Author's Note: HI! I'm back! Well now, it's been a while, hasn't it? During the week or so since I last updated I did some soul searching and thought about what I wanted to do with the story. I have found my answers, and now I'm back! A little bit of a warning; this chapter is pretty gory so watch out!
And as always, I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or its characters. I only own my characters and plot!
Chapter 9
The next day was expected to be uneventful. They were still in the thick of the woods. She had to admit, in the daylight, the forest was a much more pleasant place. Sunlight filtered through the thick, green canopy and sent files of light to plunge into the earth. In those spots of light, dust and spores danced and sparkled like fairy dust. The path was quiet and peaceful, though small and rundown. Not many travelers came through there. There were no major cities, so there were no trading opportunities. And rumor had it, the Western Woods made those who ventured too far within it's shadows disappear. So this part of her homeland was pure wilderness. She was used to constantly being in civilization. She was always in the company of others, and she lived in the city. So a place with no buildings or technologies was a little bit of a shock to her. But it was a good shock. She was enthralled by the soft spoken beauty of nature. She loved the ruggedness of it. No confining dresses that were made of such fine and expensive silk that she was not allowed outside so to avoid the chance of ruining it. No etiquette to remember when in the presence of others. No more being watched by courtly officials from foreign places, searching for any mistake they could use against her and her siblings when the time was necessary. She was free. It wasn't that she hated being Queen. In fact, she absolutely loved it. It was just difficult sometimes; when all eyes were on her.
"Hold on." She ran into the arm of her brother, who was looking off to the right, his eyes searching. The light of confusion shown in their dark depths.
"What is it?" she whispered. The entire Unit stopped in their tracks and a gravely silence fell over them. After the events of the night before, all were wary.
"By the Lion!" Sender, who'd come to rest beside her, breathed.
Lucy followed their gazes. Over the treetops, on top of a rocky hill, stood a small tower. Well, it was more of a...blob. It was carelessly built, leaned to the left, and looked fairly old and used. It was nothing Lucy had ever seen. She lived in Cair Paravel. The building itself was a work of art from it's moldings to it's dungeons. But this tower looked to be quite old. As if built by ancient nomads from long ago that Lucy remembered reading about in a book somewhere at some school as a child. A light dusting of moss covered the damp, gray stones, making it appear even more decrepit. The windows were lopsided and too small.
"Be careful," Edmund hissed to Lucy. "Those windows are small for a reason. To allow archers to shoot at intruders."
She nodded in affirmative and glared up at the now threatening building. "Do you think there are people still in there?" she inquired softly.
"Maybe," he grunted. "Probably a bandits' hideout," he assessed.
"It is not safe to approach it and find out." She tugged on his elbow. "We should leave it be. Come away now."
But he shrugged her off and stepped forward towards the building, his dark eyes still keenly observing it. "And it would be safer to dispose of them first instead of waiting for them to attack us later."
The Valiant shook her head. "Edmund, you are not known for your brashness," she began.
"I am known for my justice, I know that!" he drawled, using his matter-of-fact tone that drove her insane.
Taking a calm, cleansing breath before she could punch him, she replied, "And justice comes after a crime is committed. These people - if there are any in there and if they even are bandits - have not yet carried out such an act." She gave herself a mental pat on the back. She was quite impressed with her mature reasoning. She'd just proven to herself what a great ruler she was. A job well done, Lucy. A job well done.
"I do not want to wait for them to injure our entire Unit to deal out my justice. It would be safer just to make sure." And then he was off, his sword slicing through the thick brush as he dove deeper into the shadows of the forest. Lucy moved closer to Sender, anxious about this decision. She didn't understand what was wrong with her older brother. Edmund always, always, chose the peaceful route. Unlike Peter, he took a step back to assess a situation with a level head and a fair mind. So why was he so bent on being the first to attack? Why was he so on guard this entire trip? The real Edmund strode into Court with some sarcastic quip that had everybody rolling on the floor laughing. The real Edmund was calm and intelligent. This Edmund was different. He was dark, and protective and on guard all the time. Why is he like this? That was the one question that had been bouncing against the walls of her mind since the day they left. And she knew it had something to do with the people threatening Narnia. They were still out there, and Edmund was worried that they would attack the Unit at any moment. So what was it that he needed to protect so much? What did those people want that they had?
When he heard no shuffling feet behind him, he turned and barked, "Well? Come on, then! We have a schedule to keep!"
The whole group jolted to life and jogged after their King, casting worried glances into the shadows of the forest, fearing of the dark creatures created from their own imaginations.
All twenty-eight of the soldiers crashed through the thick vegetation and into the clearing. They stopped and stared up at the tower. It was about five stories high, and looked as if it were about to fall on them it was leaning at such a deep angle. They all fell silent. They were only fifteen feet away from the front door. They listened for activity. For footsteps. For a voice.
