The Chronicles of Narnia: The Missing Season [1]

The Missing Season
I opened my notebook and scribbled a few things inside of it, taking my time as I described the dog which had nuzzled his way into my lap. "Hey there," I said with a small laugh, setting aside my notes to rub his head. It was four months ago that I started my internship with Dr. Harley, the man who owned the veterinary clinic a short while away from my house. The dog I was currently looking at was named Riley. He had just had surgery so I couldn't romp and play roughly with him but that didn't matter. All he needed right now was some TLC to keep him going.
A few minutes later, I returned Riley to his kennel. My shift was over and I would be missed at home if I didn't leave soon. It was no big deal anyway-- I'd return to the clinic tomorrow morning to see how Riley was doing. I shut the back door to the office behind me, only to hear whispering. It was dark and I was a bit nervous but curiosity fueled me. I moved toward the source of the noise, leaning behind the clinic walls.
"--I think that she severely miscalculated."
"Well, it's a bit too late to have regrets, yes? We both agreed to this journey regardless of risks. We're here now and we'd best start searching. For all we know, we may just be mistaken."
"I hope we are, Duskarin. I truly hope we are."
What in the world? Talking animals. Listen, I'm totally an animal person, seeing as I intern at a veterinary clinic and all but the notion of talking animals is ridiculous. I inched closer from behind the wall to get a better look. There was a dog, a female husky with red markings who was addressed as "Duskarin." What a strange name. The other... I couldn't see him yet; I only recognized a masculine voice. I moved closer yet again. Unfortunately, I tripped over an empty tin can and it rolled toward the two animals. "Crap," I muttered beneath my breath, withdrawing from sight. I took my chances and peered around the corner once again. Eh? Where did they go?
"Gotcha!" I was tripped this time, landing on my back.
Before I had the chance to familiarize myself with my current position, I found a hand... erm, paw, rather, at my throat. It was Duskarin. "Who are you and what did you hear?" the dog growled. I was much too surprised to reply. "Well?" she pressed, her face contorted into a fierce snarl.
"Dusk! It's just a girl, a daughter of Eve!" The male revealed him as... a raccoon. For one of his voice, I would think that he'd be a nobler beast, something larger, fairer, etcetera. "I don't think that she meant us any harm. Besides, we're here on a mission-- we're not to harm anyone!" I got a closer look at him when he stepped into the dim lighting. ...strangely enough, he had a sword at his waist, and I didn't doubt that he knew how to use it.
A frustrated sigh came from the husky's lips. "Very well." She removed her paw. "Alright then. She'll have to come with us."
"What?!" Both of the animals seemed surprised at my outburst. I sat up from where I had fallen. "I don't even know if I'm dreaming or not, and now I have to go with you two?" This was absurd. What the heck was going on?
"Yes. You've already seen us. We can't leave you here," the dog replied rather calmly, despite all that had happened. "Trust me, I'm not looking forward to this any more than you are."
The raccoon stepped forward. "Don't worry, dear. You'll be free to go as soon as we've got our own businesses sorted out."
I honestly didn't know what to say or do. Talking animals. That thought drifted through my head in much the same way as it had earlier... only, now, it felt less like a dream and more like reality. The two animals stood in front of me, looking for a reply or something of that sort. They obviously weren't going to let me go free, were they? They had already said that they were on a mission-- I don't know what they want accomplished but they seemed pretty adamant, meaning that they meant business. There was no way that they were going to even give me a chance to ruin that task, whatever it was.
"Come now," the raccoon said, his tail slowly slithering back and forth from behind him. "You have to trust us. I know we don't look like much and you probably don't believe that there are talking animals in this world--"
"--there aren't," I cut in promptly. Right?
"Please," he tried. "Just hear me out." I nodded slowly, deciding to give this rodent the benefit of the doubt. "I'm sure you've already figured that we're from another land. You're right, you know. Duskarin and I are warriors from a different place. We volunteered to pass through to this realm in order to fetch our Kings and Queens of old. They... well, to put it simply, they can no longer by summoned by normal means."
I heard him out. And I thought that he was crazy. Well, he wouldn't be the first-- I was crazy already. I mean, talking animals. Crazy. "God," I said. "I can't believe this. I just can't believe it."
