AN: So I was reading back over the story and realised that I missed out a whole chapter - the one where Caspian and Susan meet! So sorry I had it typed and thought I'd uploaded it - it's there now and its called "A common enemy unites"

In this chapter, I've tried to begin to tie up a few loose ends. Hope you enjoy

As always: I own nothing

MANY PATHS AND ERRANDS MEET

Previuosly:

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.

… Peter, Caspian and Edmund's griffins swooped over the heads of their army as they made their way back toward The How. Cornelius clung to the back of the wounded griffin; they were a good bit behind the others as he was unable to fly as fast as the others. Cornelius was still in shock. Queen Susan had sacrificed herself to save them!

"Stop" he shouted to his griffin, "we have to go back for the Queen!"

"I can't" gasped the griffin. "If I land, I'll never be able to launch again, I'm too badly wounded. Our only hope is to catch up with the others!"

When they finally caught up, they were less than quarter of a mile from The How. Peter came towards the wounded griffin to see what he could do to help and only then noticed that Cornelius was on his own.

"Susan?" shouted Peter. "Where's Susan?"

Caspian's face paled. Where was Susan? What had his deviation from the plans cost them? Cost him? Cost Susan?

"What have I done?" he gasped out falling to his knees. "Queen Susan!"

… "Queen Susan"

… "Queen Susan"

… "Queen Susan?"

Susan stirred painfully. Someone was calling her name. It sounded a little like Caspian, but no … that wasn't quite right.

"Queen Susan"

No, it definitely wasn't Caspian, it sounded much older. She licked her dry lips.

"Yes" she answered hoarsely. Susan opened her eyes and saw that she was in what could only be a dungeon. Trying to rise she realised that her ankles and wrists were manacled. Her side and head throbbed. Wincing Susan realised that she had likely broken a few ribs in her fall and from the blood dripping from her forehead had probably given herself a nasty knock to her head too.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the ringing in her ears Susan attempted to focus on the figure at the door. It was Miraz.

"You are Queen Susan of old, are you not?" he asked.

Susan straightened (as much as she could while manacled). She would not deny the title that had been given to her by Aslan himself.

"I am Queen Susan the Gentle of Narnia" she declared proudly, looking Miraz straight in the eye. "And if you do not release me, you will find out just how ungentle I can be!"

Miraz stalked towards her threateningly, but she refused to cower, refused to break eye contact.

"Good!" he purred and with that he dealt her a crushing blow to the head, rendering her unconscious once more.

Tess and Lucy raced through the trees on Destier's back. They were being pursued at last. They had stumbled unexpectedly upon a soldiers' encampment in a clearing in the forest. Crashed straight into it before they had even seen in and now all ten to twenty of the soldiers were chasing them.

"They're gaining on us" shouted Tess. She was attempting to shoot at the soldiers as Lucy took the reins, urging Destier on. But it was no good. Most of Tess's arrows were missing their target. She was a good archer but shooting moving targets from a galloping horse was desperately difficult – perhaps they should have had Susan come along instead of her after all. Looking back Tess saw that the soldiers were even closer. Destier, burdened by two riders, could only go so fast.

"Keep riding" Tess shouted at Lucy. "Find Aslan! Don't look back!"

And with that she jumped off the horse and stood to face the soldiers. Now that she wasn't bouncing about on the back of a horse, she would be able to aim properly. Taking a deep breath and focusing, Tess took aim at the nearest soldier. As he fell with her arrow firmly embedded in his chest, Tess noticed another soldier falling off his horse at the rear of the column and saw flashes of grey dart among the trees, surrounding the pursing soldiers on all sides. Tess took her stand in the middle of the clearing, shooting soldier after soldier until there was only one left. Many that she had not shot had fallen and were lying dead around the forest. Focusing on the last soldier Tess drew her bow. But she never shot. With a low growl an enormous wolf (the one she recognised that had saved her from the bear) jumped at the soldier from the cover of the trees and brought his to the ground, killing him swiftly.

The wolf paced towards her. Looking around Tess saw that the whole pack surrounded her. Heart beating wildly Tess straightened, hoping against hope that these wolves had not gone wild as the bear had.

Caspian stood in the passage of The How looking at a carving of Susan. What had he done? Susan had been captured and it was all his fault for not following the plan. She had tried to warn him. Tried to get him to stop talking to Miraz, wasting time, but he hadn't listened and now she was gone dead, wounded or captured!

Peter and Edmund, dignified and benevolent Kings that they were, had said no word of censure to him. Had merely begun to make plans for Susan's rescue, including him in the discussion as if he had done nothing wrong. As if it were not his fault! That had almost made it worse. It would almost have been better if they had shouted at him. As he was shouting at himself inside!

