I'll Come Back When You Call Me...

“So clear is reason. But how dark imagining, Warm, dark, obscure and infinite, daughter of Night…”

@thenameofaslan‘s 100 Verse Challenge - 21/100

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Golden Age

The White Witch has been defeated, bringing an end to the endless Winter that raged on throughout the Narnian Kingdom, and bringing Christmas back. The kings and queens of Old have been crowned and a few years later, they still rule on, safe in the Castle of Cair Paravel. The dryads look after their forests, the nymphs take care of what is theirs, the centaurs read the stars, the trees dance and the fauns play their instruments. King Lune of Archenland and the High King Peter of Narnia have made a treaty to bind the forces of Archenland together with a marriage. High King Peter will marry Princess Isla of Archenland in the future, and only a few know that he has already asked for her hand. When will the Narnians know? Rumour has it a surprise feast is coming up. Prince Rabadash has arrived in Cair Paravel in a war ship to sue for Queen Susan’s hand, and he continues to attempt to woo her. There are constant rumours flying about at court, though there are so many rumours that you should not believe them all. The people of court are like waiting wolves, looking for just one small mistake and a reason to fall upon you as an autumn storm would upon an innocent traveler.

Stretching all the way over to Archenland, Queen Camelia is keeping a secret from her husband that could change the future of Archenland forever, but King Lune isn’t so innocent either. However, something is happening behind the backs of the Kings and Queens. There is something being created in underground Narnia… a Thieves Guild. In the past, it had sat quiet and unknown of except for its few clients, but now it is expanding in members rapidly and some say it’s as old as Cair Paravel itself. It is mainly made up of thieves, pickpockets and people with a terrible past, but oddly enough the Guild does not want to cause trouble. Its members are bound not to kill their marks to get the desired item for them, and they do not steal from their clients. The armour of the Guild is a known sight to guards, but where do they come from? Little do they know that the place they’re staying is right under their noses.

So, let me ask you… What will your part in this time be?

edmund: i am nice

susan: you threatened peter with a knife this morning

i. If you asked who she was, she’d have said “just Jill.”

ii. That was before she visited Narnia, of course. The Jill who left Narnia with a Lion at her back knew the value of a name: the power of his, and the dignity of her own.

iii. She introduced herself as “Jill Pole” with a little curtsey when she met Eustace’s cousins, the ancient Kings and Queens of Narnia. She was nervous and knock-kneed, but her voice was steady.

iv. Narnia was a gift, for all its trials and hardships. It wasn’t until she was back in England that she began to wrap her heart around the length and breadth of the gift she’d been given.

v. Jill— “just Jill”—was given dignity and purpose. Jill who was bullied, given strength. Jill who was lonely, given friends. Jill who wept, given hope.

vi. Edmund liked to say, “of those to whom much is given, much is required.” It was, as far as Jill could tell, the maxim by which he lived his life. Jill thought of Aslan by the stream, sternly giving her signs and a task, and she knew it for truth.

vii. (She had been given so much. What more would Aslan require of her?)

viii. Jill trained. Bow and arrow, with Lucy, until her fingers built callouses; until she could nearly always hit her target so long as her hands didn’t shake. Woodcraft with the Girl Guides, until she could track a fox to its den without disturbing the underbrush. Hiking, until she’d built up an endurance almost equal to that which she’d had in the Narnian air. When the time came, Jill Pole would be ready.

ix. Tirian praised her for it. “Wonderous woodmaid!” he called her. Jill blushed. She’d only done what was required of her.

x. But to stand at the white rock—oh! —when Edmund had said “much is required,” Jill had never imagined a task as heavy and hopeless as this.

xi. (There was much to dread: The darkness of the stable. The awful specter of Tash. Tears on her bowstring. The shaking of her hands.)

xii.    –there were arms around her (tugging) L E T G O dragging and pulling hands in her hair—no, stop, hurts—tears // and struggling // futile // defiant ! — about to die better to die fighting for Narnia than grow old in England because of those to whom much is given, much is required, much is required, much is required, much is required, much is—

Digory Kirke -adventurous, clever, skeptical, sensitive about his mother, hot-tempered, dangerously curious, impulsive

Polly Plummer -wants to be grown up, apprehensive, sensible, responsible

Peter Pevensie-leader, protective instinct, finds purpose in responsibility, can be harsh, hard on himself

Susan Pevensie -nurturing, beautiful, gentle, doubtful, dislikes conflict, needs to be heard/seen as smart, skeptical

Edmund Pevensie -needs recognition/love (receives the ultimate act of love and tries to live up to being worthy of this), wants to be treated like an adult, sarcastic, logical, fair and sees it how it is, strong sense of justice, intelligent (notices details, good at puzzling together mysteries), forgiving, pensive

Lucy Pevensie -trusting, optimistic, loyal, caring/loving, doubts her own competency & worth, values truth, valiant, naive

Prince Cor -lacks confidence, naive, high in openness, reasonable, can be pessimistic, easily discouraged, easily pushed around, gentle, concerned for others, brave

Aravis Tarkheena -self-important, distrusting, independent, smart, brave, confident, can be selfish, disgusted by materialistic overindulgence, great story teller (yes that’s totally a personality strength XD)

Prince Caspian X -caring, imaginative, adventurous, optimistic, idealistic, leader, humble, responsible, naive (not so much in VotDT), seeks greatness, values prestige & legacy

Eustace Scrubb (most of this after being a dragon)-intelligent, holds grudges, brave, concerned for his close friends, humble, seeks meaning

Jill Pole -emotional, impulsive, show-off, adorable, smart, independent, brave, wants to be important/included