Where is the Witch? Beware of the Witch!

Fertal

We creep closer through the bushes, and then... find what I believe would be a small band of "bad guys", camping. From where we spy, their manner and tone of voice speaks of much agitation and confusion . . . but not enough that I'd place on a band of fugitives from a rout! Second, I rather doubt that retreating, harried troops would bother with watching over a prisoner! Aye, would be more believable by far for me without the young prisoner that these "badies" are defeated evil troops.

Hey, it is entirely possible that these troopers are actually the "good guys" for all I know. While the CS. Lewis book had a smidgen of information about what creatures made up each side, the ones (very ugly) before me and my love . . . I have never laid eyes upon before today!

Sigh, then again I'm rather basing a LOT on so very little. Meaning that we need to get more information, and quick!

Can do that in one of two manners. We could either spend a bit of time in hiding, overhearing conversation OR we could.....somehow separate this young prisoner from his captors.

"I need to . . . use the facilities," the prisoner almost begs from where he's seated, making a small gesture with his bound hands. "Please?"

The boy only earns a sharp cuff to the head (knocking him to his feet) and rough laughs from his captors.

A hooded figure then, from the side, stands and steps forth and stands before the fallen prisoner as he struggles back to his feet. Pulling back the hood reveals . . . a male (by appearance) that is CLOSE to human, but not.

An evil faun?

Well, takes all types, I suppose....

"This is as good of place as any," the goat-footed man says sharply. "Close enough to where we found you to be able to easily found by me and my Queen . . . once we find her and she decides your fate. This will, meanwhile, keep you . . . temporarily out of my way while I and my comrades search for her! You've been nothing but a pain!"

The faun goes on, laughing that this spot has the added bonus, once they were away, that the prisoner's friends shan't find his stony body by accident.

Especially after they burry him! The faun laughs, saying that after a bit of diluted Lethe water, the young man wouldn't even remember this episode . . . so as to hold grudges.

Edmund! my love sends to me, staring at the scene before us. It's got to be that boy who had secretly tried to betray that lion and the other "good guys" if he's been associating with this rabble until now.

Note: for information on Edmund Pevensie and others from the CS Lewis "The Chronicles of Narnia", try here: http://www. narnia. com/discover /index.htm

What we've overheard so far . . . seems to point that way. Then again, who's to say just WHAT the devil is going on here? Eh, yes, we do definitely need to talk with this bound prisoner!

.....

After these folks finish with him, for I and my love cannot well just waltz in there and take him! Too many folks to try to do it safely. Might be able to attack and then retreat, empty handed. However this prisoner is too well bound by not only ropes but chains! Too much to quickly free up and get away safe and sound.

No, we watch from the shadows as the betrayed gets held by burly guards, yelling and even screaming at the end as he feels his body stiffen with the last of the spell incantation . . . and one part of me almost flippantly observes that he makes a most horrid statue, frozen in mid protest/struggle like that.

The monsters quickly bury the statue, and the faun mage completes the scene by causing the foliage to sprout up on the mound, making it soon well nigh impossible to see that the earth had ever been disturbed there. Honestly, I myself would have trouble noting the difference if I hadn't witnessed this.

In the end, the entire process took something like a quarter hour to complete. Making note of where this spot is so as to be able to lead the others here. I know that the "badies" are doing the same if/when they do find their witch to recover the (literally) stoned prisoner.

Probably an almost too big of stroke of luck that we should have come across this, but then again I have a distinct feeling that OUR arrival point is pretty near the magic wardrobe entrance (which in turn seems to have a habit of attracting all sorts of activity in it's vicinity, in a way). Whatever the case, we have things to do (but carefully)!

Hope that we'd done the right thing. Oh, is easy enough our intentions, but still maybe the mages cannot reverse the stone curse (and freeing the prisoner so his lips may be made to let slip).

Later...

Alicia 4

While looking over at my rather unexpected love, I glance at the rather dirt covered statue that Jarlath had raised with his magic and my dear had floated/dragged along with us to a secret campsite we'd chosen to spend the night.

Being that it appears that the spell that has this boy petrified is rather powerful (AND that we really do not have time to waste, what with evil soldiers about), it has fallen to Manbear Synizn to cast a spell to de-petrify this poor, troubled soul.

From what I remember reading in the book back in Nantucket (wondrous place with so many articles of science . . . wish I could have stayed and studied it all more), if this does actually turn out to be Edmund, then I can say I feel pity for him. So hard is he trying to find his way and so easily had evil tricked him, taking advantage of the poor child's need for a sense of . . . achievment of some type over his brother and such.

If I can, I shall do something if I am able to steer him right. Sometimes something almost like a miracle can occur if one actually talks....

Ah, but alas now is not the time for that. Thank God that in this land they have special talking animals so my appearance (a bear....how much more natural and wonderful, powerful it is compared to that quick, but fragile foxwoman I had been before meeting my love)....

Hm, right.

Well, at least we manimals shall not frighten him right out of hand. As I feel his emotions awaken again as the stone turns back into flesh, he is a mixture of fright (not directed at us) and confusion as he awakens to see us.

Even now, with my heart tied into the "communal heart" of the pack (a feeling of great community and joy), the one part I still have to my self (and my love which I share), I remember before how awful it can be, fear.

So much easier, now, sharing an ordeal with the Pack instead of by myself. Even feels better than when I have yet another insight on God's work through the pursuit of understanding His works through scientific means.

Irony, considering back as a human being I'd dismissed my calling (though nice it was) as nothing more than a poor second to magical might and spells.

But that's not important right now. The child is what is important. Who he is. What he's facing. That and to risk sounding crass, he's also a means to gaining a better view on this confusing situation.

1. "Child," I say softly. "Forgive us for questions so soon upon your return, but alas needs drive us to be so rude."

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