When they heard nothing, Edmund motioned for them to follow him, but then paused and turned to Lucy. "Stay here," he ordered.
Lucy threw her head back and chuckled as quietly as possible. "Not a chance." She smiled and unsheathed her sword. "I am coming in. I will watch your back, and before you tell me that it is for my own protection, you are going to watch my back as well."
Edmund seemed satisfied with this agreement - Thank Aslan! - and they finally moved forward. They crept over to the door, with Edmund leading followed by Lucy and then Sender. They walked up the crumbling stone steps and finally reached the door. Lucy's heart danced in her throat and hot prickles of fear poked her temples as she waited for her brother to open it so they could find out what kind of people lived inside. The possibility of danger was imminent. She tested the grip of her sword in her hands, making sure she was ready to use it if she had to.
She remembered then, to go over her battle preparations. She slowed her breath and quieted it, taking in oxygen and breathing it out in even measures. She extended her senses. Her awareness reached farther around her. She could hear the tiniest sounds, such as a raindrop falling into a small puddle. She could feel the leather wrapped around her sword handle grip to her skin. She felt the pounding hearts of the soldiers around her. Time slowed down as she watched Edmund slowly push open the door.
Everything returned to normal when he stepped inside with great speed, his sword pointed out in defense. They waited a few agonizing moments for him to return. He did, and motioned for them to follow.
The inside was dark. Very dark. There were no decorations or anything. Just a few rotting tables here and there and old, moth-eaten books and papers strewn over them and the floor. To the right was a wall, but to the left was a weak looking staircase. They took to the stairs.
Behind them and below, someone took a step and the wood broke under their weight. The fawn let out a terrified yelp and he was sent to the floor. Lucy gasped as she witnessed a bone piercing his leg as it met the stone. She was about to turn towards him, reaching for her cordial that was strapped to her belt, when a low growl sounded from the room above and echoed off of the dripping stone walls.
They all held their breaths, hearts arresting, and looked up.
A dark figure of something tall was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Its huge head hung under its hunched back. It towered at six feet. The growling was coming from it.
One of the soldiers gasped and swung their torch towards it. The golden light illuminated the creature, revealing to all its true form. It bore strong, sharp canines that were bared as it snarled. Its legs were short, and bent like the back legs of a dog. Its arms though, were incredibly long. So long, it leaned on its knuckles for support. At the ends of its fingers were long, black claws that curved. Curved to rip out flesh. Every muscle was visible. In its arms, its legs, its stomach and chest. This creature was built for power. And it was hairy. Thin, gray strands stood on end and its tail was out straight to show it was on the attack.
It was a werewolf. But none like she'd ever seen. The ones she saw as a child, during the Age of Winter, were smaller. But this one; it was monstrous.
And that's when everything fell apart into chaos.
The creature lunged and the entire Unit broke into a chorus of terrified yelps. The monster crashed down the stairs, breaking their only way down completely and bringing with it a fourth of their soldiers to fight it. Lucy looked down as they desperately fought for their lives against the beast. She sighed though, as Octans had been pulled down as well and was guiding them. He was a seasoned warrior. He would aid them.
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of a pained cry coming from the front of the group. Another werewolf had appeared. And it had Edmund pinned.
He was desperately trying to reach his sword, but the white werewolf simply pushed it away. The creature could pin her older brother with only one hand! It snarled and opened its saliva-coated jaws in front of the Just King's face, poised to bite.
"Sender!" Lucy cried, and the young soldier responded.
And was he fast! And strong! Suddenly this meek looking fellow had sprinted up to the beast, raised his sword, and sent a powerful blow to the neck, roaring like a true warrior. The creature in turn shrieked in pain, for the weapon had only decapitated it half-way. Lucy turned away and pressed herself against the cold wall at the sight of the creature in such gory pain, its insides and flowing blood etching into her mind. She heard Sender's second shout as he swung again, and a last yelp from it signaled it's death.
Lucy turned back, making sure to keep her eyes off of the still creature, to see Edmund grab Sender's outstretched hand. Her friend pulled him up and Edmund breathed, "Thank you."
His eyes searched the room wildly. "Lucy? Lucy!"
"Here!" Lucy called back and jogged over to him. "I'm here!"
"I need you to get out of here!" His voice boomed over the clangs of metal, the shouts of enraged fighters, the cries of pain, and the snarls of werewolves.
Lucy swung her arm out in a big arc, motioning to the destroyed staircase. "There is no way I can! And anyways," She paused at the low growling coming from the next floor. "you need me to help you clear this place out!"
They all sprinted up the next flight of stairs to find two more werewolves.
"Looks like they've got a nice, big, happy family," Edmund deadpanned. So he found this the best time to finally say something sarcastic?
