Haunted

By Serena

Ashamed A/N: OK, I really don't know what I was saying in the last chapter, so please disregard my last A/N. Caspian and the others EXCEPT LUCY look the same. Lucy is SEVENTEEN. She's thin, taller than her younger self, with dirty blonde hair and pale grey eyes. She looks like a ghost right now, pretty much.

Chapter Seven

She didn't know what it was.

Maybe it was Narnian air. Maybe it was the fact that for the first time since the boys had left, she actually felt a touch of what it was like to be happy again. Maybe it was because of Aslan. Or maybe because she was exercising and regaining her long forgotten strength.

Whatever it was, Lucy didn't remember feeling so alive... not for a long, long time.

She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply.

Oh. I've missed this.

"Smells good, doesn't it?"

Lucy opened her eyes and glanced down at the smaller creature. The badger, Trufflehunter. Probably one the kindest people she'd met. "Yes," she agreed whole-heartedly in her quiet, reserved manner. "Yes, it does."

"I'm curious," said Trufflehunter, "if you don't mind my asking, where exactly in the Northern forest did you come from? I've traveled their in my younger years, but I've never seen any humans there. Talk of giants on the borders."

Lucy shot a look ahead to where Caspian, Trumpkin, and Reepicheep were all discussing battle strategies and said, "Well... I moved around a lot when I was younger. Then, after my parents died... and my brothers... left..." She paused. "I decided to make my way back to civilization. I really lived among the talking beasts. There was a family of Beavers who let me stay with them for a while." Her heart clenched at the thought of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Both of them were gone, just like Mr. Tumnus.

Everyone seemed to be leaving her.

"How interesting!" Trufflehunter remarked. "And where are your brothers now?"

Lucy looked away. "I don't know," she said softly.

To his credit, Trufflehunter didn't continue on the subject and just nodded.

"So... Aslan's How," Lucy spoke, not wanting to appear rude. "What, exactly is it?"

"Ah," said the badger with a secretive smile, "that you must see for yourself. It cannot be described well with the tongue, but once you see it, you will understand. It is at the heart of every true Narnian, and you shall see why when we get there. But, if you don't mind me asking, do you know anything of Old Narnia?"

"Old Narnia? I don't believe so," Lucy lied. "The Beavers told me a little. About a long time ago, where there was a witch, and a lion, and four kings and queens."

Trufflehunter nodded. "Exactly. But there's much more to the story than that. The lion, Aslan, is our true king."

"Aslan? A lion?"

"Yes. He is the Son of the Emperor, from over the sea. He comes and goes as he pleases. The saying went 'he is not a tame lion.' And it's quite true. We haven't seen him since the Telmarines arrived."

Lucy frowned. "So when the Telmarines took over Narnia, Aslan didn't help?"

"No, I'm afraid not. But the Telmarines invaded after our kings and queens disappeared. It has been said that Narnia was never right unless a son of Adam was king. And it has not been right. The Telmarines and their leader, Miraz, are cruel and want to exterminate all of Old Narnia. But thank Aslan, Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne, has joined our cause and is our new leader. Some are skeptical, but they will soon see that he is the one to help us."

As he was talking, Lucy looked at Caspian closely. "He's so young."

"Aye, that he is. But strong and courageous. He's been through so much already."

No doubt of that. She, herself had been through much at even a younger age than Caspian. She could understand his hesitation.

They walked in comfortable silence for the next few minutes until Lucy saw a clearing up ahead through the trees. Caspian glanced back, halted, and called: "Elizabeth! Come look at this!"

Lucy exchanged slightly amused glances with Trufflehunter and walked a little faster until she reached Caspian, who grinned and swept a hand towards the clearing. "Look, here we are."

Lucy followed his gaze and found herself astonished. The craggy, beautiful rock formation was massive. The red and brown rock shone in the afternoon sunlight, and the leafy green trees surrounding it blew gently in the warm breeze. "It's beautiful," she said sincerely, gracing Caspian with small smile.

