Chapter Four
Earlier that afternoon, Rebecca was walking through the Narnian forest alongside Prince Caspian. They had left Nikabrik's and Trufflehunter's home several hours ago, and Caspian was adamant about what he was to do: Go to Archenland and escape his uncle. Rebecca, after trying to get him to change his mind, silently begged Aslan to show her where she needed to go. She could not follow this prince all the way to Archenland when it was Narnia that needed her. Not to mention, she needed to find the others and Joy. She shuddered at the thought of any of them winding up in the hands of the Telmarines but hoped that Aslan would keep them safe.
As they walked, Rebecca caught the distinct feeling that Caspian did not trust her. He always left a good measure of distance between them as they walked, and his eyes watched her warily like he was waiting for her to suddenly turn on him. Rebecca wondered what the stories said about her and Joy, and what was in them to make him fear her so tremendously. What was worse was that Trufflehunter and Nikabrik did not trust her because they were following her and Caspian. She wasn't sure if Caspian knew, but decided not to tell him.
They came across a stream but Caspian stopped her from drinking and pointed upstream to their left. Rebecca looked and saw grey stone walls, ramparts and a man watching from the top of what looked like a gate. She and Caspian quickly withdrew to the shadows as the man looked in their direction. Rebecca unsheathed the knife and Caspian drew his sword. The sound of metal scraping on metal echoed through the woods and the man on guard at the gate now stared intently at the woods. Caspian began to back away but Rebecca grabbed his arm. "He'll see us for certain if we move," she whispered, and Caspian froze. The man turned his back to them, no doubt to call for other guards.
"Let's get out of here," said Caspian and the two bolted further into the woods.
"I did not realize your Uncle had outposts out here!" she told Caspian as she ran. Caspian nodded and looked back. Rebecca looked also and caught sight of a Black Dwarf and a badger darting from tree to tree. She quickly faced forward again and looked over at Caspian. He slowed his pace and looked back again.
"I am certain the men are not following," he said, sounding barely winded. "We would have heard them by now." Rebecca looked back again and saw no glints of metal coming from the trees behind him. She nodded in agreement and then dropped to her knees by the stream to get a drink. Caspian followed her and after splashing water on their hot faces, they crossed the stream and continued heading Southeast.
"Why did the Telmarines invade Narnia when it was broken and undefended?" asked Rebecca. Caspian shook his head.
"I don't know, there are few Telmarines who know the story of why we came to be in this land," he said. "But do not hold me guilty for the past," he looked sharply at her. "I have grown up on the stories of Old Narnia and I am sympathetic to whatever Old Narnians may exist." He then continued walked and Rebecca lengthened her strides in order to catch up with him. Even though they had been walking at a quick pace for a few hours, the prince was showing no signs of tiring. Rebecca was grateful she had stayed busy with her physical training after she and the others had returned from Narnia last time.
"If your Uncle is ruling Narnia, what happened to your parents?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. Caspian's pace slowed and Rebecca suddenly had the feeling the question had caused the Prince some pain.
"Both my parents died when I was young, I barely remember either of them," he said in a quiet voice. Rebecca felt sorry for him and stopped walking. She slowly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she said, and the Prince looked from her hand to her face. The honest and raw pain in his eyes made her heart break further inside her chest. "How did they die?" she asked, removing her hand.
"My mother passed away from illness," he said. "My father died many years ago as well. My Uncle then took the throne and called himself 'Lord Protector' and finally pronounced himself King." He sighed. "But now that he has a son of his own, I am only in the way of his dynasty."
"But maybe you should fight for your rightful throne," said Rebecca. "I'm sure that if there are more Old Narnians who believe you and your story, they will fight for you. Better to have a Telmarine King who will be on their side than let the rightful leader slip away and continue to sit under a tyrant." Caspian looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shook his head.
"No," he said. "I'm sure there are no more Old Narnians. My Uncle bragged enough to me and his friends at banquets about stamping them out. Even Doctor Cornelius could not find any trace of them and he is a minor magician."
"But Trufflehunter told me there are more Old Narnians," she said. "I'm sure if he rallied them and you told your story," then Caspian interrupted her.
