After balancing over stones to get to the other side of the river, Trumpkin told the teenagers that it would be better if they stopped for the night. They laid down in a field of grass, Zola fell asleep immediately. She was so exhausted, she just hoped she'd wake up sooner than the rest to change her bandages.

            Luckily for her, she did. When Zola untied the bandages, she saw that the stabbing wound had turned purple around the cut. It had definitely been infected. Peter and Lucy woke up around the same time, Zola had to quickly pull her shirt down both times, then they both went to the woods.

            After them, the other three awoke. They realised Peter and Lucy were gone. "Where'd they go?" Susan asked Zola, since she was already up.

            Zola pointed in a direction. Susan scrambled up to run after them, Edmund followed and after that Trumpkin and Zola followed as well. In the woods stood many Narnians. Zola asked a few what was happening, but they only pointed in a certain direction.

            Once at the point where the situation was happening, Zola could hear Lucy yelling. "Stop!" She ran towards that point, seeing Peter standing in front of someone else, a sword in the other's hand.

            "Peter!" Susan yelled.

            Peter turned around, showing the person behind him. Zola's eyes widened, and she ran towards him. She'd finally found him. Zola finally found her brother. Caspian welcomed her with open arms, picking her up from the ground.

            "I thought I'd never see you again," Zola nuzzled her head in Caspian's shoulder. "I thought you were dead."

            Zola winced as Caspian held her up by her torso. Caspian looked around to the others. "We have a lot to talk about." Zola breathed out.

            He looked down at the sword in his hand. Zola instantly saw it wasn't his sword, but Peter's. Caspian looked at Peter. "High King Peter."

            "I believe you called." Peter replied.

            "Well, yes, but... I thought you'd be older," Caspian admitted. "Not Zola's age."

            Peter sassed. "If you like, we could come back in a few years."

            "No," Caspian said, not wasting a second. "No, that's all right. You're just... You're not exactly what I expected." He looked at Susan.

            Edmund gave Caspian a side eye. "Neither are you."

            "Watch it when you talk about my brother." Zola narrowed her eyes at him.

            "Brother?" All four of them widened their eyes, their mouths falling agape. Their eyes trailed from Zola to Caspian and back to Zola.

            She had to laugh at their reaction. Tilting her head, she took out her sword and said. "Didn't this give it away?"

            "A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes." Badger said.

            Reepicheep ran out of the bushes, standing on two feet. "We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege. Our hearts and swords are at your service," He bowed, then looked at Zola. "Ah, you're back, too. Welcome home, I guess."

            "Reepicheep. Hadn't seen you there, you tiny nutcracker." She replied. Reepicheep laughed a little. They may have looked like they were insulting each other to the others, but to them it was just their way of speaking. They had known each other for seven years.

            Lucy leaned in to whisper to Susan. "Oh, my gosh, he is so cute."

            His sword came out instantly, pointing it. "Who said that?" Reepicheep asked defensively.

            "Sorry."

            "Oh," Reepicheep's reaction became milder, seeing it was Lucy who said it. "Uh... Your Majesty, with the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous or chivalrous might more befit a knight of Narnia."

            Zola snorted. "A knight of Narnia, maybe, but cute is fine for you."

            She held out her hand for Reepicheep to climb on it. From her hand, he travelled to her shoulder. Zola exchanged a look with Caspian, who stood a little clueless. "I'll explain later, I promise." She whispered.

            Caspian felt a little betrayed if he had to be honest. All these years and Zola had never told him a word about her activities here. Reepicheep had called this her home, that's how much she'd been here. But mostly, he hated himself for never noticing how much she was gone.

            "Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade." Peter gave the small animal a small smile.

            "Yes, indeed," Reepicheep replied, putting his sword back in its holster. "And I have recently put it to good use, securing weapons for your army, sire."

            "Good," Peter turned back to Caspian, occasionally giving Zola a look as well. "Because we're going to need every sword we can get."

            Caspian stared right back at him. "Well, then you will probably be wanting yours back."

            Peter sourly took back his sword from Caspian. Zola could see in his look that he was slightly frustrated about losing from him, but how could he not? Caspian was one of the best fighters she knew. And she knew many fighters.

            All the creatures and everyone else followed Peter down the forest, back to Lord Miraz's camp. Peter, Edmund, Caspian and Zola went in to steal the weapons. It went faster than expected. There weren't even any guards around the place.

            They wanted to leave straight after getting the weapons, but Zola stopped in her tracks, looking back. "What're you doing?" Edmund whisper–yelled. "Get back here!"

            "Hold on," She replied, taking out her dagger. "There's something I have to do."

            She put the wagon's door back up to carve something in its wood. "You were right to fear the woods. ZF" It said. She then ran back after the boys, who'd already made it into the woods.

            The walk back to some ruins Caspian claimed as his own was a rough one for Zola. She stumbled over invisible object all the time due to her brain starting to malfunction. Sometimes the spots in her eye sight would get so intense, she couldn't see where she walking and Edmund had to hold her to even walk in a straight line.

            "I don't need your help." She'd say to him, even while stumbling as he held her.

            "Than I suppose I'll let you fall." Edmund would reply, knowing fully well he wasn't going to do that. He may not have liked her attitude at all, but he had to admit, there was something about her. Something that pulled him like metal to a magnet.

            At the ruins, the centaurs made two lines. They held up their swords for the company to walk under. Going inside, all sorts of creatures were working on materials. Some came to greet Zola, as she's helped them many times before.

            "Let's find you someplace to sit, shall we?" Edmund asked. If by asking you mean, practically demanding, but putting a question mark at the end.

            "I don't need to sit, I'm fine." Zola replied, already stumbling.

            He scoffed. "Like hell, you are."

            He sat her down, and it was as if 40 percent of her pain was relieved. Her breathing became more normal. "Yeah, okay, maybe I will sit this one out." She breathed out.

            "Peter, I think you should see this!" They heard Susan yell from the other side of the room.

              Caspian looked at his sister, debating whether to leave her sitting there in that state or not. "Go." She told him. He nodded slowly and went after the Pevensies.

            As much as she was surrounded by people she knew, Zola felt alone. No one here knew of the pain she was enduring. No one knew of Jameson. She leaned back, hoping to relieve a little more of her pain. And before she knew it, her eyes closed.

            Zola Francesca had finally run out of spare energy and fell into a deep unconsciousness.

finally got motivation to write for this book again. i forgot how much i loved zola and her dynamics with everyone man i missed her

also two chapters in a day (burning game, check it out) ⁉️ rory's active era⁉️

any requests for updates btw?? now's the time