Chapter 2
They ran out to the beach and started splashing around. When they came back out, they looked up the beach and in front of them was a young woman on top of a brown horse. Peter looked closely at the woman; she was wearing a blood red dress with a black cloak on over the top. The woman smiled then got down from the horse. Edmund was the first to recognize her.
Edmund ran forward and enveloped her in a hug. "Lucy." Edmund said squeezing her tighter.
Peter and Susan run forward and hug Lucy. Then they all went up to the castle ruins.
"I wonder who lived here." Edmund said looking around.
Susan bent down and picked up a golden chess piece. She looked at it then answered, "I think we did."
"Hey, that's mine…from my chess set." Edmund said walking up to Susan.
Peterfollowed and asked "Which chess set?"
Edmund looked at Peter as if he was dumb and answered "Well, I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?"
Lucy moved over to the dais calling all the others over and putting them all into position saying, "Imagine walls. … And columns there… and a glass roof."
Peter looked then said, "Cair Paravel."
Meanwhile over at the telmarine castle, Miraz was holding his little son, cooing and playing with his hand. Down in the court yard, the soldiers after Caspian came running in with Caspian's horse in tow. Miraz seeing this handed his son to his wife and walked down. Miraz gets stopped before he can check the body tied to the horse, and when he does he sees the dwarf, Trumpkin.
In the Great Hall, the Telmarine lords debate. One man was more outspoken then the others.
Sopespian said "I warned this council when it put its trust in Miraz… there would be consequences."
Another council member said, "No, no. We cannot accuse the Lord Protector without proof!"
A different council member replied, "How long are we going to continue to hide behind that excuse? Until every seat in this chamber is empty?"
The doors open and Miraz enters. Looking very rushed. He sat at his seat and said, "Lords of the council, my apologies for being late. I was not aware we were in session."
Sopespian said, "No doubt you were otherwise occupied."
Miraz looked at him and asked, "My lord?"
Another council member replied for Sopespian, "Ever since the death of Caspian the ninth, you have behaved as if you were king. And now it seems behind these walls, even Prince Caspian has gone missing."
Sopespian not really trying to be sympathetic said, "My deepest condolences, Lord Miraz. Imagine losing your nephew, the rightful heir to the throne, on the very night your wife has blessed you with a son.
Miraz looked at him and said, "Thank you, Lord Sopespian. Your compassion is a boon in such troubled times."
"I trust you can tell us how such a tragedy could have occurred." Sopespian said.
Miraz looked at Sopespian and then stood up, "That is the most disturbing news of all. Our beloved Caspian was abducted… by Narnians!"
Another council member stood in rage saying, "You go too far, Miraz! You expect us to stand by while you blame such a blatant crime on fairy tales?"
Miraz signalled to Glozelle, and he opened the door. Two soldiers drag in Trumpkin, gagged and tied up. The Telmarine lords gasp and stand up.
Miraz turned on them and said, "We forget, my lords… Narnia was once a savage land. Fearsome creatures roamed free. Much of our forefather's blood was shed to exterminate this vermin. … Or so we thought. But while we've been bickering amongst ourselves, they've been breeding, like cockroaches under a rock. Growing stronger. Watching us. Waiting to STRIKE!"
Miraz hits Trumpkin, which displaces the gag. Trumpkin turned to Miraz with a glare.
"And you wonder why we don't like you." He said, still glaring.
Miraz glared back then turned and said, "Well I intend to strike back. Even if I have to cut down the entire forest. I assure you. I will find Prince Caspian, and finish what our ancestors began."
Over at Cair Lucy, Sarah, and Mara watched as Edmund tried to piece together what happened to make the castle a ruin.
Edmund bent down looking at a stone when he suddenly said, "Catapults."
Peter came and looked at him and asked, "What?"
Edmund looked at Peter then back at the rock and answered, "This didn't just happen. Cair Paravel was attacked."
Susan quietly asked, "Who would do such a thing?"
Peter ignored her and walked over to a wall that was still standing. He motioned to Edmund who came over and the two of them pushed it aside. Behind it was a door, and Peter started breaking the wood and getting in. Once he was in he tore a piece of his shirt and asked for a match. Edmund looked at Peter and then pulled out a torch. Peter tried to swipe at Edmund's head, but Susan grabbed Peter's hand and said to just get on with it.
