Chapter Fourteen
Duel Between Leaders
The man dismounted from his horse and faced Edmund and Lucy without an ounce of fear upon his face. The Minotaur's behind him took a defensive stance with their axes, ready to do battle if necessary.
"Who are you?" Edmund demanded.
"Eventually I will answer that question, King Edmund, but not this day," he replied.
Peridan took a step forward with his sword pointed at the man's heart. The man only raised his eyebrows at Peridan, seemingly unafraid of having a sword pointed at him.
"Why are you leading an invasion force?" Peridan asked while his eyes narrowed.
"There is no invasion force. They are Narnians returning to their homeland," the man replied.
"They are traitors! They fought for the White Witch against their own country," Peridan spat.
The man stepped closer towards Peridan, his hand now gripping the hilt of the sword sheathed at his hip. Peridan noticed and stepped closer, his sword still pointed at the man's chest.
"Even the most innocent souls can be corrupted by evil, as your Just King found out."
Edmund's eyes opened wide as he ran forward drawing Biter. He headed towards the man with his sword raised high. Peridan caught him and held him back, despite Edmund ordering to let him go.
"Fight me!" Edmund growled to the man.
"I have neither desire nor the time to fight you. Retire from this place now," the man ordered in response.
"How dare you give an order to a King?" Peridan shouted in outrage.
"He is no King of mine," the man replied sternly.
Edmund's eyes opened even wider at the man's insult. He struggled against Peridan and eventually broke free of his hold. He walked towards the man with his sword held high. Lucy watched nervously but decided not to say anything.
"As King of Narnia, I challenge you here and now to single combat," Edmund said, his eyes not wavering from the stranger.
"The laws of single combat only dictate leaders of opposing armies can challenge one another. However since you are determined to fight me, I accept your challenge."
The man drew his sword and moved closer to Edmund. They both took a high guard and waited. Edmund gave a war cry as he suddenly lunged at the man who only just managed to block it.
The man swung his sword towards Edmund's shoulder which he managed to block, however the man quickly countered and aimed another swipe at Edmund's thigh although he jumped back at the last moment.
Edmund had to admit that the man was skillful with a sword, however he was confident that he could win as he had faced many talented swordsmen over the years. He lunged at the stranger again, and he allowed him to block it so he could quickly bring Biter to the man's other side who only just managed to deflect it in time.
Their swords clanged together again and again causing sparks to erupt from the blades. It seemed that neither one would gain the upper hand as they slowly wandered into the river causing water to be splashed around as they continued to fight.
The man aimed a swipe towards the side of Edmund's torso, but he managed to parry it away and aim a strike of his own. The man deflected it and with his free hand he punched Edmund straight in the side of his face sending him sprawling into water.
Edmund spat out the water out of his mouth but as he moved to sit up he found the man's sword pointed at his throat. He looked into the man's bright green eyes and wondered if he would even hesitate in killing a King.
"Do you yield?" he asked
Edmund didn't say anything. He just continued to stare until he quickly swiped the man's legs with his foot causing him to land in the river as well. Edmund then quickly swung the sword at the man's blade causing his sword to spin away from him and land somewhere else in the river.
Edmund then aimed another strike at the man's head, but the man caught Edmund's wrist and with great strength he flipped Edmund over his head so that he landed on top of him. The man then smashed Edmund's wrist on the shallow floor of the river causing him to drop Biter, he then began smashing his fist into Edmund's face.
After a few punches Edmund managed to catch the man's fist and roll them both over so that Edmund was on top. He punched the man in the face a few times but again he was blocked and this man head butted him causing Edmund to fall back into the water.
The man grabbed Edmund again and punched him once more before pulling his arm back, ready to deliver another blow, when he was grabbed from behind and dragged off of Edmund. He looked up only to be met with a fist connecting with his face causing him to end up face first in the water.
While Edmund was helped to his feet by Lucy, he looked around to see the man being dragged back up to his feet by Peridan. They both had nasty cuts on their faces which meant that blood was now dripping down their faces.
