Somebody Worth Coming Back To

Escape

     Demetria twisted her honey-colored hair back from her face, intertwining the strands into an elegant braid. It wasn't hard; she had plenty of time to practice. Her ivy green eyes searched the cell just like they always did. Grey stone walls, softly flickering torches, and iron bars. The nighttime sounds of the dungeon around her. 

     She shivered slightly and pulled the skirt of her worn dress over her knees. It was always chilly at night. Suddenly a yell echoed through the castle above her. Miraz's wife must have gone into labor. Settling back down into her curled position on the straw, Demetria leaned her head against the stone wall and tried to sleep.

     But that thought fled her head when the door to the dungeon opened and somebody in a black cloak came down the stairs to stand in front of her cell. Standing, but not saying anything she watched as the hands of a bearded old man fumbled with heavy keys, testing them in the lock. She was nervous as she watched but more curious than anything. This man wasn't a guard and he wasn't the executioner who often came for other prisoners, so who was he?

     "At last." Worry was in the old man's tone and torch light glinted off his glasses as he opened the cell door. "Come with me." She tilted her head.

     "Who are you?" She asked, and he shook his head.

    "It doesn't matter." He said, "What matters that Miraz's wife has had a son." A tremor shook through Demetria's body. With the birth of a "suitable" heir, there would be no point in letting her live any longer. She nodded and followed. He grabbed her hand and dragged her after him up into the halls of the castle. Most of the halls were empty, save for the random servant or guard patrolling them. The old man pulled her into a room.

     A falcon sat on a perch nearby, it's gold eyes reflecting the moonlight that shone through a window. Demetria rubbed her sweaty palms against her dress as the man yanked back the curtain of a bed. A young man was sleeping there and it only took a minute for her to recognize her cousin. Caspian had grown since she had last seen him. Then again, it had been five years. The old man in the cloak clapped a hand over Caspian's mouth and he jolted awake. He seemed to relax after a minute as he pulled the older man's hand away from his mouth.

     "Five more minutes." He said and rolled over to go to sleep, not noticing Demetria standing back.

     "You will not be watching the stars tonight my prince." The old man said "Come. We must hurry." and Caspian rolled back over, confusion on his face. He finally noticed her and sat up.

     "Professor, what is going on?" He asked as he climbed out of bed and the old man, Professor apparently, pulled him, over to the wardrobe.

     "Your aunt has given birth." Professor said, "To a son." He opened the wardrobe as Demetria approached.

     "I missed you Caspian." She said and he turned to hug her,

     "Demetria." He said, "I thought you were dead."

     "Not dead." She said, "Just rotting away in the dungeon thanks to my father." He frowned and there was confusion on his face alongside worry. She turned her attention back to the Professor as he opened up the back of the wardrobe to reveal a secret tunnel.

     "Come!" He urged them and she climbed in. Caspian followed as footsteps could be heard coming close. He paused to look through the crack in the doors. Demetria found herself holding her breath as the sound of multiple crossbows going off sounded out and the falcon screeched. The crossbows stopped and Caspian backed away from the door. She nodded to him and together the three of them hurried down the halls, working their way down to the stables. There Caspian saddled a horse and donned some light leather armor. He climbed up on the horse and pulled her up behind him. The Professor tossed the cloak over her shoulders and she smiled gratefully.

     "Thank you." She whispered, grabbing his hands, "Thank you." He nodded grimly and pulled a horn in the shape of a lion's head out from his bag. He passed it to Caspian.

     "It has taken me many years to find this." He said. Caspian looked from the horn to Professor's face before taking it. Caspian tucked it away, tying it to his belt and Professor caught his attention again. "Use it only at your greatest need." Caspian fidgeted with the reins as the horse shifted and Demetria hugged him tightly.

     "Will we ever see you again?" She asked and he frowned deeply.

     "I hope so, my dear." He said then looked at Caspian, "There is so much I meant to tell you." He paused then added, "Everything you know is about to change." There was a sound nearby, the sounds of soldiers waking up and coming down to the stables.

    "Now go!" The Professor slapped the horse's rear and sent him off at a gallop. Demetria closed her eyes and clung tightly to her cousin as they raced away from the castle. There was the sound of fireworks, and somebody proclaiming the birth of the child loudly. Demetria opened her eyes at the sound of pursuing riders and apparently, Caspian heard them too as the horse picked up speed. The town was left behind and they were in the woods. 

     With the feeling of the horse moving beneath her, she realized just how much she had hated riding. There was the cold splash of water on her bare feet as they began to cross a river. Caspian's goal was on the other side. The woods. She knew that most Telmarines were too paranoid about spirits, ghosts and monsters to go into the woods but while the soldiers hesitated, they continued to follow. 

     She nearly cursed and Caspian turned around to see. However, he missed the low hanging branch ahead of them and they both fell off as he hit it. She hit the ground hard, the breath being knocked out of her. She sucked in air painfully before scrambling to her feet and running after Caspian. At the moment his foot was caught in the stirrup and he was being dragged after the horse. 

     He yanked his foot free and lay there gasping for a moment as she caught up with him. As she crouched down next to him, ever aware of the sounds of nearing riders, a movement caught her eye. A giant knot in a nearby tree was swinging open like a door and two short men, dwarves, and a badger looked out.

     "Help us." She said it before she thought about the words. These were Narnians, the true rulers of these lands. They had no reason to help them. "Please help us or we will die." Her and Caspian looked towards the sound of their pursuers, they could see them now. One of the dwarves neared and Caspian looked afraid. In a flash, he had pulled out the horn and was holding it to his lips. The sound echoed bouncing through the forest before everything went black for them both.