Chapter 5

Susan was nestled into Caspian's chest as he rode quickly into the forest with Edmund in front of him and Peter behind him making sure that they were not being followed. Susan never even budged or even made a sound the entire time they were riding hard into the forest. They were miles into the forest when they realized they weren't being followed. They all slowed down to a trot.

"How is she doing?" Peter asked from behind him.

"Not good. She hasn't even moved the entire time. She is completely unconscious and it scares me that the whole ride she hasn't even made a sound."

"Okay let's hurry up and get her back to the camp. Hopefully somebody there knows something about healing. I'm afraid of what they might have done to her in that dungeon." Peter said and both Edmund and Caspian both nodded their heads in agreement to his last statement. They were all extremely worried about the young gentle Queen.

They finally made it to the camp with everyone waiting for them. Peter began to give orders before he got off his horse. Thankfully their soldiers already set up a tent for the queen to have. The soldiers gasped at the sight of their Queen and how broken she looked.

"We need someone that knows about medicine. Please!" Peter said as he grabbed Susan from Caspian and held her in his arms as he ran to the tent. Caspian got off his horse and ran after Peter with Edmund following. Some of the soldiers took the king's and Prince Caspian's horses to cool them down. A fawn came into the Queen's tent.

"Your Majesty's I know much about medicine and plants used for medicines but I must see her majesty's wounds."

"Thank you, kind fawn. What do we need to do to help you?"

"Well first of all I must ask Prince Caspian to leave. I'm sorry your majesty but you are not family and I must make sure that the Gentle Queen's privacy is kept."

"Ok," Prince Caspian took one last look at the Queen he has started to like and exited the tent. Edmund followed him because he couldn't take to see his older sister so weak and broken. Peter staid to take care of his sister.

"Ok your majesty we must take off her dress. We have blankets for her but I must see her wounds without her dress in the way."

Peter began to undo the laces on her dress and eased her dress off to get to her wounds. She was only left with her undergarments. Not only was her dress turned to rags but so were her undergarments. After the dress came off they could see the other wounds that were harder to see in the beginning like the burns and the lash marks on her back.

"Your Majesty, seeing the extent of these injuries I must say that I only know how to keep infection at bay until we can get to Queen Lucy and she can heal Queen Susan with her cordial. I know of some plants that will help starve off infection."

"Okay, well make the list and go find someone who knows the forest plantation to help find them. I think a Centaur will be able most helpful and maybe Reepicheep."

"Yes sir. I will make the list quickly and be right back with some things to clean the wounds. If you could check over her body and identify all the wounds."

"Of course. You must hurry now. We must leave as soon as possible to get back to the How. Could you also tell some centaurs to make a type of transportable bed to carry Susan back to the How so we won't aggravate the wound anymore?"

"Yes your majesty." With that the Faun exited the tent and left Peter with Susan in his arms. He looked down at his sister who still has not come to. He looked over her body. There were welts all over body from what looked like burns from a metal poker. Blood was lightly seeping through wounds on her back still. Peter knew she must have been through a lot in that dungeon. Peter was going out for revenge now. The next time he saw Miraz he was not going to let him go until he has suffered as much as Susan has and then kill him. Peter also felt guilty because he should've been protecting her during the castle raid but instead he was focusing on Miraz and taking him down instead of looking out for his soldiers and more importantly his family.

The faun didn't have to go far to find a centaur. Glenstorm was waiting outside the tent with King Edmund and Prince Caspian by his side.

"Honorable Centaur are you familiar with the nature of this forest?"

"Yes. What do you need?"

"I need some plants from the forest to help with Queen Susan's wounds. I need them now or I'm afraid infection will take her before we get to Queen Lucy at the How."

"I can get them for you. Just tell me what plants you need and we will find them for you."

"Thank you," the faun told him the list of plants that he needed and Edmund and Caspian agreed to help out as well.

"High King Peter would also like for a few soldiers to make some sort of transportable bed for us to carry Queen Susan so that we won't antagonize her wounds anymore than they already have."

"I will get a few of the soldiers that know how to do that to start on that right away," Glenstorm said and went to delegate these duties as himself and another faun, Edmund and Caspian went to get the plants needed for Susan's wounds.

The fawn came back in with a bowl of water and some rags.

"We need to get these wounds cleaned before I can put any of the medicine on them," the fawn said.

