Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.
Summary: In the aftermath of rescuing Queen Lucy from an evil sorcerer, Katerina Alambiel struggles to find her place while some of the Narnians closest to the Pevensies still question her motives. And, finding herself in the middle of an assassination plot against the High King himself doesn't exactly help her to fit in.
Warning: There will be mentions of torture, murder, and some scary moments. So, this is a mid to high T.
Chapter Seven: Assassins!
Sarti let out a roar of pain and warning as a shadow landed on his back and shoved a knife deep into his right shoulder while another shadow detached itself from the walls and lunged at Peter and Katerina Alambiel. Katerina pulled her pair of sai knives from their sheaths hidden under her loose tunic and sliced at the shadow's outstretched arm as it rushed by her. A glance to her right revealed Peter had heard her and Sarti's warning just in time as he dove to the right and avoided a thrown knife from the shadow that had attacked Sarti.
In the back room of the lodge, the shadows were just thick enough that their attackers were able to hide themselves until right before they lunged with flashing blades at them. Katerina shivered as she recognized the pattern of attack was almost identical to what the monster had liked to use when he played hunter and hunted with his victims. Fear and rage warred for dominance as she grappled for control over her emotions and the fight. Peter cried out in pain behind her and she became at once calm and furious. She caught her attacker off guard when she jumped up instead of dodging to the side and she kicked him hard in the chest. The attacker grunted and flew back to hit the column with a satisfying thud.
Katerina spun around and launched herself onto the back of Peter's attacker. She crossed her arms in front of the attacker and jerked back. The attacker gave an almost reptilian hiss as the blades of her sai knives slashed through their cloak and into what felt like armor. The attacker she had thrown into the column grabbed her off his partner's back and threw her against the wall. She gasped in pain as she hit the wall, but as the attackers turned back to Peter, who was lying unmoving on the ground, she launched herself at them again.
She knocked one of the attackers down and landed a swift kick to his ribs. She turned to the other attacker who raised a pair of sai knives that looked identical to her own. Katerina nearly faltered in surprise, but then she slashed her own knives at the attacker's belly and face. The attacker blocked her blows and tried to shove her aside, but Katerina held her ground. She whirled to meet each blow until her knives and the attacker's blades locked together. Katerina dropped into a half-crouch and succeeded in throwing the attacker off balance enough that she could shove them into their friend who had finally staggered to his feet. Both attackers stumbled back, and then a shout rang out from outside the entrance to the lodge. Katerina didn't pay any attention to who was shouting as she watched the two attackers look first at each other then at where she stood in between them and the fallen High King. The one she had kicked into the column pointed at her and hissed, "Next time he will be oursss and you will be ssshown your errorsss, Katerina Alambiel. The Sssorcerer Jambresss isss not a forgiving massster."
Katerina stepped back in surprise at the fact that yet another enemy of Narnia knew her name, and the two attackers disappeared into the shadows. She hesitated then turned her attention to the High King who was lying far too still for her liking. Sheathing one of her knives, she kept the other one drawn just in case the hissing assassins came back. She checked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his heart going strong. Carefully sliding her hand under his head, Katerina paused when she felt a lump and a sticky liquid under her fingers. He must have cracked his head against the edge of the rock. Thank God, it wasn't enough to do more than knock him out. Those nathracha olc (nasty snakes) of assassins better hope nothing else is wrong with him, or I will personally join Oreius and the entire army in hunting them down.
She jerked her sai knife up as a fierce roar suddenly echoed in the structure, "Noooo!"
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Oreius charged towards the back of the lodge with swords drawn as he followed Kumbali with Ardon just behind him and Alithia following all three of them. When a dryad stopped them with the urgent message that the High King was being attacked in the lodge not even ten minutes ago, he had felt his heart drop because he should have known that if there were danger, it would find the eldest of the four monarchs. It always did.
Kumbali reached the arch leading to the back first and he immediately let out a roar, "Noooo!"
Fear spiked through Oreius and he galloped through the arch dreading what he would find. He slid to a stop as he took in the sight of Sarti lying motionless only a few feet in front of the archway. Kumbali gave a low moan then suddenly he growled as he looked at the raised platform near the back walls. Oreius followed his line of sight and he heard Ardon inhale sharply. He could hardly believe what he was seeing: Katerina Alambiel was kneeling over the High King with one of her knives raised above him and there was blood on her other hand. Oh Aslan, let this not be as it seems.
Ardon shifted closer and asked in a soft whisper, "Why hasn't she put the knife down?"
Oreius looked closely at Katerina Alambiel and noticed the hand holding the knife was shaking slightly and she kept glancing at the shadows along the walls near the columns. He sheathed his swords, but motioned for Ardon to keep his claymore out. "Kumbali, check the walls near the columns for any sign of intruders or how they might have entered without anyone being aware of their presence."
The Tiger was unhappy but he knew better than to disobey a direct order, so he dutifully started searching for scents. Alithia immediately moved to the fallen Sarti and began checking the Tiger for signs of life. Waving Ardon to move to the left of the room, Oreius now concentrated on calming a terrified Katerina down before she unintentionally caused the High King further harm. He was careful to keep his voice calm and even as he began approaching her from the right. "Be at ease, Katerina Alambiel, the only ones here are friends to you and to the High King. Katerina, are you listening? Put the knife down and tell us what happened."
