A/N: hey guys. This is just a small fan fic I wrote about the three soldiers that were supposed to be killed…yeah… read and review please.
Finding a Life
I turned to the men behind me. My lip was beginning to swell and there was the taste of blood in my mouth. Miraz would pay. He most certainly would.
I swallowed nervously. Whatever had transgressed between the general and the king bode now well, judging by the menacing glares aimed at us.
"Lysander, what's going to happen to us?" came a nervous whisper from my left.
"Hush, Maximillian. I don't know." I replied.
"Kill us all, I expect," said Dromidian from my right. A battle hardened soldier, he probably knew more about the inner workings of the army than Max and I. This time, however, I sincerely hoped he was wrong.
The general walked towards us with a hard look in his eyes. I could see a drop of blood glistening from the corner of his mouth. I realized that the King must have struck the general. I wondered at how I could have served a king that treated his own men like that. This is getting awfully close to desertion, Lysander, I thought. I shook my head to clear my mind of those thoughts. The general approached and with him, my death.
"Kneel!" he barked at us.
With a clatter of armor we did as we were told and bowed our heads. I turned to see tears running down Max's downy cheeks. My anger at Miraz flared up again. The cruel king would have a boy killed before he could even start his life. I heard the unsheathing of a blade. I gritted my teeth and waited for the deathblow.
While most people have their lives flash before them as they die, I saw the life I could have had. I saw myself, not as a Commander in the Telmarine army, but as a married man. I saw my wife cooking over a cheery hearth. I saw my children gamboling about the fields. I saw myself making an honest living, as a merchant perhaps, and then coming home to a happy family. But what did I have? A lonely military life and soon a cool blade through my throat.
I heard the click of metal on metal and a catch on my armor. Let death be quick.
Instead I heard a ripping noise. I dared to look up and saw that the general had drawn not his sword, but a dagger and was using it to rip off the Telmarine insignia from our armor.
"Go, " he said. "The King wished you dead but I would prefer otherwise. Go," he repeated more urgently. "Do not get caught or you will be hanged as deserters." He turned and walked away. The three of us stood up amazed.
I'm free. I can go where ever I want, do whatever I want. Now, I can live.
Max, the first to discover from the shock, let out a loud whoop and jumped around in boyish glee.
"Shut up, brazen young fool! You'll get us caught!" scolded Dromidian.
"We just escaped death and you're telling me to not be happy?"
"No, I'm telling you to shut up before they arrest us for still being alive against King's orders!"
"Barmy old codger," Max muttered. "It's not like there's anybody around to hear us."
It was true. I looked up and down the pebbly riverbank. The river gurgled and laughed from stone to stone. The doors of the empty supply wagons squeaked as they swung on their rusty hinges and several horses were still in the wagon harnesses. I was surprised the Narnian raiders had not taken them last night as well. They seemed to have taken all other supplies.
"So," I said, glancing back at Max and Dromidian. "What's the plan?" I was personally planning on jumping on a horse and heading to the nearest village to find a nice girl.
"We should probably get to a small village and lie low for awhile." Said the ever-wise Dromidian.
"Wouldn't the local militia arrest us though?" Max asked
Well there goes my plan.
"Then where do you suggest we go?" he retorted.
We paused.
"Calormen."
"The Narnians"
"Wait, what? Max, have you gone mad? The Narnians are our sworn enemies!"
"And think of the Calormen beauties, lad." I added. I knew that there were of major ports in Calor men and a merchant could prosper there.
"Yes, well, I know that but, look. Our own king wants us dead. Doesn't that make you feel the slightest bit vengeful? The Narnians can help us get satisfaction!" Lysander argued.
"Well…." I was starting to see the boy's point. It was Miraz who had drafted me into the army therefore ruining my life.
"Besides, we're not Telmarine anymore. In case you hadn't noticed, they kicked us out of the military." Lysander added.
"What makes you think the beasts won't just kill you?" Dromidian said.
"Don't we know much of what goes on in the army? We can give them information. Formations, plans, positions, everything!" The boy was getting more and more enthusiastic.
"I don't know about you, Dromidian, but I, for one, am going with Max. It seems the safest place for us now."
"Traitors! Snakes! I'll see you all hanged for desertion by the time this war is won!" Dromidian shouted. He cut a horse loose from its wagon ties and swung up. He turned towards Calormen. "You will die in shame!"
The horse's hooves clattered on the rocky beach. Anyone could have heard Dromidian from a mile away.
"Let's go, Max. He's not coming back." I walked to the wagons and picked two more horses. I handed one to Max and mounted my own. I looked across the river at the dark woods. With the sunset setting the sky ablaze the woods looked even darker and menacing. I heard Max trotting up next to me.
"How do we find the Narnians?"
"I should really be asking you that since it was your idea." I looked over at Max
His face flushed red and he turned away. "I didn't really think it through, alright?"
I turned away and pointed at the setting sun. "That's our guide. Their fortress is west of the ford."
"How do you know?"
"One of my men had a scouting mission yesterday."
"Oh. So how do we cross the river?"
"We obviously can't use the Miraz's bridge; they'd catch us. Let's find another way. " I turned my horse upstream.
"Through the woods?" Max's voice went up about an octave.
I looked back to see a frozen look of horror on his face. "I thought you wanted to find the Narnians."
"I do but there are, uh, ghosts."
"Oh come on. The 'ghosts' are nothing but Narnians. When we find them, we surrender quietly and go with them. Understood?"
Lysander gulped and nodded.
"Let's get going then."
