I hope you like this chapter as well!

~CampHB

~Chapter 4: Stories and Disruptive Sword Fighting~

Lucy Pevensie chatted happily away with me, even though she was the only one talking. She told me about their first adventure here in Narnia, just a year ago.

There had been an evil White Witch that crowned herself Queen of Narnia, and cast the country into a snowy land. There was no Christmas or spring for about a hundred years. The White Witch had a magic wand that would turn people into snow if they disobeyed her.

Then Lucy had stumbled into a wardrobe which was actually a passageway into Narnia. At a lamp-post, she had met a Faun named Mr. Tumnus.

A Faun? What in the world is that?

She then went on to explain how she went back, and that the next time she came, Edmund was behind her. Edmund had met the White Witch and she made a bargain with him to bring his brothers and sisters next time.

When all the siblings had finally entered Narnia, the first thing they did was search for Mr. Tumnus, but the White Witch had captured him. The Beavers had brought them over to their dam, where they told the children about Aslan and the prophecy. Aslan was a lion, the true King of Narnia.

While the Beavers were explaining, Edmund had run away to the White Witch. She was furious when she found out that his brother and sisters weren't with him at the castle.

Some miles later, Lucy finished the story. I was amazed by what was in her head. She had one big imagination.

Trumpkin cleared his throat, telling me the tale, while leading us. "King Caspian was born Caspian the Tenth. His father was Caspian the Ninth and his mother was Queen Linata (A/N: I made the Queen's name up). His parents are both dead by now—his father killed by his power-hungry uncle Miraz, and his mother was said to have died in her sleep, though rumor got around that she disappeared. Telmarines. All they do is kill," he muttered. "Miraz crowned himself King of Narnia soon after Caspian the Ninth died. Now he wants to kill Caspian because that way he can give the throne to his newborn son. Dr. Cornelius, Caspian's professor, warned him, and Caspian ran away and hit his head as he was escaping. Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and I took him in. Trufflehunter's a Talking Beast, a Badger, and Nikabrik's a Black Dwarf, by the way. We nursed him, then set out to find who would join us on our side during a new war. The Centaurs, of course, were hostile enough. Nikabrik was kind enough to call on his own kind, and my brothers also agreed to help. We brought him to the Dancing Lawn to meet the other Narnians. They all joined him, and he blew Queen Susan's horn for help. Then I set out to Cair Paravel to find these four, because Queen Susan's horn was supposed to bring the Kings and Queens of the old back, though I was expecting them to be older… Anyway, they are supposed to help us. I met them two days ago and we've been heading back to Aslan's How, our encampment, ever since."

It was starting to get dark. Trumpkin began collecting twigs and branches.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He looked up. "Making a fire. What did you think?"

I didn't answer. The boys made a pit for the fire and lined it with stones. The Red Dwarf finally came back and dumped the wood onto the pit.

Edmund took out a pack of matches and began striking a match. The wooden pick immediately burned out before it could light a twig. He tried again. The second match almost burned his hand.

I unzipped the outer pocket of my backpack and produced a lighter. I flicked the metal wheel, and a flame burst to life. The smaller branches soon caught on fire.

"What…how did you do…" Edmund was peering at the lighter. "What is that?"

I shrugged. "A lighter. Works every time."

Then I slipped it back into my bag.

Peter reached into his pocket and took out some kind of meat and stuck it on a stick.

"Bear meat," Susan told me when she caught me staring. "It's all we have."

Lucy made a face to signal that she didn't like it either.

"Uh, no thanks," I said.

Sadly I had to eat apples…again.

After dinner, Trumpkin lit his pipe and propped himself up against a rock.

"Would you like to entertain us, High King?" he asked.

Peter smiled. "How would you like to spar with Ed again?"

"With the greatest due respect, no thank you."

"How about you duel with someone?" Edmund suggested.

"With who? There's nobody besides the D.L.F., Gareth, and you," Peter answered

"What about Tarah? She has to learn."

"Good idea…"

"I'll teach her." Gareth jumped up and grabbed two branches about the same length from the ground. He tossed one to me. "Get up," he said.

"What?" I drew up my knees. "Seriously, no thanks."

"Get up."

"Oh, please do," Lucy pleaded, clapping her hands. "Please?"

"Fine." I sighed and picked myself up, scooping the branch.

"Now, stand straight," Gareth commanded. "No, not stiff. Stand straight. Yes, like that. Grip your sword, that's your stick, in your hand. No, don't wrap your hand around it like that. Hold it loosely."

I loosened my tight hold on the branch. It hung awkwardly in my right hand.

"Are you right-handed or left-handed?" he asked.

"Um, left."

