Brook exited the back of the wardrobe and out into a mess of show covered pine branches. One after the other the Kings and Queens followed. Annie, stopped and touched the snow, braches and needles as if it were a dream.

"It's like the first time I came to Narnia." Lucy exclaimed happily.

"Only this time you've come at the end of winter." Peter pointed out. The grasses that would soon cover the ground were starting to poke though the thinning, melting snow.

"Just in time to see the ones we missed." Brook commented trekking forwarder though the slosh toward her home.

"What do you mean by that?" Annie's voice shook from behind.

"Annie!" Peter's voice rang out echoing in vast space.

Brook turned just in time to see the red head girl trip over a tree root and slam face first into a dead frozen body.

Annie gave out a quite shriek of horror and quickly crawled backwards. Peter bent down and helped her up, Annie wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"What…what happened?" Annie asked her eyes locked with the body.

Going to examine the body Brook answered her, "Seems like one of my arrows got him." Pointing to the green feathered end of an arrow that parodied from the soldier's back.

"You killed him from behind?" Edmund asked looking horrified.

"Sometimes you shoot someone in the back when they're marching to kill your family." Brook yanked on the arrow pulling it from the soldier. Annie whimpered at the sound and buried her face in Peter's shoulder. "Come on, we have a few miles to travel."

"Do you how dishonorable that is?" Susan shrieked.

Turing on the balls of her feet Brook stared back at the Queen.

"As honorable as it is killing my six year old sister while I watched!" The green eyed warrior snapped. Turning back again Brook slipped the arrow in among the others in her quiver and moved on.

"Come on." Peter said moving forward making Annie move with him. The others made sure to stay clear of the body and any others that showed up along the trail.

Brook moved to each one, taking knives and arrows as she went. Some had leather pouches others had fur coats and Brook took advantage of them, gathering up anything she could.

"Peter, I don't like this." Annie spoke softly as Brook bent down to grab three arrows from a single corps.

"Don't worry, it's almost over." Peter whispered.

"Don't promise her anything yet!" Brook called back. "Over that ridge, it gets worse." She pointed over a small hill that hid the rest of the forest.

"I don't remember that being there." Lucy commented.

"It wasn't there a year ago, then the soldiers started digging into the mountains. What they were looking for no one knows." Tapping Lucy on the shoulder Brook smiled. "I know you've been in battles before but this is something you've never seen before. It's going to be like nothing any of you have seen before. I…I cannot prepare you for what you will see." Brook trekked on a grim look set on her face.

"Wonder what she means by that." Edmund wondered moving next to Lucy.

Brook heard Edmund and she wanted to tell them about what was to come but no words came to her mouth. She sighed and put her head down; she had seen this sight for months. Brook was there when it first happened and still, the King never showed.

Breaking over the ridge Brook stood there looking over the land without blinking. It was as if she wasn't seen what the others were seeing.

"Susan!" Lucy cried as her eyes took in the sight.

Hundreds of bodies, human and Narnian alike littered the land in piles. The soldiers had been stripped of their armor the Narnians were stripped of everything. Those with fur had been skinned, those with anything that could be salvaged had been stripped of it.

"How could Caspian not know of this?" Edmund asked shock lacing every word.

"Peter…"

"Don't look Annie." Peter's voice was calm but his posture gave away ever emotion in his body, anger, fear, doubt. It's as if he lost all hope.

"Come on Lu, let's get out of here." Susan had the same posture as Peter only she looked more threatening, as if someone had let her down.

"Brook! Brook!" A voice came from above and a shadow crossed the six travelers. A very large, dark griffin landed a few meters in front of the group he's head stretched nearly half a meter above Peters and his eyes burned bright blue.

"Jabersky what is it?" Brook asked taking the few step forward and touched the creatures feathered neck.

Bending down the griffin looked her in the eyes, "More troops, coming from South. We can't hold them; we must fall back and hide."

"No! No more hiding!" Brook yelled. Grabbing the ear of the griffin she spoke quietly. "Get Leatherback, he'll lead the Kind and Queens of Old to the hind out. From there have him get them in anything that fits, or close enough to it. You and I will go South and hold the soldiers."

"Brook that's suicide!" Jabersky cried growling deep in his throat.

"It's the only thing we can do! None of my messages have been answered and no one has returned. I'm sorry your Majesties, we don't have your armor but we will give you what we have."

"Armor or no armor this must be stopped." Edmund said still gazing at the devastation before him.

Turing his huge head Jabersky gave a loud, low call and from the sky came a smaller griffin.

"What can I do?" He asked his powerful wings keeping him a drift.

"Take the Kings and Queens and get the suited up then take them South. Brook and I will go now and do what we can." Jabersky filled Leatherback in on Brooks plan all the while Leatherback looked as if a stone was weighing him down.

"Do you not understand…" He started.

"We understand Leatherback, it's dangerous but what other way is there?" Jabersky finished.

"We could run!"

"Run where?" Brook asked. "Where else is there to run?"

A few minutes went by before anyone spoke, only the sound of Leatherback's flapping wing kept the silence at bay.

Sighing Leatherback shook his head, "Your right, but I don't like it." Landing he looked at his new traveling companions. "We need to get moving. Put them on back."

Peter looked to Annie, "Come on, he'll help you." Moving forward Annie kept her eyes down.

'Could this possibly be real?' She asked blindly reaching out her hand to Leatherback's back. Warm soft feathers corrected her hand. Annie pulled back quickly.

"It's alright, he's a friend." Peter whispered.

"You just met him." Trying again Annie hopped onto the griffin's back like he was a horse.

"The little one too." Leatherback spoke holding out a clawed hand to help Lucy up. "Just don't look down the hill."

Peter moved to walk beside Annie keeping a hand on her leg. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Jabersky it's time we left." With the help of the dark griffin Brook climbed onto his back and readied her arrow. "Edmund, do me a favor and take those with you." Brook pointed to the pile of furs. "Bree is not going to be happy we left her behind."

Chuckling Jabersky unfurled his wings and took off.