Chapter Twenty: Walking In Circles

Peter stood on the deck, oblivious to the crew. He was not supposed to be in Narnia. He felt like an intruder in a place where he'd always been welcome. Everything was telling him he wasn't meant to be here...and despite the fact that it wasn't his fault, he still felt guilty.

Why do you fight the inevitable, Peter Pevensie?

Peter whirled around at the sound of Aslan's deep voice, but the Great Lion was nowhere in sight. Yet the voice still continued to resound through his mind.

You are in Narnia now, whether by my will or not. There is still one last lesson you have yet to learn here, a lesson that you are learning right now.

"What lesson?" Peter whispered.

That, you must discover yourself.

A series of images flashed through Peter's mind, composed of his jealous ruminations on Rose and Edmund. That was when it occurred to Peter, why he was really here. He still begrudged Edmund for being the one to win Rose. He was here because he needed to let her go.

PARAGRAPH

They decided to celebrate their newfound liberty, and landed upon an island that Rose didn't recognise. Sir Robert was chasing Lucy through the long grass that swayed in the wind, and a smile lit Peter's face as he watched.

Eustace sat by himself under a tree reading a book from the library, and Peter and Caspian were soon practising their duelling skills, much to the amusement of the crew and three other knights.

Edmund glanced across at Rose, a rare smile breaking across his face as he took her hands in his. They swayed together in the wind as the Narnian sun set, together in their own little world once more.

Then, Edmund's smile grew mischievous, and he scooped Rose over his shoulder and ran through the grass. She was laughing as she thumped on his back.

"Put me down, Edmund! Put me down, now!"

Edmund didn't listen to her, and their laughter melded as Edmund ran through the fields with Rose jostling over his shoulder. Finally, he set her down and she tried to hit him playfully on the chest. He caught her by the arms and pulled her to him, kissing her. She struggled, but his grasp was strong, and she giggled when they broke apart.

"That's not fair!" she cried, "You know you're a lot stronger than me."

Edmund smirked. "Exactly."

Rose dived at him, trying to tackle him. She caught him by surprise and managed to push him down, falling on top of him. They lay there, him glancing up into her eyes and she glancing back. She leaned down, her lips tantalising inches from his.

She tried to pull away, but Edmund growled in mock annoyance and pulled her back.

"Don't tease."

He kissed her once, lightly, and then let her go. They both got up, dusting the grass off them.

Eustace wandered over, having finished his book.

"Has anybody seen Sir Nathan?"

Everyone glanced around them, surprised. Sir Nathan was nowhere in sight, and in the midst of all their light-hearted frolicking, no one had really noticed.

Caspian frowned. "He's probably just gone for a walk. Enjoying the landscape. He'll be back soon."

PARAGRAPH

But Caspian was wrong. After two hours of waiting, Sir Nathan hadn't returned. Caspian became worried, and sent a search party out to investigate. Sir Robert and Sir Mitchell volunteered to go out, but Caspian would not let Lucy join them. Infuriated, the Valiant Queen stormed off and shut herself away in her cabin.

"It's not fair!" she fumed when Rose entered, "Caspian never lets me do anything! I'm fourteen years old, the same age you were when you first went into Narnia."

Rose hesitated, and then decided to be brutally honest. "It's because you can't really fight. You're a healer, not a warrior. If you were attacked, there's no way you'd be able to defend yourself."

"But Robert needs me!" Lucy's eyes gleamed with a fervency Rose hadn't noticed before, "He does! I need him, too."

Rose's heart sunk as she realised the truth. Sir Robert and Lucy were in love. This would be heart-breaking for Lucy when she returned to England, so Rose took her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Forget it. Forget Robert. You can't take him with you, and I don't want you getting hurt like Susan."

Something flashed in Lucy's eyes. "I-I can't stay with him, can I?"

Rose shook her head slowly. "I'm so sorry, Lu. You have to come back with the rest of us."

Then Lucy threw herself at her pillow and started to cry. Her heart had been broken into a million pieces, just like her sister's before her. To Rose, it wasn't fair. The one she loved resided in England, but for Lucy, she would never see Sir Robert again.

PARAGRAPH

The three knights hadn't returned by dawn, and their absence made everyone troubled. Sir Gregory had separated himself from the others, obviously seeming to think that his companions had been lost once again.

Caspian's gaze was firm as he glanced around the ship at the others.

"I've made a decision. A group of us, a larger group this time, are going to go and find Sir Mitchell, Sir Nathan and Sir Robert."

Lucy folded her arms sulkily, expecting to be excluded from the group once more.

"Peter, Edmund, Rose, Lucy, Gregory and I shall go and search for them."

Drinian stepped forward. "But, Sire..."

"If I do not return, Drinian, then you assume absolute command. Every crewmember must listen to you, and I want you to find Aslan and get Eustace back. Do you understand?"

