A/N -Firstly, hello to all my new readers, glad to have you on board! Secondly, like always I'm apologizing for the wait between updates, I don't want to bore you with the details but a long story short is that I have exams in just over a week which I'm not at all prepared for and this is the first 'holiday' I've had since about June so guess what I'll be doing, yep, you got it, I'll be revising madly for the next week! I have a few chapters written so brain melt down permitting I'll be able to upload something a little later in the week to tide you over until I get time to write about something other then drugs and the effects on the body! - at this point I'll just add, no I'm not a Dr, or a vet, I'm a vet nurse and I'll forget this lot as soon as I can! :-/
Again, I don't own anything other then the general storyline and my original characters (Although if someone will sell me Ben Barnes then I will gladly take him off your hands! I don't care who he is at the time, i'll have him :P)
Chapter 5 – Harriot and Ilius
Ilius' rebellious scene upon leaving the Free Telmar camp had cost him dearly but he hoped that he was able to lift Ariadne's spirits a little in doing so. He had now been reduced to little more then a cripple, relying heavily on Harriot when they moved as his injured leg quickly became unbearable to walk on.
"How long must we travel?" demanded one of the disguised men accompanying the two Loyalist fighters.
"Maybe if you hadn't crippled me we'd be closer by now." Muttered Ilius under his breath, receiving a glare from the nearest soldier he quickly finished, "I was simply working out the time based on our current speed. We should hit one of the main transport routes in the next few hours, after which we will make better progress."
Harriot pulled his companion's arm a little more securely around his shoulder as Ilius stumbled on a tree root. "Come on old man, you're not done yet." He said gently as they set off again.
A few hours later they had indeed reached a supply line, it was little more then a dirt track but the lack of obstacles made a huge difference on the group's speed. Occasionally a cart would rumble past, generally heading in the opposite direction laden with supplies of food or weaponry. However Aslan was obviously looking out for Ilius and Harriot that day as just as the sun began to set a large supply cart passed them by, pulling up a few meters ahead of them.
"You heading back home?" asked the driver as he jumped down from his seat.
The group nodded, "We have important information for King Caspian. Is it possible you could offer us a ride on your cart, at least for a short while?" replied Ilius.
The driver pulled open the back of his cart and gestured inside, "Sure thing after all, important news for the King is important news to us all one way or another." As the 6 travellers pulled themselves inside, Ilius requiring considerable help, the driver ventured another question. "Say, where were you coming from to be injured that bad?"
Harriot quickly interjected, "We met a group of Lone Fighters." The driver was apparently satisfied by the explanation and secured the back of his cart before returning to his position and whipping his horses into motion.
By sunrise the 2 Loyalists and their captors were being driven into Telmar in the back of the supply cart and they gained an audience with King Caspian almost immediately. Once they were inside the Grand Hall addressing the King one of the Free Telmar fighters took the lead.
"Your Majesty, we have information of a most worrying nature. Upon coming across a small group of Free Telmar fighters we overheard them mentioning a prisoner they had recently acquired. She is said to be incredibly talented with a bow and arrow, hitting a barely visible target straight in the bulls-eye, she is also apparently of rare beauty and carries a considerable likeness to The Marksman Queen, Queen Susan the Gentle."
At the mention of Susan's name Caspian found himself on his feet in an instance. "Did you see her? With your own eyes?"
"Only from a distance your Majesty," replied the Telmarine fighter, "from what I could see she does bear a likeness to Queen Susan, but as for her archery skills, I cannot say."
"But you are saying that this Girl may in fact be related to the Kings and Queens of Old? How could she be? She would be but a child." Said Caspian, doubt slipping into his voice as he considered the timing.
The Telmarine nodded his agreement, "Indeed your Highness, unless she is a descendant, from when the Kings and Queens ruled Narnia many years ago. She apparently admits to being of noble birth."
Caspian's fingers tapped out a random rhythm on the arm of his chair as he considered this possibility. There were no records of any of the Kings or Queens of Old having children, but then again records were so old and often damaged that maybe something had been missed. One thing was certain, if this girl was who she was claimed to be, Alsan had a hand in her sudden appearance. "Yet what can I do about it? Even if she is who they claim her to be, we don't know where to find them for they will surely have moved her. I cannot order a search that large on a rumour."
"If I may, we did overhear one last scrap of information. They wanted to find the truth behind her birth, they're assembling at Aslan's How."