Chapter Twelve: Fated and Struck
When Edmund kissed Jasmine, only one thought went through his head. Why did I never do this before now...?
Her lips were like silk over his and he just could not get enough of her in that moment. He came closer to her and deepened the kiss to tame the desires inside him just now.
It took him a split second to realize it when she had suddenly pulled away from him. Her eyes were watching him, widened and seemingly fearful. "I must go," she whispered.
"But--"
However, before he could get anything more than that one syllable out from his mouth, Jasmine was already running away from him and the arm that had been outstretched, holding her own before she had left, fell down to his side. What had he done wrong? He may have been a little…forward, but why did she still seem so afraid? He hadn't done anything to hurt her...he could never hurt her…
It took Edmund ages to reach the site again. He was not eager at all to face anybody else now, but he came running when he heard Peter's shout for him.
"Yes?" he asked, panting, when he reached his older brother.
"Where have you been?" Peter snapped, "You've got your part in this first!"
"I know," Edmund told him, "Sorry. I--er--lost track of time for a bit…"
"Well you had better get going," Peter said sternly, "The rest of us have all been waiting on you."
"I know, I know," Edmund replied quickly. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I was just--"
"We don't have time for this," Peter interjected with a dismissing wave of his hand and turn of his head, "You've got to head off on Garryk now."
Edmund sighed. "Okay..."
Peter strode away from him before he could say anything else and Edmund, for the first time wishing for his brother's advice, went to the griffin Garryk to take flight for phase one of their plan.
---
Jasmine's stomach dropped back down to the ground when they took off into the air. She looked over the side and gazed down at the forest they had just left around the flapping of the griffon's wings. The sudden whooshing of the air caught at her and she grasped her arms around her cousin's torso quickly for fear of falling down to the earth that seemed as if it were quickly descending from under them as they rose higher and higher into the sky.
"Are you sure you'll be all right with this?" Caspian called back to her, apparently noticing her flinches.
"Yes!" she replied quickly, hoping to reassure him. She couldn't very well stay at the How when she was to protect the Pevensies, could she? No, she had to do this.
The light shining off and on repeatedly from one of the Western towers signaled to them and they hurtled after the griffins that held Susan and Peter in their haste to reach the castle before any of the Telmarines could be alerted.
Jasmine watched Susan and Peter reach the castle before them and jump lightly off and her stomach churned when she realized that she'd have to jump too. When the moment came, she closed her eyes and fell from the griffon's back. Her landing was rough and her feet stumbled on the stone ground but Caspian kept her from falling.
"Hurry!" Peter called to them. Jasmine checked the holster on her hip for the sword that she had been given in preparation for the fight and sprinted after Caspian when she was reassured that she had it.
The four took down every guard that came their way until they reached a window that would take them directly into the main part of the castle. Jasmine slipped down the rope after Susan and Peter pulled them both inside. Jasmine looked around the room that they had come into and took in the massive amounts of scrolls and books lying haphazardly all around. She knew this place...
"I didn't realize that we came into this window," she said softly.
"What is that?" Caspian asked.
"It's the professor's room," she told him, turning towards Caspian as he came up beside her, "Isn't it?"
"Yes," he replied, beginning to look around for himself, "I think it is..."
"I wonder what happened to him," she added, frowning. From the looks of things, no one had been in this room for days and the professor's belongings were strewn all over in a slovenly mess that she knew he would never resort to.
"We have to find him," Caspian said quickly. Apparently he'd noticed this revelation too because he now looked worried as he watched the mess around the room. And a worrisome Caspian made Jasmine worried as well.
"No, we have to stick to the plan," Peter objected.
"He saved my life!" Caspian hissed. "You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for him!"
"We can't allow others to die for a delay," Peter told him. "We'll have to leave him, Caspian. I'm sorry."
But he wasn't sorry. Jasmine didn't believe so, anyways. From what she had seen of the High King so far, she could believe that he was only in this for the glory of it all. Of course, she was sure that he cared about his people, but he wasn't doing this only for the well-being of them, but for his own pride as well.
