PETER PETER PETER!

It started out as a feeling,

Which then grew into a hope,

Which then turned into a quiet thought,

Which then turned into a quiet word.

And then that word grew louder and louder,

'Til it was a battle cry,

I'll come back,

When you call me,

No need to say goodbye.

'The Call', Regina Spektor

I crouched behind a pile of logs, watching. There were maybe twenty guards, including Glozelle, stationed around the area but it was as Caspian had said. Miraz did not expect an attack on a bridge, so why waste good men guarding it?

I looked around at Caspian and nodded. It was safe. Caspian nodded back and lifted his beacon above the wood pile once. Not long enough for the Telmarines to see, but long enough to signal to Reepicheep. The mouse and a few of his forces went to work. They attacked quickly, as I had instructed: as little death as possible.

Once ten were knocked out the others were fully alert of an attack. Caspian looked at me.

"Okay," I murmured.

I leapt over the logs and took out the guard nearest me with a swift knock to the head from the hilt of one of my blades. I looked up, and hen Glozelle was almost upon me. I slashed once with the sword, catching the Telmarine's cheek. He staggered away in shock.

"Reepicheep, the general," I commanded, only slightly breathless. Reepicheep bowed and took care of Glozelle as I turned away. The soldiers were taken care of.

"Let's go!" I called. Narnians streaked out from the trees and the easy raid began. The wagons were opened and the weapons bundled into arms. Those with a full load leapt back under cover to wait.

I ran to the nearest wagon where Caspian was pushing swords into Asterius' tough arms, sheathing my blade as I went.

"Here," he said quickly, and tossed a bundle of spears into my arms. "Alright, that's it from here."

He leapt out and slammed the wagon shut before drawing his blade.

"Caspian, come on," I hissed.

"Just a moment," he replied and began scratching lines into the wood of the wagon. I squinted to read it in the darkness. 'You were right to fear the woods. X.'

I grinned. "Very clever."

Caspian shrugged and hauled a sack of shields onto his back. "Come on then."

We regrouped under the trees and I smiled again. Enough for at last two regiments. Perfect.

"Reepicheep, how are the guards," I asked.

"Three dead, the rest just out cold," the mouse replied.

I bit my lip. It couldn't be helped. "Alright, let's get all this back to the How as soon as possible. It'll be slower going with all this, they'll be after us in the morning."

"Well done everyone," Caspian added as we moved off through the trees, and I smiled at him. Despite his hesitation, he was becoming the leader we needed.

The sun had risen as I strode through the woods, my arms bundled around the collection of spears we had picked up. We were nearly back at the How.

Suddenly I heard a familiar commotion from behind me. It was a sound I knew well; the clash of two skilled blades. Telmarines! I paused a moment, before dropping my load and racing back the way I had come. As I ran into view of the fight, I drew my blades but I skidded to a halt in shock as I registered the scene with a gasp.

Caspian had his sword drawn fighting an enemy as skilled as he was. Yet it was no enemy. Peter.

As I watched, I knew I should intercept but I couldn't move. Peter was here... As I watched he disarmed Caspian and aimed a blow at the prince's head. Caspian ducked away and Peter's sword embedded itself in a tree. Struggling to reclaim it, he forgot Caspian who kicked him away and tugged Peter's blade out.

"No!" a voice yelled. A voice I knew.

Looking around I saw Lucy. Young Queen Lucy, yet older. She was taller, her hair longer. But it was Lucy.

Caspian and Peter both paused, unsure, Rhindon aimed at Peter's chest.

"Prince Caspian?" Peter asked tentatively.

"Yes, and who are you?" Caspian replied roughly.

"Peter!" another voice shouted. Another voice I knew. Susan came into sight, followed by Edmund. Now that I wasn't distracted I noticed the differences. Edmund and Lucy had changed more than their older siblings; Edmund was taller and longer haired like Lucy. Susan and Peter just looked...older, only by a year or so, from when I had first met them.

At Susan's shout, Caspian looked down at the iconic perfect sword in his hand.

"High King Peter?" Caspian asked in surprise.

"I believe you called," Peter replied coldly.

"Well yes, but… I thought you'd be older," Caspian commented.

"Well, if you'd like," Peter said lightly, "we can come back in a few years.

"No! No, that's alright," Caspian said quickly. "You're just… You're not exactly what I expected." I noticed him look strangely at Susan.

"Neither are you!" Edmund replied, glancing at Asterius behind Caspian.

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes," Trufflehunter said wisely.

Reepicheep turned to Peter. "We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege. Our hearts and swords are at your service."'

Lucy leant over and muttered something to Susan. Reepicheep's paw leapt to his blade.

"Who said that?" he shouted. Although I was still too shocked to speak up, I smiled. I guessed a comment had been made about Reepicheep's undoubted adorability, no matter how great a warrior the mouse was.

"Sorry," Lucy admitted, stepping forward slightly.

"Oh, uh… your majesty," Reepicheep said in surprise, replacing his rapier. "With the greatest respect…I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous might more befit a knight of Narnia."

"Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade," Peter said.

"Yes, indeed," the mouse bowed. "And I have recently put it to good use acquiring weapons for your army, sire.

"Good. Because we're going to need every sword we can get."

"Well then, you'll probably be wanting yours back," Caspian said and handed Peter his sword. Peter sheathed it and turned away.

"Its strange preparing for a war with our people who don't know us, without the ones we always trusted," Edmund commented, staring around at us all. "Like Oreius and-" he froze in shock and I looked at him. To find him looking right back at me. "Arneia?"

"Don't talk about her," Peter growled, but turned to see why Ed was staring.

He froze as his eyes found me. Facing me, he did look about a year older than he had when we had first met. And yet he was just the same: proud, handsome and caring. A High King.

The hand holding my double bladed sword lowered and the blades dropped into the thick moss with a dull thud. Peter was still staring at me incredulously.

"Arneia?" he murmured. I slowly moved towards him, not looking where I was stepping. We came face to face, girl to boy, High Lady to High King. So different, yet so similar to when we last parted. Peter lifted a shaking hand and he gently touched my face as he had done so many hundreds of years ago at his coronation. At his touch, l closed my eyes, smiling, then opened them again.

Peter's look of shock turned to one of delight. His other hand took my face he kissed me, gently but firmly. l took his own face in my hands and after a moment our lips broke apart.

"Neia, you're...you're alive?" he muttered, still staring at me.

I nodded dumbly. "Still don't know how."

Peter grinned. "I don't care how, the fact is you're here!"

"Arneia!" a voice squealed, and some unknown force pushed me away from Peter, clasping me tightly around the waist. I laughed and hugged Lucy back.

"What in the name of Aslan-" Edmund began in shock.

"I can't believe it!" Susan added, also embracing me.

"Thirteen hundred-?" Edmund tried again. I smiled, then my smile faded slightly.

"This is incredible, but your majesty, we'd better move out," I said, looking at Caspian. "They'll discover our raid soon enough and then they'll be after us."

Caspian nodded. "Let's go everyone."