Chapter Nine
Caspian led us into a cavernous room and lit oil in a trough that ran all the way around the space. We watched in awe as the room was lit, bathing everything in a warm golden glow.
Before us stood the ruins of the Stone Table, where Aslan had died to save Edmund. Surrounding it were ornate sculptures and golden reliefs on the walls of fauns and Animals and Aslan. Lucy went forward and ran her hands along the cool stone of the ancient cracked table. I hung back in silence with Edmund.
"He must know what he's doing," Lucy said, turning to the rest of us. We all looked at the image of Aslan standing behind the table.
Peter spoke. "I think it's up to us now." I just stared at him, wondering how he could lose his faith so quickly. I glanced around at everyone else's faces. Caspian's was blank, Susan's wore a look of pity for Lucy, Lucy looked sad and angry, and Edmund was frowning a bit. But no one disagreed.
We slept in makeshift bedrooms, which were really just small sections of one large room, divided by blankets. We slept on piles of blankets and straw, the girls on one side, the boys on the other. It was better than what I had had in a year, but I needed to be alone with Edmund. I was determined to tell him I loved him, but it seemed like we were never alone. He was always with Peter and Caspian planning or overseeing preparations.
We gathered around the Table for a meeting a few days after our arrival at the How. One of the fauns posted as a sentry had spotted a spy on horseback at the edge of the woods.
"It's only a matter of time," Peter said. "Miraz's men and war machines are on their way." Here he paused, looking around at all of us. "That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."
Reepicheep, the Mouse, spoke up. "What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?" He asked eagerly. Caspian and Peter spoke at the same time. They looked at each other. After a moment, Caspian nodded shortly and looked away.
"Our only hope," Peter continued, "Is to strike them before they strike us."
"But that is crazy," Caspian answered. "No one has ever taken that castle."
Peter shrugged. "There's always a first time."
Trumpkin agreed. "We have the element of surprise."
"But we have the advantage here," Caspian argued.
Susan stepped up behind him. "If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely," she said. I raised my eyebrow. Peter stared at her.
"I, for one, feel safer underground," said Trufflehunter the Badger.
Peter shook his head, turning back to Caspian. "Look. I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb."
Edmund jumped in from where he sat on a stone block next to me. "If they're smart, the Telmarines can just wait and starve us out." I nodded in agreement.
Pattertwig the Squirrel chirped up. "We can store nuts!" He suggested zealously.
"Yes! We can throw them at the Telmarines!" Reepicheep said with mock enthusiasm. "Shut up," he finished. The Squirrel flinched.
"I think you know where I stand, sire," the Mouse said to Peter.
Peter turned to the centaur general, Glenstorm. "If I get your troops in, do you think you can handle the guards?"
The centaur answered in his deep voice, "Or die trying, my liege." I shivered, but not from the cool dampness of the room.
"That's what I'm worried about," Lucy said quietly from where she sat on the Table.
Peter looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Sorry?"
"Well you're all acting like there's only two options: die here, or die there," she answered.
"I don't think you've really been listening Lu," Peter brushed her off.
But Lucy wasn't finished. "No, you're not listening! Or have you really forgotten who defeated the White Witch, Peter?"
After a moment's silence in which he clenched and unclenched his jaw, Peter said, "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough," and then turned and left. I chewed my bottom lip, trying not to yell angrily at him for how stupid he was being.
I turned and looked at Lucy, who was trying not to cry. Edmund's face was clouded with frustration, but he also knew that he couldn't do anything to change Peter's mind. I clenched and unclenched my fists, and then turned and left to go and tend to Andy.
I stood mounted on my unicorn, in full armor and with my sword and pike. I squinted as I scanned the night sky nervously for the griffon that was carrying Edmund silently. I saw a shadow flit above us, and knew that must be him. I followed it to the tower where it dropped him. I saw him flash his electric torch three times, signaling the rest of the griffons to move in, carrying Peter, Caspian, and Susan.
I looked over to Glenstorm, and he nodded. We lifted our pikes and began leading the army forward at a walk from the edge of the forest outside the castle and city walls. I knew that right now, Reepicheep was leading his Mice through the castle to take care of the guards on the inside.
Edmund flashed his light again, and I saw the three shadows above the castle dive down behind the walls. As we marched forward towards the gates slowly, I thought about Edmund. If either of us died tonight, he would never know. I had nearly told him the night before.
I had found him in the big room where we all sleep. "Edmund, I have to tell you something." He looked up, and my heart thudded harder.
"Yes, Rosie? What is it?" Only he called me Rosie. It made me smile a little. "I-" but I was cut off by the entrance of Trumpkin and Trufflehunter, who told Edmund that Peter needed to talk to him about the invasion of the castle.
"We'll talk later, all right?" He asked me. I nodded, swallowing heavily, and he left.