Realising the seriousness of the situation, Drinian could only shut his mouth and nod his head.

PARAGRAPH

They set out, the island somehow not quite as beautiful as it had been the previous day. Lucy was very quiet, and Rose guessed that she was ruminating over having to leave Sir Robert behind in Narnia. After a few hours of trekking, Lucy stopped abruptly, a smile crossing her face as she pointed at the hill up ahead.

"Look! It's one of the knights!"

The figure was waving frantically from the hill, and Lucy broke into a run before any of them could stop her. She thought it was Sir Robert.

"Lucy..." Edmund's voice was lost on his younger sister as she stopped at the crest of the hill. The knight had suddenly fallen, and Lucy cried out in horror and ran even faster, as the others ran behind her.

Lucy reached him first. It was Sir Mitchell, his once merry eyes full of grim serenity. He glanced up at others, and they were horrified by his wounds. His face had many cuts, and his arm was bleeding badly, as was his left shoulder.

Lucy took out her cordial without a word, giving Sir Mitchell a drop. He closed his eyes in relief as the pain started to go away, and then opened them to glance at the others. Their eyes were expectant, searching for answers.

"What happened?" asked Lucy, "Where are the others?"

"There has been a terrible mistake," Mitchell rasped, "Sir Nathan has betrayed us all. He works for Brody."

There was shock in everyone's eyes. Lucy gasped, and Rose clapped a hand over her mouth as Mitchell continued. She would never have guessed that one of the knights would willingly serve Brody, not after having been imprisoned by the sorcerer.

"We stood no chance at the ambush. We had no idea."

Lucy's voice revealed the same fear that lay within her eyes. Rose knew what she was going to ask and she didn't think she wanted to know the answer. She bit her lip and turned her head, not wanting any part in this.

"Mitchell...where is Sir Robert?"

Mitchell blinked up at her, no trace of emotion in his eyes. There was nothing but numbness inside him now.

"Sir Robert is dead."

PARAGRAPH

Lucy didn't speak a word as they continued, but the tears that streamed continuously down her cheeks spoke of her grief. Sir Mitchell showed them where Sir Robert had died, fighting valiantly to save Mitchell when Sir Nathan had wounded him. Caspian had leaned down and closed the young man's eyes, a young man no older than sixteen years old.

Lucy had been unable to suppress her grief, and let out a howl of despair. Her shoulders shook with uncontrollable sobs as she realised the boy she loved was dead. They all comforted her (with the exception of Gregory and Mitchell), but they continued soon afterwards. Sir Nathan had obviously fled to wherever Brody was, and they were determined to find and kill both of them.

"Why would Brody have imprisoned Nathan if they were working together?" questioned Edmund.

Caspian shrugged. "We cannot know. Some twisted idea of Brody's, no doubt. We found Nathan very soon after Mitchell, remember? It was probably organised by Brody himself, and Nathan was willing to be imprisoned within the diary."

It didn't take long to find the ruins of what used to be a small cathedral. Brody and Sir Nathan were nowhere in sight, and night had fallen, leaving everyone jumping at shadows and stealthy sounds.

"Where are they?" whispered Lucy, "I want to kill him...I want to kill Nathan..."

The sound of boots meeting stone wasn't heard until it was too late, and Nathan had a dagger to Mitchell's throat. Lucy cried out in alarm, and Peter, Edmund and Caspian all drew their swords and glowered at Nathan.

"Traitor," spat Peter, his blue eyes burning.

Brody stepped forward from behind a pillar, a wicked smile crossing his face. He glanced at them all in turn.

"Just give us the girl and no one need die."

They all knew he meant Rose. For some reason, they all knew. Almost imperceptibly, Mitchell shook his head.

Brody laughed delightedly. "If this is supposed to be bravery, Sir Mitchell, then your effort is in vain."

Without another word, Nathan's dagger sliced across Mitchell's throat, and his end was quick. Mitchell staggered as blood started to pour from the wound, and Lucy screamed piercingly. Then he fell, and she fumbled to take out her cordial. By the time the girl had rushed to his side, Sir Mitchell was already dead.

"Only one knight left," Brody breathed, "If only you had still been attached to the elements...that would mean the deaths of King Peter and Queen Susan. I especially assigned Sir Nathan to your element, King Edmund. A traitor for a traitor, yes?"

Edmund lunged forward, but Rose grabbed him by the arm and held him back. She knew that Brody would relish the opportunity to kill him.

"Kill them all except the Protector," commanded Brody, and Nathan moved silently forward with his dagger still stained with Mitchell's blood.

"Why are you doing this, Nathan?" inquired Caspian desperately, "Why did you betray us all?"

Nathan shook his head. "This is no betrayal, Caspian. It was organised from the beginning."

Gregory moved quickly, drawing his sword and slicing Nathan across the chest before he traitorous knight even knew what had happened. Nathan's eyes were wide as he glanced down at the wound with horror, and then across at Brody, whose face remained impassive.