"Stop," he said. "If there are more Old Narnians out there, then maybe I would fight for my throne. But so far, all I have met is a badger and a Black Dwarf, one who believes in me and the other who hates me. So, forget it." He marched away and Rebecca had no choice but to follow him.
Late that afternoon, when the sun was just beginning to sink behind the horizon, they were walking through a forest where the ground was covered in knee-high fern plants which stretched out as far as the eye could see in all directions. Rebecca's long skirt constantly caught on the plants and she was quite certain she had torn the hem in a few places. She was terribly thirsty and kept her ears open for any sound of running water. What she heard instead was Trufflehunter and Nikabrik darting from tree to tree behind them. She had tried not to let on to Caspian they were being followed but there was a suspicious air about him that made her realize that he knew already. They continued to say nothing to each other, until the rustling of the bushes behind them became so loud that Caspian abruptly stopped walking and turned around.
"I can hear you," he said. Trufflehunter and Nikabrik appeared from behind the trunks of two nearby trees, although Nikabrik tried to hide himself again.
"I just think we should wait for the King's and Queen's," said Trufflehunter, and he looked from Caspian to Rebecca. "They should be coming here soon!" Caspian rolled his eyes and walked away. "Fine! Go then!" shouted Trufflehunter. "See if the others will be more understanding!"
"Or maybe I'll come with you," said Nikabrik, rushing forward. "I want to see the way you'll handle yourself with the minotaurs." Caspian stopped and turned sharply to face the dwarf.
"Minotaurs?" he asked with a hint of fear. "They're real?"
"And very bad tempered," said Trufflehunter as he walked forward.
"And not to mention big," said Nikabrik.
"Huge," finished Trufflehunter, and the group slowly made its way forward. Rebecca took the lead, Trufflehunter and Nikabrik were in the middle and Caspian made up the rear of their little party. Rebecca kept a sharp eye out for movement among the trees, and for any sign of Aslan.
"What about centaurs?" asked Caspian. "Do they still exist?"
"Well, the centaurs will probably fight on your side," said Trufflehunter. "But there's no telling what the others will do." Rebecca's heart sank. Now she had an even lesser chance of convincing the Old Narnians of her true past. She silently asked Aslan to help her make the Old Narnians believe her story. They walked a little further on before Caspian spoke again.
"What about Aslan?" asked Caspian, and the other three stopped in their tracks. Rebecca turned quickly around while Nikabrik and Trufflehunter exchanged suspicious looks before facing the young Prince.
"How do you know so much about us?" asked the dwarf. Caspian shrugged.
"Stories," he said.
"Wait a minute," said Trufflehunter "your father told you stories about Narnia?" A brief expression of pain covered Caspian's face before he looked away.
"No, my professor," he said. Rebecca could see the pain the mention of his father caused him and started walking again. When she looked back, she could see Trufflehunter had paused, waiting for Caspian to continue. The Prince shook his head. "Listen, I'm sorry," and he began walking at a quick pace. "These are not the kind of questions you should be asking."
Run. The word penetrated Rebecca's thoughts as Caspian brushed past her and she looked around. It had to be Aslan, for she could recognize his voice anywhere.
"Everybody run!" she cried before running and passing Caspian who was now a few lengths ahead of the group.
"From what?" asked Trufflehunter.
"Yes, what's the hurry?" asked Nikabrik, trying to catch up through the fern plants which were half the size of him.
"Trust me, we need to run!" Rebecca called over her shoulder.
"Humans," said Trufflehunter behind them, and Rebecca stopped, turning to see the badger standing in the middle of the forest.
"Come on!" she called. Caspian looked at her like she was crazy.
"What?" asked Nikabrik, running back to his friend. "Is it her?"
"No," said Trufflehunter, shaking his head. "Its them!" He pointed and Rebecca saw a line up of shiny metal helmets standing in a nearby clearing. They were Telmarine soldiers, armed with swords and crossbows, and probably from the outpost she and Caspian had run into earlier!
"There they are!" shouted the leader, and he aimed his crossbow right at Caspian.
"Run!" called Caspian and the group took off running. The arrows from the bows whizzed past Rebecca's and Caspian's shoulders as they ran in a zig-zag manner to confuse their attackers. Then, Rebecca tripped and fell headfirst into the bushes. She felt something skitter past her but when she opened her eyes it had disappeared into the ferns.
