BACK TO THE PEOPLE
"It's good you have the troops." Emma walks alongside Caspian and her twin.
"But we need some fortifications, somewhere to train." Peter continued after his sister.
"So, what are they like?" Trufflehunter asked Trumpkin excitedly.
"Malcontents, complainers, stubborn as mules in the morning." Trumpkin explains.
"Oh, so you like them then," Nikabrik observed.
"Well enough." Trumpkin admits causing Lucy to smile.
When they walked out of the wood, a beautiful open field awaited them. A little ways ahead, was a mountain, with an opening and beautifully broken down buildings all around it.
The centaurs lined up on either side of the walkway, holding up their swords for the High Kings and Queens of Old.
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy walked forward first, Emma and Caspian standing back.
"You should go." He said to her, stealing a glance before looking forward again.
"I'm not royalty. So, you should go, my prince." Emma says bowing. He chuckled at her and held out his hand. She took it warily and they began walking forward, followed by the Narnians.
Lucy smiled kindly at a little centaur boy, who held his sword too low. His father raised his arms before Lucy walked by. It was obvious he was distracted by the youngest Pevensie.
As they walked inside the cave, they looked around and saw different Narnians making weapons and other things for battle. Caspian let go of Emma's hand. She was a little disappointed, as his hands were a lot softer than she thought they'd be.
Caspian had to admit, he was sad to let her hand go too. Her hands were warm and full of kindness. Caspian felt colder, almost, without her hand in his.
They all continued walking forward, looking at all the lovely people of Narnia.
"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible," Caspian explained.
"I think it's lovely," Emma commented with a warm smile. Caspian was rather shocked, to say the least, at her kindness. The history books never said how welcoming she is. He had assumed she was a bloodthirsty assassin, ready for any battle. But, she was a kind young woman, who gave a sweet smile to everyone. Of course, he had fought with her when they first met, so he knew Emma was capable, but she was as sweet as berries, and that was a beautiful thing to Caspian.
"Peter," Susan called to him, having wandered off. "You may want to see this."
Peter and Caspian walked toward Susan, Emma following suit. They followed her into a dark cave, one with drawings of the siblings. Mostly, the drawings were of the high kings and queens. Little to none were of the most ferocious warrior. Emma didn't mind this, however. Aslan had given her the choice to be a High Queen, but Emma declined. She enjoyed fighting and training, not ruling. She also despised the 'your majesty' and 'my lady'. She made it clear to the Narnians, that they just call her 'Emma', however, some Narnians still called her 'Miss Emma'. That was the most she was okay with. Nothing more.
"It's us," Susan said.
"What is this place?" Lucy asked Caspian.
"You don't know?" He asked back, glancing at the siblings. After no one said anything in response, Caspian grabbed a torch and walked briskly past the high kings and queens. Lucy kept her eyes trained on a drawing of Mr. Tumnus.
"I'm so sorry Lu," Emma said to her younger sister.
"It's okay. I just hope he's happy." Lucy sighs in response.
"I'm sure he is, darling." Emma comforted her sister, placing a hand on her back to nudge her forward.
Caspian walked them into a very dark room. He placed his torch near a liquid and flames erupted around the room, giving them the light they needed. The siblings looked around, finishing on a carving of Aslan on the wall.
"Aslan's how," Emma said.
The room was oddly quiet, no one knowing what to say, as they all stared at the drawing of Aslan on the wall. The broken table in the middle. Lucy walked forward and placed her hand on it.
"He must know what he's doing," Lucy said looking at Emma.
"Aslan always knows what he's doing." Emma agreed.
"I think it's up to us now," Peter said.
A Narnian stood watch outside The How when he spotted a Telmarine soldier hiding in the wood. The soldier left quickly once he saw he was being watched.
➴
"It's only a matter of time," Peter said, many Narnian soldiers standing around the stone table. "Miraz's men and war machines are on their way. That means those same men aren't protecting his castle." Peter said looking around.
"What do you suppose we do, your majesty?" Reepicheep asked.
"We need to get ready for it," Peter said determined like.
"To start planning for," Caspian said determination in his voice too. The two boys had talked over each other. Peter stared daggers at Caspian, he, not breaking the tense eye contact either. After Caspian realized Peter wasn't going to step down with out a fight, he literally, stepped back, rolling his eyes.
"Our only hope, is to strike them before they strike us." Peter continued without missing a beat.
"But, that's crazy. No one has taken that castle." Caspian says.
"There's a first time for everything," Peter said overconfident.
"We'll have the element of surprise." Trumpkin defends.
"But we have the advantage here!" Caspian argues.
"If we dig in, we could hold them off indefinitely," Susan said defending Caspian. Emma wasn't stupid, she knew Susan had an attraction to Caspian. I mean, why would Susan go against her own brother, if not for the likings of a boy?
