Chapter 13
Peter turned and ducked, grabbing the sword with his armored hands. He twisted the sword around until the point was facing Miraz and stabbed. The gleaming blade took the usurper under the arm. He fell to his knees as Peter pulled the sword out and held it to his throat. But again, he hesitated, not willing to kill an unarmed man.
From his knees, the usurper spat. "What's the matter, boy? Too cowardly to take a life?"
Peter leaned close and spat the words through gritted teeth. "It's not mine to take."
Slowly he turned and held the sword out to Caspian.
I watched as Caspian came forward slowly. He took the sword and raised it before the usurper's head, holding the point at his throat, his left hand steadying the blade for a downward thrust. He held this position for a moment before his uncle began to speak.
"Perhaps I was wrong. It seems you have the makings of a good Telmarine king after all."
My lip rose in a snarl. Still Caspian stood with the sword posed to the thrust. The usurper bowed his head and waited for the strike. I grabbed Justin's arm as Caspian raised the sword and screamed to the heavens. The next thing I knew was Miraz was staring at the sword, not two inches from his nose. I stuck, point first into a patch of grass before the usurper. Caspian still held the hilt as he leaned down to look into his uncle's eyes.
"Not one like you. Keep your life, but I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom."
He released the sword and walked back toward us. Justin and I clapped him on the arm as he walked past us and mounted his horse. We expected treachery and we would be ready for it.
"He's ready." Justin said as he watched Caspian go.
I nodded. "Two weeks ago he was only a boy running for his life. Now, with the help of Aslan himself and the example of two marvelous kings and queens, he is ready to rule."
Ed looked back at us. "It wasn't just us, you know."
Peter nodded. "You two had more to do with it than anyone, except maybe Aslan."
Miraz was helped to his feet by Sopespian. The lord supported his king while Miraz found his footing, still in great pain from Peter's wound. The usurper growled at his aid.
"I will deal with you when this is over."
Sopespian nodded cheerfully. "It is over."
I heard a grown and turned around to see one of Susan's arrows sticking out of Miraz at the strangest angle. I realized all to soon that Sopespian had some how gotten hold of one of the red Narnian arrows and plunged it into his lord's heart. I watched with mixed emotions, partially with joy that my enemy was dead and partially with dread, knowing what was coming next, as the lord ran forward, grabbed Miraz' sword and brandished it at us before running back for his horse.
"Treachery! They shot him! They murdered our king! To arms!" Glozelle followed him at a gallop, clearly this had been planned very carefully.
A solitary soldier ran at Peter. With one slice of his sword, the Telmarine's head hit the stone below. Down the field, the cavalry started forward. Peter, Ed, Justin and I looked back at Caspian and nodded. The prince wheeled his horse around and dashed back into the tunnel to the How. A horn sounded from the How as he entered and the four of us began to count.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
From the second level of the How, Susan shouted to the Narnians under her command. "Archers to the ready!"
Seven
Eight
Nine
"GET READY!" Peter shouted to us.
Suddenly the ground began to sink beneath the troupes that were charging toward us. Horses crumpled and fell beneath their riders. Susan's voice could be heard from above the commotion.
"Fire!"
The arrows flew into the pit made by Caspian and the Narnians below in the lower levels of the How. They had collapsed the tunnels directly beneath the cavalry's charge. Hundreds of horses and men fell back, transfixed by arrows as the tunnel ends fell into the ground making ramps for the Narnians to climb out and turn our attack into a three pronged charge. Together, Justin, Peter, Ed and I stampeded toward the sunken earth, Martin and I exchanging blades so both of us held a sword in our right hands and a long knife in our left hands. I flashed him a smile as we ran.
"Together in battle again, eh?"
He simply nodded. "Blade Flash and Lighting Strike once more. Roar of the Lion, my love."
Together we bellowed out our battle cry. "NARNIA!!"
