*Chapter 13- The Raid Part 1-
Halloooo, my lovelies! I give you yet another chapter in my story! Huzzah!
No news today. I went to my friends house the other night so I'm like worn out, and therefore have no sarcastic remarks to make. *pouts* It was fun, we dressed up and did our hair and makeup to look like Tim Burton characters. :D
Oh, wait, yes I do have news, my sister Jessie came back from church camp the other day. Yay!
I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or any of the characters C.S. Lewis' mind gave birth to. I do, however, own any characters and plots MY mind gave birth to. :P
Thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter! I appreciate it! :D
NOW ENJOY
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The Narnians silently progressed through the woods. They had left shortly after Edmund's announcement, and were now advancing towards Miraz's castle, their intentions to take the Telmarines unprepared and unawares. Penelope was walking next to a gryphon called Purrfowan who would fly her into the castle, and on her other side was Edmund and his own gryphon. The two siblings were talking in hushed tones.
Edmund was a fine young man, and Penelope was proud to be his sister. He had a good sense of humor and was very conversational and witty. He told her of his previous adventures in Narnia, starting when Lucy had first entered through the wardrobe at the professor's house up until the hunting of the White Stag; their final adventure of the Golden Age. He spoke of the sorrow of Aslan's sacrifice, the thrill of the Battle at Beruna, the exhilaration of smashing the White Witch's wand, the majesty of his coronation and of many other wonderful memories he had from his reign. Penelope listened in wide eyed wonder, drinking every word he said in like it was holy water. After Edmund finished his accounts of Narnia, they settled into a comfortable silence for some time until Edmund said,
"So, you've heard enough about me. Tell me something about yourself." he paused, then added playfully, "And I though girls were the ones who chatted your ears off."
But the joke was lost on Penelope. She kept her gaze on the ground and after a moment's pause answered. "I'm sorry. I know I don't really say much. That's just because I don't have much to say."
"What do you mean?" Edmund asked, growing serious again.
"Well, there's nothing to say, really. There's nothing exciting or special about me, and I've no grand tales to tell of my life."
"What? Come on, you're just being modest!" Edmund said. Penelope shrugged.
"Not really. I mean, you basically heard my life story back in the forest. There's nothing more I can add."
"Oh, come on! There's got to be something!" Edmund said. "I'm your younger brother. I have to know everything about you, because I need some material to tease you with!"
Penelope gave him a look like he had four heads and horns. Which, being in Narnia, was possible. "Well that certainly doesn't make me want to share," she said.
Edmund sighed in a very dramatic manner. "I was just joking! Now come on. I use my kingly powers to command you to tell me something about yourself."
Penelope snorted, then after a moment she spoke. "Alright, alright. Well, ever since I was little, I was told every day I was not to ever be outside unless someone was with me and to only talk to and be seen by people who my guardians deemed 'safe.' I've always been very lonely, not only because I was the only person I knew of in the forest but because I didn't have a family. I didn't have anyone who could relate to me. Sure, I had Trufflehunter and the others, but they had their brothers and sisters, unlike me. And then, I was always the only female I knew." she paused, looking sad and thoughtful, and then continued in a very different tone. "When I was five years old I went through a strange phase where I thought I was a squirrel and I climbed trees after Pattertwig, and one time when I did I fell and broke my leg, arm, and 3 ribs."
At this, Edmund busted into a roaring laugh, doubling over and clutching his stomach. Trumpkin, Peter, Susan, and Caspian, who had not helped but overhear their conversation also started laughing. All except Trumpkin, who leaned into the conversation.
"Serves you right, climbin' trees like that." he said to her. Then he turned to the others. "She ran around without any clothes on whatsoever and collected nuts. No matter how much we begged her to put some clothes on, she absolutely refused. It was when she dug a hole in the ground, buried her nut collection, and told us she was hibernating for the winter that we laid down the law and locked her in the house and threatened to starve her that she finally got dressed and stopped squeaking to communicate."
Edmund, Peter, Caspian and Susan were, by the time he had finished, laying on the ground clutching their stomachs laughing until their faces were purple and they were in tears.
Penelope, blushing violently, glared at the dwarf. "Nobody asked you," she grumbled.
"You thought-you thought- you were a squirrel!!" Edmund cried between laughs and gasps for air. The combination of the three made him sound like he was dying.
If possible, Penelope's face turned redder. "I'm going to the back of the line." she said, turning to leave, but Edmund caught her hand.
