Disclaimer: I do not own C.S. Lewis's Narnian characters, J.R.R Tolkein's Middle Earth characters (or languages, namely elvish which I use in this chapter), Christopher Paolini's Alagaesian characters, Tamora Pierce's Tortallian Characters nor any other character who might sneak their way into my story that I have not mentioned.

Authors note: Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy with rafting trips, and I leave tomorrow to visit family for two weeks, so I decided to post what I have of this chapter, even though it's not done. Hopefully a seven hour plane ride will give me enough time to finish it! (Thanks to /elfgirl06/ElvenTranslator.html for the elvish)

Chapter four: Ohta Esse

Cicya turned slowly over in her bed, bumping her dog, Star, who groaned and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes briefly, but closed them, listening to the sounds of the birds outside the open window, and trying to get up enough energy to rise and go through her morning Shang routines. Just as she decided to get up Rose burst through the door.

"Cicya, get up!! Get up Cicya!!" Rose began shaking Cicya violently as she shouted.

"I'm up, I'm up," Cicya protested, sitting up. Rose was never up earlier than her. "What's wrong?"

"The Morwinyon Sankossi is on alert. The orcs are coming!!" Cicya levitated out of bed, just as Alya ran through the door, and into Cicya, causing them both to fall in a heap on the floor. Rose pulled Cicya up as Alya brushed herself off, not one talking to the others in their worried silence.

"Have you woken the others?" Cicya questioned.

"No," Rose answered, "Alya woke me and then I came to get you."

"I woke Eragon," Alya said, then hurriedly added, "I thought the boys should know," blushing a bit.

"Well go wake the others, and tell them to prepare for battle. Rose, I think you should wake Aili, and be gentle, it'll be her first battle." Cicya demanded.

Rose and Alya scurried off while Cicya whipped off her nightgown, leaving it on a heap in the floor, and strode over to her wardrobe. She had barley pulled on her battle breeches when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called, assuming it was one of her sisters. When Peter entered she blushed and turned away, grabbing her tunic with one arm and covering her bare chest with the other. He blushed in return and made to sit on the bed, while she finished dressing.

"Usually come in means you're decent." He said in a quiet, worried voice.

"Usually I have enough room in my mind to realize that my sisters never knock." She gave him a small smile, but the worry was still apparent on her face. She finished dressing and had just turned to clip on Star's armor when Rose walked in.

Rose looked back and forth from Cicya to Peter with an expression on her face that clearly read she wasn't happy about the two being alone together in Cicya's room, but Cicya rolled her eyes at Rose.

"Please Rose, it's not like you and Murtagh are not ever alone together and we both know that all four of us have more dignity then that!" Cicya whispered as she slipped past Rose and exited the room, Peter and Star trailing close behind.

Cicya wrapped her arms around Aili, who buried her face in Cicya's shoulder as she tried to control the sobs of fear that shook her small body. The birds that normally sung cheerfully outside the palace were as silent as the army that was watching the orks approach across the valley.

"Hey," Cicya said in a soft voice, "you'll be fine, don't worry. You know how to yield a sword, and you'll have it with you, even though you'll be with the pages using your staff. And you're a queen, you have magick, that's more defense then basically all the rest of our army. Just be careful not to overuse it."

"I will," Aili murmured as she began to calm down.

"besides, we're only fighting orks, c'mon they're just big, blubbering, stupid, ignorant. . ."

"Alya!!" Cicya quickly cut off her sister. "Don't get cocky, yes orks are simply pawns working for a higher being but they are bred to kill and they have NO MORAL VALUES!!" Cicya finished in an angry outrage.

Alya looked alarmed, and then made to retort, but Cicya gave Aili and final squeeze and took her place at the front of the army as the orks crept closer. She took a deep breath to calm her own nerves and Peter reached over to squeeze her hand comfortingly. She returned the squeeze then urged her horse forward, a wild whoop escaping from her mouth.

A/N: sorry its so short, hopefully the rest will be up soon!! Please, please, please keep reviewing so I know you're still interested!!