Ruth's Magpie

Chapter 19: Of Remembering Again and Running Away

I struggled to get comfortable on the hay. I pulled the rough horse blanket around my shoulders and burrowed more deeply into the bale. My bandages were so, so itchy, yet I dared not scratch. I stared at the stars through the open window. They were drastically different than back home in London. Different constellations. They shone brighter. They had a greenish hue.

My eyes closed, and I found myself dreaming of my life back home. Back before the war. The horrible, horrible war. It was the last night before my father shipped out. We lay in the middle of a large, grassy field, staring up at the stars. Mum had packed a large picnic basket full of sandwiches and containers of soup, and we had eaten through the sunset and watched as lavender turned to indigo and indigo turned to navy, revealing the white pinpricks of stars. Mary and Abigail were sound asleep on my stomach. Michael was curled up next to Mum, fighting to stay awake. My parents were holding hands, alternating between sharing long, tender looks and gazing in awe at the stars. Both my stomach and my heart were full for the first time in weeks. The treasured moment carried me through the nightmarish nights of torment that followed. First without Father. Then without everyone else.

The scene slowly faded, and I was back in the stable, Aslan by my side. The sun was just beginning to rise, painting the sky a rosy pink. I adjusted the blanket, shivering slightly.

"Cold?"

I jumped slightly at Aslan's voice and giggled. "A little."

"Come closer to me, then, Ruth," he chuckled.

I obliged, snuggling up against his warmth. "Aslan?"

"Yes?"

"What is the time difference between here and Narnia? Like when I go back, how much time will pass?"

"Hm... I do not know. Time is a silly thing sometimes."

"Alright..."

"What do you fear, Ruth?"

"I... what do you mean?"

"Are you in a hurry to return?"

"No, I want to help here first and be with you... I just worry for the Pevensies is all."

"Do not worry, child." Aslan tickled my ear with his nose, bringing a smile back to my face. "They will be safe when you return."

"Aslan," an icy voice at the door said. I jumped, my smile vanishing instantly, replaced by a crippling anxiety. A man stood there, with silky hair that formed shiny ebony rivers on his navy blue tunic. His equally dark eyes were steely. "The king would like to see you and... and her in the throne room within the hour."

"M...me...?" I asked, my heart rising to my throat. My voice sounded small and scared... even to myself.

He raised his eyebrows in silent mocking. "Yes. You."

"Thank you, Toron," Aslan said. "By any chance, would you happen to have bandages we could use?"

"Bandages? For whom?"

"F...for me, sir," I stammered. I slowly unwound the bandage on my left wrist. His face blanched.

"Why, whatever happened?"

Tears filled my eyes, and my throat closed with emotion. Aslan sensed my hesitation and explained what I had done to receive such ghastly wounds.

"I shall go fetch bandages and a nurse immediately, Aslan!" he exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Thank you," I said meekly.

"But of course...?"

"R...Ruth..." I answered. "Ruth Byrne. Of Earth."

He nodded. "My pleasure, Ruth."

He spun on his heels and hurried away. I turned, stunned, to face Aslan.

"Wh... wh... what just happened?"

"The Emeraldians value selflessness above even royal birth, Ruth," he explained. "Though they mistrust humans, I am certain that your story will make a profound impact on more than just a simple messenger."

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"What brings you back, Aslan?" the king inquired. "Have we done something to, ah, provoke you?"

"I came to see how you have rebuilt. I am glad you have been able to make such progress."

"Tell me, Aslan. Do you wish to force us to begin again? Anew?"

"But of course not."

"Then why have you brought... her?"

I immediately shrank away. "What is my crime?"

"Does she know nothing?" he scoffed. "Foolish girl, you-"

"Enough!" Aslan interjected. "Of Targuea's evil she is innocent."

I nodded fervently.

"What does she bring to my domain of which I am in need? As you can see, I have everything a king could want. My people are prospering once again. My cities of wood and stone reach to the heavens. I-"

"Surely you would welcome the return of Tariro?"

The king's black eyes became as hot as festering embers. He stiffened in his throne. "It is not safe for her here."

"Are you delighted in her exile?"

"I... I did what was best for her and for the kingdom. It is too dangerous for her here."

Aslan said nothing. The king seemed to wither under his gaze. He placed his head in his hands. But only for a moment.

"Ruth. Run."

I turned, wild-eyed, to Aslan. My only guardian in this strange new world.

"What? Where? Why?"

The king turned to face me. His eyes, once cold and black, glowed scarlet.

I understood.

I bolted.

Through the door. Down the stairs. Through the streets. To the forest. Between the trees.

Arms pumping. Legs whirring. Head reeling. Heart pounding. Eyes streaming.

Just when I thought I could run no longer, I saw a flash of red among the greenness of tree, grass, bush, and moss. I stopped, too scared to cry out but deciding to risk it anyway.

"Hey! Excuse me! Who are you?" I called. The red disappeared behind a tree.

"Hey, hey, hey," I cooed, inching closer. "I haven't come to hurt you. I... I'm running away. I need help."

From behind a tree trunk, a corner of a girl's face appeared. Her hair cascaded in tangled curls around her shoulders.

"Hi," I said, suddenly shy. "I... I'm not here to hurt you..."

I saw her hands too late. Before I could move, I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my shoulder. My world was enveloped in black, and darkness swallowed me before I hit the ground.