I was jerked back to the present by Anduril shaking his mane. I said a quick prayer to Aslan, asking him to keep us all safe tonight. As the clock struck out a warning, I saw Edmund's light waving around. I narrowed my eyes in a frown of confusion. What does that mean? We waited nervously, knowing that time was running out. But we couldn't go without the signal.
Finally, as we heard the shouts of soldiers coming from the castle walls, Edmund flashed us the signal. Glenstorm reared up high, and cried out at the top of his lungs "Charge!" I yelled "For Narnia and for Aslan!" and we charged forward. Our hooves clattered on the stone of the bridge, and the guards in front us of turned and ran. A Minotaur raced ahead and smashed open the smaller gate with his horns, snorting and roaring. We galloped through the main gate, swords and pikes raised, yelling battle cries.
I vaguely remember Peter crying "For Narnia" before he joined us. Anduril jumped over several soldiers as I sliced and slashed with my pike. My unicorn stabbed straight through the armor of several soldiers and then tossed them off of the tip of his now bloody horn. Glenstorm smashed through several lines of men. Mice darted around boots and hooves, stabbing the enemy in the foot to bring them down. I let instinct take over, my ears filled with the screams of the dying, the clash of weapons, the battle cries of both sides.
Susan stabbed arrows into the enemy, flinging them like knives. Fauns scaled the walls, making their ways up to the next level of the castle, hoping to infiltrate the heart. But Miraz's men lined the walls, aiming down at us with their wicked crossbows. I saw Edmund slide down a roof, knocking one of them off. But then all of the others turned and fired at him. I screamed, but he miraculously dodged them all and slammed a door behind him. I turned my attention back to the fighting all around me, praying that Edmund would be all right.
I fought with all my strength, but my arms were beginning to ache, and I had several wounds. None were anything to worry about, but they still hurt and sapped my strength. I ripped off my helmet, using it to smash in the face of a Telmarine before flinging it away. As usual, several of the soldiers I was fighting looked shocked to see I was a woman. This worked to my advantage, and I used their momentary surprise and reluctance to kill a woman to get rid of them. As I surveyed the battle around me, I realized with a sinking feeling that we weren't going to come out of this victorious. We'd be lucky to get out alive.
A clanging sound caught my attention, and I realized that they were shutting the gate. I ran towards it, trying to fight my way through the hordes to stop them. But a minotaur had already reached it. With a roar, he held it on his brutish shoulders, struggling to keep it open for the rest of us to escape. I looked around, panicking.
Peter called, "Fall back!" I continued to slash and fight anyone who attacked me, slowly making my way to the gate. Glenstorm cantered by, reaching out to pull Susan up onto his back. Peter was desperately trying to get everyone to leave. The minotaur under the gate bellowed again as the gate crushed him, and he struggled to lift it high enough for the centaurs to race under. I screamed to any Narnians remaining, trying to get them to leave.
"Get out! The gate's closing! Retreat!" A few didn't listen, and they continued to fight. Caspian broke out of the stables on a black Friesian horse, leading another mount for Peter. I whistled shrilly for Anduril, and I swung onto his broad white back as he galloped past and Peter leaped onto the bay gelding's.
We raced between those that were still fighting, calling, "Fall back! Retreat! It's over! Fall back!" I searched for Edmund in the crowd, but I saw no sign of him. I fought down the sickening panic that was rising.
Miraz shot the minotaur holding up the gate with arrow after arrow, but the creature refused to let it fall just yet. I knocked a Telmarine soldier out of the way as we galloped for the gate. As soon as we were under, the bull-headed man collapsed, the gate crushing him and trapping those that hadn't heeded our warnings. I leaned back on Andy, who sat back on his haunches and slid as he wheeled around to see the desperate fighters calling for help from behind the bars. Tears spilled out of my eyes, and I wanted to go back so badly. Peter was sitting astride his horse as well, his eyes taking in the horrific sight he was leaving behind. I looked at Glenstorm, whose son was still behind that gate.
He nodded gravely at us, and I gave them one last look before digging in my heels. "Peter! The bridge!" someone called from farther down. I turned and looked, and saw the drawbridge raising up.
"Peter! Come on!" I smacked his horse's rump, sending it flying forward.
We galloped forward, him right ahead of me. His bay horse jumped the small gap opening up with ease, but by the time I reached it, it was already fifteen feet across. I growled at Anduril as he ran up the wood, and he launched himself off of the end. We sailed through the air, landing hard on the stone on the other side. As we galloped down the road leading from the castle, I stole one last look back at the gates. The drawbridge pulled up, and I glimpsed the trapped Narnians turning back to face the Telmarines, and their deaths.
I know, very sad, very depressing. But no good story is without its angst and misery, right? And what about Edmund? Did he die?