She began lowering the knife but then Kumbali growled in frustration from the far corner of the room, causing Katerina to jerk in surprise. For a moment, Oreius thought she was going to drop the knife and run, but instead she tightened her grip on the knife. She edged closer to the High King and raised her knife. Oreius stopped his advance and saw Ardon look at him in surprise as the captain realized that Katerina Alambiel was not seeing them but the terrors of her past and instead of running, she was determined to protect one she considered a friend. Something had pushed her too far after she had so recently relived her personal terrors and now she saw the world in a mix of memories and reality. He doubted being in the shadowed recesses of the darkened back room was helping the situation. He had to find a way to get through to her. "Katerina Alambiel, listen to me. You are free, you are alive, and the one who harmed you can do so no longer. There is no one here who will harm you or the High King. Put the knife down and tell us what happened."
She shivered from more than the slight chill in the afternoon air and he could see the shaking in her hand increase until she tightened her grip on the knife again causing both her knuckles and her star-shaped scar to turn white. She glanced from him to the shadows then finally back to him. He prayed this meant she was starting to see him instead of some dark memory. "Eagla orm, Oreius. Cad a dhéanfaidh mé?" (I am afraid, Oreius. What do I do?)
Oreius paused as he tried to guess the meaning of her words and determine what she had asked him. Is she telling me she's scared? Oh Aslan, what has she asked? How can I answer when I don't even understand the question? He didn't have time to linger, he could see the fear in her eyes as she heard only silence at least from him. He stepped closer to where she knelt by the High King with one hand resting protectively on his shoulder and leaned towards her. "I know you are frightened, Katerina Alambiel. Have you not said that you trusted me? Trust me now when I tell you there is none here who will harm you or Peter. Hand me the knife and let Alithia see to Peter. Trust me, Katerina Alambiel."
For the first time since he had entered this back room, he began to see a flicker of recognition and control appear amidst the terror contained in Katerina's eyes. She released a shuddering breath and set the pommel of her knife in his open hand. Oreius shoved it into his sword harness as Katerina looked first at him then at the High King. Alithia moved from Sarti's side, giving a reassuring nod to Kumbali when she passed him on her way to assess High King Peter. Katerina didn't react to her approach at all, instead she just stared down at her hands and spoke in a soft, broken tone. "They came from the shadows. Attacked us, Sarti had no chance. Peter struck his head on that rock I think. They used the shadows to hide, to hunt, and I cannot... I cannot a bheith anseo. Gan anois, ní tar éis this." (...be in here. Not now, not after this.) She shook her head slightly as she finally looked up, "I am sorry, but I cannot."
Katerina Alambiel looked pale and shaken, but when she glanced up at them, her eyes proved her focus was entirely on the present so Oreius allowed her to leave. He was confident she wouldn't go far. The High King stirred as Alithia examined him and tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by the Centauress. "Do not try to move just yet, your majesty, you took quite a hit to the head. Give yourself time. Fortunately, the lump on the back of your head seems to be the only wound."
Ardon came back from where he had been conversing with Kumbali with a troubled expression. "General Oreius, Kumbali reports that there are no scents along the walls other than that belonging to Katerina Alambiel and nothing else beside our own scents. There doesn't seem to have been anyone in here other than Katerina, the High King, and Sarti. Perhaps there was an accident or perhaps she was used to act the part of assassin without realizing it."
Oreius stamped a hoof, "We will hear what the High King has to say about it and then we speak to Katerina Alambiel about what she saw. There is an explanation for all of this, I am certain."
"For her sake, I hope it is not the explanation that is the most readily apparent."
Oreius nodded then Alithia called to them as she helped High King Peter to sit up. Kumbali remained by the still form of his unconscious cousin while Oreius and Ardon quickly walked over to their king. Peter winced as he carefully tilted his head up to look at them, "General, Captain, how much time has passed since you left? Did the patrol arrive?"
"Sire, it has been just under fifteen minutes since we parted ways. The patrol has not arrived yet, and Captain Sherket will greet them in your absence if necessary. But, you must tell us what happened."
Oreius was disappointed when Peter looked around in bewilderment then admitted in a low voice, "I'm afraid I can't remember clearly what happened after Sarti was attacked. I know Katerina was involved in what happened because she called my name before a knife was thrown at me. Then I was knocked down and I hit my head and I remember nothing else until I woke up just now. Where is Katerina?"
Oreius suppressed a sigh as he answered in an equally low voice. "She is outside the lodge. I will question her while you head back to the camp. Perhaps when Sarti regains consciousness, he will be able to help us determine how this attack occurred." Peter nodded.
Oreius stood in the lodge's large shadow and watched as the High King led the small group through the trees while Ardon and Alithia carefully supported Sarti between them and Kumbali brought up the rear. When they disappeared from sight, he turned and walked around the far side of the old hunting lodge. It was time to speak with Katerina Alambiel.
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Look, I left Peter alive! Of course, surviving the story is still questionable. :) I actually rewrote this chapter because in the original version Sarti died, but then I decided to keep him around for at least a little longer. I hope y'all like the end result. Click the little review button and tell me what y'all think is going to happen next and if you liked the hisssing asssasssinsss. Any guessess as to what they are?