Author's Note: Just want to clear up a little bit of confusion that seems to have risen from the last chapter. Because neither the books nor the movies really specify exactly when in their Narnian lives that Peter and his siblings do certain events after taking the thrones, I've played a little bit with their ages. For the purposes of this story, Peter is 16, Susan is 15, Edmund is 11, and Lucy is 9. In the flashback in the last chapter, I am assuming that their campaign against the giants occurred when they were still relatively young. I made Peter 18, which would have made Edmund 13. As a result, they haven't led that many campaigns yet, and aren't fully experienced in battle tactics. So, yes, they were caught by surprise, which was why Peter was injured. As for having a back-up plan…short of bringing the entire army with them to treat with the giants, there isn't really a "good" back-up plan. And when going to a treaty meeting, generally you don't bring your whole army with you, gesture of good faith and all that.

In response to a second review…although the movie doesn't go into this in great deal, the book does. Caspian was first taught about Old Narnia by his Nurse, but when his uncle was told what kind of stories she was telling him, she was sent away and Doctor Cornelius came to take her place, and he and Caspian had many conversations. Although the Telmarines don't know much about Old Narnia, Caspian does know what survived because of his Nurse and the Doctor, but he doesn't really know specifics, which is why he's asking Peter about them.

Many thanks to my beta for so willingly diving into her copy of Prince Caspian, seeing as I don't own and have never read the book...I'll have to go out and get that, won't I?

A/N 2: This chapter has been slightly revised...one scene has been extended.

Part Nine:

At the How, deep in the chambers…

"It's Rhindon," Edmund exclaimed in surprise, reaching in and pulling the sword and scabbard from the chest. "Well, Peter is going to be disappointed at Cair Paravel, isn't he?" He smiled at his sisters' chuckles. "He does love this sword."

His sisters nodded emphatically, remembering all the times that the sword, wielded by Peter, had saved their lives, while Edmund unsheathed the blade and held it up, inspecting the blade's condition by the light of the torches. Lucy reached forward and gently traced the inscription that was engraved into the flat of the blade. "When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death and when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again," she whispered softly. She sighed now. "I wish he were here. I miss him. And he could help us."

Edmund sheathed the sword and decided to hold onto it, for the time being, so he hooked the scabbard to his belt. "I know you do, Lu. But he'll come when it's time, and somehow I doubt it'll happen a moment before!"

"Come on," Susan said. "We'd best be getting back. I expect that if nothing went wrong, Peter and Caspian should be back today. And if I know our brother, he'll be wanting his sword back as soon as possible."

Edmund nodded. "I know I would dearly love mine."

Lucy patted him on the back. "Oh, Edmund, I'm sure Peter will get them for you, don't worry. And I'm sure they're fine. No matter what tangles Peter gets into, he always seems to get out again. Even when we thought he was dead."

The three were silent for a moment before shaking themselves. "Such faith, Lu. But you're right. We have to trust Peter. He knows what he's doing, though sometimes I don't believe it and want to knock him upside the head," Edmund said with a laugh, drawing chuckles from his sisters.

Together, the three went to join Glenstorm to prepare for the High King's and the Prince's return.

"We should see the How from just beyond those trees," Caspian said, gesturing toward the obvious edge of the forest they had been traveling through for days. "I shall greatly appreciate some time on the ground. I fear I'll never be able to walk quite right after so long in the saddle."

Peter laughed outright at that, and then sobered as they broke through the trees and he cast his gaze upon the How for the first time. It was truly an earthworks in every sense of the word. It looked like a large mound, but he could imagine an intricate tunnel system underneath and large, open caverns and chambers.

"I could do with a good meal," Peter said suddenly, as they drew closer to the entrance of the Narnian stronghold. He strained his eyes, noticing a Faun stationed as sentry on a ledge overtop the entrance sending word inside. A few seconds later, there was a small figure at the archway, hair loose and dress flapping behind her as she ran forward.

"Peter!"

Seeing his youngest sister running toward him, Peter smiled and jumped down from the horse, glad to finally be free of any lingering pain. There was not even a tremble in his legs. He bent and caught Lucy up in a huge hug.