"Emma?" Peter asked for her opinion. Emma raised her hands in defense.
"This isn't my job, I just fight the battles." She said plainly.
"But don't warriors figure out a battle plan?" One Narnian asked.
"Well, fine," Emma said crossing her arms. "I think, my professional opinion, we should fortify here. We could train and build." Peter looked at her disappointedly. "But, we could do some damage to the Telmarines if we surprise them."
"So what is it then? Are we going or staying?" another Narnian asked.
"It wouldn't matter either way for me, I'll let the royals deal with it," Emma said as she sat down on the stone table next to Lucy.
"Boys," Emma said to her younger sister quietly. "Never know when to shut up."
Lucy giggled but quieted down when the room went silent.
"I, for one, feel safer underground," Trufflehunter said.
"Look," Peter started walking up to Caspian slowly. "I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb."
"Yes, and if they're smart, the Telmarines will just wait and starve us out." Edmund piped up in defense of his brother.
"We could collect nuts!" a squirrel said excitedly.
"Yes! And throw them at the Telmarines." Reepicheep agreed sarcastically. "Shut up! I think you know where I stand, sire."
The room was quiet. The centaur looked to Caspian.
"If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" Peter asked the centaur.
He glanced over at Caspian again before answering Peter.
"Or die trying, my liege," he said.
"That's what I'm worried about." Emma piped up again.
"Sorry?" Peter asked confusion on his face.
"You're all acting like there are only two options," Emma explained. "Dying here, or dying there."
"I'm not sure you've been listening," Peter said rudely.
"No, you're not listening." Lucy comes to Emma's defense. "Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?"
Peter looked offended at this statement.
"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough," he says turning away from the two girls on the stone table. He then walks out of the room, the silence filling in the open air.
OPERATION FAILURE
The town of the Telmarines was quiet. No one lingering on the streets but the guards. A griffin flies high above anyone's radar carrying Edmund along with him. The griffin dropped Edmund off atop a tower. However, they were both too loud as the guard heard them on the tiled roof. He turned but only glanced around, not really going to investigate. The griffin lowered its talons and picked up the guard. Edmund, taking his chance to drop down and survey his surroundings. Edmund walked to the edge and looked down at the deadly drop. He then began to signal the Narnians with his flashlight. He clicked it on and off. Other griffins began to fly to the castle. All the Narnian soldiers were standing and waiting at the edge of the wood for their signal to go.
Nikabrik looked to the centaur, who nodded to him, and the Narnians began to walk out of the woods and across the open field.
As a soldier walked around the gate, Reepicheep and his mice men climbed out of a drain. They looked up and saw the griffins flying by silently.
Peter, Emma, Caspian, and Susan were being held by the flying griffins. Peter looked over at Emma and Caspian. Edmund was still flashing his light following the griffins. Caspian's griffin flew down, Caspian unsheathing his sword. The griffin dropped his feet and one arm, letting Caspian slash the soldier that was in their way.
As Edmund began directing with his flashlight again, a guard noticed and raised his crossbow. He didn't get a chance to aim before Emma took a show at him with her bow. The guard walking behind the fallen man turned, only to be met with Peter's sword.
The griffins dropped the siblings on the ground and flew away.
After fighting the last soldier, Emma and Susan notched an arrow in their bows, just in case. Edmund stood at the top tower, looking down.
Another soldier with a torch in his hands was walking around the court. One of the Narnians walked silently up behind him. However, he wasn't silent enough, because the soldier turned and looked at the big animal bewildered. The soldier drew his sword preparing to fight. The Narnian looked down at the soldier and whispered a quick "Shh," with a finger to his lips.
He successfully distracted the soldier, for Nikabrik walked behind him and hit the man with the hilt of his sword. The soldier went down with a quiet and quick grunt from the force before he was knocked out.
Reepicheep and his mice scurried up chains to the higher parts of the building. They chittered at each other while climbing over two clueless soldiers. They wrapped their tails around a rope and slid down to the ground.
Reepicheep sniffed the air and unsheathed his sword, the other mice following suit. Reepicheep turned a corner and was met with a sleeping orange cat. He motioned for his men to stay put and he smirked walking quietly to the cat.
Emma and Susan were stood on a tower. Emma looked over the end and saw Peter and Caspian still sliding down the rope to a windowsill. Caspian knocked on the window and listened for an answer.
"Professor?" Caspian asked quietly into the window.
When no one answered him, he unlatched the window with his dagger and pushed it open. Seeing as no one was in the room, Peter and Caspian moved in quickly. Caspian looked around at the messy room with books laying about the floors. Emma and Susan were next down the rope.
