Chapter 7
A faun stood outside keeping watch when he noticed a Telmarine soldier in the forest. The soldier quickly rode away. In the Stone Table room, Peter talked to the Narnians about a battle plan.
Peter looked at all the creatures and said, "It's only a matter of time. Miraz' men and war machines are on their way."
Then Susan buttered in and said, "That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."
Reepicheep ignored Susan and asked, "What do you propose we do, Sire?"
Caspian looked to Peter and nodded he said, "We—"
Peter nodded to Caspian and started at the same time, "Our—"
Peter's look at Caspian turned mischievous and Caspian bowed his head in defeat.
Susan seeing what was going on rolled her eyes and said, "Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us."
Caspian suddenly looked worried and said, "But that's crazy, no one has ever taken that castle."
Susan wanting to make impress him said, "There's always a first time."
Trumpkin, who Susan had spoken to before the meeting said, "We'll have the element of surprise."
Caspian looked to Peter and pleaded, "But we have the advantage here."
Peter looked at Susan and said, "If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely."
Trufflehunter suddenly spoke up in the silence and said, "I, for one, feel safer underground."
Susan spoke again saying, "Look, we appreciate what you've done, but this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb. And if the Telmarines are smart, they'll just starve us out."
Pattertwig scattered around saying, "We could collect nuts!"
Reepicheep looked at him and said, "Oh yes, and throw them at the Telmarines! … Shut up!" He turned to look at Peter and continued, "I think you know where I stand on this, Sire."
Peter looked to Glenstorm in exasperation and asked, "If we can get your troops in, can you handle the guards?"
Glenstorm knowing he was trying to appease everyone said, "Or die trying, my liege."
Lucy shifted on the stone table and said, "That's what I'm worried about."
Susan turned to Lucy and asked, "Sorry?"
Lucy looked at everyone and said, "Well, you're all acting like there are only two options: Dying here, or dying there."
Susan once again spoke, "I'm not sure you've really been listening, Lu."
Lucy replied unhesitant, "No, you're not listening. Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch? And have you forgotten who has lived here for all these years. You can't take that castle."
Susan returned, "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough."
Lucy looked at everyone again and said, "Well, you go on your own. I won't be a part of this." Lucy got up and walked out of the room.
Caspian then got up and said, "I can't be a part of this either." He turned to Peter and said, "I don't want to leave my wife." Then he walked out.
Turned out Peter, Mara, Susan, Edmund, and Sarah went on the raid, Lucy and Caspian stayed at the Howe. A griffin flew in, carrying Edmund and Sarah. They landed on top of a tower, out of sight of a soldier who stood guard. He looked up, and saw nothing. Then, the griffin grabbed him and pulled him up. Edmund jumped down, and used his electric torch to signal the others. Peter, Susan, and Mara, carried by griffins, flew in and landed. Mara flew low and killed a soldier on the way. Another soldier noticed Edmund's signals and aimed his crossbow. Susan shot him. They landed and Peter killed another Telmarine soldier.
Outside, Asterius snuck along. A soldier saw him and drew his sword. Asterius puts a finger to his lips.
Asterius hushed him, "Shhh…"
Nickabrick came up behind him and hit the soldier in the head. Led by Reepicheep, the mice climbed out from underground, and scurried through the gate, easily fitting through the bars. They crawled across a rope and entered the castle. Reepicheep noticed a cat around the corner. He drew his sword and smiled.
Peter, Susan, and Mara climbed down a wall. Mara knocked on a window. And whispered, "Professor?" Mara opened the window and stepped into Cornelius' study. Peter and Susan follow. Mara looked on the table and found a pair of glasses. Mara turned to them and said, "I have to find him."
Peter sadly said, "You don't have time. You have to get to the gatehouse."
Mara turned to him and said, "You wouldn't even be here without him. And neither would I, or Lucy."
Peter and Susan exchange glances. And Susan said, "We can take care of Miraz."
Mara walked out the door and said, "And I can still make it to the gatehouse in time." Then she ran off.
A Telmarine soldier walked around the castle interior. He noticed that the cat is tied up. He looked around suspiciously and Reepicheep dropped into from the roof, hanging upside down, and drew his rapier. The soldier turned and saw him.
Reepicheep rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, I'm a mouse." Reepicheep hit the soldier and jumped down and signalled the other mice. They all jumped onto another soldier and knocked him over. Then they climbed onto each other's backs and opened the door. Trumpkin entered and shot another soldier. Reepicheep looked at Trumpkin and said, "Ah, we were expecting someone, you know, taller."
Trumpkin looked down and said, "You're one to talk."
Reepicheep smiled at him and asked, "Is that supposed to be irony?"
Trumpkin turned back around and shut the door.
Mara stepped into Cornelius' cell, where the professor lied chained to the floor. Mara woke him up. And she whispered jokingly, "Five more minutes?"
Doctor Cornelius woke and asked, "What are you doing here? You have to get out before Miraz learns you're here. He will put you in a cell."
Mara turned and ran off as Cornelius watched.
Up top, Edmund accidentally dropped his electric torch and it fell onto a lower tower. A soldier picked it up, and accidentally turned it on. The light beam shined high into the sky. Outside, Nickabrick and the army watched the light.