"Rebecca!" she heard Caspian call out her name. Someone let out a gasp of pain behind her and Rebecca pulled herself up enough to look back and see Trufflehunter lying among the ferns, an arrow protruding from his hip. Nikabrik followed her gaze and started running towards his friend.
"I'll get him!" he said.
"Wait!" called Caspian. "I'll go." He ran past Rebecca and Nikabrik and towards the wounded badger. Rebecca got to her feet but watched the scene play out before her, unable to run anymore. Trufflehunter tried to Caspian Susan's horn.
"Take it, go," he said urgently. "Its more important than I am!" Rebecca saw the nearest soldier take aim at Caspian with his crossbow. Before she knew what she was doing, she was running towards him, knife clasped in her hand and she prayed to Aslan to help her hit her mark. She came to a halt behind Caspian and threw the knife. It spun through the air before lodging in the soldier's shoulder where she'd seen a chink in his armour. The soldier dropped his crossbow and grabbed his arm.
"Come on," said Rebecca, startling Caspian who had just picked up the badger. "Let's go!" The group resumed running, but their enemy began to fall behind. Cries of pain echoed through the woods behind them. Rebecca looked back just as another soldier disappeared into the fern plants, but she saw no sign of their ally. Something nagged at her memory but she ignored it.
Caspian stopped in front of a particularly thick clump of bushes. Nikabrik ran among them and Caspian handed down Trufflehunter. "Get him out of here," he said. He then turned around and drew his sword. Rebecca stooped and began collecting rocks she had seen under the ferns. "What are you doing?" he asked her. Rebecca straightened, clutching the rocks in her hands.
"I'm Narnia's Protector," she said, "and I only think its right that I protect Narnia's rightful King." Caspian nodded, and Rebecca felt something akin to friendship bloom inside her heart. He didn't try to stop her or push her away, he simply let her do her thing and worked with her instead of arguing. Why hadn't Peter seen that on the platform back in England?
"Alright," he said. But they had no need to charge forward for the last remaining soldier dropped his crossbow and began hacking away at the ferns, determined to find his mysterious attacker. Caspian and Rebecca watched in astonishment as the last soldier cried out and disappeared into the ferns. Something began to run towards them, rustling through the ferns at a rapid pace. Rebecca suddenly remembered what it was and said, "Don't hurt it!" as a mouse launched out of the ferns, hit Caspian in the chest to knock him to the ground, flipped over in the air, grabbed his sword with his tail and landed perfectly on its two back paws while aiming his sword at Caspian's throat.
"Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine," said the mouse.
"You are a mouse," said Caspian, and the mouse sighed frustratedly.
"I was hoping for something a little more original," it said, then resumed its stance. "Alright, pick up your sword." Caspian looked at it, lying underneath the ferns just over his shoulder, and shook his head back at the mouse.
"Uh, no thanks," he said.
"Pick it up!" insisted the mouse. "I will not fight an unarmed man."
"Which is why I might live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse," said Caspian.
"I said I would not fight you," said the mouse, and swiped at the Prince as he started to get up. "I didn't say I'd let you live!"
"Stop," said Rebecca, towering over the mouse who looked up at her, unphased.
"Reepicheep!" called Trufflehunter. "Stay your blade."
"Trufflehunter?" asked the mouse with surprise. He quickly spotted his fellow Old Narnians in the nearby clump of ferns. "I trust you and this girl have a good reason for this untimely interruption."
"He doesn't," said Nikabrik "go ahead."
"He's the one who blew the horn," said Trufflehunter, and Reepicheep looked back at Caspian.
"What?" he asked with awe.
"Then let him bring it forward," said a new voice, and Rebecca turned around to see several centaurs appearing from among the trees. The speaker, a tall and stately male with dark hair and dark skin, stepped forward. "This is the reason we have gathered." Reepicheep let Caspian up, and after he had collected his sword, the group moved slowly towards the four centaurs. Trufflehunter limped along until Rebecca offered to carry him but the badger refused. When they reached the centaurs, the speaker turned his solemn and intelligent gaze to Rebecca. "Who is this?" he asked.
"This is one of the fabled Protectors, Rebecca," said Trufflehunter.
