Summary: When a new threat is discovered at the edge of Narnia's northern borders, the High King himself must lead an impromptu expedition that could not only lead to certain death, but also break the trust between those who follow him, and those who Peter relies on. Through barren moors, onto jagged stone, and over steep and treacherous mounts lies the ancient ruins of a most forgotten, uncivilized city. Of which that once slept, is now awoken. Set during The In Between Times, in the fourth year of the Golden Age. Peter/OC
AN: This is just meant to be a more in-depth storytelling of what happened in chapter three of my muti-chapter story, The In Between Times. While going back to re-read it, I noticed that I didn't do much with that part of the storyline. So, this is my way of making up for that in a short drama/adventure that, of course, cannot go without a dash of romance.
Disclaimer: This is a site of people nationwide writing fictional stories based off of already copy-written and published material. I don't really think we need disclaimers at the beginning of every story (or every chapter of every story).
WARNING: If you have not read two of my previous stories: Rising Above and especially The In Between Times, there's a fairly large chance you won't follow many of the references in this one-shot toward events and characters (mainly the OC) from said fics.
~The Ruined City~
In the ancient days, before the Age of Winter, it was made legendary for generations upon generations that Jadis, a witch of the Deplorable World, Charn, was banished to the land in the north after entering the newly created Narnia, and eating of an enchanted, stolen fruit. The Ettins, or Northern Giants, were alleged to have built a grand city for themselves under her rule. However, this City was never confirmed to having been built, as they used the high mountains beyond the Wild Lands of the North as protection and isolation from outsiders, where they most likely continued to thrive.
Once the witch and her ranks grew enough in strength, she reached down from the north and announced war on the previously peaceful country of Narnia. King Frank bravely fought back for two arduous years against Jadis's forces, but eventually, the King was overthrown—murdered, along with his wife, Queen Helen, his sons, and most of his continuing line. Tyrannically ruled, both in fear, and in the ever-present winter brought down with her from the north, to the Narnians, Jadis would forevermore be known as the White Witch.
Her army was scattered to capture many of the islands off the coast of the Eastern Sea, but the Giants remained in their homeland. It remains unsaid what became of them in the White Witch's absence…
"And the rumors passed down from travelers who ventured close to its borders are uncertain in their credibility," finished High King Peter, closing the old volume. His expression was grave as he regarded his brother, King Edmund, and Queen Alexa.
"You said, Alexa, that it was Master Tumnus who supplied you with this book?" Peter asked.
"…Yes, to aid me in my research. I had reason to believe they were the enemies that attacked our northern borders, and Talia only confirmed it to us when she reported seeing more than the mere few giants that had been a part of the Witch's army," Alexa replied quietly.
"So, I was right in ordering an immediate voyage, then."
"From what we've learned, the Ettins come from a remote location beyond the mountains. They have been attacking Narnian settlers, warriors, and travelers alike along that border," said the High King.
"We should make an expedition to the northern lands," Edmund said.
"Yes, but who will go? I am bound by my word to accompany Prince Rabadash to Tashbaan," stated Susan. Peter's expression became strained.
"Yes, there is that matter. Edmund, I ask that you go with her. Blame my protectiveness as my reasoning, but I do not want Susan to go alone unaccompanied in another country as far as Calormen." Edmund frowned, hoping he could join Peter in the journey to the mountains, but refrained from speaking his thoughts. He had no wish for Susan to go alone with the prince, whom he didn't trust with the dirt of his shoe, much less his sister.
"Oreius, you will come with me, I trust?" Peter asked the centaur.
"Of course, your Majesty." The High King looked to Mr. Tumnus, who smiled pleasantly.
"Shall I accompany King Edmund and Queen Susan to Tashbaan?" the faun asked. Peter smiled.
"Yes, Master Tumnus. Thank you."
"Yes, but Peter, what are your intentions?" Edmund asked. Peter turned to his brother with a questioning glance.
