I can see,

When you stay low nothing happens,

Does it feel right?

Late at night, things I thought I put behind me,

Haunt my mind.

I just know there's no escape now,

Once it sets its eyes on you,

But I won't run, have to stare it in the eye.

'Stand My Ground', Within Temptation


I watched the North Tower from above the castle, Torin the griffin gripping the back of my belts. My blade was already in my hand and I remained motionless to make the task easier for Torin, as he beat his wings to remain airborne, the wind whipping my face. Peter, Caspian and Susan were around me, as silent as I was. Caspian in particular looked a little uncomfortable with this unfamiliar arrangement but his eyes were watching the tower as keenly as mine were.

At the signal of appointed flashes of Edmund's strange blinding torch, the griffins dove, aiming for the battlements Caspian had already pointed out. Flying straight along it, Torin slowly dropped me to the ground. In one fluid motion I crouched and rose. As Susan sent an arrow flying, I whipped a dagger into another guard, followed by Peter's sword taking out a third.

"Okay, here," I murmured, feeding a rope over the edge of the battlement while Peter roped it around a post.

"It's good, go on," he muttered and Caspian went first, alighting on the balcony below. Susan followed and I went down after her. Hand over hand, steady, breathe.

As Peter joined us, Caspian knocked softly on the window.

"Professor?" he whispered. There was no reply. I began to characteristicly bite my lip nervously. Caspian opened the window and stepped down into his tutor's study. We followed him slowly and I gazed around the room. It was one of the few I had rarely ventured into, and I shook myself back into reality. There was no time for sightseeing!

Caspian picked up small a pair of glasses on a nearby table.

"I have to find him," he said firmly.

"You don't have time," Peter hissed. "You have to get to the

gatehouse."

"You wouldn't even be here without him," Caspian retorted. "And neither would I."

Peter, Susan and I exchanged glances nervously.

"We can take care of Miraz," Susan said finally. "Arneia, you know the way don't you?"

I nodded.

"And I can still make it to the gatehouse in time," Caspian insisted and raced away out of the study. I swallowed, I already had a bad feeling about this.

I led the way out of the study and paused to get my bearings. The quickest route, I knew would be more heavily guarded. And we didn't want to create too much of a disturbance just yet.

"Come on," I murmured and led the way down the corridor. It felt like a long race against time. We had to get to Miraz before we were meant to be at the gatehouse, and we had to pause too many times for my liking, as guards strode past.

Finally we reached the chamber corridor. I frowned. The door was open and there were voices coming from inside. And two I recognised all to well.

I turned. "Ready?" I mouthed.

Susan nodded, raising her bow, an arrow already notched.

We stood in the doorway and paused, taking in the scene, unnoticed from the shadows. Miraz stood beside the bed, Caspian's sword to his throat. Prunaprismia was sitting up in bed, a crossbow in her arms, the arrow aimed at her nephew.

"Put the sword down, Caspian," she commanded shakiky. She'd never been much of a leader. "I don't want to do this."

"We don't want you to either!" Susan added, stepping forward, her own arrow aimed at Prunaprismia. Peter stood behind her. I remained in the shadows, I had no wish for Miraz to realise I wasn't the strange girl from his childhood dreams just yet. That was one trick I still had up my sleeve.

"This used to be a private room," Miraz commented lightly, unphased.

"Caspian, what are you doing?" Peter hissed at Caspan. "You're supposed to be at the gatehouse."

"No!" Caspian shouted "Tonight, for once, I want the truth!" He turned to Miraz. "Did you kill my father?"

I swallowed. He was going to find out someday, but why now of all times!

"Now we get to it," Miraz replied, speaking my thoughts exactly.

"You told me your brother died in his sleep!" Prunaprismia gasped.

"That was more or less true," Miraz shrugged. I ground my teeth into my bottom lip. Caspian took a few steps towards Miraz, and he was forced to step back against the window, the point of the sword still at his throat.

"Did you kill my father?" Caspian growled.

"Caspian, this won't make things any better," Susan told him.

"We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it," Miraz told Caspian.

"But you've crossed the line Miraz," I said from the shadows, and everyone looked around at me, Miraz and Prunaprismia struggling to make me out. "You've taken too much."

"Your father knew that as well as anyone." Miraz snapped at Cspian.

