This one is a little shorter than the others, but there is just one chapter left after this one, so enjoy!
Chapter Nine
Victory
Caspian and his men rode underneath the ground, smashing the pillars, causing a deep pit to be formed as the horsemen rode over it. They left the tunnels behind the cavalry, circling them in.
"Fire!" Susan yelled, and the many dwarves, fawns, centaurs, and humans who were fighting together let go of their arrows.
Things seemed to look good for the Narnians at first. Kaylin drew arrows as fast as she could, hitting as many Telmarines as possible. And then, the rest of the army began marching forward. The ground rumbled as their many feet marched across the plain.
Peter looked up helplessly at Susan. "Lucy?"
Susan merely shrugged, unsure of where their youngest sister was.
The high king turned to look at his dwindling army, realizing that they could never fight the whole of the Telmarine army. "Fall back!"
"Cut off their escape!" Lord Sopespian yelled out, his voice carrying over the great rumbling. The catapult was quickly aimed and rocks started flying at the stone temple.
"Brace yourselves!" Susan yelled, as everything around them shook. Kaylin nearly lost her balance, but watched in horror as the ground beneath Susan disappeared. As she fell, she reached up her hand and Trumpkin grabbed it. He swung her over to a ledge, and Susan landed safely on it.
Peter and the others stood at the entrance, which had now collapsed. With their escape cut off and the army closing in, things seemed hopeless.
Kaylin ran down with Trumpkin to ground level and stood alongside Caspian, Peter, Susan, and Edmund. They all looked at each other, still clinging to a hope that was nowhere to be found. Peter was the first to start forward, his sword drawn bravely, back into a battle they all knew they couldn't win. The others followed, letting out battle cries.
The dust was kicking up all around her. The soldiers were still encircling them, their numbers far greater than even Caspian could have imagined. But they fought on.
Kaylin was shooting arrows just as fast as she could when she finally gave up and drew her sword. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caspian go down. Soldiers came up behind her and grabbed, her dragging her down. She screamed and kicked, not only for her life but for Caspian's. The general was standing over him, a large lance in his hand, prepared to kill the rightful heir to the Telmarine throne, when he suddenly stopped. Kaylin watched in wonder as what looked like a root came out of the ground and grabbed the general, throwing him like a rag doll, knocking him to the ground. The soldiers that were pinning her to the ground got up and started to run away, but roots came out of the ground and dragged them down.
Kaylin stood up to see trees moving all around her, her eyes wide with awe. Even in Narnia such things had never been seen. They moved rather gracefully along the ground, pulling their roots out and taking down Telmarine soldiers right and left. One took out the catapult that was still shooting rocks at them.
"Lucy," Peter said with a smile.
Kaylin looked over at Caspian, laughing, feeling a joy that she hadn't felt in a long time.
The Telmarine army was retreating to the river. The Narnians followed them, and were surprised to see them halted at its banks. Kaylin looked through the many men to see Lucy on the other side.
"What is she doing?" she asked Susan, her voice panicked.
"Shhh, it's okay," Susan replied, a grin spreading across her face.
Lord Sopespian eyed her carefully before charging at the young girl but stopped again when Aslan came out of the trees.
Kaylin marveled at the great lion that she had only heard stories about. He was larger than a regular lion, and his golden mane blew gracefully in the wind. He roared majestically and menacingly at the same time at the Telmarines, who were now realizing that the water around them was rising at an alarming speed.
Everyone looked up the river to see the river god crashing down on them. In one swift motion, it swallowed up most of the Telmarine army, including Lord Sopespian, sweeping them downstream.
Kaylin couldn't keep her eyes off Aslan. The Narnians were rounding up the Telmarines that had survived, taking their weapons but not holding them prisoner. The Pevensies and Caspian were standing in front of the great lion. The battle for Narnia finished and the knowledge that the land would once again be restored brought a sense of peace that she had never known. She only wished she, too, could stand in front of him.
Suddenly, all eyes were on her as Aslan called out her name. Kaylin felt her heart drop to her feet, unable to get a good breath as she stepped forward and knelt before him.
"Your bravery has been proven in these harsh times, dear Kaylin," Aslan said, his voice just as great and powerful as she had imagined. "Your comrades speak highly of you."
Kaylin looked over at Caspian, who was smiling but blushing. The Pevensies were all smiling as well. "Well, I shall always speak very highly of them, too."
"And where is this dwarf you have told me so much about?" the great lion asked, searching the crowds of Narnians.
Trumpkin heard his question and stepped forward, his face embarrassed, realizing he had doubted Aslan's presence. He knelt with his sword dug into the ground. Aslan roared magnificently, causing Trumpkin to jump.
"Do you see him now?" Lucy laughed.
They were welcomed back into the Telmarine kingdom with cheers and a great feast. Caspian rode in first, soon to be crowned the new king. The Pevensies rode in after him, along with all the different creatures of Narnia. The kingdom was already being united, and Kaylin couldn't help but revel in the moment. She rode further behind in the crowd, Reepicheeps perched on her shoulder.
Caspian turned around once, searching until he saw her face. He gave her a big smile, his eyes shining in the moment also. Kaylin gave him a grand smile in return, her stomach full of the butterflies she had felt around him since they first met in a cold, dark cell. Catching herself staring at him, she blushed and looked away. Reepicheeps noticed the longing glances that the two exchanged, however.
"You know, you could be riding up with the new king of the Telmarines," the mouse said in her ear.
"No, I can't. I am a woman with no past except as a Narnian. He is soon to be king of a great country. I have no place riding with him," Kaylin shook her head sadly.
"I think you underestimate your place in his heart, fair lady," Reepicheeps replied, causing her to go silent.
The night was lit up by fabulous fireworks. Kaylin stood on her balcony, the yellow silk dress given to her smooth against her skin. It glittered with each burst of color.
A knock on her door caused her to turn around. "Come in."
Kaylin was surprised to see Lucy walk in.
"Lucy!" she exclaimed happily. "What brings you to my door?"
"I never got a chance to thank you, you know, for what you did in the forest," the young queen answered. Her smile alone could light up the darkness.
"It was nothing, really," Kaylin replied.
"But it wasn't nothing. It was something!" Lucy exclaimed. "I can see why Aslan honored you so."
"Well, you and your brothers and your sister are very brave as well. And I certainly don't know another creature in Narnia who has the kind of…faith that you do."
"I just knew that Aslan wouldn't abandon us," Lucy said, shrugging.
"It was that faith that brought him to our aid, you know. Your faith is what defines you, dear Lucy. Don't ever lose that."
Lucy smiled as they both continued to watch the fireworks.
