I have a feeling that most of my readers haven't/didn't realize that I switched some things around when I posted chapter 7. I went ahead and put the prologue and chapter 1 together, so everything got moved up. I was also brilliant and posted Chapter 6 again instead of Chapter 7. With that said, make sure that you have read the actual chapter 7 entitled "Of Slippery Slopes and Men" before you read this chapter. Sorry if there was confusion and I also want to mention that things (like dialogue ect.) are probably going to change slightly to better fit with the addition of Cara.
Ps-The chapter was hell for me to write, so I'm sorry if it isn't up to par with the ones before it.
Chapter 8
The Telmarine and His Troops
Lucy awoke with a jump. Beside her the fire was nothing more than streams of smoke and flickering orange coals. Morning had come, yet Lucy never recalled falling asleep. She could swear that only moments ago she was dancing with the trees and speaking to Aslan, and yet, here she was, still by the fire and surrounded by the sounds of dawn.
"Susan," she whispered. "Wake up."
The gentle Queen responded by mumbling softly and rolling onto her stomach. Undeterred by her sister, Lucy sat up straighter and surveyed the area around her, which was glistening with morning dew. Everything was still and quiet save for a few birds that fluttered away as if frightened. Small streams of sun reflected off of the ground around Lucy she rose quietly and walked to the closest tree, whose branches hung low without movement or life.
"You danced last night," Lucy said as she ran her hand over the bark of the large birch. "I swear I saw you dance."
The sound of cracking sticks caused Lucy to look past the tree and deep into the woods. Her eyes saw nothing, but the sound continued. Without glancing back, Lucy walked passed the walls of the campsite and further into the forest. Her feet stepped lightly as she sauntered through the winding trees; each step feeling familiar and safe; each step leading her to the place where Aslan spoke to her during the night.
Soon a path spread out before her and the trees that lined it stood like reminders from a distant dream. Lucy stared beyond their bark and leaves, attempting to find the faces that danced beside her during the night. Trees she whispered repeatedly. Wake up and dance again.
Lucy waited with baited breath for the trees to show any sign of life. Although a slight breeze stirred their leaves, the trees remained as silent and still as they were before. Casting her eyes once more over her quiet partners, Lucy continued to walk deeper into the woods, the sound of feet still echoing around her.
As Lucy's feet led her to a large boulder covered with moss, the low rumble of a growl met her ears. "Aslan!" she said with excitement and attempted to move past the boulder, but a strong hand wrapped around her mouth and pulled her back. Lucy's heart pounded as she looked back at the face of the person that grabbed her. Relief filled her when Peter's eyes met hers and his palm released her mouth.
Lucy went to speak when Peter indicated for her to be silent. Her look of confusion caused Peter to point over her shoulder and beyond the large boulder. The young Queen turned immediately and caught site of a minotaur lumbering through the trees. He wore a set of silver armor and carried two axes across his back. As Lucy watched him with wide eyes, Peter moved quietly passed her and unsheathed his sword.
Peter approached the minotaur silently, his knees bent as he slinked along the ground. With his eyes completely focused on the creature before him, Peter did not notice the dark figure that trailed only feet behind him. Seeing that his opportunity was dwindling, Peter's follower pulled his sword from its sheath and jetted out from behind a large tree. Having caught to High King off guard, the assailant swung his sword with a great deal of force, nearly knocking Rhindon, the great sword given to Peter by Father Christmas, from the High King's hands.
Although alarmed, Peter returned the attack with just as much power, which caused his opponent to fumble backwards. Seeing a moment of opportunity, Peter used the hilt of his sword to strike his assailant in the jaw. The hit sent him fumbling back further, but he was able to regain his balance and assail Peter with another round of blows.
Not a hundred yards away Cara's eyes were fluttering open. A slow smile spread across her face as she recalled waking in the night and finding Peter's hand comfortably on top of hers. With the warmth of happiness inside of her, Cara yawned and stretched before turning onto her back and sitting up. Across from her Susan seemed to be doing the same. Immediately, Cara felt that something was wrong, for the woods seemed silent and still. She glanced around the campsite, before looking directly at Susan.
"Where is Peter?" she asked hurriedly.
"Where is Lucy?" Susan replied looking just as worried. As if on cue, the unmistakable sound of swords met their ears. Cara jumped up from the ground and grabbed her blade, while Susan reached for her arrows and yelled at Edmund and Trumpkin to rise.