Together we fell into the fray, hacking, swinging, slicing, cutting, stabbing, spinning, parrying, our circle of death was just as sharp as it had been thirteen hundred years ago when we first battled the witch together.
A soldier climbed half way out of the pit only to be met by Reep. He stared in disbelief.
"You're… a mouse."
Reepicheep sighed. "You people have no imaginations!"
A few minutes later, the main body of the Telmarine force began to move forward. Peter noticed and looked up at Susan for some sign.
"Lucy."
Susan seemed to understand and shook her head. Not yet.
That seemed to make up Peter's mind. "Back to the How!"
I had to tackle Justin to drag him away from the fighting. He was taking revenge on his enemies for what they did to his love and his mind did not think about two things very well when revenge was on his mind. We almost reached the How's entrance when a boulder smashed into the stone arch way on the second level. Another took out the front entrance and another took down a tree growing near Susan. Caspian, Peter, Justin and I looked on in horror as Susan fell from her perch. We caught our breath as Trumpkin caught her hand, keeping her from breaking her fall on the broken rocks below. But his hand slipped and she fell.
Caspian and Peter breathed again when they saw that she had landed on some sloping grass, unharmed. She made her way down to join us as Ed rode up on a horse. We watched as the Telmarines closed in, the Narnians around us gripping their weapons tightly. Suddenly, Justin twirled his sword, his brow knit together in a look of pure hatred for the murderous dogs that he blamed for my torture. I agreed with him whole heartedly, it was time to end this! Peter nodded and we charged together, leading the Narnians to our fate, death or glory… perhaps both.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
What seemed like hours later, my head jerked up as a sound that my ears had longed for broke like water on rocks. I screamed for joy, tears rolling down my cheeks. The soldiers around us froze. Justin threw his arms around my waist and kissed me full and hard for joy. When he released me, I simply yelled for joy.
"ASLAN!"
His roar changed everything. After a moment, the soldiers began to fight again, then Narnians with new elation.
Caspian let out a small yelp as he fell into the depression at the end of one of the tunnels. He froze as Glozelle charged him with a pike, only stopping when he saw that it was the prince. He hesitated then slowly lowered the pike. Suddenly, a tree root shot out from the side of the dirt wall and grabbed Glozelle, knocking him against the wall before dropping him. Peter climbed down and helped Caspian out of the depression. Martin and I waltzed up and we watched together as the trees began to move. A boulder hit a tree and it toppled, but the tree next to it, a large oak, sank its roots into the ground, shooting through the earth and coming up next to a trebuchet. I shouted with delight as the root broke the war machine to bits!
I turned to the others. "Lucy."
Justin nodded. "She found Him."
Peter smiled and brandished his sword. "For Aslan!"
Again we charged, renewed in vigor and energy with our new found allies by our side.
Suddenly, the Telmarine army looked small and tired. Seeing that the odds were turned against them, they turned and ran for the river, hoping to hold us off or even escape back to their castle.
They reached the bridge with the Narnians right on their heels. They began to dash across, some even wading in the river, so desperate was their plight when they stopped dead in their tracks. We emerged from the forest in time to see Lucy standing on the other side of the bridge, her dagger drawn, simply daring the Telmarines to cross and face her. The soldiers were unsure of what to do. They stopped and looked between us and Lucy, trying to decide which way to go.
My heart leapt within me as I watched Aslan join Lucy's side on the other side of the bridge. I squeezed Justin's hand.
"He's here."
Finally Sopespian, who was leading the troops, made his choice. He spurred his horse at Aslan, brandishing his sword.
The roar was deafening! The soldiers stopped dead once more as the ripples spread toward them from the strength of the roar. Suddenly the river began to sink. The soldiers in the river began to look around nervously. With a crash, the river rose with one great wave. And there, rising out of the river over the bridge, was the river god. Aslan nodded to him, giving him permission to free himself from his chains (the bridge that halted his flow). With a bellow, the river god dove beneath the bridge and broke it from its foundations. Men fell off the bridge, horses whinnied and jumped, but Sopespian stayed atop his horse on the bridge. He waved his sword wildly, but the river god simply crashed down on him, drowning the murderer and washing away dozens of men and horses.
