AN: So I've changed the attack around a bit as I feel that my version of Peter would not risk his people's lives the way he did in the movie. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer - I own nothing!

Those who fall behind, are left behind

Claudius, was bored, he had pulled night duty again and it was always boring … and cold. Here he was stood on the topmost parapet of the Telmarine castle, ostentatiously to guard it. But he was a good thirty feet above the ground. What was he supposed to be guarding it from? Bats maybe? An attack by a platoon of owls perhaps!

Sighing he turned to look out over the castle grounds again. He was so high up and it was so dark and foggy he could see nothing. To think he could be safe in the barracks in bed! Or better still in one of the Taverns in town, nursing a tankard of ale!

Hearing a slight noise Cladius turned sharply, but there was nothing there of course.

"Probably just a swarm of attacking moths!" he muttered sarcastically to himself and turned back to survey the grounds as a large griffin knocked him out cold.

"Moths indeed!" the griffin remarked scornfully to Edmund who had flown in on his back. Edmund laughed and used his torch to signal the others, as the Griffin flew off to patrol the area as planned.

Seeing the signal, the Griffins carrying Peter, Susan, and Caspian flew in over the castle. One soldier appeared to spot them, and Caspian's griffin flew in low over him as Caspian skilfully killed him with one stroke of his sword. Another soldier looking up saw Edmund's signals and they saw him aiming his crossbow at the King. Without even pausing, Susan shot the soldier from her Griffin. As they landed, Peter killed a Telmarine soldier with one swift stroke.

The rest of the Narnian troops are waiting anxiously outside of the city. Peter, Susan and Caspian's mission was to find and capture Miraz. Then to take out the guards on the walls without raising the alarm. Only then, when the guards are taken out and could not raise the rest of the garrison, was Edmund to signal the rest of the troops to attack. They would only be able to capture the superior numbers in the castle if they had the element of surprise.

Peter, Susan, and Caspian climbed down the wall from where they had landed on the parapet above. Caspian knocked on the window softly.

"Professor?" he whispered opening the window and stepping into Cornelius' study. Peter and Susan followed stealthily. The room was empty however and Cornelius' glasses which he always wore and which he was practically blind without were sitting on a table.

Caspian turned to the others holding the Professor's glasses. "I have to find him!" he said urgently.

"You don't have time" answered Peter sympathetically. "You have to get to the gatehouse to let our troops in when it is safe."

Caspian rounded on Peter. "You wouldn't even be here without him." He said emotionally, "And neither would I."

Peter and Susan exchanged glances. They appreciated the truth in Caspian's words, but did they have time to take care of Miraz and rescue Caspian's tutor? Susan's heart especially went out to the dark-haired Prince. She turned to Peter.

"We can take care of Miraz." She said.

Caspian smiled at her, appreciation and something else which Susan dared not name in his deep gaze. "And I can still make it to the gatehouse in time." He promised, running off toward the dungeons.

Caspian at last found Cornelius' cell, and found his professor chained to the floor. Caspian's heart lurched as he saw how badly his tutor had been treated. He shook him gently to wake him up.

Doctor Cornelius awoke with a start.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a panicked voice. "I didn't help you escape just so you could get captured again. You have to get out before Miraz learns you're here."

But Caspian only grinned at this. "He'll learn soon enough" he told his tutor as he unlocked his chains. "We are giving him your cell."

Doctor Cornelius however still looked worried. "Don't underestimate Miraz as your father did." He said cryptically.

Caspian looked at his tutor in puzzlement. "What are you talking about?" he asked. But then understanding flooded through him and he realised, that at some level he had always known, but not allowed himself to admit it – Miraz had killed his father!

Doctor Cornelius saw from Caspian's face that he had realised the truth. "I'm sorry. Caspian" he said to the Prince. But Caspian was already running off, out of the dungeons towards the Royal Quarters. Cornelius sighed and prepared to make his escape from the dungeons now that he was free.

Meanwhile Miraz was fast asleep beside his wife Prunaprisma in their bedroom, when he felt a sword at his throat. Tensing he opened his eyes slowly to see who his attacker was. Seeing that it was only Caspian he chuckled with relief. The fool had returned! At least, Miraz reflected, this would save his men the bother of hunting him down to kill him!

Licking his lips, Miraz decided to continue his pretence as the loving uncle to see how much Caspian knew.

"Thank goodness… you're safe." He tried - Perhaps the boy was still as ignorant as he had always been.

However, Caspian did not appear to be buying it.

"Get up." He growled. 'Damn!' Miraz thought to himself, 'he knows something!' He climbed out of bed carefully, nudging his wife as he did so - the crossbow was at her side of the bed.

Prunaprismia sat up. "Caspian?" she said in a bewildered tone. She was every bit as clueless as Caspian had been. Miraz never confided any of his plans in his wife. He had not married her for her brain after all.

"Stay where you are." Caspian commanded his aunt.

Prunaprismia looked bewildered. "What are you doing?" she asked Caspian. As far as she knew Caspian was missing and they were searching desperately for him to bring him home.

Miraz checked an impatient sigh. "I should think it's obvious, dear." He said condescendingly." He looked at Caspian. "You know, some might consider this inappropriate behaviour."

Caspian curled his lip at his uncle. "That doesn't seem to have stopped you!" he declared.

Miraz dropped his pretence. There was no point anymore, it was obvious that Caspian knew everything. He had to keep Caspian talking though, until help came or until it occurred to his less-than-bright wife to use the crossbow hidden under their bed.