"Okay. I never got your name kind fawn?" Peter asked

"Oh I'm sorry Your Majesty. My name is Dominicus."

"I must thank you again Dominicus. You have been very helpful in taking care of my sister. My siblings and I will reward you greatly once we win this war."

"No need for the reward. As long as you beat the Telmarines I will be happy for the rest of my life."

"Well I will do everything in my power to defeat Miraz and his army and make Narnia true again."

"I know you will sir. I know that this incident with Queen Susan will only motivate you to take on Miraz with a vengeance." The faun began to clean Susan's wounds with Peter watching on.

"You are right about that Dominicus. He went too far and I will not stop till he suffers for what he has done to Susan."

"I understand sir and I think that everyone will stand behind you and fight for Queen Susan as well as for Aslan."

"Thank you, Dominicus."

Edmund came into the tent with a pouch full of herbs that was collected.

"I believe we found all that you asked for kind fawn. Is there anything else that you need?"

"No King Edmund but I'm sure High King Peter has a few things you need to do."

"Edmund I need you need to get the soldiers together and get them ready to go. Also ask some of the centaurs to make a transportable bed to carry Susan on. I don't want her to be jostled to much."

"Okay. I will make sure that it gets done. Caspian and I can carry the bed with Susan to the How. You have done so much Peter. We will let you rest while we do some work."

"Okay that is fine. Just be prepared. As soon as Dominicus is done here we are going to leave right away. I don't want to waste any more time here than necessary."

"Of course, I'll get right on all of that."

Edmund left and Dominicus got to work on applying the herbs to Susan's wounds. It didn't take too long to dress the wounds and wrap her body up in a blanket and dress. By the time that Susan was ready to be moved Edmund and Caspian walked into the tent with a makeshift bed that had poles of some sort on the sides and was ready to go. Peter helped Caspian put Susan on the stretcher. Caspian and Edmund picked up the end of each pole and carried the bed out of the tent. The soldiers helped to take down the tent quickly and get Peter's stuff together. They started their tedious journey back to the How. Caspian has at the end of Susan so that he was facing forward and was looking at her face. She looked so peaceful in her deep sleep but she was far from peace. He knew that Miraz did horrible things to her. They had to hurry to get back to the How to save her. Infection was already taking over her body. He could see the fever on her face. The soldiers surrounded Susan for protection just in case the Talmarines attacked them in the woods. It was a slow journey through the forest but they were careful of what was going on around them.

Caspian kept looking down at Susan and felt like he had done this to her. If he had just done what he was supposed to she may not have ever been in the situation she was in. He was determined to make sure that this woman was never hurt again. He was determined to take Miraz down now more than ever. He would not let him get away with what he did to Queen Susan.

They did not stop till they got to Aslan's How. Caspian and Edmund did not stop to rest or take turns with someone else to carry Susan because they felt they had a duty to her and they knew how important it was to get her to Lucy before infection set in. They finally came to the clearing and many of the Narnians that stayed behind came out to greet them. When the soldiers were close enough to the How and the others could see that Prince Caspian and King Edmund were carrying a bed they were shocked to find that Queen Susan was being carried and was unconscious. Lucy had come running out and saw that her sister was the wounded being carried. She ran to her brothers, the Prince and her dear sister.

"What happened?" Peter answered her.

"She was captured by Miraz. We had to go back and get her. We aren't sure exactly what he did to her but it's bad. Do you have your cordial?"

"Yes of course." She pulled out her cordial and Caspian and Edmund set the bed down for Lucy to reach Susan. Lucy knelt down and poured a drop of the Fire Flower liquid into her sister's mouth. It took a while for Susan to open her eyes and see that she was safe. She looked around to see her brothers, Lucy, and finally Prince Caspian.

"Oh thank Aslan!" She sighed. Lucy laughed and gave her sister a hug. Susan was still sore but she clung to her sister.

"Let's get her inside so she can rest." Peter said and Caspian and Edmund went to pick the bed up. Susan knew she was still weak and laid back down on the bed an allowed them to carry her into the How. They took her into the room with the Stone table and set her down near the fire. Lucy sat beside her and covered her with a blanket. The two kings and the Prince stayed beside her as well but stayed at a distance. Susan looked at her family and smiled. She still needed to be strong for them. She felt tired and closed her eyes and slept peacefully for at least a little while.