I gasped for breath and slammed my hand onto a nearby trees. I pressed as much of my ever growing weight as I could off of me and onto the old pine. I turned back around and could still see where I had woke up slightly more than a mile away.
"A mile," I said out loud, "Huh. That's a new," gasp, "record." I smiled slightly as I continued to try to catch my breath.
"Alright Maria," I said to myself again, "let's get moving."
I lifted my right foot and brought it down on the ground. The tree tilted and I was nudged off the tree and back onto my feet. I winced as pins and needles shot up my feet and through my legs. I continued to march on, looking for Peter. He couldn't have gone far.
***********************************
He had obviously gone farther than I thought. It was about 6:30 now, and the sun had gotten brighter. Each step was slamming daggers into my bones and I felt like a was walking on broken glass. I was panting and I could feel the sweat dripping off my forehead. I had thought about turning back, but my vision had blurred and I couldn't even see where back was.
"Peter!" I called, then I realized I didn't call anything. I had barely spoken above a whisper. "Peter!!" I tried again, but nothing. I sounded like I was only speaking his name, but with a voice that sounded like I had been smoking for fifty years.
"Ah!" I cried out as my foot caught a rock and my body slammed onto the black soil. My walking stick flew from my hand and I just lay there. I just needed to close my eyes for a minute...
"Maria?" a voice called through the haze. I dragged my hand slowly along the dirt and used it to help me lift my heavy head. I found a small dark blue gem in the haze of yellow glow. The entire object slowly came into focus and I found I was not looking at not a gem, but the sapphire eyes of Peter. Then the entire shape blurred again, and I let my head fall back to the dirt.
**************************
Peter's Pov
"Maria?" I said, pulling her into my lap and shaking her shoulders. I cant believe she followed me. I thought she said they were to weak to walk the fist day after the weird-energy-moon-thing! I wasn't going to be gone for long.
"Maria?" I asked again shaking her shoulders again.
Her eyes fluttered.
*********************************
Maria POV
"Hey," I whispered, smiling slightly. He smiled and sighed at me.
"Why did you follow me?" he asked, "No rephrase, how did you follow me?"
I looked around a little, then my eyes found my walking stick. I smiled at him and pointed over to it. His eyes followed to where I was pointing, then he smiled. He set my head down gently, then he walked a few yards over to it and stooped down to pick it up.
My head perked up. I heard something. I fought to turn my head around. A Minotaur, on a path not far from mine, was walking through the wood. I turned my head to Peter and found he was walking back to me. I tried not to move to much, so the Minotaur might just miss me. I flinched as a hand was placed over my mouth, but relaxed when I saw it was Peter. He put a finger to his lips and drew his sword.
He had taken not even two steps when a boy barreled into him with a battle cry. I watched with wide eyes as Peter and the boy fought, thrusting, parrying, swinging. Peter was able to punch the boy in the face and then managed to hit the boys sword. The sword flew from the boys hand and Peter swung, but Peters sword landed onto a large oak, leaving the sword lodged in the wood. The boy kicked Peter down to the ground and grabbed the sword in the tree. He strained, then yanked it from the trunk. He began to swing towards Peter, who had no weapon. I acted instantly, punching the boy in the thigh with as much strength as I could muster. He reached down and grabbed me by the hair, yanking me up. I cried out as my hair was ruthlessly pulled, but was silent as he placed the blade against my throat. Peter had grabbed a large rock and was about to bring it down on the boy-
"NO STOP!!"
We all turned to face Lucy, standing by a rock, coming out to face us.
"Prince Caspian?" Peter asked. The boy looked at us, attempting to be intimidating.
"Yes. And who are you?" He asked Peter. Peter remained silent. Caspian pressed Peter's blade harder into my skin. A tiny trickle of blood fell. Peter opened his mouth to speak.
"Peter!" Susan shouted, running up with everyone to meet us. Caspian's face changed to bewilderment. And he removed the blade from my neck and gazed down at it, like it was a priceless gem.
"High King Peter?" He stated, but it came out more like a question.
"I believe you called," he said somewhat angrily, still looking at the his hand grasping my hair. Caspian's eyes widened and he seemed to get the hint, and released my hair. I slumped foreword onto my hands and knees, trying not to wince as the daggers in my veins protested. Peter came over and lifted me onto my feet, handing me my walking stick, but staying next to me in case I fell. I lifted my hand and wiped away the few droplets of blood. Caspian watched the exchange with confusion on his face.
"Well yes, but," he paused, "I thought you'd be... older."
"Well if you like," Peter said, placing his arm around my shoulders, "we can come back in a few years."
"No!" Caspian said quickly, glancing at Susan. "You're just, not exactly what I expected."
An awkward silence filled the air.
"Well neither are you," Edmund said, clearly trying to understand what was going on.
"A common enemy, unites even the oldest of foes," a voice said from a ways away. We all turned to see a badger sitting on a rock, smiling. A mouse, with a tiny scabbard and sword came barreling out of the brush. I smiled slightly. He was extremely adorable.
"We have anxiously awaited your return, My Liege," he said bowing to Peter. "Our hearts and swords are at your service."
