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"There was a time when I was alone

Nowhere to go and no place to call home."

Lost Boy

Ruth B.

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Chapter IX - To Control the Uncontrolled

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"Is there anything we can do to help Edmund?" I ask, my mind never far from my brother and his safety.

"I'm doing my best, son," Aslan answers, "I had a raven sent off in the night to deliver a message to the White Witch, an offer for your brother in exchange for Ashton. It returned this morning declined."

"She wouldn't trade our brother for her own daughter? Her heir?" Susan questions, overcome by shock and sorrow for the girl.

"War and power bring out the worst in people, dear one. The White Witch trained Ashton for days like this. Raised a warrior but never made time for a daughter." Aslan explains to all of us, "Ashton may look emotionless but she is half human, meaning her humanity is just as prominent as yours."

"Her father was human?" Peter suspects.

"Ashton is what we call "bidimensional", a part of your world and a part of this one. Many creatures here are in fact. Since magic only resides in this universe, it can only prosper with additional abilities here. If a bidimensional leaves this dimension, they will lose the magic that makes them special." He explains.

"You're a lion that talks, does that make you a bidimensional too?" Lucy asks.

He smiles at her and her ability to understand anything with an open mind, while Susan and i both were still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that we were actually in a different dimension, "I'm a bit different young one, I'm known as a tridimensional, but we won't get into that now."

"Back to the problem at hand," He guides, "The day that Ashton was born a little over seventeen years ago the winter chill broke. The first flower showed its color in over 80 years. This gave Free-Narnians enough hope to begin their search for me under the request of Ashton's father. He requested to meet me at the lantern waste. But then, just as fast as the flower came, it fell."

"What happened to Ashton's father?" Susan asks dearly.

"Unfortunately, he never made it to the lantern waste. His body was found ten kilometers away with no sign of a magical siphoner diamond that has incredible power over magic itself." Aslan sighs, "Although I was able to speak with him in the land of the dead. The only way to get to the land of the dead is to die or give up everything, without your soul finding peace. He told me of Ashton's birth and that he loved his daughter endlessly. He only wanted the best for her, which he believed was away from a world on the brink of civil war, with Ashton at the center of it as the next heir. He wanted Ashton to be sent to your world and maybe she would return one day to take her place among her people, as her choice. Her mother wanted to train her to fight for herself and use her magic. Both wanted to protect her, just in different ways."

"Is Ashton's father at peace now that he told you this?" Susan follows up her previous question.

"I'm afraid not. He will not until Ashton gets the freedom to her own life. I pray one day she will, but that is a very complicated matter." He sighs before returning to the story, "The death of the flower could not kill the flicker of hope in all the darkness. Ashton's birth gave the people hope, a hope that was only strained because of the events of Loxley."

"What happened at this Loxley everyone speaks of?" I question quickly, only realizing after how pleading it sounded. I cleared my throat and continued, "Is what Robin Hood said true? How could the girl that saved Lucy at the river be the same girl to destroy a village with flames? It just doesn't make sense to me."

I haven't been able to get Robin's questions out of my head since they were ruthlessly asked.

"Everyone has their side of the story, Peter. Some may be similar and some may be very different." Aslan tells me, "Let Ashton tell her truth."

I laugh a bit, "I'm pretty sure I'm the last person she would ever talk to."

"You never know," Aslan comments.

"Certainly we can-" I start but a harsh wind blows out every candle in the tent.

Even though the weather had shifted to spring, I felt chills creep up my spine.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asks warily as she noticed everyone tense up to high alert.

Aslan looks up to Susan and me.

"Ashton," Aslan mutters, but I was already running out of the tent.

My face his hit with a harsh gust of wind and hard rain. I run across the camp with one hand on my sword, kicking up mud behind me. I make no hesitation pushing the guards out of the way to find the girl, only a year younger than me, unconscious on the ground. I shake her body trying to see if she would wake up. I give up on my attempts to wake her myself.

"Medics!" Get the medics now!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

I swerve one arm below her knees and my other across her shoulder blades. Ashton's arms fall lifelessly as I ran out of the tent.

The weather had gotten substantially worst in just seconds. Thunder cracked and hail started to replace the rain.

Aslan ran to meet me with my sisters not far behind in the middle of the grassy area used for training. At this point, many Narnians have heard my shouts and have come to examine the ruckus. As we met I place the girl down softly in front of him. The medics burst through the crowd looking over the girl. One instantly went to help while the other hesitated in fear. He quickly shook himself out of it.

The first medic inspected her carefully before turning to Aslan and me, "I have never seen this before. She's burning up and not responding to stimuli."

A large number of gasps came from the crowd. Though there was a decent amount of cheers in the back. These cheers were instantly answered by Susan as she stomped to find the owners.

"In all my years..." Aslan mutters, utterly astonished.

"Is she going to be okay?" Lucy asks filled with concern, she doesn't stop to think before cutting the ropes that bound her with the dagger she got from Father Christmas on the road.

Her eyes light up as she remembers something else. Her little hands reach for her vial of healing cordial.

"That won't work child, this magic is stronger," Aslan says softly to Lucy before appealing towards the whole crowd, "Step back."

No one questions the great lion and immediately backs away from the girl's small body. Silence engulfs the sea of people gathered as everyone's eyes stare at the scene. He takes a deep breath before letting out a massive roar. Ashton jerks awake, breathing heavily. The storms stopped and disappeared like they were never even there. Her eyes go wild looking at her thrown into an unexpected setting. Her response happens instantly cautiously backing away from as many people as possible only to look behind her and see more.

"Get back," She panics shuffling away.

I knee at her side lightly placing my hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to calm down, "You're alright. It's okay."