"You don't have to," Duskarin said. "It's reality, whether you believe it or not." There was nothing I could say to that.
A fourth voice came from the darkness, calling out frantically, "Duskarin? Tarys? Over here!"
The pair turned around to peer at a small puddle of water which had collected from the rain earlier. It rippled eerily and emitted a dim, green light, only to reveal a person of some sort. "Nir," the raccoon said. "I think you've made a mistake."
Duskarin added, "Yes, a very dangerous mistake. One we don't appreciate." She appeared to be calmly irritated, a strange combination.
"I did," Nir confessed with a sigh. "I'm sorry but my spell didn't work out like it was supposed to... you're not in the right place, nor the right time frame. I'm sure I've got it right this time though so hold on and stand together."
An echo of foreign words rang past my ears. "Steady now!" the raccoon said, resting a clawed-hand upon my shoulder. The husky drew closer, a paw upon Tarys' back. I could feel the ground shake beneath me and the world seemingly split into two. "We're moving! Hold on!"
There was a rumble and then I was falling with the other two. When we landed on the ground, I opened my eyes. This was definitely not Arizona. It was a busy street and the crowd bustled through the area, each individual focused on what he or she needed to do. Barely anyone swept us a passing glance. I turned around to see what Duskarin and Tarys were up to, only to realize that the husky was all that remained. The dog took the cloth of my shorts in her teeth, pulling me toward a dank alley. I reluctantly followed.
"Keep your eyes on me next time," Duskarin said, once we were out of sight. "I don't want to have to drag you around like a chew toy everywhere I go."
Tarys appeared. "Well, Nir sent us to this place, wherever it is."
"We're in England," I stated. I knew this because of what I had heard-- those who passed by spoke clearly with an English accent. It was then that I realized what I had just said. We were in England. How did that happen? What kind of strange magic led us here? I could barely believe it. First, there were talking animals and now some sort of magical transportation. What next? Was the sky going to turn purple?
"England?" Tarys repeated. "Where's that?"
These two obviously weren't from around here. "It's a country... it's very far away from my home." My home. Would I be returning anytime soon?
"Let's just hope that this England is the right place," Duskarin added. Her honey eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced past the alley walls to watch the people within the crowd. "There are so many sons of Adam and daughters of Eve here. We have quite a bit of work to do." She tilted her head in your direction. "What's your name?"
"Me?" Naturally, it's stupid stuff that comes out of my mouth. Of course, she was talking to me. "I'm Serafina."
"Well then, Serafina," the husky said. "My name is Duskarin. I go by Dusk in case you haven't figured it out."
"And I," the raccoon cut in. "I am Tarys of the Everlon Battalion, one of the knights of Narnia!" He swept you a marvelous bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Serafina, daughter of Eve. Perhaps you are able to help us on our quest."
I blinked. How would I be able to do anything? I was dragged along because they couldn't let me go after seeing that they were not regular animals. What did they expect me to do? All the same, I wasn't reluctant to help-- I would do what I could for them. They didn't seem like they had malicious intentions or anything of that sort.
Tarys continued, "I've already told you who we our searching for-- their majesties must return to our homeland to help their peoples. However, we know nothing of this world which they live in. You are obviously more familiar with this England that we are. It's nothing that we're accustomed to. You would be doing us and the rest of the Narnians a great favor by volunteering your efforts."
My jaw nearly dropped. This was crazy... again. "England has millions of people!" I said. "There's no way that I can find four specific people here. It would take ages!"
"We never said it would be easy." Duskarin responded. "We're only hoping that you, as one of them--" she nodded at the people in the crowd, "--would be able to sort through your own people much quicker than we can." It made sense at least. A dog and a raccoon wouldn't be able to ask questions from a human. "Understand that whether or not you are willing to help us, we will continue to search, and you will have to remain with us until we succeed. You may as well speed up the process."
That much was true. I wasn't even entirely sure why I was here. Although I was, in a way, a prisoner, I didn't quite feel like one at all. There was simply something about these two which intrigued me. "Alright then. I'll help in anyway that I can... I still don't know what I can do but I'll try."
"We are much obliged." The raccoon slipped toward the crowd. "Now let's get started."
