Chapter 17: Aslan Tells Mallory A Little Bit More

It was a good four days before they reached Mount Pire. Snowmane claimed they would have reached there faster if it wasn't for Rum's mare, whose speed was no match for a Unicorn and thus they had to wait for them a good many times. Unfortunately, Snowmane was unfamiliar with the Father Christmas's territory, and this upset Mallory greatly.

Suddenly, she remembered something and felt about in her leather pouch. Her fingers grasped an odd-shaped thing and she pulled it out. "A golden pine-cone!" she exclaimed, and then it all came back to her: "The Silver Tree!"

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the very same tree materialised into view. They all stopped before it in wonder. It was still the same old silver pine tree, still shining as brightly as a beacon. The bell was still hanging at the very top of the tree, and the pine-cones were still glittering gold. Rum's jaw had dropped out of pure amazement.

"Go ahead, Rum!" said Mallory. "Pick a pine-cone. You're allowed to pick one."

"Really?"

"Trust me, I've been here before."

Just as Rum had rounded the tree and selected one, there was a sharp ting! in the air, like a bell that had been tapped. Mallory looked up and saw a shape hovering at the bell, and then the shape became well-defined, and she realised what it was.

"FIRUMEL!"

There was a loud, cackle-like laugh, and then Firumel himself landed right beside her and Mallory got down from Snowmane and threw her arms around the Eagle and hugged him and laughed as the tears came. "Oh, oh, Firumel! How I've missed you! How are you? Are you all right?"

Firumel laughed. "Oh, I am, all right. Never better! Narnia is so beautiful now that the winter is gone. And the Sea! The glorious Sea! Oh, things have really turned out so well now. Everything is right again. And what of you? My goodness, you've grown!"

"Have I? I've been knighted, Firumel: I'm Lady Mallory now!"

"I would never have believed it! But you do deserve it, I suppose, bringing all those gifts from Father Christmas and running away to Anvard without even taking me - "

"It was all on Aslan's orders! Where's Aslan? How is he? Is he all right?"

"Aslan – Aslan all right? Of course he is! He was the one who killed the Witch. Ooh, you missed it, Mallory, you did! But it's not important now. Anyway, he's not in Narnia anymore."

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know. None of us do. He's always like that you know, and he's got other countries to look after. Not to mention he's not the sort of Lion you can hold down in one place. He's not tame, after all. But he'll be back when he means to. Oh, he'll be back."

Then Mallory introduced Rum to Firumel and they all made for Father Christmas's House. Firumel had been waiting in his House for Mallory, because he knew that she would come sooner or later for her Chest, and he didn't think that he would like to go knocking at the doors of Anvard asking for her. Soon, they arrived at the very House of Father Christmas itself, where Father Christmas was sitting on the doorstep smoking a pipe and surrounded by his reindeers. He beamed and stood when she came to him.

And wonder of all wonders, her Chest was sitting right on the doorstep beside him. She knelt beside it and opened it and found that all her things were still there. Suddenly, she burst into tears and Rum put a comforting arm around her.

"What's the matter, Mallory?" asked Father Christmas kindly. "What are you crying for?"

"Oh, oh, Father Christmas – Algaurs - " she stopped, but he only smiled so she continued, "I want to speak to him – Aslan. I still haven't asked him – and – and I want to speak to so many people – Cheeveereep, and Corcus and Grumbus and the rest of the Talking Mice – but I suppose they've all gone back to Narnia – I didn't even thank them – and there's Peter and Susan and Edmund and Lucy, especially Peter, I didn't get a chance to make up to him – and Susan and Edmund and Lucy I didn't even say goodbye - " and then it was all too hard to bear.

"You wished to speak to me?" a warm and regal voice said.

Mallory looked up and saw to her utmost surprise and delight that the voice belonged to Aslan himself. There he stood, only a few paces away in all his golden and warm glory. He came towards her and gave her a warm lick. "Come, Mallory. Your story is unfinished. I will tell a bit more of it now and resolve your doubts." Mallory nodded and followed him to the willow tree.

"Mallory," he began slowly, and Mallory placed a hand in his mane. How she had missed its soft texture! She remembered him as the boy, her brother, and wished that he would become that boy now, but somehow she knew that he would never do that again.

"Mallory," he said again, but this time he finished his sentence, "I had not meant for this to be known to you, but now I feel that you are old enough to acknowledge it and understand it: why I banished you from this world." Mallory held her breath. This was it. She had waited long for this moment.