Lucy followed her siblings down into the chamber then went straight over to Susan's chest and put her horn back in beside her bow. Lucy next went over to her own chest and pulled out her cordial and dagger, adding them to her sword belt.
Peter came in next and said, "I can't believe it. It's all still here."
They all run over to their chests then they looked at Lucy and saw that she had swords and a bow and arrows underneath her cloak. When she looked at them she said, "I'm still as tall now as then. But I'm supposed to be younger then you guys."
Susan tried one of her dresses but she said, "I was so tall."
Lucy decided to be the older one and said, "Well you were older then."
Edmund wanting to have a say said, "As opposed to hundreds of years later… when you're younger."
They all strapped everything on and started to turn away when Susan said, "I thought I left my horn on my saddle, but its here."
Lucy looked at Susan and said, "It's the same with everything else. You had them on when you left and now here they are in your chests."
They all turned to watch as Peter opened his chest and pulled out his sword. He looked at it then reading the inscription said, ""When Aslan bears his teeth, winter meets its death."
Lucy quietly completed it. "And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again. Everyone we knew… Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers… they're all gone. I have watched them die, and many more."
Peter looked to Lucy and said, "I think it's time you tell us what's going on."
Lucy smiled but nodded leading the way out.
A few hours later they all walk to the river and here two people talking. Lucy, Mara, and Sarah recognizing the accent get out their bows and notch an arrow. When they see them about to dumb Trumpkin in the water they release them. Lucy's arrow hit one soldier in the arm, Sarah's hits the other soldiers arm, and Mara's hit the side of the boat.
Susan also having hers out had called an order to drop the dwarf. The two soldiers dropped him right in the water, then grabbed their arms and jumped out swimming as fast as they could. Peter handed his sword to Mara and jumped in swimming to save the dwarf. Edmund handed his swords to Sarah and swam to the boat pulling it in. Lucy sat down next to Trumpkin and pulled the gag down and cut his bonds.
Trumpkin looked at Susan and exclaimed, "Drop him?! That's the best you can come up with?"
Susan looked at him as if he were inferior and said, "A simple thank-you would suffice."
Trumpkin not liking the tone said, "They were doing fine drowning me without your help."
Peter not liking how Trumpkin spoke to his sister said, "Maybe we should have let them."
Edmund thinking of possible reasons asked, "Why were they trying to kill you anyway?"
"They're Telmarines. That's what they do." Trumpkin answered looking at Lucy saying it was her turn.
Edmund looked shocked and said, "Telmarines? In Narnia?"
Trumpkin not yet getting the idea asked, "Where have you been for the last few hundred years?"
Lucy bent down and softly patted his hand, "It's a bit of a long story."
Trumpkin watched as Mara and Sarah handed Peter and Edmund their swords and said, "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it? You're the kings and queens of old?"
Peter wanting to have a little bit of fun says, "High King Peter… the Magnificent."
Peter holds out his hand. But there was a sly smile on his face.
Susan not seeing the smile said, "You probably could have left out the last bit."
Trumpkin chuckled knowing what Peter was doing said, "Probably."
Peter looked at Lucy and seeing her nod said, "You might be surprised."
Peter draws his sword. Letting the light glint off the blade.
Trumpkin also seeing Lucy nod just said, "Oh, you don't want to do that, boy."
Peter turned the sword around and said, "Not me. Him."
Peter looks at Edmund who draws his sword. Peter hands his sword to Trumpkin. He takes it and pretends the sword is too heavy and drops it in the sand. Edmund looks to Lucy then smiles at Peter. Suddenly, Trumpkin knocks Edmund's sword away and swings. Edmund ducks and Trumpkin hits him in the face. Edmund backs off and tries to get his wits back.
Susan watched horrified and called out, "Edmund!"
Trumpkin not really wanting to hurt him asks, "Aww, you alright?"
They circle around and continue fighting. Trumpkin slashes at Edmund's feet, but he jumps with both feet off the ground so that the blow goes under them. A few seconds later, the Dwarf's sword flies out of his grip. Trumpkin stares, and falls down in the sand. Lucy sees a slight gash on his hand and moves forward putting a drop of her cordial on it.
Trumpkin stared at Edmund and said, "Beards and bedsteads! Maybe that horn worked after all."
Susan still not getting the fact that Lucy had used her horn asked, "What horn?"