"No-stay!" he gasped, still laughing and trying to breath. Penelope had a sharp reply on her tongue, but the sudden stopping of the gryphons interrupted her.
"It is time, Your Majesties." Peter's gryphon said solemnly, and the jolly mood quickly died and was replaced by a cold feeling of anticipation.
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The night air was cold against Penelope's skin as her gryphon flew through the night sky, advancing silently to Miraz's castle. Her face and hands were numb from the cold, and her heart was pounding with nerves. She tried to distract herself by looking down at the ground and observing the towns as she flew over them, but no matter what she did she felt her anxieties creep up on her and settle in the pit of her stomach. She was going into a very uncertain situation that could quickly escalate into a battle with only a bow, a weapon she was not very skilled with, as her defense. She sighed softly, and it was a sigh full of all her mixed up feelings. Peter was a good man, good strategist, and good brother. He wouldn't send her into what could be a very bloody battle with an unfamiliar weapon unless her truly believed his words; that it would benefit her. She trusted him. Not only as her leader, but as her twin brother.
She noticed they were now approaching a huge looming shadow that had to be the castle. Penelope let out a small gasp as she took it in. Caspian had tried vaguely to describe it, but words could do it no justice. It was a huge, dark stoned thing that sat on a great precipice surrounded by never ending darkness. If you fell form one of the many great turrets, Penelope wagered, you would probably never again feel the comfort of ground beneath your feet. A large stone pathway led from the castle to the town, which consisted of buildings of all different sizes constructed of the same cold stone as the castle. Penelope let out an involuntary shudder at the sinisterness of the whole thing.
Edmund turned to her and gave a small salute. "See you later," he whispered, just as his gryphon swooped its wings, gaining speed, and did a magnificent dive, coming up again and landing on the roof of the watchtower turret. The guard who was on watch, and was looking rather sleepy at the moment, turned to look around as their landing made a small noise, but not seeing anything he turned back to his tired vigil.
The gryphon leapt from the tower and grabbed the man, who grunted before having his throat sliced and now-lifeless body flung into the abyss below the castle. Edmund jumped down to where the guard had been standing and pulled out his torch, sending his first signal of the night to the five remaining flyers. Penelope felt her gryphon gain speed, then with a whoosh of air the two were flying down towards the castle.
As his gryphon and he dove through the air, Caspian caught sight of a soldier patrolling on an open pathway between turrets. His gryphon, also seeing the man, dropped his legs and sword arm, keeping hold of his left arm, and he drew his sword and in one sweep killed the man. His gryphon gathered him back up into its hold and flew him over the wall of the path, continuing on to another path close by.
Another guard, this one on the pathway the five were aiming to land, turned and caught sight of Edmund, and with a sly look drew his crossbow and aimed it at the younger King. Susan, seeing this, whipped out her own bow and fired it, hitting the man square in the chest. His comrade turned frantically to see who had killed his fellow soldier and could do nothing but watch as Peter landed, his sword drawn, and brought it across his throat.
Susan landed immediately after Peter, followed by Caspian, Penelope, and finally Trumpkin. Susan and Penelope drew their bows and notched arrows and Trumpkin and Caspian unsheathed their swords. Peter paused to wait for everyone to catch up with him, and as Penelope and Trumpkin, who were the last two, reached the rest, they all stood silently catching their breath and appraising each other.
Penelope looked at each of their faces morosely, wondering if this would be the last time she would get to. She didn't know what she would do if anything happened to any of them. Her now glistening eyes lingered on Caspian longest, and he met her stare with equal solemnity, not doubt sharing her sobering thoughts. She prayed to Aslan this wasn't the last time she would get to gaze into his deep chocolate eyes.
Peter's whisper broke through her depressing train of thoughts. "Alright, from this point on, Caspian's leading until we reach the professor's chambers and retrieve him. From there on, we split up. Everyone knows their parts. Do not fail, for if even one of us gets caught or worse the whole plan falls through." he paused, giving each of them meaningful looks. "From this moment on, there is to be absolute silence. Understood?" another pause. "Caspian?"
Caspian gave a quick, crisp nod and headed off through the turrets, the others trailing close behind him. They passed single file through many dark, empty passageways and stairwells. Caspian led them through the servant's ways, the ones no nobles, soldiers, or people who could throw a wrench in the plan even knew existed.
