The Chronicles Of Narnia : The High Queen

Chapter 17

"They won't follow you in there".

Professor Cornelius pulled out an object wrapped in cloth, handing it to the Prince.
"It has taken me many years to find this. Do not use it, except at your greatest need".

Caspian looked down at his professor with fear, overwhelmed with what was happening.
"Will I ever see you again?".

"I dearly hope So, my prince", the professor smiled uncertainly.
"There is so much more I meant to tell you. Everything you know is about to change".

Caspian gulped at his professor's vague words, knowing that what awaited him in the future wasn't something sweet.

"Trust the lady of the woods. She will help you", the professor stated and Caspian's eyes widened.

"Lady of the woods?".

Before the professor could answer him, the sound of a guard ordering the gates to be closed interrupted them.

The professor urged him to leave and Caspian set off on his horse.

Fireworks were set off as news of his uncle Miraz's son's birth was announced to the town.

Caspian continued to make his way to the dark forest, leaving behind what was once his home.

Riding only under the light from the moon, Caspian crossed a river and broke into the tree line of the forest, not stopping until he was sure he had lost the men chasing him.

Caspian kept glancing back as he rode deeper into the woods, worrying when the men didn't give up at capturing him.
He turned back once more to get a fix of their positions and turned around to the front only to smack his face against a fallen tree trunk.

Caspian was thrown off his horse, landing on the floor with a painful thud.
His horse rode on and the boy was dragged along, his foot caught in the stirrup.

Caspian attempted to free himself. Yanking his foot out, he immediately came to a stop on the ground, where he lay, his breaths coming quick and his body in pain.

A voice, however, made him struggle to his feet in a hurry.

His eyes landed on a girl standing before him.
Dressed in a clean dress that looked like it would be worn by royalty, the girl approached him carefully.

"You need to come with me", she stated.

Caspian frowned. The boy eyed the bow strapped to her back and the sword at her waist.
He took a step back but stopped as the girl shook her head.

"Caspain we don't have much time. Do you trust me?".

The boy nodded slightly, unsure of why he did so. It seemed as if an unseen force was driving him to move with her.

"This way my Prince", the girl urged, as she made her way through the trees swiftly.

Caspian stopped and stared at her retreating figure, a thousand questions running through his head.
He shouldn't be following her but the professor had asked him to trust the woods. Had he meant the beautiful girl?

"Come on Caspian, stop gawking around and move", she cried out, running towards him in a hurry.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him along as the sound of the soldiers grew louder.

They took several twists and turns almost as if she knew where she was going, pausing only when they arrived at a clearing.

She turned to him with a smile.
"You'll be safe now", she assured and turned to walk away but Caspian was not ready to be abandoned just yet.

"Wait", he said and she turned to look at him.
"Are you the lady of the woods?", Caspian questioned and she chuckled.

"No one really calls me that",she said.

The prince watched her with furrowed brows.
"But the professor-".

Caspian couldn't finish his sentence as a badger came running out of the ground.

He took a good look at the Prince before his eyes shifted to the lady and he gasped.
"My queen..", he trailed off.

Caspian gasped, scrambling away from the badger that had just talked.

He pointed his sword at the animal and turned to the lady, but she had disappeared.

Caspian lowered his sword and glanced around him, but found no sight of her.
It's as if she had disappeared into thin air.

"Take care of him", the badger asked a small human.

Caspian reeled back in fear of the two dwarfs that he had believed until then to be extinct.

The boy tripped over a rock, sending him sprawling to the ground and losing his grip on the sword.

He fumbled back as one of the dwarfs walked towards him while the light haired dwarf pushed forward towards the sound of the telmarines.

An ivory horn glistened from under Caspian's cloak and both the dwarf and Caspian stared at it in shock.

The boy acted quick and lunged for it.

"No!", the dwarf yelled as Caspian brought the horn to the lips and blew into it.

The sound was loud and deafening.

It was carried across the land, leaving the onlookers stunned.

The dwarf glared at the boy.

Caspian could only get a short glimpse of his attacker before darkness overwhelmed him, his last vision being the girl watching him from behind the trees.