Author's Note: Here's the chapter you've been waiting for - the fight at the Lone Islands. I hope you like it. Thanks for all the reviews by the way.
oceansong: I'm not sure when I'm going to include your character, but she will be in the story.
Quote from Chapter: "You did it!"
Chapter Twenty-Four: A Prophecy is Fulfilled
"We're approaching Doorn, Your Majesty," a sailor - his name was Khalon - said. Aceline nodded, her face paling. She had been eating breakfast with Keitra, Kendell and Tynan. Immediately, the lord thanked the sailor and went to make sure everything was ready. The redheads clenched their forks nervously.
"So, today's the day, huh?" Keitra asked, giving a forced laugh.
"Yep," the Princess said.
"I can't believe you managed to convince Tynan to let us fight," Kendell said.
"I didn't convince him. You did by your archery," she said.
"Well, you convinced him of watching our archery."
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"That was quite an impressive speech, Your Highness," Tynan said. She gave the lord a tired smile.
"Thank you, my lord," she said. The Princess had just given a speech to the crew. It had been quite nerve-wracking, for their had been dozens of blue, brown, gray and green eyes on her. She felt the ship dock on land. They looked from their position on the poop and saw a truly awful scene.
Dozens of men, women, children and Red Dwarfs were chained together. There was the occasional sound of a whip cracking and a cry of pain. A pale girl with lanky brown hair looked in the direction of the ship. Her dark eyes grew wide.
"Look!" she screamed and was promptly whipped. But two Minotaurs looked in her direction and immediately let out two, loud bellows.
The battle began.
The Narnians (There were some on the ships) and Archenlanders ran off the ships, brandishing swords and spears. Aceline and Tynan were in the lead, their swords pointing forward. The two cut their way through the enemy.
Arrows wooshed over their heads. A Minotaur knocked her down and her sword flew out of her hand. The beast towered over her, but a crude-looking arrow pierced its coarse skin. It fell and she saw that a fierce-looking Keitra had fired it. She nodded her thanks and quickly picked up her sword, blocking an attack from a Dwarf.
There was great shouting and the sound of metal clashing against metal nearly overwhelmed her. She mercilessly beheaded a Dwarf. Drops of blood splattered against her face, but Aceline wasn't disgusted. She was too busy focusing on the seven-foot Minotaur in front of her.
The fight between her and the creature took longer than expected. It left her with a sprained wrist and a sore leg, but she was pleased when it finally dropped to the ground. She paused for a moment to take in her surroundings.
Keitra and Kendell were on the ships with the rest of the archers, firing arrows like there was no tomorrow. Tynan was in a heated fight with three Dwarfs. She saw that he was quickly tiring. She sprinted over and handled one of the Dwarfs. His hair and beard were the darkest black and there was a sneer on his weathered face.
"Battles aren't for girls."
"Too bad." A second later, he let out a strangled gasp as her sword pierced his stomach. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she looked away from him. An Ogre - a truly disgusting one - jumped in front of her. A grunt escaped its lips as they fought. As it lay dead on the ground, a horn sounded. Aceline looked wildly around. Tynan came up to her, grinning widely.
"We won!" he shouted happily. Around her, the soldiers cheered loudly, clapping each other on the back. Even the captives joined in after a moment. The Princess laughed and the next thing she knew, two pairs of arms were around her. It was the cousins.
"You did it!" Keitra yelled. The girl shook her head.
"We did it. Together," she said calmly. The redheads smiled and hugged her tightly. Tynan clapped her awkwardly on the back. She smiled at him.
"Get over here, Tynan," she said and she flung her arms around her waist. The Archenlandian lord chuckled as he returned the gesture.
"What's going on over there?" Kendell wondered out loud. Aceline looked in her direction and the sight made her want to throw up.
