The moment the sun peered down through the trees and into Trufflehunter's home, you and Caspian departed. Your hosts weren't awake to see you off.
Caspian led the way while you watched your backs for soldiers. Your hand stayed close to your sword and your eyes were sharp. You missed the smile on your friend's face when he glanced back at you. He turned away to step over a rock just as you looked ahead again.
"How is your family, Y/N?" Caspian asked when you reached a small creek.
"Mama is the same, I suppose. Maybe more subdued now. She's tired. Papa is worried about his age and me finding a suitor, so he's frustrated all the time. I think it's hurting them… I'm hurting them because I'm stubborn and keep turning down marriage offers. I'm just not ready, you know? Papa is worried he'll die, and I won't be able to run the kingdom. I understand his fear, but I can keep the kingdom together without a king for a little while."
"Did any of those meetings end well? What about that last one? I don't think I received your last letter if you had the chance to write one before all this."
You shrugged. "It was horrendous actually. He talked about himself most of the time. I didn't get to talk much at all. He finally quieted when my handmaid brought me your letter. He seemed nervous after that."
Caspian chuckled.
"He started asking questions about you and if you were looking to court me. If I thought he was nervous before…" you trailed off and tugged at a leaf on a bush you passed. "I explained our friendship and then he asked if there was a chance for him and I. Of course, I said no, thanked him for visiting, and I left."
"Poor prince."
You rolled your eyes. "I'm sure he's just fine. He was plenty of women falling for him back home, which he mentioned to me early in our conversation– as if I'd be jealous."
"Your father has wonderful taste in men when it comes to his only daughter."
"He tried. He really did. But he gave up asking for my opinion when I rejected his suggestions. I'm too difficult."
"I don't recall you giving your parents a moment of an uncomplicated you," Caspian smiled. "You've always been a little demanding, Princess."
"I'm sorry I have strong opinions about my life."
"It's nothing to be sorry for. It's a part of who you are."
You bump your shoulder into Caspian's arm. "Thanks, Caspian." You glanced behind you and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. "Have you noticed we have a couple of guests following us?"
"I might have noticed them a while ago."
"Do you think they're following because they worry?"
"Trufflehunter? Yes. Nikabrik? I'm unsure."
"Should we announce we know?"
"No. Let them follow. We'll see how long they keep up."
Little time went by when the whispered words of your followers came near enough that Caspian sighed.
"We can hear you," he said, stopping and looking back.
You looked over your shoulder to see Nikabrik and Trufflehunter peeking around some trees. You smiled, rolled your eyes, and kept walking. Caspian followed you.
"I just think we should wait for the Kings and Queens," said the badger.
You didn't stop. You took in how pretty the forest was with ferns hiding your feet and the treetops shading you from the sun. It was so green and lush.
"Fine. Go then! See if the others will be as understanding."
"Maybe I'll come with you," Nikabrik said with a sneer in his voice. "I want to see you two explain things to the minotaurs."
You and the prince froze. Cornelius' stories flashed through your mind. Aslan always made sense, but minotaurs? There was no way.
Caspian looked at Nikabrik. "Minotaurs… They're real?"
"And very bad-tempered," Trufflehunter added, starting the back and forth between him and Nikabrik.
"Not to mention big."
"Huge."
"What about centaurs?" you asked. "Do they still exist?"
"The centaurs will probably fight on your side. But there's no telling what the others will do." Trufflehunter shuffled past you two with Nikabrik behind him.
"What about Aslan?" Caspian said.
The two Narnians looked at each other shocked.
Nikabrik stared Caspian down with suspicion. "How do you know so much about us?" You could feel the unspoken word "Telmarine" hang in the air.
"Stories."
Trufflehunter came back to both of you with bright eyes. He raised a paw toward Caspian. "Your father told you stories about Narnia?"
You saw the light leave Caspian's eyes at the mention of his father. You knew how badly he wanted to know the old king and how he dreamed of father-son conversations with him. Without a second thought, you reached for his hand and squeezed. He squeezed back.
"No, his professor," you started.
Caspian shook his head at the badger. "Listen, I'm sorry. These are not the kinds of questions you should be asking." He squeezed your hand once more before letting go and marching forward.
Trufflehunter looked at you curiously. You gave him a look that told him that then wasn't a good time to discuss Caspian's family.
The badger suddenly sniffed the air.
"What is it?" Nikabrik asked.
"Human."
"Them?"
"No." Trufflehunter pointed behind you. "Them."
Soldiers were running toward you.
You didn't think. You ran. You ran past the Narnians. You past Caspian just as he started running. You didn't know who the soldiers belonged to, but you weren't taking the chance if they were your father's.
Arrows started whizzing past your head. You ducked for a few, narrowly dodging one headed for your side. The arrow following didn't miss its target, embedding itself in your shoulder. You yelped, reached back for it, but kept running. You were going to break the arrow, but Trufflehunter shouted.
You turned enough to see Caspian stop and run back toward the soldiers. Feet slipping, you screeched to a halt and called out too Caspian. It went deaf on his ears as he hoisted the badger on his shoulder after a soldier disappeared under the ferns. Another went down, causing Caspian to pass Trufflehunter to Nikabrik.
The moment Caspian pulled out his sword, you started running back. He wasn't going to fight the soldiers or the thing taking them down alone. You couldn't get there in time before something small leaped from the ferns and onto Caspian, knocking the prince to the forest floor.