"Wait," I said, indicating that my clothes were not very subtle compared to that of the English. It seemed as though this was a different time period too since their clothes were from a different era. My shorts and tank top would not match here. Perhaps I would have been more surprised had I not met Duskarin and Tarys earlier. Now, even time travel seemed quite possible.
Duskarin glanced further down the alley. "I'll be right back." She then trotted into the darkness, returning moments later with a dark blanket. "I found this. Perhaps it would disguise your current attire as a cloak?"
I nodded, shifting the cloth onto my shoulders. At least it was clean.
"Are we set?" Tarys' whiskers twitched. "And we're off!"
---
I had gathered that we were searching for four individuals, the four kings and queens of this land called Narnia-- Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. I still had little idea of what this Narnia was but I was slowly learning. Besides, Duskarin and Tarys seemed to be in a hurry so they were spared the questions. I took it that they didn't want to answer any. They seemed friendly enough but they were quite pressed for time so I didn't want to bother them-- I could always ask my questions later.
"Nir doesn't make the same mistake twice," Tarys said. We had stopped for a short while for a rest, hiding in another alley way where others couldn't see us.
Duskarin scoffed, "Well, there's a first for everything, yes?" Her front paws were neatly folded in front of her sleek figure. "This is something that Nir never attempted before. Traveling between worlds is an entirely new phenomenon, even for a skilled fairy like herself. It's a miracle that she could do such a thing at all, much less so effectively."
"Who is Nir?" I chanced to ask now that we weren't doing anything.
"She's a fairy," Duskarin replied. "The head of all magic users under the Narnian rule. Nir is the one who transported us here by means of arcane magic. It's strange for us but we have a mission to fulfill and as warriors of Narnia, Tarys and I are more than willing to do so."
I tilted my head to the side curiously. "Would you mind me asking what your mission is?" This entire time, I had been helping them but I didn't know for what purpose or even why.
The raccoon crossed his arms, looking at Duskarin. "We may as well tell her... it seems as though she's on our side after the aid she has given us."
"Very well."
Tarys straightened himself. "Narnia has very recently been won by the Narnians. Long had the Telmarines ruled over our land but with the help of Prince Caspian and our rulers of old, we returned to our homes. After everyone had settled, after the Kings and Queens had left, after Aslan had wandered away, a new enemy appeared. We don't know who freed her, though we suspect that one of the Telmarines did out of vengeance and deceit. Someone freed the white witch from her prison."
Now, all of this was absolutely charming but it was difficult to believe. Let's be honest-- everything that came out of Tarys' mouth seemed like a fairy tale. Maybe the solution would be just as simple. I wasn't too upset about the news as serious as Tarys made it appear to be, however, seeing as I was somewhat of a fantasy nut myself. There was a chance that this would turn out to be exciting, despite my strange predicament.
---
"So how will you know who they are?" I asked as Duskarin and I scanned the busy streets. Tarys was on his own-- a sword-bearing raccoon would be strange, yes?
The red husky trotted by my side, playing the part of a loyal companion. "Keep your voice down. They may suspect something," she whispered. She was obviously referring to the many English people who were briskly walking around us. When it seemed like no one else was paying us any mind, Duskarin said, "I've seen them. I know what they look like. You'll help narrow our search though."
I had already directed the two to several schools, sites where their targets would most likely be found. We had no luck so far.
---
I seated myself on a park bench where Duskarin had told me to wait. One of the schools was heavily guarded by monitors and I wasn't allowed on campus since I wasn't a student and I didn't have a reason for being on campus. Duskarin, being an animal, could sneak inside while the monitors weren't watching.
Of course, I wasn't going to just sit there. This was England! And this was England in a different time period! The very thought of it was exciting. As I wandered around the park, I noted just how different the culture was between countries and time. I glanced up at the treetops-- there were leaves! Since I came from Arizona, a blazing desert, I had never really seen trees before... at least, never trees of this size. They were huge! Before I could rest my eyes upon the pathway again, I bumped into someone.
"Careful now," that someone said. I readjusted my gaze. I had bumped into a young man, someone who I couldn't quite call a man but couldn't call a boy either. He was tall with gentle blue eyes and golden-brown hair; he was garbed in a common school uniform. While I smiled sheepishly, he looked at my confused expression. "You're not from around here, are you?"
