THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS, GUYS!
they make me so happy!
So, here's another chapter for you :D
It's kinda sucky near the last part of the chapter cause I was feeling really drowsy when I was finishing it :X
The movie-verse dialogue could be wrong too, cause the video I watch it from is kinda unclear in this part.
Feel free to correct me, though :D
Hope you like it ((:
xx.
Claire White grumbled under her breath as she kicked a loose stone in her aimless stroll around the How. It was the first time since she had arrived in Narnia that she felt unwelcomed, and wanted to go home, badly. She missed her family and she was disgruntled at the fact that 'Peter-the-petty-King' as Claire had so affectionately named him, wanted her to leave him alone.
Leave him alone.
She was disturbed – terribly, terribly disturbed that Peter was annoyed and even angry with her. But she did not know why she cared so much about how Peter felt about her. Claire knew she cared about what Peter says, but she never knew she'd care that much. That 'care' for Peter's words and thoughts became increasingly important to her. It was so important to her now, she couldn't help but want to butt into his feelings and know how he feels.
Claire thought she was going crazy. Now, she couldn't stand sitting beside Peter for the butterflies and what nots in her would zoom around madly, making her feel queasy and sick. Her blushing moments became increasingly common, and it will happen just by looking at Peter with his lightish brown hair falling into those magnificent pair of blue ey-
You get the drift.
"Stupid Claire!" She slapped herself hard on her forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. How did I even e-"
"The Kings and Queens have failed us." Claire looked up on hearing the familiar voice and scanned around the dark hallways to see who was talking. The hallway was empty apart from her, so she continued walking, following the source of the voice, and realizing that it came from the Hall of the Stone Table. "Your army's half dead."
Claire hid behind a wall and peeked in carefully, holding onto her knives that were clanging with every motion she made. "And the numbers will be gone soon enough."
Nikabrik, the red-bearded dwarf walked towards Caspian slowly, making his feet create 'thud-ing' noises against the sandy ground. Caspian turned towards the dwarf that threatened to kill him when he first met him and said, "What do you want?"
Nikabrik eyed the young and naïve prince and instead of answering his questions, the dwarf answered Caspian's wants. "You want your uncle's blood? So do we. You want his throne? We can take it for you."
With that, Nikabrik walked off, leaving Caspian to contemplate before following Nikabrik to wherever he is going. Having always been an 'act first and think later' girl, Claire followed after the two quietly, making sure she was perfectly out of their sight.
Nikabrik and Caspian were now on the steps, walking towards the stone table as Claire hid behind a pillar. Nikabrik turned to Prince and said, "You tried using the horn's power, it failed." They stopped as the dwarf look at the Prince with a glint in his beady eyes. "But there is a power greater still. One that kept even Aslan at bay for a hundred years."
Grunting noises were heard from the darkness in front of Caspian, so out of precaution, he drew his sword and held it in front of him, preparing himself for any sudden attack. One can never be too careful with people or dwarfs to be exact, like Nikabrik who doubted his presence and abilities to lead when he had first met him. Caspian wanted to succeed in leading his people for the battle, wanted to impress Susan and show her he wasn't a coward like what her brother, Peter think he is, even if it meant trusting and following the words of that dwarf who never seem to have a good heart in him.
Caspian squinted into dark abyss and tensed. "Who's there?"
The grunting and loud breathing persisted, sending shudders up and down Claire's spine as she continued spying on the two. She waited with batted breath when two cloaked figures stepped into the light from the glowing fire and eyed Caspian. They slowly made their way towards Caspian while pulling back their oversized hoods, revealing their true form to Caspian. Claire stifled a gasp at the monstrosity of the two creatures' looks. They were the creatures who were exiled from the land of Narnia and whose species killed her ancestor, Queen Helen the Kind, Narnia's first Queen.
The Hag and the Werewolf. Loyal followers of Jadis, the White Queen, as Claire recalled Trufflehunter's brief but important characteristic of them.
A rhythmic drumming resounded through the huge cavern as the Hag started a sort of chant in an unknown language. Her shrill and whiny voice was torture to the ears as she gave a shriek every now and then, causing Claire to cringe on hearing it. The Hag, Werewolf and Nikabrik circled Caspian like hungry predators waiting to kill their prey on the next move. The grotesque looking Hag drew a perfect circle around Caspian with her long and black talon before her dance started to get more vigorous as she hopped around with a spear in her hand.
The Hag, whose features resembled a wrinkled bald eagle to Claire raises the spear high above her head and shriek again, calling out what seems to be the final part of the chant as she pushed the spear down and pierced it onto the ground with a last shriek. A bright blue crystal started forming from the bottom of the spear, slowly spreading up the length of the weapon as the ice like structure coagulates on the arch in front of Aslan's picture. Claire unknowingly stepped out from her hiding place and gapped at the display of sorcery in front of her. The ice like block seemed to radiate a form of harsh coldness in the entire hall, causing Claire to shiver at the immense drop in the temperature.
