Chapter Three
Peter looked quickly at the tree at his back to see a dagger embedded into it…only a few inches from his head…
Peter took a few deep breaths before turning to face the figure again, arm reaching for his sword. But before he was able to do that he found a sword to be pointed at his neck. He looked up into the emerald green eyes of a girl he knew…but didn't. Recognition flashed in her eyes as it did in his.
"You!" He said, staring at the girl shocked, he didn't believe that she was real.
"You," she replied softly, lowering her blade. But he couldn't be real…
Peter took a step forward as she took a step back. He remembered why she was so familiar…it was the girl he had had dreams of since he was a child. He could remember waking up from nightmares where a small girl with red hair was beaten in a room of Ice. He thought back to one time when he had drawn a picture of a small child next to him in a picture, where she had red marks around her body. The teachers at school had been terrified of the picture, they had gotten the counselors and child services involved thinking that his parents were abusing him. After that he rarely dreamed of the girl, but she was always in the back of his mind…
She couldn't believe it…the boy she imagined was real? Every time Jadis came after her, she would always dream of the boy, thinking that he would protect her. And he did, just thinking of him kept her mind safe from Jadis. There was rarely a time when she didn't dream of him, watch him grow throughout the years. It always felt as if he was real, but she never believed it…till now.
"But you're…"
"Real…" she finished for Peter.
Soon the shock of the situation passed and Peter remembered the manners his parents had drilled into him, "I'm Peter…" he said, holding out a hand to her.
"I know," She replied, taking his hand…leading to another staring match. "I'm Haelyn."
"I know," he said. "I remember you."
She smiled slightly when something caught her eye, she pulled her dagger out of the tree, "Sorry," she muttered.
Peter laughed, breaking the tension, "Although I don't quite remember that."
"Sorry," she repeated, "You…just need to know how to protect yourself, especially in Narnia."
"Ha," Peter laughed, "Right…"
"What's wrong?" Haelyn asked, walking with Peter as if they had been friends forever…which they had…kind of.
So Peter explained what the problem with Aslan, and the army, and Oreius was. "I just don't understand how they can expect me to lead an army if I don't know more than the basics?"
Haelyn stopped by the stream in the forest to think. She knew how to fight, and she knew what would happen if Peter didn't. Her aunt would win, Jadis would win. "I'll teach you." She said, startling Peter out of his thoughts.
"Really?" she nodded, "Brilliant. When do we start?"
Haelyn laughed, "We could start now, if you want." Peter nodded enthusiastically, "Alright, but first I need to see how well you know the basics of Swords." She said, going on to explain other weapons she could teach him.
And so Peter and Haelyn started their basic mock battle, going on until Haelyn was positive Peter was ready to go on. "Very good Peter, you do know the basics." Peter readied himself to continue, but Haelyn put her sword down, "Unfortunately it will be dawn soon and Aslan and Oreius will probably have you up early to practice. You'd best be going."
"But I thought you were going to teach me…"
"I will," She said quickly looking towards the east where the sun would soon rise, "But you must go, come back tonight."
And with that, she pushed Peter out through the trees back in the direction of the camp.
The sun had completely risen an hour later, which would find Haelyn standing by the edge of the stream. She smiled sadly at her reflection, taking off her cloak to revel several scars, bruises, and cuts on her arms, she pulled her hair away from her face, staring at the scars that ran down her neck. "Yes," She thought to herself, "It would be better to practice at night."
She didn't want Peter to see her like this. She knew that he had not seen her in his mind as often as she had seen him, he didn't know the full extent of Jadis' anger, not like she did…