The inside of the castle was constructed of the same dark stone as the outside, the same dark stone was throughout the entire thing, with absolutely no variation of scenery or colour. The few regular corridors they actually went through were large, with wide halls and high ceilings that intimidated Penelope, who was used to the soft openness of the forest. The whole castle was cold, dark, and for the most part, windowless.
As they walked up yet another flight of stairs, Penelope found herself behind Peter, and her mind drifted off back to the corridor of paintings. Guilt gnawed at her mind, and she worked at her bottom lip. She need to apologize, and she knew it. She desperately hoped she got the chance to, preferably before the drama of the raid really unfolded. It would kill her if something happened to him-or her- and she never told him she was sorry. She swallowed past a lump in her throat.
Suddenly, the group was on top of a turret that was placed on the inside of the castle, facing the courtyard. Penelope, who was still lost in her guilt, wasn't paying much attention and as the passed into the cold night air, and was surprised when she collided into Peter's back very roughly, snapping out of her reverie. The force with which she slammed into her twin knocked her backwards, and she found herself stumbling and tripping over the ledge. With a loud, ragged gasp sufficing as a scream, she felt herself tumble backwards through the air, but quickly two strong arms caught her before she could actually fall. She looked up, eyes widened in fear, to see Peter hanging over the edge of the turret, his arms clutching her own. His expression was terrified as he looked down at her, and then he quietly called Caspian over. The prince was there in a flash, his expression mirroring Peter's as he looked down at her.
"Help me lift her back up," Peter whispered, and they each took an arm and pulled her back onto the safety of the rather crowded turret. Once her feet were planted firmly on the stone again, Peter had his arms wrapped tightly around her in a deep hug. But where Penelope pulled away smiling, her twin's expression put a thick lump in her throat. His blue eyes were glassy with the tears he was blinking back, and he was trying to smile back at her, but failing. She felt her bottom lip tremble as she looked at him and pulled him in for another hug.
The twins stood embracing each other for a few moments until Peter pulled back at a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Susan, and impatient look on her face, holding a rope out to him.
"The plan?" she hissed. Peter nodded, taking the rope and, after checking to make sure no one was around to see, threw it down over the side of the wall. He stepped to the side and made an impatient gesture to Caspian, telling him to go forward. Caspian shot him a dirty look before hoisting himself down the wall and entering his professor's chambers through the large window. Peter sidled down next, followed by Penelope.
As she reached the bottom of the rope, she felt hand wrap around her waist and gently place her inside the window. She turned to see Peter performing the same act for Susan, and then the two entered the chamber together, Susan slightly hanging back to make sure Trumpkin got down safely. Penelope watched the dwarf come down the rope, making sure nothing happened to him, and let out a small cry as she saw him lose his footing and fall, just as she had, over the balcony. Upon hearing her cry, Susan turned just in time to see him fall, and using her war trained reflexes grabbed the strap of his quiver of arrows, yanking him back over the railing on the balcony. He gave her a short, sharp nod in thanks, before they both jumped into the room, Peter quietly closing the large wooden shudders after them.
Caspian was looking around the room, which was a mess with books and papers thrown across the table, chairs, and floor. Some of the many curtains around the whole study were torn in places and even pulled completely down. It was obvious something not good for them had happened in there.
Caspian's dark eyes were shadowed by his deeply furrowed brow, and his jaw was set tersely in anger. He paced an angry circle around the room before coming back to the table, where he stopped in his tracks. With a stricken expression on his face, he reached out and slowly picked up a pair of spectacles, caressing them as if they were some type of precious stone. After staring uncomprehendingly at them for a moment, he looked up determinedly at Peter.
"I have to find him," he whispered.
"Caspian, there's no time! You need to get to the gatehouse and get the gate open!" Peter whispered back, frustration colouring his tone. Caspian's eyes flashed in anger.
"You would not even be here without him!" he hissed, putting Peter in his place for a moment. Just a moment. "And neither would I," he added softly, sending a pang through Penelope's heart. She stepped next to his side and placed a consoling hand on his broad shoulder, offering him a small smile that he returned half heartedly.
"You and I can handle Miraz," Susan said quietly to Peter.
"And I can still get to the gate in time." Caspian put in. Peter looked resignedly thoughtful for a moment. before Trumpkin spoke.
"Well whatever you're going to make him do, I think Penelope ought to head out and find Miraz already," he said to Peter, who nodded.
All eyes in the room went to Penelope. She squirmed in her skin, feeling uncomfortable at being the focus of their stares, but put on a strong front. Looking each of them in the face, again having the awful thought that this might be the last time she got to do so, she savored each of them.
