Five great beasts flew over the How and slowly descended onto the grass in front of the courtyard. Lily could barely make out their figures: they had bodies of a lion and faces and wings of an eagle. Lily instinctively tensed, ready to run, but Caspian quickly took her hand and led her down to them.
"This is Leo," Caspian said quietly, leading her to the leader. She hesitated, seeing the golden eyes of the eagle and the great paws of the lion. He was roughly the same size of a horse…but with greater muscles and great wings that swept the grass beneath him. She began to doubt if she was awake again.
Leo bowed his head to Caspian. The prince took Lily's hand and placed it on the eagle's mane which was warm and soft. She laughed in disbelief as she threaded her fingers through the thick hair.
"Alright," Peter said, "everyone mount. Lily, you lead."
Lily nodded and, feeling confident that Leo would not bury his claws into her, mounted the beast. She was focused on the mission, no longer leaving room in her thoughts for fear or doubt, just like last night when she ran from the castle.
She looked behind her and saw Caspian looking at her.
"After you," he said teasingly.
Leo turned to face the great open plain and when the others fell into line behind him, he stretched his legs and bounded out across the grass. Lily could feel his claws digging into the earth, his muscles rippling through his body and she caught her breath when he leaped into the air.
His great wings stretched out next to her and with one motion, he climbed higher into the air. It was at this moment that Lily grasped what was happening; they were flying. The trees became a green blanket and the stars seemed just out of her reach. Her hair flew about her face and she leaned low into the hippogryph's back, fearful of loosening her fingers.
She heard another set of wings and glanced to her left, seeing Susan. The young queen was relaxed and smiling.
"It takes some getting used to," she said over the wind.
"Says the one who screamed when she had her first flight," Edmund yelled from the rear of the fleet.
Susan glared at her younger brother. Lily laughed warmly, taking her mind off the earth that was hundreds of feet below.
They traveled for only a few moments before they could see the outline of the great castle and its city on the other side. The city was connected to the castle by a bridge; the same bridge Caspian and Lily would race on horses. There were no lamps burning in the city, only in the castle corridors that Lily could see through the many windows.
"We need to land on the southern tower," Edmund yelled up to Lily, all humor gone as they flew nearer. "The highest tower."
Lily nodded and gently tugged on Leo's mane but he already knew where he was going; he never spoke but Lily guessed that he could understand them. Lily's stomach flew to her throat as the beast descended quickly, the others following him in a steep line. Lily saw the guard on the tower for a second before watching his body drop, Susan taking him out with one arrow.
Their goal was difficult; not only were they to rescue Leland and the others but to kill as little Telmarines as possible, only if necessary.
"Drop now!" Peter whispered loudly, his voice straining.
Lily looked back, startled by the order. Caspian saw her face and reached out to her.
"Hold on to me," he said, his beast flying closer to hers.
Lily quickly reached out to him and they grasped each other's arms, putting their legs between them and sliding off the Hippogryphs. They fell for only a minute, their feet landing firmly on the stone of the highest tower. Lily faltered and she felt hands steadying her from behind. She turned and saw Susan.
"Come on," the Queen of old said, taking her hand and pulling her to the door.
Lily looked back at Caspian who was following close behind with Peter and Edmund, their swords out.
Lily took the lead with Caspian. Susan stayed close behind with an arrow poised over Lily's shoulder, ready to release. They reached the bottom of the spiraling staircase and the group split; Susan and Lily ran down to the end of the corridor towards Miraz and the councilmen's chambers. Caspian and the Kings of Old went quickly down the next staircase to go deep into the castle to the dungeons. Caspian looked back to see Lily's long hair disappear behind the corner. Worry colored his dark eyes.
Lily was breathing hard, her heart pounding. It was not the running that made her breathe hard but the anxiety building inside her: she never thought she would have to return to this dark place. And if they failed, Miraz would win.
They rounded another corner and entered a corridor hung with deep colored curtains, two guards standing directly in front of them. The guards turned and just as Susan released an arrow aimed at one of the guard's neck, Lily threw a dagger aimed at the other's. The guards fell instantly and lay on the ground, a puddle of blood forming between them. Lily fought not to look at their faces.
Susan kept guard as Lily ran to the end of the corridor to pull the doors shut. She ripped down one of the curtains and tied it around the door handles as tightly as she could. They needed to trap the councilmen and Miraz for two reasons: to ensure they do not see Caspian and to poke fun.
After securing the corridor, they went through the castle, making their way up to the highest level. The plan was to meet at the highest tower again.
