Chapter 28~ All These Lives
Peter looked around the battlefield, pleased to see the Calormen and Terebinthian numbers were dwindling. Archenland had arrived six hours ago, and their numbers were much greater than both the Terebinthians and the Narnians. Two hours before, the Lone Islanders arrived. Their numbers were small, but they assisted the Narnians well, and now the Calormens were losing terribly to their enemies.
Now Caspian saw the Calormen's head general walking toward him—the general was in charge of the Calormen troops since the Princes were gone. He did not look very happy, and Caspian wanted to dance when the general stuck his sword in the ground at Caspian's feet.
"We surrender," the general grunted. "We can't spare any more of the Calormen and Terebinthian armies."
"This war is over," Caspian said, more as a statement than a question. The general nodded and they shook hands. "We will meet with the Tisroc tomorrow."
"It shall be so." Out of nowhere, Peter joined Caspian, and the general left to gather what remained of his troops.
"We won," he said wearily, and Caspian clapped him on the back.
"Indeed. Would you like to do it or should I?"
"How about both of us?" The kings smiled weakly at each other and shouted "VICTORY!!!!" A resounding cheer erupted from the Narnians. Everyone quieted though when they realized what they had to do. Their deceased friends and enemies wouldn't magically disappear.
"Do you know of anyone who…" Caspian nodded and listed off a large number of names. "And you?" Peter nodded and did the same. They both sighed and Peter sat down on a nearby stump.
"Will your leg be alright?"
"I hope so. I think it might be broken."
"We should get you back on the ship."
"No, I need to help." Peter looked around for a sign of Edmund, but instead was shocked to see his younger sister a few yards away from him. "LUCY!" he shouted. She spun around, and Caspian wanted to hug her right then because she was safe. He had worried constantly about her ever since he found out she was fighting in the army. "What happened? Are you all right? Why are you here?" Lucy walked numbly over to where her brother and suitor sat and fell into Caspian's arms.
"Damien," she choked. "Dead…"
"What?" They both asked, eyes wide. She nodded and Caspian brushed her matted hair away from her tear stained face.
"He saved me…I can't believe this…"
"Thank the Lion you're all right. Come here." Peter's anger left him completely as he engulfed his sister in his arms.
"What is wrong with your leg?"
"I think it might be broken," Peter winced. Lucy immediately took out her cordial and poured a drop onto his leg. "Thanks Lu." She nodded and went around trying to find anyone who might be injured to give them some of the contents of her cordial. Edmund soon joined them, his face weary and grave.
"Good, you're all alive. Arianna is gone."
"No…"
"So is Rumblepuffin, Philip, Charles, Sydney, Jackson…" Edmund continued to list off names for a while. "Drinian is badly wounded."
"Where is he?" Lucy asked, and Edmund lead her to him, Caspian on their heels. She bent down next to her older friend and poured a drop on each of his wounds, and proceeded to go around in that area to heal the wounded, crying whenever she saw one of her friends dead.
"Edmund!" Edmund spun around, and smiled at the Archenland prince running toward them. "Thank Aslan, you are all alright."
"Thankyou so much for coming to our aid. We wouldn't have won without you," Lucy smiled, and they all shook hands. Then Rama's face darkened.
"If I am not mistaken you are all good friends with Rhince?"
"Yes, why?"
"Your friend…I saw him when we arrived."
"Is he ok?" Lucy asked nervously, and Rama shook his head.
"I will bring you to him." She, Caspian and Edmund followed Rama to the point where Rhince and Rose had been discovered.
"It looks to me as if he was trying to cut the Terebinthian numbers before they reached you." Lucy bent down next to Rhince, unscrewing the cap to her cordial. Caspian laid a hand on her shoulder.
"It's no use, Lu. He's gone." She nodded dumbly and Caspian wrapped his arms around her.
"I can't believe he would have done this on his own. He always was brave," Edmund frowned.
