Author's Note: Ok, first of all, the basics: read, review, check out my profile, and answer my poll. Second, please, please, please, please write to me about any new ideas. As I mentioned last time, I want to add some Narnian characters but I need names and that is unfortunately not my strong point. Please write about any new characters you have ideas for.

I am really sorry about this chapter being late, but my computer broke down yesterday and so I couldn't get Saturday's chapter up. I am publishing it now though, and if I get seven reviews I should be able to get another chapter up on Wednesday. If not, the next chapter will be up next Saturday. Again, sorry for the long wait.

Lastly, who has seen the new Harry Potter movie? I saw it Friday night and I have to say it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. I can't wait for the next movie to come out.

Chapter 8: The Rescue

Storm walked at my side, as we both explored the camp. We'd known each other long enough that we didn't need to talk but could just walk side by side, with my hand buried in the soft feathers on his flank, and appreciate the beauty of spring and the easy, carefree attitude of most of the narnians, who laughed and talked as they worked. Looking up, we saw Peter, now in narnian clothes, talking to Aslan at the edge of a small cliff overlooking the camp.

"Do you think the witch has realized that we have betrayed her?" Storm wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but it doesn't really matter, we're here and we will stay and help Aslan win this war. I don't care if my mother knows about it or not, it wouldn't change a thing anyway." I answered, with absolute certainty.

"She still has the second Son of Adam. We must tread carefully if we want to keep him safe."

I was suddenly worried, "I hope Edmund's alright. The necklace I gave him won't protect him from anything but magic directly aimed at him. She can't turn him to stone but she can still kill him or seriously injure him."

"Aslan will make sure he's safe," Storm comforted me.

I was about to comment on this when the loud blast of a horn sounded through the air. Peter turned and ran towards the sound. For a minute, I wondered what it was, but then the realization dawned on me.

"Susan! That's her horn!" I cried out pulling myself onto Storm's back.

The ice dragon didn't wait a moment to take off, flapping his large wings and taking off, soaring not too high up, so as to be able to see what was going on. Peter was way ahead of us already, but Storm had almost caught up to him by the time we reached the place where the girls were.

The two girls had managed to climb a tree, getting out of reach of the two wolves now growling, leaping up and snapping their jaws at Susan's feet, which dangled from a branch. I recognized Maugrim and his second in command, Eadulf.

"Get back!" Peter shouted at the two wolves, racing through a shallow stream and drawing his sword.

Storm landed, running a few steps before drawing back. I grabbed my sword and unsheathed it, ready to go help Peter fight off the two wolves now circling him but Storm held me back.

"Let him try to prove himself, we both know he needs to," Storm held me back with one massive paw. I knew he was right, so I stayed in place but kept my double sword unsheathed, ready to leap in if he needed help.

"Come on!" Maugrim growled. "We've been through this before. We both know you haven't got it in you."

"Peter, watch out!" Susan cried.

Peter's sword was pointing from on wolf to another, making sure they didn't get too close. There was a whimper as Eadulf was pinned down by a golden paw: Aslan. I had not noticed him in my concentration on the battle. Oreius had his sword out, but Aslan stopped him with a word.

"No, stay your weapons, this is Peter's fight."

Peter turned back to Maugrim, who paced closer bit by bit, "You may think you're a king, but you're going to die… LIKE A DOG!"

He leapt at Peter, who had just enough time to raise his sword before the wolf fell on top of him. I had seen enough fights to know that Maugrim would die, but whether or not he would kill Peter before that, I could not know. There were shrieks from the girls as they leapt down from the tree to join their brother. I raced forward as well, dropping my sword and helping them push the heavy wolf body off of their brother.

Peter sat up, looking dazed, but uninjured and hugged his two sisters tightly. He gave me a grateful look, glad I had given him a chance to do this alone. Aslan released the second wolf, which gave a small whimper and raced off.

"After him," Aslan ordered, "He'll lead you to Edmund."

Oreius gave a deep nod and raced off with about a dozen other narnians. I grabbed my sword and swung onto Storm's back, racing off after them. Storm didn't fly this time, but his running was almost as fast. We had caught up to Oreius in no time, following the wolf through the woods. There was no talking as we raced through the woods, following Eadulf who, now that Maugrim was dead, was the captain of the witch's secret police.