When both girls were in the room, Susan closed the window. They watched as Caspian picked up a pair of glasses from the desk. The young prince glanced around the room.
"I have to find him." He said.
"You don't have time," Peter complained. "You need to get the gate open."
"You wouldn't even be here without him." Caspian whisper yelled. "And neither would I."
Peter glanced at his sisters.
"You and I can deal with Miraz," Susan said. Peter then looked at Emma. She nodded and walked over to Caspian.
"I guess you're stuck with me now," Emma said with a small smile. Caspian returned the smile.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. Peter glared at Caspian while Susan looked at Emma with a sad glance.
"I can still get to the gate in time," Caspian told Peter. He glanced around the room and dashed out the of the door. Emma gave her siblings a two-finger salute and followed after him.
A soldier walked around the room the mice men were just in. When he turned a corner, he saw the orange cat, its feet tied up and its mouth muzzled. He looked at it with wide eyes when it softly mewed. The soldier looked around for the culprit when he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed.
He turned around fast and was met face to face with Reepicheep.
"Yes, I'm a mouse," Reepicheep confirmed. "Hyah!" he slashed the soldier's neck. Reepicheep then jumped down and motioned his men to come out of their hiding spots.
Another soldier rounded the corner and the noble mice jumped on him, startling him to the ground. One of the mice slashed that soldier and the three soldiers scurried and opened the big wooden door. Trumpkin walked in and shot an arrow at the oncoming man.
"Ah! We were expecting someone, you know, taller." Reepicheep said to Trumpkin sizing him up.
"You're one to talk." Trumpkin said looking at the little mouse.
"Is that supposed to be irony?" Reepicheep sheathed his sword. Trumpkin didn't answer, instead closing the wooden doors.
A man lay on the cold ground as Caspian rattles the door open. The prince sat next to the Professor waking him up.
"Five more minutes?" Caspian asked with a small chuckle. Emma kept watch at the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" The professor asked. Caspian fumbling with the keys to unlock the professor's shackles.
"I didn't help you escape just so you could break back in!" The professor scolded.
"He had some help," Emma said. The professor looked over to her, his eyes widened. The professor cleared his throat and looked back to Caspian.
"You have to get out!" he begged. "Before Miraz learns you're here!"
"He's going to learn soon enough," Caspian said handing the professor his glasses.
"We are giving him your cell," Emma said looking back at the two men. She smiled a bit at the utter shock on the professor's face. Caspian was just about to leave the cell when the professor grabbed onto his armored jacket and slammed him against the bars.
"Don't underestimate Miraz as your father did." He said. Emma looked behind her in shock. Had Miraz killed Caspian the ninth?
Caspian must have come to that conclusion too, as he looked at the professor shocked. The professor seemed to instantly regret saying anything.
"I'm sorry," is all the professor can say to Caspian.
The young prince shoves the man's hands from on him and runs up the stairs.
"Caspian!" Emma called to him. She sighed and ran over to the professor. She wrapped her arm around him to help him walk.
"Hello, sir! Caspian has said a lot about you!" Emma says with a kind smile. The professor looks at her up and down.
"Are you, Emma Pevensie? The -" he asked but Enma cut off the last bit.
"The most Ferocious Warrior? Yeah, that's me. It's great to meet you, and I'd love to chat, but I have to stop Caspian before he gets himself killed." Emma hurriedly explains.
"Go, dear." the professor said. She let go of him and ran up the stairs. The professor stared ahead shocked from the last few minutes. He saw Caspian again, told him about his father, and met a Narnian legend. What a night!
Peter and Susan run up some stairs looking for Miraz's room.
The sound of a sword unsheathing is heard, and the sharp point is faced at Miraz. However, It isn't Peter. It's Caspian.
Caspian touches the cold blade on Miraz's neck causing him to awaken.
"Thank goodness you're safe!" Miraz chuckles.
"Get up." Caspian orders. Miraz throws the covers off his body and hits the back of his hand on his wife's shoulder.
"What?" she asks him, her voice laced with sleep. She opened her eyes and saw the situation at hand.
"Caspian?" she asks.
"Stay where you are," Caspian ordered.
"What are you doing?" she asked shocked.
"I should think it's obvious, dear," Miraz says. "Some families might consider this inappropriate behavior."
"That doesn't seem to have stopped you!" Caspian yelled digging his blade into Miraz's neck.
"But you are not like me, are you?" Miraz asks him. "It's sad. The first time you've shown any backbone," Miraz teases. Prunaprisma slowly grabs the crossbow above her bed.
"And it's such a waste," Miraz says, buying time for his wife. They both hear a creaking. Caspian looks over to see his aunt holding the crossbow right at his head.
"Put the sword down, Caspian." she threatened. "I don't want to do this."
