Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia characters and themes do not belong to me, I'm just borrowing them from C.S. Lewis.
The day was just beginning to break when the Narnians returned to the How, their numbers significantly less than when they had set off last night. Airies brought up the rear, being supported and held up by Susan. The loss of Narnian life had taken its toll on her. She kept replaying the night's events over and over, as if her mind were a broken record.
It started off perfectly and just as planned. Edmund got into the tower easily on the back of a griffin. He signaled Peter, Airies, Susan and Caspian in, and they got inside the castle walls smoothly and undetected. It was when they got into Professor Cornelius' room that conflict started to arise. The professor was missing, and Caspian insisted on finding him. "I owe him my life," he had said. They agreed that he would be able to find Cornelius and still get the gate open to let the troops inside in time. But he was wrong. When he found the professor, he also found out the truth about his father, which was that Miraz, his father's brother, had killed him. This led him to Miraz's room. Once they were found out, Caspian and Susan thought it best to just get out while they still could. Peter, on the other hand, was determined to finish this, and Airies went with him. As he, Caspian and Susan worked together to get the gate open, Airies defended them, keeping away the guards before at last the troops made it in.
They were strong, at first, as they always were when they were together. But soon, they started to falter. The Telmarines were too many, and better trained than the Narnians. Airies watched as above them Telmarine archers took their aim. And then Peter was shouting at them to retreat. The next part seemed to happen in slow motion.
An arrow was shot, heading straight for Peter, but it never hit him. Instead, it sank right into the heart of Thorin, who had leapt in front of Peter to take the shot. Airies' eyes connected with her companions, watching as he took his last breath. Then she was screaming. She was aware that she was screaming, but she could not hear it. She could not hear a thing. She tried to get to him, but two arms wrapped around her middle, keeping her from doing so. She kicked and twisted and pulled against the arms, but they held her firmly against them. They lifted her up while she still tried to kick against them. "Peter needs you. We need to go." It was Caspian, pulling her to his horse. She watched as Glenstorm, with Susan on his back, picked up Thorin. That's when it dawned on her. She knew that they may get out, but as long as the gate was open and functioning, the Telmarines would still be right after them. So as Caspian tried to help her onto his horse after him, she slipped out of his grasp and once against sent his horse flying away from her. He joined Peter outside of the gate, and once Airies was sure of it, she slammed her fist down onto the ground.
The cement beneath her cracked and buckled. The crack traveled all the way to the gate, up the wall that held the gate turner, and then continued up until it was breaking and the gate was flying shut. She knew that was it. She got ready to fight to the death, but then she was lifted into the air. Edmund's griffin had picked her up with its talons and was flying her over the gate walls. She screamed at him to drop her, and Edmund shouted at her to shut up, that she may be suicidal but he was not going to let her die for them.
Airies had condemned all of those Narnians to death. It was all she could think of as they came upon the How. It was her fault, all her fault. She would never be able to fix this.
When she and Susan made it to the front of the line, Peter and Caspian were fighting, putting the blame on each other. But neither of them were the ones to blame. They should be shouting at her. She killed those Narnians. She killed Thorin. "STOP IT!" She was screaming and shoving Peter and Caspian away from each other before she even realized what she was doing. And then she was sobbing. Peter tried to pull her to him but she shoved and hit him away. "Airies, stop," he whispered, and then he finally got to her. She continued to try to push him away, but it was half-hearted now, and he was able to get his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he whispered again and again into her hair, but what was he sorry for? She should be the one apologizing. This was her mess. She should have died with them.
"How could you say that?" Peter was holding her at arm's length now. They were the only ones left outside at this point. Airies did not realize everyone had gone inside, nor that she had spoken out loud. She could only look at him. She had nothing else to say. "I want to bury him," was all she could say. Peter sighed. "Of course," he agreed, then he kissed her forehead. "I'll get the shovels."
Five minutes later, the pair of them were digging underneath the cover of the trees. It did not take long before they were ready, and Edmund was bringing out Thorin wrapped in Airies cloak. He gently put the wolf into the earth, and then using their hands they piled the dirt back over him. Lucy and Susan joined them.
"We should say something," Lucy said quietly. All eyes shifted downward. "Thorin," Peter started, stepping up first. "You were so brave. I owe you my life, and not just mine, but Airies' life as well. I will never get the chance to thank you for everything you have done for me, for this country, and for her. Your death will not be in vain, this I swear. May you rest ever peacefully."
Airies knew that she should say something, but no words came to her. Instead, she knelt down onto the ground and rested a hand on top of the dirt. The ground turned a faint blue under her fingers, and then a tiny tree spurted up at the head of Thorin's grave. "Rest easy, my friend," she finally whispered.
She did not notice that everyone besides Peter had left, she was not even sure how much time had passed as she sat with her hand on the ground. Peter held out his hand for her, and she slowly took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet and then into the How. Once inside, he pulled her into a hug. She felt his tears fall onto her neck.
"Forgive me," he whispered.
She pulled away from him. "Forgive you? For what? I did this," she cried, her tone completely disgusted.
Peter looked at her and shook his head. "This is on me, Airies. Not on you. I could have called it off. I could have… I could have…" But he could not get his words out anymore without breaking down.
"Peter, you did what you thought was right, what you had to do. Battles are dangerous affairs," Airies told him, and Peter could not help but chuckled as he recalled someone much wiser telling him those same words many years ago.
"Is He… is He gone?" he finally brought himself to ask.
"No. No, he's just waiting," Airies answered him, knowing right away who he was speaking of.
Peter sighed. "Waiting for what? How much longer do I have to mess up before he shows himself, Airies? I don't think I can wait any longer. I've lost all of my hope." His words hung heavy in the air.
Airies moved closer to him and they slumped down against the wall until they were sitting. "Then that's what he's waiting for," she said quietly. She took his hand and brought it to her lips. He rested his head on top of hers. She could feel his breath on her hair, and a shiver went down her spine. She had missed him, more than she had let herself think. "I love you," he whispered, and a grin broke out upon her face, despite everything that had gone on in the last 24 hours. "I love you," she whispered back, wanting to stay quiet so as to not break the moment.
"Not a day went by that I did not think of you, Airies. I'm sorry for leaving," his voice broke then.
"Sh, Peter, it doesn't matter. You're here now," she told him before cupping his face and pressing her lips against his.
A cough from the other side of the room interrupted them, and Airies smiled wide when she saw who it was. "Edmund."
"I just came to see how you were," he said quietly while sitting down next to her. She took his hand in hers and answered, "Better now," before turning back to Peter and giving him a glorious smile.
The room went silent then, and Airies whipped her head towards Edmund. "Ed?" she exclaimed, panicking because his heart had stopped beating. It picked up again, beating rapidly. His hands felt like ice under her skin. "Edmund!" she cried. "Airies, what's happening?" Peter questioned, moving closer to them and trying to catch his brother's eye. Edmund stared past them as if he could not even see them. And then he took a sharp, rattling breath. "Pete," he said, his voice hoarse. Airies moved out of the way before Peter had the chance to knock her over. "What is it, Ed?" Peter hounded him, his hands gripping his younger brother's shoulders. Ed's face was white as snow. "She's here, at the stone table."
Peter knew who Edmund meant immediately. Only one person could terrify his brother like this, and Peter would never let her have him again. He was on his feet and running towards the stone table room, ready to make sure that the White Witch never bothered them again.