Disclaimer: Of course I own nothing, I am just barrowing the characters.
Author's Note: This is a companion piece to A Touch of Strength. More Digory/Polly fluffiness! Please let me know what you think.
A Touch of Comfort
I stare unseeingly ahead. The silence around me is so thick that it cannot possibly be cut even with the sharpest knife. I feel numb, cold, alone. Her words pound repeatedly in my head…about how I shall forever regret not having taken the fruit right away for Mother. I place my left hand over the pocket where the apple is. I apply pressure, feeling its roundness. I had refused to listen to her. But I still wonder what would happen if I did do as she said. Would Mother already seem to bloom like a newly opened rose by now if she tasted some of the fruit? But the witch does not care for Mother; she is not concerned about Mother's well-being. What she wanted me to do could possibly hurt Mother, not help her. Yet I still feel chilly and isolated. A little voice keeps whispering to me:
"Go on, there's still time! Just get a hold of the ring and return home. There is still hope…"
No! I argue with myself. I will not fail in what the Lion asked of me. I will not!
I almost jump as everything seems to change around me. I now see fully the great new sun, the blue sky, and the white clouds. I listen to the sound of Fledge's wings beating the air. I gaze at a passing cloud and do a double take. For a moment I thought I saw the Lion looking at me, when his eyes had became sorrowful and he had shed great, large tears. But I must have imagined it. Yet now I feel a complete peace about me. I have done right, and I should not doubt it.
I feel the slightest pressure against my back. I frown, puzzled. I look at the arms wrapped around my waist, and my mind clears. Of course, how could I have forgotten? Polly! She's leaning against me. I draw comfort from her silent communication. For some strange reason my heart seems to pound in my chest at this realization.
Remembering now that I'm not alone brings back another memory of what she had said to me. "You can leave the girl behind; you need not take her with you."
I feel my cheeks start burning in renewed anger. Girl? Polly is not just a girl! She is my friend, a very good friend. She has always been… encouraging, simply being there, and so much more. She is not like the other girls I have met. No, she is special. I smile softly and place one of my hands over Polly's and squeeze them. Thank you for not leaving me, Polly, even when I've acted beastly.
I rub Polly's fingers with my thumb. And I feel her smile against my back.
THE END