The Lion Lord

I do not own the rights to Narnia or a Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire

Chapter Seven

The Battle of Beruna

The steel plates covering his body fitted him well. His armour, strongly made and tough, would serve him well in the battle to come. He walked through the stunned camp, the soldiers sitting around and talking of how they were doomed without Aslan. He then saw a group of officers standing around so he walked straight over to them.

'You,' he said and they jumped. 'I want all of you to prepare your troops for battle. If any of them say the situation is hopeless flog them until they change their minds.'

They looked at each other with surprise before hurrying off to carry out his orders and Tywin headed towards the centre of the camp where he saw the two kings and Oreius talking.

'Where are your sisters?' he asked Peter.

'At the Stone Table. They didn't want to leave Aslan.''

'I see. General, what news do we have of the Witches army?'

'They're aproaching the Ford of Beruna.'

'In that case we have to march at once. Your Graces, you'd best get ready.'

'We can't win without Aslan,' Peter despaired.

'We will,' he told him. 'our plan is good and our soldiers believe in us.'

'I will follow you,' Edmund said to his brother.

'We all will,' Oreius added.

'Now, one last time,' Tywin said and looked at the nearby table with the map of the battlefield on it. On the west side was a wide plain and in the centre was a gentle but tall hill and behind it were a large number of rocky outcrops. 'Edmund, you will command the archers, the resrves and the "air force". Peter, you take the centre. Oreius on the left, I have the right.'

'The Fauns and the Satyr's are under my command,' Peter recited his part. 'We will take the brunt of the enemies attack and slowly pull back.'

'If the centre is close to breaking I'll send in reinforcements,' said Edmund.

'I will order the centre to retreat,' Peter again said. 'We'll lure them into the rocks where the rest of the reserves will be waiting. In the rocks their numbers will be against them and they'll be bogged down.'

'That's when we strike,' said Oreius. 'My flank and your flank, Lord Tywin, will hide behind the hill until the Witches forces are lured in and then we'll fall upon the enemy and crush them.'

'Good. My main worry is that the army will retreat to quickly. If the Witch sends her forces in waves that could happen.'

'We won't retreat until all her forces are commited,' Peter told him. 'Just make sure you don't wait too long.'

'Don't worry, I won't. Good luck everyone.'

And so, just before midday, the group of soldiers stood together in their formations. The four leaders of the army were together in front of it, waiting for the enemy to come. The soldiers were in formation, the centre standing in a shield wall, near unbreakable.

'And if we break?' Peter asked Tywin.

'We retreat to Cair Paravel. In a siege we can outlast them.'

'The Witch won't let us reach Cair Paravel.'

'We'll just have to try then.'

In the distance a horn blasted through the air and they all looked ahead to see, at the edge of the plain, march a solid line of those who had joined the Witch. It was a massive force, fifteen thousand strong against their own five thousand. He could pick out some, Minotairs and a trio of giants. At their centre was the Witch herself on a chariot pulled by white bears.

'To your places,' Tywin said to them. 'I'll deliver our terms.'

So, with a dozen Centaur's as guards, he rode across the plain towards the Witch who, on her chariot, rode towards him with the same guards she went to Aslan's camp with. Between both armies they met. As the Witch came close Tywin could feel Luke tense with fear so he patted him on the shoulder.

'Calm down,' he whispered.

'I'm sorry milord.'

'Have you come to surrender?' the Witch asked Tywin.

'Never. On behalf of His Grace, Peter of House Pevensie, First of his name, High King of Narnia and Emperor of the Lone Islands, I order you to surrender yourself and order your army to disband. If you come before His Grace with humility and bend the knee you will be allowed to leave Narnia with your life but you must never return or ever again threaten Narnia.'

'You really think you can win?' she asked mockingly.

'I've seen stranger things.'

'As I killed Aslan I will kill you.'

'I'd like to see you try.'

Tywin then rode away and raced back to his army where he told Peter of the Witches response.

'I thought so. To your troops.'

'Good luck Your Grace.'

And so Tywin rode over to his position in the battle line but on the top of the hill so he could see the situation. The forces under his command numbered one thousand men, the same for Oreius, Peter had two thousand five hundred and Edmund had a hundred archers and four hundred reserves, as well as the air force. His own men were mostly Centaurs with a large number of fast and strong animals including a Rhino which had allowed half a dozen mice on his back. Hidden behind the hill the Witches forces would never know what was coming at them. As he expected the Witches forces charged, first in one massive wave containing a third of their forces. They were coming as fast as they could, racing across the wide grassy plain as a screach filled the air. Tywin looked up to see the hundred or so gryphon's rise into the air and soar over the enemy ranks, each one dropping the massive boulders down onto the enemy killing many of them. So far all was going according to plan. That was when everything started going wrong. As the enemy charged a single collumn of them on their left flank broke off and charged towards Tywin. No, not towards Tywin. He instantly realised what the Witches plan was. The main line of battle was not very wide so it would seem easy to outflank. They would soon crash into his forces. He looked at his troops, on the reverse slope and, according to Oreius, Centaurs fought best on the attack. He couldn't stay there doing nothing. He rode down to his wings officers and told them what was happening.

