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"Darling, I would break my heart
If it was gonna make yours whole
I would rip myself apart
If it was gonna heal your soul."
Break my Heart
Matt Hansen
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Chapter XV - At What Cost?
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I vowed long ago to never stay out of a battle my family took part in. I hated it. I hated waiting around for something to happen. To only be given a death count the morning after I slept. But this time I had to stay back, keeping my face out of unwanted minds. It was easier to work undercover if no one knew who you were. Ash's cloak had come in handy for much of it. I take strength in her memory and do my very best to consider what she would do in this situation for guidance.
The Griffins were like a smoke signal of where the troops were, we could see them start to approach from over a mile away. Soon horses and those on foot joined as well. Caspian and Peter looked beaten and bruised in front of them all. The dueling kings.
Lucy ran to my brother, meeting him in the center of the field. "What happened?"
"Ask him." He scowled at Caspian.
"Peter," Susan warned. She knew that tone better than anyone, the swordfight may have subsided, but a different battle was on the horizon.
"Me?" Caspian scoffed, stopping his march back into the Howe. "You could have called it off, there was still time."
"No, there wasn't, thanks to you." Peter corrects him, "You choose kidnapping over saving your soldiers. If you kept to the plan those soldiers might be alive right now!"
A long Griffin followed up the rear, I could notice Edmund's armor easily. His face seemed paler than usual. His green eyes were tracking something in the woods, hovering closely.
"And if we stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!" Caspian fought back, snapping me back to reality. "Oh and Believe me, you'll thank me later."
"Thank you!?" Peter screeched.
My gaze caught what Edmund was following so closely. I finally saw them. With my first step, I tripped over my own feet. I pulled myself together and started running faster than I thought I could. If it was a dream, I didn't want to wake up. If Aslan was blessing me with even a fictional hug with them, I wouldn't waste a second.
Ben was covered in dirt, his fur coat was blackened with feces and dirt. He was nearly unrecognizable. Ben was running so fast towards the How he didn't even see Edmund and I coming their way. As I got closer my pure joy started blooming into fear. Theo was on Ben's back holding her. Oh, I love him. He was desperately holding onto Ashton. She looked the same as when Lucy had last seen her. Unmoving, cold, and lifeless. The mix of emotions forced a gasp from my lips when Ben finally saw me.
He changed his course and ran towards me instead. I wish it was because he is excited to see me, but I fear that it is because I held the juice of the fire-flowers. I already started unlatching it from my waist. Ben skidded to a halt and Theo jumped off, sliding on his knees on the grass to get Ashton laid out on the ground. I dropped two drops into her mouth, not taking any chances with just one. No matter how many people I saved, I could never breathe at this part. The timing of the liquid dripping down her throat could be the difference between life and death.
"You called us to remember?" Peter spat, completely blinded to the world around him in his rage.
If Caspian saw us, he didn't care. "My first mistake."
Edmund lightly tapped her cheeks, "Wake up, you asshole. You don't get to die again. We just got you back. Don't you dare. Open your eyes, Ashton!"
Green. I had forgotten just how dark green an eye color could be. I captured all the light around her, standing out against the whites of her eyes. She was alive, she was here. Tears rolled down my face, joyful at the return of my favorite witch. I collapse on her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling Theo with me.
"I missed you too, Ed. You look like shit by the way."
"You smell like it." He chuckled, adding to the pile of hugs with Ben as well. I smiled blissfully. I wanted to stay here all day.
"Peter! Susan!" I yelled for them, too overcome with joy.
"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something, Lu?" Peter spits keeping his eyes locked on Caspian and they continue
"I love your brother, with everything in me. But if he doesn't kiss me in the next three seconds I'm going to kill him." She tried to sit up, still weak and smaller than I remembered. She knew it too, it wasn't a far walk to get to Peter. Theo and Ed held her on each side for stability, knowing she would not be strong enough to make it herself. The juice of the fire-flowers could heal her wounds, but not bring back her muscle or give her much-needed rest. Ben's face drooped with exhaustion.
"Pete!" Edmund yelled this time.
"No, your first mistake was believing you could lead these people," Peter screamed, not caring who was around.
Ash's smile was gone, faced with confusion and loss.
Ashton didn't know Peter without Ashton in it. She never saw the anger that took over after her death or his quick impulses that were never kept in check. They kept each other balanced and without her, a new side of Peter was unleashed that she might not have even known about.
"I am not the one who abandoned Narnia!" Caspian fired to hurt my brother, not considering that it might hurt us as well. He knew what happened, he knew that it was not our choice and now he was just trying to hurt Peter.
"You invaded Narnia." Peter spat, "You have no more right to lead than Miraz does! You, him, your father! Narnia would be a lot better off without the lot of you!
That tore it and Peter unsheathed his sword at Caspian's neck. Caspian was just as quick. Ashton's nostrils flared as she took a deep breath.
A gust of wind forcefully knocked both swords down at the same time. It was the only bit of power that Ashton is able to conjure up, taking any energy she had left before she crumbled. "Technically speaking... both of you invaded this country."
Peter turns around, seeing the love of his life for the first time in years. In his moment of weakness, he said something to hurt Caspian, never imagining who else it could hurt. His mouth hung open as everything else melted away.
"We don't get to choose our blood. You should understand wanting nothing to do with someone you once called family unless-" She swallowed hard, "-Unless, you plan on calling Jadis, mother-in-law."
"Ashton?" Peter blinks, making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
"Theo, I'm gonna black out again..." She announced, mistakenly speaking to Edmund.
"Ash!" Peter started running, helping to catch her as she fell.
He scooped her up bridal style, "Medics! Medics now!"
"She's going to be okay," Lucy announced.
"That's great... That's really... good." Ben got out between panting breaths. Lucy turned to him, relief coming to both of their eyes. He smiled, seeming dizzy with exhaustion but delighted with Ashton's safe returns. "I got her home... She's good."
"You did great, Ben." I grinned as I turned to hug him. But before I could feel his fur again, I had to watch in horror as his eyes roll back into his head and he collapsed.
"Ben!"
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Everyone loves a cliffhanger. It's like half the fun of writing.
B