"What do you mean?"
"Will you only stop them from terrorizing the villages, or do you intend to fully conquer the region? As long as it is left alone, it is left wild and unpredictable," Edmund began. "For all we know, they could be rallying forces left from the Witch's followers, plotting our downfall while we are still young in our reign." Edmund's point was fairly made, and struck a chord in Peter's mind.
"But do we have the firepower to conquer an entire nation we are still uncertain of?" Alexa countered.
"…Yes, and while Susan must go to Tashbaan, we must also secure her protection, which is why I had asked you to join her, Ed," said Peter.
"Yes, of course…I admit, Alexa makes a valid point, but I still say letting them alone would be unwise." Edmund commented. Peter debated in his head, weighing the pros and cons. He didn't like the odds of taking a bite off more than he could chew, but he even more disliked the idea of being snuck up on.
"Hmm, what if they attempt an attack on us while we aren't paying attention?" Peter mused.
"My point exactly…but, we don't have to resolve directly into violence first," said Edmund.
"We could always try and negotiate peace with them," Alexa offered.
"You both are right, there. I'll admit, even as diplomacy has always been your gift, Ed…I think it'll work," said Peter. "But if they refuse, it wouldn't do well to show weakness by giving up without a fight."
"If they refuse, you'll have to bring force to the matter," agreed Edmund.
"But…what if they are stronger and more in numbers than we ever imagined?" asked Alexa. She was hesitant to bring the fight to a fairly unknown, potentially dangerous enemy. It was a tricky thing they were planning on doing. Still, it was Peter's decision, and she would follow him into battle if he allowed her. He had already begrudgingly permitted her to go, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. Being more observant than she was talkative, Alexa noticed the way his demeanor changed when she had given him her request.
"Peter," Alexa said, drawing his attention to her in silent question.
"I would like to join the expedition," she said, but with all the confidence she could muster. He paused.
"I would rather you not, Alexa." But she persisted, not so easily dissuaded.
"I know the Northern Lands fairly well from my maps, and have a route for easier travel through the mountains. They're tricky, but I think I found the right pass to get through them." Peter sighed.
"I would have a better mind knowing that you're here, helping Lucy manage the kingdom."
"Lucy can manage by herself. She's not a child anymore, and neither am I." Peter let out a deep breath, and she could tell he was trying to hide his annoyance by pursing his lips.
"I never said you were a child, and I know my sister isn't. I only said it would give me a better mind."
"Then I fail to see why I cannot come when I have accompanied you, Edmund, and Lucy through every other battle." He raised a brow at this.
"What other battles? Our patrols through the woods for fell beasts? Other than this, there has been peace in Narnia for the few years we've ruled."
"Be that as it may, I have a map, and Talia as my informant. I could be of help…why are you so against this?" Alexa asked. Her tone softened as her confidence began to wane. Peter looked as if he were trying to think of any other explanation, but she couldn't fathom why it was that he was so opposed to the idea. Was it because she was still new at swordsmanship? Did he think she would not be able to handle the journey? Granted, it would be long and arduous, but she liked to think that even as a woman, she could handle it.
"I think it would be a good idea for her to go with you, Peter. She isn't an inept woman," Edmund commented. She made sure not to spare him a grateful glance, lest Peter where to notice.
"Her swordsmanship has improved some since her first battle," Oreius stated, referring to their war with the White Witch those few years ago. It was a surprise to her that he had spoken on her defense, but she welcomed it, quite obviously.
I don't have the prowess that Peter and Edmund have in their natural abilities with a weapon, but I'm learning, she mused.
Finally, however, Peter sighed and spoke at last.
"All right, Alexa. You'll be helping me guide the army with Oreius. We leave tomorrow morning, so make sure all of you pack the necessities for a long trip," Peter said as he addressed all the occupants of the room. Soon after, the meeting dispersed.
"So, we must take the whole Royal Army then?" asked Alexa.