A faun rushed forward and picked up Edmund's and the stranger's swords from the river and handed them both to his King who nodded his thanks. The stranger was still being held by Peridan to ensure he was not able to escape, the two Minotaurs had fled during the fight it seemed and Edmund sent a squad of scouts to track them.
Edmund walked over to the man and slowly pointed his sword at his throat. The man's eyes never showed any fear; instead he just looked at Edmund calmly like he was waiting for the Just King to strike.
"By the authority granted to me by the Great King Aslan, I declare you to be my prisoner."
"Do we go after the rest of the creatures, your Majesty?" Peridan asked.
"No, send word to Sallowpad to see if he can locate the rest of the force. As for him, tie him up and make sure he's contained. We shall bring him to Cair Paravel," Edmund ordered.
Peridan nodded as he dragged the man across the river towards the rest of the Narnians. Edmund looked towards the trees and knew that despite capturing the leader, there was still an army out there.
"Edmund, come. We need to see to your injuries," Lucy urged.
Edmund slowly nodded and allowed Lucy to lead him away from the river. Despite not finding the main invasion force, they had captured its leader. Therefore the mission had been a success and that made Edmund smile.
Susan sat on her bed reading the letter she had found in the library. She still wondered whose hand wrote this letter and had not yet given up on discovering the man. The words had been written with so much love and devotion that it made Susan a little jealous that Queen Swanwhite had found someone who had such affection for her.
General Oreius had left earlier that day to investigate the sight of the murder and both Susan and Peter prayed that he could find some answers to help them make sense of what was currently happening in Narnia.
Sicundius, Quintus and Quartus were still blaming her and Peter for the recent slaughter of five Galman soldiers, causing tensions between the Narnians and Galmans. However, there was no sign of the man and with Edmund and Lucy currently chasing the witch's followers in the north she didn't know if he would be seen anytime soon.
There then came a knock in the door, and she told the person to enter. The door opened to reveal Mr. Tumnus standing carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups and a smile upon his face.
Susan smiled and gestured for him to come in. Lately the faun had been bringing tea to her room, and Susan was thankful for his company as well as the comfort and council he gave her in these dark times. He truly was a friend to the Pevensie family.
"There we go, your Majesty, nice and hot," Tumnus said as he poured the tea into the cups.
"What have I said about calling me your Majesty? It is simply Susan to you," she replied as she took the cup with a nod of thanks.
"If that is what you wish," Tumnus answered with a small smile as Susan sipped her tea.
They sat in silence as they both drank and relaxed a little. The days had grown more stressful so moments like these were truly Aslan blessed, but Susan looked at Tumnus and noticed he looked a little bit nervous all of a sudden.
"My dear Tumnus, what is the matter?" she asked.
"Word has come from King Priham of Galma," he answered.
Susan sighed. Both she and Peter had expected word to arrive from King Priham and now it had finally happened. Sicundius had told the King about the murders of the five Galman soldiers so she knew his reply would not be pleasant.
"What did he say?"
"He is outraged at this terrible crime and says that if we do not apprehend the culprit, then he will come to do it himself," Tumnus informed.
"Another man who sends threats. I grow tired of such men," Susan muttered.
"Oh, Susan!" Tumnus laughed.
"Excuse me?" Susan asked, surprised.
"One day there will be a man who will steal your heart."
Susan gave a small smile at that. Over the last six years there were a few men from other nations offering their hands in marriage. However, Susan swore to herself that she would never marry for political gain like some Queens do in this world; she would marry only for love and nothing more.
"When the right man comes along, Mr. Tumnus, you will be the first to know."
He laughed and nodded as they both sipped their tea, Susan used to his teasing. However as she sat there she wondered if she would find a man she could love, and she hoped that Aslan had a plan for her.
The waves crashed against the shores of Galma filling the air with a hint of salt. The entire harbour was crammed full of ships and the docks were covered with men running around making sure all ships were stable and secure.
