“Allshallbedone,”saidAslan。“Butitmaybeharderthanyouthink。”Andthenhewassilentagaiime。UptothatmomentLucyhadbeenthinkinghowroyalandstrongandpeacefulhisfacelooked;nowitsuddeoherheadthathelookedsadaswell。ButethatexpressionwasquitegoheLionshookhismaneandclappedhispawstogether(“Terriblepaws,”thoughtLucy,“ifhedidn'tknowhowtovelvetthem!”)andsaid,“Meahefeastbeprepared。Ladies,taketheseDaughtersofEvetothepavilionahem。”
&hegirlshadgoneAslanlaidhispaw—andthoughitwasvelveteditwasveryheavy—oer'sshoulderandsaid,“,andIwillshowyhtofthecastlewhereyouaretobeKing。”
AhhisswordstilldrawninhishaheLioerhehilltop。Thereabeautifulsightmettheireyes。Thesuiheirbacks。Thatmeantthatthewholetrybelowthemlayintheeveninglight—forestandhillsandvalleysand,windingawaylikeasilvershelowerpartofthegreatriver。Andbeyondallthis,milesaway,wasthesea,aheseathesky,fullofcloudswhichwerejustturningrosecolorwiththerefleofthesujustwherethelandofhesea—infact,atthemouthofthegreatriver—therewassomethingonalittlehill,shining。Itwasshiwasadofcoursethesunlightwasrefleallthehichlookedtoetera;buttoPeteritlookedlikeagreatstarrestingontheseashore。
“That,OMan,”saidAslan,“isCairParavelofthefourthrones,inoneofwhiustsitasKing。IshowittoyoubecauseyouarethefirstbornandyouwillbeHighKiherest。”
Aersaidnothing,foratthatmomentastrahesilewaslikeabugle,butricher。
“Itisyoursister'shorn,”saidAslaerinalowvoice;solowastobealmostapurr,ifitisfultothinkofaLi。
Foramomeuhen,whenhesawalltheothercreaturesstartforwardandheardAslansaywithawaveofhispaw,“Back!LetthePrinhisspurs,”hediduaashardashecouldtothepavilion。Andtherehesawadreadfulsight。
TheNaiadsandDryadsweresgiion。Luningtowardhimasfastashershswouldcarryherandherfacewasaser。ThenhesawSusanmakeadashforatree,andswingherselfup,followedbyahugegraybeast。AtfirstPeterthoughtitwasabear。TheitlookedlikeanAlsatian,thoughitwasfartoobigtobeadog。Thehatitolfstandingonitshihitsfrontpawsagairunk,snappingandsnarling。Allthehaironitsbackstooduponend。Susanhadogethigherthanthesedbigbraneshungdownsothatherfootwasonlyaninchortwoabovetheserwonderedwhyshedidhigheroratleasttakeabettergrip;thehatshewasjustgoingtofaintandthatifshefaintedshewouldfalloff。
&feelverybrave;ihewasgoingtobesick。Butthatmadeowhathehadtodo。Herushedstraightuptothemonsterandaimedaslashofhisswordatitsside。ThatstrokeheWolf。Quickaslightningitturnedround,itseyesflaming,anditsmouthwideopeninahowlofahadnotbeensoangrythatitsimplyhadtohowlitwouldhavegothimbythethroatatowas—thoughallthishappeooquicklyforPetertothinkatall—hehadjusttimetodudplungehissword,ashardashecould,betweeesihencameahorrible,omehinginanightmare。HewastuggingandpullingandtheWolfseemedheralivenordead,anditsbaredteethkhisforehead,ahingwasbloodaandhair。Amomentlaterhefoundthatthemonsterlaydeadandhehaddrawnhisswordoutofitandwasstraighteninghisbadrubbioffhisfadoutofhiseyes。Hefelttiredallover。
&erabit,Susahetree。SheaprettyshakywheandIwon'tsaytherewasn'tkissingandbothsides。ButinNarhinksanytheworseofyouforthat。
“Quick!Quick!”shoutedthevoiceofAslaaurs!Eagles!Iseeanotherwolfis。There—behidartedaway。Afterhim,allofyou。Hewillbegoingtohismistress。NowisyourdtheWitdrescuethefourthSonofAdam。”Andinstantlywithathunderofhoofsaingofwingsadozenorsooftheswiftestcreaturesdisappearediheringdarkness。
&illoutofbreath,turnedandsawAslahand。
“Youhavefottentoyoursword,”saidAslan。
IteterblushedwhehebrightbladeandsawitallsmearedwiththeWolf'shairandblood。Hestoopeddoeditquitethegrass,andtheedryonhiscoat。
“Handittomeandkneel,SonofAdam,”saidAslaerhaddoruckhimwiththeflatofthebladeandsaid,“Riseup,SirPeterWolf's-Bane。And,petowipeyoursword。”
baund。Whenhehadbeeowalkfarfurtherthanhehadeverknownthatanybodycouldwalk,theWitchatlasthaltedinadarkvalleyallovershadowedwithfirtreesarees。Edmundsimplysankdownandlayonhisfaothingatallandnotevengwhatwasgoingtohappeprovidedtheywouldlethimliestill。Hewastootiredeventonotigryandthirstyhewas。TheWitdthedwarfweretalkingclosebesidehiminlowtones。
“No,”saidthedwarf,“itisnouseheymusthavereachedtheStoablebynow。”
&heWolfwillsmellususnews,”saidtheWitch。
“Itotbegoodnewsifhedoes,”saidthed>
“FourthronesinCairParavel,”saidtheWitch。“Howifonlythreewerefilled?Thatwouldnotfulfiltheprophecy。”
“WhatdifferehatmakenowthatHeishere?”saidthedwarf。Hedidnotdare,evenhenameofAslantohismistress。“Hemaynotstaylong。Andthen—weoCair。Yetitmightbebetter,”saidthedwarf,“tokeepthisone”(herehekid)“fwith。”