"Yes, and we must also pack for a long trip. I don't know when we will be back, but I suspect this will take anywhere from two weeks to a month," said Peter.
"Our voyage should only take about three weeks, but we will stop in Archenland. King Lune would like for us to take young Prince Corin with us, so that he may better learn the customs and cultures of the lands around him," said Edmund. Peter nodded and stood from his chair.
"Pack for any kind of weather, Alexa. We don't know what to expect so far up north, even if it is spring."
"When are we leaving, Peter?" she asked.
"Well, we have to give time for Oreius to mobilize the troops and for Tumnus to organize all the supplies we'll need. In two days, we will be off."
For forty-eight hours, the entire palace was abuzz with the preparations for two voyages. Rations had to be packed, along with medical supplies, clothing fit for extreme weather situations, armor, weaponry, and all onto large carriages pulled by Dumb horses. The preparations for Edmund and Susan's trip was far less extensive than Peter and Alexa's, but it still constituted quite amount of effort from those prepping both the ship and the crew of the Splendor Hyaline.
Prince Rabadash was especially eager to return to his home country, and finished packing his things within a day. He continuously assured Queen Susan that her stay there would be most memorable, and that he was sure she would enjoy herself immensely. Susan herself was nearly ecstatic at the prospect of travelling to another country, let alone the homeland of Rabadash.
For once, she thought in amusement. It hadn't taken much for the foreign prince to convince her in her mind that the next few weeks were going to be a wonderful adventure.
Edmund, however, didn't believe he was fooled for a second. No matter how he tried to think positive, he just continuously had the gut feeling that they were making a terrible mistake in agreeing to go overseas, out of the protection of their home. Something didn't sit well in his stomach, and it was making him uneasy. The night before they were set to leave, he even said as much to Peter, who clasped a hand onto his younger brother's shoulder.
"Do what you must, only when you must. I can't say I exactly trust him either, but he has done virtually nothing to deserve suspicion," said Peter. The Just King nodded in response, and made his leave to retire for the night.
"Goodbye, Su. Be careful," Alexa said, embracing the younger girl.
"You as well, my friend," the Gentle Queen replied before hugging Lucy, and then her older brother.
"Watch over her, Ed," said Alexa as the younger man pulled her into an easy embrace.
"Oh don't worry. She's not leaving my side. I don't trust this Rabadash for all their god, Tash, is worth to them," he replied sollemnly, pulling away.
Alexa breathed in the clean, Narnian air as she adjusted the reigns of her horse. They were about two days into their journey, and already it was tiring. But she could tell from the trees beginning to thin out ahead of her that they were approaching the edge of Owlwood. The breeze was light and the weather sunny and mild, as per usual in the spring. She hoped it would stay that way throughout the length of their journey, but somehow she doubted it.
"Peter," she called to him. He was only a little ways ahead of her, discussing something with Oreius while they trekked along. When he turned at the sound of Alexa's voice, she urged her horse forward to meet him.
"Yes?" he asked politely.
"The forest is thinning now, and will quickly turn to marshland. It's up to you whether we should follow along the River Shribble to get to the gorge that's beyond the village, or cut through the Northern Marsh directly," she said. Peter considered this for a moment; he really didn't think it was a good idea to bring hundreds of horses and about ten carriages through the muck and swampland of the marshes. Even the mud of the riverbed wouldn't be as troublesome.
"Let's follow along the river. It'll be easier and less time consuming," said Peter.
"That's what I was thinking as well," she replied.
"And the villages will be near the gorge by about a mile or so," said Oreius.
"What do you think we'll find there?" she asked quietly. Oreius was silent for a moment, shifting his gaze to her before replying.
"Anything is possible."
The remainder of the day was spent travelling alongside the River Shribble, refilling on water as they went, and fishing instead of using rations that could be saved for when they truly needed them. By the time the sun had set, they had only a few more miles to go before reaching the villages. Already the edge of the marsh was beginning to disappear, breaking way to less soft and sludgy grass.
