ANNABELL
NIGHT fell before we made our attack. First, a griffin would take Edmund and once Edmund was at the castle, he would signal for the first group to follow. Another group was outside the castle, waiting for Edmund's second signal that the gate was open, and they could attack.
A light from Edmund's torch flicked on before going dark again. Edmund repeated this action several times, signalling for the griffins to fly us in. My hands gripped my swords as I felt the wind blow cold air onto my face as a griffin carried me down to the castle. The griffin carrying me dropped into dive and I watched as Caspian holding onto the griffin with one hand as he slashed the solider walking along one of the towers before the griffin gripped him again. Edmund waved his torch towards a tower where only two soldiers stood. I noticed a soldier aiming his crossbow towards Edmund which he was unable to make his shot because the griffin dropped me behind him, and my sword pierced through his chest. He fell to the ground alongside the other solider that Peter had taken down. I looked towards the others before turning my head to look at Caspian and pointing my head to signal him to show us the way in.
We followed him until we reached an edge where I grabbed the rope attached to my hip and throw it over the edge before tying it around a wall fixture. Caspian went down first then I followed. My body hugged the wall as Caspian knocked on the window and whispered; "Professor?"
He received no answer which made him grab his dagger and use it to unlatch the window. He stepped inside and I followed, looking around the room to see for signs of where Caspian's Professor went. My eyes, however, landed on a pair of glasses on the table which I picked up to inspect. "Caspian," I called out to the Prince whose head turned to look at me before his eyes moved down to the glasses in my hand.
He grabbed the glasses out of my hand, and I watched his shoulder slump in defeat. "I have to find him," he informed us which Peter disagreed to; "You don't have time. You have to get to the gatehouse."
"You wouldn't even be here without him. And neither would I," Caspian argued, and I noticed Susan and Peter exchange glances.
"Us three will deal with Miraz. You need to get the Professor and get to the gatehouse. The whole plan rides on us, firstly not getting caught and secondly, that you get there in time," I informed him which he nodded before he ran out of the room.
Trumpkin followed after him while myself and the others stayed for a few moments. "Let's get a move on," I ordered them before running out of the room with my sword held out in front of me encase, we came across any soldiers.
Luckily, Caspian had given us directions to Miraz's chambers, so we weren't lost in the large castle. My head was forcing on wanting to slit Miraz's throat to for the blood of my people that had been split. But I knew it wasn't my choice. It was Caspian's.
We reached the door to Miraz's chamber with our weapons at the ready. Peter gripped the doorknob and looked back at Susan and I. We nodded to him and he opened the door before we rushed in the room with our weapons ready to attack. However, my brows frowned in confusion as it wasn't Miraz and his wife in the room but instead a baby whom I knew was Caspian's cousin and the reason why Miraz was trying to kill him. "Where did that came from?" Peter asked which made me look at him like he was an idiot…well, he is an idiot.
"Mum never had that talk with you," Susan remarked back making me slightly chuckle under my breath.
Remembering why we were there, I took off out of the room and further down the hall. I stopped when I heard voices coming from inside one of the rooms. Peter and Susan stopped beside me as a female voice spoke; "Put the sword down, Caspian. I don't want to do this."
I threw open the door as Susan spoke; "We don't want you to either!"
We entered the room to see Miraz's wife pointing a crossbow at Caspian who held a sword to Miraz's throat. I held out my swords so one was aimed at Miraz and the other at his wife. "This used to be a private room," Miraz scoffed as his hands on his hips.
"Caspian, what are you doing? You're supposed to be at the gatehouse," Peter snapped at Caspian which made me scoffed as we had other matters to worry about now.
"No! Tonight, for once, I want the truth!" Caspian snapped back before stepping towards Miraz to push him against the window before asking; "Did you kill my father?"
"Now we get to it," Miraz said which made his wife speak; "You said your brother died in his sleep."
"That was more or less true," Miraz responded back and I watched as Caspian began to freeze at his uncle the truth finally.
"The truth will always reveal itself. Did you really think anyone was going to believe that your brother died of natural causes?" I asked Miraz rhetorically which made his eyes turn towards me before a large grin form on his face.
"Ah La Reina Immortal. Good to see your beautiful face again," Miraz spoke with the grin still present on his face.
"Can't say the same of you, Miraz," I snapped at him, my eyes narrowing at him.
Silence hung over the air before Susan spoke; "Caspian, this won't make things any better."
"We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it. Your father knew that as well as anyone," Miraz spoke to Caspian as his eyes turned off me and looked back to his nephew.
"How could you?" Miraz's wife asked in disbelief as she lowered her crossbow.
"For the same reason you will pull that trigger! For our son!" Miraz growled at his wife before he stepped towards Caspian, the tip of Caspian's sword digging into his neck and drawing blood.
"Stop!" Miraz's wife cried out as she re-aimed her crossbow at Caspian.
