Disclaimer: I don't own anything, remember that when I'm far away from here.
Authors Note: The last part of this chapter was kinda fuzzy in my mind, tell me if I should post a newer better one.
The night will come
and rip away,
her wings of innocence through every word we say
maybe it's time,
to spit out the core of our rotting union
hopefully before it chokes
us to our senses.
Guess it's too bad,
that everything we have
is taken away.
Swim in the smoke
the hero will drown
intoxicating beauty tears everything down
but still our hands are
bound at the wrist
this romantic tragedy is suffocating from your fist,
in a sea of fire.
Guess its too bad,
that everything we have
is taken away.
Hero, Hero, this word you'll never know
Guess its to bad
that everything we have
is taken away.
Away, away, away. They're taking it away
-Story of the Year
Karina had bolted; she was running, not really knowing where she was going. She just had to leave; she couldn't look at anyone, let alone talk to them. She found a small hill far away from their camp and sat atop it until nightfall. Karina waited, checking her watch, 11:56.
"I think I've waited long enough." She sighed, Peter and Caspian both swimming in her vision. She climbed down from the hill and walked to the How. It was a relatively clear night, not a cloud in the sky. Karina could see the stars and she wondered if the stars ever looked that wonderful back in Detroit. No one was at the stone table that night luckily; they were discussing battle plans in another sanctum of the How. Caspian immediately rushed up to her when she entered, hugging her. Karina tried to return it but her heart was elsewhere.
"What's wrong?" Caspian asked, the two of them walking to the stone table. She smiled, "Nothing, really."
Caspian kissed her forehead, "I have something for you." Karina saw him take off a silver ring with an emerald embedded in the center. The band was a lion's mouth, the teeth ending at the gem. Caspian slipped it onto her finger,
"I want you to have this, to remember me by."
Karina looked at the ring, "Caspian, your don't have to-"
"But I do." He said lovingly. Karina took the leather chord from her hair and put the ring onto it, "It's kinda big for my finger." She said, tying the necklace around her neck. She hugged Caspian again, "Thank you, thank you for making me feel like I belong."
Caspian led her to the stone table; Karina lowered herself onto it, "I think I was never meant to be here."
Caspian gently took her chin between his fingers, "Don't say that. Everything happens for a reason." She urged herself forward to kiss him, it was a needy kiss. Something to wish away all the bad things that had happened that day, to wish way all the things she had done to cause the Narnians pain.
"Hail, Guardian of Narnia." A voice hissed from the darkness. Karina stiffened and glanced at her watch; 12AM on the dot. Man, these guys were punctual!
Caspian drew his blade, "Who's there?"
The two hooded creatures shuffled, seemingly out of nowhere, bowing to the two humans in their midst.
"We see you have followed our instruction, Guardian." The wolf snarled. Caspian turned to Karina, "Why do they call you Guardian?"
Karina had kept her meetings a secret from everyone except Lucy, who could keep a secret extremely well. She didn't want to be treated any different because of it, or want people to expect more from her. Aslan said he would reveal himself and that's when she could let everyone else know. But now the cat ahem… lion… was out of the bag.
"Because that's what I am. I'm the Guardian."
Caspian looked like he'd seen a ghost, "I've read about you. No wonder you looked somewhat familiar. Why have you told no one?"
Karina opened her mouth to answer but only carbon dioxide came out. How could she explain herself without Caspian thinking she was a complete nutter?
"Enough! You have held up your end of the bargain, now we shall do ours." The bird said, drawing something from her robes. Caspian blanched at the sight of the silver glint. The White Witch's scepter!
"Karina what have you done?" he asked. Karina felt like a dog, no lower than a dog, lower than sand and dirt, "I have no idea." She answered truthfully.
"Draw the circle!" the bird yelled. The wolf scratched a circle around Caspian, who was stunned that Karina had a hand in what was going on. The bird started muttering in a strange language and it made Karina's hair stand on end. It slammed the scepter into the ground, ice forming and snaking out of it. The ice slithered up into a solid wall, covering the carving of Aslan. Inside the ice was the White Witch. Her head snapped to Karina,
"Thank you my dear. Now you shall receive what you deserve." She looked to the wolf, who was holding Caspian still, "Spill all his blood."
"No!" Karina cried, trying to push off the bird, its grip held firm as steel. The witch smiled, "Did you really think you could have them both? You're just a silly girl playing dress up. Look at you! No one loves you now!"
"Don't you listen to her!" Caspian cried, still struggling in the wolf's grasp.
She's right. Look at you, Karina. You're supposed to protect Narnia and its Kings but here you are sacrificing one for your own personal gain. You're worthless, maybe Dad was right. You'll never amount to anything. The more the witch projected images into her head, the less and less Karina actually wanted to fight.
"You're stronger than you realize, dear one." A soothing voice said inside her head.
"Aslan?!"
"Fight for me, for them, for Narnia." The voice faded and finally disappeared. Karina found the strength to throw the bird from her and yelled at the top of her lungs, "HELP!!"
