*Chapter 15 Turning Away*

OMG GUESS WHAT..THATS RIGHT,IM BACK. :D

i am so sorry for the terrible delay, after we moved and got the computer set up it dies(RIP) and we just got a new one last weekend! But have no fear,Gabby is now here! :P

Small warning,updates might not be coming as often as they were because of school starting and my buttload of homework,but im making it my personal goal to try and post every sunday!

Thanks for the patience and now enjoy this chapter as repayment for all your waiting! As usual..

ENJOY OR DIE

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Peter brought his sword down and swiftly ended his opponent's life, wincing as blood spurted onto his clothes. Taking deep, heavy breaths, he turned to meet his next opponent, but as his eyes swept the courtyard he caught sight of Penelope standing halfway down stone stairs that led to a ledge leading to a locked door, just like the one he stood on. She was staring down the stairway with a look of frightened anticipation on her face, tightly clutching her bow in her hand. It was then Peter noticed two things at once, and he wasn't sure which one made his throat constrict and which made his stomach drop to his toes.

The first was the three Telmarine soldiers advancing up the stairs, and at the same moment he saw them she reacted and ran back up the stairs from them. The second thing was, as her back was turned to him, that her quiver only held two more arrows and that there were three men in hot pursuit of her. He could do nothing but watch, his breath growing all the more ragid with each passing second as she reached the top of the stairs, notched and fired an arrow. The man who was her target fell backwards, tumbling lifelessly down the stairs where he landed at the bottom with a dull thud. Penelope then grabbed another arrow, but this time as she rather jerkishly pulled back the loaded string to fire, her bow bent back in a way it shouldn't and the string snapped in two. Her eyes widened and she started down at the broken wood with horror, and at that moment the two remaining soldiers reached her. She paused for a moment, staring between the useless bow and the armed men , and then with catlike reflexes took the arrow and stabbed it through the man on the left's armor with a flourish. She reached back for another arrow, but froze as she realized she didn't have one.

Peter felt as if he were watching the scene as a ghost, hovering above his body and just in reach of doing something to help but not being able to. His sister dove for the door but, finding it locked, slumped against it with a deflated look on her face. Then her eyes lit up and she lurched forward, grabbing her splintered bow and digging the sharp end into the third Telmarine's elbow, causing him to drop his sword and howl in pain. The moment the sword touched the ground, Penelope kicked it clear off the ledge.

Peter swore aloud. The git could have used that!

Presently, the Telmarine dove at Penelope like a charging bull, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her over his shoulder and with all his might flung her off the ledge. Some way or another, she'd managed to grab hold of his sword belt, so as she fell she brought him down with her, and the whole thing looked like a grand trapeez act. The man fell a good deal quicker than she did, seeing as he was in full armor and all.

Peter watched as his twin clawed the air, looking for something to grab hold of, and her arms latched around a drain pipe sticking out of the wall some 5 feet below. He felt relief spread through him like melted butter, but it only lasted for a moment before being replaced with dreadful terror as the stones gave way beneath her weight and she plunged, shrieking. A cry echoed through the courtyard that he realized was coming from him and he felt himself fall to his knees, the mix of strong emotions coursing through him weighing him down.

There was a great screech and a flapping of wings overhead, and a brown streak blurred past him. Peter realized it was one of the gryphons the group had flown in on, and it was heading straight for his sister's falling form. In a heartbeat. it swooped and caught Penelope in its talons and placed her safely on the ledge from which she had fallen. Peter gave a cry of delight, and it was then he became aware of warmth trickling down his cheeks. But he didn't care that he, the High King of Narnia was crying. No, he was too happy for his sister to give a hoot about his infamously large ego at that particular moment.

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Penelope let out a horrified shriek as she felt her body falling through the cold night air. She found that it wasn't at all like the cliches in stories she'd heard about dying where one's life flashes before one's eyes. Instead, she found that her senses were all hyperaware, but that things seemed to be happening in slow motion. Sounds were far away, as if she were listening to them through a wall.