"I will tell you the full truth, Mallory. There will be no stone left that is not overturned. I sent you into the world of Adam because you had caused harm in Narnia. Yes, you had led the Narnian army against Jadis, but the victory is brief. I was foolish for assigning you to keep watch on her. I should have let you kill her, but it was not in my nature. Not when the world was so young and so full of goodness. But I was wrong. She persuaded you to chop down the Tree of Protection, and you did." There, Aslan paused, and Mallory let the tears fall from her eyes. Even if it wasn't her doing, yet she felt the sorrow, the painful regret and the raw remorse that ate away at her heart. But all those went away when he put a paw on her shoulder. "It is over and done, Mallory. Narnia is free. Jadis is no longer here."

"What – what have you done to her then?"

"I have sent her to Adam's world," he said huskily. "To start over in a new life. Just as I have done with you, and many others that have betrayed, or killed, or did evil. I do not have the heart to kill. I want to give them second chances. But most will not remember what evil deeds they have done. That is no matter, for hopefully, if they have grown to be better people, they will return, with all good will, to Narnia."

"What if they don't repent – I mean, turn over a new leaf?"

"Then Narnia is forever closed to them until the lifespan of this world is ended."

"And then what will happen?"

"Mallory," there was a kind, but stern tone in his voice, "when that time comes you will be there by my side, along with our beloved siblings, Arundel and Algaurs, at that time. But at that time; this I will reveal to you; you will have to make a fateful choice between your love for your family and love for someone that will give you the love that no member of your family can offer, not even I. We, the Royal Children of the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea, are immortal and can live forever to descend into new worlds and begin new threads of Time, but should one of us turn away from the love that binds us together, all immortality and magic that had been bequeathed will be stripped away. But fear not just yet, for that is a long time to come. Many ages will begin and end, many kings will rule and die, and much of the land will shift and change before that time comes. Do not worry about it. For now, be happy with your new family and cherish them as if your own."

Mallory was vexed about this, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to, but Aslan breathed a warm and sweet breath upon her that felt like a loving caress and she cast it away.

"Aslan, will I ever be sent home, I mean, to Adam's world, again?"

Aslan thought about it, then he said, "Yes. But you will return. You will."

The long curtains of the willow tree swayed and sighed like a forlorn lover. Aslan sighed sadly and kissed her on her forehead, his whiskers tickling her a bit. Then he melted into the breeze and was gone just like that.

After a hearty lunch and a happy reunion with the band of Narnians (they too had been living in the vicinity of the House of Father Christmas) and they had been waiting for her to come.

"Now, fair lady, that we have seen that you are in perfect health and elevated status," said Cheeveereep, and Mallory had to laugh at this point, "We can return at last in peace to Narnia with rested hearts."

"Believe us, my lady," said Corcus, "this was all his idea. He was so eager to see you!" Cheeveereep blushed as they all laughed.

"We should be going, Mallory," said Rum after a while.

"Yes, we should. I had only meant to fetch my Chest - "

" – and talk to Aslan," finished Father Christmas with a twinkle in his eye.

"That too. It's been lovely meeting up with all of you. Do come and visit me at Anvard. Oh, I'll miss all of you for sure!"

"So will we!" said Firumel, and Mallory could have sworn she had seen tears form in his eyes. She hugged him and said, "Do visit. Or maybe I'll visit you!"

Firumel laughed. "I'll be in Cair Paravel if you need me."

"Why's that?"

"I'm one of the King's Advisors, that's why!"

Mallory clapped her hands joyfully. "Oh, Firumel, that's wonderful!"

"It certainly is," he beamed. Then he exclaimed suddenly, "I almost forgot! Oh, dear me! How forgetful of me . . . the High King of Narnia charged me with this message, oh dear, what was it?" he screwed up his face in deep thought while Mallory's heart stopped a little. A message from Peter?

"Ah! I have it! He said that he's sorry for yelling at you, earlier, and he would like you to come visit them at Cair Paravel, and do tell him before you come so that they can prepare for your visit."

Mallory laughed. "Oh, is that it? Well, Firumel, tell him that, yes, I'd like to come, but not at the moment because I've got plenty of catching-up to do now that I'm a Lady of Archenland . . ."

THE END (FOR NOW)

Author's note: Huhu, we've reached the end of this leg of Mallory's story! But despair not, for I've got plenty more of adventures in store for our heroine. If you'd like a sequel (or prequel or whatever) put up, I'll be more than happy to continue her story. Just drop me a review, will you?