"I don't think he did do it on his own. He had a companion, I am sure. About a half hours way back, the first two Terebinthian soldiers lay dead, and unclothed. In the bushes one of my men found two sets of Narnian armor. A little ways ahead, there were deceased Terebinthians everywhere. I think here is where they were found."
"We'll look for his companion," Lucy said. "But I don't see any Narnians, I think they got out all right. How many Terebinthians were killed by Rhince and his companion?"
"Enough to make a dent in the army. I am surprised they got so far without being noticed." Caspian nodded and turned to where Edmund had been standing behind him, but now the King was running toward a Terebinthian soldier lying on the ground.
"Ed, what are you doing?" Caspian asked loudly, watching his friend sprint over to the Terebinthian's body. Edmund rolled him over and froze.
Underneath the Terebinthian was Rose, and from the looks of it, she wasn't breathing.
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"There you are, I was wondering…oh no," Peter murmured, noticing Rhince's dead body in Caspian's arms, and Rose's limp one in Rama's. "Are they both…"
"Rhince is. Rose almost is. Edmund saw her hair out from under a Terebinthian just in time for Lucy to douse her with her cordial. I think it worked only enough to keep her alive a few more days. We can only pray it will work more than that," Caspian explained quietly.
"Is he ok?" Peter asked quietly, nodding his head at Edmund who hadn't said anything in over an hour and was staring straight ahead with stony eyes.
"No," Lucy said gravely. "I fear this is going to be the last of the Edmund we know."
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Three days later after all the dead had been carried onto the boats so they could be properly buried in their homes, after Caspian, Peter, Edmund and Lucy had met with the Tisroc, and after Archenland and the Lone Islanders departed, the Narnians finally set out for their homeland.
They had parted with Rama in sadness, promising to alert him when Rose passed. It was only a matter of time until the moment came.
The Tisroc was now paying tribute to the Narnians, and was under oath he nor any of his daughters would wage war on Narnia or its allies again. All his sons were gone, and therefore the crown would pass to Araminta.
"I can't believe this," Lucy said that night, cuddled up against Caspian. "All our closest friends…gone."
"Drinian might be ok. And there is a tiny chance Rose could pull through."
"Drinian I will believe. I am afraid Rose is too far gone." Lucy wiped away a few tears. "What they did was heroic. We might not have lasted had she and Rhince didn't do what they did."
"They will be missed, as will Damien, and Arianna, and all the others."
"I just can't believe this is happening to Edmund again. How can Aslan torture him so?"
"Obviously this happened for a reason; we just don't know it yet."
"He finally finds love again after all these years, and just like that it's taken away from him again! It isn't fair! He doesn't deserve this!" Lucy said angrily, getting up from Caspian's bed. "I know that he had sworn never to tell her how he felt, and I know they weren't in a courtship but…oh if only we had stayed home…it's all my fault."
"It is not your fault, Lu." Caspian got up as well and kissed her forehead. "Would you like to go visit her, Peter and Drinian again?" Lucy nodded and Caspian took her hand. Edmund was already in the room, staring at Rose's lifeless body.
"How are they?"
"I'm fine, I'm just not allowed to get up yet. Drinian will be ok," Peter said, and Caspian and Lucy breathed out sighs of relief. "Things aren't looking good for Rose. The doctor said she might make it another day or two, but that would be all." Peter's face whitened as he said this as if he was trying not to cry, and Caspian's did the same. Lucy let her tears fall freely as she sat down on Edmund's lap.
"I'm going to miss her," she choked. "She was like a sister to me…"
"She was to all of us," said Caspian, and he sat down in one of the chairs supplied in the room. Lucy slipped her hand into Edmund's; his palms were cold and moist from worry. He squeezed Lucy's hand and looked at her, his eyes stony and hard.
"She can't die…" he said hoarsely. "She can't…"
Poor Edmund :( I know, I know, it's depressing...but the explanation will come in the next chapter. Reviews please.