Jasmine saw Susan give Peter a curious look, as though surprised by his attitude. "Let them go," she said gently, "We can take care of Miraz just fine on our own."
"We'll be back in time for the gate anyways," Jasmine assured, shooting a grateful glance towards Susan. "We have to help him. He's done so much for us both and it's just not right for us to leave him here."
"Fine," Peter snapped. "But you had both better be back in time..."
For once, Jasmine didn't care if he was High King. She glared at Peter and very nearly growled at him under her breath before turning her shoulder to follow Caspian out the room. "We will."
The two left as quickly as they could and ran down the halls, hardly worried of alerting anybody for they would surely discover the Narnian invasion soon enough anyhow.
"Where do you think he is?" Jasmine whispered.
"The dungeons probably," Caspian replied, "I can't think of any other place that they would take him to." He turned a corner and led her down a staircase that took the two into a very dark light. They slowed and Jasmine held one hand on Caspian's arm as she followed behind, her breath bated. All of a sudden, Caspian's shoulder tensed and his arm flicked out. The silver of his blade shown in the darkness as he swished it through the air. He stooped and there was the jingling sound of keys--Jasmine presumed that it was a guard that Caspian had attacked.
Finally it seemed they had reached the bottom for the landing evened out and Caspian strode forward with more haste, but soon stopped again. There was a very small opening in the stone wall that allowed a sliver of the moonlight to come into the dungeons and Jasmine saw bars just before Caspian. He fidgeted with the keys he'd taken barely minutes ago and the iron door creaked as he swung it open.
It was just barely light enough to see anything, but Jasmine heard the wheezy breathing of the professor and she knew that he must not be well. She knelt down to her knees beside the professor's sleeping figure and touched his arm.
He woke with a start and his whole body flinched as he let loose a yell.
"It's all right," she assured quickly, "It's us--Jasmine and Caspian."
His movement stopped and his breath grew deep. "What?"
"We're here to save you," Caspian told him as he stood by the door of the cell.
"I did not get you out of here just to come back and get captured as I was!" the professor stormed at Caspian in a croak of a voice.
"We're here to deal with Miraz anyways," Caspian hissed. "His reign will end tonight."
"No," the professor wheezed, "No... do not underestimate Miraz as your father did, Caspian..."
Jasmine froze and her heart counted the slow-moving seconds of silence that passed. She had hoped that Caspian would never have to hear about this. Not ever. How would someone feel to know that the murderer of their father was the very man that they hated the most? Possibly a man who could kill them just as easily as they had killed their father...?
"My father?"
The professor didn't say anything, but Jasmine heard a grunt that gave her the impression that he nearly wished he hadn't mentioned it at all.
"What about my father?" Caspian asked again, his voice raised and trembling.
"Don't worry," Jasmine whispered, "It's...in the past, Caspian. Miraz will pay for what he has done." Jasmine gritted her teeth as she thought of all the lives her father had ruined. She would make sure of that herself if she had to.
There was a banging against the stone walls and then a shuffling of feet.
Jasmine turned head and saw no other silhouette next to her any more. "Caspian!" she called. "Caspian, come back!" But she heard no footsteps returning and cursed under her breath.
The professor gave a very raspy cough and she turned her attention back on him. Staying in this infernal dungeon for who knows how long could not bode well for him, not well at all.
"Come on," she whispered gently. She tugged on the professor's arms until she pulled him up and held one of his arm's around her shoulder to support him. "Let's get you back to the others..."
The two began their climb up the steps and, after a long while of huffing and panting their way up, they made it back to the landing where they heard the roars and beginnings of a horrible foreboding. There was obviously a fight brewing below them and they were soon to be in the midst of it. The hurried on through the castle, thankfully meeting no one--Jasmine assumed that all forces had already been called down to the fight--and she was not surprised at the sight that met her eyes. But it was no less terrible.
