Chapter Four

Aries had spent most of her day with Ironhoof, Suncloud and Rainstone, exploring Aslan's How and talking about whatever came to mind. It was unusual, Aries thought, for her to be around creatures of her own age. They were much larger than her – they were, after all, far taller than Caspian. When they stood together, she only reached Rainstone's wrists, and he was the smallest.

"Does fire burn you?" Suncloud asked, starting their new topic of conversation happily. Aries looked at him for a moment and hummed.

"I don't think so," she replied. "My own fire doesn't burn me, at least."

"What about the heat?" getting into the conversation, Ironhoof piped up, "You have to feel hot when you use your fire."

"No more-so that usual," she shrugged. "Trufflehunter always told me I have a higher body-heat than most, though," she considered after a moment. In an instant, all three boys had reached out to touch her shoulders, just to test that theory.

"Well, I'd say he's right," Rainstone nodded. "You're skin is a lot hotter than mine."

"Mine, too," Suncloud agreed, as did Ironhoof.

"Excuse me, but I am going to have to borrow Aries for a moment," Prince Caspian said as he approached the chattering quartet. The boys looked a little upset, but nodded and Caspian gently pulled her away. "They seem to like you."

"I like them, too," Aries smiled. "What did you want, Sire?"

"For you to stop calling me 'Sire'," he responded jokingly. Aries rolled her eyes once and crossed her arms.

"Very well, Highness," she corrected.

"Have you fed Destrier yet today?" he asked her when they stopped walking, just outside the How.

"Destrier?" she frowned, tilting her head as she looked up at Caspian.

"My – Your horse," he told her. "His name is Destrier."

"Oh, I see," she hummed, smiling. "Yes, I have fed him. He is over there, actually, eating as we speak." Aries laughed when Caspian turned around, seeing the horse eating not too far behind him, in plain sight.

"Alright, you caught me," he sighed. "That wasn't want I wanted to ask."

"Well?" she prompted.

"We need weapons," he told her, all joking aside.

"Yes, and?" she said.

"I know how to get them, but I will need all the help I can get," Caspian said, pulling her inside the How. "Glenstorm, Tyrus and I are going into a Telmarine camp close to here, where they are building a bridge, and we shall steal their weapons while they sleep."

"What will you have me do?" she asked.

"I know you will probably not like this, but you must lead the way," he told them, looking at her hands. Aries sighed.

"I have been lowered to a mere light," she muttered.

"Well, we also need some fighters standing by in case the Telmarines find us and fight," he said quickly. "If that happens, I will need you."

"I know why I can't go into the camp with you, Your Highness," she laughed, shaking her head. "Trufflehunter told you, didn't he?"

"About your lack of strength?" smiled Caspian, "Yes, he did."

"Well," she huffed, "did he also mention that –"

"You more than make up for it in your agility and speed," the Prince rehearsed, his smile getting wider when Aries' face reddened.

"Then I suppose you know that the only thing that makes me useless for this mission is that I wouldn't be able to carry any of the weapons," she said meekly, feeling like she was of no use. Caspian sensed this and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If you were completely useless, I would not have asked you to come," he reminded her. "I also need you to sneak into the camp first and tell us when they are sleeping; Nikabrik mentioned how quiet you are, and so I hope you are willing to do this."

"Of course," she grinned, happy to be more useful that a flame so they could see in the dark, "Easy as climbing a tree."

"Some people may take offense at that," he said, gesturing to the Centaurs – of course, their anatomy would make it rather hard to climb anything vertically, but no one would dare mock them for it. Should they need to get to the top of a tree, they could easily kick it down, after all.

"I suppose," she nodded. "When are we leaving?"

"A few hours," Caspian answered, looking at the sky. "I want it to be dark, so meet us here when the sun sets."

"Alright," she agreed. Caspian looked like he wanted to say something else, but Aries had already turned to go back to Glenstorm's three sons. He sighed as he watched her run towards them, the four looking happy just to be in each other's company – it amazed him just how many friendships of circumstance were being formed, since Aries and the Centaurs would have never met were it not for the impending war.

"Stop what you're thinking," a gruff voice said from below Caspian. He looked down and saw Nikabrik, a scowl covering his face – the Prince was about to jump away, but there was no sword in the Black Dwarf's hand, so he calmed.

"Pray, what was I thinking?" he asked, sure that the Dwarf had no idea. Nikabrik glanced at him, and then turned to look at Aires; she was being chased by Suncloud and Ironhoof for a comment she had made, though they all seemed to be having fun – Rainstone was watching, laughing at his brothers as they captured the Nymph.

"You were thinking about Aries," he said, "and how you want to know her more, more than you want to know any other Narnian."

