Chapter Twenty: Escaping Anvard Part I

They were to leave under the cover of darkness. Soon enough so that they could get to Telmar before the news left Anvard and got back to their enemies. But not so soon as to draw any attention toward themselves. So, as the days passed, they laid low among those in the castle; acted as the best guests that King Nain and Queen Aria had in their presence. Spoke stiffly about the changes in Narnia as they'd been gone.

How the talking animals had evolved, how the magical creatures they knew had started to die out, how there had been tentative peace through the lands until Telmar and Calormen started to invade their neighboring kingdoms. How the lack of the Pevensies' presence had essentially made Narnia collapse in on itself, ending the Golden Age.

It was one thing to hear about it from Caspian, another to read about it in books in the libraries, but an entirely other thing to see how it had affected those around them when they slowed down and took the time to think about it. The guilt was palpable and only made the Pevensies and Brielle wonder what truly was keeping them in Narnia if Miraz had been defeated.

Finally, it was time for them to make their escape. Having already had their things stashed away, Brielle had finished her fake slumber the moment it sounded like the castle had finally fallen asleep. She swept out of bed and wakened Susan, who immediately gathered her horn and quiver and arrows before the two made their way down to a darkened foyer, where they'd agreed to met up. It was on the far side of the castle that led to a tunnel system that would release them out to the courtyard, away from prying eyes.

The perfect place for them all to sneak away in the night. It was symbolic, in a way. The last time they had converged upon darkness like that had been when they were going into Miraz's castle to battle Miraz's army. It hadn't ended well then, but maybe it would be something that'd be a success for them this time around.

That was, if everyone would make it.

Brielle folded her arms, glanced over her shoulder, did everything but tap her foot. At the first taste of blood that sprang into her mouth, she licked it away, wincing at the sting that came. Okay, maybe she was worrying a little bit too much. Silas and Vincent know what they're doing, she reminded herself. They can get this done. Stop worrying!

Taking in a deep breath, Brielle worked to keep her shoulders from staying close to her ears. Worked to calm down and ensure that she was able to keep her feet from tapping as she turned what she hoed was a casual gaze around the foyer. She stood by with Susan, Lucy, and Caspian, waiting to leave Anvard and Archenland.

A part of her was sad to be leaving so soon, especially with the unfinished business that was going to be breathing down her neck (not that she didn't have any other chances). Archenland was her home once upon a time, but it was nice to know they were going to be going back to Telmar. It was closer to Cair Paravel, they could easily go into Narnia and see how things were moving, and it was a place were Caspian would feel comfortable as he moved into his role as the king.

"Where is Edmund?" Lucy tucked her hair behind her ears. She pace the floor, lowered her voice to a low hush, sure that guards or knights, or even the servants were hovering around, waiting to bring word back to King Nain and Queen Aria. "He and Peter should've been here by now."

"They'll be here," Susan said calmly, confidently.

Brielle could see the worry that flashed through her friend's blue eyes. But she'd never say it out loud; Brielle would never call her out and Susan would never admit it. There were more important things to worry about and a queen showing that much worry, when acting in the place of the High King, wasn't very comforting.

Nevertheless, Susan ran a hand through her hair and turned her gaze down the darkened corridor that led them to the foyer. Still no sign of either of her brothers. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. Good, in that they hadn't been found by any of the King's guards, but the downside would be the lack of communication and how quickly they needed to leave.

"Maybe I should go check on them," Caspian suggested. His fingers fluttered along the hilt of the blade attached to his hip. He leaned forward, peering around the corner and looked through the darkness, trying to find any sign of the Pevensie brothers coming their way. Huffed to himself when there was still no sign.

Brielle's heart rate increased tenfold. Maybe, she thought. Maybe things are, finally, working out. She looked around at Caspian, Susan, and Lucy, working to keep her face neutral despite her mounting excitement. The sooner they got rid of Peter, the better. She'd be able to relax, to finally have her revenge to…to do what after that? Reality would then ensue, Susan and the others; the Narnians, would investigate what happened. Someone would be found out and punished.

Don't think about that right now, Bri, Brielle reminded herself, dropping her hands to flutter her fingertips at her side. Think about everything he's done to you. She nodded to herself, then glanced over her shoulder once more. "Maybe I should go see what's taking them," she offered.

Susan immediately shook her head. "If you're caught—"

"—I have more pull with the servants here than King Nain and Queen Aria think I do," Brielle insisted. Her words started to rapidly drop out of her mouth with no thought to them. Moving on autopilot. It reminded her of her time on Earth, when she was talking to her friends, jumping one topic to another, quickly moving from one topic to another and kept her friends—and sometimes her male audience—captivated. "I don't have the same friends I had back then…they're gone…but I'm still able to give them a sense of human feeling here. I can get some answers from the servants. They wouldn't tell the King or Queen anything."

Susan and Caspian exchanged a glance, making Brielle press her lips together and wait. Usually, it was a moment that Brielle would've teased Susan for later, telling her that she and Caspian were so much in sync that she should just let her inhibitions go and see where things led her. But there wasn't time for it, they had to move fast if they were going to get out in time.

