Chapter 1 The End of an Era
I own nothing than a few characters. All rights go to Lewis
It had been only seven hundred years since the completion of the How. A certain peace settled onto Kylain as she thought of the Great Mound secretly hidden away by the woods and all the mazes of tunnels that led to the greatest gift given to Narnians—the Stone Table. It was indeed a sacred place, especially after what Aslan had told her all those years ago about a deal He had made with the enemy in the world of their majesties. She was glad that they were able to keep it safe for future generations. Over the years, Narnians wanted to elect a new king or queen or even a ruler after their majesties disappeared, but the Centaurs reminded them that only a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve could reign.
When her four kings and queens had disappeared, she had met with the high officials in the Great Throne Room to discuss the future of Cair Paravel, Narnia and her people. And now, nine hundred and eighty-three years later, the old Centaur again stood in the same hall facing the same decision with different officials save for Oreius, Tyrzah and Aerius. How had it come to this?
Humans had ventured into Narnia from the Western Woods. They spoke in an accent unlike those of their Majesties or any Calorman any Narnian had ever heard. When they met any Narnian, they were terrified, calling the Narnians monsters and specters. Within a month, a large army had appeared just south of Lantern Waste, establishing their camp within a mile of Beavers Dam and then marching eastward. Within the next month, whole forests had been leveled and Narnians soon found the massive army sitting at their gates demanding the Narnians' surrender, and with their lives.
Under this new threat, the Narnians united.
"What do you think, Kylain?" a Dwarf asked. Rain splattered on the stained glass roof.
Very solemnly, the Centaur looked at her cousin, sister, brother-in-law and their son and his wife. She, Oreius, Tyrzah and Aerius were the only living individuals alive who had known Narnia in the Golden Age. She looked at the four thrones that had not been sat in for nearly a thousand years. Why did they always come to Centaurs for leadership? Oreius was 1,173 years old and at 1,144 years of age, Kylain was no spring foal. She looked back at those gathered and her heart broke. She could not keep them or the castle safe anymore. She sighed.
"There's ten of those strange weapons out there," said a Satyr.
Kylain thought of the first battle with these so-called Telmarines, not even a week ago, where the humans had nearly overtaken the Castle and many Narnians had already given their lives protecting it. Looking over the group, she said, "I wish we could have enclosed this castle like we have the Stone Table."
"What are you saying, Aunt?"
Kylain looked at her adopted nephew and his mother, a sad smile on her lips. "So many have died already. And it's obvious that we won't survive another onslaught."
"You're saying we should abandon the castle?" a Faun spat.
"Cair Paravel won't stand much longer."
An uproar exploded, everyone arguing; some agreeing with Kylain, and others disagreeing.
Kylain squeezed her eyes tightly against the pain. The shouting hammered on her eardrums as she looked at her family. She was glad that they were still with her. Her old nerves couldn't take this very much longer.
"Narnians!" Oreius boomed, and those gathered quieted. "As head of the Castle Guard, it is up to Kylain to decide."
Every eye turned to her and Kylain sighed. "If everyone will not evacuate, then let us reach a compromise."
"And that would be?" someone prompted.
"Go to your own people and choose those who you think should have the best chance of surviving. During the night, we help them escape into the woods. Those who want to stay, may do so and try to fight off the Telmarines. Those who survive can insure that Narnia never dies."
There were murmurs of agreement.
"Someone send for a Dryad," Tyrzah said. "If they fear the Beast and Talking Animals, we will give them reason to fear the very woods themselves. Perhaps we can still keep Narnia from their grasp."
They all agreed and one went to bring a Dryad as others gathered in their groups to elect those who would escape.
Kylain took a deep breath. She was getting way too old for this. She looked at Oreius, Tyrzah and Aerius and scoffed to herself. So were they. If only she was now as strong as she was after the poisoned dagger, many Telmarines would have met their fears before they met their death. As weak as she was now, she was still the head of the guard who protected the castle. And she would do it until her dying breath.
Very little time passed after reaching that decision before huge rocks were flung from the Telmarines' strange weapons. Kylain braced herself as stone peppered down. She knew Cair Paravel would fall soon. Already, the outer walls lay in shambles and it was only a matter of time until Telmarine soldiers would flood the castle proper. She looked up to see Oreius, Tyrzah, Aerius and their son, Dalren and his wife, Naomi making their way to her. One may question as to why the four of them have lived as long as they have. Oreius, Tyrzah and Aerius might have been blessed by Aslan who had told them "Live well" or "Live long", or something to that extent. The only thing that Tyrzah and Kylain could figure Kylain's Longevity out that it was Lucy's cordial.
"The castle's breached," Tyrzah said.
Kylain nodded slightly as she chewed on her cheek. Never had she thought the beautiful castle would come to this.
"There are still a few stragglers," Oreius said. "I'm going back to see to it that they escape."
"I'll help you," Kylain said.
"No."
Kylain frowned as she watched her cousin walk up to her and place his hands on her shoulders.
"See to it that our family gets out and heads south for Archenland," he ordered.
"But -"
"I'm giving you new orders," the Centaur General said. "I don't know how many escaped and will survive. I need you to make sure they do."
Kylain swallowed and nodded.