Men and creature alike bore arms everywhere and were constantly clashing with their weaponry. Dead bodies littered the ground and Jasmine's stomach churned in disgust and pity at the sight--she had never liked war or battle at all.
Jasmine dodged the blows all over the place and took the professor over to Susan, who was exterminating a large berth in the field of Telmarine soldiers with her expertise with a bow and arrows in her hands.
Her eyes widened when she took in the sight of Jasmine and the professor--both were sure to be covered in the splattering of blood that was flying everywhere and Jasmine couldn't even begin to wonder how bad the professor looked for his suffering.
"What's happened here?" she asked.
"Could you take him?" Jasmine asked, nodding her head towards the professor, "He's terribly weak and we need to get him away from the fighting as soon as possible. I think that you would be much better for protection than I would be."
"Of course!" Susan told her. Jasmine smiled gratefully and released the professor to sit against a wall behind Susan and walked on, pleased that the Queen would certainly be able to fulfull the request. And now for Jasmine to fulfill hers.
She rushed headlong into the crowds, slaughtering the first Telmarines that she saw with several blows of her sword. Finally all of those years practicing and being beaten by Caspian would count for something.
All of a sudden, a shout through the fighting made Jasmine turn away from her latest prey.
"Ed--look out!"
Her head jerked up into the air and she caught sight of King Edmund up on a balcony of the castle, surrounded by several soldiers armed with crossbows. Her breath caught in her throat and her hand clutched her sword's hilt, trembling. He looked over at the soldiers when Peter called and then ran over to the door on his other side, just barely making it inside. Arrows flew in before he had shut it and she couldn't be sure if any had made their mark yet. But she couldn'tlet that happen. She saw the Telmarines pound on the door in fury and knew that there wasn't much time before they would knock it down. She also knew that the door had led King Edmund into a dead-end: a tower that only went down. He was trapped and she had to save him.
She ran through the crowds, flinging her sword this way and that as men came at her. She gasped in pain at the many slashes that cut into her arms, but pursued her task. It was a miracle when she saw the ruffle of feathers that flew past her. She eyed the griffin and called up to it, "Garryk!"
He turned head at the cry and dived down to meet her, toppling when blows came to him. Jasmine ran towards him faster and faster and took a great leap into the air that sent her flying. Garryk just only caught onto her shoulders with his talons and she released her held breath in relief.
"Hurry, to the towers, quick!" she called. Garryk flew above all of the Telmarines and the Narnians fighting below and circled up around the tower until they were high above. "There!" she cried, catching sight of King Edmund. Garryk flew down immediately and Jasmine braced against the whipping wind. She saw the wooden door give way and the Telmarine soldiers came running out to the king.
With heavy chills in her body, despite the warm night air, her hand reached for her sword, preparing for when they would swoop down and save the King. But she felt nothing at her waist--she must have dropped it somewhere along the way!
Jasmine's insides twisted with horror as the soldiers advanced upon King Edmund.
"Drop me."
"My lady, are you--"
"Drop me now!"
After a moment's hesitation, Garryk released Jasmine from his clutches and sent her hurtling down to the tower. She watched as the men prepared their crossbows and aimed them at the King. Even without a sword, she could not ignore her duty. She had to do this for Aslan...and for herself.
Jasmine came to a landing down on the tower and the impact shook her legs, as she miraculously landed on them. Shouts and cries came all around, but she ignored everyone. Especially Edmund's plea for her safety.
She stood, grimacing from the pain in her legs, and lunged forward to come between King Edmund and the men. The fateful pain in her side came quickly and piercingly. She clutched at it and could already feel the thick ooze of blood slipping through her fingers. A pair of arms caught her before she fell onto the stone ground and then she felt a weightless feeling that pitted her against her stomach and created a sickening elation.
Everything came to her in a blur now. There were murmurings in her air, a bird's cry, and then there was only a soft roar in Jasmine's ears. As she drifted off into a dreary darkness, only one thought ever crossed her mind.
So long as he is safe...