He grinned and caught her hand. "Come on. It's even more incredible inside." And taking off, he jogged across the field, her trailing behind him and holding his hand tightly. His energy was infectious; she couldn't keep a smile off her face.

But when they reached the entrance to the cave and slowed to a walk, the smile disappeared. Two lines of centaurs of all sizes and ages stood at honor stance, holding their swords up as Caspian and she approached. Caspian smiled up at them and nodded respectfully, but Lucy paled.

It's too much... too many memories. Oh, Aslan, how can I bear this? How can I be here without my brothers and sister to help me?

The largest male centaur came trotting up to them and nodded to Caspian. But he glanced at Lucy, and his gaze locked with her for a long moment. She froze and stiffened, wondering why his gaze was so intent on her. Caspian caught the centaur's sharp look and frowned in confusion.

"Oh, Glenstorm," said Caspian, "this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She, well, she saved my life," he said, shooting Lucy a broad grin. "She's quite the archer."

"Archer?" Glenstorm said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Caspian said. "I invited her to travel with us, and she agreed. Elizabeth, this is Glenstorm, the commander of the Narnian army and undoubtedly the wisest member of our group."

"You do me a great honor, Your Highness," Glenstorm said. He nodded to Lucy. "We are indeed glad to welcome you to Aslan's How, my lady. We are indebted to you for your assistance."

Lucy nodded. "It was nothing," she said quietly. "Really. Caspian forgot to add that he saved my life as well. But thank you, sir."

"Glenstorm, please," the tall centaur said. "You are one of us." The strange way he said that made Lucy's heart beat faster. Did he suspect something about her? But how could he, when Narnia was over a thousand years older?

Caspian took her hand again and said: "Come, let's go inside. There's so much more to show you." He led her inside the cave, revealing hundreds of Narnians, from talking beasts to dwarfs to fauns, working and talking. He brought her past them to another passage, where he took a torch and led her down a tall, though narrower corridor. Lucy wondered where he was leading her until he slowed to a stop.

"Here. To understand Narnia, you must understand her history." And he held up the torch to the wall.

Lucy sucked in a gasp. It was her. And Peter. Susan. Edmund. The four kings and queens of Narnia... so long ago. They were painted onto the cave walls, dressed in Narnian garb, riding their horses.

"Ah, there you are. We were looking for you." Trufflehunter, followed by Trumpkin and another swarthy dwarf, came up to them. "Are you showing Miss Bennet the caves?"

"Yes," said Caspian. "I wanted to show her the four kings and queens of the Golden Age. This is King Peter the Magnificent," he said, pointing to Peter. "And Queen Susan the Gentle. Legend has it her beauty made her the desire of all the kings of the realm," he added with a small laugh.

Lucy swallowed, feeling positively ill. If only he could see Susan now.

"And that's Edmund the Just," Caspian added. "And last but not least, Queen Lucy the Valiant. She was a brilliant archer, like you," he said, shooting her a smile.

"The time they ruled Narnia," said the Badger reverently, "was the most wonderful time in the history of Narnia. We were happy and peaceful."

I know, Lucy thought miserably. I remember.

She lightly reached out and touched the drawing of her older brothers... and then Susan. But when she reached herself, she hesitated and pulled away.

That's not me anymore, she thought sadly. I was so different back then. They called me Queen Lucy the Valiant. But how valiant could I be when I can't even look at myself in the mirror without feeling disgust and shame? You're not valiant, Lucy Pevensie. You're a coward.

She fought hard to keep away the tears that so desperately wanted to come.

None of this went unnoticed by the Badger, who wrinkled his nose pensively and watched with large black eyes.

Hmm, so she's at Aslan's How, and already a couple people might know more than they let on. The next chapter will be similar to this, but it will pick up as we go along. Let me know what you think! :)

- Serena