Edmund, Sender, and Lucy targeted one, while the rest of the soldiers fought the other one. The three circled it, mimicking a pack of wolves.
"Hey!" Sender called, and the beast responded by turning to him, but stayed in position for fear of attack from Edmund and Lucy. Getting the idea, the two siblings copied him.
"Over here!"
"Look at me!"
"Hey!" Lucy shouted. And they were in the perfect place. They'd backed the creature into a corner. Edmund and Sender pierced their swords into its stomach and that was one more down.
They reached the forth and fifth floors and cleared those out as well. The only place left was the rooftop.
There was only Lucy, Edmund, and Sender left, the others still busy fighting, and they climbed that last set of stairs. They stopped dead at what they saw.
A blue orb was floating a foot above the floor. It circled, and cast an eerie light over them and the one last werewolf waiting for them. From it, some strange pressure came over them, like a weight was being placed on their shoulders.
"What in Aslan's name is that?" Edmund breathed.
This last one was taller, and looked stronger. It pushed off of its knuckles and stood on its legs, its hunched back stretching out. This was dangerous. The creature could use both of it's paws at will. A bipedal being was more intelligent. It proved that by speaking.
"Turn back from whence you came false King and Queen. Lest you desire your hearts to be filled with dread." He spoke in such a strange accent. It was like his tongue was stuck to the roof of it's mouth or something.
"Such words are to be expected when coming from a traitor like you." Edmund stepped forward, sword in a defensive position.
"Traitor? No, no. I am no traitor. It is you who is the traitor," the werewolf replied.
Edmund took a step back. Traitor was a sensitive word for him. "And what gives you the right to say that to your King?" he uttered, rage spilling out with every word.
The werewolf, unlike his predecessors on the previous floors who were quick to attack, simply blinked and replied, "You are not my king. If you must know, you and your sisters and brother are traitorous for betraying our Queen."
"The White Witch!" Lucy gasped. Sender snapped a hand out and gripped her upper arm tightly.
"I am not going to waist my time debating our opinions. Your kind is so far gone you cannot be saved," her brother snarled, his lips curling in disgust. He then swung his sword out and pointed it towards the beast. "I will slay you where you stand, monster."
"Edmund!" Lucy cried. Her brother tensed and inclined his head slightly to the side. She watched his back, unable to see his face.
Looking around desperately as if to find what to say elsewhere, she blurted, "This is not our way!" The werewolf blinked at her, his intelligent eyes boring into her own. "We do not execute without trial!" she explained.
"This is war, Lucy."
And the sword was in the wolf's neck.
The creature let a scream of pain rip out of it's mouth, but it was strangled by the hot red blood pouring down his throat and filling his lungs. He staggered from side to side, pivoting on his short hind legs. His long arms grasped blindly at the handle of the blade and pulled it out, sending a waterfall of red liquid down his neck. He lifted his head towards the sky, his eyes filled with fear. But strangely, as he looked, he saw something. He opened it's mouth to gasp, but his eyes glazed over and he tumbled over the edge of the tower. A few seconds past, and the soft thudding sounded below, his crunching bones echoing over the treetops.
Lucy breathed heavily, gasping for air as if she had just ran across Narnia without stop. Sender gripped her arm and wrapped a hand around her shoulders for support as her knees wobbled slightly. Her chestnut eyes bored into her brother's back.
"Edmund," Lucy growled low in anger.
Edmund merely stepped over the shining pool of thick blood and made his way towards the blue orb.
"Stay away from that, Edmund," Lucy warned. "We have no idea what it is."
Of course, he didn't listen to her, and reached a tentative hand out. His fingers brushed the orb. The second his skin made contact with it, the orb exploded in a blinding light. Sender wrapped his arms tightly around her and they turned their heads away, shielding their eyes.
The light receded and they looked back.
When she first started this mission, Lucy wouldn't have come close to guessing what she saw right then.
In Edmund's arms, was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, unconscious. Her skin was porcelain white, but it shimmered like stardust. Her hair was like snow, and flowed down her shoulders in soft curls like milk. Her large eyes were closed, her long, long lashes brushing the swells of her cheeks. She wore a simple white dress with a hem that reached her feet. She looked to be about eighteen or so.
"Aslan's mane!" Sender breathed.
That woman came from the orb of light.
End Note: Well now! That was an intense chapter! Let me know what you think!
River4Jayne: THANK YOU!
bookaholic2000: I totally respect everybody's religion! There's no discrimination here! I know it must be so hard for you readers to be reading and trying to figure out who Sender really is. I know who he is and I keep forgetting how awful it must be for you to be kept in the dark! But I must be cruel and say that you must wait a little longer! I'm sorry! But what's a story without a little mystery? Thanks!
A: Thanks for the review! I really work hard to make the language and the setting true to the Chronicles of Narnia.
Until next time!