"Alright. I suppose that's it, then," she whispered, looking to Peter and giving him a nod. "I'll see you all in the courtyard, I guess."
"Be careful," Peter said, but she only just caught it for she had already turned and was heading at a run down the stairs. She wound her way through the corridors and stairwells, replaying Caspian's directions over and over again in her head until she found the hallway she was looking for. She found herself standing in a hallway with four doors on each side.
Second door down, left side of the hallway. Make sure you take the SECOND door, or you're as good as dead. Caspian's voice said to her in her head. The first door is to his hunting hounds' chamber.
His hounds have their own chamber? she had asked incredulously.
You would be surprised where my uncle places his priorities, was Caspian's reply.
She smiled at the memory of the conversation.
"I hate being on the night guard duty," came a whiney male voice from around the corner of the hall, snapping Penelope out of her recollections. She quickly opened the door, without double checking to see if it was the second, and jumped over the threshold, silently shutting the door behind her. She heard the muffled voices of the guards through the thick door and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding as they passed. She turned with her back pressed against the door and surveyed the room, her eyes immediately landing on the sleeping forms of Miraz and Prunaprismia.
Miraz looked similar to Caspian in the face. They both had the same dark hair and tanned skin, with the same sharply chiseled jaw; only Miraz had a thick, meticulously trimmed beard that was cut into a point at his chin. He had thick eyebrows that were furrowed heavily in his sleep and he snored lightly. His age was evident in his slightly wrinkled face. Penelope noticed that his left ear was pierced.
After about ten minutes of waiting for her companions, she began to get very antsy and started pacing around the room, as if to walk away her nerves. Where are they? What's taking them so long? she asked silently.
Her mind was reeling with possibilities, none of them to pleasant, when suddenly Miraz gave a loud, gasping breath and flipped onto his back, mumbling something incoherent. Penelope's heart picked up speed and started pounding so hard she wondered if it was going to pop out of her chest and start flopping around on the ground. She quickly pulled her bow off her back and strung an arrow, pointing it at him as he situated himself, mumbled something else along the lines of 'no, I did not do it,' let out arguably the loudest snore she'd heard in her entire life, and fell still again.
Penelope stood at the defensive, her bow trained on Miraz's chest, when the door suddenly burst open. Letting out a small, frightened cry, she turned and pointed her bow at the intruder and fired without really aiming. Her arrow whizzed past her startled target's left ear, missing by half an inch. The man entered the room and quickly closed the door and turned and gave her a furious look while drawing his sword.
"If I were a guard, you would be dead," Caspian hissed, shoving past the stunned Penelope and storming over to the sleeping form of his uncle.
"What're you doing?!" Penelope demanded, a sense of angry panic rising in her voice.
The point of Caspian's sword pressed into Miraz's throat, waking him from his slumber immediately. The way Miraz awoke make one think he had never really been asleep, Penelope noted. Quite the opposite of little princey there.. she shot Caspian a dirty look.
A forced, dark chuckle came from Miraz. "Thank goodness, you are safe," Penelope didn't at all like the way he said it.
"Get up," Caspian snapped, apparently not in the mood to chit chat over his safety. Miraz, a smirk on his face, threw the blankets back, purposefully smacking his wife on the arm as he did so with the back of his hand. Her eyes half opened and she murmured incoherently for a moment, before finally seeing the two armed intruders and fully waking up.
"Caspian?" she gasped disbelievingly.
"Stay where you are," Caspian snapped roughly at her, and it was then that Penelope noticed the slightly hysterical tone in his voice. However, she kept her eyes trained on Prunaprismia.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I should think it's obvious, dear." her husband said, giving Caspian a dark look. "You know, some families might consider this inappropriate behavior." he added meaningfully.
"That doesn't seem to have stopped you!" Caspian snarled, shoving his sword deeper into his throat and drawing a tiny trickle of blood.
"But you're not like me, are you?" Miraz hissed lowly. "It's a shame. The first time you've shown any backbone, and it's such a waste,"
As the conversation progressed, Prunaprismia slowly reached up for the crossbow that was hung over their large four-poster bed. In a flash Penelope had another arrow strung and trained on her. Prunaprismia eyed her for a moment, before going ahead and grabbing the crossbow anyways. Penelope let out a low growl when the woman took aim at Caspian.
"Put the sword down, Caspian. I don't want to do this," she said, holding the crossbow steadily at her nephew's chest.
