-SAVING A LIFE-
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷CHAPTER SEVENTEENˏˋ°•*⁀➷
(act ii)
———PROMISES———
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TWO TELMARINES SAT on a rowing boat, rowing across a river. One rowing and the other holding a crossbow. The one rowing glanced down at the bottom of the boat every now and again. "He won't stop staring." The soldier complained.
His accomplice gave him a look. He shrugged his shoulder. "So don't look." The rower still glanced down at the boat. The dwarf was staring back at him. Which terrified him. The two glanced around at the surroundings while calming rowing across the large river.
The rower glanced back down at the dwarf to see he was still staring. The rower immediately looked away looking to his right before turning back to his companion. "Here's far enough."
Both men moved to grab the dwarf by its arms and legs, standing up in the boat, getting ready to throw the dwarf into the river when an arrow stuck itself on the rim of the boat.
The two soldiers looked over to see a girl drawing another arrow from her bow and 4 other people following behind.
"Drop him!" Susan shouted, notching another arrow. "Drop him?" The dwarf muffled through his bindings.
The two soldiers dropped the dwarf into the water and Peter dove into the water to retrieve the dwarf while Edmund went for the boat.
One of the soldiers picks up their crossbow aiming it at them. In response, Emily held up her bow aiming at one of the soldiers and hitting them, making them fall after the dwarf. Susan held her aimed her arrow to the other soldier who surrendered by jumping after his friend.
Peter then came back to the surface with the dwarf and Edmund tied up the boat. Lucy took out her dagger and untied his ropes around his wrists and legs. He took the gag off his mouth and stood up coughing.
"Drop him?" he said angrily throwing the gag away. "That's the best you could come up with?" "A simple thank you would suffice." Susan scoffed. "They were doing just fine drowning me without your help." The dwarf pointed over to where the boat once was.
"Maybe we should have let them.." Peter pondered. "Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked. "They're Telmarines. That's what they do.." The dwarf replied.
"Telmarines? In Narnia?" Edmund questioned, glancing at Peter and then back at the dwarf. "Where have you been for the last few hundred years?" The dwarf asked. "It's bit of a long story.." Lucy smiled.
Susan handed Peter his sword back and Emily did the same with Edmund's. The dwarf looked up at Peter's sword before realising. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it? You're the kings and queens of old?" The dwarf looked at them in disbelief.
"High King Peter, the magnificent." Peter introduced. "You probably could of left off the last bit.." Emily mentioned. The dwarf laughed. "You might be surprised.." Peter pulled out his sword holding it out to the dwarf.
"Oh, you don't want to do that boy.." The dwarf warned. "Not me. Him." Peter motioned towards Edmund. Edmund smirked and pulled out his sword.
The dwarf hesitated before taking the sword from Peter's hand and dropping it because of the weight. Or so they thought. Edmund glanced at Emily and his siblings, smirking, thinking this would be easy.
But the dwarf lifted the sword up to try and hit Edmund. This took Edmund by surprise. Edmund blocked and ducked down as the dwarf tried to swing at his chest.
The dwarf took this as an opportunity to jab Edmund with the hilt of the sword. Edmund stumbled back.
"Aww.. you alright?" The dwarf mocked before taking another swing which Edmund blocked the kept on hitting each others swords until Edmund hit the hilt of the sword making it fly out of the dwarf's hand.
The dwarf dropped down to his knees. "Beards and bedsteads. Maybe that horn worked after all.."
"What horn?" Susan questioned, looking confusedly at the dwarf.
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Caspian awoke, scrunching his eyes together, groaning slightly before opening his eyes fully. He noticed he was in a completely different setting. He thought he'd wake up to the boring old ceiling of the Telmarine castle. But instead, it was wood with what looked like beads formed together into a pattern.
He sat up, glancing around at his surroundings, moving his legs so he could place them on the floor of the wooden house. He winced, feeling the fabric of a bandage wrapped around his head. "This bread is so stale!" A male voice groaned.
Caspian slipped the bandage off his head, wincing slightly at his pounding headache. "I'll just give him some soup. He should be coming around soon." Another male voice spoke.