Leaving Susan behind, Cara followed the sounds of clashing swords until she came into a clearing where she found Lucy huddled behind a boulder as Peter fought with another boy. Cara watched as Peter swung his blade towards his opponent's head, but the boy ducked just in time causing the blade to wedge itself into the bark of a tree. Finding Peter without a sword, the boy kicked him in the side and sent him flying backwards. With little thought, Cara unsheathed her sword and ran at the boy just as Peter clutched a large rock in his hand and charged him.
"No stop!" Lucy yelled as she ran towards them. Upon hearing Lucy's plea, both royals ceased their attack only feet from the boy. Cara glanced at Peter when, seemingly out of nowhere, minotaurs, dwarves, centaurs, fauns, and an abundance of talking creatures began to appear all around them. Cara's attention went back to the attacker when he pulled Peter's sword from the tree and held it defensively.
"Drop it," she said as she moved her sword towards his neck. The boy looked at Cara with wide, dark eyes.
"Cara, wait," Peter said as he glanced around. Finally dropping the rock, Peter looked back at the boy. "Prince Caspian?" he asked. Seeing Peter at ease, Cara sheathed her sword and stepped back until she was beside him.
"Yes," the boy responded with a look of confusion, "but who are you?"
With perfect timing, Susan appeared around the corner with Trumpkin and Edmund trailing behind her. "Peter!" she yelled as she came to stand beside Lucy.
Caspian glanced at the sword in his hand before returning his eyes to Peter. "High King Peter?" he asked with a bewildered expression.
"I believe you called," Peter responded.
"Well yes, but I'd thought you'd be older," Caspian explained, his words causing Cara to shoot him a look of disgust.
"We can come back in a few years," Peter said as he grabbed Cara's hand and went to walk away.
"No! No, don't go. You're just…you're just not exactly what I expected," Caspian responded as his eyes swept over Cara and Peter before moving to Edmund, Lucy, and Susan.
"Well neither are you," Edmund said defensively as he glanced over the creatures that once fought on the side of the White Witch, before allowing his eyes to land on the dark haired Telmarine before him.
Seeing the obvious tension, Trufflehunter the badger walked forward a few steps and looked to Edmund. "A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes," he explained.
"We have anxiously awaited your return, my Liege. Our hearts and swords are at your service," said a gallant mouse as he appeared from behind a tree and bowed to Peter. A feather stuck out behind his earring of gold, and a sword hung at his side. "And if I am not mistaken," he said as he turned to Cara, "you are the Lady Cara; the High Queen that led our people into battle against the Telmarines when first they came."
"I am," responded Cara with a smile.
"Then, your Majesty, it will be an honor to fight beside you as my ancestors did," the mouse said with another deep bow.
"He is so cute," Lucy whispered to Susan just as Cara went to respond. Overhearing the comment, the mouse rose from his bow and moved his eyes about. "What? Who said that," he asked as he pulled his sword from its sheath. Lucy gave him a bashful look and stepped forward.
"Sorry," she said softly.
"Oh! Your Majesty," the mouse said as he stood up straighter and looked to the Queen. "With the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous might more befit a knight of Narnia."
"Well," said Peter once the mouse finished his speech and placed his sword back in its sheath, "at least we know some of you can handle a blade."
"Yes indeed," the mouse responded with another bow.
"Good," answered Peter as he turned to face Caspian. "Because we're going to need every sword we can get." Cara looked to the boy as well, their eyes meeting for a moment. Noticing the placement of Caspian's eyes, Peter put his hand protectively on Cara's shoulder.
"Well then, you will probably be wanting yours back," Caspian said as he took his eyes off of Cara and handed Peter back his sword. Even though Cara did not trust the boy, she could not help but laugh at his retort, which caused Peter to instantly drop his hand from her shoulder.
With a cold stare, Peter took his sword and sheathed it, before turning and walking back towards the campsite. "We need to finish getting our things; then we will head to Aslan's How," Peter said over his shoulder. Cara glanced once more at Caspian before following after Peter. Soon Edmund fell into line as well, for his armor still lay in a heap beside a rotting log.
"How is your shoulder?" Cara asked softly as she came to walk beside Peter, concerned that the fight had damaged it further.
"It's fine," he responded, but offered nothing more.
