"Jadis, the Queen of Narnia!"

Ginarrbrik lead a crowd of creatures into Beruna loudly, chanting out praises for the Witch. Aslan's camp didn't hold back from shouting insults back.

"Go away, Witch!"
"Empress of the Lone Islands!" Ginarrbrik continued over the shouts.

Jadis was escorted to Aslan in a chair carried by Cyclops. After they sat her down gently, she stood before Aslan after looking over at Makeeda intensely.

"You have traitors in your midst, Aslan."

Aslan's camp murmured.

"Their offense was not against you." Aslan replied.
"The elf was in my army, and has deserted in a time of war."
"A soldier has a right to walk away from battle when their hand was forced to fight it."
"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?"

Aslan growled to silence her.

"Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written."

She smiled slightly.

"Then you will remember well that every traitor belongs to me. Their blood is my property."

Makeeda saw Peter step forward from the corner of her eye.

"Try and take him then."

Jadis simply laughed.

"Do you think that mere force will deny me my right, little King?" she asked. "Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands, all of Narnia will be over-turned and perish in fire and water. That boy will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition. You dare not refuse me."
"I will." Makeeda said, stepping forward. The camp seemed taken aback that she was moving towards the Witch. "I will go. Take me, have my blood, and leave him with his family."

The Witch opened her mouth to speak, but Aslan spoke instead.

"Enough." he told Jadis. "I shall talk to you alone."

She reluctantly broke her stare with Makeeda, following Aslan into his tent. Makeeda turned back to the others, seeing Edmund shake his head.

"You can't." he told her.
"I can and I will." Makeeda replied, walking over to him. "I was named the protector of the four of you and I will not let her take you. I will die before she wins."

After a long while, Aslan and Jadis came out of the tent. The crowd stood at the sight of them. Jadis walked back to her seat, pausing to look at Makeeda before she sat down. The kids all looked to Aslan.

"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood." he told them.

The crowd cheered happily.

"How will I know your promise will be kept?" the Witch asked.

Aslan roared at her loudly, making her sit down abruptly. His camp laughed at her as her Cyclops carried her away, her group leaving with her. Makeeda noticed Aslan's dampened spirits as he walked back to his tent. The crowd continued celebrating.

Makeeda strapped her quiver onto her back, listening to Oreius tell Peter about their battle strategies as he sat at a table, looking down at the map that was laid out before him. She was quite unsure of how to feel at that moment in time. Upon waking up that morning, they had found Aslan to be missing. Peter had said a dryad came to him that morning, telling him that Susan and Lucy had a message for Edmund and himself. Oreius had turned to Peter for orders. He was to be the High King, and would be treated as such now that Aslan was gone, whether he was ready for it or not.

"Will you be with Edmund up top then?"

Makeeda looked at Peter, realizing he was talking to her.

"If you need me there." she replied.
"Are you a strong archer?"

The question made Makeeda laugh for a moment. She was the best apprentice among her Dalish clan, archery coming naturally as possible to her. She smiled at him.

"Yes, I am."
"Good. Stay with him then." Peter told her.

She nodded.

"I will, sir." she said. She bowed to him, then walked away, taking her bow off of her back. She could hear footsteps behind her as she went to the training field. After a moment of travel, she took an arrow out, aiming at round bale of hay and shooting. It was on the bulleye, making Makeeda smile at her success. She took out another one, shooting again and hitting the bullseye. She did so again, again hitting the mark. She repeatedly shot, hitting her mark every time, only lowering her bow after her quiver was empty.

"You are good." Edmund said from behind her.

She turned to him.

"Good enough to protect you in battle?" she asked.

He seemed to agree that she was, though he never gave an answer.

"Have you ever fought in a battle like this?"
"Like this?" Makeeda said, smiling slightly. "This is not a simple battle… This is a war. I have never fought in a battle at all, the biggest battle I have been in is a hunt for dinner."
"Are you scared?"

Makeeda hated admitting when she was scared. Her Dalish pride rose quickly inside of herself.

"I am." she said. "Are you? I cannot imagine you have had many battles like what awaits us."
"No. I haven't." Edmund agreed, walking with her over to the target to collect her arrows.
"Have you been practicing?"
"With Peter."
"I promise I will do my best to protect you."

Edmund smiled.

"What if you need protecting?"
"I won't." Makeeda assured him.