Chapter 4
The Dwarf Needs Proof
The dwarf's anxiety grew the higher the company climbed. The ruins of Cair Paravel all but surrounded them, and the dense trees made it difficult to walk and see. "Ghosts," he would mumble as his eyes darted around. "We are all ghosts."
Once the troop entered the ruble of the Great Hall, the sky opened and the sun blazed down on top of them. The dwarf gazed around at the large pieces of broken wall around him, his fingers twitched as if he wished to grab a weapon. "One thing before we go on. Place your hand on your hearts and swear to me we aren't all ghosts. I'm about sure I drowned and we are ghosts together."
Peter chuckled before placing his hand over his heart. The others soon followed his lead. "I swear to you that we are all quite alive. Does hunger plague the dead?"
Seeming to find peace in Peter's words, the dwarf shouted out orders to the troop, before borrowing Lucy's dagger and skillfully cleaning the fish. Edmund and Peter were to start and fire, while the girls found a bucket and filled it with cool water from the well. Eating is far more enjoyable when one does not have to get up to quench his or her thirst, or so was the dwarf's reasoning.
Soon the fish were cleaned and cooking on the fire's smoldering embers. Once the fish were good and done, everyone set to eating, which is rather difficult with no utensils. Fingers were burnt and mouths were poked with little bones, but none complained, for the fish were delicious and far more appetizing than apples. When everyone finished the meal with a sip from the bucket, the dwarf pulled a pipe from his shirt, filled it and lit it, before leaning back against a shady tree and looking at Peter. "Shall we begin?"
"We shall," replied Peter, "but we would quite like to hear your tale first."
"Since you saved my life, I will honor your wishes," responded the dwarf before taking a deep puff from his pipe. "First I must say that I am a messenger for King Caspian the Tenth."
"King Caspian the Tenth?" asked Cara. "Caspian the First had no right to call himself King. That entire line in nothing more than Telmarine swine."
"Caspian the Tenth is the rightful King of Narnia, and long may he reign!" replied the dwarf. Cara looked at him with disgust.
"Rightful King? His people are the ones that created the ruble around you. The rightful King should sit here at Cair Paravel."
"Cair Paravel is gone," Peter cut in, sending a harsh look towards Cara.
"Peter is right. Let us hear the dwarf's story before me make any judgments," said Edmund.
Cara scowled at Peter, but she said nothing else on the topic. Seeing that it was ok for him to continue, the dwarf explained how King Caspian was truly not King at all, "—well," he said, "he is King of the Old Narnians at least."
The use of the term Old Narnian caused a great deal of confusion, while the term New Narnian caused a great deal of anger, especially on Cara's part, for she refused to admit that the Telmarines had any right to call themselves Narnians at all. Peter once again told her to silence herself, which caused Cara to begin to rise from her spot beside the fire. Susan grabbed her hand and whispered something into her ear. None knew what was said, but Susan's words calmed Cara enough that she sat down quietly and said nothing for the remainder of the story, nor did she give Peter a second glance.
After realizing that the only way to explain everything correctly was to start at the beginning, the dwarf began the tale of Caspian's professor and his teachings of the old ways. From here he described Caspian's escape and the treachery of King Miraz. Lucy found this part very exciting, and repeatedly asked the dwarf for details, which he happy added.
As the dwarf continued, Peter cast worried glances towards the High Queen, who seemed to pay little attention to anything except for the fire. Her eyes were cold and hard as she stared into the smoldering embers. Peter wished that she would look towards him. He would give anything to simply offer her a smile; a signal of truce. She cast her gaze up once, but it was only to look quickly at the dwarf before returning her eyes back to the fire. Peter soon gave up trying to catch her eye, and deciding to simply ignore the problem, paid his attention entirely to the dwarf.
Not an hour later the dwarf's tale was all but complete. The Pevensies and Cara learned how a magic horn came into Caspian's possession, and how the very dwarf before them was sent on a mission to meet the Kings and Queens of old.
"I was not a few hours on my journey when I heard a sound the filled the air like thunder, but flew over water like music," explained the dwarf, who the Pevensies and Cara learned was called Trumpkin. "I knew that Caspian must have blown the horn, for only magic can make a noise like that."
Hearing about the horn made the Pevensies very excited. "About what time was it?" asked Edmund hurriedly.
