Chapter Fifteen: Prince Caspian
(Omniscient POV)
The hooded figure glided to the four poster bed the snoring Telmarine prince was sleeping on.
A wrinkled hand clamped down on the young man's mouth as he woke with a start, clutching at the hand in a blind panic. Then he saw his 'attacker's' face.
"Five minutes." The nineteen year old muttered, rolling over.
"You will not be watching the stars tonight, my prince." .The old man, the tutor Doctor Cornelius, whispered harshly.
"Now come, quickly. Your aunt has given birth. To a son." At this the prince shot up, blinking sleep from his dark brown eyes. They hurried through one of the many secret passageways in the room, through the back of the wardrobe. The prince closed the door all but just a crack and watched as soldiers burst in with loaded crossbows and shot at where he should have been sleeping. He realized just how much he owed to the professor.
The soldiers watched in disbelief as the bed hangings fell to reveal arrows embedded in…pillows?
The prince and the tutor ran along the stone passageway into the armory, where he threw on armor and seized his weapons while Doctor Cornelius saddled the Prince's great stallion, Destrider. The prince leapt onto Destrider's back as the tutor slung a heavy cloak around his shoulders.
"Will I ever see you again?" the prince whispered. Doctor Cornelius smiled sadly.
"I dearly hope so, my prince." He dug around in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a small ivory hunting horn, intricately carved with a lion.
"It has taken me many years to find this." He murmured. "At your greatest need, blow this horn and help will come."
The prince took the horn, slinging the strap carefully over his head.
"Goodbye, professor." He whispered before spurring Destrider into a gallop out of the courtyard. The doctor smiled.
"Goodbye, and good luck….Prince Caspian."
Caspian tore through the city on Destrider, across a river, and then into the woods his people feared. The soldiers chasing him halted momentarily before the leader shouted,
"Which of you cowardly women is going to spend the night in a cell?" before he rode into the dark woods. The soldiers hesitantly followed him into the forest after Caspian.
Caspian was galloping through the woods on Destrider, unsure of where to go.
"Come on, Destrider!" he urged the horse forward. He nearly fell out of the saddle when a deep, bronzy voice answered him.
"Hold on, my King. I know where to go."
Needless to say, Caspian was shocked. You don't usually train a horse for almost ten years to have it talk.
"Destrider?" he exclaimed. The big horse snorted.
"Of course, my king. I'm Narnian."
Just then an arrow smacked into a tree beside them, causing Destrider to veer to the side. Caspian looked back at the soldiers and turned just in time to be caught in the head with a large branch. Destrider dragged his dazed rider to a clearing where the Dwarves Nikabrik and Trumpkin lived with Trufflehunter. The two Dwarves burst out of the tree, brandishing swords at them. Trumpkin ran to hold off the soldiers while Nikabrik, not recognizing Destrider, rushed to attack Caspian.
Caspian fumbled for the horn as Destrider whinnied warningly. Raising it to his lips he blew it loudly.
Then everything went black as a sword hilt slammed into his head.
(A.N. Sorry this took so long, I swear I haven't sat down at all the last week. Yeesh. And a trip to the doctor's office ended up meaning another trip to the doctors soon to draw blood. Yeah…I might be anemic. Which would mean taking iron supplements and a lot of other crap. The joys of my life, people. Enjoy the story)