"How are things here, Lu? Preparations going well? Ed's not giving you any trouble?"

His sister laughed. "No, Peter. Edmund's been working hard getting everyone ready and equipped for battle. Susan's been working with the archers, and I've, well, I've been working on morale, like always!"

She smiled broadly and turned to Caspian. "How are you, Prince Caspian? Did you have any trouble along the way?"

The young Telmarine couldn't help but return the young Queen's smile. "We had a spot of trouble along the way, Your Majesty, but nothing too difficult." He turned to Peter. "If you don't mind, King Peter, I should like to wash up a bit. If you need me, Glenstorm knows where I stay."

With a small bow, the young man left Peter and Lucy to their greetings. The latter turned to her brother with her hands on her hips. "Did it work, Peter?" she asked firmly. Peter nodded and pulled the small, diamond bottle from his belt, then tugged free the dagger and handed them both to her.

"It did, Lu, but there's something I wanted to ask you about it." As they walked back to the How, Lucy listened to Peter's explanation of what he had felt when he took the cordial. She frowned and looked up into her brother's face.

"It never did that before, Peter. Do you think it's because you weren't hurt in Narnia?" she asked, brushing her hair out of her face as a small gust of wind swirled around the entrance to the How.

The blond Pevensie shook his head. "I don't know. I thought perhaps it was because of that. Or maybe that's how it heals nerve damage or something. I mean, the only other wound I needed it for was the one in Ettinsmoor and that wasn't anything like this one, so I have no frame of reference."

Their conversation was ended when Edmund and Susan hurried over and greeted their brother. Susan, of course, demanded that he tell everything that had happened, and Edmund, upon hearing of his brother's painful experience with the cordial, demanded to check him over to make sure nothing looked off.

"All right!" Peter finally called, overwhelmed by his siblings' attentions. "Look, I'm really tired from all the riding and I really, really, want to get this armor off. Ed, Caspian has your swords and gear. Su, here are your things and I already gave you yours, Lu."

He handed the bow and quiver to Susan, along with her leather armor. Just then he spotted the sword that Edmund was pulling from his belt. "Rhindon!" he exclaimed, automatically reaching for the sword his brother held. "Where did you find it? I thought it was lost when it wasn't at the Cair!"

Peter wasted no time in unsheathing the blade and holding it up before them. Edmund, Susan and Lucy watched their brother change from Peter Pevensie to High King Peter the Magnificent right before their eyes. There was something about Peter and that sword that screamed, "Listen to me and follow me, and I will bring you to victory and peace."

The moment ended when Lucy piped up again, breaking the silence that had fallen over the four siblings. "What was the Cair like, Peter? Was it as magnificent as when we left it? Did you see our chambers? And the throne room, with the glass roof?"

Peter frowned deeply. "Actually," he said, lowering Rhindon but not sheathing the great sword, "the Cair was attacked after we left Narnia and it has been destroyed."

There were gasps from Lucy, Susan and Edmund.

"Destroyed?" Edmund whispered. "How badly destroyed? Like, completely obliterated? Or just badly damaged?"

Biting his lip, Peter replied, "Completely destroyed, Ed. There was little left standing. It was …painful …to see it like that. I'm glad you guys didn't have to, as well. You can remember it the way it always was, and not remember it in ruins."

Lucy reached forward and patted Peter on the shoulder. "It was just a castle, Peter," she said shakily. "It can be rebuilt some day. Once we help restore peace in Narnia. It'll be all right."

Her brother smiled lightly at her and might have spoken, if Glenstorm and Caspian hadn't chosen that moment to enter the chamber and make their way over to Peter.

The latter was still gripping the unsheathed sword and Caspian's eyebrows rose as he took in the sight of the magnificent weapon. "Is that the sword you could not find at Cair Paravel?" he asked the High King.

Peter turned to Caspian and nodded. "It is," he said. Thinking for a moment, he made up his mind and extended the sword, hilt first, towards Caspian. "Would you like to see?"