Caspian threw the bandage to the side, crouching down as the ceiling was very low. "Well, I don't think I hit him hard enough." The angry voice spoke again.
"You could've killed the poor boy. For gods sake. If you hit him any harder you probably would've damaged his brain cells." A female voice scolded.
"Nikabrick, he's just a boy!" The badger scolded. "He's a Telmarine! Not some lost puppy!" Nikabrick argued. "You said you were going to get rid of him!"
"No, I said I'd take care of him." The badger replied, in an obvious tone. "Honestly, do you have to be so horrible when he wakes up?" The female voice spoke again.
"We can't kill him now. Ivy just bandaged his head. I-It would be like murdering a guest!" Trufflehunter sympathised.
"Oh, and how do you think his friends are treating their guests." Nikabrick argued, referring to Trumpkin. "I'm sure he's fine." Ivy reassured. Trufflehunter sighed. "Trumpkin knew what he was doing. It's not the boys fault."
Just as that was said, Caspian ran from the small bedroom, knocking the soup out of Trufflehunter's hands, and running towards the door.
Nikabrick blocked the door, holding his sword up. Caspian grabbed a poker from the fireplace, using it as his defence. Nikabrick jabbed at Caspian as Trufflehunter pleaded for them to stop.
"I told you we should have killed him when we had the chance." Nikabrick sneered, glancing at Trufflehunter and then at Caspian. "You know why we can't!" Trufflehunter argued.
"If we're taking a vote, I'm with him." Caspian spoke, jabbing his head towards Trufflehunter. "Well, we can't let him go. He's seen us!" Nikabrick took another swing at Caspian making him trip on the stairs.
"Enough, Nikabrick! Or do I have to sit on your head again?" Trufflehunter shouted. Nikabrick grimanced at the memory. "And you," Trufflehunter began, looking towards Caspian.
"Look what you made me do!" He picked up the face down bowl, showing what the boy had done. "Spent half the morning on that soup." Trufflehunter muttered to himself.
Caspian glanced at the badger and Nikabrick, seemingly frightened. "What are you?" he questioned. "You know, it's funny that you would ask that. You think more people would know a badger and a human when they saw one." Trufflehunter scoffed, working through the kitchen.
"No. I mean, you're Narnians. You're supposed to be extinct." Caspian said, looking at Nikabrick. "Sorry to disappoint you." Nikabrick moved back to sit in his seat, shaking his head.
Trufflehunter placed a bowl on the spare space of the table. "There we go. Still hot." He glanced at Caspian. "Since when do we own a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers and humans?" Nikabrick asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not a soldier." Caspian spoke up, standing up from the stairs. "I am Prince Caspian. The 10th."
"Well, what are you doing in the woods? So far away from a castle?" Ivy auestioned, frowning. Caspian hesitated, looking down. "Running away."
Trufflehunter, Ivy and Nikabrick shared glances before turning back to Caspian. "My uncle has always wanted my throne." Caspian explained, returning the poker back to its stand by the fireplace. "I suppose, I've only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own." He finished, staring sadly into the fire.
"Well," Trufflehunter sighed. "That changed things." Trufflehunter glanced down at the table, feeling sorry for the boy. "Yeah, means we don't have to kill you ourselves." Nikabrick took his arm off the table, glancing at Caspian.
Ivy slapped his arm. "I told you not to be horrible!" She scolded him. "You're right." Caspian said, looking at the dwarf. "Where are you going?" Ivy asked, standing up from the table as Caspian moved to get his armour.
"My uncle won't stop until I'm dead." Caspian simply explained. He moved to pick up his sword. "But you can't leave! You're supposed to save us!" At these words, Caspian looked towards the badger, noticing the horn he was given by his professor on the table.
"Don't you know what this is?" The badger questioned, motioning towards the horn. Caspian moved to exit the small abode. Trufflehunter sighed before taking the horn and following him out the door.
Ivy huffed, moving to the door and picking up her sword and bow and arrows and following out the door. Nikabrick finally gave in and followed the two as well.
It was now daytime and Caspian was trading through the forest seemingly by himself. He stopped hearing the rustle of the bushes behind him. He sighed, rolling his eyes and turning back. "I can hear you."