Her eyes meet mine and I can see her gulp in between breaths. The medics come forwards again going to examine her. She reaches behind her for anything to defend herself. She accidentally finds my hand that wasn't on her shoulder. The medics continue coming, which just freaks her out even more. Unknowing of what to do she just squeezes my hand harder bracing against the unknown medics.

She motioned for them to stay away with her hand, "No, don't-"

Her words are cut off by a ball of fire igniting literally out of the blue. It flies through the center of the crowd, hitting the ground only inches from the first medic. Everyone jumped backward leaving us in the middle. Screams and shouts fill the surrounding air.

If Ashton hadn't completely lost it, she definitely did now. Her eyes only focused on her hands. Utterly terrified at what she just recreated. Her body shook but it was no longer in fear or anger of the chaos around her but herself.

"Everybody back away!" I shout, only receiving shuffles backward from the surrounding Narnians, "Now!"

I offer my hand to help her up but she gets up by herself. The crowd created a large path for her to walk through freely. Her eyes never came off her hands as she flipped them over in front of her running with me to the tent she occupied before.

"What in the world was that?!" I shouted, harsher than I intended.

I instantly regret raising my voice. I knew she was already shaken up and she didn't need that from me. I was just as confused up as her.

Ashton started pacing back and forth wildly, "I- I don't know!"

I start to approach her trying to settle her restlessness. I reach out for her but she basically jumps out of her own skin to avoid me.

"No! Don't touch me!" She shouts, defensively.

She had instinctively put her hands out in defense but quickly withdrew them behind her back. I pull back putting my hands up so I don't alarm her.

She puts her hands on her head, breathing out, "No one has to get hurt. Just leave."

"If you let me try and help-" I start.

She cuts me off, narrowing her eyes at me, "What makes you think I want your help?"

I take a set back, understanding the fact that we are still very much, destined enemies.

"I don't need your help. I never asked for it." She finishes.

I turn on my heel, heading straight for the tent exit, "I'll remember to leave you for dead next time. You won't need help in saving your life for the third time."

Without another word I whip the flap out of the way, never looking back, heading straight for the largest tent in camp. I stomp all the way there, ignoring anything else. I pull back the flap, walking into Aslan'well-litit tent.

"What are we going to do with her?" I huff out, putting my hands down on a table with a miniature version of the camp and parts of Narnia.

"Are you speaking of Ashton?" Robin Hood asks, joining the conversation. I honestly didn't realize he was with Aslan.

"Yes." I clarify to both of them, "She ran back to the same tent. We can't keep her in there forever. What are we going to do?"

"Ultimately, that will be up to you," Aslan tells me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, severely surprised.

"Well, Peter you are soon to be King of Narnia. It's under your jurisdiction as king to lead a trial or strike an agreement with the defendant." He explains.

"I personally advise a trial," Robin interjects.

I push off the table in a fit of frustration, "And what if we come to a conclusion and she acts against it?"

"Peter, Lucy cut her ropes. Most of the guards fear her more than me. If she was going to run or retaliate, she would have when the crowd broke." Aslan says calmly, quite the opposite of my reactions.

"I'm more worried about if she creates a tornado or something to destroy this camp from the inside out," I claim, completely serious.

"If we're being honest Peter, I'm pretty sure that girl could destroy this camp from the inside out without that magic she has going on." Robin identifies, "She's smart, well-trained, and downright infuriating. She managed to make both you and I extremely bitter in a matter of seconds. Driving me enough to go against both Aslan and you, then to threaten a child. Which I am deeply sorry for, your majesty. It won't happen again. If you wish to have me removed from your army, I understand."

"That will not be necessary. I've heard the stories about you. Known for stealing from the White Witch to help the people, even though you are a lord yourself. You have the respect of the people from your actions. I hope to see that side of you."

"If I am given the opportunity, I will, my King." He assures, nobly, standing up straighter.

"This is the opportunity, I am asking for your advise in this matter, and future more likely future matters. With the most unbiased opinion, can you think of any reason why Ashton would keep the peace?" I inquire.

He nods, thinking a bit before responding, "In my unbiased opinion, I've known her as quite the opposite of a peacemaker, she hates everything the rebellion stands for. But she's also the daughter of the white witch, and that cannot come without burden."

"Something doesn't add up," I admit, running my hands through my hair, "She's enemy of anything good and yet she has kept peace in camp and she saved my sister."

Robin looks up in disbelief, "What? Saved your sister?"

"Yes, on our way here. Long story short we were crossing a melting river when the wolves and Ashton surrounded us. The only way off the river was... well, downstream. Lucy slipped from our grip and Ashton sent a polar bear after Lucy at the expense of herself. I had to pull Ashton out myself before she drowned." I explain, leaving out unimportant details that Robin and Aslan shouldn't be bothered with.

"It would make sense if she was under orders of the queen. But nonetheless, her actions are her own. She is responsible and the people want justice for the Loxley fire." Robin advises.

"He does make a point, Peter. She also may be more valuable than you think." Aslan admits, "Perhaps there could be a conversation with her included."

Robin chuckles a bit, "It's pretty clear to me that that girl and I will never be on good terms."

"I wasn't suggesting you, Robin." Aslan corrects.

"You mean Ashton and me," I scoff, "She has made it very clear that she doesn't want any words from me."

"For two people that dislike one another so much, you shared the same stubborn qualities." Aslan points out, earning a glance from Robin.

"Sharing on thing in common doesn't make us kindred spirits," I mention, brushing off his comment.

He shrugs, "Maybe. But prophecies don't lie. You can't fight fate."

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This chapter was definitely quite different. BIG PLANS COMING IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS

B