Like Falling Water - Prologue

SHINING ISLE OF ANNIERA, POST-SECOND GREAT WAR

Our story begins eight months after the Great Turning of the Fourth Epoch, as chronicled by the Royal Historian of Anniera at the time, Oskar N. Reteep. Since the change of Fangs back into humans, Anniera had been slowly growing back into her former strength. After Throne Warden Janner's resurrection, three months from his death, its growth was exponentiated as the Three Honored and Great Subjects allowed the land to begin to support itself, humming with life and the Maker's magic.

Now, five months since Janner came back to life with water from the first well, the family was happy--as happy as they could be, considering the circumstances. Kalmar and Leeli were spending time exploring, duties finished early for once and enjoying time together. Janner was... somewhere, they weren't sure where. He had begun to disappear more and more as time went on, a source of worry for his siblings that they put down to his totally-not-existent crush on one Sara Cobbler in order to remain sane. Still, Janner took his duties both towards the populace of Anniera and as Throne Warden and protector of his siblings incredibly serious, checking up on them often throughout the day to make sure they were okay. It got to where no one was ever late to dinner--they didn't want to risk being dragged home by their brother and chewed out for worrying him.

Right now, though, that's nowhere near on their minds as the eleven-year-old Song Maiden and thirteen-year-old King ditch their titles for a moment and act their age instead, exploring those areas around Castle Rysen they've yet to have a chance to see.

Meanwhile, in another world...

NARNIA, TWO YEARS POST-WHITE WITCH'S WAR

"Peter, please," a now ten-year-old Lucy pleads, pouting at her oldest brother, now fifteen, while the other stands behind her with his arms crossed and a teasing smirk on his face.

Peter sends a twelve-year-old Edmund a playful glare. "You put her up to this, didn't you?"

Edmund gives a shrug, uncrossing his arms to stuff his hands in his pockets. "I don't know what you mean." As if to prove his point, he cocks his head and stares upwards innocently, whistling as he takes in the detail on a ceiling he's stared at many, many times before.

"What's going on now?" Fourteen-year-old Susan sweeps in with a smile on her face.

"Ooh, have a new suitor, Su?" Lucy teases, although she rolls her eyes when Edmund draws his sword dramatically in response to her question.

"You're an idiot," Peter tells his brother fondly as he draws as well.

"No, you both are," Susan informs them. "And in answer to your question, no. There was a spotting of Aslan in the wood, we're going riding to find him."

Tumnus' words cross Lucy's mind in that moment--"After all, He isn't a tame lion"--but she decides to keep uncharacteristically quite, placing a grin on her face and following her celebrating siblings to the stables. As they mount and ride towards the wood, though, she can't help but wonder what reason he has for returning, and how long he'll stay.