"Help." His voice came again, slow and rasping. From the looks of it, he was pinned beneath the pile. Unable to move. But were there injuries? Fatal ones?

"Are you hurt?" Arrosh crouched down, out of sight from the others. Prince Corin would be along this way soon. Unless Knight was in need of assistance. One could hope.

"You!" There was a gurgle in the large man's throat, but if he was well enough to tell who spoke then mayhaps there was no serious injury. Or he truly did not like Arrosh so much as to be able to tell despite the injuries.

"Yes, me." Arrosh answered, his voice gone cold and the smile slipping from his lips, "Now listen here, if I'm going to help you, I need to know if you're hurt." Of all the creatures to live through this it just had to be Sir Orran. Knight was not the only one out with the Lady of Luck. If the brute discovered what he had done… Arrosh refused to think of it. It couldn't happen. It would not. Not if he could help it.

"I'm trapped beneath this heap." Sir Orran spoke between shallow gasps, "I… I can't seem to feel my legs. I can't," There was a pause, "Feel a bit woozy I do." His barbarian skin was as pale as the sand with a high noon sun glaring against it.

Arrosh squatted down further, yes, the man was dying. He could leave him. Let him suffer and die. Problem solved. But what if he were found by Corin and saved? The large man could tell everything. Problem not solved.

"Look here," Arrosh stood, coming closer to the pile to be heard. No one was coming, Corin seemed to be dealing with Knight and the queen was still absorbed by Fesh. Good. His plan? Not the best.

"I can help you." He came back down to look the man in one bloodshot eye, "But I need something from you."

"What might that be?" Each breath seemed more laborious than the last, with every word was a short, rattling breath.

"A blood oath of loyalty to me." Arrosh answered, "You are a man of honor and principles, I can tell. Swear by your precious god Aslan, and everything you hold dear, your loyalty to me and I will save you." There had to be a decision soon. The knight would only hold Corin up for so long. If the man said no. Measures would have to be taken. Measures that seemed accidental.

"I would rather die!"

"In return for your oath, I not only will save your life but I swear I will never intentionally cause harm to my sister, Aravis, or anyone of her party." Arrosh glanced to where said party was. Corrin seemed to be setting the knight up against something and Aravis was still beside Fesh. "I just need your word of loyalty, Sir Orran. Going into this sort of territory with a divided crew will break us and nobody will be safe. Calormen in not kind to outsiders in the best of circumstances."

There was a pause, Orran's breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. The pounding in Arrosh's head seeming to keep the beat of the fleeting time passing.

Mayhaps the man would die before anything had to be done.

--

"Your majesty," Zeep came from behind the cover of a piece of wreckage just big enough to hide her, "Do you wish for me to continue being here in secret? Or shall I be revealed?" The queen had stayed with the maid but had ceased talking with her. Both in their own world of thoughts.

Aravis turned to look at the mouse, a weak smile that only just reached her eyes came, "Zeepijeet, there is no use in hiding now." She sighed before she brought herself back to being the strong, confident queen Zeep had always known, "This is just a setback, an unexpected path we were given to travel. Aslan preserve us, I know we shall get through this scrape."

"There we go!" The satisfied exultation from Corin came as he finished with the young knight. What was his name? Zeep had yet to hear it given.

He was a tall, well built lad who couldn't be over 20 if he was a day. His dirty blonde hair was long, coming to his shoulders, and his face still held the innocence to that of a child. Untested in battle and not yet accustomed to the harsh reality of the world. Even with his face contorted from the pain in his leg Zeepijeet could see that. She herself was mostly untested but from the realities of a harsh world? Not so.

Corin stood brushing his hands off from the sand, "Well, Morri, I'm sure you'll be right as rain in no time. You surely won't bleed to death." He stood over the man, Morri it seemed his name was, "There will be no walking - at the very least on that leg, for you. No need to worry, however, something shall be done for it."

All Morri could manage was a mutter of thanks before once again slumping against the wreckage he was against.

Aravis rose from her place and walked to Corin, saying something even the mouse could not pick up. The prince shook his head gesturing out across the sand, "I-"

The queen fixed him with a look strong enough to shut the mouth of a talking squirrel before turning to the mouse, "Zeepijeet, please join my brother in the search for survivors."

Zeepijeet curtsied, "Yes, your majesty!" With that she set out across the beach in the direction of where she had last seen the young man.

--

"We are in desperate need of a plan, Corin." Aravis began as the two walked a short distance from the knight and the maid. "And it would be best to know the thoughts of the other before the others are informed as to what is to be done."

"You are our queen," Corin shrugged, "Whatever you decide shall be done."

"Yes, I am the queen and all know that a wise ruler takes the advice of others before coming to a decision."

"As far as I'm concerned, we simply have a party of our strongest move ahead, steal the girl away, and make sail on an Archenlander or even Narnian trading ship. Not that Narnia exports anymore since…" He trailed off, not willing to speak of the disappearances of their close friends. It had been devastating when they had gone, Corin taking it for the worst.

Aravis thought on it, "That is a brash plan and would be suitable if all else fails." The plan was not a good one but it was far from the worst she had heard from the lips of her brother in-law. If it was up to him, he would settle most disputes and problems with a boxing match.

"Well, the first thing we need to know is where the blazes we are." Corin stretched his hand out towards the mainland. "Obviously enough we are in Calormen. But what part? Are we close to Zaldrah?"

"Zalindreh." Was the absent correction, "If we know where we are, we should be able to find how close we are to Tashban. Or Zalindreh for that matter." She glanced up at the young man before her, "We still have an ambassador in Tashbaan. After what happened with Rabidash, none were willing to throw Trunin out. He has yet to be of any use this last decade but mayhaps he can help us to be fitted out with what we need."

"If we are near that disgusting city."

There was hope to be had yet. Not all could be lost. Surely Aslan would guide them.

A/N - Thank you all for the lovely reviews! It's nice to be back to writing after nearly a year of not going near any fiction writing. Your encouragement is greatly appreciated! :D