Ah, very dramatic chapter, full of angst and pain. Enjoy! I'll try to keep 'em coming, so be patient.

Chapter Twenty-Four

It took another ten days to sail back to Narnia. It felt longer to me, because I was agonizing over what I was going to say, and I had planned every possible response and reply and answer. But finally the white cliffs of Narnia came into view, and we sailed into the harbor.

I unloaded poor Anduril from the bottom of the ship and the first the he did on land was lie down and roll. Then he climbed back to his feet, shook himself of all of the bits of grass and dust, and let me mount him. I took my pack of things and set off for the castle.

I reached the familiar courtyard, and swung down from Anduril's back. I was wondering why no one had come out to meet me when out came the Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and Mr. Tumnus. I was about to run and hug them when I saw their faces. My heart skipped a beat and then started hammering wildly. "W-What's wrong?" I asked. Mrs. Beaver was the first to speak. She was fussing nervously over her graying fur. "You'd better come inside, dear. We've got some…news."

Once inside one of the cozy studies with dusty leather books stacked on the shelves and warmed by a crackling fire, I slowly sank onto one of the armchairs. Tumnus sighed and spoke into the fire. "The kings and queens are…gone." He barely whispered the last word. I felt the blood drain from my face. "What do you mean, 'gone'?" I choked. He shook his head. "They went out hunting three days ago, like usual for the White Stag, but they never came back. Phillip returned the next day, followed by the other horses, and said that they had been in the Lantern Waste. They rode by the lamppost, and then Lucy led them into a thick stand of trees. They didn't come back."

I couldn't say anything. I just opened and closed my mouth, making a little croaking noise, the blood rushing in my ears. My throat constricted and I felt that tightness behind my temples that I feel when I'm on the verge of tears. Finally I managed to get myself under control enough to speak. "H-have you sent out search parties?" I whispered. Mr. Beaver nodded. "Yes, we've searched the entire Western Wood beyond the Lamp post. They've vanished without a trace." He paused a moment, deciding whether or not to say something. "It's possible that…they may have gone back to their, and your, world."

I barely slept at all that night. I lay in my bed, sobbing. All the next day, I sent out more searchers. I told them to search in the areas surrounding the Western Wood, even all the way to Caldron Pool. I told myself, Maybe they're lost, maybe one got hurt and they're on their way back… But days passed and there was still no trace. I accepted that they were gone. And I turned to the next big problem that suddenly showed itself.

I was sitting in Peter's study, staring listlessly out of the window, when Tumnus suddenly burst through the door. "Calormenes, milady! A Falcon just arrived with the news! They are marching up the western bank of the Rush River! We must prepare for battle at once!" I jumped to my feet. "What? Why-How? I thought we were on peaceful terms with them!" Tumnus shook his head. "They must have heard that the Kings and Queens have gone! They are going to try to take Narnia why we are rulerless. You must lead us into the fight." I trembled. I wasn't ready for this. I had never gone into battle without Peter or Edmund. I hadn't ever had to plan a strategy. And we had never had to defend from Cair Paravel before. No enemies had ever made it this far north. I took a breath and nodded. "Send Fireheart to muster up an army right away. Everyone he can find." I called for help suiting up, and then entered the armory. I changed into a red tunic and leggings, pulling on my boots. A faun helped me into my heavy chain mail, and then my armor. I selected two swords and a spear and a shield. I would have my hands full.

I found Anduril ready in the courtyard. I buried my face in his warm, horsey neck, and he reached around and nuzzled me. I took a ragged breath and pulled myself up onto his broad back. "All right, Andy. You going to take care of me? We're gonna win this, aren't we." I whispered into his ears, and he snorted and bobbed his noble head. His horn was polished and sharp as a dagger.

Fireheart had gathered a good-sized army of Narnians by the time we could see the glinting of Calormen armor at the edge of the woods. We were lined up and ready to fight.

We both charged at the same time, with me leading our line at the front. I held my sword high in front of me, and we swept forward at the Calormenes. Our two lines clashed with the sound of clanging metal, scraping swords, screams of anguish, and the cries of horses. I stabbed and threw my spear, and saw it hit the target. He slumped forward, the spear protruding through his back. I looked away as I blocked a blow with my shield. I yelled and cursed the Calormenes and Tash. There was noise and confusion all around me, but from what I could tell, we seemed to be winning. Already, the Calormenes were thinning out and we were pushing them closer to the Great River. I grinned.

But my pride was short lived. A jarring blow knocked me from Anduril's back. I tumbled and hit the ground. The fall knocked the breath out of me, and I lay helplessly on the ground. I forced a breath into my lungs, and lurched into a sitting position. Andy speared a man with his horn and tossed him away like a flake of hay. But he was being separated from me. A shadow loomed above me. A bearded and helmeted face leered at me and aimed a kick at my chest. I sliced at him with my sword, but he blocked it and the sword flew from my hand. I quickly drew my left sword, and thrust at him, struggling to get to my feet so I could move. But his blows reigned down from above me, and I was forced to block strike after strike, which was forcing me down. Then he got in a hit. He knocked my last weapon from my hand. I was now weaponless and defenseless. I screamed and lunged at him, trying to bash him sideways with my shield. It worked, and he fell down, knocked unconscious. I gave a triumphant "Ha!" But before I could even take a step, I fell forward as a sword was thrust straight through my body. I gave a gasp and a choked scream and pain ripped through my body. The attacker pulled the sword back out of my back as I fell to my knees. I trembled as the ground spun before me. Gasping for breath and trying to stay conscious, I felt for my wound. Blood was quickly seeping through my mail. The sword was through my ribs, but hadn't gone all the way through. But it might be enough if it had struck a vital organ.

I lay sprawled on the ground, my arms crumpled underneath me. I took slow, ragged breaths, fighting off blackness. But it came anyway. My vision grew blurred, and the sound faded away until all I could here was the beating of my heart and my breathing. And then all of that disappeared too.