A/N: I've been energetic again :D, jippii! So, here's the ninth chapter.

Thank you for the reviews :) they made me very happy

9.

"We're going after them!" Peter snapped. "The injured will be left behind to the care of the dryads. I want the best trackers to the front! They will not get away from this!"

The three colonels saluted and hurried to carry out the orders as fast as possible. King Peter was not in a good mood.

Peter collapsed into his chair and covered his face with his hands. How could he let this happen? He always looked after Edmund like a hawk, why did it have to be the one time when he was slightly distracted? They had struck the telmarines back as Edmund had predicted they would. Rarely optimistic of him but now... the telmarines had captured Edmund.

A week ago they had, or rather Edmund had, gotten a word, that the last group of telnorines were coming through their lands before the autumn would fall completely and they wouldn't be able to travel anymore. It was a group with soldiers mostly and the famous lord Sisrlan was with them. Unfortunately they were being pursued by telmarines so after a great deal of deliberating (meaning arguing) Edmund had persuaded Peter to lend their help to them as the telmarines would most certainly follow the telnorines through Narnia and that could be considered as an act of war. Peter had eventually agreed to give their help in that case if the telmarines breached their border. Edmund had been satisfied in that solution so they had started to prepare to move their army to the journey to Western March near the border. Lucy had been determined to come with them and as they well knew, there was no turning her head when she had decided something. Susan had been quite unhappy about it, the Autumn celebration was coming up in a few weeks and she really didn't want them to start any kind of a war right before it. Peter and Edmund had tried to convince her that there weren't going to be any war coming, just getting the telnorines to safety and then they could come back home. Very simple, it was very unlikely that anything could go wrong, so she could continue her preparations to make a party as wonderful as the Midsummer Ball month before. She had glared at them amusedly at that and told them to go and make plans. And of course, being good brothers and all, they had complied.

In the northern part of Western March there was a passage through the mountain range that marked the beginning of the Western Wild that the telnorines used. As before, the telnorines had taken that route to Narnia. When Peter, Edmund and Lucy had arrived they met the telnorines stuck in the small valley between the mountain range and the hills where Peter and Edmund had positioned their army.

"They're in a tough spot, Peter", Edmund said.

"I know, Ed", Peter answered. He looked thoughtfully at the fighting parties.

"I think we should offer them some cover fire, Pete, so that they can move", Edmund suggested.

Peter nodded. "Agreed. Perhaps you could send one of your winged friends to suggest them to move behind that hill over there so that the healers can start their work with them."

Peter pointed at the hill on their right side where the healers and the archers lead by Lucy were waiting. Edmund nodded and called a Hawk to him. He explained to him what they wished him to do while Peter signaled to the archers to get ready. After the Hawk flew off, Edmund called another bird, an Eagle this time, so that Peter could give her the letter they had composed to be given to the telmarines. It wasn't very long or complicated, it warned quite simply the telmarines to not to cross their border as it would be taken as an offensive gesture and would be responded as such.

Edmund doubted they would even read the letter.

"Yensi will signal us when the telnorines are going to move", he said to Peter meaning the Hawk he had just sent to their new friends. The Eagle Icra flew to him and landed on Edmunds shoulder. Peter nodded and they focused their gaze on the group of telnorines. They waited until Yensi rose up to the sky and cried the signal. At the same moment the telnorines turned and started to retreat to the hill on their right side.

"Archers!" Peter yelled raising his sword up towards the sky and swinging it down. "Fire!"

The telmarines were forced to stop their advancing and take cover when a storm of arrows rained upon them. The narnian archers continued to shoot until the telnorines were at the hill top and over it. Edmund commanded them to stop and sent Icra on her way with a scroll tied to her leg. They had decided that Icra would play as a dumb animal until she had found out what they were planning to do. If they were going to do as Edmund expected them to do, meaning attack, Icra would rise up into the air and let out a hunting scream. If they would leave, she would come and fly back to them silently.

Peter was gazing to the right, towards the hill where there was two riders coming towards them when Edmund turned back to his brother. He raised his eyebrows.

"Lord Sisrlan I presume", Edmund muttered to Peter who nodded.

