Author's Note: Good morning (or evening) my lovely readers! This is a new story that I have begun working on. It is an Edmund/OC story set in the Golden Age. I hope you like it :)
Disclaimer: I do not own a single novel, movie, or piece of merchandise to do with Narnia. Other than characters mentioned either in the novels or movies, all characters are of my own making.
Year 1008, September 17. Narnia.
It was night, dark night. Crickets sang under the leaves of the many trees, coaxing Dryads to sleep. The soft, almost indistinguishable, sound of the ocean brought mermaids into a deep rest. Amongst the thick trees, one could barely make out the castle glowing like a beacon on the cliff.
Hidden in a small clearing, a fire crackled, illuminating the different faces of one of the patrols. Despite the warm evening and festivities, the soldiers were grim. They were hoping to have been spending the night at the castle, enjoying themselves. Instead, they had to suffice to sleeping on the cold floor while their friends danced the night away.
A faun by the name of Rilf got up and dusted his hands. "Well, I'll be heading in. I'll have the last shift." The others muttered their goodnights as the creature walked farther into the woods.
Minutes passed as the soldiers conversed in hushed whispers over their supper of fish. Soon, the group was breaking apart, and only two were left warming themselves by the fire, already starting their shift.
Nothing could be heard but the soft crackle of the fire and snorting sounds. The centaur assumed it was his companions' snoring, but when he turned to his right, he glared at the minotaur.
"Be a bit more loud, eh? Scare away everything," he said, as the minotaur ripped apart his fish.
"Sorry," the creature grumbled and went about licking his paws. Chunks of bone and meat flew into the fire, a piece of eye falling on the other's hoof. Muttering something under his breath, the centaur walked a bit into the forest so as to start his watch.
Everything was silent. Already overhead, the moonlight shone through the branches, the only source of light what with the fire being out. Beside the centaur, the minotaur stared out at the palace, watching the lights dim until they were extinguished.
In the heavy silence, a crack suddenly sounded. The centaur's eyes squinted, trying to make out what the source of it was.
"That you?" the creature whispered to the minotaur.
The hairy beast shook his head, already starting to quiver. "N-n-o-o-o." He stepped closer to the centaur, attempting to hide or have some protection.
Stupid, superstitious lot. How'd I get stuck with him? the centaur thought to himself. Taking a step back, he swung his torch to illuminate the far shadows of the clearing. Nothing moved but the shoulders of the sleeping soldiers.
Another crack. Swinging his torch to the other side, the light didn't catch on to any movement. It seemed the patrol was completely alone, yet something must have been causing the noise.
Seconds passed and nothing. The minotaur sighed happily, and started going back to his position until a shriek cried out in the gloom of the night.
"What is it?! Get it off me!" a voice screamed, high pitched and loud. The other soldiers were rushing towards them, their swords drawn, pointing at no specific location.
More cracks sound, and the patrol glances around itself, attempting to pinpoint what it was. Leaves rustle and fall, more shrieks cry out, as well as several curses. The soldiers are in chaos, beginning to assume a ghost to be the cause of attack, until an object falls from a nearby tree, bringing down the minotaur with it.
Cantering towards it, the centaur extended his sword, the point gleaming as it poked the body.
"What are you? State your claim to a Guard of Narnia!" the centaur bellowed. Muffled cries reply, to the soldier's dismay. And people say Minotaurs are fierce.
Picking the body off of his comrade, the creature sent a quick glare towards the minotaur, turning his attention quickly back to the spy.
"Don't make me repeat myself! What are you?"
Cloaked in a dark fabric, it lifted its blue eyes to meet those of the soldier's. Cradling its arm, it winces when raising its head, the sword cutting a thin line down its throat.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I was just- Wait. Where the hell am I? And what are you?" Its brows furrowed, and its eyes gaped at the centaur.
Rilf, the faun, scrutinized the strange creature. It bared a strange resemblance to that of the kings and queens, what little he saw of them at least.
"Don't play the innocent act. You know where you are, spy," a satyr spit out in disgust.
Beside him, a faun growled. "And how many of your friends are hidden? How many troops does your leader have?"
The creature, completely confused, stared blankly at the different specimen before it. Then, after a moment's realizations, its eyes widened with a smirk. "This is a dream isn't it? Or some sort of prank? Listen, you can stop the act. It's funny. I get the joke." It chuckled, but abruptly stopped when sensing that nobody else was joining in. The minotaur stared at the thing like it was mad. To the soldiers, it definitely looked like it.
Placing its hands on its hips, it pursed its lips. "I'm being serious. Aren't there supposed to be lights? And then I'll see that it's all a set, and then some guy is gonna come out and say 'You just got pranked' in a really weird voice. And my parents will come out and laugh, and the camera will pan over my reaction, and then you guys can take off your costumes." Nodding, it smiled at the different soldiers.
The patrol was utterly confused. This creature must be mad. It was like it was possessed, or from a different country. Certainly not Archenland. And even Calormen wasn't this strange.
Stepping closer, the centaur pressed his sword more tightly against his prisoner's neck. "What are you? And what business do you have here?"
The creature stared at the different soldiers, not sure what was going on. A thought dawned on it. Perhaps this was a dream. Maybe, these people are going to kill it.
Without another second's thought, it slowly got up, its hands raised in surrender.
"I-I," it said, before bolting in the opposite direction, towards the ocean.
Of course, had this creature known where it was and what inhabitants it had, it would have realized such an act was careless and will bring out horrible consequences. In only a matter of seconds, a centaur was coming around her, holding his sword in the air. Before it had a chance to run in the other direction, it was knocked cold, an impression of the butt of the sword marking its forehead.
The patrol immediately surrounded it, speaking amongst themselves, not sure what it was nor what was going on. The minotaur was trembling again, clutching onto a faun, tiny in comparison. Glaring at the beast holding him for dear life, the faun squirmed out of its grasp.
Sheathing his sword, the centaur knelt down and lifted the creature in his arms. Lifting his eyes, his voice was cold, his instructions blunt.
"All except Rilf stay here and keep patrol. Do not speak of this, and have double the soldiers for each shift, no exceptions." Before any could fight back, the faun and centaur were already heading to Cair Paravel, a deep sense of worry settling in their hearts.