"Fight Like Never Before"
He was sitting on a chair in the middle of some old ruins that he couldn't remember the significance of, facing a large hill called "Aslan's Howe," or something like that. Staring at him on his right was a large centaur; and to the left, a talking bear.
Miraz was quite confident that he had put the Narnians in their place. No more would he be plagued with the very thought of their existence. And Caspian now being on their side only made it easier to take the throne.
He tightened the straps on his armor as he awaited the "High King" Peter to come from his hole. This was going to be too easy.
The Narnians suddenly made a loud shout, and three figures emerged from the tall hill. Miraz recognized Prince.... King Edmund walking on the far left side, holding a magnificent sword across his chest. The High King walked in the middle, his gaze hard and ready. For just a second, Miraz's composure was shaken. Then his eyes traveled to the third figure, and he got a slight shock. Walking next to the King Peter was a young woman, holding a silver shield with a red crimson lion covering its front.
As the three figures reached the ruins, the Narnians became quiet. King Peter first turned to his left and took his shield from the girl. After he secured it in place, she knelt before him. The High King gave a soft smile, and put his hand upon her head. Then turning towards his brother, he took his sword from its sheath. For a moment, Miraz was blinded by the light that reflected off the blade, but he did manage to see the two brothers give a slight nod of their heads to each other.
"If things should seem to be going wrong..." he said to General Glozelle, nodding at the crossbow in his hands.
Glozelle gave a slight nod of his head, and Miraz stood up, taking his sword, shield, and helmet.
"I hope you won't be too disappointed if I survive."
Miraz and King Peter stepped forward at the same moment. Miraz decided to take a chance at messing with him.
"There is still time to surrender."
"Feel free," King Peter growled back, not missing a beat.
"How many more must die for the throne," Miraz snarled.
"Just one."
Miraz felt a chill crawl down his spine.
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It all happened within a second. One moment the two were five feet away from each other, tense and ready. The next moment, they were head to head in battle.
Peter jumped onto a fallen rock and slammed himself down upon Miraz. Miraz easily defended himself, and Peter had to block a swipe from Miraz's sword. He swung his sword for the middle, but Miraz had seen to quickly, and shielded himself. The next second, Peter felt a huge slam across his face as Miraz threw his whole body onto the shield.
The two played around for each other for a few moments before Miraz attacked head on. Peter felt his helmet fall from his head and the chain mail slipped away. He tried to throw his body on Miraz, using his whole weight against him. But Miraz was smart. He pulled out of the way fast, flinging Peter like a rag doll to the ground. Peter, trying to gain some ground, threw his foot at Miraz's face. He missed, but Miraz stepped back, giving Peter enough room to get back up.
Peter suddenly saw an opening, and cut a large slice on Miraz's knee. Miraz gave a cry out. He flung Peter back down upon the ground and stepped upon his shield. Peter could feel something within his arm snap.
"Aah," he cried out.
Miraz quickly began slamming his sword down upon Peter's unprotected body. Thinking fast, Peter rolled out of the way and managed to block Miraz's attacks. He picked himself up, and the two stopped for a moment, breathing heavily.
It seemed like it had only been a few minutes since their fight had began, but Peter knew that it had been much longer than that.
"Does his majesty need a respite," Miraz taunted from within his mask.
Peter would have liked to have said no, but the pain in his arm was almost too much for him to bear. He greatly hoped that he hadn't broken it.
"Five minutes?" Peter finally asked.
Miraz stared at him for a second before saying;
"Three."
If Peter could have laughed at that moment, he would have. It was Miraz who really wanted the break; not him.
The first thing that Peter saw as he turned around was Caspian riding towards them on top of a black horse with Susan behind him. The second thing he saw was as soon as he was in reaching distance, Miranda and Edmund grabbed both of his sides, helping him to a chair.
"Thanks," Peter said to Caspian.
Caspian let the smallest smile cross his lips.
"You were busy."
Peter then turned to his sister.
"Lucy?"
"She got through."
Peter gave a short sigh of relief.
"Keep smiling," Edmund suddenly said.
Peter turned around, raised his sword, and tried to smile. He knew that he was probably giving the Narnians the most strained smile that he had ever had, but it gave the desired effect. All the Narnians began leaping up and cheering. Peter then turned to his sister again.
"Get back with the archers," he said. "I don't trust the Telmarines to keep their word."
Susan nodded and hugged him on the side.
"OOOHH."
"Sorry," Susan apologized swiftly.
