*Chapter 12-The Plan*
Beunos dias, seniors and senioritas! Once again, I bring you another chapter in my story! Huzzah!
The new Harry Potter movie was so awesome! I saw it last night with a couple of my buds and the theatre was absolutely packed. It was really good as a movie, but not at all like the book. But it was still awesome! :D
I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia, or any of the characters.
NOW ENJOY
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Penelope stormed away from the dumbfounded Peter, her anger boiling her blood and her vision turning red and spotty. Who did he think he was, embarrassing her like that?
Your older brother, said the logical voice in the back of her head.
Shut up. Nobody asked you, said the angry part of her mind, which was the majority of it at that particular moment. He certainly was her brother, but he hardly knew her well enough to be bossing her around as he had.
When she reached the armory, still fuming, but not quite as angry, a female centaur that had to be Wanefeather was waiting outside it, looking around the main chamber with a slightly impatient look on her face. Once she spotted Penelope, she grabbed her arm and guided her through a corridor and into the armory. Once there, she found two other female centaurs, a female dwarf that appeared to still be a teenager, and a few fauns (male of course, for it is common knowledge there are no female fauns in Narnia) scurrying about piecing together armor and, in the cause of the dwarf, holding out a deep blue skirt.
"You'd best get comfortable, Daughter of Eve," said Wanefeather from her place besides Penelope. "You're going to be here a long while,"
It was true. Around an hour and a half later, Penelope stepped back into the main chamber fully suited for battle and looking very pleased. She now wore a deep blue skirt that fell down to her feet and was a bit too long for her, with a chain mail top of sorts and red tinted leather bodice over it. The sleeves of the chain mail came down to her elbows and flared out as they went down, and she wore tough leather arm guards coming up to her mid arm. A sword belt was around her waist, and an empty quiver was strapped to her back. Pattertwig and Trufflehunter, who were conversing in the main chamber, stopped their conversation and looked at her, both of them smiling.
"Oh, look at you!" said Pattertwig, clambering up to her shoulder. "You look positively fierce!"
"You look like a warrior," said Trufflehunter. Penelope looked to see his eyes misting as he gazed up at her. Blushing, she opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted.
"Telmarine! In the woods! They know we're here! They've discovered our army!" the little blond faun who was put on guard was sprinting into the How, his face terror stricken and his shout panicked. A huge panic instantly broke out, everyone running around and tripping over each other and shrieking and losing any sense of organization they had previously possessed.
"Get the Kings and Queens, and the Prince!" a creature's shout rang out above the mass hysteria. Penelope, Trufflehunter, and Pattertwig exchanged looks, and without looking to see if anyone else followed her, Penelope took off to the chamber she knew the royals were in. The terrified Narnians didn't see her, but they did see Trufflehunter (Pattertwig was still on Penelope's shoulder) waddling after her, and followed him.
Penelope's heart rate picked up and dread filled her. She wasn't too keen on the idea of facing her twin so soon after their fight, but continued on anyways. He and the others needed to know, petty sibling spats be darned.
She and Pattertwig burst into the chamber, closely followed by the other Narnians. The four, who were standing around the Stone Table and Caspian, who was off to the side, all turned with confused expressions to see their entire army coming through the corridor wearing similar expressions of terror.
"The Telmarines know we're here," Penelope said. Peter's back went ramrod straight.
"You're certain?" Susan gasped disbelievingly.
"Unfortunately. Our watch guard saw a Telmarine spy among the trees, but he got away before we could capture him." Penelope replied with a curt nod of her head.
"Oh, no!" Lucy said despairingly.
"We need to start planning. Now." ever cool and collected Peter said, taking control of the situation. He turned to a couple of fauns who were fidgeting and whispering nervously off to the side.
"You two, go through the How and make sure everyone's here within the next half hour." he said. The fauns nodded, bowed, and ran off to get the others.
The chamber was filled with quiet, frightened murmuring, from all except the six royals for around the next half hour until the fauns returned with 40 or so scragglers. The crowd fell silent and quickly crowded around Peter and Caspian. The other royals sat around the edge of the crowd, in the very front.
"For those of you who just joined us, this meeting has been called because one of our guards has informed us that earlier this day a Telmarine spy was discovered among the trees. We are all here to discuss our plan of action." Peter began the meeting.
"What are your ideas, King Peter?" asked Pattertwig from the top of Penelope's head.
"It's only a matter of time. Miraz's men and war machines are on their way." Peter said. Penelope, despite the anger she still felt towards him for embarrassing her in front of Caspian, couldn't help but admire his strong personality and leadership skills. "That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."
"What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?" Reepicheep asked.
