Prince Caspian: Chapter 10: The Return of the Lion Summary & Analysis

Following the gorge downstream proves more difficult than Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Trumpkin anticipated. They must venture so far into the forest initially that they fear losing sight of the river. Eventually, they find a place where they can climb down into the gorge itself. They rest and have a drink of refreshing water before continuing downstream, all the while looking for a place to climb up on the opposite side. It’s easier to follow the direction of the river, but the terrain is rougher, rockier, and more punishing than the forest. And they can’t find a place to climb back out.

Eventually, Edmund, Peter, and Trumpkin begin to want to light a fire and roast some of their bear meat. Susan wants to press on. Lucy is too miserable to care. But when they can’t find enough dry wood, they must press on anyway. Finally, they round a bend and can see the Great River and the Beruna Bridge in the distance. Edmund notices that the present-day village at the foot of the bridge sits on the exact site where he and Peter won a battle long ago. The thought of their victories, more than anything else, buoys their spirits. As the country slopes downhill, the going gets easier.

Then, suddenly, some of Miraz’s forces attack Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Trumpkin. Trumpkin shouts, “Down!” and Peter looks up to see an arrow embedded in a nearby tree. They retreat uphill under a rain of arrows, realizing that they must turn back and find another way to cross the river. Although their plans have been frustrated, they all feel more cheerful climbing back through the difficult terrain. They reach the point where they originally descended into the gorge before sunset and soon have a blazing fire on which they roast some of the bear meat for dinner. With a good plan, a good meal, and a well-deserved rest, everyone feels cheerful and hopeful.

Sometime later, Lucy wakes from a deep and restful sleep to the sound of a beloved voice calling her name. She doesn’t want to get up because she feels so happy and peaceful. But the voice calls insistently from a little way off. Looking for it, she realizes the trees near their campsite are moving. With a wildly beating heart, she gets up and walks towards them. They weave in and out of each other in a complicated, old-fashioned dance. As she gets closer, she realizes that they don’t quite look like trees or people; the dryads stir but aren’t yet fully awake. Lucy dances through the glade towards the darkness beyond from which the voice called her.

Lucy exits the circle of dancing trees into a smooth grass clearing. Aslan, the great lion himself, stands in its center. Without a second of hesitation or doubt, Lucy rushes up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face in his silky mane, and kissing him. He kisses her gently with the tip of his rough tongue. She notes with surprise that he’s bigger. That’s only because she herself is older, he tells her. Lucy is so overwhelmed with happiness she doesn’t want to move or speak, but Aslan reminds her that they have work to do, especially after the day’s wasted trip. Lucy begins to complain about the others’ disbelief, but a growl from Aslan silences her. He gives her a look that suggests that she could have left them and come to him earlier, on her own.

Aslan tells Lucy that she must run back, wake the others, and tell them they need to follow him immediately, although he warns her that they won’t be able to see him, at least at first. She feels disappointed; she’d imagined Aslan roaring in and frightening away all the enemies like last time. Now, she fears, everything will be “horrid.” Aslan gently reminds her that nothing happens the same way twice. She buries her face in his mane again, but this time, she feels some of his strength flowing into her. Soon, she feels ready to face the task at hand. They walk back through the dancing trees—all of whom bow to the lion—and Aslan waits on the edge of the glade for her.

Lucy worries about waking up four very tired people who are older than herself and who she knows are likely to doubt her once again. She starts with Peter, who tells her he’ll do “whatever [she] like[s]” before rolling back over and falling asleep again. Susan wakes easily but flatly tells Lucy she must have been dreaming. Lucy can barely rouse Edmund. When she does, he’s initially enthusiastic about Aslan. But because he cannot see the great lion, he worries that Lucy is dreaming or hallucinating. Still, he helps her wake the others.