ASLAN'S HOW appears through the trees like a beautiful instrument of salvation. Even from across the wide, grassy plains of Beruna the towering monument is a sight to behold: its pyramidal structure seeming to have risen straight from the earth it rests upon; the enormous slabs of smartly placed grey stone allowing the expanse of surrounding wood to find purchase in its seams and crevasses, creating a blanket of green that covers the faces of the outer walls. No matter how many times I've laid eyes on it, I still have to stop and wonder for a moment.

Queen Lucy gasps in delight and rushes to the front of the group for a better view. "Is this it?"

Nausus chuckles at her excitement. "Sure is, your majesty."

She turns around, grinning widely at the faun and ushering her siblings to hurry along. Caspian takes notice of her eagerness and resumes the final leg of our journey, the Pevensies falling into step next to him, leading the troops free of the woods and across the plains. I keep a few paces back with Glenstorm and the others, and Edmund notices immediately when I'm no longer at his side, glancing over his shoulder in a quick search. I try to convey to him through my eyes and my reassuring smile that my place is here: with Trumpkin, Nikabrik, Glenstorm, and his son, not with Narnian royalty. Though having ruled as a king for fifteen years, Edmund is well aware of why I've stayed back; he simply feels strange to be without my usual presence.

I catch a flash of movement on the forward wall of the structure — one of the lookouts. A moment later, a horn sounds; travelling across the plains to greet us and announce the return of the war party to the inhabitants of the How. I'm anxious to reach it and see for myself the operations behind its walls. By word of the wolf brothers, Caspian has organized an admirable workshop of forges, which the Narnians are using to smith weapons and armour while others rotate shifts on watch, scout the surrounding forest, provide basic combat lessons to the less-experienced, and rest up within the safety of the extensive, underground tunnels. There is also, apparently, a small spring located behind the How that I must visit immediately. Bastard wolves.

By the time the party reaches the ruins of the lists, twenty centaurs have gathered at the entrance of Aslan's How, arranged regally on either side of the ramp leading down into the earth. I recognize most of them and it's been so long since I've seen everyone that I have to remind myself to keep my mouth shut, not wanting to risk distracting them from their formal welcoming rite.

The Pevensies and Caspian slow to a stop when the centaurs simultaneously draw their heavy broadswords, grasping the wicked blades before them with the points held upward, metal glinting in the sunlight. Then, one by one, they tip their weapons forward at an angle to form a sort of arch over the stone path, honouring the return of their beloved rulers.

As one, the Old King and Queens of Narnia step forward, gliding gracefully under the swords pledged to defend them and their land. Caspian bows his head and allows them to draw ahead — lead the returning Narnians across the threshold of the How. I remain where I am beside Glenstorm, trailing after Caspian when he follows in Pevensies' footsteps at a respectable distance. I watch with a smile as Shadowstar reaches out to guide his son's sword higher so Lucy can pass beneath it.

The strong sounds and odour of the forge — metal, fire, pounding hammers — drift through the open doorway as we approach it, the air growing hotter and thicker despite the structure being underground and made of stone. The circular main room is bustling with activity when we walk in. Weapon stands, burning forges, anvils, and work tables are crowded with fauns, satyrs, minotaurs and dwarves all hard at work smithing and organizing. The burning torches down the centre aisle and the lit sconces along the walls paired with the glow of the burning coals in the forges provides enough light for the Narnians to work by and makes the grand, high-ceilinged chamber terribly hot and stuffy. In all my many visits, I've never seen the How so busy and full of life.

Susan and Lucy are eager to explore and quickly head to the far end of the room where more tunnel entrances reside. The Pevensie boys stop and take in the How's interior operations thoughtfully while the rest of the Narnians file inside, heading off to their respective stations. Glenstorm and his son, Rainstone, turn down the northern caverns where there are more lit forges and Narnians that look to be working on armour.

The Old Kings don't exactly look thrilled with the place. Caspian and I exchange grim looks before he addresses them.

