Lucy woke up to a dismal, grey morning. Everyone else, much more tired than she is, loathed the weather and another tasteless breakfast of apples.
"Apples, heigh-ho," Trumpkin said. "I guess you kings and queens don't overfeed your courtiers now, do you?"
They stood up to stretch their sore muscles (more on the side of Susan and Peter) and looked up at the weary canopy above them. Trees, trees and more trees. Even Lucy wondered when on earth would they get to the plain at the stone table and to a wonderful breakfast at Caspian's.
"I'll warrant that your Majesties know the way?"
Susan shook her head. "I've never seen this place before. I think we should've just followed the river."
"Then you should've said so at the time," Peter retorted.
"You all were so intent on using Glasswater that I never had the chance!"
"You could've spoke up and voted in favor of that. Why didn't you even speak?"
"Are you trying to pin this on me?"
Trumpkin shook his head and shrugged. "Settle down you two, we're all on edge today."
Behind him, Gimli arrived. He'd wandered off a little, hearing a sound in the night, and only now did he return. "Good morning, lads and lassies," he said, then noticed their downcast faces. "Not too good of a morning then?"
Lucy gazed around, then turned to Peter and Susan. "I know why we're all testy," she moaned. "Edmund and Legolas haven't arrived."
"You don't think they got lost?" Susan said.
At this Peter thought for a moment, then shook his head. "It's not like Edmund. I'm sure he'd find his way back whatever happens."
"Or they might've been captured by Telmarines. Or killed by wild bears," Trumpkin said.
Lucy's face turned white and she shook her head as if to banish the thought. "It can't be…"
"Legolas is a good archer just as Edmund is an excellent swordsman," Gimli said. "Whatever happened to them, bears or Telma-what-do-you-call-it aren't going to find it easy to overcome them combined."
Peter was thinking in silence all this time and snapped his fingers to get everyone's attention. "Well, if they were captured… or killed—" He gulped at this, but steadied his voice. "—then we must get to Caspian all the more sooner, to either save them or avenge them. Is everyone with me?"
The others looked up Peter, who suddenly assumed a kingly air—he wasn't Peter of Finchley anymore—he was High King Peter of Narnia once more. And no one, much less Lucy or Gimli, had any doubt that whatever the High King decreed would come to pass, and that good would come out of it somehow. With this, Gimli let a laugh.
"Whatever His Majesty says, I shall follow," Gimli said.
"So will I," Trumpkin says. "It's my duty to you and to King Caspian."
The party left without their two other companions.
"Do not fear, travelers," the star said, assuming the human form of a lady clothed in white. Her hair fell down her back in waves. Both Edmund and Legolas couldn't help but sink to their knees.
"No, don't do that!" the lady said. "I am not to be worshipped."
They rose, faces pale under her white light. "You are… a star?" Legolas said. "The stars in my world do not take such forms as you do."
The lady smiled, and something flashed in Legolas' mind, a face he knew well…
"You know me in your world by another name," she said, smiling. "In Narnia I am known as Alambil, the lady of Peace."
A sacred silence ensued, neither one of them willing to break it until Alambil did. "I am sent by Aslan to speak to both of you, but more so to you," she said, referring to Legolas. "Your duties in your world are finished, and the clouds of war have passed from your skies. Here in our world, however, that is not the case. Which is why you are called here."
"So we need him-them?" Edmund asked.
"In a way," Alambil said. "But I do not say that it is the only reason they have been called."
Legolas continued to gaze at Alambil. "But my lady, how have we arrived to Narnia? And how can we speak their language? It is all a mystery to me."
"You have been called by Aslan through one of the chasms in your world," Alambil said. "I cannot say completely why, much less how. You must only trust Him. That is all you will need."
Edmund and Legolas nodded. "Please, Lady Alambil, can you tell us how to get back to my brother and sisters?"
She smiled and shook her head. "I am afraid you will take a different path from what they will take. You will be needed elsewhere, after all. Do not worry, they will be fine."
The sky turned from dark blue to lightening grey. "Trust Aslan. He will lead you where you must go."
Edmund woke with a start, fresh dew drenching him in water. He turned to find Legolas wake, eyes flitting as he looked around in surprise and wonder. They met eyes, both in the same state emotionally and physically.
"She's… gone," Legolas said, gazing up at the sky as if he expected Alambil to be there watching them.
"Yes," Edmund said.
Silence, then they scrambled to their feet. "Come on," Edmund said, and they wandered into the forest, following the direction of the Rush.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Legolas asked after a long while. "It is not that I do not trust you, but we might run into a trap or an outpost of... of..."
Edmund grinned at him. "You mean Telmarines?"
"Yes."
Edmund peered across the gorge, shading his eyes with a hand and shaking his head. "They're nowhere to be seen," he said. "Besides, you saw how we whipped them back there."
"Even then, we must be careful."
"True."
Morning dawned at Miraz's castle, Merry and Pippin fast asleep, Armix hiding them in the armory, safe out of view. Once he'd made sure that they'd be safe there, he walked back out to his post, finding Miraz's wife walk by, her young son in her arms. The little prince. No wonder Caspian left.
As he pondered this, Armix reflected back to when he first met the two 'children' in his care. They'd been found at the gates of the castle on his night watch, unconscious and snoring. He'd wondered at first whether they were Dwarves, but then realized that they wouldn't reach the height these strangers were at. Maybe half-Dwarves?
He'd looked around to see if someone was looking, then dragged the two bodies somewhere hidden. Dwarf or not Dwarf, those two would be in trouble if they'd stayed there all night. Someone was bound to run them through with a sword. For him, though, they seemed harmless.
And they were. When they awoke and told their stories about a certain Middle Earth and how they didn't recognize Narnia, he'd concluded that they either have amnesia or was mad. After conversing a little bit more with them, he canceled out the second option. These men were most definitely not mad.
"We're really grateful you took us in, aren't you Merry?" Pippin said then.
Merry nodded, giving a smile.
When Armix's fellow soldier saw them, he'd lied that they were his squires. And thus they became.
Armix stood up and saluted as his superior passed-the proud Sopespian. Oh, by the heavens above, how he disdained that man! But then again, it's not like you can pick your colleagues or your bosses...
"Good morning, sir," he greeted when Sopespian gave him a dirty look.
"Yes, it is," Sopespian answered dryly. "It is."
Armix nodded and went back to his post. He leaned against the stone walls, but then snaps back to attention when he saw Glozelle this time appearing. "Good morning, sir."
"Any news about Caspian?" he asked.
Armix flinched internally. Why did it have to be him who had to break it to him?
"He hasn't been found yet, sir."
Instead of flaring out at him, Glozelle merely glared at him, then gestured for him to follow, which Armix did-reluctantly.