The Telmarine prince hesitated, but did reach forward. As soon as his fingers touched the sword, he jerked away and held his hand close to his chest. Peter frowned and pulled the sword back toward himself. "What? Is there something sharp on the hilt?" he asked, studying the hilt of his sword with interest.

"I don't know, but it felt as hot as a live coal," Caspian said, still clutching his fingers. "It does not do that for you?"

Peter shook his head, distractedly. "No, it doesn't. Ed, did it do that for you?"

His brother shook his head. "No, and Susan and Lucy both touched it too."

Caspian frowned. "I wonder what this means?" He looked back at Peter. "Did you tell them about the prophecy we found in the cavern?" Peter looked back at Caspian and pursed his lips. "You're thinking this has something to do with that, aren't you?" Caspian added.

At Peter's nod, he turned to the other three Pevensies and Glenstorm and told them what he and the High King had discovered just outside Cair Paravel. They listened, intrigued, as he recited the inscription from the cave.

"Wow," Lucy said when Caspian had finished. "So it looks like the four of us – " she gestured at herself and her siblings – "will need to give you something. Do you think it's the things we got from Father Christmas?"

Edmund frowned at that. "It can't be, Lu. I didn't get anything from him."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Caspian shook his head. "Well, we haven't time to worry about this prophecy. We came to fetch you because plans need to be made about the Telmarine army and what we plan to do about it."

Glenstorm stepped up. "We have set up a war council, of sorts, consisting of those with the most battle and strategy experience. It's not much, but it will have to do." The centaur led the way to the chamber that held the Stone Table and Peter froze in the doorway, not having realized the How housed the Table.

"Oh my," he whispered, letting out the breath he'd sucked in when he saw the cracked stone. "That's…wow." His gaze flickered to Edmund, who was eying the Table with a look of pained remembrance. Swallowing, he moved into the room and resolved to put aside his worries for Ed and address them later.

The occupants of the room all turned, nearly as one, to the entering royals and most of their gazes settled on Peter, many of them seeing him for the first time up close. "High King Peter," said a dwarf from the right side of the room. "My name is Trumpkin and it is a great honor to finally meet you." He bowed to the returned sovereign and Peter nodded to him.

"I suppose we should go over what we know of the Telmarine army and their positions," Peter said to start the council. He turned as the dwarf began to speak again, outlining where the Telmarine supply lines and encampments were.

With a finger, the dwarf jabbed at the map on the table. "Until this bridge at the Ford of Beruna is complete, they can't move the bulk of their army to this side of the river. So we should be relatively safe here at the How for a time."

Peter nodded, absorbing the information, once again in his element. "It would be my suggestion that we hit these –" he gestured to the map "supply lines and cut off the eastern encampment entirely. They'll be forced to either forage or to return to the main encampment. Either way, they'll be vulnerable on the move."

He turned his gaze to Glenstorm, who nodded in agreement. "It is a fine suggestion, my liege. Might I also suggest that we somehow sabotage the weapons foundries? It would hinder them greatly."

The High King smiled. "Great idea, Glenstorm. Amongst the dwarves, do we have any well-versed in foundries that could make suggestions on how best to do so?" He turned to Trumpkin as he voiced the question.

The dwarf nodded and agreed to assemble a group of skilled foundry dwarves for the task.

Peter turned to Susan and Edmund. "You say you traversed all of these caverns," he said. "Do you think any place in particular needs fortification?" Edmund stepped forward and pointed out a few places on the map that needed strengthening. He also gestured to the doorway.

"This will not hold up against catapults," he said. "I can't see a way to bolster it, so we should keep that in mind if the battle does come to the How. We'll need alternate exits for certain." He pointed to a diagram of the How's structural supports. "I also think we could have a surprise attack in store for the Telmarines if we were to knock out some of these and collapse the ground from under them. We'd have to time it perfectly, but it could be done."

He waited for Peter to comment. The latter was quietly studying the map, leaning on the table much like he had before the Battle of Beruna. "I like that idea," he said to his brother. "I think we can make it even more of a surprise if we were to create passages onto the field beyond the collapse."

