Daughter of Nowhere || A Narnia (Prince Caspian) Story

12: Saving the Enemy

"I see a cage," she breathed. "But I can't see if they're inside."

"Might as well start there."

They approached carefully, moving in and out of darkness until they were close enough to properly view the cage. Now, they could see that there were indeed people behind the bars, huddled close. To their dismay, a soldier stood guard, spear and shield in each hand. He didn't look tired, as if his shift had just begun.

"Even if we take him out from the back, the other two would see," said Caspian, gesturing at the battling soldiers.

"Do you think we can wait them out?"

"Probably. It's the safest bet we've got. But let's move around to the back."

They gave the camp a large berth, not wanting to take any chances. When they eventually reached the cage, they found that the training ground was empty.

A trill of anticipation ran through Ina. She felt Caspian's whisper a warm breath in her ear, "Now. I'll take care of him; you get the door."

Ina nodded and followed him. Moving with feline stealth, Caspian emerged from behind and drove a dagger into the guard's back, hand clamped over his mouth. Quietly, Ina headed for the giant, rusted padlock.

Shh. She pressed a finger to her mouth when she saw the startled faces staring back at her. There was a woman who must be Sapphira, and two young boys not older than ten. Her half brothers, she realised with a jolt. Elias's sons. Even in the dim light she could see the resemblance—dark curls, soft cheekbones, shrewd eyes that contemplated if she and Caspian were friend or foe. Their grubby faces suggested that they'd been trapped here for a while. At least Elias hadn't lied about that.

"Elias sent us," Ina mumbled as she picked the lock, practised hands twiddling the two knitting needles she'd taken from Trufflehunter's belongings. Trufflehunter. The name gave her a renewed sense of urgency.

"He's alive?" Sapphira clutched the bars. There was no mistaking her expression—it was love; undeniably, clearly, love.

"Quite so."

The three watched warily as Ina struggled with the padlock; it was so rusted that the pins were difficult to feel, and her sweat-covered palms were definitely not helping.

"How much longer?" Caspian asked.

"Keep quiet."

Voices, deep and slurred. They came from across the training ground.

"Hurry!"

But Ina hadn't even secured half of the pins. "We won't make it."

Heart pounding, she tugged Caspian's arm and they slid around the cage, hidden behind the prisoners' silhouettes.

"I'm tellin' ya, they're savages, but not very bright," said one of the soldiers. "This'll be easy!"

"Our general doesn't seem to think so."

"Regardless, that boy king is way in over his head."

Ina shot Caspian a worried glance. Three soldiers, headed this way. Even though he'd gotten rid of the body, they were sure to notice the guard's absence.

"Oi! Wasn't Ammuz supposed to keep watch?"

Their footsteps grew closer and closer. Ina glanced at Caspian and he nodded.

They sprang when the soldiers' footfalls halted, sleek shadows materialising from darkness. Ina's knife cut one soldier down, and they made short work of the other two. The men had been holding flasks of beer, unprepared—a stroke of luck for her and Caspian. Unfortunately, a short scuffle broke out between Ina and her victim, and she muffled his cries a little too late.