Miraz looked at Caspian with disdain. "But you're not like me, are you?" he asked. "It's sad." He continued hoping to keep Caspian's attention as he saw his wife reach for the crossbow. "The first time you show any backbone, and it's such a waste." His eyes flicked towards Prunaprismia and Caspian's gaze followed his.

Prunaprismia was aiming the crossbow at Caspian.

"Put the sword down, Caspian." She ordered. "I don't want to do this."

At that moment, the door of the bedroom shot open and two figures entered. The man was a tall broad fair headed warrior and the woman, while breath-taking was obviously also a skilled warrior. Miraz wondered where Caspian had found them and how he had persuaded them to his cause.

"We don't want you to either!" the woman declared to Prunaprismia, aiming her arrow at her throat. The man drew his sword and although his sword was not in contact with Miraz's throat as Caspian's was, Miraz feared his sword more, as this was obviously a dangerous man.

Miraz tried to diffuse the situation. Perhaps he could persuade these warriors to fight on his side. "This used to be a private room." He said raising his eyebrow.

The man however, ignored him and addressed Caspian sternly. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "You're supposed to be at the gatehouse."

Caspian however ignored the man. "No!" he shouted. "Tonight, for once, I want the truth!" He turned to Miraz. "Did you kill my father?"

Miraz grinned to himself. Caspian was out of control with rage and was obviously jeopardising whatever plan they had. He must keep him talking "Now we get to it." He said raising an eyebrow at his nephew.

He had forgotten about Prunaprismia however. She looked at him disbelievingly. "You told me your brother died in his sleep." She said incredulously.

Miraz turned to his wife. "That was more or less true" he said

Caspian moved threateningly towards him and he was forced to step back against the window.

"Did you kill my father?" he growled.

"Caspian," the woman called to him "this won't make things any better. We need to take Miraz now – we don't have time for talking, you can question him later."

Miraz spoke to Caspian. He had to keep his attention on him, keep him talking. "We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it." He said harshly. "Your father knew that as well as anyone."

Prunaprismia lowered the crossbow a little. "How could you?" she gasped.

Miraz turned back to his wife, he needed to keep her on-side or he would be taken. "For the same reason you will pull that trigger!" he told her starting to walk forward, and Caspian slowly stepped back.

"Stop!" barked the woman. "Stay right there!"

Miraz ignored her "For our son!" he shouted at Prunaprismia. "You must choose. Do you want our child to be king or do you want him to be like Caspian here? Fatherless!"

Prunaprismia appeared torn but then she shot wildly toward Caspian. "No!" she shouted. Caspian threw himself to the ground to avoid the shot and Miraz took the opportunity to escape through a secret door in the wall.

At that same moment Cornelius was making his way through the courtyard towards the gate, trying to keep to the shadows by the wall. However, Cornelius was a tutor, not a soldier and the patrolling guard easily spotted him. One of them, on guard at the gate sounded the alarm.

In Miraz's chamber Susan, Peter and Caspian heard the bells sound.

As the Telmarine garrison started to wake up. Peter, Susan, and Caspian ran through the halls. They need to get outside so that the griffins could take them and Edmund and Doctor Cornelius to safety.

Peter ran through the courtyard, killing two Telmarine soldiers in his way. He looked up and saw Edmund fighting two more soldiers on the parapet.

"Ed, we need to abort the mission, now!" Peter yelled. "Signal the griffins!"

Edmund however continued to fight the soldiers, unable to disengage.

"I'm a little busy right now, Pete!" Edmund shouted back.

Finally felling the soldiers, Edmund went to signal with his torch to the waiting griffins, but the torch would not turn on. Shaking the torch, Edmund growled in frustration.

Outside, Glenstorm and the army were growing anxious and restless. They were looking either for the signal to attack or the one which would mean that their monarchs were aborting the mission and that they were to turn back.

Finally, the torch turned on, and Edmund flashed the signal for retreat.

Glenstorm shouted his orders to the Narnians and they fell back to a safe distance to await their Monarchs.

Peter, Susan, and Caspian, having fought and killed all the soldiers in the courtyard waited impatiently with Doctor Cornelius for the griffins. On the parapet, unseen by Peter, a Telmarine with a crossbow aimed at him. Edmund who saw the soldier from the level above slid down the roof and knocked the soldier over.

Peter looked up at his brother with frightened eyes. "Ed!" he shouted in warning. Edmund followed Peter's gaze and saw about twenty more Telmarines all with crossbows levelled at him.

Edmund looked down…and then jumped. Startled the soldiers looked over the edge… and then jumed back as a huge griffin flew up with Edmund on his back.

In the courtyard three more Griffins swooped down. Peter and Caspian climbed onto two of them. Susan, being the lightest, pulled Cornelius up beside her on the third and the Griffins took off.

However now the whole garrison was roused and soldiers lined the walls of the courtyard. Arrows started to reign down on the Griffins, to stop the Royals from escaping. The griffins weaved desperately as they flew trying to avoid them. However, Susan's Griffin, impeded by the heavier load of two passengers, was unable to avoid the arrows and took a hit in its side.

Susan assessed the situation with a glance as the Griffin started to lose height and became dangerously close to the courtyard below.

"Can you make it if we lighten the load?" she whispered in the Griffin's ear. At his barely imperceptible nod, she leaned forward and slipped her legs to one side.

"Hold on!" she shouted to Cornelius, and with that she jumped, plummeting to the courtyard below.

AN: Sorry for the cliff hanger - I feel a bit wicked doing this to you! But - it is fun. Ten points for anyone who can identify the movie I took the title from.

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