Chasing Time

Remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy.

-C.S. Lewis from the Chronicles of Narnia

"We have to move. Now!" Calla shouted. Bane followed her signal and scampered behind her as he pushed Edmund faster ahead. Suddenly, on their left and on their right uphill, shadows began running on their sides, blurred and barely recognizable. Their fast paced running seemed to conquer them, and everywhere, howls began to erupt. Edmund fell, his leg giving up on him. His lips twisted once more in pain as the injury welled up and returned again.

"We can't stop!" Bane yelled at him. Calla ran back to the both of them.

"Here, put your arm around me!" She yelled, although it was much more of a command, as she took his arms and wrapped them from behind her neck to drape on her other shoulder. She first stumbled at Edmund's weight, but scurried onward when more dangers started closing in. The gloomy figures trapped opposing escape routes, growling at each attempt they would spurt out. Edmund groaned painfully, and he wasn't sure if he could keep running for long.

"Honestly, why can't predators be bunnies in a mouse filled meadow?" Bane complained, siding with the dawdling pair that barely matched the running skills of the wolves. Time was getting the best of time, as a large frosty wolf blocked their way ahead with a seemingly intimidating growl plastered on its face. The three of them moved back, heading to the right direction, but was once again blocked by another.

Each turn they struggled to leak into, only the more trapped them, enclosing them to the rough bark of a large. Wild wolves, these were, but they were smaller compared to the other lone wolf. But their outrageous numbers only makes up for their vulnerable size. Calla breathed heavily, trying to ward them off with her torch.

"Argh!" Calla screamed at the hideous nip of a wolf on her left arm. She immediately dropped the torch, pained from the sudden shock. The bite wasn't huge, but none would say it wasn't fatal. She hissed at the pain, but now that her torch had fallen into the ground, darkness concealed everywhere. Edmund's eyes slowly started fading once more at his exhaustion.

"Calla! Are you alright?" Bane rushed to her side. Calla gripped her wrist, and saw the morsel of the wolf on her arm that started to bleed gratuitously.

"I'm fine. Go!" She ordered. She clasped Edmund's tunic and tried dragging him as he succumbed to the pain on his thigh. "We have to keep moving, otherwise we won't be able to move at all after this!" Bane snarled at the wolves nearing them and even tried nipping and scratching at them. Soon, they were surrounded everywhere, and their backs hit the end of a large rock. Bane whimpered at Calla, who couldn't see much in the murky shade of the dreadful night.

Out of nowhere, one of the wolves lunged towards Calla, but Bane, who moves faster than lightning, caught the wolf's predicted launch, and jumped in front of Calla. The two animals, both surprised and angered, slunk in the grounds, showing equal amounts of threat. More wolves cornered Bane, and he jumped from tree to tree to each attack them. The wolves might have been larger, and Bane was twice smaller, but his agility spoke up for his size and the larger killers are stuck stunned on their paws, trying to deflect the fast paced fox.

It wasn't long before the pack leader nipped on Bane's foot and it caused him a severe injury in his torso when he dropped to the ground defenseless. Now his fur was stained with continuously flowing blood. Bane twitched, when he saw how many had surrounded them. He couldn't get up anymore, and he could not at all control his eyes from closing.

"Aslan help us." Bane sighed as he bowed his head, surrendering. The wolves howled in triumph, before flashing their fangs to sink them in their prey. Suddenly, a cry of soldiers reverberated the entire forests. Shrieks of animals, neighs of horses and calls of men altogether made the three unclutter their eyes to find the wolves angrily driven away in a startled cluster, though some continued to fight but eventually lost and therefore gave up. Before their complete departure, one climbed into a very high elevation in the rocks. One could see its silhouette against the autumn moon and its muzzle thrust itself facing the sky and howled eerily, the rest following it and causing a choir of haunting melodies. Then, they were gone.

Edmund squinted his eyes as blood once again began to surge in his palms from too much pressure. He was on the verge of collapsing. Calla set him down on the ground, letting his back rest against the solid mainstay. Many people came in haste towards the injured king. Calla immediately came to Bane, who laid in the ground as though he was sleeping.

"Calla, I—" Bane murmured. His words ebbed away like a fog caught by a rigid breeze. She gently caressed Bane's forehead (not pet, Bane hates it when he is being petted.) His eyes slowly faded as his words. For Calla, she could not suppress a tear. She looked at the people who rushed to the Just King's aid. They draped Edmund over to the back of the horse as he groaned painfully.

"My friend is dying. I beg of you to take him with you. I-If it wasn't for him we would have been killed. Please!" She cried, almost utterly begging as she ran up to Oreius looked at the both of them with pity and though of what would Aslan the Great Lion himself would do. He always thinks of the lion's perspectives as this always leads him to take the better choice. He looked once again at the girl's sincere request. She was almost tearing up, and quite desperate, as each second seemed to take every ounce of Bane's life.

"Please." She urged, anger growing in her tone.

"Gruben." Oreius called a faun geared in heavy armor. "See to it that this young lady and her friend are brought to the castle." At these words, her face had lit up and for once, she had never been happier in her life. The faun obliged and took a submissive step backwards.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Calla hurried towards Bane and gently, she picked him up. Bane twitched accordingly with the pain pressured by her arms. She mumbled an apology and draped the brave little fox on the back of a quarter horse. One of the soldiers approached her and saw her gripping constantly on her wounded arm, with marks clearly carved by a wolf's fangs. Calla was quite surprised when he held it so she hissed at him. She stepped away from him and grasped her arm.

