Inside the tomb, the Narnians tended to their wounded and repaired their equipment, making any preparations they could with what provisions and supplies remained.

It wasn't long, though, before Kari noticed the absence of her brother. She began to search for him, but when she sensed a change in his energy- a spike rather- she hurried to find Peter and the others as she began fearing the worst.

They hurried towards the stone table chamber where Kari had felt Caspian's energy. As they drew closer, they could hear a strange foreign language being chanted and then the crackling of ice.

"We have to hurry..!" Kari said, sensing a familiar and unwelcome energy.

They reached the chamber and Peter yelled, "Stop!

They made quick work of Nikabrik and his companions, seeing Jadis the White Witch within the wall of ice. Peter shoved Caspian out of the way, turning his blade on Jadis as she outstretched her hand towards them.

"You know you can't do this alone." Jadis taunted.

Kari hurried to her brother's side, helping him to his feet and looking to Peter as he hesitated. "Peter, what are you waiting for? Destroy the ice!"

Peter seemed to barely hear her, but Edmund came to the rescue again and drove his sword through the wall of ice- shattering it.

He looked to his brother as he lowered his sword. "I know. You had it sorted."

Caspian and Peter looked to Susan, who had finally joined them, but the look of disappointment was as strong as the feeling itself. They watched as she turned away, leaving the chamber.

"Caspian, what were you thinking?" Kari asked, taking a bandage and wrapping his hand.

Caspian looked down at his sister. "Kari... I am sorry..."

Kari looked between her husband and her brother as she tied the bandage. "This pissing match is at an end. You need to pull your heads out of your asses and work together." She stepped back, sighing. "Whose fault it was does not matter. We knew we would have casualties and we knew it was unavoidable." She rubbed her temples, the strain of trying to block out the waves of energy starting to wear on her. "We need to tend to the wounded, repair our equipment, take stock of our supplies and provisions, and come up with our next plan of attack. Miraz and his army will be here soon enough and we have to prepare while we can."

Caspian and Peter looked at each other, then back to Kari as she walked away. They knew she was right, but the sting of their defeat was still strong.

After awhile, Kari noticed that she hadn't seen Peter since she left him in the stone table chamber. Worried, she looked there first and found him sitting with his back against the side of the stone table- looking at the carving of Aslan through the archway where the wall of ice had formed.

"Peter?"

Peter looked up from his seat and sighed. "I failed..."

Kari sat next to him, looping her arm through his and intertwining her fingers with his as she grasped his hand. "We were defeated, Peter, we did not fail."

Peter looked at her as she continued.

"The goal was to strike first and thin out the enemy's numbers as much as we could. We knew there would be casualties, as did our people. Such is war, though." Kari looked to the carving of Aslan. "We lost many in the First Battle of Beruna, just as we did in every other battle we faced after." She looked up as Lucy joined them.

Peter sighed, glancing at his sister as she sat on his other side. "You're lucky, you know."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, leaning into his arm a bit in hopes of helping to comfort her brother.

"To have seen him." Peter replied, looking back to the carving. "I wish he'd just given me some sort of proof."

"Maybe we're the ones who need to prove ourselves to him." Lucy said, looking between the carving and her brother.

They looked up when Edmund came into the chamber.

"Pete, you'd better come quickly."

Peter looked between his siblings and his wife, then stood with Lucy and Kari as they hurried to follow after Edmund.

Edmund led them outside to where Caspian stood overlooking the fields of Beruna and Kari's eyes widened when she caught sight of the army beginning to pour out of the trees on the other side of the meadow.

"They're here..."

At least eight regiments, along with four trebuchets, stood at the front with who knew how many more behind them.

"Peter, what are we going to do?" Kari asked, looking up at him.

Peter looked from the fields to his wife, grasping her hand. "Let's get back inside. We have to come up with a plan."

Kari nodded, looking from him to her brother before following him back inside.

"Cakes and kettledrums. That's your plan?" Trumpkin said, looking at Peter and Kari from across the table where a map had been set up. "Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest? Alone!"

"It's our only chance." Peter said.

"And she won't be alone." Susan added.

Trumpkin came over to where Lucy and Susan stood, looking up at Lucy with such worry and fear in his eyes. "Haven't enough of us died already?"

"Nikabrik was my friend too." Trufflehunter said, looking at the red dwarf. "But he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't and neither have I."

Reepicheep drew his sword. "For Aslan."

A bear that was gathered too echoed the noble mouse's words.

"Then I'm going with you." Trumpkin said, looking back to Lucy.

Lucy reached forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No, we need you here."

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Susan get back." Peter said.

"He's right, Trumpkin." Kari added, trying to ease the dwarf's worry and fear. "We've thought through everything and this is our best chance now." She looked at Lucy and Susan. "Besides, I have complete faith in Lucy. And in Susan, too."

"If I may?"

Everyone looked to Caspian as he stood.

"Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer, but as king he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people."

"What are you suggesting, brother?" Kari asked.

"There is one in particular that may buy us some time."