"We need to get ready for-"
"We need to start planning for-"
Peter and Caspian, who had spoken at the same moment, froze, giving each other nasty looks. Peter's was the nastier, however, and Caspian stood down. Looking self satisfied, Peter continued.
"Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us," he said.
"But that's crazy, no one has ever taken that castle!" Caspian hissed.
"There's always a first time," Peter said back simply.
"We'll have the element of surprise," Trumpkin jumped in.
"But we have the advantage here," Caspian said, sounding fed up with absolutely everything and everyone. Susan stood and went to his side.
"If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely." she said to Peter, who gave her a dark look. Penelope went to Caspian's other side.
"Besides, why should we risk our soldiers, when we already have so few, on a move with such an uncertain outcome?" she said. If possible, Peter's expression grew angrier.
"Do you really think me so foolish as to take our whole army?" he snapped. "Of course we'll only take half of them." Penelope's expression now mirrored her twin's and her fists were clenched.
"And only return with half of that half?" she growled. Peter opened his mouth to retort and stepped up right into her face, but before a real battle of the twins could ensue, Caspian spoke.
"She has a point." he said lowly, drawing Peter's attention.
"I, for one, feel safer underground," Trufflehunter put in, his voice tranquil as usual.
"Look," Peter said to Caspian, paying no heed to the badger. "I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb."
"Yes, and if they're smart, the Telmarine's will just wait and starve us out," Edmund spoke up, picking his older brother's side. As per usual, Penelope noted, measuring her younger brother. Edmund, noticing her gaze on him, shot her an apologetic look. The two, despite the fact they had not really spoken, had bonded, and he didn't want to offend her. She gave him a respectful nod, showing all was well.
"We could collect nuts!" Pattertwig suggested, kneading Penelope's hair.
"Yes, and throw them at the Telmarines!" Reepicheep said in a voice mocking the squirrel's enthusiasm. "Shut up!" he spat, and then turned to Peter. "I think you know where I stand, Sire."
There was a pause, then Peter turned to Glenstorm. "If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" he asked. The centaur looked uncertainly to Caspian and Penelope, who had similar expressions of desperation. His loyalty, unlike the mouse's, lied firstly and foremostly with the future King and Queen, not the past ones.
"Or die trying, My Liege." he finally said with a bow of his head, his expression grim. Peter nodded thoughtfully.
"That's what I'm worried about," Lucy's voice came. Peter turned to her with a confused and slightly aggravated expression.
"Sorry?"
"You're all acting as if there's only two options. Dying here, or dying there." she said. Penelope was impressed with the maturity the girl handled herself with. She was very wise for a girl her age.
"I'm not sure you've really been listening, Lu," Peter said crossly, turning away from her but stopping as she spoke.
"No, you're not listening! Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?" she snapped pointedly directing her glare to the carving of Aslan. Peter looked as if she'd bruised his over inflated ego.
"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough," he snapped, turning and exiting the chamber. The Narnians stood in an uncomfortable dead silence, not sure what to make of the news that their High King had abandoned the Great Lion. If he didn't have faith in him anymore, why should they?
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It was the evening of the raid on the castle, about a week after the planning of the raid. Peter was walking among the anxiously collected groups of Narnians making sure they knew the plan and their role in it. Most of them did, and were chatting with their comrades in hushed tones. Penelope stood with Caspian, Nikabrik, and Pattertwig, and they spoke lowly and darkly.
"This is a bad idea." Pattertwig said. He was one of the ones staying behind, apparently due to Lucy's request (she had quite taken a liking to the little squirrel) but was still vehemently against the whole thing.
"It really is," Penelope agreed. A faun passed by and slowed down as it passed the group, its expression suspicious, and they fell silent.
Once the faun had passed, the conversation picked back up again with Caspian speaking next. "It is Peter being a stubborn mule, is what it is. He is so set on being right and proving himself, he does not care a lick for the Narnians he is dooming."
Nikabrik snorted. "So much for the Magnificent." he said, crossing his arms across his chest. Caspian made an 'mmm' noise in agreement. Penelope grew angry at the way they were talking about her brother. Mad at him or not, he was her brother, and she wouldn't tolerate them demeaning him as they were.
"He's not doing this to prove anything," she said defensively. "He thinks he's doing the right thing. He's a good man, and he wouldn't do anything less than what he thought was right for his people and his country." Caspian stood silently while Nikabrik just couldn't let Peter get the upper hand.
"Well if that's his idea of right, he may just be thick in the head," he grumbled. Penelope's glare turned deadly, but the conversation died seeing as Peter himself came up to them at that moment. He was wearing armor similar to Penelope's, only he didn't have a chain mail top on and he wasn't in a skirt, but for the most part they looked the same. They were even wearing the same colours. Edmund, dressed similar to Peter only where Peter wore blue, he wore green, was trailing behind him in the groups, and Trumpkin was right behind Peter. Trumpkin came to stand by Penelope and she leaned down to hug him and give him a hug.