And so the second great battle of Beruna ended. Aslan had arrived with his perfect timing to defeat his enemy.
Peter, Susan, Ed, Caspian, Justin and I swam the river and climbed out on the other bank. Together, we knelt before Aslan as Lucy watched.
Finally, the great Lion spoke. I had longed for that voice for the longest time. "Rise, kings, queens and guardians of Narnia."
Peter, Susan and Ed rose and then Justin and I. Caspian remained on one knee, his head bowed before the Lion.
"All of you."
Caspian rose, but kept his head bowed, afraid to look into the eyes of the Lion. "I do not think I am ready."
Aslan smiled. "It's for that very reason I know that you are."
I turned as bagpipes began to play and was startled to see the mice bearing their leader on a reed stretcher. They lay it down before Aslan and stepped back. Lucy ran forward and poured a drop of her cordial into Reep's mouth. A few moments later, he coughed and sat up.
"Oh, thank you, your Majesty…" he saw Aslan and struggled hurriedly to his feet. "Oh, hail Aslan! It is a great honor to be…" he bowed and nearly fell over. He looked behind him and nearly fell in horror! His tail was gone! He gasped and started apologizing profusely. "I am completely out of countenance! I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion." He looked hopefully at Lucy. "Perhaps a drop more?"
"I don't think it doest that." Lucy said sadly.
Reep shrugged. "You could have a go."
Aslan chuckled. "It becomes you well, small one."
The mouse drew his sword and offered it to Aslan. "All the same, great king, I regret that I must withdraw. For a tail is the honor and glory of a mouse."
The Lion smiled. "Perhaps you think too much of your honor, friend."
Reepicheep sputtered. "Well, it's not just the honor. It's also great for balance… and climbing… and grabbing things."
The other mice drew their swords and held them to their tails. "My it please your high Majesty, we will not bear the shame of wearing an honor denied to our chief."
Aslan laughed openly now. "Not for your honor, but for the love of your people…" suddenly Reep's tail was as long as it ever was. His jaw dropped as he grabbed his beloved tail.
"Oh, look! Thank you, thank you, my liege! I will treasure it always! From this day forward, it will serve as a great reminder of my huge humility."
I could not help myself. I burst out laughing and fell onto Justin, holding my sides in mirth. He was laughing as well until I hit his shoulder. Then he was on the ground holding his arm, blood seeping through his fingers. I was by his side in an instant, ripping open his sleeve. Apparently a sword had caught Justin on the shoulder hard. His arm was red with blood. The wound was deep and nasty from use for at lest an hour after he had been wounded. Lucy's cordial came out and in a few moments, Justin was healed.
As I helped him up, Caspian looked around at the ashen faces of the siblings.
"What's wrong? The cordial was at hand, he is fine." The prince asked, confused.
Ed explained. "It was just too much like the time he fell off his horse after he had been tortured by the witch. His arm was split open and his hand nearly cut off. Too many memories of evil, Caspian. Be glad you did not see what I saw done to him."
Caspian bowed his head and held his peace, but Justin clapped him on the back.
"It's alright. That was many years ago… thirteen hundred actually. It doesn't bother me any more. I wear the scars for Aslan."
The great Lion nodded his approval then turned to Lucy. "Now, where is this dear little friend you've told me so much about?"
Trumpkin looked over nervously. He had been fishing the surrendering Telmarines out of the river, but now he sank to one knee, bowing before the Lion.
Aslan took a quick step forward and let out a fearsome roar. The good dwarf shook with terror as Lucy laughed.
"Do you see him now?"
Trumpkin managed a weak smile and nodded.