"What happened to your shoulder, Pete?" Edmund asked in confusion.
"Nothing happened," Peter answered and quickened his pace. Disgusted with his attitude, Cara sped up her pace as well and whacked Peter in the shoulder.
"Bloody hell, woman," he said as he grabbed his arm and winced.
"Oh, do forgive me. I thought you said that nothing happened," Cara retorted. Peter glared at her while still rubbing his shoulder. Edmund hid a chuckle behind his hand as he watched the two royals interact.
"Well something damn well happened now," Peter responded, but his face softened as he noticed the look of distant concern in Cara's, even though she tried to shield it with a frown.
"Ed," Peter said as he looked at his brother, "Cara and I can tend to the campsite. Try and get everyone ready for the journey to the How."
"Right, Pete," Edmund said with a knowing smile.
As soon as Edmund was out of site, Peter turned to Cara with an uneasy look. "Would you mind taking a look at it?" he asked softly.
"Of course," Cara responded. "Let us get to the campsite first." Peter nodded and followed Cara through the winding trees. When they came upon the campsite, the fire was still spewing smoke and both Peter and Edmund's armor was cast across the ground.
Cara ushered Peter to a log where he took a seat before she knelt down beside him and carefully rolled up his tunic sleeve. A small line of yellow shown through the bandage she had created the night before.
"Bullocks," Cara said softly as she looked over the wound, causing Peter to look down at her with concerned eyes. "You need a healer, Peter. I don't know enough to tend to this," she explained.
"We can find a healer at the How," he said as he began to roll his sleeve back down.
"You could tell Lucy. Can she not fix this?" asked Cara. Peter sighed in response and began to toss dirt onto the fire.
"Her cordial should be saved for more dire injuries," he explained.
"If it gets infected it will be a dire injury," Cara answered as she gathered together Edmund's armor into her hands. Peter made no response, opting instead to finish putting out the fire and pulling together his things. Not wanting to enter into another argument, Cara decided to remain silent as well, and the two simply continued their work in peace.
Once the campsite barely looked as if anyone had been there, both Cara and Peter wandered back to where everyone else had gathered together. It seemed that Edmund did what Peter had asked, for the entire company was waiting patiently in a sort of disarrayed line for their High King and Queen to return.
Peter and Cara walked to the front of the line where Caspian stood with Susan and Edmund. The Prince immediately stood up straighter when he saw Peter approach, which caused Cara to laugh quietly to herself. Peter glanced at her as they walked, a smile forming on his face.
"Something funny?" he asked.
"No," Cara replied, her eyes remaining on Caspian, "not at all." Peter followed her gaze until his eyes landed upon Caspian. Instantly his smile turned into a frown.
"Shall we then?" Peter asked in a cold tone as he and Cara approached the small group. Cara glanced at him while handing Edmund his armor, confused by his sudden change in demeanor.
"Cara!" said Lucy excitedly as she ran towards the High Queen. Following behind her was the badger that spoke earlier and another dwarf, who had dark, clumped hair and beady eyes. "This is Trufflehunter and Nikabrik. They are the ones that found Caspian," Lucy explained.
"I recall the names from Trumpkin's story," Cara answered. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you, although I do not see the intelligence in bringing a Telmarine so openly into your home." Nikabrik smiled instantly at her words, while Trufflehunter sent her a small glare.
"If I may, your Majesty, the boy is different and has not led us astray as of yet," responded Trufflehunter. Cara glanced intently at the Prince who stood only yards away before responding.
"Badgers are known for their wisdom, and for this reason I will trust your judgment."
Trufflehunter smiled in response and bowed his head at Cara, who cast another glance at Caspian, silently berating herself for feeling such negativity towards the boy when he was obviously well liked by everyone else. Even so, the Queen was not prepared to put her full trust into the hands of a Telmarine.
"Caspian," Peter said from beside Cara as he began to walk in the direction of the How, "walk with me, we have much to discuss." Caspian quickly fell into line beside Peter, and the two began a deep discussion about weapons and troops.
Soon everyone else began to move forward behind the High King and the Prince. Cara wished to be beside Peter and able to add her input into the situation, but the High King's demeanor indicated that she was not welcome into the conversation. For this reason, Cara walked between Susan and Edmund, talking and laughing about finally eating real food and the possibility of having a bath.