"About nine or ten I would say," responded Trumpkin.
This caused a cheer of enthusiasm from all of the Pevensies, for that was precisely the time that they were pulled from the railway station. Everyone, save Cara, quickly fell into chatter about being called into Narnia and the anticipation of their future adventures.
"It's a bit unsettling knowing one can be called like that," said Edmund.
"Oh, but we do want to be here, don't we?" responded Lucy "If Aslan wants us, and if Narnia needs us." Peter quickly agreed with her.
"That's all well and good," began Trumpkin, "but what can we do now? I suppose I must travel back to King Caspian and explain that the horn didn't work."
"But it did work, for here we are," responded Susan with a slightly angry voice. She took offense to the dwarf speaking badly about her horn.
"Well, yes. But, um. I believe the King was expecting warriors, you see," said Trumpkin.
"What are you getting at?" asked Edmund. "You believe we can't hold our own?"
"Well it isn't that. I do love little children, just not quite at a time like this," Trumpkin told Edmund, who was getting quite red in the face.
"Coming from you, little is taking it a bit too far," Edmund said as he stood up.
"Now, there is really no reason to get irate," interjected Peter. "Let us fit him and ourselves into armor from the treasure chamber, and we can have a talk after that." Edmund went to argue with Peter, but Lucy got to him before he had a chance.
"Shouldn't we listen to Peter? He is the High King, and I do believe he has a plan." Edmund agreed with this, and by the aid of his electric torch they all made their way down the stairs and into the chamber.
Cara sat back and watched the ordeal with only slight interest. She had a rather large craving to hit the High King that would simply not subside. During Trumpkin's long tale of Caspian—as Cara referred to him, for she refused to use King— she could feel Peter's eyes burning into her, which only fueled her wanting to disregard him and his actions. She fully intended on staying beside the fire when the very boy that she loathed called to her.
"Cara, this includes you," Peter said as his head popped out of the chamber doorway. "I do have a plan." When Cara offered no response Peter continued. "You are acting like a child, you know."
That was it.
"A child!" yelled Cara. "I did not hear the dwarf referring to me as little, and I will have you know that my age is of a greater number than yours."
"A greater number?" asked Peter. "I lived nine hundred years before you did."
"In our time High King, but not in yours. You still have the body of a boy," Cara responded with a voice full of contempt. She could tell by the look on Peter's face that she had damaged a large part of his ego, not to mention that her words were entirely untrue, for his body resembled that of a man despite his young age.
"Fine, deny me those years, but when I ruled Narnia I lived to be an age greater than the one you are now. I may not look like a grown man, but in my chest beats the heart of one and my mind contains the wisdom of one," Peter responded with a flushed face. Never before had a woman spoken to him this way, and never before had such simple words angered him so.
"The wisdom, Peter? Have you already forgotten that you support the placing of a Telmarine on the Narnian throne? I see no wisdom in that." Cara's face was now as flushed as Peter's, and her heart beat widely in her chest.
"You have no right to criticize my decisions as High King. Have you already forgotten that Narnia fell while you sat on her throne? Might I also add that it was not Susan's horn that brought you back to Narnia, but my hand." Peter was now standing only feet from Cara. His blue eyes blazed into her dark ones as he spoke, but his anger quickly subsided when he saw the heartache sketched on her face.
"Cara, I am—" Peter started, but was cut off by the sound of Susan's voice.
"Peter, do hurry up. We are all nearly dressed."
The High King went to finish his apology when Cara pushed past him and disappeared down the corridor. Peter grabbed the bridge of his nose and squinted his eyes. Another headache was forming; something he noticed often accompanied the High Queen.
When Peter entered the treasure chamber he was met with Edmund and Lucy trying to equip Trumpkin with chain mail, which despite his current situation produced a chuckle deep inside his chest. The dwarf looked quite stuffed in some places, and quite loose in others, but in the end the young King and Queen managed to outfit him with armor that was not only beautiful, but useable.
Both Edmund and Susan were changed from their traveling clothes to their personal armor, while Lucy remained in her gown, for her duties began after battle, which gave her no need to wear such clothing. Seeing that he was behind in his preparations, Peter grabbed his armor and began to dress, his arms and legs and heart feeling stronger with each clasp that he made. Soon the golden lion stood robust on his chest once again.
