight. They all sat down and began eating, while Idris offered Channon and Nairovy and Othniel their breakfast outside (this was lamb, fresh from the lamb trees, as a matter of fact, but no one saw any reason to tell Edmund).

Idris came in after the guards were fed, and poured cups of tea for everyone. "So," he said, studying Edaline, "Luna and Mirren said that you were brought here by pixie magic, and you need to get home. Tell me how this happened"

Edaline took a sip of her tea and told the whole story once again, trying to tell it as quickly as she could.

"Hmm," Idris said at last. "That's very like the pixies, that kind of magic. The mirror being broken might make it difficult to get you home. But do not fear. The pixies are mischievous, not malicious. I'm sure there's a way to undo this, if I can just know how they did it."

"Oh excellent!" Edaline said.

"Do you think the pixies will tell you?" Neth asked.

Idris nodded. "They should. And they should be here any minute. We'll see what they have to say."

Lucy, finished with her meal, was studying Idris. "You look almost human."

"There's human blood in my veins, your majesty," Idris said. "Here in the Wild there are many of us left. Not any full-blood humans, the Witch killed them all long ago, but she couldn't stamp out every trace of human blood."

"In my Narnia, you told me that humans and dryads and naiads and wood elves all intermarried, before the Witch's time," Edaline said. "And that she tried to kill you all, but you had powerful magic to protect yourselves."

Idris nodded. "That's correct, your majesty."

Edmund looked at him skeptically. "So, you're a witch then?"

"No, I am a magician," Idris said. "Not all who practice magic are witches."

A voice came from the doorway of the cottage. "And not all witches are evil."

Edaline looked up and saw a tall woman with long red hair entering the room, carrying a basket full of herbs. She clearly had dryad blood in her, and perhaps human too, but Edaline guessed from her bright green eyes, similar to Idris', that she was part wood elf as well. The woman put her basket down, and then went to Idris's side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Ieshlee and Gleeia are waiting outside. Who are our guests, my dear?"

"Well, you know Neth, and I expect you met their majesties' guards outside. These are the King Edmund and the Queen Lucy, and this is the Queen Edaline. She needs our help getting back to her own Narnia." He explained the situation quickly, and then turned to the others. "This is my wife, the witch Marillet."

"Oh!" Edaline exclaimed in surprise, and then rather wished she hadn't.

"Do you know her in your world as well?" Idris asked.

Edaline shook her head. Oh, this was quite awkward. "No. Well. You've told me about her, but we…never met."

Marillet arched an eyebrow. "And why is that, I wonder?"

"Well, er. In my Narnia you were… uh, killed, fighting the Witch, at the Battle of Beruna." Edaline felt rather wretched as she explained this and Lucy patted her hand gently.

Idris and Marillet exchanged a glance, but nothing was said until Marillet cleared her throat. "The pixies are waiting outside with the guards, my dear. Shall we bring them in?"

Idris nodded, jumping up and going to the door. A moment later, he was ushering the pixies in, and Lucy and Edmund both stared, Lucy clapping her hands in surprised delight.

"Oh, Ed, look! Just like the pictures of pixies in those books we read when we were little!"

Indeed, the two pixies were like very small humans, except with wings and blue hair, and their dresses were made out of mullein leaves. They darted around Idris' head, chattering anxiously, but it was a language that only Idris and Marillet seemed to understand.

Idris spoke to the pixies in their own language, very high pitched and the words sounded like little squeals. Both pixies fluttered down to the table and Idris offered them each a strawberry, while asking them questions.

Marillet translated for the others. "He's asking them if they were the ones who sent the gift to King Edmund, and yes, they were." She paused while both pixies told a very long story to Idris. "Oh, I see. They wanted the mirror to match the one given to Queen Edaline in her own world, and hoped that the two of you would swap places for a while. It was their idea of a joke. They never meant it to be permanent - evidently all the two of you had to do was look in the mirror again at the same time, and you would have gone back to your own Narnias."

Edaline nudged Edmund. "Good job dropping the mirror, Ed."

He elbowed her back. "Hush you, and listen."

"Gleeia says that the pixies can travel between both Narnias. They have an enchanted pool here in the Wild, and in that world, the same pool is also enchanted, and they use that to go back and forth. Ieshlee just came back from your Narnia, Queen Edaline, and says everyone is in a terrible uproar over your disappearance, and that the Idris there has been trying everything to get you back." Marillet shook her head, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. "They were afraid to confess to him what they'd done, since he'd been so angry."

"Oh! So I can just go through that pool here, and end up in the Wild in my Narnia?" Edaline asked, very excited. Here was the way home at last!

Marillet shook her head, listening as the pixies chattered on. "No, evidently it's a tiny pool, and you wouldn't fit in it. And it's very well-hidden. The pixies don't want anyone else to know its location, and the other pixies would be very angry with them if they revealed it. We must respect their wishes, as it's their magic, after all."

