Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.
Summary: 21 Yule 1006 will see the first lunar eclipse to occur on the Winter Solstice in four hundred years. Enemies of Narnia rejoice! For the time of the Golden Age will come to an end with the spilling of royal blood and Jadis will be revived!
A/N: If you have not read the first three stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed), I highly recommend you do so. However, if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.
Chapter Thirteen: Ambush
Susan let out an involuntary scream as a Werewolf suddenly crashed into one of the Faun archers just in front of her horse. Not even a heartbeat later, two more Werewolves slammed into guards. As Kat shouted orders, Susan automatically reached for her bow only to groan in frustration as her fingers closed on naught but air. She had been in such a rush to leave the Cair that morn that she had forgotten to bring her bow and quiver.
Her horse reared and nearly unseated her as two Werewolves snapped at the horse's legs. Susan held on to the saddle and the horse's mane with all her strength. One of the Werewolves fell with an arrow in its throat and then the Leopard Ptah tackled the other Werewolf away from her. The Narnians did their best to form a protective circle but Werewolves were still appearing right before or as they tackled the soldiers. Susan's horse reared again and she was thrown past one of the archers to land in a snow bank.
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Brutus snarled as he leapt on a Satyr and made quick work of him. His scarred muzzle wrinkled as he spotted an old enemy fighting one of the younger pack members...until she killed the reckless pup. Soon, Alambiel, your time comes soon. He snarled as he reluctantly turned away from her and searched for the one he wanted. He didn't howl when he spotted his prey. No, he wouldn't give his approach away. It was far more fun to see the terror in his prey's eyes when he merely appeared.
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Katerina whirled away from the outstretched claws of one Werewolf just as Caia shot him. The Centauress glared fiercely at the fallen Fell before she lashed out with her hind legs, crushing the skull of the Werewolf who had attempted to hamstring her. Katerina gave Caia a little more space so the Centauress could continue taking out as many Werewolves as possible with vicious efficiency. Note to self: Never resemble the guilty party when Caia's upset. P.S. Keep Caia on my side. Katerina stiffened suddenly as she spotted Susan's horse...riderless. There were at least three Werewolves for every soldier still standing, but she couldn't see Susan in the mix. She needed to find Susan...
"Reform the line! Drive them back!" She shouted the orders over and over again even as she fought her way closer to where she had last seen Susan. She knew Susan didn't have her bow and quiver with her, but Katerina hoped she at least had a dagger and that she had a soldier or two with her.
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Susan scrambled back to her feet; so far, none of the Werewolves had noticed her vulnerable position but that could change at any moment. She plunged her hand into a nearly invisible slash in her skirts, which hid a dagger, the design had been Kat's idea as she and Tuulea discussed the best way for Lucy to hide the extra dagger that had been a birthday present from Kat. Kat had then suggested that at least three of Susan's riding skirts be given the same adjustment, at the time Susan had protested but Kat had gone around her and a few weeks later four new riding skirts with the adjustment had appeared in her wardrobe. Kat had also given her a lightweight but sturdy dagger. Susan now found herself infinitely grateful that Kat had insisted on her taking a dagger as her fingers tightened around its hilt just as a Werewolf knocked a Faun archer down. Susan threw the dagger at the Werewolf. She was not Lucy or Kat, she wasn't an expert at throwing knives, but the Lion blessed her throw as the dagger hit the Werewolf in the shoulder, knocking him off balance.
Susan ran forward, snatching up the bow that had fallen from the Faun archer's grasp, and swung the bow with all her might at the wounded Werewolf's head. The Werewolf fell back even further with a sharp yelp. Susan crouched and grabbed an arrow from the quiver. Now, she was in her element. Aslan, let my arrow fly true. She loosed the arrow, which flew straight and true until it hit the Werewolf in the throat...a kill shot.
Ignoring the risk as the Werewolves and Narnians continued fighting around her, Susan dropped to her knees beside the fallen archer. She rolled him over gently and gasped. It was Randy...and he had passed to Aslan's Country. Without pausing to allow herself time to question her actions, Susan unbuckled the quiver, still more than half full of arrows, and slung it over her own head and shoulder. She didn't bother to buckle it as she stood back up and began firing arrow after arrow at the Werewolves. She heard Kat shouting orders, "Reform the line! Drive them back!"
Susan stepped forward intending to rejoin the main group of soldiers still fighting the Werewolves, but then she spotted a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, raising the bow defensively, just as teeth, claws, and fur filled her vision. A large weight slammed into her and she gasped as she was knocked down into the cold snow. The bow was viciously yanked out of her hand and then snapped. The Werewolf snarled at her and Susan desperately felt for a weapon. Her gloved fingers bumped into something slender and hard. She tightened her grip then stabbed the Werewolf in the side. He yelped then snarled again as the arrowhead cut into his foul flesh. But, the wound didn't slow him down. Aslan! She wanted to close her eyes as death stared back at her, but instead she made herself look the Werewolf in the eye. She was not weak.
The Werewolf lunged forward, jaws wide, but then he was slammed aside by another Werewolf. Susan could hardly believe her eyes as the Werewolf wrinkled his scarred muzzle and snarled, "Don't shed her blood...yet." He looked at another Werewolf, "Call them." Susan didn't understand what that meant, but then again, she didn't care. She grabbed another arrow and lunged forward, aiming for the Werewolf's eye. But, he spun back. The last thing she saw was his forearm coming straight at her and feeling a sharp pain and a feeling of weightlessness before it all went dark.
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Brutus snarled as he yanked the limp pretender queen up and slung her over his shoulder. He raced away from the battleground with his prize. His third howled and the remaining members of their pack peeled away from the fight. The dark-haired pretender had fought back more than he had expected, but it didn't matter because she couldn't fight her way free of his pack. Less than five days left until the ceremony, but he wouldn't go to Beira just yet. No, there was one more thing he wanted to achieve.
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Katerina lowered her knives as the last of the Werewolves vanished back into the forest. She hadn't been able to find Susan and reach her. "Dame Sepphora!" She ran in the direction of the call and found Caia standing beside a fallen Faun archer, Randy. Taking in the scene in a glance, she knew before Caia even said the words, "They've taken the Gentle Queen."
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Apologies for the tardiness of this chapter, but unfortunately I was struck with both writer's block and a heavy course load. Leave a review and let me know what you thought about this one. What do you think will happen next?