The door suddenly burst open yet again, swinging back and slamming against the stone wall. Penelope flinched at the sudden loud noise, but didn't turn around, not willing to risk Caspian's life by keeping an eye on Prunaprismia.
"We don't want you too, either," Susan's voice said, accompanied by the straining of her bow and the unsheathing of Peter's sword. Miraz placed his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes in an irritated way.
"This used to be a private room," he said pointedly.
"What're you doing? You're supposed to be in the gatehouse!" Peter's tone was seething, no doubt angry at the prince for further changing the plan. Penelope looked to see him giving Caspian a murderous look.
A gasp came from Prunaprismia, drawing Penelope's attention to her, and she saw that she was shooting a wide eyed look from Peter, to Penelope, to Miraz.
"The girl," she whispered. Miraz followed her gaze to Peter and Penelope, his expression changing to that of a smirk.
"So, the old doctor was right," he said, chuckling darkly. "His little prophecy was correct," he moved around Caspian, even though his sword was still pressed into his neck. He looked over at Prunaprismia and gave her a short nod, and her crossbow was then turned on Penelope. Penelope, who had lowered her bow in the midst of the drama, raised it back up again and aimed for Prunaprismia's chest. The Telmarine woman, who had clearly been about to fire, froze and held the younger woman's deadly gaze.
"Just try me," Penelope hissed venomously.
"What are you doing?!" Caspian cried, defensively moving in front of her, but she shoved him back.
"You would do no good to Narnia shot down by a crossbow," she said gently, turning back to Prunaprismia and pulling the arrow back so hard the bow started crackling with strain.
"Well, are you going to shoot her or not?!" Miraz barked at Prunaprismia, making her flinch. For a moment, Penelope felt bad for the woman.
"You try anything and I swear-" Peter growled, stepping forward with a dangerous expression on his face.
"Peter," Penelope said reprehensively, shooting him a look. She then turned back to her staredown with Prunaprismia, who was looking frightendly at the weapons pointed in her direction.
"My aunt, I ask you again, what are you doing?" Caspian asked again, sounding slightly calmer this time.
"Well I would hope you have enough sense to figure it out, Caspian," Miraz answered. When Caspian didn't reply, he continued. "Naturally that old fool was forced to tell me all he knew of Narnians, and was not the only one who had heard whispers of a Narnian prophecy of a Savior." at this, he casually went to the bookshelf and grabbed a very old, leather bound book that was entitled 'Narnians, Their Myths, Legends, and Prophecies,' and turned to a marked page in the back, turning the book so everyone else could see.
One page was entirely a picture of an identical boy and girl holding hands, wearing crowns and beautiful clothes, surrounded by joyous Narnians who were gazing at them happily. The other was the beginning of a new chapter, 'Chapter 23-The Legend of the Savior of Narnia and our Deliverance.' Penelope, of course, could not read this, but had a good clue what the chapter was about by looking at the picture of the boy and girl.
"Why doesn't Narnia's Savior," Miraz sneered presently. "Read to us her own little prophecy?"
"I can't read." Penelope said bluntly, glad for the darkness of the room so he couldn't see her blush.
"Oh, I see," Miraz's tone was mocking. "Why doesn't your brother over there read it, then?"
Peter stepped forward and snatched the book from him and began reading, his voice filling the room. "'Perhaps the greatest and most talked about legend known by all Narnians is that of our Savior. The Daughter of Eve will come and lead an army of True Narnians to reclaim both the Narnians' land and what is destined to be her throne. But the question all Narnian's ask is, how will we know when our true Savior has come when Narnia is overtaken by the human vermin that is the Telmarines? The answer can be found in the prophecy of our Savior, which goes 'Out of the asked, when the time is right, a heroine will emerge, and be our dark oppressors' foe, the light. Leading the oppressed with her new allies, she will sit on the throne of her brother before her, as our Queen the High.' the last line of the prophecy says, in so many words, that she is the twin sister of our High King Peter the Magnificent. This has been confirmed by the stars, which I, the author, watch.'"
Peter trailed off and looked up at Penelope with wide eyes. They both simultaneously gulped loudly.
"So you see, it's only natural I should know of the 'heroine' that will save the Narnians from my 'dark, oppressive reign.'" he sneered mockingly, and he slowly began circling Penelope like a predator circles its wounded prey, for a bewildered Caspian had unconsciously lowered his sword as Peter read.