Edaline was crushed. "But…but how will I get back?" she asked, her voice shaking. After all this, to be denied the way back to her own world was terrible. She had been so sure that the pixies could help her, but she had never imagined they'd refuse to let her go through.

Lucy gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure there's a way."

"There must be," Edmund said, voice deep with concern. "Isn't there?"

"Do not worry." Marillet smiled at them all. "Idris and I will get you back. I think it's a matter of enchanting a pool here, and in your Narnia, and you should be home in no time."

The pixies stopped chattering and started to nibble their strawberries, and Idris looked up. "Yes, that's exactly what we'll do. Ieshlee must go back to that Narnia, and tell the other Idris what they've done, and give him the pixie magic to enchant a pool in that world. Gleeia will stay here and help me -" He broke off as the pixies chattered angrily at him. "Yes, yes, it will only be enchanted for that one time. We won't leave an open portal between the worlds, except for your own."

Edmund looked relieved at that. "It could get messy, having travel between worlds all the time."

Idris agreed. "Yes. The spell the pixies will give to me and to the other Idris will only work that once, so we don't have to worry about that." He pointed to smaller pixie and spoke to her in her own language, and she sighed, very heavily for such a tiny creature, and flew off, out the door. The other stayed continued to happily devour her strawberry, which looked very big as she wrapped her arms around it and took delicate bites.

"Ieshlee is off to the pool and, once in your Narnia, she will travel to Cair Paravel and find my counterpart," Idris told them. "Together we'll get you home. But it will take some time, and I imagine you must be tired after your long journey, and Neth, you must be eager to get back to your home. Would your majesties care to rest, now that you've finished your meal?"

"I'd like to see the lamb trees," Lucy said eagerly, but she was overruled by Edmund and Edaline, both of whom were quite happy at the idea of sleep.

So they said goodbye to Neth, and Idris made Edmund a comfortable bed in the front room of the little house and Marillet lead Lucy and Edaline to the spare bedroom, where they both kicked off their shoes and climbed into the big feather bed.

"It's so soft!" Lucy said, as they sank down into it.

"It's made of down from the feathers of the wolpertinger's wings," Marillet explained, and Lucy giggled madly.

"He's a very handy creature, isn't he?" Edaline said, lying next to Lucy.

"Sleep well, my queens." Marillet closed the door and left them alone in the room.

Despite all eagerness to see the lamb trees, Lucy was asleep in an instant, but Edaline lay awake longer. She thought she was far too excited and anxious to fall asleep at all, and all she could think of was how happy she'd be to get home, and how wonderful it would be to see everyone and tell them all about her adventures. But sooner than she thought possible, she'd fallen asleep too, to strange dreams of wolpertingers and pixies chasing each other around a grove of lamb trees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Eda?"

Edaline muttered and buried her face in the pillow, but someone - Lucy, she realized - persisted in trying to wake her.

"Eda, wake up. Idris and Marillet say it's time for you to go home."

Edaline rolled over and saw Lucy looking down at her, and suddenly she understood what Lucy was saying and bolted up out of bed.

"Home? Now? I'm ready!" she said, searching for her shoes. She could tell by the light coming in the window that it was late afternoon, and they'd slept most of the day.

Lucy giggled. "Here they are," she said, nudging them with her toe. "Don't worry, nothing's going to happen without you."

But Edaline shoved her feet in and hurried out of the bedroom with Lucy following. They found Marillet in the kitchen.

"Oh, good, you're up." She smiled at them and walked over to the door. "Come now, I think everything is just about ready."

Edaline and Lucy followed Marillet out of the house and across the clearing, to a very large pool at the edge of the woods. Edmund and the guards were already there, watching as Idris and Gleeia spoke pixie spells above the water. Marillet joined her husband and Gleeia, and Edaline sat on the grass next to Channon, petting her soft grey head.

"I can't believe I'm finally going home," she murmured, and Channon whined quietly, pushing her nose against Edaline's hand.

"Evidently the other pixie, Ieshlee, is in your Cair Paravel, Eda," Edmund told them. "Your Idris has enchanted a fountain there, so when you go through, you won't be in the Wild, but right at home."

"Oh, that's lucky," Lucy said. "No long journey back."

Edaline nodded, watching Idris and Marillet and Gleeia perform their magic, barely able to contain her anxiety.

"I had Idris ask Gleeia why the pixies, and all the other magic creatures in the Wild, made themselves known to you, and fought with you against the Witch in your world," Edmund continued in a quiet voice, not wanting to disturb the magic.

"What did they say?" Lucy asked.

Edmund turned to Edaline, a strange expression on his face. "Do you remember when the Witch, back when you were with her, when she was about to kill you?"

Edaline nodded. "Yes. Just before I was rescued."