"That is not so," Caspian replied; he hadn't been thinking that at all, but now that Nikabrik had mention it, it seemed slightly true. While he didn't want to know her more than any other Narnian, he found her company more pleasant and could honestly say that he wanted her around slightly more than he wanted the presence of the others, Nikabrik in particular.

"Oh, it's not, is it?" the Dwarf growled. "I'm going on this little 'borrowing'-trip tonight, whether you want me there or not. It was a stupid idea to ask Aries to go; someone needs to be there to look out for her."

"I can protect her just fine," insisted the human. Nikabrik looked him in the eye and glared.

"I have been protecting her perfectly for the past eleven years, boy," he said slowly, making sure Caspian was listening carefully. "I know how to protect her, as well. You can't treat her like some Telmarine damsel, Prince; she is a Fire Nymph and, more than that, a proud Narnian. If you treat her like glass, she's likely to break you."

"Then how do you protect someone who is not in need of protection?" the human questioned, genuinely curious.

"By watching from afar, and letting her grazes heal by themselves," Nikabrik admitted sadly, as though it were a truth he wished to be false. The Dwarf had watched her grow up, getting hurting when she climbed too high in a tree and the only way down was to fall; he could do nothing, for Trufflehunter had told both him and Trumpkin that Fire Nymphs were raised with minimal care. It was the Fire Nymph way to watch their young grow up, seeing that they knew how to care for themselves from a very young age.

Dwarfs, whether Black or Red, had a natural instinct to reach out for their infants and hold them close, whether they had a broken arm or a splinter in their finger – they were raised with never-ending attention, and they grew to return this attention with fierce loyalty to their family and people. For Trumpkin and Nikabrik, it was hard to watch her be forced to pick herself up after a fall and not even offer to bandage her bleeding palm. Trufflehunter had warned them to let her grow as a Nymph, not a Dwarf, so that she would be a Nymph when her family woke up.

"You may come tonight," Caspian agreed. His hope of making peace with Nikabrik was shattered with the Dwarf turned to glower at him again.

"As if I needed your permission," snarled the Narnian, turning and walking away from the Prince. Caspian sighed.

"There is just no peace with him," he realised, shaking his head.

"No, there's not," Trufflehunter agreed, stepping up to Caspian with a knowing look on his face, Reepicheep at his side.

"You will forgive our fierce friend," the Mouse said, "for all he wants is to watch over Aries the only way he can – the only way any of us can. Though, of course, that is not his only reason for disliking you, me liege."

"Dislike may be a word too soft for the feelings Nikabrik has concerning all Telmarines, you included, Sire," the Badger acknowledged. "We all feel some resentment of the Telmarines, of course."

"But you all can overlook it to see me for who I am," Caspian responded, "and not just a Telmarine."

"You are a Narnian now, my Prince," Reepicheep slipped in happily. "We would give our lives only for one of our own."

"Thank you, noble Mouse," Caspian nodded. "I need to prepare for the raid later tonight," he then said, turning to walk into the How after bidding farewell to the Badger and the Mouse.

Aries watched Prince Caspian walk into the How and sighed, shaking her head slowly. He had been speaking with Nikabrik, which was never a good sign. Of course, she had no idea what they had been discussing – Ironhoof, Suncloud and Rainstone had kept her mind occupied with running and laughing – but she knew, as every else did, of Nikabrik's hatred for the son of the Telmarine's old King.

"Lady Aries!" called someone, and the Fire Nymph turned. She looked around, seeing no one, until the voice spoke again. "Down here!" it squeaked, and Aries looked down. She smiled, seeing a small Squirrel on the ground.

"Hello, Pattertwig," she recalled, having learn his name on their journey to the How, "and please, no not call me 'Lady', for I am of equal standing to you."

"Of course, of course!" he chattered. "I have some here to give you a message – a short one, but it was given to me, for I am the fastest Messenger Squirrel in all of Narnian!"

"What is the message?" Ironhoof asked, quickly before Pattertwig could delve deeper into his amazing ability to talk for hours without drawing breath.

"Ah, yes, the message," he nodded several times, standing straight. "Ahem; Aries, stop fraternizing with the enemy!"

"Enemy?" gasped Rainstone, looking from the Squirrel to Aries. "We are not her enemy!" he insisted.

"He did not mean you, Rainstone," Aries sighed. "I know who the message was from, and also who is concerns. I was speaking with the Prince, and Nikabrik is my friend."

"I see," Suncloud realised with a smile. "Your small friend does not like you making friends with His Majesty the Prince, then?"

"Not at all," laughed the Fire Nymph. She then sighed and, smiling to the Squirrel and Centaurs, turned. "I am going with them later tonight to procure some weapons. I should probably rest until then."

