Author's Note: Here's chapter seven! :D I hope you guys like it... I wrote it at 2:30 in the morning on a school night, so... It's not my best. Just so you know, there will be some angst in this story, and a bit of tragedy... Yeah, I hate sad stuff, but the idea has been stuck in my head for like... months. I have to write it otherwise I'm going to explode... You'd think that was funny, wouldn't you? XD

Song for this chapter: Goodbye Apathy by Onerepublic

The four Pevensies, Ari, and Trumpkin rowed down glasswater. Peter and Edmund took turns rowing. Ari sat in the bottom of the boat, resting her head against Edmund's leg as he steered the boat. Susan stared blankly ahead. Lucy looked up at the trees with a sad expression on her face.

"They're so still." She whispered sadly.

"They're trees." Trumpkin snorted. "What else would you expect?"

Lucy looked offended. "They used to dance."

"It wasn't long after you left that the Telmarines invaded. Those that survived the invasion retreated to the woods." Trumpkin said. "And as for the trees... they retreated so deeply inside themselves that no one has heard from them since."

"I don't understand..." Lucy said, looking up at the trees again. "How could Aslan let something like this happen?"

"Aslan?" Trumpkin scoffed. "I thought he abandoned us not too long after you lot did."

"We didn't leave on purpose, you know." Peter said.

"Well, it doesn't make much difference now, does it?" Trumpkin said, resentment clear in his voice.

"When we get to the Narnians, it will." Peter said, rowing harder than before. It jolted the boat, and Ari blanched.

"Don't row so hard, Pete." Ari said, her face even paler than normal. "It's making me nauseas."

Peter nodded and slowed down some. Edmund looked down at his wife, concern etched on his face. She simply shook her head in response. They finally reached a good place to land. Peter rowed the boat to shore, and they all climbed out of the boat. Trumpkin tied down the boat.

Ari staggered a bit. Edmund put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine. I just need to eat something. I only had a bite of toast to eat this morning." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Alright. If you say so." Edmund said to her. He wasn't sure, but there was something...off about her today. In fact, if he thought about it, this had been going on for almost a week. He made a mental note to keep a close eye on her since she was very prone to getting herself into trouble, whether it be with people, or with illness. He looked up when he heard Trumpkin yell loudly.

"Don't move, your majesty!" The dwarf yelled. Edmund and Ari looked and saw Susan notching an arrow in her bow.

"Stay away from her!" Susan yelled. Ari looked the opposite direction and saw a bear charging for Lucy.

"Shoot, Susan! Shoot!" She screamed. The bear continued charging. Lucy shrieked as she fell to the ground. Just before the bear reached her, an arrow hit it square in the heart.. It fell to the ground, dead. Everyone looked over and saw that it was Trumpkin that had fired.

"Why wouldn't it stop?" Susan asked.

"I expect it was hungry." Trumpkin replied nastily. They all ran over to Lucy. Peter helped her up and held her close while he pointed his sword at the bear's body.

"He was...wild." Edmund said, astonishment evident in his voice.

"I don't think he could talk at all..." Ari said quietly as she looked sadly at the dead bear.

"If you get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become." Trumpkin said as he drew his knife. "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember."

=XxX=

Caspian walked through a dense forest of ferns. He stopped after he walked for a few yards.

"I can hear you." He said. Behind him, Trufflehunter and Nikabrik came out of hiding.

"I just think we should wait for the kings and queens." Trufflehunter said. Caspian shook his head and kept walking.

"Fine, go then! See if the others will be as understanding." Trufflehunter said loudly.

"Or maybe I'll come with you. I want to see you explain things to the minotaurs!" Nikabrik sneered. Caspian stopped again.

"Minotaurs?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly. "They're real?"

"And bad tempered." Trufflehunter replied.

"Not to mention big." Nikabrik laughed.

"Huge." Trufflehunter supplied.

"What about centaurs?" Caspian asked. "Do they still exist?"

"Well, the centaurs will most likely fight on your side. There's no telling what the rest of them will do though." Trufflehunter said, answering his question.

"And what about Aslan?" Caspian asked. Both Trufflehunter and Nikabrik fell silent. They looked at each other.

"How do you know so much about us?" Nikabrik asked.

"Stories." Caspian answered simply.

"Wait just a minute..." Trufflehunter said. "Your father told you stories about Narnia?"

"No, my professor did..." Caspian replied, a faraway look in his eyes. Then he snapped back to reality. "Look, these are not the kind of questions you should be asking me." Caspian walked off. Trufflehunter sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Nikabrik asked.

"Human."

"Him?" Nikabrik gestured to Caspian.

"No...Them!" Trufflehunter pointed into the distance where at least a dozen Telmarine soldiers were standing.

"There they are!" One Telmarine soldier shouted.

"Run!" Trufflehunter said. They all raced in the opposite direction as arrows flew all around them. Caspian dodged several. One hit the badger and he fell.

"Oh no..." Nikabrik said.

"Wait, I'll go!" Caspian said, running towards the badger, and back towards the arrows. Trufflehunter shoved the horn at Caspian.

"Take it! Go! It's more important than I am!" The badger yelled at the prince. He looked up as the soldiers took aim. Just then, the ferns around them started to rustle. One soldier fell. Caspian looked confused, but he picked up Trufflehunter and ran. More soldiers fell as they pursued them. Caspian reached Nikabrik and put the badger down.

"Get him out of here." He said to the dwarf. Caspian drew his sword and started walking back towards the archers. Another soldier fell. The last one still left standing threw down his crossbow and drew his sword. He began swinging wildly at the ferns around him at his feet.

"Where are you?" He shouted to no one. Suddenly, the soldier fell. The rustle in the ferns started coming towards Caspian. Then, something flipped out of the plants and knocked the young prince down. A small sword flew into the air, landed in the creatures' hand, and was pointed at Caspian's throat.

"Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine."

Caspian stared in shock. "You are a mouse!"

The mouse sighed. "I was hoping for something a little more original. Come on. Pick up your sword."

Caspian looked over at his sword that was lying on the ground next to him. "Uh...no thanks." He said lamely.

"Pick it up!" The mouse demanded. "I will not fight an unarmed man."

Caspian wracked his brain for something to say. "Which is why I will live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse."

"I said I wouldn't fight you." The mouse said, jabbing the small sword at Caspian's neck. "I didn't say that I would let you live."

"Reepicheep! Stay your blade!" Trufflehunter yelled from a few feet away.

"Trufflehunter?" Reepicheep said, aghast. "I hope you have a very good reason for this untimely interruption."

"He doesn't. Go ahead." Nikabrik said.

"He's the one that blew the horn!" Trufflehunter snapped. The mouse stared at Caspian.

"What?"

"Then let him bring it forward." A deep voice said. Caspian looked over and saw four centaurs come over the hill. "This is the reason we have gathered."

Author's Note: Not my best chapter, but I think it's decent... Any guesses as to what's wrong with Ari? I want to hear what you guys come up with. XD ...because I don't even know yet... Leave a smiley face if you liked it! :D