They had to move fast if Brielle was going to be successful in time.

She continued to look at her best friend, waiting, then nearly jolted with surprise when Susan finally nodded. "Check the infirmary," she explained. "See if Ed got tied up there but come back as soon as you can. I don't need you to go missing as well."

Brielle nodded, gave a quick curtsey, and left the darkened foyer. Her wand scratched across the side of her leg, tucked away inside her boot. Part of her was ready to bend down and slip it from its hiding spot and make things easier for her, she could feel the swell of the darkness around her, making her powers that much stronger. But had to hold back.

It was one thing to use her powers when she knew she could control them but knowing her emotions held a strength to her magic powers…anything could happen. Especially as she didn't have her familiar to keep her grounded. Silas and Vincent were lucky in that aspect, their familiars had been with them almost since they had first found out about their powers. Hers had been taken away from her when she'd least expected it. When she had only just started to know what she was capable of.

Scurrying through the darkened corridors of the castle, Brielle pressed herself to the walls, peeked around corners, held her breath anytime she heard someone coming near. Whether it was a servant, a knight, a guard, a nursemaid, she couldn't be found out. They weren't meant to be wandering Anvard by themselves, almost always needing an accompaniment. If anyone saw her, they'd question what she was doing, no matter her response, Brielle was sure the suspicion she couldn't hide would be enough to sound the alarms for the entire castle.

Finally, she made her way to the winding staircase that led to the infirmary, wondering why she hadn't seen Edmund along the way. The thought suddenly made her slow, bringing a hand up to her chest. She was trying to get rid of Peter but…she didn't want anything to happen to Edmund along the way. Not when, really, he would be the one to understand her anger.

Peter had been nothing short of a jerk toward Edmund when she first met the Pevensies. All she'd seen was a scared little kid, affected by the war as much as, if not more, than her. Peter had to become the father of the family, Susan, the mother, Lucy tried to find good things in everything around them, and Ed…Edmund had turned in on himself, resenting both his older siblings for being so hard on him, his older brother so much so. She had no previous attachments to the Pevensies when arriving in Narnia and hadn't had felt as much of a betrayal of Edmund when he finally returned to them.

But she did feel a tiny bit protective of him, especially in the final battle with Jadis. That had affected them in ways the others wouldn't understand. She'd heard Edmund's story, but couldn't tell her own. Not yet, Brielle reminded herself, pushing further into the castle. They wouldn't understand.

Finally, Brielle reached the infirmary and stepped toward the door. She peered inside, surprised to find that the nurses had left for the night. Habitually, if something to the capacity of what had happened to Peter would have gone down, there would have been guards, knights, or servants all over the place. It made Brielle take pause for a second, wondering what King Nain and Queen Aria could be up to, then brushed it off.

They were a lot of things, she knew from experience, but keeping a king from a previous ally as their captive wasn't something they'd do. It would spread too far, too wide and cast suspicion upon them. Things had changed in Narnia, but hadn't changed that much. Habits died hard; things changed but always remained the same.

Glancing over her shoulder, Brielle slid inside the infirmary, the skirts of her dress brushing silently against her legs. She took in a deep breath and set a determined look upon Peter as he lay quietly in his bed. Brielle glanced around, half expecting to find Edmund hiding in the corner of the room, waiting to take down anyone from the Archenland guard—or any of their enemies—trying to take his brother away. Finding no one there, she ventured further into the room, working hard to keep her footsteps light.

Finally, she reached the side of Peter's bed and looked down at him. Waited for him to make some sort of sound, some sort of movement that proved he knew she was nearby. Nothing. Brielle tilted her head, studying Peter in the bed. He lay quietly, eyes shut, chest slowly rising and falling in a motion that proved his slumber. She studied him for a second, before reaching out and brushing her fingertips along his forehead, pushing his hair from his face.

Still, he didn't move

After a second, a quiet sigh escaped his lips and his head fell to the side, cheek pressing into her palm. As she watched, it was as if his entire body relaxed, muscles allowing him to sink into the mattress beneath him. Brielle took a step back, removing her hand from Peter's cheek. His head lolled to the side, brow creasing as if he were aware of the removal of her touch. Annoyed or…frustrated?

Ignoring her wand, Brielle slid a knife off the holster on her thigh and flipped it up into her hand. She brought the tip of the knife forward to press against his forehead. She gently, slowly, every so slowly traced the tip down the side of his face toward his neck. A featherlike touch that would awaken those hovering within the lightest remnants of sleep.

Smiling to herself, practically shaking, giddy with excitement, Brielle brought the tip of the knife down to just beneath Peter's chin, pushing his chin up. The tiniest droplet of blood dripped down from the tip of the blade and up to the hilt, staining the finger that was curled against it. Warm compared to her cold, shaking hand. Finally, Brielle steadied herself and ever so gently bought back her hand, then plunged it forward—

Brielle gasped, seeing Peter's eyes fly open. His eyes trained on her at the same second he grasped her wrist. With his other hand, he brought his finger to his mouth, motioning for her to be quiet, then pulled hard on her arm. Brielle fell forward, landing hard against Peter's chest, before she was rolled off the bed and onto the floor. Brielle's grasp on her dagger the second she hit the ground, watching in dismay as it skittered under his bed.