"She was sharpening the knife, and I fell to the ground, and I just laid there, I was so exhausted. Was it the same for you?"

"Yes. I remember, I was so tired from walking so long and so miserable from everything that happened, I just fell to the ground and laid there face down in the grass, crying." Edaline squirmed a little, embarrassed to admit that. She remembered feeling ashamed at the time that she had cried - Peter wouldn't have cried, if he had been the Witch's captive. Only a girl would cry.

"I didn't cry," Edmund said. "But because you did, you attracted the attention of the pixies, who felt your tears fall on Narnian soil. Gleeia said they felt terribly bad for you and intended to help free you, when the others arrived and rescued you. But because of that, the pixies went back to the Wild, and convinced the magicians and the wood elves and the wyverns and all the others in your Narnia to help and fight against the Witch. So they all joined with the army at Beruna, right before the battle, and fought with you and Peter against the Witch's army." Edmund grinned. "Evidently you've been a favorite of the pixies ever since."

"So there's magic in Eda's Narnia because she cried?" said Lucy. "You should have shed a few tears, Ed."

"Hush you. We've found the magicians and the others now, haven't we?"

"Thanks to Edaline."

Edaline almost couldn't believe it, that the tears she'd been ashamed of for so long had so benefitted her Narnia. "The pixies have an odd way of showing favoritism, I'd say."

Edmund grinned at her. "Hopefully, they won't make me one of their favorites here."

"Your majesty." Idris stood beside the pool, beckoning to Edaline. "Come, it's time."

Edaline stood up, feeling very nervous, and went over to the pool, with Channon by her side. The others followed and peered into the water.

"Oh, I think I see myself!" Lucy exclaimed.

Marillet nodded. "Yes, they're ready for Edaline in her world. Idris and her siblings have gathered by the fountain, and they're waiting to help her out."

"Are you ready?" Idris asked, and Edaline took a deep breath and tightened her fingers in Channon's fur, hoping very much that this would work.

They all started in surprise as a pixie, Ieshlee, they realized, came bursting up out of the pool. She flew to Idris, chattering in her high pitched voice.

Idris nodded. "The enchantment is complete. You'll be able to go through."

"Wh-what do I have to do?" Edaline asked, her voice shaking just a bit.

"Just step into the pool. The magic will draw you down, and into your own world. It will all happen very quickly. Are you ready?"

"I think so." Edaline took a deep breath and turned to Lucy, giving her a hug. "I hope you have fun when you see the lamb trees. Being with you has helped me miss my Lucy a little less. Please tell Peter and Susan goodbye and thanks."

Lucy hugged back tight. "I will. Goodbye, Edaline. I'll miss having another sister," she said, with a teasing glance at Edmund, who rolled his eyes.

Edaline turned to Edmund. "I hope you won't take this the wrong way…"

"…But I hope never to see you again." Edmund grinned at her, and drew her in for a very quick hug. "Good luck, Eda."

"Thanks, Ed." Edaline now looked down at Channon. This would be the hardest of all goodbyes.

Channon licked her hand. "I'm going with you."

"But Channon-"

"Your majesty said you didn't have the Royal Guard in your world. You need me."

Edaline knelt down so she could look the Wolf in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

Channon nodded and nuzzled her face. "Of course. I swore to protect you and stay by your side."

Edaline glanced up at Idris and Marillet. "Can she? Will the magic work if she comes with me?"

Idris conferred hastily with the pixies. "Yes, they say she can go with you. You just need to hold on to each other." He looked gravely at Channon. "But you can never come back. You will be with Queen Edaline in her Narnia for always."

"That's what I want," Channon said, and Edaline threw her arms around the Wolf and hugged her tight.

"I'm so glad!" She stood and faced Idris and Marillet. "I'm ready."

Marillet touched her shoulder. "Then you two hold tight to each other, and step in the pool."

"Yes. Thank you, both." She looked at the pixies. "And thank you too, for your help, and for the gift of the mirror." Edaline took a deep breath and buried a hand in Channon's fur, and together they stepped into the pool.

She caught one last glimpse of Edmund's face as they sank quickly down under the water and then hands were grabbing at her, and pulling her out of the water, and she found herself in the courtyard of her own Cair Paravel, surrounded by her brother and sisters. They all piled on her, hugging and laughing, and all Edaline could see was the sky overhead, where the wyverns were circling the castle towers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a clear summer night, in the fifth year of the reign of the High King Peter and his sisters, the stars danced across the velvet Narnian sky and Queen Edaline lay in her own bed, Channon resting in the doorway. It had been a very long day, telling her story to her siblings and to Idris and Ariadne and all the others, hearing all the things they'd been up to while she was gone and all the many ways they'd tried to bring her back over the course of the last few weeks.

