Chapter 23: THE FACE OF ASLAN
On the dusty road back from Willoughby, the friends walked in silence for the longest time, Joseph not feeling like talking, and Trundle and Orlando not knowing what to say. Finally they stopped and the hare got a few things out to eat. “We don’t have to ration now. There’s enough for all.”
“Why didn’t you tell him the truth about Fiona?” Orlando asked.
“Someday you’ll understand. I could not spoil what he had with her. No, it is better this way.” Joseph sighed. “At leastnow he has some gold to buy Fiona’s son that house he promised him. I gave our friend Copperfox enough to buy passage on the Queen of the Sea and have just enough left to get us home. All is as it should be. It might have been better had I trusted Aslan and not felt sorry for myself such a long time. At least Aslan always trusted me.”
“But he promised you’d find your wife…”
“He kept his promise. I needed to know that she was alright and she is. The uncertainty is gone and I can grieve for her.”
“I’m so glad you’re taking it this way,” Trundle said. “You must not let this destroy your faith.”
“It hasn’t, my friend. I have seen Aslan’s face.”
“You have?” The badger scratched his head. “I was with you the whole time…”
“I’ve seen him three times. Once he was a carpenter, then he was a cabin boy and then he was a farmer that sold all he had to do one great, beautiful deed.” Joseph lost his composure and tears began to stream down his face. “Aslan does not spare us every grief, but he doesn’t make us face them alone. I know that now. I have him, and now I have you.”
Orlando hugged the hare, kissing away his tears. “I’m glad I met you, Sir Joseph. Not because you set me free, but because I thought there was no Aslan till I saw him in you.”
“I love you, Orlando. So very much.” Joseph rested his face against the brown cheeked boy and stroked his hair with a paw. “I came looking for my family and I found it. That is, if you’ll let me adopt you.”
“Oh yes!” the boy said, clinging to him tightly. “I’d rather be your son than a knight, anyhow.”
Trundle cleared his throat. “Where are we going next?”
“Tashbaan and then Cair Paravel.”
“No, after that.”
“After that?”
The badger smiled shyly and glanced about. “Now that you have a son, you’ll need a brother too so the boy can have an uncle.”
The hare brightened and nodded, wiping his eyes. “He needs an aunt too. Good thing for him I know this lovely badger lass who wants to meet a fine fellow.”
Trundle looked away, his ears laid back. “Garn, Sir Joseph…”
“And she’s a great cook too. Her simmer and sing stew is to die for.”
“She makes simmer and sing?”
“Yes, to die for.” The hare embraced him firmly. “You will come to live with me and you shall make only what you want to make in the finest workshop in Cair Paravel.”
“Oh Sir Joseph! Do you mean it??”
“Joe…please.” The hare gave his shoulder a pat. “Of course I mean it. I wrote those notes in a bottle looking for a small miracle, and instead I found great miracles—and great faith. All in all, I am the luckiest fellow in the world.”
On the dusty road back from Willoughby, the friends walked in silence for the longest time, Joseph not feeling like talking, and Trundle and Orlando not knowing what to say. Finally they stopped and the hare got a few things out to eat. “We don’t have to ration now. There’s enough for all.”
“Why didn’t you tell him the truth about Fiona?” Orlando asked.
“Someday you’ll understand. I could not spoil what he had with her. No, it is better this way.” Joseph sighed. “At leastnow he has some gold to buy Fiona’s son that house he promised him. I gave our friend Copperfox enough to buy passage on the Queen of the Sea and have just enough left to get us home. All is as it should be. It might have been better had I trusted Aslan and not felt sorry for myself such a long time. At least Aslan always trusted me.”
“But he promised you’d find your wife…”
“He kept his promise. I needed to know that she was alright and she is. The uncertainty is gone and I can grieve for her.”
“I’m so glad you’re taking it this way,” Trundle said. “You must not let this destroy your faith.”
“It hasn’t, my friend. I have seen Aslan’s face.”
“You have?” The badger scratched his head. “I was with you the whole time…”
“I’ve seen him three times. Once he was a carpenter, then he was a cabin boy and then he was a farmer that sold all he had to do one great, beautiful deed.” Joseph lost his composure and tears began to stream down his face. “Aslan does not spare us every grief, but he doesn’t make us face them alone. I know that now. I have him, and now I have you.”
Orlando hugged the hare, kissing away his tears. “I’m glad I met you, Sir Joseph. Not because you set me free, but because I thought there was no Aslan till I saw him in you.”
“I love you, Orlando. So very much.” Joseph rested his face against the brown cheeked boy and stroked his hair with a paw. “I came looking for my family and I found it. That is, if you’ll let me adopt you.”
“Oh yes!” the boy said, clinging to him tightly. “I’d rather be your son than a knight, anyhow.”
Trundle cleared his throat. “Where are we going next?”
“Tashbaan and then Cair Paravel.”
“No, after that.”
“After that?”
The badger smiled shyly and glanced about. “Now that you have a son, you’ll need a brother too so the boy can have an uncle.”
The hare brightened and nodded, wiping his eyes. “He needs an aunt too. Good thing for him I know this lovely badger lass who wants to meet a fine fellow.”
Trundle looked away, his ears laid back. “Garn, Sir Joseph…”
“And she’s a great cook too. Her simmer and sing stew is to die for.”
“She makes simmer and sing?”
“Yes, to die for.” The hare embraced him firmly. “You will come to live with me and you shall make only what you want to make in the finest workshop in Cair Paravel.”
“Oh Sir Joseph! Do you mean it??”
“Joe…please.” The hare gave his shoulder a pat. “Of course I mean it. I wrote those notes in a bottle looking for a small miracle, and instead I found great miracles—and great faith. All in all, I am the luckiest fellow in the world.”
[THE END: SWEPT AWAY - A NARNIAN SWASHBUCKLER by John H. Burkitt and Joseph A. Ravitts, 2009. With grateful acknowledgment to the wonderous creativity of C. S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia in whose tradition this work was written.]
See the official site with special features at http://byrononwells.org/sweptaway.
See the official site with special features at http://byrononwells.org/sweptaway.
God is good, and while His promises may be fulfilled in the way least expected, it is wonderful to know that He will _always_ fulfill them... 