A translucent figure appeared in the block and it did not take Claire twice to recognize who it was. Or more precisely, who she was.
Caspian started backing away when realization hit him like a face-on collision. "Wait, this isn't what I wanted."
Backing off, Caspian was held back by the werewolf tightly and was forcibly made to stretch out his arm for the evil Queen who once turned Narnia into an everlasting land of snow. The icy strands of Jadis, the White Witch's hair moved stiffly in the block of ice as she spoke, watching Caspian with menace. "One drop of Adam's blood, you'll free me. And I'm yours, My King."
Caspian struggled against the werewolf, whose tight grip made it difficult for him to escape. The Hag then drew a small, rusty knife and cut it along Caspian's palm, drawing blood with every second. A thin long line of red liquid glistened under the firelight as Caspian drew a sharp breath of pain.
"No!" Caspian shouted as he cringed at the intense burning sensation on his palm. Jadis' hand stretched out from the block of ice she was entrapped in and Claire watched as the vicious Witch reached out for Caspian's bleeding palm.
"Caspian! Let go of him!" Claire ran towards the Prince with her knives held tightly in her hands. She charged towards the group, alone, other than her weapons as Nikabrik ran forward since the werewolf and the Hag were busy.
"Oh no you don't!" Nikabrik snarled and charged headfirst into Claire, knocking her over instantly. The red-bearded dwarf had a huge amount of strength for someone his height. Claire lost her grip on her knives upon the contact of the collision and fell to the ground, scraping her elbows against the grainy sands.
"G-get away from m-me…" Nikabrik jumped onto the poor girl and kept a death grip on Claire's neck, stopping her oxygen flow almost immediately as she struggled against the dwarf to no avail. "I c-can't br-breathe!" Her lungs fought for air as her windpipe was getting increasingly crushed by Nikabrik's tight hold on them, constricting the narrow tube with every ounce of strength he put in. Claire struggled, clawed, kicked and threw blind punches, but the dwarf was simply not removing his death-grip on her neck as he continued to cut off her oxygen intake and suffocate her slowly but surely.
Claire continued her intense clawing at Nikabrik's hands just as her vision began to grow increasingly blur. She turned her head to the side and watched as Caspian held out his hand willingly while the White Witch tempted him with her rough, icy voice. Claire's heart pounded fiercely against her chest and felt her contact with the world slowly slip away from her along with her darkening vision.
Claire had expected herself to die on the battlefield while fighting to claim back the Narnians' freedom by a tall and dangerous Telmarine soldier, not in the hands of some grumpy, old dwarf whose height was nearly half of Claire's. She clawed weakly at Nikabrik's hand one last time before her slender fingers slipped away and fell onto the ground as darkness took over her.
Footsteps thundered into the Hall of the Stone Table as Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Trumpkin charged into the Hall, watching in horror at the scene that was unfolding in front of them. Peter and Edmund ran towards the Hag and the werewolf respectively with their swords drawn out in front of them, ready to kill the dark creatures.
"Claire!" Lucy's cry drew Peter and Edmund's attention as they turned to the figure lying under Nikabrik. Their attention was drawn only briefly when the Hag and werewolf charged at the Kings of Old, howling angrily at the interruption. Trumpkin ran towards Nikabrik and with his body, he shoved the traitor off of Claire's body as they rolled on the ground with dust particles floating around them. Nikabrik took out his knife and neared Trumpkin, ready to kill him when his weapon was kicked out of his hand and found to his surprise, a dagger at his neck, threatening to kill him anytime soon.
"Ahhh!" Lucy's loud shriek reverberated through the cavern when Nikabrik flipped the young Queen around swiftly and pulled painfully on her hair before grabbing the dagger from her hand. Lucy fell flat onto the ground and started to move back with her elbows when Nikabrik neared her, holding her dagger high above his head in a striking position. Just then, the sound of metal tearing at raw flesh sounded out as Nikabrik lifted his head and dropped onto the ground, dead. Lucy looked up to see Trumpkin holding the dead dwarf's dagger before she rushed over to help revive the unconscious girl.
"Come on, come on." Jadis urged as she hypnotized Caspian into giving her his blood. Peter looked between the unconscious Claire and the close proximity between Jadis before deciding to stop the White Witch from getting resurrected.
He ran up to Caspian and pushed him away roughly. "Get away from him!"
Jadis reclined back into the ice block and smiled at the High King sweetly yet completely fakely. She whispered in a tempting tone. "Peter dear. I've missed you." She stretched out her hand once again. "Come, just one drop. You know you can't do this alone."
Don't succumb to her, Peter. Do not succumb to her. She's just tempting you.