Suddenly, she felt something wrap around her waist and with a sharp jerk she was no longer falling, but going up. She glanced up to see the gryphon Purrfowan carrying her in his talons back up to the ledge.

"Are you alright, M'lady?" asked the beast as he placed her back on the ledge. Shaken, as one tends to be after nearly falling to their death, all she could manage was a bobbly nod. Then a thought came to her from earlier that night.

"Purrfowan, I need you to do me a favor," she said, turning to the gryphon as he hovered by the ledge.

"Yes?" he said.

"Fly around the castle and try to find King Edmund. I haven't seen him since he ran through a door on that turret over there," she said, indicating to the turret as she spoke.

"With a will, M'Lady," he said before screeching and soaring off between two turrets. Penelope, watching the last of his tailfeathers disappear, sent a siletn prayer to Aslan for his and Edmund's safety. She then took a moment to glance around the courtyard and saw Peter tearing across the stone, and a second later his call reached her ears.

"Fall back!! Retreat! Go on, get out of here, RETREAT!!"

They were giving up? Had the raid really gone that bad? As she stood, pondering, she saw Peter run forward with his sword held out, shouting to a galloping Glenstorm as he made his way to the gate. "Get her out of here!" he was shouting, and Penelope watched as the huge centaur lifted Susan onto his back without stopping and they got through the gate. Peter ran about, shouting at the Narnians to retreat and personally pushing the ones who didn't hear him to the gate, cutting down as many Telmarines as he could. Penelope watched him worriedly, and at that moment their eyes met.

"Penelope, go!! You need to get out of here!!" he cried, ducking as a Telmarine came at him from the right and swung for his head. Penelope watched as he brought his sword through the soldiers throat and then took off at a run down the stairs, keeping her gaze on her brother as she went.

As she reached the last of the stairs she found herself facing a Telmarine soldier who upon seeing her started chuckling. He drew his sword and started menacingly for Penelope, who backed up until she hit her leg on something.

Looking down, she saw the body of one of the soldiers whom she had shot down, her arrow protruding from his stomach, and noticed his sword lying next to him. Quickly, she grabbed it and disarmed the man, then swiflty sliced through his troat. Jumping around him as he lifelessly collapsed she looked around the courtyard again.

Narnians were coming from all areas of the courtyard and streaming to the gate like an armor clad river. Caspian and an old, squat man Penelope assumed to be the Dr. Cornelius were just bursting into the courtyard through two large oak doors, both on horseback. Caspian was leading another horse by its reigns and looking worriedly around the chaos taking place. Peter, who was standing in the middle of the courtyard directing the Narnians to the gate caught sight of them and took off at a mad run towards them. Caspian urged his horse to a brisk gallop and Dr. Cornelius followed suit.

"NOW!"

The shout rang out at the same moment Peter grabbed hold of the horse's reigns, kicked a wounded Telmarine that was struggling to his feet in the face, and used the kick to propel himself onto the horse's back. The trio made it through the gate, and then Penelope could see no more past the flood of Narnians. Then the arrows started flying, and it was then she started running harder than she had ever run before for the gate. Arrows whizzed past her, but her luck lasted and she made it to the gate without being hit. But her victorious smile dropped a thousand feet as she broke through the crowd and actually saw what was going on.

The gate was closed, and a dead minotaur laid crushed between it and the ground. The last of the mouse troop were scampering through the gap made by the body and went to join the half of the army that would be spared the massacre that was soon to take place in the courtyard. In the front line of the army stood Glenstorm and Susan, and Susan, a sad expression on her face, was rubbing the centaurs arm comfortingly. Tears were streaming freely down his noble face, and he was staring at a point to Penelope's left. Following his gaze, she saw his and Wanefeather's youngest son, Flamebolt, also trapped on this side of the gate. The young centaur gave his father a solemn nod before turning and charging into the chaos.

Penelope then noticed Peter, standing a few feet away from the drawbridge and looking back at the trapped Narnians with wide, tear filled eyes. The Narnians were shouting at him, telling him to leave them and escape, but still he remained frozen in place. Then he saw Penelope.

The twins locked eyes, Peter's expression sickened and shocked and Penelope's calm and resigned. Peter turned his horse back toward the castle.