Prunaprismia lowered the crossbow a little. "How could you?"

"For the same reason you will pull that trigger!" Miraz said sharply. He started walking forward, and Caspian slowly stepped back. He couldn't do it, he didn't have it in him to kill his uncle, no matter what Miraz had done.

"Stop! Stay right there!" Susan said loudly.

"For our son!" Miraz hissed at his wife. "You must choose. Do you want our child to be king or do you want him to be like Caspian here?

Fatherless!"

"No!" Prunaprismia screamed and I blinked as everything happened at once. Prunaprismia's arrow had flown and Caspian fell to the ground. In the distraction, Miraz escaped through a back passage. And the bells sounded.

I looked desperately at Peter. He swallowed, then sprinted past me, and down the corridor. I growled to myself and followed as fast as I could, Susan and Caspian hot on our tails.

Caspian and I headed down the familiar route but Peter was suddenly gone. I skidded to a halt and looked back, he was running down a different passage. Towards the courtyard.

"Peter!" Susan yelled.

"Our army is just outside!" Peter shouted back over his shoulder. I knew I would soon have bitten a hole through my lip as I raced back after him. This was falling apart.

W raced into the courtyard and Peter swiftly dispatched two soldiers.

"Now, Ed, now!" he yelled. "Signal the troops!"

"I'm a little busy right now, Pete!" I heard Edmund yell back from above me. No. No no no no no...

Peter was hauling in the wheel of the portcullis, trying to open the gate.

"Peter, it's too late!" Susan called. "We have to call it off while we still can!"

"No, I can still do this!" Peter shouted. "Help me!"

I glanced helplessly at Susan and Caspian, before moving to drag the wheel open. It was stiffer than I'd imagined, trying to resist even four of us.

"Just who exactly are you doing this for, Peter?" Susan growled and Peter glowered. I decided not to voice my agreement. Finally, we managed to raise the gate. Just in time. I could her the thundering of hooves already on the drawbridge.

As Glenstorm and Asterius raced past, heading the forces, Peter turned and drew his sword.

"For Narnia!"

And we charged.

I clicked into battlemode, not noticing my actions, my thoughts. I was on automatic, the way I worked best. I knew which was my enemy, which was my friend. Parry, attack, slash, attack, duck, swipe, parry, spin...

It wasn't until a movement out of the corner of my eye pulled me back to the reality. The gate was dropping like a stone onto the broad shoulders of Asterius. I screamed before clapping my hand to my mouth as Astrius fought to keep the gate up. We had moments.

"Fall back! Retreat!" I heard Peter yell.

"Get out! Retreat now!" I shouted, joining the command in earnest. They heard us. Narnians flooded past me as I aimed another sing at a Telmarine soldier, slicing him across the chest. I saw Susan leap on to Glenstorm as he galloped past her, and they ducked out of the gate. Asterius' knees buckled but he pushed it back up.

Peter runs around telling all the Narnians to retreat.

"Caspian!" Susan yelled as she retreated.

My eyes widened and I stared back at Peter.

"I'll find him!" Peter shouted back, but he didn't need to. Caspian burst from the stables astride a horse, his tutor Cornelius following him on another steed. Caspian was dragging a third horse by the reins.

I felt a hand on my dress, and span around to dig my sword into the back of a wounded Telmarine.

"Arneia!" a voice roared, and I span back just in time. Peter was cantering towards me, leaning down with one arm. I sheathed my swords swiftly, linked his arm and he pulled me up behind him. I felt something sash my arm as l ducked, racing under the gate, gripping Peter around the waist.

Behind me and I heard a roar, a slam. Tears pricked my eyes as Peter swung the horse around. I stared back at the gate as my people scrabbled against the bars desperately. One of Glnstorm's sons gave a regal nod, before turning and heading back into the frsy. A true Narnian, willing to die trying...

Shouts alerted us to the drawbridge as it sowly began to raise. I looked at Peter and saw him swallow. He was going to leave them.

"No," I whispered, but Peter turned the horse and made for the drawbridge. We somehow made it over and galloped down the familiar bridge.

I buried my face in Peter's tunic, the tears falling against the leather, and felt his hand on mine. We couldn't have left them...


Prunaprismia is a bloody annoying word to spell...