"It may not be what you are used to," he says. "But it is defensible."

"Peter?"

The four of us turn our attention to Susan, who stands in the tunnel entrance to the Stone Table at the far end of the room.

"You may want to see this," she announces over the clatter of metal and clopping hooves on stone. Peter nods and makes his way down the aisle to his sister.

I catch Caspian before he leaves with the Kings. "I'm going to ask Glenstorm where I can help," I say. "If you don't need me."

"No." He shakes his head. "Go ahead, I will find you later; we have much to discuss."

That is an understatement. He hurries after Peter and Edmund who are following Susan further into the depths of Aslan's How. Being gone for so long, they have no idea what's at the end of that tunnel. And though I hate to leave my new friends to discover it for themselves, the war has only just begun and it will not wait for us while we sit around telling stories and reminiscing. There's too much to be done in preparation and I haven't exactly been a star contributor to the effort thus far.

In no time, I find Glenstorm with his three sons and a centauress, deep in discussion. Luckily, I don't have to interrupt them myself as the general notices me immediately.

"Dear Arryn," he greets in his deep, intimidating voice. "What is it you need?"

Their conversation lapses as I'm pulled into their small circle. I smile and bow my head respectfully to each of them, realizing with a start that I don't recognize this centauress. She has long, braided brown hair that matches her deep, bay coat; and thick, strong arms marked with scars. Her skin is coloured a beautiful brown by the sun and causes her bright, grey eyes to appear strangely unsettling.

"This is the chimæra you speak of?" She asks, one hand resting on the pommel of an ornate broadsword strapped to her equine body.

Glenstorm nods "Arryn has been a remarkable student of mine for many years." He gestures to the stoic, brown-haired centauress. "Starlock hails from our brethren of the west wood."

"We heard your call," she adds. Her stance and expression are solemn and unreadable, but her eyes are wise and alight with interest — like she's searching for the secrets of my past to solve the puzzle of my future. "I have not seen one of your kind in nearly fifty years. It is an honour."

Me? An honour? I'm shocked into silence for a moment before I gather my senses and bow again. "The honour is mine."

Starlock smiles, though something about it is not there — her startling eyes perhaps too much of a contrast. "You are stronger than you know," she muses. "Do well to remember that."

I nod. Suncloud shifts his weight on his hooves and paws the stone floor, arms crossed and gaze turned downward. I start to wonder what sort of conversation I walked in on, though I know better than to inquire about it at the moment.

I clear my throat and look up at Glenstorm. "Where am I needed?"

"Weapons," he says immediately. "Bronedrek is in the central chamber, he will provide you with your tasks."

"Thank you." I bid them all farewell and hurriedly leave so they can resume discussing whatever I interrupted. Having met the black dwarf before, he is easy to locate among the busy smiths. I have no experience in forging, so he directs me to Gegsiy, a red dwarf in charge of arrow-making.

"Never enough arrows in an army," Bronedrek says, checking a newly-made blade for warps or impurities. I smile and agree before hurrying to put distance between myself and the heat of his forge. Much to my relief, Gegsiy has settled her arrow operation in the northern caverns and has utilized far fewer forges than those in the central chamber.

She's delighted to have another helping hand and stations me with a few other fauns to fit the fletching, as it requires long, deft fingers and is terribly time-consuming. The fauns introduce themselves and though they aren't very talkative to begin with, they grow quite interested when they hear of my journey with the Old King and Queens and proceed to ask all about it. After that, they hardly need any encouragement at all and the once-dull arrow-making becomes quite fun. Marnus with his never-ending jokes keep us smiling while siblings Torruns and Haarla bicker and share entertaining stories from their childhood. Having nothing more to share than a few laughable moments between me and Caspian as children, I remain silent and enjoy the fauns' humour, our laughter echoing among the expansive tunnels with the pounding of hammers and metal.

"I never knew fashioning arrows to be so fun."