"Stay right there!" Susan demanded as she pointed her arrow at Miraz.
"You need to make a choice, dear. Do you want our child to be king or do you want him to be like Caspian here? Fatherless!" Miraz spoke as he continued to walk forward which forced Caspian to keep stepping back.
"No!" his wife cried out as she released the bolt, causing it to pierce his upper left arm and forced him to drop his sword.
This allowed Miraz to escape through a secret door in the wall as he ducked to escape Susan's arrow. Peter rushed towards the door as Susan went to check on Caspian who was gripping his arm in pain. With Miraz now gone, bells suddenly began echoing through the castle, informing those within that they were under attack. So there goes our advantage.
We began ran to make our escape with Caspian guiding us when Peter went down another hall. "Peter!" Susan cried out to her brother who responded back; "Our troops are just outside! Come on!"
Susan and I exchanged glances before we raced after him. We followed him through the courtyard where two soldiers were lying lifeless on the ground and towards the gate. We watched as he began to turn the wheel that opened the gate when the sounds of footsteps echoed through the courtyard and were heading towards us. "Peter, it's too late! We have to call it off while we still can!" Susan tried to reason with her brother but even I knew it was pointless.
"No, I can still do this! Help me!" Peter cried out to us making me twirl my swords around before placing them back in their sheaths on my back and making my way over to him.
I began to help him turn the large and heavy wheel with Caspian and Susan following my actions.
"Just who exactly are you doing this for, Peter?" Susan asked him but received no answer.
We continued to turn the wheel as the sounds of our troops began to draw nearer. The gate was following open when the troops charged past us. I quickly reached up and redrew my swords just as I heard Peter cry out; "For Narnia!"
I rushed into the battle and quickly blocked the sword aiming at my face. With a hard kick to their stomach, I knocked the soldier back enough to slash his throat, killing him instantly. Another soldier swung his sword towards my head which again I blocked before pushing his sword away and knocking my forehead into his. I twirled my other sword around and use it to pierce through his chest. Suddenly, I felt my head getting thrown back from the force of a sword hilt hitting my nose. Blood began to fall from my nose, but the blood and the pain only increased my anger. I let out a loud cry as I swung my sword, slicing the soldier's stomach that hit me before kicking his shoulder to force him to the ground. I twirled my sword, so the tip was pressing against his chest and I use my strength to pierce the tip through his chest. I ripped my sword out and continued fighting.
A soldier ran towards me and instead of using his sword, he swung his fist and clocked me across the mouth. I felt blood form in my mouth which I spat towards the solider, my black blood blinding him and allowing me to use his blindness to slice his throat.
"Ed!" I heard Peter cry for Edmund which makes me look up to see Edmund standing beside a line of soldiers with crossbows.
The soldier beside him aimed his crossbow at Edmund but before he could release the bolt, I picked up a spear that was on the ground, quickly aimed and throw it, causing it to pierce the soldier through his neck and giving Edmund enough time to take cover from the other soldiers.
I looked up to see Miraz standing at a balcony and overlooked the fight going on below him. Peter and I exchanged glances before I nodded towards Miraz. Peter began to make his way towards Miraz with Tyrus following him.
With my eyes remaining on Miraz, I didn't notice the soldier rushing towards me as I felt them kick me onto my back. He went to thrust his sword into my stomach, but I swung my legs around and used my left leg to kick the back of his knee, forcing him to the ground. I used my hands to push myself back onto my feet and turned my head to see Tyrus falling from the balcony and hitting the ground hard.
I looked around and tried to keep myself from sobbing as I watched my people fall around me. I saw as some soldiers were cutting down the weight that held the gate open but before the gate could fully close, Asterius rushed over to it and held it open. "Fall back! Retreat!" Peter's voice cried out and I watched my people begin to fight their way back towards the gate.
I began pushing those that didn't hear Peter towards the gate. "Go! Now!" I ordered a faun before pushing them out of the way to slash the soldier rushing towards us.
"Thank you, Heda," the faun said before they began to make their way towards the gate.
I continued fighting the soldiers rushing towards me when I heard Peter call to me; "Anna!"
My head whipped around to see him on a horse and riding towards me with his hand outstretched. I gripped his hand and use it to swing myself behind him. We barely made it past the gate before Asterius collapsed, shutting many of my people inside. Peter stopped the horse to look back at those trapped and I could feel tears stream down my face; my tears turning black from my warrior paint around my eyes.
My grip tightened around Peter's waist and I felt his hand grip mine as we continued to stare back at those trapped. I looked over to Glenstorm who I realised one of his sons was trapped and my heart began to ache even more.
"Peter! The bridge!" Caspian cried out as he realised the drawbridge was rising.
Everything after that was a blurred. I felt more broken then when the Telmarines first attacked and took my home. I lead my people to their deaths. I failed them.