"You've been bitten." The soldier said.

"Aye, but a scratch."

"Infection is much more fatal than the bite, milady. The process kills you as slowly and more painfully as the mere poison of a serpent." He explained. "You need as much help as your friend." Calla hesitated for a minute.

"I just need Bane with me at all times necessary."

"Alright, then. Let's see if we can get you on a horse." The soldier remarked. His eyes darted around; searching for any room for an extra person but unfortunately saw none to counter. "If it's alright, you may ride with me to the Cair."

"No please. I don't want it."

"And it would be an utter disgrace for me if I let a lady walk all day way to the castle." He laughed. After much contemplation, she agreed to ride beside him as he took the reigns.

Their troop of horses galloped into the discreet forest. From their hoard of teeming masses that they stood, no predator seemed to draw near and everywhere were just torches lit from the joy of finding the missing King of Cair Paravel. Some even sang along the way, humming strange but beautiful Narnian lullabies that drifted their fear into the dire atmosphere. Calla took one look again at her bloodied arm, and for some reason, she started feeling…dizzy.

"We're here." The soldier said, kicking on the horse to gallop faster. Calla held on and looked back at the Just King resting on the back of a lovely chestnut. He stirred for a bit, when bumps came to foil the smoothness of their Mother Road. Somewhere not in her authority, or rather the action was involuntary or not at all planned, she smiled at his peaceful slumber. Something about him just made her smile, but she wasn't plotting anything in time to find out why she had meant to do that.

No she wasn't ready for things like these, as she knew. Her mother wasn't there at all in her childhood. Her father just never seems to talk at all that much to her, and maybe love was a thing so fragile even she cannot handle. Maybe it was best if she left it like that. Just that.

Cair Paravel ignited with such thrill when the tower soldiers declared the return of the missing King. At once, you could see a little figure approaching fast towards them and you could see the girl with a silver crown on her head.

"Edmund! Edmund!" She joyfully cried. Oh, how much tears flooded her eyes when she saw her brother as he laid back on the horse and still drift in his sleep. She piped down but still wore the happiest smile on her face. He was back. None more thrilling was it for her to finally see her brother alive and…well not exactly well but he was in one piece that's for sure.

"His Majesty is just in need for a quiet breather." Oreius said.

"Of course, just be sure to alert me if he wakes." Lucy said, looking at Edmund gently being sent to his room. From the opposite side of the room, one could also see the two monarchs themselves running relieved towards her.

"He's back! That stubborn little dunce is back!" Peter ran towards Lucy, with Susan catching up with him.

"I know. I sort of saw him first." Lucy remarked happily. "He's sort of wounded, but he's alright."

Your Majesty…" Lucy turned around to find a strange girl bowing earnestly in front of her. Of course, she made an obligation to acknowledge her act. "The reason that your brother is very much alive is because of my friend, Bane, and he's dying." She gestured to him. "You have to help him." Lucy looked at her and admired the fact that someone could actually depend on her help, as if his or her lives depended on it. It showed her she wasn't a total loss at being a Queen, since Peter refused Lucy to join in battles ever since she was almost killed.

"Anyone who saves my brother for me will have my utmost help unreservedly. I admire your faith, and I know Aslan will not let a noble creature such as him to perish." Lucy smiled, patting Calla's shoulder. "And to whom do I owe the privilege of helping the creature who saved my brother and King of Narnia? Despite of your reputation, I would not choose to look at them but rather the goodness in your heart and the faith that brought you here." Calla smiled. Then, something made her shudder.

"I-I am-" She stammered under the breath of mentioning her name. Calla cupped her forehead and stumbled backwards. She started breathing heavily, eyes blurring and her limbs failing to cooperate.

"A-Are you alright?" Lucy asked, trying to reach out to her. A huge thwack came on the somber pavements of the Cair Paravel Castle and it wasn't long before they realized they were on the verge of something none of them expected.

"It's the venom! She must have bitten by a rabid wolf." The soldier cried, clutching her wrist and watching her as she gasps for air. "We must hurry. Venoms of rabid wolves spread fast. The more fervent the more likely she might not survive."

"Get Gyor!" were the desperate urges and calls spreading from around the castle. Some stayed well away as she was rushed to the infirmary. Shouts and calls were incessantly mentioned for medical supplies. Her lights dimmed but the broad scope of the many candles were blurred before her. Then she felt she was being forced to drink a liquid that was clearly bitter. It was being drilled down on her throat and her arms shook violently in resistance.

She could see a centaur monitoring his allies, and the room was in pure chaos. She wondered how and why a small rabid, diseased, wolf had nipped on her arm, and managed to design pure turmoil in healing chambers. She was not of any significance to the monarchs, or importance to the subjects of the royals. Then she was reminded of one thing; the only reason they wanted her alive, was to find her father.

To kill him. What world does she live in now?

So I just want to say thank you to the first five people who reviewed. It really means the world to me.

Spirited Mare: I'm glad you think so! I'm also glad you're enjoying the story:)

Sherley: Haha, that's why I made this! Feel free to satisfy your quench:)

Bacon*****: Sorry, can't say the 'B' word haha. But thanks for your stamp of approval:D

LettersUnwritten: Thank you! That's alright I mean I'm just an amateur writer:D