'What should we do?' asked Alio, a graying Centaur.

'Send a rider to King Peter. Tell him we have to engage the enemy on this flank but Oreius is to keep to the original plan. Everyone else, prepare to charge.'

After a few "yes milord's" from his officers to troops got into position, Tywin himself took position at the front. He wasn't the worlds finest warrior but he still remembered the lessons of his youth. Once learned you never forgot them. He looked at the soldiers and held up his sword.

'For Aslan!' he declared to his soldiers cheers. 'For Narnia!' He then thought of words which, at any other time, would not fit but now they were perfect. 'The Lion still has claws!' the cheer was louder than ever before. 'The Lion still has claws! Charge!'

He shut his visor, Luke spun around and, as one, his flank charged straight over the hill and onto the mass of the Witches soldiers. Tywin swung his sword and beheaded a Boggle with a single swing. All manner of of the enemy creatures were thrown back down the hill and Tywin was at the head of the charge with soldiers following him out of layalty instead of fear for the first time in his life. Luke crushed an Ankle-Bighter and Tywin stabbed a Minotaur straight through the eye. A Minotaur swung at him but Luke reared up, its axe missing them both by inches. The brave horse kicked the beast in the snout and the Minotaur staggered back only to be impailed on a Centaur's lance. That was when he saw that the collumn they attacked was in retreat and his troops were jeering at them, waiting for Tywin's orders.

He needed to make a snap decision. The main bulk of the Witch's first wave was slowly driving back Peter in the centre, according to plan. The Witch was now leading the second wave in a massed attack. Edmund's archers were pouring seven hells into the enemy ranks and Oreius must have still been behind the hill. About a thousand of the Witches soldiers were charging up the hill towards Tywin, they would hit in about thrity seconds.

'Prepare another charge!' Tywin ordered and his troops, filled with courage and confidence from their first attack, formed up behind their leader. 'Ready? Charge.'

Luke galloped forwards and, his troops behind him, Tywin couldn't help but grin under his helmet. So this is what it felt like to be a hero? He crashed into the enemy, his sword cleaving apart anyone in his path. The rhino threw a Minotaur into the air, tigers and leopards slashed and bit at their enemy while the Centuars cut apart all in their path. Tywin looked over to Peter to see that he had ordered the retreat and the Witches army was falling for the trick. The battle could still go either way but perhaps, by a miracle, they would win.

'Cut your way through!' he shouted to all who could hear and Luke carried him into the enemy hoard.

He parried a blow, kicked an enemy, stabbed another and all about him was a choas of killing. He looked about him and saw that he had led his troops into the heart of the battle but they had become dispersed over the course of their attack. He was amongst the rocks now and the fighting was chaotic. No order or discipline, just a mess of warriors fighting for their lives, cutting down their enemies before being killed themselves. A roar filled the air as a giant was filled with arrows and fell dead, crushing a dozen soldiers. A horn blast as Oreius led his charge, crashing into the enemies flank but they were expecting it. He rode up onto an area of higher ground and looked about him, looking for the one thing which would win them the battle. He saw Peter fighting on foot not far away, Edmund was close by, and they were holding their own. A Minotaur killed a Faun and a Boggle kicked a dog into the dirt. Dozens of soldiers stood as stone sentinels around the battlefield. A pair of Gryphons dived out of the sky towards a tall woman. There! The Witch.

'If we cut off the head the body will die!' he shouted to Luke so he could be heard over the din.

'I see what you mean,' Luke said back and then, faster than any other horse could have galloped, they charged towards the Witch, knocking down everything in their path.

Tywin held up his sword as they charged at the Witch who effortlessly killed the two flying beasts which had attacked her. Tywin raised his sword and the Witch turned to face him, stabbing forward with her wand. Under him Luke flashed and his skin hardened, his hair and tail locked forever in place, still moving forward by momentum alone. The statue of Luke crashed into the ground and shattered into a thousand pieces and Tywin rolled across the ground, crashing into a cliff wall so hard all the air was blasted out of his lungs. He needed air so he threw off his helmet, pulled down his mail hood and threw away the arming cap. The Witch was coming, advancing on him with eyes full of revenge. This was it. He stood up, gripped his sword in both hands and readied himself.

'Bend the knee!' Tywin shouted.

'Never,' she said and grinned, eager for the kill.

She swung her sword at him and Tywin parried it in time to dodge a blow from her wand. She thrust her sword at his face and he only dodged it just in time. Tywin swung at her three times, she parried the first two blows and dodged the last one before she slashed at him, he sword scratching his breast plate and leaving a cruel mark where the blade had passed. He stabbed at he again, scratching her on her arm. Even Witches bleed. He then swung his armoured fist into the side of her face and she staggered back, an ugly wound forming where he had hit her. More than that she had dropped her sword and was only just holding onto her wand. This was his only chance. Twyin grabbed her by the shoulder and raised up his sword, ready to strike the blow which would end the battle. For a moment he thought if this is what Robert felt like before he killed Rheagar on the Trident. Then the Witch moved impossibly quickly and he felt a cold pain in his armpit. Everything went cold.