The horse trotted quickly throughout the forest. It carried the two girls deeper and deeper into the woods and away from the war. Susan was very glad that Lucy was behind her holding her waist so that she couldn't see the tears streaming from her eyes. Susan was not crying, for she didn't want to believe that she would never see Caspian again, but she could not hold back the tears that came pouring out due to the nature of her meeting with Caspian. He had promised that they would have more time together, but Susan couldn't understand how he was so certain. She, on the other hand, was indeed very worried about how the battle would pan out. She feared losing the ones that she loved, Caspian included.
But she was not without hope. It was what kept her going, riding hard, as Caspian had encouraged her to do. She urged the horse forward with all of her might, whispering to it to show her the meaning of haste and to find Aslan. The steed responded quite well, bounding throughout the forest in search of the Great Lion. Susan knew that if they were successful, if Aslan was found, then they would all be saved, and she would be able to return to Caspian.
She still heard the words he had whispered in her ear. Come back. Come back to me.
"Susan!" Lucy suddenly cried from the back of the horse.
Susan turned around to see her sister pointing to the top of a nearby hill. She followed her sister's finger and sure enough, she saw about a dozen Telmarine soldiers on horseback following the two of them.
"Dammit," Susan muttered under her breath. There was only one thing that she could do now. She knew what it was, and it scared her, but it was the only way. It was a sacrifice that she needed to make. For Aslan, and for Narnia.
For Caspian.
Susan slowed the horse to a stop and then got off.
"What are you doing?" Lucy asked in horror.
"It looks like you're going alone after all," Susan told her sister. "You'll ride faster with just you, and someone has to get these Telmarines off you tail." She handed Lucy the reigns. "Go," she urged the confused girl. "I'll be fine. Go!"
Lucy kicked the horse to a start and rode off into the distance, watching her sister with tears falling from her cheeks as she disappeared.
Susan now had something else to worry about. The Telmarines were not long on the hill; they were now no more than fifty feet away. Susan drew an arrow from her quiver and loaded it into her bow. She made the shot and hit the nearest Telmarine, causing him to fall from his horse to the ground, only to be trampled by his fellow soldiers. Susan repeated this several times, stopping more than half of the horsemen.
It was all going very well, until she was attacked from behind. She had heard the soldier behind her move, and she turned around just in time to stick the arrow she was about to load through his throat. When she turned around, however, the remaining horsemen were much closer than she had judged, and she did not have proper time to load her bow. In that split second, Susan was in a panic. She feared for her sister, that she would be caught by the remaining soldiers that Susan was unable to kill and that Aslan would never be found. She feared for her brothers, that they would parish in the battle due to her failure to help Lucy find Aslan safely. She feared for Caspian, that he too would fall in the war, and that it would be her fault because she was weak. She also feared for herself, that she would killed or taken captive, never to see Lucy, Peter, Edmund, or Caspian ever again.
Come back. Come back to me.
Then, almost out of thin air, Caspian appeared in front of Susan, fighting the soldier that had almost killed Susan. Susan took a deep breath to releve the momentary shock that she had felt and then continued to shoot at the remaining horsemen. Susan killed many, as did Caspian, until she was certain that the two were safe.
"Susan!" Caspian suddenly yelled.
She then understood that she was not yet safe from harm, and that she was about to be attacked from behind. Caspian, now done fighting the horsemen who had originally threatened Susan, tossed his sword to Susan. She saw it flying in the air, so she dropped her bow. In one swift and fluid movement, she caught it by the hilt, swung it around her head, turned to face the Telmarine, and brought the sword around in front of her, beheading the traitor.
Breathing deeply, Susan lowered Caspian's weapon. The attack was over, all of the Telmarines killed. They had won.
"Susan," Caspian called. He rode over to her and got off of his horse.
Susan, then, dropped the sword and hastened towards him. Caspian received her in one arm and cupped his other hand around Susan's jaw, bringing it toward his lips to kiss. Susan, in response, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him back. They stood like that for a moment, kissing each other in the depths of the forest with the dead bodies of the Telmarines littered around them. It was beautiful.
"We should get back," Susan said as their lips parted for a moment. "Peter will be needing us."
"Yes, I suppose he will," Caspian smiled.
He stroked her cheek once more and turned to retrieve his sword as Susan got on his horse. He got on in front of her and Susan wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Don't let go," he smirked, turning around as he kicked the horse into a gallop.
"You've nothing to worry," Susan smiled back. "I won't."