"It's okay," he replied, then nearly flung himself onto the chair.
"My arm," he groaned to his brother, "I think I've dislocated it."
Miranda slowly unstrapped the shield from Peter's arm.
"Edmund, come and have a look."
Edmund took Miranda's place and began feeling up and down his arm. Miranda, meanwhile, began to gently massage his arms, legs, and back, loosing up any tight muscles.
Peter's eyes glanced at Miraz, who was glaring at him with steely eyes.
"What do you think happens back home if you die here?"
Edmund gave Peter a knowing glance. It was a question that had popped up in both of their minds before, but never had Peter felt it coming more than now.
"You've always been there for me you know. And I've never thank.... AAHH!"
Edmund had suddenly yanked his arm, and Peter felt the worst of the pain leave him. Edmund gave him a quick pat on the back.
"Save it for later." Then he added, "You can beat him Peter. He doesn't have Aslan on his side."
Peter stood up, and thanked Edmund with a wink.
Miranda came up on his other side, putting his shield back in place.
"Don't try to use your weight on him. You're more nimble and fast. Use that."
"Thanks," Peter replied.
Miranda gave him a friendly smile.
"If I don't make it out of this...., please, my family.."
"I'll get them all back if it kills me," Miranda quickly replied.
Edmund nudged his arm, and Peter turned. He held up Peter's helmet to him, but Peter shook his head no. It would only bug him. He took hold of his sword and shook his left hand. It felt like a huge bruise. But that didn't matter now. All that mattered was giving Lucy enough time to get back.
Then, he walked back into battle.
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If Miranda could described what happened next, it would be just one word; torture.
She had forced herself to watch the first part, but she didn't know if she could last the second. Peter was exhausted already, although he tried to hide it. And Miranda knew that his arm hurt more than he would show.
Miraz and Peter didn't wait long to start it over again, and it all came to be a mass of arms, legs, and swords.
Miranda's whole body was tense and unsure. It took everything within her not to go charging in and protect her king.
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to the face of Glenstorm.
"Relax," he whispered.
"I can't," she replied hoursely.
Glenstorm didn't say anything else, but he kept his hand on her shoulder, and Miranda was grateful for that; for if nothing else, it kept her from running in.
Miraz quickly took what advantage he could, and slammed his whole body upon Peter's shield, knowing that he had damaged it. Miranda could see Peter's face wince in agony, but he didn't cry out. Peter unlatched his shield, and began attacking once more with his sword. Miraz disarmed him quickly, but to no advantage of his. Peter immediately made a move of his own and disarmed Miraz.
But Miraz still had his shield. Bringing it full force upon him, Miraz pushed his body weight against Peter. Peter, not backing down, began twisting the shield around until Miraz's arm came up behind his back.
Miraz let out a bark of pain, but quickly recovered. He turned his body back around and hit Peter in the face. Peter let go, and Miraz managed to unlatch his shield. Seeing that Peter was still dazed, Miraz scrambled for a sword. Peter, finally recovering, followed.
Miraz flung his sword at Peter, looking quite pleased with himself. But just as he thrust his sword, Peter dodged out of the way. Then, he brought his hand down, balled into a fist, upon Miraz's wounded knee.
Miraz gave a huge gasp, and he fell down upon his knees.
"Respite," Miraz whispered rasply. "Respite."
Peter stood above him, ready for anything. But he didn't move.
"Now is not the time for chivalry Peter," Edmund shouted.
Miranda turned around and gave him a knock on the head.
"Ouch," he cried out softly, trying to not let anyone notice. "What was that for?"
"Never let me hear you say that again," Miranda growled.
Edmund gave her an annoyed look, then said;
"You could have said it in a different way."
Both of their gazes went back to Peter, who was still standing before Miraz. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Peter walked away.
Suddenly, Miraz turned around, his sword in his hand.
"Look out Peter!!!" Miranda shouted, her body tense and poised.
Peter immediately turned around and faced Miraz. The Telmarine was coming up fast, but quick as lightning, Peter grabbed the sword, turned it around, and wounded Miraz.
Miraz let out a another gasp and fell down upon his knees. The fight was won.
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Caspian watched as Peter stood over Miraz, his sword ready to strike.
"What is the matter boy?" Miraz growled. "Too cowardly to take a life."
Peter's voice took on an age and sterness that Caspian had not yet heard.
"It's not mine to take."
Peter then did something that Caspian wasn't expecting. He turned around, and offered him the sword.