Peter landed on the floor next to her but sprang back up a second later. Brielle twisted around and watched, eyes widening in surprise and disappointment when she saw he was holding tightly onto Rhindon and was using it to deflect who looked to be a servant, who was standing on the other side of the bed, sword in hand.

Brielle looked closer then, realized with a start, that it wasn't a servant of the castle that was locked in battle with Peter, but someone she'd never seen before. But judging from the look of him, it had to be a Calormen, one of those that had ambushed Peter at Cair Paravel. Her heart sank, realizing that they had tracked Peter all the way back to Archenland and had waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Which meant…

Brielle cursed under her beath, realizing Silas and Vincent had changed the plan without telling her. A wave of rage rolled over her. They didn't trust her, and felt that they had to handle things themselves. All because, what, they deemed her as weaker? Well, she'd show them.

Scrambling back to her feet, Brielle watched as Peter spun and slashed Rhindon forward, stabbing the Calormen in the stomach, driving him back into the wall. The Calormen let out a scream of pain and let go of his sword, dropping it so that he could cover his wound while Peter pulled his sword back. Then, in a flurry of movement, Peter raced across the bed and barreled out of the infirmary.

Brielle followed close behind him as they descended the spiral staircase. On the way, they stopped, hearing a struggle, seconds before a wooden door crashed open and a Calormen flew through. He fell amongst the rubble of the splintered door with Edmund following close behind him. Edmund stood over the Calormen, holding his sword tightly above the soldier's throat.

"I'm not going to ask again," Edmund growled, glaring at the Calormen. "Who sent you?"

The Calormen simply grinned, holding his hands up, either waiting for his demise or for capture, whichever came first. Edmund simply reached out his foot and kicked the Calormen hard in the side of the head, knocking him out, then grabbed the sword he held and tossed it to Brielle, who caught it easily.

A thrill went up Brielle's arm when she caught it and held it close to her. It reminded her of the times she went into battle with the rest of the Pevensies during their fight against Jadis and their fight against Miraz's castle. Muscle memory certainly was a thing, a dagger and a sword were different, Brielle's hand adjusted to the hit of the sword quicker than it had to her dagger.

"I was coming to get you," Edmund explained to Peter and Brielle. "But on my way I got stopped by this guy." Then his gaze turned apologetic. "Silas has already been warned and went to send the guards to protect the royals."

Brielle's breath caught in her throat. If the royals knew, they wouldn't be able to get out of the castle unscathed. But, if the Calormens had attacked them that night, it meant their were even more compromised than they'd originally thought. Everyone would have to move faster than they had before…

Brielle glanced at Peter's back, wondering if there'd be any point where she could take her sword and ram it through his spine, blaming it on any of the Calormens that were inevitably going to swarm the castle, if they hadn't already. Then decided against it, the timing wasn't right, and she'd have more chances. Don't ruin things now, she reminded herself, trying to keep the wave of wave of disappointment from debilitating her.

She made up her mind when Edmund, leading the way, took them back to the darkened foyer. Caspian's, Susan's, and Lucy's voices hushed before they appeared. Susan took one look at the three, instantly recognizing something was wrong the moment she spotted them.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"King Nain and Queen Aria have been alerted," Edmund explained. "I'll explain more later, but we have to get out of here now. Or else the castle will be crawling with Calormens before we can even blink."

"Calormens?" Lucy repeated, her nose wrinkling. "How'd they…?"

"No time," Caspian interrupted with a shake of his head. He nodded toward Peter and Edmund. "Let's go." The group hurried through the tunnel system and out into the courtyard where horses were waiting for them, plodding anxiously as they moved forward.

Brielle glanced back toward the castle, watching as torches started to light up among the grounds, loud shouting accompanying the movements of the torches. She watched the window that led to the infirmary as a figure appeared in the window, looking down at the. She knew it was Silas without having to see all his features, knew Vincent was nearby.

Knew they were both as frustrated as she was.

Brielle turned away and grasped the reins of the horse that were handed to her by Edmund and she swung up behind Lucy. She waited, heart ramming against her chest as the others got onto their horses as well. She and the others watched as Peter climbed up with some difficulty.

But, as stubborn as ever, he managed to make his way up. "I'm fine," Peter said breathlessly once he was in the saddle. He closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head as if shaking off the pain that ran through his body. Then, noticing the stares turned his way, he looked at his siblings, Caspian, and Brielle in the eye before his face hardened in determination. "Go." They hesitated one moment longer. "Go!"

And so they turned and headed toward Telmar.

A/N: Oh gosh, it's been a while since I've been able to update. Thanks for sticking around, you guys. I hope to be able to update more often once the holidays end and things slow down at my store again.

Cheers,

-Riles