Hearts Connected As One

Chapter 4 - Telmarine Encounter:

"Oh thank Aslan. You're ok!" Gwen said as the dwarf was thrown into the cell. They hugged each other, grateful that they had been reunited and that they were both still alive and relatively uninjured.

However the two Narnians were certain, fate had put them on a deadly path and they weren't sure how much longer they would survive in the hands of the Telmarines.

Meanwhile Back At The Hut:

"This bread is stale," Nikabrik complained, he was just worried about Trumpkin and Guinevere, though he would never admit it.

Trufflehunter understood so changed the topic back to the Telmarine boy they had carried inside after knocking him out. "I'll just get him some soup. He should be coming around soon."

"I don't think I hit him hard enough," Nikabrik said with a spiteful hiss.

"Nikabrik, he's just a boy. I don't think he is much older than Gwen..." Trufflehunter said but remembered that Guinevere was captured and probably dead at this point.

"He's a Telmarine, not some lost puppy. You said you were gonna get rid of him." The dark-haired dwarf argued back.

"No. I said I'd take care of him. We can't kill him now. I just bandaged his head." Trufflehunter was one of the most loyal and compassionate people you could ever meet.

"It would be like murdering a guest." He added.

"How do you think his friends are treating their guests?"

"Trumpkin and Gwen knew what they were doing. I just hope they are okay... however, it's not the boy's fault." Trufflehunter was definitely worried about the little baby he had helped to raise and his best friend, however, he knew that the boy was not to blame for the separation of the small family.

Nikabrik opened his mouth to answer, but then the boy lunged out from the bed towards the door, knocking freshly made soup all over Trufflehunter and the furniture.

Nikabrik retaliated by grabbing his knife. The Telmarine boy looked around briefly and grabbed the fire-poker and held it as his weapon.

"Stop! Stop!" Trufflehunter cried, standing in between the two enemies. Nikabrik's eyes were narrow and ready to fight. "Hold it. No, no!" he added as they began to fight.

"I told you, we should have killed him when we had the chance." The angry dwarf growled.

"You know why we can't!" Trufflehunter exclaimed. It was true he did know. Nikabrik was just too stubborn and didn't want to admit it.

"If we're taking a vote, I'm with him." The Telmarine spoke.

"Shut it!" Nikabrik hissed. "We can't let him go. He's seen us."

"That's enough, Nikabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again?!" The badger had been required to do this a few times over the years, mainly when he got out of line. The punishment idea occurred the same day Guinevere entered their lives.

"And you." Trufflehunter now began to address the Telmarine "Look what you made me do. I spent half the morning on that soup."

The boy looked terribly confused. "W-What are you?" he asked.

"You know, it's funny that you would ask that," Trufflehunter said, with amusement in his voice. "You think people would know a badger when they saw one."

"No." The boy answered. "No, I mean... You're Narnians. You're supposed to be extinct."

Nikabrik spoke up, "Sorry to disappoint you."

Trufflehunter made up a new bowl of soup and turned to the boy.

"Here you go. Still hot." The dwarf rolled his eyes at Trufflehunter's hospitality. He was acting like the boy was an old friend, not a traitor.

"Since when did we open a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers?" Nikabrik snapped, he was fed up at the sight of the Telmarine soldier.

The boy interrupted again. "I'm not a soldier." he stood taller - his head almost touched the ceiling - but he continued "I am Prince Caspian. The tenth."

Trufflehunter and Nikabrik finally knew who he was; he was Guinevere's brother. Nikabrik was not happy. Trufflehunter was just in shock.

Surprise radiated around the room, "What are you doing here?" Trufflehunter inquired, curiosity sinking into his voice.

Caspian looked down. "Running away."

He hesitated, then put the poker back near the fire, and continued, "My uncle has always wanted my throne. I suppose I have only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own."

"Well, that changes things," Trufflehunter whispered.

Nikabrik nodded. "Yeah, Means we don't have to kill you ourselves."

"You're right," Caspian replied. He rushed over to the door and put his vest on.

"Where are you going?" Trufflehunter asked, walking after him.

"My uncle won't stop until I am dead." The Prince said, shortly.

Trufflehunter spoke up once more, "But... you can't leave. You're meant to save us."

He reached across the table and held the horn up. The horn of Queen Susan the Gentle. There had always been questions about whether the Kings and Queens of old were real, but now with the evidence sitting in front of them, they couldn't deny it.

"Don't you know what this is?" he asked.