Caspian suddenly felt two things grow within him. One was pride at having the High King Peter feel that he should do this. And the second thing was revenge. He wanted his uncle to pay for what he had done to Narnia, to him, and most of all, to his father. Oh, how he wanted him to pay.
He stepped forward and took the offered sword. Peter grabbed his own sword from the rocky ground and stepped out of the way.
Now, it was just Miraz and Caspian. Just the two of them. Nothing stopping Caspian from finishing him off.
Caspian lifted up the sword and aimed for Miraz's heart. Nothing was going to stop him.
"Perhaps I was wrong," Miraz said softly. "Perhaps you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all."
Miraz bowed his head, ready for the blow.
Caspian shook from anger and hurt. It was now or never.
"Do it now!" his mind told his body. But nothing would move. Nothing would obey him.
Caspian felt his heart wrenching with the thought that he couldn't do this. That he couldn't do what he most wanted to do.
But then, Caspian heard a slight whisper in the wind;
"Don't be like him. I did not choose you for this moment in time to become like him. Revenge should not be in the heart of a true King of Narnia."
The anger, hurt, and revenge suddenly vanished from Caspian. With a shout, he plunged the sword down to the ground, tears racing down his cheeks.
Miraz looked up at him in surprise.
"Not a one like you," Caspian said weakly. Then, straightening himself up, he proclaimed;
"Keep your life. But I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom."
Caspian turned around, fully expecting anger or shouts of betrayal at him. But that was not at all what happened.
The Narnians gave a great shout of joy and began calling out the praises of King Caspian the Tenth. Both Peter and Edmund were smiling from ear to ear.
"Only a true King of Narnia would do that," Peter explained in a soft voice.
But, most surprising of all, was when Miranda stepped forward. Kneeling down on one knee, she offered her sword; the sword of the Warrior, to Caspian.
"A little over thirteen hundred years ago, I offered this same sword to the Kings and Queens of Cair Paravel. I took an oath, and promised to protect them with my life. I now ask you to take my sword in your service, that I might pass this oath onto you."
Caspian, quite speechless, said nothing. But he felt like he didn't need to. He reached down and took Miranda's sword.
"I accept your gift."
As soon as he said the words, the sword gave off a slight glow. Caspian looked on in wonder.
Suddenly, a sound from the Telmarine side made them start and reach for their weapons. What met their eyes horrified them.
Miraz was falling to the ground, a red arrow in his side. Lord Sopesian looked at the Narnians, and shouted;
"Treachery! They've murdered the King."
Before they could so much as blink, the Lord Sopespian and General Glozelle were racing back to their army; and another Telmarine charged for an attack. Caspian grasped his sword, Peter by his side. But neither of their swords reached the soldier. Suddenly, a knife whizzed past their heads and killed the soldier.
The two turned to the tense form of Miranda.
"The time is now," she said solemnly. "Fight like never before."
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Peter took his place in the middle of the ruins. Edmund on his right, Miranda on his left. Edmund's sword was unsheathed and ready. Miranda had taken her bow and a quiver of arrows from the outstretched arms of Glenstorm, and had now notched an arrow and was taking aim.
He waited for first one catapult, then another to release their weapons. Peter could feel the pounding of horse's hooves as the Telmarine cavalry charged towards them.
Peter mentally calculated where they were. Just one more step...
Peter looked at Caspian and gave him a nod.
Caspian jumped upon his black horse and turned to the Howe, Glenstorm close behind him.
It was not long before they felt the ground beneath them shake, and heard the sound of a horn blowing from underneath them.
"One," Peter counted, "Two."
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Miranda steadied her bow as she felt the Narnians shaking the ground beneath them.
"Seven. Eight. Nine," Peter finished.
"Get ready!" he shouted, and Miranda braced herself for the impact, taking careful aim.
"Watch your aim," she heard Queen Susan shout behind her.
Then, in a flash, the horsemen went down in a tumble of rocks and earth. The trap had worked.
Miranda released her arrow, and watched it fly with the archers own arrows, decending upon the Telmarines. The Telmarine she had been watching fell, and Miranda strung another arrow.
Suddenly, Narnians shot out of the earth on both sides of the Telmarines. Miranda could make out the riding form of Caspian, waving his sword through the air.
"Charge," Peter shouted beside her.
Then, the Narnians attacked.
Before they even reached the Telmarines, Miranda ran out of arrows. Shrugging the quiver off of her shoulder, she used her bow in whatever way she could do wound or disarm the Telmarine soldiers. But after hitting one full force on the helmet, the bow shattered in her hands.