"Not fabled," said Rebecca, shaking her head at the badger before addressing the centaurs. "I am the Brave Protector, as I was christened by Aslan at the coronation of our Kings and Queens."
"Protector?" The centaurs talked quietly amongst themselves except for the speaker, who stared at Rebecca in a way that made her feel like he could see into her very thoughts.
"She is a Protector," said Caspian. "She is the one married to the High King of Narnia." The centaurs all stared at her with surprise.
"That is right," she said. "I am married to the High King, and I am here to help restore Narnia's rightful King. And my first priority will always be what is good and right for Narnia."
"And I am your rightful King," said Caspian. Rebecca turned around and stared at him, shocked. What had changed his mind? What had made him abandon his quest for refuge from his Uncle in Archenland? Caspian moved closer to the group of centaurs and drew his sword. "If there are more of you, I would like to speak to you all." He slowly placed the sword on the ground, lying with its blade flat in the grass before the eldest centaur and then stepped back. "I can assure you that I am a friend of Narnia." The centaur narrowed his eyes, obviously weighing if he thought Caspian was sincere or not. Rebecca knew not to say anything since the Old Narnians had lost her part in their history a long time ago but ached to convince the centaur that she and Caspian meant no harm. She now realized the deep hatred Old Narnians held for the Telmarines, and anyone who would try to defend them. So, she figured their reaction to a Telmarine Prince backing her story would not go over well.
"It seems all the Old Narnians will need to hear what you're saying," said the main centaur finally, and Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. "I am Glenstorm, and these are my sons: Moonfir, Kinwood and Eriso. We will gather the Old Narnians to Dancing Lawn at midnight tomorrow night, so they can hear what you both have to say." Glenstorm nodded. "We will see you all then." With that, the centaurs galloped off into the woods.
"What do we do now?" asked Rebecca.
"We follow them," said Trufflehunter. "Dancing Lawn is a good few hours walk from here, but with darkness coming on we should find a place to rest for tonight."
"Would any Old Narnians take us in for the night?" asked Rebecca. The badger shook his head.
"I doubt it," he said. "No Narnians live in this forest, except the Talking Squirrels and the centaurs. If we find a clearing or something like that, we'll just stay there the night and continue on in the morning.
"I, for one," said Nikabrik "could use a good drink of water." He looked sourly at Caspian who bent and picked up Trufflehunter.
"There's a stream not far from here," said Reepicheep. "I can lead you there and then I will see you all tomorrow night." Reepicheep then walked forward on his hind paws and the rest followed. After about twenty minutes, they came across the stream which Rebecca figured connected to the one she and Caspian had stopped at earlier that afternoon. The small group stopped for a drink and Rebecca tended to Trufflehunter's wound. She pulled out the arrow shaft and bound the wound with a strip of cloth she had torn from her dress. "I'm so sorry for losing the knife you gave me," she said to the badger.
"No," said Trufflehunter "its alright. We have more back at the house." Rebecca smiled and finished tying the bandage. The badger hopped to his feet and waddled around. He only moved with a slight limp and Rebecca knew he would be alright. "Thank you for your help," said the badger.
"Its alright," said Rebecca, "I've had some experience in the past with helping the healers." She smiled to herself. "And my own wounds of course."
"You were wounded?" asked Reepicheep, coming up beside the badger. "When?"
"In battles," said Rebecca "attacks from the Witch's supporters, accidents caused by my own stupidity. I was a General in the Narnian army for about fifteen years so wounds and injuries were bound to happen at some point."
"A General?" asked Reepicheep, and Nikabrik and Caspian drew near to the group as well.
"Yes," said Rebecca with a smile "and I honestly enjoyed it because of the thrill to protect this magnificent country that I love so much." Caspian stared at her with awe, and Rebecca smiled at the Prince. "Of course, getting sent back to my own world was a shock to me." She told Reepicheep about her first wound from the Captain of the Witch's Secret Police and some of the operations she was in charge of during the Golden Age.
She now knew that Trufflehunter and Reepicheep believed her story and they were her friends. Nikabrik only gazed at her sullenly, with mistrust in his eyes and a hand on his sword hilt. Caspian enjoyed her stories, and she could tell he was hanging on every word.
