The five boys slow as the stone gatehouse rises ahead, all shadow and authority. Beyond it lies school, schedules, and the older boys who patrol the entrance for weakness.
John
We go in together, but not like a parade.
Morris
The yard is clear enough, but only if they keep their heads down.
Parsley edges closer to Lewis, and Francis hovers half a step behind, grateful and wary. Edwin keeps glancing toward the lane, listening for boots or a shout.
C. S. Lewis
The gate is where they are counted.
Parsley
If they see us split up, they will take it as permission.
A pair of older boys comes into view under the arch, lounging with the lazy confidence of patrol. The younger group tightens at once, turning their shared walk into a single front.
Francis
Then let us look as if we belong to one another.
Lewis falls into step beside Parsley while John and Morris flank them. Together they cross toward the gatehouse, not hiding, but refusing to offer anyone an easy boy to seize.
✓ Quest Accepted
Pass through the gatehouse as one