"Oh my gosh he is so cute," Lucy whispered quietly to Susan.
The little mouse, clearly offended, whipped out his sword, "Who said that!" He shouted looking around.
Lucy's eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry," she said still blushing.
"Oh, uh, your Majesty" the mouse said, clearly not expecting her, "With the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous, might more befit, a knight of Narnia."
"Well," said Peter, "at least we know some of you can handle a blade."
"Yes indeed," replied the little mouse, "and I have recently put it to good use, securing weapons for your army Sire."
"Good," said Peter, turning back to Caspian. "Cause we're going to need every sword we can get."
"Well then," Caspian replied, speaking through his split lip, "you will probably be wanting yours back."
Peter looked down at Caspian's outstretched hand, grabbed the sword from it and putting it into his scabbard in one smooth motion.
He placed his arm around my shoulder and began to walk away confidently. I struggled to keep up, but luckily, no one noticed.
**********************************************************************************************************
"Hey?" I asked Peter as we were walking along. Caspian looked over to me as well.
"Yes? What is it?" Peter asked.
"Do you mind if I walk in the back with Susan and Lucy? I don't quite understand all this 'King Talk'," I said smirking. The truth is, I did understand, but I just couldn't keep up with them anymore. I had already stumbled three times, and tripped and fell twice.
"Oh," he said. "Alright. Are you," he looked at me with raised eyebrows, then lowered his voice to a whisper, "Feeling tired? You could probably ride one of the Sentors if I ask."
I smiled at him. "No, nothing to crazy. I just think I need to walk in the back for a while."
"Alright." He said, still not totally convinced. i smiled at him and stepped off the path and they walked on. I sat down on a small rock and rested as I waited for Susan and Lucy to arrive.
******************************************************************************
"So, what are they like?" I heard a voice say. I looked up, not even realizing I had fallen asleep. It was the Badger, Trumpkin, and another little Dwarf.
"They're mouthy, tense, complainers. Stubborn as mules in the morning," Trumpkin answered.
"Oh. So you like them then?" the other drwaf said smirking.
The DLF smiled. "Well enough."
I heard a small giggle and found Lucy. I placed my walking stick on the ground and hoisted myself up, my head spinning and my vision leaving me for a moment. I waited til it settled, leaving me only with an ache in my bones and I headed over to Lucy.
"Hey," I said filing in next to her.
"Hey," she said smiling back.
"Where's Susan?" I asked.
"Probably off daydreaming about Caspian," she giggled. I thought for a second.
"They'd make a cute couple!" I decided. "Alright. Its official. We're getting them together."
"Sweet!" Lucy exclaimed, "How are we gonna do it?"
I furrowed my eyebrows. "I," I began, "have absolutely no idea!"
We looked at each other, then burst into a fit of giggles.
****************************************************************************************************************
Lucy gasped as we set our eyes on one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. The sky was a crystal clear blue, looking down on a grassy green meadow. The pyramid like structure in the center was no foreign object to nature, either. Trees and vines snaked their way around the entire thing. We walked over to the entrance and the Sentors held out their swords. Peter looked back at me, but I smiled and shook my head. He turned back around and they began walking triumphantly into the building, Caspian and I following close behind.
The building was much different on the inside. It was made of solid sandstone, and the sounds of working metal filled the halls. It was dark, and the place had an eerie feel to it that I could not describe.
"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible," Caspian announced, breaking the silence.
"Peter?" Susan's voice came from across the room, "you may want to see this."
Peter and I looked at each other, then headed over to her.
All over the walls were strange markings, carvings etched into the stone. Pictures of battles, fields fortresses danced around in the torchlight.
"Its us," Susan whispered furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Lucy looked around in wonder.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"You don't know?" Caspian ask them. The looks on their faces answered everything. For once everyone was as lost as I was. Caspian picked up a torch and lead us into another cavern, one so dark that we could have been walking into a pit and not have known. Caspian dipped his torch into a sort of moat that was filled with some sort of oil, and the room lit up as the flame spread across it.
Great boulder and stone pillars were mounted around what seemed to be a stone table, a gigantic crack seeming to split the two halves away from each other. A picture of an immense lion was perfectly carved into the wall behind, and he almost seemed to be looking down at us. Lucy walked forward and brushed her hand over the writing on the stone.
"He must know what he's doing," Lucy whispered, gazing around at everyone.
"I think its up to us now," Peter announced, determination in his voice.
They all looked back to the picture of the lion as I stood there, pretending to know what the hell was going on.
Sorry! Extremely short chapter, I just needed a place to end this one. I will get you another chapter today or tomorrow! I have not updated in months, and I feel like I owe you guys an explanation. Practice has been Brutal, and it goes til 6:30, and when I get home I have to shower, eat, do my homework and go to bed. Normally I would update on the weekends, but I've had wrestling tournaments literally almost every weekend. But, I'm finally on Christmas break, and Wrestling season is almost over, so just bear with me a little longer! I'll get you another chapter today or tomorrow, I promise!
Love Always,
~VampJenna~