"I'm glad you're alright," she said, referring to him running off to meet the Telmarines when they had first met Caspian. He chuckled.
"C'mon, I'm a grown dwarf, I can take care of myself," he said jokingly. "I should be saying that to you, tripping around the forest as you did." he said, giving her a meaningful look. She looked ashamed, and he sensed her guilt and turned joking again. "Besides, you're the little one here."
Penelope snorted. "This coming from the 3 foot tall dwarf. Anyways, I'm 16 years old. I hardly think I can be considered a little one anymore."
"Penelope, to me, you'll always be a little one," Trumpkin said affectionately.
Peter watched the exchanged, feeling warm happiness spread through him. Lately, he'd been worrying about Penelope's family. Not that he doubted the four who had raised her-Nikabrik was a little shady, and Pattertwig was a typical scatterbrained squirrel, but the other two seemed well enough. And they all seemed devoted to each other, for the most part.
"What do you want, My Liege?" Nikabrik asked, not meeting Peter's eyes and a mocking tone in his voice. Penelope and Trumpkin turned from their conversation and turned their attention to him.
"I'm here to discuss the raid and your places in it," he said, looking between the group. "So, I need you each to tell me your goals for the raid."
Caspian spoke first. "I am to fly in with you and the others, retrieve Dr. Cornelius, then immediately run into the gatehouse and get the drawbridge down." he said, and Peter gave him a short nod before turning to Nikabrik.
"I'm to, along with Glenstorm, lead the troops in to battle at Edmund's signal." the dwarf said. Peter gave him the same short, curt nod before turning to Penelope.
Penelope saw that as he turned to her, his eyes became weary and somewhat sad. Penelope's heart felt heavy as she realized he was hurt by their spat before the meeting. She knew she'd been too harsh with him, and had only spoke the words out of anger and spite. She knew she'd need to patch things up with him before the raid, for their was a very real chance she might not get the chance afterwards.
"Penelope? Are you alright?" Caspian asked, placing a gentle hand on her arm. She snapped out of her daze and looked away from Peter to see him watching her with concern in his gentle brown eyes. She felt her cheeks flush, touched by his concern, and looked down.
"I'm fine. I was just.. thinking." she mumbled.
"Are you sure? You looked so sad," Caspian said. Penelope's heart warmed. He was so caring.
"Yes." she said. She turned back to Peter. "I am to fly with you, Caspian, and the others. I am to go with you as far as the doctors chambers, then I am to continue on my own to find Miraz and keep him cornered until Caspian arrives. Then I am to go once he arrives and head for the courtyard and tell Edmund to give the troops the signal and start opening the gate." as she continued explaining her part, all four of their expressions were changing to those of concern, to at the end downright doubtful.
"I don't remember giving you that much to handle.." Peter began, but Caspian cut him off.
"Penelope, there is no way you can handle all of that!" he said. Penelope's gaze turned icy.
"You doubt my capabilities, Caspian?" she said darkly. He became flustered and tried to reply, but she ignored him and turned back to Peter.
"That is what you've given me to handle, and I promised I would take care of it. There is no time, or point in changing it to appease yourselves." as the others began to protest, she quickly added. "I do have a question though. The weapon I have been given is a bow and arrow, and I'm sorry to say I have minimal training in the use of it. I am, however, quite good with the sword."
Peter's brows creased as he thought. "Hmm.. well it's too late to make you a sword that would work proportionally.. although I'm not in any way liking the idea of sending my sister into battle with only an unfamiliar weapon as protection.."
"I'm not completely unfamiliar with it. I mean, I'm not bad, but I'm certainly not great. It would work, if it had to, I suppose." she said. Peter shrugged.
"Then it'll have to. Besides, there's no better place to improve your skills then in a real battle."
Trumpkin snorted and muttered something dark under his breath before storming off. Pattertwig was scowling as darkly as a squirrel could, and Nikabrik's expression was poisonous, while Caspian flat out looked like he was going to soil himself in his rage. He couldn't believe Peter; couldn't believe himself for ever looking up to him! He'd practically blown off Penelope's, his own twins, problems and was sending her into battle with a weapon she had admitted she barely knew how to use, and didn't give a second thought about it!
Penelope didn't seem to notice this; or at least she acted like she didn't. She stepped closer to Peter.
"Peter, could.. could we talk?" she asked softly. He looked uncertain, and was about to reply, when Edmund came up to them.
"Pete?" he said, drawing his attention. "It's time."
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Thanks to all who reviewed on my last chapter! I love you all very very much! :D
And, I'm off to eat some chicken noodle soup, and YOU, who are reading this right now, are off to review this chapter! :P