Nikabrik stopped you from getting closer when you pulled your sword out. The dwarf was pissing you off. If the oversized mouse hurt Caspian, you would kill the dwarf before the mouse. Nikabrik didn't help the situation when Trufflehunter called out to the mouse.
"Reepicheep! Stay your blade!"
The arrow in your shoulder started to ache.
The mouse looked up. "Trufflehunter? I trust you have a good reason for this untimely interruption!"
"He doesn't. Go ahead," Nikabrik said.
"No!" Of course, you were stopped again.
"He's the one who blew the horn," the badger said.
Reepicheep looked at the prince in surprise.
"Then let him bring it forward."
A centaur with dark chocolate skin and a coat to match came out of the trees with three other centaurs.
The pain in your shoulder was pushed to the back of your mind.
It wasn't until the centaurs led you and Caspian to a place called the Dancing Lawn when the arrow in your shoulder was noticed.
"You are hurt," Glenstorm – the centaur that greeted you all – said.
Caspian whipped his head around.
You laughed nervously. "Yeah. Arrow. I wasn't sure what to do. Is it bad it's been stuck in me for so long?"
Caspian rushed up to you and studied your face in concern. "Why didn't you say anything?"
You tried shrugging. Instead, you hissed and gripped your arm. "I didn't think it was important enough to interrupt and I was a little worried a certain mouse was going to hurt you."
"Can you help her?" Caspian looked directly at Glenstorm.
The centaur bowed his head. "She will be in good hands."
Calloused fingers brushed your hair way before the hands they were attached to went to cup your face. Your eyes met Caspian's concerned ones. They looked so black. "Please let them take care of you, Y/N."
You nodded just as one of the centaurs took your hand and led you away. At first, you weren't keen on being forced out of sight but as soon as the arrow was broken, you understood why. Yelps wouldn't stay down in your chest the longer the Narnians worked. The worst part was pushing the arrow through the other side. The pain became black fuzz around the edges of your vision. But you made it through. A gentle centaur wrapped your shoulder in something cool that soothed your aching muscles.
It was dark when you came back to the Dancing Lawn. Not only that, the Narnians were talking over each other about trusting Caspian since he was Telmarine. You scoffed and sat down on a rock. You were about to interrupt when Trufflehunter spoke above everyone. They silenced.
"Some of you may have forgotten, but we Badgers remember well that Narnia was never right except when a Son of Adam was king."
You owed that badger a lot.
Nikabrik disagreed. "He's a Telmarine! Why would we want him as our king?"
You clenched your fist and glared at him.
"Because I can help you," Caspian said. "Beyond these woods, I am a prince. The Telmarine throne is rightfully mine. Help me claim it and I can bring peace between us."
You smiled and watched your friend, missing the squirrel speak. Caspian belonged there in front of people. He was a natural leader whether or not he knew it. It was clear on many faces there that he already touched their hearts. He was made for Narnia, for the people and the creatures living there.
"Two days ago, I didn't believe in the existence of talking animals, or dwarves, or centaurs. Yet here you are in strength and in numbers we Telmarines could never have imagined. Whether this horn is magic or not, it brought us together. And together we have a chance to take back what is ours."
Glenstorm stepped forward. "If you will lead us, then my sons and I offer you our swords."
"And we offer you our lives unreservedly," Reepicheep said with a bow. His fellow mouse knights followed his example.
"Miraz's army will not be far behind," Trufflehunter said.
Caspian nodded. "If we are to be ready for them, we must hurry to find soldiers and weapons."
You stayed on your rock long after the gathering ended. Some Narnians lingered while others were out looking for help. There was a place nearby that would work as a base where everyone could take refuge in and prepare for the battle. Unfortunately, that meant you had to try and sleep with a wounded shoulder in the few hours left of the night. You weren't feeling confident about getting rest.
"How's your shoulder?"
You looked up at Caspian with a warm smile. "I'll be okay, Caspian. It just aches a little. Whatever they put on the wrap helps."
He sat next to you. "I didn't know you were hurt. I'm sorry, Y/N. I should have paid more attention."
"You were protecting our new friends. It's not your fault I couldn't dodge and arrow in time. That soldier had the shot and I paid for it, but I'll heal up and be perfectly fine again."
"Do you need to fight for this, for me? Is it wise?"
"I don't care if it is or isn't. I'm not letting you do this alone. We've always been better together and this is no different. I'm fighting with you no matter what."
"I wish you wouldn't. I don't want you to get hurt again."
You let your head fall on his shoulder. "And I don't want you to get hurt either, but I'm not asking you to leave the Narnians to fight without you. They need you. You need my help, too. Accept it."
He sighed and took your hand in his. "Tell me when you get hurt next time, okay?"
"Who says I'll get hurt again?"
"Promise me you'll say something, Y/N."
You tightened your fingers around his. "I promise."
"Good. Now go rest so your shoulder can heal. We have a long walk in the morning."
"And you should rest up because you have Narnians to lead, King Caspian." The words left your mouth to tease him. Instead, they made your heart thump wildly.
Caspian praised Aslan for the cover of night as his face burned from your jab. "I am not a king yet."
You couldn't shut your mouth fast enough. "Yes, but you've always been a king to me… my king." You had to get out of there, so you stood and tried to calmly walk away. "Goodnight, Caspian."
He rubbed one side of his warm face. "Goodnight, Y/N."
It was a toss-up who twisted more through the night on your makeshift beds. So much for rest.