A/N: so here's the next part of the story! Enjoy!
Night fell fast and soon I could barely see my horse's ears in front of me. The trees creaked and swayed back and forth. Something didn't seem right.
"Lysander, there's no wind tonight." Max whispered.
I realized he was right. The leaves were rustling and the branches were catching at our armor yet there was no wind.
"It's the ghosts." He said in a wavering voice.
"Nnnonsense," I replied, though my own teeth were chattering. "It's only-"
My horse suddenly reared and I was thrown off. "Oof!"
"Lysander, are you alr- ahhh!" Max's horse whinnied in fright.
"Max!" I struggled to disentangle myself from the vines crawling along the forest floor.
"It's the Na-" He was suddenly silenced.
Before I could move there was a blade at my throat and a curious weight on my chest.
"I will allow you to rise, Telmarine, but only to fight you with honor." Came high boyish voice from above my head.
"I-I do not wish to fight. I surrender, as does my companion."
The blade was pressed harder against my throat. I flinched. Once again, I started to feel my life slip through my fingers. "You will not surrender until I have satisfaction!"
"Reepicheep! Bind him and let him up. He surrenders." A deep earthy voice came from behind me.
"Krinkin! This is Telmarine scum!"
"Hey!" I shouted.
"Reepicheep…" growled Krinkin.
"My honor is-"
"You and your bleedin' honor will be the end of us. It's up to the Kings and Queens what happens to them, not a mouse like you."
The mouse faltered at the mention of the Kings and Queens. "Very well. The Telmarine shall live. For now."
He hopped off my chest. I breathed a sigh of relief
The blade came out of nowhere and the flat of the blade caught me on my cheek. Before I could react, the blade came back across my other cheek.
"Two for flinching."
I stood up with my hands tied, a gag in my mouth and my ankles hobbled. The growing welts on my face were starting to pulsate with blood. It was going to be a long night.
A horn blasted through the early morning air.
"That's the signal for a war council. I reckon you need to be there, Reep."
"Are you sure you can handle these prisoners by yourself?"
"They've willingly surrendered and they have no weapons. I think I can take them."
"Fare thee well then, Krinkin. I'll mention them to the Kings and Queens."
I heard the patter of small feet and turned quickly enough to spot a long, slender tail disappear in the underbrush. I tried to turn over to spot my other captor, or at least to see if Max was alright, but I groaned as my cramped muscles stretched and blood suddenly rushed to my toes. My tongue slid over the slimy gag in my mouth as I clenched my teeth to sit up. I had fallen asleep bracing myself against my bonds and the tree to which I was tied.
A shadow loomed over me, wielding a knife. My eyes widened as it was angled towards my face.
"Mmmmph!"came my gagged protests. I tried to wriggle away.
"Stay still so I can get the gag off, twit." Said the knife bearer as he gave me a soft slap on the head. Shocked, I felt him cut away the gag. I immediately tried to spit out the horrible taste in my mouth.
"Here."
I looked up to see a Dwarf offering me a canteen. He was a Red Dwarf, judging by the red tint in his graying hair. His dark eyes were soft and didn't have that look of cruelty that I had imagined.
"Thanks." I replied. I opened the canteen and sniffed it.
"Now just tell your friend that I haven't killed you." The Dwarf disappeared around the side of the tree.
"Max," I said between gulps of water. "He hasn't hurt me so I doubt he'll hurt you."
The Dwarf came back and I handed him the canteen.
"Thank you, uh, your name, sir?"
"Krinkin of the Black Hills."
"The Black Hills? I haven't heard of them. What's mined there?"
He shrugged. "I wouldn't expect you to know about the hills, laddie, considering they're buried deep in the woods around Lantern Waste. There are black opals, mostly. We get some diamonds every once in a while"
I stared.
He continued. "Not much use to us but humans seem to like the baubles."
Krinkin tossed me a cold meat turnover. "Here's another for yer mate." And he tossed me another turnover. I turned to find that Max had wriggled his way to sit next to me despite that he, too, was tied to the tree.
"Best hurry though. We be leaving soon."
The camp was soon dismantled and all trace that we had ever been there was erased. I was hobbled again but this time to Max. Krinkin shouldered a pack and started to lead us through the woods again.
"You're supposed to know about your own country!"
"It's history, yes. The allies, the treaties, the laws, yes, but I was never expected to know the number of guards around me!"
Caspian and Peter were nose to nose in front of the Stone Table as Reepicheep approached.
"Your Majesties?" he interrupted.
"Report, Reepicheep," said Peter, still glaring at Caspian.
"There are two captives, my liege, headed this way with Krinkin."
Peter finally looked at Reepicheep, confused. "Captives?"
"Two Telmarine soldiers, sir."
"Alive?"
"Yes, sir."
Peter looked back at Caspian with a mocking brow. "Well, Caspian, it looks like someone else has come to you rescue… again." He turned on his heel and left.
"Sir?"
"What is it, Reep?" Caspian said through clenched teeth.
"If I may remind you that although Sir Peter is the High King of old, when he leaves, you will be the reigning monarch."
Caspian smirked. "Yes, there is that."
A/N:Read and review please! I promise to update soon. I have a busy weekend but I will try!