Caspian's voice nearly makes me ruin my arrow's fletching. The fauns' laughter is reduced to amused smiles when they notice the prince.

I set my arrow down, flexing my cramped fingers as I turn around with a mischievous grin on my face. "Would you like a first-hand experience?" I ask the smirking boy.

"Another time." He turns to Gegsiy, who's hard at work at her forge making arrowheads. "Is it alright if I steal her?"

"Of course," the dwarf responds, waving her hand. "Do send her back, though; she's been a great help."

He laughs and waves me over. "I will."

I say my farewells to the fauns and get to my feet, the muscles in my legs sore and protesting from sitting for so many hours.

"Sorry I was gone for so long," he says, weaving through the throngs of busy Narnians spaced throughout the caverns. "I had some explaining to do for your friends, then I gave them a tour and tried to–"

"Prince Caspian!"

His head snaps up. A blond-haired faun is hurrying toward us from the far side of the chamber, a quiver of arrows on his back and a bow in hand.

"What is it?" He asks, his voice worried. "Are you alright?"

The faun nods, looking troubled. "Fine, your highness. I was on watch and spotted a Telmarine scout in the woods. He's left, but they must know where we are."

A scout already?

Caspian tenses and nods briskly. "Thank you, Donnus. Find Glenstorm and ask him to gather everyone at the Table."

Donnus bows his head. "Yes, your highness." He canters off to find the centaur general and Caspian turns to face me with a frown. "We'll have to talk later," he says. "The Old Kings and Queens are in the war room. Get them and meet us at the Stone Table."

"Okay."

I try not to look so nervous and hurried as I make my way across the room to the tunnel entrance. The last thing I want to do is give the Narnians something else to worry about right now. Caspian will make the announcement when he comes up with a plan. If him and Peter don't kill each other, first. I shake the thought away as I reach the top of the staircase and turn to head into the first and largest room.

The Pevensie siblings are sitting on the floor, talking quietly about something when I burst in. All four of them whirl around to stare at me in surprise and confusion, awaiting an explanation.

"Caspian's calling a council at the Stone Table."

Peter scrambles to his feet, reaching for Rhindon. "What for?"

"Has something happened?" Susan asks, her dark eyebrows pulled together.

I flex my aching fingers. "A Telmarine scout was spotted outside a minute ago," I tell them. "They know we're here."

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author's note

this chapter was unbelievably difficult to write, i'm so glad it's finished and over with. also, i apologize for the total lack of anything exciting lol i didn't mean for it to turn out boring it just happened. i was hesitant to include the telmarine scout so soon in the story, but i figured miraz is hella pissed and would be sending scouts like crazy to find the narnians' army base. but i'm not sure if the palace raid scene would realistically take place that same night, so i'm going to give them a day to plan and prepare before attacking, which gives arryn more time to bond with the pevensies and her narnian friends.

also, what did you guys think of starlock? i couldn't resist adding some more centaur characters to my story and was super excited to introduce her! she's quite mysterious and i imagine her as a wise, hardened warrior of very little words. she isn't seen a whole lot as the whole story takes place in relatively few days. i figure her lack of appearances adds to her obscurity anyways lol

so in between writing new chapters, i've started working on a collection of shorts that include bloopers, interviews and basically anything behind the scenes as if arryn were actually in the prince caspian film. so basically, it's just the cast of chimæra being chaotic and hilarious lol it's a lot of fun and i can't wait to release it! if there are any interview questions or interactions between the actors you guys would like to see in the collection, just leave a review with your suggestion!

fun fact for y'all: that cute li'l centaur in the film is the costume designer's son, gomez, and he got to pick his character's name (lightning bolt). a lot of the crew and their family members are actually used as extras in the film, including the director's parents who can be seen during the coronation parade! according to andrew adamson, the director, basically anyone who could grow facial hair ended up in the movie lmao

hope you guys are enjoying the story so far!