There had been an impromptu celebratory feast, to welcome the Queen Edaline home, and the castle was filled with all the Narnians who came to catch a glimpse of her, with their own eyes, and even some of the pixies came to apologize for their gift gone wrong.

Edaline introduced the others to Channon, and Peter had immediately knighted her and appointed her Head of the Royal Guard, charging her with recruiting other guards to serve and protect. Channon had been as proud and happy as Edaline had ever seen her, and Edaline was delighted at the welcome her siblings gave her friend.

Idris had many questions for Edaline about the other Narnia, about the creatures in the Wild and how they lived there, and Eda had answered to the best of her ability, even though they hadn't been in the Wild very long. At the end of the evening, Edaline had asked what they should do with the bearded glass, still hanging in her room, and Idris had frowned, saying it was something he'd been thinking over and still wasn't sure which was the best way to dispose of it. They agreed that the final decision could wait until the morning.

Edaline slept very well that night, so glad to be back home and in her own bed. But she had the most curious dream.

In the dream, she saw the Great Lion standing in her room. He stood by the wall, next to the bearded glass, and he looked at Edaline, nodding his head and beckoning her to his side.

Edaline slid out of bed and crossed the room to his side, kneeling before him. "Aslan."

Aslan bent his great shaggy head and gave her a strong lion's kiss. "Daughter of Eve, you have done well."

"I…er, I have?" She looked up at him, rather confused. "I got into that world by accident, Aslan, and it was all the magicians' doing that I got home at all."

"You were brave, and clever, dear one, and you never gave up hope. I say again, well done. Now, rise, and remove that troublesome mirror from the wall and give it me."

Edaline did, although in the strange way of dreams, she was not quite sure how Aslan was managing to hold the mirror, but was certain he did. "What will happen to it?"

"I will take it away, to be guarded and kept safe. No one will be able to use it to travel from this Narnia to the other ever again."

And just as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone, and the next thing Edaline knew, she was blinking in the morning sunlight, wondering about the dream. But when she looked at the wall, the mirror was gone. She went in search of Idris to ask if he had taken it in the night, and he said no, and after further questioning and searching, it turned out the mirror was gone and no one had seen it at all. So Edaline knew that her dream was true. But she often wondered about it, even years later, and she often thought and wondered about the ones she had left behind, back in that other Narnia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a clear summer night, in the fifth year of the reign of the High King Peter and his brother and sisters, the stars danced across the velvet Narnian sky and King Edmund sat recalling the happenings of a long, eventful day.

After Edaline and Channon had sunk into the pool and out of their world, Edmund and Lucy had watched as Idris and Marillet and the pixies closed the portal. Edmund stepped in the pool to test it, but all that had happened was that his feet got wet, and he was quite relieved at that, but Marillet had reminded him, "There are always open portals between one world and the next, your majesty, as you well know. Just because this one is closed, it doesn't meant that other travelers won't come through in other places."

There had been things to do before they could start their journey home to Cair Paravel. Tumnus and Kellis and the bandits must be collected, and while Lucy had gone to do that, Edmund had talked for many hours with Marillet and Idris, finally convincing them to return with him and Lucy to Cair Paravel, for the High King was sorely in need of court magicians. When Lucy returned with the others, Marillet had given Tumnus and Kellis a healing tea she'd brewed. "It's not as powerful as your cordial, your majesty," she had said to Lucy. "But it does help." And indeed, both Tumnus and Kellis were much improved by the next morning, and ready to start the long journey back.

They all spent the night at Idris and Marillet's cottage, the bandits tied up outside, under the Guard's watchful eyes. Edmund had given up the bed inside to Tumnus, and he slept deeply under the stars and had a most curious dream.

In it, he was walking with the Great Lion along the beach at Cair Paravel. They stopped, and Edmund and Aslan both stared out at the sea. Edmund noticed that Aslan had with him a mirror with a beard, although in the strange way of dreams, he wasn't quite sure how the Lion was holding it. "Is that Edaline's mirror, Aslan?"

"Yes, my son. I am taking it away, to give to a magician in this world to keep safe, and no one will be troubled by it again."

"A magician in this world?"

"One very far away. You will see it again someday, but by then, its magic will be gone and it will be a simple looking glass."

And suddenly, Aslan was moving away from him, gliding over the water and leaving Edmund behind on the shore. When he woke in the morning, he remembered that most curious dream, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and soon he had forgotten it entirely, as you do with most dreams.

(Edmund did see that mirror again, although how that happened that is another story.)

There was much to do that morning, as Idris and Marillet packed their things and closed their cottage, and they all made ready to leave the Wild. Idris said that he would guide them, and their journey back to the Beaver's house would be shorter than the journey in.

But there was one last thing to do before they left the Western Wild and that afternoon, they stopped and visited Josen and finally, much to Lucy's delight and Edmund's dismay, saw the lamb trees.