She knew she couldn't do it alone.
Caspian was fighting a battle of his own. The Witch was speaking with him in his mind, showing him things that could be. He was King, Miraz was dead, and Karina was his Queen. The wolf let him go, seeing that the Prince would not bolt.
"Just one drop…" the Witch hissed.
"Leave him alone!" Karina yelled, pushing Caspian out of the way. He skidded away, dazed by the deep magic.
"Get away from her!!" a voice echoed through the hall. Peter, Susan, and Trumpkin ran into the How. The Witch retracted her hand as Peter neared.
"Karina, don't listen to him. What has he brought you, nothing but pain. Come love," the word was a sneer, "Set me free and I'll help you."
Karina let her eyes glaze over, perhaps she would help.
"Karina!" Peter and Caspian called in unison. She was so close,
"Come on…" The Witch urged. Suddenly a loud cry split the air, throwing Karina from the spell. She looked at the Witch, a sword through her gut. The ice visage twisted and bended until it shattered, the White Witch was no more.
"Don't fall for that trick." Edmund said, his sword poised. It was he who stabbed the ice.
Peter and Caspian ran to Karina, who was laying motionless on the floor.
"Karina, love. You have to wake up." Peter said, shaking her gently. Karina's eye snapped open, "Don't listen to her! She lies!" she cried, tears forming on her chestnut skin.
"She's dead, Karina. She can't hurt you anymore." Caspian soothed. But Karina wouldn't hear it, "It's my fault! I let her into my head, I led her to you! You all could've died because I was being an idiot!"
She stood, casting Peter and Caspian away from her in a fury either had never witnessed. She threw down her weapons and bag, all the while crying to herself piteously. Karina ran from the How, the shouts of her name not making her falter.
"Karina!" Susan called after her friend. Peter and Caspian exchanged glances, "I'll go." Caspian said, "After all, I think I'm the one who caused this."
Peter shook his head, "No. I'll go; I should be the one to protect her."
"Like you protected her tonight?" Caspian mumbled under his breath.
"What!?" Peter cried.
"HEY!!" Susan yelled, making both stupid boys stop in their tracks, "Both of you go find her and bring her back. God, I can see why she's all nutters, I mean look at you, fighting like urchins over a crust of bread. It's embarrassing. Peter, you're a High King for Aslan's sake and Caspian you're a Prince! Show some diplomacy and restraint when you find her. And for Christssake don't frighten her by fighting again, she's as skittish as a newborn doe!"
The boys stood in awe, and she was supposed to be gentle? Yeah, and I suppose wolverines are gentle too.
"Yes, Ma'am." They both replied. Susan smiled and Lucy asked her something, "How did you do that?"
"Lu, all boys want is direction. Give them that and they'll be eating out of your hand."
Caspian and Peter wandered off into the woods in search of their renegade fair maiden. Peter was in the lead whilst Caspian followed, although grudgingly so. He had taken up asking Peter mediocre questions along the way to entertain himself,
"Are we there yet?" he whined, smiling smugly. Peter rolled his eyes, "We're not going anywhere, we're looking for someone. Now shut up, I think I heard something."
The two rulers knelt behind a large rock, only the tops of their heads visible. And in the darkness they only looked like specks. Peter felt a bit like a ninja, all the sneaking around in the dark and all. He made a mental note to take up Kung Fu in the near future. Caspian however, hated the dark. Almost as much as he hated thunderstorms (but we'll get to that later wink).
"There she is." Peter said quietly, as not to spook their very jumpy love. Karina sat alone in the forest on her knees, her head looking up the sky. Caspian stopped Peter with a hand on his shoulder, "Wait, look there." He pointed. A silvery glint caught Peter's attention. A Telmarine soldier.
"Karina!" Peter yelled, rushing forward, his sword drawn. Caspian too, though reluctantly, jumped from the bushes. "Idiot! Be quiet, he'll hear you."
But it was too late. The soldier was in a platoon of seven men, who were all very well trained. Karina ran into the woods, wishing now that she hadn't ditched her weapons. She screamed when one of the horsemen cut in front of her,
"Peter!"
Peter tore through the thick underbrush, "Karina?!"
"Peter?!" Caspian called, searching for him in the sinister darkness of the wood.
"Caspian!?" Karina yelled out. The soldier grabbed her hair, tugging her to his horse, "Let me go you son of a bitch!" Karina screamed, trying to wrench her hair from his grasp. "That's a pussy move! Going for a woman's hair!"
Peter let a grin light up his face, even in the face of danger Karina was still as feisty as ever. The horseman had about enough of her, clocking her over the head with his crossbow, he threw her over his saddle and rode off into the night.
"Karina!" Caspian and Peter yelled in unison.
What were they going to do now?
Authors Note: Hello all. Thank you for being such faithful reviewers for this story. I have a sequel in the works and many one-shots. I have one question, should I post them? Nah, I won't ask you that. Thats bad... or is it? Blah, anyways, review and I'll bestow upon thine more chapters wo quench your fanfiction thirst.
