𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ✯ 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑒 ✓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎

The Narnian army led by Edmund, Susan, Alexander and Seren could arrive at the capitol city any minute now to "spring the trap", and it felt odd to Peter he wasn't there with them, but everyone had agreed they had to find out what had happened to Rosaleen and why. Perhaps it could help them with finding a way to get the old Rosaleen back.

Peter shook with his head to clear his mind from all the worries tumbling through it and he focussed on the mountain again while keeping a close eye on the tracks as well.

A cloud shifted in front of the sun, blocking the light and the vibrant colours of Archenland's nature seemed to dim; the sombre atmosphere amplified when the first droplet of rain fell out of the sky, right onto Peter's cheek. A curse threatened to slip past his lips ─ the rain would wash away Rosaleen's footsteps ─ but then he reached the shadow of the mountain and a man-made opening in the mountainside caught his eyes. He steered his horse towards the spot, casting only a short glance at the trail but Rosaleen had indeed escaped from there.

Though the opening was clearly made by a human ─ or another creature with hands ─, it still seemed to sprout from the mountain itself as the stone structure of the arched gateway was sculpted out of it and with a bit of imagination, it wasn't hard to think of the opening like the mouth of Stormness Head.

Peter pulled his horse to a stop once more, laying his head in the back of his neck to look at the peak of the entrance and a gigantic iron-wrought gate hung at the very top of the arch. It looked like he had found a secret fortress. Slowly, Peter moved his gaze farther down again; the gate was open and he couldn't spot any guards in the darkness laying beyond it. The abandoned fortress would hold all answers though, and Peter slid out of the saddle.

A metallic sound rang through the air as he still unsheathed his sword Rhindon despite the abandoned look of the fortress and while taking a deep breath, he stepped underneath through the archway.

The temperature dropped instantly and the shadows slithered around his posture as he took another tentative step. The path went gradually down and Peter descended further and further into the darkness as the tunnel led him till far under the mountain. The daylight faded away with every step he took and when the path stopped descending and took a turn, the light disappeared all together.

Peter needed a few seconds as his eyesight adjusted to the darkness but he still kept going with the sword in one hand while his other trailed over the rocks next to him to make sure he didn't bump against anything.

His heart hammered against his chest but he managed to keep his breathing calm and soft while the adrenaline kept on rushing through his veins.

Every sound he made seemed to bounce off against the stone walls, amplified as it echoed throughout the hallway and he couldn't shake the feeling he wasn't alone down here.

Peter wasn't sure what he was searching for as he made his way through the fortress but his heart ached when he came across the dungeons with several prison cells.

The dry and cold air down here made him shiver and he had to close his eyes for a moment as the imagery of Lucy and Rosaleen being imprisoned taunted his mind. He took a deep breath, promptly turning around and going back the same way he came since there was no blood in any of the cells. Rosaleen hadn't been tortured here.

At one of the crossroads, Peter took a different path than the one that would lead him outside but as he sneaked through the darkness, he hesitated in his step when he saw the familiar orange light of flickering flames at the end of the tunnel.

He strengthened his grip around his sword, his knuckles turning white as the skin pressed upon the bones, and as quietly as he could, he walked farther.