Cara appeared not long after Peter finished. Her hair was now secured back and she wore a dress much like Susan's, with chain mail secured under leather armor and a flowing skirt underneath. Peter quickly noted that her expression was not one of anger any longer, but one of deep sadness. His heart fell at the knowledge that he caused her such grief.
After locating equipment for the dwarf; that is to say, a sword and a bow, the company made their way back up the staircase and out into the sun. Peter and Edmund lagged slightly behind whispering hurriedly to each other. It seemed Peter did have a plan, which Cara, quite silently, wished would fail.
"May I ask you a question?" asked Edmund to the dwarf once the entire crew was out of the chamber and standing amongst the ruble that was the Great Hall. "Children such as us get very little excitement, and it would be a frightfully goodtime if you would spar with me. You see, I have never met a warrior such as yourself."
"But dear boy," said Trumpkin, "These blades are sharp, and sparing is a dangerous game."
"Indeed, but I am not good enough to ever touch you, and you will be swift enough to disarm me with no or little damage," responded Edmund. Cara noticed that the corner of his mouth twitched as he said this.
"You do make a point of it," said Trumpkin. Not a moment later both swords were out and at the ready. Cara had met many dwarves when she ruled, therefore she was not surprised when Trumpkin not only started the battle, but pushed Edmund back rather quickly. Dwarves might be small creatures, but height is truly the only department that they are deficient in.
Lucy watched with excitement, while Susan yelled repeatedly for the boys to be careful, for she never quite got used to such sports. Peter looked on with a face lacking any emotion; his mind completely on the young woman beside him and the tension that perforated the air between them.
Edmund and the dwarf circled continually, both taking turns slashing and jumping as they attacked each other. Trumpkin was more aggressive than Edmund, swinging his sword viciously at the King's legs. Edmund managed to jump gracefully out of the way each time; the quickness of their movements making the battle very exhilarating for the on lookers.
Seeming to decide that it was time to end the battle, Edmund turned quickly and with one swift move sent Trumpkin's swords flying into the air and out of his hands. The dwarf stared in disbelief at the young King before turning to all of the children and replying, "Well I do see your point. The boy knows a trick or two I never learned."
"This is true," responded Peter. "The winning swordsman generally only does so by knowing a few tricks that his opponent does not. I think we shall offer you another chance. Will you try archery against my sister?"
The dwarf accepted the offer with little hesitation, for among his people he was a famous bowman. Soon the target was picked—a small apple hanging high in the trees—and the first arrow was shot. Trumpkin smiled to himself as his arrow just missed the apple; it truly was a brilliant shot considering the distance of the target. Susan came next, and after stringing her bow she took aim and let go. The apple hit the ground with a small plop not moments later.
"Well done Su," came Peter's voice, which was accompanied by claps from the two remaining Pevensies and Cara. Susan felt dreadfully bad. She did enjoy winning, but seeing the dwarf lose for a second time saddened the gentle Queen.
"Do you have anymore tricks up your sleeves?" Trumpkin asked Peter with a laugh. "It seems I have made quite a fool of myself, and I do hope you take my humble apology, your Majesties."
Peter looked to Cara, who was busy congratulating Susan on her remarkable shot. The High Queen still refused to look at him, or acknowledge his presence at all. Seeing that he had an opportunity to engage Cara in conversation, and possibly a truce, he turned to the Queen and said, "Cara, I do believe you are quite good with throwing knives? I noticed you carry many daggers on your person. Perhaps you wish to enter a contest with the dwarf."
"If he wishes," Cara said without looking at the High King.
"I'm not one to ever turn down a contest," responded Trumpkin, "and I am quite good with daggers."
"Very well then," said Peter. "Pick your target."
Trumpkin picked a tree that was quite far off, and took his aim with one of Cara's many daggers. After a moment of preparation he sent the small knife on its way. It was a perfect shot; one that would be rather impossible to beat. After praising the dwarf, Cara took her stance and aimed. At the last minute she turned her body towards the High King and let her dagger go. Peter felt a soft breeze across his cheek before hearing a thumb directly beside his head.
"Lollipops and lanterns!" said Trumpkin. "What a shot!" And indeed it was, for not a centimeter from Peter's head was Cara's dagger sticking out of a tree. Cara walked casually up to Peter and pulled her dagger from the dark wood.
"What are you talking about?" she asked the dwarf. "I missed."