When the riders were close enough, they were able to see them more clearly. The first man was judging by the expensive looking, if a little worn, clothing and armory lord Sisrlan. It was hard to tell when one was sitting on a horse, but the man looked quite tall, hand a long black hair that was tied behind his neck. He was obviously a talented horseman and by looking at his face there could be seen a determined frown between his brows. The second man was lieutenant Martinez to Edmunds great surprise until he remembered that the man had traveled back to Telmar a few months ago.

Edmund moved his gaze back to the sky as the riders came closer. Hopefully the men didn't have anything too pressing to discuss with them as they were on a bit of a schedule here. Peter watched them as they stopped next to him and Edmund and nodded to them.

"Fair day, lord Sisrlan", he said.

The lord nodded. "Likewise, Your Majesty, and thank you. Your timing was quite brilliant."

Edmund watched the telmarines as Icra rose up and up.

And let out a hunting scream.

Peter and Edmund glanced at each other quickly. "Ed-", Peter started.

"The left flank, yes I know."

Edmund nodded to lieutenant Martinez and to the lord, turned Phillip and headed to the left hill.

Peter rolled his eyes. "If you get yourself killed, Edmund, I swear I'll kill you", he yelled after him. His answer was a wave of a hand as Edmund whistled loudly and ordered the soldiers with him.

"Are you certain, lord Sisrlan, that you have strength enough to fight? You must be exhausted", Peter asked.

"We can manage, Your Majesty. I do not know if there is any help of us, but you have helped us. I can start repaying by fighting with you", the lord answered.

Peter nodded and turned to look at the small valley. The telmarines were advancing again. Few meters and they would be between Lucy's archers and Edmund and Peter could give the order. Peter raised his sword again and waited until half of them had crossed their line before swinging it down.

"Fire!"

The archers started shooting their deadly rain and Edmund led the left flank down by the hillside swords bared. Peter watched as the telmarines and Edmunds troops collided together and Lucy and the archers appeared behind the right hill to get a better aim now that there was no need to hide anymore.

Peter spurred his Unicorn friend Kirina on and yelled the attack order. Rest of their troops followed him as well as lord Sisrlan and lieutenant Martinez and that was the last thing he had time to think clearly for a while. The next moments were filled with fighting men and Animals and creatures and Peter was unable think anything else but his own survival and about pushing the telmarines back. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of Edmund fighting near the left side of the battle field kn the front line with Therren and Shalang at his side. His own guards, two Lions Trakha and Sterl, were whirling around him and underneath Kirina creating destruction amongst the telmarines. After a while he started feeling that they were pushing the enemy back towards the passage. The speed was increasing by the minute and Peter realized that the telmarines had given the retreat order. He smiled victoriously and relieved. The battle would be over faster than he had hoped.

Peter glanced quickly around him to find Edmund and found him standing up from next to a body and holding an arrow in his hand. Apparently he and Phillip had been separated from each other. Peter turned to fight off a few telmarines and glanced back to find Edmund in trouble. Everything seemed to freeze around him as he watched an officer looking man with three other soldiers to fight a dazed looking Edmund down and knocking him out.

"ED!" he yelled. "Kirina, to Edmund!"

"Yes, Sire!" the Unicorn answered and galloped towards the men.

However, when he was nearly upon the men, there was suddenly a sharp pain in his left shoulder and an arrow sticking out from his armor. The next thing he knew, he had been struck down from Kirina's back and he was surrounded by three men.

The men never knew what hit them.

After he had handled them he ran as quickly as he could to the spot where he had last seen Edmund. Only to find, that he was no longer there. He looked towards the telmarines and saw them retreating quickly through the passage way. And Edmunds unconscious form hanging on the back of one of the horses.

"No! NO!" he screamed furious and kicked the ground.

Then he stood there panting until Lucy raced to him looking frantic.

"Peter! Peter, where's Edmund?" she demanded gripping his arm tightly.

"They took him", Peter managed to choke out.

"What?" Lucy looked uncertain.

"The telmarines took him", Peter said.

"What!"

