Chapter 20: The Battle of Beruna
Griffyon searched the land and sky as he circled above us. This was it. I could feel every bone in my body shake. I was anxious, sad, confident, and scared for my life. But, more than anything, I was worried. While Ed and I were high up on a plateau with the archers, Peter was below at the front of the line with Oreius. I watched as Griffyon landed next to Peter. I could only imagine what he was saying. We have a few thousand troops; they must have a few thousand more.
I breathed deeply as the horn sounded. Then, marching over the horizon like a million ants, we spotted them. I was right; their numbers were much greater than ours. Peter turned and looked up at us from his noble white unicorn. Edmund nodded at him and I pulled my swords from their sheaths on my back.
A female centaur blew her horn and cheers erupted from all around me. The Witch's army charged.
"Go on," Beaver cheered as griffons soared overhead.
I watched as the majestic beasts dropped their boulders on the incoming army. But, as they did so, many were hit with arrows and fell to their deaths.
"For Narnia…and for ASLAN!"
So it began. Peter and Oreius charged the battlefield followed by the army below. From above, everything was going in slow motion. Then, our armies collided. I clenched my fists as the Witch moved her chariot forward. Edmund looked at me, fire burning in his eyes.
He nodded at a centaur next to me. She shot a single arrow and it burst into a fiery Phoenix. We all cheered as a line of fire blocked the Witch's troops. But Jadis used her wand-staff-thingy to put it out.
"Fall back! Draw them to the rocks," I heard Peter shout. He and the rest flew back to the plateau like bats out of hell. Beaver sounded his alarm and we ran to the ledge. I pulled Edmund with me. I lifted my right blade, almost blinding myself as the sun reflected off of it. When I lowered the sword our archers fired. The Witch's army fell…but it wasn't enough.
I let out an ear-piercing scream as I watched Peter being flung off of the unicorn. Oreius stopped. He and a rhino charged back to help Pete. She was coming fast. The two ran right passed my blonde friend and at the Witch. The rhino was the first to fall. I watched in horror as our General fought his way to the leader of our enemies. He leaped in mid air, swiping at her. She ducked and engaged in combat. I shouted again as he was turned to stone.
Ed, Beaver, and the rest of us raced down to help. I was quicker than the army. I dodged every hit, blow, and swipe that was thrown at me. I had just killed a white tiger when two griffons swooped down upon Jadis. She attacked.
All around me, Narnians were falling. I blocked a swipe from a Minotaur only to have a huge polar bear smack the back of my head sending my helmet flying off. Edmund attacked the Bull-man with a shield as I rounded on the overgrown bear, stabbing it in the stomach.
"Edmund! Maggie," Peter called out to us. "There's too many!" I fought my way over to Peter to help him. He stopped me as a Cyclops fell between us. "Ed, get out of here! Get the girls' and get them home!"
"And what am I? A faun?"
A wolf leaped towards Peter before he could answer me. I grunted and ran off to get Edmund. I was half way up the plateau when I heard Ed and Beaver arguing. I spun around only to see Jadis making her way towards Peter. Edmund jumped down from a high spot and attacked her. I froze in fear. NO!
I sprinted passed animals and creatures, pushing and killing my way to Edmund. I moved faster, sweat dripped down my face as I watched Ed shatter the tip of Jadis' wand-staff-thingy. I stopped and stared. He did it… I let out a cry of pain as something ripped though my back and down my legs. Everything became slow and fuzzy.
Breathing hard, I watched as Jadis slammed the sharp, broken glass into Edmund's abdomen. Peter cried out for his brother. His cry sounded filtered. I fell to my knees as Peter pushed and slashed his way to the Witch. The world was spinning like a top as my eyelids drooped. My hands hit the ground, pain pulsating through my body. I took in a deep breath and lifted my head up to where Ed was laying. Dragging my swords with me, I began to crawl.