Lily and Susan slowed as they walked through a great hall, lit by torches. Lily's eyes were sharp; she had a strange feeling they were not alone.
"What is it," Susan asked, noticing Lily's hesitation.
Lily shook her head, "something is not right…"
They moved to one of the walls, waiting. Lily felt a sudden fear of seeing Miraz. Or worse, her father.
"This way," Lily went towards a door she knew that led to a secret passage.
"Leaving so soon?"
The two girls froze and looked back the way they came, seeing a dark figure. Lily stiffened and her eyes burned with rage at the sight of her stepsister. She could never escape her…
Viria walked towards them slowly, "but you just got here."
Susan glanced at Lily, trying to read her expression. She had her bow raised and pointed at Viria's heart.
"Did you really think those beasts would go unnoticed by the guards? I guess the councilmen were right…"
Viria stopped a few feet before them, her cruel lips smiling.
"I'm so glad you're not dead. Father will be so pleased…and surely Caspian isn't far off?"
Viria took out a long blade and looked at Susan and the arrow aimed at her, "go ahead. Kill me. Either way, you'll never make it out of here. Guards are surrounding the entire castle."
She looked at Lily, "Then we'll be a family again. Well, except minus one member…"
Viria smiled at her, her laugh seeping through her teeth. "I couldn't allow our dear brother to ruin everything Miraz and Alvarez have built…And I can't allow you to ruin it either."
Lily was afraid of her; her eyes seemed wild…desperate.
Then, without warning, Viria swept her arm up and back down, her blade stabbing Lily in the side.
Lily cried out in pain, grabbing Viria's wrist but she had a strong hold on her as she twisted the blade inside her.
"Lily!" Susan yelled, releasing her arrow.
Viria screamed as the arrow pierced her right shoulder. Lily fell to her knees, holding her side, which was slick with blood. All the color drained from her face.
"We have to go!" Susan said, her voice shaking.
Susan pulled Lily to her feet and put her arm around her, leading her to the scret passageway.
Viria's screams pierced their ears and they looked back to her: she had pulled the arrow from her wound and was writhing on the stone floor.
"You will pay for this, dear sister!" she shouted. "And you'll both die before the end!"
Lily felt Susan's pulls but she couldn't take her eyes away from her step sister. Viria's wide deranged eyes pierced Lily's, the deadliest look she had ever seen.
"Tell me where to go," Susan said, distracting Lily from Viria.
Then they heard heavy footsteps: soldiers.
Lily began to walk faster, ignoring the excruciating pain in her body.
They went through the door and Lily led Susan to a nearby staircase. They climbed the stairs as quickly as they could, running from the noise.
The footsteps were growing louder.
"We'll never make it," she said to Susan.
They reached the top of the stair and Lily froze when she saw that it was a room with a door that led to a balcony: a dead end. She had taken the wrong door.
After a moment of hesitation, Lily limped to the balcony. Susan closed the door behind her and pulled a heavy wooden trunk in front of it, hearing the footsteps coming up the staircase.
The night air washed over their faces and cleared Lily's mind. She looked out at the many turrets and balconies and on the battlement farthest away, she saw a familiar group of people.
Lily's heart jumped, "LELAND!"
Her brother turned toward her, his hair blowing around his face. Though he was far away, she could see his smile. But she felt dizzy, the pain was almost too much to bear. But her brother was safe.
"Lily, look!" Susan said, pointing towards the sky.
The hippogryphs were coming, their wings bright in the moonlight.
Lily also saw the soldiers pouring out of doors onto balconies and the courtyard below, crossbows in hand. Viria was shouting from somewhere…
"LILY!" said Leland's distant voice. The hippogryphs were picking them up first, she could see Caspian mounting one and yelling at Leo to fly over to her and Susan.
"CLIMB LILY!"
Lily looked above her, seeing the roof's edge within reach. They had to get higher, out of range of the crossbows.
"Up!" Lily shouted, ignoring the sickening pain in her side as she reached up.
Susan did the same and they struggled to lift themselves onto the roof but once they did, the door below them burst open and soldiers rushed onto the small balcony.
"JUMP!" Susan shouted just as a hippogryph latched onto her arms.
Lily saw Leo below the balcony, flying higher to meet her. Not waiting to see him get shot by a crossbow, Lily ran and jumped off the roof, landing on Leo's back.
The wind was knocked out of her but she felt Leo's great wings move with one motion and saw the guards' shocked faces, scared of the beast.
Leo swooped and gained momentum, fling towards the others who were far ahead and well out of range.
Lily looked down and heard Viria shouting.
"DON'T JUST STARE AT THEM, YOU FOOLS! FIRE!"