"Neither do I," Emma said turning the corner. Her bow in hand and an arrow notched in it. Peter and Susan come around the corner shortly after, Susan also raising her bow.
"Ah, the warrior," Miraz said looking at Emma. "I'm shocked such a ferocious being could be a woman." he teased, looking Emma up and down. "You must not be very good."
Caspian pushed the blade deeper into his uncle's neck.
"Shut your mouth," he said lowly.
"Oh, I see, is she a girlfriend of yours?" Miraz questioned still looking at Emma.
She pointed the aim of her bow from Prunaprisma to Miraz.
"I'm not afraid of you. I can do so much damage to your perfect little life with such little power," she tells him. "Say, put me in a room with your best men, and I'll be out in less than a minute. I can kill all of your armies with one motion."
Miraz's eyes flashed with a quick emotion of fear, but he kept his composure.
"I'm sure you can, my dear," he said. Emma started daggers at him. Miraz then glanced around at all the people in his room. He put his hands on his hips.
"This used to be a private room," he said.
"Awe, I'm dearly sorry. Guess we'll come back some other time." Emma said with sarcasm laced in her voice.
"What are you doing?" Peter asked Caspian. "You're supposed to be in the gatehouse!"
"No!" Caspian exclaimed plainly. "Tonight for once, I want the truth. Did you kill my father?"
Caspian backed Miraz onto a wall, his sword cutting his skin. Caspian and Miraz stared at each other.
"Now we get to it," Miraz said.
"You said your brother died in his sleep." Prunaprisma recited, lowering the bow.
"That was more or less true." Miraz shrugged.
"Caspian," Emma called lowering her bow. She walked behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "This won't make things better," Emma said calmly. Caspian glanced to her but said nothing.
"We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it," Miraz said. "Your father knew that as well as anyone."
"How could you?" Prunaprisma asked, completely lowering the crossbow.
"For the same reason, you will pull that trigger," Miraz said pointing to her. Emma tightened her grip on Caspian's armored jacket.
"For our son!" Miraz yelled as he walked closer to his nephew.
Caspian put his free hand around Emma's waist and pulled her back with him as he took steps back.
"Stop!" Prunaprisma begged lifting her crossbow again.
"Stay right there!" Susan yelled pointing her bow at the older woman.
"You need to make a choice, dear," Miraz said to his wife. The prince's arm still around Emma's waist tightly, pulling her closer to him.
On any other occasion, Emma would be blushed and smiling like an idiot, but she figured now wasn't a good time.
"Do you want our child to be king?" Miraz spits at the two teens in front of him. He continued walking forward, causing Emma and Caspian to back away.
Prunaprisma glanced to the cradle holding her new son, then back at her husband and Caspian.
"Or do you want him to be like Caspian here? Holding onto a girl, fatherless!"
"No!" Prunaprisma yelled shooting an arrow. However, her aim was horrible, and instead of injuring the prince, it grazed Emma's arm.
"Arg!" Emma yelped in pain.
"Emma!" Susan yelled shooting an arrow at the wall above Miraz. Caspian kept his tight grasp around the girl's waist, helping her out of the room. Prunaprisma lay flat on her bed crying out. Caspian pulled Emma out of the room and pushed her against the wall, it and he, holding her up.
"Emma?" he asked concern sewed in his voice. Peter and Susan ran out of the room to check on their sister.
"I'm fine!" Emma said. She touched the wound, wincing a bit. She held out her hand to show the three teens around her, "See? Barley bleeding." She sighed with a soft chuckle.
"Worse has happened." She said as Peter looked more closely at her arm. "I almost died the first time we were here!" She laughed and pushed Peter away.
"Come on, we've got to fight!" Emma said with a big grin, running off down the hallway.
Peter stared at Caspian waiting for him to say something. Caspian smiled and looked at Peter.
"She's a cute one," he says and takes off after Emma.
"What's that mean?" Peter asked chasing after Caspian.
Susan stood there, thinking of what he said. She knew Emma found him enchanting, but she didn't know if he felt the same towards Emma. Now that she did know, she was slightly upset. Sure, there are many handsome men in this world, but she fancied Caspian. She chuckled at her selfishness. If Emma liked him, and he liked her too, she should be happy. She smiled at the way he looked at her, and the way she protected him. She chuckled at how they spoke to each other and how she looked at him. She knew those looks anywhere, it was love. She was upset but happy for her older sister. Caspian was a handsome man and was a perfect match for Emma. Susan just prayed she found someone like that too.
"Come on, Susan!" Emma yelled for her. Susan chuckled one more time before she ran after the others. A smile on her face.
Emma was never one for boys, and she was rather shy. Maybe Caspian can bring something out in her.
chapter six
BACK TO THE PEOPLE and OPERATION FAILURE