Peter dropped his sword belt onto the small pile of cushions and blankets (a makeshift bed for the High King) and rubbed his aching fingers.
They're sure to cramp in the shape of a claw from gripping reigns for so long. Suddenly I wished I had chosen a Talking horse to ride on, Peter mused, and walked through the entrance of his tent, pushing the flap out of the way. The moon hadn't fully risen in the sky, only about half way. But it was still dark without a torch to light the way, and the several fires that had been lit were all put out now.
"You should be in bed, resting," Peter said from the tent's entryway. Alexa appeared startled, and nearly dropped the pen in her hand.
"If I should, what are you doing here then?" Peter was mildly surprised at her snap, but Alexa seemed to realize her slip as well, and bit her lip. She gave him an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, that was very rude. I'm just…tired," she said. Peter raised a brow, but gave a small smile and approached the table she was working at.
"I was making sure all the men had their fill of water, and noticed the light in here was still on. I thought I would turn it off before it caught fire." Even in the dim light, he could see her blushing.
He almost sighed at the memory of the night before. Peter couldn't blame her for being touchy either, now that he thought of it. They hadn't done a campaign such as this since a rebel force of Fell Beasts broke out in the Shuddering Wood. It was taxing, he could admit, and he was partially relying on her to help him lead the army through this northern land. It hadn't been explored in decades, and yet she had dug up the oldest material she could to find the most logical route.
When Lady Talia of the dryads had first reported the sightings of "men larger than elephants, almost certainly giants," Oreius relayed the information to the Kings and Queens. It was then that the Courageous Queen had become curious about the subject. She began researching old libraries, talking to elders that may have remembered the old tales of before the Age of Winter, and drawing up maps.
Perhaps there's something more to her…at times, she can be fiery…while most often, she is reticent, cautious…such a confusing individual. With these parting thoughts, he relaxed into the cushions, and waited for sleep to overcome him.
By nearly mid-day the following morning, Peter had stopped the army a half mile away from the villages, which were still visible behind the large hills and boulders they hid themselves behind. The High King appointed Oreius, his commanding general, to send out two scouts ahead to survey the land for their enemies. In half an hour, they reported back that the villages were mostly empty, from what they could see, save for an approximated five male giants that still raided the area.
They were picking houses apart for any valuables (food, in other words). Just beyond the villages, in the distance, the moor gave way to a gorge that was flanked by two great precipices. One could not simply walk around the mountains, for they were much too steep, and their gait was wide. They had already predicted that they would be forced to go through the gorge, where at the end, the correct pass through the mountains would most likely lie.
When the scouts had finished delivering their report, Peter called a meeting in one of the tents with his general and the Courageous Queen to confirm on their plan of attack.
"Oreius, out of the scenarios we organized, which do you think seems the most fitting? There are only five of them in the village, but there are sure to be more within the gorge," said Peter. "I'm partial to our initial idea of making a perimeter around the villages, that way they are cut off from their retreat into the north." The centaur nodded in agreement. Peter then turned to Alexa.
"You're to assemble the archers. Be looking for me, because when I turn to you and nod, I need you to signal them to fire."
"You want me in command of the defensive?" she asked.
"Are you not the only other commanding officer here beside Oreius and myself?"
"Well, yes, but I would have thought you'd want Oreius to command them."
"Does he look like an archer? I need him on the front lines with me."
"Peter, respectfully I must say, I'm not an archer either. And I've never been in command of the troops before," Alexa admitted.
"If it would ease you, your Highness, you would not be commandeering the entire army, just about a third of it," said Oreius.
"Well spoken," Peter said in agreement. Alexa looked between the two of them, noting Peter's encouraging smile and Oreius's passive expression. She sighed in defeat.
"We could use the cover of nightfall and wait until they fall asleep," Oreius suggested, moving on past Alexa's issue of protest.
"But what if the sound of our battle wakes the others that may be within the gorge?" asked Alexa.