Arrows soared into the air in a great wave but none hit Leo; they were among the stars now.
Lily smiled faintly, resting her head on Leo's soft fur.
"Thank you," she breathed.
Leo nodded his head. He flew quickly towards the others, the landscape changing beneath them as they flew over the forest.
Some hippogryphs were carrying two humans. Caspian, Peter , Leland and Susan had their own. They were all looking back at Lily, broad smiles on their faces and exhaustion in their eyes. But Susan's eyes were worried as she watched Lily.
Lily met Susan's eyes and she shook her head. Susan understood that Lily didn't not want to worry the others but she had seen Viria's blade…it was not a wound to take lightly.
Lily sat up, the wind blowing her hair back, and she saw her brother ahead. She smiled and reached out to him, not afraid of how high she was above the ground. She only wanted to touch her brother, to know for sure that he was there.
Leland was smiling broadly, her strong hands and legs tight as he held on to his hippogryph. His beats flew beneath Lily's, so that their wings would not collide, and he reached up and took her hand.
"I knew you'd come back for me," he said.
Lily's eyes watered and she shook her head, "I would never leave you, brother."
"Lily!" Eris called from ahead. She was on a hippogryph with her brother Gabriel who was also smiling at her.
Lily smiled wider, "I'm so happy you are safe."
"Thanks to you!" said Marsonia, riding with her twin and little brother Lukas who seemed to be nervous of their flight.
Genia held onto Lukas tightly but smiled at Lily with ease, "thank you, Lily."
"Now we plan our next move," Peter said. His eyes seemed free of worry now that they were safe but his mind was far ahead. "Our rescue will not go unnoticed."
Leland met the King's eyes, "just what I was thinking."
These words made Lily nervous. Her smile vanished: they were all safe now…and now they had to plan for battle.
Just as her hands tightened on Leo's fur, she felt her wound sting. It was very warm and the pain was growing but she did not want her brother to know. She would find Lucy when they returned…
The ride back was full of stories and laughter. Eris and Gabriel talked with Susan and Edmund, relating to them what had happened the night they tried to escape.
"I couldn't believe my eyes!" Gabriel said with a big smile, looking back at Leland. "This man loves his sister as I love mine. I knew he was desperate but not enough to throw his sister out the window!"
Everyone laughed, Edmund's eyes widened as he watched Leland shrug his shoulders.
Caspian laughed. "Lily forgot to mention that."
"Desperate times, I suppose," Peter said, smiling.
"I'd do it," Edmund stated. A coy smile appeared on his lips.
Peter managed to reach over and push his brother, almost knocking him off his hippogryph.
"And I knew Lily would come back for us," Eris said sweetly. She looked back to her friend, "I knew the whole time-" She saw Lily and her smile fell.
Lily was hunched over, barely breathing.
"Something's wrong," Eris said quickly.
Leland's hippogryph flew closer to Lily's and he touched her back. She hissed in pain.
"Easy," he said, concern in his eyes. He saw her arm curled around her stomach, clutching her left side.
He looked up to Peter, "how far?"
"Just over that ridge," Peter said, taking the lead as his beast's wings beat the air faster.
Caspian flew on the other side of Lily, looking at her side. The blood shinned in the moonlight.
He looked up to Susan, his dark eyes horrified.
"She was stabbed," Susan explained. She looked at Leland, "by your step sister."
"Lucy will heal her," Edmund said hopefully.
Leland's eyes narrowed, "there was no need to tell me who did it."
Soon they reached the How, animals waiting in the courtyard with torches to light their path. The beats landed one by one and Leland did not wait for his to land to jump off its back and turn to Lily. But Caspian was at her side first.
Leland's brow furrowed but he stood by, watching.
Caspian's hand hovered above Lily's back, afraid he would hurt her.
He saw Lily removed her hand and in the torchlight, he saw her side was drenched in crimson. The wound was deep.
Without waiting another moment, Caspian went to the other side of her and put his hand under her knee, his other arm wrapped around her back. He lifted her swiftly and he heard her breath leave her body in a gasp. He carried her inside the How, calling for Lucy.
Gabriel went to Leland's side who looked more relieved now that they were on land. Gabriel read Leland's face.
"You're not worried," he stated.
Leland looked at his friend questioningly.
Gabriel smiled, "usually you're beside yourself when Lily is hurt."
Leland began walking in to the How along with his companions, "she's stronger than I think she is… And I know she's taken care of."
"And that doesn't make you nervous?" Gabriel asked, his eyes hinting.
Leland smiled, "I trust him with my life."