The High King turned to Caspian. "Is it Telmarine custom to send in the cavalry before the infantry?" Upon the young prince's nod, Peter continued. "Then it would be the cavalry that would fall into the collapsed field. And Susan's archers could fire a few volleys before we send our own riders up behind them when they are floundering."

He fingered two spots beyond the old ruins outside the How. "Here would work." Glenstorm leaned closer and agreed. "Well, I think that's it then," Peter said. "There are already people in charge of shoring up our food stores. What about our weapons?"

Edmund couldn't help the small wince when Peter mentioned that. He backed away a few steps when Glenstorm explained how Edmund and a small contingent of soldiers had snuck into the enemy camp and stolen a large wagonload of weapons.

Peter turned slowly and saw his brother's wary expression. He thought about saying something along the lines of "What were you thinking?" but decided against showing any sort of discord amongst the Kings of old. And besides, it had been a good plan.

"All right then," he said instead, turning back around. "I guess that took care of that."

He heard Ed let out a shaky breath and felt him move a step closer.

Turning to Susan and Lucy, he said. "Anything to add, you two?"

Susan made a few suggestions on the positioning of archers and on whom she thought could aid the attack groups that would hit the supply lines. Lucy frowned, then asked Glenstorm, "Do we have any gryphons here?"

Upon the centaur's nod, she turned to Peter. "Couldn't we do something like you did at Beruna, Peter? Have them fly something in? Perhaps the Telmarines don't know anything about them and it would be a surprise?"

Caspian chimed in here. "I do not think the Telmarines would expect such an attack," he said. "Most Narnian history has been lost to them. Miraz might have had Doctor Cornelius tell him some things, but most likely he will have simply imprisoned him." There was anger behind the word "imprisoned", which made Peter suspect Caspian was quite fond of his old tutor.

Peter turned his attention to Lucy. "That's a good idea, Lu," he said. "Do you think that you could handle organizing that while we take care of the rest of the preparations?"

Lucy nodded firmly. "It wouldn't take much, just some simple coordination and finding a good supply of rocks."

Peter thought for a moment before nodding. "That sounds like it would work well. All right, I think we're done here." Turning to Ed, he put an imploring look on his face. "Now could you please get me out of this armor before I fall over?"

His brother laughed and nodded, leading the eldest Pevensie away from the war council and into a secluded alcove to help him shed the layers of mail and metal.

Along the river three days later…

"Can you believe those creatures have managed to cut off supplies to our easternmost encampment?" One armor-clad soldier bellowed. "I thought they were just stupid animals. Can't be that smart, can they?"

His companion, a head shorter and what looked like a head wider, cast another log onto the fire. "Maybe they got lucky. Blundered onto it."

Shaking his head, the first disagreed. "No way, not since I heard there have been other attacks and even a whole wagonload of weapons stolen. No, someone is leading them. I have my money on that traitor Prince Caspian."

The shorter man snorted. "Caspian wouldn't do that. His father was a good King and he is a good lad. No, I think it's one of them centers, or whatever they're called."

"Centaurs, you nitwit. Them I've heard of, some sort of horse man. Overheard that tutor of the prince one day. Thought it was all nonsense at the time, of course." He set a pot over the small fire and sat beside it to wait.

Trumpkin, hidden in the brush beyond the camp, held up a hand to halt the attack he and his group were about to undertake. This conversation was beginning to get interesting and he wanted to see where it would go.

"Well, we won't have to worry about that much longer," the first man continued. "Since these attacks started, Lord Miraz has stepped up work on the bridge. Expect it'll be done in two days. Then we'll attack and wipe out those ghastly beasts once and for all. I won't have no Narnian wolf eat my kids right out of their beds one night."

The short man nodded. "Should be simple too, now that we know where they're hiding. Ever since them sentries spotted those two horses riding toward that earth fortress of theirs. This time next week, we'll be home sitting around the dinner table, not out in these forsaken woods."

He glared at the trees around them and at the slop in the pot.