"Stay away from her!" Peter barked, lunging for Miraz, but an arrow whizzing inches away from his nose stopped him short. He looked to see Prunaprismia reloading her crossbow, a deranged look on her face.
"Stay back, savage!" she screeched. Another arrow darted past her right ear and found itself impaled in the heaboard.
"Don't you dare threaten my brother!" Penelope thundered, notching another arrow and aiming at Prunaprismia. "And this time, I won't miss," she added icily.
Miraz suddenly had a dagger drawn, but from where he got it no one noticed in the heat of things.
"And don't you threaten my wife, girl!" he roared, bringing his fist into Penelope's stomach and causing her to double over with a cry of pain. Several things then happened at once. As Miraz's fist made contact with her abdomen, Penelope dropped her bow and arrow and her now-emptied hands flew to her stomach. She bent in on herself as a reflex, and as she did Miraz's arm shot out, wrapping around her neck. Just as soon as she'd bent over, she was back up again, this time clutched in a stranglehold against the usurper. She felt cold metal against the tender flesh of her throat. All in the room were frozen and rigid.
"So you see, Narnia's Savior," he said, his warm breath tickling her ear, "Of course once I learned there were rumors of a Narnian uprising and overthrow of my empire, I looked into it. And I'm very prepared for you," at this he chuckled. Then he sighed remorsefully. "It is a bit of a shame that such a pretty face would make such a poor decision. I almost feel saddened I have to kill you."
"What a coincidence, me too," Penelope said, her panic giving her voice an edge. She felt Miraz shrug against her.
"Oh well. I believe I shall get over it. I've killed my fair share of men before. Not one of their deaths has haunted me," he said with a soft chuckle.
It was a terribly wrong thing to say. As the words left his lips, something in Caspian's face darkened and he let out a small cry, sounding terrifying and enraged. He stepped around Miraz, grabbed Penelope's arm and tore her out of his grasp, yanking her behind him and she went crashing to the ground. With one hand he punched the dagger out of Miraz's hand and the other pressed his sword into his neck once again.
"Caspian, what are you doing?" Peter shouted angrily, helping Penelope to her feet. She then retrieved her bow and arrow.
"Yes, boy, what are you doing?" Miraz hissed, not at all pleased about being the one being threatened once again. Caspian didn't answer, only stood giving him a look similar to one a deer might give to its hunter, only angrier.
"Caspian, you need to stop." Penelope said gently.
"NO!!" he practically shrieked. "I will not stop! Tonight, for once, I want the truth! Did you kill my father?"
The room was heavy with the dead silence that followed. No one in the room had seen that coming. The air was charged as they all waited for the response.
"Now we get to it," said Miraz almost softly. Caspian's comrades saw his shoulders slump ever so slightly.
"You said your brother died in his sleep," Prunaprismia said in a staggering voice. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.
"That was more or less true." was the murderer's reply.
"Caspian, this won't make things any better," Susan said, seeing his hold on his sword tighten. But Miraz was speaking, and he didn't seem to have heard her.
We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it. Your father knew that as well as anyone." Miraz said cruelly.
"How could you?" Prunaprismia half whispered. She had lowered her crossbow away from her nephew at this confession on her husband's part.
"For the same reason you will pull that trigger," Miraz snapped, giving her an angry look out of the corner of his eye, "For our son!"
"Stop!" cried Prunaprismia, re-aiming. Susan and Penelope took aim also, Susan at Miraz and Penelope at Prunaprismia.
"Stay right there!" Susan said authoritively.
"You need to make a choice, dear," Miraz was saying coolly. "Do you want our child to be king, or do you want him to be like Caspian here? FATHERLESS?"
"NO!" Prunaprismia's wild shriek pierced their ears and echoed through the whole castle, and then a chain of events was started. Her crossbow fired, going into Caspian's arm. Caspian let out a cry and dropped his sword, clutching the wound and doubling over. Miraz seized the moment and ran took off, exiting the chamber through a hidden door in the bookshelf (the Telmarines are a very paranoid people.) Susan fired an arrow that missed his head by inches. Penelope fired at Prunaprismia and got her square in the shoulder, and with another deranged cry she tore it out and ran after her husband. Peter ran to Caspian's side and caught him as he fell, holding him up with one arm and holding his sword with the other.
Penelope ran over and began to fix Caspian's arm as a warning bell was tolled, signaling the troops and the terrible turn of events the night was to take.
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Jeez, that's like my longest chapter EVER! :O
I had better get reviews for that one! ..please? :P
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