Out of death, life
Out of night, day
Glory from sorrow.
Out of grief, jow
Out of storm, come
Strength for tomorrow...
'Wonder', Laura Michelle Kelly
l instantly stabbed downwards with my blade and caught a dwarf in the shoulder. As Alrohar crashed through, l twisted up and out and flicked the sword around to slice a cyclops across the stomach. The creature fell to his knees with a bellow, crushing another dwarf beneath him.
But l didn't stay to watch. Alro moved onwards, ignoring my sword as he took out his own opponents with his hooves. l battled on, trying to keep track of Peter in the fray. Thank Aslan Florian was so easy to pick out with his snowy coat and golden horn. l took out a minotaur with a hit between the eyes, as l saw the Witch finally move forwards to join the battle herself.
l kicked Alrohar nearer to Florian so Peter would hear me. He had to. "Peter!"
Peter heard and followed my gaze to the Witch. l watched him turn to signal to Edmund.
Upon the hill, one of the centaur's shot the enflamed arrow across the battlefield. As it flew, the phoenix burst into life from the fire and shit across the centre of the field, creating a flame barrier between the Witch, and Peter and l. The Narnians around me cheered, but l frowned. The Witch had made no movement at stopping, she was going to come through. l bit my lip, stabbed downward and took out a distracted wolf.
And the Witch burst through the flickering heat. There was no way to beat them on the flat now. The rocks were our only hope. But would Peter recognise it?
Peter wasted no time. "Fall back! Draw them to the rocks." l heard his cry and obeyed. Alrohar automatically turned back at a canter, leaping over bodies and wounded creatures. l forced herself past my own, l couldn't help them now...
Oreius and Peter were ahead of me and, suddenly without a warning, Florian fell.
"No!" l cried as the unicorn rolled across the ground, before staggering up, a tell-tale arrow embedded in his flank. Peter had been thrown clear and he dragged himself up with his sword. His helmet was nowhere to be seen, his blonde hair flicked across his face.
l headed toward him despeately but he saw me with a face of horror.
"Behind you!" he bellowed.
l glanced down and saw the reflection of a cyclops in a fallen shield. l had a short moment in which to make a decision!
"Alro, flip!" l screamed, letting him know what l was going to do. In a bound, Alrohar sprang away in the same moment that l flipped off him and landed to the side of the cyclops. As l landed catlike on the ground, l bought up my blade to meet the cyclops before l met his club.
As the creature fell, l felt a rush of air breeze my hair. something bay and familiar flashed passed me. It was Oreius.
l span around, the Witch was advancing in her chariot. Suddenly Otmin was there, but Oreius didn't falter. Otmin fell with a shuddering thump, Oreius' twin blades embedded in his back.
Oreius drew his long blade with a roar. l froze as he took a powerful leap over Jadis' chariot. Could he mke it? But l suddenly noticed Jadis' wand was in her hand.
l heard another familiar scream a moment before realising it was me, as a grey colour spread over Oreius' body in a second and the stone centaur crashed to the ground.
"Ed!" l heard Peter shout. "There are too many of them! Go! Get out of here! Get the girls, and get them home!"
l swallowed. He was taking care of his family, l told myself. Take care of yours. Now!
l whirled around, my sword flashing in the sun into a dwarf. Where was the witch? And then l saw her, close by, her own sword and wand cutting a terrible dance through the air as they each found their mark.
And suddenly Edmund flew through the air, his sword crashing down on her wand. Her wand was broken! She was a weapon down, a witch no longer! But her spirit was far from it. Jadis glared at him and stabbed the broken end of her wand into his stomach. My scream mingled with Peter's cry. l looked around. Peter was not as close to the witch as l was, though he was trying to get to her, to destroy her. He wouldn't get there in time.
l ran forwards and brought my own sword ringing down to balance a few inches above Edmund's chest, preventing the Witch's from reaching Edmund's heart as her sword clashed into mine.
"You!" the witch gasped.
"Me," l hissed, tossing my hair from my face and swinging my sword back and circling around her.
"Your mother was so easy to kill," the Witch murmured "You'll be just the same."
"I hope I don't disappoint," l muttered back, and with a lunge through myself into the duel.
l was aware of both Narnians and the Witch's followers paused, backing away as the two most feared women at either side attacked each other with speed and skill beyond any they had seen. l could see it in their eyes as I span away to attack again, they understood why l was Swordmaiden of Narnia. l attacked again and again, the double bladed sword whirling around in my hand, ringing out it's unique song as it clashed with the Jadis' sword.
l heard a shout as the her blade cut a wide circle and sliced through my gown just below the breastplate. l ignored it, feeling only a numb throbbing from where I guessed she had caught me and a trickle of blood against my thigh.
"Arneia!" It was his voice, Peter's voice.
l used the witch's distraction to bring my own double blade stinging down on my opponent's bare shoulder, the pale skin turning red as blood seeped from the Jadis' new wound that stretched from the top of her shoulder to the centre of her chest above her dress.
Then suddenly, l twisted my wrist and flicked the Witch's blade from her hands. But even as the sword fell, l felt a hand at my throat and my feet left the ground. l struggled, but while l could defeat the witch with a blade, Jadis had the strength in hand to hand combat. My own sword fell to the ground as I dropped it claw desperately at the witch's hand. The pain in my side was deepening, my eyes watering as l struggled for breath. I was panicking, I couldn't breathe! The witch turned me slightly and forced me to look at one of my warriors. No, it was Peter. l saw the tears in his own eyes as we locked gaze.
"I'm sorry," l mouthed, before choking again. It was impossible.
"You didn't disappoint, Arneia, daughter of a dead cat," the Witch cried, laughing, and suddenly l saw everything fly past me as she threw me backwards. Suddenly a new sharp pain hit my entire back, forcing the breath out of me, and l felt myself falling again. Downward. l hit the ground, the pain growing unbearable, the noise of battle filling my ears!
And everything went black...
