"When will we search for Aslan?" Lucy asked as I tightened my armor.
She looked so much smaller with Percy on her hip. I held in a chuckle at the sight.
"If all goes well, you and I will go tomorrow morning," I answered.
"And if things don't?" she asked.
"We'll go tonight," I chuckled sheathing my sword.
She smiled as well bouncing Percy a bit. He giggled and grabbed her face with his pudgy hands. She kissed his face making him laugh even more.
"Lu...can we have a second?"
We both looked up to see Peter in the doorway to the room we were in. She looked between us briefly before nodding and leaving with Percy. I let out a small sigh beginning to braid my hair.
"You are upset with me," Peter asked though it came out more like a statement.
"You are acting so foolish," I responded simply, "You are not acting like a king, but rather a school boy with a bad temper."
He frowned opening his mouth to speak but paused and closed it again.
"I don't understand...where is Aslan? We've never had to do this alone," he muttered shaking his head.
My eyes softened as I finished the braid and tied a small strip of pale green cloth around the base. He stood a few feet from me and from this perspective, I could see how much this was weighing him down. The curve of his posture, the dip of his shoulders. I walked over and gently took his face in my hands.
"We are not alone," I reminded him gently, "Aslan knows what he is doing and he is testing us. The teacher cannot help the student during the test. We must be patient, persevere, and have faith. We will reclaim Narnia."
His warm hands moved over my wrists holding on lightly. He closed his eyes leaning into my hands before drawing them from his face to press a light kiss to my knuckles.
"What would I do without you?" he murmured pulling me closer.
"You'd get into a bunch of unnecessary fights and Edmund would always have to save you," I teased smirking.
He rolled his eyes and kissed the tip of my nose. Then his face grew serious once again.
"Stay close to me alright? I don't want you out of my sight," he ordered.
I smiled nodding.
"I'll be alright Peter," I promised.
"You haven't fought in a battle since several years before Percy was born," he reminded gently.
"Yes but I disarmed Caspian with a baby on my hip," I retorted smirking up at him.
He chuckled at the memory nodding.
"He doesn't really count though."
We both laughed as his stubborn side came back out. Edmund suddenly appeared in the doorway, dressed in his armor with a sword at his side.
"It's time."
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We rode in the dark towards the foreboding castle. I took a deep breath glancing to my left where Susan rode a dark stallion.
"I have a bad feeling," she murmured.
"Same. I do not believe Aslan goes with us in this," I answered quietly.
"Will you tell Peter?"
"No. He must learn."
She looked at me with a confused look but accepted my answer. We paused dismounting to wait for the signal. It was dark for several minutes before a random flashing light appeared.
"Is that the signal?" one of the minotaurs asked looking confused.
"Um...no," Peter answered equally confused.
Then the light went off and on in a steady pattern.
"Now that's the signal," I chuckled.
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We had just made it into the castle.
"Edmund and Aewryn, get the gate up. Caspian go after your professor-" Peter began listing off.
"I'll go with him," Susan jumped in.
I looked at her with a smirk. She blushed lightly looking to Caspian who had a slight smile on his face. Peter's eyes darkened protectively. I put a hand on his arm drawing his attention away. He looked down at me and took a small breath.
"Peter will take out Miraz," I finished for him.
Everyone nodded.
"May Aslan walk with each of you," I said quickly before turning to leave with Edmund.
We luckily encountered very few guards which meant no one had set off an alarm. Just as we reached the main courtyard, shouting erupted from one of the upstairs rooms. I looked to Edmund worriedly. An alarm began ringing out.
"Guess we lost the element of surprise," he shrugged.
I nodded and we raced towards the massive wheel that raised the gate. The two of us began pushing on it but it hardly budged. Suddenly Susan, Caspian, and Peter ran into the courtyard.
"We need to go now!" Susan commanded.
"No! We can still do this!" Peter stubbornly argued running to me and Edmund and helping us push.
The other two joined and we managed to get it to roll. Slowly the gate came up and the Narnian troops rushed in. They were met by the Telmarine army which had no assembled and was ready to defend its castle.
"Let's finish this," Peter stated charging into the fray.
I was about to follow when I noticed the way Caspian was holding his arm.
"Caspian, are you alright?" I called over the noise.
"I'm fine," he answered letting go of his arm instantly.
I rolled my eyes jogging over. When I got closer, I was able to make out a dark stain of blood. My brow furrowed but I didn't ask what happened. I pulled the cloth from my braid and wrapped it tightly around the wound. He winced slightly but let out a small breath of relief.
"Thank you."
"You need your arm to fight," I chuckled, "Can't have you collapsing from blood loss."
His eyes widened suddenly. I turned drawing my sword and blocking the strike delivered by the soldier who'd tried to sneak up on me. Knocking him backwards, I slammed the hilt of my sword into his helmet and he crumpled to the ground. I turned back to Caspian who looked surprised.
With a smile, I began weaving through the courtyard taking out anyone who got in my way. After a few minutes it became evident we were outnumbered, horribly. Narnians and Telmarines were dying left and right but the sea of Telmarines seemed endless. A whizzing sound caught my attention. I looked up to see arrows beginning to rain down. We needed to retreat.
Miraz
I stood watching the slaughter in the center of the courtyard. My archers were wiping out hoards of those filthy beasts.
"My lord, what are we to do about the children?"
I frowned looking to where the guard pointed. Sure enough, there was Caspian along with four children his age in the center of the courtyard.
"Who are these children?" I questioned snorting.
"There is word they are royalty among the Narnians," he answered, "Shall we kill them?"
I looked back over them. There were two boys and two girls. The two boys fought back to back bringing down anything that got within three feet of them. The dark haired girl switched between firing at my archers and using her bow to fight close range. Caspian remained near her at all times. Yet it was the last girl, all by herself in the midst of a dark army that seemed to stand out the most. She fought with greater skill than any swordsman I'd ever seen and with the agility and speed of one with far greater training than her age.
"The girl there, the blonde one. Capture her. I want her alive so I might question her."
He nodded and relayed the message. I watched as more of my men swarmed in. Yet she stood firm fighting them back with apparent ease. This was proving to be a difficult task. I signaled the archers once again. One managed to land a hit on the older blond boy. He cried out in pain clutching his arm where the arrow had grazed. The girl instantly turned losing focus of the battle she was fighting. My men took the chance and overwhelmed her sweeping her away.
"Peter!"
"Aewryn!"
"Shut the gate," I ordered.
The Narnians began to scramble.
"Retreat! Full retreat!" the blond boy commanded.
The Narnians began fleeing but he and the other two children headed towards the castle still. They soon realized how dreadfully outnumbered they were.
"Peter! We have to leave!" the girl called out.
I watched them in amusement.
"No, not without Aewryn," he argued pressing forward.
"She'd prefer you alive," the dark haired boy snapped shoving the blond one back in order to block an attack, "Narnia needs you. We have to leave now."
Caspian rode forward with a second stallion beside him. He helped the dark haired girl onto the horse he riding while the blond boy mounted the other horse and a griffon swooped down to pick up the last boy. I smirked as they retreated. Hmm... now to deal with this strange girl.