I wasn't so there was no point in lying. "Oh, I'm sorry!" I said quickly. "I wasn't watching where I was going... and no, I'm not from around here." To be perfectly frank, I'm not the most charismatic person in the world; some would even define me as shy. I suppose that I had simply never gotten along with people as well as most did. Perhaps that was why I loved animals so much-- I had nothing to prove around them. They saw me for who I was. I winced, "Is it that obvious?"
"Well, I can't exactly say that it's not." He laughed. "It wasn't entirely your fault-- I wasn't watching where I was going either. Where are you from?"
"The United States," I replied. Judging from what I had seen here, I figured that the US had already existed. I avoided lying once again!
"Do all of you dress like that?" he asked, a hint of humor in his voice.
I looked at the blanket I had used as a cloak. "I'm just a bit cold," I said. So there was my first lie-- I sorely hoped that he wouldn't see through it. I'm an infamously horrible liar.
He smiled slightly. "I suppose it's a bit chilly, though not enough to warrant the use of a blanket."
I was interrupted by a little girl who ran up to us-- it was great timing on her part since I wasn't entirely sure what the say. "Peter!" Peter? ...that was one of the four who Duskarin and Tarys were looking for. It could have quite possibly been a coincidence, however, seeing as Peter's not exactly an unusual name. I decided to wait and see what would happen.
"What are you doing here?" Peter asked. "I thought you were supposed to meet Susan?" Something in my brain told me to say something now. Susan was another one of the four. Still, I hesitated-- Susan wasn't uncommon either.
"She told me to come find you. She said that she had to finish something. We'll wait at the cafe until she's done."
"Alright then, but before we meet up with Edmund--" My mind froze once again. There was another name. "--wait just a second, Lucy." And the fourth. The chances of this being mere coincidence was slim to none. Peter said to me, "We really should be going--"
I cut him off. "You've been to Narnia, haven't you?" I said in a low voice.
Both Peter and Lucy quieted, the expressions on their faces saying everything. "What do you know about Narnia?" the former asked.
"Very little actually," I admitted. "All I know is that they're searching for you."
"They?" Lucy piped up, in an equally low voice. "Who're they?"
If I had given them the impression that they were being hunted, I was doing a poor job. Yes, they were being searched for but not by those who wanted to hurt them. "Dusk and Tarys." They looked as though they had never heard of them before. "The husky and the raccoon?" I added. "Oh, nevermind. Just let me find them." I heard a bark. "Dusk?"
The red husky appeared. She barked again, indicating for us to follow. Once we rounded the school corner, she bowed to Peter and Lucy. "Your Majesties, I have much to share with you, but right now we need to find your brother and sister."
"Oho!" I felt a thud on my shoulder as Tarys appeared, dropping from the rooftops. "Dusk, I did say that she would find them, didn't I? Good show!"
"Well done," Duskarin said to me. "I must admit that you did well." Her usually sharp, honey eyes were now kind.
"It was just luck," I replied, knowing that it was exactly that. Luck and my klutziness. Had I not bumped into Peter, we never would have found him so easily.
Tarys also bowed to the two, saying, "Shall we, your highnesses? We must move quickly."
Peter looked a bit skeptical but he nodded. "I'll ask questions later. Lu, you find Susan. I'll grab Edmund. You three--" He glanced at Dusk, Tarys and I. "--wait here. We'll be back as soon as we can." Both he and Lucy took off in their respective directions.
---
Peter first returned with Edmund and soon after, Lucy arrived with Susan. Still, the two animals did not wish to talk. They seemed to be in quite the hurry. Tarys removed something from a small pouch. He lifted it up so that we could all see what he was holding in his black paw. It appeared to be a small marble-like sphere. "Nir gave this to us. She said that all we had to do was throw it on the ground and all parties need to touch it. Once that's done, in ten seconds, it will return us to Narnia." We agreed. "Well then, we're on our way." He tossed it onto the cobblestone path. It rolled for a short distance off but we all rushed over to it. The sphere expanded, almost as though it were welcoming us into the warm light it was pouring out. We all placed a finger (or paw) upon the sphere and we waited. When the ten seconds were up, we were whisked away...