"We'll be ready for them if we post sentries to monitor the opening," Peter said. "Perhaps a quarter of our troops as well. Do you think we will need the entire army to dispatch of five giants?" There was a pause as all three pondered the king's question. Finally, however, Alexa spoke.
"I don't think we will. From what I remember of the Winter War, and from what Talia has reported, the giants do not show remarkable intelligence. They reacted fast in violence, but showed no coordination in their assaults," she said.
"Then they are most likely not capable of significant battle strategy or problem solving," said Oreius.
"Good. But do we really need the cover of nightfall? We have the element of surprise now, and what if they retreat before dark?" asked Peter.
"You have a point, your Majesty," said Oreius. "But we will have to be extremely quiet while setting up the perimeter—"
The centaur was cut off by sudden screams of terror coming from a short distance outside the tent, followed by a guttural, reverberating roar and several crashes. Peter was the first to react, grabbing his shield and making sure his sword was attached to his hip before he ran outside of the tent. Three of the giants were attempting to plow through the ranks of soldiers scrambling into formations, while the other two tore through tents and supplies and whoever might be inside them. A mere second later, Oreius and Alexa joined Peter outside.
"Alexa, assemble the archers while Oreius and I assemble the offensive," Peter quickly commanded, wasting no time in finding his horse. Alexa did the same, running after him to where their horses were tied and frantically pulled against their restraints. After calming their horses enough to mount them, Peter called for his offensive soldiers as Alexa began rounding up the archers on the peak of a taller hill. Still, the hill only reached about fifteen feet of the giants' twenty to thirty feet.
"Pull back!" Peter called to his now semi-organized army. Several still were scrambled by the giants' continuous attack on the surrounding area of the tents. Peter turned to the general beside him, waiting for orders but at the same time, controlling the antsy soldiers behind him.
"Oreius, help me form the perimeter once we charge," he said. Oreius nodded.
"It would be my pleasure," he replied. Peter gave a small grin, and then turned behind him to make sure that the archers were in position.
Alexa watched as one of the giants ceased his rummaging through a cart of supplies to look up at the army in front of them. He nudged the giant next to him in the arm, who cried out and rubbed the offending spot, until he too noticed the army. They called to the other three, and began making their way toward them.
Such stupidity, she thought. They should have just turned and tried to run away at our sheer numbers…but perhaps we do look meager in size, compared to their larger fists and feet and clubs.
She turned her gaze below to Peter on his horse, a dark brown this time, as opposed to the beautiful white unicorn he had ridden into battle on in the Winter War. He was missing his helmet, she realized, as was she. They had assembled in such a rush that helmets were forgotten. If it wasn't for having been already dressed in armor, they might have forgotten that too.
But at least if I need to locate him, I'll be able to find his blonde head, she though with some amusement, despite her growing anxiety. This was only her second major battle, and already Peter put her in command. She didn't think she was the most capable at the moment, but she would have to be. From this angle she could monitor the battle below, and enter in it further if needed be.
As Alexa's view was still pinned on him, she noticed when Peter turned his head in her direction. Finally, their gazes caught, eyes locked. He nodded, breaking the spell. That was his signal. Turning to look at the many fauns and centaurs beside her, she instructed them to ready their bows.
Peter heard her shout the command to the archers to fire, just as they had once done to the White Witch's forces. He could feel the heavy thumping of the giants' feet against the ground as they rapidly approached. And he also heard the sound of guttural roars as arrows soared through the air, and made their mark.
It begins.
And here we go, part one of this little ficlet. Tis a tad long, but I aim to produce two three long chapters of this before it's done. Sorry if it was a little slow, it's going to pick up more in the second chapter, with more drama and all that crap.
This weekend I may get around to updating Hereafter, since I have half the chapter done already. Just need the muse. Review this, however, if you have any comments, likes, dislikes, tips, concerns, etc. It's highly appreciated!