The Return of the Pevensies (sequel to The Fifth Pevensie)

Chapter 6: The Night Raid

"Be quiet!" I hissed. I thought that they were making too much sound. I looked around and saw Caspian and his group ahead of us, at the edge of the forest. He motioned for me to come forwards and I led my group up to his.

"You take those wagons, I take these," he whispered and pointed. I nodded and turned to my group. We had brought around twenty people for this mission. We each led a group of ten people.

"Take what's in them and then back into the forest," I said only loud enough for them to hear. "And be quiet!"

I followed them out to the wagons where the Telmarine army had all their weapons and armor. I can't believe that they hadn't even set out any guards. I didn't see any at all. It was my job to take down anyone that saw us.

I had an arrow ready on my string as I watched my group take everything in the five wagons that was our mission. I was on my guard and looked around every time a sound escaped from the group. But they were more silent than I expected. I was proud of them when we were done. I sent them into the forest and went over to Reepicheep, who was making some sound.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. He was carving something into the door of one of the wagons. I looked at it. He had carved in you were right to fear the woods. I nodded.

"Sign it with an X," Caspian whispered. He had joined us and smiled when he saw what Reepicheep had done. "I want them to know."

"I can make it even better," I whispered. "Reepicheep, step away. Caspian, hold up the door."

I backed a couple of steps and shot an arrow. I looked around to see if anyone noticed the sound of it hitting the door, but I didn't see anyone.

"How did that make it better?" Caspian whispered. I looked back and saw where the arrow had hit the door. Right below the X.

"Believe me, it did," I said. I smiled and then motioned for them to get into the forest. They disappeared and I went back to where my group had disappeared into the forest. I checked if there were any traces that would lead to where we would go, but I didn't see any.

I looked towards the camp of the Telmarine soldiers and relaxed. No one had noticed us. I hanged my bow over my shoulder and walked towards the forest. There was no need to hurry. Caspian knew I would stay to clean up after us. I had told him that if I hadn't met up with them in the morning, something had happened. But he would continue to lead the others to Aslan's How.

Suddenly I felt a hand over my mouth and a knife against my throat. The person holding me dragged me backwards, towards the wagons again. I kicked backwards and hit the person's knee. His grip loosened for a second and I could break free. I spun around, drew my sword and pointed it against the person. It was a Telmarine soldier.

His long hair covered his face as he drew his sword too. He attacked and I blocked. I couldn't get in any good hits at him during the beginning, and I knew I had to kill him. Otherwise we would get noticed.

He was better than I expected. After much fighting, he managed to push me onto the ground. He pointed his sword at my chest and my heart raced. He would kill me now. Both of us breathed heavily, but he didn't do anything. He stared at my face, just like I stared at his. Was it really...

"Jake?" I whispered.

"Emily?" he answered. Then he turned to the forest when he heard something. A second later, Caspian stormed out of the forest with a drawn sword.

"Release her," he said. Jake looked at me and pointed his sword at Caspian.

"Stop!" I said. I stood up and went to stand right between their swords. I didn't trust them to not start fighting.

"Caspian, I told you that you should leave!" I said to Caspian.

"I was worried about you, Emily!" he said. "And with good reasons!" He gave Jake a dark look.

"Emily, what is going on? Who is he?" Jake asked.

"Do you know him, Emily?" Caspian asked. "Is he on our side? If not, I have to kill him."

"I don't know which side he is on, but I am not letting you kill him," I said, remembering every moment we two had shared in the past. I still had feelings for him.

"I have no idea about what you two are talking about," Jake said. "But I do not like the idea of being killed. I am on Emily's side."

"You have no idea of what you just said," I said to him. "Come. We got to get out of here before anyone else notices us."

Caspian went into the forest and I followed.

"Caspian, continue without me. I'll be back soon," I said. After a last suspicious glance at Jake, he disappeared further into the forest.

"Emily," Jake said and sheathed his sword. I did so too and then hugged him.

"Jake. I've missed you so much," I said. I stepped back. "How's Amanda?"

I still remembered the day we first met. The day when I, a girl with a broken leg at the time, was found outside their house by a group of people I would come to call family. He was the first to notice me and it was he who helped me the most when I needed it. When my leg was mended, he taught me a lot about his horses, about sword fighting and nearly everything I knew about the Telmarine history. Sometime during these lessons, I realized that I loved him. And I saw how he had loved me for a while.

But we didn't have much time to share before the fire. Everything was destroyed in that fire.

"She's... still not over it. We live with our aunt now. She and Amanda are working at the castle, as maids. And as you can see, I am a part of Miraz's army now," Jake answered.

Amanda is Jake's younger sister. She was like a sister to me before the fire. They were both so young. Jake is just 19 years old and Amanda would be 17 this year.

"Emily?" Jake asked. "Who was that boy and how do you know him?"

I looked at him and saw how he looked angry. I raised my eyebrows. Was he jealous?

"Jake, there's nothing going on between me and him," I said. "And that is Prince Caspian, and I saved his life a couple of days ago."

"Prince Caspian?" Jake said. "But he is gone! The Narnians kidnapped him!"

"I didn't think that you believed in Narnians," I said.

"I don't! I am just saying what the general has told us."

"Do you like it there? In the army?" I asked.

"Not very much," he said. "It's hard. Nearly no one is friendly and I'm one of the youngest in the army."

"Good," I said. I hesitated a little before continuing. I knew that what I said next would change his life.

"Because by saying that you're on my side, you have joined the Narnians against the Telmarines," I said. "There is still Narnians alive, and they're very many. I am on their side, and therefore also on Caspian's side since he and the Narnians are allies."

Jake stared at me.

"You mean that Caspian wasn't kidnapped by the Narnians?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. Miraz tried to kill him when his son was born," I said. "Some other Narnians and I saved his life."

Jake looked at me with new respect in his eyes. He came closer, and looked down on me. He was nearly a head taller than me. I looked up. He stroke away some hair that had escaped from my braid. He then bent down and kissed me quickly.

"I would follow you to the end of the world, Kitten," he said. My heart swelled when he used his old nickname on me. He got it from my love for cats. I realized he still loved me. We stood like that for a minute or so before I spoke up.

"You realize you will see a lot of weird things if you come with me," I said and smiled. He laughed.

"I think I'll make it," he said. "You'll help me."

I smiled and took his hand.

"Always," I said and led him through the dark forest, in the direction where Caspian had disappeared. "I'll always help you."