The Day All Wars End
Reepicheep stood on the railing of the Dawn Treader. The sun warming his fur and the water welcoming his presence. He smiled, the smile that he always gave, one of hope, promise, and belief that he would one day be in a better place.
The splashing of water, divers. He looked over and saw to his joy his friends from London, Edmund and Lucy, and a newcomer, a whinny blonde headed bookworm who was egoistical, rude, and very closed minded about the world. The mouse noticed that this newcomer was struggling to breathe. He quickly scurried over to see if he could help.
"Listen to me," Reepicheep said, climbing on the boy's torso, "I need you to stay and calm and relax, the more you relax, the quicker I can save you." The boy didn't even acknowledge his presence, so with time against him he rushed in, doing the basic CPR procedures. He opened the airways, removed any body parts from blocking airflow and began pumping the chest. After about the third or fourth pump the boy coughed and hacked. Granted this residue got all over Reepicheep at the same time, but the mouse was just glad that the boy was breathing. For the first time, this boy looked at the mouse, and Reepicheep tried to put on his best smile and was about to say hello when the boy very suddenly threw him across the deck like a rag doll.
The mouse landed on his feet, brushed himself off and thought nothing of the matter. He looked and saw Lucy and Edmund who noticed him now. "Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed with excitement. "Your Majesties." The mouse replied, bowing in respect. "Hello Reep, it's a pleasure." Edmund retorted. Reepicheep laughed a bit, "The pleasure's all mine sir, but what about this infernal interloper?" The boy sat up and looked at the mouse with malice. "That rat thing just tried to claw my face off!" Reepicheep turned, "I was only trying to remove the water from your lungs sir!" At this, the blonde was stupefied, for the first time he realized that he was no longer in the world that he was accustomed to, for mice, usually, do not have the ability to speak, as far as we know that is. "D-d-did he just talk?" The boy asked.
"Of course he can talk." Someone replied.
"It's getting him to shut up is the problem." Caspian, the King, who stood in the middle between Lucy and Edmund said. At this Reepicheep turned, "The moment there is nothing to be said Your Majesty, I promise you I will not say it." He said with a strict but respectable tone.
"Well, looks like you'll be having a lot to say." A voice replied from behind. The mouse turned around again and saw perched on the rail, a Great Horned Owl. He was large, feathers brown, beak a slight gray color. His eyes were gold, and his voice was kind but had a certain sense of authority to it, as if this bird could assume command of an entire army at any given moment. "I'm sorry have we met before?" Reepicheep asked, getting a bit nervous, for he didn't trust birds, and for a good reason. The owl smiled and hopped onto the deck, "No we haven't, but I sure would like to meet your acquaintance. Your brother speaks very highly of you."
"You knew my brother?" Reepicheep said, a bit suspicious of the bird, for Reepicheep's brother had not been seen in years, and was always presumed dead.
"Correction," the bird said, "I know your brother. He's alive!" He exclaimed. Reepicheep smiled a bit, "Oh what news, my dear brother has finally come home!" His emotions were getting the best of him, he began pacing the floor, talking to himself for a moment and then acting as if speechless. The owl saw this and became disheartened, he sighed. "There are two slight problems however." He said. Reepicheep turned towards him, "What type of problems?" He asked.
"Your brother, he's," the owl started to say but he couldn't finish his sentence. A tear fell down from his face. "He's what?" Reepicheep said, urging the bird to finish. "He's in danger of dying soon. If we don't help him, he's going to die." The owl said.
"Well then we haven't time to waste then, where is he?" The mouse asked.
"That's the other slight problem," the owl said, "he's back in Narnia. He's being held captive by a group of shape shifting wolves. Apparently your brother is a threat to them, a kind of lawman. If he were to return, then the wolves would have to either fight back or retreat north, and they don't want to go anywhere. So, your brother is-"
"Dead." A voice, like that of a serpent hissed in the air. No owner was seen at first. "Come on out you coward!" Reepicheep cried, extending his blade, "Show yourself." Laughter, a dastardly laugh, one that only occurs in nightmares. "As you wish." The voice said, and it's owner appeared, a dyer wolf with Reepicheep's brother in hand, lifeless as stone. The wolf dropped the dead mouse on the deck and with grin and a laugh disappeared. Reepicheep looked upon the massacre. The body was split open evenly down the middle. The guts and innards were gushing out onto the deck, and the smell of rotting flesh began to fume. The owl hung his head, "He was my best comrade." Reepicheep nodded, "I always had a feeling that he would go first. I just never thought it would actually happen." He paused, "He taught me everything I know, from swordsmanship to morals. Everything I have I owe to him. He was always there for us, our family, and he never let his blade fall until he sheathed it. He stood by the right, lived in the light, and taught with a just hand." Small tears began to fall from his face, "he was my best friend, and I shall miss him terribly."
"We'll go after every last one of them." Edmund said, his heart yearning for battle again.
"I appreciate your zeal and acute sense for justice Your Highness, they are admirable traits, flawed ones, but admirable in certain lights. Butt revenge, genocide, and murder will not be necessary here." Reepicheep said.
"Right." The owl retorted, "for Tilden did not believe in violence or revenge, he was a peacekeeper, and he once said to me. 'There will always be wars, and they will always be fought for the same stupid reasons. Wars never truly end either, for if they did then we would never have another one. The day war ends, when it truly ends, will be the day when all martyrs see justice, all men see judgment, and all creatures see Him.'"
"Who's Tilden?" Edmund asked.
"My brother." Reepicheep answered, "A true martyr for all who live, a sword that was always raised for justice and peace. He now no longer needs it, for where he is, war is a forbidden and ludicrous concept."