Even with the rational reminders Peter was repeating in his mind, he couldn't help but lower his sword gradually when he stared into Jadis' pale eyes.
Maybe she's right. You can't do this alone, Peter. I'm sure a drop wouldn't hurt. A drop for the Narnians. A drop to protect Lucy. Edmund. Susan. Claire.
Lower and lower went Peter's sword as he slowly caved in and started to stretch his hand out to Jadis. But just as Jadis and Peter's hands were about to come into contact, a slashing sound was heard as the middle of the White Witch's ice started to crack.
Jadis retracted her hand and stared at the expanding crack in confusion and gave a cry. "Ugh!"
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, the block of ice shattered with the huge blocks of debris falling onto the ground with a deafening sound as Peter and Caspian bent down for cover.
There, on the other side of the arch was Edmund, standing with his sword held above his head. He had struck the ice with his sword, causing it to crack and shatter, saving Peter for what was the second time. "I know," He started as Peter looked at him. "You had it sorted."
Seeing that the White Witch was destroyed, Lucy called for her older brother when she tried but failed to revive Claire. "Peter! Claire's not waking up!"
Peter and Edmund rushed towards their sister while Caspian stayed rooted on the spot, feeling much too embarrassed to face the Pevensies after what he had done. When he looked up, however, his eyes met those of Susan's, as she gave him a disappointing look.
Caspian's heart wrenched in pain. Indescribable pain. The look Susan had given her was enough to kill him. He had failed her. Without a sound, Caspian walked out of the cavern, having feel like
"Claire." Peter whispered, kneeling down beside the girl. Her face was of the palest shade ever, and her sparkling blue eyes were hidden behind her closed eyelids. The finger marks on her slender neck stirred up an unknown hatred for the dwarf just as Susan joined them, staring in shock at Claire's motionless figure.
Panicked tears slid down Lucy's face. "I've fed her the healing potion, Peter. But she's not swallowing it. It's stuck in her throat!"
"Try pumping air into her throat, Your Majesty." Trumpkin suggested, frowning sadly at Claire's state. "It could be constricted by Nikabrik when he was strangling her, so the potion can't flow down."
Without a second word, Peter took in a deep breath and pressed his mouth onto Claire's cold and pale lips. He did not expect his first kiss with any girl was given to save her. Peter quivered at the abnormal coldness of her lips before blowing air into her mouth, hoping to open up her constricted windpipe. After that breath, he tried again. Once. Twice. Thrice.
"Come on, Claire." Peter mumbled as he met Claire's lips for the fourth time, blowing air into her. He was in hysterics right now, something which Edmund and Lucy had only seen when Edmund was stabbed by Jadis on their first battle in Narnia. It was hard to see the High King of Narnia panicking and he only did when people he cared for were hurt. Peter was trembling badly, judging by the way his hands shivered and his face was of the palest white.
Peter moved in for another attempt when he was held back by Edmund's hand. "Wait, Pete… look…"
Everyone watched as Claire's mouth opened a little and almost too quickly, she broke out into fits of cough while attempting to take in as much of the deprived air as she could. Her eyes shot wide open once the potion was in her system and almost immediately, she coughed and sputtered and tried to take in more oxygen at the same time, making her choke more.
"Slow down, Claire." Edmund said as he pushed her into a sitting position. "There's enough air for everyone."
"You gave us such a big scare!" Lucy exclaimed, pulling Claire into a tight and bone-crushing hug that she had no idea a petite young girl like Lucy was capable of giving.
"L-Lu…" Claire's tone was raspy from the abuse her throat underwent moments before.
"I thought you were going to die!" Lucy continued exclaiming, not catching the hint that her hug was choking her.
"Can't… breathe!" Claire mumbled.
Peter pulled the two girls apart when he saw the pained look on Claire's face. "Lucy! You're crushing her!"
"I'm so sorry!" Lucy apologized with a sheepish look. Claire shook her head and winced when she brought a hand up to touch her neck.
"Come on." Trumpkin said. "Let's get you to the healer for those marks, Your Majesty."
Susan nodded in agreement and helped Claire up carefully just as she swayed dangerously on the spot, but was caught by Peter who held onto her arms.
A burning blush crept up Claire's pale face as she muttered a quiet 'thanks' before she was helped away by Claire to see Tia-Bael by Susan.
Truthfully speaking, Peter was slightly miffed at Susan for rushing Claire to the healer before he had any chance to speak to her. To apologize. But it seems all this had to wait. Everyone followed after the two while Peter stayed behind, staring at the sculpture of Aslan on the wall. He sat on the ground, leaning against the broken stone table and caught the eyes of Claire just before she turned the corner, catching an obvious glimpse of sadness in it.
Peter sighed. Everything was just not going right for him.
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