An old woman with frail, white hair was holding a Dwarf's head by the hair to the cheering crowd. She was grinning widely, showing a smile with many missing - and rotting - teeth. She threw it to the inhabitants. A man who looked around his late forties gave a great shout as he caught it and tossed it back to her. The Princess's face turned green and she immediately ran to them.
"Stop it!" she yelled. She knocked the head out of the woman's hands. It fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
"You're just as bad as them!" she continued. Her violet eyes were wide and her face was pale. The people looked quite ashamed at being compared with their captors. There was silence until one brave girl of around eighteen stepped out.
"We're sorry," she said. Her soft voice didn't match her appearance. In fact, Aceline had to take a step back in shock.
Waves of thick, black hair fell down to her knees. A pair of sparkly, aquamarine eyes stood out on a pale, lightly freckled face. Like most of the people, she had cuts and bruises on her face, legs and bare arms. She had three holes in her left ear and two in her right.
No one could blame her for being speechless. Tynan had to speak for her.
"You are forgiven." He laid his hand gently on her shoulder, bringing her out of her shocked state. She looked up at him and met his brown eyes.
"What about the other islands? Avra and Felimath?" The lord repeated this question to the captives. (Aceline couldn't find her voice.)
"There are a few people living on Avra. Felimath is only hills and grass and sheep. No one lives there," answered a man around his late thirties.
"Then let us go to Avra." This time, the Princess's voice rang out as clear as a bell. The sound of cheering met her words.
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More or less of the same thing happened on Avra.
But the visitors weren't by themselves this time. Some of the people decided to help them. (Those who weren't as badly bruised as the others.) Aceline was surprised when the girl who had apologized decided to fight with the swordsmen, much to the resentment of her parents. Another girl - the one she had seen before the battle - fought with the archers.
As she slayed a Dwarf in one, quick stroke, the Princess had to block an attack by an oncoming Ogre. Quite suddenly, a sword pierced its rugged flesh from the other side. The metal went through its chest and as quickly as it had come, it went away. The creature fell and in its place stood the black-haired girl, looking quite merciless.
Aceline didn't have time to figure out what happened as the two fought for their life, their swords clashing against metal. Sweat, mingled with blood, soon appeared her armor. She was suffocating from the heat and the combined physical strain left her body without much energy. In the second that she thought that she would surely pass out, cheers met her ears and a tired smile.
The battle was over.
The prophecy was fulfilled.
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A week passed and it was time that the ships had to set out once more. Aceline, of course, had to stay at the islands. She didn't feel as homesick as she did when she left Narnia. And she had already made two friends - Filia Wanderan and Lucylita Temple (the two girls). Keitra and Kendell hugged her, both of them grinning.
"Write to us, alright?" Keitra said.
"Visit me, alright?" she replied. The redheads boarded the Blaze of Glory. Aceline found herself staring up at Tynan. The two wrapped their arms around each other.
"Here," she said, handing him two letters. One was to the Pevensies while the other was to the twins and Artymis.
"I'll make sure to give it to them," the lord replied. "Be safe."
"You too," the Princess answered. She watched him march onto the ship. His blond hair fluttered slightly in the breeze. A horn sounded and with a noise that sounded a bit like a car crash, the three ships left. Her three friends waved wildly to her and her hand did likewise.
The sun (it was around three hours after sunrise) reflected off the wooden boards of the ships. The Evening's Grace looked like a majestic and diginified lady as the blue waves lightly slapped at her sides. The Easter Lily looked like a happy and bubbly girl as the banners of Archenland and Narnia were let out. But the Blaze of Glory was the most marvelous of them all. The Blaze of Glory truly left in a blaze of glory.
Like it? Hate it? Tell me what you think. You know I like to read your thoughts. (wink) By the way, Queen Emily the Wise I'm going to change your character a bit. Not the personality or looks, but more like the background. Hope you don't mind.
OCs Used:
Keitra Nyramis - Lady-Mystique
Kendell Carnee - airnchik 128
Lucylita Temple - Queen Emily the Wise