He Came from Narnia: Chapter 5

Jessica woke up the next morning to Yugyeom cooking breakfast: fresh eggs from the bird's nest outside his window, bacon from a boar he caught a few days before she arrived and served on a bed of steamed moss.

"When did you get cursed again?", Jessica asked while putting her freshly washed clothes on.

"Right after you were cast out of Narnia and before the White Witch was ambushed by her own men," Yugyeom replied. "Why do you ask?"

Jessica cocked her head to the side confused, "Because...if the White Witch is dead, then shouldn't the curse have broken? Isn't that how it works?"

Yugyeom paused and his elf ears wiggled as he thought about the idea that had just been presented to him: "You're right! She must have a sister that survived or a daughter! That's the only way the curse could continue. Someone just as powerful or more powerful than the White Witch is still alive and in Narnia."

"Is it possible she could have had an accomplice that no one was aware of?", Jessica asked. "A Priestess maybe?"

Yugyeom paused again with bacon dangling from his mouth and scratched his head as he slowly continued to chew his food and think. His ears continued to twitch as he continued to contemplate who else could have been a part of casting the curse!

"I remember!", Yugyeom yelled scaring Jessica and making her spill eggs in her lap. "Sorry, babe," Yugyeom giggled and grabbed a towel from a drying line to wipe up Jessica's mess.

"What did you remember?", Jessica asked curiously.

"There was a Priestess who lived with the White Witch," Yugyeom responded. "She wasn't just any Priestess though. She was a Sorceress from The Seven Isles in the Silver Sea, the Dark Island to be exact, and much more powerful than the White Witch. She must have given the White Witch the spell or they cast it together knowing they would have to combine their powers.

"Regardless of all that, the Priestess escaped Narnia shortly after the White Witch was killed: she was nowhere to be found after the battle."

Yugyeom put the dirty dishes into a wooden barrel of water, got dressed and escorted Jessica down from his tree loft. They walked hand-in-hand toward the pond where JB lives when they stopped short, noticing a large tree that seemed to have turned a brownish grey. This was the only tree in the forest which did not greet them with a warm and cheerful good morning; instead it stood rigid and angry.

"There is something very wrong with that tree," Jessica whispered.

Yugyeom immediately put his hand over Jessica's mouth, "shhhh..."

They tiptoed past the angry tree toward JB's hut and saw his lights were out! In a slight panic after seeing the angry tree, Jessica and Yugyeom rushed to JB's front door and knocked loudly.

"What is it?", a grumpy JB growled when he answered the door. "Why are you knocking so loudly?"

"Let us in JB, it's urgent," Yugyeom said in a low voice.

JB stood aside as Yugyeom and Jessica ducked inside the dwarf's dark and dank abode with a dirt floor and moss decorating the ceiling. A musty smell hung in the air as JB grabbed three steins from his packed dirt cupboard and filled them with freshly brewed spiced ale.

"I see you noticed the trees are changing," JB said gruffly and slamming down the steins in front of Yugyeom and Jessica. "Huntress, are you aware of what's happening?"

Jessica nodded as her memory was slowly beginning to return, "Yugyeom and I think there was an accomplice working with the White Witch before she was killed."

"This is very possible," JB said wiping ale foam from his beard. "Considering we aren't back to our human form and can't return home, someone or something is keeping us this way."

"Could it be BamBam?", Yugyeom shuttered at the thought. "He did disappear shortly after the White Witch lost the battle."

"Not likely," JB said biting into a sourdough roll and offering a roll to Jessica and Yugeom. "Bam Bam is smart enough, but not evil enough. And Jackson's just....isn't smart enough. He wanted to be Prince real bad, sure, but he's definitely not smart enough to pull of working with the White Witch and not get killed."

"Jessica..." Yugyeom was cut off.

"Just Jess," Jessica insisted. "Please, call me Jess."

"OK...Jess got the idea that maybe there was a Priestess involved," Yugyeom said. "I do vaguely remember a Sorceress from the Dark Island working with the White Witch. Do you think she could have had something to do with this?"

JB's more or less permanent scowl became even harder after that thought came to light: "This too is possible," JB said stroking his ale soaked beard. "Wasn't she cast out of Narnia too?"

"No one is really sure," Yugyeom shrugged as he took another drink of ale. "Some think she escaped so she wouldn't be killed with the White Witch. Others think some of the dwarves and elves got a hold of her and cast her out for banishing the Huntress."

The three of them drank their spiced ale and continued to ponder why the curse continued without the White Witch being alive and not knowing that the true source of the curse had followed Jess through the portal just days before.

♥♥

While BamBam's legs were getting stronger day by day, Jackson was beginning to wonder where Jess had run off to.

"Brother, what's wrong?", Bam Bam said walking into Jackson's room with his regal cane. "You've been staring out that window for 2 days."

"Jessica is gone," Jackson said sadly, "I haven't seen nor heard from her in days. The archers haven't even seen her."