"That's a good idea," Suncloud nodded, agreeing. His brother and he bid her farewell and Pattertwig blurted a long, jittery goodbye, as the Nymph left them and entered the How.

"Aries?" sounded Caspian's voice from deeper in the fortress. The Nymph turned and smiled. "What are you doing in here? You still have time before our departure."

"I know," she acknowledged, "but I wanted to get some rest beforehand, so that I would not be tired for our journey. It's quite a distance to the Telmarine camp, after all."

"Indeed it is," the Prince smiled. "We shall be stopping to camp on the Dancing Lawn on our way back; I have arranged for some of the Minotaurs and Centaurs to meet us there, amongst others, to help go through and carry the weapons back to Aslan's How tomorrow morning, after we are rested."

"That sounds like a good plan," she agreed. "Excuse me, Highness, but I am quite tired."

"Of course," he bowed slightly, and Aries lowered herself into a bow as well; Caspian, not used to women bowing, hid his amused smile as she walked away from him and to the place she had secured – near to Trufflehunter and Nikabrik – to sleep.

"The Nymph is joining us?" Tyrus the Satyr questioned the Prince as he watched the retreating Fire-user. Caspian turned to him and nodded.

"She is," he replied. "Aries has agreed to not only light out path, but infiltrate the camp first to make sure all the guards are asleep."

"That young girl is going alone into a Telmarine camp?" he frowned, thinking of how small and weak Aries appeared. Caspian smiled, knowing what the Satyr was thinking, and nodded again.

"Not only is she more powerful that her appearance gives her credit for," he began, "but she is also quiet and quick on her feet. If there was any Narnian perfectly suited to sneak into the camp and not get caught, even in broad daylight, it would be her."

"You put much faith into one Nymph, Sire," Tyrus noticed, eyeing the Prince with a serious expression on his face. "Are you sure that it is her abilities despite her appearance that you wish to employ, and not her appearance itself."

"I will not have you suggest that," Caspian warned, holding his sword in his hand in an instant. "Aries has agreed out of her own kindness to put her life in danger in order to make this mission easier for us, for you. Yet you stand there and imply that she is only coming with us for her beauty?"

"I apologise," the Satyr said wearily, shaking his head. "The implication behind my words was not meant to insult your Lady."

"My Lady?" choked the Prince as he looked around sharply, holding that a certain group of people – Glenstorm's sons, Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, Reepicheep and Aries, herself – had not heard the goat-man. "She – She is not –"

"It is quite alright, My Lord," Tyrus smirked, seeing Caspian's flustered appearance and knowing his words had hit a chord in the young Prince. "She is a pretty young woman, and you are a growing young man; it is only natural."

"P-Please do not mention this again," Caspian requested, turning quickly and walking out of the How. He heard Tyrus' laughter as he retreated, but couldn't find it in his to turn around and deny the Satyr's words.

Later that evening, when the sun fell away from the sky and the moon took its place, Prince Caspian and Glenstorm awaited the arrival of the others. Tyrus was the next to join them, receiving a disapproving looked from Glenstorm for being later – although only by moments. Aries was the one who arrived fourth, offering everyone apologetic glances, and Nikabrik was soon to follow, though he was far less diffident regarding his lateness.

"Now that we are all here, we can go," Caspian stated, looking firmly at Nikabrik – he would have the Dwarf show him some respect, whether the shorter creature wanted to or not. As he passed Aries, he paused – she really was tiny – and looked down at her. "You will need to be at the front of the group with me in order to light the way."

"Yes, Prince Caspian," she nodded, smiling. Nikabrik sneered at her show of conformity and spat. Caspian handed everyone a large leather bag before he continued.

"We will use these to carry what we find. There are three sacks in each bag as well, should you need more room." He opened the bag around his shoulders as he said this. "You, Nikabrik, will bring up the rear," added Caspian. "Glenstorm and Tyrus will be in the centre. We will have no horses, for they are too loud."

"A Fire Nymph isn't noticeable at all, then?" Nikabrik sneered, hoisting the bag across his shoulders. Caspian was about to respond, but Aries got there first.

"Perhaps he's right," she said, adjusting the satchel to be more comfortable around her torso. "I mean, they're bound to see me if I free my powers," the girl added.

"It's true," Tyrus and Glenstorm agreed. Caspian was at a loss, but another thought came to him.

"We still need you to infiltrate the camp," he told her, and them. "No one else is as silent as you are."

"Reepicheep could do it," Nikabrik grunted.

"No, Aries is a wiser choice," Glenstorm spoke this time. "Reepicheep is likely to make a show of any conscious Telmarine, alerting them to our presence. Aries is not only quieter, but stealthier as well."

