A/N - As usual I have no time to myself at all now that I'm back at work. Full time work, 2 assignments, stupid blog assignments every other week, filling out my training log and trying to eat and sleep... sorry I haven't had much time recently... :(
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 9 – Cowardice
The strangely familiar mouse was right, the Telmariane's were not distracted for long and soon I was brought my evening meal by two scrawny manservants. The first held out the small plate of fruit and goblet before realising that I had no way of accepting them both from him at once with my hands still tightly bound, he placed them on the ground and retreated quickly back towards the camp with his companion. Thankfully they had left a small lantern for me to eat by as night had truly fallen.
Sighing slightly I picked up the goblet and took three large, grateful mouthfuls of the cool liquid, quenching my thirst. Slowly I lowered the goblet, letting the taste linger on my lips, an unusual taste, unlike any wine I knew, the after taste was unusually bitter for wine.
I dropped the goblet to the ground as my legs began to shake beneath me and I grabbed for the broken columns surrounding me. I clung to the cold stone as my legs collapsed, no longer responding to my will and I fell to the floor, panicking. My vision swam in and out of focus, a nauseating effect as I struggled to focus on small details in the darkness, the feel of the smooth marble under my hands, the dirt under my fingernails but darkness swept in and I could feel myself slowly slipping away.
Suddenly the realisation of where I had seen the Narnian mouse before came to me, he had been in the Lord Commander's tent as one of the hostages. I clung to consciousness for a minute or two longer, looking desperately for any sign of my whiskered visitor. I could hear horns being blown urgently from the forest to my right and a second set answering from behind me before I sank into the abyss of unconsciousness.
XXX
"My Lord! You must come quickly!" Exclaimed a soldier as he rushed into the tent where the king held his council. "Excuse the intrusion Sire, but it's the Archer, something's happening to her." The man doubled over as he finished summoning the King, breathing heavily.
"Harriot come with me. The rest of you, rouse the camp, we may have to move sooner then we'd planned." Said the King as he stood and moved swiftly towards the flaps of the tent, stopping only briefly to instruct someone that Parareepit was also to accompany him to the treeline.
Within minutes the King, Harriot and Parareepit were observing the cause for alarm from the treeline. As they arrived the Archer reluctantly released her grip on the stone she clung to and slipped to the floor. "What happened?" The king demanded of the watchman.
"She was brought food and drink my lord, she drank from the goblet before…" the watchman trailed off, gesturing to the unconscious girl in the ceremonial ruins.
"Poison." Whispered Parareepit with obvious disgust, "A coward's weapon."
"Rouse the camp and prepare to attack. Harriot, you will accompany me, Parareepit, perhaps you would infiltrate the camp and cause as much chaos as possible?"
The mouse nodded, "It would be my pleasure."
"But sire, this is surely a trap." Added Harriot hesitantly
The King nodded, "That much is obvious, the question is, while she's the bait, where's the trap going to spring from?"
Horns blared from behind them, the Telmarine's may have chosen the time and place but King Caspian was determined to meet them in battle. He moved swiftly back towards his tent, arming himself with High King Peter's legendary sword and a loaded crossbow, dealing out instructions as he did so. Two full parties were to attack the camp head on, one party would move around to each side while he and a small group including Harriot and few carefully selected others would accompany the King in retrieving the Archer.
Serving boys arrived with a horse for each of the King's party within minutes and as soon as they were mounted the war horns blared again, signalling readiness of the army. On the word of King Caspian the Loyalists burst from the forest onto the expanse in front of Aslan's How towards the brightly coloured tents where the Free Telmar Movement army was gathering in defence.
"For Narnia!" called someone from the front of the charge towards their iron clad opposition. An echo swept across the attacking Loyalist as the line rushed forwards and arrows were loosed.
XXX
"Ariadne? Come on girl, wake up…" the voice swam into my mind as someone shook me roughly. I was screaming inside my head, screaming that it was all a trap, screaming for help, screaming and screaming, but I couldn't make a sound any better than I could move my arm or open my eyes. The shaking stopped and I had the sensation of first being lifted by a strong pair of arms then the rocking movement of a horse galloping before I lost touch with the world for the second time.