A small smile graced his leathered-tan face as Oreius placed his hands on each side of her head. "It has been an honor serving and fighting with you, Kylain."
"And you, General." It was rare for him to show affection, and Kylain fought tears when he pulled her into a hug.
"Stay safe, cousin," he said as he pushed away.
"May Aslan be with you, cousin," Kylain said. She swallowed and reigned in her emotions as Oreius turned. She watched him head back toward the center of the castle, and she hollered after him, "Meet you in Archenland!" She turned toward her four charges. "Out the Beach Entrance."
Tyrzah and Aerius were at her side, herding their son and daughter-in-law down corridors, the rocks hitting closer. Kylain swallowed hard. She and Darius never had any children, and she had latched onto Tyrzah's son with a protective vow. The only thing that he had ever known her as was Aunt. She smiled and blinked her blurred vision as she glanced at Tyrzah, remembering how her best friend had told her, remembering when, "Hello, Aunt," was Tyrzah's greeting. She had helped Tyrzah in the birthing, along with Naomi's mother and other female Centaurs, and she hoped she'd help her niece in the birthing of their child ... if they lived through this.
At the end of the corridor was the door that led out to the beach. A rock smashed into the castle somewhere above them and they listened to a shouted order that sounded like Oreius as stone peppered down on them.
"I'm going to help," Aerius said.
Kylain turned to find Aerius holding Tyrzah as another rock hit and the ground shook. She heard her best friend tell her husband to please be careful as she ushered her nephew and niece to the door. "We must hurry," she told them. When the three reached the door, they turned to see Aerius head out the way they had just come and Tyrzah started toward them. The tunnel came crashing down, blocking the corridor. In horror, Kylain and Dalren ran toward it, yelling for Tyrzah, fearing that she was buried.
"Mother!" Dalren yelled.
"Tyrzah!" Kylain yelled. "Tyr!"
Tyrzah coughed as the dust settled with the rubble and heard her best friend and son and daughter-in-law yelling for her.
"I'm all right!" Tyrzah yelled back. "I didn't get hit." She heard them removing blocks of stone and she joined in the effort. Too much precious time had passed and they had only created the smallest break in the rubble.
"There's too much," she said, "and we could cause the rest of the tunnel to collapse if we take any more down."
"But we can't just leave you here," she heard Dalren say.
"It'll be all right, son," she said. "Get your wife and aunt to safety. I'm going back to help your father and Oreius."
"I will," she heard his soft promise.
"If I can, I'll meet you in Archenland. Kylain," she said, pulling her wrist cuff off.
"I'm here."
Tyrzah shoved her arm through the hole toward her friend and there was enough room that she could see her sister's face above her arm. "Take this."
"Tyr?" Kylain asked pleafuly.
"Take it." She watched Kylain slowly reach through from her side and their fingers touched. "Don't forget. We've ministered to each other as sisters; sharpening each other as steel against steel. I know I am a better Centaur for knowing and fellowshipping with you. You are a fresh breeze in this now polluted world. I mean it. You are a rare, very rare, kind of individual. A TRUE friend."
Kylain's fingers squeezed hers and for a second, she squeezed back, then Tyrzah withdrew her hand to leave Kylain to bring the wrist cuff out.
"Make sure my grandson knows who his people are," she said.
"May Aslan be with you, Tyr," Kylain said, thrusting her hand through the hole again with the cuff on.
Tyrzah reached through and they clasped hands. "And you, my sister. Stay safe." She pulled her hand back, turned, and walked back the way they had come.
"I expect to give this back to you!" she heard Kylain shout at her.
"You'd better!" she shouted over her shoulder. Pulling her ax and hammer out as she turned a corner, Tyrzah headed back toward the center of the castle. As she came out into a clearing, blinking her eyes against the bright lightening. When she was able to see, she spotted Aerius stumble and fall. She rushed over to her husband's side and her heart broke at the sight of her beloved's body bloodied, full of arrows and a spear in his right flank, rain mixing with blood and washing his wounds clean. She knew there was nothing she could do for him. "I'll see you in Aslan's Country, Husband," she said under her breath, "for I may be joining you very soon."
An eerie sound of a mournful song of the Mere People mingled with the wails of the growing and worsening storm as if Narnia herself was fighting back. The sound filled her with dread.
Tyrzah looked up and saw that Telmarine archers stood on the surrounding battlements. She spotted Oreius, made eye contact with him, nodded and both charged up the battlements taking out as many archers as they could. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Oreius fall.
"Please let Kylain and my children escape safely, Aslan," she prayed under her breath.
A whistling noise caught her attention and she looked over the battlement toward the west, seeing a huge boulder only feet from her with no escape.
Out on the beach, Kylain and her two charges maneuvered around huge boulder-sized rocks resting in the wet sand and scattered debris. They looked up at the top of the battlements just in time to see a boulder hit and a smithy's hammer fall from the wall, landing with a thud as thunder crashed. Kylain's heart broke. She knew that hammer anywhere, even from this distance. Tyrzah's. She looked back up the cliff again. A flash of lightening ripped through the sky and they watched it hit the mast of a nearby ship that had yet to crash upon the shore. They were still in danger. They had to leave. With a numb determination, she led the way south.