Eliza stomped through the brush angrily, a knife clutched tightly in one hand and the other holding the jeweled hilt of her sword.
"How could he, the bloody git," she hissed, slicing through a stray branch that hung near her head as she walked. "Keeping something like that from me. Letting me bloody think that I was actually supposed to be royalty! Agh!" At her cry of outrage, she kicked a rock, sending it flying toward the stream she had been following for several meters. It landed with a splash, and Eliza stood nearby, chest heaving.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bush rustle suspiciously. Her grip on her sword tightened, and her senses became more alert. Eliza realized then that she had no clue where she was, or how far she was from any kind of civilization-if there was any. She let out a huff of frustration, blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face. There was another rustle of activity in front of her, and Eliza sheathed her knife, yanking her sword out in the same movement.
"I know someone is there," she called out to the forest, her voice strong but her heart beating rapidly in panic. "Show yourself!"
Silence answered her demand, taunting Eliza with the lack of response she received.
A blur of black and red lunged toward her suddenly from the brush, and Eliza was able to deflect a blow with a whip of her sword just in time, whirling around to face her opponent in the same movement. Before she could focus on the form of her attacker, however, she was being shoved off balance by another parry. She continued to deflect blow after blow, unable to see her attacker properly but focused enough on her surroundings to fight.
Finally, she let out a courageous yell, throwing her weight against her opponent and knocking them off their feet. Victory close at hand, she pressed her sword hilt down at her adversary's throat. Eliza was able to see him clearly now, and she stopped before slitting their throat.
Her attacker was a boy not much older than herself, possibly only a year or two, with rich brown hair that stopped just above his shoulders. A pair of wide, dark chocolate eyes peered up at her in panic, his calloused hands held by his face in surrender. He was dressed nicely, with shining black armor over his seemingly-silky clothing.
Eliza cocked her head, puzzled. This was not who she had expected to be her attacker. He was too-well, handsome. She had expected a crooked-toothed, middle-aged Telmarine with a menacing aura about him; a man like that would be easy to kill because of his disgusting appearance. Now, however, with her sword at the neck of someone her own age, with her own panic mirrored in his eyes, Eliza hesitated.
"Who are you?" she demanded instead, ignoring the immense urge to let her sword slide across the boy's bobbing Adam's apple. Her captive swallowed nervously, going cross-eyed as he tried to keep her blade within his sights.
"I am Prince Caspian," he answered breathlessly, in a slight accent that Eliza didn't recognize. She raised a single eyebrow questioningly. "The tenth," he added unnecessarily, and Eliza almost cracked a smile then. Instead, she pressed the tip of her blade slightly closer to his skin. A single drop of red slid down onto the grass behind Caspian's head, and Eliza saw him wince slightly. Guilt ripped through her heart slightly, and she bit her lip unconsciously.
"Why are you here?" she asked him quickly, hoping to shake away her guilty conscious.
Caspian looked back up at her with his even gaze, fully open to her and innocent, like a baby deer's. "I am here with two Narnians that mean you no harm," he told her gently. Eliza's grip tightened on the hilt of her weapon.
"Narnians?" she questioned.
Caspian nodded quickly, studying her closely.
"Take me to them," she ordered, moving her sword away from Caspian's neck and yanking him to his feet by his collar.
He yelped in surprise, keeping his hands up as she now held her blade to his chest.
"No funny business," she whispered threateningly, pulling out a rope from her belt.
After binding Caspian's hands and shoving his sword in her scabbard, Eliza pressed the tip of the sword between his shoulder blades and pressed him forward in the direction he had come, her heart pounding in anticipation at the thought of meeting Narnians.
The thought made her heart ache as she remembered her brothers and sisters. How could she just leave them behind?
What if they get hurt, she thought, panic rising, I would never forgive myself!
Caspian stopped suddenly, turning his head to look at Eliza. "Here," he told her, eyes darting to her then down the ground in embarrassment. Eliza studied his face for a moment longer, eyebrows screwed in concentration. She pulled her knife out of her belt, sliced off his bonds and then sheathed it just as quickly. Caspian stared at her in awe, rubbing his now free wrists. Avoiding his eyes, Eliza pulled his sword out of her belt and held it out, hilt up. Caspian took it slowly, still staring at Eliza's face. She cleared her throat awkwardly, still not looking at Caspian's handsome face.
"Thank you," she forced out softly, shifting in her spot. "I'm sorry that I was like that in the woods. You just startled me, and I didn't know you...but you took me to Narnians, the people I'm here for, and I'm thankful for that."
She peeked through her eyelashes to glance at his face, only to see a kind smile overtaking his face.
"You're quite handy with that sword of yours," he complimented her, nodding to her waist where her sword sat.
Eliza felt herself blush, and looked down swiftly.
What am I doing? she thought in confusion. He's just another idiot boy like Peter and Ed.
"You're not too bad yourself," she answered jokingly, looking up and grinning. Caspian chuckled and turned his head around before looking back at her.
"Would you like to meet my friends?" he asked her kindly, eyes sparkling underneath the sun. Eliza's breath caught in her throat at the sight, and she couldn't form a coherent sentence for a moment.
"The Narnians?" she was finally able to ask.
Caspian nodded.
"Well, did they have plans?" she asked curiously. "I don't want to intrude or anything."
Caspian shrugged, grinning now.
"Just plotting on how to overthrow the Telmarines and gain back what once was theirs," he answered casually, amusement lighting his tone. "Care to join us? Quite honestly, we could use some more swords like yours."
Eliza's heart soared at this handsome boy standing before her, with an offer she just couldn't refuse.
Now if only her siblings were here with her.
Pushing away the thought, Eliza grinned mischievously, replying, "Don't mind if I do."
With his own grin plastered on his face, Caspian led the way to a wide, hollow oak tree, where the plotting was beginning-and Eliza's arrival would be sure to end it quickly.