At that moment Nikabrik appeared behind him

"You want the Queen Susan back? You want your uncle's blood? So do we. You want his throne? We can get it for you."

Nikabrik walked away. Caspian hesitated, he didn't trust the dwarf, but he was offering a way to get Susan back, so he followed.

They walked into the heart of the How until they entered the Stone Table room.

Nikabrik smiled at Caspian, a smile he didn't like one bit.

"You tried one ancient power. It failed. Miraz is still alive and your beloved Queen is captured. But there is power greater still. One that kept even Aslan at bay for near a hundred years."

Caspian frowned at the dwarf, what did he mean? He heard something from the back of the room and quickly drew his sword. A cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows and started walking slowly towards him.

"Who's there?" Caspian called querulously

A cold voice answered. "I am hunger, I am thirst. I can fast a hundred years and not die. I can lie a hundred nights on the ice and not freeze. I can drink a river of blood and not burst. Show…me…your enemies!" At that the figure threw back his hood and Caspian saw what could only be a werewolf. Another figure approached, a hag.

Caspian wavered; he had heard nothing but bad about creatures such as these. But the black dwarves and minotaurs had fought on the side of the enemy in the past and they had proven themselves true. And then, there was Susan …

"And you can guarantee Susan's rescue and Miraz's death?"

"And more." Crooned the Hag.

Caspian sheathed his sword reluctantly and then looked back at Nikabrik questioningly. The dwarf nodded.

"Let the circle be drawn." The hag said and started to chant as the werewolf drew a circle around Caspian. The hag took out a broken wand and wedged it firmly into the ground in front of the image of Aslan. Ice crept up the archway, covering Caspian's view of Aslan. Within the ice wall, the White Witch began to appear.

Suddenly Caspian realised what they were doing and chided himself for being so gullible as to not have realised it sooner.

"Wait… this isn't what I wanted!" Susan, he knew, would prefer to remain captive than have the White Witch reincarnated.

A chilling voice spoke from within the ice.

"One drop of Adam's blood and you free me. Then I am yours, my king."

Caspian struggled but found that he could no longer move, he was under the Witch's spell, he tried to resist.

"No!"

The werewolf grabbed Caspian's hand, and the hag took out a short dagger and cut it. The White Witch reached her hand toward Caspian's smiling. Caspian unwillingly took a small step towards the Witch, unable to resist.

"Stop!" At that moment Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin ran into the room their swords drawn.

The werewolf leapt over the Stone Table and attacked Edmund. Nikabrik and Trumpkin lunged towards each other swords drawn. The hag knocked Peter's sword out of his hand. Edmund swung his sword low at the werewolf, making a deep cut in its belly. The werewolf let out a deep howl.

The howl was echoed from the corridor outside.

Nikabrik stoodds over Trumpkin, his sword raised, ready to slay his former friend. At that moment, the howling intensified. Nickabrick looked up. It was not an echo; the room was full of wolves. One at them leapt at the black dwarf knocking him away from Trumpkin.

Peter kicked the hag into a pillar, and she fell. He lunged for his sword and turned back towards the Hag to finish her. But a small blonde figure was there before him. It was Tess. Raising her sword, she finished the Hag with one stroke. With a nod to Peter she turned swiftly and raced to help her husband.

Edmund leapt onto a ledge and twisting as he jumped, hit the werewolf square on his chest and it fell over a wall onto the floor. Hearing it moving, Edmund leapt over the wall to finish it off, sword at the ready. Ready to attack Edmund raised his sword; but stopped short as he saw Tess straightening from where she had killed the were wolf.

"Tess" he called in delight rushing to embrace his wife. But there was no time for emotional greetings.

The Witch had never stopped reaching towards Caspian.

"Come on…" she crooned to him urgently. At that moment Peter pushed Caspian away and pointed his sword at the Witch.

"Get away from him!" he shouted. The White Witch stepped back, realising just who stood in front of her.

"Peter dear… I have missed you. Come, just one drop." She reached towards Peter. "You know you can't do this alone."

Peter looked at the White Witch sternly.

"I'm not doing it alone. I'm doing it with Caspian. I'm doing it with my family."

He raised his sword, nodding towards Edmund who had crept up behind the Witch.

"We're doing it with Aslan!" With that both Kings in unison drove their swords through the White Witch and the Witch groaned as the ice wall shattered around her … and then … she was gone and their enemies were all dead at their feet.

The wolves led by a majestic grey alpha gathered in front of Edmund where he stood, Tess in his arms.

The wolves bowed in unison to Edmund and Tess.

"High King Edmund, High Queen Edmund" the alpha said. "I am Lupa. I and my pack are at Your Majesty's service."