King Priham rode his horse through the harbour watching his huge fleet with a smile on his face. Either side of him rode General Tiberius and Lord Tertius, a highly respected member of the King's council.
"What do you think?" Priham asked as he gestured at the vast fleet in front of him.
"Spectacular, your Majesty! A fine navy," Tertius answered immediately.
"Yes, your Majesty. You must be proud," Tiberius muttered.
"I am. With this fleet at my disposal, there is no nation I cannot conquer!"
Tiberius looked disheartened at that. He was a loyal servant to the throne of Galma, but he did wish that his King was not so hungry for war and death. After the war against the Seven Isles Galma had suffered and despite what Priham said, he could not deny that all the territory he lost during the war.
"Soon Narnia will fall, and they will be followed by the other nations in the South," Priham proclaimed.
"Is it wise to attack all those nations, my King?" Tiberius asked.
Priham turned his horse towards Tiberius and gave him a hard cold stare. Tiberius dropped his eyes, aware that he had angered his King. Tertius remained silent but just watched as Priham reached out and forced Tiberius to look at him.
"When I was a boy, Tiberius, I asked my father why he did not fight any wars. He said he was happy with one little island nation as his kingdom and that a King should never be greedy but grateful."
"Your father was a wise King your Majesty," Tiberius answered quietly.
"No, he was a weak King. He lacked the will to have what our house always deserved: an empire."
Tiberius nodded as Priham turned back towards his fleet anchored in the harbour before him. He could see his army of 500,000 men marching over every nation that stood in his way.
"General Tiberius, where is my son?"
"He is out hunting, your Majesty," Tiberius answered.
"Then we shall not see him until supper," Priham muttered to himself as he turned his horse back to the castle, smiling at the thought that he would be sailing across the ocean in a few days' time.
On the other side of Galma, five men were running through one of the many woods that existed on the island. They looked terrified as they stopped by a tree. Some were out of breath and looked like they were near to collapse.
"Did we lose them?" one of them panted.
"I don't know," another one answered.
When they heard whinny of horses and shouts of men coming towards them, all five of them began running again. The shouts got louder as they became closer, causing the men to try running even faster.
An arrow sped through the air and landed in one of the men's backs, causing him to hit the floor dead. The other men carried on running until horses bolted out of the trees in front of them, blocking off their escape.
They looked around trembling as more horses arrived. All the horsemen carried spears which they pointed at the four remaining men. The man who led them had red hair that reached down to his shoulders. He wore a white tunic and carried a bow.
"I do love a good hunt," said Prince Patricluis.
"Please, your Grace, we have committed no crime. Spare us," one of the men pleaded.
"You are a peasant and a slave. The only thing you are good for is dying," Patricluis spat cruelly.
The prince then drew his bow and fired another arrow which hit the man straight in the throat causing blood to burst out of his neck. The other three men all stood shaking in fear as the prince laughed.
"I think we can have a bit more fun. Give these men swords," Patricluis ordered.
Three soldiers drew their swords and threw them at the feet of the men, but the men did not dare pick them up. Patricluis then dismounted from his horse and moved towards them, drawing his sword as he went.
"You will pick up those swords or I will have you speared like a wild pig!" he shouted.
Trembling, they picked up the swords and watched as the Prince raised his sword. Surprisingly, Patricluis suddenly stopped and lowered his sword. He began laughing, causing the three men to give weak smiles of hope.
"Where are my manners? Sir Dontos, would you like the honour?" the Prince asked, turning to one of the tallest horseman.
Sir Dontos who was the Prince's loyal bodyguard dropped down from his horse and drew his sword in his right hand, a great war hammer in his left. He walked towards the men and waited for the order.
"Now. You three, attack Sir Dontos," the Prince ordered.
The three men looked at each other and then looked at Patricluis in shock, the swords twitching in their trembling hands as they watched Sir Dontos looming over them, waiting for one of them to strike.