"We have no time to discuss this anyway," Tyrus huffed, stomping his hoof into the ground. "We are running out of time – the Telmarine camp is quite a distance away, and we still need to walk there and take their weapons before making it back to the Dancing Lawn before sunrise. How are we to do all of this is we haven't even left Aslan's How?"

"Yes, we must make haste," Caspian agreed. "Aries, can you make a small, dim flame that the Telmarines would not notice?"

"I can," she nodded, freeing her powers. In the darkness, the men gathered stood in pure awe of the light she produced, but their amazement ended when she dimmed her flames to a subtle glow; bright enough to light their path, but dark enough so as not to arouse suspicion.

The Telmarine and three Narnians followed the light Aries produced as Caspian led them through the forest to the winding river and from there to the outskirts of the Telmarine camp. It was a while into their journey when Nikabrik paused, hearing rustling in the foliage above. Everyone stopped and looked up, holding their breaths. The flames around Aries burned more vigorously, but she forced them not to brighten.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief when Pattertwig showed himself, telling them that the Centaurs, Minotaurs and a few others had gathered and were now setting off for the Dancing Lawn. Caspian thanked him for the news and the Squirrel was quick to leap away – he, too, would wait for them in the make-shift camp until they returned.

Once they reached the Telmarine camp, the first thing they noticed was just how quiet it was. There were no candles or lamps lit, and though a few guards stood around its borders, there was not a Telmarine in sight that was supposed to be sleeping. Caspian wanted to smile at how his plan was unfolding perfectly, but that would-be smile wiped itself from his face when Aries' flames went out, leaving them in darkness.

"Be careful," Nikabrik whispered curtly, huskily. Aries, who seemed to glow in the moonlight even without her flames, smiled.

"Aren't I always?" she whispered back ominously. Before anyone could say anything more, she had slipped away from them and into the camp. She first checked all of the tents, finding every Telmarine sleeping soundly inside them; it amused her as to how vulnerable they really were.

Next, she moved to the guards. It was easy to take out the first, distracting him by tossing a twig near the river and then hitting the base of his neck with the hilt of her small weapon – she had kept Caspian's dagger, and now she was thankful for it. Taking no time to dwell on the Telmarine she had knocked out, she moved on to the second guard, repeating the process easily. By the time she made it to the fourth and final guard, he still hadn't caught on to what was happening.

After performing a final sweep of the camp to make sure she hadn't missed anyone, Aries leapt to where she had left Caspian and the others. "All clear, it's safe," she told them.

"As safe as a Telmarine camp could ever be, at least," Nikabrik grumbled, stepping out of the forest.

"Their weapons should be stored over here," Caspian told them quietly, leading the small group to a collection of five wagons, each with a lock. Before anyone could question how they would enter the wagons, Aries placed a hand over the lock closest to her.

"That should do it," she smiled, pulling her hand away and revealing the melted lock in her palm.

"Could Reepicheep have done that?" Caspian asked the Dwarf quietly, referring to his comment back at the How. Nikabrik cursed the Prince under his breath as Aries made quick work of the other four locks.

Their work was so close to being complete, all five Telmarine wagons now unlocked and ready to be unloaded. Caspian was glad to find that two of the wagons were full of armour rather than weapons, and gestured for Aries and Tyrus to walk over to him. Each took a sack from their bags and he gestured to the wagons quickly. Aries and Tyrus set to work – picking out only the armour that would fit their warriors – this came mean either very big or very small, though a fair few Narnians would have made no use of the various metal breastplates.

While Tyrus and Aries collected armour, Nikabrik, Caspian and Glenstorm loaded as many weapons as they could into the sacks they carried, soon having to switch to another. While the group of five were making quick work of the items in the wagons the Telmarines slept, still completely unaware of the Narnians – and their own Prince – robbing them.

As Aries loaded her full sacks into the basket Glenstorm had – grudgingly – agreed to carry on his back for her, since she could have burnt everything she carried when releasing her powers, Caspian took out one of the daggers they had stolen and walked to the closest wagon. She followed him silently and, when he came again from the wagon, he jumped.

"You are sneakier than I gave you credit for," he gasped, placing a hand on his chest to feel his rapid heartbeat.

"What did you do?" she asked him, smiling at the mischievous glint in his eyes as he stepped further back, allowing her to see. Aries looked and frowned, tilting her head at the words on the wagon. "What does it say?" she questioned.

"Can you not read it?" he asked, frowning. Aries looked away.

"I can't read," she admitted easily, though inwardly she was turning red. It was humiliating for her to admit it to someone of her own age who was so obviously well education. Caspian looked at her for a moment and smiled.

"It says; 'You were right to fear the woods'. I even signed it," he told her, "and Aries?"

"Yes?" she replied, still not looking at him as they walked back to the others.

"Being unable to read or write is nothing to feel ashamed about."