"Simply washing my face would be wonderful," Susan commented as she rubbed a smudge of dirt from her cheek that Edmund had happily pointed out.
"Not having to lug this armor around wouldn't be half bad either," added Edmund, and truly he was right, for every few feet he seemed to drop something.
During one of these instances, a dwarf traveling behind the three royals tripped and skidded over Edmund's helmet—which seemed to be the piece that never wanted to stay put—and landed directly on top of the brave mouse Reepicheep that had only an hour earlier sworn his allegiance and his sword to the High King.
The gallant mouse immediately called to arms his troop of mice, for he was wedged rather uncomfortably between the ground and the dwarf's over sized stomach, and since he was unable to see, he truly believed that he was under attack. Always prepared for an order, the troop of mice ran quickly to the aid of their leader with their swords drawn.
In the process of all this, the dwarf was trying very hard to rise from the ground, but the relentless yelling of the mouse underneath him and the sudden pain of many small swords poking into him, made it very difficult to do so. Finally, a rather harsh jab from Reepicheep's second in command enticed the dwarf enough to leap from the ground and go directly up Susan's dress, for the Queen had stopped amidst the commotion to see what the matter was.
Being the lady that she is, Susan screamed and fell backwards away from the dwarf, who came out of under her dress with an absolute look of despair. The site was so amusing that Cara and Edmund erupted into laughter, which seemed to only build for the two kept making eye contact and feeding each other's fires.
Susan attempted to glare at the two as the dwarf pleaded his apology, but the humor in the situation was far too great for her to sport a frown, and soon nearly everyone that witnessed the fall began to laugh.
So amused by the situation, Cara went to tell Peter of what he had missed, but the King's back was ridged in front of her and he seemed to be deep in thought as Caspian talked beside him. Cara felt a sudden interest in the conversation, and with her newly heightened spirits she jogged slightly until she walked only paces back from the two leaders.
During her evaluation of Peter, Cara was correct in one assumption and completely wrong in another. Peter was, indeed, deep in thought, but his mind was paying little attention to the words of the Prince beside him. Although Peter had attempted to ignore the sounds behind him and give full notice to Caspian, Cara's voice kept ringing through his ears and making it difficult to concentrate. It seemed that nearly everyone was laughing and talking, but the only voice that Peter could hear was Cara's.
"What do you suggest?" Caspian asked, ending his explanation on their lack of equipment and weapons.
"I'm sorry?" Peter asked, for his mind was elsewhere and missed Caspian's question. The dark haired Prince gave Peter a stern look before repeating his question.
"What do you suggest we do about weapons? We have troops, but so few of them are armed," Caspian explained again.
"How far is the Telmarine camp from here?" a voice said from behind them. Both Peter and Caspian turned to see the smiling face of Cara only a few feet back.
"Eves dropping, Cara?" Peter asked with a smirk, for he was unable to stay angry when she smiled like that.
"Hardly," she responded. "You simply speak too loud." Peter's smirk was washed from his face at Cara's words, but Caspian's face now emitted a smile.
"How far is the camp?" she asked again, her eyes completely on Caspian.
"Only two hours from here. The base of the camp is on the damaged banks of Beruna, where they continue to destroy the forest," Caspian explained, his face displaying a look of confusion.
"What are you thinking, Cara?" Peter asked as the Queen came to walk between the two boys.
"Why not take their weapons?" Cara asked with a raised eyebrow. Caspian smiled after a few moments, an idea working its way through his head.
"Night raids," he said softly.
"Exactly."
"That might actually work," Peter said almost to himself, before raising his voice and looking at Caspian.
"You know these troops better than I. We will need a small, stealthy group that can enter the camp without notice," he explained with a commanding tone. Caspian nodded in understanding and the group quickly fell into conversation as they created a plan and straightened out the details.
Soon nearly an hour had passed and the company began to see the distant light of the fields that surrounded Aslan's How. Lucy ran forward once the edge of the woods was visible and twirled around with her eyes staring up into the bright sky. Cara stopped as her feet met the tall, thick grass of the land, and her eyes swept over the valley before her and the stone mound that stood like a relic in the sun, covered over and hidden by trees and brush.
"Your How still stands," Caspian said as he watched her glance around.
"Your How?" Peter asked in confusion.
"Indeed," Cara replied with a smile. "I built it."
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