The Call - Edmund Pevensie

15

For a second, no one breathed. Then, Lord Sopespian looked over at us and I knew what was coming. 

"Treachery! The traitor princess shot him! She murdered our king!" My gaze snapped down to the bow in my hand and then back to Lord Sopespian. He picked up Miraz's sword from the ground and ran towards his horse as General Glozelle took off towards his troops.  

All I could feel was numb as I stared at Miraz's body. I knew I hadn't shot him. Everyone around me knew that as I'd never even raised my bow. On top of that, from the way the arrow was sticking up from his body, that angle would have been impossible for me to hit anyways. But the troops that were hundreds of yards away wouldn't know that. They wouldn't have been able to see me with all of the stone from the ruins and with the distance. They would trust the word of their general and one of the Lords. It hit me that this had been Sopespian's plan all along. I cursed myself for not recognizing the look in his eyes earlier. I had known that he had looked too confident, and yet I was too slow to understand its full meaning.

We had known that there was a chance the telmarines wouldn't fight fair. Hell, I had even suggested it. But now, as it was actually happening, my mind couldn't seem to keep up with what had just happened.

"Be ready!" I hear Peter shout.

"Peter!" Caspian screamed as the soldier who had been with Miraz came towards us. Edmund shook my arm, staring into my eyes. 

"Cat! Catarina!" His voice brought me back to earth with a screeching halt. I blinked, and looked at him. 

"Sorry, I'm here," I said. He gave me a worried look but didn't press any farther. Peter swung his sword, decapitating the soldier. Without any hesitation, he spun and looked at me pointing his finger towards the How. 

"Go!" he ordered. Before I turned, I grabbed Edmund's arm stopping him. I reached up, brought his face towards mine, and places a chaste kiss on his cheek. 

"Promise me I'll see you when this is over," I told him. 

"Only if you promise the same," he said, chocolate eyes stormy. I nodded, and he nodded back. 

"Catarina, we have to go!" Caspian called. I looked at Ed one last time before turning and sprinting to my brother who was waiting on his horse while Ed went the opposite way to stand with Peter on the edge of the ruins. I swung myself up behind Caspian in the saddle. We turned to look as the cavalry came charging at us. Huge boulders from their giant catapults sailed down around us sending dirt and grass flying everywhere. 

Once the cavalry reached a specific section of the field in front of us, Peter turned around and looked at Caspian. The signal. Caspian wheeled the horse around as us and Glenstorm galloped down into the How where the rest of the Narnians were waiting. 

This had been my plan. Hide our true numbers in case the telmarines didn't play fair, and now I thanked Aslan that we had. I swung down from Caspian's saddle and immediately vaulted myself into the saddle of my own mare. The same one I'd taken from the castle's stables during the raid. 

"Narnians!" Caspian called out. "Charge!" We bolted down the underground cavern, Caspian veering right as I veered left. All around me, centaurs, fauns, all kinds of animals, minitours, and other Narnians followed me as we and Cas as we raced around the stone pillars. 

"One, two, three, four..." I counted out loud. "Now!" I shouted once I hit ten. Minitours, centaurs, giants and any big creature began to take out the stone pillars that held up the ground above us. As light began to filter in as the ground caved away, I also heard the sound of dozens of soldiers and horses screaming as they fell into our trap. I knew that at this moment, Susan had also commanded her archers to release their arrows causing them to rain down on any soldier who had survived the fall. Ahead of me, two dwarves lowered a makeshift trapdoor in the earth, revealing a grass platform that led up the surface. I surged ahead, sword raised high. 

"Charge!" I called out and was answered by a chorus of cries around me. When I rode up to the surface, I had to blink rapidly to adjust my eyes to the blinding sun. When they were clear, I could see just how big of an area we had caused to collapse. Peter and Edmund were leading the charge from the front while Caspian and I were leading the charge from the right and left side respectively, and even more Narnian's were coming in from the back. We had the cavalry surrounded on all sides. 

I charged at the closest rider, a fortunate soul who had somehow avoided falling into our trap, stabbing him from behind. The telmarines had now noticed our sudden appearance, and several men on foot charged at me. Lighting fast, I sheathed my sword and drew my bow, letting out arrows in rapid succession. 

I continued to ride through the battle, picking off telmarine soldiers one by one. Our griffins soared overhead carrying dwarven archers who fired at the telmarines near us. I glanced over at the rest of their army and saw that they had begun to advance, General Glozelle leading the way. Some of the griffins dared to get closer to General Glozelle, however boulders and huge arrows continued to rain down from their machines catching some of the pour beasts.  I scanned the battle field looking for Caspian or Peter, but had to turn my attention back to the field when a soldier got too close for comfort. He released an arrow and I dodged just in time, the steel head grazing my cheek. I reached back and fired an arrow stopping him in his tracks. 

"Back to the How!" voices echoed as I saw everyone turn and begin to fall back. Up ahead I could see Caspian, Peter and Edmund heading towards the stone fortress while I stayed in the back, shooting arrows at straggler soldiers so that the Narnians on foot could get away easier. Four telmarines began to overwhelm Windmane, Glenstorm's wife, and I shot three of them down in quick succession. That gave her the chance to run her sword through the fourth man, and she gave me a nod of appreciation as I rode by. I returned it, then began to scan the battle field once more. 

Several boulders flew overhead and I watched them collide with the entrance to the How. The stones came crumbling down, collapsing and cutting off our retreat. Several boulders struck the How near the top near where the archers were, and I gasped when I saw Susan slip from the ledge as the stone fell away beneath her. Thankfully, Trumpkin caught her and was able to swing her over to a ledge below her, and to safety. 

I face the battlefield once more and surveyed the scene. The telmarine army had branched off to form a ring around us. With nowhere to go and our only escape route now cut off, the only option left was to fight our way out of this. I went to reach back and draw an arrow, but my hand only grasped air. I was out of arrows; the rest of my fighting would have to be with my sword.

I looked for my friends again and I saw Susan and Trumpkin climb down from their posts and head towards where Peter, Caspian, and to my relief Edmund were standing. I wheeled my mare around and rushed towards them. I barely slowed her down as I reached Edmund's side, leaping off rather gracefully right as Susan and Trumpkin joined the group. 

I gave Ed a wicked smile as I threw my bow down and unsheathed my sword, letting him know that I was ready for the fight ahead. He smirked back at me, and then we were all running straight towards the hundreds of soldiers in front of us.