Nickabrick turned to look at the others and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Edmund jumped down on the soldier as bells sounded, and the Telmarine soldiers start waking up. Peter, Susan, and Mara met up and ran through the halls. Peter ran down a different hall.
Susan seeing Peter running away called out, "Peter!"
Peter called back still running, "Our army is just outside!"
Susan and Mara ran after Peter. He ran through the courtyard and killed two Telmarine soldiers.
Peter called up to Edmund saying, "Now, Ed, now! Signal the troops!"
Up top, Edmund was struggling with a soldier. And he called down, "I'm a little busy right now, Pete!"
Edmund dropped his sword so he used his electric torch to hit the soldier, and knocked him down. He tried to turn it on, but found it broken. Below, Peter tried to open the gate.
Susan decided to play hero and said, "Peter, it's too late! We have to call it off while we still can!"
Peter turned to look at her and said, "No, we have to do this! It was your idea anyway!" Susan and Mara ran over to help Peter turn the wheel to open the gate. Peter whilst straining said, "Just who exactly are you doing this for, Susan?"
They continued turning the wheel. Up top, Edmund kept shaking his torch, trying to get it to work. Inside, Trumpkin and the mice turned the wheel to lower the draw-bridge. Outside, Glenstorm and the army grew restless. Finally, the torch turned on, and Edmund flashed it. Glenstorm shouted and the Narnians charged into the castle. Asterius used his horns to smash through the first gate. The Narnians charged past Peter, Susan, and Mara. They drew their weapons, and ran to join the battle.
Peter knowing they couldn't withdraw shouted, "For Narnia!"
The Narnians charged through the courtyard, and started fighting. Up top, a Telmarine with a crossbow aimed at Peter. Edmund slid down and knocked the soldier over.
Peter looked up and called, "Ed!"
Edmund looked to his left and saw the other Telmarines with crossbows. He dived into a room and kicked the door shut just in time. Peter and Tyrus started fighting their way up to Miraz' balcony, Tyrus jumped and raised his weapon and Glozelle shot him in the shoulder. Miraz slowly walked over to Tyrus… and then pushed him. Peter watched as the satyr tumbled down and hit the ground hard.
Miraz said to Glozelle, "Get that gate closed!"
The gate started closing and Asterius ran over and held the gate open. Peter watched then called, "Fall back! Retreat!"
Peter ran around telling all the Narnians to retreat as Glenstorm swung Susan onto his back on the way out.
Susan called out to Peter, "Mara!"
Peter looked around then called back, "I'll find her!"
Edmund walked onto the tower where he first landed, and used his torch to lock the door. He looked over the edge, but the griffin is nowhere in sight. The soldiers on the other side bang against the door.
Mara and Cornelius emerge, with Mara holding the reigns of an extra horse. Peter kicked a soldier, jumped onto the horse and started to gallop out.
Up top, Edmund's torch broke and the soldier's burst through the door with drawn swords. Edmund looked down…and then jumped. The soldiers looked over the edge… and a griffin flew up with Edmund riding.
Peter barley made it out before Asterius collapsed and the gate shut. Many Narnians were still trapped inside. Peter and Reepicheep were the last to exit. Peter looked back in horror. Glenstorm nodded to one of his sons then the draw-bridge started going up. Holding back tears, Peter looked back at the Narnians and hesitated. Then he rode away.
On the griffin, Edmund flew over the castle and surveyed the carnage. What had they done by following Susan?
Over at the Howe, Sarah was on her horse Lothlorie and standing waiting at the edge of the ruined stone courtyard. Lucy and Caspian were inside sitting on the stone table. Lucy sighed then looked her cordial as she waited. She heard something, and rushed outside. The army, led by Peter and Susan, returned.
Lucy saw that half of the army were gone. "What happened?"
Peter turned and looked to Susan and said, "Ask her. It was after all her idea."
Susan tried to keep her smartness by saying, "Peter."
Caspian looked between them and asked, "Susan? You could have called it off. There was still time wasn't there?"
Peter sighed and said, "No there wasn't thanks to her." Then he turned and spoke to Susan, "If you'd kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."
Caspian knowing something was brewing said, "And, if you'd just stayed here like we suggested, they definitely would be!"
Susan suddenly snapped saying, "You called us, remember?"
Lucy seeing the difference in a new light said, "Our first mistake."
Susan dragged the argument out saying, "No. Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."
Sarah finally having enough said, "Hey! We are not the one who abandoned Narnia by not believing anymore."
Susan looked at Caspian and said, "You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to it than Miraz does! You, him, your father… Narnia's better off without the lot of you!"
Sarah shouted, and drew both her swords and pointed them at Susan's neck.
Edmund grabbed Sarah around her waist and pulled her away saying, "Stop it!"
Glenstorm came forward and set down an injured Trumpkin. Lucy ran over and gave him a drop from her cordial.
He opened his eyes and looked around saying, "What are you all standing around for? The Telmarines will be here soon enough." Lucy knowing what he meant just smiled and Trumpkin softly said, "Thank you, my dear little friend."
Over at Beruna, a few Telmarine workers put the final piece of the bridge into place. At the castle Miraz walked down the great hall and Sopespian placed a crown on his head. He rose, and sat on the throne. The people all turned to look at him then they all bowed.
Miraz walked out onto a balcony in the courtyard, where the Telmarine people shouted, "Long live the king!"
Two hours later the Telmarine army began crossing the bridge.