"You were always just a pawn, Nathan." Sir Gregory's calm words enraged Sir Nathan, but the traitor knight fell dead just as surely as Sir Mitchell had.

"Now for the rest of you." Brody's voice was lazy, almost bored, as he flicked his hand towards the group – Caspian, Gregory, Peter, Edmund, Rose and Lucy.

A pillar fell, trapping Caspian, Gregory and Lucy behind it. Lucy screamed and staggered backwards, while Caspian pulled the girl out of harm's way.

There was malicious laughter in Brody's eyes as he pointed a finger at Peter, a sneer crossing his face.

"You. High King. I believe you may know this girl?"

Brody waved his hand, and a young woman was revealed in the centre of the ruined cathedral, drifting almost lazily mid-air. Rose's first thought was that it might be Susan, but it was the blonde hair she recognised.

"Alyssa." Peter's whisper was as good as confirmation.

Brody's face was gleeful. "Hand over the girl if you don't want Alyssa to die."

Peter hesitated. He nearly killed Edmund the last time he'd been manipulated by Brody, and he didn't want to be used again. However, Alyssa's life was on the line this time, and Peter didn't know what to choose – the girl who loved him, or the girl he loved?

"I can't." Peter took a step backwards. "I won't. This isn't my decision to make."

He turned his questioning gaze upon Rose, who defiantly met Brody's gaze. She wasn't best friends with Alyssa, but she still didn't want the older girl to die because of her.

"If you let the others live."

"No!" Edmund leapt forward, catching Rose by the arm, "Rose, you don't have to do this!"

Rose's eyes were cold as she turned to face him, and he caught sight of the terrible anger that lay within them. "I do. If I want to save you all, I do."

She took a deep breath and stepped forward. Brody's lips curved into a smile, before his magic sizzled towards Alyssa. Peter yelled out in shock, and Edmund's eyes widened. However, a blue-violet shield protected the girl from harm, and Brody gritted his teeth and glowered at Rose. She was smiling.

"Did you really think I'd trust you?"

Brody shouted in livid rage, and a second later, his magic had turned away from Alyssa and was directed at Peter. Rose was too late to turn her shield to him, but Peter's sword, Rhindon, deflected the magic just in time. Both he and Brody fought for power, before Peter's grasp slipped and Brody's magic sent him smashing into the wall.

Brody's eyes flicked to Edmund, a cruel smile on his face as the magic took hold of the Just King. Edmund shouted in agonised pain as the magic tormented him relentlessly, and then he too was sent flying backwards.

Rose ran to Edmund's side, crouching beside him. Her hand pressed against his throat, but she could feel no heartbeat. Rose seized Edmund's shoulder, shaking him as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Please wake up," she whispered, "You can't leave me now."

"It's useless," hissed Brody's sinister voice, "Useless. You know that he's dead, and there's nothing you can do."

"No, he's not dead!" cried the girl, "You're not going to poison my mind, too..."

The sorcerer laughed in malicious delight. "This is all for love. I knew it from the start, and now it will be his end!"

Rose stood, hate etching her features. Peter had fallen, and Edmund was dead. She couldn't stop the tears, but her hate of Brody had numbed the pain. The fate of her friends depended on her destroying Brody. Edmund might not live, but there was still the others to consider.

"His end, perhaps. But I won't let you take away everything that I ever loved."

Her magic shot towards him, the tingling energy of it running through her. She was controlling it...she knew what it had to feel like, and the memories of her and Edmund kissing under the stars just made it stronger...

Brody looked surprised at her ferocity, and it shocked Rose herself. Her magic breached his defences, and struck him in the heart. Brody's surprised expression soon turned into a sadistic sneer as he moved forward, advancing on Rose.

"You really think your power can stop me?"

Rose heard the weapon whistling through the air, and Brody was too late to use his magic to defend himself from Rhindon piercing his heart. He glanced down in shock, and pulled the sword from him with a howl of pain. He tried to use his own power to heal himself, to save himself.

"It's not working, Brody. You're dying, and your magic is dying with you."

Peter watched in cold satisfaction as the sorcerer died, but Rose was by Edmund's side, her tears dripping onto his still face.

"Edmund...please wake up."

Peter helped Caspian, Lucy and Gregory out from behind the pillar, and Lucy raced over to her brother with the bottle of cordial in her hand. She knelt down beside him, her hand shaking as she administered it.

The group crowded around him, waiting for something to happen. If nothing did, then they knew...

Edmund spluttered his way back into consciousness, glancing around him suspiciously.

"Well, what are you lot staring at?"

"Edmund!" Rose threw herself at him, her eyes wrapping him around him tightly as if she were afraid to lose him.

He laughed shakily and embraced her back. "You'd probably better explain what happened."