"Oh great," Miranda growled.
Grasping her sword in one hand and her knife in the other, she charged in.
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Sopespian just sat there, waiting. Then, he turned to two soldiers beside him.
"Bring me one of the humans."
"Yes my lord."
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Edmund jumped upon a fallen Telmarine's horse and began shooting arrows from a crossbow. One by one, the Telmarines began falling under the Narnians attack.
But the Telmarines were far from over. Edmund turned his gaze around, and noticed that the soldiers were coming closer. The catapults had increased their attack, and Narnians were falling everywhere. Griffons that had taken to the sky were falling from great arrow attacks. They were not going to last much longer.
Suddenly, Edmund heard Peter shout;
"Back to the Howe!"
Edmund looked over to the riding form of Caspian, and the two nodded their heads. Swiftly, they turned their horses back to the Howe. Edmund suddenly felt a weight against his back. Thinking that it was a Telmarine, he quickly turned to attack. And was looking into the face of Miranda
"Don't scare me like that," he said with a sigh.
All of a sudden, the catapults took a different aim to their attack, and before the Narnians could even get completely inside the Howe, the entrance collapsed.
Edmund dismounted his horse with Miranda and Caspian close behind him. They all watched in horror as Susan dangled from a ledge of the Howe, grasping the hand of Trumpkin.
She let go of the dwarf's hand, and landed safely on another ledge. Then, she jumped down onto another ledge and reached Peter.
As the group of young people rounded together, they knew that the battle was almost over. No one needed to say anything. Giving each other nods and determined faces, the five turned towards the oncoming Telmarines.
"For Aslan!" Peter shouted, and charged back into battle. None hesitated to follow.
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Susan hated fighting in battles. It was why she was called Queen Susan the Gentle. But she knew that she needed to fight in this battle, so she did. But how she hated it.
She reached back for another arrow and took careful aim. None of her shots needed to miss. Every Telmarine that she could hit, she needed to hit.
All of a sudden, she felt strong arms lift her off of her feet and begin carrying her off.
"Hey," she shouted, "Put me down now!"
Then, she realized. It was a Telmarine soldier.
She kicked and shoved and tried to free herself, but it only made him hold on tighter. She screamed and shouted, but it did little good over the noises of the battle. Oh, how she hated battles.
Then, quite suddenly, the soldier dropped to the ground, groaning. Susan turned around, only to meet the piercing hazel eyes of the Warrior.
"Thanks," she whispered weakly.
Miranda smiled.
"That's what I'm here for."
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Miranda took a glance at the numbers surrounding them. This was not turning out so swell. She plunged her sword into a Telmarine, then threw her knife at another attacking one of the talking mice.
They would not be able to hold them back for much longer; that much she knew.
In truth, she couldn't have worried at all.
Nothing could have prepared her for it. Suddenly, she felt a hard knock at the back of her head, and everything went black.
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Peter had a feeling that something had just gone horrible wrong. Maybe a change in the wind or something like that. But something had gone wrong.
He got back up to the old ruins where he met up with his siblings and Caspian. That's when he realized it.
"Where's Miranda?"
No one could answer that.
"She was just with me," Susan remarked. "But I don't know where she could be."
Edmund gave him a strange look.
"What's wrong Peter?"
"Something's happened," Peter said. "Something bad."
From the other side of the plains, they heard a Telmarine horn blow, then a loud voice shout;
"Narnians, you have fought valiantly! Your efforts are to be commended! But a pointless effort nonetheless! Surrender Caspian to us now, and your lives will be spared!"
No royal ever needed to say no, because the Narnians gave such a loud shout of rage, that the Telmarines stood back a step.
But the loud voice wasn't so easily pertrubed.
"Surrender Caspian to us now, or face the death of another!"
Peter froze. The others cast anxious glances at him. Peter turned to the source of the voice.
"Prove it!" he shouted back.
The Narnians and Telmarines both parted from each other as a man on a dark brown horse stepped forward.
"Lord Sopespian," Caspian murmered.
The Telmarine stopped at the edge of the battle. Peter and the others came forward the rest of the way.
"You wish for me to prove it?"
Peter nodded, not sure he wanted to know anymore.
Lord Sopespian made a motion with his hand, and a soldier stepped forward with a bundle over his shoulder, covered with a black cloak.
The soldier tossed the bundle upon the ground, and Peter heard a groan. The soldier reached out and pulled on the black cloak as a body tumbled out.
Peter gasped.
The still form of Miranda lay on the ground.