Trumpkin had heard enough. Signaling his troop, he edged away from the camp. He had to get back and relay the news. It looked like their hopes of reducing the number of troops in the area had just run out of time.

"Two days, you say," Peter said, pacing in front of the Stone Table. "Are you certain? Not two weeks or something?"

Trumpkin frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "I know what I heard, sire. And it was two days. Not two hours, not two weeks, two days. What are we going to do about it, is what I want to know?"

Peter turned to Glenstorm, "Is there no way to sabotage this bridge?"

The centaur shook his head. "None we could find, my liege. It is too strongly fortified and guarded round the clock. It would be impossible to do anything to slow production."

Edmund slowly moved to intercept his brother before he was able to pace a furrow in the floor. "We might have to consider more drastic action," he said as Peter nearly bowled into him. "I know you had hoped to avoid it, but under the circumstances…"

The High King sighed wearily. "I did. But it looks like we have to consider a raid on the castle," he said. His words were met with mixed response. Caspian decidedly against, Reepicheep decidedly for, and Glenstorm undecided. Peter held up a hand. "Please, before we burst into arguments, let me explain why I said that."

Leaning on the table once more, Peter detailed how the troop strength was still far greater than their own and how they already knew where the How was and fortification and preparations for the surprise tactics they had come up with were incomplete.

"If we captured Miraz, I think he is enough of a greedy, self-serving tyrant to do just about anything to save his own skin." He turned to Caspian. "If we were to capture him, would that make you the rightful next ruler?"

Caspian nodded slowly. "It would, but I have been labeled a Narnian sympathizer, King Peter. And what the Telmarines don't know and understand, they fear. I do not think they would rally behind me, more like they would follow one of Miraz's generals."

Peter sighed. "That might be the case, but I haven't any other ideas. Taking Miraz and cutting off the head of the army, so to speak, should cripple the command lines enough to at the very least buy us some time, but perhaps weaken them enough to abandon this campaign."

He noticed Caspian shaking his head again. "I do not think so," the prince stubbornly countered. "But, perhaps you could control Miraz through his wife and son. His son is his path to the throne. Without him, he has nothing."

Peter's eyes widened and Edmund's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. Lucy and Susan gasped. "Caspian!"

The prince's eyes never left Peter's. For a moment, the High King thought it must be some kind of joke. But when Caspian didn't break into a smile, he frowned. "No, we will not use a woman and a child's lives to barter with Miraz. I'm surprised you would even suggest such a thing."

He turned away from the prince and started to continue, but Caspian jumped in before he could speak. "He is my uncle, and I know how his mind works. If you want to get to him, that's what you need to do."

Peter clenched his hands so tight that he swore he could feel blood seeping from where his nails were biting into his palms. Turning slowly, he took two steps until he was directly in front of the slightly taller Caspian.

"No, Caspian. I would never condone a course of action that would endanger the life of a child like that. What you are saying is beyond any realm of honor I've ever heard of, and didn't you say Telmarines fought with honor? What happened to that?"

He turned away from the prince and the planning went on and in circles until finally, Lucy frowned. "We aren't even considering that we have another choice here," she fairly shouted. "We could seek out Aslan. He's the one who turned the tide at Beruna, he could do it again."

She saw her brother stiffen a little, but didn't let it bother her right now. She knew she was right. Peter looked up at her, a small bit of sorrow in his expression as he said, "We can't wait for Aslan, Lu. We only have two days. We just have to do this on our own."

The planning went on into the early hours of the next morning, but by the time the council broke up, a battle strategy had been outlined that gave them a good chance at entering the castle, capturing Miraz, and overwhelming the castle guard before they could raise an alarm or prepare a counterattack.

Lucy sighed dejectedly as she sat alone in the Stone Table chamber, gazing at the visage of Aslan carved in stone. "I still don't think we can do this alone," she whispered. "We need you, Aslan. We need you."

A/N: No new news on Eve, but thank you for keeping her in your thoughts. On to the raid next chapter and perhaps something you readers would NEVER expect…