When Edmund woke up, it was to find that he had a massive headache, he was lying in a very uncomfortable position with his hands and feet tied and that he was really thirsty. But before he could do anything about them, he needed to find out where he was. Judging by the fact that he was tied up, he presumed that he had somehow been captured by the telmarines. Now, what was the last thing he remembered clearly?

The arrow!

He had been fighting when someone had come behind him. He hadn't noticed the soldier until an arrow had flashed past him and hit the soldier straight to the chest. When he had had time, he had glanced at the arrow quickly and frozen in place. It had been Winter's arrow. Winter had been there, in the battlefield.

It had been feathered with strange looking feathers that Winter's arrows had had. He had told him that they were from an exotic bird from south. Unfortunately he had been distracted a moment too long and someone had knocked him in the head. After that everything was a bit blurry.

Edmund decided to try and open his eyes, carefully. As he opened them, he was relieved to find that his head didn't grow angry from it, although it might have been because he was somewhere dark. He turned his head and inspected his surroundings carefully. It seemed that he was in a tent. Alone even. There were some guards outside apparently, they were arguing about something.

So far, so good.

Then he needed to check if he was injured and because nothing actually hurt, he didn't think that he had any serious injuries. Some scrapes and bruises probably. Edmund moved until he was lying at his side and started feeling his wrists. He smiled in triumph when he felt his bracers still in his wrists. He wriggled his hands and picked a tiny blade from inside the leather. After he had managed to position the blade properly he started to cut his ropes.

He had gotten the blades after he had been captured for the first time from a dwarf smith. He rather liked it when he had back up plans and having little blades with him in case he ever got captured was a very good back up plan for him. He had blades in his bracers and in his boots and because they were so thin and small and pushed inside the leather, they were very rarely noticed.

He felt the rope giving out and started to squirm to get his hands free. Next he freed his legs and sat in a comfortable position. The pins and needles were going to hurt, he knew as he gritted his teeth when the first tingling started in his hands.

When the pins and needles passed, Edmund moved to the back of the tent and used the blade to make small holes for him to look through. It was night and the Moon shone brightly giving him a better view on the camp. It was very quiet, most of the soldiers being in sleep, but there were most certainly guards at the edge of the camp. It would have been easier and safer to leave had he known where the men were, but it couldn't be helped. He knew how to walk soundlessly thanks to Therren and Shalang teaching it to him. His prison tent wasn't too far away from the edge of the camp, he could sneak out hiding in the shadows of the other tents.

Edmund glanced behind him and heard the two guards still arguing. Carefully and silently he turned back and started to cut the fabric. The blades size made the cutting difficult, but thank Aslan it was sharp. Otherwise he would be here until sunrise. He managed to make a hole and stuck his head out of it carefully. The camp seemed as empty as before. It was too good to be true, he would probably be caught. But he had to try.

And so he started his quiet journey towards the bushes at the edge of the camp. He silently slipped through shadows and past the tents. If he were lucky, the arguing guards wouldn't notice his absence until they switched places with others. And that was hopefully a very long time.

Upon reaching the bushes he got down on his knees and started to crawl through the bushes towards a small forest. If he could get there, he would be able to hide better. But as he reached the first trees, he heard the telmarine camp waking up and yelling that the prisoner had gotten away.

"Darn", he mumbled as he sped up and stood. He heard a yell from somewhere in his right and cursed again. Someone had spotted him. He ran through the trees until he reached the other side of the forest and had to stop quickly. As the forest ended so did the ground. Edmund looked his surroundings trying to find a hiding place. The cliff was too high and too steep so he couldn't climb down. His eyes stopped at a formation of bushes and rocks at the edge of the cliff. Edmund headed towards it and hid behind the formation and between the edge and the bushes.

Edmund tried to even his breath and listened as the soldiers came to the cliff started to search for him.

"Come on, he cannot be far", one of the told the others. "There's no way out from this cliff."

Oh, great, Edmund thought, now he had to return a little bit if he wanted to get out of here. Suddenly Edmund felt something give up under him. He froze as he felt the earth starting to move.

"Shit."

In the next moment he found himself hanging from the bushes above the air and a couple of telmarine soldiers staring down at him.

He attempted a cheerful smile. "Well, you didn't expect me to not to run, did you?"