"No, Peter!" Penelope called. She was unaware of the semi circle the Narnians were forming around her, protection their Queen from the oncoming arrows with their own bodies. Peter hesitated, staring at her through glazed blue eyes.

"Narnia needs you. You have to go." she said gently. "Besides, there's nothing you can do to help us. You might as well get to safety instead of dying in a stupid act of heroism."

Peter was shaking his head, and he urged his horse forward; towards his sister and certain death.

"Stop, Peter. Don't be foolish." she said, her voice harder this time. But still he came for her, and behind him the drawbridge was being drawn, a fact Reepicheep also noticed.

"Peter, the bridge!" he cheeped, his voice going higher than usual. Peter frantically looked back at the bridge, then his sister, then the bridge again. His horse fidgeted anxiously.

"Please go. Go for me." Penelope said, pleading with her eyes. But Peter was looking at something behind her, angry desperation written on his face.

Penelope felt hands grab each of her arms, and she looked behind her to see two more Telmarine soldiers, hardly any older than herself, grabbing her and pulling her away from the gate. There were no other Narnians alive at the gate.

Struggling with all her might, she turned back to see Peter still standing there, tears pouring down his face. A tear escaped her own eye as she finally said what she'd been meaning to.

"I'm so sorry for our fight. I love you, Peter, and I'm proud to call you my twin."

Then, out of nowhere, she felt a sharp, agonizing pain tear into her side, and looked down to see the soldier on her right burying a dagger in her side at the point of her waist. An ear piercing scream escaped her as the soldier twisted it, and she slumped in the men's arms. The pain consumed her to the point where all she could see, think, and hear was pain, but she did not lose consciousness. Barely, through her ringing ears, she heard hoof beats and barely managed to turn her head and see Peter's horse leap over the bridge. Vaguely through the burning, mindnumbing pain Penelope felt relief. At least no matter what tortures befell her she would know that her brother survived.

Not being able to move, and feeling too desperate to fight, Penelope allowed herself to be dragged along, her head lolling around to the side. She was aware of the dead silence, pounding pounding on her ears and driving her mad. Glancing around, she saw dead Narnians and dead Telmarines piled on top of each other. Their bodies completely covered the courtyard, their blood running together and soaking the stones. It was a horrifying sight, and made Penelope's stomach churn with both illness and grief.

Suddenly the sound of flapping wings came from overhead, and rolling her head back she saw Purrfowan flying 20 feet above the courtyard with Edmund on his back. Both of them were looking down upon the hundreds of dead bodies with stricken bewilderment.

Using all the energy she had left, Penelope opened her mouth and let out a gurgling cry. In response the 2 Telmarine men shoved her head back down and gave her a punch to the eye that caught her nose, and with a sickening crunch Penelope felt an explosion of pain across her face. As she cried out, she felt warm blood trickle down into her mouth. The taste of it nearly mad her wretch, but she miraculously kept it down.

And then, before them were Purrfowan and Edmund, hovering above the ground just in front of the three. Edmund's usually impassive expression was livid. With an angry screech, the gryphon brought both its front paws up and sliced through either Telmarine's throat with its talons. The now dead men fell away from Penelope, but not being able to hold herself up she collapsed with them. Luckily, Purrfowan caught her at the last second around her torso.

The last thing Penelope knew was the sensation of her feet leaving the ground before she slipped away in a dead faint.

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ooooooo juicy stuff right there! Psst, and you thought I was just going to kill her off willy nilly! :P

well, what'd you think? Please review and give me your thoughts! Remember-reviews equal a happy Gabby! :D

P.S.- For anyone who can correctly guess where I got the name of this chapter, you will get your own cameo appearance in an upcoming chapter! Just message me your answer or put it in a review and first one to get it gets to design their own charecter to join the craziness! Feel free to message me your answer, I check my email every day and always reply to pm's.

I'll give you a hint- It's the name of a scene in one of the favorite movies I have listed in on my profile.

GOOD LUCK!

Yours,

Queen Lani Kaulitz the Hyper :D