Jackson briskly walked out of his room with his hands behind his back and went to his practice room. He changed into his fencing gear and began practicing his balestra, compound-riposte and coulé. Lidia walked in with a couple towels and set them down beside a bucket of cold water for Jackson to wipe his face with, as well as wipe down his sweaty body after taking off his fencing leotard to change back into his royal clothing.

Jackson wearily and unwillingly walked outside to visit the archers to check on their progress without their leader. He was in shock to see Jess there in her armour shouting out drill commands just as she had been 2 days before. He beamed with excitement to see Jess back in her place and hoped she would explain why she'd been gone so long. Her absence perturbed him greatly and left him with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience for bedding her while she still belongs to Yugyeom, the warrior elf. He also knew that soon he'd have to lock his brother back in the dungeon for a week while the full moon took over his body.

"Prince, HELLO!", Jess smiled and waved enthusiastically.

Jackson smiled and waved back, "Huntress, where have you been?" He shouted down to her, "Please come upstairs, I have someone I'd like you to meet."

Jess gave her last few commands to her archers and gave them some tasks to complete while she was gone. She then ran up the stairs to Prince Jackson's quarters where she saw a tall, thin young man wearing a similar outfit to Jackson, though not adorned as eloquently: he wore a lighter robe made of red velvet and gold lace trimmings, his cane was made of rosewood and adorned with a gold crown and red jewels. Jess was confused about the cane and soft shoes; the boy seemed far too young for such things.

"Huntress, I'd like for you to meet my brother," Jackson smiled and beckoned Jess to come forward. "This is Prince Bam Bam. He hasn't been in good health, which is why no one has seen him for a few years."

"It's an honour to meet you, Huntress!", Bam Bam said excitedly. "I've been begging my brother to let me meet you since I heard of your return. How are the archers?"

"It's an honour to meet you as well, your highness," Jess bowed. "The archers are doing well in their training; excelling quite quickly, actually."

"I'm pleased to hear it," Bam Bam smiled. "Sadly, I will be leaving for the East in a week, I hope to see you work with the archers before I depart."

"I'll happily show you their drills, Sire," Jess said, "But why are you going to the East? What is out there? And how long will you be gone?"

"I have some unfinished business to tend to," Bam Bam smirked. "Don't worry, I've made this journey many times before I fell ill. I'll be fine."

"Please come visit us in the training yard whenever you please," Jess bowed again and showed herself out.

♥♥

Back in the forest JB and Junior walked amongst the trees to see who was still on their side and who was slowly beginning to work against the forest dwellers.

"This is making me very nervous, JB," Junior spoke telepathically with his dwarf companion.

"Me too, my little fox friend, me too," JB responded.

With the trees slowly turning, they had to use their telepathy to communicate; it was the only safe way to contact the other woodland creatures and warn them of any nearby danger. Unfortunately, the trees would catch on and learn how to tap into the conversations. Once that happened, Hawks and Ravens would have to be used as messenger birds in order to warn one another and to pass on battle instructions. No one knew for sure how quickly the trees would betray the forest and no one knew who the trees were working for. Not knowing what kind of evil lay afoot was the biggest concern of all.

As JB and Junior continued walking through the forest to count how many trees had already turned, a large bird nest came crashing down in front of them, nearly crushing Junior!

"Eeep!", Junior squealed. "What is THAT!?"

"It's a giant Hawk's nest!", JB's eyes widened as he stared at the large gold eggs in the nest. "This tree must have turned and thrown the nest from its branches."

Junior hopped up on the large nest and peered inside, "What do we do with the eggs?"

JB sighed and scratched his head, "There's a cave near my burrow that's empty, we can roll them back there and bring pieces of the nest back to keep the eggs warm until they hatch."

"They're pretty big, JB," Junior whined, "I think we need to call Yugyeom to help us."

"I'm already here," Yugyeom said perched on a boulder 10 feet away. "I've been tracking you, making sure you don't get into trouble."

"Hmph," JB scowled and crossed his arms. "You never trust us. Why don't you go track Prince Jackson, he's always up to no good."

"HAHA! Let's get these eggs to safety," Yugyeom jumped down from the boulder and into the giant nest. "Once they hatch, we can use them as transportation during battle."

"Do we even know whom or what we're up against?", JB glared.

"Nope," Yugyeom grunted pushing the golden egg over the rim of the nest. "But I have a feeling it's someone very powerful and we will need all the help we can get. Especially since the trees are already switching sides."

The three of them rolled the two large golden eggs to the cave near JB's burrow and placed the heavy nesting around the eggs to keep them safe and warm. Being unsure of where the mother was or how she would behave knowing her nest had been thrown from the top of an angry tree, they figured it best to keep the mother's scent near the eggs.

"Well, that should do it," Yugyeom said wiping his hands on his pants. "Just hope momma bird doesn't come after us for saving her babies."

Suddenly, there was a loud screech and beating of large wings above them. Yugyeom, Junior and JB all ducked inside the hut for safety as the large bird searched for her eggs. A loud crackle, tearing of roots and only the sound a woodland creature could hear; the tree screaming as it was torn from the ground. The giant bird carried the tree to the great river and dropped it in, watching the dark angry tree float down the river as it shouted and slowly died.