Trufflehunter and Ivy emerged from one of the trees and Nikabrick emerging from the other next to it. Trufflehunter sighed. "I just think we should wait for the kings and queens."
Caspian ignored the comment, moving along. "Fine, go then. See if the others will be as understanding." Trufflehunter argued, stepping through the bushes. "Well maybe I'll come with you." Nikabrick piped up, quickening his pace to catch up with Caspian.
"I want to see you explain things to the minotaurs." At this Caspian glanced back. "Minotaurs? They're real?" He questioned. "And very bad tempered." Trufflehunter shuddered slightly. "And not to mention, big." Nikabrick snarled, hoping to scare Caspian. "Huge." Ivy piped in.
"What about centaurs? Do they still exist?" Caspian questioned as the four of them trudged through the forest. "Well, the centaurs may fight on your side but there's no telling what the others will do." Trufflehunter explained.
Caspian stopped in his tracks. "What about Aslan?" The two Narnians stopped in their tracks, glancing at each other before turning back to Caspian. "How do you know so much about us?" Nikabrick snarled.
"Stories." Caspian answered, glancing at Ivy. "Wait, your father told you stories about Narnia?" Trufflehunter questioned. "No, my professor." Trufflehunter and Nikabrick glanced at each other once again. "Listen, I am sorry. These are not the kind of questions you should be asking." Caspian slightly stormed off in front of the others again.
Ivy walked forwards, slapping the two up the head. "Well done, you two are offically idiots." The groaned in pain. Trufflehunter sniffed looking around. Nikabrick noticed. "What is it?"
"Human." Trufflehunter answered. "Them?" Nikabrick nodded his head towards the two to the left of him. "No. Them." Trufflehunter looked into the distance. The others turned their heads to see armed soldiers aiming crossbows at them. "There they are!"
Caspian's eyes widened. "Run!" The four ran through the woods, Ivy speeding ahead of them, dodging as arrows flies towards her head. An arrow hit Trufflehunter in the back, making him fall to the ground.
Nikabrick turned, noticing Trufflehunter was down, moving to go help. "Wait, I'll go!" Caspian offered running towards Trufflehunter. Ivy and Nikabrick carried on running away.
Trufflehunter groaned, holding out the horn for Caspian to take. "Take it, go! It's more important than I am." Trufflehunter glanced back at the Telmarine soldiers. Caspian grabbed the horn from the badgers hand and placing it in his holster.
A soldier suddenly fell to the floor, dead. And another. The others frowned before aiming their crossbows at the two again. Caspian lifted the badger into his arms and threw him over his shoulder before carrying on running.
One by one the soldiers slowly perished by something mysterious shuffling in the ground. "Get him out of here." Caspian said, placing Trufflehunter into Nikabrick arms.
He moved to unsheathe his sword ready to fight the soldiers. Ivy moved past Nikabrick and Trufflehunter, unsheathing her own sword. The last soldier standing looked down at the bushes below, dropping his crossbow and taking out his sword, attacking the bushes on by one.
Before eventually, he got taken out. The rustle of leaves came closer to the four of them. A mouse leaped up, jumping on Caspian making him fall to the floor. The mouse used his tail to unsheathe it's small blade from its sheathe. "Choose your last words carefully Telmarine." He threatened.
Caspian breathed heavily, frowning at the mouse. "You are a mouse." The mouse sighed. "I was hoping for something a little more original."
"Pick up your sword." The mouse demanded, motioning towards Caspian's sword. Caspian glanced at his sword beside him. "Uh, no thanks." Caspian quickly shook his head.
"Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man." The mouse demanded. "Which is why I might live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse." Caspian replied. "I said I would not fight you." The mouse began, before swiping his sword and pointing it at Caspian's face. "I didn't say I'd let you live!"
"Reepicheep! Stay you're blade!" Trufflehunter shouted. "Trufflehunter? I trust you have a very good reason for this untimely interruption." Reepicheep answered. "He doesn't, go ahead." Nikabrick answered.
"He's the one that blew the horn." Trufflehunter explained. Reepicheep frowned, lowering his sword. "What?"
"The let him bring it forward." A new voice spoke. A few centaurs emerged from the trees, revealing themselves after a while. "This is the reason we have gathered."
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