By now, twilight was coming on and Reepicheep needed to head back to his fellow mice in case the Telmarine soldiers would return. "I must go," he said, getting to his feet. Rebecca quickly got to her feet, embarrassed for talking so much about the Golden Age.
"Oh, I'm sorry for talking for so long," she said.
"No trouble," said the mouse, smiling up at her. "I rather enjoy hearing about Old Narnia and how things were under the humans." The mouse headed off, and the remaining group decided to camp out by the stream. Nikabrik, with some persuasion from Trufflehunter, built a fire and the group huddled around it. After a supper of fish caught from the stream, Trufflehunter and Caspian talked about plans for the next day. Rebecca retreated into her thoughts and tried to remember if the Telmarines were descended from King Frank and Queen Helen. However, if she was remembering correctly, they had no human blood in their veins. So, were they like the Calormens, who were descended from their god Tash? She quickly shook her head and tried to focus on what the others were saying.
"What are we doing tomorrow?" she asked.
"I suggest we stay here until tomorrow afternoon and then make our way to Dancing Lawn," said Trufflehunter. "The Old Narnians might be suspicious if they see you waiting for them. They will probably think they are walking into a Telmarine ambush, which is why I say we wait until later and show up when everyone else is arriving so they don't get suspicious, Your Majesties." Rebecca nodded.
"It makes sense," she said. "As long as the guards don't come back, I think we should be fine here." Nikabrik mumbled, sitting a distance away from the others. He was almost out of the line of sight and Rebecca had nearly forgotten he was there. "What say you, Nikabrik?"
"I still say trusting a Telmarine and asking him to lead us is a big mistake," he said. Then, he disappeared.
"Nikabrik!" called Trufflehunter, but the Dwarf did not respond.
"Will he inform on us to the Telmarines?" asked Caspian, and Trufflehunter shook his head.
"No, he hates them too much to help them," said the badger. "But I am curious as to where he went." The badger stood up and waddled off, leaving Rebecca and Caspian alone at the fire.
Rebecca took off her Narnian wedding ring and held it up in the firelight. Two swords had been carved into the band, representing his and hers. She sighed and slid it on her left ring finger, no longer needed to hide the ring from the girls at school. "I wonder where he is tonight," she mumbled. Caspian's head perked up.
"What did you say?" he asked. Rebecca blushed, embarrassed she had said something so personal in front of the Prince.
"Um, I'm just wondering where the others are tonight," she said, and Caspian nodded.
"I wonder what they'll think of me," he said. Rebecca shrugged.
"Because you are going to fight for Narnia, I don't think you will have any trouble," she said.
"Yes, but what if they don't want me to lead Narnia?" he asked. "I mean, Doctor Cornelius told me of their reign, and what if the Old Narnians wants them back on the throne instead?" Rebecca shook her head.
"No," she said, "in my heart, I believe Aslan wants you on Narnia's throne. The Kings and Queens will be here to help in the fight to get your throne back." Caspian looked over at her, his face lit up in the firelight.
"You are so confident," he said, and Rebecca smiled, feeling a reassuring peace rest in her heart. "How did you know about the soldiers before they attacked us earlier?"
"I heard Aslan say 'Run' and I knew we were in danger," she said. "Don't ask me how I heard him, it wasn't exactly an audible voice. But I knew in my heart who was speaking and I knew I had to obey."
"I wish I had that confidence in Aslan," said Caspian. "I was not sure of his existence until this afternoon, but now I have to believe it." Rebecca moved closer and sat beside him.
"Believe it, Caspian," she said. "Aslan already knows all about you, and he wants you to know him! When he's ready to reveal himself to you, he will." Caspian nodded, uncertainty visible in his expression. Rebecca continued to talk. "Last time when I arrived in Narnia, he was assembling an army and ready to fight the White Witch and was already moving through Narnia. This time, I don't know what he's doing, but I have to trust him regardless." Trufflehunter appeared on the other side of the fire.
"I couldn't find a trace of him," he said. "But I'm sure he can handle himself out there in the woods." He yawned and stretched. "I think its about time we all got some sleep." Rebecca and Caspian agreed. All three took different sides of the campfires and lay down. Rebecca tossed and turned for a while but managed to doze off as Trufflehunter's snuffly snores floated over the campfire.