"I said attack!" the Prince yelled.
The men all lunged forward. Dontos brought up his sword and blocked all three attacks before he swiped them aside with the hammer sending all three to the floor as Patricluis laughed at the sight.
One of men got up and swung his sword at Dontos' bald head but he brought up both his sword and hammer to block the strike, and with ease he pushed against the man sending him sprawling to the floor. He then brought the hammer down upon the man's torso shattering his ribs and causing blood to pour from his mouth.
Dontos then raised the hammer up a second time and brought down upon the man's head. The other two men were up on their feet, but neither of them wanted to attack Dontos as he stood there with his hammer covered in blood.
As Dontos moved towards the men, the two left pointed their swords at him, but he easily knocked both of them aside with his hammer. One of them managed to hold onto his sword and swing it towards Dontos where the blade just touched his face leaving a cut upon his cheek.
Dontos growled as he thrust the hammer into the man's stomach, causing him to fall to his knees. Then, without any hesitation, he brought down his sword down upon the man's neck, separating his head from his shoulders.
The last man dropped his sword on the floor and collapsed to his knees, his whole body shook as Dontos loomed over him, both sword and hammer bloody. He raised both of his weapons and prepared to bring them down upon the man when Patricluis ordered for him to halt.
"I think I want a turn now, Sir Dontos."
Dontos put down his weapons and bowed his head towards his Prince. Patricluis made his way towards the man with his sword in his hand. The man however still stayed kneeled on the ground.
"Pick up your sword and fight me."
The man did not pick up his sword but instead he crawled towards Patricluis and began begging at his feet. Patricluis stepped back from the man and with a look of fury on his face he kicked the man, sending him rolling back on the ground.
"I command you to pick up the sword and fight me or I swear I will take your head now and be done with!"
The man slowly grabbed the hilt of the sword and then pulled himself up to his feet and faced Patricluis. However, his look of fear had disappeared, and now he wore a look of fury upon his face as he wiped the blood away from his lip.
"If I am going to die, then I swear to take you with me," the man snarled as he lunged forward towards the Prince.
Their swords clanged together, and the man quickly threw his fist and hit the prince in the lip. Patricluis touched his now bleeding lip, and his anger took over as he swung his sword towards the man who only just managed to block it in time.
The man attempted to slice Patricluis through the torso but was blocked. Patricluis then disarmed him and without any hesitation thrust his blade through the man's throat, causing blood to burst in all directions.
Patricluis retracted his sword and slowly wiped the steel as he looked towards the men dead upon the ground. He turned to Dontos with a smile upon his lips. He sheathed his sword and approached his loyal servant.
"Soon our blades will be soaked with the blood of Narnians."
Night fell upon the land of Narnia as the old man wrapped himself in his blue cloak. He sat in front of an old willow tree and just watched as the forest around him grew steadily darker. He wondered what had happened in Owlwood as no news had come. He just hoped a battle did not take place.
He heard movement in the trees behind him and in a flash had drawn the sword at his side and faced the person who was approaching. He could hear the twigs cracking signalling that who or what was close.
His grey eyes stared out among the trees trying to see whatever was approaching. Another crack of a twig caused him to spin around and see a huge grey haired Minotaur standing in the trees, staring at him and breathing heavily.
"Oh, it's you, Fallon. Whatever is the matter?" the man asked.
"The young King and Queen found us in Owlwood," Fallon panted.
"Did they engage?"
"They attempted to attack part of the rear guard, but the young lord managed to intervene," the Minotaur explained.
"What has become of him?" the old man asked.
"Taken prisoner, they are heading back to Cair Paravel as we speak,"
"Good, then the plan is working," the old man answered, smiling.
"Shall we go after them my lord?" Fallon inquired.
"No, Fallon. Lead the troops to the camp and keep them there until I send word. The war is about to begin."
Thank you to my Beta Cosette 24601 for help for this chapter :)