It was dusk when we reached the witch's camp. The wolf we had been following all afternoon seemed to still be unaware of our presence and raced into the camp. Oreius continued to charge, about to head into the camp, but Storm managed to get in front of him and block the way.

"We can't just charge in," I said, "This is the witch we're talking about. She'll turn us all to stone if we're not careful."

Oreius looked me over, surprised. He'd obviously thought I had no talent in battle and would definitely not know how to lead a raid.

"Perhaps you are right," he admitted. "What do you suggest?"

Thinking quickly, I spoke, "Let me go on first. I'll find Edmund and, when I send you a signal, you lead the charge into camp. We'll have to act fast, though, before the Witch can get to us."

Oreius nodded, "What will the signal be?"

I took out my dagger and reflected held it so that the silver blade caught the sparse light. There was a flash of bright light and, when I turned the blade again, it disappeared.

"Three flashes means go, one flash run away, if there's a problem," I explained.

I dismounted from Storm's back, made sure my sword was safely slung across my back and snuck into the camp. Once I knew I was out of sight of the narnians waiting for my signal, I made myself invisible as I had done so many times before when I didn't want to be spotted. Harr

I knew my mother would keep Edmund in the center of the camp, thinking there would be no way for anybody to reach him there. Of course, she also hadn't counted on my siding with the narnians to free Edmund. It didn't take me very long to find him, tied to a tree and gagged. Ginabrik had been put on guard duty, which was a pretty stupid move considering I had never seen a worse fighter than him in my life.

I let my cover slip and Ginabrik started at seeing me appear right in front of him. He didn't have time to make as sound as vines wrapped around him from his feet to his mouth and he fell to the ground. I ignored his struggles and rushed over to Edmund, cutting him loose. He jumped to his feet and was about to speak when I covered his mouth with my hand and gave him a pointed look. He got the message.

"Tie him up to the tree," I whispered, gesturing to the dwarf.

He complied and dragged the dwarf to the tree that he had been tied up to only seconds before. As soon as the dwarf was securely tied up to the tree with the ropes that had held Edmund, I allowed the vines cocooning Ginabrik to loosen. At the same time, I took out my dagger, and flashed it three times, the way I had shown Oreius. The dwarf behind me started to make a very offensive comment, but Edmund picked up the cloth that he had been gagged with and tied it around his mouth, tightening it. I walked over to the dwarf and stuck my dagger into his hat.

"Tell my mother I said hello, will you?" I whispered to him so that Edmund couldn't hear.

The others arrived at that moment, Oreius leading the charge, Storm right behind him. As they passed, not slowing down, I launched myself onto Storm's back and pulled Edmund on after me. I grabbed my sword from my back ready to fight the witch's forces, which were everywhere around us. Storm took off, up over the forest, where we could see the rest of the raiding party, fighting all sorts of other creatures.

We weren't alone for long, however. About half a dozen harpies rose into the skies behind us, giving chase. My sword wouldn't be useful in this fight, I decided, I would have to fight them off at long range.

One of them raced towards me and I thrust my hands forward, commanding wind to send it far away. Two more were charred to ashes as I used my power over fire on them. One more had its wings frozen so that it fell to the ground, unable to fly. That left two, speeding towards us at full speed. Fire engulfed one but the other managed to dodge the flame. I tried again, but it seemed to be an unusually good flier, because it managed to evade that attack too.

I was so focused on the harpy that I didn't notice the one I had blown away come back at me from behind until Edmund cried out. I turned just in time to se the harpy sink its claws into my shoulder, tearing my dress to pieces to reveal white skin, now bloodied and a mess of scratches. I gasped out in pain, and tried to fight it off but the creature was too close for me to do much. It was Storm that saved me, turning his long neck back and grabbing the harpy in his huge jaws, biting down hard. The creature fell broken to the ground far below. The last harpy had disappeared, and I didn't particularly want to know where it had gone.

We were almost at Aslan's camp by now, and I could still see Oreius and the other narnians below us. Storm landed at the edge of camp, at the same time as the rest of the rescue party emerged from the woods. They came to meet us, fussing over the Son of Adam we had gone to such length to rescue and congratulating me on my plan.

"You should go to the infirmary, get that shoulder tended to," Oreius suggested, smiling slightly.

"I'll come with you," Storm added.

I shook my head, "No, you should get some rest. Go back to the tent, I'll be fine."

Storm looked reluctant but stayed put as I walked away to the large tent that was the infirmary.