"Then put it in your left hand." I heard him mutter something under his breath, "Idiot."

My face turned slightly red.

I shifted the stick to the opposite hand and gripped it more comfortably. Gareth suddenly charged forward and swung at my chest. I leaned back and avoided it from hitting my face.

"What was that for?" I yelled.

"That was the first blow. Defend yourself. The sword is merely just an extension of your arm. Use it. Let it become part of you." His dark eyes shone in the firelight.

"What he's saying is that you have to move the sword like it's part of your body. When you parry, the sword is like your arm that blocks the blow," Edmund called.

That made no sense at all.

"Pretend that the sword is basically your arm. You're trying to block the High King from hitting you and using your arm to hit him back," Peter supplied.

That made a little more sense. I kind of figured out what he was talking about.

The Telmarine swiped again. I slammed my stick against his and tried to push him back. Our weapons intersected.

"Not bad for a beginner, though most Telmarines learned and mastered this by age eight," he noted sarcastically.

I attempted to push him forward, but he was way stronger than me and I fell to the ground. He flicked my branch out of my hand and placed the tip of his at my neck.

"If this was real, you would've been a dead man."

I scowled, humiliation burning on my cheeks.

"Pick up your weapon."

I slowly took it into my hand. Gareth immediately attacked. He won again…and again…and again…

I sighed in frustration as Gareth's stick was placed at my throat for the fourth time.

"You're going too hard on her," Peter called. "This is her first time."

"If I go any easier, she'll be the first one killed in battle," Gareth replied angrily. Clearly his patience was running out.

"You can't blame her. She's never done this before."

"Fine! Let her die, then! I've tried!" Gareth spread out his hands.

Silence answered him. Besides the crackling of the campfire, all was quiet.

He soo did not just say what I thought I heard…

"Telmarines!" Trumpkin suddenly spat.

"Why you little—" Peter rose to his feet.

When the shock of Gareth's words passed, I was absolutely and positively furious with him. I struck him hard across the cheek. He was fast to react, grabbing my wrist and twisting it, causing me to wince, despite my efforts to hold my pain in check. He sneered at my discomfort.

Peter barreled into Gareth and threw him to the ground. The two boys grappled around on the grass, tackling each other and throwing as many punches as possible.

Gareth lashed out and took hold of my ankle, pulling me down. I struggled against his grip, flailing around. My foot made connection with a something hard. I opened my eyes to see that I had kicked Gareth in the chest.

"Stop!" Edmund's voice rang out. "Stop it! The three of you!"

We froze.

"What do you think you're doing?" cried Susan. "Gareth, why attack a girl? Tarah is innocent. And Peter, what were you thinking? You're the High King, not some sort of wild boy that enjoys fighting other people!"

The eldest Pevensie ignored his sister.

"You think that you are so powerful, don't you, little beast?" Peter took a menacing step towards the Telmarine.

"You don't know anything about power." Gareth seemed equally frightening.

"Power can save."

"Power can crush! Where were you when Narnia needed you most?"

"It wasn't our fault! Aslan wanted it to be this way."

"So you say! And power given to you by a lion? Not possible! You're all liars and cowards, I say! All of you!" He clenched and unclenched his fist.

Peter responded my drawing his sword. The metal sparkled in the fire's glow.

Gareth also drew his weapon. It was black iron.

"Whether you are friend or foe, we cannot have traitors anywhere, or anyone who dare dishonors a code of chivalry."

"What have I done that is so bad?"

He cocked his head. "You hurt a helpless girl for no reason."

"She deserved it."

His face was grave. "So it be, you shall die."

Peter raised his sword, as did Gareth. Their blades were about to clash when I found myself between them.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Don't you know when enough drama is enough?"

"It's none of your business, Tarah." Peter was using the High King tone again.

"Yes, it is."

Gareth didn't say anything. He just stood there and watched the two of us standing.

I was mad. Mad at both of the boys before me. Mad at myself for displaying such a weak impression. I would've slapped both of them, and then run away, but Lucy stopped me.

"Tarah…"

The young girl tugged at my arm and motioned for me to sit down. I glared at Peter, then at Gareth. Lucy led me to her seat and I crossed my legs.

"It-it must be that we're all tired," Susan finally said. "Yes. That must be it. I'm tired. What about you?"

It sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than us.

"Su," Edmund whispered. "Shh."

Peter walked back to his spot in the circle around the campfire. His eyes flickered between Gareth and me the whole time. Gareth was also glancing warily.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at the stars. They were twinkling in constellations I didn't know, but that didn't matter. They were beautiful tonight.

The warm heat enclosed around me as my eyelids drooped.