Oreius again
The Ogre fell, run through by Shafelm, and I shoved his corpse aside, away from Queen Lucy. Rhindon dropped from its unclean grasp and I snatched it up and thrust the blade into one of the sheaths across my back. I glanced behind me and saw another of the foul creatures rushing towards me from behind. Unable to safely turn around, I braced myself and kicked with both my hind legs. The Ogre hit me and scraped my flanks with his claws an instant before my kicks connected to its head. I staggering as I landed awkwardly around the two monarchs quite literally under my protection, but the Ogre dropped like a stone and did not stir. I glanced down, but Lucy, valiant, brave Queen Lucy had not moved and still covered her brother with her own body. Aslan's blessings upon her, I knew that I would not have been able to stay still in the midst of a fight and I was grateful she trusted and obeyed me. I would not have been able to protect them otherwise.
Suddenly Flisk came dashing up to me and I was eye-to-eye with King Edmund. He pushed back his visor and I saw that his jaw was set and his eyes gleamed with the cold, hard emotion that possesses him in lieu of anger in the midst of battle. I knew of few warriors more intense than this young king when he reached this state and I welcomed it gladly. He took in the situation in a glance and ordered, "Stay there!" before wheeling Flisk around and returning to the fray.
I shifted. It was my turn to trust and obey, unable to join the fight unless it came to me.
There were precious few of the enemy left, but my younger king never stopped until the last one was accounted for. It was short work. The Ogres were demoralized and poor individual fighters, and they were faced against the finest warriors in the world.
Gradually, a kind of quiet fell across the field. The soldiers and Animals around me came to a halt, exhausted. A few moaned, injured. Others checked to be sure the Ogres were dead. I heard King Edmund send a Faun back to get word to and from Celer.
"Lucy!"
Queen Susan rode up on a Horse, her face wild with anxiety, all her arrows spent. She leaped down and rushed towards me as Queen Lucy finally raised her head. I stepped aside and helped the younger queen to move away from her brother. Even with heavy gloves on I could feel her hand trembling, though I suspected her fear was not because of the battle. Instead of turning to Susan she stayed kneeling on the ground and checked on Peter. His breathing was deep and even now and his color had vastly improved. I looked him over carefully. His broken bones had been mended by the cordial and he seemed merely asleep - the deep, dreamless sleep of utter exhaustion.
"Lucy! Lucy, how is he? Did you reach him in time?" Susan fell to the ground beside her, torn between hugging her sister in relief and frantic worrying over her older brother.
"I...I did, but he hasn't woken up yet," said she. Frightened, she looked to her sister, then to me for answers, though we had none to offer. "He should be awake!"
"No," said a fatigued voice. We all turned to see King Edmund seated atop Flisk just a few steps away. He was filthy and battered in comparison to the Unicorn, but there was no fear in his dark eyes. "Just let him sleep, Lu. He needs it. You didn't see what he went through."
She nodded, accepting his assurance, then stood and pulled forth her bottle of cordial to attend the wounded. I made to step away and help, but Edmund halted me with a gesture.
"Stay with Peter, Oreius. I'm still trusting you with his life. Get him and Lucy back to the camp as soon as the wounded are tended. I'll take the royal guard back to the battlefield. Susan, gather the archers and the Cats. Escort this band back to the camp. We'll follow as soon as we're able." I could tell he didn't expect to find much waiting for them back in the field, but he was conducting the war as he had been taught, as I had taught him, thoroughly and carefully. Then he looked past me and for a moment he smiled with a warmth and pleasure that seemed completely misplaced in this blighted land. I twisted around and saw Sir Giles standing on a rock and smiling upon us.
"Well done, Sir Fox," I said, and he bowed.
